- 22-04-2008 - Top Science News Stories from Firstscience.com

JCI table of contents: April 22, 2008
22 Apr 2008
EDITOR'S PICK: Two types of image are better than one for analyzing tumors Doctors treating individuals with cancer would find a noninvasive method to determine the amount of oxygen in a tumor very useful, because low levels of oxygen in a...

Detecting dangerous chemicals with lasers, exploring the brain's circuitry with light and more
22 Apr 2008
Featured at CLEO/QELS meeting in San Jose WASHINGTON, April 22—Nearly 6,000 researchers from around the world will present the latest breakthroughs in electro-optics, lasers and the application of light waves at the 2008 Conference on...

UC biology prof traces his roots to the first Earth Day
22 Apr 2008
Professor George Uetz is known at the University of Cincinnati for his expertise in spiders, animal behavior and ecology; he's less known for being on the forefront of the very first Earth Day: April 22, 1970 George Uetz is...

AGU journal highlights -- April 22, 2008
22 Apr 2008
1. Cooling a climate disagreement Aerosols from fossil fuel burning and other human activities cool the climate by scattering incoming solar radiation, but models and estimates appear to differ on the strength of this cooling’s global...

Synchrotron light unveils oil in ancient Buddhist paintings from Bamiyan
22 Apr 2008
A cross-section of the sample, where the different layers are visible. Click here for more information. The world was in shock when in 2001 the Talibans destroyed two ancient colossal Buddha statues in the Afghan...

BRIGHTER lasers for tomorrow's technologies
22 Apr 2008
Scientists and engineers across Europe have joined forces in a unique collaborative effort to develop a new generation of high-brightness lasers that will transform the fields of healthcare, communications and entertainment. The €16.25m...

CSIRO astronomers to join 'private data highway' across US
22 Apr 2008
CSIRO’s Australia Telescope National Facility has been awarded a “private data highway” - a 10 gigabit per second link - across the US by a major internet consortium and a US communications company. The link will allow the...

American Cancer Society report details cancer prevention efforts
22 Apr 2008
An annual report from the American Cancer Society highlights that long-term favorable trends have stalled for several factors that have been responsible for declining cancer death rates in the U.S. The report, Cancer Prevention & Early...

Numerical information can be persuasive or informative depending on how it's presented
22 Apr 2008
K-State psychology professor's research shows MANHATTAN, KAN. -- Would you rather support research for a disease that affects 30,000 Americans a year or one that affects just .01 percent of the U.S. population? The numbers represent about the...

Purdue researchers propose way to incorporate deforestation into climate change treaty
22 Apr 2008
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University researchers have proposed a new option for incorporating deforestation into the international climate change treaty. Kevin Gurney, lead author of the proposal and an associate director of the Purdue...

McMaster University engineering professor receives Humboldt Research Award
22 Apr 2008
Dr. Jamal Deen, professor of electrical and computer engineering at McMaster University, has been awarded a prestigious Humboldt Research Award for his work in electrical, electronic and communications engineering. Humboldt Research Awards...

Potential viral therapy weapon for difficult cancers is safe and effective in study
22 Apr 2008
Study led by Cincinnati Children's proposes further development to advance treatment CINCINNATI – Combining a herpes virus genetically altered to express a drug-enhancing enzyme with a chemotherapy drug effectively and safely reduced the...

Can certain metals repel sharks from fishing gear?
22 Apr 2008
Reducing bycatch could save millions of animals, reduce fishing costs Sharks in captivity avoid metals that react with seawater to produce an electric field, a behavior that may help fishery biologists develop a strategy to reduce the bycatch...

PNNL reaches goal to change world one light at a time
22 Apr 2008
More than 1,000 employees take a pledge for a brighter, cleaner world RICHLAND, Wash. – How many employees does it take to change an incandescent light bulb to a more environmentally friendly one" When it comes to Pacific Northwest...

