Why Saints Sin And Sinners Get Saintly

A new study suggests that people with ample moral self-worth in one aspect of their lives can slip into immorality or opposite behavior in other areas -- their abundant self-esteem somehow pushing them to balance out all that goodness. Conversely, the study shows, people who engage in immoral behavior cleanse themselves with good work to restore an ideal level of moral self-worth.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 28 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

Dolphins Get A Lift From Delta Wing Technology

Dolphins are supremely agile swimmers, but it wasn't clear how their fins help them maneuver though water. Building scale models of whale and dolphins' fins, a team of US scientists has found that some dolphins' fins work just like delta wing aircraft.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 28 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

Scientists Reach Milestone In Study Of Emergent Magnetism

Studying simple metallic chromium, scientists have discovered a pressure-driven quantum critical regime and has achieved the first direct measurement of a "naked" quantum singularity in an elemental magnet.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 28 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

Measuring Brain Atrophy In Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment

Scientists have shown that a fully automated procedure called Volumetric MRI -- which measures the "memory centers" of the brain and compares them to expected size -- is effective in predicting the progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease. The procedure can be readily used in clinics to measure brain atrophy, and may help physicians to predict decline in MCI patients.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 28 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

Mars Rover Yielding New Clues While Lodged In Martian Soil

NASA's Mars rover Spirit, lodged in Martian soil that is causing traction trouble, is taking advantage of the situation by learning more about the Red Planet's environmental history.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 28 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

Superfood Soy Linked To Reduction In Smoker's Lung Damage Risk

People who eat lots of soy products have better lung function, and are less likely to develop the smoking-associated lung disease COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). A new study has shown that consumption of a wide variety of soy products can be associated with a reduction in the risk of COPD and other respiratory symptoms.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 28 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

Mad Cow And Related Diseases: Copper Linked To Normal Functioning Of Prions

Researchers have discovered a link between copper and the normal functioning of prion proteins, which are associated with transmissible spongiform encephalopathy diseases such as Cruetzfeldt-Jakob in humans or "mad cow" disease in cattle. Their work could have implications for patients suffering from these diseases, as well as from other prion-related diseases such as Alzheimers or Parkinson's.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 28 Jun 2009 | 3:00 pm

Implant Bacteria, Beware: Researchers Create Nano-sized Assassins

Infected implants now have a foe. Researchers have created a nanoparticle that can penetrate a bacterial-produced film on prosthetics and kill the bacteria. The finding is the first time that iron-oxide nanoparticles have been shown to eliminate a bacterial infection on an implanted prosthetic device.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 28 Jun 2009 | 3:00 pm

Why A Low-Calorie Diet Extends Lifespans: Critical Enzyme Pair Identified

Experiment after experiment confirms that a diet on the brink of starvation expands lifespan in mice and many other species. But the molecular mechanism that links nutrition and survival is still poorly understood. Now, researchers have identified a pivotal role for two enzymes that work together to determine the health benefits of diet restriction.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 28 Jun 2009 | 3:00 pm

New Gene Discovery Links Obesity To The Brain

A variation in a gene that is active in the central nervous system is associated with increased risk for obesity, according to a new study. The research adds to evidence that genes influence appetite and that the brain plays a key role in obesity.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 28 Jun 2009 | 3:00 pm

The Nation's weather (AP)

AP - A long cold front was expected to sweep through the Plains and Great Lakes on its way into the Northeast on Sunday, producing the most active weather in the country for the rest of the weekend.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 28 Jun 2009 | 9:01 am

Moon-lovers remember Apollo with radio chit-chat

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Radio hams and amateur astronomers around the world spent the weekend bouncing radio conversations off the Moon to one another in commemoration of the Apollo 11 landings 40 years ago, organizers in Australia said Sunday.
Source: Reuters: Science News | 28 Jun 2009 | 4:30 am

Moon-lovers remember Apollo with radio chit-chat (Reuters)

