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Children with autistic traits remain undiagnosedThere has been a major increase in the incidence of autism over the last twenty years. While people have differing opinions as to why this is, there are still many children who have autistic traits that are never diagnosed clinically. Therefore, they do not receive the support they need through educational or health services.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 12 Apr 2010 | 12:00 pm Key protein aids in DNA repairResearchers have shown that a particular protein -- called Ku -- is particularly adept at healing damaged strands of DNA.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 12 Apr 2010 | 12:00 pm Crowdsourcing: Cell phones that protect against deadly chemicals?Cell phones are getting smarter, and some day they may even protect you from toxic chemicals. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Cell-All is such an initiative. Cell-All aims to equip cell phones with a sensor programmed to either alert the cell phone carrier to the presence of toxic chemicals in the air, and/or a central station that can monitor how many alerts in an area are being received.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 12 Apr 2010 | 12:00 pm Hormone sensitivity of breast stem cells presents drug targetResearchers have discovered that breast stem cells are exquisitely sensitive to the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, a finding that opens the way for the development of new preventions and treatments for breast cancer.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 12 Apr 2010 | 12:00 pm World's deepest known undersea volcanic vents discoveredScientists have discovered the world's deepest undersea volcanic vents, known as 'black smokers', 3.1 miles (5000 meters) deep in the Cayman Trough in the Caribbean. They found slender spires made of copper and iron ores on the seafloor, erupting water hot enough to melt lead, nearly half a mile deeper than anyone has seen before.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 12 Apr 2010 | 12:00 pm Graphene films clear major fabrication hurdleResearchers have successfully used direct chemical vapor deposition to synthesize single-layer graphene films on dielectric substrates. This represents a major step towards future applications of graphene in both the electronics and the photonics industries, starting with superfast transistors and computer memory chips.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 12 Apr 2010 | 12:00 pm Promising strategy for treatment of lung cancerResearchers in Sweden have shown in a study that two closely related enzymes could be targets for the treatment of lung cancer. The discovery was made when the researchers blocked the production of the two enzymes in transgenic mice. This resulted in inhibition of cell growth, fewer tumors and greater survival among the mice.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 12 Apr 2010 | 9:00 am Bionic eye in sight: Wide-view neurostimulator concept unveiledResearchers unveiled a new wide-view neurostimulator concept -- a bionic eye that will be implanted into Australia's first recipient of the technology.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 12 Apr 2010 | 9:00 am Inexpensive highly efficient solar cells possibleThe scientific and commercial future of solar cells could be totally transformed. Scientists have come up with solutions for two problems that, for the last twenty years, have been hampering the development of efficient and affordable solar cells.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 12 Apr 2010 | 9:00 am Madagascar's radiated tortoise threatened with extinctionMadagascar's radiated tortoise -- considered one of the most beautiful tortoise species -- is rapidly nearing extinction due to rampant hunting for its meat and the illegal pet trade, according to biologists.Source: ScienceDaily: Latest Science News | 12 Apr 2010 | 9:00 am Floating Nanosheets Could Be the Plywood of Nanotechnology
A synthetic, free-floating nano-sheet just two molecules thick may provide the perfect substrate for creating future electronic devices. The biologically inspired sheet is made of polymers, or long molecules with repeating units, that mimic the precision and order seen in proteins and crystal structures. But these synthetic sheets are made of molecular building blocks that are more durable than their natural counterparts. “We’re making molecular plywood — a flat piece of building material that you can build nanoscale structures with,” said chemist Ronald Zuckermann of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, coauthor of a study April 11 in Nature Materials. “This study will open people’s eyes and make them talk about proteins and plastics in the same sentence.” Zuckermann’s team made the discovery by stumbling upon a particular sequence of repeating units that formed perfectly aligned two-dimensional crystals. “Ours is the largest and thinnest two-dimensional self-assembled organic crystal known,” he said.
