ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

---

• Two isolates from E. coli outbreak sequenced
• Landsat satellite images compare before and after Massachusetts tornado
• Nearby galaxy boasts two monster black holes, both active
• NASA's 'Age of Aquarius' dawns with California launch
• Using waste heat from automobile exhaust
• Potential new way to fight sepsis
• Clever tool use in parrots and crows
• An egalitarian Internet? Not so, study finds
• An Alice-in-Wonderland universe? Physicist discovers an apparent cosmic parity violation
• Ultrathin copper-oxide layers behave like quantum spin liquid
• Physicists apply Einstein's theory to superconducting circuits
• NASA's Dawn spacecraft approaches protoplanet Vesta
• Strength training for grandma and grandpa
• Voters have up to five times more influence in early primaries
• Gender differences in risk pathways for adolescent substance abuse and early adult alcoholism
• Venice to suffer fewer storm surges
• Mortality from all causes higher among hepatitis C-infected, analysis finds
• Fighting oil-spills with air-bubbles
• New constellations of species change ecosystems
• Earth from space: A gush of volcanic gas
• New method for measuring Parkinson's disease prevalence reveals sharp increase in Israel
• New animal study shows promise for development of Parkinson's disease drug

Two isolates from E. coli outbreak sequenced Posted: 10 Jun 2011 04:45 PM PDT An outbreak of Escherichia coli causing a severe illness called hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) began in Germany on May 2, 2011 and has killed more than 20 people and sickened more than 2,000. The organism causing the outbreak has been identified as a strain of E. coli O104:H4 that produces a Shiga toxin and causes an illness similar to infection with E. coli O157:H7. Two isolates from this outbreak have been sequenced. Both strains, TY-2482 and LB226692, have been annotated.

Landsat satellite images compare before and after Massachusetts tornado Posted: 10 Jun 2011 01:47 PM PDT Satellites provide a lot of useful information and the Landsat 5 satellite captured an image of the long damage track created on June 1, 2011, when a tornado tracked from Springfield to Sturbridge, Mass. An earlier image is now available from 2010 that enables people to more clearly see the damage path the June 2011 twister created on its eastward track.

Nearby galaxy boasts two monster black holes, both active Posted: 10 Jun 2011 01:46 PM PDT A study using NASA's Swift satellite and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory has found a second supersized black hole at the heart of an unusual nearby galaxy already known to be sporting one. The galaxy, which is known as Markarian 739 or NGC 3758, lies 425 million light-years away toward the constellation Leo. Only about 11,000 light-years separate the two cores, each of which contains a black hole gorging on infalling gas.

NASA's 'Age of Aquarius' dawns with California launch Posted: 10 Jun 2011 10:20 AM PDT NASA's 'Age of Aquarius' has dawned with the launch of an international satellite carrying the agency-built Aquarius instrument that will measure the saltiness of Earth's oceans to advance our understanding of the global water cycle and improve climate forecasts.

Using waste heat from automobile exhaust Posted: 10 Jun 2011 10:19 AM PDT With the completion of a successful prototype, engineers have made a major step toward addressing one of the leading problems in energy use around the world today -- the waste of half or more of the energy produced by cars, factories and power plants. New technology is being developed to capture and use the low-to-medium grade waste heat that's now going out the exhaust pipe of millions of automobiles, diesel generators, or being wasted by factories and electrical utilities.

Potential new way to fight sepsis Posted: 10 Jun 2011 10:19 AM PDT By digging a little deeper, researchers may have found a potential target for reversing the deadly blood infection sepsis.

Clever tool use in parrots and crows Posted: 10 Jun 2011 10:19 AM PDT The kea, a New Zealand parrot, and the New Caledonian crow are members of the two most intelligent avian families. Researchers have investigated their problem solving abilities as well as their innovative capacities.

An egalitarian Internet? Not so, study finds Posted: 10 Jun 2011 10:19 AM PDT The Internet is often thought of as a forum that enables egalitarian communication among people from diverse backgrounds and political persuasions, but a new study reveals that online discussion groups display the same hierarchical structure as other large social groups.

An Alice-in-Wonderland universe? Physicist discovers an apparent cosmic parity violation Posted: 10 Jun 2011 09:56 AM PDT Does our universe have mirror symmetry? That is the question physicist Michael Longo asked. The answer could perhaps be found by studying the rotation directions of spiral galaxies.

