ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Wednesday, August 27, 2008
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Secret Of Newborn's First Words Revealed (August 27, 2008) -- A new study could explain why "daddy" and "mommy" are often a baby's first words -- the human brain may be hard-wired to recognize certain repetition patterns. ... > full story
Cancer Breath? New Tool Aims To Detect Cancer Early In Exhaled Air (August 27, 2008) -- Early cancer detection can significantly improve survival rates. Current diagnostic tests often fail to detect cancer in the earliest stages and at the same time expose a patient to the harmful effects of radiation. Scientists will be using mid-infrared lasers to create a sensor to detect biomarker gases exhaled in the breath of a person with cancer. ... > full story
Scientists Tie Chickpea Disease To Fungal Culprit (August 27, 2008) -- The fungus Sclerotinia trifoliorum plagues legume crops worldwide. But chickpeas seem to have escaped its wrath, with the exception of Australia's crop. Now, that's no longer the case, report scientists. ... > full story
Newer Cardiac Imaging Machines Effective In Detecting Coronary Artery Stenosis (August 27, 2008) -- The first multicenter study of the accuracy of some of the latest cardiac imaging technology found it was 99 percent as effective in ruling out obstructive coronary artery stenosis -- or narrowing of these arteries -- as the more expensive and invasive coronary angiography traditionally used by physicians, according to new research. ... > full story
Catalyst For Water Oxidation Adopted From Plants: A Means For Energy-efficient Production Of Hydrogen? (August 27, 2008) -- A team of Australian and American researchers has developed a catalyst that effectively catalyzes the photooxidation of water. The core of the catalyst is a manganese-containing complex modeled after those found in photosynthetic organisms. ... > full story
Action Research Helps People Make Positive Changes (August 27, 2008) -- Certain kinds of research can help improve social problems, according to a new study. Participatory action research actively seeks to change the behavior or situation of the consumer. ... > full story
Why Do Eyelids Sag With Age? Mystery Is Solved (August 27, 2008) -- Many theories have sought to explain what causes the baggy lower eyelids that come with aging, but researchers have now found that fat expansion in the eye socket is the primary culprit. ... > full story
Exploring The Function Of Sleep (August 27, 2008) -- Is sleep essential? Ask that question to a sleep-deprived new parent or a student who has just pulled an "all-nighter," and the answer will be a grouchy, "Of course!" But to a sleep scientist, the question of what constitutes sleep is so complex that scientists are still trying to define the essential function of something we do every night. ... > full story
Rifamycin Antibiotics Attack Tuberculosis Bacteria With Walls, Not Signals (August 27, 2008) -- Amid concerns about the rising number of new tuberculosis cases worldwide, researchers have reexamined and disproved a theory that describes how a potent class of antibiotics kills a deadly form of bacteria. The findings not only bring scientists closer to understanding how these antibiotics work but also how the bacteria become resistant to their effects. ... > full story
New Findings Explain Genetic Disorder's Unique Shift; Father's Role As Resource Provider Influential In Prader-Willi Syndrome (August 27, 2008) -- New findings give insight into the unique characteristics of the birth defect Prader-Willi Syndrome, and at the same time, may help explain how a certain type of gene is expressed in all humans. The research finds that the amount of care a father gives to his child may cause a shift in the syndrome in which its symptoms, in essence, reverse themselves. ... > full story
How Does Bluetongue Virus Survive Through The Winter? (August 27, 2008) -- In 2006, Bluetongue virus -- which infects livestock -- reached Northern Europe for the first time. Some people thought that the outbreak would be limited to that particular year, as winter was expected to kill off the midges that host and spread the disease, bringing the threat of infection to an end. In actuality, the disease escalated in the following year, spreading to the UK. So, how did the virus survive the winter? ... > full story
