ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Scientists turn light into electrical current using a golden nanoscale system
• Drug created to keep tumor growth switched off
• Catching calcium waves could provide Alzheimer's insights
• Metabolite common among cancers
• Computer simulations can be as effective as direct observation at teaching students
• fMRIs reveal brain's handling of low-priority ideas
• Are high speed elephants running or walking?
• Compound shows promise against intractable heart failure
• Layers in a Mars crater record a history of changes
• First blinded study of venous insufficiency prevalence in multiple sclerosis shows promising results
• Molecule with promising semiconductor properties created
• Six month old babies can understand our intentions
• Beyond the abyss: Deep sea creatures build their homes from materials that sink from near the ocean surface
• A potent suppressor of endometrial cancer is revealed
• Link between exploration well and Lusi mud volcano, strongest evidence to date shows
• Diabetes drug ups risk for bone fractures in older women, study suggests
• Breakthrough for mobile television
• Assistive technology helps dementia sufferers get through the day

Scientists turn light into electrical current using a golden nanoscale system Posted: 14 Feb 2010 02:00 PM PST Material scientists have created a system, using nano-sized molecules of gold, that induces and projects electrical current across molecules, similar to that of photovoltaic solar cells.

Drug created to keep tumor growth switched off Posted: 14 Feb 2010 02:00 PM PST A novel -- and rapid -- anti-cancer drug development strategy has resulted in a new drug that stops kidney and pancreatic tumors from growing in mice. Researchers have found a drug that binds to a molecular "switch" found in cancer cells and cancer-associated blood vessels to keep it in the "off" position.

Catching calcium waves could provide Alzheimer's insights Posted: 14 Feb 2010 02:00 PM PST New insights on what causes Alzheimer's disease could arise from a recent discovery made by bioengineers. The finding concerns the infamous amyloid beta peptides (A²) -- fragments of which form plaques thought to play a role in Alzheimer's disease. The bioengineers found that amyloid beta peptides spontaneously trigger calcium waves in purified cultures of astrocyte cells extracted from the cortex region of rat brains and grown in the lab.

Metabolite common among cancers Posted: 14 Feb 2010 02:00 PM PST Several distinct mutations found in a subset of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia result in excess production of the same metabolite, according to new research.

Computer simulations can be as effective as direct observation at teaching students Posted: 14 Feb 2010 02:00 PM PST Students can learn some science concepts just as well from computers simulations as they do from direct observation, new research suggests. A study found that people who used computer simulations to learn about moon phases understood the concepts just as well -- and in some cases better -- than did those who learned from collecting data from viewing the moon.

fMRIs reveal brain's handling of low-priority ideas Posted: 14 Feb 2010 02:00 PM PST Brain networks that allow individuals to put social decisions on the back burner are impacted by genetics, a new study indicates. This capability has been shown to be abnormal in a number of psychiatric disorders.

Are high speed elephants running or walking? Posted: 14 Feb 2010 08:00 AM PST Elephants can move fast, but can they ever be said to be truly "running"? Researchers have measured the colossal forces generated by high-speed elephants and found that the animals do conserve energy like runners by recycling it like a pogo stick, however, they do not bounce like runners. What is more they are three times more economical than human runners.

Compound shows promise against intractable heart failure Posted: 14 Feb 2010 08:00 AM PST A chemical compound found normally in the blood shows promise in treating and preventing an intractable form of heart failure in a mouse model of the disease.

Layers in a Mars crater record a history of changes Posted: 14 Feb 2010 08:00 AM PST Near the center of a Martian crater about the size of Connecticut, hundreds of exposed rock layers form a mound as tall as the Rockies and reveal a record of major environmental changes on Mars billions of years ago.

First blinded study of venous insufficiency prevalence in multiple sclerosis shows promising results Posted: 14 Feb 2010 08:00 AM PST More than 55 percent of multiple sclerosis patients participating in the initial phase of the first randomized clinical study to determine if persons with MS exhibit narrowing of the extracranial veins, causing restriction of normal outflow of blood from the brain, were found to have the abnormality.

Molecule with promising semiconductor properties created Posted: 14 Feb 2010 08:00 AM PST Chemists have synthesized the first-ever stable derivative of nonacene, creating a compound that holds significant promise in the manufacture of flexible organic electronics such as large displays, solar cells and radio frequency identification tags.

Six month old babies can understand our intentions Posted: 14 Feb 2010 08:00 AM PST Researchers have uncovered evidence that six-month-old babies can comprehend our intentions. This contradicts previous findings that infants develop this ability at nine months of age.

Beyond the abyss: Deep sea creatures build their homes from materials that sink from near the ocean surface Posted: 14 Feb 2010 02:00 AM PST Evidence from the Challenger Deep -- the deepest surveyed point in the world's oceans -- suggests that tiny single-celled creatures called foraminifera living at extreme depths of more than ten kilometers build their homes using material that sinks down from near the ocean surface.

A potent suppressor of endometrial cancer is revealed Posted: 14 Feb 2010 02:00 AM PST Treatment of endometrial cancer has not advanced significantly in 30 years and there are no screening tests to promote early detection. Researchers have developed a new approach to specifically target genetic changes to the endometrial cells in mice. Using this new technique, they show that loss of an emerging tumor suppressor causes abnormal growth and widespread malignancy of cells lining the uterus.

Link between exploration well and Lusi mud volcano, strongest evidence to date shows Posted: 14 Feb 2010 02:00 AM PST Nearly four years ago, a volcano of mud erupted in the middle of an Indonesian suburb, eventually inundating four villages, displacing 30,000 people and causing a gas line explosion that killed 13. The mud volcano continues to erupt today. A new report blames a drilling company that was drilling a gas exploration well, not a relatively mild and distant earthquake.

Diabetes drug ups risk for bone fractures in older women, study suggests Posted: 14 Feb 2010 02:00 AM PST A new study finds women with type 2 diabetes who take a commonly prescribed class of medications to treat insulin resistance may be at a higher risk for developing bone fractures. After taking a thiazolidinedione (TZD) for one year, women are 50 percent more likely to have a bone fracture than patients not taking TZDs, according to study results. And those at the greatest risk for fractures from TZD use are women older than 65.

Breakthrough for mobile television Posted: 14 Feb 2010 02:00 AM PST Long Term Evolution, a new mobile telecommunications standard, is poised to revolutionize mobile internet. High transmission rates will soon be possible on mobile devices. For this purpose, researchers in Germany developed the cross-layer design SVC over LTE -- a coding method that offers HD films in real-time in the appropriate format for cell phones or netbooks.

Assistive technology helps dementia sufferers get through the day Posted: 14 Feb 2010 02:00 AM PST Tens of millions of elderly people in the EU suffering from mild dementia may be able to look after themselves, and free up their carers, thanks to a new system.

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