Proteins are made of a chain of amino acids that fold up into three-dimensional structures, such as alpha-helices and beta-sheets. Zuckermann had previously developed polymers that mimic alpha-helices, and here for the first time he has developed a material that mimics beta-sheets. “This study is a great advancement,” said materials scientist Yi Cui of Stanford University. “The fact that they can produce a really large sheet on a nanometer-scale is really surprising.” By using only two types of molecular building blocks, the team dramatically reduced the number of possible sequences and simplified the self-assembly of the polymers into larger structures, such as sheets. They created 3-nanometer-thick sheets with hydrophobic, or water-fearing, chemical groups facing the inside and hydrophilic, or water-loving, molecular units on the surface. The team systematically adjusted the hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups until they discovered a pattern of molecular sequences that self-assemble into layered sheets. The sheets resemble a plasma membrane, the bilayered structure made of lipids and proteins that surrounds cells. When Zuckermann looked at the polymer chains directly under the most powerful electron microscope in the world, he observed them wiggling around like little worms as they slid against each other. The idea of using high-resolution electron microscopy to visualize the shape of individual polymer chains was previously unheard of, he said “It completely blew us away that these crystallizine sheets are so well ordered and have very straight edges, even though their component polymer chains are flexible and spaghetti-like,” Zuckermann said. “It was a real thrill to figure out how to really order material in a precise way at the atomic level.” His team knows exactly where each atom is located in the structure, so it’s possible to chemically engineer the material to serve specific functions. A smooth, layered surface may be ideal for building flat electrical components, such as photovoltaic devices, batteries and fuel cells, Zuckermann said. Decorating the hydrophilic surface of the sheet with molecules that specifically bind to proteins may be useful for biosensing applications, such as developing catalysts and recognizing molecules, he added. What’s more, the sheets form layers that can separate and selectively transport different materials. He foresees developing more complicated three-dimensional structures using the same technology. Scientists may also one day use the technology for biological applications, such as drug delivery or tissue engineering. See Also:
Source: Wired: Wired Science | 12 Apr 2010 | 4:00 am The nation's weather (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 12 Apr 2010 | 3:28 am In pictures: Night penguinsHow king penguins find their way back to their chicks, at dusk and in complete darkness.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 12 Apr 2010 | 3:24 am Deepest volcanic vents discoveredWhat are believed to be the world's deepest undersea volcanic vents are discovered in the Caribbean.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 12 Apr 2010 | 3:21 am Funding crisis sparks row over leadership of Royal InstitutionScientists gather to vote on call to replace august body's ruling council after departure of director Baroness Greenfield Leading scientists will gather tonight to vote on a motion that could transform the leadership of the Royal Institution. Supporters of the London-based body's former director, Baroness Greenfield, who was made redundant in January, called a special general meeting to debate replacing the ruling council with a new team. Financial problems sparked a row among the 200-year-old scientific research organisation's 2,400 members. The group behind the meeting claims the council should be called to account for "failing to address the funding problems" and accuses the RI of wrongly blaming Lady Greenfield. But opponents, including the ruling body itself, argue that the role of director is not cost-effective and are calling for members to vote against the proposals. Meanwhile, Lady Greenfield, a distinguished neuroscientist who was appointed director in 1998, has launched legal proceedings against the institution claiming she was the victim of sexual discrimination and unfairly dismissed. The institution pledged to "vigorously" defend itself against the allegations. In a statement, those who called the special meeting said the aim was to "assure a favourable future for the RI", which is £2m in debt. Lady Greenfield said in a statement: "The special general meeting is being held at the instigation of a group of members of the Royal Institution who are very concerned for its current and future welfare." "The fact that so many talented, high calibre and busy individuals feel compelled to take this measure should surely indicate how crucial they consider the cause." Royal Institution chief executive Chris Rofe said: "The wholesale replacement of the council and officers at this time would create further unnecessary instability, which would