- 23-04-2008 - Top Science News Stories from Firstscience.com

May 2008 GEOLOGY media highlights
23 Apr 2008
Boulder, CO, USA –Topics include high-resolution lunar images related to the Orientale impact; possible methane release event at the icehouse-greenhouse transition 635 million years ago; evidence of oil smoke in sediment from the K-P...

BP funds scholarship for University of Houston to help fill industry ranks
23 Apr 2008
Quality programs, students a big draw for energy giant's fellowship program A $750,000 grant from one of the world’s largest energy companies, BP America, will help the University of Houston recruit and offer scholarships to students in...

A CluE in the search for data-intensive computing
23 Apr 2008
Unique relationship between Google, IBM and NSF allows academic computing research community to access large-scale computer cluster Data clusters, also called data centers or server farms, contain as many as 90,000...

Researchers reveal structure of protein that repairs damage to cancer cells
23 Apr 2008
Chuan He, assistant professor in chemistry, University of Chicago. Biology and chemistry come together in his laboratory like the tightly wound strands of a DNA molecule. Click here for more information. A team of...

Kansas City builder creates Health Home
23 Apr 2008
Surpasses ENERGY STAR, earns American Lung Association certification The Kansas City Health Home is located in the Woods at Colton Lake in southern Overland Park, Kan. KC Health Home, featuring Pella Designer Series windows, is...

Best practice for engineering science faculties
23 Apr 2008
DFG workshop presents international, exemplary management models This release is available in German. How can the engineering science faculties of German universities meet the increasing demand for engineers in Germany, the world champion in...

FDA approves VYVANSE, first and only once-daily prodrug stimulant to treat ADHD in adults
23 Apr 2008
Basingstoke, U.K. and Philadelphia, PA – April 23, 2008– Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY,), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration...

How your mother's emotional legacy impacts your life
23 Apr 2008
Psychologist explores how our ability to function in adult relationships is directly connected to our mother factor legacy 352 pages; ISBN 978-1-59102-607-5; Paperback: $18.95. Click here for more...

Inventor's irrigation pumps help lift African farmers out of poverty
23 Apr 2008
KickStart co-founder Martin Fisher receives $100,000 Lemelson-MIT Award for sustainability CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (April 23, 2008) – Dr. Martin Fisher is transforming the lives of thousands of poor African farmers through a combination of...

Energy Crossroads conference April 30 and May 1 at Stanford University
23 Apr 2008
A conference devoted to exploring ways to broaden the use of clean, sustainable energy will take place April 30 and May 1 at Stanford University. Energy Crossroads, a student organization founded at Stanford that aims to reduce society's...

Sierra Nevada rose to current height earlier than thought, say Stanford geologists
23 Apr 2008
Change in timing has implications for modeling global climate Geologists studying deposits of volcanic glass in the western United States have found that the central Sierra Nevada largely attained its present elevation 12 million years ago,...

Nanotubes grown straight in large numbers
23 Apr 2008
DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke University chemists have found a way to grow long, straight cylinders only a few atoms thick in very large numbers, removing a major roadblock in the pursuit of nano-scale electronics. These single-walled carbon nanotubes...

Discovery to hasten new malaria treatments, vaccines for children
23 Apr 2008
Image of circulating NET (Neutrophil Extracellular Trap) with numerous bound P. falciparum parasites (indicated with arrows). Click here for more information. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- April 25 is World Malaria Day 2008...

African farmers gaining access to disease-resistant, 'upland' rice varieties
23 Apr 2008
Meeting of rice breeders from 10 African countries sets forth strategy to boost rice production in face of rising food prices and import crunch Kampala, Uganda (23 April 2007)—As concern builds around the impact of rising food prices and...

Outstanding German-Polish scientific cooperation
23 Apr 2008
This release is available in German. Professor Wolfgang Domcke, a chemist from Munich, and Professor Andrzej Sobolewski, a physicist from Warsaw, have been selected to receive the Copernicus Award by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG,...

Breast reconstruction advances fix distortions left by lumpectomy
23 Apr 2008
ASPS report examines reconstruction innovations for breast cancer patients ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Lumpectomy or breast conservation surgery is the most common type of breast cancer surgery currently performed. A benefit of the surgery...

Researchers identify new cell targets for preventing growth of breast and other tumors
23 Apr 2008
CHAPEL HILL – Researchers at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have discovered new targets for cancer treatment aimed at blocking a key step in tumor progression. This step...

Rutgers team awarded Federal Highway Administration contract worth up to $25.5M
23 Apr 2008
Program will use integrated approach and advanced technologies to better understand bridge performance NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has awarded the Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and...

First draft of transgenic papaya genome yields many fruits
23 Apr 2008
The papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) interferes with the plant's ability to photosynthesize. The transgenic papaya at the center of this field (darker, rectangular patch of green) are surrounded by non-transgenic... Click here for...

New source for biofuels discovered
23 Apr 2008
Cyanobacteria produce cellulose and sugars for conversion to ethanol and other biofuels Left: Two rod-shaped, wild type cyanobacteria. Note the conspicuous absence of any cellulose or sugars on the surface of these cells. Right:...

Arctic marine mammals on thin ice
23 Apr 2008
Experts outline primary risks of climate change to natives of the Arctic The loss of sea ice due to climate change could spell disaster for polar bears and other Arctic marine mammals. The April Special Issue of Ecological Applications examines...

Albania: Rising expectations drive growing health care needs
23 Apr 2008
IAEA, partners focus support on slowing the spread of cancer Crowded corridors in the Oncology Institute of the Mother Teresa Hospital, Tirana, reflect Albania's growing cancer crisis. Click here for more...

Spouses as campaign surrogates
23 Apr 2008
Strategic appearances by presidential and vice presidential candidates' wives in the 2004 elections Washington, DC—Spouses of presidential candidates are employed in campaigns more strategically and intensively than ever before. New...

A new iconic drug information system inspired by road signs
23 Apr 2008
VCM for diabetes treatment. Click here for more information. Although drug prescriptions are notoriously difficult to read, prescribing errors due to a lack of knowledge of drug properties are a worse problem. Now,...

Glaciers reveal Martian climate has been recently active
23 Apr 2008
This high-resolution image, taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows the rock debris that Brown scientists believe was left by a glacier that rose at least one kilometer from the surrounding plain and... Click here for...

MU psychologists demonstrate simplicity of working memory
23 Apr 2008
Study could help with ADD and other attention difficulties COLUMBIA, Mo. – A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but humans may have even less to work with than previously thought. University of Missouri researchers found that the average...

ENDO 08: Latest news on hormones, steroids, obesity, diabetes and more
23 Apr 2008
Reporter registration The Endocrine Society's 90th Annual Meeting—ENDO 08—will be held at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California, June 15-18, 2008. Reporters can register here:...

Optimal online communication
23 Apr 2008
Dutch researcher Peter Korteweg has developed algorithms for wireless networks. The algorithms focus on optimising communication to a central point in such networks, for example, by minimising processing times and the communication costs. An...

Watch digital TV and films without disruptions thanks to mathematical model
23 Apr 2008
Dutch researcher Alina Weffers-Albu has developed a method to calculate how a device can provide maximum functionality with a minimum quantity of processor and memory capacity. TVs, DVD players and mobile phones can malfunction when the...

Domestic violence associated with chronic malnutrition in women and children in India
23 Apr 2008
Boston, MA-- In a new, large-scale study exploring the link between domestic violence and chronic malnutrition, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have found that Indian mothers and children experiencing multiple...

Menstrual blood -- a valuable source of multipotential stem cells?
23 Apr 2008
Tampa, Fla. (Apr. 23, 2008) – Researchers seeking new and more abundant sources of stem cells for use in regenerative medicine have identified a potentially unlimited, noncontroversial, easily collectable, and inexpensive source –...

Human brain appears 'hard-wired' for hierarchy
23 Apr 2008
Scans hint at why it can be unhealthy even at the top As they played games in the MRI scanner, pictures with rankings of other players and updated outcomes periodically flashed on the screen. Situations that could signal a fall...

Environment key early: Genes' role expands in alcohol dependence
23 Apr 2008
April 23, 2008 -- The influence of genetics increases as young women transition from taking their first drink to becoming alcoholics. A team of researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that although...

Eliminating germline lengthens fly lifespan, Brown study shows
23 Apr 2008
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — New research by Brown University biologists shows that fruit flies live longer when they don’t produce germline stem cells – the cells that create eggs and sperm. The work suggests a...

Catching a glimpse of a black hole's fury
23 Apr 2008
New telescope evidence suggests twisted magnetic fields in supermassive black holes cause particle and energy jets to surge out in corkscrews Artist's conception of the region near a supermassive black hole. Click here for more...

Radio telescope reveals secrets of massive black hole
23 Apr 2008
VLBA's unrivaled resolution unveils workings of giant galactic particle accelerators Artist's conception of region near supermassive black hole where twisted magnetic fields propel and shape jet of particles. Click here for...

