ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

NASA Space Balloon Mission Tunes In To Cosmic Radio Mystery Posted: 08 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Listening to the early universe just got harder. Astronomers have discovered cosmic radio noise that booms six times louder than expected.

Avian Flu Becoming More Resistant To Antiviral Drugs Posted: 08 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST A new study shows the resistance of the avian flu virus to a major class of antiviral drugs is increasing through positive evolutionary selection, with researchers documenting the trend in more than 30 percent of the samples tested.

To Climate-change Worries, Add One More: Extended Mercury Threat Posted: 08 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Mercury pollution has already spurred public health officials to advise eating less fish, but it could become a more pressing concern in a warmer world.

New Bartonella Species That Infects Humans Discovered Posted: 08 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Researchers have produced the first link between a species of bacteria most commonly found in sheep and human illness.

Big Raindrops Favor Tornado Formation, Simulations Suggest Posted: 08 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST One of the largest sources of uncertainty in weather prediction involves how microscale structures influence larger-scale phenomena. For instance, previous studies have demonstrated that the structure, dynamics, and evolution of thunderstorms are very sensitive to cloud microphysical parameters.

'It Takes Two To Know One': Shared Experiences Change Self-recognition Posted: 08 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Looking at yourself in the mirror every morning, you never think to question whether the person you see is actually you. A new study challenges this common-sense notion about our own self image. The study shows for the first time that the image we hold of our own face can actually change through shared experiences with other people's faces.

Spookfish Uses Mirrors For Eyes Posted: 08 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST A remarkable new discovery shows the four-eyed spookfish to be the first vertebrate ever found to use mirrors, rather than lenses, to focus light in its eyes.

'Scrawny' Gene Keeps Stem Cells Healthy Posted: 08 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST Stem cells are the body's primal cells, retaining the youthful ability to develop into more specialized types of cells over many cycles of cell division. How do they do it? Scientists have identified a gene, scrawny, that appears to be a key factor in keeping a variety of stem cells in their undifferentiated state. Understanding how stem cells maintain their potency has implications for basic biology and also for medical applications.

Cassiopeia A Comes Alive Across Time And Space Posted: 08 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST Two new efforts have taken a famous supernova remnant from the static to the dynamic. A new movie of data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory shows changes in time never seen before in this type of object. A separate team has produced a dramatic 3-D visualization of the same remnant.

Cellular Task Force To Safeguard Genome Stability Posted: 08 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST The maintenance of genome stability is crucial for protecting an organism against the onset of cancer and the study of the mechanisms controlling genome stability represents one of the most promising frontiers in cancer research.

Odd-looking Martian Craters Indicate Hidden Ice Posted: 08 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST Surface features common in the northern and southern midlatitudes of Mars and known as lobate debris aprons and lineated valley fill are believed to have formed either as debris flows mobilized by pore ice or as debris-covered glaciers.

Wii Fit A Promising Tool For All Ages, Though Game's Health Measurements Are Flawed Posted: 08 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST Games like Nintendo's Wii Fit can help promote physical rather than sedentary activities for people of all ages.

Hubble Finds Stars That Go 'Ballistic' Posted: 08 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Even some stars go ballistic, racing through interstellar space like bullets and tearing through clouds of gas.

Control Of Blood Vessels A Possible Weapon Against Obesity Posted: 08 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Mice exposed to low temperatures develop more blood vessels in their adipose tissue and metabolise body fat more quickly, according to a new study. Scientists now hope to learn how to control blood vessel development in humans in order to combat obesity and diabetes.

Asian Grasslands May Hold Global Promise To Restore Grasslands In Arid Areas Posted: 08 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Grazinglands in the Asian steppes and the rangelands in the western United States share similar climates, vegetation, land-use practices and problems. So an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist joined a search in Asia to find and preserve native forage plants--and to see if these plants can be used to sustain and restore arid grasslands in other parts of the world.

Producing A More Effective Oral Form Of A Powerful Disease-fighting Protein Posted: 08 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Scientists in Japan are reporting an advance toward using a natural disease-fighting protein in pills or syrups that patients can take by mouth rather than injection. Their study is the first to show that coating the protein with a polymer material already in wide medical use can increase its absorption by the intestine.

P2P Traffic Control: Wireless Technology Could Reduce Congestion, Accidents Posted: 08 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Could a concept from information technology familiar to online file sharers be exploited to reduce road congestion and even traffic accidents? That is the question answered in the affirmative by researchers in California.

Wonderful Cheese Is All In The Culture Posted: 08 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Scientists have identified a new line of bacteria they believe add flavor to some of the world's most exclusive cheeses.

