ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Thursday, October 7, 2010
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Neuroscience research may help patients recover from brain injury (October 7, 2010) -- New neuroscience research may hold the potential of helping people who have lost their ability to remember due to brain injury or disease. By examining how we learn and store memories, scientists have shown that the way the brain first captures and encodes a situation or event is quite different from how it processes subsequent similar events. ... > full story
Blood pressure breakthrough holds real hope for treatment of pre-eclampsia (October 7, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered a mechanism which raises blood pressure in pre-eclampsia, a potentially deadly condition which occurs during pregnancy. ... > full story
Deep-sea coral reefs discovered in Mediterranean (October 7, 2010) -- The exploration vessel Nautilus has discovered for the first time an area of reefs with deep-sea corals in the Mediterranean, offshore of Israel. This area apparently stretches over a few kilometers, 700 meters under the surface and some 30-40 km off the coast. ... > full story
Vitamin D deficiency rampant in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery, damaging patient recovery (October 7, 2010) -- Almost 50 percent of patients undergoing orthopedic surgery have vitamin D deficiency that should be corrected before surgery to improve patient outcomes, according to a new study. ... > full story
New computer modelling system predicts responses to HIV and AIDS treatments (October 7, 2010) -- HIV-TRePS is a new system that predicts how an HIV patient will respond to different drug regimens, with an accuracy of around 80%. It is free to use, accessed over the Internet, and helps physicians choose the optimum combination of drugs for each patient. ... > full story
Stressed-out mums may worsen their child's asthma (October 7, 2010) -- Mums who are often angry or irritated and those who suppress their emotional expressions can worsen the severity of their children's asthma symptoms, especially when the children are younger. Researchers studied 223 mothers for a year, investigating how their stress levels, coping styles and parenting styles were associated with their 2- to 12-year-old children's disease status. ... > full story
Decline in Sun's activity does not always mean that Earth becomes cooler, study shows (October 7, 2010) -- The Sun's activity has recently affected Earth's atmosphere and climate in unexpected ways, according to a new study. The research shows that a decline in the sun's activity does not always mean that Earth becomes cooler. ... > full story
First clinical trial of gene therapy for muscular dystrophy lends insight into the disease (October 7, 2010) -- A clinical trial designed to replace the genetic defect causing the most common form of muscular dystrophy has uncovered an unexpected aspect of the disease. The trial showed that some patients mount an immune response to the dystrophin protein even before they have received the gene therapy. ... > full story
Best drug development results from computer/test tube combination (October 7, 2010) -- While computer simulations of how the body metabolizes drugs save both time and money, the best results when developing new drugs come from combining such simulations with laboratory experiments, reveals new research. ... > full story
Children, males and blacks are at increased risk for food allergies, study finds (October 7, 2010) -- A new study estimates that 2.5 percent of the United States population, or about 7.6 million Americans, have food allergies. Food allergy rates were found to be higher for children, non-Hispanic blacks, and males, according to the researchers. The odds of male black children having food allergies were 4.4 times higher than others in the general population. ... > full story
Fuel cells in operation: A closer look (October 7, 2010) -- Measuring individual components of a fuel cell under heat and pressure is a challenge. The best technique, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), could only be used in a vacuum -- until now, that is. A working solid oxide electrochemical device operating at 750 degrees Celsius has been studied in detail for the first time. ... > full story
Researchers calculate societal costs of five major crimes; Finds murder at .25 million (October 7, 2010) -- A study of 654 convicted and incarcerated murderers calculated the costs to society of five crimes -- murder, rape, armed robbery, aggravated assault and burglary. They estimated murder to cost .25 million. ... > full story
From eye to brain: Researchers map functional connections between retinal neurons at single-cell resolution (October 6, 2010) -- By comparing a clearly defined visual input with the electrical output of the retina, researchers were able to trace for the first time the neuronal circuitry that connects individual photoreceptors with retinal ganglion cells, the neurons that carry visuals signals from the eye to the brain. ... > full story
Breakthrough test rapidly identifies river blindness (October 6, 2010) -- Scientists have developed the first screening method that rapidly identifies individuals with active river blindness, a parasitic disease that afflicts an estimated 37 million people. The test could change the current strategy of mass treatment in areas where river blindness, also known as onchocerciasis, is suspected. ... > full story
New role for master regulator in cell metabolism, response to stress: Clinical implications for obesity, diabetes and cancer research (October 6, 2010) -- Biologists have been studying how AMPK works for several decades and know that once it is activated, AMPK turns on a large number of genes by passing the "make more energy" message through numerous signaling cascades in the cell. What was not known, until now, was that AMPK also works via an epigenetic mechanism to slow down or stop cell growth. ... > full story
Vitamin D supplements do not increase bone density in healthy children, review finds (October 6, 2010) -- Giving vitamin D supplements to healthy children with normal vitamin D levels does not improve bone density at the hip, lumbar spine, forearm or in the body as a whole, according to a new review. ... > full story
