Thursday, March 17, 2011

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Gene therapy reverses symptoms of Parkinson's disease

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 07:20 PM PDT

A gene therapy called NLX-P101 dramatically reduces movement impairment in Parkinson's patients, according to results of a Phase 2 study. The approach introduces a gene into the brain to normalize chemical signaling.

Not so eagle eyed: New study reveals why birds collide with human-made objects

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 07:20 PM PDT

From office block windows to power lines and wind turbines, many species of bird are prone to colliding with large human-made objects, many of which appear difficult not to notice to human eyes. A new study outlines a new approach to understanding how birds see the world and why they find pylons and turbines so hard to avoid.

New therapy found for rare lung disorder

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 03:33 PM PDT

Researchers have found that the FDA-approved drug sirolimus, used primarily to prevent rejection in organ transplant patients, stabilized lung function in women with lymphangioleiomyomatosis.

Omalizumab relieves seasonal asthma attacks in youth, study finds

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 03:33 PM PDT

A drug that targets the antibody immunoglobulin E, a key player in asthma, nearly eliminated seasonal increases in asthma attacks and decreased asthma symptoms among young people living in inner city environments, a clinical trial has found.

Researchers gain new insight into the foreign exchange market

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 02:12 PM PDT

Physicists have developed a mathematical model to describe the timing of price changes of currencies and the overall dynamics of the Foreign Exchange (FX) market.

Gender stereotypes could push women away from entrepreneurship

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 02:12 PM PDT

One expert believes the way that entrepreneurship is presented, discussed and taught must change -- especially for women. He finds that gender stereotypes can discourage women from starting their own businesses, while gender-neutral messages prove most appealing to them.

Does your name dictate your life choices?

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 02:12 PM PDT

What's in a name? Letters. And psychologists have posited that the letters -- particularly the first letter of our names -- can influence decisions, including whom we marry and where we move. The effect is called "implicit egotism."

NASA's Aqua satellite spies a '3-leaf Clover' view of Ireland for St. Patrick's Day

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 02:12 PM PDT

Typical clovers have three leaves, unless you happen to be lucky, and NASA's Aqua satellite has provided three different views of Ireland to mark Saint Patrick's Day on March 17, 2011. With the luck o' the Irish, NASA's Aqua satellite was fortunate to capture mostly clear views of the Emerald Isle in these near-infrared/visible, infrared and microwave light views acquired by Aqua's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on March 3, 2011, at 13:11 UTC.

Innovative technique gives vision researchers insight into how people recognize faces

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 02:12 PM PDT

Scientists have used an original approach -- a method that "shakes" the brain gently and repeatedly by making an image appear and disappear at a constant rate -- to evaluate its sensitivity to perceiving facial identity. The technique is called steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP).

Why some microbial genes are more promiscuous than others

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 01:19 PM PDT

While most organisms get their genes from their parents, bacteria also regularly pick up genes from more distant relatives. This ability to "steal" snippets of DNA from other species is responsible for the rapid spread of drug resistance among disease-causing bacteria. A new study of more than three dozen species - including the microbes responsible for pneumonia, ulcers and plague -- settles a longstanding debate about why bacteria are more likely to steal some genes than others. Bacteria are more likely to adopt 'loner' genes than genes that are well-connected, the study finds.

'Pruned' microchips are faster, smaller, more energy-efficient

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 01:19 PM PDT

Computing experts from the United States, Switzerland and Singapore have unveiled a technique for doubling the efficiency of computer chips by trimming away rarely used circuits. While these "pruned" microchips make a few calculation errors, tests show that cleverly managing the errors can yield chips that are two times faster, consume about half the energy and take up about half the space of traditional microchips.

Quantum cryptography? Physicists move closer to efficient single-photon sources

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 01:19 PM PDT

A team of physicists has taken a giant step toward realizing efficient single-photon sources, which are expected to enable much-coveted completely secure optical communications, also known as "quantum cryptography."

