Ocean's harmful low-oxygen zones growing, are sensitive to small changes in climate

ScienceDaily (2011-06-18) -- Scientists report a connection between climate fluctuations and the habitability of marine ecosystems by modeling the expansion and contraction of low-oxygen zones that are dangerous for ocean life. The team found that the size of low-oxygen ocean regions is extremely sensitive to changes in their depth caused by oscillations in climate.

'Ultrawideband' could be future of medical monitoring

ScienceDaily (2011-06-18) -- New research has confirmed that an electronic technology called "ultrawideband" could hold part of the solution to an ambitious goal in the future of medicine -- health monitoring with sophisticated "body-area networks." Such networks would offer continuous, real-time health diagnosis to reduce the onset of degenerative diseases, save lives and cut health care costs.

Survival niche for cancer cells

ScienceDaily (2011-06-17) -- Cancer cells do not grow equally well everywhere in the body. Often, they first create the conditions in which they can grow. Immunologists and hematologists have now shown that specific forms of lymphoma also create their own survival niche.

Scientists turn memories off and on with flip of switch

ScienceDaily (2011-06-17) -- Scientists have developed a way to turn memories on and off -- literally with the flip of a switch. Using an electronic system that duplicates the neural signals associated with learning, they replicated the brain function in rats associated with long-term learned behavior, even when the rats had been drugged to forget. "Flip the switch on, and the rats remember. Flip it off, and the rats forget," said the leader of the team reporting the result.

Tapeworm drug inhibits colon cancer metastasis

ScienceDaily (2011-06-17) -- A compound that for about 60 years has been used as a drug against tapeworm infection is also apparently effective against colon cancer metastasis, as studies using mice have shown. The compound silences a gene that triggers the formation of metastases in colon cancer. Researchers in Germany made this discovery in collaboration with researchers in the U.S. Plans are already underway to conduct a clinical trial.

Electrical water detection

ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- A quick and easy way to detect groundwater in semi-arid hard rock areas that is also economical could improve the siting of borewells to improve clean water supply in the developing world.

Stiff sediments made 2004 Sumatra earthquake deadliest in history

ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- Geoscientists have discovered an unusual geological formation that helps explain how an undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in December 2004 spawned the deadliest tsunami in recorded history.

Scientists accurately predict age with saliva sample

ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- Self-conscious about your age? Careful where you spit. Geneticists now can use saliva to reveal how old you are. The findings suggest a myriad of potential applications, including the development of a new forensic tool for pinpointing a suspect's age in crime-scene investigations.

Birds' eye view is far more colorful than our own

ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- The brilliant colors of birds have inspired poets and nature lovers, but researchers say these existing hues represent only a fraction of what birds are capable of seeing.

Stress in the city: Brain activity and biology behind mood disorders of urbanites

ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- Being born and raised in a major urban area is associated with greater lifetime risk for anxiety and mood disorders. Until now, the biology for these associations had not been described. A new study shows that two distinct brain regions that regulate emotion and stress are affected by city living.

Cautionary tale for people with diabetes: Dog consumed part of a sleeping patient's toe

ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- In a case study that illustrates the need for people with diabetes to be cautious of foot injuries and to protect themselves from pets, a woman with numbness in her feet caused by diabetic neuropathy slept through a traumatic episode in which her Jack Russell terrier chewed off part of her slightly infected big toe, according to a new article.

Body temperatures of dinosaurs measured for first time: Some dinosaurs were as warm as most modern mammals

ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- Were dinosaurs slow and lumbering, or quick and agile? It depends largely on whether they were cold or warm blooded. Now, a team of researchers has developed a new approach to take body temperatures of dinosaurs for the first time, providing new insights into whether dinosaurs were cold or warm blooded.

Smartphone app helps you find friends in a crowd

ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- Can a smartphone app enable meaningful, face-to-face conversation? Engineers are trying to find out, with software that helps people locate their friends in a crowd -- and make new friends who share similar interests.

Marine turtle movements tracked

ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- Biologists have monitored the movements of an entire sub-population of marine turtle for the first time. The study confirms that through satellite tracking we can closely observe the day-to-day lives of marine turtles, accurately predicting their migrations and helping direct conservation efforts.

