ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

'Frozen Smoke:' Ultimate Sponge For Cleaning Up Oil Spills Posted: 17 Feb 2009 11:00 AM PST Scientists in Arizona and New Jersey are reporting that aerogels, a super-lightweight solid sometimes called "frozen smoke," may serve as the ultimate sponge for capturing oil from wastewater and effectively soaking up environmental oil spills.

New Botanical Drug May Silence Peanut Allergies, Animal Study Suggests Posted: 17 Feb 2009 11:00 AM PST A new study finds that a botanical drug could provide the key to new treatments for peanut allergies.

Satellite Collisions: What Can Be Done To Prevent Them In The Future? Posted: 17 Feb 2009 11:00 AM PST The recent collision involving an active U.S. commercial Iridium satellite and an inactive Russian Cosmos 2251 satellite in low Earth orbit has demonstrated an urgent need to establish a civil space traffic control system.

Fat Synthesizing Enzyme Is Key To Healthy Skin And Hair Posted: 17 Feb 2009 11:00 AM PST Scientists have found that an enzyme associated with the synthesis of fat in the body is also an element in healthy skin and hair.

Statistical Analysis Could Yield New Drug Target For Multiple Sclerosis Posted: 17 Feb 2009 11:00 AM PST An elaborate statistical analysis of genes from more than 7,000 individuals has identified an amino acid that appears to be a major risk factor for multiple sclerosis, a devastating autoimmune disorder that afflicts 2.5 million people worldwide.

Loneliness Affects How The Brain Operates Posted: 17 Feb 2009 11:00 AM PST Social isolation affects how people behave as well as how their brains operate, a new shows. The research is the first to use fMRI scans to study connections between perceived social isolation (or loneliness) and activity in the brain. Combining fMRI scans with data relevant to social behavior is part of an emerging field examining brain mechanisms.

Cosmologists Aim To Observe First Moments Of Universe Posted: 17 Feb 2009 08:00 AM PST During the next decade, a delicate measurement of primordial light could reveal convincing evidence for the popular cosmic inflation theory, which proposes that a random, microscopic density fluctuation in the fabric of space and time gave birth to the universe in a hot big bang approximately 13.7 billion years ago.

Built-in Volume Control Helps Protect Auditory Nerve Against Loud Sounds Posted: 17 Feb 2009 08:00 AM PST When our ears are exposed to very loud sounds, such as the blast of a firecracker, too much of a neurotransmitter is released, damaging these auditory nerve cells and causing hearing loss. Researchers have found that auditory nerve cells temporarily reduce the expression of a key neurotransmitter receptor on their surfaces when exposed to loud noise.

New Method For Screening Thousands of Proteins: Major Step For Drug Discovery And Diagnostics Posted: 17 Feb 2009 08:00 AM PST Researchers have developed a new general method to study membrane proteins. This method can be used to screen several thousand proteins, and it will reduce the way from development to useful drugs substantially.

Maintaining Balance And Listening At Same Time May Become More Difficult For Older Adults Posted: 17 Feb 2009 08:00 AM PST Listening to a conversation or audio book while walking or exercising sounds simple enough for most people, but it may become more difficult for people in their upper 70s and above, according to new research.

Antibacterial Plaster Could Put A Clean Sheen On Walls Posted: 17 Feb 2009 08:00 AM PST Scientists in China are reporting development and testing of new self-sanitizing plaster with more powerful antibacterial effects than penicillin. The material could be used in wall coatings, paints, art works and other products.

Automated 'Intelligent' Houses Help Elderly Stay In Homes Longer Posted: 17 Feb 2009 08:00 AM PST Many aging people would like to live independently as long as possible within their own homes. Automated and intelligent surroundings can assist in making this wish a reality.

Plugging In Molecular Wires To Capture Light Energy Posted: 17 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST Japanese researchers have developed a new process to capture light energy -- they "plug" a molecular "wire" directly into a biological photosynthetic system to efficiently conduct the free electrons to a gold electrode.

