ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• World's deepest known undersea volcanic vents discovered
• Hormone sensitivity of breast stem cells presents drug target
• Graphene films clear major fabrication hurdle
• Key protein aids in DNA repair
• Crowdsourcing: Cell phones that protect against deadly chemicals?
• Children with autistic traits remain undiagnosed
• Inexpensive highly efficient solar cells possible
• Bionic eye in sight: Wide-view neurostimulator concept unveiled
• Madagascar's radiated tortoise threatened with extinction
• Promising strategy for treatment of lung cancer
• Tiny gold probes give scientists a sense of how disease develops
• You’re born a copy but die an original
• Viruses harnessed to split water
• Life on Saturn's moon Titan: Stand well back and hold your nose!
• Lifeline for 'antibiotic of last resort': Mechanism that triggers resistance to vancomycin identified
• Quick nano-bio-chip checks for oral cancer
• Keeping the weight off after a very-low-energy diet
• Evacuating 70,000 sports fans in less than an hour? Rehearse it with 70,000 avatars
• Spice up your health this barbecue season
• Moray eels: The most cosmopolitan of reef fish, but why?
• Proteins may point to alcohol use test
• Forests at risk: Swiss needle cast epidemic in Douglas-fir trees unprecedented, still getting worse
• Belief that intentional weight loss is harmful to seniors is unfounded, study suggests
• Ultra-short, high-density electron pulses for advanced X-ray sources
• Intervention appears cost-effective for preventing repeated teenage births
• Hubble snaps heavyweight of the Leo Triplet
• Study questions whether screening really cuts breast cancer deaths
• Doubled haploid technology for quickly developing inbred corn lines
• Diabetic tests must be regulated, experts urge
• American industry's thirst for water: First study of its kind in 30 years
• Non-physician surgeons can save lives in low-income countries, researcher says

World's deepest known undersea volcanic vents discovered Posted: 12 Apr 2010 11:00 AM PDT Scientists have discovered the world's deepest undersea volcanic vents, known as 'black smokers', 3.1 miles (5000 meters) deep in the Cayman Trough in the Caribbean. They found slender spires made of copper and iron ores on the seafloor, erupting water hot enough to melt lead, nearly half a mile deeper than anyone has seen before.

Hormone sensitivity of breast stem cells presents drug target Posted: 12 Apr 2010 11:00 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that breast stem cells are exquisitely sensitive to the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, a finding that opens the way for the development of new preventions and treatments for breast cancer.

Graphene films clear major fabrication hurdle Posted: 12 Apr 2010 11:00 AM PDT Researchers have successfully used direct chemical vapor deposition to synthesize single-layer graphene films on dielectric substrates. This represents a major step towards future applications of graphene in both the electronics and the photonics industries, starting with superfast transistors and computer memory chips.

Key protein aids in DNA repair Posted: 12 Apr 2010 11:00 AM PDT Researchers have shown that a particular protein -- called Ku -- is particularly adept at healing damaged strands of DNA.

Crowdsourcing: Cell phones that protect against deadly chemicals? Posted: 12 Apr 2010 11:00 AM PDT Cell phones are getting smarter, and some day they may even protect you from toxic chemicals. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Cell-All is such an initiative. Cell-All aims to equip cell phones with a sensor programmed to either alert the cell phone carrier to the presence of toxic chemicals in the air, and/or a central station that can monitor how many alerts in an area are being received.

Children with autistic traits remain undiagnosed Posted: 12 Apr 2010 11:00 AM PDT There has been a major increase in the incidence of autism over the last twenty years. While people have differing opinions as to why this is, there are still many children who have autistic traits that are never diagnosed clinically. Therefore, they do not receive the support they need through educational or health services.

Inexpensive highly efficient solar cells possible Posted: 12 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT The scientific and commercial future of solar cells could be totally transformed. Scientists have come up with solutions for two problems that, for the last twenty years, have been hampering the development of efficient and affordable solar cells.

Bionic eye in sight: Wide-view neurostimulator concept unveiled Posted: 12 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT Researchers unveiled a new wide-view neurostimulator concept -- a bionic eye that will be implanted into Australia's first recipient of the technology.

Madagascar's radiated tortoise threatened with extinction Posted: 12 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT Madagascar's radiated tortoise -- considered one of the most beautiful tortoise species -- is rapidly nearing extinction due to rampant hunting for its meat and the illegal pet trade, according to biologists.

Promising strategy for treatment of lung cancer Posted: 12 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT Researchers in Sweden have shown in a study that two closely related enzymes could be targets for the treatment of lung cancer. The discovery was made when the researchers blocked the production of the two enzymes in transgenic mice. This resulted in inhibition of cell growth, fewer tumors and greater survival among the mice.

Tiny gold probes give scientists a sense of how disease develops Posted: 12 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT Tiny chemical sensors implanted into patients could help diagnose disease and track its progress, following a development by scientists.

You’re born a copy but die an original Posted: 12 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT The older we get, the more different we become. This is the conclusion of a study that followed people from their 70th to their 90th year of life.

Viruses harnessed to split water Posted: 12 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT Researchers have found a novel way to mimic the process by which plants use the power of sunlight to split water and make chemical fuel to power their growth. In this case, scientists used a modified virus as a kind of biological scaffold that can assemble the nanoscale components needed to split a water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen atoms.

