ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Friday, August 1, 2008
Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.
How The First Stars In The Universe Came Into Existence (August 1, 2008) -- How the first stars formed from dust and gas has been a burning question for years, but a state-of-the-art computer simulation now offers the most detailed picture yet of how these first stars in the universe came into existence, researchers say. ... > full story
Commonly Used Test Could Identify Millions Of People With Undiagnosed Diabetes (August 1, 2008) -- A blood test currently used as the gold standard for monitoring people already under care for diabetes may have far wider use in identifying millions with undetected diabetes. ... > full story
Killer Pulses Help Characterize Special Surfaces (August 1, 2008) -- Detecting deadly fumes in subways, toxic gases in chemical spills, and hidden explosives in baggage is becoming easier and more efficient with a measurement technique called surface-enhanced Raman scattering. Researchers have now devised a method to evaluate substrate surfaces by using a series of killer laser pulses. ... > full story
Advances In The Field Of Schizophrenia Research: New Genetic Factors Identified (August 1, 2008) -- Scientists have successfully identified genetic factors associated with schizophrenia. These findings could represent a decisive step towards understanding the causes of this severe mental disorder as well as developing new potential treatments. ... > full story
Potential Of Graphene Films As Next-generation Transistors Demonstrated (August 1, 2008) -- Physicists at the University of Pennsylvania have characterized an aspect of graphene film behavior by measuring the way it conducts electricity on a substrate. This milestone advances the potential application of graphene, the ultra-thin, single-atom thick carbon sheets that conduct electricity faster and more efficiently than silicon, the current material of choice for transistor fabrication. ... > full story
Cocaine Addiction Linked To Voluntary Drug Use And Cellular Memory, Study Shows (August 1, 2008) -- New research has uncovered a fundamental cellular mechanism that may drive pathological drug-seeking behavior. Rats that voluntarily use cocaine show a persistent cellular memory in the brain's reward center even after several months of abstinence from the drug, while their involuntary counterparts had no such memory, according to a new study. ... > full story
Stem Cell Technology: First Neurons Created From ALS Patient's Skin Cells (August 1, 2008) -- Harvard and Columbia scientists have for the first time used a new technique to transform an ALS patient's skin cells into motor neurons, a process that may be used in the future to create tailor-made cells to treat the debilitating disease. ... > full story
Potential New Drug Target To Fight Tuberculosis Identified (August 1, 2008) -- With antibiotic resistance on the rise, tuberculosis is emerging as a bigger global health threat than ever before. But now, innovative research suggests that Mycobacterium tuberculosis has an as yet unsuspected weakness -- one that could be a prime target for drug development. ... > full story
New Wireless Technology Responds To Emergencies Where GPS Doesn't Work (August 1, 2008) -- CSIRO is developing new wireless technologies for locating, tracking, sensing and communicating in areas where global positioning systems do not work. ... > full story
Nephrologists Debate Uses Of Estimated Kidney Function (August 1, 2008) -- A routinely available laboratory result called the estimated glomerular filtration rate provides a simple indicator of kidney function and may increase early diagnoses of chronic kidney disease. However, widespread use of eGFR for this purpose may have inherent flaws and dangers -- including a risk that large numbers of elderly patients will be misclassified as having CKD. ... > full story
The Amazing Quantum World Of Ultra Cold Matter (August 1, 2008) -- Scientists have been fascinated by the concept of absolute zero, the temperature at which everything comes to a complete stop. But physics tells us otherwise: absolute zero cannot be reached but only approached, and the closer you get, the more interesting phenomena you find. ... > full story
Drug Use By Europe’s Young People Leads To Risky Sexual Behaviour (August 1, 2008) -- High levels of alcohol and drug consumption by young people in Europe is leading to an increase in unsafe sexual practices and a consequent rise in sexually-transmitted disease infections, according to a recently published study by the European Institute of Studies on Prevention (IREFREA). ... > full story
New Yeast Trick For Eating Favorite Food (July 31, 2008) -- Bioengineers have identified a previously unknown mechanism that allows yeast to shut down the metabolism of another sugar, galactose, when they sense glucose in the environment. ... > full story
