ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Solar System Is Pretty Special, According To New Computer Simulation Posted: 08 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT Prevailing theoretical models attempting to explain the formation of the solar system have assumed it to be average. Now a new study by Northwestern University astronomers -- the first to model the formation of planetary systems from beginning to end -- illustrates the solar system is pretty special. Their results show that the average planetary system's origin was violent but that the formation of something like our solar system required conditions to be "just right."

New Implant Device Remotely Monitors Heart Failure Patients Posted: 08 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT Chest pain and shortness of breath are common symptoms that send tens of thousands of heart failure (HF) patients into US hospitals each month. Cardiologists may now be able to curb such visits for some of their HF patients with the use of new wireless pressure sensor technology that allows physicians to track the pulmonary artery pressure of patients while these patients remain at home.

Hot Peppers Really Do Bring The Heat Posted: 08 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers have found that capsaicin, the active chemical in chili peppers, can induce thermogenesis, the process by which cells convert energy into heat.

Hormone Level May Reflect Mortality Risk Among Dialysis Patients Posted: 08 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT A new study suggests that monitoring levels of a hormone called fibroblast growth factor 23 may provide information crucial to the treatment of patients with kidney failure.

Fuel From Bacteria Is One Step Closer Posted: 08 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT Scientists have shown how bacteria could be used as a future fuel. The research, published in the journal Bioinformatics, could have significant implications for the environment and the way we produce sustainable fuels in the future.

No-nose Bicycle Saddles Improve Penile Sensation And Erectile Function In Bicycling Police Officers Posted: 08 Aug 2008 10:00 AM CDT A new study examines if no-nose bike seats would be effective in alleviating the harm caused by using a traditional seat.

Gene For Sexual Switching In Melons Provides Clues To Evolution Of Sex Posted: 08 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT A newly discovered function for a hormone in melons suggests it plays a role in how sexual systems evolve in plants. The finding offers new insights into the molecular basis for sex determination.

Connections Between Genetics, Brain Activity And Preference Discovered Posted: 08 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT Researchers have used brain imaging, genetics and experimental psychology techniques to identify a connection between brain reward circuitry, a behavioral measurement of preference and a gene variant that appears to influence both.

Hidden Properties Of Ultracold Atomic Gases Revealed Posted: 08 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT Physicists have demonstrated a powerful new technique that reveals hidden properties of ultracold atomic gases. To develop the new technique, the scientists borrowed an idea used for nearly a century in the study of materials: photoemission spectroscopy.

Gastrointestinal Bleeding After Stroke May Increase Risk Of Death Posted: 08 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT People who have gastrointestinal bleeding after a stroke are more likely to die or become severely disabled than stroke sufferers with no GI bleeding, according to a new study.

Monitoring Against Another Pompeii Posted: 08 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT A WiMAX-based connection to the Internet will enable real-time monitoring of potentially dangerous active volcanoes. For effective monitoring of volcanic activity, scientists want to know what is happening in real time, not the pattern of events last week.

I Can, Automatically, Become Just Like You Posted: 08 Aug 2008 07:00 AM CDT No one likes to be excluded from a group: exclusion can decrease mood, reduce self-esteem and feelings of belonging, and even ultimately lead to negative behavior (e.g., the shootings at Virginia Tech). As a result, we often try to fit in with others in both conscious and automatic ways. Psychologists studied people's tendency to copy automatically the behaviors of others in order to find out how this mimicry can be used as an affiliation strategy.

Researchers Halt Spread Of HIV With RNAi In Animal Model Posted: 08 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT Using a novel method to deliver small molecules called siRNAs into T cells, researchers dramatically suppressed HIV in the first-ever animal model that mirrors progression of the disease in humans. The siRNAs knocked down three key genes and kept the infection from spreading in mice containing human immune cells infected with the virus.

Comprehensive Treatment Of Extensively Drug-resistant TB Works, Study Finds Posted: 08 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT XDR-TB has been reported in 49 countries throughout the world. This study shows that a comprehensive, ambulatory management program can cure more than 60 percent of HIV-negative XDR-TB patients in spite of numerous, prior unsuccessful TB treatments. This ambulatory model could be widely implemented in resource-poor settings.

Hubble Instruments Slated for On-Orbit 'Surgery' Posted: 08 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT When astronauts visit the Hubble Space Telescope in October 2008 for its final servicing mission, they will be facing a task that has no precedence – performing on-orbit 'surgery' on two ailing science instruments that reside inside the telescope – the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS).

Periodontal Disease Independently Predicts New Onset Diabetes Posted: 08 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT Periodontal disease may be an independent predictor of incident type 2 diabetes, according to a new study. While diabetes has long been believed to be a risk factor for periodontal infections, this is the first study exploring whether the reverse might also be true, that is, if periodontal infections can contribute to the development of diabetes.

