Wednesday, June 03, 2009

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News
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Scientists Create Metal That Pumps Liquid Uphill

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 11:00 AM PDT

In nature, trees pull vast amounts of water from their roots up to their leaves hundreds of feet above the ground through capillary action, but now scientists have created a simple slab of metal that lifts liquid using the same principle -- but does so at a speed that would make nature envious.

New Device Detects Heart Disease Using Less Than One Drop Of Blood

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Testing people for heart disease might be just a finger prick away thanks to a new credit card-sized device. This device can measure and collect a type of cells needed to build vascular tissue, called endothelial progenitor cells, using only 200 microliters of blood.

Cell Phone Ringtones Can Pose Major Distraction, Impair Recall

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 11:00 AM PDT

A flurry of recent research has documented that talking on a cell phone poses a dangerous distraction for drivers and others whose attention should be focused elsewhere. Now, a new study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology finds that just the ring of a cell phone may be equally distracting, especially when it comes in a classroom setting or includes a familiar song as a ringtone.

Semen Quality May Depend Upon Antioxidants In Man's Diet

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 11:00 AM PDT

A possible relationship between men's diets and the quality of their semen has long been a discussion point. Researchers have now confirmed that antioxidants, molecules which are found mainly in fruit and vegetables and can delay and prevent the oxidation of other molecules, play a key role.

Lightweight Wings For A High-flying Kite

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Tensairity elements made of air filled membrane assemblies, rods and cables have already made a name for themselves in the construction world as extremely light yet strong load-bearing structures. But is this new technology also suitable for use in the aerospace industry, for example to create novel wings for kites? Researchers are now demonstrating their first flying models.

Insomniac Flies Resemble Sleep-deprived Humans

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Researchers have created a line of fruit flies that may someday help shed light on the mechanisms that cause insomnia in humans. The flies, which only get a small fraction of the sleep of normal flies, resemble insomniac humans in several ways.

Ancient Mammals Shifted Diets As Climate Changed

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT

A new study shows mammals change their dietary niches based on climate-driven environmental changes, contradicting a common assumption that species maintain their niches despite global warming.

'Death Receptors' Designed To Kill Our Cells May Make Them Stronger

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Scientists can now explain how cell receptors (called "death receptors") used by the body to shut down old, diseased, or otherwise unwanted cells (called "apoptosis") may also be used to make cells heartier when facing a wide range of illnesses, from liver disease to cancer. Death receptors may be prime therapeutic targets for treating a wide variety of cancers, immune disorders and tissue injuries.

Canaries That Hear Poor Songs As Juveniles Nevertheless Sing Rather Normal Songs As Adults

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Many songbirds learn their songs early in life from a role model. In the absence of an appropriate tutor, they develop an improvised song that often lacks the species-typical song structure. However, male canaries even learn to sing normal songs when they were exposed as juveniles to tutors that lacked the features of normal canary song, as researchers have now found out.

Suffer Stroke Symptoms? Second Strokes Often Follow Within Hours

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT

About half of all people who have a major stroke following a warning stroke (a transient ischemic attack or mild stroke) have it within 24 hours of the first event, according to new research.

How Do Thunderstorms Create Lightning? High-energy Particles From Space Used To Probe Thunderstorms

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Scientists have developed a new technique to remotely measure thunderstorm electric fields on the ground.

Downsizing Emergency Departments May Create Dangerous Loss Of 'Surge Capacity' For Crisis Situations

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Factors that lead to emergency department overcrowdings, ambulance diversions and other incidents that endanger patient safety have been revealed. A new study has shown that reductions in the number of hospital beds and downsizing or closure of emergency departments may create a dangerous loss of "surge capacity".

When Evolution Is Not So Slow And Gradual

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT

What's the secret to surviving during times of environmental change? Evolve... quickly. A new article finds that guppy populations introduced into new habitats developed new and advantageous traits in just a few years. This is one of only a few studies to look at adaptation and survival in a wild population.

'Gene Silencing' May Improve Treatment Of A Deadly Complication Of Liver Disease

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT

A technique that "silences," or turns off, genes shows promise as a potential new treatment for liver fibrosis — the disease that leads to cirrhosis — scientists are reporting. 

Global Responsibility To Help Vulnerable Communities Adapt

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT

For one international community -- the 165,000 strong Inuit community dispersed across the Arctic coastline in small, remote coastal settlements in Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Siberia -- it is already too late to prevent some of the negative effects of climate change.

