ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Breakthrough In Energy Storage: New Carbon Material Shows Promise Of Storing Large Quantities Of Renewable Electrical Energy Posted: 17 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT Engineers and scientists have achieved a breakthrough in the use of a one-atom thick structure called "graphene" as a new carbon-based material for storing electrical charge in ultracapacitor devices, perhaps paving the way for the massive installation of renewable energies such as wind and solar power.

Gene Therapy For Chronic Pain Gets First Test In People Posted: 17 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT Scientists have launched a phase 1 clinical trial to test whether a pain-relieving gene can be sent to a key point in the nervous system and block pain sensation. The technique promises a more effective, targeted way to treat persistent pain than present painkillers.

Fantastic Photographs Of Fluorescent Fish Posted: 17 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT Scientists have discovered that certain fish are capable of glowing red. Research in BMC Ecology includes striking images of fish fluorescing vivid red light.

Is Re-emerging Superbug The Next MRSA? Posted: 17 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT Physicians are issuing a warning that Clostridium difficile, a virulent strain of an intestinal bacteria, is currently plaguing hospitals and now rivals the superbug Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus as a top disease threat to humans. The little-known bacteria appears to be the next emerging disease threat, killing 1,000s in the United States.

Oil Palm Plantations Are No Substitute For Tropical Rainforests, New Study Shows Posted: 17 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT The continued expansion of oil palm plantations will worsen the dual environmental crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, unless rainforests are better protected, warn scientists in the most comprehensive review of the subject to date.

New Music Software Can Create Accompaniment To Any Melody, In Style Of Any Artist Posted: 17 Sep 2008 01:00 PM CDT A new software system can not only create an accompaniment to any given melody, but do so in the style of any chosen artist, or even the particular style used in select pieces by the artist. The system can potentially run on an ordinary PC.

Why Some Primates, But Not Humans, Can Live With Immunodeficiency Viruses And Not Progress To AIDS Posted: 17 Sep 2008 10:00 AM CDT Some primate species, including sooty mangabeys, harbor simian immunodeficiency viruses but remain healthy, unlike rhesus macaques. The immune systems of sooty mangabeys become significantly less activated during SIV infection than the immune systems of macaques. The less vigorous immune response to SIV in mangabeys may be an effective evolutionary response to a virus that resists clearance by antiviral immune responses. New treatment strategies that would steer the immune system away from over-activation could protect against the unintended damage caused by host immune responses.

Embryonic Stem Cells Might Help Reduce Transplantation Rejection Posted: 17 Sep 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers have shown that immune-defense cells influenced by embryonic stem cell-derived cells can help prevent the rejection of hearts transplanted into mice, all without the use of immunosuppressive drugs. The finding has implications for possible improvements in organ and bone marrow transplantation for humans.

Earth Structure: Lowermost Mantle Has Materials With Unexpected Properties Posted: 17 Sep 2008 10:00 AM CDT Materials deep inside Earth have unexpected atomic properties that might force earth scientists to revise their models of Earth's internal processes. Recreating in the lab materials they believe exist in the lowermost mantle 2,900 kilometers below Earth's surface, researchers say the materials exhibit unexpected atomic properties that might influence how heat is transferred within Earth's mantle, how superplumes form, and how the magnetic field and heat generated in Earth's core travel to the planet's surface.

3-D Computer Processor: 'Rochester Cube' Points Way To More Powerful Chip Designs Posted: 17 Sep 2008 10:00 AM CDT The next major advance in computer processors will likely be the move from today's two-dimensional chips to three-dimensional circuits, and the first three-dimensional synchronization circuitry is now running at 1.4 gigahertz at the University of Rochester.

Mice Missing 'Fear' Gene Slow To Protect Offspring Posted: 17 Sep 2008 10:00 AM CDT First, he discovered a gene that controls innate fear in animals. Now Rutgers geneticist Gleb Shumyatsky has shown that the same gene promotes "helicopter mom" behavior in mice. The gene, known as stathmin or oncoprotein 18, motivates female animals to protect newborn pups and interact cautiously with unknown peers. Shumyatsky's newest finding could enhance our understanding of human anxiety, including part-partum depression and borderline personality disorders.

