ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Thursday, July 17, 2008
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New Approach Sheds Light On Ways Circadian Disruption Affects Human Health (July 17, 2008) -- Researchers shed light on the effects of circadian disruption on breast cancer, obesity, sleep disorders and other health problems. Growing evidence indicates that exposure to irregular patterns of light and darkness can cause the human circadian system to fall out of synchrony with the 24-hour solar day, negatively affecting human health -- but scientists have been unable to effectively study the relationship between circadian disruptions and human maladies. ... > full story
Vitamin A Pushes Breast Cancer To Form Blood Vessel Cells (July 17, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered that vitamin A, when applied to breast cancer cells, turns on genes that can push stem cells embedded in a tumor to morph into endothelial cells. These cells can then build blood vessels to link up to the body's blood supply, promoting further tumor growth. ... > full story
Detecting Coronary Disease Early: Nuclear Stress Test Can Detect More Than Blockages (July 17, 2008) -- A less invasive test commonly used to diagnose coronary disease also may be used to detect one of the leading causes of heart failure. By using a nuclear stress test to look at how fast blood flows into the heart's pumping chamber -- the left ventricle -- they can determine if a patient's left ventricle is having trouble. ... > full story
After Ankle Surgery: Mobilize With Care (July 17, 2008) -- People recover faster after surgery for ankle fracture if they are given a cast or splint that can be removed to let them exercise the ankle, than if their foot is placed in an immobilizing plaster cast. If the fracture is stable, then encouraging them to walk soon after surgery is also beneficial. However, increased activity does increase the chance of experiencing problems with the surgical wound. ... > full story
All Terrain Vehicles: Gear Up Before Revving Up ATVs (July 17, 2008) -- Whether on vacation or out for recreation, many adults and children are hopping on ATVs for some warm weather fun. But ATVs are not toys. ... > full story
Coronary Heart Disease Patients Live Longer, But Not Always Happier, Lives (July 17, 2008) -- People with coronary heart disease report a worse "quality of life" than people free of heart disease. Heart patients who were younger than 50, female, black or Hispanic were all more likely to have lower quality of life scores. Quality of life is an important indicator of the socioeconomic impact of disease, the effectiveness of treatment and long-term mortality. ... > full story
Men And Women May Need Different Diets (July 17, 2008) -- Diet can strongly influence how long you live and your reproductive success, but now scientists have discovered that what works for males can be very different for females. In the first study of its kind, the researchers have shown that gender plays a major role in determining which diet is better suited to promoting longer life or better reproductive success. ... > full story
Gene Signatures For Scleroderma Discovered (July 17, 2008) -- Distinct genetic profiles can discern different groups of patients with scleroderma, a vexing autoimmune disease in which the body turns against itself, Dartmouth Medical School researchers report. Their discovery of distinguishing molecular subtypes within the disease offers new insight into the complexity of a poorly understood and hard to treat illness and opens a window for better diagnosis and targeted therapies. ... > full story
British Showers Most Wasteful And Inconsiderate In Western Europe, Survey Suggests (July 17, 2008) -- Water-wasting and uncaring about gels, shampoos and soap going down the plughole: that's how the British emerge from a survey on showering habits of western Europeans. The Royal Society of Chemistry says that showering for longer than 2 minutes is unnecessary and wasteful. ... > full story
Formula Predicts Emergency Admissions In Adults Older Than 40 (July 17, 2008) -- Using data from clinical encounters and drug prescriptions over three years, researchers have devised a model to predict emergency hospital admissions in the following year in individuals age 40 and older, according to a new report. ... > full story
Mitigating Climate Change By Improving Forest Management In The Tropics (July 17, 2008) -- Botanists argue that by ignoring evidence that better forest management practices can substantially reduce carbon emissions, negotiators are missing an obvious and cost-effective approach to mitigating the effects of global climate change. This oversight is troublesome, the authors write, because "carbon losses due to degradation could be of the same magnitude as those from deforestation." ... > full story
Gene Variations In Diverse Patient Populations Determine Who Responds Best To An Antidepressant (July 17, 2008) -- A new study shows that variations in the serotonin transporter gene could explain why some people with depression respond better than others to treatment with citalopram, an antidepressant medication. ... > full story
