ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Friday, August 22, 2008
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Face Recognition: Nurture Not Nature (August 22, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered that our society can influence the way we recognize other people's faces. ... > full story
MRI Technology Developed That Non-invasively Locates, Quantifies Specific Cells In The Body (August 22, 2008) -- MRI isn't just for capturing detailed images of the body's anatomy. Thanks to new imaging reagents and technology, MRI can be used to visualize -- with "exquisite" specificity -- cell populations in the living body. The ability to non-invasively locate and track cells, will greatly aid the study and treatment of cancer, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases, as well as provide a tool for advancing clinical translation of cellular regenerative medicine. ... > full story
Trees Kill Odors And Other Emissions From Poultry Farms (August 22, 2008) -- Trees aren't just for wood and decoration -- they may also destroy odors. Scientists are reporting data showing that just three rows of trees planted around poultry farms can cut nuisance emissions of dust, ammonia and odors from poultry houses. ... > full story
Oil, Gas Seismic Work Not Affecting Gulf Sperm Whales, Study Shows (August 22, 2008) -- In recent years, there has been concern that man-made noise may be a cause of stress for dolphins, whales and other marine mammals, but the results of a five-year study show that noise pollution seems to have minimal effect on endangered sperm whales in the Gulf of Mexico, say researchers from Texas A&M University who led the project and released their 323-page report today at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. ... > full story
Measuring Calcium In Serpentine Soils (August 22, 2008) -- Serpentine soils contain highly variable amounts of calcium, making them marginal lands for farming. Successful management of serpentine soils requires accurate measurement of the calcium they hold. Research published this month in the Soil Science Society of America Journal shows that multiple measurement techniques are needed to accurately measure calcium content in serpentine soils. ... > full story
Obesity In Elderly A Ticking Time Bomb For Health Services (August 22, 2008) -- Obesity in later life does not make a substantial difference to risks of death among older people but it is a major contributor to increased disability in later life -- creating a ticking time bomb for health services in developed countries, new research shows. ... > full story
Shipwrecks On Coral Reefs Harbor Unwanted Species (August 22, 2008) -- Shipwrecks on coral reefs may increase invasion of unwanted species, according to a recent US Geological Survey study. These unwanted species can completely overtake the reef and eliminate all the native coral, dramatically decreasing the diversity of marine organisms on the reef. This study documents for the first time that a rapid change in the dominant biota on a coral reef is unambiguously associated with man-made structures. ... > full story
Protecting Brain Cells From Diseases Like Alzheimer's Using New Method (August 22, 2008) -- New research provides evidence that one of the only naturally occurring fatty acids in the brain can help to protect brain cells from neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. ... > full story
Space Age Engineers To Verify Control Software For Future Robotic Inter-planetary Missions (August 22, 2008) -- An international team of engineers is to develop mission-critical control software for future European robotic space missions, it has been announced. ... > full story
New Clues To Air Circulation In The Atmosphere (August 22, 2008) -- Air circulates above the Earth in four distinct cells, with two either side of the equator, say researchers. A new observational study describes how air rises and falls in the atmosphere above the Earth's surface, creating the world's weather. This process of atmospheric circulation creates weather patterns and influences the climate of the planet. It is important to understand these processes in order to predict weather events, and to improve and test climate models. ... > full story
Optical Computing Closer To Reality (August 22, 2008) -- Scientists have theorized a way to increase the speed of pulses of light that bound across chains of tiny metal particles to past the speed of light by altering the particle shape. Application of this theory would use nanosized metal chains as building blocks for novel optoelectronic and optical devices. ... > full story
China Sees Spike In Rabies Cases (August 22, 2008) -- A new Chinese study has reported a dramatic spike in rabies infections. The research shows that in some provinces of China the number of human rabies cases has jumped dramatically since the new millennium. ... > full story
