Saturday 7 April 2012

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Which plants will survive droughts, climate change?

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 11:18 AM PDT

Biologists aim to predict which plant species will escape extinction from climate change. Droughts are worsening around the world, which poses a great challenge to plants in gardens and forests. Scientists have debated for more than a century how to predict which species are most vulnerable.

Impact of warming climate doesn't always translate to streamflow

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 11:17 AM PDT

An analysis of 35 headwater basins in the United States and Canada found that the impact of warmer air temperatures on streamflow rates was less than expected in many locations, suggesting that some ecosystems may be resilient to certain aspects of climate change.

Coordinating the circadian clock: Molecular pair controls time-keeping and fat metabolism

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 11:17 AM PDT

Disruption in circadian rhythms leads to increased incidence of many diseases, including cancer. Each cell of the body has its own internal timing mechanism. A clock protein, called Rev-erb alpha, was thought to have a subordinate role because the clock runs fairly normally in its absence. New work has found that a closely related protein called Rev-erb beta serves as a back-up. When both are not functioning, the cellular clock loses its time-keeping function.

Dark heart of a cosmic collision

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 08:00 AM PDT

Infrared and X-ray observations from two space telescopes have been combined to create a unique look at violent events within the giant galaxy Centaurus A. The observations strengthen the view that the galaxy may have been created by the cataclysmic collision of two older galaxies.

12-mile-high Martian dust devil caught in act

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 07:57 AM PDT

A Martian dust devil roughly 12 miles high (20 kilometers) was captured whirling its way along the Amazonis Planitia region of Northern Mars on March 14. It was imaged by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Despite its height, the plume is little more than three-quarters of a football field wide (70 yards, or 70 meters).

Ecosystems dependent on snowy winters most threatened, long term research confirms

Posted: 06 Apr 2012 05:28 AM PDT

As global temperatures rise, the most threatened ecosystems are those that depend on a season of snow and ice, scientists say. In semi-arid regions like the southwestern United States, mountain snowpacks are the dominant source of water for human consumption and irrigation. New research shows that as average temperatures increase in these snowy ecosystems, a significant amount of stream water is lost to the atmosphere.

Women cannot rewind the 'biological clock'

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 07:47 PM PDT

Many women do not fully appreciate the consequences of delaying motherhood, and expect that assisted reproductive technologies can reverse their aged ovarian function, researchers have reported.

Food ingredients most prone to fraudulent economically motivated adulteration

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 11:42 AM PDT

The top seven adulterated ingredients in a food database are olive oil, milk, honey, saffron, orange juice, coffee and apple juice.

Novel method used to combat malaria drug resistance

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 11:42 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a "gene chip" to contribute to the identification of malaria drug resistance, an effort that will allow for real-time response in modified treatment strategies for this devastating disease.

Recovery from propofol anesthesia may be sped up by use of common stimulant

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 11:42 AM PDT

The ability of the commonly used stimulant methylphenidate (Ritalin) to speed recovery from general anesthesia appears to apply both to the inhaled gas isoflurane, as previously reported, and to the intravenous drug propofol.

Study shows unified process of evolution in bacteria and sexual eukaryotes

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 11:21 AM PDT

Bacteria adapt to habitats through random genetic mutations and gene exchange. But how does an advantageous mutation spread from a bacterium to a population? Does the gene sweep through a population or does an individual bacterium obtain the gene, then replicate its genome to form an adapted population? Researchers have shown that genes can sweep through populations, indicating that the process of evolution in bacteria is very similar to that of sexual eukaryotes.

Purified lung and thyroid progenitors derived from embryonic stem cells

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:16 AM PDT

Researchers have derived a population of pure lung and thyroid progenitor cells in vitro that successfully mimic the developmental milestones of lung and thyroid tissue formation.

Tiny hitchhikers attack cancer cells: Gold nanostars first to deliver drug directly to cancer cell nucleus

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:15 AM PDT

Nanotechnology offers powerful new possibilities for targeted cancer therapies, but the design challenges are many. Scientists have now developed a nanoparticle that can deliver a drug directly to a cancer cell's nucleus. They have also directly imaged nanoscale dimensions showing how nanoparticles interact with the nucleus, which dramatically changes shape. The researchers found this shape change linked to cells dying and the cell population becoming less viable.

Shifting sands: New model predicts how sand and other granular materials flow

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:15 AM PDT

Sand in an hourglass might seem simple and straightforward, but such granular materials are actually tricky to model. From far away, flowing sand resembles a liquid, streaming down the center of an hourglass like water from a faucet. But up close, one can make out individual grains that slide against each other, forming a mound at the base that holds its shape, much like a solid.

How embryonic stem cells orchestrate human development

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:14 AM PDT

Researchers show in detail how three genes within human embryonic stem cells regulate development, a finding that increases understanding of how to grow these cells for therapeutic purposes.

