ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Thursday, August 7, 2008
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Neurobiologists Discover Individuals Who 'Hear' Movement (August 7, 2008) -- Individuals with synesthesia, or cross-activated senses, perceive the world differently from others, with some perceiving numbers or letters as having colors or days of the week as possessing personalities. Now, researchers have discovered a type of synesthesia in which individuals hear sounds when they see things move or flash. The scientists say auditory synesthesia, which had never been identified, may represent an enhanced form of how the brain normally processes visual information. ... > full story
How Bacteria Attach To Human Tissues During Infection Process: New Clues (August 7, 2008) -- Scientists have helped to reveal more about the way bacteria can attach to human tissues. The researchers studied the way a protein found on the surface of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus binds to a human protein called fibronectin. Their discovery is an important step in understanding how bacteria attach to the surface of blood vessels during infection. ... > full story
Shape, Not Just Size, Impacts Effectiveness Of Emerging Nanomedicine Therapies (August 7, 2008) -- In the budding field of nanotechnology, scientists already know that size does matter. But now, researchers have shown that shape matters even more -- a finding that could lead to new and more effective methods for treating cancer and other diseases, from diabetes and multiple sclerosis to arthritis and obesity. ... > full story
Is There A Connection Between AIDS Epidemic In Africa And Intestinal Worms? (August 7, 2008) -- Scientists are beginning an intensive program in Ethiopia this August to eradicate intestinal worms which affect as much as 50 percent of the population in Africa. These researchers believe there is a possible connection between the AIDS epidemic in Africa and intestinal worms. ... > full story
Metabolic Insight To Illuminate Causes Of Iron Imbalance (August 7, 2008) -- New insight into key players in iron metabolism has yielded a novel tool for distinguishing among root causes of iron overload or deficiency in humans, researchers report. While the body needs iron to produce hemoglobin, a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen, too much iron can build up and eventually damage organs. ... > full story
Context And Personality Key In Understanding Responses To Emotional Facial Expressions (August 7, 2008) -- It is well-appreciated that facial expressions play a major role in nonverbal social communication among humans and other primates, because faces provide rapid access to information about the identity and the internal states and intentions of others. New data now suggests that both the social context of a person's facial expression and certain facets of the viewer's personality could affect how our brain interprets the social meaning of someone else's smile or frown. ... > full story
Water Is 'Designer Fluid' That Helps Proteins Change Shape (August 7, 2008) -- According to new research, old ideas about water behavior are all wet. Ubiquitous on Earth, water also has been found in comets, on Mars and in molecular clouds in interstellar space. Now, scientists say this common fluid is not as well understood as we thought. ... > full story
Why Treatment Isn't Effective For HIV (August 7, 2008) -- Researchers have answered a key question as to why antiretroviral therapy isn't effective in restoring immunity in HIV-infected patients. Once a person is infected with the virus, fibrosis, or scarring, occurs in the lymph nodes -- the home of T cells that fight infection. And once fibrosis occurs, T cells can't repopulate the lymph nodes when HIV therapy begins, according to a professor of medicine and principal investigator on the study. ... > full story
Switching On First Neutrons At UK's ISIS Second Target Station (August 7, 2008) -- The UK's ISIS Second Target Station Project moved a major step closer to completion when the first neutrons were created in the ISIS Second Target Station. ISIS uses neutrons to study materials at the atomic level with a suite of instruments, often described as 'super-microscopes.' By scattering neutrons off sample materials, scientists can visualize the positions and motions of atoms and make discoveries that have the potential to affect almost every aspect of our lives. ... > full story
Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Of Similar Benefit For HIV-infected Injection Drug Users (August 7, 2008) -- Contrary to the belief that HIV-infected injection drug users receive less benefit from highly active antiretroviral therapy, new research finds little difference in the survival rate between IDUs and non-IDUs after 4-5 years of receiving HAART, according to a study in the Aug. 6 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on HIV/AIDS. ... > full story
