- 17-03-2008 - Top Science News Stories from Firstscience.com

American Chemical Society's Weekly PressPac -- March 12, 2008
17 Mar 2008
Researchers report that cheese from yaks could be healthier than cheese from dairy cattle. When compared to cheddar cheese, yak cheese contained higher levels of several healthful fatty acids. Click here for more...

Like sweets? You're more like a fruit fly than you think ...
17 Mar 2008
Similarities highlight environment's role in shaping evolution of taste preferences PHILADELPHIA (March 17, 2008) -- According to researchers at the Monell Center, fruit flies are more like humans in their responses to many sweet tastes than...

Loss of egg yolk genes in mammals and the origin of lactation and placentation
17 Mar 2008
The emergence of alternative nourishment resources (lactation and placentation) during mammalian evolution set the stage for mammals' progressive loss of egg yolk nourishment (as a consequence of the loss of... Click here for...

Clovis-age overkill didn't take out California's flightless sea duck
17 Mar 2008
Scientists, including University of Oregon archaeologist Jon Erlandson, cite radiocarbon dating of bones at coastal archaeological sites Clovis-age natives, often noted for overhunting during their brief dominance in a primitive North America,...

Fungi can tell us about the origin of sex chromosomes
17 Mar 2008
Fungi do not have sexes, just so-called mating types. A new study being published today in the prestigious journal PLoS shows that there are great similarities between the parts of DNA that determine the sex of plants and animals and the parts...

New portrait of Earth shows land cover as never before
17 Mar 2008
A new global portrait taken from space details Earth’s land cover with a resolution never before obtained. ESA, in partnership with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, presented the preliminary version of the map to scientists last...

Eco-friendly pyrotechnics
17 Mar 2008
Fireworks pollute -- nitrogen-rich compounds now pave the way for ecological alternatives This release is available in German. You know it is chemistry when it stinks and goes boom—and entrances us. “No other application in the...

Work with power grids leads to cell biology discovery
17 Mar 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. --- Gene therapy, in which a working gene is inserted into a cell to replace a faulty or absent gene, is a promising experimental technique for the prevention and treatment of disease. Now a research team led by a Northwestern...

NASA satellite measures pollution from east Asia to North America
17 Mar 2008
In a new NASA study, researchers taking advantage of improvements in satellite sensor capabilities offer the first measurement-based estimate of the amount of pollution from East Asian forest fires, urban exhaust, and industrial production...

Holidays -- a right or a privilege?
17 Mar 2008
Holiday memories from childhood are often some of the strongest to remain with us into adult life. But many children and families from disadvantaged backgrounds have little chance of forming those memories when the money is not available to...

Study outlines risk of treatment-resistant infection following facelift surgery
17 Mar 2008
About one-half percent of patients undergoing facelift surgery at one outpatient surgical center between 2001 and 2007 developed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, according to a report in the March/April issue of...

USP convention releases new edition of Pharmacists' Pharmacopeia
17 Mar 2008
Compendium serves as an authoritative reference on safe pharmacy compounding Rockville, Md., March 17, 2008 — The U.S. Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention today announced the release of a new edition of the Pharmacists’ Pharmacopeia, a...

Mercury's shifting, rolling past
17 Mar 2008
Simulation reveals possible cause of Mercury's distinctive features Blacksburg, Va. – Patterns of scalloped-edged cliffs or lobate scarps on Mercury’s surface are thrust faults that are consistent with the planet shrinking and...

Fake diamonds help jet engines take the heat
17 Mar 2008
Ceramic coating designed to resist molten glass (which is in a thin layer on top). The field of view is about half a millimeter. Click here for more information. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State University engineers are...

Dr. John Polanyi wins Canada's most prestigious science award
17 Mar 2008
This release is available in French. OTTAWA – Dr. Colin Carrie, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, on behalf of the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Natural Sciences and...

BU's School of Law, Public Health to hold conference on the future of health law
17 Mar 2008
BOSTON—“Health reform is a central theme in the 2008 Presidential election campaign so now is a critical time to explore what health law may look like in the future and the challenges our society will face as a result,” said...

Key to using local resources for biomass may include waste
17 Mar 2008
Non-traditional resources and new conversion technologies critical to sustainable Northwest biofuels industry The Northwest can have a sizeable biofuels industry based primarily on local resources -- if non-traditional feedstocks, such as...