Whale Songs Are Heard For First Time Around New York City Waters Posted: 17 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT For the first time in waters surrounding New York City, the beckoning calls of endangered fin, humpback and North Atlantic right whales have been recorded.

Genetic Variant Increases Risk Of Developing Malignant Melanoma Posted: 17 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT People who carry a particular genetic variant are at significantly increased risk of developing malignant melanoma, new research shows.

Innovative Hydrogen-powered Car Created Posted: 17 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT As the price of gasoline fuel soars, and concerns grow about the impact of car culture on the environment, a team of scientists have come up with a hydrogen-powered car, which they believe is a significant step forward in creating a mass-produced green machine.

Later Treatment Of Acute Stroke Suggested By New Study Posted: 17 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT The time span in which treatment should be given for acute ischaemic stroke -- i.e. stroke caused by a clot or other obstruction to the blood supply -- can be lengthened. This according to a new study, the results of which can bring about more effective and safer treatments for stroke sufferers.

Extremely Detailed Images From Inside The Body Possible With New Technology Posted: 17 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT New technology will enable extremely detailed images to be made of the smallest structures of the human body. The aim is to detect the risk or commencement of an illness at a very early stage in heart, brain and cancer research. This will be the only magnetic resonance tomograph of the modern 7 tesla generation in the world, in which a metrology institute is also involved.

Seize The Day! New Research Helps Tightwads 'Live A Little' Posted: 17 Sep 2008 07:00 AM CDT Some people have trouble indulging, and they regret it later. There's hope for those people, according to a new study.

Watch And Learn: Time Teaches Us How To Recognize Visual Objects Posted: 17 Sep 2008 04:00 AM CDT In work that could aid efforts to develop more brain-like computer vision systems, MIT neuroscientists have tricked the visual brain into confusing one object with another, thereby demonstrating that time teaches us how to recognize objects.

Genetic Profile Reveals Susceptibility To Cleft Palate Posted: 17 Sep 2008 04:00 AM CDT For the first time, researchers have identified a series of genetic mutations that appear to be linked to significant risk for cleft palate and other dental abnormalities. These are devastating conditions that cause tremendous social isolation, and also are associated with decreased lifespan, a higher risk of cancer and increased susceptibility to psychiatric disorders, even after surgical repair.

Low-emission, High-performance Engine For Future Hybrids Posted: 17 Sep 2008 04:00 AM CDT In an advance toward introduction of an amazing new kind of internal combustion engine, researchers in China are reporting development and use of a new and more accurate computer model to assess performance of the so-called free-piston linear alternator (FPLA).

Protective Pathway In Stressed Cells Not So Helpful When It Comes To Prions Posted: 17 Sep 2008 04:00 AM CDT Scientists have discovered that an important cellular quality control mechanism may actually be toxic to some brain cells during prion infection. The research proposes a new general mechanism of cellular dysfunction that can contribute to the devastating and widespread neuronal death characteristic of slowly progressing neurodegenerative diseases.

New Mechanism To Produce Energy From Biomass Posted: 17 Sep 2008 04:00 AM CDT Scientists have developed a system that can improve the efficiency of the conversion process of biomass to fuel gas that will contribute to the production of energy in a more sustainable manner.

New Insights Into Teenagers And Anxiety Disorders Posted: 17 Sep 2008 04:00 AM CDT Can scientists predict who will develop anxiety disorders years in advance? One UCLA professor of psychology thinks so, and is four years into an eight-year study, evaluating 650 students who were 16-years-old at the study's start, to learn risk factors for the development of anxiety and depression -- the most comprehensive study of its kind.

New Clues To Oxygen At The Origin Of The Solar System Posted: 17 Sep 2008 01:00 AM CDT Oxygen is the most abundant element on Earth, accounting for almost half the planet's mass. Of its three stable isotopes, oxygen 16 makes up 99.762 percent of oxygen on Earth, while heavier oxygen 17 accounts for just 0.038 percent, and the heaviest isotope, oxygen 18, makes up 0.2 percent. Yet minerals in some of the most primitive objects in the solar system, including the meteorites called carbonaceous chondrites, have quite different ratios of oxygen isotopes than on Earth; presumably the rare heavy isotopes occurred in much greater abundances in the early solar system.

