ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Monday, September 22, 2008
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Climate Change, Human Activity And Wildfires (September 22, 2008) -- Climate has been implicated by a new study as a major driver of wildfires in the last 2,000 years. But human activities, such as land clearance and fire suppression during the industrial era (since 1750) have created large swings in burning, first increasing fires until the late 1800s, and then dramatically reducing burning in the 20th century. ... > full story
Older People Who Diet Without Exercising Lose Valuable Muscle Mass (September 22, 2008) -- A group of sedentary and overweight older people placed on a four-month exercise program became more fit and burned off more fat, compared to older sedentary people who dieted but did not exercise. The new study also showed that when older people diet without exercising, they lose more lean muscle compared to those who exercise. When they combined weight loss with exercise, it nearly completely prevented the loss of lean muscle mass. ... > full story
Fuel-saving Designs Improve Efficiency Of Hydraulic Systems (September 22, 2008) -- Researchers have shown how to reduce fuel consumption and dramatically improve the efficiency of hydraulic pumps and motors in heavy construction equipment. ... > full story
Minimally Invasive Surgery Alleviates Pain Caused By Hip Impingement (September 22, 2008) -- The pain due to injury caused by an impingement within the hip joint can be alleviated by means of two surgical techniques in a minimally invasive manner. Arthroscopy is the technique preferred for those cases where the injury is less serious while the femoroacetabular osteoplastica after a small incision is for more serious injuries, according to doctors. ... > full story
Project To Turn Plant Cells Into Medical Factories (September 22, 2008) -- A large four-year project is launching in Europe to develop methods for production of valuable pharmaceutical compounds using plant cells as a production host in an effective and controlled manner. The methods based on plant biotechnology are an alternative to chemical synthesis. By controlling the cell metabolism of a 'green factory', i.e. a living plant cell, it is possible to affect the production of desired high-value compounds. This kind of metabolic engineering also stimulates the cells towards producing completely new compounds. ... > full story
Monitoring Outcomes Of Suicide Attempts In Pregnancy Can Better Assess Drug Dangers (September 22, 2008) -- Monitoring the health of children born to women who attempted suicide while pregnant can shed light on which medicines and what doses are particularly dangerous to developing fetuses, according to researchers from Hungary who publish their findings in a series of reports in a special issue of Toxicology and Industrial Health. ... > full story
Using Novel Tool, Researchers Dig Through Cell 'Trash' And Find Treasure (September 22, 2008) -- A person's trash can reveal valuable information, as detectives, historians and identity thieves well know. Likewise, a cell's "trash" may yield certain treasures, researchers have found. Using a new technique, scientists have analyzed the cellular waste of one of the world's most-studied plants and discovered formerly hidden relationships between genes and the small molecules that can turn them off. ... > full story
Estrogen Reduces Risk Of Fracture After Menopause, Study Suggests (September 22, 2008) -- From the end of the 1970s to the late 1990s there was a significant reduction in the incidence of hip and distal forearm fractures among Oslo women in the early phase after menopause. Part of this decline can be explained by the large increase in the use of hormone replacement therapy after menopause in the same period, a new study shows. ... > full story
Small Changes To Transport Systems Could Mean Big Benefits For Older People (September 22, 2008) -- A new study has pinpointed how simple, low-cost measures could revolutionize older peoples' ability to use transport systems effectively, safely and with confidence. ... > full story
Vanderbilt Researchers Seek To Make Standardized Tests Accessible (September 22, 2008) -- Standardized testing is an inescapable part of modern education; however, these tests often fail to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities. Researchers have developed a decision-making instrument called the Test Accessibility and Modification Inventory to address the issue of accessibility for students with special needs. ... > full story