Mitochondrial dysfunction and redox signaling in atrial tachyarrhythmia
23 Apr 2008
Researchers at the University Hospital of Magdeburg (Germany) have discovered that atrial tachycardia is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress followed by the activation of the NF-kB signalling pathway with induction...

Reputation and money: New insights into how the brain processes social, economic reward
23 Apr 2008
Researchers have mapped the brain regions that process social standing and money rewards, yielding new insights that they said will aid understanding of the basis of social behaviors. They published their findings in two papers in the April...

MIT-led teams unravel heparin death mystery
23 Apr 2008
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--An international team of researchers led by MIT has explained how contaminated batches of the blood-thinner heparin were able to slip past traditional safety screens and kill dozens of patients recently in the United States...

UMass Medical School researchers awarded pediatric HIV vaccine development grant
23 Apr 2008
First awards from Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation's Pediatric HIV Vaccine Research Program WORCESTER, Mass.—The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), a world leader in the fight against pediatric AIDS, announced...

Early parents didn't stand for weighty kids
23 Apr 2008
Infant carrying ruled out as reason why humans walk upright A volunteer carrying baby mannequin on the hip has her energy consumption measured Click here for more information. Scientists investigating the reasons why...

Book focuses on how people of color, women use Internet, digital media
23 Apr 2008
In her latest work, Lisa Nakamura focuses on the online visual cultures that people of color and women -- relative newcomers to the Net -- have created. Click here for more information. Scholars who study visual...

Presence of certain antibodies signals healthier teeth and gums
23 Apr 2008
ANN ARBOR, Mich.---Antibodies present in people with good oral health could become the first tool for dental professionals to assess a patient's probable response to periodontal disease treatments, say researchers at the University of...

Annual trachoma treatment may be unnecessary if treatment coverage high
23 Apr 2008
5-year study indicates 1 or 2 treatments may be enough to eliminate infection One or two rounds of high coverage mass treatment with azithromycin, rather than the annual treatment recommended by the World Health Organisation, may be enough to...

The spring in your step is more than just a good mood
23 Apr 2008
ANN ARBOR, Mich.---Scientists using a bionic boot found that during walking, the ankle does about three times the work for the same amount of energy compared to isolated muscles---in other words, the spring in your step is very real and helps...

Every fifth adolescent smokes
23 Apr 2008
As many as 20% of adolescents from 11 to 17 years of age smoke. This was the result of the nationwide German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS), performed by the Robert Koch Institute and presented by...

DFG welcomes decision on stem cell research by German parliament
23 Apr 2008
Kleiner: 'This is an important step forwards for research, and an exemplary case of dialogue between the scientific community and politicians' This release is available in German. The President of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG,...

Researchers discover gene for branchio-oculo-facial syndrome
23 Apr 2008
Boston, MA--In a collaborative effort, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have discovered that deletions or mutations within the TFAP2A gene (Activating Enhancer-Binding Protein) result in the distinctive clefting...

Could blood transfusions cause harm?
23 Apr 2008
“FOR the life of the flesh is in the blood. No soul of you shall eat blood.” So says the Bible’s book of Leviticus, and it is for this reason that Jehovah’s Witnesses shun blood transfusions. They do not, however, shun...

Myocardial infarction: Mortality for women not higher than for men
23 Apr 2008
The risk of dying in Germany of a myocardial infarction is not higher for women than for men. In the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2008; 105(15): 279-85), PD Dr. Günther Heller et al. describe...

1600 eruption caused global disruption
23 Apr 2008
The 1600 eruption of Huaynaputina in Peru had a global impact on human society, according to a new study of contemporary records by geologists at UC Davis. The eruption is known to have put a large amount of sulfur into the atmosphere, and...

Pregnancy is possible after cancer treatment
23 Apr 2008
It has been reported for the first time in Germany that healthy ovarian tissue has been taken from a non-pregnant woman with cancer and then re-implanted after cancer therapy. The patient is now 32 years old and could become pregnant as a...

Mining for dark matter
23 Apr 2008
While much of the attention in the world of high-energy physics is focused on the Large Hadron Collider nearing completion at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) near Geneva, Switzerland, other physicists, including some from UC...

Insects use plant like a telephone
23 Apr 2008
Communication between subterranean and aboveground herbivorous insects Dutch ecologist Roxina Soler and her colleagues have discovered that subterranean and aboveground herbivorous insects can communicate with each other by using plants as...