Naval sonar exercises linked to whale strandings, according to new report

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:31 PM PDT

An international team of researchers reports the first data on how beaked whales respond to naval sonar exercises. Their results suggest that sonar indeed affects the behavior and movement of whales.

Two new SCAP documents help improve automating computer security management

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:31 PM PDT

The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology has released two updated publications that help organizations to find and manage vulnerabilities more effectively by standardizing the way vulnerabilities are identified, prioritized and reported.

NIST releases final report on Charleston sofa store fire

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:31 PM PDT

The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology has released its final report on its study of the June 18, 2007, fire at Sofa Super Store in Charleston, S.C., that trapped and killed nine firefighters.

Attendance at U.S. state parks grows, even as funding decreases

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:31 PM PDT

A recent study shows that while the number of visits to U.S. state parks across the country has grown, fund support for park operations has been significantly reduced. The reduction in funding during a time of park growth endangers the more than $20 billion in economic impact that state parks have on the nation's economy.

New tool debuts for measuring indoor air pollutants

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:31 PM PDT

A promising new approach for checking the accuracy of measurements of hazardous indoor air pollutants may soon be ready for prime time, researchers report. The measurement tool, a reference sample for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), would be a boon to testers of indoor air quality and to manufacturers of paints, rugs, cleaners and other building products.

New testing device may help to 'seal the deal' for building owners

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:29 PM PDT

Just as a chain is as strong as its weakest link, a building is as secure against the environment as its most degraded joint sealants, about 50 percent of which fail in less than 10 years after installation. The upshot for U.S. homeowners is that moisture damage due to failed sealants is responsible for much of the $65 billion to $80 billion they collectively shell out for house repairs annually. Researchers are now assembling a toolkit of measurement devices and scientific data that will help manufacturers of sealants systematically improve the protective performance of their products.

High-tech concrete technology has a famous past

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:29 PM PDT

Almost 1,900 years ago, the Romans built what continues to be the world's largest unreinforced solid concrete dome in the world-the Pantheon. The secret is in the light-weight concrete used to build the dome and a process called internal curing. A new paper reviews the status of modern improvements on this ancient material.

Viscous cycle: Quartz is key to plate tectonics

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:29 PM PDT

More than 40 years ago, pioneering tectonic geophysicist J. Tuzo Wilson described how ocean basins opened and closed along North America's eastern seaboard. His observations, dubbed "The Wilson Tectonic Cycle," suggested the process occurred many times during Earth's long history, most recently causing the giant supercontinent Pangaea to split into today's seven continents. Now, new findings shed surprising light on these restless rock cycles.

Pig model of cystic fibrosis improves understanding of disease

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:29 PM PDT

Using a newly created pig model that genetically replicates the most common form of cystic fibrosis, researchers have now shown that the CF protein is "misprocessed" in the pigs and does not end up in the correct cellular location. This glitch leads to disease symptoms, including gastrointestinal abnormalities and lung disease in the pigs, which mimic CF in humans.

Online messaging delivers follow-up care for depression

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:29 PM PDT

Online messaging delivered organized follow-up care for depression effectively and efficiently, in a randomized controlled trial of 208 patients. After five months, compared to patients randomly assigned to receive usual care, those who had three online care management contacts with a trained psychiatric nurse were significantly more likely to feel less depressed, take their antidepressant medication as prescribed, and be "very satisfied" with their depression treatment.

Ancient 'hyperthermals' serve as guide to anticipated climate changes; Sudden global warming events more frequent?

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:29 PM PDT

Bursts of intense global warming that have lasted tens of thousands of years have taken place more frequently throughout Earth's history than previously believe, according to new evidence.

