- 14-04-2008 - Top Science News Stories from Firstscience.com

Chronopolis Project launched to preserve at-risk digital information
14 Apr 2008
SDSC, UCSDL, NCAR and UMIACS focus on cross-domain sharing for vital collections The Chronopolis Digital Preservation Demonstration Project, one of the Library of Congress’ latest efforts to collect and preserve at-risk digital...

Cancer prevention: stopping cancer before it can start
14 Apr 2008
SAN DIEGO – Tapping into a growing body of knowledge about the origins and progression of cancer, researchers are now developing and testing new preventive therapies to stop it in its tracks. At the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American...

Abstracts online for 2008 Joint Assembly in Ft. Lauderdale
14 Apr 2008
1. Abstracts and sessions now online and searchable A. Searching for Abstracts of Interest to You The 1,544 Joint Assembly abstracts may be accessed by a search tool: http://www.agu.org/meetings/ja08/waisja08adv.html Reporters and public...

ASEE Best Paper Award recognizes Stevens' promotion of systems concepts
14 Apr 2008
Stevens pioneers push for integration of systems-engineering thinking HOBOKEN, N.J. ¯ A group of faculty from Stevens Institute of Technology has won first-place recognition for “Best Paper” delivered recently at the American...

7 months on a drifting ice floe
14 Apr 2008
Drift expedition NP 35 has produced unique data about the hibernal atmosphere above the central Arctic This release is available in German. Panorama view on the Russian Drift Station NP 35. Click here for more...

University of Iowa Mathematics Department receives award
14 Apr 2008
The Mathematics Department at the University of Iowa is the 2008 recipient of the AMS Award for an Exemplary Program or Achievement in a Mathematics Department. The award citation calls the Iowa department "a national leader in recruiting and...

Laser triggers electrical activity in thunderstorm for the first time
14 Apr 2008
Device on mountaintop takes first step toward manmade lightning WASHINGTON, April 14—A team of European scientists has deliberately triggered electrical activity in thunderclouds for the first time, according to a new paper in the latest...

Delta II rocket coming together for NASA's GLAST satellite launch
14 Apr 2008
On Pad 17-B, the mobile service tower (left) approaches the Delta II rocket (right). The solid rocket boosters in the tower will be mated with the rocket. Click here for more information. GREENBELT, Md. – The...

Unconscious decisions in the brain
14 Apr 2008
This release is available in German. Already several seconds before we consciously make a decision its outcome can be predicted from unconscious activity in the brain. This is shown in a study by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for...

Tomato pathogen genome may offer clues about bacterial evolution
14 Apr 2008
Blacksburg, Va.. – The availability of new genome sequencing technology has prompted a Virginia Tech plant scientist to test an intriguing hypothesis about how agriculture’s early beginnings may have impacted the evolution of plant...

Contract signed for ESA's Sentinel-3 Earth observation satellite
14 Apr 2008
The European Space Agency and Thales Alenia Space today signed a €305 million contract to provide the first Sentinel-3 earth observation satellite, devoted to oceanography and land-vegetation monitoring, as part of the European GMES...

Learning and the brain
14 Apr 2008
(Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– The brain is “plastic,” according to recent findings in neuroscience, and that concept can help teachers and educators improve learning. Brain plasticity is the focus of a gathering of nearly...

American Cancer Society awards research grants to 133 investigators at 84 institutions nationwide
14 Apr 2008
ATLANTA—April 14, 2008 – The American Cancer Society, the largest non-government, not-for-profit funding source of cancer research in the United States, has awarded 133 national research and training grants totaling more than $54...

Getting wired for terahertz computing
14 Apr 2008
A step toward circuits for superfast far-infrared computers Ajay Nahata, a University of Utah professor of electrical and computer engineering, with equipment he uses to test devices aimed at harnessing terahertz radiation --...

