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Rabu, 01 Juni 2011

ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Wednesday, June 1, 2011

02.21 technofi No comments

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.

Dangerous bacteria found on cell phones of hospital patients (June 1, 2011) -- Cell phones used by patients and their visitors were twice as likely to contain potentially dangerous bacteria as those of health-care workers, according to a new study. ... > full story

Decades-old molecular mystery linked to blood clotting solved (June 1, 2011) -- Blood clotting is a complicated business, particularly for scientists trying to understand how the body responds to injury. In a new study, researchers report that they are the first to describe in atomic detail a chemical interaction that is vital to blood clotting. This interaction -- between a clotting factor and a cell membrane -- has baffled scientists for decades. ... > full story

Antibodies successful in treatment of the hemolytic-uremic syndrome from enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (June 1, 2011) -- A team of physicians from Germany, Canada, and France reports on the successful treatment of three young children who were suffering from a severe hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) after an infection with enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC). The infections occurred in 2010. EHEC are the bacteria that cause the current wave of infections that have already claimed ten lives in Germany. The number of suspected and confirmed cases of EHEC has now reached 700. ... > full story

Cholera in Haiti: Universal vaccination campaign is essential to ending crisis, experts say (June 1, 2011) -- Debate about the public health response to Haiti's cholera epidemic continues as the crisis enters its ninth month, with some experts arguing that a vaccination campaign in Haiti would be neither feasible nor cost-effective, and advocating putting forth other measures. A coalition of medical and public health researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, argue that a universal vaccination campaign is essential to ending the crisis. ... > full story

Link between influenza vaccination in pregnancy and reduced risk of premature birth (June 1, 2011) -- A new study suggests that there might be an association between maternal immunization with inactivated influenza vaccine during pregnancy and reduced likelihood of prematurity and the baby being small for gestational age. ... > full story

HbA1C test for glucose monitoring poorly predictive in dialysis patients (June 1, 2011) -- The gold standard long-term glucose monitoring test for patients with diabetes proved to be of limited value in dialysis patients, according to a new study. ... > full story

Why childhood obesity? It's so much more than what kids eat (June 1, 2011) -- Scientists from a variety of disciplines have teamed up to examine the factors that contribute to childhood obesity. Why? Because individual researchers have found that the problem is too complicated for any of them to tackle alone. Strong Kids team members are looking at such diverse factors as genetic predisposition, the effect of breastfeeding, how much TV a child watches, and the neighborhood he lives in, among many others. ... > full story

Zeroing in on Alzheimer's disease (May 31, 2011) -- Recently the number of genes known to be associated with Alzheimer's disease has increased from four to eight, including the MS4A gene cluster on chromosome 11. New research has expanded on this using a genome-wide association study to find a novel location within the MS4A gene cluster which is associated with Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story

Targeted testing offers treatment hope for ovarian cancer patients (May 31, 2011) -- Women with ovarian cancer could be helped by a new test that identifies the specific type of tumor they have. ... > full story

Happiness: The neglected role of job design (May 31, 2011) -- People who are given greater variety and independence in their jobs feel both less stressed and more satisfied, according to findings which suggest that several management practices designed to make employees more efficient also make them happier. Employees are also more likely to be happy when management readily shares information and consults with them, the study shows. ... > full story

Key mechanism in transition to alcohol dependence discovered (May 31, 2011) -- A team of scientists has found a key biological mechanism underpinning the transition to alcohol dependence. This finding opens the door to the development of drugs to manage excessive alcohol consumption. ... > full story

Gene change identifies brain cancer patients that respond better to treatment (May 31, 2011) -- New research proves that a change in a particular gene can identify which patients with a specific kind of brain cancer will respond better to treatment. Testing for the gene can distinguish patients with a more- or less-aggressive form of glioblastoma, the most common and an often-fatal type of primary brain cancer, and this can help guide therapy. The prospective study looked for a change in the MGMT gene in tumors from 833 glioblastoma patients. ... > full story

Bilingualism no big deal for brain, researcher finds (May 31, 2011) -- There are many complicated theories on how the brain processes more than one language, but one researcher has found that how words sound provides enough information to distinguish which language a word belongs to. ... > full story

