Science Headlines for September 14, 2008

Say 'Goodbye' To Back Fat Rolls

A new study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery reveals a new back lift procedure that removes the unsightly bumps and bulges of back fat rolls while hiding the scar under the bra line.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 15 Sep 2008 | 12:00 am

Seeing Through The Skin: Optic-less Imaging Technology Could Beat Lens-based Imaging Devices

Feeling blue? According one researcher, humans may have an ability to “see” colors and shapes with their skin. His optic-less imaging model could lead to a new form of optical imaging technology that beats the limitations of today’s lens-based imaging devices, and it may also explain how this controversial primordial instinct might have evolved over millions of years.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 15 Sep 2008 | 12:00 am

Immunity Traits May Be Involved In Mate Choice In Some Human Populations

Some human populations may rely on biological factors in addition to social factors when selecting a mate. Scientists have reported genomic data showing that immunity traits may be involved in mate choice in some human populations.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 15 Sep 2008 | 12:00 am

Physicists Harness Effects Of Disorder In Magnetic Sensors

Scientists have discovered how to make magnetic sensors capable of operating at the high temperatures that ceramic engines in cars and aircraft of the future will require. The key to fabricating the sensors involves slightly degrading samples of a well-known semiconductor material, called indium antimonide, which is valued for its purity.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 15 Sep 2008 | 12:00 am

How Not To Gain The Dreaded 'Freshman Fifteen'

When fall classes at the University of California, San Diego begin on Sept. 25, freshmen will be on their own for the first time to spend endless hours on the computer, play video games and eat whatever they want, a recipe for weight gain. However, several UC San Diego wellness, weight-management and counseling programs will help students beat the dreaded "freshmen fifteen."
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 15 Sep 2008 | 12:00 am

Accurate Speedometer For Astronomy: Determining Velocities Of Stars And Other Celestial Bodies

There is now a new method for determining the velocities of stars and other celestial bodies which is a thousand times more accurate than previous methods.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 15 Sep 2008 | 12:00 am

Photos Reveal Myanmar's Large And Small Predators

Using remote camera traps to lift the veil on Myanmar's dense northern wild lands, researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society have painstakingly gathered a bank of valuable data on the country's populations of tigers and other smaller, lesser known carnivores (see photo attachments). These findings will help in the formulation of conservation strategies for the country's wildlife.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 14 Sep 2008 | 6:00 pm

Key Component Of Debilitating Lung Disease Identified

Antioxidant defense system could be new target for potential therapies for COPD. For the first time, researchers have demonstrated a close correlation between the decline in a key component of the lung's antioxidant defense system and the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in humans.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 14 Sep 2008 | 6:00 pm

Old Growth Forests Are Valuable Carbon Sinks

Contrary to 40 years of conventional wisdom, a new analysis suggests that old growth forests are usually "carbon sinks" -- they continue to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and mitigate climate change for centuries.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 14 Sep 2008 | 6:00 pm

Erectile Dysfunction Related To Sleep Apnea May Persist, But Is Treatable

For sufferers of sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction is often part of the package. New research indicates that ED in cases of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome may be linked to the chronic intermittent hypoxia -- oxygen deprivation -- that patients with OSAS experience during episodes of obstructed breathing.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 14 Sep 2008 | 6:00 pm