ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

---

• Sun and moon trigger deep tremors on San Andreas Fault
• New inherited eye disease discovered
• Microscopic flower petal ridges flash to attract pollinating insects; scientists now know how ridges form
• Growing evidence suggests progesterone should be considered a treatment option for traumatic brain injuries
• Weir in space and dimmed sun creates 200-million-mile-long lab bench for turbulence research
• Do computers understand art?
• How the brain encodes memories at a cellular level
• Cause of nonallergic itch identified
• Ski runs are not created equal
• Sensitizing leukemic cells to death-inducing compounds
• Method makes refineries more efficient
• Could acetaminophen ease psychological pain?
• Keck telescopes gaze into young star's 'life zone'
• Novel gene found for childhood-onset asthma
• Hatchery-raised salmon too crowded
• Chicago Cancer Genome Project studies genetics of 1,000 tumors
• Fungal footage yields insight into plant, animal disease
• Wii Fit may not help families get fit
• Santa’s sleigh: Researcher explains science of Christmas magic
• Genetic study reveals the origins of cavity-causing bacteria
• Cassini Holiday Movies Showcase Dance of Saturn's Moons
• Good cholesterol not as protective in people with type 2 diabetes
• Canopy giants and miniature fungi among 250 new species discovered in Kew's 250th anniversary year
• Psychologists show that future-minded people make better decisions for their health

Sun and moon trigger deep tremors on San Andreas Fault Posted: 25 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST When the sun and moon are aligned with the San Andreas Fault they tug on it enough to increase the tremor rate deep underground, according to a new study. While these tremors have not yet been linked to earthquakes, the tremors are associated with increased stress on the fault and may increase the risk of future quakes. The ease with which the deep rock slips indicates it is lubricated by high-pressure water.

New inherited eye disease discovered Posted: 25 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Researchers have found the existence of a new, rare inherited retinal disease. Now the search is on to find the genetic cause, which investigators hope will increase understanding of more common retinal diseases.

Microscopic flower petal ridges flash to attract pollinating insects; scientists now know how ridges form Posted: 25 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Microscopic ridges contouring the surface of flower petals might play a role in flashing that come-hither look pollinating insects can't resist. Scientists now have figured out how those form. The result could help researchers learn to enhance plants' pollination success and even could lead to high-grip nanomaterials and "green chemical" feedstocks.

Growing evidence suggests progesterone should be considered a treatment option for traumatic brain injuries Posted: 25 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Researchers recommend that progesterone, a naturally occurring hormone found in both males and females that can protect damaged cells in the central and peripheral nervous systems, be considered a viable treatment option for traumatic brain injuries.

Weir in space and dimmed sun creates 200-million-mile-long lab bench for turbulence research Posted: 25 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Physicists working in space plasmas have made clever use of the Ulysses spacecraft and the solar minimum to create a massive virtual lab bench to provide a unique test for the science underlying turbulent flows.

Do computers understand art? Posted: 25 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Mathematical algorithms can provide clues about the artistic style of a painting. The composition of colors or certain aesthetic measurements can already be quantified by a computer, but machines are still far from being able to interpret art in the way that people do.

How the brain encodes memories at a cellular level Posted: 25 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Scientists have made a major discovery in how the brain encodes memories. The finding could eventually lead to the development of new drugs to aid memory.

Cause of nonallergic itch identified Posted: 25 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Scratching below the surface of a troublesome sensation that's equal parts tingle-tickle-prickle, sensory scientists have discovered in mice a molecular basis for nonallergic itch.

Ski runs are not created equal Posted: 25 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Building a new ski run by bulldozing a mountainside, rather than only cutting its shrubs and trees, is far more damaging ecologically, yet might offer only a week's earlier start to the downhill season, says a new study.

Sensitizing leukemic cells to death-inducing compounds Posted: 25 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Recent research has indicated that in the process of generating energy, leukemic cells use a cellular pathway known as fatty acid oxidation, rather than pyruvate oxidation, as had been previously thought. A team of researchers has now used this knowledge to develop a way to sensitize human leukemic cells to molecules that induce cell death by a process known as apoptosis.

