- 26-03-2008 - Top Science News Stories from Firstscience.com

Would you like a large shake with that little Mac?
26 Mar 2008
SDSC researchers turn SeisMac feature on Apple laptops into an innovative learning tool What began as a way to prevent damage to the hard drive from a dropped laptop has led to an innovative project that lets seismology and engineering students...

New organic molecule in space
26 Mar 2008
Scientists detect amino acetonitrile near the center of our Milky Way This release is available in German. Amino acetonitrile (NH2CH2CN). Click here for more information. The "Large Molecule Heimat" is a very dense,...

WRAIR investigators pioneering work on an exciting new class of antimalarial compounds
26 Mar 2008
"Artemisinins in Malaria Therapy " provides a fascinating overview of the historical use and recent developments in the treatment of one of the oldest and still one of the most prevalent... Click here for more...

Kaiser Permanente study shows that a larger abdomen in midlife increases risk of dementia
26 Mar 2008
Overweight and obese individuals with large bellies have double or triple the risk of dementia March 26, 2008 (Oakland, Calif.) – People in their 40s with larger stomachs have a higher risk for dementia when they reach their 70s,...

Chassapis and team awarded $3 million GK-12 grant from NSF for multiscale research
26 Mar 2008
Research in multiscale engineered systems will be combined with innovative approaches to doctoral education HOBOKEN, N.J. ¯ Through its GK-12 program, the graduate education division of the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a...

Low oxygen and molybdenum in ancient oceans delayed evolution of life by 2 billion years
26 Mar 2008
UC Riverside-led study tracked biogeochemical signatures preserved in ancient sedimentary rocks to establish nature and timing of oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere Clinton Scott (left), the first author of the research paper, is...

FSU receives $2.5M grant to develop forecasts for farmers
26 Mar 2008
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded Florida State University $2.5 million to provide climate forecasting for the agricultural community in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd (D-FL) helped...

Tips from the Journals of the American Society for Microbiology
26 Mar 2008
New Approach May Lead to Effective H5N1 Influenza A Virus Vaccine Manipulating a previously identified protein may be the key to developing an effective H5N1 influenza A virus vaccine say researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison...

MSU professor earns Bowditch Award for work on hypertension
26 Mar 2008
BETHESDA, Md. (March 26, 2008) -- The American Physiological Society has awarded Michigan State University Professor Stephanie W. Watts the 2008 Henry Pickering Bowditch Memorial Award for early-career achievement. The award goes to a...

New study suggests that specially-formulated
26 Mar 2008
Daily consumption of CocoaVia dark chocolate bars containing cocoa flavanols and plant sterols significantly lowered cholesterol levels and systolic blood pressure in study participants HACKETTSTOWN, NJ (March 20, 2008) ¡V Daily...

Scientists uncover the source of an almost 2 billion year delay in animal evolution
26 Mar 2008
Chemicals in ancient deep oceans provide clues to speed of evolution A deficiency of oxygen and the heavy metal molybdenum in the ancient deep ocean may have delayed the evolution of animal life on Earth for nearly two billion years. Dr Simon...

International team of scientists discover clue to delay of life on Earth
26 Mar 2008
TEMPE, Ariz. – Scientists from around the world have reconstructed changes in Earth’s ancient ocean chemistry during a broad sweep of geological time, from about 2.5 to 0.5 billion years ago. They have discovered that a deficiency...

Brain scientist shedding light on learning, memory
26 Mar 2008
Dr. Joe Z. Tsien Click here for more information. Neurons spoke to Dr. Joe Z. Tsien when he was a sophomore college student searching for some meaningful extracurricular activity. He had stopped by the lab of a...

Coronary calcium testing predicts future heart ailments
26 Mar 2008
UCI-led study in New England Journal of Medicine identifies practical, noninvasive procedure for preventing heart attack and heart disease Irvine, Calif. - Calcium deposits in coronary arteries provide a strong predictor for possible future...

Experts prove the geochemical origin of part of the CO2 emissions in semiarid climates
26 Mar 2008
Measuring tower of CO2 ecosystem-atmosphere interchange by means of the eddy covariance technique. Click here for more information. The implementation of the Kyoto Protocol has raised, among other pressing matters,...

