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Sun May 9 22:44:53 EDT 2010
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Pramipexole shows promise for treating depression in patients with Parkinson's disease - Pramipexole, a dopamine agonist, improves depressive symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), and has the potential to become an important antidepressant treatment for these patients. The Article published Online First, and in the June issue of the Lancet Neurology, is the first trial to show the direct benefits of a dopamine agonist on depression in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Funnel vision: New info about how cells in the eye help guide light into the retina - The eyes are marvelous instruments for converting outside reality into images lodged inside our brains. A new study of the retina, the light-sensitive region at the back of the eye, solves a mystery as to why the images we see are so sharp.

Suppressing activity of common intestinal bacteria reduces tumor growth - A team of University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers has discovered that common intestinal bacteria appear to promote tumor growths in genetically susceptible mice, but that tumorigenesis can be suppressed if the mice are exposed to an inhibiting protein enzyme.

Army to test XM25 'smart' grenade launcher rifle (w/ Video) - (PhysOrg.com) -- The US Army has recently announced plans to test the high-tech XM25 airburst grenade launcher this summer in Afghanistan, unleashing a weapon that veterans predict could be a game-changing advantage in the war. The XM25 can fire 25mm rounds that explode at any distance set by a soldier, effective at a range of up to 700 m. Because the 14-pound, $25,000 gun can fire rounds in just seconds, it could replace the need to call in fire missions, artillery or airstrikes in some situations, which can take anywhere from several minutes to an hour to arrive.

Scientists shed light on potential treatment for Gaucher's disease - In findings that advance scientists' understanding of a whole class of inherited disorders, a team from The Scripps Research Institute has shed light on a mechanism that enables a potential treatment for Gaucher's disease and other lysosomal storage diseases.

Chemist stitches up speedier chemical reactions - Some people have streets named after them. Warren Piers, a chemistry professor at the University of Calgary, has a catalyst penned after him.

Scientists create mouse grimace scale to help identify pain in humans and animals - A new study by researchers from McGill University and the University of British Columbia shows that mice, like humans, express pain through facial expressions.

Text-the-pope service launched in Italy - Roman Catholics can send now text messages of support to Pope Benedict XVI, Italian public television said Saturday, as the Church faces an international paedophile scandal.

Hardship and human rights violations continue among Burma cyclone survivors - The survivors of Cyclone Nargis, which struck Burma (also known as Myanmar) in May 2008, continue to face challenges in rebuilding their lives, in lack of access to relief and reconstruction efforts, and in violations of basic rights more than one year after the storm, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Emergency Assistance Team -Burma.

Engineers mull options after ice blocks bid to cap oil leak - Engineers mulled options Sunday after the first try to cap a ruptured pipe gushing oil into the Gulf of Mexico failed when ice crystals clogged a containment dome.

How an unfixed Net glitch could strand you offline - (AP) -- In 1998, a hacker told Congress that he could bring down the Internet in 30 minutes by exploiting a certain flaw that sometimes caused online outages by misdirecting data. In 2003, the Bush administration concluded that fixing this flaw was in the nation's "vital interest."

Mercury high in Japanese town that hunts dolphins - (AP) -- Residents of the dolphin-hunting village depicted in the Oscar-winning documentary "The Cove" have dangerously high mercury levels, likely because of their fondness for dolphin and whale meat, Japan's government said Sunday.

India's 3G licence auction sees stellar price rise - Bids for nationwide licences in India's sale of spectrum for superfast 3G mobile services have hit 2.65 billion dollars, a government website said Saturday.

Tainted nuke plant water reaches major NJ aquifer - (AP) -- Radioactive water that leaked from the nation's oldest nuclear power plant has now reached a major underground aquifer that supplies drinking water to much of southern New Jersey, the state's environmental chief said Friday.

