ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Researchers Unveil Whiskered Robot Rat

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT

Scientists have developed an innovative robot rat which can seek out and identify objects using its whiskers. The SCRATCHbot robot will be demonstrated at an international workshop looking at how robots can help us examine the workings of the brain.

Clocking Salt Levels In The Blood: Link Between The Circadian Rhythm And Salt Balance

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT

New research suggests a link between the circadian rhythm and control of sodium (salt) levels in the blood of mice. Specifically, the circadian clock protein Period 1 was found to function downstream of the hormone aldosterone (a known controller of blood sodium levels and thereby blood pressure) to regulate levels of the alpha-subunit of the epithelial sodium channel in the mouse kidney.

Castor-oil Plants Genetically Altered To Produce New Bio-lubricants

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT

Researchers have genetically altered castor-oil plant so as to use it as a factory to produce bio lubricants.

No Evidence That WHO-recommended Treatment For Insecticide Poisoning Improves Survival

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT

A new study finds no evidence to suggest that a controversial antidote recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to treat patients poisoned with highly toxic insecticides improves their chance of survival. The results may even add weight to existing concerns about pralidoxime, the treatment recommended by the WHO, by suggesting that it could be harmful in patients who have deliberately poisoned themselves with insecticides.

First Wave Of Swine Flu Hit Young People Harder Than Expected

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT

A mathematical epidemiologist is researching the A(H1N1) influenza pandemic strain circulating around the world. The new study's findings reveal an age shift in the proportion of cases toward a younger population when compared with historical patterns of seasonal influenza in Mexico. "For the 1918 ("Spanish flu") influenza pandemic, this was the pattern -- first a mild wave, and then a severe one with higher case fatality rates," notes one of the researchers.

Does Study Design Influence Clinical Outcome?

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT

Response and remission rates to antidepressants are significantly affected by study type and duration. Clinicians and researchers must consider the study design when interpreting and designing RCTs of antidepressant medications, researchers urge.

World's First 'Self-Watering' Plant: Desert Rhubarb

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT

Researchers have managed to make out the "self-irrigating" mechanism of the desert rhubarb, which enables it to harvest 16 times the amount of water than otherwise expected for a plant in this region based on the quantities of rain in the desert. This is the first example of a self-irrigating plant worldwide.

Secrets Revealed About How Disease-causing DNA Mutations Occur

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT

Scientists have shed light on the processes that lead to certain human DNA mutations that are implicated in hundreds of inherited diseases. The results one day could influence the way couples who seek to have children receive genetic counseling.

A Young Brain For An Old Bee

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT

Scientists have found that by switching the social role of honey bees, aging honey bees can keep their learning ability intact or even improve it. The research team is hoping to use them as a model to study general aging processes in the brain and how to prevent or ameliorate cognitive impairments associated with old age.

Accelerated Fertility Treatment Leads To Shortened Time To Pregnancy And Cost Savings

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT

For couples beginning infertility treatments, an accelerated path to in-vitro fertilization can offer a shorter time to pregnancy, cost savings of nearly $10,000, and a lowered risk of multiple births.

Desert Dust Alters Ecology Of Colorado Alpine Meadows

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT

Accelerated snowmelt -- precipitated by desert dust blowing into the mountains -- changes how alpine plants respond to seasonal climate cues that regulate their life cycles, according to a new study. These results indicate that global warming may have a greater influence on plants' annual growth cycles than previously thought.

Discovery May Provide New Treatments For Alcohol Dependence

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT

Researchers have discovered a new brain mechanism involved in alcohol addiction involving the stomach hormone ghrelin. When ghrelin's actions in the brain are blocked, alcohol's effects on the reward system are reduced. It is an important discovery that could lead to new therapies for addictions such as alcohol dependence.

Inexpensive Thin Printable Batteries Developed

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT

For a long time, batteries were bulky and heavy. Now, a new cutting-edge battery is revolutionizing the field. It is thinner than a millimeter, lighter than a gram, and can be produced cost-effectively through a printing process.

Researchers Discover New Information On Spreading Of Cancer

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT

Researchers have discovered a mechanism lung cancer cells use when spreading into the body to form metastases. They have also found a factor controlling the spreading of several different cancer types. The common feature in both findings is that they explain the lethal ability of cancer cells to “start running” and spread from the original tumor to other parts of the body.

Innovative Technology Shatters The Barriers Of Modern Light Microscopy

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT

Researchers are using a combination of light and ultrasound to visualize fluorescent proteins that are seated several centimeters deep into living tissue.

New Way To Fix Leaking Mitral Heart Valves Safe In Initial Testing, Study Shows

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT

A novel method to seal leaking heart valves was shown to be safe in its first use in heart failure patients. If effective in larger trials, the PTMA system could significantly reduce the life-threatening risks associated with surgical repair of the mitral valve.

