Saturday, December 05, 2009

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Superbright supernova is first of its kind

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST

A superbright supernova found in a dwarf galaxy by a robotic search is the first confirmed example of a pair-instability supernova, the result of the partial core collapse and thermonuclear detonation of an enormously massive star, like the earliest stars in the universe.

FDA-approved drug may slow beta cell destruction in type 1 diabetes patients

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST

Researchers suggest that a drug already used to treat autoimmune disorders might also help slow the destruction of insulin-producing cells in patients recently diagnosed with insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes.

Marine life collected to inventory DNA sequence of all Pacific island's living species

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST

Researchers are collecting marine invertebrates on the French Polynesian island of Moorea as part of a massive effort to inventory the DNA sequence of every living species there.

Soy peptide lunasin has anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory properties

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST

Two new studies report that lunasin, a soy peptide often discarded in the waste streams of soy-processing plants, may have important health benefits that include fighting leukemia and blocking the inflammation that accompanies such chronic health conditions as diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Novel carbon-trading scheme could stop large-scale extinctions

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST

Spatial distribution of biodiversity should be taken into account when calculating carbon credits in order to achieve conservation goals as well as greenhouse gas mitigation, argue researchers.

Hyperactivity associated with shorter nights for young boys

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST

Hyperactive boys don't get enough sleep, which can worsen their condition according to new research. The study is the first to examine a large sample of children and to study the link between lack of sleep and hyperactivity.

'Killer petunias' should join the ranks of carnivorous plants, scientists propose

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST

Scientists believe that carnivorous behavior in plants is far more widespread than previously thought, with many commonly grown plants -- such as petunias -- at least part way to being "meat eaters."

Chicken pox vaccine reduces shingles risk in kids

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST

A new study found the chicken pox vaccine also reduces the risk of shingles among children. The study used electronic health records to identify and follow 172,000 vaccinated children for two-plus years and found that herpes zoster, known as shingles in adults, is very rare among children who have been vaccinated for chicken pox. This is the largest study of its kind.

'Smell of old books' offers clues to help preserve them

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST

Scientists may not be able to tell a good book by its cover, but they now can tell the condition of an old book by its smell. In a new report, they describe development of a new test that can measure the degradation of old books and precious historical documents based on their smell.

Nicotine levels higher in children exposed to secondhand smoke in the home

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST

New research published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, supports the World Health Initiative's efforts for a home smoking ban, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University.

Earthquake prediction model developed

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST

Scientists lay a framework for a new approach to earthquake prediction. Testing of new forecasting model is in progress but results are not expected for approximately another two years.

Most runaway teens return home with help of family ties, study finds

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST

Despite the stereotypes about runaway teens, more than two-thirds of newly homeless youth leave the streets, resolve their family differences, and go home. The key appears to be interaction with the family, that no matter how brief, can improve the chances that new runaways will go home and stay home.

Popular herbicide affects sexual development in frogs, research finds

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST

The controversy surrounding the unintended effects of herbicide and pesticide use has intensified as researchers have identified that atrazine, a heavily-used herbicide, alters the sexual development in frogs.

Risk of blood clot after surgery higher and lasts longer than previously thought

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST

The risk of having a potentially fatal blood clot after surgery is higher and lasts for longer than had previously been thought, concludes new research.

Combining nanotubes and antibodies for breast cancer 'search and destroy' missions

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST

Researchers have demonstrated how single-walled nanotubes can be used to detect and destroy an aggressive form of breast cancer.

Exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke over a lifetime increased breast cancer risk later in life

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST

Exposure to secondhand smoke for a prolonged period of time and in high quantity may increase the risk of breast cancer, even in women who never smoked cigarettes themselves.

Breaking carbon-hydrogen bonds: Cheap, easy 'kitchen chemistry' developed to perform formerly complex synthesis

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST

Scientists have made major strides in solving a problem that has been plaguing chemists for many years: how best to break carbon-hydrogen bonds and then to create new bonds to join molecules together. This problem is of great interest to the pharmaceutical industry, which currently relies on a method to accomplish this feat that is relatively inefficient and sometimes difficult to perform.

Dream-enacting behavior is common in healthy young adults

Posted: 05 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST

Dream-enacting behaviors are common in healthy young adults, and the prevalence of specific behaviors differs between men and women.

Learning by imagining: How mental imagery training aids perceptual learning

Posted: 04 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST

Practice makes perfect. But imaginary practice? Scientists show that perceptual learning -- learning by repeated exposure to a stimulus -- can occur by mental imagery as much as by the real thing. The results suggest that thinking about something over and over again could actually be as good as doing it.

