Saturday 12 May 2012

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Increasing predator-friendly land can help farmers reduce costs

Posted: 11 May 2012 02:50 PM PDT

Having natural habitat in farming areas that supports ladybugs could help increase their abundance in crops where they control pests and help farmers reduce their costs, says a new study.

Novel approach to stimulate immune cells

Posted: 11 May 2012 02:50 PM PDT

Researchers have uncovered a new way to stimulate activity of immune cell opiate receptors, leading to efficient tumor cell clearance. The researchers have been able to take a new pharmacological approach to activate the immune cells to prevent cancer growth through stimulation of the opiate receptors found on immune cells.

Scientists find differences in naked mole rat's protein disposers

Posted: 11 May 2012 02:50 PM PDT

The naked mole rat's unusually long and healthy life span may be explained by cellular machinery that disposes of damaged proteins. Scientists found that this machinery differs in composition from that of other rodents.

Surprise gift for new mom: A new heart

Posted: 11 May 2012 02:49 PM PDT

New mom Windy Hill, 38, was given the ultimate Mother's Day gift a little early after she was wheeled into the operating room at on April 20 to receive a mechanical pump to aid her failing heart and save her life.

In metallic glasses, researchers find a few new atomic structures

Posted: 11 May 2012 10:37 AM PDT

Drawing on powerful computational tools and a state-of-the-art scanning transmission electron microscope, materials science and engineering researchers have discovered a new nanometer-scale atomic structure in solid metallic materials known as metallic glasses.

New maintenance therapy for multiple myeloma looks promising, study suggests

Posted: 11 May 2012 10:37 AM PDT

Multiple myeloma is a form of cancer where the plasma cells in the bone marrow grow out of control, causing damage to bones as well as predisposing patients to anemia, infection and kidney failure. Unfortunately, multiple myeloma continues to progress even after a transplant. A new study now offers promising news about a new long-term therapy, lenalidomide, that can be used after transplantation to slow down the progression of the disease.

Molecular subtypes and genetic alterations may determine response to lung cancer therapy

Posted: 11 May 2012 10:37 AM PDT

Scientists have just shown that lung cancer molecular subtypes correlate with distinct genetic alterations and with patient response to therapy. These findings in pre-clinical models and patient tumor samples build on their previous report of three molecular subtypes of non-small cell lung cancer and refines their molecular analysis of tumors.

Gene therapy for hearing loss: Potential and limitations

Posted: 11 May 2012 09:23 AM PDT

Regenerating sensory hair cells could form the basis for treating age- or trauma-related hearing loss. One way to do this could be with gene therapy that drives new sensory hair cells to grow. Researchers have shown that introducing a gene called Atoh1 into the cochleae of young mice can induce the formation of extra sensory hair cells.

Mild traumatic brain injury may contribute to brain network dysfunction

Posted: 11 May 2012 09:22 AM PDT

Even mild head injuries can cause significant abnormalities in brain function that last for several days, which may explain the neurological symptoms experienced by some individuals who have experienced a head injury associated with sports, accidents or combat, according to a new study.

Low-cost nanosheet catalyst discovered to split hydrogen from water

Posted: 11 May 2012 09:22 AM PDT

Scientists have developed a new electrocatalyst that overcomes the high cost of platinum, generating hydrogen gas from water with abundant and affordable metals. The unexpected and high-performing nanosheet structure of the catalytic nickel-molybdenum-nitride compound offers a promising new model for effective hydrogen catalysis.

First satellite tag study for manta rays reveals habits and hidden journeys of ocean giants

Posted: 11 May 2012 09:22 AM PDT

Using the latest satellite tracking technology, conservationists have completed a ground-breaking study on a mysterious ocean giant: The manta ray.

Population pressure impacts world wetlands

Posted: 11 May 2012 09:21 AM PDT

The area of the globe covered by wetlands (swamps, marshes, lakes, etc.) has dropped by 6% in fifteen years. This decline is particularly severe in tropical and subtropical regions, and in areas that have experienced the largest increases in population in recent decades.

New ultra-thin electronic films have greater capacity

Posted: 11 May 2012 09:20 AM PDT

The development of a new combination of polymers associating sugars with oil-based macromolecules makes it possible to design ultra-thin films capable of self-organization with a 5-nanometer resolution. This opens up new horizons for increasing the capacity of hard discs and the speed of microprocessors.