Quantum Physics: Disentangling Strange Behavior Of Qubits Posted: 08 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT Current technology enables the building of electrical circuits similar to those we use at home but reduced thousands of times in size to a micrometric scale of thousandths of a millimeter. When these circuits are built of superconductor materials and at near-absolute zero cryogenic temperatures, the world of everyday physics is left behind and the amazing world of quantum physics is entered. In this circuit the behavior is something like an artificial atom (i.e. like the so-called quantum bits ("qubits") of quantum computers) and the concepts of quantum optics, quantum information and condensed matter are mixed.

The Schiavo Case: Are Mass Media To Blame? Posted: 08 Aug 2008 04:00 AM CDT In 1990, Theresa Schiavo, an American citizen, had a cardiac arrest that caused irreversible brain damage which led to a persistent vegetative state diagnosis. A few years later, this diagnosis became a source of conflict over the interruption of artificial nutrition. The "Schiavo Case" was widely discussed from a medical, ethical and social standpoint in the United States and elsewhere.

Climate Change: When It Rains It Really Pours Posted: 08 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT Climate models have long predicted that global warming will increase the intensity of "extreme" precipitation events. A new study provides the first observational evidence to confirm the link between a warmer climate and more powerful rainstorms.

Inherited Form Of Hearing Loss Stems From Gene Mutation Posted: 08 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT Researchers have pinpointed a gene mutation that accounts for a previously unidentified form of hearing loss. Scientists found the same mutation in two unrelated families, indicating the mutation may be ancient and not particularly rare. Future research may find that it affects others who have an unexplained family history of hearing loss. Genes are likely involved in as many as 50 percent of people with hearing loss.

Vine Invasion? Ecologists Look At Coexistence Of Trees And Lianas Posted: 08 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT Ecologist are studying how woody vines, or lianas, are affecting tropical forests and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Through a comprehensive community-level study on liana-tree interactions in Panama, researchers are untangling how lianas survive -- and whether they are really threatening trees.

Blocking HIV Multiplication: Structure Elucidation Of 'Kissing Complex' Posted: 08 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT Scientists have used innovative techniques to elucidate the specific recognition mechanisms between AIDS virus RNA and a synthetic RNA. These results should provide a basis for the development of new therapies targeting viral RNA sequences.

Norwegian Wood: Putting Wood Chips In The Fuel Tank Posted: 08 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT While the Norwegian company "Norske Skog" is struggling with unprofitable paper production and trees are rotting from the roots up, the world is researching alternatives to petrol. Scientists believe we should put wood chips in the tank.

Post-partum Suicide Attempt Risks Studied Posted: 08 Aug 2008 01:00 AM CDT Although maternal suicide after giving birth is a relatively rare occurrence, suicide attempts often have long-lasting effects on the family and the infant. Researchers compared two populations of mothers and found that a history of psychiatric disorders or substance abuse was a strong predictor of post-partum suicide attempts.

Why Elite Rowers Have Bigger, Stronger Hearts Posted: 07 Aug 2008 11:00 PM CDT Scientists have unraveled a potential mechanism for how top-level rowers develop enlarged strengthened hearts as a result of long-term intensive training. The research suggests a causal link between naturally occurring hormone levels and strengthening of the heart muscle in professional rowers.

Hope: An Overlooked Tool In The Battle Against HIV/Aids Posted: 07 Aug 2008 11:00 PM CDT The links between HIV transmission and the degree to which people are able to adopt realistic plans to achieve future projects, in other words, hope, have been overlooked in policies to tackle HIV/AIDS. New research argues that hope is a powerful tool in the battle to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Perfectly Proportioned Legs Keep Water Striders Striding Posted: 07 Aug 2008 10:00 PM CDT The amazing water strider -- known for its ability to walk on water -- came within just a hair of sinking into evolutionary oblivion. Scientists are reporting that the insect's long, flexible legs have an optimal length that keeps it afloat.

Medicinal Marijuana Effective For Neuropathic Pain In HIV, Study Finds Posted: 07 Aug 2008 10:00 PM CDT In a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to assess the impact of smoked medical cannabis, or marijuana, on the neuropathic pain associated with HIV, researchers have found that reported pain relief was greater with cannabis than with a placebo.

Drivers Of Tropical Deforestation Are Changing, Say Scientists Posted: 07 Aug 2008 10:00 PM CDT A shift from poverty-driven to industry-driven deforestation threatens the world's tropical forests but offers new opportunities for conservation, according to a new article.

Treatment Outcomes Highlight Dangers Of Extensively Drug-resistant Tuberculosis Posted: 07 Aug 2008 10:00 PM CDT In a retrospective study of 174 tuberculosis patients, patients with extensively-drug-resistant tuberculosis were almost eight times as likely to die as patients with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. The study highlights the need for optimal management of multidrug resistant cases to prevent the progression to XDR-TB.

New Decision Model Seeks To Avert Flu Vaccine Mismatch Of 2007-2008 Season Posted: 07 Aug 2008 10:00 PM CDT To avoid producing vaccines that treat the wrong strains during flu season, the FDA should consider deferring some of its selections as well as other changes to the vaccine composition, according to a study by two decision analysts published in a journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences.