Psychological testing may predict success in soccer

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 06:29 AM PDT

Measuring what are known as executive functions, which reflect the cognitive ability to deal with sudden problems, may make it possible to predict how good an elite soccer player will become in the future. Scientists believe that they have finally found the scientific key to what has previously been described as "game intelligence" in successful soccer players.

How to make high-end perfumes without whale barf

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 04:53 AM PDT

Researchers have identified a gene in balsam fir trees that could facilitate cheaper and more sustainable production of plant-based fixatives and scents used in the fragrance industry and reduce the need for ambergris, a substance harvested from whale barf.

Microflora have decisive role with autoimmune illnesses, some good, some bad

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 04:52 AM PDT

When the right microorganisms are at work, immune cells involved in the development of autoimmune illnesses like psoriasis, multiple sclerosis and arthritis, can develop anti-inflammatory properties. Scientists have now demonstrated that particular fungi activate the immune cells involved in the development of certain illnesses, whereas other microorganisms, in particular bacteria that are found naturally on our skin, lend an anti-inflammatory function to them.

Possible clues found to why HIV vaccine showed modest protection

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 06:00 PM PDT

Insights into how the first vaccine ever reported to modestly prevent HIV infection in people might have worked were recently published.

First targeted nanomedicine to enter human clinical studies

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 11:43 AM PDT

Scientists have found promising effects of a first-in-class targeted cancer drug called BIND-014 in treating solid tumors.

Friday 6 April 2012

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


New threat to birds posed by invasive pythons in Florida

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 07:48 PM PDT

Scientists have uncovered a new threat posed by invasive Burmese pythons in Florida and the Everglades: The snakes are not only eating the area's birds, but also the birds' eggs straight from the nest. The results of this research add a new challenge to the area's already heavily taxed native wildlife.

Big advance against cystic fibrosis: Stem cell researchers create lung surface tissue in a dish

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 07:48 PM PDT

Stem cell researchers have taken a critical step in making possible the discovery in the relatively near future of a drug to control cystic fibrosis, a fatal lung disease that claims about 500 lives each year, with 1,000 new cases diagnosed annually.

Use of common pesticide, imidacloprid, linked to bee colony collapse

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 07:46 PM PDT

The likely culprit in sharp worldwide declines in honeybee colonies since 2006 is imidacloprid, one of the most widely used pesticides, according to a new study.

Scientists redraw the blueprint of the body's biological clock

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 07:44 PM PDT

The discovery of a major gear in the biological clock that tells the body when to sleep and metabolize food may lead to new drugs to treat sleep problems and metabolic disorders, including diabetes.

Copper chains: Earth's deep-seated hold on copper revealed

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 12:29 PM PDT

Earth is clingy when it comes to copper. Nature conspires at scales both large and small -- from the realms of tectonic plates down to molecular bonds -- to keep most of Earth's copper buried dozens of miles below ground. A new study gives new insight into the way continents form and could help locate new sources of copper.

New index identifies periods when global stock markets might decline

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 11:22 AM PDT

Researchers have found a way to measure the likelihood of global stock market losses by identifying periods in which shocks may be more likely to spread across many national markets. This "fragility index" identifies periods in which international equity markets are more susceptible to widespread pull-backs by identifying common risk exposures. The index identifies when systemic risk exposure is high in markets across multiple countries, and shows an increasing probability of a global stock market draw-down.

Controlling quantum tunneling with light: Novel particle opens door to taming mysteries of tunneling

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 11:21 AM PDT

Scientists have used light to help push electrons through a classically impenetrable barrier. While quantum tunneling is at the heart of the peculiar wave nature of particles, this is the first time that it has been controlled by light.

Initial stages by which giant gypsum crystals form

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 11:21 AM PDT

Gypsum is a naturally occurring mineral which is often used in industrial processes and which in nature, if left alone for thousands of years, can grow into huge translucent, towering and eerie, crystals more than 10 meters tall. These are famed for their beauty in places such as the Cave of Crystals in Mexico. Nevertheless, the formation of gypsum has until now been largely unexplored.

Newly discovered close relative of T. rex is largest known feathered dinosaur

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:34 AM PDT

Palaeontologists have known for more than a decade that some small dinosaurs had bird-like feathers, mainly thanks to beautifully preserved fossils from northeastern China. Now three specimens of a new tyrannosauroid from the same region show that at least one much larger dinosaur had a feathery coat as well.

Detecting breast cancer's fingerprint in a droplet of blood

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:16 AM PDT

The earlier breast cancer is detected, the better the chance of successful treatment and long-term survival. However, early cancer diagnosis is still challenging as testing by mammography remains cumbersome, costly, and in many cases, cancer can only be detected at an advanced stage. Scientists have now developed a new microfluidics-based microarray that could one day radically change how and when cancer is diagnosed.

