Sunday, May 31, 2009

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News
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First Complete X-ray View Of A Galaxy Cluster

Posted: 31 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT

The joint Japan-US Suzaku mission is providing new insight into how assemblages of thousands of galaxies pull themselves together. For the first time, Suzaku has detected X-ray-emitting gas at a cluster's outskirts, where a billion-year plunge to the center begins.

Eight Newly Identified Genes Help Predict A Melanoma Patient's Response To Treatment

Posted: 31 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Eight newly identified genes help predict a melanoma patient's response to treatment, a new study suggests.

Toward Cheap Underwater Sensor Nets

Posted: 31 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Computer scientists are one step closer to building low cost networks of underwater sensors for real time underwater environmental monitoring. New research highlights the energy conservation benefits of using reconfigurable hardware rather than competing hardware platforms for their experimental underwater sensor nets.

Childhood Cancer Survivors Have Persistent High Risk For Cancer Throughout Their Lives

Posted: 31 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Childhood cancer survivors have a persistent and high risk for a second primary cancer throughout their lives, according to a new study.

Probing Clouds' Roles In Global Electric Circuit

Posted: 31 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT

A semicontinuous current flow has been measured above electrified clouds. Called the Wilson current, this phenomenon has long been considered a critical component of the global electric circuit; however, only a few studies have directly investigated this current, yielding only a few dozen measurements.

Ballerinas And Female Athletes Share Quadruple Health Threats

Posted: 31 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Sports medicine researchers have found that young female professional dancers face the same health risks as young female athletes when they don't eat enough to offset the energy they spend, and stop menstruating as a consequence.

Why Can We Talk? 'Humanized' Mice Speak Volumes About Evolutionary Past

Posted: 31 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Mice carrying a "humanized version" of a gene believed to influence speech and language may not actually talk, but they nonetheless do have a lot to say about our evolutionary past, according to a new report.

Brain Waves: How Neuronal Activity Is Timed In Brain's Memory-making Circuits

Posted: 31 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Theta oscillations are a type of brain rhythm that orchestrates neuronal activity in the hippocampus, a brain area critical for the formation of new memories. For several decades these oscillations were believed to be "in sync" across the hippocampus, timing the firing of neurons like a sort of central pacemaker. Researchers show that instead of being in sync, theta oscillations sweep along the length of the hippocampus as traveling waves.

Cotton Bests Other Spray-On Erosion Control Mulches

Posted: 31 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Agricultural engineers have developed the erosion control industry's first cotton hydromulch "spray-on blanket." Hydromulch is the bright-green mulch used in spray-on slurries that cover bare lands at construction sites and roadside projects, to prevent erosion until vegetation can be established. In the past, hydromulches were made mostly from wood and paper byproducts.

PET Scan Can Non-Invasively Measure Early Assessment Of Treatment For Common Type Of Breast Cancer

Posted: 31 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Non-invasive imaging can measure how well patients with the most common form of breast cancer -- estrogen receptor positive type -- respond to standard aromatase inhibitor therapy after only two weeks and shows similar findings that more invasive needle sampling identifies, according to new research.

Waves In Earth's Radiation Belt Get Mapped

Posted: 31 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Chorus waves, a type of electromagnetic emission generated by electrons in Earth's radiation belt, play an important role in both accelerating and removing the energetic radiation belt electrons that can disrupt satellite electronics and disturb communications with ground-based operators.

Staying Together 'For The Sake Of The Kids' Doesn't Necessarily Help Them, Says Study

Posted: 31 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT

The research is clear: Adolescents tend to fare better -- academically and behaviorally -- when they live with both biological parents. But when their parents frequently argue, young adults are significantly more likely to binge drink than other teenagers. They also tend to smoke, and their poor school grades are similar to those of their peers who don't have both biological parents at home.

Breakthrough In Quantum Control Of Light: Implications For Banking, Drug Design, And More

Posted: 31 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT

Researchers have recently demonstrated a breakthrough in the quantum control of photons, the energy quanta of light. This is a significant result in quantum computation, and could eventually have implications in banking, drug design, and other applications.

Intestinal Bacteria Associated With Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Posted: 31 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT

Intestinal permeability and an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine are both associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, according to new findings.

TB -- Hiding In Plain Sight

Posted: 31 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT

Current research suggests that Mycobacterium tuberculosis can evade the immune response. The related report by Rahman et al., "Compartmentalization of immune responses in human tuberculosis: few CD8+ effector T cells but elevated levels of FoxP3+ regulatory T cells in the granulomatous lesions," appears in the June 2009 issue of the American Journal of Pathology.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring Devices Benefit People With Type 1 Diabetes

Posted: 31 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT

People with type 1 diabetes who have already been successful in achieving recommended blood sugar goals can further benefit from using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices, according to results of a major multi-center clinical trial.