Scientists Trace Extensive Networks Regulating Alternative RNA Splicing (September 22, 2008) -- Scientists have succeeded in tracing intricate biochemical networks involving a class of proteins that enable genes to express themselves in specific tissues at particular moments in development. ... > full story
Bisexual Community Reports Need For Improvements In Mental Health Services (September 22, 2008) -- New research sheds light on the mental health of bisexual people in Ontario by looking at the context of mental health issues in this group. The Bisexuality, Mental Health and Emotional Well-Being Research Project evaluated the experiences of bisexual people based on three main determinants of health, and the results demonstrated that social biphobia and stereotypes about bisexuals have far reaching negative effects on the mental health and well-being of bisexual people. ... > full story
Pulsating Stars Enable New Precise Determination Of Rotation Of The Milky Way (September 21, 2008) -- New, very precise measurements have shown that the rotation of the Milky Way is simpler than previously thought. A remarkable result from the most successful ESO instrument HARPS, shows that a much debated, apparent "fall" of neighborhood Cepheid stars towards our Sun stems from an intrinsic property of the Cepheids themselves. ... > full story
Receptor Activation Protects Retina From Diabetes Destruction (September 21, 2008) -- Diabetes can make the beautifully stratified retina look like over-fried bacon. A drug known for it pain-relieving power and believed to stimulate memory appears to prevent this retinal damage that leads to vision loss, researchers say. ... > full story
Global Warming's Ecosystem Double Whammy (September 21, 2008) -- Plants and soils act like sponges for atmospheric carbon dioxide, but new research on the cover of this week's Nature finds that one abnormally warm year can suppress the amount of carbon dioxide taken up by some grassland ecosystems for up to two years. The findings followed a four-year study of 12-ton containerized grassland plots at Nevada's Desert Research Institute. Plots were extracted intact from the Oklahoma prairie and sealed inside four, living-room-sized environment chambers. ... > full story
New Model Predicts Long-term Survival Of Critically Ill Patients (September 21, 2008) -- The long term survival of critically ill patients may now be predicted, using a new model. The study used clinical and long term survival data of a heterogenous group of 11,930 patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Royal Perth Hospital in Western Australia. ... > full story
Introducing The Next Generation Of Chemical Reactors (September 21, 2008) -- Unique nanostructures which respond to stimuli, such as pH, heat and light will pave the way for safer, greener and more efficient chemical reactors. ... > full story
Face Blindness Research Shows Emotions Are Key In The Study Of Face Recognition (September 21, 2008) -- Recognizing faces is usually an effortless process. However, a minority of people have difficulties identifying the person they are meeting or remembering people they have met before. These problems can be dramatic, where those affected fail to recognize the face of their spouse or child or even their own face. New research on face blindness demonstrates the importance of using naturalistic emotional faces and bodies for a better understanding of developmental face disorders. ... > full story
Marine Debris Will Likely Worsen In The 21st Century (September 21, 2008) -- Current measures to prevent and reduce marine debris are inadequate, and the problem will likely worsen, says a new congressionally mandated report. ... > full story
Internationally Adopted Children Hit Puberty Earlier, Study Finds (September 21, 2008) -- A Canadian study has found that some girls adopted from China begin puberty as early as eight and boys as early as 10-years-old. ... > full story
Sophisticated Monitoring Array To Address Mystery Of Uranium Plume (September 21, 2008) -- Scientists have puzzled for years about why uranium contamination in groundwater continues to exceed drinking water standards in an area located at the south end of the Hanford Site near Richland, Wash. The Department of Energy wants answers to why the uranium persists. Now, an innovative well-monitoring system has been installed for field experiments to better understand this complex site and to support future clean-up decisions. ... > full story
Cardiologists Find Physical Exams Just As Good For Assessing Heart Failure (September 21, 2008) -- Patient history and physical examination, traditionally the cornerstone diagnostic tool for medical care, may still be among the most accurate and cost-efficient methods to assess patients with congestive heart failure, researchers have found. ... > full story