Scientists create first successful libraries of avian flu virus antibodies
14 Apr 2008
Novel Project could help thwart worldwide influenza threat MENLO PARK, CA, APRIL 10, 2008—An international group of American and Turkish research scientists, led by Sea Lane Biotechnologies, has created the first comprehensive monoclonal...

Researchers mimic bacteria to produce magnetic nanoparticles
14 Apr 2008
Interdisciplinary Ames Laboratory team uses bioinspired approach When it comes to designing something, it’s hard to find a better source of inspiration than Mother Nature. Using that principle, a diverse, interdisciplinary group of...

Novel living system recreates predator-prey interaction
14 Apr 2008
Using fluorescent microscopy, researchers document the predator-prey interaction. The predator cells, shown in green, have caused a prey cell, shown in red, to commit suicide. The elongation and separation of... Click here for...

Potential blood test for chronic sinusitis identified
14 Apr 2008
A protein profile has been identified in the blood of chronic sinusitis sufferers that may enable physicians to objectively diagnosis and treat the disease, researchers say. Click here for more information. A...

Launching a global alliance for pharmacogenomics
14 Apr 2008
US and Japanese scientists partner to study genetic factors that influence the safety and effectiveness of medicines Leaders at the National Institutes of Health and the Center for Genomic Medicine in Japan have signed a letter of intent...

Scientists debate the accuracy of Al Gore's documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth'
14 Apr 2008
Award-winning film raises public awareness but contains weaknesses and exaggerations There is no question that Al Gore’s 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth is a powerful example of how scientific knowledge can be communicated to a lay...

Forests' long-term potential for carbon offsetting
14 Apr 2008
As well as cutting our fossil fuel emissions, planting new forests, or managing existing forests or agricultural land more effectively can capitalise on nature’s ability to act as a carbon sink. Research published online in the open...

Marijuana use on the rise among Ontario adults, CAMH reports
14 Apr 2008
Despite positive substance use trends, tobacco and alcohol still have high costs to society While this CAMH Monitor eReport reveals some promising substance use trends among Ontario adults, its revelation of a substantial increase in cannabis...

Missions to Mars
14 Apr 2008
GSI will investigate radiation risks for astronauts View inside the 120 meters long accelerator UNILAC at GSI used to generate the ion beams. Click here for more information. The European Space Agency (ESA) has...

Girls in sports at record high, yet many not active enough, U of Minnesota report says
14 Apr 2008
A report released to be released on April 14 by the University of Minnesota’s Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport shows that girls are participating in sports in record numbers, but their participation in physical...

Brain study may lead to improved epilepsy treatments
14 Apr 2008
Using a rodent model of epilepsy, researchers found one of the body’s own neurotransmitters released during seizures, glutamate, turns on a signaling pathway in the brain that increases production of a protein that could reduce...

New insights into the genetic basis of resistance to chemotherapy in children with acute leukemia
14 Apr 2008
In a new study published in PLoS Medicine, William Evans of St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, and colleagues provide new insight into resistance to the widely-used cancer drug methotrexate (MTX) in patients with acute...

NovoCure presents results from breast cancer pilot study
14 Apr 2008
New York, NY– April 14, 2008 – NovoCure announced today that it presented the results from a single-arm pilot trial evaluating the Novo-TTF, a non-invasive portable medical device, combined with neo-adjuvant chemotherapy for the...

Testosterone levels predict city traders' profitability
14 Apr 2008
Research provides insight into irrational decision making during crashes and bubbles When City traders have high morning testosterone levels they make more than average profits for the rest of that day, researchers at the University of...

Tip sheet for the Annals of Internal Medicine, April 15, 2008, issue
14 Apr 2008
1. Testosterone Spray Improves Sexual Satisfaction Slightly in Premenopausal Women But So Does Placebo; Editorial Says Treat Women Conventionally A study that randomized 261 women aged 35 to 46 with self-reported low libido and low serum free...

European Society of Human Reproduction & Embryology 24th annual meeting
14 Apr 2008
Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, July 6-Wednesday, July 9, 2008 Reproductive medicine is one of the most exciting scientific and clinical areas. Every month brings announcements of research developments, medical ‘firsts’, new rulings by...

