ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Fire Under Arctic Ice: Volcanoes Have Been Blowing Their Tops In The Deep Ocean Posted: 26 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers have uncovered evidence of explosive volcanic eruptions deep beneath the ice-covered surface of the Arctic Ocean. Such violent eruptions of splintered, fragmented rock -- known as pyroclastic deposits -- were not thought possible at great ocean depths because of the intense weight and pressure of water and because of the composition of seafloor magma and rock. The evidence of violent eruptions on Gakkel Ridge in the Arctic defies assumptions about seafloor pressure and volcanism.

Laser Surgery Probe Targets Individual Cancer Cells Posted: 26 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT Mechanical engineers have developed a laser "microscalpel" that destroys a single cell while leaving nearby cells intact, which could improve the precision of surgeries for cancer, epilepsy and other diseases.

Food Scientists Confirm Commercial Product Effectively Kills Bacteria In Vegetable Washwater Posted: 26 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT Research conducted by food science faculty at the University of Idaho and Washington State University indicate that a commercially available fruit and vegetable wash, when used in a food-manufacturing setting, can dramatically decrease the number of disease-causing organisms in produce-processing washwater. That could reduce by manyfold the potential for cross-contamination within the water by such "gram-negative" bacteria as Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7.

Different Type Of Colon Cancer Vaccine Reduces Disease Spread, Scientists Show Posted: 26 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT Taking advantage of the fact that the intestines have a separate immune system from the rest of the body, scientists have found a way to immunize mice against the development of metastasis. They have shown that mice immunized with an intestinal protein developed fewer lung and liver metastases after injection with colon cancer cells than did controls. The work may portend the development of a different kind of cancer vaccine that may help prevent recurrence.

Diversity Among Bird Populations Found To Reduce Threat Of West Nile Virus Posted: 26 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT A biologist and undergraduate student have discovered that what's good for an area's bird population is also good for people living nearby.

Women Have Not Adapted To Casual Sex, Research Shows Posted: 26 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT The sexual and feminist revolutions were supposed to free women to enjoy casual sex just as men always had. The negative feelings reported by women after one-night stands suggest that they are not well adapted to fleeting sexual encounters.

Evidence Of Massive Asteroid Impact On Mars Supported By Computer Simulations Posted: 26 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT The dramatic differences between the northern and southern hemispheres of Mars have puzzled scientists for 30 years. One of the proposed explanations -- a massive asteroid impact -- now has strong support from computer simulations carried out by two groups of researchers.

Second Genetic Risk Factor For Late-onset Alzheimer's Disease Found Posted: 26 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT Researchers have discovered the second, strong genetic risk factor for developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease, according to a new report in the June 27 issue of the journal Cell.

New Invention Effectively Kills Foodborne Pathogens In Minutes Posted: 26 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT Researchers have developed an effective technology for reducing contamination of dangerous bacteria on food. The new antimicrobial wash rapidly kills Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 on foods ranging from fragile lettuce to tomatoes, fruits, poultry products and meats. It is made from inexpensive and readily available ingredients that are recognized as safe by the US Food and Drug Administration.

New Glaucoma Procedure Aims To Prevent Further Eye Damage Posted: 26 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT Patients with glaucoma have a new treatment option known as the Trabectome. The minimally invasive procedure, which is available at Mayo Clinic and takes about 20 minutes, is designed to decrease pressure within the eye and stabilize the vision.

Idle Computers Offer Hope To Solve Cancer's Mysteries Through Grid Computing Project Posted: 26 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT A biomedical engineering professor is using a concept called "grid computing" to allow the average person to donate idle computer time in a global effort to fight cancer.

It's Email, But At A Snail's Pace Posted: 26 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT Bournemouth University researchers are using live snails to send emails as part of a 'slow art' project aimed at encouraging people to explore notions of time.

Neuroscientists Discover A Sense Of Adventure Posted: 26 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT Wellcome Trust scientists have identified a key region of the brain which encourages us to be adventurous. The region, located in a primitive area of the brain, is activated when we choose unfamiliar options, suggesting an evolutionary advantage for sampling the unknown. It may also explain why rebranding of familiar products encourages to pick them off the supermarket shelves.