How Amyloid Plaques May Damage Brain Cells In Alzheimer's Disease (July 31, 2008) -- A major question surrounding Alzheimer's disease -- whether and how amyloid plaques found in the brains of patients actually damage neurons -- may be closer to an answer. Using an advanced imaging technique, researchers from the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease found that levels of intracellular calcium are significantly elevated in neurons close to Alzheimer's plaques in a mouse model and showed how excess calcium may interfere with neuronal signals and cause cell death. ... > full story
Toward Designer Bourbon Whiskeys With Custom-tailored Aromas (July 31, 2008) -- In the latest chapter in a 40-year scientific quest to unravel the flavor and aroma secrets of the world's whiskeys, scientists in Germany are reporting discovery of key substances responsible for the distinctive bouquet of American bourbon whiskey. ... > full story
Alcohol Is Associated With Risk Of Perennial Allergic Rhinitis (July 31, 2008) -- There is a link between alcohol consumption and increased risk of perennial allergic rhinitis, according to a recent Danish study of 5,870 young adult women. The study found that the risk increased 3 percent for every additional alcoholic drink per week. In contrast, the authors did not observe any increase in risk of seasonal allergic rhinitis according to alcohol intake. ... > full story
A Counter To Counterfeit Drugs (July 31, 2008) -- The counterfeiting of medicines has been known of since around 1990 and is a growing problem. Counterfeit medicines are estimated as more than 10% of the global medicines market and in some developing countries it is thought to be as high as 50%. Now, researchers are developing a system using a portable near infrared (NIR) spectrometer to identify counterfeits in the field. ... > full story
Respiratory Illnesses And Dog Bites A Concern For Travelers To China For 2008 Olympics (July 31, 2008) -- As 600,000 visitors and athletes gear up to travel to China for the 2008 Olympic Games, travelers should be most concerned about respiratory illnesses and dog bites, according to a report by an Emory University travelers' health expert, her colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and around the globe. ... > full story
Life In A Bubble: Mathematicians Explain How Insects Breathe Underwater (July 31, 2008) -- Hundreds of insect species spend much of their time underwater, where food may be more plentiful. MIT mathematicians have now figured out exactly how those insects breathe underwater. ... > full story
Improved Estrogen Reception May Sharpen Fuzzy Memory (July 31, 2008) -- Finding ways to boost the brain's estrogen receptors may be an alternative to adding estrogen to the body in efforts to improve cognition in postmenopausal women and younger women with low estrogen levels, according to neuroscientists at the University of Florida's McKnight Brain Institute. ... > full story
Mud Pots Signal Possible Extension Of San Andreas Fault (July 31, 2008) -- A linear string of mud pots and mud volcanoes suggest surface evidence for a southern extension of the San Andreas Fault that runs through the Salton Sea, according to a paper published in the August issue of the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. ... > full story
Protein Made By Fat Cells May Increase Risk Of Heart Attack In Older Adults (July 31, 2008) -- Adiponectin, a protein produced by fat cells, may play a pivotal and counterintuitive role in cardiovascular health for older Americans according to a new study. ... > full story
New Technique To Compress Light Could Open Doors For Optical Communications (July 31, 2008) -- Scientists have devised a way to squeeze light into tighter spaces than ever thought possible, potentially opening doors to new technology in the fields of optical communications, miniature lasers and optical computers. ... > full story
Mothers From Affluent Neighborhoods Near Highways Increase Odds Of Low Weight Babies By 81 Percent (July 31, 2008) -- Living near city expressways is associated with adverse birth effects on expectant mothers and their newborns, according to a novel study with global implications. Researchers reveal that women living closest to expressways are more vulnerable to highway pollution -- especially affluent mothers. ... > full story
Antikythera Mechanism: Scientists Crack Secrets Of 2,000-year-old Astronomical Computer (July 31, 2008) -- Researchers have unravelled the secrets of a 2,000-year-old computer which could transform the way we think about the ancient world. The Antikythera Mechanism is a clock-like astronomical calculator dating from the second century BC, several years ago. Now, scientists believe they have cracked the centuries-old mystery of how it actually works. ... > full story
