Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Reality TV, cosmetic surgey linked, says Rutgers-Camden researcher
Research by a Rutgers-Camden psychologist suggests that teens fond of reality TV programs are more likely to join the millions who go under the knife each year. For bodies -- and minds -- still in development, these drastic decisions could have implications way after prom.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Reading terrorists minds about imminent attack
Imagine technology that allows you to get inside the mind of a terrorist to know how, when and where the next attack will occur. That may not be as far-fetched as it sounds. Northwestern brain wave research suggests that if the lab test had been employed in the real world with the same type of outcome, law enforcement officials ultimately may be able to confirm details about an attack that emerges from terrorist chatter.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Some like it hot: How to heat a 'nano bathtub' the JILA way
Researchers at JILA have demonstrated the use of infrared laser light to quickly and precisely heat the water in "nano bathtubs" -- tiny sample containers -- for microscopy studies of the biochemistry of single molecules and nanoparticles.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy may protect women against brain aneurysms
Results from a new study suggest that oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy may yield additional benefit of protecting against the formation and rupture of brain aneurysms in women. The findings from this first-of-its-kind study by a neurointerventional expert from Rush University Medical Center were presented at the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery 7th annual meeting.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Body of evidence: New fast, reliable method to detect gravesoil
Finding bodies buried by someone who wanted them to stay undiscovered can be difficult. However a new technique developed by scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, can reliably detect biochemical changes in a decomposing cadaver.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Nano 'pin art': NIST arrays are step toward mass production of nanowires
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have cultivated many thousands of nanocrystals in what looks like a pinscreen or "pin art" on silicon, a step toward reliable mass production of semiconductor nanowires for millionths-of-a-meter-scale devices such as sensors and lasers.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Breaking the language barrier: NIST tests language translation devices for US troops
In recent tests evoking visions of the universal translator on "Star Trek," NIST evaluated three two-way, real-time, voice-translation devices designed to improve communications between the US military and non-English speakers in foreign countries.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Emerging E. coli strain causes many antimicrobial-resistant infections in US
A new, drug-resistant strain of E. coli is causing serious disease, according to a new study, now available online, in the Aug. 1, 2010, issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Kinked nanopores slow DNA passage for easier sequencing
In an innovation critical to improved DNA sequencing, a markedly slower transmission of DNA through nanopores has been achieved by a team led by Sandia National Laboratories researchers.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Do soy isoflavones boost bone health?
Scientists already know much about the more than 200 bones that make up your body. But mysteries remain regarding the exact role that many natural compounds in foods might play in strengthening our skeletons. Those compounds include estrogen-like substances known as soybean isoflavones.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
New theory of why midcontinent faults produce earthquakes
A new theory developed at Purdue University may solve the mystery of why the New Madrid fault, which lies in the middle of the continent and not along a tectonic plate boundary, produces large earthquakes such as the ones that shook the eastern United States in 1811 and 1812.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Pilot study supports adolescent diabetes patients through personalized text messages
Jennifer Dyer, M.D., M.P.H., an endocrinologist at Nationwide Children's Hospital, has developed and completed a pilot study that uses weekly, customized text messages to remind adolescent diabetes patients about their personal treatment activities. At the conclusion of the study, Dr. Dyer found an increase in overall treatment adherence and improved blood glucose levels.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
'Path of mental illness' follows path of war, 20 years after conflict ends
Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health assessed the geographical distribution of the long-term burden of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a region of Liberia and report that the prevalence of PTSD remains high nearly two decades after the principal conflict there and five years after war in Liberia ended entirely. Particularly interesting was the geographic distribution of PTSD. Investigators found that certain villages in the region had a much higher prevalence of PTSD than did others.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
From the heart: How cells divide to form different but related muscle groups
Using the model organism Ciona intestinalis, commonly known as the sea squirt, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have uncovered the origins of the second heart field in vertebrates.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
New approach to Alzheimer's therapy
Researchers from the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat in Munich have shown that the ADAM10 protein can inhibit the formation of beta-amyloid, which is responsible for Alzheimer's disease. ADAM10 acts like a pair of molecular scissors to cut the protein from which beta-amyloid is formed, effectively preventing the formation of beta-amyloid. This makes ADAM10 a key molecule in Alzheimer's therapy.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
One more step on the path to quantum computers
Researchers around the world are working on the development of quantum computers that will be vastly superior to present-day computers. Here, the strong coupling of quantum bits with light quanta plays a pivotal role. Professor Rudolf Gross, a physicist at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen, and his team of researchers have now realized an extremely strong interaction between light and matter that may represent a first step in this direction.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Research of cell movements in developing frogs reveals new twists in human genetic disease