Hissing cockroaches are popular, but they also host potent mold allergens
17 Mar 2008
Madagascar hissing cockroach. Click here for more information. COLUMBUS, Ohio – Their gentle nature, large size, odd sounds and low-maintenance care have made Madagascar hissing cockroaches popular educational...

Novel spots found on Jupiter
17 Mar 2008
Scientists have observed unexpected luminous spots on Jupiter caused by its moon Io. Besides displaying the most spectacular volcanic activity in the solar system, Io causes auroras on its mother planet that are similar to the Northern Lights...

Tightwads outnumber spendthrifts
17 Mar 2008
We all have a friend who can’t seem to save, constantly splurging on new shoes or the latest gadgets. But, contrary to persistent media coverage of overspending and under-saving, a recent international survey of more than 13,000 shoppers...

Carbon Disclosure Project and Merrill Lynch enter 3-year global partnership
17 Mar 2008
The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a collaboration of 385 institutional investors with assets under management of US $57 trillion, today announced a three-year global partnership with Merrill Lynch & Co, Inc. CDP is the world’s...

Zebrafish enables cell regeneration studies to help understand, treat human disease
17 Mar 2008
Dr. Jeff S. Mumm, biologist at the Medical College of Georgia with his partner in science and life, Dr. Meera Saxena. Click here for more information. One aquarium fish’s uncanny ability to regenerate...

On the trail of rogue genetically modified pathogens
17 Mar 2008
Bacteria can be used to engineer genetic modifications, thereby providing scientists with a tool to combat many challenges in areas from food production to drug discovery. However, this sophisticated technology can also be used maliciously,...

Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for March 18, 2008, issue
17 Mar 2008
1. New Study: Growth Hormone Does Not Enhance Athletic Performance A review of published randomized controlled trials that compared growth hormone (GH) to no-growth-hormone treatment in healthy people between 13 and 45 years of age found that...

Renewable energy heats tomato greenhouse
17 Mar 2008
This release is available in French. SAINT-ÉTIENNE-DES-GRÈS — The official opening of a new environmentally-friendly greenhouse of Les Serres du Saint-Laurent was done by Jacques Gourdes, Member of...

Study examines changes in quality of life after head and neck cancer treatment
17 Mar 2008
In the year following their first treatment, patients with head and neck cancer report declines in their physical quality of life but improvements in their mental health quality of life, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of...

Flip-chart book translates complicated medical procedures into easy-to-understand language
17 Mar 2008
Patients, physicians, and technologists will find SNM publication an essential resource RESTON, Va.—Patients and medical staff can now be on the same page with “A Patient’s Guide to Nuclear Medicine Procedures:...

Controlling a sea of information
17 Mar 2008
Authors publishing in Plant Physiology, a journal of the American Society of Plant Biologists, will enter their own information directly to TAIR through a specially designed web-interface when their papers... Click here for...

NYU chemist Seeman recognized for founding, establishing the field of structural DNA nanotechnology
17 Mar 2008
New York University Chemistry Professor Nadrian Seeman has received the American Chemical Society’s Nicholas Medal for his founding and establishing the field of structural DNA nanotechnology. Created in 1902, the Nichols Medal annually...

MIT: Rx for high drug prices
17 Mar 2008
New book presents a solution CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--The mounting U.S. drug price crisis can be contained and eventually reversed by separating drug discovery from drug marketing and by establishing a non-profit company to oversee funding for new...

Researchers develop method to rapidly ID optimal drug cocktails
17 Mar 2008
New scheme holds promise for treating cancer, other diseases UCLA researchers have developed a feedback control scheme that can search for the most effective drug combinations to treat a variety of conditions, including cancers and infections....

Genetic counselors turn to unconventional counseling to meet demand for genetic testing
17 Mar 2008
Imagine receiving genetic test results for a disease you could develop later in life without having anyone with whom to discuss your options for managing the risk. That’s becoming a common occurrence as people turn to the Internet and...

Like sweets? You're more like a fruit fly than you think...
17 Mar 2008
Similarities highlight environment's role in shaping evolution of taste preferences PHILADELPHIA (March 17, 2008) -- According to researchers at the Monell Center, fruit flies are more like humans in their responses to many sweet tastes than...