Ruptured Brain Aneurysms: Minimally Invasive Stroke Treatment Produces Better Patient Outcomes Than Surgical Operation, Study Finds

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT

While minimally invasive coil treatments for those with a ruptured brain aneurysm have proved to be a more effective technique than traditional surgical operation in selected patients, the superior procedure is drastically more expensive, according to new research.

In The Turf War Against Seaweed, Coral Reefs More Resilient Than Expected

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT

There's little doubt that coral reefs the world over face threats on many fronts: pollution, diseases, destructive fishing practices and warming oceans. But reefs appear to be more resistant to one potential menace -- seaweed -- than previously thought, according to marine scientists.

Glucose Metabolism And Recidivism Of Severe Violent Crimes In Alcohol Intoxications

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 05:00 AM PDT

A low glycogen level, which means non-oxidative glucose metabolism, predicts forthcoming violent offending among antisocial violent offender males, suggests a new study.

Not Just Through The Eyes: Squid 'Sight' Offers Insight Into Treating Human Eye Diseases

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT

It's hard to miss the huge eye of a squid. But now it appears that certain squids can detect light through an organ other than their eyes as well.

Exercise More, Not Less, To Ease Aching Back, Study Suggests

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT

People with lower back pain are better off exercising more, not less, according to a new study.

Most Efficient Spectrograph To Shoot The Southern Skies

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT

ESO's Very Large Telescope has been equipped with the first of its second generation instruments: X-shooter. It can record the entire spectrum of a celestial object in one shot -- from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared -- with high sensitivity. This unique new instrument will be particularly useful for the study of distant exploding objects called gamma-ray bursts.

Cardiovascular Fitness Not Affected By Cancer Treatment

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT

The cardiovascular fitness level of cancer survivors is not affected by many standard cancer therapies, say researchers. That is the finding of a new observational study.

Better And Faster Search Engines

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Internet search engines virtually always create a ranking of all pages, and then they choose only those pages that contain the right words. A new approach yields more relevant hits and faster search engines.

Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Is Effective In Treating Chronic Insomnia

Posted: 03 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT

A new study demonstrates that online cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic insomnia significantly improves insomnia severity, daytime fatigue and sleep quality. Online treatment also reduces erroneous beliefs about sleep and pre-sleep mental arousal.

World First: Chinese Scientists Create Pluripotent Stem Cells From Pigs

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Scientists have managed to induce cells from pigs to transform into pluripotent stem cells -- cells that, like embryonic stem cells, are capable of developing into any type of cell in the body. It is the first time that this has been achieved using somatic cells (cells that are not sperm or egg cells) from any animal with hooves (known as ungulates).

Enzyme Involved In Inflammatory Bowel Disease Discovered

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Researchers have discovered that the enzyme meprin has a key role in inflammatory bowel disease.

Six New Genome Sequences And Fundamental Insights To The Candida Fungus Family Revealed

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Scientists have defined six new genome sequences in the Candida fungus family and identified genetic differences in species that cause disease.

Vandetanib Shows Clinical Benefit When Combined With Docetaxel For Lung Cancer

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT

When combined with standard chemotherapy, an international Phase III trial has shown that the oral targeted therapy vandetanib improves progression-free survival for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, according to research.

Sugarcoating Fruit Fly Development: Sugar Tags On Nuclear Proteins Have An Important Developmental Function

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Scientists have discovered that sugar tags on nuclear proteins have an important developmental function Proteins are the executive agents that carry out all processes in a cell. Their activity is controlled and modified with the help of small chemical tags that can be dynamically added to and removed from the protein.

Intervention Reduces Delinquent Teenage Pregancy Rates

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT

A program aimed at reducing criminal behavior in juvenile justice teens has yielded a surprising side benefit. The program is also reducing the teens' rate of pregnancy, according to a new study.

Magnetic Tornadoes Could Liberate Mercury's Tenuous Atmosphere

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 08:00 PM PDT

Mercury is scorching hot, with daytime temperatures of more than 800 degrees Fahrenheit. Its hard for the planet to hold on to its atmosphere, which is extremely thin, and invisible to the human eye. However, it can be seen by special instruments attached to telescopes and spacecraft like MESSENGER.

