ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Wednesday, September 24, 2008
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Dark Chocolate: Half A Bar Per Week May Keep Heart Attack Risk At Bay (September 24, 2008) -- Good news for chocolate lovers: 6.7 grams of chocolate per day represent the ideal amount for a protective effect against inflammation and subsequent cardiovascular disease. ... > full story
Family History Of Brain Tumors Linked To Increased Risk Of Brain Cancer (September 24, 2008) -- People with a family history of cancerous brain tumors appear to be at higher risk of developing the same kind of tumors compared to people with no such family history, according to a new study in Neurology. ... > full story
Iberian Peninsula’s Earliest Agricultural Systems Were Unsustainable (September 24, 2008) -- Researchers in Spain have found that the first agricultural systems on the Iberian Peninsula became ever more unsustainable with the passage of time. Their study involved the analysis of fossilised grains of wheat and barley from Los Castillejos (Granada), an area of archaeological remains where cereals were cultivated between 4000 and 2500 BCE. ... > full story
Exhaled Nitric Oxide Monitoring Does Not Improve On Guidelines-based Asthma Management, Study Finds (September 24, 2008) -- New research indicates that adolescent and young adult patients whose asthma is managed according to the latest NIH guidelines do not benefit from the addition of nitric-oxide monitoring. Nitric oxide is a biomarker for inflammation in the lungs. ... > full story
Overcoming Barriers To The Introduction Of Alternative Fuels In Europe (September 24, 2008) -- Many groups are promoting the use of alternative fuels in the transport sector. Nevertheless, there are many obstacles that arise with any serious intention to make alternative fuels increase their market share; with cost, performance, and reliability being the key factors for the economical success of alternative fuels in road transport. ... > full story
Severe Stress More Common Among Long-term Cancer Survivors (September 24, 2008) -- Long-term survivors of adult cancers are almost twice as likely to report psychological distress severe enough to cause moderate to serious problems functioning in social, work or school situations, compared to the general population, according to a large, national study. ... > full story
Finding Fireflies Next To A Lighthouse: New Optics Technology To Study Alien Worlds (September 24, 2008) -- Scientists are studying new optical methods for three possible new NASA missions to search for alien worlds. The experimental technologies promise to allow astronomers to directly detect exoplanets by suppressing the light from their parent stars. ... > full story
Stroke Incidence May Be Higher And Deadlier In American Indians (September 24, 2008) -- American Indians have a higher incidence of strokes than white or black Americans. Higher rates of hypertension, diabetes and cigarette smoking may account for the higher risk. The findings come from the largest population study of cardiovascular disease and risk factors in American Indians. ... > full story
Second Career For Growth Factor Receptor: Keeping Nerve Axons On Target (September 24, 2008) -- Neurons constituting the optic nerve wire up to the brain in a highly dynamic way. Using the mouse visual system, scientists have identified an unanticipated factor that helps keep retinal axons from going astray. ... > full story
Minimally-invasive Aortic Valve Bypass Benefits High-risk Elderly Patients (September 24, 2008) -- A study conducted at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore concludes that an uncommonly used surgical procedure that bypasses a narrowed aortic valve, rather than replacing it, effectively restores blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body and gives high-risk patients a safe alternative to conventional valve surgery. Aortic valve bypass is an important treatment option for high-risk elderly patients with a narrowed aortic valve, a condition called aortic stenosis. ... > full story
Secret Ingredients Behind Germinated Rice (September 24, 2008) -- Researchers have identified the active compounds that contribute to the health benefits of pre-germinated brown rice: a related set of sterol-like molecules known as acylated steryl-beta-glucosides. ... > full story
Behavioral Intervention Works To Reduce Risky Behavior (September 24, 2008) -- In an effort to curb the rising rates of HIV and sexually transmitted infections along the Mexico-US border, a binational team of researchers have shown that brief but personalized behavioral counseling significantly reduced rates and improved condom use among female sex workers in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. ... > full story
Comet Dust Reveals Unexpected Mixing Of Solar System (September 23, 2008) -- Chemical clues from a comet's halo are challenging common views about the history and evolution of the solar system and showing it may be more mixed-up than previously thought. ... > full story
Benefit Of Combination Therapy For Alzheimer's Disease Confirmed (September 23, 2008) -- The first long-term study of the real-world use of Alzheimer's drugs finds that treatment can significantly slow the rate at which the disorder advances, and combination therapy with two different classes of drugs is even better at helping patients maintain their ability to perform daily activities. ... > full story
Looking Vs. Seeing (September 23, 2008) -- The superior colliculus has long been thought of as a rapid orienting center of the brain that allows the eyes and head to turn swiftly either toward or away from the sights and sounds in our environment. Two complementary studies have revealed that the superior colliculus performs supervisory functions in addition to the motor control it has long been known for. ... > full story
