الثلاثاء، 20 نوفمبر 2012

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Planet ‘devoured in secret’ by its own sun

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 06:31 PM PST

A planet roughly 1.4 times the size of Jupiter is being consumed by its own star behind a shroud thanks to a magnesium veil absorbing all of certain light wavelengths, according to new observations. WASP-12 b, originally spotted in 2008, is a gas giant planet orbiting extremely close to its parent star. The distance between the star and planet is so small that the planet completes an orbit of its star in just over one Earth day. This proximity has "boiled off" a superheated gas cloud roughly three times the radius of Jupiter which feeds the star.

Telomere lengths predict life expectancy in the wild

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 06:31 PM PST

Researchers have found that biological age and life expectancy can be predicted by measuring an individual's DNA.

Hubble traps galactic fireflies

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 02:42 PM PST

A remote sensing instrument that will peer into the ultraviolet to offer clues to how Mars might have lost its atmosphere has arrived at Lockheed Martin for integration into NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft.

Instrument delivered for NASA's upcoming Mars mission

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 02:39 PM PST

A remote sensing instrument that will peer into the ultraviolet to offer clues to how Mars might have lost its atmosphere has arrived at Lockheed Martin for integration into NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft.

Ah, that new car smell: NASA technology protects spacecraft from outgassed molecular contaminants

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 02:37 PM PST

Outgassing -- the physical process that creates that oh-so-alluring new car smell -- isn't healthy for humans and, as it turns out, not particularly wholesome for sensitive satellite instruments, either. But a team of NASA engineers has created a new way to protect those instruments from its ill effects.

What goes down must come back up: Effects of 2010-11 La Niña on global sea level

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 02:29 PM PST

In 2010-11, global sea level fell nearly a quarter inch. But, when it comes to long-term sea level, what comes down must eventually come back up.

Estrogenic plants linked to altered hormones, possible behavior changes in monkeys

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 02:14 PM PST

Male red colobus monkeys that ate more of an estrogen-containing plant not only had higher levels of the hormones estradiol and cortisol in their systems, they were more aggressive, had more sex and groomed less. The finding that the consumption of plant-based hormones may have affected primate behavior suggests that it could have played an important role in primate evolution.

Beargrass, a plant of many roles, is focus of new report

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 02:14 PM PST

Beargrass is an ecologically, culturally, and economically important plant in the Western United States and, for the first time, landowners, managers, and harvesters now have a comprehensive report about the species.

Cancer: Some cells don't know when to stop

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 02:14 PM PST

Certain mutated cells keep trying to replicate their DNA -- with disastrous results -- even after medications rob them of the raw materials to do so, according to new research.

Medications are being discontinued, and the pharmacist may not know

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 02:13 PM PST

More than 85,000 medications are discontinued each year by physicians, yet while physicians share this information with their patients, it is too often not shared with the pharmacists. This communication gap allows discontinued medications continue to be dispensed at pharmacies, representing an important patient safety concern.

Today's domestic turkeys are genetically distinct from wild ancestors

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 02:12 PM PST

No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a succulent roasted turkey. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that consumers cook and eat more than 45 million turkeys every Thanksgiving. Very few Americans, however, know much about the difference between their gravy-smothered poultry and the poultry that earlier generations of Americans ate to celebrate the holiday. "Ancient turkeys weren't your Butterball," said Rob Fleischer, head of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics. "We set out to compare the genetic diversity of the domestic turkeys we eat today with that of the ancestral wild turkey from South Mexico. Some of what we found surprised us."

Smoking in pregnancy tied to lower reading scores

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:37 PM PST

Researchers have found that children born to mothers who smoked more than one pack per day during pregnancy struggled on tests designed to measure how accurately a child reads aloud and comprehends what they read.

Potential cause of Parkinson's disease identified

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:36 PM PST

Scientists have pinpointed a key factor controlling damage to brain cells in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. The discovery could lead to new targets for Parkinson's that may be useful in preventing the actual condition.