Satellites Observe Amazon Basin Water Storage And Runoff

Posted: 31 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT

Scientists would like to better understand the physical processes in Amazon hydrological systems. To explore the water storage and dynamics in the Amazon basin, researchers have used data from the two Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites, which measure mass distribution on Earth's surface through instantaneous measurements of the changes in the distance between the satellites.

'Charm' Offensive Could Pinpoint Ways To Change People's Social Habits

Posted: 31 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT

People like to believe their actions are driven by their own free will and are not unduly affected by other people. Research, though, shows the way we act is often subconsciously influenced by what we believe to be 'normal' behavior. A new research project is about to take this finding to the next level by investigating whether it is possible to nudge individual behavior in a socially-desirable direction, simply by telling people what others are doing.

Scientists Engineer Cellular Circuits That Count Events

Posted: 30 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Engineers have designed cells that can count and "remember" cellular events, using simple circuits in which a series of genes are activated in a specific order.

New Broad-spectrum Vaccine To Prevent Cervical Cancer Induces Strong Responses In Animals

Posted: 30 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Mice and rabbits immunized with a multimeric-L2 protein vaccine had robust antibody responses and were protected from infection when exposed to human papillomavirus type 16 four months after vaccination, according to a new study.

Parasite Risk In Anchovies Varies Depending On Origin Of Fish

Posted: 30 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT

The Anisakis spp parasite can still be found in one of the most emblematic Mediterranean dishes -- anchovies in vinegar. Spanish researchers have shown the parasites are present at higher levels in anchovies from the south east Atlantic coast and the north eastern Mediterranean, and urge consumers to freeze or cook the fish before eating it.

Biological Markers That May Indicate Poor Breast Cancer Prognosis Identified

Posted: 30 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Scientists have identified two proteins in the blood that could become important prognostic markers for long-term survival in breast cancer patients. The proteins are associated with chronic inflammation, which is known to contribute to cancer development and progression.

First Multi-pixel Terahertz Modulator Created

Posted: 30 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Scientists have for the first time devised a multi-pixel modulator for light waves at terahertz frequencies. The formal study of THz radiation, which can be described as far-infrared light, dates back many years, but has become increasingly widespread since around 1990, when efficient methods for generating and detecting the radiation become available. The expected applications include carrying out biological spectroscopy and imaging buried structures in semiconductors.

Unstated Assumptions Color Arctic Sovereignty Claims

Posted: 30 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Settling the growing debate over ownership of Arctic Ocean resources is complicated by the fact that the various countries involved have different understandings of the geography of the place, one researcher argues.

Genetic Profiling Reveals Genes Active In The Earliest Brain Circuit Construction

Posted: 29 May 2009 09:00 PM PDT

Long before the brain's neurons can facilitate life's big decisions, they have to find their own destiny in the rapidly developing embryo. In the lingo of neurobiologists, they are "fated" very early on to become certain types of cells, over time traveling to and organizing the various structures that compose the brain. These earliest developments are difficult to observe, like the first few moments in the life of the universe following the Big Bang. But by adapting new tools of genetic profiling, researchers have peered into the brain as it's born and teased out genes that shape its aboriginal fate.

To Spread, Skin Cancer Attacks Immune Dendritic Cells

Posted: 29 May 2009 09:00 PM PDT

Dendritic cells are the sentinels of the immune system. When they're alert and on guard, they will marshal the body's immunosoldiers, T cells, to battle at the sight of harmful pathogens. But some diseases, such as cancer, are able to escape their watchful eye. By knocking out or beguiling dendritic cells, they slip the defenses of the immune system and sack the unsuspecting body.

Illegal Trade In Vietnam's Marine Turtles Continues Despite National Ban

Posted: 29 May 2009 09:00 PM PDT

Marine turtles are vanishing from Viet Nam's waters and illegal trade is largely to blame says a new study.

Predicting Droughts With Greater Certainty

Posted: 29 May 2009 09:00 PM PDT

Using new data and reconstructions of the "Dust Bowl" drought in America during the 1930s, climatologists have shown for the first time a three-dimensional picture of the atmospheric circulation that led to the drought. This will enable climate models to be evaluated and further improved. The scientists hope this work will make it possible to predict future periods of drought more accurately.

Hearing, Voice Problems Worsen Seniors' Communication Skills

Posted: 29 May 2009 09:00 PM PDT

Hearing and vocal problems go hand-in-hand among the elderly more frequently than previously thought, according to researchers. Together, they pack a devastating double punch on communication skills and overall well-being.

