Friday, May 29, 2009

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News
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Magnetic Tremors Pinpoint The Impact Epicenter Of Earthbound Space Storms

Posted: 29 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Using data from NASA's THEMIS mission, researchers have pinpointed the impact epicenter of an earthbound space storm as it crashes into the atmosphere, and given an advance warning of its arrival.

Completely Different Way Of Looking For A New Antibiotic

Posted: 29 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Researchers have built a method of looking for molecules that will disturb the balance between them, offering a completely different way of looking for a new antibiotic that would be active against the cell wall.

Superconducting Chips To Become Reality

Posted: 29 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Most chemical elements become superconducting at low temperatures or high pressures, but until now, copper, silver, gold, and the semiconductor germanium, for example, have all refused superconductivity. Scientists have now able to produce superconducting germanium for the first time. Furthermore, they could unravel a few of the mysteries which come along with superconducting semiconductors.

Cottonseed-based Drug Shows Promise In Treating Severe Brain Cancer

Posted: 29 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT

An experimental compound showed good results for months in patients with glioblastoma multiforme, researchers say. After undergoing other treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, the trial patients' brain cancer had begun to grow again prior to starting on the current clinical trial.

Impossible Crystal: Crystallization At The Molecular Level

Posted: 29 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Molecules with five-fold symmetry arrange themselves on a surface as a two-dimensional crystal, although theoretically this ought not to be possible. Recently researchers in Switzerland have taken the first steps to a better understanding of this "impossible" behavior by monitoring the complicated crystallization process with a scanning tunnel microscope.

How Many Scientists Fabricate And Falsify Research?

Posted: 29 May 2009 11:00 AM PDT

It's a long-standing and crucial question that, as yet, remains unanswered: just how common is scientific misconduct? A new study finds the first meta-analysis of surveys questioning scientists about their misbehaviors. The results suggest that altering or making up data is more frequent than previously estimated and might be particularly high in medical research.

Planet-Hunting Method Succeeds: Jupiter-like Planet Found Orbiting One Of Smallest Stars

Posted: 29 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT

A long-proposed tool for hunting planets has netted its first catch -- a Jupiter-like planet orbiting one of the smallest stars known. The technique, called astrometry, was first attempted 50 years ago to search for planets outside our solar system, called exoplanets. It involves measuring the precise motions of a star on the sky as an unseen planet tugs the star back and forth.

The Vulnerable Cancer Cell: New Studies Reveal Broad, Hidden Network That Lets Tumors Thrive

Posted: 29 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Researchers have identified many potential new drug targets for cancers long deemed "untouchable" due to the type of genetic mutation they contain. These studies are beginning to reveal new ways of attacking cancer by targeting a largely hidden network of normal genes that cancer cells rely on for survival.

Activated Stem Cells In Damaged Lungs Could Be First Step Toward Cancer

Posted: 29 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Stem cells that respond after a severe injury in the lungs of mice may be a source of rapidly dividing cells that lead to lung cancer, according to a new research.

Immunologists Identify Biochemical Signals That Help Immune Cells Remember How To Fight Infection

Posted: 29 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Immunology researchers have discovered how two biochemical signals play unique roles in promoting the development of a group of immune cells employed as tactical assassins.

Spring Agricultural Fires Have Large Impact On Melting Arctic

Posted: 29 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Scientists from around the world will convene at the University of New Hampshire June 2-5, 2009, to discuss key findings from the most ambitious effort ever undertaken to measure "short-lived" airborne pollutants in the Arctic and determine how they contribute in the near term to the dramatic changes underway in the vast, climate-sensitive region.

Daily Alcohol Intake Can Lead To Binge Drinking

Posted: 29 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Sipping wine, beer or spirits three to four times per week increases the risk of binge drinking, particularly among young men, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed the drinking habits of Canadians and found that frequent alcohol consumption can lead to binge drinking among all gender and all age groups.

Unexpected Bacterial Diversity On Human Skin; New Approaches For Treating, Preventing Skin Diseases

Posted: 29 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT

The health of our skin depends upon the delicate balance between our own cells and the millions of bacteria and other one-celled microbes that live on its surface. To better understand this balance, researchers have set out to explore the skin's microbiome. Their initial analysis reveals that our skin is home to a much wider array of bacteria than previously thought.

Treating Gum Disease Helps Rheumatoid Arthritis Sufferers

Posted: 29 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT

Not yet convinced about keeping your teeth healthy, here's another reason. People who suffer from gum disease and also have a severe form of rheumatoid arthritis, reduced their arthritic pain, number of swollen joints and the degree of morning stiffness when they cured their dental problems.

