RxPG News : Latest Research

Researchers have discovered how an antibiotic works to modulate the activity of a neurotransmitter that regulates brain functions

Sun, 11 May 2008 01:12:56 PST

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have discovered how an antibiotic works to modulate the activity of a neurotransmitter that regulates brain functions, which eventually could lead to therapies to treat Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, epilepsy, stroke, dementia and malignant gliomas.

Childhood and adolescent obesity negatively impacts vascular endothelial function

Sun, 11 May 2008 00:59:16 PST

Study findings presented at the May 2008 Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society for Pediatric Research Joint Meeting indicate that childhood and adolescent obesity negatively impacts vascular endothelial function, which relates to cardiac health.

Scientists endure Arctic for last campaign prior to CryoSat-2 launch

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

An international group of scientists has swapped their comfortable offices for one of the most inhospitable environments on the planet to carry out a challenging field campaign that is seen as the key to ensuring the data delivered by ESA's ice mission CryoSat will be as accurate as possible.

Suspected cause of type 1 diabetes caught 'red-handed' for the first time

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

May 8, 2008 -- Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis working with diabetic mice have examined in unprecedented detail the immune cells long thought to be responsible for type 1 diabetes.

Designer isotopes push the frontier of science

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

Designer labels have a lot of cachet, a principle that's equally true in fashion and physics.

Scientists identify key roadblock to gene expression

Thu, 08 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

A team of scientists has provided, for the first time, a detailed map of how the building blocks of chromosomes, the cellular structures that contain genes, are organized in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The work identifies a critical stop sign for transcription, the first step in gene expression, and has implications for understanding how the AIDS virus regulates its genes. The findings will be published in the 15 May 2008 issue of the journal Nature.

Previously unseen switch regulates breast cancer response to estrogen

Thu, 08 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

A tiny modification called methylation on estrogen receptors prolongs the life of these growth-driving molecules in breast cancer cells, according to research by scientists at Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute.

Virus mimics human protein to hijack cell division machinery

Thu, 08 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

MADISON - Viruses are masters of deception, duping their host's cells into helping them grow and spread. A new study has found that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can mimic a common regulatory protein to hijack normal cell growth machinery, disrupting a cell's primary anti-cancer mechanism.

What's bugging locusts?

Thu, 08 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

Since ancient times, locust plagues have been viewed as one of the most spectacular events in nature. In seemingly spontaneous fashion, as many as 10 billion critters can suddenly swarm the air and carpet the ground, blazing destructive paths that bring starvation and economic ruin.

Scientists demonstrate method for integrating nanowire devices directly onto silicon

Thu, 08 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

Cambridge, Mass. --- Applied scientists at Harvard University in collaboration with researchers from the German universities of Jena, Gottingen, and Bremen, have developed a new technique for fabricating nanowire photonic and electronic integrated circuits that may one day be suitable for high-volume commercial production.

Ponds found to take up carbon like world's oceans

Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

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.

Platypus genome explains animal's peculiar features; holds clues to evolution of mammals

Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

The duck-billed platypus: part bird, part reptile, part mammal -- and the genome to prove it.

Molecular espionage shows a single HIV enzyme's many tasks

Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Using ingenious molecular espionage, scientists have found how a single key enzyme, seemingly the Swiss army knife in HIV's toolbox, differentiates and dynamically binds both DNA and RNA as part of the virus' fierce attack on host cells. The work is described this week in the journal Nature.

Platypus genome decoded

Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

The curious discovery of the duck-billed, egg-laying, otter-footed, beaver-tailed, venomous platypus in Australia in 1798 convinced British scientists that it must be a hoax. Sketches of its appearance were thought to be impossible.

New cell-based sensors sniff out danger like bloodhounds

Tue, 06 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

COLLEGE PARK, Md.--A small, unmanned vehicle makes its way down the road ahead of a military convoy. Suddenly it stops and relays a warning to the convoy commander. The presence of a deadly improvised explosive device, or IED, has been detected by sophisticated new sensor technology incorporating living olfactory cells on microchips mounted on the unmanned vehicle. The IED is safely dismantled and lives are saved.

