ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Stars Form At Record Speeds In Infant Galaxy Posted: 07 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST Galaxies, including our own Milky Way, consist of hundreds of billions of stars. How did such gigantic galactic systems come into being? When galaxies are born, do their stars form everywhere at once, or only within a small core region? Recent measurements provide the first concrete evidence that star-forming regions in infant galaxies are indeed small -- but also hyperactive, producing stars at astonishingly high rates.

Drug Found That Could Reduce Risk Of Alzheimer's Posted: 07 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST A drug used to improve blood flow to the brain also could help improve learning and memory and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study.

Flexible Electronics: Large-scale Graphene Films Created Based On Inspiration From Water Lilies Posted: 07 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST An expert in materials science and engineering has found that graphite oxide sheets -- which are used to make graphene, a hotly studied material that scientists believe could be used to produce low-cost transparent and flexible electronics -- can be assembled into a continuous membrane that could be used as the basis for transparent conductors.

Heart Failure Linked To Cognitive Impairment Posted: 07 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST Nearly half of patients with heart failure have problems with memory and other aspects of cognitive functioning, reports a new study.

New Open-source Software Permits Faster Desktop Computer Simulations Of Molecular Motion Posted: 07 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST A new open-source software package is making it possible to do complex simulations of molecular motion on desktop computers at much faster speeds than has been previously possible. "Simulations that used to take three years can now be completed in a few days," according to developers.

Gene's Role In Severity Of Drinking Uncovered Posted: 07 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST New research could help explain why some alcoholics are more severe drinkers than others. Scientists have found strong evidence that the serotonin transporter gene, SLC6A4, plays a significant role in influencing drinking intensity among alcohol-dependent individuals.

Rapidly Evolving Gene Contributes To Origin Of Species Posted: 07 Feb 2009 11:00 AM PST A gene that helped one species split into two species shows evidence of adapting much faster than other genes in the genome, raising questions about what is driving its rapid evolution.

Scattered Light Rapidly Detects Tumor Response To Chemotherapy Posted: 07 Feb 2009 11:00 AM PST New technology developed by bioengineers can help clinicians more precisely detect whether specific cancer drugs are working, and should give basic researchers a powerful new tool to better understand the underlying mechanisms of cancer development.

Preparing For Climate Change: Analyzing Genome Of Heat And Drought Resistant Cereal Plant Posted: 07 Feb 2009 11:00 AM PST The global climate is changing, and this change is already impacting food supply and security. People living in regions already affected by aridity need plants that can thrive / grow under dry conditions.

Inflammation May Be Link Between Extreme Sleep Durations And Poor Health Posted: 07 Feb 2009 11:00 AM PST Sleep duration is associated with changes in the levels of specific cytokines that are important in regulating inflammation. The results suggest that inflammation may be the pathway linking extreme sleep durations to an increased risk for disease.

Genetic Adaptations Are Key To Microbe's Survival In Challenging Environment Posted: 07 Feb 2009 11:00 AM PST The genome of a marine bacterium living 2,500 meters below the ocean's surface is providing clues to how life adapts in extreme thermal and chemical gradients, according to an article in PLoS Genetics.

Pharmaceuticals Sold In Sweden Cause Serious Environmental Harm In India, Research Shows Posted: 07 Feb 2009 11:00 AM PST Many of the substances in the most common medicines are manufactured in India and China. Some of these factories release large quantities of antibiotics and other pharmaceutical substances into the environment. There is an obvious risk of these releases leading to resistant bacteria. New research shows that Sweden is a major consumer of pharmaceutical substances from factories that fail to adequately treat their wastewater.

Inner Workings Of Photosynthesis Revealed By Powerful New Laser Technique Posted: 07 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST Instant pictures showing how the sun's energy moves inside plants have been taken for the first time.

Search For More Effective Tuberculosis Drugs Posted: 07 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST Scientists in India have created a compound that stops tuberculosis by hitting four of the bacterium's crucial metabolic pathways at the same time, weakening and ultimately destroying the pathogen. While this compound is not ready for use in humans, researchers have said it is a step toward a single drug that targets multiple pathways, which could save time and money over the current multi-drug treatment for TB.

Gene Mutations Increase Risk For Aggressive Prostate Cancer Posted: 07 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST Genetic testing could shed light on tumor prognosis. Men who develop prostate cancer face an increased risk of having an aggressive tumor if they carry a so-called breast cancer gene mutation, scientists report.

Effectiveness Of Progesterone In Reducing Preterm Births May Be Altered By Genetic Predisposition Posted: 07 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST New research may explain why taking progesterone to prevent preterm birth is only effective for some women. The drug, 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (or 17P), a synthetic form of the progesterone hormone naturally produced during pregnancy, has been demonstrated in clinical trials to prevent some recurrent preterm births -- but not all.

