Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 

Top Science News Articles | Popular Science Current Events this Week RSS Feed.

The top science news articles and most popular science news stories and current events, scientific discoveries, studies and research from the past week.
See Also: Top Science New Articles from the Past 30 Days

Longer life linked to specific foods in Mediterranean diet
Some food groups in the Mediterranean diet are more important than others in promoting health and longer life. (2009-06-24)

Partner issues significantly influence women's sexual activity in later years, UCSF study shows
As a woman gets older, physical problems are less likely to influence whether she is sexually active than her partner's health or interest in sex. (2009-06-26)



Study on Keeping Nuclear Bombs Away from U.S. Shows Misplaced Fear over Cost of 100% Overseas Cargo Scanning
A two-tiered scanning-protocol for inspecting all containers at international ports could be the most affordable approach to ensuring containers moving through the global transportation system are not carrying nuclear bombs. (2009-06-25)

Childhood physical abuse linked to cancer
Childhood physical abuse is associated with elevated rates of cancer in adulthood, according to a new study by University of Toronto researchers. (2009-06-26)

MU scientists convert pigs' connective tissue cells into stem cells
For years, proponents have touted the benefits of embryonic stem cell research, but the potential therapies still face hurdles. (2009-06-26)

'Nature' and 'nurture' variables early predictors of AMD
Like many diseases, causes for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can be categorized as either "nature" or "nurture". (2009-06-26)

Scientists find a biological 'fountain of youth' in new world bat caves
Scientists from Texas are batty over a new discovery which could lead to the single most important medical breakthrough in human history-significantly longer lifespans. (2009-07-01)

Lack of sleep could be more dangerous for women than men
Women who get less than the recommended eight hours sleep a night are at higher risk of heart disease and heart-related problems than men with the same sleeping patterns. (2009-07-02)

Earth's most prominent rainfall feature creeping northward
The rain band near the equator that determines the supply of freshwater to nearly a billion people throughout the tropics and subtropics has been creeping north for more than 300 years. (2009-07-02)

Intense heat killed the Universe's would-be galaxies, researchers say
Our Milky Way galaxy only survived because it was already immersed in a large clump of dark matter which trapped gases inside it. (2009-07-01)

New clue into how brain stem cells develop into cells which repair damaged tissue
The joint research, funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the UK MS Society as well as the National Institutes of Health and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, was conducted by scientists at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and University of Cambridge and was published today (01 July) in the journal Genes and Development. (2009-07-02)

Rating attractiveness: Study finds consensus among men, not women
Hot or not? Men agree on the answer. Women don't. There is much more consensus among men about whom they find attractive than there is among women, according to a new study by Wake Forest University psychologist Dustin Wood. (2009-06-29)

Biomarkers predict brain tumor's response to therapy
A report in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, highlights a new biomarker that may be useful in identifying patients with recurrent glioblastoma, or brain tumors, who would respond better to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy, specifically cediranib. (2009-06-24)

First acoustic metamaterial 'superlens' created by U. of I. researchers
A team of researchers at the University of Illinois has created the world's first acoustic "superlens," an innovation that could have practical implications for high-resolution ultrasound imaging, non-destructive structural testing of buildings and bridges, and novel underwater stealth technology. (2009-06-25)

High levels of cycling training damage triathletes' sperm
The high-intensity training undertaken by triathletes has a significant impact on the quality of their sperm. (2009-06-30)

CSHL scientists harness logic of 'Sudoku' math puzzle to vastly enhance genome-sequencing capability
A math-based game that has taken the world by storm with its ability to delight and puzzle may now be poised to revolutionize the fast-changing world of genome sequencing and the field of medical genetics. (2009-06-25)

Waste water treatment plant mud used as 'green' fuel
Catalan scientists have shown that using mud from waste water treatment plants as a partial alternative fuel can enable cement factories to reduce their CO2 emissions and comply with the Kyoto Protocol, as well as posing no risk to human health and being profitable. (2009-06-24)

