ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Treatment For Hearing Loss? Scientists Grow Hair Cells Involved in Hearing

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Scientists have successfully produced functional auditory hair cells in the cochlea of the mouse inner ear. The breakthrough suggests that a new therapy may be developed in the future to successfully treat hearing loss.

Scientists Discover Why Flies Are So Hard To Swat

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT

Over the past two decades, Michael Dickinson has been interviewed by reporters hundreds of times about his research on the biomechanics of insect flight. One question from the press has always dogged him: Why are flies so hard to swat? "Now I can finally answer," says Dickinson, the Esther M. and Abe M. Zarem Professor of Bioengineering at the California Institute of Technology.

New Approach To Detect Early Progression Of Brain Tumors Identified

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT

New research suggests a certain type of MRI scanning can detect when a patient is failing brain tumor treatment before symptoms appear. The results of the study pave the way for a proactive treatment approach.

Katrina And Rita Provide Glimpse Of What Could Happen To Offshore Drilling If Gustav Hits Gulf

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT

Shortly after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the US, engineers studied damage done to offshore drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. If tropical storm Gustav strengthens into a Category 3 hurricane, as forecasters are predicting, the damage could be extensive.

Doctors Performing Heart Surgery Face Risks To Eyes

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT

Patients are not the only ones at risk during cardiac procedures. Doctors performing heart surgery also face health risks, namely to their eyes. The IAEA is helping to raise awareness of threats, through training in radiation protection related to medical uses of X-ray imaging systems.

Atomic Bomb Effect Results In Adult-onset Thyroid Cancer Identified

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT

Radiation from the atomic bomb blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945, likely rearranged chromosomes in some survivors who later developed papillary thyroid cancer as adults, according to Japanese researchers.

Americans Show Little Tolerance For Mental Illness Despite Growing Belief In Genetic Cause

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT

While more Americans believe that mental illness has genetic causes, the nation is no more tolerant of the mentally ill than it was 10 years ago.

Unexpected Large Monkey Population Discovered In Cambodia: Tens Of Thousands Of Threatened Primates

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Biologists have discovered surprisingly large populations of two globally threatened primates in a protected area in Cambodia. The report counted 42,000 black-shanked douc langurs along with 2,500 yellow-cheeked crested gibbons in Cambodia's Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area, an estimate that represents the largest known populations for both species in the world.

Rapid Changes In Key Alzheimer's Protein Described In Humans

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT

For the first time, researchers have described hour-by-hour changes in the amount of amyloid beta, a protein that is believed to play a key role in Alzheimer's disease, in the human brain.

Rosetta Spacecraft On Its Way To Meet Asteroid Steins

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT

ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft will make a historic encounter with asteroid (2867) Steins on 5 September 2008. The spacecraft will rendezvous with the asteroid in the course of its first incursion into the asteroid belt located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, while on its way to comet 67/P Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Growth Factor Predicts Poor Outcome In Breast Cancer

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT

The response to insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) in breast cancer cells predicts an aggressive tumor that is less likely to respond to treatment, according to new research. The finding gives impetus to the movement to tailor cancer treatments to attributes of the various tumors.

How Blood Vessel Cells Know To Form Tube-like Structures And Not Just Layers

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT

How do blood vessel cells understand that they should organize themselves in tubes and not in layers? A special type of "instructor" molecule is needed, according to new research. This might be an important step towards using stem cells to build new organs.

Physical And Sexual Abuse Linked To Asthma In Puerto Rican Kids

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Children who are physically or sexually abused are more than twice as likely to have asthma as their peers, according to a recent study of urban children in Puerto Rico. In fact, physical and sexual abuse was second only to maternal asthma in all the risk factors tested, including paternal asthma and indicators of socioeconomic status.

'Pristine' Amazonian Region Hosted Large, Urban Civilization

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT

They aren't the lost cities early explorers sought fruitlessly to discover. But ancient settlements in the Amazon, now almost entirely obscured by tropical forest, were once large and complex enough to be considered "urban" as the term is commonly applied to both medieval European and ancient Greek communities.

Treadmill Exercise Retrains Brain And Body Of Stroke Victims

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT

People who walk on a treadmill even years after stroke damage can significantly improve their health and mobility, changes that reflect actual "rewiring" of their brains, according to new research.

Black Raspberries Slow Cancer By Altering Hundreds Of Genes

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT

New research strongly suggests that a mix of preventative agents, such as those found in concentrated black raspberries, may more effectively inhibit cancer development than single agents aimed at shutting down a particular gene. Researchers examined the effect of freeze-dried black raspberries on genes altered by a chemical carcinogen in an animal model of esophageal cancer.