Comments, traffic statistics help empower bloggers

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:36 PM PST

Whether bloggers are writing to change the world, or just discussing a bad break-up, they may get an extra boost of motivation from traffic-measuring and interactive tools that help them feel more connected to and more influential in their communities, according to researchers.

New tumor tracking technique may improve outcomes for lung cancer patients

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:35 PM PST

Researchers have shown that a real-time tracking technique can better predict and track tumor motion and deliver higher levels of radiation to lung cancer patients and others with moving tumor targets, and also successfully be implemented into existing clinical equipment.

Storm surge barriers for Manhattan could worsen effects on nearby areas: Other options proposed

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:35 PM PST

The flooding in New York and New Jersey caused by Superstorm Sandy prompted calls from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other officials to consider building storm surge barriers to protect Lower Manhattan from future catastrophes. But, such a strategy could make things even worse for outlying areas that were hit hard by the hurricane, such as Staten Island, the New Jersey Shore and Long Island's South Shore, a City College of New York landscape architecture professor warns.

Faulty development of immature brain cells causes hydrocephalus

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:35 PM PST

Scientists have discovered a new cause of neonatal hydrocephalus. The team discovered that cell-signaling defects disrupt immature brain cells involved in normal brain development. Treatment with lithium bypasses the defect in mice and reduces the hydrocephalus.

Mars formed from similar building blocks to that of Earth, reveals study of Martian meteorites

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:35 PM PST

A team of scientists studied the hydrogen in water from the Martian interior and found that Mars formed from similar building blocks to that of Earth, but that there were differences in the later evolution of the two planets. This implies that terrestrial planets, including Earth, have similar water sources.

'Dark energy' -- Life beneath the seafloor: Scientists present recent findings on the subsurface biosphere

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:34 PM PST

Scientists affiliated with the National Science Foundation (NSF) Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI) will discuss recent progress in understanding life beneath the seafloor at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) fall meeting, held in San Francisco from Dec. 3-7, 2012. Once considered a barren plain dotted with hydrothermal vents, the seafloor and the crust beneath it are humming with microbial life -- with "dark energy". Once considered a barren plain dotted with hydrothermal vents, the seafloor and the crust beneath it are humming with microbial life -- with "dark energy,"

Chronic pain in parents appears associated with chronic pain in adolescents and young adults

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:33 PM PST

Chronic pain in parents appears to be associated with chronic nonspecific pain and chronic multisite pain in adolescents and young adults.

Electronic visits offer accurate diagnoses, may lead to overprescribing of antibiotics

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:33 PM PST

One of the first studies to compare patients who see their doctors in person to those who receive care through the Internet, known as an e-visit, underscores both the promise and the pitfalls of this technology. Researchers found that patients who used e-visits for sinusitis and urinary tract infections (UTIs) were no more likely to need follow-up care than those who saw doctors in person.

High Vitamin D levels in pregnancy may protect mother more than baby against multiple sclerosis

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:33 PM PST

Pregnant women who have higher levels of vitamin D in their blood may have a lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis than women with lower levels, while their babies may not see the same protective effect, according to a new study.

Multiple sclerosis ‘immune exchange’ between brain and blood is uncovered

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:33 PM PST

DNA sequences obtained from a handful of patients with multiple sclerosis have revealed the existence of an "immune exchange" that allows the disease-causing cells to move in and out of the brain.

Failed explosions explain most peculiar supernovae

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:32 PM PST

Supercomputer simulations have revealed that a type of oddly dim, exploding star is probably a class of duds—one that could nonetheless throw new light on the mysterious nature of dark energy.

Astronomers pin down origins of 'mile markers' for expansion and acceleration of universe

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:32 PM PST

A study using a unique new instrument on the world's largest optical telescope has revealed the likely origins of especially bright supernovae that astronomers use as easy-to-spot "mile markers" to measure the expansion and acceleration of the universe.