Reuters - Radio hams and amateur astronomers around the world spent the weekend bouncing radio conversations off the Moon to one another in commemoration of the Apollo 11 landings 40 years ago, organizers in Australia said Sunday.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 28 Jun 2009 | 4:30 am

When Hammering, Women Nail It (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - Any man who has ever pounded nails for a living has hit his thumb a time or two. One possible reason: he's just not that good at it. Another factor: He's probably doing it in broad daylight.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 28 Jun 2009 | 4:07 am

When Hammering, Women Nail It

Women are more accurate at pounding nails, a new study finds. At least in the light.
Source: Livescience.com | 28 Jun 2009 | 4:02 am

Sophisticated weather satellite rockets into orbit (AP)

AP - A sophisticated new weather satellite rocketed into orbit Saturday, giving forecasters another powerful tool for tracking hurricanes and tornadoes.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 28 Jun 2009 | 12:13 am

Analysis: Climate bill may spur energy revolution (AP)

AP - Congress has taken its first step toward an energy revolution, with the prospect of profound change for every household, business, industry and farm in the decades ahead.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 27 Jun 2009 | 11:41 pm

Garlic to the rescue for the conker tree

Gardeners are to use garlic to fight bleeding canker, the tree disease that threatens to wipe out Britain's horse chestnuts. More than 3,000 trees have already been felled since the disease, which defies conventional treatments, appeared several years ago. But recently horticulture experts completed trials using allicin, obtained from garlic, and treatments are be tried out at English Heritage's properties in London and Gloucestershire. Allicin also protects against the leaf mining moth, which strips conker trees of foliage. Alan Cathersides of English Heritage said: "Leaves end up smelling of garlic and leaf miners seem to be repelled by that."

Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 27 Jun 2009 | 11:01 pm

A tragic death puts 'gentle' cows on list of dangers in a countryside walk

A herd trampling on a woman vet and injuries inflicted on former home secretary David Blunkett highlight the risk of attacks by cattle, especially if calves or dogs are nearby. Anushka Asthana reports on the need for ramblers to be 'animal aware'

Thomas De Quincey, the 19th-century critic and essayist, once stated: "Cows are amongst the gentlest of breathing creatures." Many might disagree.

Farm worker Mike Scriven, for instance. He was left with severe bruising last week after being chased across a field by a 450kg cow. Scriven, 46, who was trapped under the animal's body for almost an hour, escaped only by gouging its eyes repeatedly.

Or David Blunkett, the former cabinet minister, who is nursing two broken ribs after being charged by a cow while walking his guide dog, Sadie, in the Peak District this month.

A third incident ended in tragedy last weekend. Liz Crowsley, 49, a vet, was trampled to death by a herd of cows in the Yorkshire Dales. Her two dogs, a spaniel and collie cross, fled to safety.

Perhaps the animal for which De Quincey professed a "deep love" is not always as docile as city dwellers might think. Figures reveal that attacks by cows are by no means unusual. According to data released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), there have been 67 incidents in the past five years in which a member of the public has reported being injured by cattle. In six of the cases, which do not cover 2009, the person was killed.

The risk is even greater for farm workers whose injuries are recorded separately. Over the same period there were 23 fatal incidents involving farmers and their employees, another 300 that resulted in "major" harm and 277 in which the injury took more than three days to heal. Far more go unreported.

Blunkett has been inundated with messages from people who have suffered similar attacks. "I have had letters flooding in - from people telling me about personal experiences, family experiences, who have been in hospital for three weeks after an incident, who have had family members killed, and a couple of letters from people whose dogs were crushed," he said. People had also thanked him for drawing attention to the problem: "If I hadn't been who I am, no one would know about it. Although I went to hospital I doubt they would have reported it. There is usually a category for road traffic accident - but for being crushed by a cow?"

Blunkett, MP for Sheffield Brightside, was out walking with his son on his 62nd birthday when they came across the cattle. They put Sadie on a lead to walk around the animals when one cow broke away and charged towards them. "My son was trying to protect me but the cow decided to have a dive at the dog and it knocked me down," he said. "I think it kicked me because I have bruising all over and a couple of broken ribs."