Genetics Reveals Big Fish That Almost Got Away (August 21, 2008) -- A new species of fish has been discovered -- a grouper that reaches more than six feet in length and can weigh nearly 1,000 pounds. This newly discovered species can be found roaming the tropical reefs of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. ... > full story
Chemists Synthesize Promising Anti-cancer Product (August 21, 2008) -- Chemists have patented an efficient technique for synthesizing a marine algae extract in sufficient quantities to now test its ability to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells while leaving normal cells unaffected. ... > full story
Helping The Medicine Go Down (August 21, 2008) -- Children's refusal to swallow liquid medication is an important public health problem that means longer or more serious illness for thousands of kids each year. Researchers are reporting how knowledge from basic research on the chemical senses explains why a child's rejection of bitter medicine and nutritious but bitter-tasting foods like spinach and other green vegetables is a reflection of their basic biology. ... > full story
Genes That Cause Hereditary Disease PCH Discovered (August 21, 2008) -- Scientists from Cologne and Amsterdam have discovered the mutations in humans that cause the hereditary disease ponto cerebellar hypoplasia (PCH), types 2 and 4. ... > full story
True Properties Of Carbon Nanotubes Measured (August 21, 2008) -- Carbon nanotubes' atomic structure should, in theory, give them mechanical and electrical properties far superior to most common materials. Unfortunately, theory and experiments have failed to converge on the true mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes. Researchers recently made the first experimental measurements of the mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes that directly correspond to the theoretical predictions. They used a nanoscale material testing system based on MEMS technology. ... > full story
Relearning Process Not Always A 'Free Lunch' (August 21, 2008) -- Researchers have helped determine why relearning a few pieces of information may or may not easily cause a recollection of other associated, previously learned information. The key, they find, is in the way in which the learned information is forgotten. ... > full story
Earthquakes May Endanger New York More Than Thought; Nuclear Power Plant Seen As Particular Risk (August 21, 2008) -- Seismologists suggests that a pattern of subtle but active faults make the risk of earthquakes to the New York City area substantially greater than formerly believed. Among other things, they say that the controversial Indian Point nuclear power plants, 24 miles north of the city, sit astride the previously unidentified intersection of two active seismic zones. ... > full story
Accumulated Bits Of A Cell's Own DNA Can Trigger Autoimmune Disease (August 21, 2008) -- A security system wired within every cell to detect the presence of rogue viral DNA can sometimes go awry, triggering an autoimmune response to single-stranded bits of the cell's own DNA. ... > full story
Eco-architecture Could Produce 'Grow Your Own' Homes (August 21, 2008) -- A bus stop that grows its own foliage as shade? A children’s playground, made entirely from trees? A shelter made from living tree roots that could provide natural protection against earthquakes in California? "Eco-architecture" may sound like a Buck Rogers vision of an ecologically-sustainable future, but that future is now thanks to the guidance of Tel Aviv University Professors Yoav Waisel and Amram Eshel. ... > full story
Breaking The 'Mucus Barrier' With A New Drug Delivery System (August 21, 2008) -- Chemical engineers have broken the "mucus barrier," engineering the first drug-delivery particles capable of passing through human mucus -- regarded by many as nearly impenetrable -- and carrying medication that could treat a range of diseases. Those conditions include lung cancer, cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis, the research say. ... > full story
Biodiesel Byproduct Converted Into Omega-3 Fatty Acids (August 21, 2008) -- The typical American diet often lacks omega-3 fatty acids despite clinical research that shows their potential human health benefits. Now researchers have found a way to grow these compounds using a byproduct of the emerging biodiesel industry. ... > full story
Research Shows Pollsters How The Undecided Will Vote (August 21, 2008) -- As the American Presidential election approaches, pollsters are scrambling to predict who will win. A new study may give pollsters a new way to determine how the undecided will vote, even before the voters know themselves. ... > full story
FBI Unveils Science Of Anthrax Investigation (August 21, 2008) -- Sandia researchers identified that the form of bacillus anthracis mailed in the fall of 2001 to several news media offices and to two US senators was a non-weaponized form of the spores. Five people were killed. Sandia's information was crucial in ruling out state-sponsored terrorism. ... > full story
