ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

'Star Trek' Warp Speed? Physicists Have New Idea That Could Make It So Posted: 08 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT With the new movie 'Star Trek' opening in theaters across the nation, one thing movie goers will undoubtedly see is the Starship Enterprise racing across the galaxy at the speed of light. But can traveling at warp speed ever become a reality?

Cancer: Detecting, Targeting And Disabling Tumor Cells, All In One Step Posted: 08 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT Researchers have developed the basis for a four-in-one agent that can detect, target, and disable tumor cells while also making them macroscopically and microscopically visible.

'Gecko Vision': Key To Future Multifocal Contact Lens? Posted: 08 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT Nocturnal geckos are among the very few living creatures able to see colors at night, and scientists' discovery of series of distinct concentric zones may lead to insight into better cameras and contact lenses.

Current Multi-component Vaccines May Need Reworking Posted: 08 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT Current strategies for designing vaccines against HIV and cancers, for instance, may enable some components in multi-component vaccines to cancel the effect of others on the immune system, eliminating their ability to provide protection, according to a new article.

How Much Oil Have We Used? Posted: 08 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT Estimates of how much crude oil we have extracted from the planet vary wildly. Now, researchers have published a new estimate in the International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology that suggests we may have used more than we think.

Spontaneous Activity Found In The Idling Brain Posted: 08 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT Researchers have uncovered new information about portions of the brain that spontaneously activate together when a person is at rest. The latest research demonstrates how the interactions of certain brain regions at rest become more distributed as a person ages. It is believed that an increased understanding of normal brain function will allow researchers to better characterize mental disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Small Brain Of Dwarf 'Hobbit' Explained By Hippo's Island Life Posted: 08 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT Ancient Madagascan hippos have shed light on the origins of the small brain of the 1-metre-tall human, known as the hobbit. By examining the skulls of extinct Madagascan hippos, scientists discovered that dwarfed mammals on islands evolved much smaller brains in relation to their body size.

Pet Therapy Dogs May Carry MRSA And Clostridium Difficile Between Patients Posted: 08 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT Researchers investigated whether MRSA and C.difficile could be passed between pet therapy dogs and patients. The findings suggested that MRSA and C. difficile may have been transferred to the fur and paws of these canine visitors through patients handling or kissing the dogs, or through exposure to a contaminated health care environment. The dog that acquired C.difficile had politely shaken paws with many of the patients.

Hubble Repair Mission On Track For May 11 Launch Posted: 08 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT A new instrument to probe the evolution of galaxies, stars and intergalactic matter from its perch on the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope is on schedule for its slated May 11 launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard NASA's space shuttle Atlantis.

Food-Borne Outbreaks: Keeping Lettuce and Other Fresh Produce Clean Posted: 08 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT The convenience of fresh-cut produce has greatly increased sales despite multiple food-borne outbreaks. To reduce these risks, strict hygiene programs and sanitizers are used for decontamination once the food is harvested. Preventing microbial contamination in the fields is equally important. Researchers experimented with the use of harpin, a substance known to boost plants' resistance to disease, prior to harvest.

Major Step Toward Faster Chips Achieved Posted: 08 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT New research findings could lead to faster, smaller and more versatile computer chips.

Homicidal Poisoning Rising, More Likely In Infants And Elderly Posted: 08 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT Homicidal poisonings are rare but on the rise -- and infants are the most common victims -- according to a new study that aims to raise awareness of this often overlooked crime.

Refined Hubble Constant Narrows Possible Explanations For Dark Energy Posted: 08 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT Whatever dark energy is, explanations for it have less wiggle room following a Hubble Space Telescope observation that has refined the measurement of the universe's present expansion rate to a precision where the error is smaller than five percent.

Fast, Simple Treatment Option For Patients Too Sick For Open-heart Surgery? Posted: 08 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT An innovative device that acts like a belt to reshape an enlarged, leaky heart valve is providing a minimally invasive treatment option for patients who are too sick for open-heart surgery.

Scientists Surprised By Unexpected Emergence Of Periodical Cicadas -- Four Years Early Posted: 08 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT Periodical cicadas, insects best known for their 17-year long life cycle, are emerging four years early in several Atlantic states. The emergence was first noticed in Greensboro, NC, on Monday and has since been reported in Maryland.

What Blocks Effects Of Newly Developed Anticancer Therapy? Posted: 08 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT A new approach being developed to treat individuals with cancer that is resistant to standard therapy is the use of adenovirus-based therapies. One reason for the fact that while promising in some clinical results some settings, this approach has not been effective in many other cases has now been uncovered.

More Protection Against Explosives And Nuclear Material In Freight Containers Posted: 08 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT Scientists have developed an inspection system on the basis of neutron radiation – detection of nuclear material is planned.