Life on Saturn's moon Titan: Stand well back and hold your nose! Posted: 12 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT New research suggests that if life has evolved on the frozen surface of Saturn's moon, Titan, it would be strange, smelly and explosive compared to life on Earth.

Lifeline for 'antibiotic of last resort': Mechanism that triggers resistance to vancomycin identified Posted: 12 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT A new study has uncovered how bacteria recognize and develop resistance to a powerful antibiotic used to treat superbug infections. Researchers have identified the specific mechanism that triggers resistance to vancomycin.

Quick nano-bio-chip checks for oral cancer Posted: 12 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT The gentle touch of a lesion on the tongue or cheek with a brush can help detect oral cancer with success rates comparable to more invasive techniques, according to preliminary studies.

Keeping the weight off after a very-low-energy diet Posted: 12 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT Simple advice can reduce the risk of weight regain after a very-low-energy diet: the secret to keeping the weight off is to switch back to normal food gradually, reveals new research from Sweden.

Evacuating 70,000 sports fans in less than an hour? Rehearse it with 70,000 avatars Posted: 12 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT If you think it's a hassle getting into a sold-out game, imagine trying to get out after a bomb explodes -- or even under a bomb threat, for that matter. In new simulation and training software, thousands of avatars are in motion at once, realistically representing the chaotic mix of sports fans, security staff, emergency responders and vehicles that interplay during a stadium evacuation.

Spice up your health this barbecue season Posted: 12 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT A new study finds the sauces you use when firing up the barbecue this summer may provide unforeseen health benefits. The research shows common marinades may be more than just tasty sauces -- they can also provide a major source of natural antioxidants.

Moray eels: The most cosmopolitan of reef fish, but why? Posted: 12 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT Genetic variations among moray eels don't show any geographic patterning, apparently because a long-lived larval form called a leptocephalus maintains gene flow among populations. With geographic isolation off the table, it is difficult to understand how the morays diversified into many species.

Proteins may point to alcohol use test Posted: 12 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT Measuring a set of protein changes in the blood linked to alcohol use may potentially lead to a more accurate diagnostic test than those currently available, according to researchers.

Forests at risk: Swiss needle cast epidemic in Douglas-fir trees unprecedented, still getting worse Posted: 12 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT The Swiss needle cast epidemic in Douglas-fir forests of the coastal Pacific Northwest is continuing to intensify, appears to be unprecedented over at least the past 100 years, and is probably linked to the extensive planting of Douglas-fir along the coast and a warmer climate, new research concludes.

Belief that intentional weight loss is harmful to seniors is unfounded, study suggests Posted: 12 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT A new study refutes the widely held belief that intentional weight loss in older adults leads to increased risk of death.

Ultra-short, high-density electron pulses for advanced X-ray sources Posted: 12 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT Over the last few years interest has grown in compact X-ray laser sources which do not require the use of large particle accelerators. Instead, high-intensity laser light is used to accelerate ultra-short, high-density electron pulses to drive these advanced sources. Scientists have now measured the duration of these electron pulses precisely.

Intervention appears cost-effective for preventing repeated teenage births Posted: 12 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT A computer-assisted, home-based intervention shown to reduce the risk of repeated births among low-income pregnant teenagers appears to do so at a reasonable cost, according to a new study.

Hubble snaps heavyweight of the Leo Triplet Posted: 11 Apr 2010 11:00 PM PDT Hubble has snapped a spectacular view of the largest "player" in the Leo Triplet, a galaxy with an unusual anatomy: it displays asymmetric spiral arms and an apparently displaced core. The peculiar anatomy is most likely caused by the gravitational pull of the other two members of the trio.

Study questions whether screening really cuts breast cancer deaths Posted: 11 Apr 2010 11:00 PM PDT A study from Denmark finds no effect of the Danish screening program on breast cancer deaths.

Doubled haploid technology for quickly developing inbred corn lines Posted: 11 Apr 2010 11:00 PM PDT An agronomist has launched a Doubled Haploid Facility that can develop pure, inbred corn lines in less time than traditional methods.

Diabetic tests must be regulated, experts urge Posted: 11 Apr 2010 11:00 PM PDT As a benchmark for diagnosing diabetes, the importance of the A1C test must be reevaluated to improve glycemic numeracy of policy makers, patients and providers - who must make real-world decisions, experts argue in a new commentary.

American industry's thirst for water: First study of its kind in 30 years Posted: 11 Apr 2010 11:00 PM PDT How many gallons of water does it take to produce $1 worth of sugar, dog and cat food, or milk? The answers appear in the first comprehensive study in 30 years documenting American industry's thirst for this precious resource. The study could lead to better ways to conserve water.

Non-physician surgeons can save lives in low-income countries, researcher says Posted: 11 Apr 2010 11:00 PM PDT Every year, some 7.5 million mothers and new-borns die during pregnancy or childbirth, almost all of whom are in low and middle-income countries. One reason for this is the lack of trained medical staff, particularly doctors. Recent research shows that a solution could be the training of nurses in caesarean sections and other life-saving surgery.

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