ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Native forest birds in Hawaii in unprecedented trouble
• Nanoparticles refined for more accurate delivery of cancer drugs
• 'Pulverized' chromosomes linked to cancer?
• Investigators achieve important step toward treating Huntington's disease
• How immune cells move against invaders
• Mysterious flotsam in Gulf of Mexico came from Deepwater Horizon rig
• Researchers' refinement increases solar concentrator efficiency
• NASA finds 2011 ninth-warmest year on record
• NASA sees repeating La Niña hitting its peak
• Hearty bacteria help make case for life in the extreme
• 'Rules' may govern genome evolution in young plant species
• Another clue in the mystery of autism
• How protein in teardrops annihilates harmful bacteria: Novel technology reveals lysozymes have jaws
• Manganese may have potential in neutralizing deadly Shiga toxin
• Food security road map while adapting to climate change
• Toward twister forecasting: Scientists make progress in assessing tornado seasons
• Chemists unlock potential target for drug development
• Study finds potential key to immune suppression in cancer
• Helix Nebula in new colors
• Snakes improve search-and-rescue robots: New design uses less energy

Native forest birds in Hawaii in unprecedented trouble Posted: 19 Jan 2012 01:32 PM PST Native birds at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge are in unprecedented trouble, according to a new article.

Nanoparticles refined for more accurate delivery of cancer drugs Posted: 19 Jan 2012 01:32 PM PST A new class of nanoparticles, synthesized to prevent premature drug release, holds promise for greater accuracy and effectiveness in delivering cancer drugs to tumors.

'Pulverized' chromosomes linked to cancer? Posted: 19 Jan 2012 01:32 PM PST Researchers have mapped out a mechanism by which micronuclei could potentially disrupt the chromosomes within them and produce cancer-causing gene mutations. The findings may point to a vulnerability in cancer cells that could be attacked by new therapies.

Investigators achieve important step toward treating Huntington's disease Posted: 19 Jan 2012 01:32 PM PST Researchers have developed a technique for using stem cells to deliver therapy that specifically targets the genetic abnormality found in Huntington's disease, a hereditary brain disorder that causes progressive uncontrolled movements, dementia and death.

How immune cells move against invaders Posted: 19 Jan 2012 01:32 PM PST Scientists have discovered the unexpected way in which a key cell of the immune system prepares for battle. The finding, they said, offers insight into the processes that take place within these cells and could lead to strategies for treating conditions from spinal cord injury to cancer.

Mysterious flotsam in Gulf of Mexico came from Deepwater Horizon rig Posted: 19 Jan 2012 12:31 PM PST Using state-of-the-art chemical forensics and a bit of old-fashioned detective work, scientists confirmed that mysterious material found floating in the Gulf of Mexico came from the Deepwater Horizon rig. They further determined that tracking debris from damaged rigs can help forecast coastal impacts and guide response efforts in future spills.

Researchers' refinement increases solar concentrator efficiency Posted: 19 Jan 2012 12:30 PM PST Researchers have discovered that changing the shape of a solar concentrator significantly increases its efficiency, bringing its use closer to reality.

NASA finds 2011 ninth-warmest year on record Posted: 19 Jan 2012 12:23 PM PST The global average surface temperature in 2011 was the ninth warmest since 1880, according to NASA scientists. The finding continues a trend in which nine of the 10 warmest years in the modern meteorological record have occurred since the year 2000.

NASA sees repeating La Niña hitting its peak Posted: 19 Jan 2012 12:20 PM PST La Niña, "the diva of drought," is peaking, increasing the odds that the Pacific Northwest will have more stormy weather this winter and spring, while the southwestern and southern United States will be dry. Sea surface height data from NASA's Jason-1 and -2 satellites show that the milder repeat of last year's strong La Niña has recently intensified, as seen in the latest Jason-2 image of the Pacific Ocean.

Hearty bacteria help make case for life in the extreme Posted: 19 Jan 2012 11:33 AM PST The bottom of a glacier is not the most hospitable place on Earth, but at least two types of bacteria happily live there, according to researchers.

'Rules' may govern genome evolution in young plant species Posted: 19 Jan 2012 11:33 AM PST A new study shows a hybrid plant species may experience rapid genome evolution in predictable patterns, meaning evolution repeats itself in populations of independent origin.

Another clue in the mystery of autism Posted: 19 Jan 2012 11:33 AM PST A study of discordant twins -- twins in which one has autism spectrum disorder and one doesn't -- finds the lower birth weight twins are more than three times as likely to have ASD than heavier twins. Though genetic effects are of major importance, say researchers, the study suggests a non-genetic influence associated with birth weight may contribute to development of ASD.

How protein in teardrops annihilates harmful bacteria: Novel technology reveals lysozymes have jaws Posted: 19 Jan 2012 11:33 AM PST A disease-fighting protein in our teardrops has been tethered to a tiny transistor, enabling scientists to discover exactly how it destroys dangerous bacteria. The research could prove critical to long-term work aimed at diagnosing cancers and other illnesses in their very early stages.

Manganese may have potential in neutralizing deadly Shiga toxin Posted: 19 Jan 2012 11:33 AM PST Researchers have discovered that manganese, an element commonly found in nature, might provide a way to neutralize the potentially lethal effects Shiga toxin. New results could pave the way for future research aimed at creating an inexpensive treatment for infections caused by bacteria that produce the Shiga toxin. Currently there is no treatment for such infections that afflict more than 150 million people each year, resulting in more than one million deaths worldwide.

Food security road map while adapting to climate change Posted: 19 Jan 2012 11:33 AM PST While recent climate negotiations in Durban made incremental progress toward helping farmers adapt to climate change and reduce agriculture's climate footprint, a group of international agriculture experts urges scientists to lay the groundwork for more decisive action on global food security in environmental negotiations in 2012.

Toward twister forecasting: Scientists make progress in assessing tornado seasons Posted: 19 Jan 2012 10:40 AM PST A new study of short-term climate trends offers the first framework for predicting tornado activity up to a month out with current technology, and possibly further out as climate models improve, giving communities a chance to plan. The study may also eventually open a window on the question of whether tornadoes are growing more frequent due to long-term climate warming.

Chemists unlock potential target for drug development Posted: 19 Jan 2012 10:39 AM PST A receptor found on blood platelets whose importance as a potential pharmaceutical target has long been questioned may in fact be fruitful in drug testing, according to new research.

Study finds potential key to immune suppression in cancer Posted: 19 Jan 2012 10:38 AM PST In a study investigating immune response in cancer, researchers have found that interaction between the immune system's antigen-specific CD4 T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) – cells that play a major role in cancer-related immune suppression – dramatically change the nature of MDSC-mediated suppression. By contrast, the same effect was not observed when MDSCs interacted with the immune system's CD8 T cells.

Helix Nebula in new colors Posted: 19 Jan 2012 07:15 AM PST Astronomers have captured a striking new image of the Helix Nebula. A new picture, taken in infrared light, reveals strands of cold nebular gas that are invisible in images taken in visible light, as well as bringing to light a rich background of stars and galaxies. The Helix Nebula is one of the closest and most remarkable examples of a planetary nebula.

Snakes improve search-and-rescue robots: New design uses less energy Posted: 19 Jan 2012 07:12 AM PST Researchers have studied the movements of snakes to create more efficient search-and-rescue robots.

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