ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Avatar's moon Pandora could be real, planet-hunters say
• Scientists use light to map neurons' effects on one another
• Calorie intake linked to cell lifespan, cancer development
• Hundreds of leads generated in fight against H1N1 pandemic
• Water droplets shape graphene nanostructures
• Video games: Racing, shooting and zapping your way to better visual skills
• Synthetic red blood cells developed: Red-blood-cell-like particles carry oxygen, drugs, and more
• Umbilical cord could be new source of plentiful stem cells
• Stellar Nursery: Inside the dark heart of the Eagle
• Enzyme may create new approach to hypertension therapy
• Everlasting quantum wave: Physicists predict new form of soliton in ultracold gases
• Proximity to convenience stores fosters child obesity, study finds
• Glint of sunlight confirms liquid in lake on Saturn's moon Titan
• Chemo's toxicity to brain revealed, possible treatment identified
• Human protein helps prevent infection by H1N1 influenza and other viruses
• Previously unknown gene is unique to placental mammals
• Scientists demystify utility of power factor correction devices
• Gender divide in children's use of cell phone features, study finds
• Ancient pygmy sea cow discovered
• New MRI safety risk for patients with pacemakers identified
• Breathlessness eased in patients with rare, often fatal disease
• Steroid injections may slow diabetes-related eye disease
• Antagonistic genes control rice growth
• Antidepressants cut risk of hospital readmission for suicidal youth, study suggests
• Mammals may be nearly half way toward mass extinction
• Breakthrough may pave the way for therapeutic vaccines
• Breakthrough on causes of inflammatory bowel disease
• NSAIDs: Take 'em early and often when competing? Think again
• Valley in Jordan inhabited and irrigated for 13,000 years
• Privacy concerns could limit benefits from real-time data analysis
• Stone age pantry: Archaeologist unearths earliest evidence of modern humans using wild grains and tubers for food
• Stratifying breast cancer without biopsy: Researchers identify possible imaging method
• New study turns up the heat on soot's role in Himalayan warming
• Marking of tissue-specific crucial in embryonic stem cells to ensure proper function
• Looking for the heartbeat of cellular networks
• Nonverbal communication of race bias on TV influences viewers' own bias
• New weapon in battle of the bulge: Food releases anti-hunger aromas during chewing
• Strict blood sugar control in some diabetics does not lower heart attack, stroke risk
• Pollution alters isolated thunderstorms: Wind shear strength determines whether pollution swells or saps storms
• Carrier screening associated with decrease in incidence of cystic fibrosis
• Vermicompost from pig manure grows healthy hibiscus
• Livestock lead to better health in developing nations, rising consumption poses challenge, study finds
• Ancient origins of modern opossum revealed
• Christmas cholesterol epiphany: 'Myrrh' may have cholesterol-lowering properties
• Most people should not automatically opt for a swine flu shot, expert suggests based on bacterial decision-making
• Human movement may have brought Chagas disease to urban Peru
• NASA tech zooms in on water and land
• Researchers find formula for selling 'but-it's-good-for-you' products

Avatar's moon Pandora could be real, planet-hunters say Posted: 18 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST In the new blockbuster Avatar, humans visit the habitable -- and inhabited -- alien moon called Pandora. Life-bearing moons like Pandora or the Star Wars forest moon of Endor are a staple of science fiction. With NASA's Kepler mission showing the potential to detect Earth-sized objects, habitable moons may soon become science fact.

Scientists use light to map neurons' effects on one another Posted: 18 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Scientists have used light and genetic trickery to trace out neurons' ability to excite or inhibit one another, literally shedding new light on the question of how neurons interact with one another in live animals.

Calorie intake linked to cell lifespan, cancer development Posted: 18 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Researchers have discovered that restricting consumption of glucose, the most common dietary sugar, can extend the life of healthy human-lung cells and speed the death of precancerous human-lung cells, reducing cancer's spread and growth rate.

Hundreds of leads generated in fight against H1N1 pandemic Posted: 18 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Scientists have generated hundreds of new leads in the fight against the H1N1 flu pandemic, according to two new studies. Both research teams took comprehensive approaches to understanding the interaction of H1N1 strains with human cells, yielding results that point toward new targets for therapy and perhaps also new tools to speed vaccine production, the researchers say.