Lava dots: Hollow, soft-shelled quantum dots created

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:13 PM PST

Serendipity proved to be a key ingredient for newly created nanoparticles. The new "lava dot" particles were discovered accidentally when researchers stumbled upon a way to use molten droplets of metal salt to make hollow, coated versions of a nanotech staple called quantum dots.

New energy technologies promise brighter future

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:13 PM PST

Creative new technologies could change our sources of energy, change our use of energy, and change our lives.

After 121 years, identification of 'grave robber' fossil solves a paleontological enigma

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:13 PM PST

Researchers have resolved the evolutionary relationships of Necrolestes patagonensis, a paleontological riddle for more than 100 years. Researchers have correctly placed the strange 16-million-year-old Necrolestes in the mammal evolutionary tree, unexpectedly moving forward the endpoint for the fossil's evolutionary lineage by 45 million years and showing that this family of mammals survived the extinction event that marked the end of the Age of Dinosaurs.

Happy youngsters more likely to grow into wealthy adults, study finds

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:13 PM PST

The first in-depth investigation of whether youthful happiness leads to greater wealth in later life reveals that, even allowing for other influences, happy adolescents are likely to earn more money as adults.

'Different kind of stem cell' possesses attributes favoring regenerative medicine

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:13 PM PST

New and powerful cells first created in the laboratory a year ago constitute a new stem-like state of adult epithelial cells with attributes that may make regenerative medicine truly possible. Researchers report that these new stem-like cells do not express the same genes as embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) do. That explains why they don't produce tumors when they grow in the laboratory, as the other stem cells do, and why they are stable, producing the kind of cells researchers want them to.

Evidence of a 'mid-life crisis' in great apes

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:13 PM PST

Chimpanzees and orangutans can experience a mid-life crisis just like humans, a study suggests.

Body may be able to 'coach' transplanted stem cells to differentiate appropriately

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:13 PM PST

Pluripotent stem cells are nature's double-edged sword. Because they can develop into a dizzying variety of cell types and tissues, they are a potentially invaluable therapeutic resource. However, that same developmental flexibility can lead to dangerous tumors called teratomas if the stem cells begin to differentiate out of control in the body.

How yeast protein breaks up amyloid fibrils and disordered protein clumps

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:12 PM PST

Hsp104, an enzyme from yeast, breaks up both amyloid fibrils and disordered clumps. For stable amyloid-type structures, Hsp104 needs all six of its subunits, which together make a hexamer, to pull the clumps apart. By contrast, for amorphous, non-amyloid clumps, Hsp104 required only one of its six subunits.

Experimental drug improves memory in mice with multiple sclerosis

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:12 PM PST

Researchers report the successful use of a form of MRI to identify what appears to be a key biochemical marker for cognitive impairment in the brains of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). In follow-up experiments on mice with a rodent form of MS, researchers were able to use an experimental compound to manipulate that same marker and dramatically improve learning and memory.

Hold the ice: Chemists reveal behavior of antifreeze molecules

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:12 PM PST

Chemists have discovered a family of anti-freeze molecules that prevent ice formation when water temperatures drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Their findings may lead to new methods for improving food storage and industrial products.

Super-efficient solar-energy technology: ‘Solar steam’ so effective it can make steam from icy cold water

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 11:06 AM PST

Scientists have unveiled a revolutionary new technology that uses nanoparticles to convert solar energy directly into steam. The new "solar steam" method is so effective it can even produce steam from icy cold water. The technology's inventors said they expect it will first be used in sanitation and water-purification applications in the developing world.

Embattled childhoods may be the real trauma for soldiers with PTSD

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 11:06 AM PST

New research on posttraumatic stress disorder in soldiers challenges popular assumptions about the origins and trajectory of PTSD, providing evidence that traumatic experiences in childhood - not combat - may predict which soldiers develop the disorder.

