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Saturday, December 1, 2012

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Preventing 'C'yber Pearl Harbor'

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 07:22 PM PST

A new study shows computer network security analysts are not prepared for drawn out cyber attacks.

Lignin-based thermoplastic conversion process

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 07:22 PM PST

Turning lignin, a plant's structural "glue" and a byproduct of the paper and pulp industry, into something considerably more valuable is driving a new research effort.

Geoscientists cite 'critical need' for basic research to unleash promising energy resources

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 07:22 PM PST

Developers of renewable energy and shale gas must overcome fundamental geological and environmental challenges if these promising energy sources are to reach their full potential, according to a trio of leading geoscientists.

Vitamin D tied to women's cognitive performance

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 07:22 PM PST

Two new studies show that vitamin D may be a vital component for the cognitive health of women as they age.

Men and women explore the visual world differently

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 07:22 PM PST

New research has found that men and women see things differently.

In schizophrenia patients, auditory cues sound bigger problems

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 07:21 PM PST

Researchers have found that deficiencies in the neural processing of simple auditory tones can evolve into a cascade of dysfunctional information processing across wide swaths of the brain in patients with schizophrenia.

Emerging vector-borne diseases create new public health challenges

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 12:16 PM PST

West Nile virus, Lyme disease, dengue fever, and plague are examples of "vector-borne zoonotic diseases," caused by pathogens that naturally infect wildlife and are transmitted to humans by vectors such as mosquitoes or ticks. Land-use change, globalization of trade and travel, and social upheaval are driving the emergence of such diseases in many regions.

More intense North Atlantic tropical storms likely in the future

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 12:16 PM PST

Tropical storms that make their way into the North Atlantic, and possibly strike the East Coast of the United States, likely will become more intense during the rest of this century.

Novel studies of gene regulation in brain development may mean new treatment of mental disorders

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 12:16 PM PST

Researchers have come up with a novel way to describe a time-dependent brain development based on coherent–gene-groups (CGGs) and transcription-factors (TFs) hierarchy. The findings could lead to new drug designs for mental disorders such as autism-spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia.

Research in Southern India provides a sweet look at preservation of ecological knowledge

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 12:16 PM PST

A professor in anthropology studies behavioral and evolutionary ecology in small-scale societies. Her latest project looks at the honey-gathering Jenu Kuruba tribe in South India and how its cultural knowledge is being preserved, or lost, in our modern world.

Native Americans and Northern Europeans more closely related than previously thought

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 12:16 PM PST

Using genetic analyses, scientists have discovered that Northern European populations descend from a mixture of two very different ancestral populations, and one of these populations is related to Native Americans.

Food retailers: The solution to childhood obesity?

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 12:11 PM PST

While most of the blame for childhood obesity is placed on the marketing practices of food manufacturers, research by a professor of food marketing suggests that more attention should be given to the in-store marketing activities of food retailers, especially those that directly target children.

Robotic equivalent of a Swiss army knife: Reconfigurable robot a step toward something that can become almost anything

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 10:27 AM PST

The device doesn't look like much: a caterpillar-sized assembly of metal rings and strips resembling something you might find buried in a home-workshop drawer. But the technology behind it, and the long-range possibilities it represents, are quite remarkable.

Molecular knock-out alleviates Alzheimer's symptoms in mice

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 09:16 AM PST

Researchers have identified an enzyme as a possible target for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The protein known as HDAC6 impairs transport processes within the nerve cells. The scientists observed only mild symptoms of the disease in mice if the enzyme was not produced. They propose to block its activity in a targeted fashion to treat the disease.

Residents believe vacant land threatens community, physical and mental health

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 09:15 AM PST

As public health researchers continue efforts to understand the effects of neighborhood conditions on health, residents themselves can provide valuable insights regarding public health issues and potential solutions. A new study uses in-depth interviews with local residents to examine perspectives on how vacant land affects community, physical, and mental health. The study highlights the importance of community engagement in promoting urban revitalization.

How native plants and exotics coexist

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 08:07 AM PST

Exotic plants in many ecosystems may be better competitors, but biologists have found that exotics can be kept in check by herbivory.

Biomarker progress offers hope for early autism spectrum disorder detection

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 08:07 AM PST

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders typically characterized by difficulties in social interactions and delayed or abnormal language development. Although ASD reportedly affects 1 in 88 people in the United States, to date there have been no distinctive biomarkers to diagnose the disease. Investigators now report on the current understanding of ASD genetics and the possibilities of translating genetic research toward biomarker development in ASD.

What makes a good mentor and mentee?

