Science Headlines for September 21, 2008

New Model Predicts Long-term Survival Of Critically Ill Patients

The long term survival of critically ill patients may now be predicted, using a new model. The study used clinical and long term survival data of a heterogenous group of 11,930 patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Royal Perth Hospital in Western Australia.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 22 Sep 2008 | 12:00 am

Pulsating Stars Enable New Precise Determination Of Rotation Of The Milky Way

New, very precise measurements have shown that the rotation of the Milky Way is simpler than previously thought. A remarkable result from the most successful ESO instrument HARPS, shows that a much debated, apparent "fall" of neighborhood Cepheid stars towards our Sun stems from an intrinsic property of the Cepheids themselves.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 22 Sep 2008 | 12:00 am

Face Blindness Research Shows Emotions Are Key In The Study Of Face Recognition

Recognizing faces is usually an effortless process. However, a minority of people have difficulties identifying the person they are meeting or remembering people they have met before. These problems can be dramatic, where those affected fail to recognize the face of their spouse or child or even their own face. New research on face blindness demonstrates the importance of using naturalistic emotional faces and bodies for a better understanding of developmental face disorders.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 22 Sep 2008 | 12:00 am

Global Warming's Ecosystem Double Whammy

Plants and soils act like sponges for atmospheric carbon dioxide, but new research on the cover of this week's Nature finds that one abnormally warm year can suppress the amount of carbon dioxide taken up by some grassland ecosystems for up to two years. The findings followed a four-year study of 12-ton containerized grassland plots at Nevada's Desert Research Institute. Plots were extracted intact from the Oklahoma prairie and sealed inside four, living-room-sized environment chambers.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 22 Sep 2008 | 12:00 am

Introducing The Next Generation Of Chemical Reactors

Unique nanostructures which respond to stimuli, such as pH, heat and light will pave the way for safer, greener and more efficient chemical reactors.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 22 Sep 2008 | 12:00 am

Receptor Activation Protects Retina From Diabetes Destruction

Diabetes can make the beautifully stratified retina look like over-fried bacon. A drug known for it pain-relieving power and believed to stimulate memory appears to prevent this retinal damage that leads to vision loss, researchers say.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 22 Sep 2008 | 12:00 am

Sophisticated Monitoring Array To Address Mystery Of Uranium Plume

Scientists have puzzled for years about why uranium contamination in groundwater continues to exceed drinking water standards in an area located at the south end of the Hanford Site near Richland, Wash. The Department of Energy wants answers to why the uranium persists. Now, an innovative well-monitoring system has been installed for field experiments to better understand this complex site and to support future clean-up decisions.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 21 Sep 2008 | 6:00 pm

Cardiologists Find Physical Exams Just As Good For Assessing Heart Failure

Patient history and physical examination, traditionally the cornerstone diagnostic tool for medical care, may still be among the most accurate and cost-efficient methods to assess patients with congestive heart failure, researchers have found.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 21 Sep 2008 | 6:00 pm

Internationally Adopted Children Hit Puberty Earlier, Study Finds

A Canadian study has found that some girls adopted from China begin puberty as early as eight and boys as early as 10-years-old.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 21 Sep 2008 | 6:00 pm

Marine Debris Will Likely Worsen In The 21st Century

Current measures to prevent and reduce marine debris are inadequate, and the problem will likely worsen, says a new congressionally mandated report.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 21 Sep 2008 | 6:00 pm

Lessons in Corporate Failure From a 5th-Grader (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - There's no one more bitter than a disgruntled employee in a failing business. I heard all about the unfairness and stress of corporate life in our shaky economic times all this week from my fifth-grader. The class assignment was to form small companies that sold the various parts necessary for making paper airplanes, such as paper, glue and glitter. I first heard about this new assignment from a very unhappy 11-year-old who dragged herself off the school bus with the demeanor of someone with a pink slip in her hand. ...
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 21 Sep 2008 | 12:20 pm

Lesotho mine yields one of world's largest diamonds

LONDON (Reuters) - Miners in the southern African kingdom of Lesotho have found one of the world's largest diamonds, a near-flawless white gem weighing nearly 500 carats, mining group Gem Diamonds said on Sunday.

Source: Reuters: Science News | 21 Sep 2008 | 11:51 am

Nigerian armed group declares ceasefire in 'oil war' (AFP)

AFP - The most prominent armed group in southern Nigeria, MEND, declared a ceasefire on Sunday following a week of attacks on oil industry targets after launching an "oil war".

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 21 Sep 2008 | 10:58 am

16 dead in Thailand floods: ministries (AFP)

AFP - Severe flooding across Thailand has left at least 16 people dead and affected more than half a million people, the government said Sunday.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 21 Sep 2008 | 8:17 am

Scientists monitor growing Lake Erie algae bloom (AP)

AP - Giant floating fields of algae are back in strength this year on Lake Erie and scientists are trying to figure out why.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 21 Sep 2008 | 12:03 am

Collision course

Will the Big Bang machine get back on track?
Source: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition | 20 Sep 2008 | 11:21 pm

Tragic star Natascha McElhone to play a legend of medicine

Widow of groundbreaking surgeon to star in film about first British woman to become a doctor
Source: Science | guardian.co.uk | 20 Sep 2008 | 11:01 pm

Letters: Must science and religion be polarised?

The big issue, letters: Many might accept established scientific facts but are aware of the limits of scientific knowledge
Source: Science | guardian.co.uk | 20 Sep 2008 | 11:01 pm

Science: Large hadron collider out of action for months

'Faulty electrical connection between two magnets' the likely cause of problem for Cern's new particle collider
Source: Science | guardian.co.uk | 20 Sep 2008 | 11:01 pm

Acupuncture 'helps women have babies'

Ancient Chinese therapy improves chances of conceiving through IVF treatment, study finds
Source: Science | guardian.co.uk | 20 Sep 2008 | 11:01 pm

Einstein fridge design can help global cooling

Scientists relaunch a 1930 invention that uses no electricity and would reduce greenhouse gases
Source: Science | guardian.co.uk | 20 Sep 2008 | 11:01 pm

Stardust evidence points to planet collision

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Masses of dust floating around a binary star system suggest that two Earth-like planets obliterated each other in a violent collision, U.S. researchers reported on Friday.

Source: Reuters: Science News | 20 Sep 2008 | 10:25 pm

CERN: Damage to Atom Smasher Forces 2-month Halt

The world's largest atom smasher has been damaged worse than previously thought.
Source: Livescience.com | 20 Sep 2008 | 8:53 pm

France to buy 10 Soyuz launchers from Russia (AFP)

AFP - The European commercial space-launch consortium Arianespace on Saturday signed a deal with the Russian space agency Roskosmos to acquire 10 new Soyuz launchers for around 500 million dollars (347 million euros), a French diplomatic source told AFP.