Health Journalists Face Translation Challenge, Researchers Find (August 27, 2008) -- University of Missouri researchers conducted a national survey and found that the majority of health journalists have not had specialized training in health reporting and face challenges in communicating new medical science developments. Of the journalists surveyed, only 18 percent had specialized training in health reporting and only 6.4 percent reported that a majority of their readers change health behaviors based on the information they provide. ... > full story
How Do Galaxies Grow? Massive Galaxies Caught In The Act Of Merging (August 26, 2008) -- Astronomers have caught multiple massive galaxies in the act of merging about 4 billion years ago. This discovery, made possible by combining the power of the best ground- and space-based telescopes, uniquely supports the favoured theory of how galaxies form. ... > full story
Brain Cells 'Supercharged' To Attack Plaques That Cause Alzheimer’s Disease (August 26, 2008) -- Researchers at the University of British Columbia have discovered a new method for developing treatments for Alzheimer's Disease (AD). They have shown that by stimulating a brain cell called a microglia the cells will partially engulf the senile plaques which are abundant in post mortem AD brain. ... > full story
More Strawberries, More Antioxidant Absorption (August 26, 2008) -- Scientists have assessed the human body's capacity for absorbing certain antioxidant compounds in strawberries, and have found that the absorption of one key beneficial plant chemical was not "maxed out" as volunteers ate more of this popular fruit. Foods high in antioxidants may be excellent sources of healthful compounds, and researchers are striving to learn more about their ability to be absorbed and utilized within the human body. ... > full story
Oral Administration Of Lactobacillus From Breast Milk May Treat Common Infection In Lactating Mothers (August 26, 2008) -- Oral administration of lactobacillus strains found in breast milk may provide an alternative method to antibiotics for effectively treating mastitis, a common infection that occurs in lactating mothers say researchers from Spain. ... > full story
Large Hadron Collider: Final Synchronization Test A Success (August 26, 2008) -- CERN has announced the success of the second and final test of the Large Hadron Collider's beam synchronization systems. The test will allow the LHC operations team to inject the first beam into the LHC. ... > full story
How Much Risk Can You Handle? Making Better Investment Decisions (August 26, 2008) -- Many Americans make investment decisions with their retirement funds. But they don't always make informed judgments. A new study introduces a new tool that investors can use to choose investments based on their financial goals and risk attitudes. ... > full story
'Perfect Pitch' In Humans Far More Prevalent Than Expected (August 26, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a unique test for perfect pitch, and have found that perfect pitch is apparently much more common in non-musicians than scientists had expected. ... > full story
Potential Diabetes Treatment Selectively Kills Autoimmune Cells From Human Patients (August 26, 2008) -- In experiments using blood cells from human patients with diabetes and other autoimmune disorders, researchers have confirmed the mechanism behind a potential new therapy for type 1 diabetes. Scientists showed that blocking a metabolic pathway regulating the immune system specifically eliminated immune cells that react against a patient's own tissues. ... > full story
Alcohol Consumption Can Cause Too Much Cell Death, Fetal Abnormalities (August 26, 2008) -- The initial signs of fetal alcohol syndrome are slight but classic: facial malformations such as a flat and high upper lip, small eye openings and a short nose. Researchers want to know if those facial clues can help them figure out how much alcohol it takes during what point in development to cause these and other lifelong problems. ... > full story
Looking Beyond The Drug Receptor For Clues To Drug Effectiveness (August 26, 2008) -- Antipsychotic drugs that are widely used to treat schizophrenia and other problems may not work as scientists have assumed, according to findings from Duke University Medical Center researchers that could lead to changes in how these drugs are developed and prescribed. ... > full story
Fertilizer Technology Used Worldwide, But Few New Products Since 1970s (August 26, 2008) -- Most fertilizers used worldwide today were developed from 1950 to 1970 by the Tennessee Valley Authority based in Muscle Shoals. A million investment in fertilizer research returned billion to US agriculture. Public funding for fertilizer development has dropped dramatically since the TVA fertilizer program closed in the 1990s. Research is needed to develop a new generation of energy-efficient fertilizers to help alleviate the food crisis. ... > full story
