ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Friday, July 4, 2008
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Resveratrol, Found In Red Wine, Wards Off Effects Of Age On Heart, Bones, Eyes And Muscle (July 3, 2008) -- Scientists have found that the compound resveratrol, found in red wine and grape skin, slows age-related deterioration and functional decline of mice on a standard diet, but does not increase longevity when started at middle age. This study is a follow-up to 2006 findings that resveratrol improves health and longevity of overweight, aged mice. ... > full story
New System Blocks HIV Transmission Via Breastfeeding (July 3, 2008) -- Researchers are developing a new technology that prevents the infection of HIV by breastfeeding. ... > full story
Researchers Are First To Simulate The Binding Of Molecules To A Protein (July 3, 2008) -- You may not know what it is, but you burn more than your body weight of it every day. Adenosine triphosphate, a tiny molecule that packs a powerful punch, is the primary energy source for most of your cellular functions. Now researchers have identified a key step in the cellular recycling of ATP that allows your body to produce enough of it to survive. ... > full story
Gender Differences And Heart Disease (July 3, 2008) -- Women may respond less favorably than men to cardiovascular disease drug-treatments for enlarged heart. For the first time, researchers have uncovered that women derive a lesser benefit than men from two common high-blood-pressure-lowering drugs — losartan and atenolol — for the reduction of left-ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). The condition is a thickening and enlargement of muscle of the left ventricle of the heart and a marker for future heart disease. ... > full story
Phoenix To Bake Ice-Rich Sample Next Week (July 3, 2008) -- The next sample delivered to NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer (TEGA) will be ice-rich. A team of engineers and scientists assembled to assess TEGA after a short circuit was discovered in the instrument has concluded that another short circuit could occur when the oven is used again. ... > full story
Prevalence Of Religious Congregations Affects Mortality Rates (July 3, 2008) -- Researchers have recently found that a community's religious environment -- that is, the type of religious congregations within a locale -- affects mortality rates, often in a positive manner. ... > full story
Long-sought Boyhood Home Of George Washington Found (July 3, 2008) -- Archaeologists working at the site of George Washington's childhood home have located and excavated the remains of the long-sought house where Washington was raised. The site was the setting of some of the best-known stories related to his youth, including tales of the cherry tree and throwing a stone across the Rappahannock River. ... > full story
Discovery Of Gene Mechanism Could Bring About New Ways To Treat Metastatic Cancer (July 3, 2008) -- The molecular and biochemical mechanism of action of unique cytokine gene found to induce potent bystander antitumor effects in animal models and in Phase I clinical trials has been identified. Researchers have uncovered how a gene, melanoma differentiation associated gene-7/interleukin-24 (mda-7/IL-24), induces a bystander effect that kills cancer cells not directly receiving mda-7/IL-24 without harming healthy ones, a discovery that could lead to new therapeutic strategies to fight metastatic disease. ... > full story
Asteroid Impacts On Earth: A Protection Plan (July 3, 2008) -- A century ago this week, an event in far-off Siberia rang a cosmic wake-up call for Earth. That explosive event over remote Tunguska is generally viewed by scientists as a large space rock that pierced through the atmosphere of Siberia, then detonated to flatten some 2,000 square kilometers of trees. ... > full story
Sleep Problems Associated With Menopause Vary Among Ethnic Groups (July 3, 2008) -- Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep increase as women go through menopause according to new research. Waking up earlier than planned also increases through late perimenopause but decreases when women become postmenopausal. ... > full story
Printed Optical Electronics Come Into View (July 3, 2008) -- European researchers have taken a major step towards the goal of developing printable electronics that can be used for creating radio frequency identification tags and flexible watch displays. Researchers have long dreamed of being able to print electronic components directly onto organic materials such as paper, fabrics, or plastic. ... > full story
Does This Make Me Look Fat? (July 3, 2008) -- The peer groups teenage girls identify with determine how they decide to control their own figure. Also influencing weight control behavior is girls' own definition of normal body weight and their perception of what others consider normal body weight. ... > full story
First Measurements Of The Solar Wind Termination Shock By Voyager 2 Spacecraft (July 3, 2008) -- Space physicists report that the Voyager 2 spacecraft, which has been traveling outward from the sun for 31 years, has made the first direct observations of the solar wind termination shock, according to an article in the journal Nature. ... > full story