Potential new drug candidate found for Alzheimer's disease (May 31, 2011) -- Researchers have demonstrated that oral administration of a cysteine protease inhibitor, E64d, not only reduces the build-up of beta-amyloid in the brains of animal models for Alzheimer's disease, but also results in a substantial improvement in memory deficit. ... > full story

Mouse virus erroneously linked to chronic fatigue syndrome, study finds (May 31, 2011) -- Two years ago, a widely publicized scientific report plucked an old mouse virus out of obscurity and held it up as a possible cause of chronic fatigue syndrome. According to a new study, that report was wrong. ... > full story

'E-waste pollution' a threat to human health, new research suggests (May 31, 2011) -- In addition to its damaging effect on the environment and its illegal smuggling into developing countries, researchers have now linked e-waste to adverse effects on human health, such as inflammation and oxidative stress -- precursors to cardiovascular disease, DNA damage and possibly cancer. ... > full story

Link between childhood ADHD and substance abuse risk supported by long-term study data (May 31, 2011) -- Analysis of data from two long-term studies of the impact of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder on the development of psychiatric disorders in young adults confirms that ADHD alone significantly increases the risk of cigarette smoking and substance abuse in both boys and girls. ... > full story

Cell phones and cancer: Assessment classifies radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (May 31, 2011) -- A new World Health Organization report classifies radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans, based on an increased risk for glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, associated with wireless phone use. ... > full story

Novel pathway regulating angiogenesis: May fight retinal disease, cancers (May 31, 2011) -- Scientists have identified a new molecular pathway used to suppress blood vessel branching in the developing retina -- a finding with potential therapeutic value for fighting diseases of the retina and a variety of cancers. Researchers also were able to reverse this pathway to accelerate the growth of branching vessels, which could be important to developing new methods for repairing damaged tissues. ... > full story

Improved prognosis for esophageal cancer (May 31, 2011) -- In recent years, the number of cases of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus (or gullet) has been on the rise. At the same time, however, new ways of treatment are improving the outlook for patients. In a new study, researchers report on innovations in diagnosis and treatment. ... > full story

How do creative ads shake up the way we think? (May 31, 2011) -- Innovative ads can help creative consumers break away from their existing thought patterns, according to a new study. These creative stimuli can affect the way consumers process information about different products. ... > full story

Newly discovered protein may be a cause of heart failure (May 31, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a protein switch which can trigger a cascade of events leading to heart failure, pointing to a new direction for drug development. ... > full story

Sweet defence against lethal bacteria: Synthesizing a potential vaccine candidate for an antibiotic-resistant pathogen (May 31, 2011) -- There is now a promising vaccine candidate for combating the pathogen which causes one of the most common and dangerous hospital infections. An international team of scientists has developed a vaccine based on a carbohydrate against the Clostridium difficile bacterium, which is known to cause serious gastrointestinal diseases mainly in hospitals. The sugar-based vaccine elicited a specific and effective immune response in mice. Moreover, the scientists have also discovered strong indications that the substance can stimulate the human immune system to form antibodies against the bacterium. ... > full story

FDA could analyze public health consequences of its decisions better, experts say (May 31, 2011) -- A new report lays out a framework for the US Food and Drug Administration to systematically evaluate and compare the public health consequences of its decisions concerning a wide variety of products. Moreover, the risk-assessment framework provides a common internal language to discuss potential options and draws extensively on well-vetted risk literature to define the relevant health dimensions for FDA decision making. ... > full story

Can stress increase the risk of multiple sclerosis? (May 31, 2011) -- Contrary to earlier reports, a new study finds that stress does not appear to increase a person's risk of developing multiple sclerosis. ... > full story

New mouse model may lead to new therapies for degenerative diseases (May 31, 2011) -- Researchers have engineered a new mouse that that can be used for research on degenerative disease. ... > full story

Direct-to-consumer genetic tests neither accurate in their predictions nor beneficial to individuals, study suggests (May 31, 2011) -- Direct to consumer genetic tests are inaccurate in their predictions, mislead patients, and many of them should be banned, say clinical geneticists. ... > full story

Dietary inorganic nitrate may reduce heart dysfunction caused by powerful anti-cancer drug (May 31, 2011) -- Researchers have found that nutrient supplementation, like the kind that is found in leafy greens, spinach and lettuce, may reduce the damage to the heart caused by a powerful anti-cancer drug. ... > full story