Estrogen 'Flooding Our Rivers,' Montreal Study Finds (September 21, 2008) -- A water treatment plant from Canada's second biggest city, Montreal, is dumping 90 times the critical amount of certain estrogen products into the river. It only takes one nanogram (ng) of steroids per liter of water to disrupt the endocrinal system of fish and decrease their fertility. ... > full story
Positive Thinking Trial In UK Aims To Prevent Childhood Depression (September 21, 2008) -- More than 7,000 school pupils from across the United Kingdom will be taking part in the trial of a new positive thinking program led by the University of Bath designed to prevent children developing problems with depression. ... > full story
Astrophysicists 'Weigh' Galaxy's Most Massive Star (September 21, 2008) -- Theoretical models of stellar formation propose the existence of very massive stars that can attain up to 150 times the mass of our Sun. Until very recently, however, no scientist had discovered a star of more than 83 solar masses. Astrophysicists have now found and "weighed" the most massive star ever discovered. ... > full story
New Colorectal Screening Procedure Is Accurate And Less Invasive, Trial Finds (September 21, 2008) -- A major clinical trial for colorectal screening finds that more patients stand to benefit from a comprehensive, less invasive method to accurately detect colorectal cancer and precancerous polyps. ... > full story
Nanoscale Structures: A Snapshot Of Transformations (September 21, 2008) -- Researchers have achieved a milestone in materials science and electron microscopy by taking a high-resolution snapshot of the transformation of nanoscale structures. ... > full story
Adults With Aortic Valve Disorder Do Not Experience Reduction In Survival Rate (September 21, 2008) -- Young adults with a bicuspid aortic valve, a congenital heart abnormality, experience subsequent cardiac events but do not appear to have lower survival rates compared to the general population, according to a new study. ... > full story
Wildlife Management: Salmon Fisheries, Yellowstone Wolf Introduction Show What Is Possible (September 21, 2008) -- The Netherlands is a densely populated nation, but could be a good example of how to practice wildlife management in the coming century. Rapid human population growth on the planet is creating pressure on wildlife populations, and many places will thus come to resemble the present situation in The Netherlands. ... > full story
Mom's Beliefs May Impact Their Kids' Alcohol Use, Study Finds (September 21, 2008) -- Mothers, take note. If you really want to curb your teens' chances of using alcohol, help them develop a self-view that doesn't include drinking. According to a new Iowa State University study, the power of positive thinking by moms may limit their children's alcohol use. ... > full story
Interstellar Space Molecules That Help Form Basic Life Structures Identified (September 20, 2008) -- Scientists have succeeded in identifying naphthalene, one of the most complex molecules yet discovered in the interstellar medium. The detection of this molecule suggests that a large number of the key components in prebiotic terrestrial chemistry could have been present in the interstellar matter from which the Solar System was formed. ... > full story
Longevity, Cancer And Diet Connected: New Research In Worms Could Apply To Humans (September 20, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered a connection between genes that could hold the key to a longer, healthier life. Using worms that share similar genetics to humans, scientists have identified a previously unknown link between two genes -- one associated with aging, the other with certain types of cancer. ... > full story
Easier-to-hit 'Targets' Could Help Older People Make The Most Of Computers (September 20, 2008) -- Older people could make better use of computers if icons, links and menu headings automatically grew bigger as the cursor moves towards them. ... > full story
Stem Cells May Solve Mystery Of Early Pregnancy Breast Cancer Protection (September 20, 2008) -- The answer to why an early pregnancy seems to protect against breast cancer could rest with a decrease in stem cells found after animals have given birth, said researchers in a report in the journal Stem Cell. ... > full story
Putting Pictures Into Words (September 20, 2008) -- Visual images can contain a wealth of information, but they are difficult to catalogue in a searchable way. European researchers are generating and combining scraps of information to create a searchable picture. ... > full story