Researchers find way to make tumor cells easier to destroy

Tue, 06 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

Tumors have a unique vulnerability that can be exploited to make them more sensitive to heat and radiation, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report.

Chile's Chaiten volcano one of scores of active volcanoes in region, says CU-Boulder professor

Tue, 06 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

The Chaiten volcano now erupting in southern Chile is one of 200 to 300 volcanoes in the Andean Arc region of Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Columbia considered active by volcanologists, some of which lie in much more densely populated areas, said a University of Colorado at Boulder geologist who has studied Chaiten.

National scientific meeting on child mental health at Kentucky

Tue, 06 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

As the nation observes National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day on Thursday, the University of Kentucky Center for the Study of Violence Against Children (CSVAC) will host national experts at the scientific meeting From Neuroscience to Social Practice: Translational Research on Violence Against Children. The two-day event, being held May 7-8 in Lexington, Ky., includes the unveiling of research findings on violence against children that will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Loss and Trauma.

Iron supplements might harm infants who have enough

Mon, 05 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---A new study suggests that extra iron for infants who don't need it might delay development -- results that fuel the debate over optimal iron supplement levels and could have huge implications for the baby formula and food industry.

Cells lining milk ducts hold key to spread of common form of breast cancer

Mon, 05 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

BOSTON--When a form of cancer that begins in the milk ducts of the breast invades neighboring tissue to spread to other parts of the body, the cause lies not in the tumor cells themselves but in a group of abnormal surrounding cells that cause the walls of the duct to deteriorate like a rusty pipe, according to a new study led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers.

65-million-year-old asteroid impact triggered a global hail of carbon beads

Mon, 05 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The asteroid presumed to have wiped out the dinosaurs struck the Earth with such force that carbon deep in the Earth's crust liquefied, rocketed skyward, and formed tiny airborne beads that blanketed the planet, say scientists from the U.S., U.K., Italy, and New Zealand in this month's Geology.

Trouble in paradise: Warming a greater danger to tropical species

Mon, 05 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

Polar bears fighting for survival in the face of a rapid decline of polar ice have made the Arctic a poster child for the negative effects of climate change. But new research shows that species living in the tropics likely face the greatest peril in a warmer world.

A safer alternative to aspirin?

Sun, 04 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

A study in China has shown that the antiplatelet* drug cilostazol is as effective as aspirin at preventing recurrent stroke, but causes less bleeding events. The results suggest cilostazol could be a safer alternative to aspirin post-stroke for Chinese patients, and warrant both phase III trials and studies in other populations. These are the conclusions of authors of an Article published early Online and in the June edition of The Lancet Neurology.

NASA calls on APL to send a probe to the sun

Fri, 02 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory is sending a spacecraft closer to the sun than any probe has ever gone - and what it finds could revolutionize what we know about our star and the solar wind that influences everything in our solar system.

Closing the achievement gap in math and science

Fri, 02 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

The latest results from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program show not only improved proficiency among all elementary and middle school students, but also a closing of the achievement gaps between both African-American and Hispanic students and white students in elementary school math, and between African-American and white students in elementary and middle-school science.

Randomized trial confirms efficacy of ketogenic diet in preventing epileptic seizures in children

Fri, 02 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

A randomised controlled trial has confirmed the efficacy of the ketogenic diet in helping control and prevent epileptic seizures in children with drug-resistant epilepsy. These are the conclusions of authors of an Article published early Online and in the June edition of The Lancet Neurology.

Glowing zebrafish help researchers track role of sugars in the cell

Fri, 02 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

Berkeley -- Using artificial sugar and some clever chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, researchers have made glow-in-the-dark fish whose internal light comes from the sugar coating on their cells.

Global warming affects world's largest freshwater lake

Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

Russian and American scientists have discovered that the rising temperature of the world's largest lake, located in frigid Siberia, shows that this region is responding strongly to global warming.