Study reveals need for personalized approach in treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (May 31, 2011) -- A new discovery in mice may one day allow doctors to spare some patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) from toxic treatments, while also opening the door for new therapeutic research. ... > full story

Acupuncture of benefit to those with unexplained symptoms, study suggests (May 31, 2011) -- Researchers have carried out a randomized control trial and a linked interview study regarding 80 such patients from GP practices across London, to investigate their experiences of having five-element acupuncture added to their usual care. This is the first trial of traditional acupuncture for people with unexplained symptoms. ... > full story

Scientists recreate brain cell networks providing view of activity behind memory formation (May 31, 2011) -- Researchers have reproduced the brain's complex electrical impulses onto models made of living brain cells that provide an unprecedented view of the neuron activity behind memory formation. ... > full story

Detecting lung cancer early: Researchers lay foundation for future blood test (May 31, 2011) -- A person's blood reveals whether he or she has lung cancer, according to researchers in Germany. The scientists are developing a blood test for smokers which could save human lives in the future, since the earlier a lung tumor is detected, the better the chances of survival are. ... > full story

Simple new bedside screening effectively identifies patients with acute aortic dissection (May 31, 2011) -- The most lethal and sudden heart event can be the toughest for doctors to diagnose. But a new study shows a simple, new bedside test is effective for determining who's most likely suffering from aortic dissection, a painful tearing in the lining of the body's largest blood vessel. Aortic dissection lead to the sudden death of award-winning TV actor John Ritter in 2003. ... > full story

More focus needed on mental health triage in disaster preparedness, bioethicists urge (May 31, 2011) -- Bioethicists say disaster-response planning has overlooked the needs of people who suffer from pre-existing, serious mental conditions. Survivors already diagnosed with schizophrenia, dementia, addictions and bipolar disorder are vulnerable long before disaster strikes, they point out. ... > full story

Key goals for building on 30 years of HIV/AIDS research (May 31, 2011) -- In the 30 years since the first reported cases of a mysterious illness now known as AIDS, researchers have made extraordinary advances in understanding, treating and preventing the disease. Now the challenge, according to experts at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, is to build on those successes to control and, ultimately, end the HIV/AIDS pandemic. ... > full story

Mutated muscle protein can cause deafness: Gene mutations on X chromosome lead to progressive hearing impairment (May 30, 2011) -- Excessive noise is not the only thing that causes damage to hearing. In many cases, genetic factors are responsible for the loss of hearing at a young age. Researchers have discovered a previously unknown genetic cause of progressive hearing impairment: the disease is caused by mutations of the SMPX (small muscle protein) gene, which is located on the X chromosome. It was not previously known that this gene, which is active in the skeletal muscle and heart, also plays a role in hearing. The discovery will make it easier to diagnose progressive hearing impairment and may also provide a starting point for the development of new treatment methods. ... > full story

Risk of blood clots in veins: Hereditary factors studied in Swedish study (May 30, 2011) -- Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the third most common type of cardiovascular disease after coronary heart disease and stroke. Researchers recently mapped the significance of hereditary factors for venous thromboembolism in the entire Swedish population by studying the risk of VTE in children of parents with VTE compared with the children of parents who have not had VTE. ... > full story

Break up of New Orleans households after Katrina (May 30, 2011) -- How well a family recovers from a natural catastrophe may be tied to the household's pre-disaster make up and socio-economic status. Researchers compared the number of households in New Orleans, LA that broke up following Hurricane Katrina to the national rate of household break-ups over an equivalent period. An estimated 1.3 million people fled the Gulf Coast during that emergency in 2005 -- the largest urban evacuation America has ever seen. Overall, the rate at which extended-family households broke up after the storm exceeded comparable national figures. ... > full story

Obesity greater risk for fatty liver than moderate amounts of alcohol, study suggests (May 30, 2011) -- Being overweight and resistant to insulin constitute a greater risk for fatty liver than was previously thought, according to a new study from Sweden. ... > full story

Aging: Peroxisomes have two independent proliferation mechanisms (May 30, 2011) -- Peroxisomes are cell organelles that can cause disease and aging processes if they do not function properly. Researchers have now demonstrated that peroxisomes can be created by two independent processes, one of which serves as a kind of ‘backup’. ... > full story

