Wednesday, November 04, 2009

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Shedding Light On The Cosmic Skeleton

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 11:00 AM PST

Astronomers have tracked down a gigantic, previously unknown assembly of galaxies located almost seven billion light-years away from us. The discovery, made possible by combining two of the most powerful ground-based telescopes in the world, is the first observation of such a prominent galaxy structure in the distant Universe, providing further insight into the cosmic web and how it formed.

Children Who Often Drink Full-fat Milk Weigh Less, Swedish Research Finds

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 11:00 AM PST

Eight-year-old children who drink full-fat milk every day have a lower BMI than those who seldom drink milk. This is not the case for children who often drink medium-fat or low-fat milk, according to new research from Sweden.

New Insights Into Australia's Unique Platypus

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 11:00 AM PST

New insights into the biology of the platypus and echidna have been published, providing a collection of unique research data about the world's only monotremes.

Report On H1N1 Cases In California Shows Hospitalization Can Occur At All Ages, With Many Severe

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 11:00 AM PST

In contrast with some common perceptions regarding 2009 influenza A (H1N1) infections, an examination of cases in California indicates that hospitalization and death can occur at all ages, and about 30 percent of hospitalized cases have been severe enough to require treatment in an intensive care unit, according to a new study.

Engineers Strive To Make Algae Oil Production More Feasible

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 11:00 AM PST

Engineers are assessing systematic production methods that could make the costs of algae oil production more reasonable, helping move the U.S. from fossil fuel dependency to renewable energy replacements.

New Theory On Fairness In Economics Targets CEO Pay

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 11:00 AM PST

Chief executives in 35 of the top Fortune 500 companies were overpaid by about 129 times their "ideal salaries" in 2008, according to a new type of theoretical analysis proposed to determine fair CEO compensation.

Inefficient Selection: New Evolutionary Mechanism Accounts For Some Of Human Biological Complexity

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 08:00 AM PST

A painstaking genomic and proteomic analysis has found a new evolutionary mechanism that accounts for some of the biological complexity of human beings. The scientists who found the mechanism say it helps humans cope with the consequences of inefficient natural selection. It fosters complexity by enabling human proteins to become more specialized over time.

Coffee And Nighttime Jobs Don't Mix, Study Finds

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 08:00 AM PST

Night-shift workers should avoid drinking coffee if they wish to improve their sleep, according to recent research. A new study has found the main byproduct of coffee, caffeine, interferes with sleep and this side-effect worsens as people age.

Improved Human, Object Detection Technology With New Computer Software

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 08:00 AM PST

When searching for basketball videos online, a long list of Web sites appears, which may contain a picture or a word describing a basketball. But what if the computer could search inside videos for a basketball? Researchers are developing software that would enable computers to search inside videos, detect humans and specific objects, and perform other video analysis tasks.

Obesity Significantly Cuts Odds Of Successful Pregnancy, Study Finds

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 08:00 AM PST

Obese women are as much as 28 percent less likely to become pregnant and have a successful pregnancy, according to new research.

Liquid Granite: Building Material Of The Future Unveiled

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 08:00 AM PST

Scientists have developed a new building material that is fire resistant to temperatures in excess of 1100 degrees Celsius, is made largely from recycled material and is as versatile as concrete.

First Impressions Count When Making Personality Judgments, New Research Shows

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 08:00 AM PST

First impressions do matter when it comes to communicating personality through appearance, according to new research.

Tiny Laser-scanning Microscope Images Brain Cells In Freely Moving Animals

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 05:00 AM PST

By building a tiny microscope small enough to be carried around on a rat's head, scientists in Germany have found a way to study the complex activity of many brain cells simultaneously while animals are free to move around. With this new technology scientists can actually see how the brain cells operate while the animal is behaving naturally, giving rise to immense new insights into the understanding of perception and attention.