Bone Marrow Stem Cells May Help Control Inflammatory Bowel Disease (August 21, 2008) -- Investigators have found that infusions of a particular bone marrow stem cell appeared to protect gastrointestinal tissue from autoimmune attack in a mouse model. ... > full story
Catalyst Mystery Unlocked (August 21, 2008) -- Different keys are not supposed to fit the same lock, but in biological systems multiple versions of a catalyst all make a reaction go, according to a new study that explains the phenomenon. The study challenges entrenched ideas about the workings of catalysts. A new model brings chemists closer to 'holy grail' of catalyst design. ... > full story
Molecular Clues To Wilson Disease: How Mutation Alters Key Protein (August 21, 2008) -- Using computer simulations and lab experiments, physical biochemists have discovered how a small genetic mutation that's known to cause Wilson disease subtly changes the structure of a large, complex protein the body uses to keep copper from building up to toxic levels. The new study is available online from the Journal of Molecular Biology. Wilson disease, which affects about 150,000 people worldwide, is a genetic disorder that alters the copper-regulating protein. ... > full story
Hydrogels Provide Scaffolding For Growth Of Bone Cells (August 21, 2008) -- Hyaluronic hydrogels may provide a suitable scaffolding to enable bone regeneration. The hydrogels have proven to encourage the growth of preosteoblast cells, cells that aid the growth and development of bone. ... > full story
Acute Maternal Stress During Pregnancy Linked To Development Of Schizophrenia (August 21, 2008) -- Pregnant women who endure the psychological stress of being in a war zone are more likely to give birth to a child who develops schizophrenia. Research published in the open access journal BMC Psychiatry supports a growing body of literature that attributes maternal exposure to severe stress during the early months of pregnancy to an increased susceptibility to schizophrenia in the offspring. ... > full story
Large Hadron Collider Set To Unveil A New World Of Particle Physics (August 21, 2008) -- The field of particle physics is poised to enter unknown territory with the startup of a massive new accelerator -- the Large Hadron Collider -- in Europe this summer. On Sept. 10, LHC scientists will attempt to send the first beam of protons speeding around the accelerator. ... > full story
Diabetes Transmitted From Parents To Children, New Research Suggests (August 21, 2008) -- A new study suggests an unusual form of inheritance may have a role in the rising rate of diabetes, especially in children and young adults, in the United States. ... > full story
Future Impact Of Global Warming Is Worse When Grazing Animals Are Considered, Scientists Suggest (August 21, 2008) -- The impact of global warming in the Arctic may differ from the predictions of computer models, according to new research, which shows that grazing animals will play a key role in reducing the anticipated expansion of shrub growth in the region, thus limiting the shrubs' predicted and beneficial carbon-absorbing effect. ... > full story
How Rheumatoid Arthritis Causes Bone Loss (August 21, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered key details of how rheumatoid arthritis destroys bone, according to a study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The findings are already guiding attempts to design new drugs to reverse RA-related bone loss and may also address more common forms of osteoporosis with a few adjustments. ... > full story
A Better Way To Make Hydrogen From Biofuels (August 21, 2008) -- Researchers here have found a way to convert ethanol and other biofuels into hydrogen very efficiently. A new catalyst makes hydrogen from ethanol with 90 percent yield, at a workable temperature, and using inexpensive ingredients. The new catalyst is much less expensive than others being developed around the world, because it does not contain precious metals, such as platinum or rhodium. ... > full story
Oetzi The Iceman Dressed Like A Herdsman (August 21, 2008) -- A famous Neolithic Iceman is dressed in clothes made from sheep and cattle hair, a new study shows. The researchers say their findings support the idea that the Iceman was a herdsman, and that their technique has use in the modern clothing industry. ... > full story
That Tastes ... Sweet? Sour? No, It's Definitely Calcium! (August 21, 2008) -- Chemists are reporting a discovery that could expand the palate of human tastes, such as sweet, sour or salty, to include a new flavor that could be called "calcium." ... > full story
Scent Of Skin Cancer Discovered (August 21, 2008) -- Odors from skin can be used to identify basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer, according to new research. The findings may enable doctors in the future to diagnose skin cancer quickly and accurately by waving a handheld scanner or sensor above the skin. Earlier work identified almost 100 different chemical compounds coming from skin. ... > full story
