ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Friday, July 25, 2008
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Smaller Than Small: Ultrahigh-resolution Electron Microscopy Enters Picometer Scale (July 25, 2008) -- Scientists have succeeded in precisely measuring atomic spacings down to a few picometers using new methods in ultrahigh-resolution electron microscopy. This makes it possible to find out decisive parameters determining the physical properties of materials directly on an atomic level in a microscope. Progress in research in the area of physics is very frequently connected to an increase in the accuracy of measurements, which help researchers to track natural phenomena. ... > full story
'Statins' Linked To Improved Survival In Kidney Transplant Recipients (July 25, 2008) -- For patients receiving kidney transplants, treatment with cholesterol-lowering "statin" drugs may lead to longer survival, reports a new study. ... > full story
How Cranberry Juice Can Prevent Urinary Tract Infections (July 25, 2008) -- People have long consumed cranberry juice to ward off urinary tract infections, though the exact nature of its action has not been clear. The juice, the study shows, changes the thermodynamic properties of bacteria, creating an energy barrier that prevents the microorganisms from latching onto cells in the urinary tract. ... > full story
Teamwork Cuts Out Unnecessary Biopsies, Researchers Find (July 25, 2008) -- New research found that when nuclear medicine clinicians and treating physicians work together to interpret PET-CT scan results, the accuracy dramatically improves, sparing patients unnecessary pain and suffering. ... > full story
NIST Trumps The Clumps: Making Biologic Drugs Safer (July 25, 2008) -- Scientists have developed a technique to measure the formation of clumps of proteins in protein-based pharmaceuticals, a major concern because of its impact on quality control and safety in biologic drug manufacturing. ... > full story
Fat Friends And Poor Education Helps People Think Thin (July 25, 2008) -- People are powerfully but subconsciously influenced by the weight of those around them. Without being aware of it, researchers believe, human beings keep up with the weight of the Joneses. For a whole society, this can lead to a spiral of imitative obesity. ... > full story
Costs Of Climate Change, State-by-state: Billions, Says New Report (July 25, 2008) -- Climate change will carry a price tag of billions of dollars for a number of US states, says a new series of reports. The researchers conclude that the costs have already begun to accrue and are likely to endure. They studied Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey and Ohio. Studies on additional states are in the works. ... > full story
Blindness In Old Age May Be Triggered By Hyperactive Immune Resistance (July 25, 2008) -- Opthalmologists have now, for the first time, demonstrated that in cases of senile blindness the patient's immune resistance is hyperactive throughout his entire body. ... > full story
Switchgrass May Mean Better Soil (July 25, 2008) -- Soils with native grasses such as switchgrass have higher levels of a key soil component called glomalin than soils planted to non-native grasses. ... > full story
Populations Of Foreign-born Persons Living In US At Higher Risk Of TB Identified (July 25, 2008) -- The relative yield of finding and treating latent tuberculosis is particularly high among higher-risk groups of foreign-born persons living in the US, such as individuals from most countries of sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. ... > full story
Past Climate Change: Continental Stretching Preceding Opening Of The Drake Passage (July 25, 2008) -- Due to the impact of global warming, it has become essential to understand the causes and processes involved in past climate changes. One of the most prominent events in Earth's climatic evolution was the transition from the global warmth of the Eocene "greenhouse" to the Oligocene "icehouse" glacial conditions. ... > full story
Nanotechnology Regulation: Former EPA Official Highlights Shortcomings Of Current Federal Oversight (July 25, 2008) -- Nanotechnology will significantly change virtually every facet of the way we live. The next president has the opportunity to shape these changes and to ensure that nanotechnology's benefits will be maximized and its risks identified and controlled. A new report by former EPA official J. Clarence (Terry) Davies lays out a clear roadmap for the next presidential administration and describes the immediate and longer term steps necessary to deal with the current shortcomings of nanotechnology oversight. ... > full story
Scientists Break Record By Finding Northernmost Hydrothermal Vent Field (July 24, 2008) -- Inside the Arctic Circle, scientists have found black smoker vents farther north than anyone has ever seen before. The cluster of vents -- one towering nearly four stories -- are venting water as hot as 570 F. Dissolved sulfide minerals that solidify when vent water hits the icy cold of the deep sea have, over the years, accumulated around the vents in what is one of the most massive hydrothermal sulfide deposits ever found on the seafloor. ... > full story
