ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Warmer means windier on Lake Superior, world's biggest freshwater lake

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST

Rising water temperatures are kicking up more powerful winds on Lake Superior, with consequences for currents, biological cycles, pollution and more on the world's largest lake and its smaller brethren.

Ants use bacteria to make their gardens grow

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST

Leaf-cutter ants, which cultivate fungus for food, have many remarkable qualities. Here's a new one to add to the list: the ant farmers, like their human counterparts, depend on nitrogen-fixing bacteria to make their gardens grow.

Link between influenza virus and fever: Scientists solve riddle of new mechanism in immune system

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST

One feature of the "new influenza" is a sudden rise in temperature. Up to now it was not exactly understood how this reaction occurs. Scientists in Germany have been able to shed light into the dark. They have identified a new signaling pathway via which certain viruses can trigger inflammatory reactions and fever.

Navy Researchers Apply Science To Fire Fighting

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST

Navy scientists are conducting research to insure that sailors and their ships can be protected from the deadly effects of fire.

Racial disparity in colon cancer survival not easily explained, researchers say

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST

For colon and other cancers, African-Americans have lower survival rates than whites. There has been a belief that racial disparity in survival following surgery for colon cancer was related to a high BMI and co-morbidity. A new study shows there must be some other explanation.

Smartphone app illuminates power consumption

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST

A new application for the Android smartphone shows users and software developers how much power their applications are consuming.

Medical 'pay for performance' programs help improve care, but not always, study finds

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST

Everybody likes a raise in pay. Even health care professionals, it appears. Now a new study reports that the performance ratings of patient care from 25 medical groups throughout California significantly improved after the start of a statewide pay-for-performance program in 2004. But not if incentives focus on your doctor's productivity.

To the bat cave: Researchers reconstruct evolution of bat migration with aid of mathematical model

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

Not just birds, but also a few species of bats face a long journey every year. Researchers have studied the migratory behavior of the largest extant family of bats, the so-called "Vespertilionidae" with the help of mathematical models. They discovered that the migration over short as well as long distances of various kinds of bats evolved independently within the family.

Gene implicated in stress-induced high blood pressure

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

Do stressful situations make your blood pressure rise? If so, your phosducin gene could be to blame according to new research that indicates a role for the protein generated by the phosducin gene in modulating blood pressure in response to stress in both mice and humans.

Cassini's big sky: View from the center of our solar system

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

NASA's Cassini spacecraft is helping to rewrite our understanding of the shape of our solar system as it moves through the local Milky Way galaxy. Previous models pictured our solar system as having a comet-like appearance. The new results suggest a picture more like a bubble.

Diabetics show alarming increase in morbid obesity

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

One out of five type 2 diabetics is morbidly obese -- approximately 100 pounds or more overweight -- a new study has found.

Using new technique, scientists find eleven times more aftershocks for 2004 quake

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

Using a technique normally used for detecting weak tremor, scientists have discovered that the 2004 magnitude 6 earthquake along the Parkfield section of the San Andreas fault exhibited almost 11 times more aftershocks than previously thought.

Genome-wide association studies in developing countries raise important new ethical issues

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

Typically conducted in richer, developed countries but now increasingly done in the developing world, genome wide association studies raise a host of ethical issues that must be addressed, experts argue.

Dramatic decline found in Siberian tigers

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

The last remaining population of Siberian tigers has likely declined significantly due to the rising tide of poaching and habitat loss, according to a new report

Toward explaining why hepatitis B hits men harder than women

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Scientists have discovered unusual liver proteins, found only in males, that may help explain the long-standing mystery of why the hepatitis B virus sexually discriminates -- hitting men harder than women.

Computational microscope peers into the working ribosome

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Two new studies reveal in unprecedented detail how the ribosome interacts with other molecules to assemble new proteins and guide them toward their destination in biological cells. The studies used molecular dynamics flexible fitting to examine the interaction of the ribosome with two prominent molecular partners.

Multiple health concerns surface as winter, vitamin D deficiences arrive

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

A string of recent discoveries about the multiple health benefits of vitamin D has renewed interest in this multi-purpose nutrient, increased awareness of the huge numbers of people who are deficient in it, spurred research and even led to an appreciation of it as "nature's antibiotic."

