ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Sun's Magnetic Field May Impact Weather And Climate: Sun Cycle Can Predict Rainfall Fluctuations

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST

The sun's magnetic field may have a significant impact on weather and climatic parameters in Australia and other countries in the northern and southern hemispheres. Droughts are related to the solar magnetic phases and not the greenhouse effect, according to new research.

Mini Heart Attacks Lessen Damage From Major Ones

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST

Researchers have discovered one potential mechanism by which briefly cutting off, then restoring, blood flow prior to a heart attack lessens the damage caused. The work could lead to new drugs that provide protection ahead of heart attacks, and may help to prevent damage caused as US heart surgeons temporarily cut off blood flow 450,000 times each year to perform coronary artery bypass graft surgeries.

New Strategy For Broad Spectrum Anti-viral Drugs Developed

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST

Bavituximab, a newly developed anti-viral drug shows promise as a new strategy to fight viral diseases, including potential bioterrorism agents.

Gene Mutation May Cause Immature Lungs In Newborns

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST

Scientists have identified a gene critical to lung maturation in newborns and the production of surfactant, which lines lung tissues and prevents the lungs from collapsing. Scientists deleted the Foxm1 gene in embryonic mice. Lungs in the mice did not fully mature and the mice died shortly after birth from respiratory distress.

Particulate Emissions From Laser Printers

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST

Do laser printers emit pathogenic toner particles into the air? Some people are convinced that they do. As a result, this topic is the subject of public controversy. Researchers have now investigated what particles the printers really do release into the air.

Training Doesn't Reduce Avalanche Risk When Skiing, Study Shows

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST

A new study of backcountry ski habits finds training has little impact on risk of being caught in an avalanche, and Americans have higher avalanche risk than Canadians.

Evidence From Dirty Teeth: Ancient Peruvians Ate Well

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST

Starch grains preserved on human teeth reveal that ancient Peruvians ate a variety of cultivated crops including squash, beans, peanuts and pacay. Starch grain analysis of human dental remains should prove to be a powerful means to directly study ancient diets.

Gene Which Protects Against Lung Cancer Identified

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST

Scientists have identified a gene that protects the body from lung cancer. The research has found that the tumour suppressor gene, LIMD1, is responsible for protecting the body from developing lung cancer — paving the way for possible new treatments and early screening techniques.

Bio-inspired Wing Design To Revolutionize Aircraft Flight

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's ... both! While aircraft have always borne a resemblance to their feathered counterparts in the sky, new research is bringing the two even closer together.

Researchers Call For Fragile X Testing Throughout The Lifespan

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST

Researchers urge physicians to test for mutations of the fragile X gene in patients of all ages. That's because, after decades of research, it is clear that mutations in this gene cause a range of diseases, including neurodevelopmental delays and autism in children, infertility in women and neurodegenerative disease in older adults.

Saying 'Cheese' For More Effective Border Security

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST

Researchers have found that several simple steps can significantly improve the quality of facial images that are acquired at border entry points such as airports and seaports.

Too Much Commitment May Be Unhealthy For Relationships, Professor Says

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST

Researchers report that partners who base their self-worth solely upon the outcomes of romantic interactions may experience depression and anxiety and ultimately undermine their relationships.

Flexibility Trumps Fitness In Sexual Reproduction, Says New Theory In Evolutionary Biology

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST

An intriguing new theory of evolutionary biology says the reason sexual reproduction may be so successful is that it promotes genes that work well in combination with many other genes. This idea of genetic mixability hits on the difficulty evolutionary biologists have had in understanding sex, specifically its role in population genetics and natural selection.

Some 'Good Cholesterol' Is Actually Bad, Study Shows

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST

If you think your levels of "good cholesterol" are good enough, a new study suggests that you may want to think again. Researchers show that good cholesterol (HDL) has varying degrees of quality and that poor quality HDL is actually bad for you.

Function Of Helical Band In Heart Detailed

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST

Scientists have created images of the heart's muscular layer that show, for the first time, the connection between the configuration of those muscles and the way the human heart contracts. More precisely, they showed that the muscular band -- which wraps around the inner chambers of the heart in a helix -- is actually a sort of twisting highway along which each contraction of the heart travels.

Marked Improvement In Body Image, Physical Stamina, Post-surgical Pectus Patients Report

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST

Patients who have had surgical correction of a chest wall deformity commonly known as funnel chest report marked improvement in body image and ability to exercise, according to a new study.

Solar-powered Sea-slugs Live Like Plants

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST

The lowly sea slug, "Elysia chlorotica," may not seem like the most exciting of creatures, but don't be fooled: It behaves like a plant and is solar-powered, says a biologist who has been studying these tiny creatures for the past decade and has identified a possible cause of their ability to behave like plants.