Gene Panel Predicts Lung Cancer Survival, Study Finds (July 24, 2008) -- Researchers from four leading cancer centers have confirmed that an analysis involving a panel of genes can be used to predict which lung cancer patients will have the worst survival. The finding could one day lead to a test that would help determine who needs more aggressive treatment. ... > full story
Spice-Rack Favorites Battle E. Coli And Other Foodborne Pathogens (July 24, 2008) -- Herbs and spices like oregano, thyme, cinnamon and clove do more than add pleasing flavors and aromas to familiar foods. The oils from these plants, or compounds extracted from those oils, pack a powerful, antimicrobial punch--strong enough to help quell such foodborne pathogens as Escherichia coli O157:H7. ... > full story
Measures To Limit Effects Of Pandemic Flu On Nursing Homes (July 24, 2008) -- The greatest danger in a pandemic flu outbreak is that it could spread quickly and devastate a broad swath of people across the United States before there is much of a chance to react. Now, researchers have taken a major step in determining what nonpharmaceutical interventions will work by developing mathematical models and testing scenarios that show which NPIs are appropriate for which levels of pandemic flu. ... > full story
Fishing Ban Guards Coral Reefs Against Predatory Starfish Outbreaks (July 24, 2008) -- No-take marine reserves where fishing is banned can have benefits that extend beyond the exploited fishes they are specifically designed to protect, according to new evidence from Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Researchers have found that outbreaks of large, predatory crown-of-thorns starfish, which can devastate coral reefs although they don't yet know exactly why. ... > full story
Why Play A Losing Game? Study Uncovers Why Low-income People Buy Lottery Tickets (July 24, 2008) -- Although state lotteries, on average, return just 53 cents for every dollar spent on a ticket, people continue to pour money into them -- especially low-income people, who spend a greater percentage of their incomes on lottery tickets than the wealthier segments of society. A new study points to income as an influential factor in the decision to invest in a product that provides poor returns. ... > full story
Largest Sample Of Very Distant Galaxies Ever Seen Provide New Insights Into Early Universe (July 24, 2008) -- New Hubble Space Telescope observations of six spectacular galaxy clusters acting as gravitational lenses have given significant insights into the early stages of the Universe. Scientists have found the largest sample of very distant galaxies seen to date: ten promising candidates thought to lie at a distance of 13 billion light-years. ... > full story
Soy Foods Are Associated With Lower Sperm Concentrations (July 24, 2008) -- Men who eat an average of half a serving of soy food a day have lower concentrations of sperm than men who do not eat soy foods. The association was particularly marked in men who were overweight or obese, the study found. ... > full story
Controlling Invasive Cane Grass With Wasps? (July 24, 2008) -- Researchers are to investigate biological control for an invasive cane grass that is choking waterways across North America. Also known as Carrizo and giant cane, the grass is growing along extensive stretches of the Rio Grande in Texas and can be found along Austin waterways such as Shoal Creek. It grows up to 20 feet tall, uses large amounts of water and may crowd out other plant species and affect wildlife. ... > full story
Want A Reason To Love Your Lower Belly Fat? It's Rich In Stem Cells (July 24, 2008) -- Fat removed from the lower abdomen and inner thigh through liposuction was found to be an excellent source of stem cells, with higher stem cell concentrations than other areas of the body. This is a finding from a first-of-its-kind study examines whether fat tissues from different areas of the body vary in stem cell concentration. ... > full story
Chinese Earthquake Provides Lessons For Future (July 24, 2008) -- The May 12 Sichuan earthquake in China was unexpectedly large. Analysis of the area, however, now shows that topographic characteristics of the highly mountainous area identified the mountain range as active and could have pointed to the earthquake hazard. Topographic analysis can help evaluate other, similar fault areas for seismic risk, according to geologists from Penn State and Arizona State University. ... > full story
Sex And Lifespan Linked In Worms (July 24, 2008) -- In findings published in Nature, scientists have discovered that smaller, but more structurally diverse chemicals are a significant part of a living thing's biology. When food is scarce or colonies become crowded, young worms stop developing normally and enter the dauer stage. In this form they can live, without eating or reproducing, for months -- about ten times longer than the worm's normal lifespan. When the dauer finds greener pastures, it finally develops into an adult and resumes its normal aging process. ... > full story
