ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Physicists Create BlackMax To Search For Extra Dimensions In The Universe Posted: 09 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST Theoretical and experimental physicists have designed a new black hole simulator called BlackMax to search for evidence that extra dimensions might exist in the universe.

Genetic Study Provides New Insights Into Molecular Basis Of Language Development Posted: 09 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST Scientists have identified the first gene that is associated with a common childhood language disorder, known as specific language impairment (SLI). The gene -- CNTNAP2 -- has also been recently implicated in autism, and could represent a crucial genetic link between the two disorders.

Red-eyed Treefrog Embryos Actively Avoid Asphyxiation Inside Their Eggs Posted: 09 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST Red-eyed treefrog embryos react to environmental oxygen concentration before they have blood or muscular movement. These initial responses to the environment may be critical to the frogs' long-term survival.

Smaller Mosquitoes Are More Likely To Be Infected With Viruses Causing Human Diseases Posted: 09 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST An entomologist says smaller mosquitoes are more likely to be infected with viruses that cause diseases in humans.

Paper Mill Waste May Be Just Right For Reclaiming Mineland Posted: 09 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST Paper mill waste can safely be applied at a rate three times higher than the typical rate in Ohio, to reclaim soils of surface-coal mined areas.

Consumers Not Ready For Tailor-made Nutrition? Posted: 09 Nov 2008 07:00 PM CST In the near future it will be possible to customize the food we eat to individual needs, based on the genetic profile of the individual. Researchers suggest that the consumer market is not yet ready for this so-called nutrigenomics. They conclude that many obstacles must be overcome before products based on nutrigenomics become a reality.

Carbon Dioxide Levels Already In Danger Zone, Revised Theory Shows Posted: 09 Nov 2008 01:00 PM CST If climate disasters are to be averted, atmospheric carbon dioxide must be reduced below the levels that already exist today, according to a new study in Open Atmospheric Science Journal.

Mitochondria Could Be Target For Therapeutic Strategy For Alzheimer's Disease Patients Posted: 09 Nov 2008 01:00 PM CST A study in Nature Medicine describes the function and interaction of a critical molecule involved in cell death in Alzheimer's disease patients. These new findings reveal that blocking this molecule, called Cyclophilin D, and development of surrounding mitochondrial targets may be viable therapeutic strategies for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease, according to Shi Du Yan, Ph.D., at Columbia University Medical Center, who led the multi-center research.

Record High Performance With New Solar Cells Posted: 09 Nov 2008 01:00 PM CST Researchers in China and Switzerland are reporting the highest efficiency ever for a promising new genre of solar cells, which many scientists think offer the best hope for making the sun a mainstay source of energy in the future. The photovoltaic cells, called dye-sensitized solar cells or Grätzel cells, could expand the use of solar energy for homes, businesses, and other practical applications, the scientists say.

HPV Virus Helps Cervical And Head And Neck Cancers Resist Treatment And Grow And Spread Posted: 09 Nov 2008 01:00 PM CST The human papillomavirus allows infected cervical and head and neck cancer cells to maintain internal molecular conditions that make the cancers resistant to therapy and more likely to grow and spread, resulting in a poor prognosis for patients.

How Plant Cells Synthesize Pharmaceutical Compounds Posted: 09 Nov 2008 01:00 PM CST A Finnish researcher's work on two plants -- tobacco and Egyptian henbane -- is yielding new information about the functions of genes involved with the biosynthesis of plant secondary metabolites. The results can be used in developing production of valuable pharmaceuticals in plant cell cultures.

Forgotten, But Not Gone: Leprosy Still Present In The US Posted: 09 Nov 2008 01:00 PM CST Long believed to be a disease of biblical times, leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, continues to be seen in the United States.

Playing A Game Shows How Personalities Evolved Posted: 09 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CST Why do some of us always do the right thing while others only seem to be out for themselves? New research offers a new explanation as to why such a wide range of personality traits has evolved in humans and other social species.

Friendly Bacteria Reduce Hospital Infections Posted: 09 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CST A probiotic bacterium, Lactobacillus plantarum 299, has been used to out-compete the dangerous bacteria that cause respiratory illness in ventilated patients. Research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care describes how applying a bacterial solution in place of normal antiseptics is effective in preventing the most common cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

New Role For Critical DNA Repair Molecule In Immune System Posted: 09 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CST The human immune system is a brilliantly adaptable weapon against foreign invaders. But it all depends on the work of specialized cells called lymphocytes that have made a risky evolutionary gambit to mutate their own DNA. New research published in Nature shows for the first time that a molecule devoted to DNA repair plays a broader role in this genetic reshuffling -- called recombination -- than scientists had thought.

Smokers See Decline In Ability To Smell, Rise In Laryngitis, And Upper Airway Issues Posted: 09 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CST New research gives more reasons to kick smoking and smokeless tobacco products. New research shows that cigarette smoking is linked to upper airway symptoms ("smoker's nose") and the loss of smokers' ability to smell common odors. Most alarmingly second-hand smoke plays a role in the rise of cases of "environmental laryngitis."

Stretching Silicon: A New Method To Measure How Strain Affects Semiconductors Posted: 09 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CST Engineers and physicists have developed a method of measuring how strain affects thin films of silicon that could lay the foundation for faster flexible electronics.

Students Eat More Whole Grains When It's Gradually Added To School Lunch Posted: 09 Nov 2008 07:00 AM CST Elementary school students will eat more whole grains when healthier bread products are gradually introduced into their school lunches, a new study shows.

Is A Stradivarius Violin Better Than Other Violins? Posted: 07 Nov 2008 11:00 PM CST Some sell for more than $3.5 million. Only 700 of them exist, and they're stored in vaults, frequently stolen and often counterfeited. The object in question? Stradivarius violins, constructed by famed Italian instrument-maker Antonio Stradivari between 1680 and 1720. Treasured for possessing sublime acoustic properties, these rare instruments have spawned dozens of theories attempting to explain their legendary tone, and luthiers, makers of stringed instruments, are still trying to reproduce it. The question remains: Are Stradivarius violins worth all the fuss?

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