ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Thursday, September 4, 2008
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Researchers Create Animal Model Of Chronic Stress (September 4, 2008) -- In an effort to better understand how chronic stress affects the human body, researchers have created an animal model that shows how chronic stress affects behavior, physiology and reproduction. Developing the animal model better positions the researchers to understand the neurohormonal causes of such stress and the body reaction in order to develop more effective treatment options for humans. ... > full story
Children Of Older Fathers More Likely To Have Bipolar Disorder, New Report Finds (September 4, 2008) -- Older age among fathers may be associated with an increased risk for bipolar disorder in their offspring, according to a new report. ... > full story
Wolves Would Rather Eat Salmon (September 4, 2008) -- Although most people imagine wolves chasing deer and other hoofed animals, new research suggests that, when they can, wolves actually prefer fishing to hunting. The study shows that when salmon is available, wolves will reduce deer hunting activity and instead focus on seafood. ... > full story
Is There Hope For The Prevention Of Dementia? (September 4, 2008) -- Scientists reviewed the latest findings about the effect of antihypertensive treatment on cognitive function and dementia at a recent conference. As a risk factor for stroke, ischemic brain lesions and silent brain infarcts, general atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction and cardiovascular morbidity, hypertension may also be a risk factor for dementia related to cerebrovascular disease. ... > full story
Verifying Wireless Hackers For Homeland Security (September 4, 2008) -- Wireless sensor networks used to detect and report events including hurricanes, earthquakes, and forest fires and for military surveillance and anti-terrorist activities are prone to subterfuge. In the International Journal of Security and Networks, computer scientists at Florida Atlantic University describe a new anti-hacking system to protect WSNs. ... > full story
Multitasking Can Be Efficient At Certain Optimal Times (September 4, 2008) -- In today's fast-paced world, multitasking has become an increasingly necessary part of our daily routine. Unfortunately, multitasking also is notoriously inefficient. However, a new brain imaging study led by a cognitive neuroscientist finds that there are optimal times when we are better suited to multitask. ... > full story
Physicists Discover 'Doubly Strange' Particle (September 4, 2008) -- Physicists of the DZero experiment at the US Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory have discovered a new particle made of three quarks, the Omega-sub-b. The particle contains two strange quarks and a bottom quark. It is an exotic relative of the much more common proton and weighs about six times the proton mass. ... > full story
Early Onset Gene For Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Identified (September 4, 2008) -- Two new genetic markers that influence the likelihood of getting Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis during childhood have been identified. One marker sits next to a gene that regulates inflammatory responses, suggesting a target for therapy. ... > full story
Improving Piglet Survival (September 4, 2008) -- Neonatal mortality in pigs is a major welfare and economic concern. It is one of the issues being tackled by Welfare Quality®, an EU-funded project designed to integrate farm animal welfare into the food chain. ... > full story
How Often Do Hip And Knee Replacements Need Revision? (September 4, 2008) -- A comprehensive study using nationwide data on hip and knee replacements in England has found that one in 75 patients require a revision of their joint replacement after three years. Although this compares favorably with the rest of the world, the study reinforces concerns about the new surgical techniques of hip resurfacing and unicondylar knee replacement. ... > full story
A Little Nitrogen Can Go A Long Way (September 4, 2008) -- With significant increases in the price of fertilizer and grain, site-specific management -- especially in variable rate nitrogen application -- can have a significant impact on yield and profitability, as reported in the latest issue of Agronomy Journal. ... > full story
Post-marketing Studies Finding Adverse Events In Drugs Used In Children (September 4, 2008) -- The Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act, designed to stimulate more drug safety studies in children, has resulted in more than 130 label changes since its inception nearly six years ago, according to researchers. ... > full story
Substance Found In Fruits And Vegetables Reduces Likelihood Of The Flu (September 3, 2008) -- Mice given quercetin, a naturally occurring substance found in fruits and vegetables, were less likely to contract the flu. The study also found that stressful exercise increased the susceptibility of mice to the flu, but quercetin canceled out that negative effect. Quercetin, a close chemical relative of resveratrol, is present in a variety of fruits and vegetables, including red onions, grapes, blueberries, tea, broccoli and red wine. ... > full story
New Discovery About Growth Factor Can Be Breakthrough For Cancer Research (September 3, 2008) -- A research team has discovered an entirely new signal path for a growth factor that is of crucial importance for the survival and growth of cancer cells. This discovery, published in Nature Cell Biology, opens up an entirely new landscape for research on breast and prostate cancer, among other types. ... > full story
Biological Invasions Increasing Due To Freshwater Impoundments, Says Study (September 3, 2008) -- The growing number of dams and other impoundments is increasing the number of invasive species and the speed at which they spread, putting natural lakes at risk, says a study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder. ... > full story
Nearly Half Of US Adults Will Develop Painful Knee Osteoarthritis By Age 85: Study (September 3, 2008) -- Almost half of all US adults and nearly two-thirds of obese adults will develop painful osteoarthritis of the knee by age 85, a new study suggests. ... > full story
