ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Tuesday, August 5, 2008
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Memory, Depression, Insomnia -- And Worms? (August 5, 2008) -- Researchers have spent decades probing the causes of depression, schizophrenia and insomnia in humans. But a new study may have uncovered key insights into the origins of these and other conditions by examining a most unlikely research subject: worms. ... > full story
Data Mining Detects Signs Of Lou Gehrig's Disease In Gene Carriers Long Before Symptoms Appear (August 5, 2008) -- Inspired by the use of microarray chips that look for gene combinations, psychologists are using "pattern array" software to spot movements in rats that might help them predict diseases such as Lou Gehrig's syndrome. ... > full story
Chronic Exposure To Estrogen Impairs Some Cognitive Functions (August 5, 2008) -- Chronic exposure to estradiol, the main estrogen in the body, diminishes some cognitive functions. Rats exposed to a steady dose of estradiol were impaired on tasks involving working memory and response inhibition, the researchers found. ... > full story
Strategies To Control TB Outdated, Inadequate, Analysis Shows (August 5, 2008) -- The standard regimens to treat tuberculosis are inadequate in countries with high rates of multi-drug resistant TB. In countries with high rates of MDR-TB, patients are nearly twice as likely to fail their initial treatment than those in countries with low rates, according to a new analysis of World Health Organization data. This finding suggests strongly that current TB treatment regimens need to updated and revised to address the shifting landscape of public health in the face of MDR-TB. ... > full story
Investigating Sea Ice Decline (August 5, 2008) -- A revised outlook for the Arctic 2008 summer sea ice minimum shows ice extent will be below the 2005 level but not likely to beat the 2007 record. DAMOCLES will dispatch eleven research missions into the Arctic this autumn to better understand the future of the sea ice. ... > full story
Homeownership In Disadvantaged Neighborhoods Linked To Increased Political Participation (August 5, 2008) -- Homeowners in disadvantaged neighborhoods are more likely to vote than renters and those who own homes in more privileged communities, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association. ... > full story
Little Teeth Suggest Big Jump In Primate Timeline (August 5, 2008) -- Tiny fossilized teeth excavated from an Indian open-pit coal mine could be the oldest Asian remains ever found of anthropoids, the primate lineage of today's monkeys, apes and humans. ... > full story
International Panel Updates Treatment Guidelines For HIV Infection (August 5, 2008) -- An evaluation of recent data has led to an update in the guidelines and recommendations for antiretroviral treatment of adult human immunodeficiency virus infection, according to an article in the Aug. 6 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on HIV/AIDS. ... > full story
Nanotechnology: Size-specific Cracking Shakes (August 5, 2008) -- Certain sizes of nanostructures may be more susceptible to failure by fracture than others. As the size of a structure gets to the nanoscale, atomic vibrations (also known as phonons) begin to feel its size and shape in an effect called phonon confinement. ... > full story
Immune System Protein Accurate Predictor Of Survival In Pediatric Septic Shock (August 5, 2008) -- A simple measure of an immune system protein within 24 hours of being admitted to the hospital for septic shock can predict survival in children, yielding a powerful tool for diagnostics and clinical trials of new septic shock therapies, according to a research team led by Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in the Aug. 1 American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. ... > full story
New Panel Of Mice Helps Predict How Drugs Are Broken Down In Humans (August 5, 2008) -- Humans express several proteins that breakdown the synthetic chemicals and drugs (collectively known as xenobiotics) that we ingest or are administered. Expression of these proteins is itself regulated by the xenobiotic-sensing proteins PXR and CAR. Developing animal models to determine the relative importance of PXR and CAR for humans to breakdown a specific drug has been difficult because the human and animal proteins sense different xenobiotics. ... > full story
Teacher-student Relationships Key To Learning Health And Sex Education (August 5, 2008) -- When it comes to learning life-changing behaviors in high school health classes, the identity of the person teaching may be even more important than the curriculum, a new study suggests. For years, many high schools around the country have been relying on outside experts to teach sensitive subjects such as the human immunodeficiency virus infection and pregnancy prevention. But a recent study found that students learn more about such issues when taught by their regular classroom teacher. ... > full story