Drug Combination Improves Outcome For Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Posted: 29 May 2009 09:00 PM PDT

A new study found that the combination of two drugs delays disease progression for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Results from the Phase III "ATLAS" trial have just been presented.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News
Add to Google


Ancient Volcanic Eruptions Caused Global Mass Extinction

Posted: 30 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

A previously unknown giant volcanic eruption that led to global mass extinction 260 million years ago has been uncovered.

One-two Punch In Battle Against HIV: New HIV Microbicide, And A Way To Mass Produce It In Plants, Developed

Posted: 30 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

In what could be a major pharmaceutical breakthrough, scientists have devised a one-two punch to stop HIV. First the report describes a new protein that can kill the virus when used as a microbicide. Then the report shows how it might be possible to manufacture this protein in quantities large enough to make it affordable for people in developing countries.

Fallow Deer Become Hoarse In The Hunt For A Mate

Posted: 30 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Fallow deer become hoarse when trying to attract a mate, according to scientists.

Some Neural Tube Defects In Mice Linked To Enzyme Deficiency

Posted: 30 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Women of childbearing age can reduce the risk of having a child born with a neural tube defect such as spina bifida by eating enough folate or folic acid. New research using mice confirms the importance of another nutrient, inositol, to protect against the development of neural tube defects.

Physics: Interferometer Gets More Quiet Mirrors

Posted: 30 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

In physics many subtle phenomena can be studied by allowing waves to interfere with each other. In an interferometer, light waves travel by two different paths, directed from place to place by strategically places mirrors, and converge at a detector, where they produce a striped interference pattern.

NFL Players' Health Compared To That Of Other Healthy Young Men

Posted: 30 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Despite being larger in size and heavier in weight, an analysis of the cardiovascular disease risk factors of about 500 National Football League players finds that they have a lower incidence of impaired fasting glucose and similar prevalence of abnormal cholesterol levels as compared to a sample of healthy young-adult men, but have an increased prevalence of high blood pressure.

How Oxidative Stress May Help Prolong Life

Posted: 30 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Oxidative stress has been linked to aging, cancer and other diseases in humans. Paradoxically, researchers have suggested that small exposure to oxidative conditions may actually offer protection from acute doses. Now, scientists have discovered the gene responsible for this effect. Their study explains the underlying mechanism of the process that prevents cellular damage by reactive oxygen species.

Saved By Junk DNA: Vital Role In The Evolution Of Human Genome

Posted: 30 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Stretches of DNA previously believed to be useless 'junk' DNA play a vital role in the evolution of our genome, researchers have now shown. They found that unstable pieces of junk DNA help tuning gene activity and enable organisms to quickly adapt to changes in their environments.

Neurological Disorder In Golden Retriever Dogs Caused By A Mutation In Mitochondrial DNA

Posted: 30 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Sensory ataxic neuropathy (SAN) is a recently identified neurological disorder in Golden Retriever dogs with onset during puppyhood. Affected dogs move in an uncoordinated manner and have sensory deficits. Researchers in Sweden have now revealed that SAN is caused by a mutation in mitochondrial DNA.

Breast Cancer Etiology May Vary By Subtype

Posted: 30 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Women's reproductive and lifestyle characteristics can be linked to different invasive breast cancer subtypes. Data on 2,544 breast cancer cases suggests that traditional risk factors for development of the condition are associated with different kinds of tumor.

Picosecond Oscilloscope

Posted: 30 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT

An oscilloscope is a device for displaying signals that are too fast to be seen by the human eye. Typically the signal consists of a voltage level that changes quickly moment by moment (over millisecond to nanosecond timescales). What is seen on the screen of the scope is a waveform whose value is graphed along the vertical axis as a function of the horizontal axis representing time. An electron beam, aimed at a phosphorescent screen, is swept horizontally providing a light-trace on the screen while, coincidentally, the instantaneous voltage of the input signal is used to deflect the electron beam up or down, creating the visible trace.

Effectively Managing Pain With Depression

Posted: 30 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Closely monitored antidepressant therapy coupled with pain self-management can produce substantial improvements in both depression and pain, according to new research.

Blue Whale Discovered Singing In New York Coastal Waters

Posted: 30 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT

For the very first time in New York coastal waters, the voices of singing blue whales have been positively identified. Acoustic experts confirmed that the voice of a singing blue whale was tracked about 70 miles off of Long Island and New York City on Jan. 10-11, 2009, as the whale swam slowly from east to west. At the same time, a second blue whale was heard singing offshore in the far distance.

