ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Death of a star in 3D: New computer models show in detail how supernovae obtain their shape
• Unhealthy patterns of innate oral bacteria may cause bad breath
• Redefining electrical current law with the transistor laser
• High-fat meals a no-no for asthma patients, researchers find
• Clash of the mites: Hot on the heels of a destructive coconut pest
• The art of mindreading: Empathy or rational inference?
• How spiders create silk threads: Lowering pH regulates spider’s silk production, researchers find
• Temperature and humidity may effect virus survival on surfaces
• Precisely calculating the age of stars: Key to evolution of a type of white dwarf found
• Noroviruses identified as common cause of travelers' diarrhea
• Seeing the forest for the trees: Object recognition systems that break images into ever smaller parts should be much more efficient
• Mum knows best? Research suggests pregnant women are more likely to follow their mothers’ wisdom than medical advice
• Bacterial genes that improve plant growth by 40% identified
• Statins decrease risk of clot-related diseases, study finds
• Advanced geographical models bring new perspective to study of archaeology
• Higher blood pressure found in people living in urban areas
• Single-cycle infrared light pulses
• Talking seriously with children is good for their language proficiency
• First large-scale formal quantitative test confirms Darwin's theory of universal common ancestry
• Long-term use of vitamin E may decrease COPD risk, study finds
• Ivy can protect old walls
• New technique may quickly distinguish between active and latent TB
• Laser cooling of solids for sensitive sensors
• Study demonstrates art therapy's effectiveness in pediatric asthma
• Titan's gem tumbler: Flash flooding paved streambeds on Saturn's moon
• Belly fat or hip fat: It really is all in your genes, says researcher
• Quantum dynamics of matter waves reveal exotic multibody collisions
• 'Votes' of sub-cellular variables control cell fate
• Unstable chromosome regions are the origin of yeast's brewing capacity, researchers find
• Middle-aged men: Could dwindling testosterone levels decrease sleep?
• Baby corals dance their way home
• Mechanism found that prepares the a newborn's brain for information processing
• Optical quantum transistor using single atoms
• Important mechanism behind breast cancer metastasis: 'Architectural' protein helps regulate cell motility and migration
• Impact sensor provides athletic support: Composite materials generate electricity, reveal impact forces
• Men with bigger wallets have bigger waistlines, Canadian study finds
• False positives in TB diagnosis lead to real negatives for HIV patients, study finds
• Pulmonary rehabilitation effective for both obese and slim COPD patients, study finds
• MP-376 safe and effective for treatment of P. aeruginosa in CF patients, study finds
• More active lifestyle crucial for day-to-day function in COPD patients, research finds.
• Children with severe asthma at increased risk of developing COPD, study finds
• Internet monitoring strategy for severe asthma patients shown to be effective
• Estrogen may reduce airway constriction in women patients with asthma
• Swordfish, Three Other Stocks Fully Rebuilt, NOAA reports

Death of a star in 3D: New computer models show in detail how supernovae obtain their shape Posted: 17 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT Researchers have for the first time managed to reproduce the asymmetries and fast-moving iron clumps of observed supernovae by complex computer simulations in all three dimensions. To this end they successfully followed the outburst in their models consistently from milliseconds after the onset of the blast to the demise of the star several hours later.

Unhealthy patterns of innate oral bacteria may cause bad breath Posted: 17 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT It might not just be poor oral hygiene causing that bad breath say researchers from Japan. Unhealthy patterns of bacterial populations inherent to the mouth may also contribute to oral malodor.

Redefining electrical current law with the transistor laser Posted: 17 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT A major current law has been rewritten thanks to the three-port transistor laser. Data the transistor laser generated did not fit neatly within established circuit laws governing electrical currents, so the pair created a new model to account for the transistor laser having both electrical and optical output.

High-fat meals a no-no for asthma patients, researchers find Posted: 17 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT People with asthma may be well-advised to avoid heavy, high-fat meals, according to new research. Individuals with asthma who consumed a high-fat meal showed increased airway inflammation just hours after the binge, according to Australian researchers who conducted the study. The high fat meal also appeared to inhibit the response to the asthma reliever medication Ventolin (albuterol).