Troubled Children Hurt Peers' Test Scores, Behavior (August 26, 2008) -- Troubled children hurt their classmates' math and reading scores and worsen their behavior, new research shows. ... > full story
New Space Telescope Reveals Entire Gamma-ray Sky (August 26, 2008) -- NASA's Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope has revealed its first all-sky map in gamma rays. The onboard Large Area Telescope's all-sky image -- which shows the glowing gas of the Milky Way, blinking pulsars and a flaring galaxy billions of light-years away -- was created using only 95 hours of "first light" observations, compared with past missions which took years to produce a similar image. ... > full story
Scientists Identify New Drug Target Against Virulent Type Of Breast Cancer (August 26, 2008) -- Researchers have identified an enzyme called Brk as a target for future drugs to fight a virulent subset of cancers overexpressing a protein called ErbB2 -- also often called HER2 -- which drives tumor cells to proliferate unchecked. Brk, they report, helps these tumors become virulent and is also implicated in the process through which the tumors develop drug resistance to "targeted" therapies Herceptin and Lapatinib. ... > full story
Protein Structure Discovery Opens Door For Drugs To Fight Bird Flu, Other Influenza Epidemics (August 26, 2008) -- Researchers have reported a discovery that could help scientists develop drugs to fight the much-feared bird flu and other virulent strains of influenza. They have determined the three-dimensional structure of a site on an influenza A virus protein that binds to one of its human protein targets, thereby suppressing a person's natural defenses to the infection and paving the way for the virus to replicate efficiently. ... > full story
Low Cholesterol Associated With Cancer In Diabetics (August 26, 2008) -- Low levels of LDL cholesterol as well as high levels are associated with cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes, found a prospective cohort study published in CMAJ. ... > full story
New Virus Threatens High Plains Wheat Crop (August 26, 2008) -- Triticum mosaic virus poses a new threat to Texas wheat, according to Texas AgriLife Research scientists in Amarillo. Researchers are working on a variety of studies to determine how big of a role it plays in the disease pressure put on area wheat. ... > full story
Trends In Prescription Medication Sharing Among Reproductive-aged Women (August 26, 2008) -- Borrowing and sharing of prescription medications is a serious medical and public health concern. A survey of nearly 7,500 women of reproductive age found that this is common practice among more than one-third of this population, according to a new report. ... > full story
Polar Bears Found Swimming Miles From Alaskan Coast (August 26, 2008) -- An aerial survey by government scientists in Alaska's Chukchi Sea this week found at least nine polar bears swimming in open water -- with one at least 60 miles from shore -- raising concern among wildlife experts about their survival. ... > full story
Terminally Ill Rodents With Type 1 Diabetes Restored To Full Health With Single Dose Of Leptin (August 26, 2008) -- Terminally ill rodents with type 1 diabetes have been restored to full health with a single injection of a substance other than insulin by scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center. ... > full story
Keeping Cells Youthful: How Telomere-building Proteins Get Drawn Into The Fold (August 26, 2008) -- It may take just one or two proteins to polish off a simple cellular task, but life-or-death matters, such as caring for the ends of chromosomes known as telomeres, require interacting crews of proteins, all with a common goal but each with a specialized task. ... > full story
Normalizing Tumor Vessels To Improve Cancer Therapy (August 26, 2008) -- Leaky, twisted blood vessels in tumors often prevent chemotherapy drugs from reaching their target. Children's Hospital Boston researchers have found that tumor capillary cells, unlike their normal counterparts, are hyper-contractile and respond abnormally to physical and mechanical cues, producing irregularly-shaped capillaries and creating gaps between cells that caused vessel leakiness. A protein called Rho-associated kinase is the likely culprit; inhibiting its function normalized the tumor cells' mechanical responsiveness, as well as blood vessel architecture. ... > full story
Intensity Of Human Environmental Impact May Lessen As Incomes Rise, Analysis Suggests (August 26, 2008) -- The richer you are, the more of the world's resources you can afford to consume. But in many parts of the world, rising incomes are not having the proportionate effect on energy consumption, croplands and deforestation that one might expect, a new 25-year study shows. ... > full story
