ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Tuesday, September 21, 2010
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Why thinking of nothing can be so tiring: Brain wolfs energy to stop thinking (September 21, 2010) -- Mathematicians have found that the brain uses a substantial amount of energy to halt the flow of information between neurons. Maybe that's part of the reason thinking of nothing can be so tiring. ... > full story
Compound boosts marijuana-like chemical in the body to relieve pain at injury site (September 21, 2010) -- American and Italian researchers have found that a novel drug allows anandamide -- a marijuana-like chemical in the body -- to effectively control pain at the site of an injury. ... > full story
First microwave image of the complete Moon (September 21, 2010) -- The first microwave image of the complete Moon was obtained thanks to the Chinese lunar satellite Chang’E-1. Global brightness temperature maps reveal radiation from the surface and deeper layers of the Moon and its diurnal variation. This will help astronomers to determine the detailed heat flow and, thus, the inner energy of the Moon. ... > full story
Breakthrough in drug trial offers hope for heart attack patients (September 21, 2010) -- New findings from a major drug trial have brought experts a step closer to developing a drug which could prevent thousands of deaths from heart attacks. ... > full story
Lightweight true random number generators a step closer (September 21, 2010) -- The widespread use of true random number generators has taken a step closer following the creation of the most lightweight designs to date. ... > full story
Could learning self-control be enjoyable? (September 21, 2010) -- When it comes to self-control, consumers in the United States are in trouble. But a new study says there's hope; we just need a little help to see self-regulation as fun. ... > full story
Windborne desert dust falls on high peaks, dampens Colorado River runoff (September 21, 2010) -- When the winds are right and the desert is dry, dust blows eastward from the semi-arid regions of the US Southwest. In a dust-up, Western style, small dark particles of the dust fall on the mountains' white snowfields, ultimately affecting the entire Colorado River watershed. ... > full story
Giving aspirin via IV is safe and effective for severe headache, study finds (September 21, 2010) -- A new study shows that aspirin, given intravenously (IV), may be a safe and effective option for people hospitalized for severe headache or migraine, undergoing medication withdrawal. ... > full story
Herschel Mars observations: First results (September 21, 2010) -- The Herschel Space Observatory is providing its first exciting results on Mars. An accurate globally averaged temperature profile of the Martian atmosphere may cause scientists to revise their models about atmospheric circulation on Mars. And the first sub-millimeter observation of molecular oxygen on the planet may lead to a completely new picture of the oxygen distribution in the Martian atmosphere. ... > full story
Early prostate cancer detection, screening: No benefit for men with low baseline PSA value, study finds (September 21, 2010) -- Men aged 55-74 years who have low baseline blood levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) are not likely to benefit from further screening and treatment, according to a new study. ... > full story
Commercial-scale test of new technology to recover coal from sludge successful (September 21, 2010) -- A new technology for removing water from ultrafine coal slurry has been successfully tested at the commercial scale at an operating coal cleaning plant. The technology offers the possibility of reducing the coal slurry impoundment problem from the source. ... > full story
Future of football: GPS and miniature accelerometers to better assess player's training load and fitness levels (September 21, 2010) -- A new research project in the UK may have important implications for the world of football (soccer) through the use of new technology such as GPS and miniature accelerometers to better assess a player's training load and fitness levels. ... > full story
Earth's highest coastal mountain on the move (September 20, 2010) -- The rocks of Colombia's Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta -- the highest coastal mountain on Earth -- tell a fascinating tale: the mountain collides and then separates from former super-continents. Volcanoes are born and die. The mountain travels from Peru to northern Colombia and finally rotates in a clockwise direction to open up an entirely new geological basin. ... > full story
Cholesterol drug may have role in treating prostate cancer (September 20, 2010) -- A drug commonly prescribed for people with high cholesterol may also be effective in treating prostate cancer, according to new research. ... > full story
Biofuel from inedible plant material easier to produce following enzyme discovery (September 20, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered key plant enzymes that normally make the energy stored in wood, straw, and other non-edible parts of plants difficult to extract. The findings can be used to improve the viability of sustainable biofuels that do not adversely affect the food chain. ... > full story
Possible 'persistence' switch for tuberculosis found: Computer model finds probable genetic mechanism for TB dormancy (September 20, 2010) -- A model for the genetic "persistence" switch that toggles tuberculosis bacteria into a dormant state that resists antibiotics and immune system responses is described in a new study. An analysis of stress-response genes in the organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis has allowed bioengineers to zero in on a gene network that appears to help the bacteria ward off attacks. ... > full story