Fast Neutral Hydrogen Detected Coming From The Moon

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT

NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft has made the first observations of very fast hydrogen atoms coming from the moon, following decades of speculation and searching for their existence.

Zooming In To Catch The Bad Guys: New 'Perfection Tool' From Researchers In Israel Enhances Video To Catch Criminals And Terrorists

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT

It's a frequent scene in television crime dramas: Clever police technicians zoom in on a security camera video to read a license plate or capture the face of a hold-up artist. But in real life, enhancing this low-quality video to focus in on important clues hasn't been an easy task. Until now. Researchers in Israel have developed a new video "perfection tool" to help investigators enhance raw video images and identify suspects.

Late Blight -- Irish Potato Famine Fungus -- Attacks U.S. Northeast Gardens And Farms Hard

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT

Home gardeners beware: This year, late blight -- a destructive infectious disease that caused the Irish potato famine in the 1840s -- is killing tomato and potato plants in gardens and on commercial farms in the eastern United States. In addition, basil downy mildew is affecting plants in the Northeast.

Researchers Describe The 90-year Evolution Of Swine Flu

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT

The current H1N1 swine flu strain has genetic roots in an illness that sickened pigs at the 1918 Cedar Rapids Swine Show in Iowa, report experts. Their paper describes H1N1's nearly century-long and often convoluted journey, which may include the accidental resurrection of an extinct strain.

Tubules 'Grown' From Droplets

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT

Since the discovery of carbon nanotubes in the early 1990s, nanotubes and nanowires have been the focus of scientific and technological interest. It has since also proved possible to produce these tiny structures from materials other than carbon. Possible applications range across many areas, including microelectronic circuits, sensor technology, and special fibre optics and light-emitting nanotubes for displays.

Gene Map Aims To Combat Blood Flukes

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT

The first microsatellite-based genetic linkage map has been published for Schistosoma mansoni, a blood fluke that is known to infect over 90 million people in Africa, the Middle East and the New World. Researchers hope the map will stimulate research and open doors to new advances in combating this neglected human pathogen.

White Phosphorous Can Be Safely Handled And Transported With New Technique, Researchers Say

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT

Researchers have discovered a technique to safely handle and transport white phosphorous.

Mom’s Weight During Pregnancy Affects Her Daughter’s Risk Of Being Obese

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT

A mother's weight and the amount she gains during pregnancy both impact her daughter's risk of obesity decades later, according to a new study.

Coolest Spacecraft Ever In Orbit Around L2 (-273 Degrees Celsius)

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT

On July 2 the detectors of Planck's High Frequency Instrument reached their amazingly low operational temperature of -273°C, making them the coldest known objects in space. The spacecraft has also just entered its final orbit around the second Lagrange point of the Sun-Earth system, L2.

'Jumping Gene' Diminishes The Effect Of New Type 2 Diabetes Risk Gene

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT

Research has identified a new gene associated with diabetes, together with a mechanism that makes obese mice less susceptible to diabetes. A genomic fragment that occurs naturally in some mouse strains diminishes the activity of the risk gene Zfp69. The researchers also found that the corresponding human gene (ZNF642) is especially active in overweight individuals with diabetes.

Cancer-causing Protein Can Also Help Fight The Tumors It Causes

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT

New research uses the Ras protein to fight its own malign effects.

Bypass Surgery Has Long-term Benefits For Children With Kawasaki Disease, Study Suggests

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT

Coronary artery bypass surgery provides "excellent" long-term survival for children who have severe inflammatory heart and blood vessel damage caused by Kawasaki disease. While post-operative problems may increase over time, these can be managed with proper follow-up care. Most of the young patients have normal lives, including participation in sports.

'A Touch Of Glass' In Metal, Settles Century-old Question

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT

Scientists have found evidence of an important similarity between the behavior of polycrystalline materials -- like metals and ceramics -- and glasses, research that could lead to better predictions of how many valuable materials behave under stress.

Rush Of Blood To The Head: Anger Increases Blood Flow

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT

Mental stress causes carotid artery dilation and increases brain blood flow. A series of ultrasound experiments also found that this dilatory reflex was absent in people with high blood pressure.

Super-energetic Bursts Discovered Near Giant Black Hole

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT

Combining gamma-ray telescopes with the supersharp radio 'vision' of the Very Long Baseline Array showed astronomers the location from which very-high-energy gamma rays are emerging from the core ot the giant galaxy M87.

Existing Parkinson's Disease Drug May Fight Drug-resistant TB

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT

Existing drugs used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease could be repositioned for use in the treatment of extreme drug-resistant tuberculosis, which kills about 2 million people each year, according to a new study. The rise of these strains of TB throughout the world, including industrialized countries, poses a great threat to human health.