After the incident, Blunkett said he had found out there was a new cross-breed of cow. "A particular strain from Europe that is more aggressive," he said, arguing that in such cases temporary electric fencing should be used. "Most of the rights of way in the Peak District cross over fields, so I think fencing should be considered, and walkers have to be extremely careful - especially if they have dogs."

Since right to roam legislation opened up vast areas of the countryside, the HSE has published guidance about the "potential hazards" posed by cattle. It tells farmers to "plan and take action". Tips include assessing if the animals are generally placid or well behaved, erecting temporary fencing and placing signposts on paths. "If you have an animal known or suspected to be aggressive, then you should not keep it in a field that is used by the public," it warns.

Tony Mitchell, from the HSE's agriculture and food sector safety section, said: "Cattle are classed as a non-dangerous species and by and large are generally docile. Their inquisitive nature is often mistaken for aggression. However, if they feel threatened by unusual disturbance, such as dogs, or when maternal instincts are aroused, then they may react in a threatening manner."

According to the HSE, the two most common factors in attacks involving members of the public are "cows with calves" and "walkers with dogs".

"Over the years a lot of people have been under the misconception that a bull in a field is the most dangerous thing," said Alistair Bull, livestock manager at Thelveton Farms, near Diss in Norfolk. "The most serious incidents take place when there are groups of suckler cows that have calves with them - because they have that maternal instinct to protect their calves. You would not walk into a pen with elephants or giraffes when they have just given birth."

Bull said he advised walkers not to let dogs off their leads when close to cattle. "What happens is the dog gets chased and it runs straight back to its owner with a cow in hot pursuit. And cows do not tend to attack singly. If you think of wildlife programmes, the matriarch comes forward with her infantry behind. To a person from town, that dog is part of the family so their first instinct is to rescue it, but the next minute they will have 750kg cows charging around them. It is a recipe for disaster."

Part of the problem, said Bull, was that more and more people coming to the countryside were "less animal aware". But he admitted it was not just the public who were at risk. The "most scary" moment of his life was when he and a colleague used a dog to help round up a herd of suckler cows. "Within 20 seconds one of the cows attacked the dog. Then the others started bellowing - a warning cry. The dog came galloping back to us and within seconds we were surrounded by 40 cows. We were petrified - we thought we'd had it. They turned from docile cows to a mob."

Adrian Morris of the Ramblers' Association said walkers should appreciate that the countryside was a working environment. "We get two to three queries a week related to incidents involving animals, with one or two a year that have been serious. Quite often we hear stories about people having to run across a field to the nearest stile. It is difficult to know how much is perception and how much reality."

A spokesman for the National Farmers' Union added: "Attacks by cattle are extremely rare. If you feel threatened, just carry on as normal, do not run, move to the edge of the field, and if possible find another way round. And remember to close the gate."

Others pointed out that livestock were also at risk from ignorance of country ways. "We are aware of many reports of animals being attacked by dogs off the lead, or of dogs being injured when a herd is frightened and pursues the dog," said Katy Geary, a spokeswoman for the RSPCA. "We believe that tens of thousands of livestock are killed or maimed. Terrified sheep and cattle have been chased over cliffs and into rivers, had their throats and intestines ripped out, or been caused to miscarry through dog attacks. People find it hard to believe their pet can be a hazard to livestock."

Whatever triggered the attack on him, Blunkett knows he is lucky to be alive. "I didn't realise the seriousness at first - I had no idea I had broken my ribs." He says he has lived in the countryside since he was a boy and had never been worried about bulls or cows. Along with others, he may now steer well clear.

Six tips for safety

If confronted by cows...

• Do be prepared for cattle to react to your presence, particularly if you are with a dog.

• Do move quickly and quietly - and if possible walk around them.

• Do keep your dog close and under proper control.

• Don't hang on to your dog if you are threatened by animals - let it go.

• Don't put yourself at risk. Find another way round and rejoin the footpath as soon as possible.

• Don't panic. Most cows will stop before they reach you. If they follow, just walk on quietly.