Mutations in a gene known as "Fritz" may be responsible for causing human genetic disorders such as Bardet-Biedl syndrome, University of Texas at Austin developmental biologist John Wallingford and Duke University human geneticist and cell biologist Nicholas Katsanis have found.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Study finds diet and alcohol alter epigenetics of breast cancer
Researchers from Brown University and the University of California have shown that the epigenetic profiles of breast tumors are related to patient diet and alcohol use as well as tumor size.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
New 'armor' developed to avoid infection from AIDS virus
The doors are closing on the AIDS virus. A study by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas has developed a method of attack against the AIDS virus The method involves creating a prevention system, i.e. an "armor" in the cells that are likely to be infected and thus impede, de facto, the virus from accessing them and starting to act on their immunological system.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Reforestation projects capture more carbon than industrial plantations, reveals new research
Australian scientists researching environmental restoration projects have found that the reforestation of damaged rainforests is more efficient at capturing carbon than controversial softwood monoculture plantations. The research, published in Ecological Management & Restoration, challenges traditional views on the efficiency of industrial monoculture plantations.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
A potential chemotherapeutic drug to treat hepatocellular carcinoma
A research team from China investigated the effect of galangin on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. They found that galangin mediates apoptosis through a mitochondrial pathway, and may be a potential chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of HCC.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Vanishing bile duct syndrome secondary to anti-retroviral therapy in HIV
Vanishing bile duct syndrome (VBDS) is an important cause of jaundice, and results from destruction of bile ducts in the liver. However, this syndrome is rare in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Nevirapine, an anti-retroviral that is being increasingly used, was implicated as the cause of VBDS in a patient described in a recent report.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
How to detect malnutrition in patients effectively?
Malnutrition is a common problem in patients with cancer and is associated with a poor outcome. The assessment of nutritional status and its evaluation plays an important role in tailoring nutritional support. A study from South Korea evaluates the relationships between objective and subjective nutritional assessment of gastric cancer patients and suggests that a specific tailored nutritional assessment is needed for accurate measurement of the nutritional status of gastric cancer patients.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Effective inducing systems of hepatic differentiation from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent non-hematopoietic cells capable of differentiating into hepatocytes. Valproic acid (VPA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, has recently exhibited profound therapeutic activity in preclinical tumor test. A research group in China investigated the induction of hepatic differentiation of mouse bone marrow MSCs (mBM-MSCs) by VPA. Direct evidences have been shown that the usefulness of VPA in the trans-differentiation of mBM-MSCs into hepatocytes both in vitro and in vivo.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
CD74 serves as a survival receptor on colon epithelial cells
CD74 is a protein expressed by cells of the immune system. A research group in Israel finds that CD74 is expressed on colon epithelial cells of mice, as well as on a malignant cell line from mouse colon. Stimulation of CD74 leads to a signaling cascade resulting in cell survival. Thus, CD74 is a survival receptor in health and disease.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Functional magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate pancreatic cancer
In an effort to develop new therapies for pancreatic cancer, models of this disease must be created and characterized. A recent study from United States found that advanced magnetic resonance imaging methods could be used to differentiate living from dead tumor cells in a rabbit model of pancreatic cancer, thus providing a more in-depth understanding of this model of pancreatic cancer as well as the imaging methods employed.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
New study: Tools that assess bias in standardized tests are flawed
Overturning more than 40 years of accepted practice, new research proves that the tools used to check tests of "general mental ability" for bias are themselves flawed. This key finding challenges reliance on such exams to make objective decisions for employment or academic admissions even in the face of well-documented gaps between mean scores of white and minority populations.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
30 million women to benefit from health reform law
Thirty million women will benefit from the new health reform law over the next decade, either through new or strengthened insurance coverage, according to a new report from The Commonwealth Fund. The law will stabilize and reverse the growing exposure to health costs that women now experience by subsidizing health insurance for up to 15 million currently uninsured women, and strengthening existing coverage for 14.5 million women who are considered underinsured.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Clinical trials can be improved by managing the learning curve
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center looked for a learning curve phenomenon in the data record of a large, multi-site clinical trial. Their findings point to ways to improve the quality of future trials through better training and simulation exercises.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Transforaminal steroid injection for lumbar radicular pain proves superior to placebo
A recent study from Australian researchers determined that transforaminal injection of steroids was a viable alternative to surgery for lumbar radicular pain due to disc herniation. Full details of the study appear in the August issue of Pain Medicine, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, and the International Spine Intervention Society.
