ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Greenhouse Gases Continue To Climb Despite Economic Slump Posted: 26 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT Two of the most important climate change gases increased last year, according to a preliminary analysis for NOAA's annual greenhouse gas index, which tracks data from 60 sites around the world.

Novel Cancer Drug Reduces Neuroblastoma Growth By 75 Percent Posted: 26 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have found a new drug that restricts the growth of neuroblastoma, a childhood brain cancer.

New Effort To Discover Habitable Earth-like Planets Around Other Stars Posted: 26 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT Astronomers have announced plans to build an ultra-stable, high-precision spectrograph for the Science and Technology Facilities Council's 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope in an effort to discover habitable Earth-like planets around other stars.

'Non-surgical' Method For Chronic Tendinosis Of The Achilles Tendon Posted: 26 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have found an alternative, "non-surgical" method to treat chronic tendinosis (tendinitis) of the Achilles tendon that fails conservative treatment, according to a study performed at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University in Chicago, Ill.

Popular Gaming System May Offer Radiologists An Alternative Way To View Patient Images Posted: 26 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT The popular Wii gaming remote may offer radiologists a fun, alternative method to using a standard mouse and keyboard to navigate through patient images, according to a study performed at the New-York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York, N.Y. The remote may also offer radiologists relief from repetitive motion injuries as a result of using a mouse and keyboard.

Teams Are Not Innovative When Under Constant Time Pressure Posted: 26 Apr 2009 02:00 PM PDT Many people work better under a tight deadline, but a new study suggests that it is a mistake to assume that a team can work effectively under constant time pressure and remain engaged and innovative with the work.

Anomalous White Dwarfs: Largest Collection Of White Dwarfs Made Of Helium Discovered Posted: 26 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Twenty-four unusual stars, 18 of them newly discovered, have been observed in new Hubble telescope images. The stars are white dwarfs, a common type of dead star, but they are odd because they are made of helium rather than the usual carbon and oxygen. These helium-core white dwarfs may have had their lives cut short because of their orbital dance around a partner star.

Drug That Inhibits Acute Leukemia Cell Growth Discovered Posted: 26 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have discovered how to turn off a certain receptor that promotes the growth of leukemia cells.

Discovery Of An Unexpected Boost For Solar Water-splitting Cells Posted: 26 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Scientists have discovered, serendipitously, that a residue of a process used to build arrays of titania nanotubes -- a residue that wasn't even noticed before this -- plays an important role in improving the performance of the nanotubes in solar cells that produce hydrogen gas from water.

Ultrasound Can Help Low-risk Patients Avoid Invasive Thyroid Biopsy Posted: 26 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT The prevalence of benign thyroid nodules is high and there are certain ultrasound features, suggesting malignancy, that can help radiologists determine whether or not a biopsy is needed, according to a study performed at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, Calif.

Grouping Muscles To Make Controlling Limbs Easier Posted: 26 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have shown that it could be possible to control a limb by stimulating groups of muscles rather than individual muscles -- a finding that could be useful in future treatments of paralysis patients. The research team used a model of the muscles in a frog's hind leg to perform a computational analysis that shows researchers can control the limb using muscle groups just about as well as if they controlled individual muscles.

Baroque Classical Music In The Reading Room May Improve Mood And Productivity Posted: 26 Apr 2009 08:00 AM PDT Baroque classical music in the reading room can help improve radiologists work lives, potentially improving diagnostic efficiency and accuracy, according to a study performed by researchers at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, Md., Harbor Hospital in Baltimore, Md., and the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia, Pa.

Most Distant Detection Of Water In The Universe Posted: 26 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Astronomers have found the most distant signs of water in the Universe to date. The water vapor is thought to be contained in a jet ejected from a supermassive black hole at the centre of a galaxy, named MG J0414+0534.