Fossils record reveals ancient migrations, trilobite mass matings

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:29 PM PDT

Fossilized snapshots are providing paleontologists with new insights into the behavior of ancient marine creatures. Like modern crabs and lobsters, trilobites appear to have gathered in large groups for protection when they shed their protective exoskeletons. During molting, there was safety in numbers. And, like their modern cousins, trilobites seem to have used these molting gatherings as opportunities for mating.

Comparison of wiping away bacteria with disinfectant wipes or a tissue moistened with saline

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:29 PM PDT

If you have time to quickly swipe your pager or cell phone three times, that would be your best bet to get rid of most of the bacteria. And a simple tissue moistened with saline would do the trick. But if you only have time for a single swipe of a 'dirty' phone -- you'd be better off reaching for a disinfectant wipe.

Japan earthquake disaster: Geophysicists create animation showing sequence of quakes

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 12:27 PM PDT

The earthquake disaster on March 11, 2011 was an event of the century not only for Japan. With a magnitude of Mw = 8.9, it was one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded worldwide. Two days before, a strong foreshock with a magnitude Mw = 7.2 took place almost exactly at the breaking point of the tsunami-earthquake. Geophysicists in Germany have now created an animation that shows the sequence of quakes since March 9.

Improving the infant gut ‘microbiome’

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 11:27 AM PDT

While next-generation sequencing-based research of gut microbiomes will ultimately benefit all members of the population, to date there has been a particular emphasis on investigating and, where necessary, altering the microbiota present in the gut of the elderly, infants and obese individuals. For example, evidence exists that early colonization of the infant gastrointestinal tract by microbes is crucial for the overall health of the infant.

Sounds of Japan earthquake and aftershocks from underwater observatories

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 11:27 AM PDT

Researchers in Spain have recorded the sound of the earthquake that shook Japan on Friday, March 11. The recording, now available online, was provided by a network of underwater observatories located on either side of the earthquake epicenter, close to the Japanese island of Hatsushima.

Breaking the mucus barrier unveils cancer cell secrets

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 11:26 AM PDT

Measuring the mechanical strength of cancer cell mucus layers provides clues about better ways to treat cancer, and also suggests why some cancer cells are more resistant to drugs than others, according to new research. Healthy tissues naturally secrete mucus to protect against infection. Cancer cells, however, produce far more mucus than healthy cells.

Paleontologists audition modern examples of ancient behavior

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 11:26 AM PDT

A video of a modern shellfish by paleontologists suggests a way to test theories about the behavior of fossilized specimens.

Rare Andean cat no longer exclusive to the Andes

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 11:26 AM PDT

Once thought to exclusively inhabit its namesake mountain range, the threatened Andean cat -- a house cat-sized feline that resembles a small snow leopard in both appearance and habitat -- also frequents the Patagonian steppe at much lower elevations, according to a new study.

Dine or dash? Genes help worm decide when to look for new food

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 11:26 AM PDT

Researchers have identified a genetic circuit that helps worms decide whether to dine or dash. For worms, choosing when to search for a new dinner spot depends on many factors, both internal and external: how hungry they are, for example, how much oxygen is in the air, and how many other worms are around. A new study demonstrates this all-important decision is also influenced by the worm's genetic make-up.

Scientists control light scattering in graphene

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 11:26 AM PDT

Scientists have learned to control the quantum pathways that determine how light scatters in graphene. A sheet of carbon just a single atom thick, graphene's extraordinary crystalline structure gives rise to unique electronic and optical properties. Controlling light scattering not only provides a new tool for studying graphene but points to practical applications for managing light and electronic states in graphene nanodevices.

Saint Patrick didn’t have it easy ... but at least the food wasn’t bad

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 10:46 AM PDT

Shipped to Ireland as a slave, it must have been a cold, hungry journey for Patrick. But through her researches, an Irish food expert has been able to recreate the diet available in 5th century Ireland to a young saint-in-the-making.

How clear is our view of brain activity?