Montana, Idaho consider increased wolf hunt quotas - (AP) -- Hunters in Montana would be allowed to kill nearly three times as many gray wolves this fall compared with last year's inaugural hunt, under a proposal announced Friday by state wildlife officials.

Thailand censors more websites as protests persist - (AP) -- George Orwell's "1984" had its Big Brother, and Thailand has Ranongrak Suwanchawee. The country's information minister stares down from billboards along Bangkok's expressways, warning that "Bad websites are detrimental to society" and should be reported to a special hot line.

FCC allows blocking of set-top box outputs (Update) - (AP) -- Federal regulators are endorsing Hollywood's efforts to let cable and satellite TV companies turn off output connections on the back of set-top boxes to prevent illegal copying of movies.

Bubble of methane triggered rig blast - The deadly blowout of an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico was triggered by a bubble of methane gas that escaped from the well and shot up the drill column, expanding quickly as it burst through several seals and barriers before exploding, according to interviews with rig workers conducted during BP's internal investigation.

Brain's master switch verified - The protein that has long been suspected by scientists of being the master switch allowing brains to function has now been verified by an Iowa State University researcher.

Newton's apple tree bound for gravity-free orbit - (AP) -- Sir Isaac Newton's famous apple tree is about to leave gravity behind.

Water levels down in Canada's Saint Lawrence seaway - Seasonal water levels in the Saint Lawrence seaway -- a major North American shipping corridor -- have reached their lowest point in 40 years, the Quebec hydro center warned Friday.

More of Gulf closed to fishing because of spill - (AP) -- Federal officials have expanded an area that is off-limits to fishing because of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

DirecTV CEO: Lead in 3-D TV is competitive edge - (AP) -- In the race for supremacy in 3-D television, DirecTV Inc. wants to be king.

Drug now used to treat erectile dysfuncton may enhance delivery of herceptin to certain brain tumors - New research by scientists at Cedars-Sinai's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute suggests that a drug currently approved to treat erectile dysfunction may significantly enhance the delivery of the anti-cancer drug Herceptin to certain hard-to-treat brain tumors. The research, published in the journal PLoS ONE, could help doctors improve treatments for lung and breast cancers that have metastasized to the brain.

Coffee and soft drinks have little or no association with colon cancer risk, study says - Drinking even large amounts of coffee and sugar-sweetened, carbonated soft drinks is not associated with the risk of colon cancer according to a large study published online May 7 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Researchers uncover Fragile X syndrome gene's role in shaping brain - Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered how the genetic mutation that causes Fragile X syndrome, the most common form of inherited mental retardation, interferes with the "pruning" of nerve connections in the brain. Their findings appear in the April 29 issue of Neuron.

Scientists identify a new protein involved in longevity - Researchers in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Thomas Jefferson University have found that the level of a single protein in the tiny roundworm C. elegans determines how long it lives. Worms born without this protein, called arrestin, lived about one-third longer than normal, while worms that had triple the amount of arrestin lived one-third less.

Mild-mannered metabolic helper rushes to fight invading viruses, researchers report - Within cells, an ancient antiviral duo can deliver a one-two knockout to thwart invading viruses, report researchers who have just unmasked the cellular sidekick that throws the first punch. The findings mean scientists must rethink the design of antiviral immunity and how the body fends off viruses of all types, including influenza and HIV.

Researchers develop agents that keep insulin working longer - More than half a century after researchers identified a promising way to treat diabetes based on blocking the breakdown of insulin in the body, a research team led by a scientist at the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida have developed potent molecules that can do just that.

Researchers Use New Sequencing Strategies To Discover Rare Inherited Illness Rapidly - (PhysOrg.com) -- A team of researchers from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) has demonstrated a new technical strategy that promises to rapidly determine the genetic cause for very rare inherited illnesses. Relying on inexpensive, high-speed sequencing and a newly developed ability to capture pieces of the genome that encode genes, the team diagnosed an extremely rare X chromosome-linked cleft palate syndrome known to affect just two families.