On the high horse: Why dominant individuals climb the proverbial ladder
23 Apr 2008
In an attempt to grasp complex concepts, humans have tried to represent abstractions like power and dominance through visually-stimulated metaphors such as pyramids and steeples. And dominance especially has been measured socially,...

Sexual harassment at school -- more harmful than bullying
23 Apr 2008
Girls and sexual minorities suffer most from this type of abuse Schools’ current focus on bullying prevention may be masking the serious and underestimated health consequences of sexual harassment, according to James Gruber from the...

Desalination and water supply
23 Apr 2008
As some U.S. regions face water shortages and growing contention over freshwater supplies, some communities are considering adding water through desalination -- removing salt either from seawater or the brackish groundwater that underlies...

Heart derived stem cells develop into heart muscle
23 Apr 2008
A first in stem cell research Dutch researchers at University Medical Center Utrecht and the Hubrecht Institute have succeeded in growing large numbers of stem cells from adult human hearts into new heart muscle cells. A breakthrough in stem...

Every 5th adolescent smokes
23 Apr 2008
As many as 20% of adolescents from 11 to 17 years of age smoke. This was the result of the nationwide German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS), performed by the Robert Koch Institute and presented by...

Medical College researchers find dinosaur clues in fat
23 Apr 2008
VALHALLA, April 23, 2008—A team of researchers at New York Medical College has discovered why birds, unlike mammals, lack a tissue that is specialized to generate heat. A paper published April 21, 2008 in the online peer-reviewed journal...

Listening to the urinary stream
23 Apr 2008
Microphone replaces catheter for diagnosis of voiding symptoms Benign prostate enlargement affects most of the elder men and often compresses the urethra resulting in voiding symptoms. Dutch researcher Tim Idzenga has found a way to measure the...

Study finds that competency in colonoscopy requires experience with 150 cases or more
23 Apr 2008
OAK BROOK, Ill. – APRIL 23, 2008 – Researchers from Korea have found that technically efficient screening and diagnostic colonoscopy generally requires experience with 150 cases or more. The study appears in the April issue of...

Variety is the spice of life: too many males, too little time...
23 Apr 2008
Female Australian painted dragon lizards are polyandrous, that is, they mate with as many males as they can safely get access to. This promiscuous behaviour is often found in species where male quality is dubious and there are high levels of...

$450,000 sweetener in colon cancer battle
23 Apr 2008
UK-based Association for International Cancer Research this week announced it will fund a Griffith University project led by Dr Joe Tiralongo to further develop a potential anti-cancer treatment that had shown promising results in lab...

Integration: A centuries-old issue
23 Apr 2008
When can a person be regarded as a full and equal citizen of a country" Is a double nationality possible and what advantages does it offer a newcomer" These questions were already contemplated in ancient Rome. The Italian allies of Rome were...

Researchers link master regulator of innate immunity to the hypoxic response
23 Apr 2008
Survival of all animals depends on their ability to withstand microbial infections and adapt to fluctuations in oxygen concentrations. These abilities depend on two ancient, evolutionary gene expression responses called the innate immune...

Researchers make new finding about how memory is stored
23 Apr 2008
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine are the first to show that the location of protein-destroying “machines” in nerve cells in the brain may play an important role in how memories...

Seniors, minorities to have largest impact on tomorrow's America
23 Apr 2008
The demographic patterns of older Americans and certain ethnic groups will have greater effects on the country's socioeconomic outlook than previously thought, according to the latest issue of Public Policy & Aging Report (PPAR). In...

First-class protein crystals thanks to weightlessness on earth
23 Apr 2008
Dutch chemist Paul Poodt has developed two attractive alternatives for allowing protein crystals to grow under weightless conditions. If the crystals are grown upside down in a strong magnetic field, fluid flows that disrupt crystal growth are...

Pretermers bounce back from pain with a cuddle
23 Apr 2008
Research published today in the open access journal BMC Pediatrics suggests that very preterm babies, born between 28 and 31 weeks, could benefit from skin-to-skin cuddling with their mother before and during painful procedures such as a heel...

Praise = money?
23 Apr 2008
A new neural evidence suggests that the brain's reward system works similarly for both praise and money Why are we nice to others? One answer provided by social psychologists is because it pays off. A social psychological theory stated that we...

Mechanisms of memory identified
23 Apr 2008
Major step forward in understanding how memory works Our ability to remember the objects, places and people within our environment is essential for everyday life, although the importance of this is only fully appreciated when recognition memory...