News tips from the Journal of Neuroscience
22 Apr 2008
1. Isolation of a Nonhistaminergic Pruritic Compound Vemuri B. Reddy, Aurel O. Iuga, Steve G. Shimada, Robert H. LaMotte, and Ethan A. Lerner Investigations of the neural mechanisms of itch have primarily focused on histamine pathways, but...

Ugandan monkeys harbor evidence of infection with unknown poxvirus
22 Apr 2008
Red colobus monkeys living in a park in western Uganda harbored antibodies to an unknown orthopoxvirus, a pathogen that is related to the viruses that cause smallpox, monkeypox and cowpox. Click here for more...

NIAID describes research priorities to fight drug-resistant tuberculosis
22 Apr 2008
Tuberculosis (TB) has long been one of the world’s great killers. Now, forms of drug-resistant TB--multidrug (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR)--are occurring at an ominous and accelerating rate. To help in the fight against...

Drug-releasing stent shows promise for improving outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease
22 Apr 2008
For patients who underwent angioplasty to open narrowed coronary arteries, the use of stents releasing the drug everolimus reduced the rate of renarrowing of the arteries and significantly reduced the risk of major cardiac events, compared to...

The new boss ... same as the old boss?
22 Apr 2008
New research questions trend towards mayoral control of schools Facing ever-declining performance in their schools, and frustrated by reports of corruption and petty politics in the school boards, mayors and legislative bodies in the United...

Medicare Part D beneficiaries may pay a price for poor knowledge of their Part D benefits
22 Apr 2008
April 22, 2008 (Oakland, Calif.) – Medicare Beneficiaries have limited knowledge of their Medicare Part D outpatient prescription drug benefits. And those who are unaware of the coverage gap are less likely to report any cost-coping...

Shell-breaking crabs lived 20 million years earlier than thought
22 Apr 2008
While waiting for colleagues at a small natural history museum in the state of Chiapas, Mexico last year, Cornell paleontologist Greg Dietl chanced upon a discovery that has helped rewrite the evolutionary history of crabs and the shelled...

HHMI awards $60M to invigorate science teaching at liberal arts colleges
22 Apr 2008
A year ago, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute issued a challenge to 224 undergraduate colleges nationwide: identify creative new ways to engage your students in the biological sciences. Now 48 of the nation’s best undergraduate...

Findings a step toward making new optical materials
22 Apr 2008
Researchers at Purdue have developed a "self-assembling " technique to create a "nearly perfect two-dimensional colloidal crystal, " or a precisely ordered layer of particles, a critical step toward growing three-dimensional...

Phone counseling improves quality of life, immune systems of cervical cancer survivors
22 Apr 2008
UCI study identifies importance of ‘mind-body’ connection for surviving cancer Irvine, Calif., April 22, 2008 – A unique telephone-counseling intervention not only improved the quality of life for cervical cancer survivors but...

Herbicide-tolerant crops can improve water quality
22 Apr 2008
A USDA study suggests that planting herbicide-tolerant crop varieties and using contact herbicides can reduce herbicide loss and concentrations in runoff The residual herbicides commonly used in the production of corn and soybean are frequently...

Prostate cancer screening program leads to bigger fall in death rates than surrounding areas
22 Apr 2008
The expected number of deaths from prostate cancer more than halved in the Tyrol after a programme was introduced to improve early detection and treatment of the disease, according to research published in April issue of the urology journal...

Improved governance needed to realize nanotech's benefits
22 Apr 2008
Nanotech expert will highlight hurdles to government oversight and gaining public trust WASHINGTON - Without an improved governance structure, the benefits of nanotechnology may be difficult to fully realize because the public will not trust...

Urban slum conditions are a source of leptospirosis
22 Apr 2008
A study conducted in an urban slum setting in Salvador, Brazil has found that open sewers, accumulations of refuse, and inadequate floodwater drainage are acting as sources for transmission of the disease leptospirosis. The study is published...