Blood Vessels Might Predict Prostate Cancer Behavior

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 05:00 AM PST

A study of 572 men with localized prostate cancer suggests that size and shape of tumor blood vessels may predict whether the tumor will grow aggressively and require immediate treatment or grow slowly and allow therapy and its risks to be safely delayed. Aggressive prostate tumors tend to have blood vessels that are small, irregular and primitive in cross-section, while slow-growing or indolent tumors have blood vessels that look more normal.

Tags Reveal White Sharks Have Neighborhoods In The North Pacific

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 05:00 AM PST

A tracking study of white sharks in the northeastern Pacific Ocean shows they adhere to a rigid route of migration across the sea, returning to precisely the same spot along the California coast each time they come back, according to a team of researchers. Over time, this behavior has made the population in the northeastern Pacific genetically distinct from other white shark populations.

Concurrent Radiotherapy, Chemotherapy Shows Promise In Small Cell Lung Cancer

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 05:00 AM PST

Treating limited stage small cell lung cancer with a combination of accelerated high-dose radiotherapy and chemotherapy has shown encouraging results, opening the door to larger scale investigation, according to new research.

North America Automobile Sector Bottom Of 'World Sustainability League'

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 05:00 AM PST

North American car manufacturers have come bottom of the league in the largest ever international study of the global automobile sector's sustainability performance.

Poor Start Between A Class And Its Teacher Almost Impossible To Rectify

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 05:00 AM PST

The relationship between a teacher and class is important for the learning achievement of pupils and their pleasure in learning. A Dutch researcher discovered that these teacher-class relationships are very stable over the course of a school year. Consequently if teachers get off to a bad start, it is almost impossible to put things right.

Short Heels Make Elite Sprinters Super Speedy: Longer Toes, Unique Ankle Structure Aid Sprinters

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 02:00 AM PST

Longer toes and a unique ankle structure provide sprinters with the burst of acceleration that separates them from other runners, according to biomechanists.

Discovery Of Novel Protein Offers Hope For Possible Parkinson’s Disease Cure

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 02:00 AM PST

Researchers have found an essential key to possibly cure Parkinson's disease. They have discovered that a novel protein -- known as protein kinase-C -- kills dopamine-producing cells in the brain.

Laser Etching Safe Alternative For Labeling Grapefruit

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 02:00 AM PST

Laser labeling of fruit and vegetables is used to "etch" information on produce, thereby eliminating the need for common sticker-type labels. The technology has been licensed for use on a variety of fruits and vegetables and is being used in New Zealand, Australia and Pacific Rim countries. Researchers in Florida who studied the impact of this new technology indicate the technology will offer the grapefruit industry a safe alternative to adhesive sticker labeling.

Estrogen And Stroke Risk: Long Period Of Estrogen Deprivation Can Lead To Loss Of Sensitivity And Protective Effects In The Brain

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 02:00 AM PST

A new study shows that a long period of estrogen deprivation can lead to loss of sensitivity and protective effects in the brain and weaken areas normally resistant to stroke damage.

Flemish Researchers Develop Revolutionary Technology For Use In Plant Breeding

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 02:00 AM PST

Flemish scientists have developed a technology that can significantly increase crop yields as well as make them more resistant to unfavorable growing conditions. It is based on selecting plants that make more efficient use of energy.

Preschoolers Challenge Stereotypical Gender Roles

Posted: 04 Nov 2009 02:00 AM PST

According to research from Sweden, a preschooler's gender determines how he or she is treated and responded to in play and learning activities, and when the children's possibilities become expanded, it is usually a result of the children's and not the teachers' initiative.

First Draft Of The Pig: Researchers Sequence Swine Genome

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 11:00 PM PST

A global collaborative has produced a first draft of the genome of a domesticated pig, an achievement that will lead to insights in agriculture, medicine, conservation and evolution.