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Intervention effort cuts HIV incidence among female sex workers
A team of researchers from the University of California San Diego and Mexico has found that even a modest behavioral intervention program averaging just 35 minutes can measurably reduce the incidence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections among female sex workers in the US-Mexico border region -- and that the program succeeds at comparatively little expense.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
University of Nevada, Reno tests cutting-edge technology for underwater mapping at Tahoe basin
A borrowed boat, a small mountain lake and the inaugural run of a half-a-million dollar state-of-the-art multi-beam sonar system made history this month with the successful high-definition mapping of the bottom of Fallen Leaf Lake, a tributary lake just upstream from Lake Tahoe.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
UC Davis study finds worse mental health associated with worse pain in osteoarthritis
How much pain osteoarthritis sufferers feel is directly related to their mental health, a new study by researchers at UC Davis School of Medicine has found. In the study, people with better mental health felt less pain, and people with worse mental health felt more.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Decontaminating dangerous drywall
A nanomaterial originally developed to fight toxic waste is now helping reduce debilitating fumes in homes with corrosive drywall.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Calcium supplements play an important role in maintaining bone health
A broad range of scientific research has demonstrated that an adequate intake of calcium plays an important role in building and maintaining optimum bone mass, and a recent meta-analysis published online in the British Medical Journal should not cause consumers to doubt the value of calcium supplements for maintaining bone health.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
If spiders and worms can do it, why can't we?
Imagine a material that is tougher than Kelvar or steel, yet remarkably flexible. It's something you can easily find in your attic or a lingerie store. It's as instantly recognizable today as it was to our early ancestors, yet we still aren't sure exactly how it's made.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
UCI immunological study finds earlier way to diagnose axon and neuron degeneration in MS
UCI immunologists have found that testing for increased levels of antibodies that inhibit energy production in neurons can detect axon and neuron degeneration in multiple sclerosis earlier than existing diagnostic tools.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Snake venom studies yield insights for development of therapies for heart disease and cancer
Researchers seeking to learn more about stroke by studying how the body responds to toxins in snake venom are this week releasing new findings that they hope will aid in the development of therapies for heart disease and, surprisingly, cancer.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Story tips from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, August 2010
The following are story tips from the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory for August 2010.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Mechanism uncovered behind Salmonella virulence and drug susceptibility
Researchers have discovered a novel mechanism in Salmonella that affects is virulence and its susceptibility to antibiotics. The mechanism changes the bacteria's production of proteins in a previously unheard of manner. It allows Salmonella to selectively change its levels of certain proteins to respond to inhospital conditions. Although the mechanism had not been recognized before, scientists found evidence of a similar mechanism in all five kingdoms of life. The mechanism appears to have been conserved throughout the course of evolution.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Resting brain activity associated with spontaneous fibromyalgia pain
A recent study from researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and University of Michigan provides the first direct evidence of linkage between elevated intrinsic (resting-state) brain connectivity and spontaneous pain intensity in patients with fibromyalgia. This research shows an interaction of multiple brain networks, offering greater understanding of how pain arises. Details of the study appear online and in the August issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Scientists post lower speed limit for cell-signaling protein assembly
The apparently random self-assembly of molecular threads into the proteins that make the body work is far less frantic than previously thought, Michigan State University scientists say. That discovery could be a key to help unlock the nature of some diseases. How proteins spontaneously "fold" from wiggling chains of amino acids into a wide variety of functional -- or malfunctioning -- 3-D molecules is one of the biggest mysteries in biochemistry.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
TNF blockers may increase the risk of malignancy in children
The US Food and Drug Administration received reports of malignancies in children using tumor necrosis factor a (TNF) blockers, raising concerns of an associated risk and prompting an investigation. Researchers from the FDA set out to identify all reports of malignancy in children using infliximab, etanercept and adalimumab and their report is published in the August issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Brown dwarf found orbiting a young sun-like star
Astronomers have imaged a very young brown dwarf, or failed star, in a tight orbit around a young nearby sun-like star. The discovery is expected to shed light on the early stages of solar system formation.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Polymer passage takes time
