ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Stanford Writes In World's Smallest Letters Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Stanford researchers have reclaimed bragging rights for creating the world's smallest writing, a distinction the university first gained in 1985 and lost in 1990. How small is the writing? The letters in the words are assembled from subatomic sized bits as small as 0.3 nanometers, or roughly one third of a billionth of a meter.

Blue Light Destroys Antibiotic-resistant Staph Infection Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Two common strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as MRSA, were virtually eradicated in the laboratory by exposing them to a wavelength of blue light, in a process called photo-irradiation.

Fewer Days Of Extreme Cold And More Days Of Extreme Heat In Europe Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Scientists have selected 262 European observatories which analyzed the series of minimum and maximum daily temperatures from 1955 to 1998 to estimate trend variations in extreme temperature events. According to the study, in Europe days of extreme cold are decreasing and days of extreme heat increasing. From 0.5ºC to 1ºC in the average minimum temperature, and from 0.5ºC to 2ºC in the average maximum temperature.

Skin Color Studies On Tadpoles Lead To Cancer Advance Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST The humble tadpole could provide the key to developing effective anti-skin cancer drugs, thanks to a new discovery.

Quantum Dots May Be Toxic To Cells And Environment Under Certain Conditions Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Researchers in Texas are reporting that quantum dots (QDs) -- a product of the revolution in nanotechnology increasingly used in electronics, solar cells, and medical imaging devices -- may be toxic to cells under acidic or alkaline conditions. Their study is the first to report on how different pH levels may affect the safety of QDs.

No Such Thing As A 'Born Leader,' Study In Fish Finds Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Followers are just as important to good leadership as are the leaders themselves, reveals a new study of stickleback fish. By randomly pairing fish of varying degrees of "boldness," the researchers showed that each member of a pair adopts the role of leader or follower. More importantly, they found, the behavior of each member of the pair is strongly influenced by its partner.

Chemists Shed Light On Health Benefits Of Garlic Posted: 31 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Researchers have widely believed that the organic compound, allicin -- which gives the pungent vegetable its aroma and flavor -- acts as an antioxidant. But until now it hasn't been clear how allicin works, or how it stacks up compared to more common antioxidants such as Vitamin E and coenzyme Q10, which stop the damaging effects of radicals. Researchers now trace benefits to acid produced in the decomposing organic compound.

'Healthy' Obesity May Be Explained By Newly Identified Protein Posted: 31 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Mice whose fat cells were allowed to grow larger than fat cells in normal mice developed "healthy" obesity when fed a high-fat diet, researchers found in a new study.

Genes Linked To Parkinson's Side Effects Identified Posted: 31 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST What causes motor complications of Parkinson's treatment? Researchers have now identified two molecules whose expression in the brain is altered in the brains of animals with side effects related to Parkinson's disease. The results may lead to new approaches to the treatment of these side effects in Parkinson's patients.

Lung Transplants: Hospitals Doing More Transplants Are Better And Safer, Study Suggests Posted: 31 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Transplant surgeons have evidence that hospitals performing at least 20 lung transplant procedures a year, on average, have the best overall patient survival rates and lowest number of deaths from the complex surgery.

Freak Waves May Be Sinking Ships Off The Coast Of Japan Posted: 31 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST On 23 June 2008, the Suwa Maru No. 58, a fishing boat with 20 crew members, sank in seemingly moderate sea conditions of Cape Inubosaki, Japan. Reports from the investigators indicated that although reported wave heights were between 2 and 3 meters (6.5 and 9.8 feet), the ship may have encountered abnormal waves twice, sinking the ship about 10 minutes after being hit by the initial wave.

Language Performance And Differences In Brain Activity Possibly Affected By Sex Posted: 31 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST In a new fMRI study researchers found differences among male and female groups on activation strength linked to verbal fluency (words generation).

Bird Song Discoveries May Lead To Refinement Of Darwinian Theory Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST For one professor, the songs birds sing are more than a pleasant part of a spring day. They are a window into how communication works in the natural world. A birdsong is more than just an encapsulated package of information, it is "a behavior frozen in time."

New Pathway Is Common Thread In Age-related Neurodegenerative Diseases Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST How are neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's initiated, and why is age the major risk factor? A recent study of a protein called MOCA (Modifier of Cell Adhesion) provides new clues to the answers of these fundamental questions.

Surprising Lion Stronghold Uncovered In War-torn Central Africa Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Times are tough for wildlife living at the frontier between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Armies are reportedly encamped in a national park and wildlife preserve on the Congolese side, while displaced herders and their cattle have settled in an adjoining Ugandan park.

Periodontal Treatment Doesn't Reduce Preterm Birth Risk, Study Shows Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST Despite an apparent link between gum disease and preterm births, standard periodontal treatment does not decrease the risk of preterm birth. Nor is the treatment enough to halt periodontal disease progression in pregnant women, according to new research.

Call To Action: Running Out Of Options To Fight Ever-changing 'Super Bugs' Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST People are dying from "super bugs" because our antibiotic arsenal has run dry, leaving the world without sufficient weapons to fight ever-changing bacteria, warn infectious disease researchers.

Imaging Study Illustrates How Memories Change In The Brain Over Time Posted: 31 Jan 2009 05:00 AM PST A new brain imaging study illustrates what happens to memories as time goes by. The study shows that distinct brain structures are involved in recalling recent and older events.