Mechanism For Postpartum Depression Found In Mice (July 31, 2008) -- Researchers have pinpointed a mechanism in the brains of mice that could explain why some human mothers become depressed following childbirth. The discovery could lead to improved treatment for postpartum depression. After giving birth, female mice bred to be deficient in a suspect protein showed depression-like behaviors and neglected their newborn pups. Giving a drug that restored the protein's function improved maternal behavior and reduced pup mortality. ... > full story
Isthmus Of Panama Formed As Result Of Plate Tectonics, Study Finds (July 31, 2008) -- Contrary to previous evidence, a new University of Florida study shows the Isthmus of Panama was most likely formed by a Central American Peninsula colliding slowly with the South American continent through tectonic plate movement over millions of years. ... > full story
Cholesterol-lowering Drug Boosts Bone Repair (July 31, 2008) -- Lovastatin, a drug used to lower cholesterol and help prevent cardiovascular disease, has been shown to improve bone healing in an animal model of neurofibromatosis type 1. The research, reported today in the open access journal BMC Medicine, will be of great interest to NF1 patients and their physicians. ... > full story
Nanojewels Made Easy (July 31, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a method that mimics nature's way of producing dazzling colors at the nanoscale level. Their work demonstrates how such a method can be used to produce new materials, and how different nanoparticles of various sizes can produce "nanojewels" that display different optical properties. The discovery opens potential for applications in photonics, drug delivery, special coatings, sensors and microfluidics. ... > full story
Psychological Downside To Strike Action (July 31, 2008) -- While industrial action is largely perceived as a legitimate means of encouraging organizational change in Australia, research has shown industrial action can adversely affect those involved. ... > full story
First Indication For Embalming In Roman Greece (July 31, 2008) -- Researchers have found indications of embalming in Roman Greek times. By means of physico-chemical and histological methods, it was possible to show that various resins, oils and spices were used during embalming of a ca. 55 year old female in Northern Greece. This is the first ever multidisciplinary-based indication for artificial mummification in Greece at 300 AD. ... > full story
Fat Around The Heart May Increase Risk Of Heart Attacks (July 31, 2008) -- When it comes to risk for a heart attack, having excess fat around the heart may be worse than having a high body mass index or a thick waist, according to researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues reporting in the August issue of the journal Obesity. ... > full story
Scientists Determine Strength Of 'Liquid Smoke' (July 31, 2008) -- Researchers have created a 3-D image of a material referred to as "liquid smoke." Aerogel, also known as liquid smoke or "San Francisco fog," is an open-cell polymer with pores smaller than 50 nanometers in diameter. For the first time, Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Berkeley scientists have peered into this material and created three-dimensional images to determine its strength and potential new applications. ... > full story
Drinking In Excess Associated With Increased Risk For Metabolic Syndrome (July 31, 2008) -- Those who drink in excess of the US Dietary Guidelines (i.e., men who usually drink more than two drinks per day or women who usually drink more than one drink per day) or those who binge drink are at increased risk for the metabolic syndrome, according to a new study accepted for publication in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. ... > full story
Summer Heat Too Hot For You? What Is Comfortable? (July 31, 2008) -- Extreme heat or cold is not only uncomfortable, it can be deadly-causing proteins to unravel and malfunction. For many years now, scientists have understood the molecular mechanisms that enable animals to sense dangerous temperatures; such as extremely high temperatures that directly trigger heat sensor proteins known as TRP channels. However, much more poorly understood is how animals sense very small temperature differences in the comfortable range, and choose their favorite temperature. Johns Hopkins researchers now have discovered that the fruit fly uses TRPA1 to sense single degree changes in the comfortable range. ... > full story
The Power Of Peter Piper: How Alliteration Enhances Poetry, Prose, And Memory (July 31, 2008) -- From nursery rhymes to Shakespearian sonnets, alliterations have always been an important aspect of poetry whether as an interesting aesthetic touch or just as something fun to read. But a new study suggests that this literary technique is useful not only for poetry but also for memory. ... > full story
