Sunday, September 21, 2008

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Pulsating Stars Enable New Precise Determination Of Rotation Of The Milky Way

Posted: 21 Sep 2008 07:00 PM CDT

New, very precise measurements have shown that the rotation of the Milky Way is simpler than previously thought. A remarkable result from the most successful ESO instrument HARPS, shows that a much debated, apparent "fall" of neighborhood Cepheid stars towards our Sun stems from an intrinsic property of the Cepheids themselves.

Receptor Activation Protects Retina From Diabetes Destruction

Posted: 21 Sep 2008 07:00 PM CDT

Diabetes can make the beautifully stratified retina look like over-fried bacon. A drug known for it pain-relieving power and believed to stimulate memory appears to prevent this retinal damage that leads to vision loss, researchers say.

Global Warming's Ecosystem Double Whammy

Posted: 21 Sep 2008 07:00 PM CDT

Plants and soils act like sponges for atmospheric carbon dioxide, but new research on the cover of this week's Nature finds that one abnormally warm year can suppress the amount of carbon dioxide taken up by some grassland ecosystems for up to two years. The findings followed a four-year study of 12-ton containerized grassland plots at Nevada's Desert Research Institute. Plots were extracted intact from the Oklahoma prairie and sealed inside four, living-room-sized environment chambers.

New Model Predicts Long-term Survival Of Critically Ill Patients

Posted: 21 Sep 2008 07:00 PM CDT

The long term survival of critically ill patients may now be predicted, using a new model. The study used clinical and long term survival data of a heterogenous group of 11,930 patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Royal Perth Hospital in Western Australia.

Introducing The Next Generation Of Chemical Reactors

Posted: 21 Sep 2008 07:00 PM CDT

Unique nanostructures which respond to stimuli, such as pH, heat and light will pave the way for safer, greener and more efficient chemical reactors.

Face Blindness Research Shows Emotions Are Key In The Study Of Face Recognition

Posted: 21 Sep 2008 07:00 PM CDT

Recognizing faces is usually an effortless process. However, a minority of people have difficulties identifying the person they are meeting or remembering people they have met before. These problems can be dramatic, where those affected fail to recognize the face of their spouse or child or even their own face. New research on face blindness demonstrates the importance of using naturalistic emotional faces and bodies for a better understanding of developmental face disorders.

Marine Debris Will Likely Worsen In The 21st Century

Posted: 21 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT

Current measures to prevent and reduce marine debris are inadequate, and the problem will likely worsen, says a new congressionally mandated report.

Internationally Adopted Children Hit Puberty Earlier, Study Finds

Posted: 21 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT

A Canadian study has found that some girls adopted from China begin puberty as early as eight and boys as early as 10-years-old.

Sophisticated Monitoring Array To Address Mystery Of Uranium Plume

Posted: 21 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT

Scientists have puzzled for years about why uranium contamination in groundwater continues to exceed drinking water standards in an area located at the south end of the Hanford Site near Richland, Wash. The Department of Energy wants answers to why the uranium persists. Now, an innovative well-monitoring system has been installed for field experiments to better understand this complex site and to support future clean-up decisions.

Cardiologists Find Physical Exams Just As Good For Assessing Heart Failure

Posted: 21 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT

Patient history and physical examination, traditionally the cornerstone diagnostic tool for medical care, may still be among the most accurate and cost-efficient methods to assess patients with congestive heart failure, researchers have found.

Estrogen 'Flooding Our Rivers,' Montreal Study Finds

Posted: 21 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT

A water treatment plant from Canada's second biggest city, Montreal, is dumping 90 times the critical amount of certain estrogen products into the river. It only takes one nanogram (ng) of steroids per liter of water to disrupt the endocrinal system of fish and decrease their fertility.

Positive Thinking Trial In UK Aims To Prevent Childhood Depression

Posted: 21 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT

More than 7,000 school pupils from across the United Kingdom will be taking part in the trial of a new positive thinking program led by the University of Bath designed to prevent children developing problems with depression.

Astrophysicists 'Weigh' Galaxy's Most Massive Star

Posted: 21 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT

Theoretical models of stellar formation propose the existence of very massive stars that can attain up to 150 times the mass of our Sun. Until very recently, however, no scientist had discovered a star of more than 83 solar masses. Astrophysicists have now found and "weighed" the most massive star ever discovered.

New Colorectal Screening Procedure Is Accurate And Less Invasive, Trial Finds

Posted: 21 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT

A major clinical trial for colorectal screening finds that more patients stand to benefit from a comprehensive, less invasive method to accurately detect colorectal cancer and precancerous polyps.

Nanoscale Structures: A Snapshot Of Transformations

Posted: 21 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT

Researchers have achieved a milestone in materials science and electron microscopy by taking a high-resolution snapshot of the transformation of nanoscale structures.

Adults With Aortic Valve Disorder Do Not Experience Reduction In Survival Rate

Posted: 21 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT

Young adults with a bicuspid aortic valve, a congenital heart abnormality, experience subsequent cardiac events but do not appear to have lower survival rates compared to the general population, according to a new study.

Wildlife Management: Salmon Fisheries, Yellowstone Wolf Introduction Show What Is Possible

Posted: 21 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT

The Netherlands is a densely populated nation, but could be a good example of how to practice wildlife management in the coming century. Rapid human population growth on the planet is creating pressure on wildlife populations, and many places will thus come to resemble the present situation in The Netherlands.

Mom's Beliefs May Impact Their Kids' Alcohol Use, Study Finds

Posted: 21 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT

Mothers, take note. If you really want to curb your teens' chances of using alcohol, help them develop a self-view that doesn't include drinking. According to a new Iowa State University study, the power of positive thinking by moms may limit their children's alcohol use.

No comments: