ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Dust Detected Around A Primitive Star, Shedding New Light On Universe's Origins Posted: 19 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Astronomers have observed dust forming around a dying star in a nearby galaxy, giving a glimpse into the early universe and enlivening a debate about the origins of all cosmic dust.

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Used To Regenerate Skin Posted: 19 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST A new study suggests that adult bone marrow stem cells can be used in the construction of artificial skin. The findings mark an advancement in wound healing and may be used to pioneer a method of organ reconstruction. The study is published in Artificial Organs.

Biofuel Carbon Footprint Not As Big As Feared, New Analysis Finds Posted: 19 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Some researchers have blasted biofuels' potential to increase greenhouse gas emissions, calling into question the environmental benefits of making fuel from plant material. But a new analysis says these dire predictions are based on a set of assumptions that may not be correct.

New Tool Could Prevent Needless Stents And Save Money, Cardiologist Says Posted: 19 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Doctors may be implanting too many artery-opening stents and could improve patient outcomes -- and ultimately save lives -- if they did more in-depth measurements of blood flow in the vessels to the heart, according to experts.

Molecular Forklifts Overcome Obstacle To 'Smart Dust' Posted: 19 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Algae is a livid green giveaway of nutrient pollution in a lake. Scientists would love to reproduce that action in tiny particles that would turn different colors if exposed to biological weapons, food spoilage or signs of poor health in the blood.

Paintballs Can Cause 'Devastating' Eye Injuries Posted: 19 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Paintballs can cause severe and 'visually devastating' eye injuries, especially when used in unsupervised settings without proper eye protection, reports a study in the American Journal of Ophthalmology.

Now You See It, Now You Don't: Scientists Unraveling The Mystery Of Camouflage Posted: 19 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST Marine biologists have discovered three broad classes of camouflage body patterns. This study of cephalopod camouflage has implications for analyzing camouflage tactics throughout the animal kingdom.

Genetic Mutation, Almost Guaranteed To Lead To Heart Disease, Found In One Percent Of Population Posted: 19 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST A study of almost 1500 people has uncovered a genetic mutation that is almost guaranteed to lead to heart disease. The mutation is found worldwide, but appears to be restricted to people with an origin in the Indian subcontinent, where 4 percent of the population are carriers. The size and simplicity of the genetic effect is staggering in a disease that has a wide range of causes, many related to lifestyle.

Is Human 'Imperfection' Such A Bad Thing? Posted: 19 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST Imagine a world of 'human perfection' where disabled people are a distant memory, edited out by medical enhancement and economic cost-benefit analysis: a world where thanks to generic selection and economic crises disabled people find themselves expendable. Is such a world desirable? Not necessarily so, says one researcher.

New Model System May Better Explain Regulation Of Body Weight Posted: 19 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST A new mathematical model of the physiological regulation of body weight suggests a potential mechanism underlying the difficulty of losing weight, one that includes aspects of two competing hypotheses of weight regulation.

High-tech Solutions Ease Inaugural Challenges Posted: 19 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST Transportation and security officials on Inauguration Day will have a centralized, consolidated stream of traffic information and other data displayed on a single screen. The Regional Integrated Transportation Information System gives officials a single real-time view far more comprehensive than previously available. The idea is to enhance officials' ability to monitor vehicular traffic, accidents, incidents, response plans, air space, weather conditions and more.

Alcohol Taxes Have Clear Effect On Drinking Posted: 19 Jan 2009 08:00 AM PST With many local and national governments currently debating proposals to raise alcohol taxes, a timely new study finds that the more alcoholic beverages cost, the less likely people are to drink. And when they do drink, they drink less. After analyzing 112 studies spanning nearly four decades, researchers documented a concrete association between the amount of alcohol people drink and its cost.

Fish Guts Explain Marine Carbon Cycle Mystery Posted: 19 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Research reveals the major influence of fish on maintaining the delicate pH balance of our oceans, vital for the health of coral reefs and other marine life. The discovery could help solve a mystery that has puzzled marine chemists for decades. Published in Science, the study provides new insights into the marine carbon cycle, which is undergoing rapid change as a result of global carbon dioxide emissions.

Childhood Obesity Risk Increased By Newly-discovered Genetic Mutations, Says Study Posted: 19 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Three new genetic variations that increase the risk of obesity are revealed in a new study. The authors suggest that if each acted independently, these variants could be responsible for up to 50 percent of cases of severe obesity.

Northern Fur Seal Pup Decline: Lowest Birth Rate Since 1916 Posted: 19 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Researchers have marked another decline in northern fur seal pup births in the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea, where most of the world's population of northern fur seals gather in the summer to rest and breed.

Scientists Explain Genetic Disease First Discovered In Quebec 24 Years Ago Posted: 19 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Scientists have identified a gene essential for the uptake of vitamin B12 in human cells. The discovery of this gene finally completes a 24 year-old hunt for the cause of an incredibly rare genetic disorder called, cblF combined homocystinuria and methylmalonic aciduria, first documented in a Quebec infant in 1985.