Celebrex-Lipitor combo may halt prostate cancer
14 Apr 2008
Anti-inflammatory and statin used in tandem can stop progression of disease NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Researchers at Rutgers’ Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy have shown that administering a combination of the widely used drugs Celebrex...

Sleeping sickness finding could lead to earlier diagnosis
14 Apr 2008
Sleeping sickness creates a metabolic 'fingerprint' in the blood and urine, which could enable a new test to be developed to diagnose the disease, according to new research published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of...

Clues to ancestral origin of placenta emerge in Stanford study
14 Apr 2008
STANFORD, Calif. - Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have uncovered the first clues about the ancient origins of a mother's intricate lifeline to her unborn baby, the placenta, which delivers oxygen and nutrients...

Low-dose DFMO reduces colon cancer risk without toxicity
14 Apr 2008
SAN DIEGO -- A combination of the targeted agent difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) at a low dose and sulindac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), reduces the risk of recurrent colorectal adenomas, an early sign of colon cancer, by up...

Human vascular system in mice
14 Apr 2008
Researchers of the German Cancer Research Center are studying in mice how tumors manipulate the human vascular system Three-dimensional reconstruction of a vascular system made of human endothelial cells in mice 20 days after...

ScienceDirect upgrade to boost researcher productivity and efficiency
14 Apr 2008
New and forthcoming enhancements designed to optimize research workflows Amsterdam, 14 April, 2008 – Elsevier, a leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical (STM) information, today announced that new intuitive reference and...

Berkeley Lab examines state-level renewables portfolio standards policies
14 Apr 2008
Ryan Wiser (left) and Galen Barbose have conducted a "lessons learned " type study of how states have been utilizing renewables portfolio standards to support the development and use of renewable... Click here for more...

Sunitinib may slow growth and spread of liver cancer
14 Apr 2008
SAN DIEGO -- Treatment with sunitinib slows tumor growth and reduces the risk of metastasis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, an aggressive cancer of the liver, researchers report. “Patients with this type of liver cancer have...

Story tips from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, April 2008
14 Apr 2008
To arrange for an interview with a researcher, please contact the Communications and External Relations staff member identified at the end of each tip. For more information on ORNL and its research and development activities, please refer to...

Elevated urate levels may slow the progression of Parkinson's disease
14 Apr 2008
Mass. General, Harvard School of Public Health study may lead to new therapy Naturally elevated levels of the antioxidant urate may slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease in men. Researchers from the MassGeneral Institute for...

Location spoofing possible with WiFi devices
14 Apr 2008
Positioning system used by iPhone/iPod breached In January, Skyhook Wireless Inc. announced that Apple would use Skyhook’s WiFi Positioning System (WPS) for its popular Map applications. The WPS database contains information on access...

Colon cancer risk perception associated with screening behavior
14 Apr 2008
Women’s perception of their cancer risk appears to vary by race and may affect how likely they are to undergo screenings, particularly for colon cancer, according to a report in the April 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of...

Too many choices -- good or bad -- can be mentally exhausting
14 Apr 2008
Researchers show that people have less stamina, are less productive when they have more choices WASHINGTON – Each day, we are bombarded with options -- at the local coffee shop, at work, in stores or on the TV at home. Do you want a...

Quicker, faster, better calibration and machine calibration in the workplace from NPL
14 Apr 2008
Laser tracer. Click here for more information. The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is launching a revolutionary new measurement system that will bring laboratory level standards to the shop floor. The technology...

First functional insulin-binding protein in invertebrates
14 Apr 2008
Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling that helps to regulate mammals’ growth, metabolism, reproduction and longevity is well documented. Now research published in the open access journal Journal of Biology describes the genetic...

Conducting research during humanitarian emergencies
14 Apr 2008
In 1987 the international medical and humanitarian aid organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, Doctors without Borders) created its own research center, called Epicentre, to help address critical health research questions...