Geriatric Patients Receive Significant Benefit From Cochlear Implantation (September 23, 2008) -- Despite previous inconclusive research, geriatric patients do experience significant quality of life improvement after receiving cochlear implants for hearing loss, says new research. ... > full story
Disposable ‘lab-on-a-chip’ May Save Costs And Lives (September 23, 2008) -- Low-cost, disposable cartridges that would let doctors perform diagnostic tests at the point-of-care could speed up diagnosis and treatment while lowering costs. Researchers are rapidly closing in on that goal. ... > full story
Preventing Suicide In Low- To Middle-income Countries (September 23, 2008) -- An international study of almost 2,000 people in Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, Iran and China has shown that a low-cost strategy to keep in contact with people who have previously attempted suicide, can reduce the risk of subsequent suicides. ... > full story
Why Chemo Works For Some People And Not Others (September 23, 2008) -- MIT researchers have shown that cells from different people don't all react the same way when exposed to the same DNA-damaging agent -- a finding that could help clinicians predict how patients will respond to chemotherapy. ... > full story
Healthy Blood Vessels May Prevent Fat Growth (September 23, 2008) -- Cells lining blood vessels may perform an unsuspected task -- controlling the development of fat cells. Researchers found that precursor or stem cells have a markedly reduced tendency to develop into fat cells when placed in direct contact with healthy endothelial cells, which are the cells that line blood vessels. ... > full story
Facebook Profiles Can Be Used To Detect Narcissism (September 23, 2008) -- Online social networking sites such as Facebook might be useful tools for detecting whether someone is a narcissist, according to new research. ... > full story
Breast Cancer Survivors Have High Quality Of Life Up To 15 Years After Lumpectomy And Radiation (September 23, 2008) -- Women with breast cancer who are treated with lumpectomy and radiation report a high level of overall quality of life several years after treatment that is comparable to a general sampling of the adult women US population according to a survey conducted by physicians at Fox Chase Cancer Center. ... > full story
GPS Navigation Devices Can Be Spoofed, Counter Measures Not Effective In Certain Cases (September 23, 2008) -- Just like flat-screen televisions, cell phones and computers, global positioning system technology is becoming something people can't imagine living without. So if such a ubiquitous system were to come under attack, would we be ready? ... > full story
Immigrant Children Are Increasingly More Likely To Lack Health Coverage In U.S. (September 23, 2008) -- Contrary to public perceptions, foreign-born children are increasingly uninsured, rather than publicly insured, in the wake of immigration policy changes, according to a study by public health researchers. ... > full story
Primordial Fish Had Rudimentary Fingers (September 23, 2008) -- Tetrapods, the first four-legged land animals, are regarded as the first organisms that had fingers and toes. Now researchers can show that this is wrong. Using medical x-rays, they found rudiments of fingers in the fins in fossil Panderichthys, the "transitional animal," which indicates that rudimentary fingers developed considerably earlier than was previously thought. ... > full story
Secondhand Smoke Linked To Peripheral Artery Disease In Women (September 23, 2008) -- This is the first study to link secondhand smoke to increased risk of peripheral artery disease in women. Researchers found an increased risk of stroke and coronary heart disease in older Chinese women who were exposed to secondhand smoke compared to those who were not exposed. Researchers said passive smoking is an important health hazard and should be discouraged by public health policy. ... > full story
Indian Spice In Turmeric Reduces Size Of Hemorrhagic Stroke (September 23, 2008) -- You might want to make curcumin part of your daily diet. This active ingredient of the Indian curry spice, turmeric, not only lowers your chances of getting cancer and Alzheimer's disease, but may reduce the size of a hemorrhagic stroke, say Medical College of Georgia researchers. ... > full story
Acupuncture Reduces Side Effects Of Breast Cancer Treatment As Much As Conventional Drug Therapy, Study Suggests (September 23, 2008) -- Acupuncture is as effective and longer-lasting in managing the common debilitating side effects of hot flashes, night sweats and excessive sweating (vasomotor symptoms) associated with breast cancer treatment and has no treatment side effects compared to conventional drug therapy, according to a first-of-its-kind study. ... > full story
NASA's Phoenix Lander Might Peek Under a Rock (September 23, 2008) -- If the robotic arm on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander can nudge a rock aside, scientists on the Phoenix team would like to see what's underneath. Engineers who develop commands for the robotic arm have prepared a plan to try displacing a rock on the north side of the lander. This rock, roughly the size and shape of a VHS videotape, is informally named "Headless." ... > full story
Is That Song Sexy Or Just So-so? (September 23, 2008) -- Why is your mate's rendition of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get it On" cute and sexy sometimes and so annoying at other times? A songbird study sheds new light on this question, showing that a change in hormone levels may alter the way we perceive social cues by altering a system of brain nuclei, common to all vertebrates, called the "social behavior network." ... > full story
Preventing Forest Fires With Tree Power: Sensor System Runs On Electricity Generated By Trees (September 23, 2008) -- Researchers are working to find out whether energy from trees can power a network of sensors to prevent spreading forest fires. ... > full story
