Friday, September 04, 2009

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Magnetic Monopoles Detected In A Real Magnet For The First Time

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Researchers have for the first time observed magnetic monopoles and how they emerge in a real material. Magnetic monopoles are hypothetical particles proposed by physicists that carry a single magnetic pole, either a magnetic north pole or south pole. In the material world, this is quite exceptional because magnetic particles are usually observed as dipoles, north and south combined.

Genetic Cause For Type Of Deafness Identified; Discovery Could Lead To New Therapies For Progressive Hearing Loss

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered a genetic cause of progressive hearing loss. The findings will help scientists better understand the nature of age-related decline in hearing, and may lead to new therapies to prevent or treat the condition.

New Design Keeps Buildings Standing And Habitable After Major Earthquakes

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT

A new earthquake-resistant structural system for buildings, just successfully tested in Japan, will not only help a multi-story building hold itself together during a violent earthquake, but also return it to standing up straight on its foundation afterward, true and plumb, with damage confined to a few easily replaceable parts. During testing on a massive shake table, the system survived simulated earthquakes bigger than either the 1994 Northridge earthquake or the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

It Pays To Quit Smoking Before Surgery

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT

People who start nicotine replacement therapy at least four weeks before surgery can halve their risk of poor wound healing, according to a new study.

New Open-source Camera Could Revolutionize Photography

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Computational photography researchers have built an open-source digital camera. Anyone will be able to create new features for the camera by writing aps that will control all the camera's functions -- focus, exposure, shutter speed, flash, etc. Cameras could be taught new tricks with downloadable apps, analogous to iPhone apps. No longer will camera owners be limited to the features installed by the manufacturer. Sky's the limit.

Carrots Are Better Than Sticks For Building Human Cooperation, Study Finds

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 11:00 AM PDT

Rewards go further than punishment in building human cooperation and benefiting the common good, according to new research. While previous studies have focused almost exclusively on punishment for promoting public cooperation, here rewards are shown to be much more successful.

Europe's First Farmers Were Immigrants: Replaced Their Stone Age Hunter-gatherer Forerunners

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Analysis of ancient DNA suggests that Europe's first farmers were not the descendants of the people who settled the area after the retreat of the ice sheets. Instead, the early farmers probably migrated into major areas of central and eastern Europe about 7,500 years ago, bringing domesticated plants and animals with them. DNA analysis reveals little evidence of a direct genetic link between the hunter-gatherers and the early farmers.

Protein Believed To Protect Against Cancer Has A Mr. Hyde Side

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT

In a biological rendition of fiction's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, researchers have found that a protein thought to protect against cancer development can actually spur the spread of tumors.

Vitamin C Deficiency Impairs Early Brain Development, Guinea Pig Study Finds

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT

New research from Denmark shows that guinea pigs subjected to vitamin C deficiency have 30 percent less hippocampal neurones and markedly worse memory than guinea-pigs given a normal diet. Like guinea pigs, humans are dependent on getting vitamin C through their diet, this leads to the speculation that vitamin C deficiency in pregnant women may also lead to impaired early brain development.

Breast Cancer: Risk Increases For Smokers And Overweight Women

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT

A recent study has reinforced the correlation between being overweight, smoking and breast cancer. What makes this study unique is how test subjects were not diagnosed for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, which predispose women to breast cancer.

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Takes First Look At Apollo 12 Landing Site

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Four months after the success of Apollo 11, NASA launched Apollo 12 in November 1969. Almost exactly 40 years later, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has seen the landing site.

Poor Money Saving Linked To General Impulsiveness

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 08:00 AM PDT

Financial imprudence is linked to other impulsive behavior such as overeating, smoking and infidelity, according to a new study.

Long-term Cooling Trend In Arctic Abruptly Reverses, Signaling Potential For Sea Rise

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT

Warming from greenhouse gases has trumped the Arctic's millennia-long natural cooling cycle, suggests new research. Although the Arctic has been receiving less energy from the summer sun for the past 8,000 years, summer temperatures began climbing in 1900. The decade from 1999 to 2008 was the warmest in the Arctic in two millennia, report scientists who tracked Arctic temperatures 2,000 years into the past using natural archives including lake sediments, tree rings and ice cores.

Scientists Begin To Untangle Root Cause Of Alzheimer's Disease

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT

"N60" might not be the first thing that comes to mind when people think of Alzheimer's disease, but thanks to researchers from the United States, South Korea and France, this might change. That's because these researchers have found that the N60 section of a protein called "RanBP9" might be the key that unlocks an entirely new class of Alzheimer's drugs, and with them, hope.

Thousands Of New Images Show Mars In High Resolution

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT

Thousands of newly released images from more than 1,500 telescopic observations by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show a wide range of gullies, dunes, craters, geological layering and other features on the Red Planet.

