ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• What happens when an enormous star blows up?
• Mice holding back muscular dystrophy research?
• Newly Discovered Fat Molecule: An Undersea Killer With An Upside
• New tool in fight against autoimmune diseases, blood cancers
• 'Ich' discovery could yield new ways to treat devastating freshwater fish parasite
• Sleep changes predict onset of physical changes associated with puberty
• By feeding the birds, you could change their evolutionary fate
• Glial cells can cross from the central to the peripheral nervous system
• Poisonous Catfish Described
• MRI helps detect life-threatening pregnancy complication
• Carbon and oxygen in tree rings can reveal past climate information
• Adults have dreamlike thoughts during sleepwalking and sleep terrors episodes
• A window that washes itself? New nano-material may revolutionize solar panels and batteries, too
• Hope for patients with type 2 diabetes
• What Is The Meaning Of 'One' Plant or Animal?
• Chances of surviving cardiac arrest at home or work unchanged in 30 years
• Understanding Mechanical Properties Of Silicon Nanowires Paves Way For Nanodevices
• Personality predicts success in medical school
• How a brain hormone controls insect metamorphosis
• No change in brain tumor incidence during a time when cell phone usage increased
• Live saver for the Gulf Stream? Climate changes supplies more saline waters from Indian Ocean
• Hope for men with nonobstructive infertility
• Experimental validation tool for cell phone forensics developed
• Is cannabis the answer to Booze Britain's problems?
• Hawaiian hot spot has deep roots
• New drug technology produces marked improvement in hepatitis C therapy in animals
• DNA: Proteins grooving down the helix to find their target
• Cigarette smoking increases colorectal cancer risk
• Rising Antarctic snowmelt forcast
• Exams: More competitors, less competition
• First direct observation of a planet-like object orbiting star similar to sun
• Breastfeeding protects women from metabolic syndrome, a diabetes and heart disease predictor
• Gene that spurs deadly brain cancer identified
• Increased nicotine levels detected in those who light-up earlier in the morning
• Elevated carbon dioxide levels may mitigate losses of biodiversity from nitrogen pollution
• Parents gone wild? Study suggests link between working memory and reactive parenting
• Antarctica served as climatic refuge in Earth's greatest extinction event
• Random DNA mix-ups not so random in cancer development
• Lasers used to make first boron-nitride nanotube yarn
• Vaccination, antivirals and social distancing may blunt impact of H1N1 influenza
• Strong regional climatic fluctuations in the tropics
• Lifelong memories linked to stable nerve connections

What happens when an enormous star blows up? Posted: 04 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST What happens when a really gargantuan star -- one hundreds of times bigger than our sun -- blows up? Although a theory developed years ago describes what the explosion of such an enormous star should look like, no one had actually observed one -- until now.

Mice holding back muscular dystrophy research? Posted: 04 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Humans and mice have previously unknown and potentially critical differences in one of the genes responsible for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Researchers have found that two major features of a key DMD gene are present in most mammals, including humans, but are specifically absent in mice and rats, calling into question the use of the mouse as the principal model animal for studying DMD.

Newly Discovered Fat Molecule: An Undersea Killer With An Upside Posted: 04 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST A chemical culprit responsible for the rapid, mysterious death of phytoplankton in the North Atlantic Ocean has been found. This same chemical may hold unexpected promise in cancer research.

New tool in fight against autoimmune diseases, blood cancers Posted: 04 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Scientists have described a new, highly pragmatic approach to the identification of molecules that prevent a specific type of immune cells from attacking their host. The findings add a powerful new tool to the ongoing search for potential treatments for autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as blood cancers, such as myeloid leukemia.

'Ich' discovery could yield new ways to treat devastating freshwater fish parasite Posted: 04 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST Researchers have made an "unexpected" dual discovery that could open new avenues for treating Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, or "Ich", a devastating single-celled protozoan parasite that commonly attacks freshwater fish.

Sleep changes predict onset of physical changes associated with puberty Posted: 04 Dec 2009 08:00 AM PST A new study suggests that changes in children's sleep patterns that typically occur between the ages of 11 and 12 years are evident before the physical changes associated with the onset of puberty.

By feeding the birds, you could change their evolutionary fate Posted: 04 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST Feeding birds in winter is a most innocent human activity, but it can nonetheless have profound effects on the evolutionary future of a species, and those changes can be seen in the very near term.

Glial cells can cross from the central to the peripheral nervous system Posted: 04 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST Glial cells, which help neurons communicate with each other, can leave the central nervous system and cross into the peripheral nervous system to compensate for missing cells, according to new research. The animal study contributes to researchers' basic understanding of how the two nervous systems develop and are maintained, which is essential for the effective treatment of diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

Poisonous Catfish Described Posted: 04 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST In contrast to the exhaustive research into venom produced by snakes and spiders, venomous fish have been neglected and remain something of a mystery. Now, a study of 158 catfish species has catalogued the presence of venom glands and investigated their biological effects.