Astronomers discover new type of pulsating white dwarf star

Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

University of Texas at Austin astronomers Michael H. Montgomery and Kurtis A. Williams, along with graduate student Steven DeGennaro, have predicted and confirmed the existence of a new type of variable star, with the help of the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope at McDonald Observatory. The discovery is announced in today's issue of Astrophysical Journal Letters.

High blood pressure still sneaking past doctors, Stanford study shows

Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

STANFORD, Calif. - Despite the well-known dangers of high blood pressure, major shortfalls still exist in the screening, treatment and control of the disease even when patients are getting a doctor's care, according to a study from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Montana State University research reaches Supreme Court of India

Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

BOZEMAN, Mont. -- Montana State University research about pollution in the Ganges River has reached the Supreme Court of India, producing some optimism among MSU scientists who study the 1,500-mile river.

Harmful blood glucose levels linked to defective gene

Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

A genetic mutation that can raise the amount of glucose in a person's blood to harmful levels is identified today in a study in the journal Science.

Study finds TV portrayals of mental health professionals influence willingness to seek therapy

Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

AMES, Iowa -- Network television programming might suggest that America is fascinated with the idea of psychological counseling.

Stanford researchers synthesize compound to flush HIV out of hiding

Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

Any hunter will tell you that when your quarry goes into hiding, you have to flush it out to get a good shot at it. Such is the case with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Global warming linked to caribou-calf mortality

Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

Fewer caribou calves are being born and more of them are dying in West Greenland as a result of a warming climate, according to Eric Post, a Penn State associate professor of biology. Post, who believes that caribou may serve as an indicator species for climate changes including global warming, based his conclusions on data showing that the timing of peak food availability no longer corresponds to the timing of caribou births. The study, which was conducted in collaboration with Mads Forchhammer at the University of Aarhus in Denmark, will be published in the 12 July 2008 issue of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London.

Princeton University survey finds 'pain gap'

Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

A novel study that attempts to paint the most accurate and detailed description yet of how Americans experience pain has found that a significant portion of the population -- 28 percent -- are in pain at any given moment and those with less education and lower income spend more of their time in pain. Those in pain are less likely to work or socialize with others and are more inclined to watch television than the pain-free.

4 out of 5 high blood pressure related deaths occur in developing world

Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 PST

Long thought to be a problem only for high income countries, now 80% of deaths connected to high blood pressure (HBP) occur in the developing world. These are the conclusions of authors of an Article in this week's edition of The Lancet.

Ancient 'Nutcracker Man' challenges ideas on evolution of human diet

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Tiny marks on the teeth of an ancient human ancestor known as the Nutcracker Man may upset current evolutionary understanding of early hominid diet.

Synergistic growth inhibitory effect of herbal extracts against HCC and lung cancer cells

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Several herbs with diversified pharmacological properties are known to be rich sources of chemical constituents that may have potential for the treatment of several human cancers. Data from the Department of Preclinical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, demonstrates that the growth inhibitory activity of doxorubicin or cisplatin, as single agents, may be modified in combination with emblic myrobalan or belleric myrobalan extracts and may be synergistically enhanced in some cases.

CU-Boulder researchers forecast 3-in-5 chance of record low Arctic sea ice in 2008

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

New University of Colorado at Boulder calculations indicate the record low minimum extent of sea ice across the Arctic last September has a three-in-five chance of being shattered again in 2008 because of continued warming temperatures and a preponderance of younger, thinner ice.

Zebrafish may help solve ringing in vets' ears

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

CHICAGO -- Ernest Moore, an audiologist and cell biologist at Northwestern University, developed tinnitus -- a chronic ringing and whooshing sound in his ears -- twenty years ago after serving in the U.S. Army reserves medical corps. His hearing was damaged by the crack of too many M16 rifles and artillery explosions. He suspects his hearing also suffered from hunting opossum with rifles as a kid on his grandmother's farm in Tennessee.

