ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• First contracted SpaceX resupply mission launches with NASA cargo to space station
• U.S. nationwide meningitis outbreak update
• May the force be with them: Deep sea acorn worms named after Yoda
• Oil palm plantations are clearing carbon-rich tropical forests in Borneo, researchers show
• Discovery of gatekeeper nerve cells explains the effect of nicotine on learning and memory
• Genome-wide study identifies eight new susceptibility loci for atopic dermatitis
• Sleeping brain behaves as if it's remembering something
• Breathe in, breathe out: New way of imaging lungs could improve COPD diagnosis and treatment
• Smallest and fastest-known RNA switches provide new drug targets
• Online test estimates 'Face-Name Memory IQ': Simple, 10-minute test scores ability to remember names, faces

First contracted SpaceX resupply mission launches with NASA cargo to space station Posted: 07 Oct 2012 10:27 PM PDT A Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) Falcon 9 rocket carrying its Dragon spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 8:35 p.m. EDT Sunday, beginning NASA's first contracted cargo delivery flight, designated SpaceX CRS-1, to the International Space Station. Under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract, SpaceX will fly at least 12 cargo missions to the space station through 2016. The contract is worth $1.6 billion.

U.S. nationwide meningitis outbreak update Posted: 07 Oct 2012 04:08 PM PDT In response to a nationwide outbreak of meningitis and stroke associated with a widely distributed medication, CDC is providing updated guidance to clinicians and patients about contaminated medication products received from the New England Compounding Center located in Framingham, Mass. Patients have suffered a variety of symptoms, including those associated with a rare form of fungal meningitis (brain infection) and stroke.

May the force be with them: Deep sea acorn worms named after Yoda Posted: 07 Oct 2012 11:07 AM PDT They may not be green but they do live in an ocean far, far away, and now they share the same moniker as the diminutive Jedi master in the Star Wars blockbusters. Yoda purpurata -- to be exact -- is the name now given to one of three new species of deep sea acorn worms or Enteropneusts discovered 2,500m or around 1.5 miles below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.

Oil palm plantations are clearing carbon-rich tropical forests in Borneo, researchers show Posted: 07 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT Demand for palm oil is driving deforestation in Borneo, as trees are cleared to make way for the planting of oil farm plantations, which will send carbon dioxide, a global-warming gas, into the atmosphere, new research shows.

Discovery of gatekeeper nerve cells explains the effect of nicotine on learning and memory Posted: 07 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT Researchers in Sweden and Brazil have discovered a new group of nerve cells that regulate processes of learning and memory. These cells act as gatekeepers and carry a receptor for nicotine, which can explain our ability to remember and sort information.

Genome-wide study identifies eight new susceptibility loci for atopic dermatitis Posted: 07 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT Researchers have identified eight new loci associated with susceptibility to atopic dermatitis in the Japanese population. The findings advance our understanding of the genetic basis of the skin disorder, which affects millions of children and adults around the world.

Sleeping brain behaves as if it's remembering something Posted: 07 Oct 2012 10:47 AM PDT Researchers have for the first time measured the activity of a brain region known to be involved in learning, memory and Alzheimer's disease during sleep. They discovered that this part of the brain behaves as if it's remembering something, even under anesthesia.

Breathe in, breathe out: New way of imaging lungs could improve COPD diagnosis and treatment Posted: 07 Oct 2012 10:47 AM PDT A new approach to lung scanning could improve the diagnosis and treatment of a lung disease that affects approximately 24 million Americans and is the country's third-highest cause of death. The technique for analyzing CT scans distinguishes between early damage to the lungs, and more severe damage known as emphysema.

Smallest and fastest-known RNA switches provide new drug targets Posted: 07 Oct 2012 10:47 AM PDT Researchers have discovered the smallest and fastest-known molecular switches made of RNA, the chemical cousin of DNA. The researchers say these rare, fleeting structures are prime targets for the development of new antiviral and antibiotic drugs.

Online test estimates 'Face-Name Memory IQ': Simple, 10-minute test scores ability to remember names, faces Posted: 05 Oct 2012 01:27 PM PDT Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are inviting the world to take part in an online experiment that will allow participants to see how their individual scores on a face-name memory test compare with those of other test takers.

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