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 10:46 AM PDT

Imaging techniques have become an integral part of the neurosciences. Methods that enable us to look through the human skull and right into the active brain have become an important tool for research and medical diagnosis alike. However, the underlying data have to be processed in elaborate ways before a colorful image informs us about brain activity.

Developing a universal flu vaccine?

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 10:46 AM PDT

A vaccine that helps against all types of influenza -- for several years? If all goes right for one Norwegian company, such a vaccine could exist within a few years.

Earthquake could mean major shortage of some Japanese cars in US

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 10:44 AM PDT

American consumers thinking about buying a car made by Toyota, Nissan or Honda might want to make their decisions quickly. That's because work at Toyota, Nissan, Honda and other auto plants in Japan has been interrupted following the historic earthquake, resulting in a loss of 10,000 vehicles per day for Toyota alone.

Depression can worsen knee arthritis symptoms in older adults

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 10:44 AM PDT

Clinical depression can exacerbate the symptoms of knee arthritis beyond what is evident on X-rays, according to a new study. Patients with mild to moderate knee arthritis are especially affected by depression, the study notes.

Tai chi beats back depression in the elderly, study shows

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 10:11 AM PDT

To fight depression in the elderly, researchers combined a weekly Tai chi exercise class with a standard depression treatment for a group of depressed, elderly people. The found greater improvement in their level of depression, along with improved quality of life, better memory and cognition, and more overall energy.

Rocking the vote from rocking chairs

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 09:25 AM PDT

For seniors, voting can be difficult: standing with a walker or cane in the voting booth, struggling to read the tiny print on the ballot or trying to punch the tiny button to vote for the intended. A new study of a process called 'mobile' found that nursing home residents, staff and election officials all agreed that mobile polling is better than current voting methods.

New way to test cancer drugs

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 09:25 AM PDT

A scientist's nanopolymer would make it easier and cheaper for drug developers to test the effectiveness of a widely used class of cancer inhibitors. He created the 'pIMAGO nanopolymer' that can be used to determine whether cancer drugs have been effective against biochemical processes that can lead to cancer cell formation.

Depolarizing the debates about pediatric mental health diagnosis and treatment

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 09:25 AM PDT

Decisions about whether and how to diagnose children with emotional and behavioral disturbances, and whether and how to treat them, are sometimes not clear-cut. When decisions lie within a "zone of ambiguity," people who emphasize different value commitments can reach different but equally respectable conclusions. We need to tolerate these reasonable disagreements, according to a special report.

Scientists use light to move molecules within living cells

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 09:25 AM PDT

Using a light-triggered chemical tool, scientists report that they have refined a means of moving individual molecules around inside living cells and sending them to exact locations at precise times. This new tool, they say, gives scientists greater command than ever in manipulating single molecules, allowing them to see how molecules in certain cell locations can influence cell behavior and to determine whether cells will grow, die, move or divide.

Youth with inflammatory bowel disease are less fit than their peers, study suggests

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 09:25 AM PDT

Children and youth with the most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease have aerobic fitness levels 25 percent lower than other children their age, and their muscle function is 10 percent lower.

Scientists revisit 'Hallmarks of Cancer'

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 08:30 AM PDT

Cancer researchers have updated the "Hallmarks of Cancer," a seminal review that codified the traits that all cancers have in common. The original article has influenced scientists, both in and outside cancer research. The revised work incorporates information gleaned from the past eleven years of cancer research and is expected to have a strong impact on the study of cancer and the quest for approaches to treat it.

Report calls for improving US intelligence analysis using new methods, research from behavioral, social sciences

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 08:30 AM PDT

A new report from the U.S. National Research Council recommends that the US intelligence community adopt methods, theories, and findings from the behavioral and social sciences as a way to improve its analyses.

Does selenium prevent cancer? It may depend on which form people take

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 08:30 AM PDT

Scientists are reporting that the controversy surrounding whether selenium can fight cancer in humans might come down to which form of the essential micronutrient people take. It turns out that not all "seleniums" are the same -- the researchers found that one type of selenium supplement may produce a possible cancer-preventing substance more efficiently than another form of selenium in human cancer cells.