Doppler radars help increase monsoon rainfall prediction accuracy (October 6, 2010) -- Doppler weather radar will significantly improve forecasting models used to track monsoon systems influencing the monsoon in and around India, according to researchers. ... > full story
Phillies, Rangers, Yanks, Giants to win, says math guru (October 6, 2010) -- With the Major League Baseball Division Series set to begin, associate math professor Bruce Bukiet is performing his analysis of the probability of each team advancing to the League Championship Series. ... > full story
New fossil suggests dinosaurs not so fierce after all (October 6, 2010) -- A new species of dinosaur discovered in Arizona suggests dinosaurs did not spread throughout the world by overpowering other species, but by taking advantage of a natural catastrophe that wiped out their competitors. ... > full story
MRI may predict continued decline in patients with mild cognitive impairment (October 6, 2010) -- Using advanced MRI and an artificial intelligence technique, researchers in Geneva, Switzerland, have identified a method that may help identify which individuals with mild cognitive impairment will continue to decline, according to a new study. ... > full story
Bee pastures may help pollinators prosper (October 6, 2010) -- Beautiful wildflowers might someday be planted in "bee pastures," floral havens created as an efficient, practical, environmentally friendly, and economically sound way to produce successive generations of healthy young bees. The pesticide-free pastures could be simple to establish, and -- at perhaps only a half-acre each -- easy to tend. ... > full story
Nano drugs: Insoluble medicines can be made orally available if in nano crystal form (October 6, 2010) -- Researchers in India have demonstrated that producing nanoscopic crystals of a pharmaceutical product can allow the medication to be absorbed by the gut even if the drug is not soluble in water. ... > full story
Designing instruments for a robotic space probe to the Sun (October 6, 2010) -- A researcher is helping to design instruments for a robotic space probe that will go where no other has gone before: the sun. NASA's Solar Probe Plus project is slated to launch by 2018. ... > full story
Maggot art used to educate youngsters (October 6, 2010) -- Typically, most people don't warm up to the idea of handling blow fly larvae, known better as maggots. But for one biologist and entomologist, the wiggling insect larvae are tools that are an integral part of crime scene investigation and, for children, a basic introduction into the life cycle of insects and the valuable role they play in nature. ... > full story
New type of liquid crystal promises to improve performance of digital displays (October 6, 2010) -- Chemists have created a new class of liquid crystals with unique electrical properties that could improve the performance of digital displays used on everything from digital watches to flat panel televisions. ... > full story
Air pollution alters immune function, worsens asthma symptoms, study finds (October 6, 2010) -- Exposure to dirty air is linked to decreased function of a gene that appears to increase the severity of asthma in children, according to a new study. While air pollution is known to be a source of immediate inflammation, this new study provides one of the first pieces of direct evidence that explains how some ambient air pollutants could have long-term effects. ... > full story
Land on your toes, save your knees (October 6, 2010) -- Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are a common and debilitating problem, especially for female athletes. ... > full story
New class of objects encoded within the genome: Non-coding RNA molecules function similar to gene enhancer elements (October 6, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered the ability of long non-coding RNA (ncRNA), encoded within our genome, to promote gene expression. The researchers believe these long ncRNA molecules may represent so-called gene enhancer elements -- short regions of DNA that can increase gene transcription. While scientists have known about gene enhancers for decades, there has been no consensus about how these enhancers work. ... > full story
Possible green replacement for asphalt derived from petroleum to be tested on Iowa bike trail (October 6, 2010) -- Christopher Williams was just trying to see if adding bio-oil to asphalt would improve the hot- and cold-weather performance of pavements. What he found was a possible green replacement for asphalt derived from petroleum. ... > full story
Sociologist ties childhood bullying traits to adult anti-social behavior (October 6, 2010) -- Is an adult with a history of childhood bullying more likely to be homeless, a compulsive liar, or someone who scams another person out of money? According to a new study, the numbers indicate just that. ... > full story
Oldest evidence of dinosaurs in footprints: Dinosaur lineage emerged soon after massive Permian extinction (October 6, 2010) -- Scientists have found the oldest evidence of the dinosaur lineage -- fossilized tracks. Just one or two million years after the massive Permian-Triassic extinction, an animal smaller than a house cat walked across fine mud in what is now Poland. ... > full story
Fattening pollutants? Chemicals in mother’s blood contribute to child’s obesity, study suggests (October 6, 2010) -- Babies whose mothers had relatively high levels of the chemical DDE in their blood were more likely to both grow rapidly during their first 6 months and to have a high body mass index (BMI) by 14 months, according to scientists. DDE, an endocrine disruptor, is a by-product of the pesticide DDT. ... > full story
Climate change affects horseshoe crab numbers (October 6, 2010) -- Having survived for more than 400 million years, the horseshoe crab is now under threat -- primarily due to overharvest and habitat destruction. However, climatic changes may also play a role, according to a new study. ... > full story
Anti-tumor drugs tested by microfluidic device (October 6, 2010) -- A prototype device developed in Hong Kong will allow laboratory researchers to non-invasively test drugs for their ability to kill tumors by subjecting cancerous cells with different concentration gradients. ... > full story
