ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Wednesday, August 6, 2008
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Thousands Of Globular Clusters Identified In Virgo Cluster Of Galaxies (August 6, 2008) -- The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has identified thousands of globular clusters -- more than 5 billion years old -- in the Virgo cluster of galaxies. One of the results of these discoveries led astronomers to understand more about the life and evolution of cannibal galaxies. ... > full story
Revolutionary Technique Could Reduce Lifelong Drugs For Transplant Patients (August 6, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a ground-breaking procedure that could avoid the need for transplant patients to spend the rest of their lives taking a cocktail of drugs to stop their system from rejecting their new organ. ... > full story
Next Generation Tool For Visualizing Genomic Data Introduced (August 6, 2008) -- Researchers are collecting vast amounts of genomic data, but ways to visualize these data in an integrated manner have lagged behind the ability to generate them. Researchers have now developed a novel and freely available visualization tool that helps users integrate and analyze different types of genomic data, and gives them the flexibility to zoom in on a specific region of interest or to pan out for a broad, whole genome view. ... > full story
Growth Hormone Reduces Abdominal Fat, Cardiovascular Risk In HIV Patients On Antiviral Therapy (August 6, 2008) -- Low-dose growth hormone treatment reduced abdominal fat deposits and improved blood pressure and triglyceride levels in a group of patients with HIV lipodystrophy -- a condition involving the redistribution of fat and other metabolic changes in patients receiving combination drug therapy for HIV infection -- but growth hormone treatment also appeared to increase blood glucose levels, particularly in those already exhibiting glucose intolerance. ... > full story
Key To Virulence Protein Entry Into Host Cells Discovered (August 6, 2008) -- Researchers from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have identified the region of a large family of virulence proteins in oomycete plant pathogens that enables the proteins to enter the cells of their hosts. The protein region has the ability to carry the virulence proteins across the membrane surrounding plant cells without any additional machinery from the pathogen. Once inside the plant cell, the proteins suppress the immune system of the plant allowing the infection to progress. ... > full story
Breast Cancer Confessions: Emotional Work Of Disclosing A Diagnosis (August 6, 2008) -- Women diagnosed with breast cancer shoulder the emotional burden of disclosing their diagnosis to loved ones, managing the feelings of others at precisely the time when they need support themselves, according to new research. ... > full story
Martian Life Or Not? NASA's Phoenix Team Analyzes Results (August 6, 2008) -- Describing the latest findings from the Red Planet as "neither good nor bad for life," Phoenix Mars mission scientists spoke on research in progress concerning an ongoing investigation of perchlorate salts detected in soil analyzed by the wet chemistry laboratory aboard NASA's Phoenix Lander. ... > full story
Testosterone And Body Fat Are Controlled By The Same Genes (August 6, 2008) -- Genes that control percentage of body fat are also responsible for circulating levels of testosterone in men, new research shows. The research shows a 23% overlap between the genes that control testosterone and those that regulate body fat composition, suggesting that these two variables are partly controlled by the same set of genes. ... > full story
Viterbi Algorithm Goes Quantum (August 6, 2008) -- The Viterbi Algorithm, the elegant 41-year-old logical tool for rapidly eliminating dead end possibilities in reception of digital data, has a new application to go alongside its ubiquitous daily use in cell phone communications, bioinformatics, speech recognition and many other areas of information technology. ... > full story
A Mechanism For The Development Of Obesity-associated Conditions (August 6, 2008) -- Substances known as endocannabinoids have been implicated in the development of many effects of a high-fat diet, including risk factors for type 2 diabetes. New data have now indicated that these effects of endocannabinoids occur via activation of the protein CB1 in the liver and not the brain. Therefore, targeting liver CB1 might provide an effective way to treat obesity-related medical conditions without the side effects of targeting CB1 in the brain, anxiety and depression. ... > full story
Protein Folding: One Picture Per Millisecond Illuminates The Process (August 6, 2008) -- Newly developed KITA-spectroscopy (Kinetic Terahertz Absorption Spectroscopy) was applied to protein folding with a resolution of one picture per millisecond and combined with other biophysical methods, such as X-ray diffraction (SAXS), fluorescence and CD spectroscopy. Researchers observed that folding proceeds in two phases. In a very rapid first phase, the protein collapses in less than a millisecond, while at the same time, a rearrangement of the protein-water network takes place. ... > full story
