Asteroid probe 'on home straight'
31 May 2010 11:52 UK
An unmanned Japanese spacecraft designed to return samples from an asteroid has completed an important step on its journey back to Earth.
31-May-2010
Sugary band-aid may help heal post-operative tissue
A compound found in sunless tanning spray may help to heal wounds following surgery, according to new results published by plastic surgeons from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City and biomedical engineers at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., where the novel compound was developed.
Fragments of stone tools found at the Sunabara remains in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, may not be as old as originally thought
Asahi
13,000-year-old clay figure found
Asahi
31-May-2010
Powerful genome barcoding system reveals large-scale variation in human DNA
Genetic abnormalities are most often discussed in terms of differences so miniscule they are actually called "snips" -- changes in a single unit along the 3 billion that make up the entire string of human DNA.
Really?
The Claim: Rosemary Helps Reduce Toxins in Grilled Meat
By ANAHAD O'CONNOR
Can a spice or marinade reduce carcinogens in grilled meat?
31-May-2010
Tecnalia presents electric vehicle that reaches 140 km/hour in 10 seconds
The Tecnalia Technological Corporation has presented its experimental vehicle -- "Dynacar" -- a totally electric car that can reach a speed of 140 kilometres per hour in 10 seconds. The presentation took place at the International Eco Friendly Vehicle & Sustainable Mobility Show in Madrid, held May 20-23.
Drug could get into the autistic mind
THIS WEEK:  08:00 01 June 2010
For the first time, drugs are being tested that could address the social difficulties associated with autism and other learning disorders
June 1, 2010 3:26 PM PDT
Next-gen blood glucose monitor: High-tech tattoos
by Elizabeth Armstrong Moore
Chemical engineers at MIT are designing carbon nanotubes that can be injected beneath the skin to reveal continuous blood glucose levels in real time. If it works, people with Type I diabetes may not have to prick their fingers multiple times a day to monitor their glucose levels.
1-Jun-2010
Antidepressants linked to cataract risk -- Parkinson's drug may cause corneal damage
This month's Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, includes new studies on links between eye diseases and two widely-prescribed drugs: SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressants and amantadine, a Parkinson's disease treatment.
1-Jun-2010
Calcium consumption may cause prostate cancer in Chinese
Among Chinese men, calcium consumption -- even at relatively low levels and from non-dairy food sources such as soy, grains and green vegetables -- may increase prostate cancer risk, according to results published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
1-Jun-2010
Calcium supplements: too much of a good thing?
Negative health effects linked to taking too much supplemental calcium are on the rise, according to a commentary appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology. The incidence of the so-called milk-alkali or calcium-alkali syndrome is growing in large part because of widespread use of over-the-counter calcium and vitamin D supplements.
Q & A
So Big!
By C. CLAIBORNE RAY
What was going on in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods that allowed the largest known land animals, like the Brontosaurus, to thrive and survive?
1-Jun-2010
Treating heart attack past recommended time may significantly increase risk of death
An examination of the treatment received by patients with myocardial infarction at 80 hospitals in Quebec indicates that those who received either primary percutaneous coronary intervention or fibrinolysis beyond the times recommended in international guidelines had a significantly increased risk of death within 30 days, along with an increased risk of the combined outcome of death or readmission for heart attack or heart failure at one year, according to a study in JAMA.
Matter: The next generation
THIS WEEK:  15:17 01 June 2010
Experiments hint at a new class of particles that could reveal how the infant universe narrowly escaped annihilation
1-Jun-2010
Synthetic peptide may regenerate brain tissue in stroke victims
A synthetic version of a naturally occurring peptide promoted the creation of new blood vessels and repaired damaged nerve cells in lab animals, according to researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. "This successful experiment holds promise for treating clot-induced strokes in humans," says study lead author Daniel C. Morris, M.D., senior staff physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Henry Ford Hospital. "Neurorestorative therapy is the next frontier in the treatment of stroke."
June 1, 2010
Genome of bacteria responsible for tuberculosis of olive tree sequenced
Researchers at the Public University of Navarra, the Polytechnic University of Madrid, the University of Malaga, the University of Wisconsin and the Valencian Institute of Agricultural Research have managed to sequence the genome of the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis in the olive tree.