Rice University researchers have created a theoretical method to calculate the time it takes long-chain polymers to pass through nano-sized pores in membranes. The researchers studied how membrane pore geometry affects the translocation of long polymers. They say the new method, which appears this month in the Journal of Chemical Physics, works for pores of any geometry, whether they're straight, conical or made of joined cylinders of different sizes.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Some trees 'farm' bacteria to help supply nutrients
Some trees growing in nutrient-poor forest soil may get what they need by cultivating specific root microbes to create compounds they require. These microbes are exceptionally efficient at turning inorganic minerals into nutrients that the trees can use. Researchers from France report their findings in the July 2010 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Graphene under strain creates gigantic pseudo-magnetic fields
By putting the right kind of strain onto a patch of graphene, Berkeley Lab researchers have created pseudo-magnetic fields far stronger than the strongest magnetic fields ever sustained in a laboratory. This finding opens a new window on a source of important applications and fundamental scientific discoveries going back over a century.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Study finds black carbon implicated in global warming
Increasing the ratio of black carbon to sulfate in the atmosphere increases climate warming, suggests a study conducted by a University of Iowa professor and his colleagues and published in the July 25 issue of the journal Nature Geoscience.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Memory's master switch
A new study led by Dr. Inna Slutsky of Tel Aviv University describes GABA (γ-Aminobutyric acid), a natural molecule that occurs in the brain, which could be the main factor in regulating how many new memories we can generate. The understanding of these mechanisms might lead to the development of new memory enhancers and new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Most youth hockey injuries caused by accidents, not checking, UB study shows
Hockey fans likely would assume that body-checking -- intentionally slamming an opponent against the boards -- causes the most injuries in youth ice hockey. But they would be wrong.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Behind the secrets of silk lie high-tech opportunities
Tougher than a bullet-proof vest yet synonymous with beauty and luxury, silks spun by worms and spiders are a masterpiece of nature whose properties have yet to be fully replicated in the laboratory. But scientists have begun to unravel the secrets of silk. Tufts biomedical engineers report that silk-based materials have been transformed from commodity textile to a growing web of high tech applications.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Plant compound resveratrol shown to suppresses inflammation, free radicals in humans
Resveratrol, a popular plant extract shown to prolong life in yeast and lower animals due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, appears also to suppress inflammation in humans, based on results from the first prospective human trial of the extract conducted by University at Buffalo endocrinologists.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
New pathway to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases
Sanford-Burnham researchers uncover new clues about the cause of brain cell death in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Ear bones reveal spawning secrets of Lake Erie walleye
Ecologists have long believed that fish tend to return to the same river where they hatched in order to spawn. But researchers at Ohio State University have determined that the old rule doesn't always apply -- not for Lake Erie walleye, at least. Using a statistical analysis of chemicals found in walleye ear bones, the researchers were able to calculate the percentage of walleye hatched in the Sandusky and Maumee rivers that returned home to spawn, and the percentage that strayed elsewhere.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Discovered: Audubon's first engraving of a bird
In 1824, John James Audubon (1785-1851), the eminent American artist, created a drawing of a running grouse for use in the design for a New Jersey bank note. Although the artist mentions the drawing and the resulting engraved paper money in two separate diary entries, no one has ever been able to locate or identify such an illustration. Until now.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
'White graphene' to the rescue
Researchers in the lab of Pulickel Ajayan, Rice's Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and of chemistry, have figured out how to make sheets of h-BN, which could turn out to be the complementary apple to graphene's orange.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Male breast cancer in family leads to high perception of risk, low likelihood of genetic counseling
People with a family history of male breast cancer perceive themselves to be at higher risk of developing the disease than do patients with a family history of female breast cancer; however those with male breast cancer in their families are less likely to know about or seek genetic testing than those with a family history of female breast cancer, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Louisville's James Graham Brown Cancer Center.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Carnegie Mellon researchers create fluorescent biosensor to aid in drug development
Carnegie Mellon University has developed a new fluorescent biosensor that could aid in the development of an important class of drugs that target a crucial class of proteins called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). GPCRs are popular drug targets because of the pivotal role they play in cells' communication circuits responsible for regulating functions critical to health, including circuits involved in heart and lung function, mood, cognition and memory, digestion and the inflammatory response.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Study finds respiratory symptoms more reliable indicator of H1N1, not fever alone