Lunar Rock-Like Material May Someday House Moon Colonies Posted: 08 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Dwellings in colonies on the moon one day may be built with new, highly durable bricks developed by students from the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech.

Dangerous New Method For Bacterial Toxin Transfer Discovered Posted: 08 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Scientists have discovered a new way for bacteria to transfer toxic genes to unrelated bacterial species, a finding that raises the unsettling possibility that bacterial swapping of toxins and other disease-aiding factors may be more common than previously imagined.

Modified Lignin Has Potential Benefits For Ethanol, Paper And Feed Posted: 08 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Cellulose is a key component of plant cell walls that can be converted into ethanol and other products. New findings could help make that conversion process easier.

Cystic Fibrosis Patients' Self-assessment Of Health Can Predict Prognosis Posted: 08 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Adult cystic fibrosis patients can provide important information that helps to predict their prognosis, according to research that asked 223 adult CF patients to assess their own health and well-being.

Cause Of Glacial Earthquakes In Greenland Clarified Posted: 08 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Satellite observations during the past decade have shown dramatic changes in flow speed on year-to-year timescales at Greenland's outlet glaciers. Seismic events traced back to glaciers during the same time period have been interpreted to have resulted from calving events at the glacier terminus or surging events lubricated by subglacial meltwater.

Lifelong Gender Difference In Physical Activity Revealed Posted: 08 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Females of all ages are less active than their male peers. Two new studies reveal the gender difference in activity levels among school children and the over 70s. Both studies show males to be more physically active than females.

Testes Stem Cells Can Change Into Other Body Tissues Posted: 07 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST Scientists have succeeded in isolating stem cells from human testes. The cells bear a striking resemblance to embryonic stem cells -- they can differentiate into each of the three main types of tissues of the body -- but the researchers caution against viewing them as one and the same.

Promising New Drug Being Evaluated As Possible Treatment Option For Fragile X Syndrome Posted: 07 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST A pilot trial of an oral drug therapy called fenobam has shown promising initial results and could be a potential new treatment option for adult patients with Fragile X syndrome. Findings of the open label, single-dose study are to be published in the Journal of Medical Genetics.

Treating Gum Disease Linked To Lower Medical Costs For Patients With Diabetes Posted: 07 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST A new report suggests that treating gum disease in patients who have diabetes with procedures such as cleanings and periodontal scaling is linked to 10 to 12 percent lower medical costs per month.

Modulation Of Gene Expression By Protein Coding Regions Demonstrated Posted: 07 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST Scientists have discovered how the expression of one of the Hox master control genes is regulated in a specific segment of the developing brain. The findings provide important insight into how and where the brain develops some of its unique and important structures.

Tackling Climate Change With New Permits To Pollute Posted: 07 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST A new way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and tackle climate change had been unveiled by leading economists.

Young Adults Need To Make More Time For Healthy Meals Posted: 07 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST Researchers observed that while young adults enjoy and value time spent eating with others, 35 percent of males and 42 percent of females reported lacking time to sit down and eat a meal. They further noted that "eating on the run" was related to higher consumption of unhealthy items like fast foods and lower consumption of many healthful foods.

Black Holes Lead Galaxy Growth Posted: 07 Jan 2009 08:00 PM PST Peering deep into the early universe, astronomers may have solved a longstanding cosmic chicken-and-egg problem -- which forms first -- galaxies or the black holes at their cores?

Old Gastrointestinal Drug Slows Aging, Researchers Say Posted: 07 Jan 2009 08:00 PM PST Recent animal studies have shown that an 80-year old drug once used to treat gastrointestinal disorders can reverse the progression of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. However, scientists had a variety of theories to attempt to explain how a single compound could have such similar effects on three unrelated neurodegenerative disorders. According to researchers at McGill University, clioquinol might actually slow down the aging process. The study was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Defatted Soy Flour Eyed As Filler Substitute For Rubber Tires Posted: 07 Jan 2009 08:00 PM PST In 1941, Henry Ford unveiled a plastic-bodied car whose panels included soybean meal as component. The feat made headlines--and history--but the idea never took off commercially. However, researchers continue to toy with the idea and are now testing soy flour as a "green" filler for tires and other natural rubber products.

Mechanisms That Regulate DNA Damage Control And Replication Illuminated Posted: 07 Jan 2009 08:00 PM PST Scientists have demonstrated important new roles for the protein kinase complex Cdc7/Dbf4 or Cdc7/Drf1 in monitoring damage control during DNA replication and reinitiating replication following DNA repair.

