ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Big power from tiny wires: Carbon nanotubes can produce powerful waves that could be harnessed for new energy systems
• Low oxygen levels in body linked to cancer-aiding protein
• Ever-changing Earth: How the atmosphere can affect planet's shape, rotation, gravitational field
• Transplant drug preserves kidneys, avoids toxicity, studies suggest
• Cotton is the fabric of your lights, your MP3 player, your cell phone
• Life is shorter for men, but sexually active life expectancy is longer
• Scientists discover 'catastrophic event' behind the halt of star birth in early galaxy formation
• New study questions benefits of elective removal of ovaries during hysterectomy
• Chemical competition: Research identifies new mechanism regulating embryonic development
• Hemoglobin A1c outperforms fasting glucose for risk prediction
• Future of broadband: Where data is broadcast using desk lamps
• Acts of kindness spread surprisingly easily: just a few people can make a difference
• Lizard moms choose the right genes for the right gender offspring
• Reovirus may be a novel approach to prostate cancer treatment
• 'The Rosenfeld' named after California's godfather of energy efficiency
• CT-scan screening for LAM in women with collapsed lung is cost-effective
• Professor predicts baseball winners, uses baseball to tout power of math
• Choosing a university degree is not linked to personality, Spanish study finds
• Learning from nature: Scientists break down carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide using visible light
• Surprising findings about Hepatitis C and insulin resistance
• Skin transplant offers new hope to vitiligo patients
• Loss of enzyme reduces neural activity in Angelman syndrome
• HaptiMap project aims to make maps accessible through touch, hearing and vision
• 'Mean' girls and boys: The downside of adolescent relationships
• Cancer mortality has declined since initiation of 'war on cancer'
• Infectious virus hidden in chromosomes can be passed from parents to children
• Earthquake in Chile: A complicated fracture
• Lacosamide validated as promising therapy for uncontrolled partial-onset seizures
• Mathematical model may offer better understanding of embryonic development
• Researcher presents risk-free treatment for low female sexual desire
• Snake venom charms science world: Novel protein from king cobra as drug discovery
• Mathematical approach to immune cell analysis seen as first step to better distinguish health and disease
• How ATP, molecule bearing 'the fuel of life,' is broken down in cells
• Preventing or reversing inflammation after heart attack, stroke may require two-pronged approach
• Friction: All may look smooth, but there are 'bumps' along the way
• Repeated anesthesia can affect children's ability to learn
• Insulators made into conductors: Polymers coaxed to line up, transformed into materials that could dissipate heat
• Genetic variant greatly increases lung cancer risk for light smokers
• Natural antioxidants give top barn swallows a leg on competitors
• How to fortify the immunity of HIV patients
• Natural and artificial sheaths used to mend traumatic bone loss
• Divine intervention? New research looks at beliefs about God's influence in everyday life
• Most extreme white dwarf binary system found with orbit of just five minutes
• New syndrome affecting potentially thousands of hospital inpatients identified
• Deceptive model: Stem cells of humans and mice differ more strongly than suspected
• Heat therapy shown effective in treating cutaneous leishmaniasis among US soldiers in Iraq
• Increased solar radiation requires additional CO₂ reduction of 50 million tonnes, analysis finds
• Full house raises risk of hospital deaths, study finds

Big power from tiny wires: Carbon nanotubes can produce powerful waves that could be harnessed for new energy systems Posted: 10 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PST Scientists have discovered a previously unknown phenomenon that can cause powerful waves of energy to shoot through minuscule wires known as carbon nanotubes. The discovery could lead to a new way of producing electricity, the researchers say.

Low oxygen levels in body linked to cancer-aiding protein Posted: 10 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PST A professor of biochemistry who was researching protein kinase C gamma in the lens of the human eye found her work taking a fascinating turn when she discovered a correlation between the protein Coonexin46 and hypoxia -- a deficiency of oxygen which kills normal tissue cells. The researcher believes the findings will lead to serious advancements in treating retinoblastoma, a cancer that forms in the tissue of the retina.

Ever-changing Earth: How the atmosphere can affect planet's shape, rotation, gravitational field Posted: 10 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PST Researchers in Austria are investigating the effects of the Earth's atmosphere on our planet's shape, its rotation and its gravitational field. The researchers' aim is to develop a better understanding of the Earth's system and to support the development of the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS).

Transplant drug preserves kidneys, avoids toxicity, studies suggest Posted: 10 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PST The experimental drug belatacept can prevent graft rejection in kidney transplant recipients while better preserving kidney function when compared with standard immunosuppressive drugs, data from two international phase III clinical trials show.