New 'Nano-positioners' May Have Atomic-scale Precision (August 21, 2008) -- Engineers have created a tiny motorized positioning device that has twice the dexterity of similar devices being developed for applications that include biological sensors and more compact, powerful computer hard drives. The device, called a monolithic comb drive, might be used as a "nanoscale manipulator" that precisely moves or senses movement and forces. ... > full story
Cervical Cancer Prevention Should Focus On Vaccinating Adolescent Girls, Report Says (August 21, 2008) -- The cost-effectiveness of vaccination in the US against human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer, will be optimized by achieving universal vaccine coverage in young adolescent girls, by targeting initial "catch-up" efforts to vaccinate women younger than 21 years of age, and by revising current screening policies, according to an analysis by Harvard School of Public Health researchers. ... > full story
New Instrument To Control The Size Of Nanoclusters Could Lead To Reduced Pollution From Petroleum Products (August 21, 2008) -- A new instrument enables researchers to make nanoclusters of 10 to 100 atoms with atomic precision. A new model of nanocatalysts of molybdenum sulfide is the first step in developing the next generation of materials to be used in hydrodesulfurization, a process that removes sulfur, a pollutant, from natural gas and petroleum products. ... > full story
One Sleepless Night Increases Dopamine In The Human Brain (August 21, 2008) -- Just one night without sleep can increase the amount of the chemical dopamine in the human brain, according to new imaging research in the Journal of Neuroscience. Because drugs that increase dopamine, like amphetamines, promote wakefulness, the findings offer a potential mechanism explaining how the brain helps people stay awake despite the urge to sleep. However, the study also shows that the increase in dopamine cannot compensate for the cognitive deficits caused by sleep deprivation. ... > full story
Creating Unconventional Metals: Quantum Halfway House Between Magnet And Semiconductor Discovered (August 21, 2008) -- The semiconductor silicon and the ferromagnet iron are the basis for much of mankind's technology, used in everything from computers to electric motors. Scientists now report that they have combined these elements with a small amount of another common metal, manganese, to create a new material which is neither a magnet nor an ordinary semiconductor. ... > full story
Making 'Good' Fat From Muscle And Vice Versa (August 21, 2008) -- A surprise discovery -- that calorie-burning brown fat can be produced experimentally from muscle precursor cells in mice -- raises the prospect of new ways to fight obesity and overweight, report Dana-Farber scientists. They demonstrated that a previously known molecular switch, PRDM16, regulates the creation of brown fat from immature muscle cells. They also determined that the process is a two-way street: Knocking out PRDM16 in brown fat cells can convert them into muscle cells. ... > full story
New Test To Diagnose Osteoarthritis Early (August 21, 2008) -- A newly developed medical imaging technology may provide doctors with a long-awaited test for early diagnosis of osteoarthritis, according to researchers. By far the most common form of arthritis, OA causing joint pain and disability for more than half of those over age 65 -- nearly 21 million people in the United States alone, the scientists say. Their study will be presented in August at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Philadelphia. ... > full story
Brain Cells Called Astrocytes Undergo Reorganization And May Engulf Attacking T Cells (August 21, 2008) -- When virally infected cells in the brain called astrocytes come in contact with antiviral T cells of the immune system, they undergo a unique series of changes that dramatically reorganize their shape and function, according to researchers. Intriguingly, the new data indicate that astrocytes may defend themselves from attacking T cells by engulfing (gobbling up) the aggressors. ... > full story
Polymer Electric Storage, Flexible And Adaptable (August 21, 2008) -- The proliferation of solar, wind and even tidal electric generation and the rapid emergence of hybrid electric automobiles demands flexible and reliable methods of high-capacity electrical storage. Now materials scientists are developing ferroelectric polymer-based capacitors that can deliver power more rapidly and are much lighter than conventional batteries. ... > full story
Alcohol Dependence Among Women Is Linked To Delayed Childbearing (August 21, 2008) -- Alcohol use can cause reproductive dysfunctions for both teenage and adult females. A new study is the first to examine alcohol's effects on childbearing onset across reproductive development. Findings show that, for women, alcoholism is linked with delayed childbearing. ... > full story
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