Blood pressure drugs halt pancreatic cancer cell growth, Jefferson researchers find
14 Apr 2008
(PHILADELPHIA) Researchers at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia are inching closer to understanding how common blood pressure medications might help prevent the spread of pancreatic cancer. They have found...

Queen's researcher named astronomer of the year
14 Apr 2008
A researcher at Queen’s University Belfast has won ‘The Young Astronomer Award 2008’ from the Astronomical Society of Japan. Dr Hideko Nomura, 35, was presented with the award in recognition of her outstanding research...

Georgetown researchers find stem cell marker controls 2 key cancer pathways
14 Apr 2008
San Diego – Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have discovered that a gene associated with human breast stem cells can stimulate development of mammary cells by activating two critical cancer pathways. They say this...

How smoking encourages infection
14 Apr 2008
Now new research published in the open access journal BMC Cell Biology shows that nicotine affects neutrophils, the short-lived white blood cells that defend against infection, by reducing their ability to seek and destroy...

St. Jude discovery offers new avenues to understanding an aggressive form of leukemia
14 Apr 2008
Finding that a combination of genetic mutations can cause an aggressive form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia could lead to new cancer-fighting therapies Researchers at St. Jude Children¡¦s Research Hospital have discovered evidence...

Study details cost-effectiveness of rheumatoid arthritis treatments for Medicare recipients
14 Apr 2008
For elderly and disabled rheumatoid arthritis (RA) sufferers, the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act (MMA) brought the promise of better disease management with “biologic” drugs. Prior to its passage in...

Calorie restriction inhibits, obesity fuels development of epithelial cancers
14 Apr 2008
M.D. Anderson-led team connects dietary balance to common cancer pathways John DiGiovanni, Ph.D., director of the Department of Carcinogenesis and of M.D. Anderson's Science Park - Research Division in Smithville, Texas. Click...

UCI study finds effective colon cancer prevention treatment
14 Apr 2008
Drug combination reduces cancer risk with reduced toxic side effects Irvine, Calif. – Using a combination of a targeted cancer-fighting agent called DFMO and a low dose of an anti-inflammatory drug, UC Irvine researchers have reduced the...

Molecule prompts blood stem cells to help repair heart damage in animal model
14 Apr 2008
DALLAS – Apr. 14, 2008 – Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have for the first time used drug-treated blood stem cells to repair heart damage in an animal model, results that might point to methods for healing injuries...

Best use for popular CAD assessment procedure is misunderstood
14 Apr 2008
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (April 14, 2008) – What is the best way to determine if you are developing the nation’s most deadly condition, coronary artery disease (CAD)" An increasing number of doctors are encouraging patients –...

Discovery of differences in heart's precursor cells may advance treatment options
14 Apr 2008
CHAPEL HILL – Scientists have long thought that the cells that ultimately give rise to the heart all respond to the same cue before turning into the muscle tissue of this vital organ. But now researchers at the University of North...

Study sheds light on deadly lung disease
14 Apr 2008
Systemic sclerosis (SSc), also known as scleroderma, is characterized by the formation of fibrosis, or scar tissue, on internal organs as well as the skin. Beyond its disfiguring symptoms, SSc is associated with a high rate of deadly lung...

Blood urate levels associated with the progression of Parkinson's disease
14 Apr 2008
Higher blood levels of the compound urate, a salt derived from uric acid that is associated with gout, may be associated with a slower progression of Parkinson’s disease, according to an article posted online today that will appear in...

Study shows decline in work disability due to rheumatoid arthritis
14 Apr 2008
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the joints and, in severe cases, vital organs. Marked by pain, fatigue, and loss of dexterity and mobility, RA has been strongly associated with work disability in the US....

Regulating hematopoietic stem cell homeostasis and leukemogenesis
14 Apr 2008
In the April 15th issue of G&D, Dr. Richard Flavell (Yale University) and colleagues identify the c-Cbl protein as a critical repressor of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal. In addition to establishing a key role for protein...