Stem Cells Transplanted From Marrow Into Heart May Improve Heart's Performance

Posted: 29 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT

Scientists are carrying out clinical tests with patients who have suffered from a severe heart attack. With the implantation of the patient's stem cells, the heart regenerates thus improving its wall motion, that is, its cardiac performance.

New Blood Test Greatly Reduces False-positives In Prostate Cancer Screening

Posted: 29 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT

A new blood test used in combination with a conventional prostate-specific antigen screening sharply increases the accuracy of prostate cancer diagnosis, and could eliminate tens of thousands of unneeded, painful, and costly prostate biopsies annually.

Non-toxic Hull Coating Resists Barnacles, May Save Ship Owners Millions

Posted: 29 May 2009 05:00 AM PDT

Engineers have created a non-toxic "wrinkled" coating for use on ship hulls that resisted buildup of troublesome barnacles during 18 months of seawater tests, a finding that could ultimately save boat owners millions of dollars in cleaning and fuel costs.

Why Coral Reefs Around The World Are Collapsing

Posted: 29 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT

An explosion of knowledge has been made in the last few years about the basic biology of corals, researchers say in a new report, helping to explain why coral reefs around the world are collapsing and what it will take for them to survive a gauntlet of climate change and ocean acidification.

Study May Aid Efforts To Prevent Uncontrolled Cell Division In Cancer

Posted: 29 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Researchers have uncovered a remarkable property of the contractile ring, a structure required for cell division. Understanding how the contractile ring works to divide the cell may facilitate development of therapies to prevent uncontrolled cell division in cancer.

Waxy Plant Substance Key For Absorption Of Water, Nutrients

Posted: 29 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT

While proving a long-held theory that suberin blocks water and nutrient absorption in plants, a scientist learned more about manipulating the substance to better feed plants.

Common Antibiotics May Be Best First Treatment For Children With MRSA-related Infections

Posted: 29 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Penicillin and other antibiotics in the beta-lactam family work as well as other antibiotics to treat MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcuss aureus) infections in the skin and soft-tissue of children and may help prevent further resistance to antibiotic treatment, according to a new study.

Really Virtual Reality

Posted: 29 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Far from being geeky and exotic, virtual reality could be the key to a new range of innovative products. European researchers and industrialists have come together to build a world-leading community ready to exploit that promise.

Americans Choose Media Messages That Agree With Their Views

Posted: 29 May 2009 02:00 AM PDT

A new study provides some of the strongest evidence to date that Americans prefer to read political articles that agree with the opinions they already hold. Researchers found that people spent 36 percent more time reading articles that agreed with their point of view than they did reading text that challenged their opinions.

Flipping The Brain's Addiction Switch Without Drugs

Posted: 28 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Researchers investigating how the brain becomes drug dependent have now implicated a naturally occurring protein, a dose of which allowed them to get rats hooked with no drugs at all. The finding could suggest ways to medically counteract the effects of drug addiction.

Why Some Prostate Cancer Returns

Posted: 28 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Men with a low oxygen supply to their tumor have a higher chance of the prostate cancer returning, as found by increasing prostate-specific antigen levels following treatment.

Understanding Plants' Overactive Immune System Will Help Researchers Build Better Crops

Posted: 28 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT

A plant's immune system protects the plant from harmful pathogens. If the system overreacts to pathogens, it can stunt plant growth and reduce seed production. Now, researchers have identified important suppressors that negatively regulate the responses of the immune system in the plant species Arabidopsis thaliana. Understanding the immune system of plants would allow breeders to create better yielding crop plants.

In Rare Disease, A Familiar Protein Disrupts Gene Function

Posted: 28 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Scientists studying a rare genetic disease discovered that a bundle of proteins with the long-established function of keeping chromosomes together also plays an important role in regulating genes in humans. When cohesin, a protein complex, doesn't work properly, genes are dysregulated in the multisystem developmental disease Cornelia de Lange syndrome.

Europe To Coordinate Unique Biobanks

Posted: 28 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT

The unique material that exists in Europe's, and above all the Nordic countries' and Sweden's, biobanks is a goldmine for research. To put them to their best possible use, this information will now be coordinated, as will the ethical and technical guidelines regarding the use of the biobanks.

Unsafe Neighborhoods Disable The Elderly

Posted: 28 May 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Elderly people who live below the poverty line and perceive their neighborhoods to be dangerous are more likely to have a mobility disability. Researchers suggest that even perceiving one's neighborhood as unsafe can "get into the body" and, ultimately, prove hazardous for elder health.

Male Or Female? Coloring Provides Gender Cues

Posted: 28 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT

Our brain is wired to identify gender based on facial cues and coloring, according to a new study. Psychologists found the luminescence of the eyebrow and mouth region is vital in rapid gender discrimination.

