السبت، 9 مارس 2013

ScienceDaily: Top News

ScienceDaily: Top News

Temp-controlled 'nanopores' may allow detailed blood analysis

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 03:38 PM PST

Tiny biomolecular chambers called nanopores that can be selectively heated may help doctors diagnose disease more effectively, according to a new research.

New player in electron field emitter technology makes for better imaging and communications

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 11:38 AM PST

Scientists have built a practical, high-efficiency nanostructured electron source. This new, patent-pending technology could lead to improved microwave communications and radar, and more notably to new and improved X-ray imaging systems for security and healthcare applications.

Signaling molecule may help stem cells focus on making bone despite age, disease

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 10:31 AM PST

A signaling molecule that helps stem cells survive in the naturally low-oxygen environment inside the bone marrow may hold clues to helping the cells survive when the going gets worse with age and disease, researchers report.

Plankton adjusts to changing ocean temperatures

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 10:30 AM PST

3-D imaging reveals that marine plankton automatically adjusts swimming technique in dense viscosity, but only due to temperature changes, not pollution.

Specialised germanium surface as universal protein adapter

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 08:13 AM PST

Researchers have developed a new method for attaching proteins to the surface of germanium crystals -- for the first time also membrane proteins. This enables time-resolved tracking of the interactions between molecules using infrared spectroscopy in a way that is accurate down to atomic resolution.

Virus and genes involved in causation of schizophrenia

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 08:13 AM PST

For the first time, researchers have found that a combination of a particular virus in the mother and a specific gene variant in the child increases the risk of the child developing schizophrenia.

Carbon footprint of grid-scale battery technologies calculated

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 08:13 AM PST

Solar and wind power pose a challenge for the U.S. electrical grid, which lacks the capacity to store surplus clean electricity and deliver it on demand. Researchers are developing grid-scale storage batteries, but the fossil fuel required to build these technologies could negate some of the environmental benefits of new solar and wind farms, say scientists.

'Switch' critical to wound healing identified

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 08:13 AM PST

Patients with diseases such as diabetes suffer from painful wounds that take a long time to heal making them more susceptible to infections that could even lead to amputations. A new discovery paves the way for therapeutics to improve healing of such chronic wounds, which are a significant burden to patients.

Emotion-health connection not limited to industrialized nations

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 07:34 AM PST

Positive emotions are known to play a role in physical well-being, and stress is strongly linked to poor health, but is this strictly a "First World" phenomenon? In developing nations, is the fulfillment of basic needs more critical to health than how one feels? A researcher has found that emotions do affect health around the world and may, in fact, be more important to wellness in low-income countries.

'Marshall Plan' for African wildlife?

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 07:34 AM PST

African lions and villagers would benefit from fences to protect them from each other, according to a new study.

BRAF inhibitor treatment causes melanoma cells to shift how they produce energy

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 07:34 AM PST

BRAF-positive metastatic malignant melanomas develop resistance to treatment with drugs targeting the BRAF/MEK growth pathway through a major change in metabolism, new research shows. The findings suggest a strategy to improve the effectiveness of currently available targeted therapies.

New fish species described from the streams of Manyas Lake basin, Turkey

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 07:34 AM PST

A new fish species, Alburnoides manyasensis, has been described from the Koca Stream drainage of Lake Manyas, Marmara Sea basin in Anatolia and is currently associated with only this specific locality. The new species belongs to the very large and widely distributed Cyprinidae family, which includes carps and the minnows and their related species. The study was published in the open access journal Zookeys.

Celebrity endorsement encourages children to eat junk food

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 06:40 AM PST

Celebrity endorsement of a food product encourages children to eat more of the endorsed product, new research shows. It also found that children were prompted to eat more of the endorsed product when they saw the celebrity on TV in a different context.

Chewing gum helps you concentrate for longer, study suggests

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 06:39 AM PST

Chewing gum can help you stay focused for longer on tasks that require continuous monitoring. Previous research has shown that chewing gum can improve concentration in visual memory tasks. This study focused on the potential benefits of chewing gum during an audio memory task.

Maternal obesity increases the risk of frequent wheezing in offspring

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 06:38 AM PST

Tobacco and excess weight are two factors linked to asthma in babies. The fact that excess weight during pregnancy has negative consequences is not new information. A new study now concludes that the children of mothers obese before falling pregnant are four times more likely to have frequent wheezing, which is one of the symptoms of asthma, compared to the children of mothers weighing a normal weight.

India: Leopards in the backyard

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 06:38 AM PST

A new camera-trapping study in India has revealed that leopards can occur at high densities in densely-populated and heavily-modified agricultural environments.