Nanoscopic Static Electricity Generates Chiral Patterns Posted: 07 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST Engineers have recently shown how electrostatic interactions -- commonly known as static electricity -- alone can give rise to helical shapes. The group has constructed a mathematical model that can capture all possible regular shapes chiral objects could have, and they computed the preferred arrangements induced by electrostatic interactions.

Methamphetamine Use Cost United States About $23 Billion In 2005, Study Estimates Posted: 07 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST The first-ever comprehensive national assessment of the economic burden of methamphetamine use in the United States finds the drug cost the United States $23.4 billion in 2005, including the burden of addiction, premature death, drug treatment and many other aspects of the drug.

Wolf In Dog's Clothing? Black Wolves May Be First 'Genetically Modified' Predators Posted: 06 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST Slipping through trees or across snow, the wolf has glided into legend on paws of white, gray or -- in North America -- even black. This last group owes an unexpected debt to the cousins of the domestic dog, say researchers.

Researchers Shed Light On Fat Burning Posted: 06 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST Researchers have found that fat cells give feedback to the brain in order to regulate fat burning much the same way a thermostat regulates temperature inside a house.

Drippy Faucets Offer Lesson In Physics Posted: 06 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST To Peter Taborek, a drippy faucet is a physics experiment. Taborek uses high-speed video to capture the motion of drops and bubbles coming apart. Knowing the details of this "pinch-off" process is important when designing inkjet printers, because ink must form a single droplet without trailing liquid.

Molecular Target For Treatment Of West Nile Encephalitis Identified Through Studies In Mice Posted: 06 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST In animal studies, researchers have identified molecular interactions that govern the immune system's ability to defend the brain against West Nile virus, offering the possibility that drug therapies could be developed to improve success in treating West Nile and other viral forms of encephalitis. Critical mechanism enables blood-borne immune cells to sense West Nile virus and to neutralize and clear the infection in the brain.

Fingerprints And Faces Can Be Faked, But Not Brain Patterns Posted: 06 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST Sensors able to identify individuals' brain patterns and heart rhythms could become part of security systems which also use more traditional forms of biometric recognition.

Interested Or Deceptively Flirting? Observers Of First Dates Can Predict Outcome, Study Shows Posted: 06 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST When it comes to assessing the romantic playing field, men and women were shown to be equally good at gauging men's interest during a study involving speed dating -- and equally bad at judging women's interest. The study, published in Psychological Science, focused on the ability of observers to judge romantic interest between others because of evolutionary benefits to finding one's own mate, such as knowing who might be available.

'Nonsense' In Our Genes: One In 200 Human Genes Superfluous? Posted: 06 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST A study of the genetic code of more than 1,000 people has found that at least one in 200 human genes can be inactivated in apparently healthy people. The findings suggest that, though these genetic mutations can be harmful, they generally have little effect on the individual and could occasionally even be beneficial in evolutionary terms. The study also found that individuals carry on average 46 of these inactivating mutations.

Hope For Preventative Treatment For Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease Posted: 06 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST Rsearchers have succeeded in preventing cystic fibrosis lung disease in an animal model by spraying amiloride into the lungs of young mice. This is the first therapy to successfully attack the root cause of the widespread hereditary disease in a living organism. When mice are given inhalation treatment with the drug in the first days of life, no thick mucus forms in the lungs and airway inflammation and chronic lung damage can be prevented.

Future For Electronics Opened Up With Domain Walls That Conduct Electricity Posted: 06 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST Domain walls that conduct electricity, mere billionths of a meter wide, could be the ultimate nanoscale feature for future electronics. Scientists have not only discovered conducting domain walls -- never seen before -- but learned how to write, erase, and manipulate them.

'Sister' Factors Promote Survival Of Blood-system Stem Cells Posted: 06 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST Stem cells of any kind are defined by their eternal nature, reproducing themselves and providing a pool of cells from which more differentiated tissues arise. Now researchers demonstrate that two specific "sister" genes that control transcription play often overlapping roles in maintaining this pool of hematopoietic or blood cell-forming stem cells.

Fighting Tomorrow's Hackers: Keeping Encryption Safe From Future Quantum Computers Posted: 06 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST One of the themes of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code is the need to keep vital and sensitive information secure. Today, we take it for granted that most of our information is safe because it's encrypted. Every time we use a credit card, transfer money from our checking accounts -- or even chat on a cell phone -- our personal information is protected by a cryptographic system. But the development of quantum computers threatens to shatter the security of current cryptographic systems used by businesses and banks around the world. Scientists are now developing a system aimed to keep encryption safe from quantum computers.

Education May Not Affect How Fast You Will Lose Your Memory Posted: 06 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST While a higher level of education may help lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease, new research shows that once educated people start to become forgetful, a higher level of education does not appear to protect against how fast they will lose their memory.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Latest Science News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Inbox too full? Subscribe to the feed version of ScienceDaily: Latest Science News in a feed reader.
If you prefer to unsubscribe via postal mail, write to: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News, c/o Google, 20 W Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610