Dinosaurs Did Not Evolve Quickly In Last 50 Million Years, New Dinosaur Super-tree Shows (July 24, 2008) -- It has long been debated whether dinosaurs were part of the 'Terrestrial Revolution' that occurred some 100 million years ago during the Cretaceous when birds, mammals, flowering plants, insects and reptiles all underwent a rapid expansion. During their last 50 million years of existence, dinosaurs were not expanding as actively as had been previously thought and that the apparent explosion of dinosaur diversity may be largely explained by sampling bias. ... > full story
Parasitic Worm Infections Increase Susceptibility To AIDS Viruses (July 24, 2008) -- Persons infected with schistosomes, and possibly other parasitic worm infections, may be more likely to become infected with HIV than persons without worm infections, according to a new study. Researchers found that the infectious dose of an HIV-like virus necessary to infect rhesus macaques was 17-fold lower in animals with acute schistosomiasis than in controls. ... > full story
Glia Guide Brain Development In Worms (July 24, 2008) -- Again and again, experiments confirmed it. Without glia, neurons die. So scientists who wanted to study in living animals what glia -- the most abundant brain cells -- do for neurons besides keep them alive were out of luck. But now, a breakthrough. ... > full story
Head And Neck Cancer: Quick Way To Determine If Cancer Has Spread (July 24, 2008) -- For patients with head and neck cancer, accurately determining how advanced the cancer is and detecting secondary cancers usually means undergoing numerous tests - until now. New research has found that the PET-CT scanner can be used as a stand-alone tool to detect secondary cancers, which occur in 5 to 10 percent of head and neck cancer patients. ... > full story
Could Quantum Tunneling Be Measured By The Attosecond? New Research Leads The Way (July 24, 2008) -- Experimental physicists have described how circularly polarized light can be used to measure events in the attosecond range. A measurement of this kind could perhaps soon give an experimental answer to the question of whether a measurable tunneling time of electrons as a result of the tunneling effect really exists -- one of the big unsolved riddles of physics. ... > full story
Eating Less Meat And Junk Food Could Cut Fossil Energy Fuel Use Almost In Half (July 24, 2008) -- An estimated 19 percent of total energy used in the USA is taken up in the production and supply of food. It is important that ways of reducing this significant fuel consumption in the US food system are found. Researchers now set out strategies which could potentially cut fossil energy fuel use by as much as 50 percent. ... > full story
Huge Amount Of Fossil Fuels In Arctic: 90 Billion Barrels Of Oil And 1,670 Trillion Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas (July 24, 2008) -- The area north of the Arctic Circle has an estimated 90 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil, 1,670 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable natural gas, and 44 billion barrels of technically recoverable natural gas liquids in 25 geologically defined areas thought to have potential for petroleum. These resources account for about 22 percent of the undiscovered, technically recoverable resources in the world. ... > full story
Does Too Much Sun Cause Melanoma? (July 24, 2008) -- We are continuously bombarded with messages about the dangers of too much sun and the increased risk of melanoma, but are these dangers real, or is staying out of the sun causing us more harm than good? ... > full story
Viral Cloaking Device: How Viruses Evade The Immune System (July 24, 2008) -- Viruses achieve their definition of success when they can thrive without killing their host. Now, biologists have uncovered how one such virus, prevalent in humans, evolved over time to hide from the immune system. Understanding how human cytomegalovirus survives may help in the development of a vaccine, as well as in the fight against other viruses with similar evasive tactics. ... > full story
Blue Light And Hydrogen Peroxide May Effectively Treat Biofilms That Cause Cavities And Gum Disease (July 24, 2008) -- Blue light commonly used by dentists to cure resin fillings and hydrogen peroxide combined may be capable of reaching and treating bacteria in deep layers of biofilms that can cause cavities and gingivitis. ... > full story
Trying To Save World's Lakes: Controlling Nitrogen Can Actually Worsen Problems (July 24, 2008) -- After completing one of the longest running experiments ever done on a lake, researchers contend that nitrogen control, in which the European Union and many other jurisdictions around the world are investing millions of dollars, is not effective and in fact, may actually increase the problem of cultural eutrophication. ... > full story
Pandemic Flu: Most Nursing Homes Don't Have A Plan (July 24, 2008) -- If an influenza pandemic hits the United States, acute care hospitals are likely to be overwhelmed. Nursing homes may then be expected to assist with the patient overflow, but a new study suggests that many are not prepared for such a task. ... > full story