8 new human genome projects offer large-scale picture of genetic difference

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

A nationwide consortium led by the University of Washington in Seattle has completed the first sequence-based map of structural variations in the human genome, giving scientists an overall picture of the large-scale differences in DNA between individuals. The project gives researchers a guide for further research into these structural differences, which are believed to play an important role in human health and disease. The results appear in the May 1 issue of the journal Nature.

Method for fast human antibodies against flu could find broad use

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Scientists have developed a new, faster way to create human monoclonal antibodies against infectious disease by tapping the immune system at the peak of its powers.

Scientists aim to boost world energy supplies -- with microbes!

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

British and Canadian scientists expect to begin trials next month (May) to find out whether microbes can unlock the vast amount of energy trapped in the world's unrecoverable heavy oil deposits.

Tarenflurbil slows decline of mild Alzheimer's patients in phase II study

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) who take 800mg of tarenflurbil twice daily show less decline in functional ability than those taking placebo. The findings of this phase II justify phase III studies of tarenflurbil at this dose. These are the conclusions of authors of Article published early Online and in the June issue of The Lancet Neurology.

Engineers harness cell phone technology for use in medical imaging

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Berkeley -- With an innovative concept developed by engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, the ubiquitous cell phone could one day be used to make medical imaging accessible to billions of people around the world.

Are nanobots on their way?

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

The first real steps towards building a microscopic device that can construct nano machines have been taken by US researchers. Writing in the peer-reviewed publication, International Journal of Nanomanufacturing from Inderscience Publishers, researchers describe an early prototype for a nanoassembler.

'Sticky nanotubes' hold key to future technologies

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Researchers at Purdue University are the first to precisely measure the forces required to peel tiny nanotubes off of other materials, opening up the possibility of creating standards for nano-manufacturing and harnessing a gecko's ability to walk up walls.

Genes for common heart condition and kidney problem identified

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

A gene that can cause the heart to become enlarged, greatly increasing the risk of heart attacks and heart failure, is identified today in a new study.

Ancient ecosystems organized much like our own

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

It was an Anomalocaris-eat-trilobite world, filled with species like nothing on today's Earth. But the ecology of Cambrian communities was remarkably modern, say researchers behind the first study to reconstruct detailed food webs for ancient ecosystems. Their paper, published this week in the open-access journal PLoS Biology, suggests that networks of feeding relationships among marine species that lived hundreds of millions of years ago are remarkably similar to those of today.

Why is there higher cancer mortality in indigenous Polynesian peoples?

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Native residents of Hawaii and New Zealand have much higher mortality rates for many cancers than the European peoples who live there. Education on screening programmes, diet, and smoking could help tackle this. The issues are discussed in the first of a series of Reviews on worldwide cancer disparities in the May issue of The Lancet Oncology.

Cancer immunotherapy shows long-term promise in lung cancer

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

New, long-term results from a clinical trial presented today at the 1st European Lung Cancer Conference jointly organized by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the International Association of the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) show that MAGE-A3 ASCI (Antigen-Specific Cancer Immunotherapeutic), an immune-boosting treatment for lung cancer patients, reduces the risk of relapse after surgery -- to the same extent as chemotherapy but without the side-effects of chemotherapy.

Users of Yahoo Answers seek expertise

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

One of the first large-scale analyses of how people share knowledge on Yahoo Answers has found that participants use the site to exchange advice and opinions, in addition to technical expertise.

Deadly dose: Rensselaer heparin expert helps uncover source of lethal contamination

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Troy, N.Y. -- The mysterious death of patients around the world following a routine dosage of the common blood thinner, heparin, sent researchers on a frantic search to uncover what could make the standard drug so toxic. A researcher at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was among a small group of scientists with the expertise and the high-tech equipment necessary to determine the source of the contamination.

