ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• How the Moon gets its exosphere
• High fat diet increases inflammation in the mouse colon
• Imaging study shows HIV particles assembling around genome of infected cell
• Use of telemedicine for ICU patients not linked with improvement in survival
• Making payments via cell phones
• Elusive protein points to mechanism behind hearing loss
• Will higher global temperatures make it easier for viruses to jump species?
• NASA's Mars rover Spirit has uncertain future as sixth anniversary nears
• Fewer left-sided colorectal tumors observed after colonoscopies
• Major offshore quake could surge inland to Seattle area
• Final moments of bee landing tactics revealed
• Genomic differences identified in common skin diseases may lead to better treatments
• NASA's WISE space telescope jettisons its cover
• Bacterial protein mimics its host to disable a key enzyme
• Explaining plasma motion around Saturn
• It's never too late to quit smoking and save your vision

How the Moon gets its exosphere Posted: 02 Jan 2010 02:00 PM PST Several decades ago scientists discovered that the Moon, long thought to have no atmosphere, actually does have an extremely thin exosphere. Scientists generally believe that the ions that make up the lunar exosphere are generated at the Moon's surface by interaction with solar photons, plasma in the Earth's magnetosphere, or micrometeorites. However, scientists have been uncertain about which processes are the main contributors of lunar exosphere ions.

High fat diet increases inflammation in the mouse colon Posted: 02 Jan 2010 02:00 PM PST Colorectal cancer, the third most common type of cancer worldwide, has been linked to an increased prevalence of the Western diet: one high in fat and low in fiber, vitamin D and calcium. Now, scientists have shown what happens to colon tissue when mice are fed such a diet: an inflammatory response that could be the trigger for carcinogenic processes.

Imaging study shows HIV particles assembling around genome of infected cell Posted: 02 Jan 2010 02:00 PM PST HIV is a wily and lethal replicator. In less than 25 years, it's killed more than 25 million people. Scientists are exploring exactly how this virus reproduces because they would like to find a way to abort the process. Now, just two years after scientists witnessed the birth of a single HIV particle in real time, the same team has zoomed in for a closer look at how the virus packages its genetic material as it assembles beneath the surface of an infected cell.

Use of telemedicine for ICU patients not linked with improvement in survival Posted: 02 Jan 2010 02:00 PM PST Remote monitoring of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) was not associated with an overall improvement in the risk of death or length of stay in the ICU or hospital, according to a new study.

Making payments via cell phones Posted: 02 Jan 2010 02:00 PM PST New security technology allows people to make payments via mobile phones. The technology is designed to work in almost all situations: person to person, in a shop or restaurant, at a vending machine, online, or as part of a telephone conversation.

Elusive protein points to mechanism behind hearing loss Posted: 02 Jan 2010 08:00 AM PST A serendipitous discovery of deaf zebra fish larvae has helped narrow down the function of an elusive protein necessary for hearing and balance. The work suggests that hearing loss may arise from a faulty pathway that translates sound waves into electrical impulses the brain can understand.

Will higher global temperatures make it easier for viruses to jump species? Posted: 02 Jan 2010 08:00 AM PST Scientists soon will begin investigating whether viruses that have adapted to higher temperatures -- similar to increases due to global warming -- can jump species more easily.

NASA's Mars rover Spirit has uncertain future as sixth anniversary nears Posted: 02 Jan 2010 08:00 AM PST NASA's Mars rover Spirit will mark six years of unprecedented science exploration and inspiration for the American public on Jan. 3, 2010. However, the upcoming Martian winter could end the roving career of the beloved, scrappy robot.

Fewer left-sided colorectal tumors observed after colonoscopies Posted: 02 Jan 2010 08:00 AM PST The prevalence of left-sided advanced colorectal neoplasms was lower in participants in a community setting, but not right-sided advanced neoplams, who had received a colonoscopy in the preceding 10 years, according to a new study.

Major offshore quake could surge inland to Seattle area Posted: 02 Jan 2010 08:00 AM PST Large megathrust earthquakes occur on average every 550 years on the northern Cascadia subduction zone, where the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate subducts underneath the North American plate off the coast of Washington State. Scientists had thought that major earthquakes were likely to occur only offshore, but a new analysis shows that a giant earthquake could extend deeper along the subduction zone, and thus farther inland.

Final moments of bee landing tactics revealed Posted: 02 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST When bees come into land they slow their speed as they approach, but what happens in the final instants before touch down? Using high speed video, scientists from Australia and Sweden have found that there are three stages to the final touch down: a quasi-hover, a stable hover 16mm from the surface and finally a gentle touch down. Using this approach, bees can land on surfaces ranging from the horizontal to completely inverted ceilings.

Genomic differences identified in common skin diseases may lead to better treatments Posted: 02 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST Scientists have drilled down on the molecular nitty-gritty that distinguishes the two most common forms of inflammatory skin disease, atopic eczema and psoriasis. The researchers say that the ability to distinguish between the disorders' genetic and immunological signatures opens the door for more narrowly targeted therapies sorely needed by the millions of people afflicted worldwide.

NASA's WISE space telescope jettisons its cover Posted: 02 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST NASA's recently launched Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) opened its eyes to the starry sky Dec. 29, after ejecting its protective cover. Engineers and scientists say the maneuver went off without a hitch, and everything is working properly. The mission's "first-light" images of the sky will be released to the public in about a month, after the telescope has been fully calibrated.

Bacterial protein mimics its host to disable a key enzyme Posted: 02 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST Helicobacter pylori infects up to 90 percent of people in the developing world and causes gastric ulcers and cancers of the gut. Now scientists have revealed a subterfuge used by the bacterium to trick stomach cells into playing along. By injecting a protein into the stomach lining that mimics a native protein but has its opposite effect, the bacterium shuts down a process that helps properly structure stomach tissue, scientists say.

Explaining plasma motion around Saturn Posted: 02 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST Understanding the motion and source of the plasma around Saturn is important for understanding the dynamics of the magnetosphere. Researchers present a theory that describes plasma transport in Saturn's magnetosphere, including processes that add new mass to the plasma and those that remove momentum from the plasma without changing plasma mass.

It's never too late to quit smoking and save your vision Posted: 02 Jan 2010 02:00 AM PST Need a little extra incentive to kick the habit? Just in time for New Year's resolutions, a new study finds that even after age 80, smoking continues to increase one's risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in Americans over 65.

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