Science Headlines for July 7, 2008

Topical Oral Syrup Prevents Early Childhood Caries, Study Shows

Dental researchers have reported a significant reduction of tooth decay in toddlers who were treated with the topical syrup xylitol, a naturally occurring non-cavity-causing sweetener.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 7 Jul 2008 | 3:00 pm

When Using Gestures, Rules Of Grammar Remain The Same

The mind apparently has a consistent way of ordering an event that defies the order in which subjects, verbs and objects typically appear in languages. Although speakers of different languages describe events using the word orders prescribed by their language, when the same speakers are asked to "speak" with their hands and not their mouths, they ignore these orders -- they all use exactly the same order when they gesture.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 7 Jul 2008 | 3:00 pm

Children Overestimate Cute Animals In Rainforests, While Underestimating Insects And Annelids

Researchers investigated children's perceptions of rainforest biodiversity by asking young museum visitors to draw their ideal rainforest, as part of a competition, and found that while children have a sophisticated understanding of rainforest ecosystems, they tend to overestimate the relative numbers of some taxa (mainly "cuter" mammals, birds and reptiles) while underestimating the proportions of less charismatic taxa, such as insects and annelids.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 7 Jul 2008 | 3:00 pm

Researchers Tug At Molecules With Optical Tweezers

Researchers have developed a novel technique to measure the strength of the bonds between two protein molecules important in cell machinery: gently tugging them apart with light beams.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 7 Jul 2008 | 3:00 pm

Rabbits, Mice And Prickly Shrubs Help Establish Natural Diversity

Small mammals, such as rabbits and mice, play a major role in the development of natural diversity. Biologists researched how scrub becomes established in natural grassland. It seems that prickly shrubs are important in protecting plants and preventing animal species from grazing. Researchers have also demonstrated that natural disturbances such as flooding and animal diseases are very important for the diversity of natural areas.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 7 Jul 2008 | 3:00 pm

Aggressive Treatment Of Childhood Eczema Could Help Prevent Asthma, New Study Suggests

More aggressive treatment of childhood eczema may be an important step in preventing asthma, says a new Australian study.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 7 Jul 2008 | 3:00 pm

Shedding Light On The Molecular Basis Of Crib Death

Sudden infant death syndrome is a condition that unexpectedly and unexplainably takes the lives of seemingly healthy babies aged between a month and a year. Now researchers have developed a mouse model of the so-called crib or cot death. The model, published in the journal Science, reveals that an imbalance of the neuronal signal serotonin in the brain stem is causes sudden death in mice.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 7 Jul 2008 | 12:00 pm

Potential New Drug Candidates To Combat 'Bird Flu' Identified

As the specter of a worldwide outbreak of avian or "bird flu" lingers, health officials recognize that new drugs are desperately needed since some strains of the virus already have developed resistance to the current roster of anti-flu remedies.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 7 Jul 2008 | 12:00 pm

Rubber 'Snake' Could Help Wave Power Get A Bite Of The Energy Market

A device consisting of a giant rubber tube may hold the key to producing affordable electricity from the energy in sea waves. Named after the snake of the same name because of its long thin shape, the Anaconda is closed at both ends and filled completely with water. It is designed to be anchored just below the sea's surface, with one end facing the oncoming waves.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 7 Jul 2008 | 12:00 pm

Ancient Marine Invertebrate Diversity Less Explosive Than Thought

Diversity among the ancestors of such marine creatures as clams, sand dollars and lobsters showed only a modest rise beginning 144 million years ago with no clear trend afterwards, according to researchers. This contradicts previous work showing dramatic increases beginning 248 million years ago and may shed light on future diversity.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 7 Jul 2008 | 12:00 pm

Heritage: Centuries after the slaughter, conflict returns to England's battlefields

Report will warn that one in five of the sites on Register of Historic Battlefields is threatened by housing plans and scavengers
Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 7 Jul 2008 | 10:32 am

Tell donor children early in life

Children conceived using sperm donors should be told of their origins at an early age, research suggests.
Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 7 Jul 2008 | 10:30 am

Science Weekly podcast: Women in science and science in jelly

Astrophysicist Sarah Bridle joins Alok Jha in the pod to discuss dark matter and the gender gap. Comedian Bill Bailey on Alfred Russel Wallace - the forgetten hero of evolution. And the science of jelly
Source: guardian.co.uk Science | 7 Jul 2008 | 10:01 am

UK Mars rover hopes face set-back

Funding for UK-led science instruments on a flagship European Mars mission will be cut by 25% during their key development phase.
Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 7 Jul 2008 | 9:24 am

Bertha becomes first hurricane of Atlantic season (AP)

AP - Tropical storm Bertha has strengthened to become the first hurricane of the Atlantic season.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 7 Jul 2008 | 9:22 am

Prius 'to be part solar-powered'

Toyota is reported to be planning to add solar-powered air conditioning to some of its Prius hybrid cars.
Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 7 Jul 2008 | 6:51 am

How Captain Cook Changed the World (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - Each Monday, this column turns a page in history to explore the discoveries, events and people that continue to affect the history being made today.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 7 Jul 2008 | 4:31 am

Saturn Surprises Spur Cassini Mission Reprise (SPACE.com)

SPACE.com - Saturn's rings and moons turned out wilder than any scientist could have imagined, but unknowns remain as the Cassini spacecraft concludes its primary mission and embarks on a new one.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 7 Jul 2008 | 4:31 am