Remote Satellite Imaging Predicts Outbreaks Of Infectious Disease (September 3, 2008) -- Scientists in the USA have established a way to predict outbreaks of cholera, making it easier to control. This finding could provide a model to predict and potentially control outbreaks of other important infectious diseases. ... > full story
Teen Suicide Spike Was No Fluke (September 3, 2008) -- After 10 years of steady decline, researchers say a recent spike in the teen suicide rate is not a fluke and new prevention strategies need to be developed. The teen suicide rate jumped 18 percent from 2003-2004. That's the largest one year change in 15 years. Now, the most recent stats available (2004-2005) show the numbers are still significantly higher, and experts are concerned this could be a new trend. ... > full story
Deep Brain Stimulation Halts Cell Loss, Parkinson's Researchers Find (September 3, 2008) -- Deep brain stimulation, a surgical technique often viewed as a last resort for people with Parkinson's disease, halts the progression of dopamine-cell loss in animal models, according to preliminary research. ... > full story
Too Much Calcium In Blood May Increase Risk Of Fatal Prostate Cancer (September 3, 2008) -- Men who have too much calcium in their bloodstreams may have an increased risk of fatal prostate cancer, according to a new analysis. ... > full story
Playing, And Even Watching, Sports Improves Brain Function (September 3, 2008) -- Being an athlete or merely a fan improves language skills when it comes to discussing their sport because parts of the brain usually involved in playing sports are instead used to understand sport language, new research shows. ... > full story
Drug Reduces Vomiting, Hospital Admissions In Children With Gastroenteritis, Study Finds (September 3, 2008) -- Researchers have demonstrated that a drug called ondansetron helps reduce vomiting, the need for intravenous fluids and hospital admissions in children with acute gastroenteritis. ... > full story
Virus Weaves Itself Into The DNA Transferred From Parents To Babies (September 3, 2008) -- New research shows that some parents pass on the human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) to their children because it is integrated into their chromosomes. This is the first time a virus has been shown to become part of the human DNA and then get passed to subsequent generations. ... > full story
Collective Traumas: Early Explanations Of 9/11 Linked To Long-term Adjustment (September 3, 2008) -- A new study, lead authored by Kent State University's John Updegraff, suggests that finding meaning in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 terroist attacks was an important coping response that helped many Americans adjust by reducing their fears of future terrorism. ... > full story
Cell Division Study Resolves 50-year-old Debate, May Aid Cancer Research (September 3, 2008) -- A new study has finally resolved a controversy that cellular biologists have been arguing over for nearly 50 years, with findings that may aid research on everything from birth defects and genetic diseases to the most classic "cell division" issue of them all -- cancer. ... > full story
Tall Men At Increased Risk Of Prostate Cancer Development And Progression (September 3, 2008) -- A man's height is a modest marker for risk of prostate cancer development, but is more strongly linked to progression of the cancer, say researchers who conducted their own study on the connection and also reviewed 58 published studies. ... > full story
Hurricane Katrina Increased Mental And Physical Health Problems In New Orleans By Up To Three Times (September 3, 2008) -- Half the residents of New Orleans were suffering from poor mental and physical health more than a year after their homes and community were devastated by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, according to new research. ... > full story
Low Birth Weight Children Appear At Higher Risk Of Psychiatric Disturbances (September 3, 2008) -- Low-birth-weight children appear to be at higher risk for psychiatric disturbances from childhood through high school than normal-birth-weight children, according to a new report. In addition, low-birth-weight children from urban communities may be more likely to have attention problems than suburban low-birth-weight children. ... > full story
Energy-saving Bacteria Resist Antibiotics (September 3, 2008) -- Bacteria save energy by producing proteins that moonlight, having different roles at different times, which may also protect the microbes from being killed. The moonlighting activity of one enzyme from the tuberculosis bacterium makes it partially resistant to a family of broad-spectrum antibiotics, according to a paper published in the journal Microbiology. ... > full story
'Autonomous' Helicopters Teach Themselves To Fly (September 3, 2008) -- Stanford computer scientists have developed an artificial intelligence system that enables robotic helicopters to teach themselves to fly difficult stunts by watching other helicopters. The result is an autonomous helicopter than can perform a complete airshow of complex tricks on its own. The airshow is an important demonstration of "apprenticeship learning," in which robots learn by observing an expert, rather than by having software engineers write instructions from scratch. ... > full story
Battling Diabetes With Beta Cells (September 3, 2008) -- Scientists have replicated insulin-producing cells, providing new hope for diabetics. A new cure -- based on advances in cell therapy -- may be within reach. ... > full story
Heavy Trucks: Safety Research Identifies Factors That Lead To Loss Of Control, Accidents (September 3, 2008) -- Research carried out in Sweden suggests that there are three critical manoeuvres that lead to loss of control of heavy trucks and subsequent accidents. Writing in the International Journal of Vehicle Safety, the researchers explain that negotiating a bend is the main cause of loss of control, closely followed by avoidance manoeuvres, and road-edge recovery. ... > full story