Guilt On Their Hands: Tiny 'Tags' Could Help To Solve And Deter Gun Crime (August 4, 2008) -- Criminals who use firearms may find it much harder to evade justice in future, thanks to an ingenious new bullet tagging technology. ... > full story
Immunotherapy In High-risk Pediatric Sarcomas Shows Promising Response (August 4, 2008) -- Based on a pilot study in children with sarcoma, researchers believe that immunotherapy could prove beneficial in treating high-risk forms of this cancer. ... > full story
Researchers Tag First-ever Free-swimming Leatherback Turtles In New England (August 4, 2008) -- University of New Hampshire researchers have tagged one male and two female leatherback turtles off Cape Cod. They are the first free-swimming leatherbacks ever tagged in New England. The 700-800-pound leatherback turtles, an endangered species, were tagged July 17, 26 and 29 with GPS-linked satellite tags that transmit nearly real-time tracking data, allowing scientists to better understand these elusive, highly migratory giants to enhance their survivability. ... > full story
Sleep Apnea Is An Independent Risk Factor For Mortality, Australian Study Shows (August 4, 2008) -- Moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality, represented by a fully adjusted hazard ratio of 6.24. Previous studies linking OSA to mortality have involved patients referred to sleep clinics rather than community-based samples; the association between OSA and mortality in the community was unknown. ... > full story
Telemedicine Leads To Better Stroke Treatment Decisions, Study Finds (August 4, 2008) -- Researchers at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center say that their first-of-its-kind study of a telemedicine program which transports stroke specialists via computer desktop or even laptop to the patient's bedside, using highly sophisticated video, audio and Internet technology, could have an immediate and profound impact on the treatment of stroke patients throughout the world. ... > full story
Family Type Has Less-than-expected Impact On Parental Involvement, Study Finds (August 4, 2008) -- Children in step-families and in other non-traditional families get just as much quality time with their parents as those in traditional families, with only a few exceptions, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association. ... > full story
Australian Bird Research Could Rewrite 'Ring Theory' Of Speciation (August 4, 2008) -- New research has uncovered how different populations of the bird crimson rosella are related to each other -- a discovery which has important implications for research into how climate change may affect Australia's biodiversity. ... > full story
When Our Protective Armor Shows Weakness: Genetic Defect In Skin Cells Leads To Neurodermatitis, Hay Fever And Asthma (August 4, 2008) -- New knowledge points to the fact that a genetically induced lack of filaggrin, a key protein of the skin barrier, plays a decisive role in the origin of allergies. In a large study on more than 3000 school-children scientists found that about 8% of the German population carry variations of the filaggrin gene, which raise the risk to develop atopic dermatitis more than threefold. In addition, these genetic variations predispose to hay fever and asthma in those with atopic dermatitis. ... > full story
Combating Secondary Infections In Clinics (August 4, 2008) -- Infections following treatment are a grave problem for patients, and resistant germs can be particularly devastating. Scientists have now developed a process for coating surfaces with an antimicrobial layer to effectively hinder infections. ... > full story
Endoscopic Circumferential Ablation Promising For Barrett's Esophagus With High-grade Dysplasia (August 4, 2008) -- A multi-center US registry study examining the treatment of Barrett's esophagus with high-grade dysplasia showed that in 92 patients treated with endoscopic circumferential ablation who had at least one follow-up biopsy session, 90.2 percent were free of HGD at an average of one-year follow-up. This registry is the first to report on the use of circumferential ablation for BE HGD. The study appears in the July issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. ... > full story
Project Aims To Improve Energy Efficiency Of Computing (August 4, 2008) -- The information technology industry consumes as much energy and has roughly the same carbon "footprint" as the airline industry. Now scientists and engineers are building an instrument to test the energy efficiency of computing systems under real-world conditions -- with the ultimate goal of getting computer designers and users in the scientific community to rethink the way they do their jobs. ... > full story
