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Thursday, August 21, 2014

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News


Hospital superbug breakthrough: Antibacterial gel kills Pseudomonas aeruginosa, staphylococci and E.coli using natural proteins

Posted: 18 Aug 2014 07:48 PM PDT

Scientists have made a breakthrough in the fight against the most resistant hospital superbugs. The team have developed the first innovative antibacterial gel that acts to kill Pseudomonas aeruginosa, staphylococci and E.coli using natural proteins. The gels have the ability to break down the thick jelly-like coating, known as biofilms, which cover bacteria making them highly resistant to current therapies, while leaving healthy cells unaffected.

Zombie ant fungi manipulate hosts to die on the 'doorstep' of the colony

Posted: 18 Aug 2014 12:36 PM PDT

A parasitic fungus that must kill its ant hosts outside their nest to reproduce and transmit their infection, manipulates its victims to die in the vicinity of the colony, ensuring a constant supply of potential new hosts, according to researchers. The fungus grows a stalk, called the stroma, which protrudes from the ant cadaver. A large round structure, known as the ascoma, forms on the stroma. Infectious spores then develop in the ascoma and are discharged onto the forest floor below, where they can infect foraging ants from the colony.

500-million-year reset for immune system

Posted: 18 Aug 2014 10:51 AM PDT

A single factor can reset the immune system of mice to a state likely similar to what it was 500 million years ago, when the first vertebrates emerged. The model, researchers report, could provide an explanation of how the immune system had developed in the course of evolution.

Recycling old car batteries into solar cells: Environmental twofer could recycle lead batteries to make solar cells

Posted: 18 Aug 2014 08:34 AM PDT

This could be a classic win-win solution: A system proposed by researchers recycles materials from discarded car batteries -- a potential source of lead pollution -- into new, long-lasting solar panels that provide emissions-free power.

Sun's activity influences natural climate change, ice age study shows

Posted: 18 Aug 2014 06:52 AM PDT

A new study has, for the first time, reconstructed solar activity during the last ice age. The study shows that the regional climate is influenced by the sun and offers opportunities to better predict future climate conditions in certain regions.

As seen by Rosetta: Comet surface variations

Posted: 16 Aug 2014 10:21 AM PDT

A new image of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko shows the diversity of surface structures on the comet's nucleus. It was taken by the Rosetta spacecraft's OSIRIS narrow-angle camera on August 7, 2014. At the time, the spacecraft was 65 miles (104 kilometers) away from the 2.5-mile-wide (4-kilometer) nucleus.

Understanding parallels of human and animal parenting can benefit generations to come

Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:23 PM PDT

Strong evidence now shows that human and animal parenting share many nervous system mechanisms. Better understanding this biology could lead to improved social development, benefiting generations of humans and animals to come.

9/11 dust cloud may have caused widespread pregnancy issues

Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:23 PM PDT

Pregnant women living near the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks experienced negative birth outcomes, according to a new paper. These mothers were more likely to give birth prematurely and deliver babies with low birth weights. Their babies -- especially baby boys -- were also more likely to be admitted to neonatal intensive care units after birth.

The spiritual person: Alcohol releases the 'beast within'

Posted: 13 Aug 2014 03:22 PM PDT

Results of the study indicate that violence decreases as spirituality increases in persons who received the non-alcohol beverage. However, quite unexpectedly, violence actually increased as spirituality increased in persons who received the alcoholic beverage.

Single gene controls jet lag, study finds

Posted: 13 Aug 2014 10:20 AM PDT

A master gene responsible for sleep and wake cycles has been identified by scientists, offering hope for a drug that could help reset sleep. The discovery of the role of this gene, called Lhx1, provides scientists with a potential therapeutic target to help night-shift workers or jet lagged travelers adjust to time differences more quickly. The results can point to treatment strategies for sleep problems caused by a variety of disorders.

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