Clash of the mites: Hot on the heels of a destructive coconut pest Posted: 17 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT Biological control experts are sending mites after their own kind as researchers make headway in an initiative to naturally manage the most invasive and destructive pest of the crop, the coconut mite Aceria guerreronis Keifer.

The art of mindreading: Empathy or rational inference? Posted: 17 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT The ability to infer what another person is thinking is an essential tool for social interaction and is known by neuroscientists as "Theory of Mind," but how does the brain actually allow us to do this?

How spiders create silk threads: Lowering pH regulates spider’s silk production, researchers find Posted: 17 May 2010 05:00 AM PDT How can a tiny spider body contain material for several decimeters of gossamer silk, and what governs the conversion to thread? Researchers in Sweden can now explain this process.

Temperature and humidity may effect virus survival on surfaces Posted: 17 May 2010 05:00 AM PDT The SARS coronavirus (CoV) may survive on surfaces for days at temperature and humidity levels common to indoor environments, say researchers.

Precisely calculating the age of stars: Key to evolution of a type of white dwarf found Posted: 17 May 2010 05:00 AM PDT An international team of scientists has precisely calculated the age of a group of white dwarf stars. The research results open up new opportunities for advancing our understanding of the evolution of stars, plasma physics, and the origin of the universe in general.

Noroviruses identified as common cause of travelers' diarrhea Posted: 17 May 2010 05:00 AM PDT Noroviruses, infamous for causing outbreaks of gastroenteritis on cruise ships, may now be recognized as a common cause of travelers' diarrhea in multiple regions of the world as well.

Seeing the forest for the trees: Object recognition systems that break images into ever smaller parts should be much more efficient Posted: 17 May 2010 05:00 AM PDT Object recognition is one of the core topics in computer vision research: After all, a computer that can see isn't much use if it has no idea what it's looking at. Researchers have developed new techniques that should make object recognition systems much easier to build and should enable them use computer memory more efficiently.

Mum knows best? Research suggests pregnant women are more likely to follow their mothers’ wisdom than medical advice Posted: 17 May 2010 05:00 AM PDT Researchers have found pregnant women are more likely to adopt practices their mothers and grandmothers carried out during their pregnancies.

Bacterial genes that improve plant growth by 40% identified Posted: 17 May 2010 02:00 AM PDT To find out what makes microbe-plant interactions "tick," scientists decoded the genome of a plant-dwelling microbe they'd shown could increase plant growth by 40 percent. The work could move the approach of using bacteria as growth-promoting agents one step closer to implementation for improved agriculture and biofuel production.

Statins decrease risk of clot-related diseases, study finds Posted: 17 May 2010 02:00 AM PDT Individuals at risk for clot-related diseases may benefit from taking common cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins, according to a new study.

Advanced geographical models bring new perspective to study of archaeology Posted: 17 May 2010 02:00 AM PDT The use of computational modeling is providing new opportunities to the field of archaeology and can possibly enhance previous findings of how humans and the environment interact.

Higher blood pressure found in people living in urban areas Posted: 17 May 2010 02:00 AM PDT People who live in urban areas where particulate air pollution is high tend to have higher blood pressure than those who live in less polluted areas, according to researchers from Germany.

Single-cycle infrared light pulses Posted: 17 May 2010 02:00 AM PDT A major reason for wanting shorter light pulses is that more data can be encoded within a signal lasting a certain interval of time. Shorter pulses would allow more data to be sent down an optical fiber, for example. Another important scientific use of very short pulses is that they can serve as a stroboscopic illumination for making movies of very short-lived phenomena, such as the movement and interactions of molecules.

Talking seriously with children is good for their language proficiency Posted: 17 May 2010 02:00 AM PDT How adults approach children aged 3 to 6 years during conversations has a major influence on their language acquisition. Those who address children as fully-fledged conversation partners lay an early basis for the development of 'academic language', says a Dutch researcher.