One Fifth Of British Adult Survivors Of Childhood Cancer Smoke Despite Hazards (August 4, 2008) -- One-fifth of British adult survivors of childhood cancers are current smokers, and nearly a third have been regular smokers at some point in their lives, according to a study in the July 29 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. ... > full story
Tracking Down Abrupt Climate Changes: Rapid Natural Cooling Occurred 12,700 Years Ago (August 4, 2008) -- Researchers have shown, for the first time, that an extremely fast climate change occurred in Western Europe. This took place long before human-made changes in the atmosphere, and is causatively associated with a sudden change in the wind systems. ... > full story
Novel Kind Of Learning Gene Discovered (August 4, 2008) -- Scientists have come one step closer to unraveling the molecular basis of learning. Neurobiologists have now discovered the first gene for operant conditioning in the fruit fly Drosophila. Their discovery suggests a novel kind of molecular learning mechanism. The study may help understanding the molecular processes underlying addiction. ... > full story
Carbon Capture Milestone In China (August 4, 2008) -- Just weeks out from the Olympics, the CSIRO and its Chinese partners have officially launched a post-combustion capture pilot plant in Beijing that strips carbon dioxide from power station flue gases in an effort to stem climate change. ... > full story
Antiviral Therapy Helps Children At Risk For Post-transplant Lymphoproliferative Disease (August 4, 2008) -- The antiviral drug, valganciclovir, can lower the levels of Epstein-Barr virus in children with liver transplants, according to a new study. ... > full story
Arresting And Self-healing Cracks: Paving The Way For Next Generation Composite Materials (August 4, 2008) -- Materials that can stop a crack and then self-heal have been brought a step closer to reality. New research will focus on carbon fiber polymer composites - materials made by combining extremely stiff and strong fibers with polymers to create strong, durable and lightweight materials. These are particularly important in the aerospace and transport industries, which use carbon fiber composites to make aircraft wings, helicopter rotor blades and ship hulls. ... > full story
Cost Of Stabbings To Britain's Health Service Revealed (August 4, 2008) -- Injuries caused by gun and knife crime are costing the British National Health Service in excess of 3 million pounds a year, new research reveals. ... > full story
World's Smallest Snake Found In Barbados (August 4, 2008) -- The world's smallest species of snake has been discovered on the Caribbean island of Barbados. The species is as thin as a spaghetti noodle and small enough to rest comfortably on a U.S. quarter. ... > full story
Sleep Apnea Linked To Increased Risk Of Death (August 4, 2008) -- Sleep-disordered breathing (also known as sleep apnea) is associated with an increased risk of death, according to new results from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort, an 18-year observational study. Researchers found that adults (ages 30 to 60) with sleep-disordered breathing at the start of the study were two to three times more likely to die from any cause compared to those who did not have sleep-disordered breathing. ... > full story
X-ray Diffraction Looks Inside Aerogels In 3-D (August 4, 2008) -- The first high-resolution x-ray diffraction imaging of an aerogel, performed at beamline 9.0.1 of the Department of Energy's Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, has revealed the aerogel's nanoscale three-dimensional bulk lattice structure down to features measured in nanometers, suggesting that changes in methods of preparing aerogels might improve their strength. ... > full story
World's First Transplant Of Both Arms (August 4, 2008) -- The first transplant of complete arms has been accomplished after several years of preparatory work. The patient is doing well under the circumstances. ... > full story
Patagonian Glacier Yields Clues For Improved Understanding Of Global Climate Change (August 4, 2008) -- A recent expedition to the San Valentin glacier in the Chilean part of Patagonia demonstrated the potential of that site for exploring climatic variations of the past. The analyses gave the first evidence of influences from Antarctica and the Pacific on the Southern climate of the American continent, thus indicating the complexity of the climate system in this ecologically fragile region. ... > full story