Astrophysicists identify a 'super-Jupiter' around massive star

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 11:06 AM PST

Astrophysicists have discovered a 'super-Jupiter' around the massive star Kappa Andromedae. It represents the first new imaged exoplanet system in almost four years, has a mass about 13 times that of Jupiter and an orbit somewhat larger than Neptune's. The star around which the planet orbits has a mass 2.5 times that of the Sun, making it the highest mass star to ever host a directly observed planet.

Human brain, Internet, and cosmology: Similar laws at work?

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 11:05 AM PST

The structure of the universe and the laws that govern its growth may be more similar than previously thought to the structure and growth of the human brain and other complex networks, such as the Internet or a social network of trust relationships between people, according to a new article.

Greenland's viking settlers gorged on seals

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 10:23 AM PST

Greenland's viking settlers, the Norse, disappeared suddenly and mysteriously from Greenland about 500 years ago. Natural disasters, climate change and the inability to adapt have all been proposed as theories to explain their disappearance. But now a Danish-Canadian research team has demonstrated the Norse society did not die out due to an inability to adapt to the Greenlandic diet: an isotopic analysis of their bones shows they ate plenty of seals.

Clues to cause of hydrogen embrittlement in metals: Findings could guide design of new embrittlement-resistant materials

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 10:23 AM PST

Hydrogen can easily dissolve and migrate within metals to make these otherwise ductile materials brittle and more prone to failures. Now, researchers have shown that the physics of hydrogen embrittlement may be rooted in how hydrogen modifies material behaviors at the nanoscale. Scientists have now presented a model that can accurately predict the occurrence of hydrogen embrittlement.

Need to filter water? Fight infection? Just open package, mix polymers

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 10:23 AM PST

Researchers have developed what they call a one-size-fits-all polymer system that can be fabricated and then specialized to perform healing functions ranging from fighting infection to wound healing.

New species literally spend decades on the shelf

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 10:22 AM PST

Many of the world's most unfamiliar species are just sitting around on museum shelves collecting dust. That's according to a new report showing that it takes more than 20 years on average before a species, newly collected, will be described.

Genetic factor holds key to blood vessel health

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 08:43 AM PST

Researchers have identified a genetic factor that prevents blockages from forming in blood vessels, a discovery that could lead to new therapies for cardiovascular diseases. Researchers found that a shortage of the genetic factor KLF4, which regulates endothelial cells lining the interior of blood vessels, makes the lining more prone to the buildup of plaque and fat deposits. Further, the deficiency made the blood vessel more susceptible to clot formation.

3-D light switch for the brain: Device may help treat Parkinson's, epilepsy; aid understanding of consciousness

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 08:42 AM PST

A new tool for neuroscientists delivers a thousand pinpricks of light to individual neurons in the brain. The new 3-D "light switch", created by biologists and engineers, could one day be used as a neural prosthesis that could treat conditions such as Parkinson's and epilepsy by using gene therapy to turn individual brain cells on and off with light.

Invisibility cloaking to shield floating objects from waves

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 07:45 AM PST

A new approach to invisibility cloaking may one day be used at sea to shield floating objects – such as oil rigs and ships – from rough waves. Unlike most other cloaking techniques that rely on transformation optics, this one is based on the influence of the ocean floor's topography on the various "layers" of ocean water. At the American Physical Society's (APS) Division of Fluid Dynamics (DFD) meeting, being held November 18-20, 2012, in San Diego, Calif., Reza Alam, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, will describe how the variation of density in ocean water can be used to cloak floating objects against incident surface waves.

Sound bullets in water

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 07:45 AM PST

Sound waves are commonly used in applications ranging from ultrasound imaging to hyperthermia therapy, in which high temperatures are induced, for example, in tumors to destroy them. In 2010, researchers developed a nonlinear acoustic lens that can focus high-amplitude pressure pulses into compact "sound bullets." In that initial work, the scientists demonstrated how sound bullets form in solids. Now, they have done themselves one better, creating a device that can form and control those bullets in water.

