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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News


Two new species of horned dinosaur named

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 04:28 PM PDT

Two new horned dinosaurs have been named based on fossils collected from Alberta, Canada. The new species, Unescopceratops koppelhusae and Gryphoceratops morrisoni, are from the Leptoceratopsidae family of horned dinosaurs. The herbivores lived during the Late Cretaceous period between 75 to 83 million years ago.

Early evolution of life: Study of ribosome evolution challenges 'RNA World' hypothesis

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 04:28 PM PDT

In the beginning -- of the ribosome, the cell's protein-building workbench -- there were ribonucleic acids, the molecules we call RNA that today perform a host of vital functions in cells. And according to a new analysis, even before the ribosome's many working parts were recruited for protein synthesis, proteins also were on the scene and interacting with RNA. This finding challenges a long-held hypothesis about the early evolution of life.

Red meat consumption linked to increased risk of total, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 01:27 PM PDT

A new study has found that red meat consumption is associated with an increased risk of total, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality.

Sugar-sweetened drinks linked to increased risk of heart disease in men, study suggests

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 01:27 PM PDT

Men who drank one sugar-sweetened beverage a day had a 20 percent higher risk of heart disease compared to men who did not drink any sugar-sweetened drinks. Daily sugar-sweetened drink consumption was also linked to higher levels of harmful lipids in the blood and inflammation. Artificially sweetened beverages did not increase heart-disease risk in this study.

Mathematical methods predicts movement of oil and ash following environmental disasters

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 12:28 PM PDT

For those involved in managing the fallout from environmental disasters like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, it is essential to have tools that predict how the oil will move, so that they make the best possible use of resources to control the spill. Such tools now appear to be within reach.

How the human body controls viruses thought to cause a variety of cancers

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 12:28 PM PDT

New research addresses how the human body controls gamma-herpesviruses, a class of viruses thought to cause a variety of cancers.

Tweens just say 'maybe' to cigarettes and alcohol

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 12:28 PM PDT

When it comes to prevention of substance use in our tween population, turning our kids on to thought control may just be the answer to getting them to say no.

Correcting human mitochondrial mutations

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 12:26 PM PDT

Researchers have identified, for the first time, a generic way to correct mutations in human mitochondrial DNA by targeting corrective RNAs, a finding with implications for treating a host of mitochondrial diseases.

Scientists identify more than 500 genes that may cause pancreatic cancer

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 12:26 PM PDT

Scientists have identified more than 500 genes that may cause or contribute to the development of pancreatic cancer. This particularly deadly disease has a 1-in-20 survival rate after five years, largely because no effective genetic screening method exists for early detection.

Extensive taste loss found in mammals: Feeding preferences shaped by taste receptors

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 12:26 PM PDT

Scientists report frequent loss of sweet taste in mammalian species that are exclusive meat eaters. Further, two sea-dwelling mammals that swallow their food whole have extensive taste loss. Many sweet-blind species eat only meat, demonstrating that a liking for sweets is frequently lost during the evolution of diet specialization.

New study examines stair-related injuries among children in the US

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 11:03 AM PDT

A new study found that from 1999 through 2008, more than 93,000 children younger than five years of age were treated in US emergency departments for stair-related injuries. On average, this equates to a child younger than five years of age being rushed to an emergency department for a stair-related injury every six minutes in the US.

First consumption of abundant life form, Archaea, discovered

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 11:03 AM PDT

Scientists have documented for the first time that animals can and do consume Archaea – a type of single-celled microorganism thought to be among the most abundant life forms on Earth. Archaea that consume the greenhouse gas methane were in turn eaten by worms living at deep-sea cold seeps off Costa Rica and the West Coast of the United States.

Medical imaging technology used to better understand fish senses

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 11:03 AM PDT

A marine biologist gets an occasional strange look when she brings fish to Rhode Island Hospital. While the facility's microCT scanner is typically used to study bone density and diseases like osteoporosis, it is also providing new insights into the skull structure and sensory systems of fish.

Narcissism impairs ethical judgment even among the highly religious, study finds

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 11:02 AM PDT

Although high levels of narcissism can impair ethical judgment regardless of one's religious orientation or orthodox beliefs, narcissism is more harmful in those who might be expected to be more ethical, according to a new study.

Epstein Barr-like virus infects and may cause cancer in dogs

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 11:02 AM PDT

Best known for causing mononucleosis, or "the kissing disease," the Epstein Barr virus has also been implicated in more serious conditions, including Hodgkin's, non-Hodgkin's and Burkitt's lymphomas. Now a team of researchers has the first evidence that an Epstein Barr-like virus can infect and may also be responsible for causing lymphomas in man's best friend.

Statue, chapels and animal mummies found in Egypt

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 11:02 AM PDT

A wooden statue of a king, a private offering chapel, a monumental building and remains of over 80 animal mummies found in Abydos, Egypt, reveal intriguing information about ritual activity associated with the great gods.

Spring break ritual could lead to brain damage

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 10:51 AM PDT

Every year, thousands of teens and young adults celebrate Spring Break by binge drinking large amounts of alcohol, a dangerous right-of-passage and one linked to possible brain damage later as adults.

Delay in surgery can cause irreparable meniscus tears in children with ACL injuries

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 10:51 AM PDT

For children aged 14 and under, delaying reconstructive surgery for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries may raise their risk of further injury. If surgery occurs later than 12 weeks after the injury, the injury may even be irreparable.