New research shows that individuals with mild H1N1 infection may go undetected using standard diagnostic criteria, according to a study in the August issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. The study concludes that coughing or other respiratory symptoms are more accurate in determining influenza infection than presence of a fever.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Gender-bending fish on the rise in southern Alberta
Chemicals present in two rivers in southern Alberta are likely the cause of the feminization of fish say researchers at the University of Calgary who have published results of their study in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Rutgers study finds male modesty a turn off for women (and men)
A Rutgers researcher who explored the consequences for men (and women) when they acted modestly in job interviews found that "modest" males were less liked, a sign of social backlash. Modesty was viewed as a sign of weakness, a low-status character trait for males that could adversely affect their employability or earnings potential. Modesty in women, however, was not viewed negatively nor was it linked to status.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Researchers identify key enzyme in DNA repair pathway
Researchers have discovered an enzyme crucial to a type of DNA repair that also causes resistance to a class of cancer drugs most commonly used against ovarian cancer.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
A new ground zero for prostate cancer
A type of prostate cell that has been largely ignored by cancer researchers can trigger malignant prostate cancer. The studies provide researchers with a new tool for exploring the genetic changes that lead to prostate cancer. The advance may help in developing new treatments for the disease, which causes some 32,000 deaths in the United States annually.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
The evolution of melanoma diagnosis: 25 years beyond the ABCDs
Twenty-five years after publishing the mnemonic "ABCD" to facilitate the early diagnosis of melanoma, the group who came up with that moniker says early detection remains a key factor in lowering mortality from malignant melanoma.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
To make one happy, make one busy
A new study in Psychological Science found that people who have something to do, even something pointless, are happier than people who sit idly.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
More frequent, more intense heat waves in store for New York
Heat waves like those that baked the Northeast in July are likely to be more frequent and more intense in the future, with their effects amplified in densely built urban environments like Manhattan, according to climate scientists at the City College of New York.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Rocks on Mars may provide link to evidence of living organisms roughly 4 billion years ago
A new article in press of the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters unveils groundbreaking research on the hydrothermal formation of clay-carbonate rocks in the Nili Fossae region of Mars. The findings may provide a link to evidence of living organisms on Mars, roughly 4 billion years ago in the Noachian period.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Highlight of the Polarstern expedition
The Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association for the first time sent its autonomous underwater vehicle on an under-ice mission at about 79 degrees North.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Researchers study benefits of white button mushrooms
Agricultural Research Service-funded scientists have conducted an animal-model and cell-culture study showing that white button mushrooms enhanced the activity of critical cells in the body's immune system.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
The thunderstone mystery
Archeologists Olle Hemdorff og Eva Thäte at the University of Stavanger's Museum of Archaeology investigate finds of older artifacts in younger graves. They have found a pattern of great archaeological value.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Signs of reversal of Arctic cooling in some areas
Parts of the Arctic have cooled clearly over the past century, but temperatures have been rising steeply since 1990 also there. This is the finding of a summer temperature reconstruction for the past 400 years produced by tree rings from regions beyond the Arctic Circle. German and Russian researchers analysed tree growth using ring width of pine from Russia's Kola Peninsula and compared their findings with similar studies from other parts of the Arctic.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Good and bad in the hands of politicians
"In laboratory tests, right- and left-handers associate positive ideas like honesty and intelligence with their dominant side of space and negative ideas with their nondominant side," says Daniel Casasanto of the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen, Netherlands. To find out whether people link "good" with "dominant" beyond the laboratory, Casasanto and co-author Kyle Jasmin examined spontaneous gestures during positive and negative speech in the final debates of the most recent US presidential elections.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Small increases in vaccine cost can cause large gaps in protection
Public immunization efforts may be much more sensitive than previously realized to small changes in the perceived costs or risks of vaccination, scientists at Harvard University report this week. In some cases, the spread of vaccine avoidance via social networks can make the difference between a minor, localized outbreak and an epidemic four times as large.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
