- 07-05-2008 - Top Science News Stories from Firstscience.com

IEEE Homeland Security Conference Business Panel to feature experts on technology commercialization
7 May 2008
WASHINGTON (7 May 2008) -- Dr. Thomas Cellucci, chief commercialization officer for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate; and Peter Ciganer, executive vice president, In-Q-Tel, will be featured...

X-rays power discoveries at Chicago's Field Museum
7 May 2008
Computed radiography system helps uncover secrets from the past This cross-table X-ray image of the head of an ancient Egyptian mummy was taken recently with new digital medical imaging technology. It is exceptionally clear and...

First-of-its-kind 14-country study ranks consumers according to environmental behavior
7 May 2008
Consumers in India, Brazil top index; US consumers rank last The Goods sub-index, a combination of everyday consumption and waste disposal plus ownership of big-ticket items, consists of such variables as purchase and/or...

New United States Postal Service stamp honors an American scientist
7 May 2008
A pioneer in medical research, Trudeau's legacy lives on as the Trudeau Institute makes breakthrough biomedical discoveries Dr. Trudeau established the first American laboratory exclusively dedicated to tuberculosis...

Rainfall and river networks prove accurate predictors of fish biodiversity
7 May 2008
Ignacio Rodríguez-Iturbe is the senior author of a new paper in the journal Nature showing that water dynamics play a pivotal role in the biodiversity of river networks. Researchers have... Click here for more...

Mental disorders cost society billions in unearned income
7 May 2008
Major mental disorders cost the nation at least $193 billion annually in lost earnings alone, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The study was published in...

Global climate models both agree and disagree with actual Antarctic data
7 May 2008
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Scientists who compared recorded Antarctic temperatures and snowfall accumulation to predictions by major computer models of global climate change offer both good and bad news. The models’ predictions covering the...

The Montreal Children's Hospital of the MUHC begins search for causes of autism
7 May 2008
International effort considered groundbreaking This release is available in French. Montreal, 7 May 2008 – Dr. Eric Fombonne, from the Research Institute of the MUHC at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, is involved in a multi-site...

Climate models overheat Antarctica, new study finds
7 May 2008
BOULDER--Computer analyses of global climate have consistently overstated warming in Antarctica, concludes new research by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and Ohio State University. The study can help...

Duck-billed platypus genome sequence published
7 May 2008
Animal's reptilian-mammalian mix reflected in its DNA The first analysis of the genome sequence of the duck-billed platypus was published today by an international team of scientists, revealing clues about how genomes were organized during the...

Researchers find gene location that gives rise to neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer
7 May 2008
First finding of origin of a puzzling pediatric tumor Using advanced gene-hunting technology, an international team of researchers has for the first time identified a chromosome region that is the source of genetic events that give rise to...

Platypus genome unravels mysteries of mammalian evolution
7 May 2008
Genome Research is publishing several papers related to analyses of the duck-billed platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) genome sequence. The place of (egg-laying) monotremes, such as the platypus, in mammalian evolutionary history has remained...

Cyclone Nargis and Myanmar floods seen from space
7 May 2008
Envisat captures Cyclone Nargis making its way across the Bay of Bengal just south of Myanmar on May 1, 2008, with its Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) instrument working in... Click here for more...

First analysis of platypus genome may impact disease prevention
7 May 2008
Mark Batzer decodes 'jumping genes' to trace the evolution of mammals BATON ROUGE – There’s no doubt about it ... the platypus is one odd duck-billed, egg-laying, lactating mammal. With adaptations like webbed feet to fit its...

Immune system pathway identified to fight allergens, asthma
7 May 2008
Role of genetic components of dendritic cells could lead to more effective drugs, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study says PITTSBURGH, May 7 – For the first time, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of...

Biodiversity -- it's in the water
7 May 2008
Top: runoff distribtion; Middle: sub-basin locations; Bottom: fish species distribution Click here for more information. What if hydrology is more important for predicting biodiversity than biology" Research...

Silicon's effect on sunflowers studied
7 May 2008
Research shows benefits, detriments of silicon supplements for ornamental flowers Helianthus L. - sunflower Click here for more information. STILLWATER, OK -- Vibrant, showy sunflowers are revered worldwide for their...

XMM-Newton discovers part of the missing matter in the universe
7 May 2008
Astronomy & Astrophysics is publishing the discovery by Dutch and German astronomers [1] of a filament of tenuous hot gas connecting two clusters of galaxies. The existence of this hot gas (with a temperature of 100 000 - 10 000 000...

Socrates in the classroom develops students' thinking and changes the distribution of power
7 May 2008
When students have the opportunity to participate in “Socratic seminars” on a regular basis, a different classroom culture evolves. The students collaborate more and more voices are heard. The students develop their thinking skills...