harm the prospects for the RI to recover its financial health." guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 12 Apr 2010 | 12:00 am Brain drain, low investment hamper African scienceLONDON (Reuters) - Africa's contribution to the global body of scientific research is very small and does little to benefit its own populations, according to a report from Thomson Reuters released on Monday.Source: Reuters: Science News | 11 Apr 2010 | 10:13 pm Calif. gray whale-watchers fear dip in population (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 11 Apr 2010 | 8:01 pm April is Global Astronomy Month: 'One People, One Sky''Thirty Nights of StarPeace' is an international event organized by Astronomers Without Borders and it's coming to your region during April, the Global Astronomy Month 2010.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 11 Apr 2010 | 7:34 pm Irrigating BrazilControversy over plan to divert northern riverSource: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 11 Apr 2010 | 7:06 pm Nuclear summitUnprecedented gathering in US as threats growSource: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 11 Apr 2010 | 6:29 pm Prospects for climate deal 'slim'The chances of forging a binding agreement on climate change are small, says the UN climate chief at a meeting in Copenhagen.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 11 Apr 2010 | 6:16 pm World's Deepest Undersea Vents DiscoveredScientists discover the world's deepest undersea vent, called a black smoker, in the Caribbean.Source: Livescience.com | 11 Apr 2010 | 6:16 pm World's Deepest Undersea Vents Discovered (LiveScience.com)LiveScience.com - Beneath the Caribbean Sea a remotely controlled vehicle came upon the world's deepest hydrothermal vents, where super-heated mineral-rich water gushes from chimney structures onto the ocean floor. The black smokers, named for how they spew out an iron sulfide compound that's black, sit 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) deep in the Cayman Trough in the Caribbean. While black smokers are the hottest of the undersea vents, white smokers are cooler and often contain compounds that are white in color. Until now, the deepest known vents had been found some 2.6 miles (4. ...Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 11 Apr 2010 | 5:25 pm UN climate talks wrap up after fresh rows (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 11 Apr 2010 | 5:02 pm Science Weekly SmellycastOdour enthusiast Will Andrews from Proctor and Gamble's perfume creation team tells us about the science of smells and predicts that future perfumes may remind us of PlayStations and warm electronics. Will also teaches us how to smell like an expert, and conducts a fragrance test live in the studio. Next week he will be giving a lecture on the subject at the Royal Institution in London. In the newsjam, the panel discusses what the outcome of Britain's general election could mean for science, and the discovery of the remains of a possible new species of human ancestor, Australopithecus sediba. The Guardian's science correspondent Ian Sample and the Observer's Robin McKie are on hand to lend their wisdom. Nell Boase is your host while Alok is away. Feel free to post your thoughts below. Join our Facebook group. Listen back through our archive. Follow the podcast on our Science Weekly Twitter feed and receive updates on all breaking science news stories from Guardian Science. Subscribe free via iTunes to ensure every episode gets delivered. (Here is the non-iTunes URL feed). Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 11 Apr 2010 | 5:01 pm Skirmishes renewed at UN climate conference (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 11 Apr 2010 | 4:23 pm Mars Microbes May Juice Up On Rocket FuelTwo critical puzzle pieces for life on Mars, separated by 32 years of conjecture and thousands of miles of terrain, are coming together to yield new clues for a “Genesis 2.0” on the Red Planet.Source: Discovery News - Top Stories | 11 Apr 2010 | 3:14 pm Swirling dust shocks physicistsSwarms of self-charging particles defy gravity — and expectations.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/news/rss/today/~4/G3ZDogVQ-PQ" height="1" width="1"/>Source: NatureNews - All articles published today - nature.com science feeds | 11 Apr 2010 | 3:00 pm Discovery astronauts complete second spacewalk (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 11 Apr 2010 | 2:04 pm Novartis and Roche threaten to quit UK• Up to 5,000 jobs at risk if drug companies leave The pharmaceutical firms Novartis and Roche have threatened to pull out of Britain and relocate thousands of jobs abroad, in an ongoing row over pricing for the NHS and rules surrounding safety trials. The Swiss drug companies made their threats known in personal meetings with a government minister, according to Whitehall documents seen by the Guardian. The documents also make clear that cabinet ministers have been conducting a vigorous charm offensive to prevent multinational drug companies leaving Britain. Novartis employs 3,500 people