ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

---

• Lightning's Mirror Image ... Only Much Bigger
• New Technique Prevents Major Cause For Heart-related Stroke
• At The Fungal Farmer's Market, Only The Best Cyanobacteria Are For Sale
• Robot's Gentle Touch Aids Delicate Cancer Surgery
• NASA, Air Force Test Environmentally-friendly Rocket Propellant
• Recycling Efficiency: Sorting Trendy Bottles From Ordinary Ones
• An Inner 'Fingerprint' For Personalizing Medical Care
• First Genetically-engineered Malaria Vaccine To Enter Human Trials
• Microbiologists Find Defense Molecule That Senses Respiratory Viruses
• Impaired Transport In Neurons Triggers Prion Disease
• Nuclear Fusion Research Key To Advancing Computer Chips
• Clues To Gigantism Provided By Family In Borneo Mountains
• Naming Evolution's Winners And Losers
• Smokeless Tobacco Increases Risk Of Heart Attack And Stroke, Research Finds
• Hidden Treasure: Technique Reveals Buried Image In Famed Illustrator's Painting
• Elevated Arginase Levels Contribute To Vascular Eye Disease Such As Diabetic Retinopathy
• A Safe Approach To Nanotechnology
• Universal Influenza Vaccination May Reduce Antibiotic Use
• New Microchip Technology Performs 1,000 Chemical Reactions At Once
• Disrupting A Destructive Duo: Researchers Inhibit Cancer Proteins
• Asian Clam Invasion Is Growing Fast, Lake Tahoe Report Finds
• Babies With Mild Facial Paralysis From Forceps Typically Do Not Need Treatment
• Tiny Robots Get A Grip On Nanotubes
• Researcher Questions Federal Guidelines For Seasonal And Swine Flu Vaccines
• Let There Be Light: Teaching Magnets To Do More Than Just Stick Around
• Diabetes Drug Linked To Increased Risk Of Heart Failure, Study Concludes
• Tension In Axons Is Essential For Synaptic Signaling, Researchers Report
• In Vitro Fertilization Less Successful With Alternative Fertility Treatments
• Intrinsic Changes In Protein Shape Influence Drug Binding
• Chinese Culture At The Crossroads: Prehistoric Archaeological Findings Highlighted In New Research

Lightning's Mirror Image ... Only Much Bigger Posted: 24 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT With a very lucky shot, scientists have captured a one-second image and the electrical fingerprint of huge lightning that flowed 40 miles upward from the top of a storm.

New Technique Prevents Major Cause For Heart-related Stroke Posted: 24 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT Physicians have performed a non-surgical procedure using sutures to tie off a left atrial appendage, which is the source of blood clots leading to stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. AFib is the most common sustained heart-rhythm disorder in the United States.

At The Fungal Farmer's Market, Only The Best Cyanobacteria Are For Sale Posted: 24 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT Lichens are the classic example of a symbiotic relationship. Both the fungal and photobiont components of the lichen benefit from the relationship and often are unable to survive without each other. Recent research has put a new spin on this relationship.

Robot's Gentle Touch Aids Delicate Cancer Surgery Posted: 24 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT Canadian researchers have created a touchy-feely robot that detects tougher tumor tissue for minimally invasive surgery with 40 percent more accuracy than a human.

NASA, Air Force Test Environmentally-friendly Rocket Propellant Posted: 24 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT NASA and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research have successfully launched a small rocket using an environmentally-friendly, safe propellant comprised of aluminum powder and water ice, called ALICE.

Recycling Efficiency: Sorting Trendy Bottles From Ordinary Ones Posted: 24 Aug 2009 11:00 AM PDT As companies create new bottles for brands of beer, they need to calculate the cost of sorting their trendy bottles from the rest on the market in the recycling process. One Dutch-German project found a way to keep the cost down.

An Inner 'Fingerprint' For Personalizing Medical Care Posted: 24 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Fingerprints, move over. Scientists are reporting evidence that people have another defining trait that may distinguish each of the 6.7 billion humans on Earth from one another almost as surely as the arches, loops, and whorls on their fingertips. Scientists now report evidence from studies in humans for the existence of unique patterns in metabolism.

First Genetically-engineered Malaria Vaccine To Enter Human Trials Posted: 24 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Walter and Eliza Hall Institute scientists have created a weakened strain of the malaria parasite that will be used as a live vaccine against the disease. The vaccine, developed in collaboration with researchers from the US, Japan and Canada, will be trialled in humans from early next year.

Microbiologists Find Defense Molecule That Senses Respiratory Viruses Posted: 24 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Research points toward potential immune therapies for individuals at high risk for RSV and flu, two common respiratory viruses. This could benefit infants, children, the elderly and persons with compromised immune systems.

Impaired Transport In Neurons Triggers Prion Disease Posted: 24 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT A new study shows that nervous system integrity and axonal properties may play a key role in prion diseases. The findings expand our understanding of the development of prion disease and suggest novel targets for therapeutic and diagnostic approaches in its early stages.

Nuclear Fusion Research Key To Advancing Computer Chips Posted: 24 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT Researchers are adapting the same methods used in fusion-energy research to create extremely thin plasma beams for a new class of "nanolithography" required to make future computer chips.

Clues To Gigantism Provided By Family In Borneo Mountains Posted: 24 Aug 2009 08:00 AM PDT An indigenous family living in a mountainous area of Malaysian Borneo helped researchers to discover information about genetic mutations associated with acromegaly, a form of gigantism that often results in enlarged hands, feet and facial features.