• Report any problems to the highway authority.

Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 27 Jun 2009 | 11:01 pm

Map of elephant DNA reveals trail of ivory smugglers

Scientists have used a revolutionary genetic technique to pinpoint the area of Africa where smugglers are slaughtering elephants to feed the worldwide illegal ivory trade.

Using a DNA map of Africa's elephants, they have found that most recent seizures of tusks can be traced to animals that had grazed in the Selous and Niassa game reserves on the Tanzania and Mozambique borders.

The discovery suggests that only a handful of cartels are responsible for most of the world's booming trade in illegal ivory and for the annual slaughter of tens of thousands of elephants. The extent of this trade is revealed through recent seizures of thousands of tusks in separate raids on docks in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, the Philippines and Japan. These were aimed at satisfying the far east's growing appetite for ivory, a new status symbol for the middle classes of the region's swelling industrialised economies.

As a result, ivory prices have soared from $200 a kilogram in 2004 to more than $6,000. At the same time, scientists estimate that between 8% and 10% of Africa's elephants are now being slaughtered each year to meet demand.

"In the past, law enforcement agencies - including Interpol - thought these shipments of ivory had been put together by traders cherry-picking small stockpiles across Africa," said Professor Sam Wasser, director of the University of Washington's Centre for Conservation Biology, where the DNA elephant map was developed.

"Our work shows that isn't true. The vast majority of poaching is being carried out by a few big organisations - possibly one or two major syndicates - that are targeting one area and then hammering its elephants. It is grim, but it also suggests we can target our anti-poaching efforts very specifically by focussing efforts on these regions."

At present, Tanzania is at the centre of the world's ivory slaughter. However, other work by Wasser and his team indicates that different areas, including parts of Zambia and Malawi, have been targeted in the recent past.

Ivory poaching was halted by an international campaign in the 1990s after it reached a peak between 1979 and 1989, when more than 700,000 elephants were killed for their tusks. However, aid that helps African nations fight poachers has dried up and the illegal ivory trade has returned to its previous high levels.

Killing for tusks is a particularly gruesome trade. Elephants are highly intelligent animals whose sophisticated social ties are exploited by poachers. They will often shoot young elephants to draw in a grieving parent, which is then killed for its tusks. "Our estimates suggest that more than 38,000 elephants were killed using techniques such as this in 2006 and that the annual death rate is even higher today," said Wasser.

His team's technique - outlined in the current issue of Scientific American - involves two separate sets of analyses. First, volunteers and researchers across Africa collected samples of elephant dung. Each contains plentiful amounts of DNA from cells, sloughed from the intestines of individual animals. These provide material for DNA fingerprints, which have since been mapped for the whole of Africa. Animals from one area have very similar DNA fingerprints, the researchers have found.

As part of the second analysis, a section of tusk seized from smugglers is ground up and its DNA is carefully extracted. Again a DNA fingerprint is made and compared with those on the dung map, in order to pinpoint the origin of the elephant.

In this way, Wasser and his colleagues analysed ivory seized when more than 11 tonnes of tusks were found in containers in raids on Taiwan and Hong Kong docks in July and August 2006. About 1,500 tusks were discovered and all were traced to elephants from the Selous game reserve, a Unesco heritage site in Tanzania, and the nearby Niassa game reserve in Mozambique. However, Japanese authorities - who had made another seizure of ivory that summer in Osaka - refused to co-operate and have since burnt the 260 tusks they found before their origins could be established. "You can draw your own conclusions," said Wasser.

Since then, major seizures of ivory have been made in Vietnam and the Philippines, both this year, and Wasser and his team are now preparing to use their DNA map to trace its origins.

"Ivory is now traded globally in the same illegal manner as drugs and weapons," said Wasser. "It is shameful that this has happened and we need to press the countries whose elephants are being targeted this way and get them to halt this trade."

Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 27 Jun 2009 | 11:01 pm

Fatty diets raise pancreatic cancer risk

Diets rich in fat from red meat and dairy products can increase a person's risk of contracting cancer of the pancreas, researchers are warning.