Disparities in stroke care prevail among US racial/ethnic groups, experts say (May 30, 2011) -- Disparities based on race and ethnic origin exist in every aspect of stroke care, according to experts. Minority groups represent at least 28 percent of the US population, and the percent is expected to nearly double by the year 2050 -- increasing the need to close health care gaps. Education can significantly improve stroke care for minority groups. Programs to reach young minorities can help raise awareness that stroke is preventable and treatable. ... > full story

Researchers show aging brain's reduced ability to respond to experience (May 30, 2011) -- Researchers have published new data on why the aging brain is less resilient and less capable of learning from life experiences. The findings provide further insight into the cognitive decline associated with aging and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. ... > full story

Eight hours of resistance: Why do cancer cells easily give in to the temptation to divide? (May 30, 2011) -- New research reveals how the tumor suppressor p53 keeps the brakes on normal cell division. ... > full story

People with body-image disorders process 'big picture' visual information abnormally (May 30, 2011) -- People suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD -- a severe mental illness characterized by debilitating misperceptions that they appear disfigured and ugly -- process visual information abnormally, even when looking at inanimate objects. The findings are an important step in developing treatments to change their self-perceptions. ... > full story

Why does flu trigger asthma? (May 30, 2011) -- When children with asthma get the flu, they often land in the hospital gasping for air. Researchers have found a previously unknown biological pathway explaining why influenza induces asthma attacks. Studies in a mouse model reveal that influenza activates a newly recognized group of immune cells called natural helper cells -- presenting a completely new set of drug targets for asthma. ... > full story

What is a laboratory mouse? (May 30, 2011) -- Scientists have created a genome-wide, high-resolution map of most of the inbred mouse strains used today. Their conclusion: Most of the mice in use today represent only limited genetic diversity, which could be significantly expanded with the addition of more wild mouse populations. ... > full story

Translating stem cell research into therapies (May 30, 2011) -- A new article provides comprehensive insight into the current status of neural stem cell research and the sometimes labyrinthine pathways leading to stem cell-based therapies. ... > full story

Method for detecting toxic substances in leather and footwear developed (May 30, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new analytical method that improves detection of the allergen dimethyl fumarate (DMFu) in leather and footwear. ... > full story

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ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Wednesday, June 1, 2011

02.19 technofi No comments

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.

Working toward sending humans to Mars (June 1, 2011) -- What would it take to send astronauts to Mars? A team of aeronautical and textile engineering students believe part of the solution may lie in advanced textile materials. The students joined forces to tackle life-support challenges that the aerospace industry has been grappling with for decades. ... > full story

Stamping out low cost nanodevices (June 1, 2011) -- A team of engineers has developed a rapid and low-cost imprinting process that can stamp out a variety of devices that have unique optical, electrical, chemical and mechanical properties. ... > full story

Researchers create nanoscale waveguide for future photonics (May 31, 2011) -- The creation of a new quasiparticle called the "hybrid plasmon polariton" may throw open the doors to integrated photonic circuits and optical computing for the 21st century. Researchers have demonstrated the first true nanoscale waveguides for next generation on-chip optical communication systems. ... > full story

Mobile virtual world with a flexible virtual reality system (May 31, 2011) -- Product developers, vehicle design engineers and trainee pilots increasingly utilize 3-D worlds, operating in a virtual space created by realistic images in real time. Researchers have now created precisely a new virtual reality system. The Flexible Reconfigurable Cave (FRAVE) offers a wealth of advantages over the previously established CAVE (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment): it is much cheaper, more flexible, features a modular structure and a smaller footprint. ... > full story

Clean energy technology: Direct methanol fuel cell system moves forward (May 31, 2011) -- A team of scientists has developed a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell technology for future U.S. Department of Defense and commercial applications. ... > full story

Code green: Energy-efficient programming to curb computers' power use (May 31, 2011) -- A new system called EnerJ helps computer programmers go green, letting them cut a program's energy consumption by up to 50 percent. ... > full story

