ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Saturday, September 4, 2010
Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.
Ants take on Goliath role in protecting trees in the savanna from elephants (September 3, 2010) -- Ants are not out of their weight class when defending trees from the appetite of nature's heavyweight, the African elephant, a new study finds. Columns of angered ants will crawl up into elephant trunks to repel the ravenous beasts from devouring tree cover throughout drought-plagued East African savannas, playing a potentially important role in regulating carbon sequestration in these ecosystems. ... > full story
Mechanisms and function of a type of mysterious immune cell discovered (September 3, 2010) -- In two closely related studies, two teams of scientists have discovered the underlying mechanisms that activate a type of immune cell in the skin and other organs. The findings may lead to the development of new therapies to treat inflammation, wounds, asthma and malignant tumors. ... > full story
Giant Greenland iceberg -- largest in the northern hemisphere -- enters Nares Strait (September 3, 2010) -- The European Space Agency's Envisat satellite has been tracking the progression of the giant iceberg that calved from Greenland's Petermann glacier on 4 August 2010. A new animation shows that the iceberg, the largest in the northern hemisphere, is now entering Nares Strait -- a stretch of water that connects the Lincoln Sea and Arctic Ocean with Baffin Bay. ... > full story
How bone-marrow stem cells hold their 'breath' in low-oxygen environments (September 3, 2010) -- Researchers have identified unique metabolic properties that allow a specific type of stem cell in the body to survive and replicate in low-oxygen environments. ... > full story
Chemists, engineers achieve world record with high-speed graphene transistors (September 3, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a new fabrication process for high-speed graphene transistors using a nanowire as the self-aligned gate. This new technique does not produce any appreciable defects in the graphene during fabrication, so the carrier mobility is retained. Also, by using a self-aligned approach with a nanowire as the gate, the group was able to overcome alignment difficulties previously encountered and fabricate short channel devices with unprecedented performance. ... > full story
Low grades in adolescence linked to dopamine genes, says biosocial criminologist (September 3, 2010) -- The academic performance of adolescents will suffer in at least one of four key subjects -- English, math, science, history -- if their DNA contains one or more of three specific dopamine gene variations, according to a biosocial criminologist. ... > full story
Brainy worms: Scientists uncover counterpart of cerebral cortex in marine worms (September 3, 2010) -- Unexpectedly, scientists have now discovered a true counterpart of the cerebral cortex in an invertebrate, a marine worm. Their findings give an idea of what the most ancient higher brain centers looked like, and what our distant ancestors used them for. ... > full story
Capsaicin can act as co-carcinogen, study finds; Chili pepper component linked to skin cancer (September 3, 2010) -- New research links capsaicin, a component of chili peppers, to skin cancer. While the molecular mechanisms of the cancer-promoting effects of capsaicin are not clear and remain controversial, the new research has shown a definite connection to formation of skin cancer through various laboratory studies. ... > full story
Cranberry juice shows promise blocking Staph infections (September 3, 2010) -- Expanding their scope of study on the mechanisms of bacterial infection, researchers have reported the surprise finding from a small clinical study that cranberry juice cocktail blocked a strain of Staphylococcus aureus from beginning the process of infection. ... > full story
Cancer-causing gene crucial in stem cell development, study finds (September 3, 2010) -- A research team has shown for the first time that a gene called Myc, which is traditionally thought of as a cancer-causing gene, may be far more important in the development and persistence of stem cells than was known before. ... > full story
Computer technique could help partially sighted 'see' better (September 3, 2010) -- Thousands of people who are partially sighted following stroke or brain injury could gain greater independence from a simple, cheap and accessible training course which could eventually be delivered from their mobile phones or hand-held games consoles, according to a new study. ... > full story
Science's policy clout diminished, but oil risk looms large, study finds (September 3, 2010) -- More people are likely to believe scientific studies claiming that oil drilling is riskier, not safer, than was previously thought, according to a new study of attitudes in California. What's more the findings show that scientists' efforts to influence public opinion have a limited effect. ... > full story
Copyright 1995-2010 © ScienceDaily LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
|
 To update/change your profile click here  |