Muscle cell infusion shown to strengthen sphincters in animals

Posted: 04 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST

A new study shows that muscle cells grown in the lab can restore an intestine's ability to squeeze shut properly. The work, performed in dogs and rats, might ultimately help treat patients with conditions such as gastric reflux and fecal incontinence.

Orphaned mountain gorilla babies return home to Congo National Park

Posted: 04 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST

More than two years after being evacuated following the 2007 killings of their mothers, mountain gorilla babies Ndakasi and Ndeze have returned home to the Democratic Republic of Congo, moving into a new custom-built forest sanctuary.

Secondhand smoke exposure in childhood increases lung cancer risk later in life

Posted: 04 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST

Children exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke have an increased risk of developing lung cancer in adulthood, even if they never smoked.

Researchers put a new spin on atomic musical chairs

Posted: 04 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST

Researchers have developed a new way to introduce magnetic impurities in a semiconductor crystal, a technique that will enable researchers to selectively implant atoms in a crystal one at a time to learn about its electrical and magnetic properties on the atomic scale.

Apathy common in dementia patients with brain changes

Posted: 04 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST

Dementia patients with a certain type of changes in their brain's white matter are more likely to be apathetic than those who do not have these changes, reveals a patient study.

Greenhouse gas carbon dioxide ramps up aspen growth

Posted: 04 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST

The rising level of atmospheric carbon dioxide may be fueling more than climate change. It could also be making some trees grow like crazy. That is the finding of a new study of natural stands of quaking aspen, one of North America's most important and widespread deciduous trees.

Study confirms that cannabis is beneficial for multiple sclerosis

Posted: 04 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST

Cannabis can reduce spasticity in multiple sclerosis patients. A systematic review found that five out six randomized controlled trials reported a reduction in spasticity and an improvement in mobility.

New therapy targets for amyloid disease

Posted: 04 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST

A major discovery is challenging accepted thinking about amyloids -- the fibrous protein deposits associated with diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's -- and may open up a potential new area for therapeutics.

Popular diabetes drugs linked to increased risk of heart failure and death, study suggests

Posted: 04 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST

Sulphonylureas, a type of drug widely used to treat type 2 diabetes, carries a greater risk of heart failure and death compared with metformin, another popular anti-diabetes drug.

Safe journey for works of art

Posted: 04 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST

Valuable paintings travel long distances when they are shipped from one place to another. To minimize damage, they are packed in special picture cases. In future, these will be equipped with sensors to detect the buildup of pollutant gases, emanating from adhesives for example.

Widowed facing higher mortality risk

Posted: 04 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST

Married people in the United States are living longer these days, but the widowed are experiencing a higher mortality rate, according to new research.

Scientists rescue visual function in rats using induced pluripotent stem cells

Posted: 04 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST

Scientists have rescued visual function in laboratory rats with eye disease by using cells similar to stem cells. The research shows the potential for stem cell-based therapies to treat age-related macular degeneration in humans.

Swine flu has major implications for solid organ transplants: Transplant infectious disease experts provide pandemic guidance

Posted: 04 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST

The global swine flu pandemic has major implications for solid organ transplants, including donor selection and transplant management and care. There are also significant concerns that swine flu could combine with seasonal or bird flu to create a strain with unpredictable virulence. American and Canadian experts have teamed up to provide expert advice on the infection risks to transplants.

Young star cluster Trumpler 14 revealed in stunning image

Posted: 04 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST

The young star cluster Trumpler 14 is revealed in a stunning ESO image. The amount of exquisite detail seen in this portrait, which beautifully reveals the life of a large family of stars, is due to the multi-conjugate adaptive optics demonstrator on ESO's Very Large Telescope. Never before has such a large patch of sky been imaged using adaptive optics, a technique by which astronomers are able to remove most of the atmosphere's blurring effects.

Two heads better than one in new antibiotic method

Posted: 04 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST

An antibiotic that binds to a well-established target in a novel and unexpected way could be the inspiration for designing new, more potent antibacterial drugs.

A little magic provides an atomic-level look at bone

Posted: 04 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST

A new study using solid-state NMR spectroscopy to analyze intact bone paves the way for atomic-level explorations of how disease and aging affect bone.

Chinese 'herbal' cigarettes no healthier than regular cigarettes

Posted: 04 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST

Despite popular belief and some marketing claims, researchers have found that Chinese "herbal" cigarettes that combine medicinal herbs with tobacco are just as addictive and no safer than regular cigarettes.

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