Ultrathin copper-oxide layers behave like quantum spin liquid Posted: 10 Jun 2011 07:26 AM PDT Magnetic studies of ultrathin slabs of copper-oxide materials reveal that at very low temperatures, the thinnest, isolated layers lose their long-range magnetic order and instead behave like a "quantum spin liquid" -- a state of matter where the orientations of electron spins fluctuate wildly. This unexpected discovery may offer support for the idea that this novel condensed state of matter is a precursor to the emergence of high-temperature superconductivity -- the ability to carry current with no resistance.

Physicists apply Einstein's theory to superconducting circuits Posted: 10 Jun 2011 06:45 AM PDT Using Einstein's general theory of relativity, scientists have demonstrated that the Josephson junction could be reproduced. The Josephson junction, a device that was first discovered by Brian David Josephson in the early 1960's, is a main ingredient in applications of superconductivity.

NASA's Dawn spacecraft approaches protoplanet Vesta Posted: 10 Jun 2011 06:45 AM PDT NASA's Dawn mission to the doughnut-shaped asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter is approaching Vesta, some 220 million miles from Earth. Many surprises are likely awaiting the spacecraft.

Strength training for grandma and grandpa Posted: 10 Jun 2011 06:45 AM PDT People lose 30 percent of their muscle strength between the ages of 50 and 70 years. However, maintaining muscle strength in old age is enormously important in order to maintain mobility and to be able to lead an independent life and manage everyday tasks independently. Scientists conclude that progressive strength (resistance) training counteracts muscular atrophy in old age.

Voters have up to five times more influence in early primaries Posted: 10 Jun 2011 06:45 AM PDT As the nation gears up for the 2012 presidential election, potential candidates are making frequent stops in New Hampshire and Iowa. New research shows that voters in early primary states have a disproportionate influence on who gets elected.

Gender differences in risk pathways for adolescent substance abuse and early adult alcoholism Posted: 10 Jun 2011 06:44 AM PDT According to a recent Finnish study, boys and girls with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may differ from each other in their vulnerability to substance use problems. Inattentiveness and hyperactivity may be more predictive of alcohol use disorders and maladaptive patterns of alcohol and illicit drug use among girls than boys.

Venice to suffer fewer storm surges Posted: 10 Jun 2011 06:44 AM PDT Venice -- the "City of Dreams" -- may have one less nightmare to deal with following a finding that the frequency of extreme storm surge events generated by Adriatic Sea tempests could fall by about 30 percent by 2100.

Mortality from all causes higher among hepatitis C-infected, analysis finds Posted: 10 Jun 2011 05:17 AM PDT Although liver-related mortality among those infected with hepatitis C is well documented, little is known about deaths in these patients that are not related to liver problems. A new study sought to determine mortality from all causes, including liver- and non-liver-related deaths among hepatitis C patients in the general U.S. population. The analysis found mortality from all causes to be higher in these patients.

Fighting oil-spills with air-bubbles Posted: 10 Jun 2011 05:17 AM PDT Curtains of air-bubbles are turning out to be a new method of fighting oil-spills. The bubbles gather up the oil efficiently, even in winds and strong currents, and keep it together in a "pool".

New constellations of species change ecosystems Posted: 10 Jun 2011 05:17 AM PDT Human activities that are causing global climate changes and destroying habitats in nature are leading to the extinction of many species from the earth's ecosystems. At the same time many species are expanding the range of their habitat.

Earth from space: A gush of volcanic gas Posted: 10 Jun 2011 05:17 AM PDT A new image shows the huge plume of sulphur dioxide that spewed from Chile's Puyehue-Cordón Caulle Volcanic Complex, which lies in the Andes about 600 km south of Santiago.

New method for measuring Parkinson's disease prevalence reveals sharp increase in Israel Posted: 09 Jun 2011 09:33 AM PDT In a new study, Israeli researchers report that by tracking pharmacy purchases of anti-Parkinson drugs they could estimate the number of Parkinson's disease (PD) cases in a large population. The study identified a sharp rise in PD prevalence from 170/100,000 in 2000 to 256/100,000 in 2007 in Israel, which warrants further investigation.

New animal study shows promise for development of Parkinson's disease drug Posted: 09 Jun 2011 09:33 AM PDT Few treatments for Parkinson's disease (PD) restore function for extended periods. In a new study, an international group of researchers reports that platelet-derived growth factor-BB restored function in rodents and shows promise as a clinical candidate drug for treatment of PD.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Latest Science News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610