First 'rule' of evolution suggests that life is destined to become more complex
17 Mar 2008
Scientists have revealed what may well be the first pervasive ‘rule’ of evolution. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences researchers have found evidence which suggests that evolution drives...

Testicular cancer gauge often not used
17 Mar 2008
Tumor markers can show presence or absence of disease, but are not used in a majority of patients ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A standard part of testicular cancer care isn’t used in more than half of all patients who have the condition,...

Harald zur Hausen receives American Association for Cancer Research Lifetime Achievement Award
17 Mar 2008
PHILADELPHIA – Harald zur Hausen, D.Sc., M.D, internationally recognized for his research demonstrating the role of human papillomavirus as the etiological agent of cervical cancer, will receive the American Association of Cancer...

Home workers fear being 'out of sight, out of mind'
17 Mar 2008
Working from home reduces stress in office workers but leads to fears about career progression, according to new research announced today (Tuesday, March 18). The findings, led by Durham Business School, Durham University, showed that home...

USP announces revised glycerin monograph
17 Mar 2008
New monograph strengthens safety nets to prevent serious health hazards associated with diethylene glycol Rockville, Md., March 17, 2008 — The U.S. Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention today announced a revised Glycerin monograph in the United...

Surprising discovery from first large-scale analysis of biodiversity and biogeography of viruses
17 Mar 2008
Modern microbialites may be endemic remnants of ancient ecosystems Viruses and bacterial viruses (known as phages) are among the most abundant life forms on the planet. Two papers published recently in Nature, March 2 and 12, 2008, analyse the...

Bonn scientists discover new hemoglobin type
17 Mar 2008
Instruments falsely report anoxia in affected people This release is available in German. Scientists at the University of Bonn have discovered a new rare type of haemo-globin. Haemoglobin transports oxygen in the red blood corpuscles. When...

Stevens' College of Arts and Letters to host annual symposium on Science, Technology and Values
17 Mar 2008
Scholars will gather to discuss "Topics in Bioethics," April 25-26 HOBOKEN, N.J. - The College of Arts and Letters at Stevens Institute of Technology will host an annual symposium that will bring together scholars from around the world to...

When does context matter in product evaluations?
17 Mar 2008
In most real world settings, consumers encounter and evaluate products in mixed environments – aspirin and deodorant shelved side-by-side at a pharmacy, or an ad for a tropical vacation next to fashion spread in a magazine. Exposure to...

Prize or patent? Innovative ideas for funding medical drug development and access
17 Mar 2008
The Maastricht Economic and social Research and training centre on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT) and the United Nations University Office in New York (UNU-ONY) are co-organizing a forum on monetary prizes as an alternative to binding...

Foodborne outbreaks from leafy greens on rise
17 Mar 2008
Over the past 35 years the proportion of foodborne outbreaks linked to the consumption of leafy green vegetables has substantially increased and that increase can not be completely attributed to Americans eating more salads according to...

New study: Pycnogenol improves memory in elderly
17 Mar 2008
Research shows French maritime pine bark improves senior citizens New research accepted for publication in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, demonstrates Pycnogenol, (pic-noj-en-all), an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French...

Botox for newborns
17 Mar 2008
Using a common cosmetic drug to treat hypersalivation at the Montreal Children's Hospital of the MUHC This release is available in French. Montreal, 17 March 2008 - Botulinum toxin, also called Botox, is best known as one of the most commonly...

Wine labels with animals: Why they work
17 Mar 2008
Traditional brand research argues that logos should be highly relevant to the product they represent in order to be successful. However, marketers have recently begun using unusual visual identifiers that have little, if anything, to do with...

Algorithm finds the network -- for genes or the Internet
17 Mar 2008
'It takes a village' Human diseases and social networks would seem to have little in common. However, at the crux of these two lies a network, communities within the network, and farther even, substructures of the communities. In a recent paper...

Researchers create next-generation software to identify complex cyber network attacks
17 Mar 2008
Researchers in George Mason University’s Center for Secure Information Systems have developed new software that can reduce the impact of cyber attacks by identifying the possible vulnerability paths through an organization’s...