Arthritis, cancer: New screening technique yields elusive compounds to block immune-regulating enzyme

Posted: 11 May 2012 07:48 AM PDT

Scientists have found the first chemical compounds that act to block an enzyme that has been linked to inflammatory conditions such as asthma and arthritis, as well as some inflammation-promoted cancers.

Successful stem cell differentiation requires DNA compaction, study finds

Posted: 11 May 2012 07:42 AM PDT

New research findings show that embryonic stem cells unable to fully compact the DNA inside them cannot complete their primary task: Differentiation into specific cell types that give rise to the various types of tissues and structures in the body.

Barley takes a leaf out of reindeer's book in the land of the midnight sun

Posted: 11 May 2012 07:41 AM PDT

Barley grown in Scandinavian countries has adapted like reindeer have to cope with extremes of day length at high latitudes. A genetic mutation in Scandinavian barley varieties disrupts the circadian clock. Just as reindeer have dropped the clock in adapting to extremely long days, so has Scandinavian barley to grow successfully in the short growing season. This new knowledge may be useful in efforts to adapt crops for regions where the growing season is short.

Living longer: Variability in infection-fighting genes can be a boon for male survival

Posted: 11 May 2012 07:41 AM PDT

Scientists have found that male Alpine chamois heterozygous at a particular immune gene locus (i.e. who possess two different forms of that gene) survive significantly longer than homozygous individuals (i.e. those with two identical copies of the gene) but they found no such effect for female chamois.

'Switch' to boost anti-viral response to fight infectious diseases

Posted: 11 May 2012 07:41 AM PDT

Scientists have for the first time, identified the molecular 'switch' that directly triggers the body's first line of defense against pathogens, more accurately known as the body's "innate immunity."

GPS for interior spaces: Navigating the shopping center

Posted: 11 May 2012 07:13 AM PDT

With a GPS receiver in your smartphone, you can navigate your way over highways and streets with certainty. But once you get inside a building, it provides no further assistance. That's why researchers have engineered a navigation system for interior spaces. Thanks to a clever combination of sensors, the module tracks the movements and position of its user in precise detail.

Newly discovered bacterium forms intracellular minerals

Posted: 11 May 2012 07:13 AM PDT

A new species of photosynthetic bacterium has come to light: it is able to control the formation of minerals (calcium, magnesium, barium and strontium carbonates) within its own organism. This is a new type of biomineralization, whose mechanism is still unknown. This finding has important implications for the interpretation of the ancient fossil record.

Absence of elephants and rhinoceroses reduces biodiversity in tropical forests

Posted: 11 May 2012 07:13 AM PDT

The progressive disappearance of seed-dispersing animals like elephants and rhinoceroses puts the structural integrity and biodiversity of the tropical forest of South-East Asia at risk. Experts have confirmed that not even herbivores like tapirs can replace them. Megaherbivores act as the 'gardeners' of humid tropical forests: They are vital to forest regeneration and maintain its structure and biodiversity, researchers say.

Forensic scientist tracks the crime scene invaders

Posted: 11 May 2012 07:13 AM PDT

Marks on a dead body could indicate violence and therefore murder. But they might have been made by legions of insects. A forensic scientist has built up data that will be a big aid to detectives faced with investigating gruesome discoveries.

How nature shapes the birth of stars

Posted: 11 May 2012 07:12 AM PDT

Using state of the art computer simulations, a team of astronomers have found the first evidence that the way in which stars form depends on their birth environment.

Ranking reveals world's top countries for higher education

Posted: 11 May 2012 07:12 AM PDT

New research into national education systems gives the first ranking of countries which are the 'best' at providing higher education.

An incisive design solution: The spider's venomous fang

Posted: 11 May 2012 07:12 AM PDT

Among the factors that make spiders successful predators is the ingeniously composed and structured material of their fangs.

Maternal gluten sensitivity linked to schizophrenia risk in children

Posted: 11 May 2012 07:12 AM PDT

Babies born to women with sensitivity to gluten appear to be at increased risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders later in life, according to new findings from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Johns Hopkins University, United States.

Vitamin K2: New hope for Parkinson's patients?

Posted: 11 May 2012 07:12 AM PDT

Neuroscientists have succeeded in undoing the effect of one of the genetic defects that leads to Parkinson's using vitamin K2. The discovery gives hope to Parkinson's patients.