Drop In Cancer Deaths Tied Primarily To Gains In Behavior And Screening

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST

Behavior change and improvements in screening have contributed equally and substantially to the 13 percent decline in cancer mortality rates, according to new research. Cancer treatment after diagnosis has also contributed to the decline, although this is less of a factor than behavioral changes and screening.

Why We Remember Important Things And Forget Trivia: Neuron's Synapses Remodel Themselves

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:00:00 EST

Where would we be without our ability to remember important information or, for that matter, to forget irrelevant details? Thanks to the flexibility of the nerve cell's communication units, called synapses, we are good at both. Up to now, only the receiving side of a synapse was believed to play an active role in this reorganization of the brain, which is thought to underlie our ability to learn but also to forget. An incorrect assumption, as scientists can now show.

Vaccine Against Multiple Sclerosis? Mouse Experiment Yields Promising Results

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:00:00 EST

Researchers in Germany have succeeded in vaccinating mice with specially treated, autologous immune cells and preventing them from developing encephalitis, which is similar to multiple sclerosis in humans.

Bone Mineral Content Shown In Various Anatomical Areas, Confirms Differences In Gender And Age

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:00:00 EST

Scientists in Spain have examined the patterns of total bone mineral content of the Spanish population in different areas of the body. The analysis is the first one of its kind undertaken in Spain that studies subjects from birth until 80 years of age and confirms the differences in mineral content according to gender and changes due to age.

Novel Target For Therapeutics Against Staph Infection

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:00:00 EST

Researchers have uncovered how a bacterial pathogen interacts with the blood coagulation protein fibrinogen to cause methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections, a finding that could aid in developing therapeutics against the potentially deadly disease.

Laser Deposition Welding And Milling In A Single Machine

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:00:00 EST

Improving the productivity of machining processes is one of the basic requirements in every machine-tool engineering specification. Researchers in Germany have integrated a laser module into the tool station of a milling spindle. The five-axis, computer-controlled milling center can now perform two jobs: Three-dimensional deposition welding using a 1.5-kilowatt diode laser and component finishing using 5-axis milling.

New Online Test For Depression

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:00:00 EST

A new universal test to predict the risk of someone succumbing to major depression has been developed. The online tool, predictD, could eventually be used by family doctors and local clinics to identify those at risk of depression for whom prevention might be most useful.

Epigenetics: Plants Display 'Molecular Amnesia'

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:00:00 EST

Plant researchers have announced a major breakthrough in a developmental process called epigenetics. They have demonstrated for the first time the reversal of what is called epigenetic silencing in plants.

Scientists Home In On Origins Of Childhood Kidney Cancer

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:00:00 EST

Scientists have made significant progress in pinpointing two new risk factors associated with the most common childhood kidney cancer, known as Wilms tumor.

Keeping Chromosomes From Cuddling Up

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:00:00 EST

If chromosomes snuggle up too closely at the wrong times, the results can be a genetic disaster. Now researchers have found the molecular machines in fruit flies that yank chromosomes apart when necessary. The machines, proteins called condensin II, separate chromosomes by twisting them into supercoils that kink up and therefore can no longer touch. Scientists had known of condensin II, but did not know how it functioned inside cells.

Molecular Partnership Controls Daily Rhythms, Body Metabolism

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:00:00 EST

A research team has discovered a key molecular partnership that coordinates body rhythms and metabolism. Their findings suggest that HDAC via NCoR controls the body's internal clock, and therefore metabolism, through an epigenetic change.

Putting A Green Cap On Garbage Dumps

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:00:00 EST

Landfill sites produce the greenhouse gases methane and carbon dioxide as putrescible waste decays. Growing plants and trees on top of a landfill, a process known as "phytocapping" could reduce the production and release of these gases, according to Australian scientists.

Stem Cell Research Hold Great Promise, But Obstacles Remain, Expert Argues

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:00:00 EST

"There are still a number of major hurdles in the path of stem cell research today that are preventing the routine application of the technology in regenerative medicine." So say scientists writing in the International Journal of Biotechnology.

Climate Change Set Back For Acidified Rivers

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST

Climate change is hampering the long-term recovery of rivers from the effects of acid rain, with wet weather offsetting improvements, according to a new study.

Hands Free Mobile Phone Conversations Add Five Meters To Drivers' Braking Distances

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST

Psychology researchers reveals that mobile telephone conversations impair drivers' visual attention to such a degree that it can add over 5 meters to the braking distance of a car traveling at 60 miles per hour and causes almost twice as many errors as drivers driving without the distraction of a mobile phone conversation.

Antioxidants Are Unlikely To Prevent Aging, Study Suggests

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:00:00 EST

Diets and beauty products which claim to have anti-oxidant properties are unlikely to prevent aging, according to new research. Scientists in England say this is because a key 50-year-old theory about the causes of aging is wrong.