Long Work Hours Widen The Gender Gap (August 4, 2008) -- Working overtime has a disproportionate impact on women in dual-earner households, exacerbating gender inequality and supporting the "separate sphere" phenomenon in which men are the breadwinners while women tend to the home, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association. ... > full story
Smart Contact Lenses Dispense Medication (August 4, 2008) -- "Smart" contact lenses that measure pressure within the eye and dispense medication accordingly could be made possible using a new material developed by biomedical engineers at UC Davis. ... > full story
Methadone Breaks Resistance In Untreatable Forms Of Leukemia (August 4, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered that methadone, an agent used to break addiction to opioid drugs, has surprising killing power against leukemia cells, including treatment resistant forms of the cancer. ... > full story
Plant Parasite 'Wiretaps' Host (August 4, 2008) -- A parasitic plant that sucks water and nutrients from its plant host also taps into its communications traffic, a new report finds. The research could lead to new ways to combat parasites that attack crop plants. ... > full story
Turned-off Cannabinoid Receptor Turns On Colorectal Tumor Growth (August 4, 2008) -- New preclinical research shows that cannabinoid cell surface receptor CB1 plays a tumor-suppressing role in human colorectal cancer, scientists report in the Aug. 1 edition of the journal Cancer Research. ... > full story
China Becomes A Physics Powerhouse (August 4, 2008) -- Judged by the astonishing increase in journal papers written by scientists in China, there can be little doubt that China is finding its place as one of the world's scientific power houses. Michael Banks, Physics World's news editor, quantifies this surge in scientific output from China and asks whether quality matches quantity in August's Physics World. ... > full story
Fungi Expert Finds New Species In Aberdeen City Centre, Scotland (August 4, 2008) -- A leading fungi expert has accidentally stumbled upon a new species in Scotland – as he walked home from work. ... > full story
Genetically Modified Root Systems Result In Plants That Survive With Little Water (August 4, 2008) -- A part of the global food crisis is the inefficiency of current irrigation methods. More irrigated water evaporates than reaches the roots of crops, amounting to an enormous waste of water and energy. A new solution addresses the problem of water loss and promises farmers "more crop per drop." ... > full story
Flu Vaccine May Not Protect Seniors Well (August 4, 2008) -- A new study adds fuel to the growing controversy over how well the flu vaccine protects the elderly. The study of more than 3,500 Group Health patients, ages 65 to 94, found no link between flu vaccination and risk of pneumonia during three flu seasons. ... > full story
Cellular Symmetry: What Cues Tell A Cell To Divide At The Center (August 4, 2008) -- Cells are intrinsically artistic. When the right signals tell a cell to divide, it usually splits down the middle, resulting in two identical daughter cells. (Stem cells are the exception to the rule.) This natural symmetry is visible on the macroscopic scale as well. All living creatures, be they mushrooms or humans, are visibly symmetric, a product of our cells' preference for equilibrium. ... > full story
Multiple Sclerosis: New MRI Contrast Medium Enables Early Diagnosis In Animal Model (August 4, 2008) -- In an animal model of multiple sclerosis, neurologists have been able to visualize inflammatory tissue damage, most of which had remained unrecognized up to now, with the aid of a new contrast medium, Gadofluorine M, in magnetic resonance imaging. ... > full story
Predicting Outbreaks Of Plague With The Help Of Satellite Images (August 4, 2008) -- Normally percolation theory is used to describe the movement of liquid through porous material. A good example of percolation is when hot water is forced through ground coffee in an espresso machine. By moving through the coffee via the empty spaces between the ground coffee particles, the water picks up the flavor of the coffee. Scientists now report in Nature that the spread of the bubonic plague bacteria in Central Asia by gerbils, works much the same way. ... > full story
Physicians Ask EPA, 'Antibiotics To Cure Sick Apples, Or Sick Children?' (August 4, 2008) -- A U.S. federal decision to permit the State of Michigan to spray the state's apple orchards with gentamicin risks undermining the value of this important antibiotic to treat blood infections in newborns and other serious human infections, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America. ... > full story
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