Study shows false memories complicate end-of-life treatment decisions

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Irvine, Calif., April 25, 2008 -- Advance directives, or living wills, may not effectively honor end-of-life wishes because life-sustaining treatment preferences often change without people being aware of the changes, according to a new study co-authored by UC Irvine researchers Peter Ditto and Elizabeth Loftus.

Plan to identify watery Earth-like planets develops

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Astronomers are looking to identify Earth-like watery worlds circling distant stars from a glint of light seen through an optical space telescope and a mathematical method developed by researchers at Penn State and the University of Hawaii.

Technological breakthrough in the fight to cut greenhouse gases

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Scientists at Newcastle University have pioneered breakthrough technology in the fight to cut greenhouse gases.

Brown scientists say biodiversity is crucial to ecosystem productivity

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - In the first experiment involving a natural environment, scientists at Brown University have shown that richer plant diversity significantly enhances an ecosystem's productivity. The finding underscores the benefits of biodiversity, such as capturing carbon dioxide, a main contributor to global warming.

Ozone hole recovery may reshape southern hemisphere climate change

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

A full recovery of the stratospheric ozone hole could modify climate change in the Southern Hemisphere and even amplify Antarctic warming, according to scientists from the University of Colorado at Boulder, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA.

Princeton scientists discover exotic quantum state of matter

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

A team of scientists from Princeton University has found that one of the most intriguing phenomena in condensed-matter physics -- known as the quantum Hall effect -- can occur in nature in a way that no one has ever before seen.

Better regional monitoring of CO2 needed as global levels continue rising

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Monitoring Earth's rising greenhouse gas levels will require a global data collection network 10 times larger than the one currently in place in order to quantify regional progress in emission reductions, according to a new research commentary by University of Colorado and NOAA researchers appearing in the April 25 issue of Science.

Refining the date of the K/T boundary and the dinosaur extinction

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Berkeley -- Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Berkeley Geochronology Center have pinpointed the date of the dinosaurs' extinction more precisely than ever thanks to refinements to a common technique for dating rocks and fossils.

Montana State researchers study spread of lake trout in Glacier National Park

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

BOZEMAN, Mont. -- Natural barriers like waterfalls play an important role in preventing lake trout from spreading through Glacier National Park, so maintaining those barriers should be a priority, Montana State University researchers said after conducting a four-year study in the park.

New lymphoma therapies targets diverse and difficult cancer

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

NEW YORK (April 24, 2008) -- The fifth leading cause of cancer in the United States, lymphoma is made up of more than 40 rare and highly diverse diseases that target the body's lymphatic system. Lymphomas include both one of the fastest growing cancers -- Burkitt's lymphoma, which can double in size in as little as a day -- and one of the slowest, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Specialized white blood cells coordinate first responders to viral infection

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Just as fire engines arrive quickly at the scene to save people and property, the cells that fight viruses have to reach the site of an infection promptly to mount a protective response.

Researcher works with European Space Agency to test moisture satellite

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

AMES, Iowa -- Europeans want to peek into our soil and see how dry we are.

Genetic sequencing of protein from T. rex bone confirms dinosaurs' link to birds

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Scientists have put more meat on the theory that dinosaurs' closest living relatives are modern-day birds.

Injecting sulfate particles into stratosphere could have drastic impact on Earth's ozone layer

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

A much-discussed idea to offset global warming by injecting sulfate particles into the stratosphere would have a drastic impact on Earth's protective ozone layer, new research concludes.

Clinical monitoring as effective as CD4 count/viral load at advising switch to second line HIV ARVS

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Monitoring of clinical events in patients on first line antiretroviral treatment (ART) in poor countries is almost as effective in terms of survival as using CD4 count or viral load measures at advising when to switch to second line ART. Thus lack of access to the laboratory tests for CD4 and viral load in poor settings should not be allowed to hinder access to and roll-out of ART, which needs to be expanded to all settings as soon as possible. These are the conclusions of authors of an Article in this week's edition of The Lancet.