Study of phytoremediation benefits of 86 indoor plants published; Japanese royal fern tops list for formaldehyde removal effectiveness

ScienceDaily (2011-06-24) -- Scientists determined the formaldehyde removal efficiency of a diverse cross-section of 86 indoor plant species. Ferns had the highest formaldehyde removal efficiency of the five classes of plants used in the experiments. Osmunda japonica (Japanese royal fern) was the most effective at removing formaldehyde of the species tested, proving 50 times more effective than the least-efficient species. All plants in the study were classified as excellent, intermediate, and poor based on formaldehyde removal efficiency.

Surprises from the ocean: Marine plankton and ocean pH

ScienceDaily (2011-06-22) -- Oceans support vast populations of single-celled phytoplankton which, through photosynthesis, remove about half the carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels. One group of phytoplankton, the coccolithophores, are known for their ability to build chalk scales inside their cells and secrete them, forming a protective armor. A new study has revealed the mechanism which achieves this, and that this process may be directly affected by the increasing levels of dissolved carbon dioxide in the oceans.

An explanation of how advertising music affects brand perception

ScienceDaily (2011-06-22) -- People have different emotional reactions to a product being advertised and the person announcing it if the advertisement is accompanied by jazz, swing or classical music. These are the main conclusions of a new study that analyzed the effect of the memories and emotional reactions stimulated by the music used in advertising.

Powerful, intoxicated, anonymous: The paradox of the disinhibited

ScienceDaily (2011-06-22) -- Power can lead to great acts of altruism, but also corruptive, unethical behavior. Being intoxicated can lead to a first date, or a bar brawl. And the mask of anonymity can encourage one individual to let a stranger know they have toilet paper stuck to their shoe, whereas another may post salacious photos online. What is the common thread between these three disparate states?

Gold nanoparticles help earlier diagnosis of liver cancer

ScienceDaily (2011-06-22) -- Medical researchers have devised a new technique to spot cancerous tumors in the liver as small as 5 millimeters. The technique, using gold nanoparticles, is the first to deploy metal nanoparticles as agents to enhance X-ray scattering of image tumor-like masses.

Molecular glue sticks it to cancer

ScienceDaily (2011-06-22) -- Researchers have developed a "molecular glue" that sticks cancer-promoting proteins to a cell's membrane -- shutting off a cancer cell's growth.

Driving a vehicle with one hand

ScienceDaily (2011-06-23) -- A new device developed in Spain allows people with reduced mobility or weakness in the upper torso to drive a vehicle using only one hand.

Husband's employment status threatens marriage, but wife's does not, study finds

ScienceDaily (2011-06-21) -- A new study of employment and divorce suggest that while social pressure discouraging women from working outside the home has weakened, pressure on husbands to be breadwinners largely remains.

Can humans sense Earth's magnetism? Human retina protein can function as light-sensitive magnetic sensor

ScienceDaily (2011-06-21) -- New research shows that a protein expressed in the human retina can sense magnetic fields when implanted into Drosophila, reopening an area of sensory biology in humans for further exploration.

Shipwrecks no more: Recycling old boats

ScienceDaily (2011-06-21) -- Nearly 5,000 recreational boats are retired and disposed of every year in Norway -- either sunk to the bottom of the sea or burned in a bonfire. Now, researchers have developed a new method for recycling these vessels.

Forensics: Lamps and spectrometers used to age bruises precisely

ScienceDaily (2011-06-21) -- Forensic scientists have to rely on their own subjective experience when asked to ascertain the age of contusions. Now, however, researchers in Norway have found a far more objective and precise method, using lamps and spectrometers. From the assembled data the researchers created a model for bruise progression over time which enables them to determine the age of the bruises more reliably. Bruises on children develop differently from on adults. Knowledge within this area could be particularly important in cases of suspected child abuse.

Where will grizzly bears roam? Conservation value of roadless public land in Montana's Crown of the Continent Ecosystem

ScienceDaily (2011-06-22) -- A new report highlights the critical importance of 1.3 million acres of roadless, public lands in Montana's spectacular Crown of the Continent Ecosystem. The report recommends that most of these lands be preserved to protect wolverines, bighorn sheep, westslope cutthroat and bull trout, grizzly bears and other vulnerable species in the face of climate change and other threats.