A breakthrough in tuberculosis research
The key to the fate of the macrophages is the balance between two kinds of eicosanoids. Eicosanoids are molecules that contribute to the control of our immune system. The genetic code of TB bacteria enables it to tip this balance in favor of necrosis, and human genetic analysis revealed that modification in eicosanoids production is associated with susceptibility or resistance to TB. Fortunately, drugs that target the production of eicosanoids are already in use for treating other inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Western diet link to ADHD
A new study from Perth's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research shows an association between ADHD and a "Western-style" diet in adolescents. The research findings have just been published online in the international Journal of Attention Disorders. Leader of Nutrition studies at the Institute, Associate Professor Wendy Oddy, said the study examined the dietary patterns of 1,800 adolescents from the long-term Raine Study and classified diets into "Healthy" or "Western" patterns.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Calcium supplements linked to increased risk of heart attack
Calcium supplements, commonly taken by older people for osteoporosis, are associated with an increased risk of a heart attack, finds a study published on bmj.com today.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Empa grows 'sea urchin'-shaped structures
Empa researchers have succeeded in growing sea-urchin shaped nanostructures from minute balls of polystyrene beads using a simple electrochemical process. The spines of the sea urchin consist of zinc oxide nanowires. The structured surface should help increasing the efficiency of photovoltaic devices.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
'Linc-ing' a noncoding RNA to a central cellular pathway
The recent discovery of more than a thousand genes known as large intergenic noncoding RNAs (or "lincRNAs") opened up a new approach to understanding the function and organization of the genome. That surprising breakthrough is now made even more compelling with the finding that dozens of these lincRNAs are induced by p53, the most commonly mutated gene in cancer.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Brain potentials reveal spectator effect
The neurological responses caused by observing somebody else playing a game have been uncovered. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Neuroscience found differing responses for neutral observers, compared to those who wished the player to fail and those who wanted to see the player succeed.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Ancient reptiles 'make tracks'
A new discovery of fossilized footprints reveals when reptiles first conquered dry land.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
A leap forward in addiction awareness and control
A study by a team of researchers at Bangor University has designed and tested two programs that help problem drinkers curb their alcohol abuse. The study shows positive results after drinkers have followed either the Alcohol Attention-Control Training Program or the Life Enhancement and Advancement Program.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Researchers find new translocation; weak spots in DNA lead to genetic disease
A pediatric research team at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia continues to discover recurrent translocations -- places in which two chromosomes exchange pieces of themselves, and can lead to genetic disease and disability. Originating in locations where DNA strands are prone to bending and breaking, this translocation between chromosomes 8 and 22 strengthens the possibility that unstable spots in the genome may reflect a general mechanism lurking in the structure of DNA.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Popular diabetes drugs associated with fractures in type 2 diabetic patients
Postmenopausal women with diabetes taking thiazolidinediones (TZDS), including rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, may be at increased risk for fractures according to a new study accepted for publication in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Men with diabetes taking both loop diuretics and TZDs may also be at increased risk of fractures.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Vitamin D deficiency linked to arterial stiffness in black teens
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with arterial stiffness, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, in black teens according to a new study accepted for publication in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Black teens taking vitamin D supplementation of 2,000 international units per day had a decrease in central arterial stiffness.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Unexpected viral 'fossils' found in vertebrate genomes
Over millions of years, retroviruses, which insert their genetic material into the host genome as part of their replication, have left behind bits of their genetic material in vertebrate genomes. In a recent study, published July 29 in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens, a team of researchers have now found that human and other vertebrate genomes also contain many ancient sequences from Ebola/Marburgviruses and Bornaviruses -- two deadly virus families.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Just drop it: The one-size-fits-all approach to blood sugar control, that is
Aggressive blood sugar control does not improve survival in diabetic patients with kidney failure, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology. The results suggest that physicians should individualize blood sugar targets for these patients and not rely on recommendations based on studies in the general population.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Kidney injury prevention may be possible: Watch for the warning signs