Birds Have A Good Sense Of Smell (July 16, 2008) -- Sight and hearing are the most important senses for birds -- this is at least the received wisdom. By studying bird DNA, however, researchers have now provided genetic evidence that many bird species have a well-developed sense of smell. ... > full story
Scientists Reduce Alzheimer's-like Plaques In Fly Brain (July 16, 2008) -- Neuroscientists have succeeded in demonstrating that overexpression of an enzyme in the brain can reduce telltale deposits causally linked with Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story
Net Gain For Endangered Dolphins (July 16, 2008) -- The rarest marine dolphin in the world -- down to 111 individuals following decades of entanglement in fishing nets -- is now to receive protection over more of its range from the New Zealand government. The critically-endangered Maui's dolphins, living only along the west coast of New Zealand's North Island, could be functionally extinct within just 25 years largely as a result of a losing battle with fishing nets. ... > full story
Joint Replacement May Improve Osteoarthritis Symptoms In Older Adults (July 16, 2008) -- Older adults who have hip or knee replacement surgery for severe osteoarthritis may take several weeks to recover but appear to have excellent long-term outcomes. ... > full story
Cancer Metastasis: Cellular Decisions Predicted With Computer Program (July 16, 2008) -- A new method may help to develop new treatments against cancer metastasis. Scientists have simulated on the computer how cells decide whether or not to migrate. Using their results, the researchers were able to predict the molecular targets within a cell that have to be hit so that its behavior changes in a particular direction. ... > full story
Corporations Can Profit From Being Environmentally Friendly (July 16, 2008) -- Though many policymakers have argued that environmental regulations can negatively impact on an organization's bottom line, a new study shows that companies that develop green production processes can not only offset the costs of regulations, but can also reap further benefits. The study looked at more than 2,600 manufacturing facilities in seven different countries. ... > full story
NOAA Predicts Largest Gulf Of Mexico 'Dead Zone' On Record (July 16, 2008) -- Scientists are forecasting that the "dead zone" off the coast of Louisiana and Texas in the Gulf of Mexico this summer could be the largest on record. Mississippi River flooding is major contributor to size of this year's dead zone. ... > full story
Can Diet Alone Control Type 2 Diabetes? No Evidence Yet (July 16, 2008) -- Despite strong evidence that type 2 diabetes can be prevented or at least delayed by a combination of lifestyle changes and good dietary advice, a team of Cochrane researchers found that there is no indication whether dietary advice alone can prevent the disease. ... > full story
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander To Begin Rasping Frozen Layer (July 16, 2008) -- A powered rasp on the back of the robotic arm scoop of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is being tested for the first time on Mars in gathering sample shavings of ice. ... > full story
'Healthy' Sterols May Pose Health Risk (July 16, 2008) -- Plant sterols have been touted as an effective way to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. However, a research study has uncovered that these compounds do have their own risks, as they can accumulate in heart valves and lead to stenosis. ... > full story
Dioxin Risk In Sewage-sludge Used On Crops, Plant Tissue Grown On Contaminated Soil (July 16, 2008) -- Use of biosolids (treated municipal sewage sludge) on crops is a common practice because biosolids are a rich source of plant nutrients and organic matter. However, these biosolids can contain dangerous dioxins. Scientists investigated the effects of continuous and long-term application of biosolids on the levels of dioxins in soil and corn tissues. ... > full story
Smoking Cessation Therapies More Effective Than Placebos (July 16, 2008) -- Six treatments for smoking cessation perform better than placebos -- including varenicline, recently approved for use in Canada. ... > full story
Ancient Mars Had Widespread Water, Potential To Support Life (July 16, 2008) -- Mars once hosted vast lakes, flowing rivers and a variety of other wet environments that had the potential to support life, according to two new studies. Vast regions of the ancient highlands of Mars—which cover about half the planet—contain clay minerals, which can form only in the presence of water. ... > full story
Bone Marrow Transplants: Cancer Drug Shows Promise Against Graft Vs. Host Disease (July 16, 2008) -- A study in mice suggests the drug SAHA, a new antitumor drug, is also able to reduce the effects of graft-versus-host disease, a common, sometimes fatal complication of bone marrow transplants. SAHA and other HDAC inhibitors also may provide a new way to treat autoimmune diseases. Plans are under way for a U-M trial of the drug in people to prevent graft vs. host disease. ... > full story