UCLA collaboration identifies immune system link to schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a devastating mental disease, thought to be caused by the interaction of both genetic and environmental factors. (2009-07-02)

First step to converting solar energy using 'artificial leaf'
An international team of researchers has modified chlorophyll from an alga so that it resembles the extremely efficient light antennae of bacteria. (2009-06-30)

Study shows 1 in 25 deaths worldwide attributable to alcohol
Research from Canada's own Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) featured in this week's edition of the Lancet shows that worldwide, 1 in 25 deaths are directly attributable to alcohol consumption. (2009-06-29)

Feather fibers fluff up hydrogen storage capacity
Scientists in Delaware say they have developed a new hydrogen storage method - carbonized chicken feather fibers - that can hold vast amounts of hydrogen, a promising but difficult to corral fuel source, and do it at a far lower cost than other hydrogen storage systems under consideration. (2009-06-24)

Vitamin D deficiency is widespread and on the increase
Report shows that populations across the globe are suffering from the impact of low levels of vitamin D, with highest rates in South Asia and the Middle East. (2009-07-01)

Study challenges routine use of MRI scans to evaluate breast cancer
Reviewing the records of 577 breast cancer patients, Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers found that women with newly diagnosed breast cancer who receive a breast MRI are more likely to receive a mastectomy after their diagnosis and may face delays in starting treatment. (2009-06-26)

University of Houston research team aims to help caregivers monitor patients' health and whereabouts
For those who are caring for elderly parents, peace of mind is hard to come by. And, for their parents, dignity is hard to retain. But a team of University of Houston researchers hopes to ease worries and frustrations by designing an affordable in-home health-monitoring system that will notify caregivers, via smartphones or PDAs, if their loved ones need attention. (2009-06-26)

Nicotine dependence remains prevalent despite recent declines in cigarette use
Despite recent declines in cigarette use in the U.S., nicotine dependence has remained steady among adults and has actually increased among some groups. (2009-06-25)

A Penny for Your Prions
North Carolina State University researchers have discovered a link between copper and the normal functioning of prion proteins, which are associated with transmissible spongiform encephalopathy diseases such as Cruetzfeldt-Jakob in humans or "mad cow" disease in cattle. (2009-06-26)

University of Oklahoma Researchers Discover Giant Rydberg Atom Molecules
A group of University of Oklahoma researchers led by Dr. James P. Shaffer, Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, have discovered giant Rydberg molecules with a bond as large as a red blood cell. (2009-06-25)

Magic ingredient in breast milk protects babies' intestines
Scientists at Queen Mary, University of London have discovered that an ingredient in human breast milk protects and repairs the delicate intestines of newborn babies. (2009-06-30)

Effective solar cells and sensitive bioanalysis
The efficiency factor of solar cells is crucial for the success of generating electricity from sunlight. Systems in which light is concentrated 400-fold through lenses onto solar cells are proving to be particularly advantageous. (2009-06-26)

Simple measures may prevent transmission of stomach ulcer bacteria
The stomach ulcer bacterium Helicobacter pylori is not transmitted through drinking water as previously thought, but rather through vomit and possibly faeces. (2009-06-25)

New Research Shows Dinosaurs May Have Been Smaller Than We Thought
For millions of years, dinosaurs have been considered the largest creatures ever to walk on land. While they still maintain this status, a new study suggests that some dinosaurs may actually have weighed as little as half as much as previously thought. (2009-06-26)

Neural stem cell differentiation factor discovered
Neural stem cells represent the cellular backup of our brain. These cells are capable of self-renewal to form new stem cells or differentiate into neurons, astrocytes or oligodendrocytes. (2009-06-30)

Selenium intake may worsen prostate cancer in some, study reports
Higher selenium levels in the blood may worsen prostate cancer in some men who already have the disease, according to a study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute the University of California, San Francisco. (2009-06-26)

