Monday, March 14, 2011

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

'Pre-baby blues' due to lack of support from partner, study finds

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 04:18 PM PDT

Pregnancy is meant to be a joyous time however some women experience overwhelming "baby blues" before the birth of their child. Anxiety and depression during pregnancy can result in premature birth, or low birth weight, and impact the child's health even into early school years. New research shows that a bad relationship with their husband or partner is the strongest predictor of maternal emotional distress.

Breakthrough in nanocomposite for high-capacity hydrogen storage

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 01:00 PM PDT

Researchers have designed a new composite material for hydrogen storage consisting of nanoparticles of magnesium metal sprinkled through a polymer related to Plexiglas that rapidly absorbs and releases hydrogen at modest temperatures without oxidizing the metal after cycling. This achievement is a major breakthrough in materials design for hydrogen storage, batteries and fuel cells.

With new method, researchers can infer how tumors evolve and spread

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 01:00 PM PDT

A new method of analyzing cancerous tumors suggests that tumors may not evolve gradually, but rather in punctuated or staccato-like bursts. It is a finding that has already shed new light on the process of tumor growth and metastasis, and may help in the development of new methods to clinically evaluate tumors

Combination overcomes breast cancer resistance to herceptin

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 01:00 PM PDT

Breast cancer tumors take numerous paths to resist the targeted drug Herceptin, but a single roadblock at a crucial crossroads may restore a tumor's vulnerability to treatment, scientists report.

'Good cholesterol' structure identified, could help explain protective effects

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 01:00 PM PDT

Researchers have determined the structure of human HDL cholesterol and say the finding could help explain how this "fat packet" protects against cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack and stroke.

Chronic liver cirrhosis clues: Study finds 15 new genetic signposts for primary biliary cirrhosis

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 01:00 PM PDT

Researchers have provided new clues to the genetic causes of primary biliary cirrhosis -- a chronic form of liver disease, which leads to transplant surgery for the majority of patients. The results more than triple the number of genetic regions known to be implicated, pinpointing key immune processes that underlie susceptibility and could provide targets for the development of new therapies. The team suggests that some of the regions are also implicated in other autoimmune diseases.

Untapped crop data from Africa predicts corn peril if temperatures rise

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 01:00 PM PDT

Researchers have found a valuable, untapped resource in historical data from crop yield trials conducted across sub-Saharan Africa. Combined with weather records, they show that yield losses would occur across 65 percent of maize-growing areas from a temperature rise of a single degree Celsius, even with sufficient water. Data from yield tests in other regions of the world could help predict changes in crop yields from climate change.

Miniature 'wearable' PET scanner: Simultaneous study of behavior and brain function in animals

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 01:00 PM PDT

Scientists have demonstrated the efficacy of a "wearable," portable PET scanner they've developed for rats. The device will give neuroscientists a new tool for simultaneously studying brain function and behavior in fully awake, moving animals.

Halibut stock decline forces increased management measures for southeast Alaska charter fleet

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 10:01 AM PDT

NOAA's Fisheries Service has announced it is implementing the regulatory recommendations of the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) due to concerns over declining halibut stocks. These regulations include limiting the maximum size of a halibut caught by charter anglers in southeastern Alaska to 37 inches, and retaining the one-fish-per-person-per-day rule that began in 2009. The halibut stock is declining due to reduced numbers of fish reaching a catchable size range, lower growth rates, and higher than target harvest rates. The stock remains at risk of further declines. Conservation of the halibut resource is the primary concern and management objective of the measures.

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: The far side of the moon -- and all the way around

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 09:59 AM PDT

Because the moon is tidally locked (meaning the same side always faces Earth), it was not until 1959 that the farside was first imaged by the Soviet Luna 3 spacecraft. And what a surprise --­ unlike the widespread maria on the nearside, basaltic volcanism was restricted to a relatively few, smaller regions on the farside, and the battered highlands crust dominated. The cause of the farside/nearside asymmetry is an interesting scientific question. Past studies have shown that the crust on the farside is thicker, likely making it more difficult for magmas to erupt on the surface, limiting the amount of farside mare basalts. Why is the farside crust thicker?

Marangoni convection in space: Observing wine-glass phenomenon in a gravity-free environment

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 09:55 AM PDT

What do a wine glass on Earth and an International Space Station experiment have in common? Well, observing the wine glass would be one of few ways to see and understand the experiment being performed in space.

NASA images tsunami's effects on northeastern Japan

Posted: 13 Mar 2011 09:51 AM PDT

The extent of inundation from the destructive and deadly tsunami triggered by the March 11, 2011, magnitude 8.9 earthquake centered off Japan's northeastern coast about 130 kilometers (82 miles) east of the city of Sendai is revealed in this before-and-after image pair from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft.
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