Facebook Use Not Found To Correlate Negatively With College Grades, New Study Shows Posted: 08 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT News last month of a pilot study suggesting that college students' use of Facebook was related to lower college academic achievement probably sent more than a few parents reeling. A new study may allay parental concern. Using three sets of relevant data, researchers failed to find evidence that Facebook use negatively correlates with grades.

Brain Cell Mechanism For Decision Making Also Underlies Judgment About Certainty Posted: 08 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers who study how the brain makes decisions are uncovering the biological mechanisms behind the belief that a choice is likely to be correct. They found that a mechanism involved in decision formation is also involved in establishing the degree of confidence in that decision.

Narcolepsy Is An Autoimmune Disorder, New Research Shows Posted: 08 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT Ten years ago, Stanford University School of Medicine scientist Emmanuel Mignot, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues made headlines when they identified the culprit behind the sleep disorder narcolepsy. Now Mignot and his collaborators have shown for the first time that a specific immune cell is involved in the disorder -- confirming experts' long-held suspicion that narcolepsy is an autoimmune disease.

'Smart Turbine Blades' To Improve Wind Power Posted: 08 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have developed a technique that uses sensors and computational software to constantly monitor forces exerted on wind turbine blades, a step toward improving efficiency by adjusting for rapidly changing wind conditions.

Rotator Cuff Tears: Are They All In The Family? Posted: 08 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT People with relatives who have experienced rotator cuff tears are at increased risk of similar tendon tears themselves, according to a new study.

Why Some Newly Planted Trees Die: Stresses During Handling And Transport Affect Tree Health, Survival Posted: 08 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT Consider the cumulative stresses that transplanted trees must endure from the time they are harvested until they become established in a landscape. Multiple stress factors can mean the difference between survival and death for trees. At each stage of the transplanting process, trees are exposed to mechanical shock and vibration that can further disrupt the root system and cause considerable injury.

Up To One In Six Older People Living At Home Face Malnutrition Risk Posted: 08 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT As many as one in six older people who live at home are at risk of malnutrition, according to a study of nearly 600 people aged 75 and over. The overall risk is higher for women and depression increases the risk for men.

Bioelectricity Promises More 'Miles Per Acre' Than Ethanol Posted: 07 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT Biofuels such as ethanol offer an alternative to petroleum for powering our cars, but growing energy crops to produce them can compete with food crops for farmland, and clearing forests to expand farmland will aggravate the climate change problem. How can we maximize our "miles per acre" from biomass? Researchers writing in Science say the best bet is to convert the biomass to electricity, rather than ethanol.

Cell's Split Personality Is A Major Discovery Into Neurological Diseases Posted: 07 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT Researchers have discovered that cells which normally support nerve cell (neuron) survival also play an active and major role in the death of neurons in the eye. The findings may lead to more streamlined therapies for a variety of acute and chronic neurological disorders, including glaucoma and retinal artery occlusion.

NASA Nanosatellite To Study Antifungal Drug Effectiveness In Space Posted: 07 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT NASA is preparing to fly a small satellite about the size of a loaf of bread that could help scientists better understand how effectively drugs work in space. The nanosatellite, known as PharmaSat, is a secondary payload aboard a U.S. Air Force four-stage Minotaur 1 rocket planned for launch the evening of May 5.

Endoscopic Surgery Effectively Relieves Sinusitis Symptoms; Large Pooled Study Posted: 07 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT Endoscopic sinus surgery can significantly relieve symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis -- inflammation of the sinus cavities -- according to researchers who conducted the first large-scale analysis of surgical outcomes from the procedure.

Mosquito Parasite May Help Fight Dengue Fever Posted: 07 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT Many mosquitoes living in tropical regions carry a lethal plague: dengue fever. Despite attempts, no successful dengue fever vaccine has been found, so scientists have infected them with a parasite with the hope of reducing the insects' life expectancy and reducing dengue fever infection. Now they have found that as well as reducing the insects' lifespan, the parasite increases the mosquitoes' activity.

Probiotics May Help Ward Off Obesity, Study In Pregnant Women Suggests Posted: 07 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT One year after giving birth, women were less likely to have the most dangerous kind of obesity if they had been given probiotics from the first trimester of pregnancy, found new research that suggests manipulating the balance of bacteria in the gut may help fight obesity.

World's Most Unusual Volcano: Origin Of Carbon-based Lavas Revealed Posted: 07 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT Scientists studying the world's most unusual volcano have discovered the reason behind its unique carbon-based lavas. The new geochemical analyses reveals that an extremely small degree of partial melting of typical minerals in the earth's upper mantle is the source of the rare carbon-derived lava erupting from Tanzania's Oldoinyo Lengai volcano.

CPR: More Compressions, Fewer Interruptions Lead To Higher Cardiac Arrest Survival Posted: 07 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT Survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest patients increased when professional rescuers focused on minimizing interruptions to chest compressions during CPR. Compression rate was increased to 50 compressions followed by two breaths. Rescuers delayed other interventions, such as intubation and IVs, until enough compressions had been given.