Potential for a 'moderate' New England 'red tide' in 2012

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:16 AM PDT

New England is expected to experience a "moderate" regional "red tide" this spring and summer, report scientists working in the Gulf of Maine to study the toxic algae that causes the bloom. The algae in the water pose no direct threat to human beings, however the toxins they produce can accumulate in filter-feeding organisms such as mussels and clams -- which can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning in humans who consume them.

Breakthrough in IOP regulation in fight against glaucoma

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:15 AM PDT

Medical researchers have gained new insight regarding the regulation of intraocular pressure (IOP) in glaucoma -- an irreversible blinding disease that causes progressive visual impairment due to optic nerve damage and is the leading cause of blindness worldwide.

Baseball: Beanballs and the psychology of revenge

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:15 AM PDT

Baseball fans exhibit a high moral tolerance for a form of revenge not otherwise practiced in most of contemporary society: avenging a teammate who has been hit by a pitch by aiming a pitch at an opposing batter who was not previously involved. New research suggests that such systems of vicarious retribution, found throughout history, may not depend on an underlying assignment of moral responsibility.

US students need new way of learning science

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:14 AM PDT

American students need a dramatically new approach to improve how they learn science, says a noted group of scientists and educators.

Banned antibiotics found in poultry products

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:14 AM PDT

Researchers have found evidence suggesting that a class of antibiotics previously banned by the US government for poultry production is still in use.

Manipulating the immune system to develop 'next-gen' vaccines

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:14 AM PDT

The discovery of how a vital immune cell recognizes dead and damaged body cells could modernize vaccine technology by "tricking" cells into launching an immune response, leading to next-generation vaccines that are more specific, more effective and have fewer side-effects.

New stem cell line provides safe, prolific source for disease modeling and transplant studies

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:14 AM PDT

Researchers have generated a new type of human stem cell that can develop into numerous types of specialized cells, including functioning pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin. Called endodermal progenitor cells, the new cells show two important advantages over embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells: they do not form tumors when transplanted into animals, and they can form functional pancreatic beta cells in the laboratory.

Heightened sensitivity to cheap, high-calorie food is linked with obesity

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:14 AM PDT

A major reason for the dramatic increase in obesity may be a heightened sensitivity to heavily advertised and easily accessible high-calorie foods.

Tackling dyslexia before kids learn to read

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:14 AM PDT

For children with dyslexia, the trouble begins even before they start reading and for reasons that don't necessarily reflect other language skills. This study for the first time reveals a causal connection between early problems with visual attention and a later diagnosis of dyslexia.

To prevent leukemia's dreaded return, go for the stem cells

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:14 AM PDT

Researchers have found a way to stop leukemia stem cells in their tracks. The advance in mice suggests that a combination approach to therapy might stamp out chronic myeloid leukemia for good.

LHC physics data taking gets underway at new record collision energy of 8TeV

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:13 AM PDT

At 00:38 CEST this morning, the LHC shift crew declared 'stable beams' as two 4 TeV proton beams were brought into collision at the LHC's four interaction points. This signals the start of physics data taking by the LHC experiments for 2012. The collision energy of 8 TeV is a new world record, and increases the machine's discovery potential considerably.

Nature and nurture: World‐first discovery sheds new light on congenital birth defects

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 10:12 AM PDT

Scientists have made a landmark discovery that could help women minimize or even avoid the risk of having a baby born with congenital birth defects.

Disarming disease-causing bacteria

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 06:29 AM PDT

Scientists could produce new antibacterial treatments by disarming the molecular pumps bacteria use to bring disease-causing molecules in contact with animals and humans.

Fasting for Lent forces hyenas to change diet

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 04:52 AM PDT

Many Christians give up certain foods for Lent, however ecologists have discovered these changes in human diet have a dramatic impact on the diet of wild animals. In Ethiopia, members of the Orthodox Tewahedo Church stop eating meat and dairy products during a 55-day fast before Easter. As a result, spotted hyenas too change their eating habits.

Satellite observes rapid ice shelf disintegration in Antarctic

Posted: 05 Apr 2012 04:51 AM PDT

As ESA's Envisat satellite continues to observe the rapid retreat of one of Antarctica's ice shelves due to climate warming. One of the satellite's first observations following its launch on 1 March 2002 was of break-up of a main section of the Larsen B ice shelf in Antarctica – when 3200 sq km of ice disintegrated within a few days due to mechanical instabilities of the ice masses triggered by climate warming.

Handheld plasma flashlight rids skin of notorious pathogens

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 06:00 PM PDT

Scientists have developed a handheld, battery-powered plasma-producing device that can rid skin of bacteria in an instant.

Rising CO<sub>2</sub> levels linked to global warming during last deglaciation

Posted: 04 Apr 2012 10:37 AM PDT

Many scientists have long suspected that rising levels of carbon dioxide and the global warming that ended the last Ice Age were somehow linked, but establishing a clear cause-and-effect relationship between CO2 and global warming from the geologic record has remained difficult. A new study identifies this relationship and provides compelling evidence that rising CO2 caused much of the global warming.

Thursday 5 April 2012

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