Thursday, April 01, 2010

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Ashes to ashes, dust to dust: Space telescopes image remains of collapsed star

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 11:00 AM PDT

A new image from NASA's Chandra and Spitzer space telescopes shows the dusty remains of a collapsed star. The dust is flying past and engulfing a nearby family of stars.

Chemical exposure before mid-30s may be critical in breast cancer development

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 11:00 AM PDT

Occupational exposure to certain chemicals and pollutants before a woman reaches her mid-30s could treble her risk of developing cancer after the menopause, suggests new research.

Leonardo Da Vinci's 'The Last Supper' reveals more secrets

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 11:00 AM PDT

"The Last Supper" -- relentlessly studied, scrutinized, satirized and one the world's most famous paintings -- is still revealing secrets. Researchers have now found new meaning to the food depicted by Leonardo Da Vinci's famous artwork.

Autism susceptibility genes identified

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 11:00 AM PDT

Two genes have been associated with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) in a new study of 661 families. Researchers found that variations in the genes for two brain proteins, LRRN3 and LRRTM3, were significantly associated with susceptibility to ASD.

Evidence-based medicine theory can be applied to frequent flying

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 11:00 AM PDT

A professor has developed a revolutionary theory of Evidence-Based Flying, based on the well-established concept of Evidence-Based Medicine. His theory shows how number needed to fly before a delay (NNF) and number needed to upgrade (NNU) can be combined with other variables to inform wise flying decisions. Initial data shows that departure delays ranged from 20-30%, with NNF ranging from 10 to 31 flights when compared with the top performing airline.

'Third gender' identified in close relative of olive tree

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 11:00 AM PDT

A hitherto unknown reproductive system in a species closely related to the olive tree, Phillyrea angustifolia L., has been discovered. This new reproductive mode explains the mystery of the high frequencies (up to 50%) of male individuals co-occurring with hermaphrodite individuals in this species.

Dinosaur skull changed shape during growth

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

The skull of a juvenile sauropod dinosaur, rediscovered in museum collections, illustrates that some sauropod species went through drastic changes in skull shape during normal growth.

Scientists find therapeutic target to stop cancer metastases

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Scientists have uncovered what could be a very important clue in answering one of the most perplexing questions about cancer: why does it spread to the liver more than any other organ? In a new research report, scientists from New York University describe experimental results suggesting that the immune system may be the reason.

Giggles give clues to hyena's social status

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

The giggle call of the spotted hyena tells other hyenas not only the age and identity of the animal, but also its social status, according to a new study.

Drug breakthrough in fight against African sleeping sickness

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Scientists have made a major breakthrough in identifying new treatments for a fatal disease which infects tens of thousands of Africans each year. Their findings describe a new approach to tackling the fatal parasitic disease human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), commonly known as sleeping sickness due to disturbance of the sleep cycle caused by parasites infecting the brain.

Grand unified theory of AI: New approach unites two prevailing but often opposed strains in artificial-intelligence research

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

In the 1950s and '60s, artificial-intelligence researchers saw themselves as trying to uncover the rules of thought. But those rules turned out to be way more complicated than anyone had imagined. Since then, artificial-intelligence (AI) research has come to rely, instead, on probabilities -- statistical patterns that computers can learn from large sets of training data. The probabilistic approach has been responsible for most of the recent progress in artificial intelligence, such as voice recognition systems, or the system that recommends movies to Netflix subscribers. But MIT research scientist Noah Goodman thinks that AI gave up too much when it gave up rules. By combining the old rule-based systems with insights from the new probabilistic systems, Goodman has found a way to model thought that could have broad implications for both AI and cognitive science.

Psychologists search for secret of happiness at work

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

People who are unhappy in life are unlikely to find satisfaction at work, according to a new study.

Carbon nanostructures: Elixir or poison?

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Researchers have documented potential cellular damage from "fullerenes" -- soccer-ball-shaped, cage-like molecules composed of 60 carbon atoms. The team also noted that this particular type of damage might hold hope for treatment of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease or even cancer.

Stem cell therapy to tackle HIV

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT

A novel stem cell therapy that arms the immune system with an intrinsic defense against HIV could be a powerful strategy to tackle the disease. The new approach could dramatically improve the quality of life and life expectancy for HIV sufferers in whom antiviral drugs are no longer effective.

Fabled 'vegetable lamb' plant contains potential treatment for osteoporosis

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT

The "vegetable lamb" plant -- once believed to bear fruit that ripened into a living baby sheep -- produces substances that show promise in laboratory experiments as new treatments for osteoporosis, the bone-thinning disease.