Coming together to help grow the next generation of computing leaders
26 Mar 2008
Innovative program connects minority computer science students at tier-1 universities to prepare them for future success EL Alliance students at the 2007 Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing. Click here for more...

U-M 'ballast-free ship' could cut costs while blocking aquatic invaders
26 Mar 2008
ANN ARBOR, Mich.---University of Michigan researchers are investigating a radical new design for cargo ships that would eliminate ballast tanks, the water-filled compartments that enable non-native creatures to sneak into the Great Lakes from...

Military action to influence oil-producing nations ineffective, expert says
26 Mar 2008
Clifford Singer, former director of the Program in Arms Control, Disarmament and International Security, says trying to influence oil supply with military force in the Middle East is not only... Click here for more...

Climate change threatens Amazonian small farmers
26 Mar 2008
The child of a Brazilian small farmer holds a ripe cacao fruit. Click here for more information. BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A six-year study of Amazonian small farmers and their responses to climate change shows the...

A planet in progress?
26 Mar 2008
Astrophysicists observe a circumstellar disk with telltale signs of planet formation An object appears to be forming from gas and dust around the star AB Aurigae. Click here for more information. Scientists are one...

FDA deadlines may compromise drug safety by rushing approval
26 Mar 2008
Fast-tracked medications more likely to face later regulatory action to remedy safety concerns CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Many medications are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the brink of congressionally mandated deadlines,...

Why don't kids walk to school anymore?
26 Mar 2008
ANN ARBOR, Mich.---Maybe when we were their age, we walked five miles to school, rain or shine. So why don't most children today walk or bike to school? It's not necessarily because they're spoiled, lazy or over scheduled. According to a...

UD astronomers coordinating international observatories in white-dwarf watch
26 Mar 2008
Shown at Mt. Cuba Astronomical Observatory in Greenville, Del., resident astronomer Judi Provencal, assistant professor of physics and astronomy at UD and director of the Delaware Asteroseismic Research Center, is... Click...

Key factor in brain development revealed, offers insight into disorder
26 Mar 2008
Anthony Wynshaw-Boris, MD, PhD. Click here for more information. In the earliest days of brain development, the brain’s first cells – neuroepithelial stem cells -- divide continuously, producing a...

PET confirmed as valuable cancer diagnostic and disease-staging tool
26 Mar 2008
SNM applauds the participation of patients and medical staff and calls for Reston, Va.—The recent release of data by the National Oncologic PET Registry (NOPR) showing that positron emission tomography (PET) produced scans revealing...

Peace paradox and air terror
26 Mar 2008
The research found peace treaties signed before Sept. 11 included civil aviation agreements which did not take into account the possibility of air terror attacks such as the attack on the World Trade Center Peace agreements, stability and...

Growth hormone found to have new role in development of brain's smell center
26 Mar 2008
Neuroscientists find IGF directs axon growth to set up brain's wiring Berkeley — A human hormone known to stimulate the growth of cells throughout the body has a new role - helping to set up the proper nerve connections in the odor center...

Study shows compassion meditation changes the brain
26 Mar 2008
MADISON - Can we train ourselves to be compassionate" A new study suggests the answer is yes. Cultivating compassion and kindness through meditation affects brain regions that can make a person more empathetic to other peoples' mental states,...

New Alzheimer's disease survey reveals children of sandwich caregivers assist with loved ones' care
26 Mar 2008
3 in 5 caregivers say their children help care for loved ones with Alzheimer's disease New York, NY (March 26, 2008) — Results from the third annual Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) ICAN: Investigating Caregivers’...

DendriMed scientist seeks to fast-track success
26 Mar 2008
2008 Advancing BioBusiness Award winners announced Gleaning critical technical knowledge and building important international relationships is top of the agenda for rising Australian biotechnology star, DendriMed Research Director Dr Raisa...

Study validates Pittsburgh Compound-B in identifying Alzheimer's disease brain toxins
26 Mar 2008
University of Pittsburgh researchers report findings in journal Brain PITTSBURGH, March 26 – A groundbreaking study conducted by University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer’s disease researchers reported in the journal Brain (currently...