1-Jun-2010
Body's own proteins may lead the way in global fight against tuberculosis
Scientists hope to counter the re-emerging threat of tuberculosis with help from proteins within our bodies. In a research report published in the June 2010 print issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, scientists show how the protein CCL5 plays a protective role in helping the body ward off TB in early stages of infection. CCL5 is a member of a large family of proteins responsible for immune cell migration toward infection sites.
1-Jun-2010
Only 5 percent of cancer research funds are spent on metastases, yet it kills 90 percent of all cancer patients
On average, about 5 percent of total cancer research funding is spent on investigating metastases (the spread of cancer cells around the body) in Europe, yet metastatic disease is the direct or indirect cause of 90 percent of all cancer deaths, according to an editorial in the European Journal of Cancer. This discrepancy in funding is highlighted in an editorial that introduces a special EJC issue on metastasis.
1-Jun-2010
Study finds cancer information on Wikipedia is accurate, but not very readable
It is a commonly held that information on Wikipedia should not be trusted, since it is written and edited by non-experts without professional oversight. But researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson have found differently, according to data being presented at the 2010 ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago.
1-Jun-2010
Thymoquinone induced oxidative stress targets highly aggressive prostate cancers
Researchers at the Tulane University School of Medicine, in New Orleans, have demonstrated that thymoquinone (TQ) a major component of black seed oil (Nigella sativa) can suppress the growth of several aggressive prostate cancer (PCa) cell lines, in vitro. Although previous studies have shown the anti-proliferative effects of TQ in different types of cancers, the molecular mechanism of this effect of TQ had not been delineated.
1-Jun-2010
'Little brown balls' tie malaria and algae to common ancestor: UBC research
Inconspicuous "little brown balls" in the ocean have helped settle a long-standing debate about the origin of malaria and the algae responsible for toxic red tides, according to a new study by University of British Columbia researchers.
The Vanishing Mind
Thief of Memory Stalks a Colombian Family
By PAM BELLUCK
One family is at the center of potentially groundbreaking research to see if treatment before dementia can stop Alzheimer’s altogether.
1-Jun-2010
One-third of young girls get HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer
Only about one in three young women has received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to help prevent cervical cancer, according to a new report from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
1-Jun-2010
Scripps research scientists determine structure of immune molecule that counteracts HIV strains
In findings that contribute to efforts to design an AIDS vaccine, a team led by Scripps Research Institute scientists has determined the structure of an immune system antibody molecule that effectively acts against most strains of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS.
Green machine: Cars could run on sunlight and CO₂
14:46 02 June 2010
Solar-powered reactors promise a route to carbon-neutral motoring running on synthetic fuels
2-Jun-2010
Retirees in Mexico cut off, study says
Baby boomers retiring in Mexico may find it's cheaper to live there than in Canada or the US, however, a study suggests retirees are often isolated both from their families back home -- and from the mainstream of Mexican life.
2-Jun-2010
New medics in death spike
Are new medical residents a threat to patients? According to Dr. David Phillips and Gwendolyn Barker from the University of California, San Diego in the US, fatal medication errors peak in July in teaching hospitals in particular, which coincides with the yearly influx of new medical residents who are given increased responsibility for patient care. Their findings are published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, published by Springer.
2-Jun-2010
Prompt gallbladder removal in elderly associated with increased survival, lower costs
New research findings published in the May issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons indicate that delaying cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder, in elderly patients with sudden inflammation of the organ often results in increased costs, morbidity and mortality.
2-Jun-2010
Apologies may fuel settlement of legal disputes, study says
Apologies can potentially help resolve legal disputes ranging from injury cases to wrongful firings, giving wounded parties a sense of justice and satisfaction that promotes settlements and trims demands for damages, a study found.
2-Jun-2010
First paper 'dipstick' test for determining blood type
Scientists are reporting development of the first "dipstick" test for instantly determining a person's blood type at a cost of just a few pennies. Their study on the test, which involves placing a drop of blood on a specially treated paper strip, appears in ACS' semi-monthly journal Analytical Chemistry, where the authors say it could be a boon to health care in developing countries.
