ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Brain disease 'resistance gene' evolves in Papua New Guinea community; could offer insights into CJD

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

A community in Papua New Guinea that suffered a major epidemic of a CJD-like fatal brain disease called kuru has developed strong genetic resistance to the disease, according to new research by scientists in the UK.

Saliva proteins change as women age

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

In a step toward using human saliva to tell whether those stiff joints, memory lapses, and other telltale signs of aging are normal or red flags for disease, scientists are describing how the protein content of women's saliva change with advancing age. The discovery could lead to a simple, noninvasive test for better diagnosing and treating certain age-related diseases in women, they suggest.

Hidden threat: Elevated pollution levels near regional airports

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Scientists are reporting evidence that air pollution -- a well-recognized problem at major airports -- may pose an important but largely overlooked health concern for people living near smaller regional airports. Those airports are becoming an increasingly important component of global air transport systems. The study, one of only a handful to examine airborne pollutants near regional airports, suggests that officials should pay closer attention to these overlooked emissions, which could cause health problems for local residents.

Barn personnel experience higher-than-average rates of respiratory symptoms

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

The estimated 4.6 million Americans involved in the equine industry may be at risk of developing respiratory symptoms due to poor air quality in horse barns, according to a questionnaire study.

Software knowledge unnecessarily lost

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

All too often the knowledge acquired by software architects is unnecessarily lost. Moreover, it is difficult to simply and quickly assess the quality of software. According to researchers these problems can, however, be easily resolved. They investigated how architectural knowledge can be better disseminated and retrieved.

Why can't some people give up cocaine?

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Drug dependency is a recurrent but treatable kind of addiction. However, not all people who are drug dependent progress in the same way once they stop taking drugs. A new study shows that, in the case of cocaine, a high score on the so-called ‘scale of craving’, an antisocial personality type and previous heroin abuse are the factors most commonly involved in people falling back into the habit.

Watching a cannibal galaxy dine

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

A new technique using near-infrared images, obtained with ESO's 3.58-metre New Technology Telescope (NTT), allows astronomers to see through the opaque dust lanes of the giant cannibal galaxy Centaurus A, unveiling its "last meal" in unprecedented detail -- a smaller spiral galaxy, currently twisted and warped. This amazing image also shows thousands of star clusters, strewn like glittering gems, churning inside Centaurus A.

Why bird flu has not caused a pandemic

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Bird flu viruses would have to make at least two simultaneous genetic mutations before they could be transmitted readily from human to human, according to new research.

Small nanoparticles bring big improvement to medical imaging

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Scientists have discovered a method of using nanoparticles to illuminate the cellular interior to reveal the slow, complex processes taking place in a living cell.

An atomic-level look at an HIV accomplice

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Since the discovery in 2007 that a component of human semen called SEVI boosts infectivity of the virus that causes AIDS, researchers have been trying to learn more about SEVI and how it works, in hopes of thwarting its infection-promoting activity.

Engineer designs micro-endoscope to seek out early signs of cancer

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Traditional endoscopes provide a peek inside patients' bodies. Now, an engineering researcher is designing ones capable of a full inspection.

Older problem drinkers use more alcohol than do their younger counterparts

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Older adults who have alcohol dependence problems drink significantly more than do younger adults who have similar problems, a new study has found. The findings suggest that older problem drinkers may have developed a tolerance for alcohol and need to drink even more than younger abusers to achieve the effects they seek.

Active hearing process in mosquitoes

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

A mathematical model has explained some of the remarkable features of mosquito hearing. In particular, the male can hear the faintest beats of the female's wings and yet is not deafened by loud noises.

Schizophrenia gene's role may be broader, more potent, than thought

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

Scientists studying nerve cells in fruit flies have uncovered a new function for a gene whose human equivalent may play a critical role in schizophrenia.

Amaizing: Corn genome decoded

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

In recent years, scientists have decoded the DNA of humans and a menagerie of creatures but none with genes as complex as a stalk of corn, the latest genome to be unraveled. A team of scientists has published the completed corn genome -- an accomplishment that will speed efforts to develop better crop varieties to meet the world's growing demands for food, livestock feed and fuel.

Sleep apnea may cause heart disease in kidney transplant patients

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

Sleep apnea is common in individuals who receive a kidney transplant and is associated with increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke, according to a new study.

