ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Solar Activity And Climate Change: New Sun-Watching Satellite To Monitor Sunlight Fluctuations Posted: 29 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT During the Maunder Minimum, a period of diminished solar activity between 1645 and 1715, sunspots were rare on the face of the sun, sometimes disappearing entirely for months to years. At the same time, Earth experienced a bitter cold period known as the "Little Ice Age." Were the events connected? Scientists cannot say for sure, but it's quite likely.

Vertigo Linked To Osteoporosis Posted: 29 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT People who have osteoporosis are more likely to also have vertigo, according to a new study. Vertigo is an inner ear disorder that is a common cause of dizziness.

Time (and PPAR-beta/delta) Heals All Wounds Posted: 29 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT Mammalian skin requires constant maintenance, but how do skin cells know when to proliferate and at what rate? Scientists reveal that skin fibroblasts use a protein called PPAR²/´ to make sure overlying epithelial cells don't proliferate too quickly. Their results highlight how communications between different cell types are critical to maintain the skin as a barrier against the outside world.

Possible Risk Group For Statin Use Posted: 29 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT In a study of over 1,000 individuals with coronary artery disease, researchers have found that high levels of an enzyme called PLTP significantly increased the risk of heart attack in the subset of patients taking statins, suggesting that high levels of PLTP in the blood should be a consideration for potential statin treatment.

Pulp Waste Could Be Useful In Cement Production Posted: 29 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT An alternative to landfill disposal for waste products of the paper industry that can be used to make clinker for cement production, according to new research.

New Guidelines Will Help Detect And Study Counterfeit Medicines Posted: 29 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT New guidelines proposed by a group of international experts will help better study the prevalence and geography of counterfeit and other poor quality medicines that threaten public health across the world.

Researchers Pump Up Artificial Muscles Posted: 29 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Engineers are exploring the field of artificial muscles to invent "smart" devices that can grab and move objects.

Stem Cell Research: New Way To Make Stem Cells Avoids Risk Of Cancer Posted: 29 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Scientists have found a way to endow human skin cells with embryonic stem cell-like properties without inserting potentially problematic new genes into their DNA. They have now created induced human pluripotent stem (iPS) cells completely free of viral vectors and exotic genes.

American Birds Sending Troubling Message About The Environment Posted: 29 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT A new report based on 40 years of data shows that birds are sending an important and troubling message about the state of the environment. The report also shows that investment in conservation works, exemplified by the remarkable recoveries of waterfowl after more than 30 million acres of wetlands were restored and managed.

Super Micro-surgery Offers New Hope For Breast Cancer Patients With Lymphedema Posted: 29 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Breast cancer patients with lymphedema in their upper arm experienced reduced fluid in the swollen arm by up to 39 percent after undergoing a super-microsurgical technique known as lymphaticovenular bypass.

Keeping Golf Courses Green When Fresh Water Is Limited Posted: 29 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT Utilizing "treated sewage effluent," or "reuse water," for landscape irrigation in southern Nevada is an environmentally acceptable alternative to the current system of discharging waste water into rivers and lakes. Golf course superintendents have expressed concerns over the use of reuse water because of hidden costs. Researchers conducted a monitoring program on nine golf courses in the Las Vegas valley for 4.5 years to assess the impact of reuse water on soil-turfgrass systems.

Exercise Program Reduces Migraine Suffering Posted: 29 Mar 2009 02:00 PM PDT While physical exercise has been shown to trigger migraine headaches among sufferers, a new study describes an exercise program that is well tolerated by patients. The findings show that the program decreased the frequency of headaches and improved quality of life.

Cassini Provides Virtual Flyover Of Saturn's Moon Titan Posted: 29 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT New movies and images from Cassini of Saturn's moon Titan are providing a bird's-eye view of the moon's Earth-like landscapes.

Structure Of Protein That Makes Cancer Cells Resistant To Chemotherapy Identified Posted: 29 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists have obtained the first glimpse of a protein that keeps certain substances, including many drugs, out of cells. The protein, called P-glycoprotein or P-gp for short, is one of the main reasons cancer cells are resistant to chemotherapy drugs. Understanding its structure may help scientists design more effective drugs.