New Study Opening New Route For Combating Viruses Posted: 26 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT A unique technique for analyzing the function of microRNAs has led to the discovery of a new mechanism by which viruses evade the human immune system. This discovery has important implications for human intervention in the battle between viruses and humans.

New Test For More Reliable Product Expiration Labels Posted: 26 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT Beer gets a "skunky" taste. Wine develops an unpleasant flavor termed "light-struck." And exposure to light causes off flavors, colors, and aromas in hundreds of other foods and beverages and decreases shelf life.

A Prickly Problem: Hedgehog Signaling In Heart's Blood Vessels Posted: 26 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT New data, generated by David Ornitz and colleagues, at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, have indicated a crucial role for signaling pathways that involve the protein sonic hedgehog in maintaining the blood vessels that supply the mouse heart and keep it beating.

Cooperative System Could Wipe Out Car Alarm Noise Posted: 26 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT The persistent, annoying blare of an ignored car alarm may become a sound of the past if a cooperative, mutable and silent network of monitors proposed by Penn State researchers is deployed in automobiles and parking lots.

Major Progress In Technology Needed For 25 Percent Renewable Energy Use To Be Affordable Posted: 26 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT Dramatic progress in renewable energy technology is needed if the United States desires to produce 25 percent of its electricity and motor vehicle fuel from renewable sources by 2025 without significantly increasing consumer costs, according to a new study.

Largest Crater In Solar System Revealed By NASA Spacecraft Posted: 26 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT New analysis of Mars' terrain using NASA spacecraft observations reveals what appears to be by far the largest impact crater ever found in the solar system.

Viruses Hitch A Ride In The Cell Posted: 26 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT Viruses can travel around cells they infect by hitching a ride on a microscopic transport system, according to new research. Cells are exposed to foreign DNA and RNA and it is understood that some of this genetic material can be integrated into the host genome. Using modern microscopic techniques, scientists have been able to see how virus DNA is transported in the cell.

Automated Microfluidic Device Reduces Time To Screen Small Organisms For Genetic Studies Posted: 26 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT Genetic studies on small organisms such as worms and flies can now be done more quickly using a new microfluidic device. The new "lab-on-a-chip" can automatically position, image, determine the phenotype of and sort small animals, such as the worm Caenorhabditis elegans that is commonly used for biological studies.

New Cardiovascular Score Developed To Improve Heart Attack And Stroke Detection Posted: 26 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT A new and more accurate method of assessing people at risk from cardiovascular disease is set to improve national diagnosis rates and identify those at risk among black and minority ethnic groups.

Cellular Annoyance: Annoying Mobile Communications Abroad Posted: 26 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT The results of a multinational survey to be published in the International Journal of Mobile Communications reveals some surprises about cell phone use that have implications for organizations that rely on mobile communications. The study was undertaken by Robert Nickerson and Brenda Mak of San Francisco State University working with Henri Isaac of the University Paris-Dauphine.

Hurried Doctor Visits May Leave Patients Feeling Forgetful Posted: 26 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT Have you ever been whisked through a doctor's visit, and afterward were unable to remember what the doctor said? A University of Rochester Medical Center study disclosed that doctors don't often take the steps necessary to help patients recall medical instructions.

How Ritalin Works In Brain To Boost Cognition, Focus Attention Posted: 25 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT Stimulant medications such as Ritalin have been prescribed for decades to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and their popularity as "cognition enhancers" has recently surged among the healthy, as well.

Phoenix Mars Lander Puts Soil In Chemistry Lab, Team Discusses Next Steps Posted: 25 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander placed a sample of Martian soil in the spacecraft's wet chemistry laboratory June 25 for the first time. Results from that instrument, part of Phoenix's Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer, are expected to provide the first measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of the planet's soil.

Athletes Susceptible To Antibiotic-resistant Staph Infections Posted: 25 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly referred to as MRSA, is a type of staph that causes infections resistant to a class of common antibiotics that includes methicillin, penicillin, amoxicillin and oxacillin. While MRSA infections were traditionally associated with extended hospital stays, they are now becoming more common in everyday life. In fact, this newer form of MRSA known as community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) can affect otherwise healthy individuals without any recent healthcare-related issues -- raising fears that the infection can strike anyone, anywhere or anytime.