Water droplets shape graphene nanostructures Posted: 18 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST A team of chemists reports the ability to bend and reshape graphene, opening up the possibility of forming new and novel devices in the nanoscale. They use an everyday household ingredient to perform the work -- a droplet of water.

Video games: Racing, shooting and zapping your way to better visual skills Posted: 18 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Do your kids want a Wii, a PlayStation or an Xbox 360 this year? This holiday gift season is packed with popular gaming systems and adrenaline-pumping, sharpshooting games. What's a parent to do? Is there any redeeming value in the hours that teens spend transfixed by these video games?

Synthetic red blood cells developed: Red-blood-cell-like particles carry oxygen, drugs, and more Posted: 18 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST Scientists have developed synthetic particles that closely mimic the characteristics and key functions of natural red blood cells, including softness, flexibility, and the ability to carry oxygen.

Umbilical cord could be new source of plentiful stem cells Posted: 18 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST Stem cells that could one day provide therapeutic options for muscle and bone disorders can be easily harvested from the tissue of the umbilical cord, just as the blood that goes through it provides precursor cells to treat some blood disorders, say researchers.

Stellar Nursery: Inside the dark heart of the Eagle Posted: 18 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST Herschel has peered inside an unseen stellar nursery and revealed surprising amounts of activity. Some 700 newly-forming stars are estimated to be crowded into filaments of dust stretching through the image.

Enzyme may create new approach to hypertension therapy Posted: 18 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST New research has found that an alternative therapy may be possible for treating some types of hypertension using an enzyme called ACE2.

Everlasting quantum wave: Physicists predict new form of soliton in ultracold gases Posted: 18 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST Solitary waves that run a long distance without losing shape or dying out are called solitons. Theoreticians now believe there may be a new kind of soliton that's expected to be found in certain types of ultracold gases. The new soliton may provide insights into other physical systems, including the early universe.

Proximity to convenience stores fosters child obesity, study finds Posted: 18 Dec 2009 11:00 AM PST Childhood obesity is directly related to how close kids live to convenience stores, according to the preliminary findings of a major Canadian study.

Glint of sunlight confirms liquid in lake on Saturn's moon Titan Posted: 18 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST NASA's Cassini Spacecraft has captured the first flash of sunlight reflected off a lake on Saturn's moon Titan, confirming the presence of liquid on the part of the moon dotted with many large, lake-shaped basins.

Chemo's toxicity to brain revealed, possible treatment identified Posted: 18 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Researchers have developed a novel animal model showing that four commonly used chemotherapy drugs disrupt the birth of new brain cells, and that the condition could be partially reversed with the growth factor IGF-1.

Human protein helps prevent infection by H1N1 influenza and other viruses Posted: 18 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Researchers have identified a naturally occurring human protein that helps prevent infection by H1N1 influenza and other viruses, including West Nile and dengue virus. The new study shows that human cells respond to infection by the H1N1 influenza virus by ramping up production of proteins that have unexpectedly powerful antiviral effects.

Previously unknown gene is unique to placental mammals Posted: 18 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Researchers have discovered a previously unknown gene ZBED6 that is unique to placental mammals. The gene originates from a so called jumping gene that integrated in the genome of a primitive mammal at least 150 million years ago and has since then evolved an essential function.

Scientists demystify utility of power factor correction devices Posted: 18 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST If you've seen an Internet ad for capacitor-type power factor correction devices, you might be led to believe that using one can save you money on your residential electricity bill. However, scientists have recently explained why the devices actually provide no savings by discussing the underlying physics.

Gender divide in children's use of cell phone features, study finds Posted: 18 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST A recent sociological study finds that the way the kids will use their new phones depends on their gender.

Ancient pygmy sea cow discovered Posted: 18 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST A near-complete skull of a primitive "dugong" has been discovered, illuminating a virtually unknown period in Madagascar fossil history.

New MRI safety risk for patients with pacemakers identified Posted: 18 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST Researchers have found that certain cardiac pacemakers may inadequately stimulate a patient's heart while undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan due to the magnetic pulses mixing with the electronic pulses from the pacemaker. This inadequate stimulation is potentially dangerous for the patient undergoing the MRI scan, according to new research.