Early experience found critical for language development

ScienceDaily (2011-06-20) -- Researchers studying more than 100 children who were in foster care in Romania, have found that children who were placed in foster care before they turned 2 had substantially greater language skills at age 3-1/2 than children who stayed in institutional care, with those placed by 15 months showing language skills similar to the comparison group. Findings highlight the importance of early intervention.

Human vaccine used to cure prostate cancer in mice

ScienceDaily (2011-06-20) -- Scientists cured well-established prostate tumors in mice using a human vaccine with no apparent side effects. This novel cancer treatment approach encourages the immune system to rid itself of prostate tumors without assistance from toxic chemotherapies and radiation treatments. Such a treatment model could some day help people to live tumor free with fewer side effects than those experienced from current therapies.

Shock and recall: Negative emotion may enhance memory

ScienceDaily (2011-06-20) -- Picture a menacing drill sergeant, a gory slaughterhouse, a devastating scene of a natural disaster. Researchers have found that viewing such emotion-laden images immediately after taking a test actually enhances people's retention of the tested material.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide buildup unlikely to spark abrupt climate change, scientists find

ScienceDaily (2011-06-20) -- New research lends support to recent studies that suggest abrupt climate change is the result of alterations in ocean circulation uniquely associated with ice ages, not from atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Horse blind date could lead to loss of foal

ScienceDaily (2011-06-20) -- Fetal loss is a common phenomenon in domestic horses after away-mating, according to researchers. When mares return home after mating with a foreign stallion, they either engage in promiscuous mating with the home males to confuse paternity, or, failing that, the mares abort the foal to avoid the likely future infanticide by the dominant home male.

After 55 years, surgery restores sight

ScienceDaily (2011-06-19) -- After being hit in the eye by a stone, a detached retina left a man blind in his right eye. Doctors at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary have reported a case, describing how this patient had functional vision restored 55 years after the childhood accident which left him blind.

Intelligent onboard transportation systems to prevent car crashes?

ScienceDaily (2011-06-19) -- Since 2000, there have been 110 million car accidents in the United States, more than 443,000 of which have been fatal -- an average of 110 fatalities per day. These statistics make traffic accidents one of the leading causes of death in this country, as well as worldwide. More progress must be made to achieve the long-term goal of "intelligent transportation": cars that can "see" and communicate with other vehicles on the road, making them able to prevent crashes virtually 100 percent of the time.

Predicting future appearance: New computer-based technique ages photographic images of people's faces

ScienceDaily (2011-06-20) -- A graduate student has designed a promising computer program that could serve as a new tool in missing-child investigations and matters of national security. Khoa Luu has developed a more effective computer-based technique to age photographic images of people's faces -- an advance that could help to identify missing kids and criminals on the lam.

Grab the leash: Dog walkers more likely to reach exercise benchmarks

ScienceDaily (2011-06-20) -- Man's best friend may provide more than just faithful companionship: A new study shows people who owned and walked their dogs were 34 percent more likely to meet federal benchmarks on physical activity. The results show that promoting dog ownership and dog walking could help many Americans -- of which fewer than half meet recommended levels of leisure-time physical activity -- become healthier.

From seawater to freshwater with a nanotechnology filter

ScienceDaily (2011-06-20) -- In a new article, researchers describe the role that carbon nanotubes could play in the desalination of water, providing a possible solution to the problem of the world's ever-growing population demanding more and more fresh drinking water.

Wikipedia improves students' work: Students become much more concerned with accuracy when their research is posted online, study finds

ScienceDaily (2011-06-06) -- A student writing an essay for their teacher may be tempted to plagiarize or leave facts unchecked. A new study shows that if you ask that same student to write something that will be posted on Wikipedia, he or she suddenly becomes determined to make the work as accurate as possible, and may actually do better research.

New study provides global analysis of seagrass extinction risk

ScienceDaily (2011-06-05) -- Scientists have completed the first-ever study of the risk of extinction for individual seagrass species around the world. The new study shows that 10 of the 72 known seagrass species (14 percent) are at an elevated risk of extinction, while 3 species qualify as endangered.

Ocean acidification leaves clownfish deaf to predators

ScienceDaily (2011-06-04) -- Baby clownfish use hearing to detect and avoid predator-rich coral reefs during the daytime, but new research demonstrates that ocean acidification could threaten this crucial behavior within the next few decades.

Coping with climate change: Can we predict which species will be able to move far or fast enough to adapt?