Biofuels, farming subsidies and climate change must all be tackled to address food crisis

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

While customers at restaurants in New York City will soon be able to count the calories of their meals in an attempt to curb the obesity epidemic, people in New Delhi are currently counting the grains of their rice. From Bolivia to Yemen, people around the world are taking to the streets in protest at the spiralling increases in food prices.

60 percent of world's heart disease in India by 2010 -- where it hits younger and has worse outcomes

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Within two years, around 60% of the world's heart disease burden is expected to occur in India. Further, India has a higher rate of types of heart disease that lead to worse prognoses than do developed countries, and on average heart disease occurs at a younger age in Indian people. These are the conclusions of authors of an Article published in this week's edition of The Lancet.

Bird-flu pandemic: Broadly protective vaccines that can be rapidly produced are vital

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Widespread vaccination will probably be the cornerstone of public-health measures for controlling an H5N1 bird-flu pandemic. But vaccines must be broadly-protective and rapidly produced to be effective against this disease which is devastating in humans, with a mortality of over 60%. These are the conclusions of authors of a Seminar in this week’s edition of The Lancet. The Seminar appears in the same issue as a paper on probable human-human bird-flu transmission, which was published on www.thelancet.com two weeks ago.

Domestic violence associated with chronic malnutrition in women and children in India

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

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 incidents of domestic violence in the previous year are more likely to be anemic and underweight. The findings were published online March 26, 2008 in The American Journal of Epidemiology and will appear in an upcoming print issue of the journal.

Radio telescope reveals secrets of massive black hole

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

At the cores of many galaxies, supermassive black holes expel powerful jets of particles at nearly the speed of light. Just how they perform this feat has long been one of the mysteries of astrophysics. The leading theory says the particles are accelerated by tightly-twisted magnetic fields close to the black hole, but confirming that idea required an elusive close-up view of the jet's inner throat. Now, using the unrivaled resolution of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Very Long Baseline (VLBA), astronomers have watched material winding a corkscrew outward path and behaving exactly as predicted by the theory.

Glaciers reveal Martian climate has been recently active

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - The prevailing thinking is that Mars is a planet whose active climate has been confined to the distant past. About 3.5 billion years ago, the Red Planet had extensive flowing water and then fell quiet - deadly quiet. It didn't seem the climate had changed much since.

Nanotubes grown straight in large numbers

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

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.

Sierra Nevada rose to current height earlier than thought, say Stanford geologists

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

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, roughly 8 or 9 million years earlier than commonly thought.

A CluE in the search for data-intensive computing

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

The Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) directorate at the National Science Foundation (NSF) released a solicitation for proposals for the new Cluster Exploratory (CluE) initiative. The CluE program was announced in February as a part of a relationship between Google, IBM and NSF. NSF hopes this initiative will help lead to innovations in the field of data-intensive computing, as well as serve as an example for future collaborations between the private sector and the academic computing research community.

The spring in your step is more than just a good mood

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

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 us move efficiently.

$450,000 sweetener in colon cancer battle

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

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 tests.

How exercise changes structure and function of heart

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

For the first time researchers are beginning to understand exactly how various forms of exercise impact the heart. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators, in collaboration with the Harvard University Health Services, have found that 90 days of vigorous athletic training produces significant changes in cardiac structure and function and that the type of change varies with the type of exercise performed. Their study appears in the April Journal of Applied Physiology.

Data mining personnel

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

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 International Journal of Business Information Systems, researchers in India explain how data mining could help unearth the diamonds in the rough.

Purdue researchers propose way to incorporate deforestation into climate change treaty

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University researchers have proposed a new option for incorporating deforestation into the international climate change treaty.

Findings a step toward making new optical materials

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Chemical engineers have developed a self-assembling method that could lead to an inexpensive way of making diamondlike crystals to improve optical communications and other technologies.

Link between ozone air pollution and premature death confirmed

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

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 Protection Agency should include ozone-related mortality in health-benefit analyses related to future ozone standards. The committee that wrote the report was not asked to consider how evidence has been used by EPA to set ozone standards, including the new public health standard set by the agency last month.