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 08:06 AM PST

How-to books are full of advice on what makes a good mentor. But what makes a good mentee and what chemistry is needed to make the relationship work?

Nutrition: Help for children to resist unhealthy temptations

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 08:06 AM PST

It is easy for children and teenagers to get their hands on sweets and other unhealthy foods. A major research project has therefore developed a range of tools that children and teenagers can use to ward off temptation.

Ppossible road map for improving healthcare

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 08:06 AM PST

Given the right equipment, training and skill, an individual surgeon can expect to provide the best possible care on a consistent basis. But how do you get an entire system of surgeons -- each with his or her own ideas, backgrounds, and routines -- to provide that same level of care? New research shows that it's possible to improve care across the board if you tackle the problem in a standardized way, relying on the best evidence available.

How signal molecules for formation of various cell types are controlled

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 08:05 AM PST

The regulation of important signal molecules that are critical for the formation of various cell types can be influenced by a chemically produced variant of indirubin, a natural material used in traditional Chinese medicine. Researchers were also able to demonstrate for the first time that these signal molecules in the cell -- regulatory SMAD proteins -- are not only controlled through regulation of their activation but also through the available quantity of signal molecules in the non-activated state.

C. diff researchers reveal potential target to fight infections

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 08:05 AM PST

Researchers have discovered how a common diarrhea-causing bacterium sends the body's natural defenses into overdrive, actually intensifying illness while fighting infection.

Breakthrough in the understanding of embryonic stem cells

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 08:05 AM PST

A significant breakthrough in the understanding of embryonic stem cells has been made. New research describes the process whereby genes that are 'on' in embryonic stem cells are switched 'off'. This process is essential in order to convert embryonic stem cells into different cell types such as neurons, blood or heart cells and therefore represents an important breakthrough in the area of regenerative medicine.

Gulf of Mexico clean-up makes 2010 spill 52-times more toxic; Mixing oil with dispersant increased toxicity to ecosystems

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 08:05 AM PST

If the 4.9 million barrels of oil that spilled into the Gulf of Mexico during the 2010 Deep Water Horizon spill was a ecological disaster, the two million gallons of dispersant used to clean it up apparently made it even worse – 52-times more toxic.

Repeated knocks to the head leads to newly recognized brain disease

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 08:05 AM PST

Take a look inside the brains of many soldiers, football players, and boxers, and you'll find shrinking structures and massive, spreading pathology. Scientists now realize the pattern looks different from any known neurodegenerative disease. A fledgling scientific field has sprung up around these findings and is hurrying to identify, study, and prevent this newly described disease.

Prenatal intervention reduces learning deficit in mice

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 06:52 AM PST

Mice with a condition that serves as a laboratory model for Down syndrome perform better on memory and learning tasks as adults if they were treated before birth with neuroprotective peptides, according to researchers.

Electrically spun fabric offers dual defense against pregnancy, HIV

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 06:52 AM PST

Electrically spun cloth with nanometer-sized fibers show promise as a cheap, versatile platform to simultaneously offer contraception and prevent HIV.

Even brown dwarfs may grow rocky planets: Sizing up grains of cosmic dust around failed star

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 06:51 AM PST

Astronomers have for the first time found that the outer region of a dusty disc encircling a brown dwarf contains millimeter-sized solid grains like those found in denser discs around newborn stars. The surprising finding challenges theories of how rocky, Earth-scale planets form, and suggests that rocky planets may be even more common in the Universe than expected.

Small and efficient: Water nanodroplets cool biomolecules ultrafast

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 06:51 AM PST

Researchers have observed how biomolecules transfer energy into extremely small water droplets in their environment. A water shell consisting of only three water molecules around a phospholipid molecule is sufficient for energy transfer within 1 ps.

Hospital cleaning protocol ineffective against multidrug-resistant A. Baumannii

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 06:50 AM PST

Current hospital cleaning protocol may be inadequate to rid patient rooms of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii.

Pathway to bypass DNA lesions in replication process is experimentally shown

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 06:50 AM PST

DNA lesions are really common —- about one million individual molecular lesions per cell per day -— because its long strands usually have one missing base or are damaged. These lesions can stall the DNA replication process, what can lead to the cell death. To avoid it, there are several pathways to bypass lesions in order to continue with the process of DNA replication. One of these processes has been entirely reproduced in vitro using some techniques of manipulation of single-molecules.

Digital portrait for grapes indicates their ripeness

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 06:50 AM PST

Researchers have developed a technique for estimating grape composition and variety using computer imaging. They have also put forward an index for identifying the ripeness of seeds without the need for chemical analysis. This new method can help to decide the best moment for picking. The normal procedure for identifying the sugar content of grapes involves chemical analysis. But this is a long and tedious task that tells vine-growers when to start picking their grapes. Now though, scientists are proposing an alternative technique: photographing grapes and analyzing the images.