Bulging Prison System Called Massive Intervention In American Family Life (August 6, 2008) -- The mammoth increase in the United States' prison population since the 1970s is having profound demographic consequences that disproportionately affect black males. ... > full story
Breakthrough In Quantum Mechanics: Superconducting Electronic Circuit Pumps Microwave Photons (August 5, 2008) -- Researchers have recently reached what they are calling a milestone in experimental quantum mechanics. They have used a superconducting electronic circuit known as a Josephson phase qubit to controllably pump microwave photons, one at a time, into a superconducting microwave resonator. ... > full story
Eating Fish May Prevent Memory Loss And Stroke In Old Age (August 5, 2008) -- Eating tuna and other types of fish may help lower the risk of cognitive decline and stroke in healthy older adults, according to a study in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. ... > full story
Fuel Cell Efficiency May Be Improved With Material With 'Colossal Ionic Conductivity' (August 5, 2008) -- A new material characterized at the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory could open a pathway toward more efficient fuel cells. The material, a super-lattice, improves ionic conductivity near room temperature by a factor of almost 100 million, representing "a colossal increase in ionic conduction properties," according to researchers. ... > full story
Process By Which All Blood Cells Originate Is Essentially The Same Throughout Mammal World (August 5, 2008) -- The architecture of haematopoiesis -- which is the process by which all blood cells originate -- is essentially the same throughout the mammal world, report scientists in the Proceedings of the Royal Society. This is an unexpected result considering the thousands of mammals' species with a myriad of habitats and lifestyles, as so well demonstrated when comparing the 30 mm flying bumblebee bat and the 30 meter-long aquatic blue whale both mammals. ... > full story
Overcoming Inhibitors Of Cell Death Improves Cancer Therapy Efficacy (August 5, 2008) -- Individuals with one of the most aggressive types of brain tumor have an extremely poor prognosis. Although some patients with GBM respond to treatment with drugs known as RTK inhibitors, most subsequently relapse after only a short time. New data, have now provided insight into the mechanism by which GBM cells become resistant to RTK inhibitors and suggest a way to improve the efficacy of RTK inhibitors as a treatment for GBM. ... > full story
The School Bully: Does It Run In The Family? (August 5, 2008) -- New research links family relationships to childhood bullying. A shove, a taunt or name-calling on the playground or in the hall, away from the eyesight, earshot and authority of the teacher -- childhood bullying can involve physical contact, spreading rumors and other negative behaviors committed over and over again to intimidate, humiliate and isolate the receiver of the behavior. ... > full story
'Cosmic Ghost' Discovered By Volunteer Astronomer In Archived Images Of Night Sky (August 5, 2008) -- When astronomers enlisted public support in cataloging galaxies, they never envisioned the strange object Hanny van Arkel found in archived images of the night sky. The Dutch school teacher discovered a mysterious and unique object some observers are calling a "cosmic ghost" -- a gaseous object with a hole in the center. ... > full story
Lowering Cholesterol Early In Life Could Save Lives (August 5, 2008) -- With heart disease maintaining top billing as the leading cause of death in the United States, physician-researchers are proposing that aggressive intervention to lower cholesterol levels as early as childhood is the best approach available today to reducing the incidence of coronary heart disease. ... > full story
A First In Integrated Nanowire Sensor Circuitry (August 5, 2008) -- Scientists have created the world's first all-integrated sensor circuit based on nanowire arrays, combining light sensors and electronics made of different crystalline materials. Their method can be used to reproduce numerous such devices with high uniformity. ... > full story
Long-term HIV Treatment May Reduce Risk For Atherosclerosis (August 5, 2008) -- Antiretroviral drugs for HIV do not increase risk of coronary atherosclerosis says a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health study. The results, based on nearly 950 HIV-positive and HIV-negative men, suggest that antiretroviral therapy may, in fact, offer men with HIV some protection against atherosclerosis. Coronary artery calcification scores were almost 60 percent lower in HIV-positive men who received highly active antiretroviral therapy for more than eight years compared to HIV-negative men. ... > full story