Out of the shadows: our unknown immune system
THIS WEEK:  18:00 02 June 2010
An immune switch we didn't even know existed may play a role in cancer, diabetes, asthma and MS
Shape-shifting islands defy sea-level rise
THIS WEEK:  18:00 02 June 2010
Against all the odds, a number of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean are standing up to the effects of climate change
Dogs can potentially sniff out prostate cancer, French researchers say
June 2, 2010 By Thomas H. Maugh II
Man's best friend may cement his position if early results from French researchers can be replicated. A team of researchers from Tenon Hospital in Paris reported Tuesday at a San Francisco meeting of the American Urological Association that dogs can be trained to detect the characteristic odor of unique chemicals released into urine by prostate tumors
3-Jun-2010
Autism finding could lead to simple urine test for the condition
Children with autism have a different chemical fingerprint in their urine than non-autistic children, according to new research published tomorrow in the print edition of the Journal of Proteome Research. The researchers behind the study, from Imperial College London and the University of South Australia, suggest that their findings could ultimately lead to a simple urine test to determine whether or not a young child has autism.
3-Jun-2010
ASU instrument on NASA rover helps identify outcrop of long-sought rare rock on Mars
A mineral-scouting instrument developed at Arizona State University has found an outcrop of rock rich in carbonate minerals in the Columbia Hills of Gusev Crater on Mars.
Mystery seafaring ancestor found in the Philippines
17:55 03 June 2010
A fossil foot bone reveals that early humans arrived on the island of Luzon tens of thousands of years earlier than realised
3-Jun-2010
How did higher life evolve?
With the world's first complete sequencing of a brown algal genome, an international research team has made a big leap towards understanding the evolution of two key prerequisites for higher life on Earth -- multicellularity and photosynthesis. As the internationally renowned science magazine Nature reported in its latest issue, about 100 scientists and technicians, during a five-year research project, successfully decoded all hereditary information on the brown seaweed Ectocarpus siliculosus.
3-Jun-2010
Key nutrient in maternal diet promises 'dramatic' improvements for people with Down syndrome
A new study done at Cornell University and published June 2 in the peer-reviewed journal Behavioral Neuroscience found that more choline during pregnancy and nursing could provide lasting cognitive and emotional benefits to people with Down syndrome. The work indicated greater maternal levels of the essential nutrient also could protect against neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.
Stone Age Color, Glue 'Factory' Found
The color trade could have been a blossoming industry some 58,000 years ago.
Fractal haze may have warmed the early Earth
23:14 03 June 2010
Organic molecules in the atmosphere may have joined together in fractal patterns, boosting the greenhouse effect and explaining how the infant planet stayed warm
Hints of life found on Saturn moon
01:10 04 June 2010
In 2005, researchers predicted two potential signatures of life on Saturn's moon Titan – now both have been seen
4-Jun-2010
Introducing the good food guide for cockroaches
Ever wondered how cockroaches seem to know the best place to grab a meal? New research at Queen Mary, University of London suggests that, just like humans, they share their local knowledge of the best food sources and follow 'recommendations' from others.
  How religion made Jews genetically distinct
13:00 04 June 2010
Jewish people from different parts of the world share a genetic heritage that can be traced back to a founding population 2500 years ago
4-Jun-2010
Could life survive on Mars? Yes, expert says
Researchers at McGill's department of natural resources, the National Research Council of Canada, the University of Toronto and the SETI Institute have discovered that methane-eating bacteria survive in a highly unique spring located on Axel Heiberg Island in Canada's extreme North.
5-Jun-2010
Selenium shows no benefit in prevention of lung cancer
Selenium, a supplement taken daily by millions in hopes of protection against cancer and a host of other diseases, has proven to be of no benefit in reducing a patient's risk of developing lung cancer -- either a recurrence or second primary malignancy, according to results of an international Phase III clinical trial.
Scientists Cite Advances on Two Kinds of Cancer
By ANDREW POLLACK
Studies report significant progress taming two of the most intractable types of cancer, melanoma and lung cancer.
Climate wiped out Europe's apes
Great apes were wiped out from ancient Europe when their environment changed drastically nine millions years ago.
Observations
Mind over mass: Cholesterol levels might be controlled by brain circuitry