Scientists at the National Cancer Institute in the United States asked more than half a million people to provide precise details of their diet over six years. The team found that those who consumed most animal fat had a higher risk of developing the cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is the 11th most common cancer in Britain. Around 7,600 people are diagnosed with it every year. For most, the prognosis is poor: only 2% to 3% survive for five years or more.

Smoking is rated as the biggest risk factor. While researchers have argued that diet is also involved, past studies have produced inconclusive results. However, Rachael Z. Stolzenberg-Solomon, leader of the institute's pancreatic cancer project, said the new study had revealed a clear association between pancreatic cancer risk and diet, in particular high levels of animal fat. "Reducing fat may reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer," she said.

The researchers collected data on 308,736 men and 216,737 women. Each completed a 124-item food questionnaire in 1995 and 1996.

During an average of six years of follow-up, 1,337 people were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Men who consumed the most fat from animal sources had a 53% increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer and women had a 23% increased risk, compared with men and women who ate the least fat, the study found.

In addition, it was discovered that people who ate high amounts of saturated fats had 36% higher rates of pancreatic cancer than did those who ate low amounts.

In a paper published by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Stolzenberg-Solomon said the researchers had observed positive associations between pancreatic cancer and intakes of total, saturated, and mono-unsaturated fat, particularly from red meat and dairy food sources.

"We did not observe any consistent association with poly-unsaturated or fat from plant food sources," she said. "Altogether, these results suggest a role for animal fat in pancreatic carcinogenesis."

The importance of the US study was underlined by Josephine Querido, senior science information officer for Cancer Research UK. "This large study adds to the evidence that pancreatic cancer is more common in people who eat too much fat, particularly saturated fat.

"Understanding ways of reducing the risk of pancreatic cancer is very important, because it can be very difficult to treat.

"Apart from stopping smoking, the best way to reduce your risk of cancer is to eat plenty of fruit, vegetables and fibre and to cut down on fatty foods, red and processed meat and limit your intake of alcohol."

Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 27 Jun 2009 | 11:01 pm

Litter of lynx kittens heartens Colo. biologists (AP)

AP - The discovery of 10 lynx kittens this spring marks the first newborns documented in Colorado since 2006, heartening biologists overseeing restoration of the mountain feline.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 27 Jun 2009 | 9:04 pm

Genetically Modified Rice Fights Allergies (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - What if the food we ate fought allergies instead of causing them? A new form of rice can, researchers announced this week. But is it safe?
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 27 Jun 2009 | 8:50 pm

Ill. derailment revives hazardous cargo debate (AP)

AP - When derailed freight train cars carrying ethanol burst into flames just 50 miles from her Chicago suburb, killing a motorist who tried to flee, Barrington Mayor Karen Darch saw her worst fears realized.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 27 Jun 2009 | 5:29 pm

Free Spirit! Web Site Launches to Save Stuck Mars Rover (SPACE.com)

SPACE.com - The plucky Mars rover Spirit has a whole team of NASA engineers on Earth trying to find an escape route out of the Martian sand dune that has snared the robot for weeks, and now it has a Web site.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 27 Jun 2009 | 3:15 pm

Potential New Drugs Put at 970 Million

Millions of new and useful drugs remain undiscovered. All chemists need to do is mix the right stuff.
Source: Livescience.com | 27 Jun 2009 | 2:51 pm

Genetically Modified Rice Fights Allergies

Genetically modified foods are intended to improve consumers' health.
Source: Livescience.com | 27 Jun 2009 | 2:43 pm

New Pill Fights Fleas and Ticks in Dog and Cat

The first once-a-month pill for controlling both fleas and ticks in dogs and cats is showing promise in tests.
Source: Livescience.com | 27 Jun 2009 | 2:33 pm

Obama urges US Senate to pass clean energy bill (AFP)

AFP - US President Barack Obama on Saturday urged the US Senate to pass his clean energy bill, arguing that the nation that manages to harness clean energy "will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy."

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 27 Jun 2009 | 10:17 am