An Inexhaustible Source Of Neural Cells Posted: 17 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST Research scientists have succeeded in deriving so-called brain stem cells from human embryonic stem cells. These can not only be conserved almost indefinitely in culture, but can also serve as an inexhaustible source of diverse types of neural cell. The scientists have also shown that these neural cells are capable of synaptic integration in the brain.

Mixed Population Provides Insights Into Human Genetic Makeup Posted: 17 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST Genetic diseases and genetically mixed populations can help researchers understand human diversity and human origins according to a physical anthropologist.

Climate Change May Alter Malaria Patterns Posted: 17 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST Temperature is an important factor in the spread of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases, but researchers who look at average monthly or annual temperatures are not seeing the whole picture. Global climate change will affect daily temperature variations, which can have a more pronounced effect on parasite development, according to a Penn State entomologist.

How Cells Handle Broken Chromosomes Posted: 17 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST Scientists have discovered a novel cellular response towards persistent DNA damage: After being recognized and initially processed by the cellular machinery, the broken chromosome is extensively scanned for homology and the break itself is later tethered to the nuclear envelope. The researchers have uncovered a surprising feature of how DNA strand breaks can be handled.

Our Aging Ears And Brains: Why Listening In Background Noise Gets Tougher As We Age Posted: 17 Feb 2009 05:00 AM PST Older adults often have trouble understanding what someone is saying when surrounded by background noise, such as at a restaurant or party, but their ears may not be the only problem. Researchers are studying how much the brain plays a role as well.

Protective Shield Used By Hundreds Of Viruses Deciphered Posted: 17 Feb 2009 02:00 AM PST A new image reveals the precise structure of the protective protein coat, or "capsid," shared by hundreds of known viruses. The image reveals the precise location of some 5 million atoms in a spherical type of capsid that many viruses use to shield their genomes.

New Approaches To Prevent Transplant Rejection Posted: 17 Feb 2009 02:00 AM PST Researchers have discovered what seems to trigger the immune system to attack transplanted organs and cells. The finding could help chart a course to therapies that may prevent graft-versus-host disease.

Threat To Cod Fisheries: Pathogenic Bacterium Identified In Cod Posted: 17 Feb 2009 02:00 AM PST Farmed cod have recently been hit by a serious disease caused by an unknown bacterium. The bacterium has now been identified, and called Francisella philomiragia noatunensis. The disease caused by the bacterium is now called francisellosis and is listed in the national disease register and regulated under the terms of the Norwegian Food Act.

Inflammation May Be Common Thread Behind Nervous And Heart Rhythm Problems In Cirrhosis Posted: 17 Feb 2009 02:00 AM PST Inflammatory molecules known as cytokines can lead to the neurological and cognitive abnormalities and changes in heart rhythm found in patients with cirrhosis of the liver, a new study finds. The results of the study may also apply to other conditions where heart rate variability is also decreased, such as bipolar disorder and post-menopausal depression.

Virtual Library Of Medieval Manuscripts Created Posted: 17 Feb 2009 02:00 AM PST Employing a web application which promotes the use of computer technology in humanities research and instruction, a new Catalogue of Digitized Medieval Manuscripts allows users to search for manuscripts according to their author, title, language and archiving institution.

Multiracial Identity Associated With Better Social And Personal Well-being Posted: 17 Feb 2009 02:00 AM PST Many people assume that individuals who identify with one race should be better off than multiracial individuals who identify with a mixed race heritage. However, a new study in the Journal of Social Issues found that students who reported they were from multiple ethnic/racial groups were more engaged at school and felt better in general than those who reported they were from a single group.

Hydrogen Fuel From Woodchips And Other Non-food Sources Posted: 16 Feb 2009 11:00 PM PST Tomorrow's fuel-cell vehicles may be powered by enzymes that consume cellulose from woodchips or grass and exhale hydrogen. Researchers have produced hydrogen gas pure enough to power a fuel cell by mixing 14 enzymes, one coenzyme, cellulosic materials from nonfood sources, and water heated to about 90 degrees.