Naming Evolution's Winners And Losers Posted: 24 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT Mammals and many species of birds and fish are among "evolution's winners," while crocodiles, alligators and a reptile cousin of snakes known as the tuatara are among its losers, according to a new study. The study also shows new species emerge nearly as often as they die off.

Smokeless Tobacco Increases Risk Of Heart Attack And Stroke, Research Finds Posted: 24 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT People who use smokeless tobacco products like snus have a slightly higher risk of having a fatal heart attack or stroke, according to new research.

Hidden Treasure: Technique Reveals Buried Image In Famed Illustrator's Painting Posted: 24 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT Researchers are reporting the use of a new X-ray imaging technique to reveal unprecedented details of a painting hidden beneath another painting by famed American illustrator N.C. Wyeth. The nondestructive technique could reveal new insights into the artist's technique, and potentially reveal hidden images in hundreds of Old Master paintings, the researchers say.

Elevated Arginase Levels Contribute To Vascular Eye Disease Such As Diabetic Retinopathy Posted: 24 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT Elevated levels of the enzyme arginase contribute to vascular eye damage and researchers say therapies to normalize its levels could halt progression of potentially blinding diseases such as diabetic retinopathy.

A Safe Approach To Nanotechnology Posted: 24 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT A nontoxic and environmentally friendly way to make tiny nanorods of zinc oxide has been developed for the first time. The approach could allow the nanorods to be used safely in medical and for other applications.

Universal Influenza Vaccination May Reduce Antibiotic Use Posted: 24 Aug 2009 05:00 AM PDT We all know that influenza vaccination helps prevent disease, but a new study from Canada suggests it may also prevent another public health problem: inappropriate antibiotic use.

New Microchip Technology Performs 1,000 Chemical Reactions At Once Posted: 24 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have developed technology to perform more than a thousand chemical reactions at once on a stamp-size, PC-controlled microchip, which could accelerate the identification of potential drug candidates for treating diseases like cancer.

Disrupting A Destructive Duo: Researchers Inhibit Cancer Proteins Posted: 24 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new way to split up a dangerous pair of cancer proteins, a finding that could ultimately lead to chemotherapy that is more effective and has fewer side effects.

Asian Clam Invasion Is Growing Fast, Lake Tahoe Report Finds Posted: 24 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT An annual Lake Tahoe health report describes a spreading Asian clam population that could put sharp shells and rotting algae on the spectacular mountain lake's popular beaches, possibly aid an invasion of quagga and zebra mussels, and even affect lake clarity and ecology.

Babies With Mild Facial Paralysis From Forceps Typically Do Not Need Treatment Posted: 24 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT Mild facial nerve paralysis caused by the use of forceps during birth generally resolves on its own and does not require treatment, according to a new report.

Tiny Robots Get A Grip On Nanotubes Posted: 24 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT How do you handle the tiny components needed for constructing nanoscale devices? A European consortium has built two microrobotic demonstrators that can automatically pick up and install carbon nanotubes thousands of times thinner than a human hair.

Researcher Questions Federal Guidelines For Seasonal And Swine Flu Vaccines Posted: 24 Aug 2009 02:00 AM PDT A researcher has developed a mathematical model that calls into question whether current federal guidelines on seasonal and swine flu vaccines are targeting the correct populations and preventing both the spread of and complications from the viruses.

Let There Be Light: Teaching Magnets To Do More Than Just Stick Around Posted: 23 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT Chemists have found a way to train tiny semiconductor crystals, called nanocrystals or quantum dots, to display new magnetic functions at room temperature using light as a trigger.

Diabetes Drug Linked To Increased Risk Of Heart Failure, Study Concludes Posted: 23 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT Rosiglitazone, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, is associated with an increased risk of heart failure and death among older patients compared to a similar drug, a new study concludes.

Tension In Axons Is Essential For Synaptic Signaling, Researchers Report Posted: 23 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT Every time a neuron sends a signal -- to move a muscle or form a memory, for example -- tiny membrane-bound compartments, called vesicles, dump neurotransmitters into the synapse between the cells. Researchers report that this process, which is fundamental to the workings of the nervous system, relies on a simple mechanical reality: Tension in the axon of the presynaptic neuron is required.

In Vitro Fertilization Less Successful With Alternative Fertility Treatments Posted: 23 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT The common belief is that it won't hurt to try alternative fertility treatments before reverting to in vitro fertilization (IVF). But a new study finds that the success of IVF treatment is 30 percent lower among women who have used alternative medicine. The researchers included over 700 IVF users over a 12-month period. Women who had first tried a combination of alternative treatments, such as reflexology, acupuncture, or herbal and aromatherapy, had significantly lower pregnancy rates after IVF treatment.

Intrinsic Changes In Protein Shape Influence Drug Binding Posted: 23 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT Computational biologists have shown that proteins have an intrinsic ability to change shape, and this is required for their biological activity. Shape-changing also allows the small molecules that are attracted to a given protein to select the structure that permits the best binding. That premise could help in the discovery and design of drugs that will have the most impact on protein function to better treat disease.

Chinese Culture At The Crossroads: Prehistoric Archaeological Findings Highlighted In New Research Posted: 23 Aug 2009 11:00 PM PDT Recent archaeological discoveries from far-flung corners of China are forcing scientists to reconsider the origins of ancient Chinese civilization -- and a new crop of young archaeologists are delving into the modern nation's roots.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Latest Science News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610