New graphene fabrication method uses silicon carbide templates to create desired growth (October 6, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a new "templated growth" technique for fabricating nanometer-scale graphene devices. The method addresses what had been a significant obstacle to the use of this promising material in future generations of high-performance electronic devices. ... > full story
Psychologist finds 'shocking' impact on name recall (October 6, 2010) -- Psychologists have found a way to improve the recall of proper names. In a recent study, she found that electric stimulation of the right anterior temporal lobe of the brain improved the recall of proper names in young adults by 11 percent. ... > full story
2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Creating complex carbon-based molecules using palladium (October 6, 2010) -- The 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Richard F. Heck, Ei-ichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki for developing palladium-catalyzed cross coupling. This chemical tool has vastly improved the possibilities for chemists to create sophisticated chemicals -- for example, carbon-based molecules as complex as those created by nature itself. ... > full story
Powerful free radical causes lung damage from oxygen therapy (October 6, 2010) -- The most toxic free radical appears responsible for much of the lung damage that can result from oxygen therapy in the critically ill or injured, researchers report. Within just a few days, ventilators and oxygen chambers used to significantly increase oxygen levels can also dramatically increase levels of peroxynitrite, an oxidant powerful enough to break down DNA and cause proteins to malfunction, researchers say. ... > full story
Geothermal mapping project reveals large, green energy source in West Virginia (October 6, 2010) -- New research suggests that the temperature of Earth beneath the state of West Virginia is significantly higher than previously estimated and capable of supporting commercial baseload geothermal energy production. ... > full story
New way to explain the leading cause of kidney failure (October 6, 2010) -- New research offers a completely new explanation for why people with diabetes account for more than half of all patients requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation. It appears that insulin has a significant influence on the structure and proper function of a particular group of very specialized cells, known as podocytes, that are integral to the kidney's ability to do its job filtering blood. ... > full story
Gem of an idea: A flexible diamond-studded electrode implanted for life (October 6, 2010) -- Researchers are building implants made of diamond and flexible polymer that are designed to identify chemical and electrical changes in the brain of patients suffering from neural disease, or to stimulate nerves and restore movement in the paralyzed. The implant would last for life and, capable of both stimulating and monitoring nerves, save space. ... > full story
Deep brain stimulation may help patients with treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (October 6, 2010) -- Using electrodes to stimulate areas deep within the brain may have therapeutic potential for patients with obsessive compulsive disorder that is refractory to treatment, according to a new report. ... > full story
Brain cell communication: Why it's so fast (October 6, 2010) -- Billions of brain cells are communicating at any given moment. Like an organic supercomputer, they keep everything going -- from breathing to solving riddles. And "programming errors" can lead to serious conditions, such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Now researchers have described just how nerve cells are capable of transmitting signals practically simultaneously. ... > full story
Fish oil linked to increased risk of colon cancer in mice (October 6, 2010) -- Fish oil -- long encouraged by doctors as a supplement to support heart and joint health -- induced severe colitis and colon cancer in mice in new research. The research supports establishing a dose limit for docosahexaenoic acid, one of the omega-3 fatty acids present in fish oil, particularly in people suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases. ... > full story
Bricks made with wool (October 6, 2010) -- Spanish and Scottish researchers have added wool fibers to the clay material used to make bricks and combined these with an alginate, a natural polymer extracted from seaweed. The result is bricks that are stronger and more environmentally-friendly, according to a new study. ... > full story
Umbilical cord blood not suitable for assessing allergy risk (October 6, 2010) -- For years, hospitals and researchers have been testing blood samples from the umbilical cords of newborn babies to assess the risk of allergy. Now a study has revealed that the biomarker in the blood that indicates the risk factor for allergy often comes from the mother rather than her baby. ... > full story
Antarctic sea ice increase not linked to ozone hole, new research shows (October 6, 2010) -- While sea ice extent has declined dramatically in the Arctic in recent years, it has increased slightly in the Antarctic. Some scientists have suggested that increased Antarctic sea ice extent can be explained by the ozone hole over Antarctica. Previous simulations have indicated that the ozone hole induces a large change in atmospheric circulation in austral summer and that this change in circulation could contribute to the changing Antarctic sea extent. ... > full story
Depression during pregnancy increases risk for preterm birth and low birth weight (October 6, 2010) -- Clinical depression puts pregnant women at increased risk of delivering prematurely and of giving birth to below-normal birth weight infants. The likelihood of premature birth is even higher for depressed women living in poverty in the United States or in developing nations. Ideally, pregnant women across the socioeconomic spectrum should be checked for clinical depression and treated appropriately. ... > full story
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