New Process Brings Nanoparticles Into Focus Posted: 25 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT Scientists can study the biological impacts of engineered nanomaterials on cells within the body with greater resolution than ever because of a procedure developed by researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

How To Attract Young People To Engineering: 'Make A Difference' Message Is Key Posted: 25 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT Encouraging young people to make a difference in the world through an engineering career is more likely to attract them than emphasizing the challenge of math and science skills, says a new report from the National Academy of Engineering that identifies messages for improving public understanding of engineering.

Climate Change Could Severely Impact California's Unique Native Plants Posted: 25 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT California's endemic plants -- those found nowhere else in the world -- could disappear from their natural ranges as a result of global warming and associated changes in rainfall, according to a new study. In general, plants will move northward and towards the coast, and in southern California, upward into mountain refugia, highlighting the need to protect these refugia and corridors between them. One big question remains: Can plants migrate fast enough to escape warming's effects?

Automated MRI Technique Assists In Earlier Alzheimer's Diagnosis Posted: 25 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT An automated system for measuring brain tissue with magnetic resonance imaging can help physicians more accurately diagnose Alzheimer's disease at an earlier stage according to a new study.

Eczema In Infancy May Be Linked To Cat Ownership In Those With A Specific Gene Mutation Posted: 25 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT A gene mutation and cat exposure at birth may increase a child's risk of developing eczema during their first year according to a study in PLoS Medicine. Researchers studied the association between mutations in the filaggrin gene and exposure to environmental factors with the development of eczema.

Severe Retinal Hemorrhaging Is Linked To Severe Motor Vehicle Crashes Posted: 25 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT The severity of retinal hemorrhaging for young children in motor vehicle crashes is closely correlated to the severity of the crash, according to a new study by researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Retinal hemorrhages occur when the blood vessels lining the retina rupture, resulting in bleeding onto the surface of the retina.

Electromagnetic Interference From Some Identification Devices May Pose Hazards To Medical Equipment Posted: 25 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT The use of radio frequency identification devices appears to have the potential to cause critical care medical equipment to malfunction, according to a new study.

Kids Connect Alcohol Odors With Mom's Emotions Posted: 25 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT How children respond to the smell of alcoholic beverages is related to their mothers' reasons for drinking, according to a new study. When asked to choose between the odor of beer and an unpleasant odor, children of mothers classified as 'escape drinkers' were more likely than children of non-escape drinkers to choose the unpleasant odor. Young children dislike beer smell when moms drink to escape.

Extreme Weather Events Can Unleash A 'Perfect Storm' Of Infectious Diseases, Research Study Says Posted: 25 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Scientists have found the first clear example of how climate extremes, such as the increased frequency of droughts and floods expected with global warming, can create conditions in which diseases that are tolerated individually may converge and cause mass die-offs of livestock or wildlife.

Simple Ultrasound Exam May Predict Osteoporosis Risk Posted: 25 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT An ultrasound exam of the heel may be able to predict if a woman is at heightened risk for fractures due to osteoporosis, according to a new multicenter study.

Newly Identified Role For 'Power Plants' In Human Cells Could Lead To Targeted Therapies Posted: 25 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Scientists have determined that human cells are able to shift important gene products into their own mitochondria, considered the power plants of cells. The finding could eventually lead to therapies for dozens of diseases. The gene products, known as tRNAs, assemble amino acids for the production of proteins within mitochondria. If the mitochondrial tRNA genes are defective or missing, and proteins are not manufactured, the mitochondria are unable to generate adequate energy.

How An Anticancer Drug Dampens The Immune System Posted: 25 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Drugs known as HDAC inhibitors, which have antitumor activity and can be used to treat some forms of skin cancer and some types of leukemia, are also known to have anti-inflammatory properties, but the mechanisms by which they modulate the immune system have not been determined.

Moon-Bound NASA Spacecraft Passes Major Preflight Tests Posted: 25 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Engineering teams are conducting final checkouts of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, known as LCROSS, that will take a significant step forward in the search for water on the moon.