Reduced kidney function and protein in the urine place a person at risk for kidney injury, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. The results suggest that improved recognition of these warning signs could help reduce preventable forms of acute kidney injury.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Graphene exhibits bizarre new behavior well suited to electronic devices
Graphene, a sheet of pure carbon, has been touted as a possible replacement for silicon-based semiconductors because of its useful electronic properties. Now, UC Berkeley physicists have shown that graphene has another unique and amazing property that could make it even more suitable for future electronic devices. When contorted in a specific way it sprouts nanobubbles in which electrons behave as if they are moving in a strong magnetic field.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
UCLA scientists for the first time identify a cell-of-origin for human prostate cancer
UCLA scientists have identified for the first time a cell-of-origin for human prostate cancer, a discovery that could result in better predictive and diagnostics tools and the development of new and more effective targeted treatments for the disease.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Next generation sequencing establishes genetic link between two rare diseases
Scientists have successfully used "next generation sequencing" to identify mutations that may cause a rare and mysterious genetic disorder. The research, published by Cell Press on July 29 in the American Journal of Human Genetics, demonstrates that sequencing an affected individual's entire "exome"; that is, all of the genes that carry instructions for producing proteins, can reveal critical genes that when mutant, cause inherited disorders.
Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
New lab test could identify imatinib resistance
Scientists in Japan may have developed a way to accurately predict those patients who will resist treatment with imatinib, which is the standard of care for chronic myeloid leukemia.
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Quality coronary bypass care can improve lives and cut costs
A new analysis led by researchers at UCSF shows that avoiding lowest-volume hospitals and maximizing adherence to quality care processes are both effective approaches to reducing costs associated with coronary bypass surgery.
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Super-rare 'elkhorn' coral found in Pacific
An Australian scientist has discovered what could be the world's rarest coral in the remote North Pacific Ocean. The unique Pacific elkhorn coral was found while conducting underwater surveys of Arno atoll in the Marshall Islands, by coral researcher Dr. Zoe Richards of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies.
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Groundbreaking research from Intel Corp. demonstrated at IPR
Groundbreaking research presented by Intel OSA topical meeting, Integrated Photonics Research, Silicon and Nano Photonics (IPR). IPR is currently being held at the Monterey Plaza Hotel in Monterey, Calif., through today.
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Intensive chemotherapy may be harmful to most older patients with acute myeloid leukemia
The prognosis for nearly three-quarters of elderly patients on intensive chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia is poor, with a median survival of less than six months, according to a study published online today in Blood, the journal of the American Society of Hematology.
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Scripps research study opens the door to new class of drugs for epileptic seizures
A chemical compound that boosts the action of a molecule normally produced in the brain may provide the starting point for a new line of therapies for the treatment of epileptic seizures, according to a new study by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute.
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Quantum fractals at the border of magnetism
Physicists from Rice University, the Max Planck Institute and the Vienna University of Technology are reporting new results from experiments on the perplexing class of materials that includes high-temperature superconductors. In this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, the team reports the unexpected discovery of a simple fractal form of electronic excitations in ultra-low-temperature quantum magnets at the border of magnetism.
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Nanomaterials poised for big impact in construction
Nanomaterials are poised for widespread use in the construction industry, where they can offer significant advantages for a variety of applications ranging from making more durable concrete to self-cleaning windows. But widespread use in building materials comes with potential environmental and health risks when those materials are thrown away. Those are the conclusions of a new study published by Rice University engineering researchers this month in ACS Nano.
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Brainstem, spinal cord images hidden in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel fresco
Michelangelo, the 16th century master painter and accomplished anatomist, appears to have hidden an image of the brainstem and spinal cord in a depiction of God in the Sistine Chapel's ceiling, a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers reports. These findings by a neurosurgeon and a medical illustrator, published in the May Neurosurgery, may explain long controversial and unusual features of one of the frescoes' figures.
Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT
Dense bones linked to raised risk for prostate cancer
Men who develop prostate cancer, especially the more aggressive and dangerous forms that spread throughout the body, tend to retain denser bones as they age than men who stay free of the disease, suggests new research from Johns Hopkins and the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health.