Exposing the achilles' heel of the AIDS virus

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 06:49 AM PST

Researchers have been studying HIV regions that could be used to design a vaccine. One scientist has focused her research on a specific region of the surface protein of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which is responsible for the Autoimmune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), one of the diseases with the greatest human morbidity and mortality.

Carbon dioxide could reduce crop yields

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 06:49 AM PST

The carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere continues to climb and heat up the climate. The gas is, however, indispensable for plants, as they use the carbon it provides to form glucose and other important substances. Therefore, the more carbon dioxide the better? The equation is unfortunately not as simple as that. The plants, which ensure our basic food supply today, have not been bred for vertical growth but for short stalks and high grain yields. Scientists have now discovered that an increase in carbon dioxide levels could cancel out the beneficial effects of dwarf varieties.

The color of love: Zebrafish perform colorful courtship displays

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 06:48 AM PST

Billy Ocean may not have been thinking of fish when he wrote "The Color of Love", but biologists were able to show that zebrafish males and females both wear their brightest colors while wooing a mate.

New view of the Sun: Radio telescope could save world billions through advanced warnings

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 06:48 AM PST

A small pocket of Western Australia's remote outback is set to become the eye on the sky and could potentially save the world billions of dollars. The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) radio telescope, unveiled November 30, will give the world a dramatically improved view of the Sun and provide early warning to prevent damage to communication satellites, electric power grids and GPS navigation systems.

As cigarette taxes go up, heavy smoking goes down

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 06:47 AM PST

When cigarette taxes rise, hard-core smokers are more likely than lighter smokers to cut back, according to new research.

Could mistletoe give the kiss of death to cancer?

Posted: 30 Nov 2012 06:47 AM PST

Mistletoe has become an important symbol of Christmas, but it also has the potential to play a vital role as an alternative therapy for sufferers of colon cancer.

Advances in understanding of the mechanisms of drug resistance to dual-agent chemotherapy in recurrent ovarian cancer

Posted: 29 Nov 2012 08:26 PM PST

More than half of all patients with ovarian cancer experience recurrent disease and will eventually fail to respond to chemotherapy. The failure of chemotherapy is usually due to the development of resistance to the two main classes of chemotherapy agents used to fight it – platinating agents and taxanes. Now, a new study provides novel information that further adds to clinicians' understanding of the mechanisms involved in the development of resistance to dual-agent chemotherapy.

Obese children more vulnerable to food advertising

Posted: 29 Nov 2012 08:26 PM PST

Rates of childhood obesity have tripled in the past 30 years, and food marketing has been implicated as one factor contributing to this trend. Every year, companies spend more than $10 billion in the US marketing their food and beverages to children; 98% of the food products advertised to children on television are high in fat, sugar, or sodium. Researchers have now used neuroimaging to study the effects of food logos on obese and healthy weight children.

Guineafowl may spread, not halt, fever-bearing ticks in turkey

Posted: 29 Nov 2012 08:25 PM PST

The country Turkey releases non-native guineafowl to eat ticks that carry deadly Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. Yet research suggests guineafowl eat few ticks, but carry the parasites on their feathers, possibly spreading the disease they were meant to stop, says a Turkish biologist.

Genome-scale study ID's hundreds of drug targets for Huntington's

Posted: 29 Nov 2012 02:37 PM PST

Scientists seeking to develop treatments for Huntington's disease just got a roadmap that could dramatically speed their discovery process. Researchers have used RNAi technology to identify hundreds of "druggable" molecular targets linked to the toxicity associated with HD. The gene RRAS, involved in cell motility and neuronal development, was among the diverse range of modifiers identified. RRAS was revealed as a potent modulator of HD toxicity in multiple HD models.

Gene involved in lung tumor growth identified

Posted: 29 Nov 2012 01:21 PM PST

Lung cancer researchers have identified a gene that plays a role in the growth and spread of non-small cell lung cancer tumors, opening the door for potential new treatment options.

Brief interventions can help college students return to a healthy lifestyle

Posted: 29 Nov 2012 01:21 PM PST

A new study from the University of Missouri has found that a brief intervention, sometimes as little as 30 minutes, can help put students back on the right track to a healthy lifestyle -- a change that can impact the rest of their lives.

Working couples face greater odds of intimate partner violence

Posted: 29 Nov 2012 12:20 PM PST

Intimate partner violence is two times more likely to occur in two income households, compared to those where only one partner works, a recent study found.

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