High Hormone Levels In Women May Lead To Infidelity, Study Shows Posted: 30 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Women with high levels of the sex hormone oestradiol may engage in opportunistic mating, according to a new study.

How Ebola Virus Avoids The Immune System Posted: 30 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Researchers have likely found one reason why the Ebola virus is such a powerful, deadly, and effective virus. Using a cell culture model for Ebola virus infection, they have discovered that the virus disables a cellular protein called tetherin that normally can block the spread of virus from cell to cell.

Help Possible For People Obsessed With Imaginary Physical Flaws Posted: 30 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Worrying about a bad hair day or idly wishing for a more-perfect profile: we've all been there. However, people suffering from body dysmorphic disorder go far beyond that, obsessing over exaggerated or even imaginary physical defects, to the point where it affects their ability to work, attend school or have ordinary social contacts.

Umbilical Cord Protein Analysis Detects Early Onset Infection Posted: 30 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Researchers have identified proteins associated with early onset neonatal sepsis (EONS), a stealthy bacterial infection linked to premature birth, illness and death. Using protein analysis, the researchers have found the biomarkers that can provide key information on how EONS develops.

Although Our Genetics Differ Significantly, We All Look Alike Posted: 30 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST The genetic variation within a species can be significant, but very little of that variation results in clear differences in morphology or other phenotypes. Much of the diversity remains hidden 'under the surface' in buffered form.

Did I See What I Think I Saw? Posted: 30 Jan 2009 05:00 PM PST Research increasingly suggests that eyewitness testimony may not be as accurate as we would like it to be. A new study examining how false information following a recall test affects volunteers' memories of a witnessed event suggests that recalled information is prone to distortion. These results suggest that the recall test may have improved subjects' ability to learn the false information -- that it enhanced learning of new and erroneous information.

Dinosaur Fossils Fit Perfectly Into The Evolutionary Tree Of Life, Study Finds Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST A recent study by researchers in England has found that scientists' knowledge of the evolution of dinosaurs is remarkably complete.

Autism Spectrum Disorder May Be More Prevalent Among Children Born Very Prematurely Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Children born more than three months premature, are at three times the risk for screening positive on the modified checklist for autism in toddlers (M-CHAT). Children who screen positive on M-CHAT may be at greater risk for developing autism.

Simple Reasoning Strategies Can Be As Precise As Complex Ones Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST We go into a restaurant with the aim of eating healthily. The menu does not tell us much about fats, salt or additives contained in the dishes. So how do we make the best decision? Psychologists have analyzed the influence that inferences about missing information can have on the accuracy of our decisions.

New Function Of Protein In Cellular Respiration Identified Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Researchers have found that the protein Stat3 plays a key role in regulating mitochondria, the energy-producing machines of cells. This discovery could one day lead to the development of new treatments for heart disease to boost energy in failing heart muscle or to master the abnormal metabolism of cancer.

Capture Of Nanomagnetic 'Fingerprints' A Boost For Next-generation Information Storage Media Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST A technique of capturing the magnetic "fingerprints" of magnetic nanostructures -- even when they are buried within the boards and junctions of an electronic device -- has been developed. The technique should serve as a valuable tool in the development of next-generation storage and recording media by contributing to the understanding of how to encode information with nanomagnetic arrays.

Dog Owners More Likely To Share Germs With Pets By Not Washing Hands Than By Sleeping With Dog Posted: 30 Jan 2009 02:00 PM PST Dog owners who sleep with their pet or permit licks on the face are in good company. Surveys show that more than half of owners bond with their pets in these ways. Research done by a veterinarian found that these dog owners are no more likely to share the same strains of E. coli bacteria with their pets than are other dog owners.

Black Hole Outflows From Centaurus A Posted: 30 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Astronomers have a new insight into the active galaxy Centaurus A, as the jets and lobes emanating from the central black hole have been imaged at submillimeter wavelengths for the first time.

New Disease, Comparable To BSE, Created In Laboratory Mice Posted: 30 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Scientists have created a new disease, comparable to BSE, in laboratory mice. They have shown that exchanging just two amino acids in the structure of the prion protein is enough to trigger a disease.

Compound That Frees Trapped Cholesterol Identified Posted: 30 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Researchers have identified in mice a compound that liberates cholesterol that has inappropriately accumulated to excessive levels inside cells.

Exercise No Danger For Joints: Non-Elite Level Activity Does Not Increase Risk Of Osteoarthritis, Review Suggests Posted: 30 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST There is no good evidence supporting a harmful effect of exercise on joints in the setting of normal joints and regular exercise, according to a review of studies. Researchers reviewed existing studies on the relationship between regular exercise and osteoarthritis (OA) and concluded that in the absence of existing joint injury there is no increased risk of OA from exercise.

The Dead Sea: Tectonic Concurrence Below Ten Kilometers Of Sediments Posted: 30 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST The Dead Sea lies in a basin structure situated below the sea level. This deep subsidence is a result of a tectonic concurrence between processes in the upper lithosphere that led to subsiding and a compensating upward flow of rocks in the deeper layers of the lithosphere.

What Happens When We Sleep Posted: 30 Jan 2009 11:00 AM PST Lack of sleep is a common complaint but for many, falling asleep involuntarily during the day poses a very real and dangerous problem. A new study demonstrates interestingly, that sleep-wake states are regulated by two different types of nerve cells (neurons), melanin-concentrating hormone neurons and orexin neurons, which occupy the same region of the brain but perform opposite functions.

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