Cotton is the fabric of your lights, your MP3 player, your cell phone Posted: 10 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PST Consider this T-shirt: It can monitor your heart rate and breathing, analyze your sweat and even cool you off on a hot summer's day. Or a solar-powered dress that can charge your MP3 player? This is not science fiction -- this is cotton in 2010.

Life is shorter for men, but sexually active life expectancy is longer Posted: 10 Mar 2010 08:00 AM PST At age 55, men can expect another 15 years of sexual activity, but women that age should expect less than 11 years, according to a new study. Men in good or excellent health at 55 can add 5 to 7 years to that number. Equally healthy women gain slightly less, 3 to 6 years.

Scientists discover 'catastrophic event' behind the halt of star birth in early galaxy formation Posted: 10 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PST Scientists have found evidence of a catastrophic event they believe was responsible for halting the birth of stars in a galaxy in the early universe. The researchers observed the massive galaxy as it would have appeared just three billion years after the Big Bang when the Universe was a quarter of its present age.

New study questions benefits of elective removal of ovaries during hysterectomy Posted: 10 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PST Removal of the ovaries (bilateral oophorectomy) while performing a hysterectomy is common practice to prevent the subsequent development of ovarian cancer. This prophylactic procedure is performed in 55% of all U.S. women having a hysterectomy, or approximately 300,000 times each year. A new article suggests that this procedure may do more harm than good.

Chemical competition: Research identifies new mechanism regulating embryonic development Posted: 10 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PST A research team has discovered that protein competition over an important enzyme provides a mechanism to integrate different signals that direct early embryonic development. The work suggests that these signals are combined long before they interact with the organism's DNA, as was previously believed, and also may inform new therapeutic strategies to fight cancer.

Hemoglobin A1c outperforms fasting glucose for risk prediction Posted: 10 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PST Measurements of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) more accurately identify persons at risk for clinical outcomes than the commonly used measurement of fasting glucose, according to a new study. HbA1c levels accurately predict future diabetes, and they better predict stroke, heart disease and all-cause mortality as well.

Future of broadband: Where data is broadcast using desk lamps Posted: 10 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PST In the future, getting a broadband connection might be as simple as flipping on a light switch. In fact, according to a group of researchers from Germany, the light coming from the lamps in your home could one day encode a wireless broadband signal.

Acts of kindness spread surprisingly easily: just a few people can make a difference Posted: 10 Mar 2010 05:00 AM PST For all those dismayed by scenes of looting in disaster-struck zones, whether Haiti or Chile or elsewhere, take heart: good acts -- acts of kindness, generosity and cooperation -- spread just as easily as bad. And it takes only a handful of individuals to really make a difference.

Lizard moms choose the right genes for the right gender offspring Posted: 10 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PST Brown anole lizards make an interesting choice when deciding which males should father their offspring. The females of this species mate with several males, then produce more sons with sperm from large fathers, and more daughters with sperm from smaller fathers. The researchers believe that the lizards do this to ensure that the genes from large fathers are passed on to sons, who stand to benefit from inheriting the genes for large size.

Reovirus may be a novel approach to prostate cancer treatment Posted: 10 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PST Researchers in Canada have detected a novel oncolytic viral therapy against prostate cancer with use of a virus called the reovirus, according to a new study.

'The Rosenfeld' named after California's godfather of energy efficiency Posted: 10 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PST Pioneering French physicists Marie and Pierre Curie have the curie, a unit of radioactivity, named after them. Renowned inventor Nikola Tesla is honored with the tesla, which measures a magnetic field. And now, the Rosenfeld, proposed as a unit for electricity savings, will be named after the man seen by many people as the godfather of energy efficiency, Arthur Rosenfeld.

CT-scan screening for LAM in women with collapsed lung is cost-effective Posted: 10 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PST Researchers have found that using high-resolution CT-scans to screen for lymphangioleiomyomatosis, or LAM, is cost-effective in non-smoking women between 25 and 54 who come to the emergency room for the first time with a collapsed lung.

Professor predicts baseball winners, uses baseball to tout power of math Posted: 10 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PST With pitchers and catchers having recently reported to spring training, a professor has applied mathematical analysis to compute the number of games that Major League Baseball teams should win in 2010.

Choosing a university degree is not linked to personality, Spanish study finds Posted: 10 Mar 2010 02:00 AM PST Researchers in Spain have studied the connection between professional preferences and personality, based on interviews and questionnaires carried out on 735 secondary school students from the province of Cadiz. The results indicate that personality does not have an influence when choosing a professional career.

Learning from nature: Scientists break down carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide using visible light Posted: 09 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PST A recent discovery in understanding how to chemically break down the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into a useful form opens the doors for scientists to wonder what organism is out there -- or could be created -- to accomplish the task. Scientists have figured out a way to efficiently turn carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide using visible light, like sunlight.