Evaluating Ecosystem Services (August 7, 2008) -- Environmental conservation efforts have traditionally focused on protecting individual species or natural resources. Scientists are discovering, however, that preserving the benefits that whole ecosystems provide to people is more economically and environmentally valuable. Ecologists will explore the application of ecosystem services approaches to conservation. ... > full story
Voluntary Exercise Does Not Appear To Alleviate Anxiety And Depression (August 7, 2008) -- Voluntary physical activity does not appear to cause a reduction in anxiety and depression, but exercise and mood may be associated through a common genetic factor, according to a new article. ... > full story
Olympic Games: Researchers Explore What Makes Better Athletes, The Physiology Of Performance, And More (August 6, 2008) -- The world-record pace for the marathon continues to improve for both men and women. For men, the record pace for the marathon is now about as fast as the record pace for the 10,000-meter run just after World War II. Today, champion athletes are running more than four times farther at speeds of well under five minutes per mile. ... > full story
'Exercise Pill' Is No Replacement For Real Exercise, Expert Cautions (August 6, 2008) -- Recent media reports have described a new substance that potentially eliminates the need for exercise. Now, an expert on the science of inactivity says the "exercise pill" study did not test all of the commonly known benefits of exercise, and taking the pill cannot be considered a replacement for exercise. ... > full story
Male Circumcision Efforts Lag In Africa Despite Evidence Of Dramatic Impact In Preventing HIV (August 6, 2008) -- With millions of lives at stake over the next two decades, researchers and advocates at the AIDS 2008 Conference today called on the global health community to ramp up male circumcision to significantly reduce risk of HIV infection in Africa, and to move quickly to integrate the life-saving procedure into other comprehensive efforts to prevent transmission of the disease in the vulnerable nations of eastern and southern Africa. ... > full story
Keeping Migrant Workers' Children Healthy (August 6, 2008) -- As Ohio and Michigan fruit and vegetable farms yield this year's harvest, they also will provide data about the eating choices of Latino migrant children for a Case Western Reserve University researcher. Information gathered this summer will help migrant families understand why their children are part of the growing national obesity epidemic and contribute to new interventions to combat this serious health issue. ... > full story
Bacterial Persistence In Streams (August 6, 2008) -- Ecological researchers have completed a study on an East Tennessee river to determine the connection between watershed hydrology and fecal bacteria statistical time series analysis. A new article presents a study of the temporal patterns and statistical persistence of total coliform based on data gathered from the Little River near an intake at a public water supply plant. ... > full story
Risk Of Unintentional Injury Death Is High For Young Children Living With Unrelated Adults (August 6, 2008) -- In a new study, a University of Missouri professor found that children living in households with unrelated adults are six times more likely to die of maltreatment-related unintentional injuries, compared to children living with two biological parents. The risk of maltreatment death is double for children living with foster or step-parents, or other related adults. However, the risk is not higher for children living in households with a single biological parent and no other adults. ... > full story
Acidification Of Sea Hampers Reproduction Of Marine Species (August 6, 2008) -- By absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and from the human use of fossil fuels, the world's seas function as a giant buffer for the Earth's life support system. The chemical balance of the sea has long been regarded as immovable. Today researchers know that the pH of the sea's surface water has gone down by 0.1, or 25 percent, just since the beginning of industrialization just over a century ago. This acidification process affects marine animal life. ... > full story
Less REM Sleep Associated With Being Overweight Among Children And Teens (August 6, 2008) -- Children and teens who get less sleep, especially those who spend less time in rapid eye movement sleep, may be more likely to be overweight, according to a report in the Archives of General Psychiatry. ... > full story
Rock Art Marks Transformations In Traditional Peruvian Societies (August 6, 2008) -- Peru is one of the Latin American countries, like Argentina and Brazil, where rock art is thought to have developed throughout a period stretching from 10,000 BC to 1500 AD. The wealth and diversity of the series of pictorial representations made during this period are now beginning to be appreciated by archaeologists. Recent investigations have given insights into the daily lives of human communities who lived in the coastal and mountainous areas of Peru during that era. ... > full story