Brain ‘trick’ Offers Treatment Hope For Alzheimer’s (July 3, 2008) -- Scientists have made a significant step forward in the search for new drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease. An aging population means that neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer's disease, is one of the major health problems in the developed world. But researchers have designed an enzyme inhibitor which could 'trick' the brain and so help to halt neurodegeneration. ... > full story
Body's Own 'Cannabis (Marijuana)' Is Good For The Skin, Scientists Find (July 3, 2008) -- Scientists have discovered that our own body not only makes chemical compounds similar to the active ingredient in marijuana, but these play an important part in maintaining healthy skin. This finding on "endocannabinoids" could lead to new drugs that treat skin conditions ranging from acne to dry skin, and even skin-related tumors. ... > full story
Smokers Suffer More Back Pain, Survey Shows (July 3, 2008) -- Smokers suffer more chronic back pain according to a new survey. Researchers interviewed more than 8000 people in the course of a telephone health survey. This included questions on social and demographic themes, as well as health and life style. ... > full story
New Tool Developed To Study Genes (July 3, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a computational tool that will help scientists more accurately study complex units of clustered genes, called operons, in bacteria. The tool, which allows scientists to analyze many bacterial genomes at once, is more accurate than previous methods because it starts from experimentally validated data instead of from statistical predictions, they say. The researchers hope their tool will lead to a better understanding of the complex genetic mechanisms involved in a cell's functioning. ... > full story
Going Green: Savings And Comfort Are The Best Incentives (July 3, 2008) -- Would shrinking your carbon footprint, recycling more, and going green be easier if you could monitor your household's environmental impact? Researchers recorded and compared heating fuel, electricity, water, vehicle fuel costs and waste generation for each household and on the basis of this data recommended cost-effective measures to reduce consumption. The team found that, on average, just over 25% of the recommended measures were implemented, which resulted in an estimated greenhouse gas reduction of about two tonnes for each household. ... > full story
Worms Do Calculus To Find Meals Or Avoid Unpleasantness (July 3, 2008) -- Thanks to salt and hot chili peppers, researchers have found a calculus-computing center that tells a roundworm to go forward toward dinner or turn to broaden the search. It's a computational mechanism, they say, that is similar to what drives hungry college students to a pizza. A computer-like mechanism drives neuron expression for taste and smell. ... > full story
Get Smart About What You Eat And You Might Actually Improve Your Intelligence (July 3, 2008) -- New research findings provide more evidence that if we get smart about what we eat, our intelligence can improve. According to scientists, dietary nutrients found in a wide range of foods from infant formula to eggs increase brain synapses and improve cognitive abilities. ... > full story
A Healthier July Fourth: Eco-friendly Fireworks And Flares Poised To Light Up The Sky (July 3, 2008) -- From the rockets' red glare to bombs bursting in air, researchers are developing more environmentally friendly fireworks and flares to light up the night sky while minimizing potential health risks. Some eco-friendly fireworks may soon appear at a Fourth of July display or rock concert near you. ... > full story
Controlling Bone Disease Improves Survival Of Hemodialysis Patients (July 3, 2008) -- Consistently maintaining certain blood levels of markers of bone metabolism and disease can prolong the lives of patients on hemodialysis, according to a new study. The findings indicate that keeping parathyroid hormone, calcium, and phosphorous levels in control is critically important for dialysis patients with chronic kidney disease. ... > full story
Fungi The Cause Of Many Outbreaks Of Disease, But Mostly Ignored (July 3, 2008) -- Many people, scientists among them, are largely unaware of the roles fungi play in the world around us. Research on fungi and fungal diseases are seriously neglected as a result -- a situation with grave negative repercussions for human health, agriculture, and the environment -- according to a new report from the American Academy of Microbiology. ... > full story
Severe Shyness? New Study Shows That Anxiety Is Likely A Long-lasting Trait (July 3, 2008) -- We all know people who are tense and nervous and can't relax. They may have been wired differently since childhood. New research indicates that the brains of those suffering from anxiety and severe shyness in social situations consistently respond more strongly to stress, and show signs of being anxious even in situations that others find safe. ... > full story
