ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Playing Pinball With Atoms: How To Turn Nanotech Devices On And Off Posted: 14 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT With nanotechnology yielding a burgeoning menagerie of microscopic pumps, motors, and other machines for potential use in medicine and industry, here is one good question: How will humans turn those devices on and off?

Toward An Effective Treatment For Spinal Muscular Atrophy Posted: 14 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Scientists are reporting a key advance toward developing the first effective drug treatment for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a genetic disease that involves motor neuron loss and occurs in 1 out of every 6,000 births. SMA is the leading cause of hereditary infant death in the United States.

Nanoscopic Screening Process To Speed Drug Discovery Posted: 14 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Researchers are using nanotechnology to search for new cancer-fighting drugs through a process that could be up to 10,000 times faster than current methods.

Bacteria That Can Cause Bone Infections Related To Tuberculosis Pathogen Posted: 14 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Scientists have discovered that a bone infection is caused by a newly described species of bacteria that is related to the tuberculosis pathogen. The discovery may help improve the diagnosis and treatment of similar infections, according to an article in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.

High Powered New Explosive Developed Posted: 14 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT Scientists have developed a novel tetranitrate ester, which is solid at room temperature, is a highly powerful explosive, and can be melt-cast into the desired shape.

Drinking Alcohol Associated With Smaller Brain Volume Posted: 14 Oct 2008 10:00 AM CDT The more alcohol an individual drinks, the smaller his or her total brain volume. Brain volume decreases with age at an estimated rate of 1.9 percent per decade, accompanied by an increase in white matter lesions, according to background information in the article.

New Gene Found That Helps Plants Beat The Heat Posted: 14 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Plant scientists have discovered another piece of the genetic puzzle that controls how plants respond to high temperatures. That may allow plant breeders to create new varieties of crops that flourish in warmer, drier climates.

Common Variant Increase Risk Of Most Common Form Of Skin Cancer By 170% Posted: 14 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Scientists report the discovery of common versions of two single-letter variations in the human genome (SNPs) that confer risk of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common cancer among people of European ancestry. Unlike the four sets of SNPs previously found by deCODE to confer risk of BCC and cutaneous melanoma, those reported today are not linked to fair pigmentation traits that also make certain people prone to freckling and sunburn.

Tropical Wetlands Hold More Carbon Than Temperate Marshes Posted: 14 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Tropical wetlands are able to absorb and hold onto about 80 percent more carbon than can wetlands in temperate zones, according to a new study. The scientists extracted soil cores from wetlands in Costa Rica and in Ohio and analyzed the contents of the sediment from the past 40 years. Based on their analysis, they estimated that the tropical wetland accumulated a little over 1 ton of carbon per acre per year, and the temperate wetland accumulated .6 tons of carbon per acre per year.

Vision Loss More Common In People With Diabetes Posted: 14 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Visual impairment appears to be more common in people with diabetes than in those without the disease, according to a new report.

Byproduct Of Steel Shows Potential In Carbon Dioxide Sequestration Posted: 14 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT With steelworks around the world emitting huge amounts of carbon dioxide, scientists are reporting that a byproduct of steel production could be used to absorb that greenhouse gas to help control global warming.

Signs Of Heart Disease Are Attributed To Stress More Frequently In Women Than Men Posted: 14 Oct 2008 07:00 AM CDT Coronary heart disease symptoms presented in the context of a stressful life event were identified as psychogenic in origin when presented by women and organic in origin when presented by men. The study could help explain why there is often a delay in the assessment of women with heart disease.

Archaeological Dig Uncovers Roman Mystery Posted: 14 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT Archaeologists have dug up a mystery worthy of Indiana Jones, one that includes a tomb, skeletons and burial rites with both Christian and pagan elements.

Embryonic Heart Exhibits Impressive Regenerative Capacity Posted: 14 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT A new study demonstrates that the embryonic mouse heart has an astounding capacity to regenerate, a phenomenon previously observed only in non-mammalian species. The research describes the previously unrecognized potential of the embryonic heart to replace diseased tissue through compensatory proliferation of healthy cells.

New Knowledge About Thermoelectric Materials Could Give Better Energy Efficiency Posted: 14 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT New research could be used to develop motors that are more fuel-efficient and provide for more environmentally friendly cooling methods. The new data describes properties of thermoelectric materials.

Unraveling The Complexity Of Human Disease Posted: 14 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT The mysteries of the human genome are slowly being revealed -- but the more we uncover the more complicated the picture becomes. This was one key message to emerge from the European Science Foundation's 3rd Functional Genomics Conference. Functional genomics describes the way in which genes and their products, proteins, interact together in complex networks in living cells. If these interactions are abnormal, diseases can result.

Significant Process In Creating 3D Stacked Integrated Chips Posted: 14 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT A nanoelectronics research institute has announced that it has made significant progress with its 3D-SIC (3D stacked IC) technology. Scientists recently demonstrated the first functional 3D integrated circuits obtained by die-to-die stacking using 5µm Cu through-silicon vias (TSV). The next step is to further develop 3D SIC chips on 200mm and 300mm wafers.