Good nutrition starts early!
14 Apr 2008
You are what you eat, as the old saying goes. Maybe so, but increasingly researchers are finding that you are also what your mother ate – maternal nutrition has profound consequences on the health of offspring. It is well known that...

Hormone use related to lower risk of macular degeneration in postmenopausal women
14 Apr 2008
Women who take postmenopausal hormones appear to have a lower risk of developing advanced stages of the eye disease age-related macular degeneration, especially if they had also taken oral contraceptives in the past, according to a report in...

Molecular basis for neurodegeneration in Ataxia telangiectasia
14 Apr 2008
An upcoming paper from Dr. David Wassarman (University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health) in the May 1 issue of G&D lends new insight into the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration in Ataxia telangiectasia. Ataxia...

Journal of Women's Health named official journal of American Medical Women's Association
14 Apr 2008
New Rochelle, NY, April 7, 2008 — The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), an organization devoted to the advancement of women in medicine and the improvement of women's health, has named Journal of Women’s Health...

Study shows increase of hip and knee replacements in the US
14 Apr 2008
With the graying of America’s Baby Boomer generation, arthritis is a growing health concern. Traditionally associated with the elderly, this common joint disease currently afflicts over 20 million men and women in the United States. To...

High blood pressure may protect against migraine
14 Apr 2008
ST. PAUL, Minn. – People with high blood pressure appear to be less likely to have migraine than those with low blood pressure. Researchers say stiff arteries associated with high blood pressure may play a role in protecting against...

Early vision screening associated with better eyesight in children with amblyopia
14 Apr 2008
Children who screen positive for amblyopia, reduced vision in one eye, before age 2 appear to have better visual outcomes than those whose vision problems are detected during screenings between ages 2 and 4, according to a report in the April...

Gene-environment interaction in yeast gene expression
14 Apr 2008
The nature vs. nurture debate is familiar to most people, and modern conclusions usually predict a balance between the two. A new paper published this week in the open-access journal PLoS Biology shows that there is a similar balance between...

Blood pressure-lowering diet also may be associated with lower risk for heart disease, stroke
14 Apr 2008
Women who eat diets similar to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet—which is low in animal protein, moderate in low-fat dairy products and high in plant proteins, fruits and vegetables—appear to have a lower risk...

Statins shown to lower blood pressure
14 Apr 2008
A large, randomized drug trial has shown for the first time that statin drugs result in a modest, but significant, reduction in blood pressure. These effects may contribute to the reduced risk of stroke and cardiovascular events reported for...

Diuretics associated with bone loss in older men
14 Apr 2008
Older men who take loop diuretics, commonly prescribed drugs for heart failure and hypertension, appear to have increased rates of hip bone loss than men who are not taking this medication, according to a report in the April 14 issue of...

Statins may help reduce blood pressure
14 Apr 2008
The medications known as statins, typically prescribed to lower blood cholesterol levels, may also modestly reduce blood pressure, according to a report in the April 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives...

Decrease in mortality after severe injuries in accidents
14 Apr 2008
Fewer and fewer people are dying after being severely injured in an accident. As Professor Steffen Ruchholtz and his colleagues from Marburg University Hospital report in the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt, the number of deaths in...

Antidepressants account for only 10% of fall in suicide rates among older people
14 Apr 2008
Increased use of antidepressants and decreasing suicide rates: A population-based study using Danish register data The use of antidepressants is likely to account for only 10 per cent of the fall in suicide rates among middle aged and older...

Ethnic identity expressed in clothing is good for adolescents' mental health
14 Apr 2008
Cultural identity, clothing and common mental disorder: A prospective school based study of white British and Bangladeshi adolescents Young people who dress according to the customs of their own ethnic group are less likely to have subsequent...

Excess pneumonia deaths linked to engine exhaust
14 Apr 2008
Atmospheric pollutants and mortalities in English local authority areas Engine exhaust fumes are linked to excess deaths from pneumonia across England, suggests research published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. The annual...