3-D printing method advances electrically small antenna design

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 08:30 AM PDT

Omnidirectional printing of metallic nanoparticle inks offers an attractive alternative for meeting the demanding form factors of 3-D electrically small antennas. This is the first demonstration of 3-D printed antennas on curvilinear surfaces.

Laser beam makes cells 'breathe in' water and potentially anti-cancer drugs

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 08:30 AM PDT

Shining a laser light on cells and then clicking off the light-makes the cells "breathe in" surrounding water, providing a potentially powerful delivery system for chemotherapy drugs, as well as a non-invasive way to target anti-Alzheimer's medicines to the brain.

New 'dissolvable tobacco' products may increase risk of mouth disease

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 08:30 AM PDT

The first study to analyze the complex ingredients in the new genre of dissolvable tobacco products has concluded that these pop-into-the-mouth replacements for cigarettes in places where smoking is banned have the potential to cause mouth diseases and other problems.

Quest for cures for HIV

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 07:41 AM PDT

A new article explores the clinical characteristics that are important for researchers to consider when they study the female genital tract in the quest for cures for HIV.

Some blind people 'see' with their ears, neuropsychologists show

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 07:41 AM PDT

Neuropsychologists compared the brain activity of people who can see and people who were born blind, discovering that the part of the brain that normally works with our eyes to process vision and space perception can actually rewire itself to process sound information instead.

Less weight gain found among African-American women in dense urban areas

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 07:41 AM PDT

Researchers have found that African-American women who live in more densely populated urban areas gain less weight than those in more sprawling auto-oriented areas. The results were based on data collected in the Black Women's Health Study, an ongoing study of the health of 59,000 African American women conducted by the researchers since 1995.

Alternatives eyed for methyl bromide

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 07:41 AM PDT

Scientists trying to help Florida growers find a replacement for methyl bromide are studying an alternative soil treatment that uses molasses as one of its ingredients. Farmers have been using methyl bromide since the 1930s to control a broad spectrum of nematodes, pests and pathogens. But because methyl bromide depletes Earth's stratospheric ozone layer, growers worldwide are being required to find a replacement. That's a tall order in Florida, where the sandy soils limit organic alternatives and the mild winters serve as a safe harbor for many nematodes, weeds and pathogens.

First permanent anti-fog coating developed

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 07:41 AM PDT

Researchers have developed the very first permanent anti-fog coating. This innovation which could eliminate, once and for all, the fog on eyeglasses, windshields, goggles, camera lenses and on any transparent glass or plastic surface.

Wide variety in nutritional content found in 'senior' dog foods

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 07:41 AM PDT

The nutritional content of dog foods marketed for old dogs varies as widely as owner's perceptions about them, according to a new study.

Three in four domestic violence victims go unidentified in emergency rooms, new study shows

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 06:27 AM PDT

Although nearly 80 percent of female victims of intimate partner violence visit emergency departments for medical complaints, as many as 72 percent are not identified as victims of abuse. Of those who are, very few are offered adequate support, according to new research.

Abnormal Hypersensitivity to Sunlight

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 06:27 AM PDT

One in ten people react to sunlight by developing eczema. This abnormal reaction is one of a group of disorders known as photodermatoses. Medical researchers now describe the clinical range of these skin diseases and the options for treating them.

Construction of a record-breaking laser gets off the ground

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 05:49 AM PDT

Researchers have started work has started on the construction of an innovative laser. The compact device will make use of a unique light amplification technology to allow single laser pulses to reach the power of tens of terawatts with world record-breaking amplification parameters.

New technologies to crack down on counterfeit whisky

Posted: 16 Mar 2011 05:49 AM PDT

Experts are working to create a handheld device which will detect fake whisky and wine – through the bottle.

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