Jeers Of Peers May Affect Adolescent Adjustment Posted: 07 Aug 2008 10:00 PM CDT A researcher suggests that the struggles of adolescence can be particularly painful for children who also struggle with obesity.

Is There Life On Jupiter's Moon Europa? Finding Signs Of Current Geological Activity On A Frozen World Posted: 07 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT With average temperatures of minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit, an almost nonexistent atmosphere and a complex web of cracks in a layer of ice encompassing the entire surface, the environment on Jupiter's moon Europa is about as alien as they come. Yet "Europa has the potential for something very similar to hydrothermal systems we have here in our oceans," according to one of the researchers.

How Chemo Kills Tumors: Research To Reduce Side Effects Posted: 07 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT Researchers are investigating exactly how chemotherapy drugs kill cancerous tumors in a bid to reduce side effects and test the effectiveness of safer new agents.

Whom Do We Fear Or Trust? Posted: 07 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT Princeton psychology researchers have developed a computer program that allows scientists to analyze better than ever before what it is about certain human faces that makes them look either trustworthy or fearsome. In doing so, they have also found that the program allows them to construct computer-generated faces that display the most trustworthy or dominant faces possible.

HIV Expert Says 1 Step Down, 2 More To Go In Quest To Cure AIDS Posted: 07 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT A Johns Hopkins expert in HIV and how the AIDS virus hides in the body says antiretroviral drugs have stopped HIV from replicating, the first of three key steps needed to rid people of the virus.

Acid Rain Reduces Methane Emissions From Rice Paddies Posted: 07 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT Acid rain from atmospheric pollution can reduce methane emissions from rice paddies by up to 24 per cent according to new research. This is potentially a beneficial side effect of the high pollution levels China - the world's largest producer of rice - is often associated with. Methane is 21 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

Fossil And Molecular Evidence Reveals The History Of Major Marine Biodiversity Hotspots Posted: 07 Aug 2008 07:00 PM CDT Experts have described three major marine biodiversity hotspots in the last 50 million years, from the oldest, peaked in southwest Europe and northwest Africa, to the modern Indo-Australian Archipelago hotspot. The birth, evolution and death of such hotspots are a product of ecological processes operating over geological time scales of millions of years. To what extent is human activity speeding the evolutionary process of the focus with the highest level of biological diversity, the coral reef ecosystems?

Spices May Protect Against Consequences Of High Blood Sugar Posted: 07 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT Herbs and spices are rich in antioxidants, and a new study suggests they are also potent inhibitors of tissue damage and inflammation caused by high levels of blood sugar.

Researchers Unveil Vital Key To Cancer Posted: 07 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT University of Manchester scientists have uncovered the 3-D structure of Mps1 -- a protein that regulates the number of chromosomes during cell division and thus has an essential role in the prevention of cancer -- which will lead to the design of safer and more effective therapies.

Entomologists Use 'Love Potion' To Detect Hidden Cerambycid Beetles Posted: 07 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT Pest cerambycids can cause severe damage to standing trees, logs and lumber. How then might they be promptly detected and their numbers swiftly controlled? The new discovery of inexpensive blends of love potions has helped researchers detect several species of pest cerambycid beetles.

When Neurons Fire Up: Study Sheds Light On Rhythms Of The Brain Posted: 07 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT Neuroscientists have modeled the random synchronization of neuron activation. The findings expand scientists' understanding of brain rhythms, both reoccurring and random, and shed light on the decades-old mystery of how the brain learns temporal patterns.

Next-generation Computer Antivirus System Developed Posted: 07 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT Antivirus software on your personal computer could become a thing of the past thanks to a new "cloud computing" approach to malicious software detection.

Child Development: Lack Of Time On Tummy Shown To Hinder Achievement Posted: 07 Aug 2008 04:00 PM CDT The American Physical Therapy Association is urging parents and caregivers to ensure that babies get enough "tummy time" throughout the day while they are awake and supervised, in light of a recent survey of therapists who say they've noticed an increase in motor delays in infants who spend too much time on their backs while awake.

Clumps And Streams Of Dark Matter May Lie In Inner Regions Of Milky Way Posted: 07 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT Using one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world to simulate the halo of dark matter that envelopes our galaxy, researchers found dense clumps and streams of the mysterious stuff lurking in the inner regions of the halo, in the same neighborhood as our solar system.

West Nile's Targets Uncovered Posted: 07 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT Screening the entire human genome, scientists have identified several hundred genes that impact West Nile virus infection.

Likely Cause Of Postpartum Blues And Depression Identified Posted: 07 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT Unique biochemical crosstalk that enables a fetus to get nutrition and oxygen from its mother's blood just may cause common postpartum blues, researchers say.

Wheezing After Early-life Antibiotics Posted: 07 Aug 2008 01:00 PM CDT Children who are given antibiotics in their first three months often wheeze at 15 months of age. However, this wheezing is probably more due to the presence of chest infections than to the use of antibiotics.

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