MRI helps detect life-threatening pregnancy complication Posted: 04 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST A new study has revealed that MRI is a highly accurate means of identifying placenta accreta, a potentially life-threatening and increasingly common condition that is the leading cause of death for women just before and after giving birth.

Carbon and oxygen in tree rings can reveal past climate information Posted: 04 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST Scientists working in Canada's North used isotope analysis to look at past temperatures. Not only is the method accurate, fewer trees are required than the number needed when using tree rings.

Adults have dreamlike thoughts during sleepwalking and sleep terrors episodes Posted: 04 Dec 2009 05:00 AM PST Short, unpleasant, dreamlike mental activity occurs during sleepwalking and sleep terrors episodes, suggesting that people with these sleep disorders may be acting out dreamlike thoughts.

A window that washes itself? New nano-material may revolutionize solar panels and batteries, too Posted: 04 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Researchers have developed a method to control the atoms and molecules of peptides so that they "grow" to resemble small forests of grass. These "peptide forests" repel dust and water and can also serve as high-density battery capacitors.

Hope for patients with type 2 diabetes Posted: 04 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST The outlook for individuals with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease is not as grim as originally believed, according to new research.

What Is The Meaning Of 'One' Plant or Animal? Posted: 04 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Evolutionary biologists argue in a new article that high cooperation and low conflict between components, from the genetic level on up, give a living thing its "organismality," whether that thing is an animal, a plant, a bacteria or a colony.

Chances of surviving cardiac arrest at home or work unchanged in 30 years Posted: 04 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST The chance of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest has not improved since the 1950s, according to a new article. The analysis shows only 7.6 percent of victims survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Understanding Mechanical Properties Of Silicon Nanowires Paves Way For Nanodevices Posted: 04 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Silicon nanowires are attracting attention from the electronics industry due to the drive for smaller devices, from cell phones to computers. The operation of these devices, and an array of additional applications, will depend on the mechanical properties of these nanowires. New research shows that silicon nanowires are far more resilient than their larger counterparts, a finding that paves the way for smaller, sturdier nanoelectronics, nanosensors, light-emitting diodes and other applications.

Personality predicts success in medical school Posted: 04 Dec 2009 02:00 AM PST Personality characteristics play a major role in determining who succeeds in medical school, according to new research. During the early, pre-clinical years, conscientious individuals do much better than those who display lower levels of this trait. However, as the curriculum changed over the years, interpersonal aspects (for example, performance during internships or patient interaction) became more important for success.

How a brain hormone controls insect metamorphosis Posted: 03 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Researchers have discovered how PTTH, a hormone produced by the brain, controls the metamorphosis of juvenile insects into adults.

No change in brain tumor incidence during a time when cell phone usage increased Posted: 03 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST There was no substantial change in brain tumor incidence among adults 5 to 10 years after cell phone usage sharply increased, according to a new study.

Live saver for the Gulf Stream? Climate changes supplies more saline waters from Indian Ocean Posted: 03 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST The Gulf Stream system is known for its impact on Europe's mild climate. For quite some time oceanographers and climate scientists worry that its strength could decline due to the climate change. Unexpected help could come from the ocean currents south of Africa: researchers have now discovered that the Agulhas Current transports more saline waters into the Atlantic. These could potentially contribute to stabilize the Gulf Stream system.

Hope for men with nonobstructive infertility Posted: 03 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST It has been thought that men with nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA), a lack of sperm in the semen not caused by an obstruction within the reproductive system, are poor candidates for in vitro fertilization. Now, researchers have shown that sperm from men with NOA and obstructive azoospermia are equally capable of producing embryos.

Experimental validation tool for cell phone forensics developed Posted: 03 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Researchers have developed a new technique aimed at improving the validation of a crime lab's cell phone forensics tools. Early experiments show promise for easier, faster and more rigorous assessments than with existing methods.

Is cannabis the answer to Booze Britain's problems? Posted: 03 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST Substituting cannabis in place of more harmful drugs may be a winning strategy in the fight against substance misuse. New research features a poll of 350 cannabis users, finding that 40 percent used cannabis to control their alcohol cravings, 66 percent as a replacement for prescription drugs and 26 percent for other, more potent, illegal drugs.

Hawaiian hot spot has deep roots Posted: 03 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST A classic explanation for oceanic hot spots such as Hawaii has been that they originate from upwellings of hot rock, called mantle "plumes," deep in the Earth's mantle. Evidence for these deep structures has been sketchy, however. Now, a sophisticated array of seismometers deployed on the sea floor around Hawaii has provided the first high-resolution seismic images of a mantle plume extending to depths of at least 1,500 kilometers (932 miles).