Fences could help clean up watercourses (September 20, 2010) -- Building good fences could make our water cleaner, and help us to meet European standards, according to new research. Scientists have created a computer model to investigate the problem of faecal pollution in UK rivers. They found that simple farm-scale solutions are likely to be most effective at reducing the numbers of potentially dangerous organisms entering watercourses – and could work out cheaper both for farmers and consumers. ... > full story
Return troops face both physical and mental challenges: Women suffer from more conditions than men, study finds (September 20, 2010) -- Is the US health system comprehensively meeting the needs of returning veterans? With the recent attention to mental illness in returning soldiers, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in particular, little research has focused on the medical care needs of those returning from Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to experts. ... > full story
Magnetic attraction for fish, crabs? Study examines whether magnetic fields from aquatic power sources affect animals (September 20, 2010) -- Scientists are examining how aquatic animals behave around electromagnetic fields similar to those created by marine power devices. ... > full story
New drug a potential treatment for Type 2 diabetes (September 20, 2010) -- Australian scientists have shown that a drug candidate, Lisofylline, could be useful in treating Type 2 diabetes. Researchers tested the anti-inflammatory drug which is undergoing clinical trials for other diseases, on mice being fed high-fat diets. ... > full story
Violent video games increase aggression long after the game is turned off, study finds (September 20, 2010) -- Playing a violent video game can increase aggression, and when a player keeps thinking about the game, the potential for aggression can last for as long as 24 hours, according to a new study. ... > full story
How best to prevent blood clots? Thigh-length surgical stockings, study suggests (September 20, 2010) -- Treating hospital patients with thigh-length surgical stockings, rather than knee-high socks, can reduce life threatening blood clots, a new study suggests. ... > full story
Apollo discovery tells a new story (September 20, 2010) -- A rare bronze signet ring with the impression of the face of the Greek sun god, Apollo, has been discovered at Tel Dor, in northern Israel. ... > full story
Hyperkinetic disorders in children are on the rise, German study suggests (September 20, 2010) -- Hyperkinetic disorders among children and adolescents are becoming increasingly common, new research suggests. In a new study, scientists in Germany address the question how this has affected the frequency of prescriptions for methylphenidate, a stimulant drug that is used to treat such disorders. ... > full story
Childhood viral infection may be a cause of obesity (September 20, 2010) -- The emerging idea that obesity may have an infectious origin gets new support in a cross-sectional study researchers who found that children exposed to a particular strain of adenovirus were significantly more likely to be obese. ... > full story
Higher incidence of seizures seen in children with H1N1 virus compared to seasonal flu (September 20, 2010) -- A recent study determined that the 2009 pandemic influenza A caused a higher rate of neurological complications in children than the seasonal flu. The most common complications observed were seizures and encephalopathy. This is among the most extensive evaluations of neurological complications following H1N1 flu in children. ... > full story
Serious hockey injuries among young children skyrocketing, study finds (September 20, 2010) -- The incidence of hockey-related injuries among children aged 9 to 14 leading to emergency department visits more than doubled between 1990 and 2006, according to a new nationwide U.S. study. There were 2,935 hockey injuries treated in emergency departments in that age group in 1990, increasing to 7,713 in 2006 -- an increase of 163 percent. ... > full story
Plague researchers race to beat bioterrorists (September 20, 2010) -- Given the many pressing concerns of the day, fear of plague probably isn't what causes most Americans to lose sleep. But for those whose responsibility it is to combat bioterrorism, plague is among the highest priorities. ... > full story
End of microplates? Novel electronic biosensing technology could facilitate new era of personalized medicine (September 20, 2010) -- The multi-welled microplate, long a standard tool in biomedical research and diagnostic laboratories, could become a thing of the past thanks to new electronic biosensing technology developed by a team of microelectronics engineers and biomedical scientists. ... > full story
Favorable expectations make people like using a new mobile phone, study finds (September 20, 2010) -- The more a user expects to like using a new mobile phone, the more he or she will like to use it. According to researchers in Finland, users' favorable expectations make them forgive encountered usability problems and perceive new mobile phones usable. ... > full story
Parasitic 'warrior worms' discovered in snails; Scientists see possible biomedical applications (September 20, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered a caste of genetically identical "warrior worms" -- members of a parasitic fluke species that invades the California horn snail. ... > full story
Biologists discover biochemical link between biological clock and diabetes (September 20, 2010) -- Biologists have found that a key protein that regulates the biological clocks of mammals also regulates glucose production in the liver and that altering the levels of this protein can improve the health of diabetic mice. ... > full story
Data clippers to set sail to enhance future planetary missions (September 20, 2010) -- A new golden age of sailing may be about to begin -- in space. Future missions to explore the outer planets could employ fleets of ‘data-clippers’ -- manoeuvrable spacecraft equipped with solar sails, to ship vast quantities of scientific data to back Earth. The technology could be ready in time to support mid-term missions to the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. ... > full story