Study finds cisplatin less effective than standard treatment for patients with anal cancer

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

HOUSTON - When administered before chemoradiation, the common anti-cancer drug cisplatin neither improved disease-free survival nor reduced the number of colostomies needed when compared to the standard treatment for patients with anal canal cancer, according to a study published in the April 23 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Numerical information can be persuasive or informative depending on how it's presented

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

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?

Costs, considerations of switching to natural or organic methods

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

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 producers he saw.

A simplified method of giving rabies vaccine

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

A simplified economical method of giving rabies vaccine is just as effective as the expensive standard vaccine regimen at stimulating anti-rabies antibodies.

Arctic ice more vulnerable to sunny weather, new study shows

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

BOULDER--The shrinking expanse of Arctic sea ice is increasingly vulnerable to summer sunshine, new research concludes. The study, by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and Colorado State University (CSU), finds that unusually sunny weather contributed to last summer's record loss of Arctic ice, while similar weather conditions in past summers do not appear to have had comparable impacts.

Mammography may be beneficial to all women, regardless of age

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

HOUSTON - According to researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, mammography, the gold-standard for breast cancer screening and early detection, has shown to significantly reduce the risk of being diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer in women over the age of 80, an age group currently without clear guidelines recommending regular screenings.

Inflammation triggers cell fusions that could protect neurons, Stanford research shows

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

STANFORD, Calif. - Chronic inflammation triggers bone marrow-derived blood cells to travel to the brain and fuse with a certain type of neuron up to 100 times more frequently than previously believed, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

No place like home: Katrina's lasting impact

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---New Orleans residents who lost their homes in Hurricane Katrina were over five times more likely to experience serious psychological distress a year after the disaster than those who did not.

U-M study: Work hassles hamper sleep

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---Common hassles at work are more likely than long hours, night shifts or job insecurity to follow workers home and interfere with their sleep.

National Science Board to honor Norm Augustine with prestigious Vannevar Bush Award

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

The National Science Board (NSB) today announced that Norman R. Augustine will receive its 2008 Vannevar Bush Award for his distinguished public service leadership in science, engineering and technology; for his longstanding commitment to the ethical conduct of business and the engineering profession; and for his extraordinary contributions to the welfare of the nation through his advocacy of science, technology and engineering education as national priorities. The NSB will honor Augustine at a black-tie dinner ceremony on May 6 at the U.S. Department of State.

Fuzzy logic water quality

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

A fuzzy logic approach to analyzing water quality could help reduce the number of people in the developing world forced to drink polluted and diseased water for survival. Writing in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, an Inderscience publication, researchers from the University of Malaya, explain how a new approach to water quality assessment uses fuzzy logic to combine disparate problems and provide a more accurate indicator of overall quality.

Resolving international copyright

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Publishers commonly profit from the creative works of their freelance contributors not only in the traditional print format, but increasingly digitally through websites, databases, and multimedia output and through syndication and sales to third parties publishers. More enlightened publishers make provision for this in the contract with their freelancers and pay royalties on such secondary and tertiary practices, but this is not common practice.

Paranal receives new mirror

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

A 4.1-metre diameter primary mirror, a vital part of the world's newest and fastest survey telescope, VISTA (the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) has been delivered to its new mountaintop home at Cerro Paranal, Chile. The mirror will now be coupled with a small camera for initial testing prior to installing the main camera in June. Full scientific operations are due to start early next year. VISTA will form part of ESO's Very Large Telescope facility.

Graphene used to create world's smallest transistor

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

Researchers have used the world's thinnest material to create the world's smallest transistor, one atom thick and ten atoms wide.

New vaccine may give long-term defense against deadly bird flu and its variant forms

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PST

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A new vaccine under development may provide protection against highly pathogenic bird flu and its evolving forms, according to researchers at Purdue University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who discovered the new preventative drug and have tested it in mice.