Vaginal birth after c-section is option for women, not for some doctors, hospitals

Posted: 11 May 2012 07:11 AM PDT

The option of a vaginal birth after having a Caesarean delivery (VBAC) is difficult to find for women who want that procedure. More doctors and hospitals are not willing to perform the risky procedure. However, a VBAC advocate and practicing physician says provided the expectant mother meets certain guidelines and the delivery is performed in a fully-staffed and fully-equipped hospital, the VBAC can be performed safely.

Asteroid Vesta looks like a little planet, complete with craters, mountains and landslides

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:49 PM PDT

Vesta looks like a little planet. "We didn't find gold on Vesta, but it is still a gold mine," said the principal investigator of NASA's Dawn mission. Scientists have discovered two large craters, a mountain more than twice as large as Mount Everest, and landslides, detailed in six new articles.

More evidence on clot risks of non-oral contraceptives

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:48 PM PDT

A new study adds to the evidence that certain non-oral hormonal contraceptives carry a higher risk of serious blood clots than others.

Inducing labor can reduce birth complications without increasing Cesareans, study suggests

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:48 PM PDT

Induction of labor beyond 37 weeks of pregnancy can reduce perinatal mortality without increasing Cesarean section rates, finds a new study.

Water usage far exceed sustainability level in the desert southwest, US

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:44 PM PDT

The American West has a 'drinking problem'. On farms and in cities, we are guzzling water at an alarming rate. Scientists say that to live sustainably, we should use no more than 40 percent of the water from the Colorado River Basin. As it is now, we use 76 percent.

Pneumonia and preterm birth complications are the leading causes of childhood death

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:44 PM PDT

Researchers examined the distribution of child deaths globally by cause and found that 64 percent were attributable to infectious causes and 40 percent occurred in neonates.

Greater insight into earthquake cycles

Posted: 10 May 2012 11:20 AM PDT

For those who study earthquakes, one major challenge has been trying to understand all the physics of a fault -- both during an earthquake and at times of "rest" -- in order to know more about how a particular region may behave in the future. Now, researchers have developed the first computer model of an earthquake-producing fault segment that reproduces the available observations of both the fault's seismic and aseismic behavior.

Education, not abortion, reduces maternal mortality, study suggests

Posted: 10 May 2012 11:19 AM PDT

A study conducted in Chile has found that the most important factor in reducing maternal mortality is the educational level of women.

New twist on ancient math problem could improve medicine, microelectronics

Posted: 10 May 2012 10:27 AM PDT

A hidden facet of a math problem that goes back to Sanskrit scrolls has just been exposed by nanotechnology researchers.

Scientists identify protein that stimulates brown fat to burn calories

Posted: 10 May 2012 09:28 AM PDT

Scientists have identified a protein which regulates the activation of brown fat in both the brain and the body's tissues.

Friday 11 May 2012

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


First forecast calls for mild Amazon fire season in 2012

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:50 PM PDT

Forests in the Amazon Basin are expected to be less vulnerable to wildfires this year, according to the first forecast from a new fire severity model.

Missing boundary at edge of the solar system, NASA's IBEX reveals

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:50 PM PDT

For the last few decades, space scientists have generally accepted that the bubble of gas and magnetic fields generated by the sun moves through space, creating three distinct boundary layers that culminate in an outermost bow shock. This shock is similar to the sonic boom created ahead of a supersonic jet. A collection of new data however, now indicate that the sun does not have a bow shock.

Push from Mississippi kept Deepwater Horizon oil slick off shore

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:50 PM PDT

Geoscientists offer an explanation for why the Deepwater Horizon oil spill didn't have the environmental impact that many had feared. Using publicly available datasets, their study reveals that the force of the Mississippi River emptying into the Gulf of Mexico created mounds of freshwater which pushed the oil slick off shore.

North Atlantic storm patterns throw light on England's 1987 gale

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:46 PM PDT

The cyclone that brought about the devastating winds that battered the UK in the great storm of October 1987 was exceptional in both its strength and path across the south of the country. This is the finding of a new study which has analyzed the places where sting jets – an area that develops in some cyclones and causes strong surface winds – appear in the North Atlantic and how often they do so.