Five Basic Things To Know About Stem Cell Research Posted: 14 Oct 2008 04:00 AM CDT In just a few weeks, voters will have an important decision to make when casting their ballots. Not just who they want to be president, or to represent them in Congress, but what they want the state to do about stem cells. And the way they vote on a ballot measure called Proposal 2 will determine the fate of a Michigan law that currently restricts research using embryonic stem cells.

New Guidelines Double Amount Of Recommended Vitamin D For Young Posted: 14 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT The American Academy of Pediatrics is doubling the amount of vitamin D it recommends for infants, children and adolescents. The new clinical report, "Prevention of Rickets and Vitamin D Deficiency in Infants, Children, and Adolescents," recommends all children receive 400 IU a day of vitamin D, beginning in the first few days of life.

Why Starving Cells Prolong Life Posted: 14 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT Cellular damage due to stress is an important factor in aging processes. It is, thus, amazing that starving, which is a stress factor per se, decelerates ageing processes and extends the lifespan of organisms. It has long been known that proteins from the sirtuin family contribute to this mechanism.

Minimal Composting Of Beef Cattle Manure Greatly Reduces Antibiotic Levels Posted: 14 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT Composting beef cattle manure, even with minimal management, can significantly reduce the concentrations of antibiotics in the manure. Scientists found that composting manure from beef cattle could reduce concentrations of antibiotics by more than 99 percent.

Circumcision Not Associated With Reduced Risk Of HIV For Men Who Have Sex With Men Posted: 14 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT An analysis of previous research indicates there is a lack of sufficient evidence that circumcision reduces the risk of human immunodeficiency virus infection or other sexually transmitted infections among men who have sex with men, according to a new article.

Brightening The Future For Optical Circuits Posted: 14 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT By working together to share costs and know-how, European researchers are shaking up the way research and development is carried out on optical chips.

Pregnancy Does Not Affect Cognitive Functions, Despite Mothers' Fears: Australian Study Posted: 14 Oct 2008 01:00 AM CDT Pregnancy and motherhood may make us all go a little gooey, but it's not turning mums' brains into mush, according to mental health researchers in Australia.

Huge Gap Between World Demand For Fish And What Can Be Sustainably Harvested Posted: 13 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT There is a huge gap between world demand for fish and what we can harvest from the world's natural stocks. The figures are clear: If we don't do something about the over fishing, the stocks of wild fish will be dealt a death blow. At the same time, the world's population continues to grow -- and with it the global demand for food.

First Evidence That Common Pollutant May Reduce Iodine Levels In Breast Milk Posted: 13 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT Researchers in Texas are reporting the first evidence from human studies that perchlorate, a common pollutant increasingly found in food and water, may interfere with an infant's availability of iodine in breast milk. Iodine deficiency in infants can cause mental retardation and other health problems, the scientists note. The study also provides further evidence that iodine intake in U.S. mothers is low and that perchlorate may play a key role.

Atlantic Tuna Return Thousands Of Miles To Birthplace To Spawn Posted: 13 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT Scientists have found new migratory patterns for Mediterranean and western Atlantic bluefin tuna. The Atlantic bluefin tuna is the largest and most sought-after of all tunas, weighing as much as 1,400 pounds and capable of fetching as much as $50,000 or more in Asian markets where its meat is a prized commodity, one big reason why its numbers have declined precipitously since the 1970s. New research findings reported in Science have critical implications for how bluefin tuna are managed.

Wheezing And Asthma In Young Children Posted: 13 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT The diagnosis of asthma in a young child may well be more challenging to pediatricians than previously appreciated, according to a review of research and clinical experience literature.

Sound Is An Integral Part Of Products, Industrial Designer Says Posted: 13 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT Does coffee taste better when your coffee machine produces a particular sound? According to one industrial designer, the sound a product makes is an integral part of that product.

Just A Numbers Game? Making Sense Of Health Statistics Posted: 13 Oct 2008 10:00 PM CDT Health statistics fill today's information environment, but even most doctors, who must make daily decisions and recommendations based on numerical data, lack the basic statistical literacy they require to make such decisions effectively. A major new report in Psychological Science in the Public Interest shows that statistical illiteracy is a significant problem having widespread negative impact on healthcare and society.

Machines Edge Closer To Imitating Human Communication Posted: 13 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT At a major artificial intelligence competition, machines have come close to imitating human communication.

Response To Immune Protein Determines Pathology Of Multiple Sclerosis Posted: 13 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT New research may help reveal why different parts of the brain can come under attack in patients with multiple sclerosis. According to a new study in mice with an MS-like disease, the brain's response to a protein produced by invading T cells dictates whether it's the spinal cord or cerebellum that comes under fire.