Clinical Tests Begin On Medication To Correct Fragile X Defect

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 11:00 PM PST

Scientists are beginning a clinical trial of a potential medication designed to correct a central neurochemical defect underlying Fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability. There has to date been no medication that could alter the disorder's neurologic abnormalities. The study will evaluate safety, tolerability and optimal dosage in healthy volunteers.

Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) Satellite Forms Three-pointed Star In The Sky

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 11:00 PM PST

Following the launch of ESA's SMOS satellite on Nov. 2, the French space agency CNES, which is responsible for operating the satellite, has confirmed that the instrument's three antenna arms have deployed as planned, and that the instrument is in good health. During launch and the first few orbits around Earth, the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) instrument's antenna arms remained safely folded up. Today, these three arms folded-out and now form a large three-pointed star shape. With its unusual shape, measuring eight metres across, SMOS can be dubbed a 'star in the sky'.

World's Largest Malaria Vaccine Trial Now Underway In Seven African Countries

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 11:00 PM PST

A pivotal efficacy trial of RTS,S, the world's most clinically advanced malaria vaccine candidate, is now underway in seven African countries: Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. The trial, which is expected to involve up to 16,000 children, is on schedule, with more than 5,000 children already enrolled, researchers announced.

Oxygen Exchangers Increase Propene Yield

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 11:00 PM PST

A Dutch researcher has shown that the yield of propene can be increased by adding cerium oxide during the production process. Propene is an important raw material for the chemical industry and its uses include the production of medical equipment. However, it is difficult to produce.

Industry Support Of Academic Life Science Research May Be Dropping

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 11:00 PM PST

While more than half the academic life science researchers responding to a 2007 survey indicated having some relationship with industrial entities, the prevalence of such relationships -- particularly direct funding for research studies -- appears to be dropping. Results of the survey also suggest that interest in commercial applications of research appears to be growing, even among investigators without industry funding.

Deep-sea Ecosystems Affected By Climate Change

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 08:00 PM PST

Deep-sea ecosystems occupying 60 percent of the Earth's surface could be vulnerable to the effects of global warming, warn scientists.

MRSA Strain Linked To High Death Rates

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 08:00 PM PST

A strain of MRSA that causes bloodstream infections is five times more lethal than other strains and has shown to have some resistance to the potent antibiotic drug vancomycin used to treat MRSA, according to a new study. The study found that 50 percent of the patients infected with the strain died within 30 days compared to 11 percent of patients infected with other MRSA strains.

World Trade Center Responders Plagued With Asthma; 9/11 Responders Twice As Likely To Have Asthma

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 08:00 PM PST

First responders who were exposed to caustic dust and toxic pollutants following the 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attacks suffer from asthma at more than twice the rate of the general US population, according to new data.

Heart Attack Myth: Women Do Have Same The Heart Attack Symptoms As Men, Study Shows

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 08:00 PM PST

The gender difference between men and women is a lot smaller than we've been led to believe when it comes to heart attack symptoms, according to a new study.

Climate Change Could Create Agricultural Winners And Losers In East Africa, New Study Warns

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 08:00 PM PST

As African leaders prepare to present an ambitious proposal to industrialized countries for coping with climate change in the part of the world that is most vulnerable to its impacts, a new study points to where and how some of this money should be spent. The study projects that climate change will have highly variable impacts on East Africa's vital maize and bean harvests over the next two to four decades.

Increasing Number Of Injuries From Hot Tubs, New National Study Finds

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 08:00 PM PST

Though hot tubs, whirlpools and spas are widely used for relaxation and fun, they can pose serious risk for injury. Over the past two decades, as recreational use of hot tubs has increased, so has the number of injuries.

TV Exposure May Be Associated With Aggressive Behavior In Young Children

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 05:00 PM PST

Three-year-old children who are exposed to more TV appear to be at an increased risk for exhibiting aggressive behavior, according to a new report.