Key Proteins Identified In The Quest For Male Contraceptive (September 23, 2008) -- In an advance toward a long-sought new male contraceptive, researchers in China have identified key proteins in men that suppress production of sperm and could become new targets for a future male birth control pill. ... > full story
'Redesigned Hammer' That Forged Evolution Of Pregnancy In Mammals Found (September 23, 2008) -- Researchers have shown that the origin and evolution of the placenta and uterus in mammals is associated with evolutionary changes in a single regulatory protein, according to new report. ... > full story
Sinusitis Patients Have Pain Similar To The Elderly And People With Arthritis (September 23, 2008) -- Many patients with sinusitis have aches and pains similar in severity to people in their 80s and those with arthritis or depression. The new study also finds that endoscopic sinus surgery to clear clogged sinuses can bring significant pain relief. ... > full story
Abrupt Climate Change Focus Of U.S. National Laboratories (September 23, 2008) -- Abrupt climate change is the focus of IMPACTS, a major new program bringing together six US Department of Energy national laboratories to investigate the instability of marine ice sheets, warming of the boreal forests and Arctic, megadroughts in the Southwestern United States, and methane release from frozen hydrates. ... > full story
Fake Popup Warnings Fool Internet Users Even After Repeated Mistakes (September 23, 2008) -- Most Internet users are unable to distinguish genuine popup warnings messages from false ones -- even after repeated mistakes. The fake ones were designed to trick users into downloading harmful software. ... > full story
Smoothest Surface Ever Created: May Lead To World's First Atomic Microscope (September 23, 2008) -- Physicists have created the "quantum stabilized atom mirror," the smoothest surface ever, according to an article in the journal Advanced Materials. The innovation is already being used in the design of the world's first atomic microscope. ... > full story
Pollution, Everyday Allergens, May Be Sources Of Laryngitis (September 23, 2008) -- Everyday exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, allergens, and air pollution may be the root of chronic cases of laryngitis. ... > full story
Neighbors From Hell: Infanticide Rife In Guillemot Colony (September 23, 2008) -- One of Britain's best-known species of seabird is increasingly attacking and killing unattended chicks from neighboring nests due to food shortages. ... > full story
Cells That Mediate Steroid-resistant Asthma Identified (September 23, 2008) -- Researchers have identified cells that may play a key role in some forms of steroid-resistant asthma, a complication of the condition that makes treatment even more challenging. ... > full story
Engineers Work To Clean And Improve Engine Performance (September 23, 2008) -- Iowa State University's Song-Charng Kong and his students are working to reduce emissions in diesel engines, develop a computer model of a gasoline engine and optimize new engine technologies. The results could be cleaner, more efficient engines in our cars and trucks. ... > full story
Patients Stay With Phone Psychotherapy Longer Than Office Visits (September 23, 2008) -- The problem with psychotherapy is that nearly half the patients quit going to the therapist's office after a few sessions. But a new meta-analysis has found that when patients receive psychotherapy for depression over the phone, more than 90 percent continue with it. The study is the first national "snapshot" of telephone-administered therapy. This therapy, which appears to be as effective for reducing depression as face-to-face therapy, is becoming more prevalent. ... > full story
Saturn's Rings May Be More Massive, Older, Than Previously Thought (September 23, 2008) -- Saturn’s rings may be more massive than previously thought, and potentially much older, according to calculations that simulate colliding particles in Saturn’s rings and their erosion by meteorites. These results support the possibility that Saturn’s rings formed billions of years ago, perhaps at the time when giant impacts excavated the great basins on the Moon. The findings also suggest that giant exoplanets may also commonly have rings. ... > full story
New Approach To Treating Cystic Fibrosis Lung Infection Shows Promise (September 23, 2008) -- Researchers have found a new method of fighting severe lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis. ... > full story
ATV Guidelines Inadequate, Study Finds (September 23, 2008) -- National size guidelines for all-terrain vehicles (ATV) are inadequate to ensure the safety of young riders, according to preliminary results from a study by researchers at the University of Kentucky. ... > full story
New Diagnostic Tool For Arthritis Could Stop Irreversible Damage (September 23, 2008) -- A new diagnostic tool for arthritis could stop irreversible damage from setting in. ... > full story
New Bluetooth System Orients Blind And Sighted Pedestrians (September 23, 2008) -- A new Bluetooth system designed primarily for blind people places a layer of information technology over the real world to tell pedestrians about points of interest along their path as they pass them. ... > full story
Exercise Effective In Helping Pregnant Women Kick The Habit (September 23, 2008) -- Exercise could be a useful tool in helping pregnant women to give up smoking, according to new research. Despite the warnings, 17% of women in the UK and 20% of women in the US still admit to smoking during pregnancy. This often leads to lower birth weight, higher infant mortality, and is linked to learning difficulties, problem behavior and asthma in childhood. ... > full story
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