Increased Burden Of Rare Genetic Variations Found In Schizophrenia (July 31, 2008) -- People with schizophrenia bear an "increased burden" of rare deletions and duplications of genetic material, genome-wide, say researchers. Although many of us have these changes in our genetic material, they are about 15 percent more frequent in people with schizophrenia. The researchers also discovered two large areas of chromosomal deletions that confer a great deal of risk for the disorder and confirmed involvement of a third previously reported area. ... > full story
Mucous Breakthrough In Mice Holds Promise For Cystic Fibrosis (July 31, 2008) -- A Canadian scientist studying cystic fibrosis has successfully corrected the defect which causes the overproduction of intestinal mucous in mice. The discovery has clear implications to understanding and treating this facet of the disease in humans. CF is a fatal, genetic disease characterized by an overproduction of mucous in the lungs and digestive system. ... > full story
Digestive Specialists Freeze Out Esophagus Cancer With New Therapy (July 31, 2008) -- Gastroenterologists are using a new method to freeze damaged cells in the esophagus, preventing them from turning cancerous. ... > full story
How Antidepressants And Cocaine Interact With Brain Cell Targets (July 31, 2008) -- Scientists have now described the specifics of how brain cells process antidepressant drugs, cocaine and amphetamines. These novel findings could prove useful in the development of more targeted medication therapies for a host of psychiatric diseases, most notably in the area of addiction. ... > full story
Astronomers Describe The Bar Scene At The Beginning Of The Universe (July 31, 2008) -- Bars abound in spiral galaxies today, but this was not always the case. Astronomers have found that bars tripled in number over the past seven billion years, indicating that spiral galaxies evolve in shape. ... > full story
Obesity Predisposition Traced To The Brain's Reward System (July 31, 2008) -- New research links overeating and obesity with the brain system implicated in pleasure and addictive behaviors strengthening the argument that obesity could be approached as an addictive disorder. This is the first study to demonstrate that obesity predisposition is associated with impairments in all mid-brain dopamine systems that are in place early in postnatal life. ... > full story
New Technique Reveals Van Gogh Portrait Of A Women Behind Another Painting (July 31, 2008) -- A new technique allows pictures which were later painted over to be revealed once more. A new technique allows pictures which were later painted over to be revealed once more. Researchers have successfully applied this technique for the first time to the painting entitled Patch of Grass by Vincent van Gogh. Behind this painting is a portrait of a woman. ... > full story
Alzheimer's Disease Patients Show Improvement In Trial Of New Drug (July 31, 2008) -- A new drug has been shown to improve the brain function of people with early stage Alzheimer's disease and reduce a key protein associated with the disease in the spinal fluid, in a small study published in the journal Lancet Neurology. ... > full story
Solar Eclipse On The Morning Of August 1st (July 31, 2008) -- On 1st August 2008 there will be a total eclipse of the Sun, visible from Canada, northern Greenland, Svalbard, the Barents Sea, Russia, Mongolia and China. From the whole of the British Isles observers will see a partial solar eclipse, with between 1/10th and 1/3rd of the Sun obscured by the Moon. ... > full story
How Molecules Out Of Balance Lead To Human Multiple Myeloma And Other Cancers (July 31, 2008) -- An international team of scientists has identified processes that are heavily implicated in human multiple myeloma and other B cell cancers, moving us closer to developing quick tests and readouts that could help in the tailored treatment of patients. ... > full story
Nanoparticles + Light = Dead Tumor Cells (July 31, 2008) -- Medical physicists at the University of Virginia have created a novel way to kill tumor cells using nanoparticles and light. The technique, devised by Wensha Yang, an instructor in radiation oncology at the University of Virginia, and colleagues Ke Sheng, Paul W. Read, James M. Larner, and Brian P. Helmke, employs quantum dots. Quantum dots are semiconductor nanostructures, 25 billionths of a meter in diameter, which can confine electrons in three dimensions and emit light when exposed to ultraviolet radiation. ... > full story
Bee's Future As Queen Or Worker May Rest With Parasitic Fly (July 31, 2008) -- Strange things are happening in the lowland tropical forests of Panama and Costa Rica. A tiny parasitic fly is affecting the social behavior of a nocturnal bee, helping to determine which individuals become queens and which become workers. ... > full story
Copyright 1995-2008 © ScienceDaily LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
|
 To update/change your account click here  |
No comments:
Post a Comment