ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

---

• Turn down the iPod to save your hearing
• The impact of human activities on a selection of lakes in Tanzania
• Scientists map susceptibility to type 2 diabetes
• Brain cell malfunction in schizophrenia identified
• Weather deserves medal for clean air during 2008 Olympics
• New way to ensure effectiveness of TB treatment?
• Scientists fixate on Ric-8 to understand trafficking of popular drug receptor targets
• NASA conducts Orion parachute testing for orbital test flight
• Quadrantids meteor shower will create brief, beautiful show on Jan. 4
• 2012: Fear no supernova
• 2012: Shadow of the Dark Rift
• Analysis does not support genetic test before use of anti-clotting drug
• Perception of inappropriate care frequent among ICU workers
• Tests for biomarker may help determine diagnosis of heart attack within hours
• Improved method for protein sequence comparisons is faster, more accurate, more sensitive
• A radar for ADAR: Altered gene tracks RNA editing in neurons
• MRI scan 'better' for heart patients

Turn down the iPod to save your hearing Posted: 28 Dec 2011 10:48 AM PST A new study clearly demonstrates that harmful music-listening habits among teens could result in hearing problems much earlier than expected from natural aging. She recommends that both schools and parents provide early education on hearing health to stem the risk.

The impact of human activities on a selection of lakes in Tanzania Posted: 28 Dec 2011 10:48 AM PST An increase in human activity is posing a threat to natural aquatic ecosystems in Tanzania and contributing to environmental damage and ecological changes. New research shows that agriculture and livestock farming leads to eutrophication in lakes and the proliferation of cyanobacteria which produce microcystins. New information about microcystins and other mycotoxins in Tanzanian lakes is useful for appraising the risk linked to drinking water and edible fish, which in turn affects the health of both humans and animals.

Scientists map susceptibility to type 2 diabetes Posted: 28 Dec 2011 10:48 AM PST New research has provided the first proof of molecular risk factors leading to type 2 diabetes, providing an "early warning" sign that could lead to new approaches to treating this and other human disease conditions.

Brain cell malfunction in schizophrenia identified Posted: 28 Dec 2011 08:17 AM PST Scientists have discovered that DNA stays too tightly wound in certain brain cells of schizophrenic subjects. The findings suggest that drugs already in development for other diseases might eventually offer hope as a treatment for schizophrenia and related conditions in the elderly.

Weather deserves medal for clean air during 2008 Olympics Posted: 28 Dec 2011 08:17 AM PST New research suggests that China's impressive feat of cutting Beijing's pollution up to 50 percent for the 2008 Summer Olympics had some help from Mother Nature. Rain just at the beginning and wind during the Olympics likely contributed about half of the effort needed to clean up the skies, scientists found. The results also suggest emission controls need to be more widely implemented than in 2008 if pollution levels are to be reduced permanently.

New way to ensure effectiveness of TB treatment? Posted: 28 Dec 2011 08:17 AM PST A new study using a sophisticated "glass mouse" research model has found that multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is more likely caused in patients by speedy drug metabolism rather than inconsistent doses, as is widely believed.

Scientists fixate on Ric-8 to understand trafficking of popular drug receptor targets Posted: 28 Dec 2011 08:17 AM PST Half the drugs used today target a single class of proteins – and now scientists have identified an important molecular player critical to the proper workings of those proteins critical to our health. What you see, what you smell, how you feel – molecules known as G-protein coupled receptors and their prime targets, G proteins, are key to those and many other processes that are ubiquitous in our bodies, and Ric-8 plays a vital role.

NASA conducts Orion parachute testing for orbital test flight Posted: 28 Dec 2011 05:56 AM PST NASA successfully conducted a drop test of the Orion crew vehicle's parachutes high above the Arizona desert Tuesday, Dec. 20, in preparation for its orbital flight test in 2014. Orion will carry astronauts deeper into space than ever before, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and ensure a safe re-entry and landing.

Quadrantids meteor shower will create brief, beautiful show on Jan. 4 Posted: 28 Dec 2011 05:53 AM PST The 2012 Quadrantids, a little-known meteor shower named after an extinct constellation, will present an excellent chance for hardy souls to start the year off with some late-night meteor watching.

2012: Fear no supernova Posted: 28 Dec 2011 05:42 AM PST Given the incredible amounts of energy in a supernova explosion -- as much as the sun creates during its entire lifetime -- another erroneous doomsday theory is that such an explosion could happen in 2012 and harm life on Earth. However, given the vastness of space and the long times between supernovae, astronomers can say with certainty that there is no threatening star close enough to hurt Earth.

2012: Shadow of the Dark Rift Posted: 28 Dec 2011 05:40 AM PST One of the most bizarre theories about 2012 has built up with very little attention to facts. This idea holds that a cosmic alignment of the sun, Earth, the center of our galaxy -- or perhaps the galaxy's thick dust clouds -- on the winter solstice could for some unknown reason lead to destruction. Such alignments can occur but these are a regular occurrence and can cause no harm (and, indeed, will not even be at its closest alignment during the 2012 solstice.)

Analysis does not support genetic test before use of anti-clotting drug Posted: 27 Dec 2011 06:07 PM PST Although the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that a certain type of genetic testing (for the genotype CYP2C19) be considered before prescribing the drug clopidogrel to identify individuals who may be less responsive to the medication, a review and analysis of previous studies did not find an overall significant association between the CYP2C19 genotype and cardiovascular events.

Perception of inappropriate care frequent among ICU workers Posted: 27 Dec 2011 06:07 PM PST A survey of nurses and physicians in intensive care units (ICUs) in Europe and Israel indicated that the perception of inappropriate care, such as excess intensity of care for a patient, was common, and that these perceptions were associated with inadequate decision sharing, communication and job autonomy, according to a new study.

Tests for biomarker may help determine diagnosis of heart attack within hours Posted: 27 Dec 2011 06:07 PM PST For patients admitted to an emergency department with chest pain, use of a contemporary or highly sensitive test for levels of troponin I may help rule-out a diagnosis of heart attack, while changes in the measured levels of this biomarker at three hours after admission may be useful to confirm a diagnosis of heart attack, according to a new study.

Improved method for protein sequence comparisons is faster, more accurate, more sensitive Posted: 25 Dec 2011 04:47 PM PST Sequence comparisons are an essential tool for the prediction and analysis of the structure and functions of proteins. A new method developed by computational biologists permits sequence comparisons to be performed faster and more accurately than ever before.

A radar for ADAR: Altered gene tracks RNA editing in neurons Posted: 25 Dec 2011 11:43 AM PST RNA editing is a key step in gene expression. Scientists now report that they have engineered a gene capable of visually displaying the activity of the key enzyme ADAR in living fruit flies.

MRI scan 'better' for heart patients Posted: 22 Dec 2011 04:50 PM PST A magnetic resonance imaging scan for coronary heart disease is better than the most commonly-used alternative, a major UK trial of heart disease patients has shown.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Latest Science News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610