First map of chromosome terminals of higher fungi

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

Scientists have described for the first time how the telomeres and adjacent sequences of the oyster fungus are organized.

Psychological therapy 32 times more cost effective at increasing happiness than money

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

Psychological therapy could be 32 times more cost effective at making you happy than simply obtaining more money, according to a new study. The research has obvious implications for large compensation awards in law courts but also has wider implications for general public health.

Large Hadron Collider: Beams are back on at world's most powerful particle accelerator

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST

Particle beams are once again zooming around the world's most powerful particle accelerator -- the Large Hadron Collider -- located at the CERN laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland. After more than one year of repairs, the LHC is now back on track to create high-energy particle collisions that may yield extraordinary insights into the nature of the physical universe.

Antioxidant found in vegetables has implications for treating cystic fibrosis

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST

Scientists have discovered that a dietary antioxidant found in such vegetables as broccoli and cauliflower protects cells from damage caused by chemicals generated during the body's inflammatory response to infection and injury. The finding has implications for such inflammation-based disorders as cystic fibrosis, diabetes, heart disease and neurodegeneration.

How fish is cooked affects heart-health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST

Baked or boiled fish is associated with more benefit from heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids than fried, salted or dried fish. Caucasian, Japanese-American and Latino men may be more likely to get the health benefits of fish than African-American or Hawaiian men, perhaps because of how their fish is prepared or genetic predisposition. Omega-3s from plant sources such as soy may do more to improve women's heart health than fish sources.

Inflammation critical in aortic dissection, researchers find

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST

Researchers have found biochemical processes that chip away at the aorta causing aortic dissection.

Optical properties of the Antarctic system and new radiation information

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST

In a new study, measurements were made during three Austral summers to study the optical properties of the Antarctic system and to produce radiation information for additional modeling studies. The system has an important part in the global climate due to its size, its high latitude location and the negative radiation balance of its large ice sheets.

Drug Use: Effects of ketamine (K) on users

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST

The first ever large-scale, longitudinal study of ketamine users has been published. With ketamine use increasing faster than any other drug in the UK, this research showing the consequences of repeated ketamine use provides valuable information for users and addiction professionals alike. Heavy ketamine users were impaired on several measures, including verbal memory.

Frog legs trade may facilitate spread of pathogens

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

Most countries throughout the world participate in the $40-million-per-year culinary trade of frog legs in some way, with 75 percent of frog legs consumed in France, Belgium and the United States. Scientists have found that this trade is a potential carrier of pathogens deadly to amphibians.

On your last nerve: Researchers advance understanding of stem cells

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

Researchers have identified a gene that tells embryonic stem cells in the brain when to stop producing nerve cells called neurons. The research is a significant advance in understanding the development of the nervous system, which is essential to addressing conditions such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders.

Why Israeli rodents are more cautious than Jordanian ones

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

Rodent, reptile and ant lion species behave differently on either side of the Israel-Jordan border. Researchers found that Israeli gerbils are more cautious than their Jordanian friends, and the funnel-digging ant lion population in Israel is unmistakably larger than in Jordan.

New cause of osteoporosis: Mutation in a miroRNA

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

Many biological processes are controlled by small molecules known as microRNAs. Researchers have now identified a previously unknown microRNA (miR-2861) as crucial to bone maintenance in mice and humans; significantly, expression of functional miR-2861 was absent in two related adolescents with primary osteoporosis.

Bacterially produced antifungal on skin of amphibians may protect against lethal fungus

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

A new study suggests that naturally occurring bacteria on the skin of salamanders could help protect other amphibians, including some species of endangered frogs, from a lethal skin disease.

Ancestry attracts, but love is blind

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

People preferentially marry those with similar ancestry, but their decisions are not necessarily based on hair, eye or skin color. Research shows that Mexicans mate according to proportions of Native-American to European ancestry, while Puerto Ricans are more likely to settle down with someone carrying a similar mix of African and European genes.

Spinal cord injuries: Experimental drug may restore function of nerves

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Researchers have shown how an experimental drug might restore the function of nerves damaged in spinal cord injuries by preventing short circuits caused when tiny "potassium channels" in the fibers are exposed.