Stem Cells: Deathly Awakening By Interferon Posted: 16 Feb 2009 11:00 PM PST Interferon-alpha, a messenger substance of the immune system, awakens dormant hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow to become active, thus making them vulnerable for the effect of many drugs. The researchers suppose that this might also be a way to stimulate tumor stem cells to divide and, thus, sensitize them to anticancer drugs.

New Test May Help To Ensure That Dengue Vaccines Do No Harm Posted: 16 Feb 2009 11:00 PM PST As vaccines against a virus that infects 100 million people annually reach late-stage clinical trials this year, researchers have developed a test to better predict whether a given vaccine candidate should protect patients from the infection, or in some cases, make it more dangerous, according to a new article.

Fluid Buildup In Lungs Is Part Of The Damage Done By The Flu Posted: 16 Feb 2009 11:00 PM PST In a fight against respiratory infections, the body typically produces a little fluid to help the lungs generate a productive cough. But new research suggests that the influenza virus can tip the balance toward too much fluid in the lungs, interfering with the supply of oxygen to the rest of the body. An immune response ultimately is needed to eliminate the virus, but this research suggests that it's not the presence of the virus alone that does all the harm to a sick person.

Using Personal Digital Assistants To Track TB Data Posted: 16 Feb 2009 11:00 PM PST In a project launched in Lima, Peru, researchers found that equipping health care workers with PDAs to record data dropped the average time for patients' test results to reach their doctors from 23 days to eight days.

High Level Of Medical Mistrust Among Minority Women Impacts Quality Of Health Care Posted: 16 Feb 2009 11:00 PM PST Nearly 70 percent of minority women agree that health-care organizations sometimes deceive or mislead patients, according to a new study.

Parasite Wasps Have Practiced Gene Therapy For A Hundred Million Years Posted: 16 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST Braconid parasite wasps and their caterpillar hosts form a unique host-parasite model: the wasps lay their eggs inside the caterpillars and simultaneously inject some viral particles to get around the host's defenses and control its physiology. The genes from these viral particles have now been identified in the wasp's own genome.

Does Gene Show Link Between Migraine And Stroke Or Heart Attacks? Posted: 16 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST New research looks at whether a gene variant may affect the link between migraine and stroke or heart attacks. The study involved 25,000 women who answered a questionnaire about their history of migraines and migraines with aura.

No Joy In Discoveries Of New Mammal Species, Only A Warning For Humanity, Paul Ehrlich Says Posted: 16 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST In the era of global warming, when many scientists say we are experiencing a human-caused mass extinction to rival the one that killed off the dinosaurs, one might think that the discovery of a host of new species would be cause for joy. Not entirely so, says Paul Ehrlich, co-author of an analysis of the 408 new mammalian species discovered since 1993.

Insights on Economic Choices From Game Theory and Cognitive Psychology Posted: 16 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST Game theory and insights from cognitive psychology can shed light on the economic choices people and corporations make. With more than 2.5 million observations to analyze -- as well as a laboratory recreation of the lottery using numbers 1 to 99--scientists say the results fit extremely well with the original theory. If people were accurately guessing what everyone else would do, they would pick numbers from 1 to 5000 with equal frequency, and rarely pick any higher numbers. The Swedish players, however, chose lower numbers -- numbers below 1000 -- much too often, from a strategic point of view.

College Science Requirements Keep US Ahead Of World, Researcher Argues Posted: 16 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST Despite frequent warnings of the inadequacy of education in the United States, citizens here are still among the world's most scientifically literate, according to an expert. You can thank those general education requirements that force English majors to sit through biology classes and budding engineers to read Hemingway, he said.

Deaf Children Use Hands To Invent Own Way Of Communicating Posted: 16 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST Deaf children are able to develop a language-like gesture system by making up hand signs and using homemade systems to increase their communication as they grow, just as children with conventional spoken language.