Transplanted Human Stem Cells Prolong Survival In Mouse Model Of Rare Brain Disease

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT

A new study finds substantial improvement in a mouse model of a rare, hereditary neurodegenerative disease after transplantation of normal human neural stem cells. The research findings show that the transplanted cells provided a critical enzyme that was missing in the brains of the experimental mice and represent an important step toward what may be a successful therapeutic approach for a currently untreatable and devastating disease.

Ibuprofen From Oil? Researchers Apply An Ecological Process

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT

Researchers in Spain are designing ecological catalysts to get important products such as adhesives, textiles and products with pharmacological, antibiotic or insecticide properties from hydrocarbons -- organic molecules derived from oil production.

Popular Supplement Quercetin Does Not Enhance Athletic Performance, Study Finds

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT

The antioxidant quercetin is increasingly being marketed as a supplement that boosts athletic performance, but a new study finds that it is no better than a placebo.

Celestial Rosetta Stone: White Dwarf Star, Circling Companion Star, Could Explode In A Few Million Years

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT

The European Space Agency's XMM-Newton orbiting X-ray telescope has uncovered a celestial Rosetta stone: the first close-up of a white dwarf star, circling a companion star, that could explode into a particular kind of supernova in a few million years. These supernovae are used as beacons to measure cosmic distances and ultimately understand the expansion of our Universe.

Exercise Minimizes Weight Regain By Reducing Appetite And Burning Fat First, Carbs Later

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT

Exercise helps prevent weight regain after dieting by reducing appetite and by burning fat before burning carbohydrates. Burning fat first and storing carbohydrates for use later in the day may minimize overeating by signaling a feeling of fullness to the brain. Exercise also prevents the increase in the number of fat cells that occurs during weight regain, challenging the belief that the number of fat cells cannot be altered by dietary or lifestyle changes.

Shawnee Lookout May Be Largest Continuously Occupied Hilltop Native American Site In United States

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT

The discoveries continue to surprise for a team of students digging in Ohio's Shawnee Lookout Park, with a major new mound being located and a rare kiln used to fire pottery excavated in recent weeks, along with even more evidence emerging to support the theory that the site could be the largest continuously occupied hilltop Native American site in the United States.

Researchers Examine Mechanisms That Help Cancer Cells Proliferate

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT

A process that limits the number of times a cell divides works much differently than had been thought, opening the door to potential new anticancer therapies, researchers report.

Denitrification, Its Importance Once Diluted, May Be Back On Top

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT

After more than a decade of inquiry, a team of scientists has turned the tables on a long-standing controversy to re-establish an old truth about nitrogen mixing in the oceans.

Mothers With Postpartum Depression With Suicidal Thoughts And Their Infant Interactions

Posted: 04 Sep 2009 02:00 AM PDT

New mothers with postpartum depression who contemplate taking their own life, suffer greater mood disturbances, negative perceptions of their effectiveness as new parents and are less responsive to their infants cues. Many are depressed, feel isolated and mentally confused. Those are the findings of a recent two-year study.

Nowhere To Hide: Some Species Are Unable To Adapt To Climate Change Due To Their Genes

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Species living in restricted environments such as the tropics may lack adequate variation in their genes and be unable to adapt to climate change, according to a new study.

Can Bone Marrow Be Quickly Revived After Destruction By Leukemia Treatment? Faster Recovery From Life-threatening Blood Cell Shortages

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT

A key compound resupplies bone marrow with fast-acting stem cells that can more quickly rekindle blood cell production, according to a new study. While the study was in mice, the authors say it has the potential to increase survival among patients with life-threatening blood cell shortages.

Nonagenarian Researcher Petitions FDA To Ban Trans Fats

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT

Fred Kummerow, a 94-year-old University of Illinois veterinary biosciences professor emeritus who still conducts research on the health effects of trans fats in the diet, filed a petition with the FDA last month to ban trans fats from food.

Trauma 411: Prolonged Surgery Should Be Avoided In Certain Cases

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT

A review article explains that trauma patients who have several orthopaedic injuries and are considered to be in unstable condition should only have a few hours of surgery when first arriving at the hospital.

Water Scarcity In Southeast Australia Started 15 Years Ago

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT

New analysis shows that the water scarcity being experienced in southeast Australia started up to 15 years ago. The finding follows the first ever national and comprehensive analysis of 30 years of on-ground and satellite observations of Australia's water resources.

Experts Warn Over Health Check Brain Scans In UK

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 11:00 PM PDT

A new study has voiced concern about the growing market for brain screening tests, which people can buy as part of a general health check-up in the United Kingdom.

Those Blinded By Brain Injury May Still 'See', New Study Shows

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT

Except in clumsy moments, we rarely knock over the box of cereal or glass of orange juice as we reach for our morning cup of coffee. New research has helped unlock the mystery of how our brain allows us to avoid these undesired objects.

Inflammatory Diseases Linked To Increased Cardiovascular Risk

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT

Patients suffering from two serious autoimmune disorders which cause muscular inflammation are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, say researchers who have linked muscular inflammation to increased cardiovascular risk for the first time.