Surprising findings about Hepatitis C and insulin resistance Posted: 09 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PST Scientists have known for several years that Hepatitis C, a common cause of liver cirrhosis and cancer, also makes people three to four times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. In studying the insulin resistance of 29 people with Hepatitis C, Australian researchers have confirmed that they have high insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes. However, almost all insulin resistance was in muscle, with little or none in the liver, a very surprising finding given that Hepatitis C is a liver disease.

Skin transplant offers new hope to vitiligo patients Posted: 09 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PST A new study finds that skin transplant surgery is safe and effective for treating vitiligo. Researchers followed 23 patients for up to six months after surgery and found that the treated area regained on average 52 percent of its natural skin color. In eight patients with a specific type of vitiligo, the treated area regained on average 74 percent of its natural skin color.

Loss of enzyme reduces neural activity in Angelman syndrome Posted: 09 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PST Angelman syndrome (AS) is a debilitating neurological disorder characterized by mental retardation and a high frequency of autism. Researchers have now found that the gene mutation underlying AS appears to affect the ability of neurons to communicate and to properly develop during the first few years of life, a time when brain activity is "rewired" by external stimuli.

HaptiMap project aims to make maps accessible through touch, hearing and vision Posted: 09 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PST If you are walking or cycling, and do not want to (or are unable to) spend most of your time focusing on a screen, the use of mobile devices tends to be a frustrating experience. The same is true in bright sunlight or if your eyesight is not good enough to see every detail on the mobile screen.

'Mean' girls and boys: The downside of adolescent relationships Posted: 09 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PST Psychology researchers exploring relational aggression and victimization in 11- to 13-year-olds have found adolescent boys have a similar understanding and experience of "mean" behaviors and "bitchiness" as girls.

Cancer mortality has declined since initiation of 'war on cancer' Posted: 09 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PST A new American Cancer Society study finds progress in reducing cancer death rates is evident whether measured against baseline rates in 1970 or in 1990. The study finds a downturn in cancer death rates since 1990 results mostly from reductions in tobacco use, increased screening allowing early detection of several cancers, and modest to large improvements in treatment for specific cancers.

Infectious virus hidden in chromosomes can be passed from parents to children Posted: 09 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PST In some individuals the common herpes virus HHV-6 can integrate into structures at the end of chromosomes and be reactivated to an infectious form.

Earthquake in Chile: A complicated fracture Posted: 09 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PST The extremely strong earthquake that struck Chile Feb. 27 was a complicated rupture process, scientists say. Quakes with such magnitude virtually penetrate the entire Earth's crust. After closer analysis of the seismic waves radiated by this earthquake during the first 134 seconds after start of the rupture, the researchers came to the conclusion that only the region around the actual epicentre was active during the first minutes.

Lacosamide validated as promising therapy for uncontrolled partial-onset seizures Posted: 09 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PST A recent multi-center study has confirmed earlier study results that 400 mg/day of lacosamide provides a good balance of efficacy and tolerability for patients with uncontrolled partial-onset seizures, and doses of 600mg/day may provide additional benefit for some patients.

Mathematical model may offer better understanding of embryonic development Posted: 09 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PST A mathematical model can predict complex signaling patterns that could help scientists determine how stem cells in an embryo later become specific tissues, knowledge that could be used to understand and treat developmental disorders and some diseases.

Researcher presents risk-free treatment for low female sexual desire Posted: 09 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PST Researchers are currently testing a new drug, flibanserin, which was developed as an antidepressant and affects neurotransmitters in the brain, to treat women with low sexual desire. However, experts are concerned about the side effects of this possible treatment. Now, a researcher has found evidence that a low-cost, risk-free psychological treatment is effective and may be a better alternative to drugs that have adverse side effects.

Snake venom charms science world: Novel protein from king cobra as drug discovery Posted: 09 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PST The king cobra continues to weave its charm with researchers identifying a protein in its venom with the potential for new drug discovery and to advance understanding of disease mechanisms.

Mathematical approach to immune cell analysis seen as first step to better distinguish health and disease Posted: 09 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PST Researchers have developed a new mathematical approach to analyze molecular data derived from complex mixtures of immune cells. This approach, when combined with well-established techniques, readily identifies changes in small samples of human whole blood, and has the potential to distinguish between health and disease states.

How ATP, molecule bearing 'the fuel of life,' is broken down in cells Posted: 09 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PST Researchers have figured out how ATP is broken down in cells, providing for the first time a clear picture of the key reaction that allows cells in all living things to function and flourish. Discovered some 80 years ago, adenosine triphosphate is said to be second in biological importance only to DNA.