Genes And Smoking Play Role In Rheumatoid Arthritis

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 08:00 PM PDT

Recent genetic studies have revealed several new sites of genes that are risk factors for developing rheumatoid arthritis. The strongest association with anti-citrullinated protein antibody-positive RA (ACPAs are autoantibodies detected in RA that are used as a major diagnostic tool) has been found for the HLA-DRB1 gene, and this site seems to play a central role in susceptibility to the disease in Caucasian populations.

A Drone For Security And Safety

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 08:00 PM PDT

European researchers have developed a small robotic drone capable of helping save lives in emergency situations or preventing terrorist attacks in urban areas.

Surgery Not Necessary For Most Late-stage Colorectal Cancers, Study Finds

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 08:00 PM PDT

A new study shows that a large majority of patients who present with advanced colorectal cancer that has spread to other organs don't require immediate surgery to remove the primary tumor in the colon.

Counting Sheep In Climate Change Predictions

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 08:00 PM PDT

Climate change can have devastating effects on endangered species, but new mathematical models may be able to aid conservation of a population of bighorn sheep.

Culture, Not Biology, Underpins Math Gender Gap

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 08:00 PM PDT

For more than a century, the notion that females are innately less capable than males at doing mathematics, especially at the highest levels, has persisted in even the loftiest circles.

Scientists Map Penguins From Space By Locating Their Feces

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Penguin poo (guano) stains, visible from space, have helped British scientists locate emperor penguin breeding colonies in Antarctica. Knowing their location provides a baseline for monitoring their response to environmental change.

Goopy Ear Wax And Unpleasant Body Odors Signal Breast Cancer Risk

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT

If having malodorous armpits (called osmidrosis) and goopy earwax isn't bad enough, a discovery by Japanese scientists may add a more serious problem for women facing these cosmetic calamities. That's because they've found that a gene responsible for breast cancer causes these physical symptoms. The report should arm physicians with another clue for detecting breast cancer risk.

Gene For Day Blindness In Dachshunds Found

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Researchers have discovered the genetic cause of day blindness or "cone-rod dystrophy" in the wire-haired dachshund. The disease was discovered in two litter mates in 1999 and has since been studied in both clinical and genetic trials in offspring of these.

Individualized Treatment For Heart Failure Rarely Available Outside Hospital: New Telemonitoring Systems Could 'Radically' Change The Situation

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Telemonitoring systems, by which the symptoms of heart failure can be remotely assessed, now provide a strategy for the improved personalized care of patients, according to researchers.

Ethanol Production Could Jeopardize Soil Productivity

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Crop residues possess a critical role in sustaining soil organic matter, and as it is increasingly being used for the production of cellulosic-based ethanol, this removal may impact the long-term productivity of soils.

New Space Headache Category Proposed Following Astronauts’ Survey

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Researchers are calling for space headache to be established as a new secondary disorder after carrying out a study of 17 astronauts. Their study jettisons the theory that astronauts' headaches are normally caused by space motion sickness, after showing that more than three-quarters of those studied had no connection.

Improved DNA Stool Test Could Detect Digestive Cancers In Multiple Organs

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Researchers have demonstrated that a noninvasive screening test can detect not only colorectal cancer but also the common cancers above the colon -- including pancreas, stomach, biliary and esophageal cancers.

Menopause Researcher Discovers Nontoxic Chemical That Causes Infertility In Rats

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT

A new discovery could help feed millions. When a scientist set out to alleviate diseases associated with menopause, she didn't realize her work could lead to addressing world hunger and feeding hundreds of millions of people. The research has identified a nontoxic chemical technology that when applied to rodents, caused infertility in rats, which feast on crops intended for human consumption.

New Pathology Tests Double Sensitivity To Detect Bile Duct And Pancreatic Cancers

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Pancreatic cancer and bile duct cancer are difficult to diagnose and often fatal because they are discovered in the advanced stages of the disease. Researchers have developed new tests that double the ability to detect bile duct and pancreatic cancers, according to a new study.

Can Mathematicians Can Spot The Winning Team Better Than Sports Commentators?

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Sports commentators on soccer and hockey games will often make their winning predictions as soon as the first goal is scored. Now, Canadian mathematicians have worked out a formula for spotting the winning team that could make the pundits redundant.

Tai Chi Improves Pain In Arthritis Sufferers

Posted: 02 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT

The results of a new analysis have provided good evidence to suggest that tai chi is beneficial for arthritis. Specifically, it was shown to decrease pain with trends towards improving overall physical health, level of tension and satisfaction with health status.

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