Key Protein Molecule Linked To Diverse Human Chronic Inflammatory Diseases Posted: 17 Sep 2008 01:00 AM CDT Scientists have revealed a common connection between the cellular innate immunity network and human chronic inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis, Type 2 Diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases. The finding presents a viable cellular and molecular target for the diagnosis and treatment of serious human inflammatory diseases.

Moderate Quantities Of Dirt Make More Rain Posted: 17 Sep 2008 01:00 AM CDT Drought or deluge? Scientists have now discovered how aerosols affect the when, where and how much of rainfall.

Acting Surgeon General Issues 'Call To Action To Prevent DVT And Pulmonary Embolism' Posted: 17 Sep 2008 01:00 AM CDT Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., has issued a Call to Action to reduce the number of cases of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in the United States. Galson urged all Americans to learn about and prevent these treatable conditions.

Bovine Colostrum And Fermented Cabbage Can Help Restrict Infections Posted: 17 Sep 2008 01:00 AM CDT Antibodies extracted from bovine colostrum as well as lactobacilli extracted from fermented cabbage and other sources prevent the action of pathogenic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.

Consumers Think Differently About Close And Distant Purchases Posted: 17 Sep 2008 01:00 AM CDT If you are deciding on a major vacation for next year, you'll use different criteria than if you are planning a trip this weekend, according to a new study.

Neighbors From Hell: Infanticide Rife In Guillemot Colony Posted: 16 Sep 2008 11:00 PM CDT One of Britain's best-known species of seabird is increasingly attacking and killing unattended chicks from neighboring nests due to food shortages.

Immigrant Sun: Our Star Could Be Far From Where It Started In Milky Way Posted: 16 Sep 2008 10:00 PM CDT New simulations challenge a long-held belief, indicating that in galaxies similar to the Milky Way stars such as our Sun can migrate great distances.

Genetic Mutation That May Predict Organ Rejection Identified Posted: 16 Sep 2008 10:00 PM CDT Using a novel combination of cutting-edge technologies to scan the human genome, researchers have identified a genetic mutation that identifies transplant recipients who experience rejection.

Drinking Chamomile Tea May Help Fight Complications Of Diabetes Posted: 16 Sep 2008 10:00 PM CDT Drinking chamomile tea daily with meals may help prevent the complications of diabetes, which include loss of vision, nerve damage, and kidney damage, researchers in Japan and the United Kingdom are reporting.

Role For Gefitinib In Asian Nonsmokers With Lung Cancer Established Posted: 16 Sep 2008 10:00 PM CDT The targeted therapy gefitinib should be considered a first-line therapy for nonsmoking Asian patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung, one of the most common types of lung cancer, suggests a presentation at the 33rd Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology.

Biological Selenium Removal: Solution To Pollution? Posted: 16 Sep 2008 10:00 PM CDT Unsafe levels of selenium, sometimes referred to as an "essential toxin," can be reduced by a microbiological treatment. With this method, microorganisms reduce selenate to the less-toxic elemental selenium, which can potentially be recovered from the process. An estimated 0.5 to 1 billion people worldwide suffer from selenium deficiency, even though many live near areas where levels of selenium have reached toxic levels.

Massage Therapy May Have Immediate Positive Effect On Pain And Mood For Advanced Cancer Patients Posted: 16 Sep 2008 10:00 PM CDT Massage therapy may have immediate benefits on pain and mood among patients with advanced cancer. In a randomized trial of 380 advanced cancer patients at 15 U.S. hospices, improvement in pain and mood immediately following treatment was greater with massage than with simple touch.

Photosynthesizing Bacteria With A Day-night Cycle Contain Rare Chromosome Posted: 16 Sep 2008 07:00 PM CDT Researchers sequencing the DNA of the blue-green algae Cyanothece 51142 found a linear chromosome harboring genes important for producing biofuels. Simultaneously analyzing the complement of proteins revealed more genes on the linear and typical circular chromosomes then they'd have found with DNA sequencing alone.

