Newswise: SciNews

Stony Brook University Professor Wins Prestigious Wolf Prize in Mathematics

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:55:00 EST

International honor recognizes lifetime body of work and numerous contributions to field.

Paul Gilna to lead ORNL's BioEnergy Science Center

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:45:00 EST

Dr. Paul Gilna is joining the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory as director of the DOE BioEnergy Science Center (BESC).

Space Shuttle Artifacts Destined for Display in Columbus, Ga.

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST

More than $17 million worth of NASA Space Shuttle parts are scheduled for donation to Columbus State University's Coca-Cola Space Science Center in Georgia.

Comprehensive Study Using Bioinformatics Predicts the Molecular Causes of Many Genetic Diseases

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST

It is widely known that genetic mutations cause disease. What are largely unknown are the mechanisms by which these mutations wreak havoc at the molecular level, giving rise to clinically observable symptoms in patients. Now a new study using bioinformatics, reports the ability to predict the molecular cause of many inherited genetic diseases. These predictions have led to the creation of a web-based tool available to academic researchers who study disease.

Scientists Explore the Future of High-Energy Physics

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST

Niobium-based superconducting devices could lead to smaller, more efficient linear colliders.

Research Identifies Gene with Likely Role in Premenstrual Disorder

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST

Scientists have identified a gene they say is a strong candidate for involvement in premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and other maladies associated with the natural flux in hormones during the menstrual cycle.

New Magnetic Tuning Method Enhances Data Storage

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST

Researchers in Chicago and London have developed a method for controlling the properties of magnets that could be used to improve the storage capacity of next-generation computer hard drives.

Intense Sweets Taste Especially Good to Some Kids

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST

New research from the Monell Center reports that children's response to intense sweet taste is related to both a family history of alcoholism and the child's own self-reports of depression. The findings illustrate how liking for sweets differs among children based on underlying familial and biological factors.

Researchers Develop Technology to Make Energy-Efficient Lighting

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:50:00 EST

RTI International has developed a revolutionary lighting technology that is more energy efficient than the common incandescent light bulb and does not contain mercury, making it environmentally safer than the compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb.

Starlit Memories Lead Scientist Back to His Roots

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST

Thanasis Economou's early fascination with the heavens led to a vital role in the study of the solar system at the University of Chicago. But his memories tugged at him again during a trip to Greece two years ago, and led him to propose building an astronomical observatory near his childhood home.

Inhibiting Serotonin in Gut Could Cure Osteoporosis

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST

An investigational drug that inhibits serotonin in the gut, administered orally once daily, effectively cured osteoporosis in mice and rats. Serotonin in the gut has been shown in recent research to stall bone formation. The finding could lead to new therapies that build new bone; most osteoporosis drugs only prevent the breakdown of old bone.

AMP Applauds SACGHS on Release of Final Report on DNA Patents

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) commends the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and Society (SACGHS) for its thoughtful, deliberative exploration into the challenges of gene patents .

Stephen Hawking to Visit Canada's Perimeter Institute

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST

Dr. Neil Turok, Director of Canada's Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI), is pleased to announce that Prof. Stephen Hawking will visit the institute in Waterloo, Ontario, this summer to conduct scientific research and participate in a televised outreach event.

New Facility Expected to Clarify Ecosystem Responses to Climate Change

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:30:00 EST

Scientists hope to get a glimpse of the future with a proposed experiment facility in northern Minnesota that would allow them to adjust temperatures and levels of carbon dioxide across a broad range of possibilities projected by climate models.

Researchers Examine Extreme Temps and the Body's Immunity

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:20:00 EST

Researchers at the University of Houston's department of health and human performance are using an environmental chamber to investigate risk factors of those most susceptible to heat and cold illnesses.

Toads Anticipate the Timing and Impact of Their Landings

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:15:00 EST

New research by Mount Holyoke College professor Gary B. Gillis demonstrates toads anticipate the timing and impact of their landings and adjust the use of their arm muscles accordingly.

Expert Comment: Expert Available to Discuss Toyota's Recall

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:30:00 EST

Dr. Kenneth Ragsdell, a professor of engineering management at Missouri University of Science and Technology, has advised U.S. and foreign carmakers, including General Motors and Nissan, since 1968. He has worked with three GM presidents over the years.

Barley Protein Concentrate Could Replace Fishmeal in Aquaculture Feeds

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:00:00 EST

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and Montana Microbial Products (MMP) of Butte, Mont., have developed a barley protein concentrate that could be fed to trout and other commercially produced fish.

Genes Reveal How Much We Will Benefit from Regular Exercise

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:30:00 EST

Researchers from 14 institutions has peered into the human genome and has found a way to predict who will benefit the most from exercise.

Flying Bats Use Sonar Physics Laws to Locate Objects in the Dark

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST

New research from the Weizmann Institute reveals that bats, which "see" with beams of sound waves, skew their beams off-center when they want to locate an object. The study shows that this strategy is the most efficient for locating objects.

New System Provides Hybrid Electric Autos with Power to Spare

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:40:00 EST

An advancement in hybrid electric vehicle technology is providing powerful benefits beyond transportation.

Four ORNL Researchers Selected for Recovery Act Early Career Funds

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST

Four Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers are among the 69 scientists that will receive five-year research grants as part of the Department of Energy's new Early Career Research Program.

Yes, Ecology Shapes Evolution, but Guppies Show Reverse Also True

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:05:00 EST

In the natural stream communities of Trinidad, guppy populations live close together, but evolve differently. Upstream, fewer predators mean more guppies but less food for each; they grow slowly and larger, reproduce later and less, and die older. Downstream, where predators thrive, guppies eat more, grow rapidly, stay small, reproduce quickly and die younger.

Turning Exercise into Electricity

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST

What if the energy generated by Furman University students exercising in the fitness center could be harnessed and then converted into electricity to power the building? It's no pipe dream, and the Class of 2010 plans to bring the technology to campus as its senior gift to Furman.

Pluto's White, Dark-Orange, and Charcoal-Black Terrain Captured by NASA's Hubble

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST

NASA has released the most detailed and dramatic images ever taken of the distant dwarf planet Pluto. The images from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope show an icy, mottled, dark molasses-colored world undergoing seasonal surface color and brightness changes.