'Neglected Infections Of Poverty' In United States Disable Hundreds Of Thousands Of Americans Annually Posted: 25 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT A new analysis highlights that diseases very similar to those plaguing Africa, Asia, and Latin America are also occurring frequently among the poorest people in the United States, especially women and children. These diseases -- the "neglected infections of poverty" -- are caused by chronic and debilitating parasitic, bacterial, and congenital infections.

Our Genome Changes Over Lifetime, And May Explain Many 'Late-onset' Diseases Posted: 25 Jun 2008 01:00 PM CDT Researchers have found that epigenetic marks on DNA -- chemical marks other than the DNA sequence -- do indeed change over a person's lifetime, and that the degree of change is similar among family members. The team suggests that overall genome health is heritable and that epigenetic changes occurring over one's lifetime may explain why disease susceptibility increases with age.

Alzheimer's Disease As Case Of Brake Failure? Loss Of Protein Function In Neurons May Lead To Dementia Posted: 25 Jun 2008 01:00 PM CDT Researchers have discovered that a protein that suppresses cell division in brain cells effectively "puts the brakes" on the dementia that comes with Alzheimer's disease. When the brakes fail, dementia results. This discovery could open the door to new ways of treating Alzheimer's disease, which affects up to half the population over the age of 85.

Oral Cannabis Ineffective In Treating Acute Pain, Study Finds Posted: 25 Jun 2008 01:00 PM CDT Oral cannabis (a form of medical marijuana) not only failed to alleviate certain types of pain in human volunteers but, surprisingly, it instead caused increased sensitivity to some forms of pain. Researchers evaluated the analgesic potency of orally administered cannabis extract that included its main psychoactive component, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Immune Cells Cause Inflammation By Destroying An Anti-inflammatory Protein Posted: 25 Jun 2008 01:00 PM CDT Among the first cells of the immune system to respond to microorganisms that invade our body are neutrophils. Although neutrophils are considered the "good guys" in such circumstances, they also contribute to the noninfectious chronic inflammation that underlies various diseases, including autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

'Directed Thinking' Increases Time Spent Exercising Posted: 25 Jun 2008 01:00 PM CDT A new study shows how "directed thinking" led to an increase in exercise and fitness in sedentary college students.

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ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

To Find Out What's Eating Bats, Biologist Takes To Barn Rooftops Posted: 25 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT Bloodsucking pests like bat fleas and bat flies may not sound very appealing to the rest of us, but to many biologists they are considered among the most successful creatures evolution has ever produced. Researchers aim to provide a clearer picture of how potential disease vectors adapt to bats. This work may shed light on White Nose Syndrome, which has killed tens of thousands of bats in the northeastern U.S. and which some feel may parallel the Colony Collapse Disorder that has devastated honey bee colonies in recent years.

Anti-inflammatory Drug Blocks Brain Plaques Posted: 25 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT An anti-inflammatory drug may help restore brain function in patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to an animal study in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Engineers Create 3-D Model To Help Biologists Combat Blue Tongue Virus Posted: 25 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT A large 3-D model of the Blue Tongue virus has been created by WMG engineering researchers at the University of Warwick that will help biologists devise new ways to combat the virus, and protect millions of livestock from infection. The model is 5,200,000 times the size of the real thing.

Crucial Factors In Lymphoma Development And Survival Discovered Posted: 25 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers have discovered an important factor in the development of B-cell lymphomas, one of the fastest growing forms of cancer. The B-cell receptor on the surface of B cells can cooperate with the MYC oncogene to accelerate the development of lymphomas. The research team also showed that disruption of signals from the B-cell receptor can inhibit growth of the tumors.

Physicists Develop 'Impossible' Technique To Study And Develop Superconductors Posted: 25 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers have developed a technique that controls the number of electrons on the surface of high-temperature superconductors, a procedure considered impossible for the past two decades.

Cosmetic Surgery Procedures To Exceed 55 Million In 2015, Study Predicts Posted: 25 Jun 2008 10:00 AM CDT More than 55 million cosmetic surgery procedures will be performed in 2015, predicts a recent study. This more than quadruples the number of procedures performed in 2005.

