السبت، 18 مايو 2013

ScienceDaily: Top News

ScienceDaily: Top News


New approach to improving treatment for MS and other conditions

Posted: 17 May 2013 12:24 PM PDT

Working with lab mice models of multiple sclerosis (MS), scientists have detected a novel molecular target for the design of drugs that could be safer and more effective than current FDA-approved medications against MS.

Nine-year-old Mars rover passes 40-year-old record

Posted: 17 May 2013 09:09 AM PDT

While Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt visited Earth's moon for three days in December 1972, they drove their mission's Lunar Roving Vehicle 19.3 nautical miles (22.210 statute miles or 35.744 kilometers). That was the farthest total distance for any NASA vehicle driving on a world other than Earth until yesterday.

Genome sequence of Tibetan antelope sheds new light on high-altitude adaptation

Posted: 17 May 2013 07:27 AM PDT

How can the Tibetan antelope live at elevations of 4,000-5,000m on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau? Investigators now provide evidence of genetic factors that may be associated with the species' adaption to harsh highland environments.

New malaria test kit gives a boost to elimination efforts worldwide

Posted: 17 May 2013 07:27 AM PDT

A new, highly sensitive blood test that quickly detects even the lowest levels of malaria parasites in the body could make a dramatic difference in efforts to tackle the disease.

New era of fisheries policy needed to secure nutrition for millions

Posted: 17 May 2013 07:26 AM PDT

A new study argues that for fisheries policies to be effective they must take in to account not just fish stock conservation and environmental issues, but also research data on the patterns and dynamics of fish trade, markets and user consumption.

Electric and magnetic characteristics of a material which could be used in spintronics: Promising doped zirconia

Posted: 17 May 2013 06:46 AM PDT

Materials belonging to the family of dilute magnetic oxides (DMOs) - an oxide-based variant of the dilute magnetic semiconductors - are good candidates for spintronics applications.

Climate change may have little impact on tropical lizards: Study contradicts predictions of widespread extinction

Posted: 17 May 2013 05:58 AM PDT

Climate change may have little impact on many species of tropical lizards, contradicting a host of recent studies that predict their widespread extinction in a rapidly warming planet.

GPS solution provides three-minute tsunami alerts

Posted: 17 May 2013 05:58 AM PDT

Researchers have shown that, by using global positioning systems (GPS) to measure ground deformation caused by a large underwater earthquake, they can provide accurate warning of the resulting tsunami in just a few minutes after the earthquake onset. For the devastating Japan 2011 event the analysis of the GPS data and issue of a detailed tsunami alert would have taken no more than three minutes.

New study recommends using active videogaming ('exergaming') to improve children's health

Posted: 17 May 2013 05:58 AM PDT

Levels of physical inactivity and obesity are very high in children, with fewer than 50 percent of primary school-aged boys and fewer than 28 percent of girls meeting the minimum levels of physical activity required to maintain health. Exergaming, using active console video games that track player movement to control the game, has become popular, and may provide an alternative form of exercise to counteract sedentary behaviors.

Agriculture in China predates domesticated rice: Discovery of ancient diet shatters conventional ideas of how agriculture emerged

Posted: 17 May 2013 05:57 AM PDT

Archaeologists have made a discovery in southern subtropical China which could revolutionize thinking about how ancient humans lived in the region. They have uncovered evidence for the first time that people living in Xincun 5,000 years ago may have practiced agriculture -- before the arrival of domesticated rice in the region.

Skydiving is never 'plane sailing'

Posted: 17 May 2013 05:57 AM PDT

Skydivers show the same level of physical stress before every jump whether a first-timer or experienced jumper, say researchers.

Newer diabetes medications may have additional cardiovascular benefits

Posted: 17 May 2013 05:50 AM PDT

A newer class of medications used to control blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics may also improve cardiovascular health.

Expert questions US public health agency advice on influenza vaccines

Posted: 16 May 2013 06:54 PM PDT

The United States government public health agency, the CDC, pledges "To base all public health decisions on the highest quality scientific data, openly and objectively derived." But experts argue that in the case of influenza vaccinations and their marketing, this is not so.

Global health policy fails to address burden of disease on men

Posted: 16 May 2013 06:54 PM PDT

Men experience a higher burden of disease and lower life expectancy than women, but policies focusing on the health needs of men are notably absent from the strategies of global health organizations, according to experts.

Physicist's tool has potential for brain mapping

Posted: 16 May 2013 01:17 PM PDT

Physicists are developing a new tool that uses low-energy near-infrared light and fiber optics for optogenetic stimulation of cells. He believes it will be a useful tool for mapping physical and functional connections in the brain.

Add boron for better batteries

Posted: 16 May 2013 01:17 PM PDT

A graphene-boron compound is theoretically capable of storing double the energy of common graphite anodes used in lithium-ion batteries.

Body mass index of low income African-Americans linked to proximity of fast food restaurants

Posted: 16 May 2013 01:17 PM PDT

African-American adults living closer to a fast food restaurant had a higher body mass index than those who lived further away from fast food, according to researchers, and this association was particularly strong among those with a lower income.

Target to prevent hardening of arteries identified

Posted: 16 May 2013 01:17 PM PDT

The gene Dkk1 encodes a protein that plays a key role in increasing the population of connective-tissue cells during wound repair, but prolonged Dkk1 signaling in cells lining blood vessels can lead to fibrosis and a stiffening of artery walls.

Depression linked to almost doubled stroke risk in middle-aged women

Posted: 16 May 2013 01:16 PM PDT

Depression among women 47-52 years old is associated with an almost doubled risk of stroke. Researchers call for greater awareness of depression as a preventable risk factor for stroke among younger middle-aged women.

Massachusetts' health care reform didn't raise hospital use, costs

Posted: 16 May 2013 01:16 PM PDT

Health care reform in Massachusetts didn't result in substantially more hospitalizations, longer stays or higher costs. There were no significant differences in post-reform hospital use in Massachusetts versus to three other states without reform. There was also no significant increase in use of safety-net hospitals in Massachusetts.

Through the eyes of a burglar: Study provides insights on habits and motivations, importance of security

Posted: 16 May 2013 01:09 PM PDT

One way to understand what motivates and deters burglars is to ask them. A researcher did just that. He led a research team that gathered survey responses from more than 400 convicted offenders that resulted in an unprecedented look into the minds of burglars, providing insight into intruders' motivations and methods.

Endothelium, heal thyself

Posted: 16 May 2013 09:39 AM PDT

Investigators publish new findings showing that the endothelium's efficient barrier function relies on an enormous self-restorative capacity.

High-testosterone competitors more likely to choose red

Posted: 16 May 2013 07:56 AM PDT

Why do so many sports players and athletes choose to wear the color red when they compete? A new study suggests that it may have to do with their testosterone levels.

Students' diet and physical activity improve with parent communications

Posted: 16 May 2013 07:56 AM PDT

College students eat more fruits and vegetables and exercise more on days when they communicate more with their parents, according to researchers.

Reading the unreadable: 'Unopenable' scrolls will yield their secrets to new X-ray system

Posted: 16 May 2013 07:56 AM PDT

Pioneering X-ray technology is making it possible to read fragile rolled-up historical documents for the first time in centuries. Old parchment is often extremely dry and liable to crack and crumble if any attempt is made to physically unroll or unfold it. The new technology, however, eliminates the need to do so by enabling parchment to be unrolled or unfolded 'virtually' and the contents displayed on a computer screen.

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