How might navy sonar affect hearing of whales and other marine animals?

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Rocket science is opening new doors to understanding how sounds associated with Navy sonar might affect the hearing of a marine mammal -- or if they hear it at all.

High unexpressed anger in multiple sclerosis patients linked to nervous system damage, not disease severity

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) feel more than twice as much withheld anger as the general population, but expressed anger levels are similar. Researchers were surprised by the results from the 195 MS patients. They also found that elevated withheld anger levels were not related to the severity of the patients' MS. This suggests that these inconsistent changes were caused by nervous system damage, rather than an emotional reaction to the stress of the disease.

Killer fungus threatening amphibians

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Amphibians like frogs and toads have existed for 360 million years and survived when the dinosaurs didn't, but a new aquatic fungus is threatening to make many of them extinct, according to a new article.

Why circumcision reduces HIV risk

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

The decreased risk of HIV infection in circumcised men cannot be explained by a reduction in sores from conditions such as herpes, according to new research.

Alternative animal feed part of global fisheries crisis fix

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Finding alternative feed sources for chickens, pigs and other farm animals will significantly reduce pressure on the world's dwindling fisheries while contributing positively to climate change, according to researchers.

Alarming trend: Antiviral therapy to treat hepatitis C is declining in the US

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Researchers have determined that only 663,000 of the approximately 3.9 million Americans with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection received antiviral therapy between 2002 and 2007. If this disturbing trend continues, by 2030 less than 15 percent of liver-related deaths from HCV will be prevented by antiviral therapy.

Polymer with honeycomb structure: Scientists synthesize graphene-like material

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Two-dimensional carbon layers, so-called graphenes, are regarded as a possible substitute for silicon in the semiconductor industry. The electronic properties of these layers can be varied by "building in" specific arrays of holes in their structure. Physicists and chemists have, for the first time, succeeded in synthesizing a graphene-like porous polymer with atomic accuracy.

Road rage: Fuel vapor heightens aggression, rat study finds

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Outrageous prices may not be the only thing causing anger at the petrol pumps. A new study has shown that rats exposed to fumes from leaded and unleaded gasoline become more aggressive.

Spitzer Telescope observes baby brown dwarf

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has contributed to the discovery of the youngest brown dwarf ever observed -- a finding that, if confirmed, may solve an astronomical mystery about how these cosmic misfits are formed.

Factors from common human bacteria may trigger multiple sclerosis

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

New research suggests that a common oral bacterium may exacerbate autoimmune disease. Multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease where the immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord, affects nearly 1 in 700 people in the United States. Patients with multiple sclerosis have a variety of neurological symptoms, including muscle weakness, difficulty in moving, and difficulty in speech.

Is global warming unstoppable?

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

In a provocative new study, a scientist argues that rising carbon dioxide emissions -- the major cause of global warming -- cannot be stabilized unless the world's economy collapses or society builds the equivalent of one new nuclear power plant each day.

Ethnic Background May Be Associated With Diabetes Risk

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Fat and muscle mass, as potentially determined by a person's ethnic background, may contribute to diabetes risk, according to a new study.

Rescuing male turkey chicks

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

A novel approach to classify the gender of six-week-old turkey poults could save millions of male chicks from being killed shortly after birth, according to researchers. Their use of infrared spectroscopy to determine the gender of young birds shows that it is a fast and accurate method.

Daycare may double TV time for young children, study finds

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

In a new study, the amount of television viewed by many young children in child care settings doubles the previous estimates of early childhood screen time, with those in home-based settings watching significantly more on average than those in center-based daycares.

Congo's 'mother lode' of gorillas remains vulnerable

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

A new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society says that western lowland gorillas living in a large swamp in the Republic of Congo -- part of the "mother lode" of more than 125,000 gorillas discovered last year -- are becoming increasingly threatened by growing humans activity in the region.

Medical imaging technique identifies very common condition in women that often goes undiagnosed

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

In women with lower urinary tract symptoms, a medical imaging technique called dynamic MRI allows clinicians to diagnose pelvic organ prolapse -- a condition that often goes undiagnosed on static MRI and at physical examination, according to a new study.