First Direct Proof Of How Osteoarthritis Destroys Cartilage (September 3, 2008) -- A team of orthopaedic researchers has found definitive, genetic proof of how the most common form of arthritis destroys joint cartilage in nearly 21 million aging Americans, according to a study in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. The findings serve as an important foundation for the design of new treatments for osteoarthritis, researchers said. ... > full story
Directing A Driver's Gaze Results In Smoother Steering (September 3, 2008) -- A study recently published in ARVO's online Journal of Vision may inform the next generation of in-car driving assistance systems. New research finds that when drivers fix their gaze on specific targets placed strategically along a curve, their steering is smoother and more stable than it is in normal conditions. ... > full story
Zen Training Speeds The Mind's Return After Distraction, Brain Scans Reveal (September 3, 2008) -- After being interrupted by a word-recognition task, experienced meditators' brains returned faster to their pre-interruption condition. Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine changes in blood flow in the brain when people meditating were interrupted by stimuli designed to mimic the appearance of spontaneous thoughts. ... > full story
Oldest Gecko Fossil Ever Found, Entombed In Amber (September 3, 2008) -- Scientists have discovered the oldest known fossil of a gecko, with body parts that are forever preserved in life-like form after 100 million years of being entombed in amber. ... > full story
New Hope For Treating Common Form Of Inherited Neuromuscular Disease (September 3, 2008) -- Treatments that ramp up production of the tiny "motors" that power cells may have promise for treating one of the most common forms of inherited neuromuscular disease, according to a new report. ... > full story
Trends For Mega Cities Like Seoul (September 3, 2008) -- Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is a typical mega city: vast, pulsating, noisy and full of exhaust fumes. Researchers are developing new building concepts and IT solutions that will save energy, cut pollution and make living in the city a more pleasant experience. ... > full story
How Gastric Bypass Rapidly Reverses Diabetes Symptoms (September 3, 2008) -- A report offers new evidence to explain why those who undergo gastric bypass surgery often show greater control of their diabetes symptoms within days. ... > full story
How Friendly Bacteria Avoids Immune Attack To Live Happily In The Gut (September 3, 2008) -- For a long time scientists have been puzzled by the fact that the immune system in the gut is capable of fighting toxic bacterial infection while staying, at the same time, tolerant to its resident “friendly” bacteria. But a new article has starting to explain the mystery by revealing how a recently discovered gene - pims – is activated by the gut immune response against friendly bacteria to rapidly suppress it, effectively creating tolerance to the gut microbiota. ... > full story
Value Of Direct-to-consumer Drug Advertising Oversold, Study Finds (September 3, 2008) -- In the first-ever controlled study measuring the effectiveness of pharmaceutical direct-to-consumer advertising, researchers found only a modest effect on drug sales. In some cases, DTCA had no effect at all. ... > full story
Scientists Grow 'Nanonets' Able To Snare Added Energy Transfer (September 3, 2008) -- Adding to the growing list of novel nanoscale structures, researchers report engineering nanonets, flexible webs of tiny wires that improve the performance of their materials, which are used in microelectronics and clean energy research. The new structure improves material used in microelectronics and water-splitting. ... > full story
New Endometrial Cancer Treatment Stops Growth Of Tumors And Kills Cancer Cells, Study Shows (September 3, 2008) -- A new approach to treating endometrial cancer patients not only stops the growth of tumors, but also kills the cancer cells. In a potentially major breakthrough, scientists discovered that introducing a particular inhibitor drug can turn "off'' receptors responsible for the growth of tumors in a significant number of patients with endometrial cancer. ... > full story
Shot In The Arm For Sumatran Elephants And Tigers (September 3, 2008) -- The Indonesian government is to double the size of a national park that is one of the last havens for endangered Sumatran elephants and tigers. ... > full story
How First Autism Disease Genes Were Discovered (September 3, 2008) -- Scientists have presented the compelling neurobiological story of discovering the first autism genes. The role of gene mutations, their association with synapse abnormalities, and -- surprisingly -- a connection between circadian rhythms and autism risk was discussed at a recent conference. ... > full story
Safe, Inexpensive Alternative To Antibiotics Developed For Production Of Biofuels And Biopharmaceuticals (September 3, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a system that eliminates the need for antibiotics and resistance genes in the engineering of industrial and medical products. The method involves safer, less costly alternatives and is well suited for industrial production of many biofuels and biopharmaceuticals. ... > full story
Why Strawberry Jam Is More Regulated Than Cigarettes (September 3, 2008) -- While jams and other consumer products are strictly regulated and are required to pass stringent tests before they can be sold, tobacco has no restrictions and manufacturers can, and do, add anything they want into the product. ... > full story
Black-footed Ferrets Sired By Dead Males Via Frozen Sperm (September 3, 2008) -- Two black-footed ferrets at the Smithsonian's National Zoo have each given birth to a kit that was sired by males who died in 1999 and 2000. These endangered ferrets were artificially inseminated in May with frozen semen from the two deceased males, each giving birth on June 20 and 21 respectively. Successful inseminations with frozen semen are extremely rare -- until now only three black-footed ferret kits have been born from this method. ... > full story
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