Saturday, June 25, 2011

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Unique lab seeks drought-tolerant traits in cotton, other plants

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 03:23 PM PDT

As billion-dollar agricultural losses continue to mount in the withering Texas heat, scientists in Corpus Christi are taking a closer look at why some cotton varieties do better than others in drought conditions.

Life expectancy for those with Type 1 diabetes improving

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 03:23 PM PDT

The life expectancy of people diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes between 1965 and 1980 dramatically increased, compared to people diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes between 1950 and 1964, according to a new study.

Young people with type 1 diabetes at risk for heart disease

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 03:23 PM PDT

New research shows that adolescents and young adults with type 1 (juvenile) diabetes have thicker and stiffer carotid arteries, also known as atherosclerosis, a risk factor for heart attack and stroke in adults. This research is believed to be the first to examine whether type 1 diabetes has a measurable effect on carotid arteries in this age group.

Artificial pancreas to ease diabetes burden

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 03:23 PM PDT

The 25.8 million Americans who have diabetes may soon be free of finger pricks and daily insulin dosing.

Biologist discovers key regulators for biofilm development

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 01:32 PM PDT

Biologists have discovered that a complex cascade of enhancer binding proteins is responsible for turning on genes that initiate the formation of a biofilm in bacteria.

New breast cancer risk model quantifies the impact of risk reduction

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 01:31 PM PDT

How much can a woman lower her risk of breast cancer by losing weight, drinking less, or exercising more? A study describes a new model to estimate the impact of these lifestyle changes.

Safer and more effective diabetes control with basal insulin analogs

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 01:22 PM PDT

Basal insulin analogs have revolutionized diabetes care, and especially the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, enabling patients to achieve better control of blood glucose levels while reducing hypoglycemic episodes. These revolutionary, long-acting basal insulin analogs are intended to replace the natural insulin missing in diabetes. They are infusion pumps that provide subcutaneous, continuous delivery of insulin to mimic the function of a normal pancreas.

Northern Eurasian snowpack could be a predictor of winter weather in US, team from UGA reports

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 01:22 PM PDT

Every winter, weather forecasters talk about the snow cover in the northern US and into Canada as a factor in how deep the deep-freeze will be in the states. A new study indicates they may be looking, at least partially, in the wrong place.

Deep history of coconuts decoded: Origins of cultivation, ancient trade routes, and colonization of the Americas

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 11:20 AM PDT

DNA analysis of more than 1,300 coconuts from around the world reveals that the coconut was brought under cultivation in two separate locations, one in the Pacific basin and the other in the Indian Ocean basin. What's more, coconut genetics also preserve a record of prehistoric trade routes and of the colonization of the Americas.

Ancient species of mayfly had short, tragic life

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 10:00 AM PDT

A tiny mayfly that died 100 million years ago, but was preserved for perpetuity in amber, is helping to shed light on ancient ecosystems.

200,000 patients treated for cardiac arrest annually in US hospitals, study shows

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 10:00 AM PDT

More than 200,000 people are treated for cardiac arrest in United States hospitals each year, a rate that may be on the rise, according to a new study.

Heart valve replacement without opening the chest gives new option for non-operable patients

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 10:00 AM PDT

An innovative approach for implanting a new aortic heart valve without open-heart surgery offers hope for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at high-risk or not suitable candidates for open heart valve replacement surgery.

More than 300 new species discovered in the Philippines

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 10:00 AM PDT

This spring, scientists conducted the most comprehensive scientific survey effort ever conducted in the Philippines, documenting both terrestrial and marine life forms from the tops of the highest mountains to the depths of the sea. The scientists discovered more than 300 likely new species, including dozens of new insects and spiders, deep-sea armored corals, bizarre new sea urchins, a shrimp-eating swell shark, and over 50 colorful new sea slugs.

Astronomers reach for the stars to discover new cancer therapy

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 08:19 AM PDT

Research on celestial bodies may have an impact on the human body. Astronomers are working with medical physicists and radiation oncologists to develop a potential new radiation treatment -- one that is intended to be tougher on tumors, but gentler on healthy tissue.

Mantis shrimp eye could improve high-definition CDs, DVDs

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 08:19 AM PDT

The eye of the peacock mantis shrimp has led an international team of researchers to develop a two-part waveplate that could improve CD, DVD, blu-ray and holographic technology, creating even higher definition and larger storage density.