New drug technology produces marked improvement in hepatitis C therapy in animals Posted: 03 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST In a dramatic finding, a new drug for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections that targets liver cells produced a substantial drop in blood levels of the virus in animals and continued to work up to several months after treatment.

DNA: Proteins grooving down the helix to find their target Posted: 03 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST Scientists have made a major step in understanding how molecules locate the genetic information in DNA that is necessary to carry out important biological processes. The research confirms that many proteins responsible for interacting at specific sites on DNA find their targets by sliding along one of the grooves of the double helix in a spiraling fashion.

Cigarette smoking increases colorectal cancer risk Posted: 03 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST New study results strengthen the evidence that people who smoke cigarettes over a long period of time have an increased risk for developing colorectal cancer, even after adjusting for other risk factors.

Rising Antarctic snowmelt forcast Posted: 03 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST The 30-year record low in Antarctic snowmelt that occurred during the 2008-09 austral summer was likely due to concurrent strong positive phases for two main climate drivers, ENSO (El Nino, Southern Oscillation) and SAM (Southern Hemisphere Annular Mode), according to earth and atmospheric scientists.

Exams: More competitors, less competition Posted: 03 Dec 2009 08:00 PM PST The larger the number of examinees, the lower the average grade. This is one of the findings of new studies carried out by scientists.

First direct observation of a planet-like object orbiting star similar to sun Posted: 03 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST Scientists have made the first direct observation of a planet-like object orbiting a star similar to the sun.

Breastfeeding protects women from metabolic syndrome, a diabetes and heart disease predictor Posted: 03 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST A new study finds that breastfeeding a child may lower a woman's risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a condition linked to heart disease and diabetes in women, by up to 86 percent. The 20-year prospective study of 704 ethnically diverse women found the protective association of breastfeeding was even stronger for women who had gestational diabetes. This is the first study to measure all components of metabolic syndrome before pregnancy and after weaning.

Gene that spurs deadly brain cancer identified Posted: 03 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST Researchers have identified a new factor that is necessary for the development of many forms of medulloblastoma, the most common type of malignant childhood brain cancer.

Increased nicotine levels detected in those who light-up earlier in the morning Posted: 03 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST People who smoke their first cigarette within minutes after waking up have much higher levels of cotinine, a by-product of nicotine when processed by the body, than those who wait to smoke, regardless of the number of cigarettes smoked.

Elevated carbon dioxide levels may mitigate losses of biodiversity from nitrogen pollution Posted: 03 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST Rising levels of carbon dioxide may overheat the planet and cause other environmental problems, but fears that rising carbon dioxide levels could directly reduce plant biodiversity can be allayed, according to a new study.

Parents gone wild? Study suggests link between working memory and reactive parenting Posted: 03 Dec 2009 05:00 PM PST It can be challenging sometimes for parents to maintain a cool head around their misbehaving children. The results of a new study reveal that the mothers whose negativity was most strongly linked with their child's challenging behaviors were those with the poorest working memory skills. These findings suggest that education and intervention efforts for improving parenting may be more effective if they incorporate strategies that enhance working memory skills in parents.

Antarctica served as climatic refuge in Earth's greatest extinction event Posted: 03 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST A new fossil species suggests that some land animals may have survived the end-Permian extinction by living in cooler climates in Antarctica. Researchers have identified a distant relative of mammals that apparently survived the mass extinction by living in Antarctica.

Random DNA mix-ups not so random in cancer development Posted: 03 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Researchers have pinpointed a mechanism that may help explain how chromosomal translocations -- the supposedly random shuffling of large chunks of DNA that frequently lead to cancer -- aren't so random after all. They have developed a model of such chromosomal mix-ups in prostate cancer which indicates that the male sex hormone (androgen) receptor unexpectedly plays a key role in driving specific translocations in the development of cancer.

Lasers used to make first boron-nitride nanotube yarn Posted: 03 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Researchers have used lasers to create the first practical macroscopic yarns from boron nitride fibers, opening the door for an array of applications, from radiation-shielded spacecraft to stronger body armor, according to a just-published study.

Vaccination, antivirals and social distancing may blunt impact of H1N1 influenza Posted: 03 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST The relatively low number of new cases created by a single case of H1N1 influenza indicates that mitigation strategies such as vaccination, social distancing and the use of antiviral drugs may help to lessen the final impact of the virus, suggests an epidemiological modeling study.

Strong regional climatic fluctuations in the tropics Posted: 03 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Climatic fluctuations close to the equator show a different pattern to climate change in the Arctic and Antarctic. In the tropics, distinct 11,500-year fluctuations between wet and dry periods can be clearly identified which do not occur in temperature reconstructions of polar ice cores.

Lifelong memories linked to stable nerve connections Posted: 03 Dec 2009 02:00 PM PST Our ability to learn new information and adapt to changes in our daily environment, as well as to retain lifelong memories, appears to lie in the minute junctions where nerve cells communicate, according to a new study.

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