Sunday, April 25, 2010

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Galaxy merger dilemma solved

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Scientists have solved a long-standing dilemma about the mass of infrared bright merging galaxies. Because galaxies are the largest directly observable objects in the universe, learning more about their formation is key to understanding how the universe works.

1976 'swine flu' shot linked to stronger immune response to 21st century pandemic flu

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT

New evidence shows immunization against "swine flu" in 1976 might provide individuals with some protection against the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus.

Microfluidic integrated circuit could help enable home diagnostic tests

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT

As a way to simplify lab-on-a-chip devices that could offer quicker, cheaper and more portable medical tests, researchers have created microfluidic integrated circuits.

Safe weight gain for heavier moms-to-be depends on level of obesity, study suggests

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT

How much weight obese women should safely gain during pregnancy is often controversial, with current guidelines suggesting a single range of 11-20 pounds. A new study suggests instead that optimal weight gain for obese mothers-to-be depends on level of obesity. Also, weight loss or very minimal weight gain may be detrimental to newborn health, except in the case of extremely obese women.

Mathematicians offer elegant solution to evolutionary conundrum

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Researchers have proffered a new mathematical model that seeks to unravel a key evolutionary riddle -- namely what factors underlie the generation of biological diversity both within and between species.

Deer honesty: Mating deer calls change year-by-year with status of deer

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 02:00 PM PDT

The vocalizations or "groans" of male fallow deer provide rivals and potential mates with an honest account of the emitting animal's competitive abilities. A study describes how the acoustic qualities of a deer's call change year by year and reflect changes in status and age.

Particulate matter from fires in the Amazon affects lightning patterns

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Data on lightning patterns in the Amazon show how clouds are affected by particulate matter emitted by the fires used for slash-and-burn foresting practices. These findings could be used by climate change researchers trying to understand the impact of pollution on global weather patterns.

Extremely preterm children are three times as likely to have psychiatric disorder

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

Significant advances in the neonatal intensive care have resulted in increased survival rates of children who are born at less than 26 weeks of gestation, so termed "extremely preterm children." Notably, however, improved survival rates have been accompanied by a higher risk for later cognitive, neuromotor, and sensory impairments in these children.

NASA's Swift catches 500th gamma-ray burst

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

In its first five years in orbit, NASA's Swift satellite has given astronomers more than they could have hoped for. Its discoveries range from a nearby nascent supernova to a blast so far away that it happened when our universe was only 5 percent of its present age.

People with diabetes are at higher risk of atrial fibrillation

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

People with diabetes have a 40 percent greater risk of developing atrial fibrillation, the most common type of chronically irregular heartbeat, according to a new study. Researchers found this risk rises even higher the longer people have diabetes and the less controlled their blood sugar is.

Safer swiping while voting and globetrotting: Security expert finds security holes in passports and 'smart cards'

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

A new study finds serious security drawbacks in chips embedded in credit, debit and "smart" cards.

Method developed to identify musical notes at any venue

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

A team of telecommunications engineers has created a new method to automatically detect and identify the musical notes in an audio file and generate sheet music. The system identifies the notes even when the type of instrument, musician, type of music or recording studio conditions vary.

Topography of mountains could complicate rates of global warming

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

The future effects of global warming could be significantly changed over very small distances by local air movements in complex or mountainous terrain -- perhaps doubling or even tripling the temperature increases in some situations.

Prostate cancer: Risk increases with the number of affected family members

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

The risk of getting prostate cancer increases with the number of directly related family members who are affected by the disease. Scientists in Germany have now calculated the age-specific individual risks in the largest study ever made on familial prostate cancer.

Faulty clean-up process may be key event in Huntington's disease

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

In a step towards a possible treatment for Huntington's disease, scientists have shown for the first time that the accumulation of a mutated protein may explain damaging cellular behavior in Huntington's disease.

Complete revascularization improves outcomes for coronary artery disease patients

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

A three-year, retrospective study by cardiologists determined that 28.8 percent of patients with significant coronary artery disease who did not undergo complete revascularization had a higher mortality rate than patients completely revascularized.

Grape preservation: New treatment combination safe alternative to sulfur dioxide

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

To keep table grapes fresh and increase shelf life, scientists are seeking advanced techniques that provide healthy, safe alternatives to conventional packing methods. Researchers have developed and tested an effective new technique that combines hot water treatment, rachis removal and modified atmosphere packaging (MA) to extend the shelf life of table grapes.

Forecasting rates of overweight

Posted: 25 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Obesity rates for American adults have stabilized while the rate of childhood and minority obesity is rising, according to a new study.

No comments: