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Toxic Bile Damages The LiverResearchers have discovered a new genetic disease that can lead to severe liver damage. Because a protective component of the bile is missing, the liver cells are exposed to the toxic components of the bile, resulting in cirrhosis of liver. This could explain some of the cases of liver cirrhosis of unknown origin and open up a new approach for treatment.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 27 Oct 2008 | 6:00 pm Robotic Ants Building Homes On Mars?Recent discoveries of water and Earth-like soil on Mars have set imaginations running wild that human beings may one day colonize the Red Planet. However, the first inhabitants might not be human in form at all, but rather swarms of tiny robots.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 27 Oct 2008 | 6:00 pm Nearly Half Of US States Fail On Emergency Plan Communication, New Study ShowsSeven years after Sept. 11, and in the wake of many major natural disasters such as forest fires, hurricanes and flooding, nearly half of US states either have no state-level emergency plan or do not provide it readily to the public, reveals a new study by George Mason University communication professor Carl Botan.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 27 Oct 2008 | 6:00 pm Purple Tomatoes, Rich In Health-Protecting Anthocyanins, Developed With Help Of SnapdragonsScientists have expressed genes from snapdragon in tomatoes to grow purple tomatoes high in health-protecting anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are naturally occurring pigments found at particularly high levels in berries such as blackberry, cranberry and chokeberry. Scientists are investigating ways to increase the levels of health-promoting compounds in more commonly eaten fruits and vegetables.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 27 Oct 2008 | 6:00 pm Increase in Leptospirosis Disease in Sea LionsThe Marine Mammal Center has seen an increase in leptospirosis cases in sea lions this year. Researchers there are launching a new study to determine causes of cyclical outbreaks and how the disease is spread among sea lions.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 27 Oct 2008 | 6:00 pm Gene Find Sheds Light On Motor Neuron Diseases Like ALSScientists have identified a gene in mice that plays a central role in the proper development of one of the nerve cells that goes bad in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, and some other diseases that affect our motor neurons.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 27 Oct 2008 | 6:00 pm Depression During Pregnancy Can Double Risk Of Preterm DeliveryDepressed pregnant women have twice the risk of preterm delivery than pregnant women with no symptoms of depression, finds a new study in the journal Human Reproduction. The study, which is among the first to examine depression and pre-term delivery in a diverse population, provides a clear look at the link between depression and preterm delivery because the majority of the women in the study did not use anti-depressants.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 27 Oct 2008 | 3:00 pm Avian Flu Threat: New Approach NeededAs the first globally co-ordinated plan for the planet's gravest health threats is hatched by government ministers from around the world this weekend, a new report sets out a 10-point plan for a globalized approach to infectious diseases such as avian flu.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 27 Oct 2008 | 3:00 pm 21st Century Detective Work Reveals How Ancient Rock Got Off To A Hot StartA new technique using X-rays has enabled scientists to play "detective" and solve the debate about the origins of a three billion-year-old rock fragment.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 27 Oct 2008 | 3:00 pm New Antibiotic Target And Antibiotic Mechanism Identified; Discoveries Hold Promise For Drug-Resistant TuberculosisScientists have identified a new antibiotic target and a new antibiotic mechanism that may enable the development of broad-spectrum antibacterial agents effective against bacterial pathogens resistant to current antibiotics. In particular, the results could lead the way to new treatments for tuberculosis that involve shorter courses of therapy and are effective against drug-resistant TB.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 27 Oct 2008 | 3:00 pm Jab hope for rheumatoid arthritisA monthly injection with an antibody drug could halt rheumatoid arthritis in half of all patients, trial data suggests.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 27 Oct 2008 | 10:55 am Humans made fire 790,000 years ago: studyJERUSALEM (Reuters) - A new study shows that humans had the ability to make fire nearly 790,000 years ago, a skill that helped them migrate from Africa to Europe.Source: Reuters: Science News | 27 Oct 2008 | 9:58 am Biotech cash crunch threatens new medicines: UK expert (Reuters)Reuters - The global credit crunch, which has already pushed some small biotechnology companies to the wall, could seriously delay the discovery of new life-saving medicines, a British expert warned on Monday.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 27 Oct 2008 | 9:12 am Brent oil price dives under $60 per barrel (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 27 Oct 2008 | 9:00 am Two killed, dozens injured as storm hits Bangladesh (Reuters)Reuters - At least two people were killed and dozens injured as a tropical storm with winds of up to 80 kph (50 mph) lashed southern Bangladesh early Monday, officials said.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 27 Oct 2008 | 6:13 am Suicide linked to brain changesThe brains of people who commit suicide are chemically different to those who die from other causes, a study suggests.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 27 Oct 2008 | 1:59 am Science Weekly podcast: The Antikythera mechanism; the 1000mph car; plus the atheist bus campaignJo Marchant joins the pod to talk about what some say is the world's first computer. Her book, Decoding the Heavens, looks at the mysterious Antikythera mechanism which was found in the Mediterranean more than a century ago. We meet Wing Commander Andy Green, the man hoping to drive the world's first 1000mph car. A breakthrough in the treatment of multiple sclerosis gets a mention too. Ariane Sherine pops in to update us on the progress of the UK's first atheist ad campaign, which is being backed by Richard Dawkins. The Guardian's religious affairs editor Riazat Butt tells us how various groups have been reacting. Environment correspondent David Adam and science correspondent Ian Sample lend their expertise. Feel free to post your comments on the blog below. You can also join our facebook group too. There you can leave your thoughts on our wall. Source: Science | guardian.co.uk | 27 Oct 2008 | 12:06 am Purple GM tomatoes may ward off cancerTomatoes that have been genetically modified to be rich in antioxidants can give protection against cancer, a team of British scientists has found. Researchers at the John Innes Centre in Norwich created the crop of purple tomatoes by altering them with genes from snapdragon flowers. In tests, mice that were prone to cancer lived almost a third longer if their diet was supplemented by the modified tomatoes. The findings, which appear in the journal Nature Biotechnology, pave the way for a new generation of "functional foods" that could potentially offer protection against serious diseases. The team, led by Cathie Martin, a professor of plant biology, plans to investigate whether the anti-cancer properties of the tomatoes also protect humans. The scientists started by plucking genes from snapdragons that are responsible for the deep red pigment in the flower's petals. The colouring is due to an antioxidant called anthocyanin, which is also found in blueberries and blackberries. By inserting the genes into tomato plants, the scientists created a crop so rich in anthocyanin it turned purple as it ripened. Martin said she was "bowled over" by the results. "It's really clear that the mice eating the modified tomato start to die significantly later than mice on the normal tomatoes," she said. "At the very least, it suggests that what you eat can really make a contribution towards preventing disease and helping to keep you healthy." Derek Burke, former chair of the UK's regulatory committee on GM, said: "This is a truly positive outcome from genetic modification of plants, and a real help to people wanting to improve their diets." guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsSource: Science | guardian.co.uk | 27 Oct 2008 | 12:05 am Starwatch: November diaryThe two brightest planets, Jupiter and Venus, draw together low down in the SW at nightfall during November. Both have set by our map times as Andromeda and her famous galaxy stand high in the SE, to the left of the Square of Pegasus, and Orion is rising in the E below Taurus. We have needed a clear SW horizon to catch the brilliant mag -4.0 Venus after sunset of late. Jupiter, much more distant and fainter at mag -2.1, has been higher and more obvious as it moves from low in the S at nightfall to set in the SW some four hours after the Sun. Now the two are converging and, on the 30th, Venus stands just 2° below Jupiter. It then stands 9° high in the SW one hour after sunset, 7° higher than it does tonight. The young Moon lies below-left of Venus on the 1st, close to Jupiter on the 3rd and below-left of both planets on the 30th. The Moon is just past full when it cuts through the Pleiades on the evening of the 13th. The cluster's stars will be disappearing and reappearing at the Moon's limb between 6.30pm and 9pm, but binoculars, or preferably a telescope, will be needed to follow the action. The bright Moon will still be a hindrance at the peak of the Leonids meteor shower on the 17th. These very swift meteors radiate from the Sickle of Leo, climbing in the E sky after midnight, but their numbers are expected to be low. There are forecasts that the more leisurely meteors of the sparse Taurids shower, which stream from the area S of the Pleiades throughout November, may produce some bright fireballs during the first week or so of the month. Mars remains hidden in the Sun's glare but there is still time to glimpse Mercury just before dawn. Bright at mag -0.9, its altitude in the ESE 30 minutes before sunrise sinks from 8° on the 1st to 4° by the 9th. Saturn, like a yellowish star of mag 1.1 to 1.0 in SE Leo, rises in the E in the early hours and is the brightest object well up in the SE before dawn. Find it to the left of the Moon on the 21st. guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsSource: Science | guardian.co.uk | 27 Oct 2008 | 12:05 am Scientists develop cancer fighting tomatoLONDON (Reuters) - A purple tomato genetically engineered to contain nutrients more commonly seen in dark berries helped prevent cancer in mice, British researchers said on Sunday.Source: Reuters: Science News | 26 Oct 2008 | 10:50 pm Is electricity the future for cars?Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 26 Oct 2008 | 7:14 pm Ancient Sea Predators Shed Skin Secrets (LiveScience.com)LiveScience.com - Predatory reptiles called ichthyosaurs cruised the oceans between 230 million and 90 million years ago. In a classic case of convergent evolution, their body and fin shapes resembled those of today's dolphins, tunas, and great white sharks-the fastest swimmers in the sea.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 26 Oct 2008 | 5:20 pm Purple tomatoes 'could help keep cancer at bay'Scientists develop purple tomatoes which they hope may be able to keep cancer at bay.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 26 Oct 2008 | 3:52 pm Transsexual gene link identifiedAustralian researchers find a significant link between a gene involved in testosterone action and male-to-female transsexualism.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 26 Oct 2008 | 1:01 pm
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