Complexities of ancient asteroidal world revealed

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:44 PM PDT

New findings from NASA's Dawn spacecraft lay the groundwork for the first geological overview of asteroid (4)Vesta and confirm the existence of not one but two giant impact basins in its southern hemisphere.

NASA Dawn spacecraft reveals secrets of giant asteroid Vesta

Posted: 10 May 2012 11:55 AM PDT

NASA's Dawn spacecraft has provided researchers with the first orbital analysis of the giant asteroid Vesta, yielding new insights into its creation and kinship with terrestrial planets and Earth's moon.

Nanotube 'sponge' has potential in oil spill cleanup

Posted: 10 May 2012 11:20 AM PDT

A carbon nanotube sponge that can soak up oil in water with unparalleled efficiency has just been developed, with help from computational simulations.

Asteroid collision that spawned Vesta's asteroid family occurred more recently than thought

Posted: 10 May 2012 11:19 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered evidence that the giant impact crater Rheasilvia on Asteroid Vesta was created in a collision that occurred only about one billion years ago, much more recently than previously thought. This result is based on the analysis of high-resolution images obtained with the Dawn spacecraft, which entered orbit around Vesta in July 2011.

Heliosphere's long-theorized bow shock does not exist, new IBEX data show

Posted: 10 May 2012 11:19 AM PDT

New results reveal that the bow shock, widely accepted by researchers to precede the heliosphere as it plows through tenuous gas and dust from the galaxy does not exist. For about a quarter century, researchers believed that the heliosphere moved through the interstellar medium at a speed fast enough to form a bow shock. IBEX data have shown that the heliosphere actually moves through the local interstellar cloud at about 52,000 miles per hour, roughly 7,000 miles per hour slower than previously thought -- slow enough to create more of a bow "wave" than a shock.

Unseen planet revealed by its gravity

Posted: 10 May 2012 11:19 AM PDT

More than a 150 years ago, before Neptune was ever sighted in the night sky, French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier predicted the planet's existence based on small deviations in the motion of Uranus. Scientists have now inferred another unseen planet, this time orbiting a distant star, marking the first success of this technique outside the solar system.

Mural found on walls a first for a Maya dwelling; Painted numbers reflect calendar reaching well beyond 2012

Posted: 10 May 2012 11:19 AM PDT

A vast city built by the ancient Maya and discovered nearly a century ago is finally starting to yield its secrets. Excavating for the first time in the sprawling complex of Xultún in Guatemala's Petén region, archaeologists have uncovered a structure that contains what appears to be a work space for the town's scribe, its walls adorned with unique paintings -- one depicting a lineup of men in black uniforms -- and hundreds of scrawled numbers. Many are calculations relating to the Maya calendar.

No Child Left Behind Act improved test scores for language but not for reading, math in rural Alabama, US

Posted: 10 May 2012 11:19 AM PDT

The No Child Left Behind Act has bolstered language test scores but done little to improve math and reading scores for students in rural Alabama schools, according to a new study.

Inscriptions found on walls of a Maya dwelling reflect calendar reaching well beyond 2012

Posted: 10 May 2012 11:19 AM PDT

Excavating for the first time in the sprawling complex of Xultún in Guatemala's Petén region, a team of archaeologists have discovered a house in which inside wall are covered with tiny red and black glyphs that appear to represent the various calendrical cycles charted that extend beyond 2012.

Gut-throat competition: Native bacteria fend off invaders, suggesting new way to stop dangerous forms of E. coli

Posted: 10 May 2012 11:19 AM PDT

From tiny villages in developing nations to suburban kitchens in the U.S., dangerous strains of E. coli bacteria sicken millions of people each year – and kill untold numbers of children. Now, new research gives scientists a better understanding of what is going on in the diarrhea-wracked guts of its victims, and what might be done to prevent or treat it.

Neurodegeneration 'switched off' in mice

Posted: 10 May 2012 11:14 AM PDT

Researchers have identified a major pathway leading to brain cell death in mice with neurodegenerative disease. They were able to block the pathway, preventing brain cell death and increasing survival in the mice.

Logging of tropical forests needn't devastate environment

Posted: 10 May 2012 10:27 AM PDT

Harvesting tropical forests for timber may not be the arch-enemy of conservation that it was once assumed to be, according to a new study.