When Threatened, A Few African Frogs Can Morph Toes Into Claws Posted: 25 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT Some African frogs carry concealed weapons: when threatened, these species puncture their own skin with sharp bones in their toes, using the bones as claws capable of wounding predators. At least 11 species kick at predators with sharp, protruding bones as a defense mechanism.

Certain Anticancer Agents Could Be Harmful To Patients With Heart Disease Posted: 25 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT A set of promising new anticancer agents could have unforeseen risks in individuals with heart disease, suggests research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The anticancer drugs interfere with a biochemical process that promotes growth in some cancer cells. But the researchers showed that interfering with this biochemical process in mice with heart disease led to further deterioration of cardiac function and ultimately death.

Phoenix Lander Prepares For Microscopy, Wet Chemistry On Mars Posted: 25 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has delivered a scoop of Martian soil from the "Snow White" trenches to the optical microscope for analysis tomorrow, June 24, the 29th Martian day of the mission, or Sol 29.

Tethered Molecules Act As Light-driven Reversible Nanoswitches Posted: 25 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT A new technique for attaching light-sensitive organic molecules to metal surfaces allows the molecules to be switched between two different configurations in response to exposure to different wavelengths of light. Because the configuration changes are reversible and can be controlled without direct contact, this technique could enable applications that can be controlled at the molecular scale.

How Low Blood Flow Promotes Vascular Disease: Better Understanding To Lead To New Therapies Posted: 25 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT Researchers have found the first direct proof that a key protein drives the clogging of arteries in two ways, and that lowering levels of it opens them up, according to study results published in the June edition of the journal Circulation. The work establishes cyclophilin A as an exciting target in the design of drugs against atherosclerosis, the number one cause of heart attacks and strokes, which occur when vessels become completely blocked.

Engineers Reveal What Makes Diamonds Slippery At The Nanoscale Posted: 25 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT Engineers have conducted the first study of diamond friction supported by spectroscopy and determined that this slippery behavior comes from passivation of atomic bonds at the diamond surface that were broken during sliding and not from the diamond turning into its more stable form, graphite.

From The Egg, Baby Crocodiles Call To Each Other And To Mom Posted: 25 Jun 2008 07:00 AM CDT The pre-hatching calls of baby Nile crocodiles actually mean something to their siblings and to their mothers. The calls -- which are perfectly audible to humans and sound like "umph! umph! umph!" -- tell the others in the nest that it's time to hatch, according to research in Current Biology. Those cries also tell the mother crocodile to start digging up the nest.

Accidental Discovery Could Enable Development Of Faster Computers Posted: 25 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT Physicists have made an accidental discovery in the lab that has potential to change how information in computers can be transported or stored. Dependent on the "spin" of electrons, a property electrons possess that makes them behave like tiny magnets, the discovery could help in the development of spin-based semiconductor technology such as ultrahigh-speed computers.

Potential Role Of Fish-based Fatty Acids In Resolving, Preventing Asthma Posted: 25 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT In an ongoing effort to determine the anti-inflammatory value of diets rich in some types of fish, scientists studying asthma and allergic reactions have found that a molecule produced by the body from omega-3 fatty acids helps resolve and prevent respiratory distress in laboratory mice. The research, supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, was led by a research team at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Prions Are Not Degraded By Conventional Sewage Treatment Processes Posted: 25 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT Scientists in Wisconsin are reporting that typical wastewater treatment processes do not degrade prions.

Systems Properties Of Insulin Signaling Revealed Posted: 25 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT Swedish researchers have characterized novel systems properties of insulin signaling in human fat cells. Their mathematical modeling provides further insight into energy level maintenance (via the hormone insulin) within our bodies.

Exploited Fish Make Rapid Comeback In World's Largest No-take Marine Reserve Network Posted: 25 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT No-take marine reserves, in which fishing is completely banned, can lead to very rapid comebacks of the fish species most prized by commercial and recreational fisheries, reveals a new study of Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Men Share Their Creative Work Online More Than Women Posted: 25 Jun 2008 04:00 AM CDT Men are significantly more likely to share their creative work online than women though both engage in creative activity about equally. With the Internet a major form of participating in popular culture and public discourse, that means men's voices are disproportionately heard. Almost two-thirds of men report posting their work online. Only half of women do. When controlling for digital literacy -- whether perceived or actual -- the research shows they post about equally.