Possible alternate therapy for adults with poorly controlled asthma (September 20, 2010) -- A drug commonly used for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease successfully treats adults whose asthma is not well-controlled on low doses of inhaled corticosteroids, researchers report. ... > full story
Technology that can withstand extremes of temperature and radiation created (September 20, 2010) -- Radio transmitters that can withstand temperatures of up to 900 degrees C could soon be dropped into the depths of the earth to provide early warning of a volcanic eruption. The state-of-the-art technology uses silicon carbide electronics that can withstand temperatures equal to the inside of a jet engine. ... > full story
Human unconscious is transferred to virtual characters (September 20, 2010) -- Virtual characters can behave according to actions carried out unconsciously by humans. Researchers have created a system which measures human physiological parameters, such as respiration or heart rate, and introduces them into computer designed characters in real time. ... > full story
'Archeologists of the air' isolate pristine aerosol particles in the Amazon (September 20, 2010) -- Environmental engineers who might better be called "archeologists of the air" have, for the first time, isolated aerosol particles in near pristine pre-industrial conditions. Working in the remote Amazonian Basin north of Manaus, Brazil, the researchers measured particles emitted or formed within the rainforest ecosystem that are relatively free from the influence of anthropogenic, or human, activity. ... > full story
Genetic variants modifying breast cancer risk discovered (September 20, 2010) -- Individuals with disrupting mutations in the BRCA1 gene are known to be at substantially increased risk of breast cancer throughout their lives. Now, discoveries from an international research team led by Mayo Clinic researchers show that some of those persons may possess additional genetic variants that modify their risk. ... > full story
A chip off the early hominin tooth: Researchers develop method for determining the diet of our early ancestors (September 20, 2010) -- Were our early mammalian ancestors vegetarians, vegans or omnivores? It's difficult for anthropologists to determine the diet of early mammalians because current fossil analysis provides too little information. But a new method that measures the size of chips in tooth fossils can help determine the kinds of foods these early humans consumed. ... > full story
Database to help accelerate drug discovery developed (September 20, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a new computational method that will help streamline the analysis of gene expression experiments and provide scientists with a better mechanistic understanding of the differences between diseased and normal cells. ... > full story
Key component identified that helps plants go green (September 20, 2010) -- A team of researchers has found a central part in the machinery that turns plants green when they sense light. In the Rube Goldberg world of cellular mechanics, this key player turns out to be a garbage truck. ... > full story
Many hospital emergency department visits could be treated elsewhere, study finds (September 20, 2010) -- Evidence shows that more people are seeking routine care from hospital emergency departments, a trend that may grow under health care reform. A new study shows that about 17 percent of all visits to hospital emergency departments across the United States could be treated at retail medical clinics or urgent care centers, potentially saving .4 billion annually in health care costs. ... > full story
Magical BEANs: New nano-sized particles could provide mega-sized data storage (September 20, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered an entire new class of phase-change materials that could be applied to PCM and optical data storage technologies. The new materials, alloys of a metal and semiconductor, are called "BEANs," for binary eutectic-alloy nanostructures. ... > full story
Two studies find new genetic links to ovarian cancer risk (September 20, 2010) -- Cancer researchers have identified four chromosome locations with genetic changes that are likely to alter a woman's risk of developing ovarian cancer. Researchers say that while more needs to be learned about the function of the specific chromosomal regions involved in susceptibility, the discoveries move them a major step closer to individualized risk assessments for ovarian cancer. ... > full story
Novel target for existing drug may improve success of radiation therapy (September 20, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered a new drug target that could improve the effectiveness of radiation for hard-to-treat cancers. The finding focuses on the role of the enzyme cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2). This enzyme promotes development and functioning of blood vessel networks that feed malignant tumors, enabling them to overcome the effects of radiation. ... > full story
Gene network reveals link between fats and heart disease signs (September 20, 2010) -- A gene network behind hardening of the arteries and coronary heart disease has been identified. The new findings expose potential targets for the treatment of heart disease. ... > full story
Self-organizing traffic lights (September 20, 2010) -- A new patent may revolutionize traffic control, saving fuel, reducing travel times and emissions, and doing it all without limiting drivers' mobility. This truly "green" idea will have drivers waiting less and help us preserve our environment. ... > full story
The language of bats (September 20, 2010) -- Many species of bats hunt insects "on the wing" by making ultrasonic calls and using the echo to find prey while in flight. But do bats use echolocation calls to communicate with each other as well? New research in Panama shows that bats can recognize the calls of particular individuals, similar to how humans can recognize the voices of friends and family. ... > full story
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