Touch of gold improves nanoparticle fuel-cell reactions

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 08:41 AM PDT

Chemists have created a triple-headed metallic nanoparticle that reportedly performs better and lasts longer than any other nanoparticle catalyst studied in fuel-cell reactions. The key is the addition of gold: it yields a more uniform crystal structure while removing carbon monoxide from the reaction.

'Two steps' ahead in cystic fibrosis research

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 08:41 AM PDT

Restoring normal function to the mutant gene product responsible for cystic fibrosis (CF) requires correcting two distinct structural defects, according to new research. This finding could point to more effective therapeutic strategies for CF in the future.

Potential role of parents' work exposures in autism risk examined: Possible link between some work exposures and risk for offspring

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 08:39 AM PDT

Could parental exposure to solvents at work be linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their children? According to an exploratory study, such exposures could play a role, but more research would be needed to confirm an association.

Circumcision may help protect against prostate cancer

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 07:21 AM PDT

A new analysis has found that circumcision before a male's first sexual intercourse may help protect against prostate cancer. The study suggests that circumcision can hinder infection and inflammation that may lead to this malignancy.

Ancestor of biggest dinosaurs: First dinosaur discovered in Spain dates back 15 million years earlier than thought

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 07:20 AM PDT

The dinosaur Aragosaurus ischiaticus, discovered 25 years ago in Teruel, is from 15 million years earlier than originally thought. Its new dating means that it was the ancestor of the Titanosauriforms, which includes the biggest dinosaurs.

Nitrous oxide emissions are no laughing matter

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 07:19 AM PDT

While many are acquainted with the problems caused by CO­­2 emissions, the harmful effects of the release of nitrous oxide into the atmosphere have been far less well known. Only in recent years has the international scientific community begun to understand the scope of the threat posed by N­­2O emissions.  

3-D Printer with Nano-Precision

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 07:19 AM PDT

Printing three-dimensional objects with incredibly fine details is now possible using "two-photon lithography". With this technology, tiny structures on a nanometer scale can be fabricated. Researchers have now made a major breakthrough in speeding up this printing technique.

World's tallest man stops growing

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 07:14 AM PDT

The world's tallest man appears to have stopped growing following treatment at the University of Virginia Medical Center, earning the medical center a mention in the 2012 Guinness World Records.

California's snow not disappearing despite drought

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 07:14 AM PDT

During some winters a significant amount of snow falls on parts of California. During other winters — like this one (so far) — there is much less snow. But more than 130 years of snow data show that over time snowfall in California is neither increasing nor decreasing.

Mechanism in cells that leads to inflammatory diseases discovered

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 07:14 AM PDT

Researchers have unlocked the mystery of how an inflammatory molecule is produced in the body, a discovery they say could lead to advances in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, Type 2 diabetes and numerous other chronic diseases that affect tens of millions of people.

Reducing academic pressure may help children succeed

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 07:14 AM PDT

Children may perform better in school and feel more confident about themselves if they are told that failure is a normal part of learning, rather than being pressured to succeed at all costs, according to new research.

Sending out an SOS: How telomeres incriminate cells that can't divide

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 07:14 AM PDT

The well-being of living cells requires specialized squads of proteins that maintain order. Degraders chew up worn-out proteins, recyclers wrap up damaged organelles, and-most importantly-DNA repair crews restitch anything that resembles a broken chromosome. If repair is impossible, the crew foreman calls in executioners to annihilate a cell. As unsavory as this last bunch sounds, failure to summon them is one aspect of what makes a cancer cell a cancer cell.

Greenland ice sheet may melt completely with 1.6 degrees of global warming

Posted: 11 Mar 2012 09:32 PM PDT

The Greenland ice sheet is likely to be more vulnerable to global warming than previously thought. The temperature threshold for melting the ice sheet completely is in the range of 0.8 to 3.2 degrees Celsius of global warming, with a best estimate of 1.6 degrees above pre-industrial levels, shows a new study.

Promising new drug target for kidney disease

Posted: 11 Mar 2012 09:32 PM PDT

Researchers have identified a regulator protein that plays a crucial role in kidney fibrosis, a condition that leads to kidney failure. Finding this regulator provides a new therapeutic target for the millions of Americans affected by kidney failure.

Protein discovery could switch off cardiovascular disease

Posted: 11 Mar 2012 09:32 PM PDT

Scientists have discovered a protein inside blood vessels with an ability to protect the body from substances which cause cardiovascular disease.

Global warming threat to coral reefs: Can some species adapt?

Posted: 10 Mar 2012 11:59 AM PST

Coral reefs are among the ecosystems most severely threatened by global warming, but hopeful new evidence has emerged that some coral species may be able to adapt to warmer oceans. Researchers now report on coral populations which unexpectedly survived a massive bleaching event in 2010 in Southeast Asian waters and had previously experienced severe bleaching during an event in 1998.

Nanotube technology leading to new era of fast, lower-cost medical diagnostics

Posted: 09 Mar 2012 07:56 AM PST

Researchers have tapped into the extraordinary power of carbon "nanotubes" to increase the speed of biological sensors, a technology that might one day allow a doctor to routinely perform lab tests in minutes, speeding diagnosis and treatment while reducing costs. The new findings have almost tripled the speed of prototype nano-biosensors, and should find applications not only in medicine but in toxicology, environmental monitoring, new drug development and other fields.

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