Scientists discover a mechanism that can send cells on the road to cancer
22 Apr 2008
Adenoviral protein E1A binds to p400, stabilizing Myc, an oncoprotein Using a common virus as a tool for investigating abnormal cell proliferation, a team led by scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has succeeded in clarifying an...

American Chemical Society honors 7 Springer scientists
22 Apr 2008
Awards recognize outstanding achievements in chemistry Seven Springer editors and editorial or advisory board members were the recipients of awards administered by the American Chemical Society (ACS) for 2008. The recipients were honored at the...

Women 80 and older benefit from mammography, but few are screened
22 Apr 2008
Alexandria, Va.—In the first study to assess mammography in women 80 and older, researchers found that having regular mammograms significantly decreases the risk of being diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer, but only about one-fifth...

Particular experimental therapy not more effective than standard treatment for anal canal cancer
22 Apr 2008
Use of chemotherapy with the drug cisplatin before other treatments did not improve disease-free survival for patients with anal canal cancer compared to the standard treatment regimen, and resulted in a higher rate of colostomy procedures,...

NIH study reveals incidence, precursors and psychiatric sequelae of major psychiatric disorders
22 Apr 2008
A new study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) presents results on the first onset of substance use disorders (i.e., alcohol and drug abuse and dependence) and major mood and anxiety disorders, based on Wave 2 of...

Each finger can be moved separately
22 Apr 2008
A new prosthetic hand is being tested at the Orthopedic University Hospital in Heidelberg, grip function almost like a natural hand Prototype of the "Fluidhand " of the Research Center in Karlsruhe. Click here for more...

Futuristic robots, friend or foe?
22 Apr 2008
A leading robotics expert will outline some of the ethical pitfalls of near-future robots to a Parliamentary group today (22 April 2008) at the House of Commons. Professor Noel Sharkey from the University of Sheffield will explain that robots...

Freshwater herring had salty origin
22 Apr 2008
Press Release from PLoS ONE East Africa’s Lake Tanganyika has a highly diverse fauna which closely resembles marine animals. A researcher at the University of Zurich has traced the origins of the freshwater herring of the Lake to a marine...

Mix of 2 pain-relief procedures can end chronic back and leg pain without drugs
22 Apr 2008
Combination of 2 implanted nerve stimulators dramatically improves quality of life for those who have had poor results from back surgery CHICAGO – April 22, 2008 – Help is on the way for patients who have undergone back surgery but...

'Crime Scene Investigation' methods could help in the battle against hospital infections
22 Apr 2008
Study published in Journal of Hospital Infection London, UK, 22 April 2008 - Inspired by the popular television drama CSI, investigators in the Netherlands have trialed methods used by forensic scientists at crime scenes to highlight infection...

A simplified method of giving rabies vaccine
22 Apr 2008
A simplified economical method of giving rabies vaccine is just as effective as the expensive standard vaccine regimen at stimulating anti-rabies antibodies. A clinical trial in healthy volunteers has found that a simpler and cheaper way of...

Link between ozone air pollution and premature death confirmed
22 Apr 2008
WASHINGTON -- Short-term exposure to current levels of ozone in many areas is likely to contribute to premature deaths, says a new National Research Council report, which adds that the evidence is strong enough that the U.S. Environmental...

Commercialization of air traffic control greatly improves performance
22 Apr 2008
Reforms affect cost, safety, and service quality of air traffic services Ontario, Canada – April 22, 2008 – The air transportation industry is imperative to modern society. This industry depends, in turn, on a network of air...

OHSU Cancer Institute researcher identifies protein that helps predict prostate cancer survival
22 Apr 2008
In the future, a simple blood test could help patients, physicians know more about survivability PORTLAND, Ore. — An Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researcher has identified a protein that is a strong indicator of...

Companies do not always release important information
22 Apr 2008
Some firms behave unethically by using ambiguous language, selective disclosure Halifax, Nova Scotia – April 22, 2008 – A new study in the Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences found that companies that traded their shares on...

