Science Headlines for May 25, 2009

New Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Seal Could Help Bring Efficient Energy Technology To Market

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have great potential for stationary and mobile applications. Stationary use ranges from residential applications to power plants. Mobile applications include power for ships at sea and in space, as well as for autos. In addition to electricity, when SOFCs are operated in reverse mode as solid oxide electrolyzer cells, pure hydrogen can be generated by splitting water.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 25 May 2009 | 3:00 pm

People By Nature Are Universally Optimistic, Study Shows

Despite calamities from economic recessions, wars and famine to a flu epidemic afflicting the Earth, a new study indicates that humans are by nature optimistic.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 25 May 2009 | 3:00 pm

Immunomagnetic Beads Can Attract Plague Bacteria

Scientists have used antibody-coated immunomagnetic beads (IMBs) to detect the bacterium that causes bubonic plague.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 25 May 2009 | 3:00 pm

Diabetics' Heart Attack Risk Can Be Reduced, Research Finds

People with diabetes who maintain intensive, low blood sugar levels are significantly less likely to suffer heart attacks and coronary heart disease, new research has shown.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 25 May 2009 | 3:00 pm

'Happy Hour' Gene Discovery Suggests Cancer Drugs Might Treat Alcoholism

A class of drugs already approved as cancer treatments might also help to beat alcohol addiction. That's the conclusion of a discovery in flies of a gene, dubbed "happy hour," that has an important and previously unknown role in controlling the insects' response to alcohol.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 25 May 2009 | 3:00 pm

Virus Tamed To Destroy Cancer Cells But Leave Healthy Cells Unharmed

Scientists have tamed a virus so that it attacks and destroys cancer cells but does not harm healthy cells. They have determined how to produce replication-competent viruses with key toxicities removed, providing a new platform for development of improved cancer treatments and better vaccines for a broad range of viral diseases.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 25 May 2009 | 3:00 pm

Climate change 'means more disasters' for Mozambique (AFP)

AFP - Floods, droughts, cyclones and epidemics will increasingly plague Mozambique in the coming years as climate change raises temperatures, the national disaster centre said in a study Monday.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 25 May 2009 | 12:07 pm

Climate change amplifying animal disease (AFP)

AFP - Climate change is widening viral disease among farm animals, expanding the spread of some microbes that are also a known risk to humans, the world's top agency for animal health said on Monday.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 25 May 2009 | 12:03 pm

Compound In Turmeric Spice May Stall Spread Of Fat Tissue

There may be a new way to spice up your weight loss routine, according to results from a new animal model study. Researchers theorized that dietary curcumin could stall the spread of fat-tissue by inhibiting new blood vessel growth, called angiogenesis, which is necessary to build fat tissue.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 25 May 2009 | 12:00 pm

Ocean Life Of Ages Past Boggle Modern Imagination With Incredible Sizes, Abundance And Distribution

Using such diverse sources as old ship logs, literary texts, tax accounts, newly translated legal documents and even mounted trophies, researchers are piecing together images -- some flickering, others in high definition -- of fish of such sizes, abundance and distribution in ages past that they stagger modern imaginations. They are also documenting the timelines over which those giant marine life populations declined.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 25 May 2009 | 12:00 pm

'Eating For Two' Has Consequences For Mom And Baby

There is more medical evidence that pregnant women should steer clear of advice to "eat for two." Gaining too much weight is linked with complications at birth, such as pre-eclampsia or requiring a C-section, as well as higher odds that both mom and child will be obese later in life.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 25 May 2009 | 12:00 pm

Novel Mechanism Of Action Of Corticosteroids In Allergic Diseases

New research may explain the effectiveness of common treatments for allergic inflammation and may point the way to targets for new treatments for allergic diseases.
Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 25 May 2009 | 12:00 pm

Study says businesses can create clean energy jobs (AP)

AP - Hoping to create a global carbon market, the organizers of a world business summit on climate change said Monday that 2 million new jobs would be created in the U.S. alone if it increased its reliance on cleaner sources of energy.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 25 May 2009 | 11:49 am

PetroChina buys 45.5% of Singapore oil refiner (AFP)

AFP - Oil major PetroChina said Monday it had agreed to buy nearly half of refiner Singapore Petroleum Co. for 1.02 billion dollars in China's latest move to secure resources for its energy-hungry economy.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 25 May 2009 | 10:32 am

India can still join Iran-Pakistan gas deal - Iran (Reuters)

Reuters - India can still join a natural gas deal between Iran and Pakistan, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Monday, a day after officials said Tehran and Islamabad had signed an agreement on the exports of Iranian gas.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 25 May 2009 | 10:15 am

Climate link to mockingbird songs

Mockingbirds sing more elaborate songs if they live in an unpredictable climate, according to researchers.
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 25 May 2009 | 9:36 am

The Nation's Weather (AP)

AP - Wet and stormy weather was expected to continue across most of the Southeast on Monday, while more unsettled weather was headed for the Northern Plains.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 25 May 2009 | 9:32 am

Atlantis, crew land in Calif. after Hubble mission (AP)

AP - Space shuttle Atlantis and its seven astronauts returned safely to Earth, detouring from stormy Florida to sunsplashed California to end a 13-day mission that repaired and enhanced the Hubble Space Telescope.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 25 May 2009 | 8:25 am

Atlantis lands after successful Hubble fix (AFP)

AFP - The space shuttle Atlantis made a picture perfect landing in Calfornia, nearly two days behind schedule at the end of a successful mission to repair and upgrade the Hubble telescope.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 25 May 2009 | 2:28 am

Komodo dragon attacks terrorize Indonesia villages (AP)

AP - Komodo dragons have shark-like teeth and poisonous venom that can kill a person within hours of a bite. Yet villagers who have lived for generations alongside the world's largest lizard were not afraid until the dragons started to attack.

Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 25 May 2009 | 1:04 am

Sticks and stones

Hunting for Afghan emeralds in the Panjshir valley
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 24 May 2009 | 11:52 pm

Middle age spread link to frailty

People who are overweight or obese in middle-age run the risk of being frail in later life, say Finnish researchers.
Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 24 May 2009 | 11:02 pm

Opposites attract in human search for mate

LONDON (Reuters) - When it comes to choosing a mate, opposites really do attract, according to a Brazilian study that found people are subconsciously more likely to choose a partner whose genetic make-up is different to their own.

Source: Reuters: Science News | 24 May 2009 | 10:02 pm

Opposites attract in human search for mate (Reuters)

Reuters - When it comes to choosing a mate, opposites really do attract, according to a Brazilian study that found people are subconsciously more likely to choose a partner whose genetic make-up is different to their own.
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 24 May 2009 | 10:02 pm