Researchers Find Differences In Swallowing Mechanism Of Rett Syndrome Patients (August 6, 2008) -- Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have found that the reflux and swallowing problems that are common symptoms in patients with Rett syndrome and other neurological impairments, may be caused by a different mechanism than they are in healthy individuals. The finding leaves researchers to wonder if these patients truly benefit from anti-reflux surgery commonly performed in these children. ... > full story
Why The Slow-Paced World Could Make It Difficult To Catch A Ball (August 6, 2008) -- Researchers have uncovered new information about how we perceive fast moving, incoming objects -- such as tennis or cricket balls. The new research studies why the human brain has difficulty perceiving fast moving objects coming from straight ahead; something that should be a key survival skill. This has implications for understanding how sportspeople make decisions about playing a shot but could also be important for improving road safety and for the development of robotic vision systems. ... > full story
US Immigrant Children May Be Less Physically Active Than US-born Children (August 6, 2008) -- Immigrant children in the United States appear to be less physically active and less likely to participate in sports than US--born children, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. ... > full story
Arctic Map Plots New 'Gold Rush' (August 6, 2008) -- Researchers have drawn up the first ever "Arctic Map" to show the disputed territories that states might lay claim to in the future. The new map design follows a series of historical and ongoing arguments about ownership, and the race for resources, in the frozen lands and seas of the Arctic. ... > full story
HIV Drug Can Persist In Mothers' Milk, Increasing Risk To Them And Their Babies (August 6, 2008) -- A drug commonly used in the developing world to prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child persists in the breast milk and blood of the mothers, putting them and their babies at risk for developing drug-resistant strains of the virus, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. ... > full story
Mobile Phone Technology Brings Robot Swarm To Research Labs (August 6, 2008) -- A new low cost platform for swarm robotics research which makes it possible to produce robots for as little as £24 each is being presented at the first European conference on Artificial Life. ... > full story
Rectal Gel Prevents Transmission Of AIDS-like Virus In Macaques (August 6, 2008) -- The HIV drug tenofovir may prevent AIDS transmission when applied rectally as a gel, according to results from a macaque study published in PLoS Medicine. ... > full story
Guiding Lasers To Their Target (August 6, 2008) -- Like most treatments, laser therapy can benefit from image guidance. A Houston-based company has developed an MRI-guided system that has been tested and is now FDA-approved. ... > full story
Students With Food Allergies Often Not Prepared (August 6, 2008) -- Many students with food allergies aren't taking the threat of a reaction seriously enough, or are regularly in environments where they could not be properly treated during an emergency. ... > full story
Massive Numbers Of Critically Endangered Western Lowland Gorillas Discovered In Republic Of Congo (August 6, 2008) -- The world's population of critically endangered western lowland gorillas recently received a huge boost when the Wildlife Conservation Society released a census showing massive numbers of these secretive great apes alive and well in the Republic of Congo. ... > full story
Novel Method To Create Personalized Immunotherapy Treatments (August 6, 2008) -- Researchers have a new process for developing dendritic cell-based immunotherapies for HIV. They have demonstrated that loading monocyte-derived dendritic cells with combinations of HIV antigen RNA stimulates the expansion of HIV-specific T cells, which attack and kill HIV-infected cells. ... > full story
Lab-on-a-chip Technology: Microfluidics Aids Major Advance In Environmental Testing (August 6, 2008) -- Microfluidics experts have announced the development of a new generation of microfluidics-based environmental testing equipment for use in air quality monitoring. ... > full story
Preventing Friendly Fire: A Role For The Thymic Cortex In Stopping Your Body From Attacking Itself (August 6, 2008) -- A new study investigates the inner mechanics of the thymus, the organ that creates the foot soldiers of the immune system. The study helps shed light on the timing and regulation of negative selection, a crucial developmental process. ... > full story
Physicists Provide 'Guiding Hands' For Proton Therapy (August 6, 2008) -- Proton therapy offers great benefits as a treatment modality in radiation oncology for a variety of hard to treat tumors. While physicians manage the treatment of people, behind the scenes, proton physicists play a crucial role, providing support and guidelines for treatment planning for calculation of dose distributions, measurements of radiation delivery, measurements of proton beam data, quality assurance of all measuring equipment and of the proton accelerator, and calibration of proton beams, all essential to successful treatment outcomes. ... > full story