Braking news: Particles from car brakes harm lung cells

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Real-life particles released by car brake pads can harm lung cells in vitro. Researchers found that heavy braking, as in an emergency stop, caused the most damage, but normal breaking and even close proximity to a disengaged brake resulted in potentially dangerous cellular stress.

Let them eat snail: Nutritional giant snails could address malnutrition

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

A nutritionist in Nigeria says that malnutrition and iron deficiency in schoolchildren could be reduced in her country by baking up snail pie. She explains snail is not only cheaper and more readily available than beef but contains more protein.

Solving the 50-year-old puzzle of thalidomide

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Resurgence of thalidomide use in Africa and South America raises the urgent need to isolate the negative side effects by identifying the drug's "common mechanism."

Spotting evidence of directed percolation

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Convincing experimental evidence has finally been found for directed percolation, a phenomenon that turns up in computer models of the ways diseases spread through a population or how water soaks through loose soil.

Sounds can penetrate deep sleep and enhance associated memories upon waking

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

They were in a deep sleep, yet sounds, such as a teakettle whistle, somehow penetrated their slumber. The 25 sounds were reminders of earlier spatial learning, though the research participants were unaware of the sounds as they slept. Yet, upon waking, memory tests showed that spatial memories had changed. Deep sleep, then, is actually is a key time for memory processing, the study suggests.

After mastodons and mammoths, a transformed landscape

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Roughly 15,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age, North America's vast assemblage of large animals -- including such iconic creatures as mammoths, mastodons, camels, horses, ground sloths and giant beavers -- began their precipitous slide to extinction.

Laser therapy can aggravate skin cancer, study finds

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

High irradiances of low-level laser therapy should not be used over melanomas. Researchers studied the pain relieving, anti-inflammatory "cold laser," finding that it caused increased tumor growth in a mouse model of skin cancer.

Unknowingly consuming endangered tuna

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

New DNA barcoding shows that nearly a third of the tuna plated in sushi restaurants was bluefin -- even if it was not labeled bluefin on the menu.

Newer heart devices significantly improve survival, complication rate and quality of life

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

A new generation of implanted devices that help a failing heart function properly is significantly more effective than the previous version, making these new devices an appropriate permanent therapy for many of the more than 5 million Americans who suffer from heart failure.

Proton's party pals may alter its internal structure

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

A recent experiment has found that a proton's nearest neighbors in the nucleus of the atom may modify the proton's internal structure.

Examining mathematical abilities in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) have a number of cognitive deficits. Mathematical ability seems particularly damaged in children with FASD. A new study supports the importance of the left parietal area for mathematical abilities in children with FASD.

Engineers use aerospace approach to design wave energy system

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

The ocean is a potentially vast source of electric power, yet as engineers test new technologies for capturing it, the devices are plagued by battering storms, limited efficiency and the need to be tethered to the seafloor.

Insulin linked to core body temperature

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Scientists have discovered a direct link between insulin -- a hormone long associated with metabolism and metabolic disorders such as diabetes -- and core body temperature. While much research has been conducted on insulin since its discovery in the 1920s, this is the first time the hormone has been connected to the fundamental process of temperature regulation.

On the origin of nematodes: Phylogenetic tree of world's most numerous group of animals

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Scientists have published the largest nematode phylogenetic tree up until now. It contains over 1,200 species and is entirely based on the analysis of DNA sequence data.

Current cigarette smokers at increased risk of seizures

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

A recent study determined there is a significant risk of seizure for individuals who currently smoke cigarettes. This is the first prospective study to examine the potential risks associated with cigarette smoking, caffeine intake, and alcohol consumption as they independently relate to epilepsy.

How crops survive drought

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Breakthrough research done earlier this year by a plant cell biologist has greatly accelerated scientists' knowledge on how plants and crops can survive difficult environmental conditions like drought. In drought conditions certain receptor proteins in plants perceive ABA, causing them to inhibit an enzyme called a phosphatase. The receptor protein is at the top of a signaling pathway in plants, functioning like a boss relaying orders to the team below that then executes particular decisions in the cell. Now recent published studies show how those orders are relayed at the molecular level.

Heavy criticism from a parent can increase aggressive behavior in children

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Heavy criticism from a parent can increase aggressive behavior in some children.