ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

New Way To Split Water Into Hydrogen And Oxygen Developed Posted: 08 Apr 2009 11:00 AM PDT Discovery of an efficient artificial catalyst for the sunlight-driven splitting of water into oxygen and hydrogen is a major goal of renewable clean energy research. Scientists have devised a unique new mechanism for the formation of hydrogen and oxygen from water, without the need for sacrificial chemical agents, through individual steps, using light.

Diet Of Whipping Cream, Butter, Vegetable Oil Can Help Control Epileptic Seizures In Many Children Posted: 08 Apr 2009 11:00 AM PDT A new study has shown that the highly regimented ketogenic diet, a high-fat nutritional therapy used to limit seizures, requires long-term medical management and strong parental commitment to achieve both sufficient nutrition and improved seizure control in children.

New Model For Drug Discovery With Fluorescent Anesthetic Demonstrated Posted: 08 Apr 2009 11:00 AM PDT Researchers have identified a fluorescent anesthetic compound that will assist researchers in obtaining more precise information about how anesthetics work in the body and will provide a means to more rapidly test new anesthetic compounds in the search for safer and more effective drugs.

Balancing Hormones May Help Prevent Preterm Births Posted: 08 Apr 2009 11:00 AM PDT The relationship between two different types of estrogen and a hormone produced in the placenta may serve as the mechanism for signaling labor, according to a new study. This finding may help doctors intervene and prevent preterm birth much more effectively.

New Sensor Ensures Hospitals Are Hygienic By Listening To Collapsing Bubbles Posted: 08 Apr 2009 11:00 AM PDT The National Physical Laboratory has developed the first sensor capable of measuring localized ultrasonic cavitation -- the implosion of bubbles in a liquid when a high frequency sound wave is applied. The sensor will help hospitals ensure that their instruments are properly disinfected before they are used on patients.

Is Love At First Sight Real? Geneticists Offer Tantalizing Clues Posted: 08 Apr 2009 11:00 AM PDT Leave it to geneticists to answer a question that has perplexed humanity since the dawn of time: does love at first sight truly exist? Scientists discovered that at the genetic level, some males and females are more compatible than others, and that this compatibility plays an important role in mate selection, mating outcomes, and future reproductive behaviors.

Wild Chimpanzees Exchange Meat For Sex, Researchers Find Posted: 08 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Wild female chimpanzees copulate more frequently with males who share meat with them over long periods of time, according to researchers in Germany.

Has HIV Become More Virulent? Posted: 08 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Damage to patients' immune systems is happening sooner now than it did at the beginning of the HIV epidemic, suggesting the virus has become more virulent, according to a new study in the May 1, 2009 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online.

Poison -- It's What's For Dinner: Hunt Narrows For Genes That Let Packrats Eat Creosote Posted: 08 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT As the US Southwest grew warmer from 18,700 to 10,000 years ago, juniper trees vanished from what is now the Mojave Desert, robbing packrats of their favorite food. Now, biologists have narrowed the hunt for detoxification genes that let the rodents eat toxic creosote bushes that replaced juniper. The have identified 24 candidate genes.

Light Reveals Breast Tumor Oxygen Status Posted: 08 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Light directed at a breast tumor through a needle can provide pathologists with biological specifics of the tumor and help oncologists choose treatment options that would be most effective for that individual patient.

Better Way To Manufacture Fast Computer Chips Developed Posted: 08 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Engineers are developing a technique for mass producing computer chips made from the same material found in pencils. Experts believe that graphene -- the sheet-like form of carbon found in graphite pencils -- holds the key to smaller, faster electronics. It might also deliver quantum mechanical effects that could enable new kinds of electronics.

Acupuncture 'Probably Ineffective' In Treatment Of Hot Flushes Posted: 08 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Acupuncture cannot be shown to have any positive effect on hot flashes during menopause. This is the conclusion of a systematic review of literature.

Climate Change To Spur Rapid Shifts In Wildfire Hotspots, Analysis Finds Posted: 08 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Climate change will bring about major shifts in worldwide fire patterns, and those changes are coming fast, according to a new analysis.

Oral Contraceptives Associated With Increased Risk Of Lupus Posted: 08 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT The ratio of women to men with the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus is nine to one and the incidence increases after puberty. Hormones secreted by the body are therefore believed to play an important role in the origins of the disease.

Fragility Of World's Coral Is Revealed Through Study Of Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Posted: 08 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT A new study sheds light on how threats to the world's endangered coral reef ecosystems can be more effectively managed.

Eye Cells Believed To Be Retinal Stem Cells Are Misidentified Posted: 08 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Cells isolated from the eye that many scientists believed were retinal stem cells are, in fact, normal adult cells, investigators have found.

New Images Of Marine Microbe Illuminate Carbon And Nitrogen Fixation Posted: 08 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT How marine microbe Trichodesmium fixes nitrogen and carbon dioxide apparently at the same time has long puzzled scientists. Using NanoSIMS imaging technology, this study supports the theory that the cyanobacteria separates the processes by time, among other findings.