Small molecules have big impact for TB bacteria

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Mycobacterium tuberculosis possesses extraordinary survival ability by masking itself from the host immune system and persisting for decades inside the host. Recent research provides further insight into how the bacterium causes tuberculosis by fine-tuning its behavior in response to its surroundings to escape detection.

Anti-counterfeit drugs with help of RFID

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT

A detailed product proof and improved security against counterfeiting pharmaceutical products become more and more important, especially nowadays when customers can order their drugs online. The legislative pressure increases primarily for reasons of patient safety, incorrect medications, and drug counterfeiting. These issues can be prohibited by absolute traceability of the drug's packaging. Modern identification procedures such as RFID (radio frequency identification) are able to provide transparency in the pharmaceutical logistics. However, the metal packaging, like blister or tubes, that is often used complicate the identification. Scientists of the Institute of Mechanical Handling and Logistics (IFT) at the University of Stuttgart explore opportunities for a practicable and entirely detectable identification within the research project "RadioPharm".

Children use space to think about time

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT

Space and time are intertwined in our thoughts, as they are in the physical world. For centuries, philosophers have debated exactly how these dimensions are related in the human mind. According to a new paper, children's ability to understand time is inseparable from their understanding of space.

Why Earth wasn't one big ball of ice 4 billion years ago when Sun's radiation was weaker

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Scientists have solved one of the great mysteries of our geological past: Why Earth's surface was not one big lump of ice four billion years ago when the Sun's radiation was much weaker than today. Scientists have presumed that Earth's atmosphere back then consisted of 30 percent CO2 trapping heat like a greenhouse. However, new research shows that the reason for Earth not going into a deep freeze at the time was quite different.

How breast cancer cells evade therapeutic attacks

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Understanding the mechanisms involved in the appearance of resistance of breast cancer cells to tamoxifen is essential to develop new therapeutic approaches. A new study reveals how cancer cells become impervious to the drug by activating a specific biochemical cascade.

Proteins in unroasted coffee beans may become next-generation insecticides

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Scientists in Brazil are reporting for the first time that coffee beans contain proteins that can kill insects and might be developed into new insecticides for protecting food crops against destructive pests. Their study suggests a new use for one of the most important tropical crops in the world.

Warning over wave of child eye injuries from liquid detergent capsules

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Senior eye doctors are warning people to keep liquid capsules for fabric detergents out of the reach of children after a wave of eye injuries in young children at their hospital.

Census data aid disease simulation studies

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Over the last four years, researchers have been transforming data from the 2000 census -- which described the country's 281 million people and 116 million households -- into a virtual US population. They finished the "synthetic population" last year, and they plan to update it when the 2010 census results come out.

The 'blues' can surprise even adoptive parents

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

The unmet or unrealistic expectations adoptive parents often have is a recurring theme in postadoption depression, according to new research.

Impaired brain connections traced to schizophrenia mutation; Like patients, engineered mice falter at working memory tasks

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT

The strongest known recurrent genetic cause of schizophrenia impairs communications between the brain's decision-making and memory hubs, resulting in working memory deficits, a study in mice has found. The new animal model shows how genetics affects brain circuitry, at the level of single neurons, to produce a core feature of the disorder.

New brain nerve cells key to stress resilience

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT

Researchers have found new clues that might help explain why some people are more susceptible to stress than others.

Computer model predicts shifts in carbon absorption by forest canopies

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT

An agricultural scientist participated in a project to fine-tune computer models that can indicate when forest "carbon sinks" become net carbon generators instead.

Study of popular anemia drug supports new guidelines for its use in dialysis patients

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT

A new study helps dispel mounting confusion over the safety of blockbuster anemia drugs -- erythropoiesis-stimulating agents -- for people with kidney disease requiring dialysis, as federal regulators prepare to decide whether to impose additional restrictions on their use.

Improving fuel economy of tractor-trailers, buses, work trucks

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT

A new congressionally mandated report evaluates various technologies and methods that could improve the fuel economy of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, such as tractor-trailers, transit buses, and work trucks. The report also recommends approaches that federal agencies could use to regulate these vehicles' fuel consumption. Currently there are no fuel consumption standards for such vehicles, which account for about 26 percent of the transportation fuel used in the US.

Crack and cocaine use a significant HIV risk factor for teens

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 11:00 PM PDT

Teens with a history of crack or cocaine use are significantly more likely to engage in unprotected sex than youth who have never used these drugs, putting themselves at increased risk for HIV, according to a new study.

Tweet: Scientists decode songbird's genome

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PDT

An international team of scientists has decoded the genome of a songbird -- the Australian zebra finch -- to reveal intriguing clues about the genetic basis and evolution of vocal learning. The research provides insights to help scientists understand how humans learn language.