in Britain at nine sites while Roche has 1,500 workers in this country. The ministers, including business secretary Lord Mandelson, have in recent months visited executives at their headquarters in Japan, the US and Europe in what officials call a "programme of ministerial visits". The visits have been organised to patch up a relationship strained by ministers' efforts to force the firms to cut the prices of the drugs they sell to the NHS, according to the documents. The politicians have taken with them top officials of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) to its rationing decisions on new medicines. Ministers have been targeting companies they have identified as "particular risks in relation to the retention of existing investment in the UK". The documents show how health minister Mike O'Brien and an entourage flew to Switzerland to meet senior executives at the head offices of Roche and Novartis last November. O'Brien explained the government was seeking to "make the UK a more favourable environment for pharmaceutical companies". The government has stressed its determination to "do what it takes to make the UK the location of choice in Europe for biopharmaceutical industry activity". John Melville, the head of Roche UK, said Roche's profits had been eroded by two developments: the renewed deal between the government and the pharmaceutical industry which sets the prices of drugs bought by the NHS, and the rate of exchange between "a weakening pound" and the Swiss franc. The net effect, according to the minutes of the meeting obtained by the Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act, is "a price squeeze on Roche products which Mr Melville called a major issue because UK drug prices act as reference prices for many developed countries including most of the EU. He said it may even make sense to pull out of the UK, losing 3% of business, so as to safeguard pricing levels at the remaining 97% of sales sources." Roche executives had previously identified a number of failings in the UK research and development regime. Their view was that "there is too often a difference between the spin and the substance: HMG rhetoric is all about how good the UK is, but the reality is different, and the gap is rising to worrying proportions. The UK is risking losing business." After meeting Roche, O'Brien went on to the headquarters of Novartis. Subhanu Saxena, its head of global marketing, said its vaccine production plant in Speke, near Liverpool, needed to be "upgraded and expanded in three to five years if it is to keep pace with technology and the market". The minutes recorded: "Mr Saxena said Novartis would like to find a way to maintain the Speke investment and alluded to funding offered by other countries for similar activities." One of O'Brien's aides countered that "certain investment incentives" were available to help Novartis decide. Saxena also warned that Novartis could move some of its drug safety trials out of Britain "because the slowness of the NHS system is making them uncompetitive". This complaint had been echoed by Roche executives who said trials in UK were "too expensive and bureaucratic". Last year, Mandelson and the then health secretary, Alan Johnson, went to see companies in the US and Japan. Johnson had also met AstraZeneca and GSK, whose headquarters are in Britain, while O'Brien had been to the Paris headquarters of the French firm, Sanofi-Aventis. Department of Health officials said the visits helped to improve the government's relations with drug firms, which are a key part of the British economy and a major employer. A Roche spokesman said: "We have no plans to quit the UK although we need to work with the UK government to address the uptake of medicines in the UK, many of which are routinely available in other European countries." Novartis declined to comment. guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds Source: Science news, comment and analysis | guardian.co.uk | 11 Apr 2010 | 1:04 pm Rocket Racing Helmets to Debut In Demonstration Flight (SPACE.com)SPACE.com - Pilots in a planned race among rocket-powered jets will steer along a virtual track in the sky by viewing the course through new custom-made helmets.Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 11 Apr 2010 | 12:01 pm Astronauts take 2nd spacewalk, overcome stiff bolt (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 11 Apr 2010 | 9:58 am Why Can't We All Just Get Along?The endless acrimony these days surrounding issues from health care reform to gay marriage might have you wondering: Why can't we all just get along?Source: Livescience.com | 11 Apr 2010 | 7:54 am Reef crash ship 'to face charges'Australia will press charges after a Chinese ship ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef after straying off its permitted route.Source: BBC News | Science & Environment | UK Edition | 11 Apr 2010 | 5:46 am 7.1-magnitude quake strikes off Solomon Islands (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Science News | 11 Apr 2010 | 5:15 am
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