Large multicenter study suggests new genetic markers for Crohn's disease
26 Mar 2008
Results shed light on special genetic vulnerabilities of Ashkenazi Jews What is believed to be the largest study of its kind for the genetic roots of inflammatory bowel diseases has suggested new links to Crohn’s Disease as well as...

Dental chair a possible source of neurotoxic mercury waste
26 Mar 2008
Mercury is a large component of dental fillings, but it is not believed to pose immediate health risks in that form. When exposed to sulfate-reducing bacteria, however, mercury undergoes a chemical change and becomes methylated, making it a...

Infant formula must contain DHA omega-3 and AA omega-6, say international experts
26 Mar 2008
This release is available in Spanish. Dr. Cristina Campoy Click here for more information. New recommendations published by international experts in the Journal of Perinatal Medicine state that infant formula should...

Compulsive gamblers always down on their luck
26 Mar 2008
Gambling addicts don't learn from their mistakes, according to a study published today in the open access journal Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health. The problem could be explained by a kind of mental rigidity that leads to...

Conservation of freshwater fish biodiversity: a challenge for the countries of the South
26 Mar 2008
Humans have regularly been introducing exotic species into natural environments in order to provide for their nutritional necessities or meet less indispensable purposes such as horticulture, fishing or hunting. However, the particular...

Brain's 'sixth sense' for calories discovered
26 Mar 2008
The brain can sense the calories in food, independent of the taste mechanism, researchers have found in studies with mice. Their finding that the brain’s reward system is switched on by this “sixth sense” machinery could have...

Antisense therapeutics scientist out to pull more big deals
26 Mar 2008
2008 Advancing BioBusiness Award winners announced Aiming for more major licensing deals like the one his company recently secured with top 20 global pharmaceutical company, Teva, is front of mind for rising Australian biotechnology star,...

Faster koa tree growth without adverse ecosystem effects
26 Mar 2008
Janis Haraguchi, an Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry biologist, measures the diameter of an Acacia koa tree. Haraguchi and other US Forest Service scientists found the stem diameter of koa... Click here for more...

UK physician revolutionizes gene research
26 Mar 2008
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 20, 2008) − A dramatic new study published in the most recent issue of Nature questions some of the mechanisms underlying a new class of drugs based on Nobel Prize-winning work designed to fight diseases ranging...

Rich terrorist, poor terrorist
26 Mar 2008
Cause of terrorism may not be linked to poverty Does poverty breed terrorism? A researcher from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government says there is no evidence of a significant relationship between a country's wealth...

Additional evidence of wolverine found in the Tahoe National Forest
26 Mar 2008
Side view of a wolverine photographed in California's Tahoe National Forest by a remote-controlled camera. A wolverine was first photographed on the national forest on Feb. 28, 2008, the first... Click here for more...

Scientists launch first comprehensive database of human oral microbiome
26 Mar 2008
Scientists know more today than ever before about the microbes that inhabit our mouths. They know so much, in fact, that gathering all of the relevant bits of information into one place when designing experiments can be a job in itself. Now,...

Umbilical cord blood cell therapy may reduce signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease
26 Mar 2008
Tampa, FL (March 26, 2008) — Targeted immune suppression using human umbilical cord blood cells may improve the pathology associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a new study in a mouse model of this currently untreatable...

Folate scores a win in animal studies: Brief, high doses of B vitamin blunt damage from heart attack
26 Mar 2008
Nutrient may act as heart energy reserve Long known for its role in preventing anemia in expectant mothers and spinal birth defects in newborns, the B vitamin folate, found in leafy green vegetables, beans and nuts has now been shown to blunt...

Statistics are insufficient for study of proteins' signal system
26 Mar 2008
Ten years ago great attention was attracted by the discovery that it was possible to demonstrate signal transfer in proteins using statistical methods. In an article in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS) Uppsala...

Larger belly in mid-life increases risk of dementia
26 Mar 2008
ST. PAUL, Minn. – People with larger stomachs in their 40s are more likely to have dementia when they reach their 70s, according to a study published in the March 26, 2008, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the...

Increasing access to antiretroviral drugs would drastically cut AIDS deaths in South Africa
26 Mar 2008
Increasing US support could save more than a million lives by 2012 More that 1.2 million deaths could be prevented in South Africa over the next five years by accelerating efforts to provide access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), according to...