Turning Those Old Electronic Circuit Boards Into New Park Benches (August 5, 2008) -- Scientists in China have developed a new recycling method that could transform yesterday's computer into tomorrow's park bench. ... > full story
Estrogen Relieves Psychotic Symptoms In Women With Schizophrenia (August 5, 2008) -- When combined with antipsychotic medications, the estrogen estradiol appears to be a useful treatment in women with schizophrenia, according to a new report. ... > full story
Genetic Evidence Used To Trace Ancient African Migration (August 5, 2008) -- Researchers peering at history's footprints on human DNA have found new evidence for how prehistoric people shared knowledge that advanced civilization. ... > full story
Vitamin C Injections Slow Tumor Growth In Mice (August 5, 2008) -- High-dose injections of vitamin C, also known as ascorbate or ascorbic acid, reduced tumor weight and growth rate by about 50 percent in mouse models of brain, ovarian and pancreatic cancers, researchers report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers traced ascorbate's anti-cancer effect to the formation of hydrogen peroxide in the extracellular fluid surrounding the tumors. Normal cells were unaffected. ... > full story
Research Exposes New Target For Malaria Drugs (August 5, 2008) -- The malaria parasite has waged a successful guerrilla war against the human immune system for eons, but a study in this week's Journal of Biological Chemistry has exposed one of the tricks malaria uses to hide from the immune proteins, which may aid in future drug development. ... > full story
High Use Of Complementary Methods Found Among Cancer Survivors (August 5, 2008) -- Many cancer patients use complementary and alternative methods, most often prayer, relaxation, supplements, meditation, and massage. Meanwhile, the use of other methods, such as biofeedback, homeopathy and acupressure, are relatively uncommon. ... > full story
Climate Change And Species Distributions (August 5, 2008) -- Scientists have long pointed to physical changes in the Earth and its atmosphere as indicators of global climate change. But changes in climate can wreak havoc in more subtle ways, such as the loss of habitat for plant and animal species. ... > full story
Study: Verbal Aggression May Affect Children's Behavior (August 5, 2008) -- The methods mothers use to control their children during playtime and other daily activities could have a negative impact on their child's self-esteem and behavior, according to a new Purdue University study. ... > full story
Schizophrenia: Costly By-product Of Human Brain Evolution? (August 5, 2008) -- Metabolic changes responsible for the evolution of our unique cognitive abilities indicate that the brain may have been pushed to the limit of its capabilities. Research published today in BioMed Central's open access journal Genome Biology adds weight to the theory that schizophrenia is a costly by-product of human brain evolution. ... > full story
Exposure To Agent Orange Linked To Prostate Cancer In Vietnam Veterans (August 5, 2008) -- Vietnam War veterans exposed to Agent Orange have greatly increased risks of prostate cancer and even greater risks of getting the most aggressive form of the disease as compared to those who were not exposed. ... > full story
Microbe Diet Key To Carbon Dioxide Release (August 5, 2008) -- As microbes in the soil break down fallen plant matter, a diet "balanced" in nutrients appears to help control soil fertility and the normal release of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. ... > full story
Epilepsy Drug May Help Alcoholics Recover From Dependence, Small Study Suggests (August 5, 2008) -- A new study hints that people who have both alcohol problems and sleep problems -- which often occur together -- might be helped by an epilepsy drug. The study, which is small but was placebo-controlled, opens the door for further research on how to help alcohol-dependent people escape the Catch-22 of insomnia and drinking that often stands in the way of their recovery. ... > full story
Saving Our Bees: Implications of Habitat Loss (August 5, 2008) -- The undisputed queen of animal pollinators is the bee, whose daily flights aid in the reproduction of more than half of the world's flowering plants. In recent years, however, an unprecedented decline in bee populations has placed the health of ecosystems an crops in peril. A group of scientists are exploring the problem of bee habitat loss to determine what can be done to preserve bees in their native habitats. ... > full story
Happiness Lengthens Life (August 5, 2008) -- Happiness does not heal, but happiness protects against falling ill. As a result, happy people live longer. The size of the effect on longevity is comparable to that of smoking or not. This is concluded from an analysis of 30 follow-up studies published in the latest issue of the Journal of Happiness Studies. ... > full story