Method makes refineries more efficient Posted: 25 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Refineries could trim millions of dollars in energy costs annually by using a new method developed to rearrange the distillation sequence needed to separate crude petroleum into products.

Could acetaminophen ease psychological pain? Posted: 25 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Over-the-counter pain relieving drugs have long been used to alleviate physical pain, while a host of other medications have been employed in the treatment of depression and anxiety. But is it possible that a common painkiller could serve double duty, easing not just the physical pains of sore joints and headaches, but also the pain of social rejection?

Keck telescopes gaze into young star's 'life zone' Posted: 25 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST The inner regions of young planet-forming disks offer information about how worlds like Earth form, but not a single telescope in the world can see them. Yet, for the first time, astronomers using the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii have measured the properties of a young solar system at distances closer to the star than Venus is from our sun.

Novel gene found for childhood-onset asthma Posted: 25 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Pediatric researchers have identified a novel gene involved in childhood asthma, in one of the largest gene studies to date of the common respiratory disease. Because the gene, called DENND1B, affects cells and signaling molecules thought to be instrumental in the immune system overreaction that occurs in asthma, the discovery may have singled out an important target for new treatments.

Hatchery-raised salmon too crowded Posted: 25 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Every year, large numbers of hatchery-raised young salmonids are released into Swedish rivers and streams to compensate for losses in natural production. Butthese fish generally survive poorly in the wild. Researchers have discovered why: the young fish are too crowded at the hatchery.

Chicago Cancer Genome Project studies genetics of 1,000 tumors Posted: 25 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST A Chicago research team is one year into a three-year project to collect and analyze the genetic sequence and variations of every gene expressed by 1,000 tumors with a long-term goal of translating genomic discoveries into diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies.

Fungal footage yields insight into plant, animal disease Posted: 25 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Mold and mildew may be doomed. Researchers are closer to understanding how these and other fungi grow. That's important because some 70 percent of the major disease-causing organisms are fungi. Understanding how fungi grow can help scientists find ways to stop them.

Wii Fit may not help families get fit Posted: 25 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST The Nintendo Wii Fit many people are considering as Christmas gifts may be great entertainment, but a new study indicates the console has little effect on family fitness.

Santa’s sleigh: Researcher explains science of Christmas magic Posted: 24 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Santa skeptics have long considered St. Nick's ability to deliver toys to the world's good girls and boys on Christmas Eve a scientific impossibility. But new research shows that Santa is able to make his appointed rounds through the pioneering use of cutting-edge science and technology.

Genetic study reveals the origins of cavity-causing bacteria Posted: 24 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Researchers have uncovered the complete genetic make-up of the cavity-causing bacterium Bifidobacterium dentium Bd1, revealing the genetic adaptations that allow this microorganism to live and cause decay in the human oral cavity.

Cassini Holiday Movies Showcase Dance of Saturn's Moons Posted: 24 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Like sugar plum fairies in "The Nutcracker," the moons of Saturn performed a celestial ballet before the eyes of NASA's Cassini spacecraft. New movies frame the moons' silent dance against the majestic sweep of the planet's rings and show as many as four moons gliding around one another.

Good cholesterol not as protective in people with type 2 diabetes Posted: 24 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST HDL, known as "good cholesterol," helps protect blood vessels and the heart, but a small European study shows that HDL in men with type 2 diabetes lacks this protective capacity. However, preliminary results indicate that extended-release niacin may help the HDL work better in these patients.

Canopy giants and miniature fungi among 250 new species discovered in Kew's 250th anniversary year Posted: 24 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Kew botanists announce more than 250 new plant and fungi species discovered in 250th anniversary year.

Psychologists show that future-minded people make better decisions for their health Posted: 24 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST People who tend to think in the long term are more likely to make positive decisions about their health, whether it's how much they drink, what they eat, or their decision to wear sunscreen.

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