Instead Of Fighting Breast Cancer, Immune Cell Promotes Its Spread Posted: 26 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have new evidence that a type of immune system cell thought to be part of the first line of defense against breast cancer may also help promote its spread. They have found that when these cells, known as lymphocytes, make an inflammatory protein called RANKL (RANK ligand), breast cancer is more likely to spread to the lungs.

How House-hunting Ants Choose The Best Home Posted: 26 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Direct comparison of alternatives isn't always the best way to make a decision -- at least if you're an ant. House-hunting rock ants collectively manage to choose the best nest-site without needing to study all their options, according to new research.

Pelvic Floor Disorders May Have Genetic Link Posted: 26 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have identified a region of the human genome that may contribute to the development of pelvic floor disorders such as pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence, according to a new study.

Closing In On Goat Scrapie Posted: 26 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT Goats are tough, spirited animals, but they're no match for scrapie, a form of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. Now, with a "helping hand" from science, the animals' plight could take a turn for the better.

The Price Of Pain And The Value Of Suffering Posted: 26 Apr 2009 02:00 AM PDT A new study reveals that demand for pain relief is almost completely dependent on pain experienced in the recent past and the available cash on hand. That is, the participants were willing to pay more money to avoid pain if that pain was more intense compared to previous trials. In addition, the price they were willing to pay was based on what they were given (money-in-the-pocket) rather than on their overall wealth.

Blood Testing, Mosquito Style: Electronic Device Lets Diabetics Test Glucose Painlessly Posted: 25 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT Biomedical engineers have patented a prototype of a device to test blood glucose levels quickly and painlessly. The Electronic Mosquito is designed after the biting mechanism of a mosquito.

Even Modest Exercise Can Reduce Negative Effects Of Belly Fat Posted: 25 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT A new study suggests that moderate amounts of exercise alone can reduce the inflammation in visceral fat -- belly fat, if you will -- that has been linked with metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that predict heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Bridging The Gap In Nanoantennas Posted: 25 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT Scientists have developed an innovative method for controlling light on the nanoscale by adopting tuning concepts from radio-frequency technology. The method opens the door for targeted design of antenna-based applications including highly sensitive biosensors and extremely fast photodetectors, which could play an important role in future biomedical diagnostics and information processing.

Americans May Be Missing Direct Route To Head And Neck Cancer Care, Survey Shows Posted: 25 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT Tens of thousands of Americans are diagnosed annually with head and neck cancers, but many adults are unaware of doctors who specialize in treating these conditions, according to a recent survey.

Bovine Genome Could Lead To Better Meat For Consumers, Experts Say Posted: 25 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT A newly annotated sequence of the cattle genome could lead to better disease resistance and higher quality meat for consumers, researchers in Texas say.

Is Biofuel Policy Harming European Biodiversity? Posted: 25 Apr 2009 08:00 PM PDT The EU promotes the production of biofuels and has set a target of 5.75% share of biofuels in the transport section for all EU Member States by 2010, and a target of 10% to be reached by 2020. Researchers have developed a new method of assessing biodiversity impacts resulting from changing land use due to the production of biofuel crops in Europe, distinguishing between arable (first generation) and woody (second-generation) crop types. The results indicate that more species might suffer from habitat losses rather than benefit from a doubled biofuel target, while abolishing the biofuel target would mainly have positive effects.

Diabetes: MicroRNA Protects Beta Cells Posted: 24 Apr 2009 09:00 PM PDT A decade ago, biologists did not know that microRNA existed. Now it has become clear that short, noncoding RNAs regulate numerous important processes in our bodies. One new example is miRNA-375. Without this molecule the beta cells in the pancreas degenerate, resulting in diabetes.

Fragment Of Hebrew Inscription From Period Of Kings Of Judah Found Posted: 24 Apr 2009 09:00 PM PDT A fragment of a limestone plaque bearing several letters of ancient Hebrew script was discovered while sifting soil that was excavated in the vicinity of the Gihon Spring, within the precincts of the "Walls around Jerusalem National Park".

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