Owls' ability to fly in acoustic stealth provides clues to mitigating conventional aircraft noise

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 07:45 AM PST

Owls have the uncanny ability to fly silently, relying on specialized plumage to reduce noise so they can hunt in acoustic stealth. Researchers are studying the owl's wing structure to better understand how it mitigates noise so they can apply that information to the design of conventional aircraft.

Mosquitos fail at flight in heavy fog, though heavy rain doesn't faze them

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 07:45 AM PST

Mosquitos have the remarkable ability to fly in clear skies as well as in rain, shrugging off impacts from raindrops more than 50 times their body mass. But just like modern aircraft, mosquitos also are grounded when the fog thickens.

We're in this together: A pathbreaking investigation into the evolution of cooperative behavior

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 06:46 AM PST

The origins of cooperative behavior are not altruism, but mutual interest, according to a new study.

BaBar experiment confirms time asymmetry: Time's quantum arrow has a preferred direction, new analysis shows

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 06:46 AM PST

Digging through nearly 10 years of data from billions of BaBar particle collisions, researchers found that certain particle types change into one another much more often in one way than they do in the other, a violation of time reversal symmetry and confirmation that some subatomic processes have a preferred direction of time.

More female board directors add up to improved sustainability performance

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 06:46 AM PST

As a corporate responsibility consultant, one expert publicly criticized Apple's recent appointment of another man to an already all-male executive team. New research goes one step further, indicating that the number of women on a corporate board correlates with a firm's sustainability performance.

Inpatient sleeping drug quadrupled fall risk

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 06:46 AM PST

A drug commonly prescribed to help patients sleep in hospitals has been associated with an increased risk of falls, according to a new study.

Certain jobs linked to increased breast cancer risk

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 06:45 AM PST

Is there a link between the risk of breast cancer and the working environment? A new study provides further evidence on this previously neglected research topic, confirming that certain occupations do pose a higher risk of breast cancer than others, particularly those that expose the worker to potential carcinogens and endocrine disrupters.

Breast cancer cells' reaction to cancer drugs can be predicted, study suggests

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 06:45 AM PST

Can breast cancer cells' reaction to cancer drugs be predicted? The answer is yes. Researchers have developed a solution for predicting responses of breast cancer cells to a set of cancer drugs. The prediction is based on the genomic profiles of the cancer cells. Harnessing genomic profiles of cells in choosing the best treatment is considered the holy grail of personalized medicine.

Scientists pioneer method to predict environmental collapse

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 06:38 AM PST

Scientists are pioneering a technique to predict when an ecosystem is likely to collapse, which may also have potential for foretelling crises in agriculture, fisheries or even social systems. The researchers have applied a mathematical model to a real world situation, the environmental collapse of a lake in China, to help prove a theory which suggests an ecosystem 'flickers,' or fluctuates dramatically between healthy and unhealthy states, shortly before its eventual collapse.

A more peaceful world awaits, statistical analysis suggests

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 06:38 AM PST

Statistical analyses show that the world will be more peaceful in the future. In about 40 years only half as many countries will be in conflict. The decrease will be greatest in the Middle East, a statistical model suggests.

Pain medication addiction reaching epidemic level

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 06:36 AM PST

Addiction to pain medication is creating new challenges for physicians. Would you believe -- hydrocodone was the most prescribed drug in America in 2011?

Overwhelming public support for whistleblowers

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 05:35 PM PST

New research shows 4 out of 5 Britons think that people should be supported for revealing serious wrongdoing, even if it means revealing inside information. However, under half of the respondents (47%) thought whistleblowing is an acceptable thing to do in our society. Hence, people think society is less supportive of it than it should be.

Minority report: Insight into subtle genomic differences among our own cells

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 11:15 AM PST

Scientists have demonstrated that induced pluripotent stem cells -- the embryonic-stem-cell look-alikes whose discovery a few years ago won this year's Nobel Prize in medicine -- are not as genetically unstable as was thought.

ليست هناك تعليقات:

إرسال تعليق