First large-scale formal quantitative test confirms Darwin's theory of universal common ancestry Posted: 16 May 2010 11:00 PM PDT More than 150 years ago, Darwin proposed the theory of universal common ancestry, linking all forms of life by a shared genetic heritage from single-celled microorganisms to humans. Until now, the theory that makes ladybugs, oak trees, champagne yeast and humans distant relatives has remained beyond the scope of a formal test. This week, a biochemist reports the results of the first large scale, quantitative test of the famous theory that underpins modern evolutionary biology.

Long-term use of vitamin E may decrease COPD risk, study finds Posted: 16 May 2010 11:00 PM PDT Long-term, regular use of vitamin E in women 45 years of age and older may help decrease the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by about 10 percent in both smokers and non-smokers, according to a new study.

Ivy can protect old walls Posted: 16 May 2010 11:00 PM PDT The received wisdom that ivy destroys buildings has been overturned by a new study. Researchers analyzed the effects of ivy growing on buildings in five different parts of England and discovered that the plant plays a protective role. They found that an ivy canopy was like a thermal shield, combating the extremes of temperature which often cause walls to crack.

New technique may quickly distinguish between active and latent TB Posted: 16 May 2010 11:00 PM PDT An emerging technique designed to quickly distinguish between people with active and dormant tuberculosis may help health professionals diagnose the disease sooner, thereby potentially limiting early exposure to the disease, according to a new study.

Laser cooling of solids for sensitive sensors Posted: 16 May 2010 11:00 PM PDT The sensors that allow satellites to take measurements are happiest when cold. Mechanical pumps onboard keep sensors' semiconductor elements at temperatures hundreds of degrees below zero. But these cryogenic pumps also produce noisy vibrations that interfere with the collection of data by the sensitive sensors. Researchers are developing a technique to cool semiconductors loads that would use a vibration-free solid-state technology.

Study demonstrates art therapy's effectiveness in pediatric asthma Posted: 16 May 2010 11:00 PM PDT In the first randomized trial of art therapy for asthma, researchers found that children with persistent asthma enjoyed decreased anxiety and increased quality of life after seven weekly art-therapy sessions.

Titan's gem tumbler: Flash flooding paved streambeds on Saturn's moon Posted: 16 May 2010 02:00 PM PDT It appears flash flooding has paved streambeds in the Xanadu region of Saturn's moon Titan with thousands of sparkling crystal balls of ice, according to scientists with NASA's Cassini spacecraft. By analyzing the way the terrain has scattered radar beams, scientists deduce the spheres measure at least a few centimeters (inches) and maybe up to a couple of meters (yards) in diameter. The spheres likely originated as part of water-ice bedrock in higher terrain in Xanadu.

Belly fat or hip fat: It really is all in your genes, says researcher Posted: 16 May 2010 02:00 PM PDT The age-old question of why men store fat in their bellies and women store it in their hips may have finally been answered: Genetically speaking, the fat tissue is almost completely different.

Quantum dynamics of matter waves reveal exotic multibody collisions Posted: 16 May 2010 02:00 PM PDT At extremely low temperatures, atoms can aggregate into Bose-Einstein condensates forming coherent matter waves. Due to interactions between the atoms, fundamental quantum dynamics emerge. Scientists in Germany have now succeeded to reveal the complex structure of these quantum dynamics.

'Votes' of sub-cellular variables control cell fate Posted: 16 May 2010 02:00 PM PDT Members of a population of identical cells often "choose" different fates, even though they exist in identical conditions. The difference may rest with the "hidden variables" within the cells, say researchers.

Unstable chromosome regions are the origin of yeast's brewing capacity, researchers find Posted: 16 May 2010 02:00 PM PDT The ability of yeast cells to convert sugar to alcohol arose in unstable regions of the chromosomes, researchers have found. The genes that allow yeast to digest sugars in fruits and grains have been duplicated several times over the course of time -- allowing for optimal conversion of different types of sugars (such as sucrose and maltose) into alcohol. Genes at the outskirts of the chromosomes are prone to rapid evolution and adaptation.

