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Sunday, April 13, 2014

ScienceDaily: Top Science News

ScienceDaily: Top Science News


Faraway moon or faint star? Possible exomoon found

Posted: 12 Apr 2014 06:41 AM PDT

Titan, Europa, Io and Phobos are just a few members of our solar system's pantheon of moons. Are there are other moons out there, orbiting planets beyond our sun? Researchers have spotted the first signs of an "exomoon," and though they say it's impossible to confirm its presence, the finding is a tantalizing first step toward locating others. The discovery was made by watching a chance encounter of objects in our galaxy, which can be witnessed only once.

Hepatitis C treatment cures over 90 percent of patients with cirrhosis

Posted: 12 Apr 2014 06:34 AM PDT

Twelve weeks of an investigational oral therapy cured hepatitis C infection in more than 90 percent of patients with liver cirrhosis and was well tolerated by these patients, according to a new study.

Odds that global warming is due to natural factors: Slim to none

Posted: 11 Apr 2014 12:34 PM PDT

An analysis of temperature data since 1500 all but rules out the possibility that global warming in the industrial era is just a natural fluctuation in the earth's climate, according to a new study.

New form of matter: Exotic hadron with two quarks, two anti-quarks confirmed

Posted: 11 Apr 2014 06:19 AM PDT

Physicists have confirmed the existence of exotic hadrons -- a type of matter that cannot be classified within the traditional quark model. "We've confirmed the unambiguous observation of a very exotic state -- something that looks like a particle composed of two quarks and two anti-quarks," said one of the scientists. "The discovery certainly doesn't fit the traditional quark model. It may give us a new way of looking at strong-interaction physics."

NASA's Hubble extends stellar tape measure 10 times farther into space

Posted: 11 Apr 2014 06:19 AM PDT

Astronomers now can precisely measure the distance of stars up to 10,000 light-years away -- 10 times farther than previously possible. Astronomers have developed yet another novel way to use the 24-year-old space telescope by employing a technique called spatial scanning, which dramatically improves Hubble's accuracy for making angular measurements. The technique, when applied to the age-old method for gauging distances called astronomical parallax, extends Hubble's tape measure 10 times farther into space.

Nanostructures with applications in infrared and terahertz ranges

Posted: 11 Apr 2014 06:18 AM PDT

Scientists have created a compound semiconductor of nearly perfect quality with embedded nanostructures containing ordered lines of atoms that can manipulate light energy in the mid-infrared range. More efficient solar cells, less risky and higher resolution biological imaging, and the ability to transmit massive amounts of data at higher speeds are only a few applications that this unique semiconductor will be able to support.

Decades-old mystery solved of how cells keep from bursting

Posted: 10 Apr 2014 09:19 AM PDT

A team led by scientists has identified a long-sought protein that facilitates one of the most basic functions of cells: regulating their volume to keep from swelling excessively. The identification of the protein, dubbed SWELL1, solves a decades-long mystery of cell biology and points to further discoveries about its roles in health and disease -- including a serious immune deficiency that appears to result from its improper function.

Making ethanol without corn or other plants

Posted: 09 Apr 2014 10:47 AM PDT

A copper-based catalyst that produces large quantities of ethanol from carbon monoxide gas at room temperature has been developed by scientists. This promising discovery could provide an eco-friendly alternative to conventional ethanol production from corn and other crops, say the scientists.

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