Helping Hands reaches out to patients with cerebral palsy

Posted: 10 May 2012 10:27 AM PDT

A student-made invention, Dino-Might, was designed to help children with cerebral palsy restore strength and flexibility to their hands and wrists.

Long-lived rodents have high levels of brain-protecting factor

Posted: 10 May 2012 10:27 AM PDT

The naked mole rat, which lives 25 to 30 years, maintains large amounts of a neuroprotective protein called NRG-1 throughout life.

Obesity and the biological clock: When times are out of joint

Posted: 10 May 2012 10:26 AM PDT

Urgent appointments, tight work timetables and hectic social schedules structure modern life, and they very often clash with our intrinsic biological rhythms. The discrepancy results in so-called social jetlag, which can damage one's health. Among other effects, it can contribute to the development of obesity, as a new study shows.

Chimpanzee cultures differ between neighbors: Neighboring chimpanzee groups use different hammers to crack nuts

Posted: 10 May 2012 10:14 AM PDT

Culture has long been proposed to be a distinguishing feature of the human species. However, an increasing amount of evidence from the field has shown that in several animals, differences in behaviors between populations actually reflect the presence of culture in these species. These studies have mainly come from populations that live far apart from each other which make it difficult to exclude ecological or genetic differences as being the underlying reasons for the observed behavioral differences.

Archaeologists discover lost language

Posted: 10 May 2012 09:40 AM PDT

Evidence for a forgotten ancient language which dates back more than 2,500 years, to the time of the Assyrian Empire, has been found by archaeologists working in Turkey. Researchers working at Ziyaret Tepe, the probable site of the ancient Assyrian city of Tušhan, believe that the language may have been spoken by deportees originally from the Zagros Mountains, on the border of modern-day Iran and Iraq.

Discovery in cell signaling could help fight against melanoma

Posted: 10 May 2012 09:28 AM PDT

Scientists have made a key discovery in cell signaling that is relevant to the fight against melanoma skin cancer and certain other fast-spreading tumors.

Evolution's gift may also be at the root of a form of autism

Posted: 10 May 2012 09:28 AM PDT

A recently evolved pattern of gene activity in the language and decision-making centers of the human brain is missing in a disorder associated with autism and learning disabilities, a new study shows.

Feeling tired? 'Social jetlag' poses obesity health hazard, study shows

Posted: 10 May 2012 09:28 AM PDT

Social jetlag -- a syndrome related to the mismatch between the body's internal clock and the realities of our daily schedules -- does more than make us sleepy. It is also contributing to the growing tide of obesity, according to a large-scale epidemiological study.

Neighboring chimp communities have their own nut-cracking styles

Posted: 10 May 2012 09:28 AM PDT

People don't always do as their neighbors do, and the same is true of neighboring chimpanzees. That's according to a report featuring observations of wild chimps as they used hammers to crack nuts.

Citywide smoking ban reduced maternal smoking and preterm birth risk

Posted: 10 May 2012 09:27 AM PDT

A citywide ban on public smoking in Colorado led to significant decreases in maternal smoking and preterm births, providing the first evidence in the U.S. that such interventions can impact maternal and fetal health.

Light used to switch on gene expression

Posted: 10 May 2012 08:41 AM PDT

Imagine being able to control genetic expression by flipping a light switch. Researchers are using light-activated molecules to turn gene expression on and off. Their method enables greater precision when studying gene function, and could lead to targeted therapies for diseases like cancer.

Smart phones are changing real world privacy settings

Posted: 10 May 2012 08:41 AM PDT

Smartphone users have a radically different conception of behavior in public spaces than their conventional phone counterparts. They are more likely to reveal private information in public spaces, and less likely to believe that their digital conversations are irritating to those around them.

Regenerative medicine: Could the ways animals regenerate hair and feathers help restore human fingers and toes?

Posted: 10 May 2012 08:38 AM PDT

A review article that examines what's known about regenerative biology and applies it to regenerative medicine. Perhaps this knowledge could one day be used to regrow lost body parts.

Solar power to dye for: Flexible lightweight inexpensive dyes could harvest energy from sun

Posted: 10 May 2012 08:37 AM PDT

Flexible, lightweight and inexpensive dyes could be used to harvest the power of the sun rather than our relying on costly and fragile semiconductor solar panel that use crystalline silicon, new research suggests.