Life On The Edge: To Disperse, Or Become Extinct? Posted: 25 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT The hardiest plants and those most likely to survive the climatic shifts brought about by global warming are now easier to identify. Plants existing at the edges of their natural habitats may enhance survival of the species during global warming.

Overcoming Resistance To A Cancer Drug Posted: 25 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT Drugs that target members of the EGFR family of proteins have proven effective for the treatment of certain types of cancer, including breast cancer. However, in a large number of patients for whom the treatment initially works well, the tumor recurs and is resistant to the effects of the drug.

Stroke Study Reveals Key Target For Improving Treatment And Suggests That Gleevec May Help Posted: 25 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT For over a decade, the drug called tPA has proven its worth as the most effective emergency treatment for the most common kind of stroke, but bleeding risks and a limited time window for treatment have held it back. Now, a new study reveals why tPA has these limitations and gives tantalizing evidence about how those problems might be overcome, if a stroke victim first takes a drug currently used to treat leukemia.

Researchers To Simulate And Analyze Brain, Immune System Activity And Apply Math To Medical Problems Posted: 25 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT In an effort to promote the application of mathematics to medical treatment, researchers in the University of Pittsburgh's department of mathematics will undertake a $2.5 million project to create models of how the brain and immune system function and change over time in response to certain illnesses, infections, and treatment. The models are intended to help doctors better understand and predict the possible short- and long-term responses of their patient's body to treatment.

A Doorman In Plant Cells: Important Signalling-protein For The Stress-response Of Plant Cells Identified Posted: 25 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT Biologists have identified the AHK5 as an important signaling-protein for the stress-response in plant cells.

Better Tools Needed For Assessing Infant Pain Posted: 25 Jun 2008 01:00 AM CDT Currently used pain assessment tools may be underestimating the pain response in infants according to a study published in the open access journal PLoS Medicine this week. Dr. Slater and colleagues (University College London, UK) studied the association between cortical pain responses in young infants and currently used pain assessment tools which are based on behavioral and physiological measures, such as change in facial expression.

Building Giant 'Nanoassemblies' That Sense Their Environment Posted: 24 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT Researchers in Texas are reporting the design, construction, and assembly of nano-size building blocks into the first giant structures that can sense and respond to changes in environmental conditions.

Low Vitamin D Levels Associated With Death From Cardiovascular, All Causes Posted: 24 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT Individuals with lower blood levels of vitamin D appear to have an increased risk of death overall and from cardiovascular causes, according to a new report.

Could New Discovery About A Shape-shifting Protein Lead To A Mighty 'Morpheein' Bacteria Fighter? Posted: 24 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT A small molecule that locks an essential enzyme in an inactive form could one day form the basis of a new class of unbeatable, species-specific drugs, including antibiotics. PBGS, an enzyme used by nearly all cellular life, is a morpheein -- a molecule that spontaneously "shape-shifts," -- turning from an active octamer (eight part) protein to a hexamer (six part). Morphlock stabilizes the hexamer, thereby turning off the enzyme.

Understanding The Migration Of Cancer Cells Posted: 24 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT Lamellipodia and filopodia are dynamic surface extensions of the cell which play a pivotal role in cell migration, invasion and wound healing. Biochemists have succeeded in clarifying the interplay between the two types of protrusions in regulating both the migratory and invasive abilities of cancer cells. They hope to exploit their exciting findings for the development of more specific cancer therapies.

Abandoned Farmlands Are Key To Sustainable Bioenergy Posted: 24 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT Biofuels can be a sustainable part of the world's energy future, especially if bioenergy agriculture is developed on currently abandoned or degraded agricultural lands. Using these lands for energy crops, instead of converting existing croplands or clearing new land, avoids competition with food production and preserves carbon-storing forests needed to mitigate climate change.

Scientifically Valid Prevention Programs Cut Rates Of Juvenile Delinquency Posted: 24 Jun 2008 10:00 PM CDT Seventh-grade students in US communities that have set up scientifically validated programs to reduce juvenile delinquency have a significantly smaller chance of engaging such behavior than do children in towns that have not adopted such programs.

