Sunday, June 14, 2009

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Swine Flu Origins Revealed

Posted: 14 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT

A new analysis of the current swine-origin H1N1 influenza A virus suggests that transmission to humans occurred several months before recognition of the existing outbreak.

New Test Could Help Diagnose Early Dementia

Posted: 14 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT

A new cognitive test for detecting Alzheimer's disease is quicker and more accurate than many current tests, and could help diagnose early dementia.

Mathematicians Take Aim At 'Phantom' Traffic Jams: New Model Could Help Design Better Roads

Posted: 14 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Countless hours are lost in traffic jams every year. Most frustrating of all are those jams with no apparent cause -- no accident, no stalled vehicle, no lanes closed for construction. Such phantom jams can form when there is a heavy volume of cars on the road. In that high density of traffic, small disturbances (a driver hitting the brake too hard, or getting too close to another car) can quickly become amplified into a full-blown, self-sustaining traffic jam. A team of mathematicians has developed a model that describes how and under what conditions such jams form, which could help road designers minimize the odds of their formation.

Colorectal Cancer Rates Increasing Worldwide

Posted: 14 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT

A new study finds colorectal cancer incidence rates for both males and females increased in 27 of 51 countries worldwide between 1983 and 2002, and points to increasing Westernization as being a likely culprit.

Writing In Air Not Pie In The Sky: Student Device Turns Phone Gestures Into Email

Posted: 14 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Engineering students have taken advantage of the accelerometers in emerging cell phones to create an application that permits users to write short notes in the air with their phone, and have that message automatically sent to an e-mail address.

Postpartum Anxiety Delays Puberty In Offspring

Posted: 14 Jun 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Hormonal changes early in pregnancy cause maternal postpartum anxiety and behavior changes that can lead to a delayed onset of puberty in both birth and adoptive daughters, according to a new study conducted in mice.

Abrupt Global Warming Could Shift Monsoon Patterns, Hurt Agriculture

Posted: 14 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT

At times in the distant past, an abrupt change in climate has been associated with a shift of seasonal monsoons to the south, a new study concludes, causing more rain to fall over the oceans than in the Earth's tropical regions, and leading to a dramatic drop in global vegetation growth.

Dioxins In Food Chain Linked To Breastfeeding Ills

Posted: 14 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Exposure to dioxins during pregnancy harms the cells in rapidly-changing breast tissue, which may explain why some women have trouble breastfeeding or don't produce enough milk, according to a new study.

Supernova Remnant Is An Unusual Suspect

Posted: 14 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT

A new image from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory shows a supernova remnant with a different look. This object, known as SNR 0104-72.3 (SNR 0104 for short), is in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a small neighboring galaxy to the Milky Way. Astronomers think that SNR 0104 is the remains of a so-called Type Ia supernova caused by the thermonuclear explosion of a white dwarf.

Risk Of Transmission Of Huntington's Disease To Offspring Among Male Carriers Estimated

Posted: 14 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Researchers have quantified the probability of a male who carries a "high normal" variant of the Huntington's disease gene having a child who develops the disease. Although thought to be a very rare event, the probability has never been estimated using current information and disease guidelines. The findings may be useful during prenatal genetic counseling.

Zebra Mussels Hang On While Quagga Mussels Take Over

Posted: 14 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT

The zebra mussels that have wreaked ecological havoc on the Great Lakes are harder to find these days -- not because they are dying off, but because they are being replaced by a cousin, the quagga mussel. But zebra mussels still dominate in fast-moving streams and rivers.

Hypertension Among Lower-status Employees Lingers Well Into Retirement

Posted: 14 Jun 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Retirement from some occupations may not provide relief from the potentially devastating health effects of work-related hypertension, according to a new study.

What Really Prompts The Dog's 'Guilty Look'

Posted: 14 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT

What dog owner has not come home to a broken vase or other valuable items and a guilty-looking dog slouching around the house? By ingeniously setting up conditions where the owner was misinformed as to whether their dog had really committed an offense, researchers uncovered the origins of the "guilty look" in dogs.

How A Common Genetic Mutation Makes Cancer Radiation Resistant

Posted: 14 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Many cancerous tumors possess a genetic mutation that disables a tumor suppressor called PTEN. Now researchers have shown why inactivation of PTEN allows tumors to resist radiation therapy.

From Oxygen Transport To Melanin Formation: Activation Mechanism Of Key Enzymes Explained

Posted: 14 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Researchers have made use of cryo-electron microscopy to show the exact process of enzyme activation. Pandinus imperator, the emperor scorpion, is not only popular as a pet, but is also of interest for research purposes. The reason for this is its blue blood, which transports oxygen and distributes it throughout the body.

Multivitamins In Pregnancy Reduce Risk Of Low Birth Weights

Posted: 14 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Prenatal multivitamin supplements are associated with a significantly reduced risk of babies with a low birth weight compared with prenatal iron-folic acid supplementation, found a new study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Computing In The Quantum Dimension

Posted: 14 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT

A consortium of European researchers is solving some of the fundamental obstacles blocking real quantum computing applications in the short term. At the same time, it is helping to pave the way to a quantum computer.

Pre-pregnancy Depressed Mood May Heighten Risk For Premature Birth

Posted: 14 Jun 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Researchers trying to uncover why premature birth is a growing problem in the United States and one that disproportionately affects black women have found that pre-pregnancy depressive mood appears to be a risk factor in preterm birth among both blacks and whites.

Exploring New Therapy Strategies For Tuberculosis

Posted: 12 Jun 2009 09:00 PM PDT

Certain protein degradation complexes, molecular "shredders" dispose of protein garbage. Molecular machines of this kind have now been successfully decoded and show how proteins in tuberculosis bacteria are prepared for disposal.

How Cancers Spread To The Brain

Posted: 12 Jun 2009 09:00 PM PDT

Research has shown for the first time how cancers that spread to the brain establish themselves and begin to grow.

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