'Quantum magic' without any 'spooky action at a distance'

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 08:19 AM PDT

Quantum mechanical entanglement is at the heart of the famous quantum teleportation experiment and was referred to by Albert Einstein as "spooky action at a distance". Researchers have used a system which does not allow for entanglement, and still found results which cannot be interpreted classically.

Optical circuit enables new approach to quantum technologies

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 08:19 AM PDT

Scientists have demonstrated a fundamental building block for quantum computing that could soon be employed in a range of quantum technologies.

Mechanics of speciation: Model examines factors that contribute to emergence of new species

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 08:19 AM PDT

Mate choice, competition, and the variety of resources available are the key factors influencing how a species evolves into separate species, according to a new mathematical model that integrates all three factors to reveal the dynamics at play in a process called sympatric speciation.

Hidden lives of Baltimore's Irish immigrants unearthed for first time

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 08:19 AM PDT

Archaeologists are unearthing a unique picture of early Irish immigrants in the Baltimore area -- of city children taught at home to read and write before widespread public education or child labor laws, and insular rural communities defying assimilation.

New genetic risk factors of lupus found in study of African-American women

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 08:19 AM PDT

Researchers have found four new genetic variants in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) that confer a higher risk of systemic lupus erythemathosus ("lupus") in African American women. The study is believed to be the first to comprehensively assess the association between genetic variants in the MHC region and risk of lupus in African American women.

Common drugs linked to cognitive impairment and possibly to increased risk of death, study suggests

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 08:19 AM PDT

A large, long-term study confirms that medications with anticholinergic activity, which include many drugs frequently taken by older adults, cause cognitive impairment. The research is also the first to identify a possible link between these drugs -- which include over-the-counter and prescription sleep aids and incontinence treatments -- and risk of death.

Drug shows improved kidney function for type 2 diabetics

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 08:19 AM PDT

A new anti-inflammatory drug used by patients with type 2 diabetes improved their kidney function during a year-long study.

Genes influence memory and sense of orientation

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 08:16 AM PDT

How do our brains process memory and sense of orientation? Scientists are gaining insight by studying rats with implanted genes that prompt neurons to fire on command.

Pollinators make critical contribution to healthy diets

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 06:45 AM PDT

Fruits and vegetables that provide the highest levels of vitamins and minerals to the human diet globally depend heavily on bees and other pollinating animals, according to a new study.

Humpback whales catch prey with bubble-nets

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 05:35 AM PDT

Marine biologist explain how humpback whales in the Gulf of Maine catch prey with advanced water technology. Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are large baleen whales (up to 14 m long) that feed on a small prey in dense concentrations, such as krill or herrings.

Newspaper archives help to understand coastal flooding along the South of England

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 05:35 AM PDT

A unique study using over 70 years of information from local newspapers has helped to examine the incidence and location of coastal floods in the Solent region of southern England.

Tell me how you work and I'll tell you you're burnt out

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 05:35 AM PDT

Being over-burdened with work, monotony and the perception of lack of recognition can all be catalysts for burnout syndrome. Scientists has analyzed the factors that influence the development of the three sub-types of this condition - 'frenetic', 'under-challenged' and 'worn out'.

Oxytocin promises hope in Prader-Willi syndrome, research suggests

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 05:03 AM PDT

Prader-Willi syndrome is a rare genetic disorder which affects one child in 25,000. Children born with this syndrome have a range of complex neurological and developmental problems which continue into adult life. New research demonstrates that the hormone oxytocin is able to positively affect patients by improving trust, mood, and reducing disruptive behavior.

Exposure to parental stress increases pollution-related lung damage in children

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 05:03 AM PDT

Psychosocial stress appears to enhance the lung-damaging effects of traffic-related pollution in children, according to new research.

Lithium profoundly prevents brain damage associated with Parkinson's disease, mouse study suggests

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 05:03 AM PDT

Lithium profoundly prevents the aggregation of toxic proteins and cell loss associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) in a mouse model of the condition. Preclinical research is aimed at determining correct dosages for a drug that continues to be the gold standard for treating bipolar disorder. Medical researchers are currently working toward initiating Phase IIa clinical studies of lithium in humans in conjunction with standard PD drug therapy.

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