Researchers discover how stealthy HIV protein gets into cells
17 Mar 2008
A multidisciplinary team -- graduate student Abhijit Mishra, left; materials science and engineering professor Gerard Wong; and postdoctoral researcher Vernita Gordon -- has solved the mystery of how a stealthy... Click here...

Neighborhoods play key role in how much people exercise, study says
17 Mar 2008
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The neighborhoods people live in can help inspire – or discourage – their residents to exercise and keep physically active, new research suggests. Residents of neighborhoods with higher levels of poverty,...

Asia's odd-ball antelope faces migration crisis
17 Mar 2008
A saiga mother and calf. Saiga are now threatened by development in Mongolia that threatens to choke off a key migration route. Click here for more information. NEW YORK (MARCH 17, 2008) – Take a deer’s...

Curbing teen drinking difficult in urban areas
17 Mar 2008
GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- Keeping middle schoolers from alcohol is a tougher task in the inner city than in rural areas, even for experts armed with the best prevention programs, a new University of Florida study shows. A three-year,...

Breast cancer in black women may be connected to neighborhood conditions
17 Mar 2008
Researchers at the University of Chicago are studying possible connections between living in disadvantaged neighborhoods and the development of early onset breast cancer in a path-breaking project led by Sarah Gehlert, Director of the Center...

National Lung Cancer Partnership announces winner of 2007 Career Development Award
17 Mar 2008
MADISON, Wis. – National Lung Cancer Partnership is pleased to announce that Adam Marcus, Ph.D., of the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University is the winner of the organization’s 2007 Career Development Award. The Career...

The big gamble
17 Mar 2008
Economist Paul J.J. Welfens blames the banking crisis on unreasonable rate of return expectations and altered risk premiums in international finance centers Despite cuts in interest rates, the problems on the US real estate and banking markets...

New insights into the diversity of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease agents
17 Mar 2008
Researchers from the United Kingdom and France have identified four separate biochemical subgroups in a selection of cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The study, published March 14th in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens, suggests that...

New insight into the genetics of brain tumor formation
17 Mar 2008
In a G&D paper published online ahead of its April 1 print publication date, Dr. William Kaelin (Dana Farber Cancer Institute) and colleagues identify a potential new neuronal tumor suppressor. “It has been suspected for decades...

Severe West Nile infection could lead to lifetime of symptoms
17 Mar 2008
Most people who suffer severe infection with West Nile virus still experience symptoms years after infection and many may continue to experience these symptoms for the rest of their lives according to research presented today (March 17) at the...

From Green Luddite to Techspressive: The ideology of consumer technology
17 Mar 2008
When people line up to buy a new iPhone, what is it that they are really buying? A fascinating new paper in the April issue of the Journal of Consumer Research outlines the four main ideologies governing our consumption of technology,...

Chemical engineers discover new way to control particle motion
17 Mar 2008
Discovery potentially aids micro- and nano-fluid systems for drug delivery, sensors, more Chemical engineers at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered a new way to control the motion of fluid particles through tiny channels,...

Medical College of Wisconsin discovery alters longstanding concept of fixed protein structure
17 Mar 2008
May advance cancer and neurological diseases research The thousands of proteins found in nature are simply strings of amino acids, assembled by genes, and scientists have long believed that they automatically fold themselves into uniquely...

Online technical support forums build social capital
17 Mar 2008
Consumers in search of product related information and technical support often turn to virtual communities for help. A forthcoming examination in the April 2008 Journal of Consumer Research of virtual P3 communities – peer-to-peer...

National Lung Cancer Partnership and LUNGevity Foundation
17 Mar 2008
MADISON, Wis. – National Lung Cancer Partnership, in partnership with the LUNGevity Foundation, is pleased to announce the winners of their third annual research grant competition. The research grants, each $100,000, were created to...

Does touch affect flavor? Study finds that how a container feels can affect taste
17 Mar 2008
Effect most pronounced for those who do not usually like to touch things while shopping Does coffee in a flimsy cup taste worse than coffee in a more substantial cup? Firms such as McDonalds and Starbucks spend millions of dollars every year on...

Understanding teen attitudes critical to quit message
17 Mar 2008
National Youth Tobacco Free Day: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 Teen attitudes to smoking need to be re-examined if anti-smoking health campaigns are to be effective, according to Hunter researchers. Researchers from the Centre for Health Research...