Breathlessness eased in patients with rare, often fatal disease Posted: 18 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST Patients with a rare, deadly disease that mostly affects young women felt a dramatic reduction in breathlessness using an approved drug, according to a new study.

Steroid injections may slow diabetes-related eye disease Posted: 18 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST Injecting the corticosteroid triamcinolone into the eye may slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes that can cause vision loss and blindness, according to a new study.

Antagonistic genes control rice growth Posted: 18 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST Scientists have found that a plant steroid prompts two genes to battle each other -- one suppresses the other to ensure that leaves grow normally in rice and the experimental plant Arabidopsis thaliana, a relative of mustard. The results have important implications for understanding how to manipulate crop growth and yield.

Antidepressants cut risk of hospital readmission for suicidal youth, study suggests Posted: 18 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST Suicidal adolescents who were prescribed an antidepressant medication during inpatient psychiatric hospital treatment were 85 percent less likely than others to be readmitted within a month after discharge, a new study found. The results provide additional evidence that antidepressants may play a key role in helping improve the mental health of suicidal youth.

Mammals may be nearly half way toward mass extinction Posted: 18 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Many biologists warn that the planet's plants and animals are headed toward a mass extinction as a result of human-caused environmental damage, including global warming. Researchers have now analyzed the status of North American mammals, estimating that they may be one-fifth to one-half the way toward a mass extinction event like the "Big Five" the Earth has seen in the last 450 million years.

Breakthrough may pave the way for therapeutic vaccines Posted: 18 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST It should be possible to use therapeutic vaccines to create both cheap and effective drugs for diseases like cancer and allergies. One problem in developing such vaccines has previously been the lack of adjuvants, substances that make vaccines more effective. However, there has now been a major breakthrough in this area.

Breakthrough on causes of inflammatory bowel disease Posted: 18 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST New research from Australia could help explain why some people are more prone to Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and other autoimmune diseases.

NSAIDs: Take 'em early and often when competing? Think again Posted: 18 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Athletes' superstitions and rituals can help them get psyched up for contests, but when these rituals involve NSAIDs, which many athletes gobble down before and during events, they could be causing more harm than good. Such misuse can cause problems such as interfering with healing and inhibiting the body's ability to adapt to challenging workouts, to the development of stomach ulcers and possibly an increased risk for cardiovascular problems, says sports medicine expert.

Valley in Jordan inhabited and irrigated for 13,000 years Posted: 18 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST You can make major discoveries by walking across a field and picking up every loose item you find. One researcher succeeded in discovering – based on 100,000 finds – that the Zerqa Valley in Jordan had been successively inhabited and irrigated for more than 13,000 years. But it was not just communities that built irrigation systems: the irrigation systems also built communities.

Privacy concerns could limit benefits from real-time data analysis Posted: 18 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Society will be unable to take full advantage of real-time data analysis technologies that might improve health, reduce traffic congestion and give scientists new insights into human behavior until it resolves questions about how much of a person's life can be observed and by whom.

Stone age pantry: Archaeologist unearths earliest evidence of modern humans using wild grains and tubers for food Posted: 17 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST The consumption of wild cereals among prehistoric hunters and gatherers appears to be far more ancient than previously thought, according to an archaeologist who has found the oldest example of extensive reliance on cereal and root staples in the diet of early Homo sapiens more than 100,000 years ago.

Stratifying breast cancer without biopsy: Researchers identify possible imaging method Posted: 17 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Scientists have discovered a possible way for malignant breast tumors to be identified, without the need for a biopsy.

New study turns up the heat on soot's role in Himalayan warming Posted: 17 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST A new modeling study from NASA confirms that when tiny air pollution particles we commonly call soot -- also known as black carbon -- travel along wind currents from densely populated south Asian cities and accumulate over a climate hotspot called the Tibetan Plateau, the result may be anything but inconsequential.

Marking of tissue-specific crucial in embryonic stem cells to ensure proper function Posted: 17 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Tissue-specific genes, thought to be dormant or not marked for activation in embryonic stem cells, are indeed marked by transcription factors, with proper marking potentially crucial for the function of tissues derived from stem cells.

Looking for the heartbeat of cellular networks Posted: 17 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Life in biological cells appears as an intricate network of molecular interactions. Today's methods to measure such reaction kinetics, however, cannot be applied to living cells. Researchers have now developed a technique to determine the speed of molecular reactions in living cells.