Honing household helpers: Computer scientists work toward improving robots’ ability to plan and perform complex actions, domestically and elsewhere (May 31, 2011) -- Imagine a robot able to retrieve a pile of laundry from the back of a cluttered closet, deliver it to a washing machine, start the cycle and then zip off to the kitchen to start preparing dinner. This may have been a domestic dream a half-century ago, when the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence first captured public imagination. However, it quickly became clear that even "simple" human actions are extremely difficult to replicate in robots. Now, computer scientists are tackling the problem with a hierarchical, progressive algorithm that has the potential to greatly reduce the computational cost associated with performing complex actions. ... > full story

Hide files within files for better data security: Using executable program files to hide data with steganography (May 31, 2011) -- A new approach to hiding data within executable computer program files could make it almost impossible to detect hidden documents. ... > full story

'Nanowire' measurements could improve computer memory (May 31, 2011) -- Recent measurements may have revealed the optimal characteristics for a new type of highly efficient computer memory now under development -- nanowire-based charge-trapping memory devices. ... > full story

Listening with one atom: New record for measuring magnetic vibrations using the spin of a single atom (May 31, 2011) -- Scientists have set a new record for measuring magnetic vibrations using the spin of a single atom: 100 times more accurate than the previous record. ... > full story

Defect in graphene may present bouquet of possibilities (May 31, 2011) -- A class of decorative, flower-like defects in the nanomaterial graphene could have potentially important effects on the material's already unique electrical and mechanical properties, according to researchers. ... > full story

Exotic behavior when mechanical devices reach the nanoscale (May 31, 2011) -- Mechanical resonators are extensively used in high-tech industry, to mark time in electronic components, and to stabilize radio transmissions. Most mechanical resonators damp (slow down) in a well-understood linear manner, but ground-breaking work has now shown that resonators formed from nanoscale graphene and carbon nanotubes exhibit nonlinear damping, opening up exciting possibilities for super-sensitive detectors of force or mass. ... > full story

Cover crop seeder pulls triple duty for small farms (May 31, 2011) -- Farmers using a cover crop seeder developed by agricultural scientists may eventually need only a single trip across the field to accomplish what takes most farmers three passes and several pieces of equipment to do. ... > full story

Graphene can polarize light: Researchers demonstrate world's thinnest polarizer (May 30, 2011) -- Graphene, an ultra-flat monolayer of carbon atoms in a hexagonal crystal lattice, has attracted a strong wave of research interest due to its unique electrical and photonic properties. Now, researchers have demonstrated the world's thinnest polarizer, which relies on the coupling, guiding and polarizing of electromagnetic waves by graphene. They claim that this breakthrough will someday allow the integration on all-photonic circuits for high-speed optical communications. ... > full story

Making complex composite materials to order (May 30, 2011) -- Scientists have found a way to make complex composite materials whose attributes can be fine-tuned to give various desirable combinations of properties such as stiffness, strength, resistance to impacts and energy dissipation. ... > full story

Flexible films for photovoltaics (May 30, 2011) -- Displays that can be rolled up and flexible solar cells -- both are potential future markets. Barrier layers that protect thin-film solar cells from oxygen and water vapor and thus increase their useful life are an essential component. ... > full story

Mars: Red planet's rapid formation explains its small size relative to Earth (May 30, 2011) -- Mars developed in as little as two to four million years after the birth of the solar system, far more quickly than Earth, according to a new study. The red planet's rapid formation helps explain why it is so small, say researchers. ... > full story

New synchrotron technique could see hidden building blocks of life (May 30, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a new synchrotron X-ray technique that may revolutionize the chemical analysis of rare materials like meteoric rock samples or fossils. ... > full story

Biological circuits for synthetic biology (May 29, 2011) -- Using the tools of synthetic biology, researchers have engineered the first RNA-based regulatory system that can independently control the transcription activities of multiple targets in a single cell. This is a significant advance for the design and construction of programmable genetic networks. ... > full story

New software tool helps evaluate natural cooling options for buildings (May 29, 2011) -- A new, free software tool could prove to be a breath of fresh air for architects and designers of ventilation systems for "green" commercial buildings. ... > full story

Teasing apart galaxy collisions: Spitzer photo atlas of galactic 'train wrecks' (May 29, 2011) -- Five billion years from now, our Milky Way galaxy will collide with the Andromeda galaxy. This will mark a moment of both destruction and creation. The galaxies will lose their separate identities as they merge into one. At the same time, cosmic clouds of gas and dust will smash together, triggering the birth of new stars. To understand our past and imagine our future, we must understand what happens when galaxies collide. ... > full story