How Men And Women Cope Differently With Stress Traced To Genetic Differences Posted: 08 Apr 2009 05:00 AM PDT Can people's differing reactions to situations of stress be attributed at least in part to genetic differences and do those differences affect men and women in different ways -- with the edge seemingly favoring the women? New research would seem to indicate that the answer to both questions is yes.

DNA Used To Study Migration Of Threatened Whale Sharks Posted: 08 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Biologists used DNA tagging to show that whale sharks -- the world's largest fish -- show little genetic variation across widely separated tropical oceans, underscoring the need for wider protection against over-fishing.

Exercise Is Safe, Improves Outcomes For Patients With Heart Failure Posted: 08 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Working out on a stationary bicycle or walking on a treadmill just 25 to 30 minutes most days of the week is enough to modestly lower risk of hospitalization or death for patients with heart failure, say researchers from Duke Clinical Research Institute.

Going Bananas For Sustainable Research: Scientists Create Fuel From African Crop Waste Posted: 08 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Bananas are a staple crop of Rwanda. The fruit is eaten raw, fried and baked — it even produces banana beer and wine. Around 2 million tons are grown each year but the fruit is only a small percentage of what the plant produces. The rest — skins, leaves and stems — is left to rot as waste. Now scientists are looking at ways to use that waste to produce fuel, developing simple methods of producing banana briquettes that could be burnt for cooking and heating.

Premature Ejaculation Spray Enables Men To Last Six Times Longer After Penetration Posted: 08 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Men with clinically diagnosed premature ejaculation who used a topical spray five minutes before intercourse were able to delay their orgasm six times longer than normal. Time from penetration to orgasm increased from 0.6 minutes to 3.8 minutes in the treatment group.

Engineers Develop Method To Disperse Chemically Modified Graphene In Organic Solvents Posted: 08 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT A method for creating dispersed and chemically modified graphene sheets in a wide variety of organic solvents has been developed, opening the door to use graphene in a host of important materials and applications such as conductive films, polymer composites, ultracapacitors, batteries, paints, inks and plastic electronics.

Some Underage Drinking Laws Reduce Drinking-and-driving Fatal Crashes Better Than Others Posted: 08 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have examined which minimum legal drinking age laws are the most effective in reducing alcohol-related crash fatalities among youth. Four MLDA laws have significant associations with fewer underage drinking-and-driving fatal crashes: possession, purchase, use and lose, and zero tolerance. Three more general laws that target all drivers were also effective: .08 percent blood alcohol concentration illegal per se law, secondary or upgrade to a primary seat-belt law, and an administrative license revocation law.

New Gas Storage Material: One Ounce Has Surface Area Of 30 Football Fields Posted: 07 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT In a finding that may help speed the production of ultra-clean fuel cell vehicles powered by hydrogen, scientists in Michigan are reporting development of a sponge-like nanomaterial with a record-high surface area for holding gases. Just 1/30th of an ounce of the material has the approximate surface area of a football field.

Mouse Models Of Leukemia That Predict Response To Chemotherapy Developed Posted: 07 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Researchers have designed new mouse models of human acute myeloid leukemia that accurately predict chemotherapy response in patients. The models precisely recapitulate genetic associations that have been linked to favorable or adverse treatment responses in patients and help identify genes promoting resistance or sensitivity to any cancer drug. The models are also an effective test system for new drugs and treatment strategies for AML.

GOCE's Electric Ion Propulsion Engine Switched On Posted: 07 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT GOCE's sophisticated electric ion propulsion system has been switched on and confirmed to be operating normally, marking another crucial milestone in the satellite's post-launch commissioning phase.

Tanzania Study Reopens Debate On Targeting Mosquito Larvae To Control Malaria Posted: 07 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Targeting mosquito larval populations may be an effective intervention to help control malaria in urban situations, a new study suggests. The research has re-opened the debate on whether malaria can be controlled with larvicides, insecticides which kill mosquitoes in their water-borne larval stages of development.

Discovery Of Current Spike Phenomenon In Semiconductor Materials Leads To New Understanding Of Nanoscale Plasticity Posted: 07 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Plasticity in certain semiconductor materials at the nanoscale is actually linked to phase transformation rather than dislocation nucleation, as previously thought.

Family Therapy May Help The Depressed Patient Posted: 07 Apr 2009 11:00 PM PDT Single-family and multi-family therapy may benefit hospitalized patients with major depression, and may help the partners of the patients to become aware of the patient's improvement more quickly.

Dramatically Backlit Dust In Giant Galaxy Posted: 07 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT A new Hubble image highlights striking swirling dust lanes and glittering globular clusters in oddball galaxy NGC 7049.

Potential New HIV Drug May Help Patients Not Responding To Treatment Posted: 07 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT A potential treatment for HIV may one day help people who are not responding to anti-retroviral therapy. Scientists looking at monkeys with the simian form of HIV were able to reduce the virus levels in the blood to undetectable levels, by treating the monkeys with a molecule called D-1mT alongside anti-retroviral therapy.