Refusal Of Suicide Order: Why Tumor Cells Become Resistant Posted: 24 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT Cells with irreparable DNA damage normally induce programmed cell death, or apoptosis. However, this mechanism often fails in tumor cells so that transformed cells are able to multiply and spread throughout the body. Scientists have now discovered a possible cause of this failure.

Single Insecticide Application Can Kill Three Cockroach Generations Posted: 24 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT One dose of an insecticide can kill three generations of cockroaches as they feed off of each other and transfer the poison, according to entomologists who tested the effectiveness of a specific gel bait.

Five Genes Identified In Metastasis Of Breast Tumors To The Lung Posted: 24 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT Scientists have identified five genes involve in the metastasis of breast tumors to the lung. Of the five genes identified, the Tenascina-C gene seems to be a good therapeutic target for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. In fact, the blocking of the expression of this gene in the animal model enabled a significant reduction, both in tumour growth and in the incidence of pulmonary metastasis.

Reliance On Unverifiable Observations Hinders Successful Conservation Of Wildlife Species Posted: 24 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT Researchers from the US Forest Service's Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain Research Stations examined three cases of biological misunderstandings in which unverifiable, anecdotal observations were accepted as empirical evidence. Ultimately, they found that this acceptance adversely affected conservation goals for the fisher in the Pacific states, the wolverine in California, and the ivory-billed woodpecker in the southeast by vastly overestimating their range and abundance. The researchers' findings appear in the current issue of the journal BioScience.

Paradox Discovered About General Anesthesia: It Can Increase Post-surgical Pain Posted: 24 Jun 2008 07:00 PM CDT The general anesthesia that puts patients into unconscious sleep so they do not feel surgical pain can increase the discomfort they feel once they wake up. The findings, the first to scientifically explain what has been anecdotally observed in the clinic, may lead to wider use of the few anesthetics that don't have this side effect, or to the development of new ones.

Cells Have An Appetite For Micro-doughnuts Posted: 24 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Just like humans, liver cells can't resist eating just one or two small doughnuts, say chemists in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Chemical Communications. Exploiting liver cells' appetite for polystyrene ring "doughnuts", just a few microns across, might give scientists a new way to deliver drugs selectively, potentially eliminating nasty side effects of life-saving treatments such as chemotherapy.

Neural Implant That Learns With The Brain May Help Paralyzed Patients Posted: 24 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Devices known as brain-machine interfaces could someday be used routinely to help paralyzed patients and amputees control prosthetic limbs with just their thoughts. Now researchers have taken the concept a step further, devising a way for computerized devices not only to translate brain signals into movement but also to evolve with the brain as it learns.

When It Comes To Female Red Squirrels, It Seems Any Male Will Do, Even Close Relatives Posted: 24 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Researchers have found that female red squirrels showed high levels of multimale mating and would even mate with males that had similar genetic relatedness, basically mating with their relatives. Researchers from the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and the University of Sheffield in Sheffield, England, United Kingdom studied a population of red squirrels over a period of three years near Kluane National Park in southwest Yukon.

Weight Gain Within The Normal Range Increases Risk Of Chronic Kidney Disease Posted: 24 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Healthy individuals who gain weight, even to a weight still considered normal, are at risk for developing chronic kidney disease, according to a new study. The study suggests that CKD should be added to the list of conditions that are associated with weight gain, including diabetes and hypertension.

New Study Raises Concerns About Proposed Mitigation Strategy For Marine Bycatch Posted: 24 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Huge numbers of fish, seabirds, and other marine animals are routinely killed and discarded after being inadvertently caught during fishing operations. Known as marine bycatch, this problem is an ongoing challenge to the fishing industry, regulatory agencies, and conservationists. One recent proposal would compensate for bycatch by reducing other impacts on affected species, but a new analysis suggests that this strategy could end up doing more harm than good.

Many ALS Patients Have High Quality Of Life, Studies Find Posted: 24 Jun 2008 04:00 PM CDT Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis experience an astonishingly high quality of life. This disease leads to progressive muscular weakness and the clinical course is always fatal. In spite of the continuously increasing loss of control, new studies have shown that many ALS patients are satisfied with their lives.

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