Prairie Soil Organic Matter Shown To Be Resilient Under Intensive Agriculture Posted: 19 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST A recent study has confirmed that although there was a large reduction of organic carbon and total nitrogen pools when prairies were first cultivated and drained, there has been no consistent pattern in these organic matter pools during the period of synthetic fertilizer use, that is, from 1957-2002.

Science Learning At Museums, Zoos, Other Informal Settings Posted: 19 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Each year, tens of millions of Americans, young and old, choose to learn about science in informal ways by visiting museums and aquariums, attending after-school programs, pursuing personal hobbies and watching TV documentaries, for example.

Origin Of Jawed Vertebrates: Prehistoric Fish Provides New Piece In Evolution's Jigsaw Puzzle Posted: 19 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Scientists describe the skull and jaws of a fish that lived about 410 million years ago. Their study may give important clues to the origin of jawed vertebrates.

New Anti-cancer, Anti-infection Response Control Mechanism Discovered Posted: 19 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Scientists have made a discovery that could have a significant impact on the treatment of cancers and infectious diseases. Researchers have demonstrated that a molecule known as CRACC, which is present at the surface of NK cells, increases their killer function.

Study May Give Hope That Ivory-billed Woodpeckers Still Around Posted: 19 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Until credible sightings popped up three years ago, the scientific world was in agreement that ivory-billed woodpeckers had gone the way of the dodo. A new study reveals that the ivory-billed woodpecker could have persisted if as few as five mated pairs survived the extensive habitat loss during the early 1900's.

Novel Drugs Selectively Target Pathway Important In Rheumatoid Arthritis Posted: 19 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Methotrexate, a folate antagonist that blocks folic acid activity, is the most widely used disease-modifying antirheumatic drug for rheumatoid arthritis. It enters the cell via several pathways, one of which involves folate receptor, which is highly specific for cells present in the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Students Launch Audiball, An Xbox Community Game Posted: 19 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Most students like to play video games, but a group of Georgia Tech students have built and are selling their own. Their game, Audiball, was launched during the first week of Xbox Community Games in November.

2008 Global Temperature Ties As Eighth Warmest On Record Posted: 19 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST The year 2008 tied with 2001 as the eighth warmest year on record for the Earth, based on the combined average of worldwide land and ocean surface temperatures through December, according to a preliminary analysis by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center.  For December alone, the month also ranked as the eighth warmest globally, for the combined land and ocean surface temperature. The assessment is based on records dating back to 1880.

New Technique To Tap Full Potential Of Antibody Libraries Developed Posted: 19 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST Antibodies are the attack dogs of the immune system, fighting off bacterial and other invaders. Massive libraries of synthetic antibodies that mimic this natural response, for instance to attack proteins critical to a particular cancer, are also available, but current techniques have allowed scientists to screen these antibodies for effectiveness against only a very limited number of disease-causing agents.

Free Antibiotics: Wrong Prescription For Cold And Flu Season, Experts Say Posted: 19 Jan 2009 02:00 AM PST With an epidemic of antibiotic-resistant infections growing, experts are warning grocery-store pharmacies that antibiotics giveaways are an unhealthy promotional gimmick. If grocery stores want to help customers and save them money during cold and flu season, the Infectious Diseases Society of America says, they should offer free influenza vaccinations instead.

New Genetic Model Predicts Plant Flowering In Different Environments Posted: 18 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST Botanists have created a model that precisely charts the genetic and environmental signals that guide the life cycle of a scientifically important plant species. The model could help scientists better understand how plants will respond to climate change.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Worse In Women? Posted: 18 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST Women appear to suffer more from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) than men. The finding is revealed in research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Arthritis Research and Therapy.

Recovery Plan For The Northwest Atlantic Loggerhead Sea Turtle Revised Posted: 18 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST A revised recovery plan for the Northwest Atlantic population of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) has been issued by NOAA. The species is listed globally as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Fatty Liver Disease Medication May Have No Effect Posted: 18 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST A new randomized, prospective trial has shown that orlistat, a commonly prescribed inhibitor of fat absorption, does not help patients with fatty liver disease lose weight, nor does it improve their liver enzymes or insulin resistance.

Essential Proteins For Critical Stage Of Malaria Discovered Posted: 18 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST Researchers have identified the molecular components that enable the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium to infect the salivary glands of the Anopheles mosquito -- a critical stage for spreading malaria to humans.

Women May Be More Likely To Experience Emergency Medical Services Delays For Heart Care Posted: 18 Jan 2009 11:00 PM PST Women who called 9-1-1 complaining of cardiac symptoms were 52 percent more likely than men to experience delays during emergency medical services' (EMS) care, according to a report in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

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