Baboons And Pigeons Are Capable Of Higher-level Cognition, Behavioral Studies Show Posted: 16 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST It's safe to say that humans are smarter than animals, but one researcher is investigating the extent of that disparity in intelligence. And, it may not be as great a gap as you suspect.

New Biomarker For Fatal Prostate Cancer Found Posted: 16 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST New research findings may help provide some direction for men diagnosed with prostate cancer about whether their cancer is likely to be life-threatening.

Eye Movement: Involuntary Maybe, But Certainly Not Random Posted: 16 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST Our eyes are in constant motion. Even when we attempt to stare straight at a stationary target, our eyes jump and jiggle imperceptibly. Although these unconscious flicks, also known as microsaccades, had long been considered mere "motor noise," researchers found that they are instead actively controlled by the same brain region that instructs our eyes to scan the lines in a newspaper or follow a moving object.

Evolutionary Link To Modern-day Obesity, Other Problems Posted: 16 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST That irresistible urge for a cheeseburger has its roots in dramatic environmental changes that occurred some 2 million years ago. Higher quality, nutritionally dense diets became necessary to fuel high-energy demands of humans' exceptionally large brains and for developing the first rudimentary hunting and gathering economy. Today, the imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure is the root cause of obesity in the industrialized world, according to some anthropologists.

Improved Sensor Technology Could Someday Keep Tabs On Terrorists By Remote Control Posted: 16 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST Scientists are designing a new kind of optical sensor to fly in unmanned air vehicles tracking terrorists. The efficient multi-modal sensor will collect only the data it needs using the best sensing mode for the task -- black and white imaging, hyperspectral or polarization.

Rote Memorization Of Historical Facts Adds To Collective Cluelessness Posted: 16 Feb 2009 05:00 PM PST Americans' historical apathy is an indictment of the way history is taught in grades K-12, according to an expert.

Stem Cells In Hair Follicles Point To General Model Of Organ Regeneration Posted: 16 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST Most people consider hair as a purely cosmetic part of their lives. To others, it may help uncover one of nature's best-kept secrets: the body's ability to regenerate organs. Now, new research gets to the root of the problem, revealing that a structure at the base of each strand of hair, the hair follicle, uses a two-step mechanism to activate its stem cells and order them to divide.

Nanoparticle 'Smart Bomb' Targets Drug Delivery To Cancer Cells Posted: 16 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST Researchers have successfully modified a common plant virus to deliver drugs only to specific cells inside the human body, without affecting surrounding tissue. These tiny "smart bombs" -- each one thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair -- could lead to more effective chemotherapy treatments with greatly reduced, or even eliminated, side effects.

Artificial Cells, Simple Model For Complex Structure Posted: 16 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST A simple, chemical materials model may lead to a better understanding of the structure and organization of the cell according to a researcher.

Chronic Infection May Add To Developing-world Deaths Posted: 16 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST Worldwide, nearly 2 million people per year die from diarrhea, the vast majority of them in poor countries. The disease accounts for 18 percent of all deaths among children -- and yet is almost always preventable with proper treatment. New research indicates that underlying, low-level undiagnosed infection may greatly add to the severity of a significant number of these cases. This realization could lead to changes in health-care strategies to address the problem.

New Sequencing Technology Pinpoint 'On-off Switches' In Genomes Posted: 16 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST Scientists have developed a set of molecular tools that provide important insight into the complex genomes of multicellular organisms. The strategy promises to clarify the longstanding mystery of the role played by vast stretches of DNA sequence that do not code for the functional units -- genes -- that nevertheless may have a powerful regulatory influence.

Can Monkeys Choose Optimally When Faced With Noisy Stimuli And Unequal Rewards? Posted: 16 Feb 2009 02:00 PM PST Even when faced with distractions, monkeys are able to consistently choose the path of greatest reward, according to a new study. The study adds to the growing evidence that animal foraging behavior can approach optimality, and could provide a basis for understanding the computations involved in this and related tasks.

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