Outdoor heat increases respiratory hospitalization risk in elderly

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 06:34 AM PST

Outdoor heat is associated with a significantly increased risk of emergency hospitalization for respiratory disorders in the elderly, according to a large epidemiological study of more than 12.5 million Medicare beneficiaries.

Genetic study of house dust mites demonstrates reversible evolution

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 06:34 AM PST

In evolutionary biology, Dollo's law states that evolution is unidirectional and irreversible. But this "law" is not universally accepted and is the topic of heated debate among biologists. Now a research team has used a large-scale genetic study of the lowly house dust mite to uncover an example of reversible evolution that appears to violate Dollo's law.

Comet PANSTARRS rises to the occasion mid-March

Posted: 08 Mar 2013 05:21 AM PST

Comets visible to the naked eye are a rare delicacy in the celestial smorgasbord of objects in the nighttime sky. Scientists estimate that the opportunity to see one of these icy dirtballs advertising their cosmic presence so brilliantly they can be seen without the aid of a telescope or binoculars happens only once every five to 10 years. That said, there may be two naked-eye comets available for your viewing pleasure this year.

New light shed on role of climate in influenza transmission

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 04:06 PM PST

Two types of environmental conditions -- cold-dry and humid-rainy -- are associated with seasonal influenza epidemics, according to an epidemiological study. The article presents a simple climate-based model that maps influenza activity globally and accounts for the diverse range of seasonal patterns observed across temperate, subtropical and tropical regions.

New drug shows promise in fighting inflammatory breast cancer

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 02:55 PM PST

Researchers are investigating a new drug that has shown positive results in early tests of its ability to fight a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer.

Net advantage: Study finds use of bed nets by 75 percent of population could eradicate malaria

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 01:16 PM PST

Malaria, the leading cause of death among children in Africa, could be eliminated if three-fourths of the population used insecticide-treated bed nets, according to a new study.

Post-stroke walking program improves stroke survivors' lives

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 01:16 PM PST

Regular brisk walking after a stroke may improve physical fitness, mobility and quality of life. Walking with friends or family can help stroke survivors overcome a fear of falling.

Scientists catch evolving germs and cancer cells early

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 11:57 AM PST

Scientists have developed a novel technique to precisely monitor and study the evolution of micro-organisms such as viruses and bacteria. This is an extremely important capability as it allows scientists to investigate if new drugs designed to kill them are working, and to catch the development of resistance early on.

Tracking sediments' fate in largest-ever dam removal

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 11:57 AM PST

Any day now, the world's largest dam-removal project will release a century's worth of sediment. For marine geologists, it's a unique opportunity to study natural and engineered river systems.

Engineers develop techniques to boost efficiency of cloud computing infrastructure

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 11:57 AM PST

Computer scientists have developed a novel approach that allows the massive infrastructure powering cloud computing to run as much as 15 to 20 percent more efficiently. This novel model has already been applied at Google.

Drugs targeting blood vessels may be candidates for treating Alzheimer's

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 11:54 AM PST

Researchers have successfully normalized the production of blood vessels in the brain of mice with Alzheimer's disease by immunizing them with amyloid beta, a protein widely associated with the disease.

'Gateway' in nucleus has second important job no one noticed before

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 11:54 AM PST

Medical researchers have discovered that the "gateway" known to control the movement of molecules in and out of a cell's nucleus appears to play another critically important role -- one no one had noticed until now.

Heating with powder and plastic wastes

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 11:51 AM PST

Disposing of waste – whether it is coating powder or swarf – is expensive. In the future, a combustor for powdery residues will enable companies to cut disposal costs and heating costs at the same time.

Illuminating fractures: X-ray imaging sheds new light on bone damage

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 11:51 AM PST

Using cutting-edge X-ray techniques, researchers have uncovered cellular-level detail of what happens when bone bears repetitive stress over time, visualizing damage at smaller scales than previously observed. Their work could offer clues into how bone fractures could be prevented.

Scientists improve transgenic 'Enviropigs'

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 09:48 AM PST

A new line of transgenic pigs can digest phosphorus more efficiently. Researchers say the new line is healthy and can pass the transgenic trait to new generations.

Star-shaped glial cells act as the brain's 'motherboard'

Posted: 07 Mar 2013 09:47 AM PST

Researchers have found that the star-shape glial cells that act as the brain's "motherboard" also connect different neuronal circuits in various regions of the brain. The research introduces a new framework for making sense of brain communications, aiding our understanding of the diseases and disorders that impact the brain.
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