Personalizing medicine to prevent pandemics

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PDT

What makes some viral infections fatal and others much less severe is largely a mystery. It is thought that a part of the variability can be attributed to differences in how individuals respond to infection. Researchers now describe how computer modeling could be a powerful tool to allow treatments to be tailored to individuals. This approach could ultimately prevent future pandemics.

Extracting information from starlight

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PDT

The light of stars is produced by atoms and molecules that encode, in the starlight itself, key science information about their chemical composition, temperature, pressure, and velocity. To receive and extract this information, astronomers will use the James Webb Space Telescope and a first-of-its kind science instrument whose prototype has just arrived at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. from its manufacturer in Germany.

Obesity, hypertension, alcohol and diuretic use: Gout risk factors for women

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PDT

A new study is the first to examine the relationship between uric acid levels and gout risk in women, also evaluated purported risk factors for gout and found that increasing age, obesity, hypertension, alcohol use and diuretic use to be among leading contributors for women.

A portable security risk

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PDT

Computer scientists in the UK warn that the spread of portable storage devices, such as smart phones, media players, and USB flash drives is a major threat to business. In a new article, they outline possible ways to address the portable security risk.

Experts call to end secrecy surrounding approval of new drugs

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 08:00 PM PDT

Changes are urgently needed to end the secrecy surrounding approval of new drugs in Europe, argue experts.

Astronomers see historical supernova from a new angle

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT

Our telescopes show the Milky Way galaxy only as it appears from one vantage point: our solar system. Now, using a simple but powerful technique, astronomers have seen an exploding star or supernova from several angles.

Disruption in brain connection linked to genetic defect in schizophrenia

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT

In what may provide the most compelling evidence to date, researchers have illuminated how a genetic variant may lead to schizophrenia by causing a disruption in communication between the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex regions of the brain, areas believed to be responsible for carrying out working memory.

Tattletale pills: Engineers design pill that signals it has been swallowed

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT

Call them tattletale pills. Seeking a way to confirm that patients have taken their medication, engineering researchers have added a tiny microchip and digestible antenna to a standard pill capsule. The prototype is intended to pave the way for mass-produced pills that, when ingested, automatically alert doctors, loved ones or scientists working with patients in clinical drug trials.

Chymase inhibitors could enhance treatment for damaged hearts, study suggests

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT

Millions of patients with high blood pressure and heart failure take a class of drugs known as ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors. These drugs prevent the body from processing angiotensin II, a hormone that constricts blood vessels. Scientists have shown that another enzyme present in the heart called chymase is also capable of processing angiotensin II. Adding drugs that interfere with chymase to ACE inhibitors significantly boosted recovery of heart function in animals after heart attack, the researchers found.

Radon in residential buildings: A risk factor for lung cancer

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT

About 1900 deaths from lung cancer per year in Germany are due to radon within residential buildings, according to new research.

Armed with information, people make poor choices, study finds

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 05:00 PM PDT

When faced with a choice that could yield either short-term satisfaction or longer-term benefits, people with complete information about the options generally go for the quick reward, according to new research.

Toward making the blind see: Gene therapy restores vision in mice

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Scientists made a huge step toward making the blind see, and they did it by using a form of gene therapy that does not involve the use of modified viruses. Scientists used a non-viral, synthetic nanoparticle carrier to improve and save the sight of mice with retinitis pigmentosa.

Brain estrogen shows promise as schizophrenia treatment

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT

An estrogenic drug that influences neurotransmitter and neuronal systems in the brain is showing promise as an effective therapy for women who suffer from schizophrenia.

From a classical laser to a 'quantum laser'

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Researchers in Austria have successfully realized a single-atom laser, which shows the properties of a classical laser as well as quantum mechanical properties of the atom-photon interaction.

Pacemaker in stomach helps against vomiting

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT

People with severe stomach disorders can sometimes suffer from chronic vomiting. This symptom can be treated with electrical impulses from a pacemaker in the stomach. A new method enables patients who could benefit from this treatment to be identified, and electrical stimulation leads to reduced nausea and fewer days in hospital, shows a study from Sweden.

Adapting to change? Remember the good, forget the bad!

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT

It's not easy being a bacterium and constantly having to adapt to whatever your environment throws at you. Bacteria rely on their "memories" to fine-tune their ability to sense food and danger.

Will genetics ever have the promised impact on medical practice?

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Since the discovery of gene sequencing in the late 1970s, it was predicted that genetics would revolutionize medicine and provide answers to the causes of many of our common killers. But has genetic research delivered its promise?

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