Saturday, November 29, 2008

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Virtual Ears And The Cocktail Party Effect

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST

New research has helped understanding of the so-called 'cocktail party effect' -- how our brains develop the ability to pinpoint and focus on particular sounds among a background of noise.

Selenium May Slow March Of AIDS

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST

Increasing the production of naturally occurring proteins that contain selenium in human blood cells slows down multiplication of the AIDS virus, according to biochemists.

Bird Population Estimates Are Flawed, New Study Shows

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST

Most of what we know about bird populations stems from surveys conducted by professional biologists and amateur birdwatchers, but new research shows that the data from those surveys may be seriously flawed -- and proposes possible means to resolve the problem.

Bad Cholesterol Inhibits The Breakdown Of Peripheral Fat

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST

The so called bad cholesterol (LDL) inhibits the breakdown of fat in cells of peripheral deposits, according to a new study. The discovery reveals a novel function of LDL as a regulator of fat turnover besides its well-established detrimental effects in promoting atherosclerosis.

Highly Efficient Lithium Batteries Could Greatly Extend Battery Life Of Laptop Computers

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST

Scientists have developed a new material for anodes, which could clear a path for a new generation of rechargeable batteries. Their new material involves three-dimensional, highly porous silicon structures.

Ban On Fast Food TV Advertising Would Reverse Childhood Obesity Trends, Study Shows

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST

A ban on fast-food advertisements in the United States could reduce the number of overweight children by as much as 18 percent, according to a new study. The study also reports that eliminating the tax deductibility associated with television advertising would result in a reduction of childhood obesity, though in smaller numbers.

Panamanian Termite Goes Ballistic: Fastest Mandible Strike In The World

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST

A single hit on the head by the termite Termes panamensis (Snyder), which possesses the fastest mandible strike ever recorded, is sufficient to kill a would-be nest invader.

New Screening Halves Number Of Children Born With Down Syndrome

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST

A new national screening strategy in Denmark has halved the number of infants born with Down's syndrome and increased the number of infants diagnosed before birth by 30 percent, according to a new study.

Spinning Into The Future Of Data Storage

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST

Scientists have improved their understanding of the inner workings of our computers and MP3 players, thanks to an exciting new field of research called "organic spintronics."

Study Documents What May Be First Cases Of Certain Tick-borne Disease In China

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST

It appears that for the first time human granulocytic anaplasmosis, an emerging tick-borne infectious disease found in the US and Europe, has been identified in China and apparently was transmitted from person to person, according to a new study.

Making Gases More Transportable: Methane Gas Converted To Powder Form

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST

Chemists have developed a way of converting methane gas into a powder form in order to make it more transportable.

New National Survey Says Public Reveres Bison

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST

Americans are woefully out of touch with the fact that the American bison, or buffalo, is in trouble as a wild, iconic species, but they do love them as an important symbol of their country -- and as an entree on the dinner table. These sentiments were found in a public survey by the Wildlife Conservation Society at a national conference on restoring bison populations in the North America.

Solar Wind Rips Up Martian Atmosphere

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST

Researchers have found new evidence that the atmosphere of Mars is being stripped away by solar wind. It's not a gently continuous erosion, but rather a ripping process in which chunks of Martian air detach themselves from the planet and tumble into deep space. This surprising mechanism could help solve a longstanding mystery about the Red Planet.

Stomach Ulcer Bug Causes Bad Breath

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST

Bacteria that cause stomach ulcers and cancer could also be giving us bad breath, according to research published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology. For the first time, scientists have found Helicobacter pylori living in the mouths of people who are not showing signs of stomach disease.

Chandrayaan-1 Starts Observations Of The Moon

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST

The Indian Space Research Organization's lunar orbiter Chandrayaan-1 released a probe that impacted close to the lunar south pole on Nov. 14. Following this, the instruments on the spacecraft are being switched on to get the science observations started.

Risk Of Maternal And Newborn Complications May Be Lower After Bariatric Surgery

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST

A review of previously published studies suggests that rates of adverse outcomes for mothers or pregnant women and newborn babies, such as gestational diabetes and low birth weight, may be lower after bariatric surgery compared with pregnant women who are obese, according to a new study.

Toward Healthier Bread And Other Whole Grain Foods

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST

Bread, pasta, and other foods made from whole grains -- known to help protect against heart disease, cancer and diabetes -- may get even healthier in the future.

Asthma Over-Diagnosed In One Third Of Canadian Adults, Study Suggests

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST

Asthma may be overdiagnosed in countries like Canada, suggests a longitudinal study of 540 obese and non-obese adults that found approximately one third of Canadians with physician-diagnosed asthma do not have asthma when objectively tested.

'The Photon Force Is With Us': Harnessing Light To Drive Nanomachines

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST

Science fiction writers have long envisioned sailing a spacecraft by the optical force of the sun's light. But, the forces of sunlight are too weak to fill even the oversized sails that have been tried. Now a team led by researchers at the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science has shown that the force of light indeed can be harnessed to drive machines when the process is scaled to nano-proportions.