Variation Of Normal Protein Could Be Key To Resistance To Common Cancer Drug

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Researchers have found evidence explaining why a common chemotherapy drug, cisplatin, may not always work for every cancer patient. They have shown that when a variant version of a key protein that normally causes cell death is active, patients may be resistant to the cancer-killing drug.

Saving Lives Through Smarter Hurricane Evacuations

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Hundreds of lives and hundreds of millions of dollars could potentially be saved if emergency managers could make better and more timely critical decisions when faced with an approaching hurricane. Now, an MIT graduate student has developed a computer model that could help do just that.

Antidepressants In Suicide Prevention Reviewed

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Scientists have presented the state of evidence concerning the relation of antidepressants and suicidal behavior and critically commented on the current discussion with regard to the role of antidepressive treatment in real-life clinical practice.

Origin Of High Energy Emission From Crab Nebula Identified

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT

Another piece of the jigsaw in understanding how neutron stars work has been put in place following the discovery by scientists of the origin of the high energy emission from rotation-powered pulsars.

Cystic Fibrosis: Engineered Proteins Can 'Bypass' Genetic Defect

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT

By manipulating the machinery used by our cells for quality control, researchers have found a way to restore the function of cystic fibrosis (CF) airway cells. This could significantly reduce the sticky mucus that plugs the lungs of CF patients, which leads to antibiotic-resistant infections and untimely death.

Quantum 'Traffic Jam' Revealed: Findings May Help Get Current Flowing At Higher Temperatures

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT

Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators have uncovered the first experimental evidence for why the transition temperature of high-temperature superconductors cannot simply be elevated by increasing the electrons' binding energy. The research demonstrates how, as electron-pair binding energy increases, the electrons' tendency to get caught in a quantum mechanical "traffic jam" overwhelms the interactions needed for the material to act as a superconductor -- a freely flowing fluid of electron pairs.

Common Treatment To Delay Labor Decreases Pre-term Infants' Risk For Cerebral Palsy

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT

Pre-term infants born to mothers receiving intravenous magnesium sulfate -- a common treatment to delay labor -- are less likely to develop cerebral palsy than are pre-term infants whose mothers do not receive it, report researchers in a large National Institutes of Health research network.

Robots Learn To Predict Where Their Leader Is Going, And Follow Along

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT

Researchers have come up with a control system that allows a robot to pick up on cues that the leader is about to turn, predict where it is going and follow it.

Risk Of Repeat Attacks In Heart Patients Causes Concern For Doctors

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT

The risk of heart attack patients having repeat attacks after they are discharged from hospital is being underestimated, research has shown. An international study raises concerns that some patients may not be receiving the optimum medical treatment and follow-up care because doctors are misjudging the risk of a further heart attack.

Eyes Evolved For 'X-Ray Vision': Forward-facing Eyes Allow Animals To 'See Through' Clutter In The World

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT

The advantage of using two eyes to see the world around us has long been associated solely with our capacity to see in 3-D. Now, a new study has uncovered a truly eye-opening advantage to binocular vision: our ability to see through things.

Variant Of Mad Cow Disease May Be Transmitted By Blood Transfusions, According To Animal Study

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Blood transfusions are a valuable treatment mechanism in modern medicine, but can come with the risk of donor disease transmission. Researchers are continually studying the biology of blood products to understand how certain diseases are transmitted in an effort to reduce this risk during blood transfusions.

Not All Fat Is Created Equal: Fat In Obese Patients Is 'Sick' Compared To Fat From Lean Patients

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT

A new study finds that fat in obese patients is "sick" when compared to fat from lean patients, which could more fully explain the link between obesity and higher risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Pregnancy Situations Have Impact On Brain Development In Pre-term Infants

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Brain development in infants who are born very prematurely is still incomplete. Factors that cause premature birth may have an impact on the development of the premature infant's brain both during pregnancy and later on after birth.

Natural Chemical From Sea Sponges Induces Death In Cancer Cells Via Unusual Pathway

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT

A chemical called candidaspongiolide (CAN) inhibits protein synthesis but also kills cancer cells by triggering caspase 12-dependent programmed cell death, according to an article in the Aug. 26 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

New Evidence On Addiction To Medicines: Diazepam Has Effect On Nerve Cells In The Brain Reward System

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Addictions to medicines and drugs are thought to develop over a relatively long period of time. The process involves both structural and functional changes in brain nerve cells that are still poorly understood. However, a single drug or alcohol dose is sufficient to generate an initial stage of addiction.

Explosives Go 'Green' ... And Get More Precise

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT

Certain explosives may soon get a little greener and a little more precise. Researchers have added unique green solvents (ionic liquids) to an explosive called TATB (1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene) and improved the crystal quality and chemical purity of the material.

Class Of Diabetes Drugs Carries Significant Cardiovascular Risks

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT

A class of oral drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes may make heart failure worse, according to an editorial published online in the journal Heart.

Even Without Dementia, Mental Skills Decline Years Before Death

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT

A new study shows that older people's mental skills start declining years before death, even if they don't have dementia.

Recent Advances Make Cervical Cancer Control In Developing World Feasible For First Time

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT

Recent advances in cervical cancer prevention mean that controlling the disease in developing countries is becoming feasible for the first time, experts say. Developments such as highly effective vaccines against the human papilloma virus (HPV) and promising new screening tests provide an unprecedented opportunity to tackle the disease in poor countries, where pap smear screening has largely failed because it is too expensive and too complicated to implement.

Ultra-energy Efficient Dryer Under Development

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT

A total drying solution for the manufacturing industry which will make significant energy savings is currently under development.

Researchers To Survey Students On Managing Psychiatric Medications In The Transition From Home To College

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT

An increasing number of students are packing more than their computers and iPods when leaving for college. They are bringing along prescribed psychiatric medications. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University will survey students on managing psychiatric medications in the transition from home to college.

Researchers Provide Solution To World’s Worst Mass Poisoning Case

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT

A solution to the world's worst case of ongoing mass poisoning, linked to rising cancer rates in Southern Asia, has been developed by researchers from Queen's University Belfast. They have created new low-cost technology to provide arsenic-free water to millions of people in South Asia currently exposed to high levels of the poison in groundwater.

Potential New Targets For Antidepressant Medications

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT

The news about antidepressant medications over the past several years has been mixed. The bad news from large multicenter studies such as STAR*D is that current antidepressant medications are effective, but not as effective as one might hope.

Fishing For Profits On World Caviar Market

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT

As sturgeon populations decline in the Caspian Sea, scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have a found way for Israel to cash in on the world's growing demand for caviar.

NIAID Describes Challenges, Prospects For An HIV Vaccine

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT

Events of the past year in HIV vaccine research have led some to question whether an effective HIV vaccine will ever be developed. In the Aug. 28 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, officials from NIAID examine the extraordinarily challenging properties of the virus that have made a vaccine elusive and outline the scientific questions that, if answered, could lead to an effective HIV vaccine.

Novel Trial Design Aims To Speed Drug Development

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT

Researchers propose a novel multi-arm trial design that can test several therapies simultaneously and could speed drug development in cancer, according to an article in the Aug. 26 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Economic And Social Disadvantage Can Affect Young Citizens' Voter Turnout

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT

A study recently published in the Journal of Social Issues illustrates how certain disadvantages experienced in adolescence, such as early pregnancy, dropping out of high school, being arrested, or going to an underprivileged school, contribute to lower voter turnout in young adulthood. In addition, the types of disadvantage vary across racial groups.

Researchers Devise Means To Create Blood By Identifying Earliest Stem Cells

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Researchers have discovered the earliest form of human blood stem cells and deciphered the mechanism by which these embryonic stem cells replicate and grow. They also found a surprising biological marker that pinpoints these stem cells, which serve as the progenitors for red blood cells and lymphocytes.

One Cause Of Higher Rates Of Transplanted Kidney Rejection In Blacks

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Scientists may have an explanation for at least some of the higher organ rejection rates seen among black -- as compared to white -- kidney transplant recipients.

DNA Tubes Created With Programmable Sizes For Nanoscale Manufacturing

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Scientists have developed a simple process for mass producing molecular tubes of identical -- and precisely programmable -- circumferences. The technological feat may allow the use of the molecular tubes in a number of nanotechnology applications.

Key Discovered To Cold Tolerance In Corn

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Demand for corn -- the world's number one feed grain and a staple food for many -- is outstripping supply, resulting in large price increases that are forecast to continue over the next several years. If corn's intolerance of low temperatures could be overcome, then the length of the growing season, and yield, could be increased at present sites of cultivation and its range extended into colder regions.

Why Did The Squirrel Cross The Road?

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A study has shown that red squirrels can and do make use of special crossings set up over busy roads. This kind of bridge is usually installed at sites where there have been fatalities recorded but up until now no-one has collected any data to show whether or not they are actually used by the animals.