Science Headlines for December 25, 2008

Reducing The Damage Of A Heart Attack

In the aftermath of a heart attack, the body's own defenses may contribute to future heart failure. Authors of a new study believe they have identified a protein that plays an important role in a process that replaces dead heart muscle with stiffening scar tissue. The researchers are hopeful that the findings will lead to the development of new therapies to prevent this damage.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 26 Dec 2008 | 1:00 am

Primary Cilium As Cellular 'GPS System' Crucial To Wound Repair

The primary cilium, the solitary, antenna-like structure that studs the outer surfaces of virtually all human cells, orients cells to move in the right direction and at the speed needed to heal wounds, much like a global positioning system helps ships navigate to their destinations.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 26 Dec 2008 | 1:00 am

Vitamin D Deficiency Associated With Greater Rates Of Cesarean Sections

Pregnant women who are vitamin D deficient are also at an increased risk for delivering a baby by cesarean section as compared to pregnant women who are not vitamin D deficient.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 26 Dec 2008 | 1:00 am

New Way Of Viewing Cells Could Lead To Easier Routes For Drug Manufacture

New research could eventually lead to a quicker and easier way of developing protein-based drugs that are key to treating a number of diseases, including cancer, diabetes and hepatitis. Scientists used nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to examine protein aggregations, or inclusion bodies, in genetically modified Escherichia coli. This research could help find a way to more easily extract usable protein for use in pharmaceuticals and research.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 26 Dec 2008 | 1:00 am

Honey Bees On Cocaine Dance More, Changing Ideas About The Insect Brain

In a study that challenges current ideas about the insect brain, researchers have found that honey bees on cocaine tend to exaggerate.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 26 Dec 2008 | 1:00 am

Blind Man Walking: With No Visual Awareness, Man Navigates Obstacle Course Flawlessly

Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that people can successfully navigate an obstacle course even after brain damage has left them with no awareness of the ability to see and no activity in the visual cortex, a region of the brain's cortex that is primarily responsible for processing visual inputs.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 26 Dec 2008 | 1:00 am

Fisheries Catch-22: Captive Breeding Aims To Conserve Biodiversity But Plunders Genetic Diversity

Human impacts on the environment have reduced populations of wild species to dangerously low levels. Nowhere is this more apparent than in worldwide fisheries, where thanks to overfishing and habitat destruction, countless species and populations of fish are on the brink of disappearing forever. To attempt to mitigate the dire situation, captive breeding, the controlled breeding of organisms in protected environments, is regularly initiated.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 25 Dec 2008 | 7:00 pm

Peripheral Artery Disease: Pain When Walking Can Be Reduced With Moderate Exercise, Study Suggests

You probably know that poor diet and lack of exercise can lead to dangerous deposits of fatty plaques in arteries. But it is not just the heart that is affected – blood flow can be blocked to the legs too, leading to pain when walking, immobility and even in extreme cases, amputation. Approximately 20% of us will suffer from this peripheral artery disease (PAD) once we are 65 or over, and with risk factors including smoking, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure it is on the rise.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 25 Dec 2008 | 7:00 pm

Sparkling Spray Of Stars Seen

NGC 2264 lies about 2600 light-years from Earth in the obscure constellation of Monoceros, the Unicorn, not far from the more familiar figure of Orion, the Hunter. The image shows a region of space about 30 light-years across.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 25 Dec 2008 | 7:00 pm

Why Analgesic Drugs May Be Less Potent In Females Than In Males

Investigators have identified the most likely reason analgesic drug treatment is usually less potent in females than males. This discovery is a major step toward finding more effective treatments for females suffering from persistent pain.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 25 Dec 2008 | 7:00 pm

SNP calls for spaceport in Moray

The Scottish National Party is calling for an RAF airbase in Moray to become the UK's first commercial spaceport.
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 25 Dec 2008 | 3:18 am

SLIDE SHOW: 10 Stories You May Have Missed

Biggest stories aside, 2008 was a year of surprise discoveries. Join us for a second run.
Source: Discovery News Top Stories : Discovery Channel | 24 Dec 2008 | 9:03 pm

Russia warns Ukraine of sanctions over gas debt (Reuters)

Reuters - Russia threatened Ukraine with sanctions over its gas debt on Wednesday but its gas monopoly Gazprom floated a compromise that could keep gas flowing to Kiev and ensure smooth transit to Europe after a January 1 deadline.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 24 Dec 2008 | 6:43 pm

Slow Starvation of Brain Triggers Alzheimer's (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - A slow starvation of the brain over time is one of the major triggers of the biochemistry that causes some forms of Alzheimer's, according to a new study that is helping to crack the mystery of the disease's origins.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 24 Dec 2008 | 6:42 pm

Costume drama: Taiwan MPs look gift pandas in the mouth (Reuters)

Reuters - Two Taiwan legislators danced in giant panda costumes in parliament on Wednesday to mock the much-ballyhooed arrival of goodwill gift pandas from China which they see as an unwelcome interference by the mainland.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 24 Dec 2008 | 6:16 pm