Species Extinction Threat Underestimated Due To Math Glitch (July 3, 2008) -- Extinction risks for natural populations of endangered species are likely being underestimated by as much as 100-fold because of a mathematical "misdiagnosis," according to a new study. Researchers have noted that sex ratio variations and physical variation between individuals within a population -- have been ignored or mischaracterized by most extinction risk modelers. ... > full story
Evolutionary Origin Of Mammalian Gene Regulation Is Over 150 Million Years Old (July 3, 2008) -- Scientists have found that a complex, highly conserved and extremely important mechanism of controlling genes is over 150 million years old. The findings have provided new insights into the evolution of genomic or parental imprinting and epigenetic regulation in mammals. A failure of these sophisticated processes is associated with many human genetic diseases, psychiatric and autoimmune disorders and aging. ... > full story
Tummy's Taste For Red Wine With Red Meat (July 3, 2008) -- What happens when red wine meets red meat? If the rendezvous happens in the stomach, scientists in Israel are reporting, wine's bounty of healthful chemical compounds may thwart formation of harmful substances released during digestion of fat in the meat. ... > full story
New Discovery A Step Towards Better Diabetes Treatment (July 3, 2008) -- New findings shed light on the processes that determine the release of the blood sugar-lowering hormone insulin. The discovery is based on the development of image analysis methods that make possible the detailed study of events immediately inside the plasma membrane of the insulin-secreting cells. ... > full story
Quantum Dots Can Penetrate Skin Through Minor Abrasions (July 3, 2008) -- Researchers have found that quantum dot nanoparticles can penetrate the skin if there is an abrasion, providing insight into potential workplace concerns for healthcare workers or individuals involved in the manufacturing of quantum dots or doing research on potential biomedical applications of the tiny nanoparticles. ... > full story
Relaxation Response Can Influence Expression Of Stress-related Genes (July 3, 2008) -- How could a single, non-pharmacological intervention help patients deal with disorders ranging from high blood pressure, to pain syndromes, to infertility, to rheumatoid arthritis? That question may have been answered by a study finding that eliciting the relaxation response -- a physiologic state of deep rest -- influences the activation patterns of genes associated with the body's response to stress. ... > full story
Exploding Asteroid Theory Strengthened By New Evidence Located In Ohio, Indiana (July 3, 2008) -- Was the course of life on the planet altered 12,900 years ago by a giant comet exploding over Canada? New evidence suggests the answer is affirmative. The timing attached to this theory of about 12,900 years ago is consistent with the known disappearances in North America of the wooly mammoth population and the first distinct human society to inhabit the continent, known as the Clovis civilization. ... > full story
Gene Directs Stem Cells To Build The Heart (July 3, 2008) -- Researchers have shown that they can put mouse embryonic stem cells to work building the heart, potentially moving medicine a significant step closer to a new generation of heart disease treatments that use human stem cells. Scientists report in Cell Stem Cell that the Mesp1 gene locks mouse embryonic stem cells into becoming heart parts and gets them moving to the area where the heart forms. ... > full story
New Wind Measurement Technology May Help Olympic Sailing, Aviation and Weather Forecasting (July 3, 2008) -- A team of researchers at the Ocean University of China has developed and tested a mobile lidar (light detection and ranging) station that can accurately measure wind speed and direction over large areas in real time -- an application useful for aviation safety, weather forecasting and sports. ... > full story
Improving Diagnosis Of Osteoporosis: Computer Simulations Help Predict Fracture Risk (July 3, 2008) -- Using a Blue Gene supercomputer, scientists have demonstrated the most extensive simulation yet of actual human bone structure. This achievement may lead to better clinical tools to improve the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis, a widespread disease that worldwide affects one in three women and one in five men over the age of 50. ... > full story
Disease-detecting Lab In The Palm Of Your Hand (July 3, 2008) -- Detecting food-borne diseases such as campylobacter and salmonella long before they enter the food chain would help ensure that the dinner on your table is safe to eat. There is currently no quick and simple way to detect infectious bacteria on farms, or even in food processing and distribution plants. Samples have to be sent to labs for testing, a process that can take hours or days. But what if tests for campylobacter and salmonella could be run on the spot in as little as half an hour? ... > full story