New Therapy Enlists Immune System To Boost Cure Rate In Childhood Cancer

Posted: 28 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT

Scientist have announced encouraging results for an experimental therapy using elements of the body's immune system to improve cure rates for children with neuroblastoma, a challenging cancer of the nervous system. Children who received monoclonal antibodies and cytokines were 20 percent more likely to be living disease-free two years after treatment, compared to children receiving standard therapy.

For Different Species, Different Functions For Embryonic MicroRNAs

Posted: 28 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT

When evolution has lucked into efficient solutions for life's most fundamental problems, it adopts them as invaluable family heirlooms, passing them down as one species evolves into another. So it was reasonable to expect that a key regulator of embryonic development -- a strand of RNA that shepherds stem cells through the process of differentiation -- might play the same role in all vertebrates, from fish to people. New research, however, has shown that when it comes to microRNAs, what works for one animal may not work the same way in another.

Sleep Apnea Widely Undiagnosed Among Obese Type 2 Diabetics, Study Suggests

Posted: 28 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT

Nearly 87 percent of obese, type 2 diabetics reported symptoms of sleep apnea, but were never diagnosed.

Most Polluted Ecosystems Can Recover, Study Finds

Posted: 28 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT

Most polluted or damaged ecosystems worldwide can recover within a lifetime if societies commit to their cleanup or restoration, according to a new analysis.

Did Mozart Really Have ADHD? History Of Hyperactivity Off-base, Says Researcher

Posted: 28 May 2009 08:00 PM PDT

A Canadian researcher working in the UK says doctors, authors and educators are doing hyperactive children a disservice by claiming that hyperactivity as we understand it today has always existed.

Portable Device Can Detect Viruses In Minutes

Posted: 28 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Imagine being able to detect in just a few minutes whether someone is infected with a virus. This has now become a reality, thanks to a new ultra-sensitive detector. The first prototype has just been completed and researchers expect to be able to introduce the first version of the detector onto the market in late 2010. Not only does the detector carry out measurements many times faster than do standard techniques, it is also portable, so it can be used anywhere.

Carbohydrate Restriction May Slow Prostate Tumor Growth

Posted: 28 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Restricting carbohydrates, regardless of weight loss, appears to slow the growth of prostate tumors, according to a new animal study.

Satellite Used To Unearth Innovation In Crop Forecasting

Posted: 28 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT

NASA researchers are using satellite data to deliver a kind of space-based humanitarian assistance. They are cultivating the most accurate estimates of soil moisture -- the main determinant of crop yield changes -- and improving global forecasts of how well food will grow at a time when the world is confronting shortages.

Zebrafish Provide Model For Cancerous Melanoma In Humans

Posted: 28 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Scientists haved used the zebrafish to gain insight into the influence of known cancer genes on the development and progression of melanoma, an aggressive form of human skin cancer with limited treatment options.

Connected World Gives Viruses The Edge

Posted: 28 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT

A new article explores the importance of dispersal to the evolution of parasites and suggests that as human activity makes the world more connected, natural selection will favor more virulent and dangerous parasites.

Warning On Athletes' Use Of Prescription Drugs

Posted: 28 May 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Athletes could be putting their lives at risk by doping themselves with powerful prescription drugs, an academic has warned. Researchers cautioned sportsmen and women against trying to improve their performance by taking drugs known as nitrites without clinical supervision. Researchers have warned that athletes could suffer a range of side effects from convulsions to coma, and could even kill themselves.

Antibiotic Multi-resistance: Why Bacteria Are So Effective

Posted: 28 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Scientists have deciphered for the first time the molecular mechanism that enables bacteria to acquire multi-resistance to antibiotics, and that even allows them to adapt this resistance to their environment. This discovery highlights the difficulties that will have to be tackled by public health strategies if they are to address the problems created by multi-resistance.

New Cellular Targets For HIV Drug Development

Posted: 28 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Focusing HIV drug development on immune cells called macrophages could help combat the disease, according to new research.

Greening Arctic Not Likely To Offset Permafrost Carbon Release

Posted: 28 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

As the frozen soil in the Arctic thaws, bacteria will break down organic matter, releasing long-stored carbon into the warming atmosphere.

How Viral Infection Can Protect From Type 1 Diabetes

Posted: 28 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Type 1 diabetes is caused by immune system–mediated destruction of insulin-producing beta-cells in the pancreas. It is known that infection with a virus can induce an immune response that damages beta-cells or a response that protects an individual from type 1 diabetes.

Ancient Mudstones Could Provide Alternative Source Of Energy

Posted: 28 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

New research in England reveals that an alternative to oil could be found in ancient sea deposits dating 300 million years ago.

People With Parents Who Fight Are More Likely To Have Mental Health Problems In Later Life

Posted: 28 May 2009 02:00 PM PDT

People with parents who were violent to each other are more likely to have mental health problems when they grow up, reveals new research.

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