New Glucose-regulating Protein Linked With Diabetes

Posted: 30 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Researchers have linked a specialized protein in human muscles to the process that clears glucose out of the bloodstream, shedding light on what goes wrong in type 2 diabetes on a cellular level.

Dental Researchers ID New Target In Fight Against Osteoporosis, Periodontitis

Posted: 30 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Researchers have identified a promising new target in the fight against osteoporosis and periodontitis: inhibiting the activity of the NF-kB protein restores a healthy balance between bone formation and resorption. The findings could offer new hope to the millions of people who struggle with osteoporosis and periodontitis each year.

Getting More From Whole-transcript Microarrays

Posted: 30 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Women's reproductive and lifestyle characteristics can be linked to different invasive breast cancer subtypes. Data on 2544 breast cancer cases suggests that traditional risk factors for development of the condition are associated with different kinds of tumor.

Evolution Of Gene Regulation: How Microbial Neighbors Settle Differences

Posted: 30 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Supply and demand could be a governing principle even at the genetic level, because most genes are only expressed when needed. New results show that, in microbes, evolutionary factors determine which regulation mechanism will regulate a given gene.

Evolution Of Migraine: From Episodic Headache To Chronic Disorder

Posted: 30 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Patients living with migraine have strong reason for new optimism concerning a positive future. Two review articles and an accompanying editorial, "The Future of Migraine: Beyond Just Another Pill," in the current issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, are the basis for an ironic premise.

Ghost Remains After Black Hole Eruption

Posted: 29 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has found a cosmic "ghost" lurking around a distant supermassive black hole. This is the first detection of such a high-energy apparition, and scientists think it is evidence of a huge eruption produced by the black hole.

Gene Therapy Advance: Dog With Severe Human-like Genetic Disorder Survives

Posted: 29 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT

A dog born with a deadly disease similar to glycogen storage disease type 1A has survived for nearly two years after receiving gene therapy. The achievement puts scientists a step closer to finding a cure for the disorder in children.

Discoveries Upend Traditional Thinking About How Plants Make Certain Compounds

Posted: 29 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Plant scientists have identified two new genes and two new enzymes in tomato plants. Those findings led them to discover that the plants were making monoterpenes, compounds that help give tomato leaves their distinctive smell, in a way that flies in the face of accepted thought.

Use Of Acid-suppressive Medications Associated With Increased Risk Of Hospital-acquired Pneumonia

Posted: 29 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Hospitalized patients who receive acid-suppressive medications such as a proton-pump inhibitor have a 30 percent increased odds of developing pneumonia while in the hospital, according to a new study.

Honey Bee Colony Losses In U.S. Almost 30 Percent From All Causes From September 2008 To April 2009

Posted: 29 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Honey bee colony losses in the U.S. were approximately 29 percent from all causes from September 2008 to April 2009, according to a new survey.

Brain's Object Recognition System Activated By Touch Alone

Posted: 29 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Portions of the brain that activate when people view pictures of objects compared to scrambled images can also be activated by touch alone, confirms a new report.

Virtual Reconstruction Of A Neanderthal Woman’s Birth Canal Reveals Insights Into Evolution Of Human Child Birth

Posted: 29 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Researchers have made a virtual reconstruction of a female Neanderthal pelvis found in Israel. Although the size of the reconstructed birth canal shows that Neanderthal childbirth was about as difficult as in present-day humans, the shape indicates that Neanderthals retained a more primitive birth mechanism than modern humans.

New Malaria Agent Found In Chimpanzees Close To That Commonly Observed In Humans

Posted: 29 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Researchers based in Gabon and France report the discovery of a new malaria agent infecting chimpanzees in Central Africa. This new species, named Plasmodium gaboni, is a close relative of the most virulent human agent P. falciparum.

Lessons From The Past: Research Examines How Past Communities Coped With Climate Change

Posted: 29 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Research suggests people today and in future generations should look to the past in order to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. The dangers of rising sea levels, crop failures and extreme weather were all faced by our ancestors who learnt to adapt and survive in the face of climate change.

Breastfeeding Duration And Weaning Diet May Shape Child's Body Composition

Posted: 29 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Variations in both milk feeding and in the weaning diet are linked to differences in growth and development, and they have independent influences on body composition in early childhood, according to a new study.

New Rotors Could Help Develop Nanoscale Generators

Posted: 29 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Scientists have developed a molecular structure that could help create current-generating machines at the nanoscale.

Marijuana Rivals Mainstream Drugs For Alleviating HIV/AIDS Symptoms

Posted: 29 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Those in the United States living with HIV/AIDS are more likely to use marijuana than those in Kenya, South Africa or Puerto Rica to alleviate their symptoms, according to a new study.