Stars help researchers track space junk (May 29, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a method to track the movement of geostationary objects using the position of the stars, which could help to monitor space debris. The technique can be used with small telescopes and in places that are not very dark. ... > full story

Dangerous side effect of common drug combination -- Paxil and Pravachol -- discovered by data mining (May 29, 2011) -- A widely used combination of two common medications may cause unexpected increases in blood glucose levels, according to a new study. Researchers were surprised at the finding because neither of the two drugs -- one, an antidepressant marketed as Paxil, and the other, a cholesterol-lowering medication called Pravachol -- has a similar effect alone. ... > full story

Scientists argue against conclusion that bacteria consumed Deepwater Horizon methane (May 29, 2011) -- New research casts doubt on a widely publicized study that concluded that a bacterial bloom in the Gulf of Mexico consumed the methane discharged from the Deepwater Horizon well. ... > full story

Better passwords get with the beat (May 29, 2011) -- No password is 100 percent secure. There are always ways and means for those with malicious intent to hack, crack or socially engineer access to a password. Indeed, there are more and more websites and databases compromised on a seemingly daily basis. A new approach to verifying passwords that also takes into account the speed with which a user types in their login and the gaps between characters would render a stolen password useless. ... > full story

Better viewing through fluorescent nanotubes when peering into innards of a mouse (May 28, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a way to see deeper -- and more clearly -- into bodily organs of laboratory mice used in studies of medications. Fluorescent carbon nanotubes, injected into the mice, provide clearer images. ... > full story

New hope of detecting gravitational waves: Final piece of Einstein's jigsaw puzzle (May 28, 2011) -- Direct evidence of the existence of gravitational waves is something that has long eluded researchers. However, new research has suggested that adding just one of the proposed detectors in Japan, Australia and India will drastically increase the expected rate of detection. ... > full story

Chameleon magnets: Ability to switch magnets 'on' or 'off' could revolutionize computing (May 28, 2011) -- What causes a magnet to be a magnet, and how can we control a magnet's behavior? These are the questions that researchers have been exploring over many years. ... > full story

Students struggling with math may have a neurocognitive disorder called dyscalculia: Disorder affects roughly as many people as dyslexia (May 28, 2011) -- Students who struggle to learn mathematics may have a neurocognitive disorder that inhibits the acquisition of basic numerical and arithmetic concepts, according to a new article. Specialized teaching for individuals with dyscalculia, the mathematical equivalent of dyslexia, should be made widely available in mainstream education, according to a new review. ... > full story

Physicists explain the long, useful lifetime of carbon-14 (May 28, 2011) -- Physicists have discovered the reasons behind the unexpectedly slow decay of carbon-14. That slow decay makes it possible for scientists to use carbon dating techniques to accurately date the relics of history. Understanding the decay of carbon-14 could also help researchers unravel other mysteries of matter. ... > full story

Astronomers unveil most complete 3-D map of local universe (May 27, 2011) -- Astronomers have unveiled the most complete 3-D map of the local universe (out to a distance of 380 million light-years) ever created. Taking more than 10 years to complete, the 2MASS Redshift Survey (2MRS) also is notable for extending closer to the Galactic plane than previous surveys -- a region that's generally obscured by dust. ... > full story

New procedure to make brain surgery safer (May 27, 2011) -- To increase patient safety in clinical practice and minimize risks and damage that may arise during surgery, computer support and digital medical imaging are key technologies. Before brain operations, neurosurgeons can now evaluate patient-specific surgical risks, achieve increased safety, and avoid unacceptable risks. ... > full story

Spitzer sees crystal 'rain' in outer clouds of infant star (May 27, 2011) -- Tiny crystals of a green mineral called olivine are falling down like rain on a burgeoning star, according to observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. This is the first time such crystals have been observed in the dusty clouds of gas that collapse around forming stars. Astronomers are still debating how the crystals got there, but the most likely culprits are jets of gas blasting away from the embryonic star. ... > full story

Green and lean: Secreting bacteria eliminate cost barriers for renewable biofuel production (May 27, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a process that removes a key obstacle to producing low-cost, renewable biofuels from bacteria. The team has reprogrammed photosynthetic microbes to secrete high-energy fats, making byproduct recovery and conversion to biofuels easier and potentially more commercially viable. ... > full story