Wasps And Bumble Bees Heat Up, Fly Faster With Protein-rich Food (July 16, 2008) -- Good pollen makes bees hot, biologists have found. Wasps warm up too when they find protein-rich meat, a separate experiment has shown. ... > full story
Children's Physical Activity Drops From Age 9 To 15, Study Indicates (July 16, 2008) -- The activity level of a large group of American children dropped sharply between age 9 and age 15, when most failed to reach the daily recommended activity level, according to the latest findings from a long-term study by the National Institutes of Health. ... > full story
Over 100 Species Of Bats Found Within Several Acres Of Rainforest In Ecuador (July 16, 2008) -- Bats are a remarkable evolutionary success story representing the second largest group of mammals, outnumbered only by rodents in number of species. Now, researchers have discovered the place that harbors the highest number of bat species ever recorded. In several acres of rainforest in the Amazon basin of eastern Ecuador, the authors have found more than 100 species of bats. ... > full story
Psychiatric Forensic Patients With Tattoos More Likely To Have Antisocial Personality Disorder (July 16, 2008) -- The presence of tattoos on forensic psychiatric inpatients should alert clinicians to a possible diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder, and also about the potential for histories of suicide attempt, substance abuse and sexual abuse, according to research published in Personality and Mental Health. ... > full story
Europe's Ancestors: Cro-Magnon 28,000 Years Old Had DNA Like Modern Humans (July 16, 2008) -- Some 40,000 years ago, Cro-Magnons -- the first people who had a skeleton that looked anatomically modern -- entered Europe, coming from Africa. Geneticists now show that a Cro-Magnoid individual who lived in Southern Italy 28,000 years ago was a modern European, genetically as well as anatomically. They conclude that the Neandertal people, who lived in Europe for nearly 300,000 years, are not the ancestors of modern Europeans. ... > full story
Overweight Mothers Give Birth To Offspring Who Become Heavy, Amplifying Obesity Through Generations (July 16, 2008) -- Overweight mothers give birth to offspring who become even heavier, resulting in amplification of obesity across generations, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers who found that chemical changes in the ways genes are expressed -- a phenomenon called epigenetics -- could affect successive generations of mice. ... > full story
Future Snowmelt In West Twice As Early As Expected; Threatens Ecosystems And Water Reserves (July 16, 2008) -- Global warming could lead to larger changes in snowmelt in the western United States than was previously thought, possibly increasing wildfire risk and creating new water management challenges for agriculture, ecosystems and urban populations. Researchers discovered that a critical surface temperature feedback is twice as strong as what had been projected by earlier studies. ... > full story
Researchers Identify Immune Cells That Block Allergic Reactions (July 16, 2008) -- When it comes to allergies, both the problem and the solution are found within us. Our immune systems respond to foreign substances with an arsenal of cells. Some are programmed to "remember" invaders they've encountered in the past. Normally, anything previously identified as harmless is allowed to pass. Sometimes, however, the immune response goes awry, triggering an allergic reaction. ... > full story
Tigers Disappear From Himalayan Refuge (July 16, 2008) -- World Wildlife Fund is alarmed by the dramatic decline of at least 30 percent in the Bengal tiger population of Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve in Nepal, once a refuge that boasted among the highest densities of the endangered species in the Eastern Himalayas. The recent survey of April 2008 showed a population of between 6-14 tigers, down from 20-50 tigers in 2005. ... > full story
Full-day Kindergarteners' Reading, Math Gains Fade By 3rd Grade (July 16, 2008) -- A new analysis of data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 found that the reading and math benefits experienced by full-day kindergarteners versus part-day kindergarteners diminished soon after kindergarten. Academic skills of those in part-day kindergarten grew faster than their full-day peers from the spring of kindergarten through fifth grade, however. These differences can be explained, in part, by increased poverty and less stimulating home environments experienced by full-day kindergarteners. ... > full story
Scientists Close In On Source Of X-rays In Lightning (July 16, 2008) -- Engineering researchers have narrowed the search for the source of X-rays emitted by lightning, a feat that could one day help predict where lightning will strike. ... > full story