New Step Forward For Stroke Patients

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 05:00 PM PST

New research, using an existing and inexpensive drug could help thousands of stroke patients to recover their mobility at a faster rate. Medical researchers are investigating whether L-Dopa (commonly used to treat Parkinson's disease) could help in this new context. There is existing evidence to show that certain nerve pathways in the brain are important in learning movement skills. The drug works by enhancing the activity of these pathways and if taken at the same time as conventional physiotherapy, could increase the effect of current treatment.

Notorious 'Man-eating' Lions Of Tsavo Likely Ate About 35 People -- Not 135, Scientists Say

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 05:00 PM PST

The legendary "man-eating lions of Tsavo" that terrorized a railroad camp in Kenya more than a century ago likely consumed about 35 people -- far fewer than popular estimates of 135 victims, according to a new analysis. The study also yields surprises about the predatory behavior of lions.

Medical Imaging May Help Researchers Understand Pathogenesis Of H1N1 Virus

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 05:00 PM PST

Researchers have found that imaging can now be used as a tool for identifying severe cases of H1N1 and may play a key role in understanding the pathogenesis of the virus, possibly leading to earlier diagnoses of severe cases in the future, according to a new study.

New Activity Found For A Potential Anti-cancer Agent From Marine Sponges

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 05:00 PM PST

Pateamine A, a natural product first isolated from marine sponges, has attracted considerable attention as a potential anti-cancer agent, and now a new activity has been found for it, which may reveal yet another anti-cancer mechanism.

Sights And Sounds Of Emotion Trigger Big Brain Responses

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 05:00 PM PST

Researchers have identified a part of the brain that responds to both facial and vocal expressions of emotion. They used the MagnetoEncephaloGraphic (MEG) scanner at the York Neuroimaging Centre to test responses in a region of the brain known as the posterior superior temporal sulcus.

Dark Matter And Dark Energy Make Up 95 Percent Of Universe, Detailed Measurements Reveal

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 02:00 PM PST

A detailed picture of the seeds of structures in the universe has been unveiled. These measurements put limits on proposed alternatives to the standard model of cosmology and provide further support for the standard cosmological model, confirming that dark matter and dark energy make up 95 percent of everything in existence.

Common Pain Relievers May Dilute Power Of Flu Shots

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 02:00 PM PST

With flu vaccination season in full swing, researchers caution that use of many common pain killers -- Advil, Tylenol, aspirin -- at the time of injection may blunt the effect of the shot and have a negative effect on the immune system.

New Clues To Extinct Falklands Wolf Mystery

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 02:00 PM PST

Ever since the Falklands wolf was described by Darwin himself, the origin of this now-extinct canid found only on the Falkland Islands far off the east coast of Argentina has remained a mystery. Now, researchers who have compared DNA from four of the world's dozen or so known Falklands wolf museum specimens to that of living canids offer new insight into the evolutionary ancestry of these enigmatic carnivores.

Poorly Cleaned Public Cruise Ship Restrooms May Predict Norovirus Outbreaks

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 02:00 PM PST

Medical researchers have found that widespread poor compliance with regular cleaning of public restrooms on cruise ships may predict subsequent norovirus infection outbreaks (NoVOs). This study is the first study of environmental hygiene on cruise ships.

Hooks Hijacked? New Research Shows How To Block Stealthy Malware Attacks

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 02:00 PM PST

The spread of malware, or computer viruses, is a growing problem that can lead to crashed computer systems, stolen personal information, and billions of dollars in lost productivity every year. One of the most insidious types of malware is a "rootkit," which can effectively hide the presence of other spyware or viruses from the user. But now researchers have devised a way to block rootkits and prevent them from taking over your computer systems.

Genes And Environment May Interact To Influence Risk For Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Posted: 03 Nov 2009 02:00 PM PST

Individuals who experience both childhood adversity and traumatic events in adulthood appear more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder than those exposed to only one of these types of incidents, according to a new report. In addition, the risk was further increased in individuals with a certain genetic mutation.

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