Can Nature's Leading Indicators Presage Environmental Disaster? Posted: 07 Jan 2009 08:00 PM PST Economists use leading indicators -- the drivers of economic performance -- to take the temperature of the economy and predict the future. Now, in a new study, scientists take a page from the social science handbook and use leading indicators of the environment to presage the potential collapse of ecosystems.

Majority Of Teens Discuss Risky Behaviors On MySpace, Studies Conclude Posted: 07 Jan 2009 08:00 PM PST Fifty-four percent of adolescents frequently discuss high-risk activities including sexual behavior, substance abuse or violence using MySpace, the popular social networking Web site.

Levitation At Microscopic Scale Could Lead To Nanomechanical Devices Based On Quantum Levitation Posted: 07 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Magicians have long created the illusion of levitating objects in the air. Now researchers have actually levitated an object, suspending it without the need for external support. Working at the molecular level, the researchers relied on the tendency of certain combinations of molecules to repel each other at close contact, effectively suspending one surface above another by a microscopic distance. Researchers have measured, for the first time, a repulsive quantum mechanical force that could be harnessed and tailored for a wide range of new nanotechnology applications.

Gene Abnormality Found To Predict Childhood Leukemia Relapse Posted: 07 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Scientists have identified mutations in a gene that predict a high likelihood of relapse in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Although the researchers caution that further research is needed to determine how changes in the gene, called IKZF1 or IKAROS, lead to leukemia relapse, the findings are likely to provide the basis for future diagnostic tests to assess the risk of treatment failure. By identifying this genetic marker in ALL patients, physicians should be better able to assign patients to appropriate therapies.

Male Crickets With Bigger Heads Are Better Fighters, Study Reveals, Echoing Ancient Chinese Text Posted: 07 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Biologists show that male crickets with larger heads and mouthparts are more successful in fights with smaller-headed rivals.

New Genetic Markers For Ulcerative Colitis Identified Posted: 07 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Scientists have identified genetic markers associated with risk for ulcerative colitis. The findings bring researchers closer to understanding the biological pathways involved in the disease and may lead to the development of new treatments that specifically target them.

Catastrophic Coincidence: Second Ever Example Of Contemporaneous Meteorite Impact And Flood Volcanism Discovered Posted: 07 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Scientists have discovered only the second example of a meteorite impact that occurred at the same time as massive volcanic activity. The first time such a coincidence was observed, at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary, was the catastrophic event thought to be responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago.

Why Smokers Struggle To Quit: New Findings Posted: 07 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Just seeing someone smoke can trigger smokers to abandon their nascent efforts to kick the habit, according to new research.

Polarized Light Leads Animals Astray: 'Ecological Traps' Cause Animal Behaviors That Can Lead To Death Posted: 07 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Human-made light sources can alter natural light cycles, causing animals that rely on light cues to make mistakes when moving through their environment. In the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, a collaboration of ecologists, biologists and biophysicists has now shown that in addition to direct light, cues from polarized light can trigger animal behaviors leading to injury and often death.

Gene Linked To Inherited Form Of Fatal Lung Disease Identified Posted: 07 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Researchers have determined that a mutation in a gene known for its role in defending the lungs against invading pathogens is responsible for some inherited cases of a lethal lung disease affecting older adults. The same mutation may also be associated with lung cancer, the researchers said.

Astronomers Use Gamma-ray Burst To Probe Star Formation In The Early Universe Posted: 07 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST The brilliant afterglow of a powerful gamma-ray burst (GRB) has enabled astronomers to probe the star-forming environment of a distant galaxy, resulting in the first detection of molecular gas in a GRB host galaxy. By analyzing the spectrum of light emitted in the GRB afterglow, the researchers are gleaning insights into an active stellar nursery in a galaxy so far away it appears as it was 10 billion years ago.

Drinkers With Alcohol Dehydrogenase Gene Are At Greater Risk Of Colorectal Cancer Posted: 07 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Chronic drinking is a known risk factor for colorectal cancer, possibly due to the creation of acetaldehyde by the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme. New findings show that individuals with a polymorphism of the ADH1C gene produce more acetaldehyde when they drink, which creates a higher risk for colorectal cancer.

Surprise Drop In Carbon Dioxide Absorbed By East/Japan Sea Posted: 07 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST The East/Japan Sea in the western North Pacific is ventilated from the surface to the bottom of the ocean over decades. Authors conclude that overturning circulation is weakening, slowing down the transport of anthropogenic carbon dioxide from the surface to the interior of the East/Japan Sea.

Vision Problems Prompt Older Drivers To Put Down The Keys Posted: 07 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST With 30 million drivers in the US aged 65 and over, we count on older Americans to recognize when they can no longer drive safely and decide that it's time to stay off the road. A new study finds that a decrease in vision function is a key factor in bringing about this decision.

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