Preventing or reversing inflammation after heart attack, stroke may require two-pronged approach Posted: 09 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PST Researchers are releasing results of a study this week that they say will help refocus the search for new drug targets aimed at preventing or reversing the devastating tissue inflammation that results after heart attack and stroke.

Friction: All may look smooth, but there are 'bumps' along the way Posted: 09 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PST Friction in human relations is all too obvious and prevalent, but friction in physics has had a "secret life" of its own that has now been revealed by scientists.

Repeated anesthesia can affect children's ability to learn Posted: 09 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PST There is a link between repeated anesthesia in children and memory impairment, though physical activity can help to form new cells that improve memory, reveals new research.

Insulators made into conductors: Polymers coaxed to line up, transformed into materials that could dissipate heat Posted: 09 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PST Most polymers -- materials made of long, chain-like molecules -- are very good insulators for both heat and electricity. But scientists have now found a way to transform the most widely used polymer, polyethylene, into a material that conducts heat just as well as most metals, yet remains an electrical insulator.

Genetic variant greatly increases lung cancer risk for light smokers Posted: 09 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PST Individuals with a certain type of genetic susceptibility to lung cancer face a greatly increased risk for the deadly disease with even a small exposure to cigarette smoke, a new study finds.

Natural antioxidants give top barn swallows a leg on competitors Posted: 09 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PST A new study indicates North American barn swallows outperform their peers in reproduction -- the "currency" of evolutionary change -- by maintaining a positive balance of antioxidants commonly sold in health food stores.

How to fortify the immunity of HIV patients Posted: 09 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PST New findings may soon lead to an expansion of the drug arsenal used to fight HIV.

Natural and artificial sheaths used to mend traumatic bone loss Posted: 09 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PST A research team has shown that the stem-cell rich periosteum sheath around bone can be used to mend serious bone loss faster and more simply than bone grafts. The researchers have developed an artificial periosteum that can be implanted in patients who have too little of the natural covering left.

Divine intervention? New research looks at beliefs about God's influence in everyday life Posted: 09 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PST Most Americans believe God is concerned with their personal well-being and is directly involved in their personal affairs, according to new research.

Most extreme white dwarf binary system found with orbit of just five minutes Posted: 09 Mar 2010 11:00 AM PST An international team of astronomers has shown that the two stars in the binary HM Cancri definitely revolve around each other in a mere 5.4 minutes. This makes HM Cancri the binary star with by far the shortest known orbital period. It is also the smallest known binary.

New syndrome affecting potentially thousands of hospital inpatients identified Posted: 09 Mar 2010 11:00 AM PST Researchers have identified a new syndrome affecting potentially thousands of hospital inpatients. Coined SHAKE (Supplement-associated Hyperammonemia After C(K)achetic Episode), the condition, which results in altered mental status and difficulty walking, can be prevented by excluding high protein dietary supplements in a patients' diet if they have experienced poor eating for more than a week prior to their admittance.

Deceptive model: Stem cells of humans and mice differ more strongly than suspected Posted: 09 Mar 2010 11:00 AM PST Mice are in many ways similar to Homo sapiens on a fundamental level. That is why the law in this part of the world only permits scientists to conduct research on human embryonic stem cells when they have "clarified in advance" their specific questions by using animal cells as far as possible. However, such tests are often pointless -- and sometimes even misleading, as a recent study demonstrates.

Heat therapy shown effective in treating cutaneous leishmaniasis among US soldiers in Iraq Posted: 09 Mar 2010 11:00 AM PST A single session of heat therapy using the ThermoMed device appears to be as effective as a 10-day intravenous course of sodium stibogluconate for the treatment of Leishmania major skin lesions, according to a new study. The randomized treatment trial involved 56 military personnel who contracted L. major while serving in Iraq.

Increased solar radiation requires additional CO<sub>2</sub> reduction of 50 million tonnes, analysis finds Posted: 09 Mar 2010 11:00 AM PST The recently observed reduction in air pollution implies that more solar radiation reaches Earth's surface. This could lead to a far more rapid increase in Earth's temperature in the coming decades than has previously been expected. In order to successfully combat global warming, it is crucial that scientists incorporate increases in CO2 emissions reductions as well as reductions in air pollution in the calculations, according to a new analysis based on unique solar radiation data collected from weather stations between 1959 and 2002.

Full house raises risk of hospital deaths, study finds Posted: 09 Mar 2010 11:00 AM PST A full house isn't always a good thing, according to a new study that links high hospital occupancy to higher death rates for patients. High occupancy periods are a challenging time when more things can go wrong, authors say. Researchers evaluated records at 39 Michigan hospitals to study a set of factors that can affect hospital deaths. The large scale study can provide lessons for hospitals across the country.

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