Middle-aged men: Could dwindling testosterone levels decrease sleep? Posted: 16 May 2010 02:00 PM PDT At 30 years old, male testosterone levels drop by one to two percent annually. By age 40, men's quality of sleep begins to diminish. Could there be a link between decreased testosterone and reduced sleep?

Baby corals dance their way home Posted: 16 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT Baby corals find their way home in their first days as free-swimming larvae by listening to the noise of animals on the reef and actively swimming towards it, an international team of researchers working in the Caribbean has discovered. These findings raise new concerns for the future of coral reefs as increasing human noise pollution in the world's oceans is masking reef sounds.

Mechanism found that prepares the a newborn's brain for information processing Posted: 16 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT Researchers in France and Finland have found a mechanism in the memory center of newborn that adjusts the maturation of the brain for the information processing required later in life.

Optical quantum transistor using single atoms Posted: 16 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT With the continued miniaturization of computer chip components, technology can no longer rely on the laws of the macroscopic world. Scientists all over the world are researching technologies based on quantum effects that can be used to communicate and process information. One of the most promising developments in this direction are quantum networks in which single photons communicate the information between different nodes, e.g. single atoms.

Important mechanism behind breast cancer metastasis: 'Architectural' protein helps regulate cell motility and migration Posted: 16 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT Scientists have identified the protein called palladin as an explanation for how Akt1 can function as a suppressor of breast cancer invasion and metastasis. This new finding reveals another key piece of information as scientists continue their development of targeted cancer therapies, and underscores the importance of dissecting the precise mechanisms by which tumor cells invade and metastasize to distant organs.

Impact sensor provides athletic support: Composite materials generate electricity, reveal impact forces Posted: 16 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT As athletes strive for perfection, sports scientists need to exploit every technological advance to help them achieve that goal. Researchers in New Zealand have now developed a new type of wearable impact sensor based that can provide much needed information about the stresses and strains on limbs for rugby players, high jumpers and runners.

Men with bigger wallets have bigger waistlines, Canadian study finds Posted: 16 May 2010 08:00 AM PDT In Canada, in stark contrast with the rest of the world, wealthy men increase their likelihood of being overweight with every extra dollar they make, according to a new study.

False positives in TB diagnosis lead to real negatives for HIV patients, study finds Posted: 15 May 2010 09:00 PM PDT HIV-infected patients who are falsely diagnosed as having tuberculosis (TB) have higher rates of mortality than those who are correctly diagnosed with the disease, according to a new study.

Pulmonary rehabilitation effective for both obese and slim COPD patients, study finds Posted: 15 May 2010 09:00 PM PDT Obese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) stand to gain as much from pulmonary rehabilitation as their slimmer counterparts, even though as a group they have a lower exercise capacity, according to new research.

MP-376 safe and effective for treatment of P. aeruginosa in CF patients, study finds Posted: 15 May 2010 09:00 PM PDT A new possible treatment to treat P. aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients appears to be promising, according to new research.

More active lifestyle crucial for day-to-day function in COPD patients, research finds. Posted: 15 May 2010 09:00 PM PDT There is no magic bullet to help patients with COPD improve their ability to function in daily life. In fact, the best advice they might get is "do by doing," according to new research.

Children with severe asthma at increased risk of developing COPD, study finds Posted: 15 May 2010 09:00 PM PDT Children with severe asthma have more than 30 times the risk of developing adult chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) as adults compared to children without asthma, according to a prospective longitudinal cohort study.

Internet monitoring strategy for severe asthma patients shown to be effective Posted: 15 May 2010 09:00 PM PDT Patients with severe asthma who use an Internet-supported strategy and daily monitoring of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) were able to control their asthma with lower overall dosing of oral corticosteroids (OCS) than patients who underwent usual care, according to research from the Netherlands.

Estrogen may reduce airway constriction in women patients with asthma Posted: 15 May 2010 09:00 PM PDT Female sex hormones may work with beta-agonists in reducing airway constriction, according to new bench research.

Swordfish, Three Other Stocks Fully Rebuilt, NOAA reports Posted: 15 May 2010 09:00 PM PDT Four fisheries stocks, including Atlantic swordfish, have now been rebuilt to healthy levels, according to a new report.

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