Anti-psychotic Drug Use In The Elderly Increases Despite Drug Safety Warnings (August 26, 2008) -- Three regulatory warnings of serious adverse events slowed the growth of use of atypical antipsychotic drugs among elderly patients with dementia, but they did not reduce the overall prescription rate of these drugs, found a research analysis of prescription drug claims data. ... > full story
Undergrads' Amazon Trip Yields A Treasure Trove Of Diversity (August 26, 2008) -- Yale undergraduates have discovered dozens of potentially beneficial bioactive microorganisms within plants they collected in the Amazon rain forest, including several so genetically distinct that they may be the first members of new taxonomical genera. ... > full story
Infections Linked To Premature Births More Common Than Thought, Study Finds (August 26, 2008) -- Previously unrecognized and unidentified infections of amniotic fluid may be a significant cause of premature birth, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. ... > full story
Hydrogen-Producing Bacteria Provide Clean Energy (August 26, 2008) -- A new "green" technology developed cooperatively by scientists with the Agricultural Research Service and North Carolina State University could lead to production of hydrogen from nitrogen-fixing bacteria. ... > full story
New Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer May Minimize Viral Transmission, Including Norovirus (August 26, 2008) -- A newly developed ethanol-based hand sanitizer may significantly impact public health by minimizing the transmission of multiple viruses, including norovirus, from food handlers and care providers. ... > full story
'Slick' Gene Helps Cattle Beat The Heat (August 26, 2008) -- Pinpointing the chromosomal location of the "slick" gene identified by scientists could help breeders develop cattle with shorter, slick hair that helps keep them cool in the subtropical heat. ... > full story
Consumers Can Predict Inflation As Well As Professional Economists (August 26, 2008) -- Household surveys predict the inflation rate fairly accurately and as well as professional economists. The pros employ statistics like the unemployment rate, money supply growth and exchange rate changes. Consumers participating in surveys are more likely to think about how much they spent at the grocery store that week. ... > full story
New Evidence Debunks 'Stupid' Neanderthal Myth (August 26, 2008) -- New research has struck another blow to the theory that Neanderthals became extinct because they were less intelligent than our ancestors. The research team has shown that early stone tool technologies developed by our species, Homo sapiens, were no more efficient than those used by Neanderthals. Their discovery debunks a textbook belief held by archaeologists for more than 60 years. ... > full story
Burning Incense Increases Risk Of Respiratory Tract Cancers (August 26, 2008) -- Long-term use of incense increases the risk of developing cancers of the respiratory tract, according to a new study. ... > full story
Even Seaweeds Get Sunburned (August 26, 2008) -- It is red, it burns and itches: a sunburn on our skin. However, too much sun is not only bad for humans. Many plants react sensitively to an increased dose of ultraviolet radiation, too. Yet they are dependent on sunlight. However, this has its limits: too much sun means an over-abundance of energy and thus the destruction of the sensitive pigments. The result are black spots, pale leaves and rotten parts. ... > full story
Broccoli Could Reverse The Heart Damaging Effects Of Diabetes (August 26, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered eating broccoli could undo the damage caused by diabetes to heart blood vessels. ... > full story
Low-cost System System Thwarts Internet Eavesdropping (August 26, 2008) -- The growth of shared Wi-Fi and other wireless computer networks has increased the risk of eavesdropping on Internet communications, but researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science and College of Engineering have devised a low-cost system that can thwart these "Man-in-the-Middle" attacks. ... > full story
California Tobacco Control Program Saved Billions In Medical Costs (August 26, 2008) -- California's state tobacco control program saved billion -- in 2004 dollars -- in personal healthcare costs in its first 15 years, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. ... > full story
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