DNA 'Palindromes' Linked To Disease (July 16, 2008) -- Long DNA sequences, or palindromes, change the shape of the molecule from double helix to hairpin-like formation, which causes replication to stall. Altered or stalled replication causes chromosomal breaking, resulting in cancers and diseases. In the context of everyday life, palindromes are quite common. They are words, phrases, numbers or other sequences of units that read the same way in either direction, such as 'A man, a plan, a canal -- Panama!' ... > full story
Rock Port, Missouri, First 100 Percent Wind-powered Community In U.S. (July 16, 2008) -- Rock Port Missouri, with a population of just over 1,300 residents, has announced that it is the first 100% wind powered community in the United States. Four wind turbines supply all the electricity for the small town. Rock Port's 100% wind power status is due to four wind turbines located on agricultural lands within the city limits of Rock Port (Atchison County). The city of Rock Port uses approximately 13 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year. It is predicted that these four turbines will produce 16 million kilowatt hours each year. ... > full story
New Study Sheds Light On How Intracellular Pathogens Trigger The Immune System (July 16, 2008) -- Biologists have identified a molecular alarm system in which intracellular pathogens send out signals that kick the immune response into gear. The findings shed light on how host cells recognize and destroy the pathogenic bugs living within their walls, and may even provide new targets for the research and development of new vaccines and drugs. ... > full story
Ethanol Byproduct Could Be Useful As Fertilizer And For Weed Control (July 16, 2008) -- Scientists have shown that dried distiller's grains (DDGs) --- coproducts of corn ethanol production --- have potential as an organic fertilizer and for weed control. But some ethanol producers are adopting new corn-grinding methods that may affect the DDGs' usefulness. ... > full story
Growing Up Amid War Affects Children's Moral Development (July 16, 2008) -- Research among 96 war-affected children and adolescents in Colombia examined how war affects children's moral development. Though all participants said it was wrong to steal or hurt others because of justice or welfare or even to ensure one's survival, many said that it was acceptable to steal or hurt others for revenge. This was one of the first studies to examine moral development in children growing up in a war zone. ... > full story
Mechanism Behind Mind-body Connection Discovered (July 16, 2008) -- New research explains how chronic emotional stress ages the immune system. Immune cells end in protective caps called telomeres that are shorter in the elderly -- and in persons suffering chronic stress. A new study suggests that the hormone cortisol is the culprit behind telomeres' early aging in stressed-out people and offers a potential drug target for protecting the immune system against the damage caused by long-term stress. ... > full story
Women Exposed To High Levels of Pollutant PCB More Likely To Give Birth To Female Children (July 16, 2008) -- Women exposed to high levels of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls -- a group of banned environmental pollutants) are less likely to give birth to male children. A new study found that among women from the San Francisco Bay Area, those exposed to higher levels of PCBs during the 50s and 60s, were significantly more likely to give birth to female children. ... > full story
Big Predatory Mammals Such As Felines Need Between 5 And 7 Different Types Of Prey To Meet Their Dietary Needs (July 16, 2008) -- Faced with earlier studies stating that the big predators such as tigers, lions, and lynxes fulfill their dietary needs by eating one or two types of prey, scientists now assure us now that felines need from 5 to 7 different types of prey to fulfill their dietary needs, although they may be more specialized anatomically than the canines (wolves, dogs) who can obtain 100% ingested biomass by eating three types of prey. ... > full story
Incorrectly Cleaved Protein Leads To Schizophrenia (July 16, 2008) -- The causes of schizophrenia are not yet clear. But now, researchers have discovered that a disturbed cleavage of the Nrg-1 protein lies at the basis of the development of the disease. Greater understanding of this molecular process is a first step toward improved diagnosis and more effective treatment of schizophrenia and other related disorders. ... > full story
Nanoencapsulation Of Low Soluable Cancer Drugs (July 16, 2008) -- Biomedical engineering researchers have developed a innovative approach to cancer drug nanoencapsulation. The new method allows for adjusting drug release rates and attaching antibodies at the outer shell layers for targeted drug delivery. ... > full story
Bluffing Could Be Common In Prediction Markets, Study Shows (July 16, 2008) -- A new mathematical model suggests that bluffing in prediction markets is a profitable strategy more often than previously thought. The analysis calls into question the incentives such markets create for revealing information and making accurate predictions. The researchers also pose a tactic to discourage bluffing. ... > full story
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