ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

New Method Of Self-assembling Nanoscale Elements Could Transform Data Storage Industry Posted: 01 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PST An innovative and easily implemented technique could soon open doors to dramatic improvements in the data storage capacity of electronic media. The novel method, which involves the self-assembly of nanoscale elements in precise patterns over large surfaces, could enable the contents of 250 DVDs to fit onto a surface the size of a quarter.

Young Smokers Increase Risk For Multiple Sclerosis Posted: 01 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PST People who start smoking before age 17 may increase their risk for developing multiple sclerosis, according to a new study.

Echoes Discovered In Early Visual Brain Areas Play Role In Working Memory Posted: 01 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PST Researchers have discovered that early visual areas, long believed to play no role in higher cognitive functions such as memory, retain information previously hidden from brain studies. The researchers made the discovery using a new technique for decoding data from functional magnetic resonance imaging or fMRI. The findings are a significant step forward in understanding how we perceive, process and remember visual information.

Egg-Irony: High Cholesterol Food May Reduce Blood Pressure Posted: 01 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PST Researchers in Canada are reporting evidence that eggs -- often frowned upon for their high cholesterol content -- may reduce another heart disease risk factor -- high blood pressure.

Origin of Life On Earth: Scientists Unlock Mystery Of Molecular Machine Posted: 01 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PST A major mystery about the origins of life may have been resolved. Scientists have proposed a new theory for how a universal molecular machine, the ribosome, managed to self-assemble as a critical step in the genesis of all life on Earth.

Video Game Everquest 2 Provides New Way To Study Human Behavior Posted: 01 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PST Computer scientists show that online, interactive gaming communities are now so massive that they mirror traditional communities.

Scientists Shed Light On How Proteins Find Their 3-D Shapes Posted: 01 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PST Researchers have brought together theoretical modeling and experimental data to show just how amino-acid chains might fold up into unique, 3-D functional proteins.

Gene Linked To Anxious Behavior In Mice Posted: 01 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PST To measure anxiety in a mouse and suggest it's similar to anxiety in a person may seem like a stretch, but the metrics sound uncannily familiar. Paralyzed by fear, afraid to leave the house or socialize with others, scared of new places, preferring the dark to the light of day.

New Surgical Implant Prevents Total Blindness Posted: 01 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PST Ophthalmologists have tested and are now using a tiny surgical implant called Retisert to prevent complete vision loss and eliminate dependence on systemic, or whole-body, immunosuppression for people who have a rare, but potentially devastating, eye condition called sympathetic ophthalmia.

Prenatal Vitamins Should Contain Only Potassium Iodide, Not Other Sources Of Iodine, Scientists Urge Posted: 01 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PST Researchers are strongly encouraging prenatal vitamin manufacturers to use only potassium iodide and not other sources of iodine in their products. According to the researchers, potassium iodide is the best way to ensure that prenatal vitamins given to expectant mothers receive 150ug of supplemental daily iodine as recommended by the American Thyroid Association.

Erosion Rates Double Along Portion Of Alaska's Coast Posted: 01 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PST Skyrocketing coastal erosion occurred in Alaska between 2002 and 2007 along a 40-mile stretch of the Beaufort Sea, a new study finds. The surge of erosion in recent years, averaging more than double historical rates, is threatening coastal towns and destroying Alaskan cultural relics.

Learning From Our Mistakes: Consumers Won't Be Deceived Twice Posted: 01 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PST Sometimes a high price tag, a label, or an ingredient can lead us to believe that we're purchasing a high-quality item. But what happens if the attribute that attracted us to the product is false or meaningless? A new study examines consumer responses to "biasing cues," features that consumers assume are related to the quality of the item.

Lower Increases In Global Temperatures Could Lead To Greater Impacts Than Previously Thought, Study Finds Posted: 01 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PST A new study by scientists updating the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2001 Third Assessment Report finds that even a lower level of increase in average global temperatures due to greenhouse gas emissions could cause significant problems in five key areas of global concern.

Only Exercise Effective In Preventing Low-back Problems, Review Suggests Posted: 01 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PST Low-back pain continues to impose a huge burden on industrialized societies, in terms of symptoms, medical costs, productivity, and work absence. But a systematic review of the literature finds exercise in workplace and community settings effective in preventing new episodes of low-back problems. Passive interventions such as lumbar belts and shoe inserts do not appear to work, according to the researchers.