Umbilical cord blood cell therapy in an animal model of Alzheimer's disease
26 Mar 2008
New Rochelle, NY, March 26, 2008—A novel strategy based on targeted immune suppression using human umbilical cord blood cells may improve the pathology and cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease, based on the results...

Who's bad? Chimps figure it out by observation
26 Mar 2008
Experiments test chimpanzees' ability to make judgments about the reputation of strangers Chimpanzees make judgments about the actions and dispositions of strangers by observing others’ behavior and interactions in different situations....

Apple pectin, apple juice extracts shown to have anticarcinogenic effects on colon
26 Mar 2008
WASHINGTON - The apples and apple juice you consume may have positive effects in one of the most unlikely places in the body – in the colon. New research has demonstrated that both apple pectin and polyphenol-rich apple juice components...

Despite awareness of global warming Americans concerned more about local environment
26 Mar 2008
MU professor finds Americans are hesitant to support global environmental efforts COLUMBIA, Mo. – Last week, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown declared climate change a top international threat, and Al Gore urged politicians to get...

Rising Australian biotech stars set to connect on the world stage
26 Mar 2008
2008 Advancing BioBusiness Award winners announced Two of Australia’s leading life scientists have been chosen from a highly competitive field of candidates to take part in an initiative by Merck Sharp & Dohme and Advance to boost the...

NSAIDs: Painkillers, inflammation inhibitors, anti-cancer drugs and new de-methylating agents
26 Mar 2008
Researchers at the National Sun Yat-Sen University and Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan have revealed a new mechanism by which nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) attenuate tumor invasion and metastasis. The research,...

Researchers urge ethics guidelines for human-genome research
26 Mar 2008
A global team of legal, scientific and ethics experts have put forward eight key recommendations to establish much needed guidelines for conducting human-genome sequencing research. Timothy Caulfield, professor and research director of the...

UC Irvine researchers present latest findings at emergency medicine forum
26 Mar 2008
The UC Irvine Department of Emergency Medicine is hosting the 11th annual Society of Academic Emergency Medicine Research Forum March 28-29 in Costa Mesa, Calif. As part of the forum, UC Irvine emergency medical physicians will present...

Basis created for directing and filming blood vessels
26 Mar 2008
A new method of filming blood-vessel cells that move in accordance with targeted signals has been developed by researchers at Uppsala University in collaboration with researchers at the University of California. The method can also be used to...

Study shows the upside of anger
26 Mar 2008
Here’s a maxim from the “duh” department: People typically prefer to feel emotions that are pleasant, like excitement, and avoid those that are unpleasant, like anger. But a new study appearing in the April issue of...

A ton of bitter melon produces sweet results for diabetes
26 Mar 2008
Scientists have uncovered the therapeutic properties of bitter melon, a vegetable and traditional Chinese medicine, that make it a powerful treatment for Type 2 diabetes. Teams from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Shanghai...

A product for the detection and characterization of brucellosis launched at University of Navarra
26 Mar 2008
This release is available in Spanish. Ignacio López-Goñi and David García, researchers of the Department of Microbiology and Parasitology of the University of Navarra, have launched a new product for the detection and...

Study shows lifetime effects of pediatric liver transplants
26 Mar 2008
Despite stresses, families fare well Parents of pediatric liver transplant recipients report lower health-related quality of life for their children two years after the surgery, compared to reports from the parents of healthy children. However,...

Does an official government apology really make amends?
26 Mar 2008
Research published by SAGE in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin In a series of studies, social psychology researchers Catherine Philpot and Matthew Hornsey, of Australia’s University of Queensland, provided participants with...

Long-term use of mechanical ventilation contributes to the deterioration of human diaphragm muscle
26 Mar 2008
Penn study suggests blocking the molecular atrophy pathway to help safely wean patients off ventilators PHILADELPHIA – A new study by University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine shows, for the first time in humans, that ventilators...

New brain cells implicated in machinery of cannabinoid signaling
26 Mar 2008
The brain cells called astrocytes, and not just neurons, are sensitive to the substances called cannabinoids—the active chemicals in marijuana. The researchers said their findings could aid in development of treatments for cannabinoid...