Novel Light-sensitive Compounds Show Promise For Cancer Therapy

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT

Chemists have developed novel compounds that show promise for photodynamic cancer therapy, which uses light-activated drugs to kill tumor cells. The new compounds, called dye-sensitized ruthenium nitrosyls, are absorbed by cancer cells and respond to specific wavelengths of light by releasing nitric oxide, which triggers cell death.

Patients With Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms More Likely To Suffer From Metabolic Syndrome

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT

Researchers have determined that individuals with mild to severe symptoms of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are more likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome, a collection of cardiovascular risk factors thought to be linked by insulin resistance). LUTS encompass voiding (incomplete emptying, weak stream, intermittency, straining) and storage (frequency, urgency, nocturia) difficulties.

First Detailed Look At Progress Of A Wildland-urban Fire

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT

To better understand increasingly prevelant Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) fires -- and how best to prevent or fight them -- researchers have issued an in-depth case study on fire behavior and defensive actions taken in a community during a major WUI fire in California.

Hormone Treatment Eases Post-surgery Distress In Children

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT

Physicians focused on reducing anxiety in children and their families report that oral treatment with melatonin before surgery can significantly reduce the occurrence of emergence delirium in children.

Climate Change And The Mystery Of The Shrinking Sheep

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT

Milder winters are causing Scotland's wild breed of Soay sheep to get smaller, despite the evolutionary benefits of possessing a large body, according to new research.

New Treatment For Receding Gums: No Pain, Lots Of Gain

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT

Dental researchers have demonstrated three-year success with a tissue regeneration application that reduces the pain and recovery time of gum grafting surgery. This specific treatment eliminates the need to take tissue from the roof of the mouth.

HIV-related Death: Predicting Fatal Fungal Infections

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT

Researchers have identified cells in blood that predict which HIV-positive individuals are most likely to develop deadly fungal meningitis, a major cause of HIV-related death. This form of meningitis affects more than 900,000 HIV-infected people globally--most of them in sub-Saharan Africa and other areas of the world where antiretroviral therapy for HIV is not available.

Immunology: Interleukin-21 Keeps Defense Cells In Good Trim

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT

Interleukin-21 plays a crucial role in fighting off chronic viral infections, scientists recently concluded. The discovery offers hope for specific treatments against HIV, hepatitis C and B, and tumors.

Shape Matters In The Case Of Cobalt Nanoparticles

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT

New studies show that changing the shape of cobalt nanoparticles from spherical to cubic can fundamentally change their behavior.

Children With Autism Need To Be Taught In Smaller Groups, Experts Argue

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT

Since the 1970s, there has been much debate surrounding the fact that individuals with autism have difficulty in understanding speech in situations where there is background speech or noise. Neuroscientists argue in favor of smaller class sizes for children with autism.

Mars More Like Earth Than Thought? New Details About History Of Water On Red Planet

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT

New details have emerged about the history of water on Mars, gleaned from the 2008 NASA Phoenix Mars Mission. Scientists found patterns in the ground near the lander, multi-sided shapes about three to ten meters in size. The shapes are created when the surface contracts and the ice cracks. Sand fills in the cracks before the ice expands and buckles the surface to make the distinctive patterns.

Triggering Muscle Development: A Therapeutic Cure For Muscle Wastage?

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT

Scientists have shown that if elderly men who were given growth hormone and exercised their legs showed an appreciable muscle mass increase. Researchers say, "This raises the question: Can age-related loss of muscle strength and increased fragility be ameliorated by the therapeutic application of mechano growth factor?"

Police Work Undermines Cardiovascular Health, Comparison To General Population Shows

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT

It is well documented that police officers have a higher risk of developing heart disease: The question is why. In the most recent results coming out of one of the few long-term studies being conducted within this tightly knit society, researchers have determined that underlying the higher incidence of subclinical atherosclerosis -- arterial thickening that precedes a heart attack or stroke -- may be the stress of police work.

Risk Of Liver Cancer In Women With Hepatitis B Virus Infection Varies With Number Of Pregnancies

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT

Risk for hepatocellular carcinoma, a primary malignancy of the liver, was statistically significantly higher among women with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection than among women without the virus, according to a new study.

Methane-producing Molecule Can Also Repair DNA

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT

The Archaea are single-celled organisms and a domain unto themselves, quite apart from the so called eukaryotes (bacteria and higher organisms). Many species live under extreme conditions, and carry out unique biochemical processes shared neither with bacteria nor with eukaryotes. Methanogenic archaeans, for example, can produce methane gas out of carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

Overweight Kids Experience More Loneliness, Anxiety

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT

As childhood obesity rates continue to increase, experts agree that more information is needed about the implications of being overweight as a step toward reversing current trends. A new study has found that overweight children, especially girls, show signs of the negative consequences of being overweight as early as kindergarten.