High fuel prices could slash US emissions.
7 May 2008
HIGH gasoline prices could lead to a dramatic saving in US greenhouse-gas emissions. That’s the conclusion of economists in the US, who suggest high fuel prices are turning consumers off SUVs and onto smaller, more fuel-efficient...

Alternatives to ozone-depleting pesticide studied
7 May 2008
Strawberry producers searching for safe pesticides, effective growing methods Researchers study new methods of weed control in strawberry nurseries. Click here for more information. VALLADOLID, SPAIN -- Methyl...

Breast cancer tumors grow faster in younger women
7 May 2008
A new approach to estimating tumour growth based on breast screening results from almost 400,000 women is published today BioMed Central’s open access journal, Breast Cancer Research. This new model can also estimate the proportion of...

Molecular espionage shows a single HIV enzyme's many tasks
7 May 2008
Reverse transcriptase, target of major anti-HIV drugs, dynamically binds both DNA, RNA CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Using ingenious molecular espionage, scientists have found how a single key enzyme, seemingly the Swiss army knife in HIV's toolbox,...

UCI awarded $27.2 million for new stem cell building
7 May 2008
Facility will serve as regional research hub for speeding development of stem cell therapies Irvine, Calif., May 7, 2008 — UC Irvine was awarded $27.2 million today from the state to build a new stem cell research facility that will unify...

Record-setting laser may aid searches for Earthlike planets
7 May 2008
Experimental data from a NIST 'gap-toothed' frequency comb that is false colored to indicate the range from low power (red) to high power (blue). The comb is specially designed for... Click here for more...

Superbug genome sequenced
7 May 2008
The genome of a newly emerging superbug, commonly known as Steno, reveals an organism with a remarkable capacity for drug resistance The genome of a newly-emerging superbug, commonly known as Steno, has just been sequenced. The results reveal...

Iron 'snow' helps maintain Mercury's magnetic field, scientists say
7 May 2008
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — New scientific evidence suggests that deep inside the planet Mercury, iron “snow” forms and falls toward the center of the planet, much like snowflakes form in Earth’s atmosphere and fall to the...

New analysis shows DAYTRANA offered ADHD symptom control for 12 months
7 May 2008
Washington, D.C. – May 7, 2008 – Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced findings from a new data analysis that was conducted to examine treatment differences with...

Platypus genome decoded
7 May 2008
Genome may yield clues about evolution and disease prevention The ancient, patchworked platypus is a relatively unchanged animal that may be a scientific boon for researchers, who are learning a lot from its recently decoded...

Nitrates in vegetables protect against gastric ulcers
7 May 2008
Fruits and vegetables that are rich in nitrates protect the stomach from damage. This takes place through conversion of nitrates into nitrites by the bacteria in the oral cavity and subsequent transformation into biologically active nitric...

UCSF receives funding for building from California stem cell agency
7 May 2008
Signifying a milestone in the evolution of its pioneering stem cell program, the University of California, San Francisco today received a $34.9 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to help support the...

Tel Aviv University finds connection between mental fitness and multi-lingualism
7 May 2008
Children who speak a second or third language may have an unexpected advantage later in life, a new Tel Aviv University study has found. Knowing and speaking many languages may protect the brain against the effects of aging. Dr. Gitit...

The FAQs about the human genome
7 May 2008
The cover of "A Short Guide to the Human Genome ": a parody on a dictionary definition. Click here for more information. COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y. – How many genes are in the human genome" Which genes are...

Power from formic acid
7 May 2008
Room temperature is warm enough: hydrogen for fuel cells from formic acid Hydrogen is generated from formic acid amine adducts at room temperature used directly in fuel cells (see picture for apparatus). Ruthenium phosphine...

Medical research is essential to improving the economy and bettering lives
7 May 2008
Now is not the time to stifle the funding of science Eric G. Neilson MD, FASN Click here for more information. Washington, DC (Monday, May 5, 2008) — Health care in the United States is expensive, but its...

UCSB receives $3.2 million stem cell grant from state
7 May 2008
(Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– The University of California, Santa Barbara will receive $3.2 million from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in support of the development of a state-of-the-art facility in the...

Depression diversity: Brain studies reveal big differences among individuals
7 May 2008
Scans show untreated depressed people have fewer serotonin & opioid receptors, and that variation is linked to symptoms and treatment response ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Depressed people may have far fewer of the receptors for some of the...

Shire investigational nonstimulant INTUNIV showed significant efficacy in reducing ADHD symptoms
7 May 2008
WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Shire plc(LSE: SHP, Nasdaq: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, presented today at a major scientific meeting findings from analyses of pivotal trial results of INTUNIV, a selective alpha-2A-agonist....