Brain Protein Linked To Alzheimer's Disease Posted: 16 Sep 2008 07:00 PM CDT A link has been announced between the brain protein KIBRA and Alzheimer's disease, a discovery that could lead to promising new treatments for this memory-robbing disorder. The new discovery builds on a previous study, which showed a genetic link between KIBRA and memory. In the new study, researchers found that carriers of a memory-enhancing flavor of the KIBRA gene had a 25 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Potential New Drug For Cocaine Addiction And Overdose Posted: 16 Sep 2008 07:00 PM CDT Chemists are reporting development of what they term the most powerful substance ever discovered for eliminating cocaine from the body, an advance that could lead to the world's first effective medicine for fighting overdoses and addictions of the illicit drug.

More Findings On Gene Involved In Childhood Asthma Posted: 16 Sep 2008 07:00 PM CDT Asthma researchers have found that a gene variant known to raise the risk of childhood asthma in European children plays a similar role in white American children, but not in African-American children. The new findings showed the gene was involved in both milder and more severe forms of asthma.

Water Purification Down The Nanotubes: Could Nanotechnology Solve The Water Crisis? Posted: 16 Sep 2008 07:00 PM CDT Nanotechnology could be the answer to ensuring a safe supply of drinking water for regions of the world stricken by periodic drought or where water contamination is rife. Writing in the International Journal of Nuclear Desalination, researchers in India explain how carbon nanotubes could replace conventional materials in water-purification systems.

Don't Throw The Candy Out: Temptation Leads To Moderation Posted: 16 Sep 2008 07:00 PM CDT Banishing tempting goodies may not be the best way to keep from eating them. Tempting foods can actually increase willpower, according to new research. Although it seems counterintuitive, consumers show more self-control after they've spent some time in the presence of a treat.

Higher Urinary Levels Of Commonly Used Plastic Compound, BPA, Linked To Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes Posted: 16 Sep 2008 04:00 PM CDT Higher levels of urinary Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical compound commonly used in plastic packaging for food and beverages, is associated with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities, according to a study in the September 17 issue of JAMA. This study is being released early to coincide with a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hearing on BPA.

Sun-damaged Skin Does Not Improve With Estrogen Treatments, Study Finds Posted: 16 Sep 2008 04:00 PM CDT Treating the skin with estrogen can stimulate collagen production -- which improves the appearance of the skin -- in areas not typically exposed to the sun, according to new research. But in sun-damaged skin, the same treatment does not increase collagen production, the study found.

NASA Selects 'MAVEN' Mission To Study Mars Atmosphere Posted: 16 Sep 2008 04:00 PM CDT NASA has selected a Mars robotic mission that will provide information about the Red Planet's atmosphere, climate history and potential habitability in greater detail than ever before.

MRI Reveals Inner Ear Anomalies In Children With Hearing Loss Posted: 16 Sep 2008 04:00 PM CDT Using magnetic resonance imaging, physicians can identify soft-tissue defects that contribute to hearing loss in children, according to a new report.

New Rechargeable Lithium Batteries Could Jump-start Hybrid Electric Car Efficiency Posted: 16 Sep 2008 04:00 PM CDT Researchers are helping to develop new rechargeable batteries that could improve hybrid electric cars in the future. For hybrid cars, new materials are crucial to make the batteries lighter, safer and more efficient in storing energy.

Blissfully Ignorant: Skip Those Pesky Details Posted: 16 Sep 2008 04:00 PM CDT Wouldn't you like some more information about that cream puff? Not if you just ate it. A new study examined what's known as the "blissful ignorance effect," the way consumers' goals shift after they've made purchases.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Latest Science News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email Delivery powered by FeedBurner
Inbox too full? Subscribe to the feed version of ScienceDaily: Latest Science News in a feed reader.
If you prefer to unsubscribe via postal mail, write to: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News, c/o FeedBurner, 20 W Kinzie, 9th Floor, Chicago IL USA 60610