The 1930s semi goes green
22 Apr 2008
Three million of them were built; they stimulated a boom in employment and turned a nation of shop keepers into a nation of home owners. The 1930s semi is an icon of its age but 80 years on it is about to undergo a green revolution. Experts...

You are what your mother eats: First evidence that mother's diet influences infant sex
22 Apr 2008
New research by the Universities of Exeter and Oxford provides the first evidence that a child’s sex is associated with the mother’s diet. Published today (23 April 2008), in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B:...

Pin1 is beneficial in Alzheimer's disease, detrimental to some forms of dementia
22 Apr 2008
Unexpected findings suggest need for alternate therapeutic approaches, different animal models for future research BOSTON –-The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and a relatively rare hereditary form of dementia,...

Social form of bullying linked to depression, anxiety in adults
22 Apr 2008
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Spreading rumors and gossiping may not cause bruises or black eyes, but the psychological consequences of this social type of bullying could linger into early adulthood, a new University of Florida study shows. In a...

Costs, considerations of switching to natural or organic methods
22 Apr 2008
K-State researchers work to make beef industry aware MANHATTAN, KAN. -- When Kansas State University graduate student Ben Wileman was a practicing veterinarian in Belle Fourche, S.D., natural and organic labels were a big focus for the beef...

Study finds cisplatin less effective than standard treatment for patients with anal cancer
22 Apr 2008
Chemotherapy drug fails to improve disease-free survival; results in more colostomies HOUSTON - When administered before chemoradiation, the common anti-cancer drug cisplatin neither improved disease-free survival nor reduced the number of...

Rockefeller University hosts 2-day evolution symposium, May 1-2, 2008
22 Apr 2008
Beginning with the molecular origins of life and culminating with the latest findings on human evolution, 18 of the world's leading experts will report on research spanning three billion years of evolution at a two-day symposium at Rockefeller...

2 types of image are better than 1 for analyzing tumors
22 Apr 2008
Doctors treating individuals with cancer would find a noninvasive method to determine the amount of oxygen in a tumor very useful, because low levels of oxygen in a tumor have been linked to a poor outcome. A new method to do this and to image...

Mass. General study shows how exercise changes structure and function of heart
22 Apr 2008
Study of Harvard athletes finds different effect of endurance, strength training For the first time researchers are beginning to understand exactly how various forms of exercise impact the heart. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)...

UT Southwestern Medical Center receives grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
22 Apr 2008
Dr. Jane Brotanek Click here for more information. DALLAS – April 22, 2008 – The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Physician Faculty Scholars program has awarded a two-year, $203,626 grant to Dr....

Why fruit-eating bats eat dirt
22 Apr 2008
“Don’t eat the green parts of tomatoes, cut the green off the potatoes.” Any child would know that eating these parts of vegetables is a bad idea. The reason behind this is that they contain secondary plant compounds which...

Scientists clarify a mechanism of epigenetic inheritance
22 Apr 2008
'Silent' DNA stays that way as a result of RNA interference during chromosome replication Although letters representing the three billion pairs of molecules that form the “rungs” of the helical DNA “ladder” are routinely...

New OLED encapsulation method reduces water intrusion and increases lifetime
22 Apr 2008
GTRI senior research scientist Wusheng Tong uses ion assisted deposition to produce a high-density, pinhole-free thin silicon oxynitride film on an organic light emitting diode surface, which reduces moisture...

Nurture over nature
22 Apr 2008
Environmental factors weigh heavily in modulating gene expression in humans Score one for the nurture side of the nature vs. nurture debate, as North Carolina State University geneticists have shown that environmental factors such as lifestyle...

First atomic-level look at a protein that causes brain disease
22 Apr 2008
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- For the first time, researchers have peered deeply at the atomic level into the protein that causes hereditary cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) -- a disease thought to cause stroke and dementia. The study pinpointed a tiny...