Genomic Signature Of Colon Cancer May Individualize Treatment

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:00:00 EST

Researchers have developed a model for predicting risk of recurrence in early stage colon cancer patients, and have used the model to also predict sensitivity to chemotherapy and targeted therapy regimens.

Climate Clues In Southern Ocean: Ocean Currents Surprisingly Resistant To Intensifying Winds

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:00:00 EST

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current is the current system with the largest volume transport in the world ocean. Between 40° and 60°S strong westerlies move about 140 million cubic meters of water per second around the Antarctic continent (this is about five times the transport of the Gulf Stream). Vertical motions associated with this current have been responsible for transporting a substantial fraction of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere to the deep ocean, thereby effectively damping the rate of global warming.

Pros And Cons Of Gastric Bypass Surgery For Severe Obesity

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:00:00 EST

Severely obese patients who underwent two different gastric bypass techniques had lost up to 31 per cent of their Body Mass Index (BMI) after four years, with no deaths reported among the 50 study subjects, according to an article in the British Journal of Surgery.

Scientists And Fishermen Join Forces To Track Celtic Sea Cod

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:00:00 EST

A joint project between the Irish fishing industry and scientists to track stocks of cod in the Celtic Sea is starting to yield interesting results. Over the last two years, 4,063 cod have been tagged and released in the Celtic Sea by scientists working aboard commercial fishing vessels from Dunmore East. The project is designed to study the growth and migration of both the inshore juvenile component and the offshore adult spawning component of the stock.

Do You Know You're Having A Stroke?

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:00:00 EST

A majority of stroke patients don't think they're having a stroke -- and as a result -- delay seeking treatment until their condition worsens.

Disappearing Superconductivity Reappears -- In 2-D

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:00:00 EST

Scientists studying a material that appeared to lose its ability to carry current with no resistance say new measurements reveal that the material is indeed a superconductor -- but only in two dimensions. Equally surprising, this new form of 2-D superconductivity emerges at a higher temperature than ordinary 3-D superconductivity in other compositions of the same material.

Eating Eggs When Pregnant Affects Breast Cancer In Offspring

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:00:00 EST

A stunning discovery based on epigenetics (the inheritance of propensities acquired in the womb) reveals that consuming choline -- a nutrient found in eggs and other foods -- during pregnancy may significantly affect breast cancer outcomes for a mother's offspring. This finding is the first to link choline consumption during pregnancy to breast cancer. It also is the first to identify possible choline-related genetic changes that affect breast cancer survival rates. The 'genetic impact' of a pregnant woman's diet has a profound effect on her child.

Exercise Helps Prevent Age-related Brain Changes In Older Adults

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:00:00 EST

Older adults who exercise regularly show increased cerebral blood flow and a greater number of small blood vessels in the brain.

Experimental Drug May Address Working Memory Impairments That Occur In Schizophrenia

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:00:00 EST

In one of the first instances of targeted drug design in psychiatric treatment, researchers have found an experimental agent that shows promise in addressing working memory impairments that occur in the schizophrenia.

Rivers Are Carbon Processors, Not Inert Pipelines

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:00:00 EST

Microorganisms in rivers and streams play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle that has not previously been considered. Freshwater ecologists note that our understanding of how rivers and streams deal with organic carbon has changed radically.

Is Empty Nest Best? Changes In Marital Satisfaction In Late Middle Age

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:00:00 EST

The phrase "empty nest" can conjure up images of lonely parents sitting at home, waiting for their children to call or visit. However, a new study suggests that an empty nest may be beneficial for the parents' marriage. The results revealed that marital satisfaction increased as women got older, but in addition, women who had made the transition to an empty nest increased more in marital satisfaction than women who still had children at home.

Scientists Produce Illusion Of Body Swapping

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST

Cognitive neuroscientists have succeeded in making subjects perceive the bodies of mannequins and other people as their own.

Delays In Radiation Therapy Lead To Increased Breast Cancer Recurrence, Analysis Shows

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST

A new analysis of the National Cancer Institute's cancer registry has found that as many as one in five older women experience delayed or incomplete radiation treatment following breast-conserving surgery and that this suboptimal care can lead to worse outcomes.

Dolphin Population Stunted By Fishing Activities, Study Finds

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST

Despite broad "dolphin safe" practices, fishing activities have continued to restrict the growth of at least one Pacific Ocean dolphin population, a new report has concluded.

Decongestant Use Common Among Young Children In U.S., Even Though Pseudoephedrine Exposure May Be Harmful

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:00:00 EST

Researchers have found that exposure to pseudoephedrine, a decongestant found in many cough-and-cold and allergy medications, has been common among US children, especially those under the age of two years who are at the highest risk for toxicity and for whom safe dosing recommendations are lacking.