Excessive Bycatch Of Cod Undermines Moratorium: Cod Bycatch Was At Least 70 Per Cent Higher Than Target Levels Posted: 07 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT Cod bycatch was at least 70 per cent higher than target levels on the southern Grand Banks near Canada, holding back recovery of one of the world's best known fisheries following its spectacular collapse and closure in the early 1990s.

Gene Test Determines Risk Of Heart Surgery Complications Posted: 07 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT Genetic differences can explain why some patients undergoing heart surgery later experience shock and kidney complications, according to a new study. The results indicate that performing a genetic test on patients before they have surgery can help guide treatment after they leave the operating room.

Method To Integrate Plasmon-based Nanophotonic Circuitry With State-of-the-art ICs Developed Posted: 07 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT Scientists have developed a method to integrate high-speed CMOS electronics and nanophotonic circuitry based on plasmonic effects. Metal-based nanophotonics (plasmonics) can squeeze light into nanoscale structures that are much smaller than conventional optic components. Plasmonic technology, today still in an experimental stage, has the potential to be used in future applications such as nanoscale optical interconnects for high performance computer chips, extremely sensitive (bio)molecular sensors, and highly efficient thin-film solar cells.

Delirium Rapidly Accelerates Memory Decline In Alzheimer's Patients Posted: 07 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT Delirium often develops in elderly patients during hospitalization or serious illness, and this acute state of confusion and agitation has long been suspected of having ties to Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Now a study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Hebrew Senior Life confirms that an episode of delirium rapidly accelerates cognitive decline and memory loss in Alzheimer's patients.

Babies Brainier Than Many Imagine Posted: 07 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT A new study shows what many mothers already know: babies are a lot smarter than others may realize. Though only five months old, the study's cuties indicated through their curious stares that they could differentiate water in a glass from solid blue material that looked very much like water in a similar glass. The study builds upon research showing that babies are not blank slates who primarily depend on others for acquiring knowledge.

Women More Vulnerable To Tobacco Carcinogens, New Results Show Posted: 07 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT Women may be more vulnerable than men to the cancer-causing effects of smoking tobacco, according to new results.

Using Night Vision Technology To Learn More About Lymphatic System Posted: 07 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT Scientists are using near-infrared night vision technology made famous by American soldiers in the First Gulf War to shed light on the lymphatic system.

Gray Matter Under Attack In Multiple Sclerosis: Protein Could Provoke Immune Attack On Several Cell Types Posted: 07 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT Multiple sclerosis is a condition in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system, including neurons in the gray matter. Researchers have identified a specific protein targeted by the misdirected immune defenses, which is produced both by neurons and the myelin sheaths that are attacked.

White Tea: Solution To Obesity Epidemic? Posted: 07 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT Possible anti-obesity effects of white tea have been demonstrated in a series of experiments on human fat cells (adipocytes). Researchers have shown that an extract of the herbal brew effectively inhibits the generation of new adipocytes and stimulates fat mobilization from mature fat cells.

Cigarette Smoke May Rob Children Of Needed Antioxidants Posted: 07 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT Children exposed to cigarette smoke have lower levels of antioxidants, which help the body defend itself against many biological stresses, according to new research.

Low Cost, Dexterous Robotic Hand Operated By Compressed Air Posted: 07 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT Scientists have developed a unique robotic hand that can firmly hold objects as heavy as a can of food or as delicate as a raw egg, while dexterous enough to gesture for sign language.

Method To Neutralize Tumor Growth In Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy Discovered Posted: 07 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a method to potentially eliminate the tumor-risk factor in utilizing human embryonic stem cells. Their work paves the way for further progress in the promising field of stem cell therapy.

World’s Oldest Manufactured Beads Are Older Than Previously Thought Posted: 07 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT Archaeologists have uncovered some of the world's earliest shell ornaments in a limestone cave in Eastern Morocco. The researchers have found 47 examples of Nassarius marine shells, most of them perforated and including examples covered in red ochre, at the Grotte des Pigeons at Taforalt.

Benefits Of Anti-clotting Medications Reduced By Common Heartburn Drugs Posted: 07 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT Proton pump inhibitors interfere with anti-clotting protection of clopidogrel. The anti-clotting action of the medication clopidogrel can be compromised by common drugs for the treatment of heartburn and ulcers resulting in a roughly 50 percent increase in the combined risk of hospitalization for heart attack, stroke and other serious cardiovascular illnesses, according to a new study.

Camphor, Found In Some Pest Control Products, May Cause Seizures In Children Posted: 07 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT Inappropriate use of camphor-containing products may be a common and under-appreciated cause of seizures in young children, according to a new study. The study calls for efforts to educate communities about the hazards of camphor and to crack down on illegally marketed camphor products.

Children As Young As 19 Months Understand Different Dialects Posted: 07 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT The results suggest that phonological constancy (recognizing words in different dialects) is already evident by 19 months of age, but is not yet present at 15 months.

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