Glucose challenge test is accurate and economical for diabetes and prediabetes screening
A test commonly used to help identify women with diabetes during pregnancy may be an accurate, convenient and inexpensive way to screen the general population for unrecognized diabetes and prediabetes, according to Emory University researchers. (2009-06-26)

Long-term apple scab resistance remains elusive, Purdue expert says
There are hundreds of choices when picking a crabapple tree from the nursery, but a Purdue University expert says only a handful are resistant to a widespread fungus or other serious diseases. (2009-06-26)

Neurological differences support dyslexia subtypes
Parts of the right hemisphere of the brains of people with dyslexia have been shown to differ from those of normal readers. (2009-06-25)

Gladstone scientists identify key factor that controls HIV latency
Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes of Virology and Immunology (GIVI) have found another clue that may lead to eradication of HIV from infected patients who have been on antiretroviral therapy. (2009-06-26)

Galaxies coming of age in cosmic blobs
The "coming of age" of galaxies and black holes has been pinpointed, thanks to new data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes. (2009-06-25)

Xie Lab uncovers molecular machinery related to stem cell fate
The Stowers Institute's Xie Lab has revealed how the BAM protein affects germline stem cell differentiation and how it is involved in regulating the quality of stem cells through intercellular competition. (2009-06-29)

New gene discovery links obesity to the brain
A variation in a gene that is active in the central nervous system is associated with increased risk for obesity. (2009-06-26)

Ability to literally imagine oneself in another's shoes may be tied to empathy
New research from Vanderbilt University indicates the way our brain handles how we move through space-including being able to imagine literally stepping into someone else's shoes-may be related to how and why we experience empathy toward others. (2009-06-24)

MicroRNAs help control HIV life cycle
Scientists at Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) have discovered that specific microRNAs (non-coding RNAs that interfere with gene expression) reduce HIV replication and infectivity in human T-cells. (2009-06-26)

Brain plasticity: Changes and resets in homeostasis
In an article published in the June 25th edition of the journal Neuron, researchers at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, have found that synaptic plasticity, long implicated as a device for 'change' in the brain, may also be essential for stability. (2009-06-26)

M. D. Anderson study finds strong relationship between high body mass index, pancreatic cancer
In reviewing the weight history of pancreatic cancer patients across their life spans, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have determined that a high body mass index in early adulthood may play a significant role in an individual developing the disease at an earlier age. (2009-06-24)

Underweight and extremely obese die earlier than people of normal weight, study finds
Underweight people and those who are extremely obese die earlier than people of normal weight-but those who are overweight actually live longer than people of normal weight. (2009-06-24)

New nanoparticles could revolutionize therapeutic drug discovery
A revolutionary new protein stabilisation technique has been developed by scientists funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) which could lead to 30 per cent more proteins being available as potential targets for drug development - opening up exciting possibilities in drug discovery. (2009-06-26)

Effective pain treatment for cancer patients?
Cancer patients often suffer from severe pain that cannot be effectively treated with conventional medication. (2009-06-26)

Genetically engineered mice yield clues to 'knocking out' cancer
Deleting two genes in mice responsible for repairing DNA strands damaged by oxidation leads to several types of tumors, providing additional evidence that such stress contributes to the development of cancer. (2009-07-02)

Spanish scientists develop echo-location in humans
A team of researchers from the University of Alcalá de Henares (UAH) has shown scientifically that human beings can develop echolocation, the system of acoustic signals used by dolphins and bats to explore their surroundings. (2009-07-01)

Desert rhubarb -- a self-irrigating plant
Researchers from the Department of Science Education-Biology at the University of Haifa-Oranim have managed to make out the "self-irrigating" mechanism of the desert rhubarb, which enables it to harvest 16 times the amount of water than otherwise expected for a plant in this region based on the quantities of rain in the desert. (2009-07-02)
[ Science News Archive ]
© 2009 BrightSurf.com