Military Use Of Robots Increases (August 5, 2008) -- Robots in the military are no longer the stuff of science fiction. They have left the movie screen and entered the battlefield. Researchers report that the military goal is to have approximately 30% of the army be robotic forces by somewhere around 2020. ... > full story
Two Years Old: A Childhood Obesity Tipping Point? Research Suggests That Childhood Obesity Begins In Infancy (August 5, 2008) -- Over the last decade, childhood obesity has grown into an epidemic, reflected in soaring rates of type 2 diabetes and recommendations that pediatricians check toddlers for elevated cholesterol. What hasn't been as clear is how early to intervene. A study presented at a pediatric research program on Friday suggested obesity prevention efforts should begin as early as age two, when children reach a "tipping point" in a progression that leads to obesity later in life. ... > full story
New Role Found For A 'Foxy Old Gene' (August 5, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered that a protein called FOXA2 controls genes that maintain the proper level of bile in the liver. FOXA2 may become the focus for new therapies to treat diseases that involve the regulation of bile salts. ... > full story
Recurrence Of Group B Strep High In Subsequent Pregnancies, Say Obstetricians (August 5, 2008) -- A new study could help experts better decide whether to continue the current practice of retesting women during their second pregnancies for a common bacterial infection if they had tested positive for the infection previously. ... > full story
Tevatron Experiments Double-team Higgs Boson (August 5, 2008) -- The CDF and DZero collaborations at the US Department of Energy's Fermilab are advancing the quest for the long-sought Higgs boson. Their latest results indicate that researchers have for the first time excluded, with 95 percent probability, a mass for the Higgs of 170 GeV. This value lies in the possible mass range for the particle established by earlier experiments. The result demonstrates that the Tevatron experiments are sensitive to potential Higgs signals. ... > full story
Paradox Of Higher Education, Crime: Male College Students More Likely Than Less-educated Peers To Commit Property Crimes, Study Finds (August 5, 2008) -- Men who attend college are more likely to commit property crimes during their college years than their non-college-attending peers, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association. ... > full story
Extinction Threat To Monkeys And Other Primates Due To Habitat Loss, Hunting (August 5, 2008) -- Mankind's closest relatives -- the world's monkeys, apes and other primates -- are disappearing from the face of the Earth, with some literally being eaten into extinction. The first comprehensive review in five years of the world's 634 kinds of primates found that almost 50 percent are in danger of going extinct, according to the criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. ... > full story
Outdoor Activity And Nearsightedness In Children (August 5, 2008) -- A growing number of the world's children are mildly to severely nearsighted (myopic), with rates especially high among urbanized East Asians. In addition to coping with poor distance vision, children with severe myopia are more prone to visual impairment and blindness later in life. ... > full story
Nano Sculptures In Gold (August 5, 2008) -- If someone is charged up, the color of their face might change, but they don't immediately pull off one of their arms, only to reattach it as a third leg. With some molecules, however, the situation is quite different - for example, in a gold cluster with seven atoms. In a charged state, the atoms arrange themselves differently than when they are uncharged. ... > full story
Maternal Deaths Following Cesarean Delivery Can Be Reduced (August 5, 2008) -- Maternal death rates have remained constant in the United States for many decades. Are there any improvements in health care that could reduce these rates further? A new study examined all maternal deaths in nearly 1.5 million birth records from the last six years to look for possible keys to saving more mothers. The study demonstrated that the risk of death attributable to cesarean delivery, approximately 2/100,000 procedures, can realistically be reduced only with universal thromboembolism prophylaxis for patients delivered by cesarean. ... > full story
Networks Of Metal Nanoparticles Are Culprits In Alloy Corrosion (August 5, 2008) -- Oxide scales are supposed to protect alloys from extensive corrosion, but scientists have discovered metal nanoparticle chinks in this armor. ... > full story
Toxic Drugs, Toxic System: Sociologist Predicts Drug Disasters (August 5, 2008) -- Americans are likely to be exposed to unacceptable side effects of FDA-approved drugs such as Vioxx in the future because of fatal flaws in the way new drugs are tested and marketed, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association. ... > full story
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