Mouse Model Of Prion Disease Mimics Diverse Symptoms Of Human Disorder

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST

A comprehensive mouse model of inherited prion disease exhibits cognitive, motor and neurophysiological deficits that bear a striking resemblance to the symptoms experienced by patients with the human version of "mad cow disease," Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The research, published in the journal Neuron, provides exciting insight into the mechanism of disease and may lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies for this devastating neurodegenerative disorder.

Drink Brewed Tea To Avoid Tooth Erosion, Study Suggests

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST

Researchers compared green and black tea to soda and orange juice in terms of their short- and long-term erosive effect on human teeth. The study found that the erosive effect of tea was similar to that of water, which has no erosive effect.

Resistance to TB Vaccine May Be Uncommon, Protects Against Nine Strains in Mice

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST

A new study shows that the current tuberculosis vaccine induces protective immunity against nine strains of the bacteria in mice indicating that strain-specific resistance may be uncommon.

Delving Into Mysterious Irregularity Of Earth's Magnetic Field: Observatory Being Built In Middle Of Atlantic Ocean

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST

A new Danish observatory on a remote island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean will provide researchers with new knowledge about the mysterious irregularity of the Earth's magnetic field known as the South Atlantic Anomaly.

Expressing Emotions In E-mail So As Not To Be Misinterpreted

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST

How do people use emoticons, subject lines, and signatures to define how they want to be interpreted in email? The authors find that "a shift to email interaction requires a new set of interactional skills to be developed." Unlike face-to-face conversations, email interactions leave out tone of voice, body-language and context, which can lead to misunderstandings.

Route To Obesity Passes Through Tongue

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 02:00 PM PST

Obesity gradually numbs the taste sensation of rats to sweet foods and drives them to consume larger and ever-sweeter meals, according to neuroscientists. New findings could uncover a critical link between taste and body weight, and reveal how flab hooks the brain on sugary food.

Master Gene Plays Key Role In Blood Sugar Levels

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 02:00 PM PST

When mice that lack steroid receptor-2, a master regulator gene called a coactivator, fast for a day, their blood sugar levels plummet. If they go another day without food, they will die. The severity of the hypoglycemia was unexpected, according to an article in Science.

Fast Molecular Rearrangements Hold Key To Plastic’s Toughness

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 02:00 PM PST

Researchers report that subjecting a common plastic to physical stress - which causes the plastic to flow - also dramatically increases the motion of the material's constituent molecules, with molecular rearrangements occurring up to 1,000 times faster than without the stress.

Estrogen Therapy Could Be Dangerous For Women With Existing Heart Risk

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 02:00 PM PST

Hormone therapy could accentuate certain pre-existing heart disease risk factors and a heart health evaluation should become the norm when considering estrogen replacement, new research suggests.

Key Link In How Plants Adapt To Climate Discovered

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 02:00 PM PST

How many mouths does a plant need in order to survive? The answer changes depending on climate and some of the decisions are made long before a new leaf sprouts. Stanford researchers have found that the formation of microscopic pores called stomata is controlled by a specific signaling pathway that blocks activity of a single protein required for stomata development. Stomata are found on almost every terrestrial plant on Earth.

Explanation For 'Face Blindness' Offered

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 02:00 PM PST

For the first time, scientists have been able to map the disruption in neural circuitry of people suffering from congenital prosopagnosia, sometimes known as face blindness, and have been able to offer a biological explanation for this intriguing disorder. Currently thought to affect roughly two percent of the population, congenital prosopagnosia manifests as the lifelong failure to recognize faces in the absence of obvious neurological damage, and in individuals with intact vision and intelligence.

Biologists Find New Environmental Threat In North American Lakes

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST

A new and insidious environmental threat has been detected in North American lakes. Boreal forest lakes suffer from 'aquatic osteoporosis.'

Experimental TB Drug Explodes Bacteria From The Inside Out

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST

Biochemists have discovered how an experimental drug unleashes its destructive force inside the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. The finding could help scientists develop ways to treat dormant TB infections, and suggests a strategy for drug development against other bacteria as well.

New National Park Protects World's Rarest Gorilla

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST

A new national park to help protect the world's most endangered great ape, the Cross River gorilla, has been created. The Cross River gorilla is the rarest of the four gorilla subspecies.

Inhaled Corticosteroids Raise Pneumonia Risk For Lung Disease Sufferers

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST

Lung disease experts are calling for physicians to show much greater caution in prescribing inhaled corticosteroid drugs for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease after finding evidence that the widely used anti-inflammatory medications increase the risk of pneumonia by a full third.

Protein Fibers Can Become Electrical Wiring

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST

Researchers have succeeded in creating electrical wires consisting of protein fibers encased in plastic. The 10 nanometer thin fibers are self-organizing and compatible with biological systems.

New Research Sheds Light On Fly Sleep Circuit

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST

Researchers have identified a specific set of wake-promoting neurons in fruit flies that are analogous to cells in the much more complex sleep circuit in humans. The study demonstrates that in flies, as in mammals, the sleep circuit is intimately linked to the circadian clock and that the brain's strategies to govern sleep are evolutionarily ancient.

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