Toxic Chemicals Found In Common Scented Laundry Products, Air Fresheners (July 24, 2008) -- A study of top-selling laundry products and air fresheners found the products emitted dozens of different chemicals. All six products tested gave off at least one chemical regulated as toxic or hazardous under federal laws, but none of those chemicals was listed on the product labels. ... > full story
Licking Your Wounds: Scientists Isolate Compound In Human Saliva That Speeds Wound Healing (July 24, 2008) -- A report by scientists from the Netherlands identifies a compound in human saliva that greatly speeds wound healing. This research may offer hope to people suffering from chronic wounds related to diabetes and other disorders, as well as traumatic injuries and burns. In addition, because the compounds can be mass produced, they have the potential to become as common as antibiotic creams and rubbing alcohol. ... > full story
Olympic Games: Air Quality Forecasts For China (July 24, 2008) -- With less than a month remaining before the Beijing Olympics, Chinese officials have introduced a series of measures to improve air quality for the Games. A new tool has been installed in the capital city to allow the Chinese to monitor the effectiveness of these efforts. ... > full story
Over-the-counter Anesthetic Gel Puts The Squeeze On Mammogram Pain (July 24, 2008) -- The simple application of a pain-relieving gel may reduce the breast discomfort some women experience during mammography exams. For a mammography exam, a radiologic technologist positions the patient's breast on a platform in a mammography unit. The breast is then gradually compressed with a paddle. The patient may feel pressure and occasionally some discomfort or pain. Fear of this discomfort leads many women to avoid mammograms altogether. ... > full story
Balance Problems? Step Into The IShoe (July 24, 2008) -- Your grandmother might have little in common with an astronaut, but both could benefit from a new device an MIT graduate student is designing to test balancing ability. ... > full story
Virtual Toothache Helps Student Dentists (July 24, 2008) -- Masha, a middle-aged avatar from Second Life, is an integral part of a new research project to teach and give students practice time to communicate with mock patients. Not only do findings from the study have potential to revolutionize dental education but also to change the way national testing is done for patient-side communication skills. ... > full story
Astronomers See Disks Surrounding Black Holes, Strengthened Evidence For Current Explanation Of Quasars (July 24, 2008) -- For the first time, researchers have found a way to view the accretion disks surrounding black holes and verify that their true electromagnetic spectra match what astronomers have long predicted they would be. A black hole and its bright accretion disk have been thought to form a quasar, the powerful light source at the center of some distant galaxies. Using a polarizing filter, astronomers isolated the light emitted by the accretion disk from that produced by other matter in the vicinity of the black hole. ... > full story
Exercise Could Be The Heart's Fountain Of Youth (July 24, 2008) -- Older people who did endurance exercise training for about a year ended up with metabolically much younger hearts. The researchers also showed that by one metabolic measure, women benefited more than men from the training. ... > full story
'Nanosculpture' Could Enable New Types Of Heat Pumps And Energy Converters (July 24, 2008) -- Researchers have discovered a new technique for growing single-crystal nanorods and controlling their shape using biomolecules. The research could enable the development of smaller, more powerful heat pumps and devices that harvest electricity from heat. ... > full story
Early Exposure To Tobacco Smoke Causes Asthma And Allergy (July 24, 2008) -- Babies exposed to cigarette smoke before birth or during the first months afterwards run a greater risk of developing asthma and allergy. It is a well known fact that babies are harmed by tobacco smoke in numerous ways, but it has always been difficult to separate the effects of the mother smoking during pregnancy and passive smoking after birth. ... > full story
Student Devises Solar Energy ECG Useful In Developing Countries And Troubled Areas (July 24, 2008) -- A electrotechnology student has devised an ECG machine that runs on solar energy. This especially lends itself to use in developing countries or troubled areas. ... > full story
Autism's Social Struggles Due To Disrupted Communication Networks In Brain (July 24, 2008) -- Picking up on innuendo and social cues is a central component of engaging in conversation, but people with autism often struggle to determine another person's intentions in a social interaction. New research sheds light on the neural mechanisms that are responsible for such social difficulties in autism, and on the workings of these social brain mechanisms in all of us. ... > full story
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