Political Participation Is Partially Rooted In Genetic Inheritance (July 3, 2008) -- The decision to vote is partly genetic. Researchers have now identify a link between two specific genes and political participation. They show that individuals with a variant of the MAOA gene are significantly more likely to have voted in the 2000 presidential election. Their research also demonstrates a connection between a variant of the 5HTT gene and voter turnout, which is moderated by religious attendance. These are the first results ever to link specific genes to political behavior. ... > full story
New Form Of Energy-Transfer Processes: Atomic Tug Of War (July 3, 2008) -- A new form of energy-transfer processes, reported in Nature may have implications for the study of reactions going on in the atmosphere, and even for those occurring in the body. ... > full story
Pediatric Researchers Find Possible 'Master Switch' Gene In Juvenile Arthritis (July 3, 2008) -- Researchers have found that a gene region known to play a role in some varieties of adult rheumatoid arthritis is also present in all types of childhood arthritis. The researchers say the responsible gene may be a "master switch" that helps turn on the debilitating disease. ... > full story
Protecting Romaine Lettuce From Pathogens (July 3, 2008) -- Knowing the preferences of foodborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 is essential to a successful counterattack on these microbes. That's why microbiologists are scrutinizing the little-understood ability of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica to contaminate romaine lettuce. ... > full story
Benefits Of Green Tea In Reducing An Important Risk Factor For Heart Disease (July 3, 2008) -- More evidence for the beneficial effect of green tea on risk factors for heart disease has emerged in a new study. The study found that the consumption of green tea rapidly improves the function of (endothelial) cells lining the circulatory system; endothelial dysfunction is a key event in the progression of atherosclerosis. ... > full story
Molecular Basis And Regulation Of Circadian Rhythms In Plants (July 3, 2008) -- As anyone who has suffered from jetlag knows, we have internal clocks that tell us when to sleep and wake, and we can be miserable when these are disrupted. The daily cycles of many organisms are well known, but what has not been clear is whether these cycles are just responses to external cues of light, dark, heat, and cold, or if there are internal clocks that are set and reset by environmental signals. In animals, circadian rhythms are known to be important for maintaining a multitude of physiological processes. New research investigates circadian rhythms in plants. ... > full story
Minimum Drinking Age Of 21 Saves Lives, Study Finds (July 3, 2008) -- One of the most comprehensive studies on the minimum drinking age shows that laws aimed at preventing consumption of alcohol by those under 21 have significantly reduced drinking-related fatal car crashes. ... > full story
New Evidence That Ancient Choanoflagellates' Form Evolutionary Link Between Single-celled And Multi-celled Organisms (July 3, 2008) -- What do humans and single-celled choanoflagellates have in common? More than you'd think. New research into the choanoflagellate genome shows these ancient organisms have similar levels of proteins that cells in more complex organisms, including humans, use to communicate with each other. ... > full story
Being An MRSA Carrier Increases Risk Of Infection And Death (July 3, 2008) -- Patients harboring methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus for long periods of time continue to be at increased risk of MRSA infection and death, according to a new study. ... > full story
Toward Long-range Beach Forecasts On Bacterial Contamination (July 3, 2008) -- Long-range forecasts of beach bacterial contamination are inching closer to reality because of a new water quality prediction method. ... > full story
Since Introduction Of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, HIV Death Rate Has Decreased (July 3, 2008) -- In industrialized countries, persons infected sexually with HIV now appear to experience mortality rates similar to those of the general population in the first 5 years following infection, though a higher risk of death remains as the duration of HIV infection lengthens, according to a new study. ... > full story
Where Is Your Soil Water? Crop Yield Has The Answer (July 3, 2008) -- Crop yield is highly dependent on soil plant-available water, the portion of soil water that can be taken up by plant roots. New research has shown that measured plant-available water capacity correlated with corn yield better in dry years than in normal or wet years. Agreement between measured plant-available water and estimates was weaker in the claypan soils than well-drained soils. ... > full story
Erectile Dysfunction Lower In Men Who Have Intercourse More Often (July 3, 2008) -- Having intercourse more often may help prevent the development of erectile dysfunction. Researchers have found that men who had intercourse more often were less likely to develop ED. ... > full story
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