Nonverbal communication of race bias on TV influences viewers' own bias Posted: 17 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Subtle patterns of nonverbal behavior that appear on popular television programs influence racial bias among viewers. Black characters elicit especially negative nonverbal responses, such as facial expressions and body language, from other characters, and viewers exhibit more racial bias after exposure to such negative responses.

New weapon in battle of the bulge: Food releases anti-hunger aromas during chewing Posted: 17 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST A real possibility does exist for developing a new generation of foods that make people feel full by releasing anti-hunger aromas during chewing, scientists in the Netherlands are reporting after a review of research on that topic. Such foods would fight the global epidemic of obesity with aromas that quench hunger and prevent people from overeating.

Strict blood sugar control in some diabetics does not lower heart attack, stroke risk Posted: 17 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST Strictly controlling blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetics with long-term, serious coexisting health problems such as heart disease and hypertension does not lower their risk of a heart attack or stroke, according to a new study.

Pollution alters isolated thunderstorms: Wind shear strength determines whether pollution swells or saps storms Posted: 17 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST New research reveals how wind shear -- the same atmospheric conditions that cause bumpy airplane rides -- affects how pollution contributes to isolated thunderstorm clouds. The work improves scientists' understanding of how aerosols -- tiny unseen particles that make up pollution -- contribute to isolated thunderstorms and the climate cycle. How aerosols and clouds interact is one of the least understood aspects of climate, and this work allows researchers to better model clouds and precipitation.

Carrier screening associated with decrease in incidence of cystic fibrosis Posted: 17 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST An increase in the number of screened carriers for cystic fibrosis (CF) was associated with a decrease in the number of children born with CF in northeast Italy, according to a new study.

Vermicompost from pig manure grows healthy hibiscus Posted: 17 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST Vermicomposting, using earthworms to turn waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer, can be an economical, organic waste management practice. The resulting product, called vermicompost, or worm castings, can be an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional substrate additives for producing container-grown plants. Researchers experimented with pine bark amended with vermicompost derived from pig manure to produce healthy hibiscus. The study suggests that dolomitic lime, sulfated micronutrients, and phosphorous can be eliminated as substrate additives.

Livestock lead to better health in developing nations, rising consumption poses challenge, study finds Posted: 17 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST In the face of reports about the ills livestock generate for the climate, environment and health, a new study emphasizes that livestock production in developing and developed countries are very different animals.

Ancient origins of modern opossum revealed Posted: 17 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST Scientists have traced the evolution of the modern opossum back to the extinction of the dinosaurs and found evidence to support North America as the center of origin for all living marsupials.

Christmas cholesterol epiphany: 'Myrrh' may have cholesterol-lowering properties Posted: 17 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST Laboratory experiments suggest that the resin of certain trees of the Middle East, known commonly as the "myrrh" of the Christmas story, may have cholesterol-lowering properties.

Most people should not automatically opt for a swine flu shot, expert suggests based on bacterial decision-making Posted: 17 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST A bacteria expert presents compelling evidence to suggest there may be good reasons why most people should not automatically opt for the swine flu H1N1 shot.

Human movement may have brought Chagas disease to urban Peru Posted: 17 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST New research shows how the migration and settlement patterns associated with the rapid urbanization of Peru may link to Chagas disease transmission. The study, suggests that the practice of shantytown residents from Arequipa making frequent seasonal moves to rural valleys where Chagas vectors are present may have contributed to the growing presence of Chagas disease near urban Arequipa, Peru.

NASA tech zooms in on water and land Posted: 17 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST A pilot project could help better manage the planet's strained natural resources by using space-age technologies to help manage natural resources like land and water. In Sequim, Wash., the North Olympic Peninsula Solutions Network is using NASA satellites and sensors to provide the information needed to make more accurate, daily flow predictions for the Dungeness River. Now four other communities across the country are looking at similar technologies to help manage their unique water and land use needs.

Researchers find formula for selling 'but-it's-good-for-you' products Posted: 17 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST Providing consumers with a very small or even trivial immediate benefit encourages people to use products that may have more significant long-term health advantages, a new study shows. The research may offer the key to getting kids to wear their seat belts and encourage adults to use sunscreen.

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