Rendezvous with an asteroid: NASA to launch new science mission to near-Earth asteroid in 2016 (May 27, 2011) -- NASA will launch a spacecraft to an asteroid in 2016 and use a robotic arm to pluck samples that could better explain our solar system's formation and how life began. The mission, called Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx, will be the first U.S. mission to carry samples from an asteroid back to Earth. ... > full story

Improving DNA sequencing: Sponge-like biosensor crams enormous power into tiny space (May 27, 2011) -- Engineers have created a "spongy" silicon biosensor that shows promise not only for medical diagnostics, but also for the detection of dangerous toxins and other tiny molecules in the environment. This innovation was originally designed to detect the presence of particular DNA sequences, which can be extremely helpful in identifying a person's predisposition to heart disease or cancer. ... > full story

Nanoengineers invent new biomaterial that more closely mimics human tissue (May 27, 2011) -- A new biomaterial designed for repairing damaged human tissue doesn't wrinkle up when it is stretched. The invention from nanoengineers marks a significant breakthrough in tissue engineering because it more closely mimics the properties of native human tissue. ... > full story

New nanoscale imaging may lead to new treatments for multiple sclerosis (May 27, 2011) -- Laboratory studies by chemical engineers may lead to new experimental methods for early detection and diagnosis -- and to possible treatments -- for pathological tissues that are precursors to multiple sclerosis and similar diseases. ... > full story

NASA is making hot 'way cool' (May 27, 2011) -- Called electrohydrodynamic (EHD)-based thermal control, the technology promises to make it easier and more efficient to remove heat from small spaces -- a particular challenge for engineers building advanced space instruments and microprocessors that could fail if the heat they generate is not removed. ... > full story

Nuclear radiation affects sex of babies, study suggests (May 27, 2011) -- Ionizing radiation is not without danger to human populations. Indeed, exposure to nuclear radiation leads to an increase in male births relative to female births, according to a new study by researchers in Germany. Their work shows that radiation from atomic bomb testing before the Partial Test Ban Treaty in 1963, the Chernobyl accident, and from living near nuclear facilities, has had a long-term negative effect on the ratio of male to female human births (sex odds). ... > full story

Matter-matter entanglement at a distance: Quantum mechanical entanglement of two remote quantum systems (May 27, 2011) -- Because of its strange consequences, the quantum mechanical phenomenon of entanglement has been called “spooky action at a distance” by Albert Einstein. For several years, physicists have been developing concepts of how to use this phenomenon for practical applications such as absolutely safe data transmission. For this purpose, the entanglement which is generated in a local process has to be distributed among remote quantum systems. A team of scientists in Germany has now demonstrated that two remote atomic quantum systems can be prepared in a shared “entangled” state: one system is a single atom trapped in an optical resonator, the other one a Bose-Einstein condensate consisting of hundreds of thousands of ultracold atoms. With the hybrid system thus generated, the researchers have realized a fundamental building block of a quantum network. ... > full story

NASA's Hubble finds rare 'blue straggler' stars in the Milky Way's hub (May 27, 2011) -- NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has found a rare class of oddball stars called blue stragglers in the hub of our Milky Way, the first detected within our galaxy's bulge. ... > full story

Superior sound for telephones, mobile and related devices (May 27, 2011) -- Telephone calls and video conferences with a sound quality that approaches that of direct communication are now possible with a new audio coding technology - it is almost as if the discussion participants are sitting across from one another. ... > full story

NASA's WISE mission offers a taste of galaxies to come (May 26, 2011) -- An assorted mix of colorful galaxies is being released by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission, or WISE. The nine galaxies are a taste of what's to come. The mission plans to release similar images for the 1,000 largest galaxies that appear in our sky, and possibly more. ... > full story

Testing material hardness and strength: Butter up the old 'scratch test' to make it tough (May 26, 2011) -- It might not seem like scraping the top of a cold stick of butter with a knife could be a scientific test, but engineers say the process is very similar to the "scratch test," which is perhaps the oldest known way to assess a material's hardness and strength. Using butter as a launching point, they found that the scratch test is actually measuring a material's toughness rather than its strength. ... > full story