Platypus genome sequence published
7 May 2008
Platypus genetic blueprint reveals the early history of mammals UK-based researchers at the Medical Research Council Functional Genomics Unit in Oxford and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics Institute in...

Prisoner HIV program leads to continuum of medical care after release
7 May 2008
95 percent of participants completed program linking ex-offenders to medical care, housing and addiction services Providence, R.I. – By linking HIV positive prisoners to community-based medical care prior to release through an innovative...

International Diabetes Federation gives grant to Philippine diabetes education program
7 May 2008
This release is available in Spanish and Chinese. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) BRIDGES translational research grant program will fund a pilot study in the Philippines that will offer culturally appropriate and improved diabetes...

GIOVE-B transmitting its first signals
7 May 2008
Following a successful launch on 27 April, GIOVE-B began transmitting navigation signals today. This is a truly historic step for satellite navigation since GIOVE-B is now, for the first time, transmitting the GPS-Galileo common signal using a...

St. Jude finds 'dancing' hair cells are key to humans' acute hearing
7 May 2008
A new study shows how sounds are amplified in the inner ear, a finding that could explain how hearing loss can result from genetic mutation or overdose of drugs St. Jude Children's Research Hospital investigators have found that an electrically...

Patients with chronic illness benefit from telehealth intervention
7 May 2008
According to MU researcher, increased patient-provider interaction reduces need for hospitalization COLUMBIA, Mo. – Telehealth, using telecommunication technology to deliver health care, is increasingly being used to improve the delivery...

Platypus genome explains animal's peculiar features; holds clues to evolution of mammals
7 May 2008
The duck-billed platypus: part bird, part reptile, part mammal -- and the genome to prove it. An international consortium of scientists, led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has decoded the genome of the platypus,...

Mothers' high normal blood sugar levels place infants at risk for birth problems
7 May 2008
Pregnant women with blood sugar levels in the higher range of normal—but not high enough to be considered diabetes—are more likely than women with lower blood sugar levels to give birth to babies at risk for many of the same...

Over the back fence: gardeners get advice from neighbors, friends
7 May 2008
University extension services perceived as more credible, but need to become more convenient ST. PAUL, MN -- Where do gardeners turn when they need information about annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees" Staff at University of Minnesota...

Lack of motivation in schizophrenia linked to brain chemical imbalance
7 May 2008
A study of patients with psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia suggests an alternative explanation for why many sufferers lack motivation. The research is described today BioMed Central’s journal BMC Psychiatry. In addition to the...

Penguins exposed to DDT from melting glaciers
7 May 2008
Decades after most countries stopped using the insecticide DDT, frozen stores of the chemical are now dripping out of melting Antarctic glaciers - and into penguins. A marine biologist in the US, who sampled DDT levels in Adélie...

Obesity can increase dementia risk by up to 80 percent
7 May 2008
People who are underweight also face an elevated risk Being obese can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease by as much as 80 per cent, according to a study in the May issue of Obesity Reviews. But it’s not just weight gain that...

55th anniversary of Nobel honoring double helix continues to overlook the late Rosalind Franklin
7 May 2008
May 7, 2008, New Rochelle, NY -- As the Nobel Foundation recognizes the 55th anniversary of the discovery of the structure of DNA, the newly formed Rosalind Franklin Society celebrates the contribution of the late Rosalind Franklin, whose...

When bears steal human food, mom's not to blame
7 May 2008
Bad habits can be picked up from peers or formed alone According to a study by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society, black bears that become habituated on human food and garbage do not necessarily learn these...

Too much or too little weight gain poses risks to pregnant mothers, babies
7 May 2008
CHAPEL HILL – Women who gain more or less than recommended amounts of weight during pregnancy are likely to increase the risk of problems for both themselves and their child, according to a new report by the RTI International-University...

Undergrad has sweet success with invention of artificial Golgi
7 May 2008
Troy, N.Y. — An undergraduate student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has learned very quickly that a spoonful of sugar really does help the medicine go down. In fact, with his invention, the sugar may actually be the...

Genetic 'tag team' keeps cells on cycle
7 May 2008
DURHAM, N.C. -- By surveying the activity of thousands of genes at several different time points, researchers at the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy have uncovered new evidence that a network of influential genes act as a kind...

After divorce, stable families help minimize long-term harm to children
7 May 2008
COLUMBUS, Ohio – For children of divorce, what happens after their parents split up may be just as important to their long-term well-being as the divorce itself. A new study found that children who lived in unstable family situations...