ScienceDaily (2011-06-04) -- As global temperatures rise, suitable sites for many plants and animals are shifting to cooler and higher ground. Can we predict which species will be able to move far or fast enough to keep up? A new study says the secrets to success in the face of a warming world are still elusive.

What will climate change and sea level rise mean for barrier islands?

ScienceDaily (2011-06-16) -- A new survey of barrier islands offers the most thorough assessment to date of the thousands of small islands that hug the coasts of the world's landmasses. The study offers new insight into how the islands form and evolve over time -- and how they may fare as the climate changes and sea level rises.

Internet could be 10 times faster than it currently is, researchers say

ScienceDaily (2011-06-15) -- Could the Internet just stop working one day? With bandwidth requirement increasing annually as the web becomes an ever larger part of the everyday life, keeping up is a challenge for Internet service providers. A European telecommunications cluster CELTIC-Plus project is pushing capacity upwards.

Poorer families have more sedentary children, Spanish study suggests

ScienceDaily (2011-06-14) -- It is not strange to expect that families with better living conditions enjoy better health and a longer life expectancy. Now, a new study has also confirmed the relationship between a family's socioeconomic situation and certain sedentary behaviors, such as watching television and playing video games, during the first years of life.

Why hair turns gray: Communication between hair follicles and melanocyte stem cells key to mystery

ScienceDaily (2011-06-14) -- A new study has shown that, for the first time, Wnt signaling, already known to control many biological processes, between hair follicles and melanocyte stem cells can dictate hair pigmentation.

Rainwater harvest study finds roofing material affects water quality

ScienceDaily (2011-06-15) -- Using rainwater from your roof to water plants seems simple enough, right? But a new study finds that the type of roofing material used can make a big difference in water quality.

Ten-fold increase in open access scientific publishing during the last decade

ScienceDaily (2011-06-14) -- A new study reports on the rapid growth of open access scientific publishing since the start of the World Wide Web.

New light shed on how blood clots form

ScienceDaily (2011-06-14) -- Scientists have discovered new elements of the blood clot-process. The findings could lead to better drugs for preventing heart attacks and other clot-related conditions.

The downside -- and surprising upside –- of microcredit

ScienceDaily (2011-06-10) -- Microcredit, which involves giving small loans to very small businesses in an effort to promote entrepreneurship, has been widely touted as a way to reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth. But in a new study, researchers find that the practice may not be an efficient tool in promoting business growth or improving the lives of its beneficiaries, but could instead have just the opposite effect. However, they did discover other surprising advantages.

NASA goes below the surface to understand salinity

ScienceDaily (2011-06-10) -- When NASA's Aquarius mission launches, its radiometer instruments will take a "skin" reading of the oceans' salt content at the surface. From these data of salinity in the top 0.4 inch (1 centimeter) of the ocean surface, Aquarius will create weekly and monthly maps of ocean surface salinity all over the globe for at least three years. To better understand what's driving changes and fluctuations in salinity -- and how those changes relate to an acceleration of the global water cycle and climate change -- scientists will go deeper.

Squeeze an arm, protect the heart: New technique for heart protection analyzed

ScienceDaily (2011-06-08) -- Scientists in the UK are investigating a novel technique that promises to protect heart muscle from life-threatening damage following a heart attack -- simply by squeezing an arm. Heart attacks are the major cause of premature death in England, with massive implications for survival and costs of long-term health care.

Moderate to intense exercise may protect the brain

ScienceDaily (2011-06-09) -- Older people who regularly exercise at a moderate to intense level may be less likely to develop the small brain lesions, sometimes referred to as "silent strokes," that are the first sign of cerebrovascular disease, according to a new study.

First-of-its-kind fluorescence map offers a new view of the world's land plants

ScienceDaily (2011-06-07) -- Scientists from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center have produced groundbreaking global maps of land plant fluorescence, a difficult-to-detect reddish glow that leaves emit as a byproduct of photosynthesis. While researchers have previously mapped how ocean-dwelling phytoplankton fluoresce, the new maps are the first to focus on land vegetation and to cover the entire globe.

Toxic Contamination in Offices: New Study Reveals Hidden Chemicals in Dust on Environmental Expert

Toxic Contamination in Offices: New Study Reveals Hidden Chemicals in Dust on Environmental Expert