Overbearing Parents Foster Obsessive Children, New Study Finds (September 20, 2008) -- Parents watch your nagging. A new study from the Université de Montréal in Quebec, Canada, has found that parental control directly influences whether a child will develop a harmonious or obsessive passion for their favorite hobby. ... > full story
Emergence Of Agriculture In Prehistory Took Much Longer, Genetic Evidence Suggests (September 20, 2008) -- Researchers have found evidence that genetics supports the idea that the emergence of agriculture in prehistory took much longer than originally thought. ... > full story
Programmed Cell Death Contributes Force To Movement Of Cells (September 20, 2008) -- In addition to pruning cells out of the way during embryonic development, the much-studied process of programmed cell death, or apoptosis, has been newly found to exert significant mechanical force on surrounding cells. ... > full story
Prosthetic Vein Valve Designed To Direct Blood Flow Shows Promising Pre-clinical Results (September 20, 2008) -- Engineers have developed a prosthetic vein valve to help improve the lives of those suffering from a condition known as chronic venous insufficiency. The valve was designed to replace damaged, non-functioning valves. ... > full story
Sole Use Of Impaired Limb Improves Recovery In Spinal Cord Injury (September 20, 2008) -- A new study finds that following minor spinal cord injury, rats that had to use impaired limbs showed full recovery due to increased growth of healthy nerve fibers and the formation of new nerve cell connections. These findings help explain how physical therapy advances recovery, and support the use of rehabilitation therapies that specifically target impaired limbs in people with brain and spinal cord injuries. ... > full story
Optical Sensors Make MRI Scans Safer (September 20, 2008) -- Magnetic resonance scans will be safer for children and other patients needing anaesthesia, thanks to new kinds of optical sensors. ... > full story
Collaboration Helps Police Address Job Stress (September 20, 2008) -- Mangled bodies, gunfire, high-speed chases and injured children are just a few events witnessed by police officers and soldiers serving in dangerous hot spots around the world. These traumas take a high toll on the police officers and soldiers, who suppress human emotions to get the job done and can be reluctant to share their experiences in an effort to spare others from their ordeals, according to a September Police Quarterly article. ... > full story
NASA's Swift Catches Farthest Ever Gamma-Ray Burst (September 20, 2008) -- NASA's Swift satellite has found the most distant gamma-ray burst ever detected. The blast, designated GRB 080913, arose from an exploding star 12.8 billion light-years away. ... > full story
Thin Men More Vulnerable To Osteoporosis And Bone Fractures Than Other Older Men (September 20, 2008) -- Obesity and weight increase leads to an increased risk of many chronic diseases, and the advice is therefore to maintain a stable healthy weight. Now, research shows that there may be disadvantages to being thin. Men who have low weight in middle age and who reduce their weight, increase the chance of osteoporosis and fracture. The findings are now published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. ... > full story
Harnessing New Technology To Keep Older People Behind The Wheel For Longer (September 20, 2008) -- A new study has highlighted the key role technology could play in extending the age at which people can drive safely on our roads. ... > full story
Incontinence Affects A Substantial Proportion Of Women; Prevalence Increases With Age (September 20, 2008) -- Nearly one-quarter of women surveyed, and more than one-third of older women, report at least one pelvic floor disorder, which includes urinary and fecal incontinence and the shifting of a pelvic organ, according to a new study. These disorders become more prevalent with increasing age and weight. ... > full story
Mobile Video Communication From A Mountain Top (September 20, 2008) -- Imagine being able to communicate with video images anywhere in the world. Regardless of the connection you still have a good image of the person you are communicating with. Ulrik Söderström from Digital Media Lab, Umea university in Sweden, has developed a technique that enables this. ... > full story
Homosexuals' Negative Feelings About Sexuality Predict Poor Mental And Sexual Health (September 20, 2008) -- Researchers have published a study showing that the degree of internalized homonegativity (negative attitude towards homosexuality) among homosexual men is what predicts poor mental and sexual health -- not the act of being homosexual. ... > full story
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