Use Of Native Southern African Plants In Veterinary Medicine Posted: 07 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT When animals in southern Africa are sick, often the first place their caretakers look for help is from native plants. That's what makes understanding and conserving these plants so important.

Allergic Reactions To Plavix Can Be Treated With Steroids And Antihistamines, Study Shows Posted: 07 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT A clinical study of cardiac patients who suffered an allergic reaction to the widely-prescribed drug clopidogrel, also known by the pharmaceutical name Plavix, found that treatment with a combination of steroids and antihistamines can alleviate the allergic reaction symptoms thereby allowing patients to remain on the drug.

Control, Treatment Of Bed Bugs Challenging Posted: 07 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT A review of previously published articles indicates there is little evidence supporting an effective treatment of bites from bed bugs, that these insects do not appear to transmit disease, and control and eradication of bed bugs is challenging, according to a new article.

Focus On The Future: Long-term Goals Help Us Resist Unhealthy Urges Posted: 07 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT According to a new study, consumers who focus on long-term goals are more likely to resist unhealthy urges.

Women May Be Sniffing Out Biologically-relevant Information From Underarm Sweat Posted: 07 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT It may be wise to trust the female nose when it comes to body odor. According to new research, it is more difficult to mask underarm odor when women are doing the smelling. The researchers speculate that females are more attuned to biologically relevant information in sweat that may guide women when choosing a mate.

Bad Mix Of Bacterial Remnants And Genetics Leads To Arthritis Posted: 07 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT Here's another reason to hate leftovers. A new study sheds light on one cause of arthritis: bacteria. In the study, scientists from the United States and The Netherlands show that a specific gene called NOD2 triggers arthritis or makes it worse when leftover remnants of bacteria cell walls, called muramyl dipeptide or MDP, are present.

New Approach Discovered To Lowering Triglycerides Posted: 07 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT Studies done with laboratory rats suggest that supplementation of their diet with lipoic acid had a significant effect in lowering triglycerides, which along with cholesterol levels and blood pressure are one of the key risk factors in cardiovascular disease.

Melatonin May Be Served As Potential Anti-fibrotic Drug Posted: 07 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT A research group from China investigated the protective effects of melatonin on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic fibrosis in experimental rats. They found that melatonin could ameliorate carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats and the protective action of melatonin may relate to its antioxidant activities.

What's In Your Water? Disinfectants Create Toxic By-products In Drinking Water And Public Swimming Pools Posted: 07 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT Although perhaps the greatest public health achievement of the 20th century was the disinfection of water, a recent study now shows that the chemicals used to purify the water we drink and use in swimming pools react with organic material in the water yielding toxic consequences.

Tight Races In Major League Baseball's Eastern Divisions, Mathematician Predicts Posted: 07 Apr 2009 05:00 PM PDT The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels should make the playoffs in the American League in 2009 with most other teams lagging well behind. The National League should see another very tight race in the Eastern Division as has occurred in recent years. However, this year it looks like there may be a three-way tie among the defending World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies, the Atlanta Braves, and the New York Mets.

How The Retina Works: Like A Multi-layered Jigsaw Puzzle Of Receptive Fields Posted: 07 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT About 1.25 million neurons in the retina -- each of which views the world only through a small jagged window called a receptive field -- collectively form the seamless picture we rely on to navigate our environment. Receptive fields fit together like pieces of a puzzle, preventing "blind spots" and excessive overlap that could blur our perception of the world, according to researchers.

Caffeine Reduces Pain During Exercise, Study Shows Posted: 07 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT A former competitive cyclist who is now a professor of kinesiology and community health has found that caffeine reduces pain during exercise.

Brain Mapping Time Reduced From Years To A Few Months With New Technology Posted: 07 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT Scientists report technical advances that have reduced the time it takes to process high-speed "color" ultrastructure mapping of brain regions down to a few months.

New Options For People With PKU Posted: 07 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT For people with the genetic condition known as phenylketonuria (PKU), diet is a constant struggle. They can eat virtually no protein, and instead get their daily dose of this key macronutrient by drinking a bitter-tasting formula of amino acids. Yet drink it they must; deviating from this strict dietary regimen puts them at risk of developing permanent neurological damage. In the near future, fortunately, a better option may become available.

Computer Simulations Explain The Limitations Of Working Memory Posted: 07 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have constructed a mathematical activity model of the brain's frontal and parietal parts, to increase the understanding of the capacity of the working memory and of how the billions of neurons in the brain interact. One of the findings they have made with this "model brain" is a mechanism in the brain's neuronal network that restricts the number of items we can normally store in our working memories at any one time to around two to seven.

Sexual Behavior At Work Still A Problem, Study Shows Posted: 07 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT Be careful of that raunchy joke that gets all the laughs. As funny as folks at work may find it, it's probably hurting morale. That's one conclusion of a groundbreaking new paper published in the Journal of Applied Psychology.

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