New Test To Identify Illegal Steroids In Cattle Posted: 01 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PST In an effort to curb the illegal use of steroids in the European beef industry, scientists are reporting the development of a new test that can identify steroids with higher accuracy, more convenience, and less cost than conventional doping tests.

Kidney Disease Affects Response To Blood Thinner Posted: 01 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PST Patients with reduced kidney function require lower doses of the anticoagulant drug warfarin, and may need closer monitoring to avoid serious bleeding complications, suggests a new study.

Tuning In On Cellular Communication In The Fruit Fly Posted: 01 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PST In their ongoing study of the processes involved in embryonic development in fruit flies, researchers have identified the function of a protein that sticks out of the embryonic cell membrane like an antenna and processes signals needed for the flies' wings to develop properly.

How Do Patients Diagnosed With Schizophrenia Communicate? Posted: 01 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PST Negative emotional facial expressions dominate in the interplay with patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. This has been shown in previous research and has now been confirmed. Expressions of negative feelings, such as disgust and contempt, are the most common ones in the patients' facial expressions.

Controversy Over World’s Oldest Traces Of Life Posted: 28 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST The argument over whether an outcrop of rock in South West Greenland contains the earliest known traces of life on Earth has been reignited. The research argues that the controversial rocks "cannot host evidence of Earth's oldest life," reopening the debate over where the oldest traces of life are located.

Protein Found Linking Stress And Depression Posted: 28 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST Stress, the ever-present threat to health and happy living, is tough on the brain. If the strain goes on too long, it can lead to debilitating psychological problems. Part of the reason, according to scientists, may have to do with a little-known family of proteins called kainate receptors that has recently been implicated in major depression. New research in rats may help explain one mechanism by which stress reshapes the brain: namely, by ramping up production of a particular part of these proteins.

Screening For Vision Loss, Diabetic Retinopathy And Age-related Macular Degeneration, In The Blink Of An Eye Posted: 28 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST In the blink of an eye, people at risk of becoming blind can now be screened for eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.

Stroke Patients Who Reach Hospitals Within 'Golden Hour' Twice As Likely To Get Clot-busting Drug Posted: 28 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST Stroke patients who reach the hospital within one hour of symptoms receive a clot-busting drug twice as often as those arriving later. Researchers call the first hour of symptom onset "the golden hour." The study reinforces the importance of reacting quickly to stroke symptoms because "time lost is brain lost."

Gene Identified That Helps Plant Cells Keep Communication Channels Open Posted: 28 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST Stem cells in plants' growing tips, called "meristems," communicate via microscopic channels called plasmodesmata. These channels, which transport nutrients and growth instructions, respond to cues such as growth signals or stress by changing shape and altering traffic flow. Scientists have identified a gene called GAT1, which encodes an enzyme that improves traffic flow by acting as an antioxidant -- a molecule that relieves cellular stress.

Investors Who 'Gamble' In The Stock Market Have Same Characteristics As Lottery Players Posted: 28 Feb 2009 08:00 PM PST The socioeconomic characteristics of people who play state lotteries are similar to investors who pick stocks with a lottery quality -- high risk with a small potential for high return, and just like the lottery, returns on average are lower for those who invest this way in the stock market.

Rotator Cuff Repairs Show Good Long-term Outlook, Study Shows Posted: 27 Feb 2009 09:00 PM PST Patients who underwent a rotator cuff repair surgery experienced pain relief and improved shoulder function, even after a tear recurrence, according to a new study.

Repairing Knee Ligament: Anatomy And Stability Of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Different Techniques Posted: 27 Feb 2009 09:00 PM PST An improved understanding of the anatomy of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in recent years has generated a renewed interest in the evaluation of surgical techniques to repair the knee ligament.

Elbow Ligament Reconstruction Appears Not To Effect Future Professional Advancement In Baseball Posted: 27 Feb 2009 09:00 PM PST Elbow ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction prior to selection in the Major League Baseball draft does not increase the risk of future injury or affect the rate of professional advancement, according to a new study.

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