It pays to know your opponent: success in negotiations improved by perspective-taking
22 Apr 2008
From the war room to the board room, negotiations are a part of everyday life. Successful negotiations demand a clear understanding of one’s opponent. But what approach should one take to achieve such an understanding of one’s...

To a fault: the bottom line on earthquakes
22 Apr 2008
The 5.2 earthquake that jolted area residents from their sleep on April 18 was a surprise to some, but not to researchers at the University of Cincinnati Professor Attila Kilinc says that the Ohio Valley averages more than...

Black women have urinary incontinence less than half as often as white women
22 Apr 2008
But black women also have worse cases of UI than white women ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The good news for black women: They have less than half the chance of developing urinary incontinence as do white women, according to a new study from the...

Engineering students: Headset muffles loud, unnerving MRI noises
22 Apr 2008
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Having an MRI exam, an experience many people describe as stressful and uncomfortable, could soon become a bit more pleasant, thanks to the work of a team of University of Florida engineering students. The students...

Scientists identify novel way to prevent cardiac fibrosis
22 Apr 2008
In a study that points to a new strategy for preventing or possibly reversing fibrosis – the scarring that can lead to organ and tissue damage – researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have...

Developing 'roadmaps' for enhancing the professional culture of medical schools
22 Apr 2008
INDIANAPOLIS -- There is change afoot in the way medicine is being taught. Rigorous course work, state of the art laboratories and demanding clinical training are necessarily at the forefront. To complement the constant updating of the...

Fat-cell hormone linked to kidney disease
22 Apr 2008
Reduced levels of a hormone produced by fat cells and linked to the development of insulin resistance may also be related to a higher risk of kidney disease, according to a study led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego...

Data mining personnel
22 Apr 2008
Unearthing diamonds through human resources knowledge discovery With the dark clouds of global recession now is the time for companies to make the most of their most valuable assets - their personnel. Writing in a forthcoming issue of the...

Not understanding Medicare Part D still an issue; medication adherence may be improving overall
22 Apr 2008
There still appears to be some lack of knowledge regarding Medicare’s Part D prescription drug program, although there is evidence that cost-related medication nonadherence may have improved overall, according to two studies in the April...

A stem cell type supposed to be crucial for angiogenesis and cancer growth does not exist?
22 Apr 2008
Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels, is a central process in diverse physiological and pathological situations such as healing of wounds and traumas, cardiovascular disorders, inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, and...

Primary driver of stomach cancer development identified
22 Apr 2008
Potential new drug targets In a discovery that could lead to the development of new treatments for gastric cancer, scientists at the Melbourne Branch of the international Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) have discovered what appears...

Low grades, bad behavior? Siblings may be to blame, FSU study says
22 Apr 2008
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- We all know the story of a man named Brady and the group that somehow formed a family. But if the iconic ‘70s sitcom about a “blended” family reflected reality, the Brady Bunch likely would have been...

New data to help with Afghanistan's natural resources and hazards assessments
22 Apr 2008
The U.S. Geological Survey recently collected new data to help identify fault lines and the potential location of undiscovered water, oil and gas, and non-fuel mineral resources in Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s geologic setting indicates...

Ground-breaking new insight into the development of Alzheimer's disease
22 Apr 2008
Leuven, Belgium ¨C According to estimates there are 85,000 Alzheimer patients in our country and approximately 20,000 new cases every year. This spectacular increase is due to the increasing ageing population. Unfortunately it is still...

Sickest patients still struggle under new Medicare Part D benefit
22 Apr 2008
BOSTON, Mass. (April 22, 2008)—A recent study finds that the advantages of the new Medicare Part D drug benefit—a program that for the first time offers Medicare recipients prescription drug coverage—are mixed. On the one...

Laser dissection of depression
22 Apr 2008
Chinese investigators from Hefei and Dutch researchers in Amsterdam have collaborated using for the first time a combination of new elegant methodology in Depression research. They used postmortem human brain tissue that was donated to the...