Why Some Smokers Become Addicted With Their First Cigarette (August 6, 2008) -- New research reveals how the brain processes the "rewarding" and addictive properties of nicotine, providing a better understanding of why some people seemingly become hooked with their first smoke. The research could lead to new therapies to prevent nicotine dependence and to treat nicotine withdrawal when smokers try to quit. ... > full story
Duck-billed Dinosaurs Outgrew Predators To Survive (August 6, 2008) -- With long limbs and a soft body, the duck-billed hadrosaur had few defenses against predators such as tyrannosaurs. But new research on the bones of this plant-eating dinosaur suggests that it had at least one advantage: It grew to adulthood much faster than its predators, giving it superiority in size. ... > full story
New Gene Therapy Kills Pancreatic Cancer Cells (August 6, 2008) -- Researchers report promising results for a new chemoprevention gene therapy for preventing and treating pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal and treatment-resistant forms of cancer. ... > full story
Wind Powered Vehicle, Ventomobile, Ready To Race In The Netherlands (August 6, 2008) -- Students have constructed a vehicle that is solely powered by wind energy, the Ventomobile. It took them many months of intense construction work to reach this goal. First wind tunnel testing produced very promising results. The extremely stylish three-wheeler features a two-bladed rotor on top, with a diameter of two meters. The efficiency of this setup proved to be extremely good. ... > full story
Growth Hormone Treatment For HIV Patients Improves Abdominal Fat, But Worsens Glucose Level (August 6, 2008) -- For human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with treatment-related abdominal obesity and growth hormone deficiency, receiving low-dose growth hormone resulted in improvement in fat and blood pressure measurements but worsened glucose levels, according to a study in the Aug. 6 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on HIV/AIDS. ... > full story
Gold Nanoshells Help Visibly Heat And Destroy Cancer (August 6, 2008) -- Most cancer tumors that have clear borders and are well defined have traditionally been treated successfully by surgical removal. But not all cancers respond to conventional surgery. More importantly, conventional surgery brings risks of complications and long recovery periods that can negatively impact a person's quality of life. ... > full story
Depression Found To Hasten Decline In Cancer Patients (August 6, 2008) -- Depression causes patients with advanced cancer to die sooner than they should, say scientists at the University of Liverpool. ... > full story
Antarctic Fossils Paint Picture Of Much Warmer Continent (August 6, 2008) -- Scientists working in an ice-free region of Antarctica have discovered the last traces of tundra -- in the form of fossilized plants and insects -- on the interior of the southernmost continent before temperatures began a relentless drop millions of years ago. ... > full story
Possible Cause Of Endometriosis Identified (August 6, 2008) -- Scientists have identified an enzyme that could be responsible for a condition called endometriosis – the most common cause of pelvic pain in women. ... > full story
First National Study Of Diving-related Injuries (August 6, 2008) -- Diving into cool, refreshing water is a favorite summer pastime for millions, and a fan favorite sport at the Olympics. Now, the first comprehensive study of diving board injuries is out, and it shows, on average, someone is injured on a diving board every hour of every day in the US. ... > full story
Certain HIV Treatment Less Effective When Used With Anti-TB Therapy (August 6, 2008) -- Patients receiving rifampicin-based anti-tuberculosis therapy are more likely to experience virological failure when starting nevirapine-based antiretroviral therapy, an HIV treatment that is widely used in developing countries because of lower cost, than when starting efavirenz-based antiretroviral therapy, according to a study in the Aug. 6 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on HIV/AIDS. ... > full story
Sesame Seed Extract And Konjac Gum May Help Ward Off Salmonella And E. Coli (August 6, 2008) -- A new study in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture shows that konjac gum and sesame seed extract may offer protection against different strains of E. coli and Salmonella bacteria. ... > full story
One In Ten Children Using Cough, Cold Medications (August 6, 2008) -- Researchers have found that approximately one in ten US children uses one or more cough and cold medications during a given week. Pediatric cough and cold medications are widely marketed in the U.S. but surprisingly little is known about just how often they are used in children. This information is especially important in light of recent revelations that cough and cold medications are responsible for serious adverse events and even deaths among children. ... > full story
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