Over Time, An Invasive Plant Loses Its Toxic Edge

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT

Like most invasive plants introduced to the U.S. from Europe and other places, garlic mustard first found it easy to dominate the natives. A new study indicates that eventually, however, its primary weapon -- a fungus-killing toxin injected into the soil -- becomes less potent.

Image-guided Radiation Therapy May Improve Outcomes For Obese Prostate Cancer Patients

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT

Moderately to severely obese prostate cancer patients may have improved treatment outcomes when treated with image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) over traditional external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) because IGRT corrects for prostate shifts, which, if not planned for, can lead to incorrect doses of radiation to the disease site, according to a new study.

New Research Supports Model For Nuclear Pore Complex

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT

To protect their DNA, cells in higher organisms are very choosy about what they allow in and out of their nuclei, where the genes reside. Guarding access is the job of transport machines called nuclear pore complexes, which stud the nuclear membrane. Despite these gatekeepers' conspicuously large size (they are made of 30 different proteins), they have proved largely inscrutable to researchers over the years. But bit by bit, scientists are learning how these machines work.

GERD Negatively Impacts Sleep Quality, Results In Considerable Economic Burden

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 08:00 PM PDT

There has been much debate about the relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep. Three new studies explore GERD's effect on sleep quality and the health-care system as well as how a widely prescribed sleeping pill may mask the disease.

'Lucky Luke' Of The Seas: How Ambush-feeding Zooplankton Capture Prey

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT

The world's fastest ambush has been caught on film. Behind the attack is a copepod which must be 'faster than its shadow' to capture its prey in water thicker than syrup.

World-first Swine-flu Vaccine Trial Reveals One Dose Provides 'Strong Immune Response'

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Results from the first swine-flu vaccine trials taking place in the United Kingdom reveal a strong immune response after just one dose.

Trash Or Treasure? Discarded US Computers Often Get A Second Life

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT

More computers discarded by consumers in the United States are getting a second life in developing countries than previously believed, according to a new study -- the most comprehensive ever done on the topic. The findings may ease growing concerns about environmental pollution with toxic metals that can result from dismantling and recycling computer components in developing countries.

Prodrug Could Help Curb Skin Toxicity Related To EGFR-inhibiting Cancer Drugs

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT

There may be a way around the harsh skin toxicity associated with a widely used cancer drug, according to a new study.

New Computer Models Aim To Classify, Help Reduce Injury Accidents

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Researchers are developing computer models to comb through thousands of injury reports in large administrative medical datasets or insurance claims data to automatically classify them based on specific words or phrases.

Internet Complicates Doctor-Patient Relationships, Spanish Researchers Find

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 05:00 PM PDT

Patients who ask their doctor about information they have read on the Internet, or webs that better inform them of their diagnosis, are no longer a rarity. A study undertaken by Spanish researchers reveals the advantages and disadvantages of online medical enquiries. Some 31% of doctors believe that the Internet complicates their relationship with patients and undermines their credibility.

Better Test To Detect DNA For Diagnosing Disease, Investigating Crimes

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Researchers are reporting development of a new electronic sensor that shows promise as a faster, less expensive, and more practical alternative than tests now used to detect DNA. Such tests are done for criminal investigation, disease diagnosis, and other purposes. The new lab-on-a-chip test could lead to wider, more convenient use of DNA testing, the researchers say.

New Information About How Fat Increases Blood Pressure Could Help Identify Those At Risk

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Some of the first information about how fat causes hypertension have been identified by researchers who say the findings should one day help identify which obese people -- and maybe some thin ones too -- are at risk for hypertension and which drugs would work best for them.

Bighorn Sheep: Is 'Personality Type' Linked To Longevity, Offspring?

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT

A Canadian researcher wrestles with bighorn mountain sheep to gauge their personalities. He is part of a team that traps the animals in a plywood enclosure on a mountaintop in the Rockies. The research team are trying to figure out if personality type has anything to do with how long a mountain sheep lives or how many offspring it produces.

Buyer Beware: Estrogen Supplements Not As Effective As Claimed, Researchers Find

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT

Dietary supplements claiming to help postmenopausal women with bone health may not be doing what they say, according to new research.

Early 20th Century Evolutionist May Have Discovered Epigenetics

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT

A new study may help end the controversy surrounding Lamarckian experimentalist Paul Kammerer. The study suggests that far from being a fraud, Kammerer may have discovered the field of epigenetics.

Deaths From Unintentional Injuries Increase For Many Groups

Posted: 03 Sep 2009 02:00 PM PDT

While the total mortality rate from unintentional injury increased in the US by 11 percent from 1999-2005, far larger increases were seen in some subgroups analyzed by researchers. Their analysis found that white women between 45 and 64 years old experienced a 230 percent increase in the rate of poisoning mortality over the study period. White men in this age group experienced an increase of 137 percent.

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