Visual assistance for cosmic blind spots

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Information field theory enables astronomers, medical practitioners and geologists to look into places where their measuring instruments are blind.

Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises Can Help Manage Urinary Incontinence In Older Women

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Researchers have found that a program of pelvic floor muscle exercises, combined with pelvic health education, can be an effective way to manage urinary incontinence in elderly women.

Straightening messy correlations with a quantum comb

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Scientists have shown how to delicately comb out a snarl of entanglements among many qubits while keeping the information intact.

Direct-to-consumer ads associated with higher Medicaid costs

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Direct-to-consumer advertising for a commonly prescribed antiplatelet drug does not appear associated with increased use, but may be associated with increased drug costs and Medicaid pharmacy expenditures, according to a new report.

Supervolcano eruption -- in Sumatra -- deforested India 73,000 years ago

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

A new study provides "incontrovertible evidence" that the volcanic super-eruption of Toba on the island of Sumatra about 73,000 years ago deforested much of central India, some 3,000 miles from the epicenter, researchers report.

Vioxx trial data shows early cardiovascular risk

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

Evidence of cardiovascular risks associated with taking Vioxx, the popular, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (rofecoxib), could have been identified nearly four years before its manufacturer, Merck & Co. Inc., voluntarily pulled the drug from the market.

Cassini sends back images of Saturn's moon Enceladus as winter nears

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has sailed seamlessly through the Nov. 21 flyby of Saturn's moon Enceladus and started transmitting uncalibrated temperature data and images of the rippling terrain. These data and images will be processed and analyzed in the coming weeks. They will help scientists create the most-detailed-yet mosaic image of the southern part of the moon's Saturn-facing hemisphere and a contiguous thermal map of one of the intriguing "tiger stripe" features, with the highest resolution to date.

Mosquito Screens Found To Be Cheap And Effective In Malaria Prevention

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

Trials of a screen-based malaria prevention programme in 500 homes in The Gambia, Africa, have led to a 50 per cent reduction in malaria transmission and anaemia in children. A child dies from malaria in Africa every 30 seconds and infection can lead to an increased risk of anaemia, which can also prove fatal. Yet to date, screens have often been ignored in favour of using drugs and insecticides.

Switchgrass produces biomass efficiently

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

A new study concluded that 50 million US acres of cropland, idle cropland, and cropland pasture could be converted from current uses to the production of perennial grasses, such as switchgrass, from which biomass could be harvested for use as a biofuel feedstock. Economically viable production of a perennial grass monoculture from which substantial quantities of biomass are removed annually is expected to require nitrogen fertilizer.

Sedatives, mood-altering drugs related to falls among elderly: UBC study

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST

Falls among elderly people are significantly associated with several classes of drugs, including sedatives often prescribed as sleep aids and medications used to treat mood disorders, according to a new study.

New chameleon species discovered in East Africa

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST

A new species of chameleon has been discovered in a threatened forest in Tanzania. Researchers first spotted the animal while surveying monkeys in the Magombera Forest when they disturbed a twig snake eating one.

Beta-blockers can have helpful, or harmful, effect on heart

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST

In a new study, researchers report that a class of heart medications called beta-blockers can have a helpful, or harmful, effect on the heart, depending on their molecular activity.

Flax and yellow flowers can produce bioethanol

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST

Surplus biomass from the production of flax sheaves, and generated from Brassica carinata, a yellow-flowered plant related to those which engulf fields in spring, can be used to produce bioethanol.

Insecticide-treated Bed Nets Reduce Infant Deaths In Democratic Republic Of Congo, Study Finds

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST

Giving insecticide-treated bed nets to nearly 18,000 mothers at prenatal clinics in the Democratic Republic of Congo prevented an estimated 414 infant deaths from malaria, researchers conclude.

Insect resistance to Bt crops can be predicted, monitored and managed

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST

With Bt crop acreage increasing worldwide, incorporating enhanced understanding of observed patterns of field-evolved resistance into future resistance management strategies can help to minimize the drawbacks and maximize the benefits of current and future generations of transgenic crops.