New Method Of Assessing Women's Eggs Could Enhance IVF Success, Study Shows Posted: 29 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT A professor of obstetrics and gynecology recently published findings on a way to "profile" a woman's eggs to determine which are more likely to result in pregnancies.

Gene Variant Associated With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Identified Posted: 29 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have, for the first time, identified a gene variant on chromosome 4 that may be a potential risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Understanding Sea Temperature-atmospheric Pressure Links In North Atlantic Posted: 29 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Feedback effects between the ocean and atmosphere are important to understanding the mechanisms affecting climate variations. Previous studies have found that atmospheric anomalies associated with a variation in atmospheric pressure above the North Atlantic Ocean called the North Atlantic Oscillation produce a three-part pattern (tripole) of sea surface temperature anomalies at midlatitudes.

Stairwell Evacuation Study Finds 'What We Know We Don't Know' Posted: 29 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT Most of the time, we use the stairs in buildings -- especially in high-rise structures -- only as a back-up for faster elevators and escalators, but during a fire or other emergency, stairs become our primary passage to survival. In a new study, researchers examined what we know about how stairs work as an emergency evacuation route and found that the answer is... not nearly enough.

Early Agriculture Left Traces In Animal Bones Posted: 29 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Unraveling the origins of agriculture in different regions around the globe has been a challenge for archeologists. Now researchers report finding evidence of early human experiments with grain cultivation in East Asia. They gathered this information from an unlikely source -- dog and pig bones.

Mouse Model Of Human Psoriasis Posted: 29 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new mouse model to study human psoriasis.

Insight Into The Way Nicotine Works In The Brain Posted: 29 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT A tiny genetic mutation is the key to understanding why nicotine -- which binds to brain receptors with such addictive potency -- is virtually powerless in muscle cells that are studded with the same type of receptor.

Malaria: New Findings Highlight The Role Of Endothelial Cell Activation In Children With Cerebral Malaria Posted: 29 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have identified a novel pathway that may contribute to the high mortality associated with severe malaria in sub-Saharan African children. The study reports that severe Plasmodium falciparum infection results in disruption of the endothelium, causing release of ultra-large von Willebrand factor protein.

Study Assesses Impact Of Fish Stocking On Aquatic Insects Posted: 29 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT The impact fish stocking has on aquatic insects in mountain lakes can be rapidly reversed by removing non-native trout, according to a new study.

Catering To Car Buyers’ Desires Posted: 29 Mar 2009 02:00 AM PDT Buying a new car is one of the biggest purchases most people make. But how can you be sure that the car you order will live up to your expectations? European and Asian researchers are using immersive virtual reality and emotional design to offer a solution.

Does Prebiotic Material Exist In Outer Space? Posted: 28 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT Both a Spanish and a French astrophysicist have identified a band in the infrared range that serves to track the presence of organic material rich in oxygen and nitrogen in the interstellar dust grains. Should any telescope detect this band, the presence in space of aminoacids and other substances, which are the precursors to life, could be confirmed.

Gene Variants May Determine Lung Function And Susceptibility To Maternal Smoking Posted: 28 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT A tiny variation within a single gene can determine not only how quickly and well lungs grow and function in children and adolescents, but how susceptible those children will be to exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke, even in utero.

Analysis Of Windmill Pitching Shows Risk Of Injury To Biceps In Softball Players Posted: 28 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT Contrary to common belief, softball pitching subjects the biceps to high forces and torques when the player's arm swings around to release the ball, according to an analysis of muscle firing patterns.

New Gene Linked To Low Levels Of Magnesium Posted: 28 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT A small number of individuals have genetic mutations that cause them to have very low levels of magnesium, which can cause altered heart beats, seizures, and involuntary muscle contraction.

New Biometric ID: A Quick X-ray Snapshot Of A Person's Knees Posted: 28 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT Forget LED thumb-pad identification devices, complex retinal laser scanning, or even computerized iris recognition. The way forward for biometric validation is a quick X-ray snapshot of a person's knees, according to a new report.

Brain Activity Predicts People's Choices Posted: 28 Mar 2009 08:00 PM PDT The activity in one brain structure can predict people's preferences, according to new research. The study shows that even when people rate options similarly, they will choose the one that causes more activation in the caudate nucleus, a brain region involved in anticipating reward.

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