University research contributes to global warming
7 May 2008
Research labs producing too much CO2 Add university research to the long list of human activities contributing to global warming. Hervé Philippe, a Université de Montréal professor of biochemistry, is a committed...

ENDO 08 preliminary news conference and webcast schedule
7 May 2008
June 15-18, San Francisco, Calif., Moscone Center Breaking news on sexual performance, diabetes, combating obesity, steroid abuse and growth hormone doping will be presented in a series of news briefings at ENDO 08, the 90th annual meeting of...

Smithsonian scientist receives 2008 Medal for Excellence in tropical botany
7 May 2008
Mireya Correa, staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute since 1987 and professor at the University of Panama, received the José Cuatrecasas Medal for Excellence in Tropical Botany April 26, 2008. Laurance J. Dorr,...

UAB first in US to offer speedier precise cancer radiotherapy
7 May 2008
Unwanted radiation exposure at rates the same or better than other techniques BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) this month became the first U.S. medical center to offer a speedier cancer radiation therapy....

MicroRNAs appear essential for retinal health
7 May 2008
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Retinas in newborn mice appear perfectly fine without any help from tiny bits of genetic material called microRNAs except for one thing — the retinas do not work. In the first-ever study of the effects of the...

CIHR news: health research touching lives
7 May 2008
Minister Clement announces over $298 million for research to improve the health of Canadians This release is available in French. Ottawa (May 7, 2008) – The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health announced today funding from the...

Does the brain control muscles or movements?
7 May 2008
One of the major scientific questions about the brain is how it can translate the simple intent to perform an action—say, reach for a glass—into the dynamic, coordinated symphony of muscle movements required for that action. The...

Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine researcher receives award
7 May 2008
Researcher receives award from the Hartwell Foundation Boston, MA—M. Michael Wolfe, M.D., professor of medicine and research professor of physiology and biophysics at Boston University School of Medicine and chief of the Gastroenterology...

Amazon under threat from cleaner air
7 May 2008
The Amazon rainforest, so crucial to the Earth’s climate system, is coming under threat from cleaner air say prominent UK and Brazilian climate scientists in the leading scientific journal Nature. The new study identifies a link between...

Ponds found to take up carbon like world's oceans
7 May 2008
AMES, Iowa -- Research led by Iowa State University limnologist, or lake scientist, John Downing finds that ponds around the globe could absorb as much carbon as the world's oceans. Professor Downing found that constructed ponds and lakes on...

Vitamin D linked to reduced mortality rate in CKD
7 May 2008
Washington, DC (Tuesday, May 6, 2008) — For patients with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease (CKD), treatment with activated vitamin D may reduce the risk of death by approximately one-fourth, suggests a study in the August...

Seagulls: Are males the weaker sex?
7 May 2008
Study says social context affects the sexes differently Male seagulls may be more vulnerable to their environment during embryonic development than females, according to Maria Bogdanova and Ruedi Nager from the University of Glasgow in the UK....

USC receives nearly $27 million in funding for new stem cell research facility
7 May 2008
USC's proposal of a 5-story laboratory building includes extensive shared space LOS ANGELES, May 7, 2008 -- Noting the project as innovative in terms of energy efficiency and research collaboration, the California Institute for Regenerative...

Obesity linked to increased risk for dementia
7 May 2008
Obesity may increase adults’ risk for having dementia, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Their analysis of published obesity and dementia prospective follow-up studies over the past two...

MIT study suggests caution on new anti-obesity drug in kids
7 May 2008
Anti-obesity drugs that work by blocking brain molecules similar to those in marijuana could also interfere with neural development in young children, according to a new study from MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and...

New target for Alzheimer's disease identified
7 May 2008
Modulating enkephalin may reduce cognitive deficits SAN FRANCISCO, CA – May 7, 2008 ---Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an incurable disease that is increasing in prevalence and will increase even more rapidly as the Baby Boom generation...

Mathematics simplifies sleep monitoring
7 May 2008
A UQ researcher has created a new way to measure breathing patterns in sleeping infants which may also work for adults. The researcher, PhD student Philip Terrill, has created a mathematical formula that measures varying breathing patterns...

Study suggests caution on a new anti-obesity drug in children
7 May 2008
A new class of anti-obesity drugs that suppresses appetite by blocking cannabinoid receptors in the brain could also suppress the adaptive rewiring of the brain necessary for neural development in children, studies with mice have indicated....

Ultrasound first, not CT, for diagnosing suspected acute appendicitis
7 May 2008
Color Doppler ultrasound, not CT, should be the first imaging examination for adult patients with suspected acute appendicitis, a new study emphasizes. The study of 420 medical records found that sonography correctly denied acute appendicitis...