Gene that causes Joubert Syndrome discovered

Posted: 10 May 2012 08:37 AM PDT

Joubert Syndrome is a condition that affects brain development and manifests itself through delayed psychomotor development, abnormal coordination of eye movements and respiratory abnormalities. Since Dr. Marie Joubert and her colleagues described it for the first time in 1969, a number of related genes have been identified in various populations, but the causal gene of the Quebec form of the syndrome has remained until now unknown.

More than one in five pregnant white women smoke cigarettes

Posted: 10 May 2012 08:35 AM PDT

A new report shows that 21.8 percent of pregnant white women aged 15 to 44 currently (within the past 30 days) smoked cigarettes. The study also showed that cigarette smoking levels among pregnant white women were significantly higher than the levels among pregnant black women (14.2 percent) and pregnant Hispanic women (6.5 percent) in the same 15 to 44 age range.

Maternal antibodies to gluten linked to schizophrenia risk in children

Posted: 10 May 2012 08:35 AM PDT

Babies born to women with sensitivity to gluten appear to be at increased risk for certain psychiatric disorders later in life, according to new research.

Reducing brain activity improves memory after cognitive decline

Posted: 10 May 2012 08:33 AM PDT

Research suggests a new approach to improving memory and interrupting disease progression in patients with a form of cognitive impairment that often leads to full-blown Alzheimer's disease.

Five-limbed brittle stars move bilaterally, like people

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:03 AM PDT

Brittle stars and people have something in common: They move in fundamentally similar ways. Though not bilaterally symmetrical like humans and many other animals, brittle stars have come up with a mechanism to choose any of its five limbs to direct its movement on the seabed. It's as if each arm can be the creature's front, capable of locomotion and charting direction.

Dwarf galaxy with a bright nebula

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:02 AM PDT

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has made detailed observations of the dwarf galaxy NGC 2366. While it lacks the elegant spiral arms of many larger galaxies, NGC 2366 is home to a bright, star-forming nebula and is close enough for astronomers to discern its individual stars.

What do marine snails and insulin have in common? New approach to treat diabetes?

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:02 AM PDT

The cone snails are predators of the sea. They capture fish by injecting a venom into the prey that consists of a cocktail of different substances. The single components of the snails' venom, so-called conopeptides, are known for their extraordinary pharmacological properties and potential.

Chimpanzee uses innovative foresighted methods to fool humans

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:02 AM PDT

Chimpanzee Santino achieved international fame in 2009 for his habit of gathering stones and manufacturing concrete projectiles to throw at zoo visitors. A new study shows that Santino's innovativeness when he plans his stone-throwing is greater than researchers have previously observed. He not only gathers stones and manufactures projectiles in advance; he also finds innovative ways of fooling the visitors.

New molecules and star formation in the Milky Way

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:02 AM PDT

New research shows the first detections of new interstellar molecules and important spectral lines in space, and address different stages of the star formation process. 

Free-floating planets in the milky way outnumber stars by factors of thousands: Life-bearing planets may exist in vast numbers

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:02 AM PDT

Researchers say life-bearing planets may exist in vast numbers in the space between stars in the Milky Way.

Ultra-cool companion helps reveal giant planets

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:00 AM PDT

Astronomers have found a brown dwarf that is more than 99% hydrogen and helium. Described as ultra-cool, it has a temperature of just 400 degrees Celsius and its discovery could be a key step forward in helping astronomers distinguish between brown dwarfs and giant planets.

Optimal planning of solar power plants

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:00 AM PDT

The photovoltaics industry is booming, and the market for solar farms is growing quickly all over the world. Yet, the task of planning PV power plants to make them as effi cient as possible is far from trivial. Researchers have now developed software that simplifies conceptual design.

Key cellular mechanisms behind the onset of tinnitus identified

Posted: 10 May 2012 07:00 AM PDT

Research into hearing loss after exposure to loud noises could lead to the first drug treatments to prevent the development of tinnitus.

Testosterone-fueled infantile males might be a product of Mom's behavior

Posted: 10 May 2012 06:59 AM PDT

By comparing the testosterone levels of five-month old pairs of twins, both identical and non-identical, researchers were able to establish that testosterone levels in infancy are not inherited genetically but rather determined by environmental factors. "Testosterone is a key hormone for the development of male reproductive organs, and it is also associated with behavioral traits, such as sexual behavior and aggression," said the lead author.