New Properties Of Skin Stem Cells Posted: 13 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT New research reveals completely new properties of the skin's stem cells – discoveries that contradict previous findings. The studies, which are published in Nature Genetics, show amongst other things, that hair follicle stem cells can divide actively and transport themselves through the skin tissue.

Reason For Body’s Response To Borrelia Discovered Posted: 13 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT Inside a cell it is so crowded that a certain protein from borrelia winds up being crunched. From having been like an oblong rugby football, it gets bent and then collapses into a lump. At this point a previously hidden part appears, known to trigger the formation of antibodies. This explains how Borrelia can be diagnosed, a process that was previously unknown.

Paleozoic 'Sediment Curve' Provides New Tool For Tracking Sea-floor Sediment Movements Posted: 13 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT As the world looks for more energy, the oil industry will need more refined tools for discoveries in places where searches have never before taken place, geologists say. A new tool follows sea-level rise and fall between 542 and 251 million years ago.

One Hour Of Moderate Daily Exercise Insufficient To Curb Childhood Obesity, Experts Argue Posted: 13 Oct 2008 07:00 PM CDT One hour of moderate exercise a day recommended to children from health experts may not be enough to tackle the rising problem of childhood obesity.

Climate Change: Pushing Species To The Brink Posted: 13 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT Thirty-five percent of the world's birds, 52 percent of amphibians and 71 percent of warm-water reef-building corals are likely to be particularly susceptible to climate change, the first results of an IUCN study have revealed.

Potential Non-invasive Optical Detection Of Pancreatic Cancer Posted: 13 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT Researchers are investigating whether tissue optical spectroscopy can be employed for early cancer detection in the pancreas during minimally-invasive endoscopic diagnostic procedures.

Hidden Boundaries Of Sunspots Pump Out Plasma Into Interplanetary Space Posted: 13 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT Complicated networks of magnetic fields power the sun's atmosphere and create both the beautiful structures and violent explosions that scientists study. Active regions, anchored in sunspots, are areas of the sun where the concentrated magnetic fields that give rise to these phenomena are extremely strong. Measured in ultraviolet or X-ray wavelengths these regions appear bright against the cooler surface.

Vitamin D A Key Player In Overall Health Of Several Body Organs, Says Biochemist Posted: 13 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT Vitamin D, once linked to only bone diseases, is now recognized as a major player in contributing to overall human health, emphasizes UC Riverside's Anthony Norman, an international expert on vitamin D. He lists 36 organ tissues in the body whose cells respond biologically to vitamin D. The list includes bone marrow, breast, colon, intestine, kidney, lung, prostate, retina, skin, stomach and the uterus. According to Norman, vitamin D deficiency can impact all 36 organs.

Claim That Simulated Temperature Trends For Tropics Inconsistent With Observations Is Flawed, Experts Argue Posted: 13 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT Scientists have helped reconcile the differences between simulated and observed temperature trends in the tropics. They have refuted a recent claim that simulated temperature trends in the tropics are fundamentally inconsistent with observations. This claim was based on the application of a flawed statistical test and the use of older observational datasets.

Why Your Boss Is White, Middle-class And A Show-off Posted: 13 Oct 2008 04:00 PM CDT The way male managers power dress, posture and exercise power is due to humans' evolutionary biology, according to new research.

Giant Cyclones At Saturn's Poles Create A Swirl Of Mystery Posted: 13 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT New images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft reveal a giant cyclone at Saturn's north pole, and show that a similarly monstrous cyclone churning at Saturn's south pole is powered by Earth-like storm patterns.

Age-related Macular Degeneration: New Genetic Association Identified Posted: 13 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Clinicians and scientists have identified a major new genetic association with age-related macular degeneration, the most common cause of blindness in developed countries.

'Caffeine Receptor' Solved: Structure Of Important Neurological Receptor Defined Posted: 13 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Scientists from the Scripps Research Institute have determined the structure of an adenosine receptor that plays a critical role in a number of important physiological processes including pain, breathing, and heart function. The findings could lead to the development of a new class of therapeutics for treating numerous neurological disorders, including Parkinson's and Huntington disease.

Potential New Tool For Brain Surgeons Posted: 13 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT One of the primary ways of treating brain cancer is surgically removing the tumors. The risk of this sort of procedure is obvious -- it involves cutting away tissue from the brain, potentially severing nerve fibers and causing neurological damage. MRI and CT scans can reveal the extent of tumors, but only prior to surgery.

Using Electrons To Treat Organic Seeds Posted: 13 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Sales of organic products are booming: Consumers want their food to be untainted. To avoid the use of fungicides yet nevertheless protect plants from disease, researchers have developed a method that involves bombarding seeds with electrons to kill fungal spores and viruses.

Girls Are Happier Than Boys At Primary School, Study Shows Posted: 13 Oct 2008 01:00 PM CDT Just over one quarter (26 per cent) of primary seven boys are completely happy coming to school, compared with 44 per cent of girls, according to a new survey.

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