Current Science News and Events
The following is a collection of the latest news available on the world wide web. These links will lead you to sites outside of Visionlearning.
Current feeds as of 7/14/10 12:00am EST include the following.
- New York Times
- BBC
- Science Daily News
- Science Magazine News Summaries
- Science Magazine This Week in Science
BBC Science
EU states agree on Iter funding
Additional funds needed to construct the Iter fusion reactor will have to come from the EU budget, member states say.
EU to let states rule on GM crops
EU officials plan to give the 27 member states the freedom to grow, restrict or ban genetically modified (GM) crops.
Badger cull halted after appeal
A cull of around 1,500 badgers in south-west Wales has been halted after protesters won their legal challenge to stop it.
Conservation groups' cuts warning
A coalition of conservation organisations in England warns of the dangers of cutting public funding in the countryside.
Businesses 'profit from nature'
Companies as well as governments will reap dividends from paying for nature, a UN-sponsored report concludes.
BP installs new cap on oil well
BP places an improved cap on a ruptured Gulf of Mexico well, raising hopes that all leaking oil could soon be captured.
Science Daily News
Smoking influences gene function, scientists say
In the largest study of its kind, researchers have found that exposure to cigarette smoke can alter gene expression -- the process by which a gene's information is converted into the structures and functions of a cell. These alterations in response to smoking appear to have a wide-ranging negative influence on the immune system, and a strong involvement in processes related to cancer, cell death and metabolism.
New research on rapidly-disappearing ancient plant offers hope for species recovery
"Living fossil" cycads now number about 300 species, and many of these species are endangered, especially those on islands like Guam. New molecular research on a threatened species, Cycas micronesica, shows these plants are not relics and that there is hope in careful management of the remaining plants.
Researchers fighting bacterial infections zero in on microorganism's soft spots
In any battle, sizing up one's opponent is a critical first step. For researchers fighting a bacterial infection, that means assessing every nook and cranny of the malicious microorganism and identifying which to attack. In Spain, scientists are devising maneuvers they hope will take out bacteria at their molecular knees, and they are optimistic a recent advance will yield therapies for a number of infections, including antibiotic-resistant strains delivering blow after blow across the globe.
Prolonged training at altitude could decrease athletes’ performance
New research suggests that athletes and footballers may want to limit the time they spend training at altitude to improve their performance. A new study has found that people with a rare condition that mimics being at high altitude for long periods show metabolic differences that actually reduce their endurance and physical performance.
The intensity of cravings for cigarettes has more to do with the psychosocial element of smoking than with the physiological effects of nicotine as an addictive chemical, according to a new study by an Israeli scientist. He hopes this research will help clinicians and health authorities develop more successful smoking cessation programs than those utilizing expensive nicotine patches or gum.
Science Magazine News Summaries
[News of the Week] Climate Monitoring: Solar Sensor Grounded on Revamped Satellite Program
Last week's announcement that the first spacecraft of the newly reconfigured program previously known as the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System wouldn't be able to measure the intensity of sunlight has left U.S. climate scientists feeling out in the cold.
Author: Eli Kintisch
[News of the Week] Genetics: Volvox Genome Shows It Doesn't Take Much to Be Multicellular
On page 223 of this week's issue of Science, a comparison between the genomes of the 2000-cell Volvox carteri and a single-celled green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, has revealed surprisingly few differences in their gene makeup.
Author: Elizabeth Pennisi
[News of the Week] Polar Research: Broken-Down Icebreakers Hamstring U.S. Science
Scientists' access to the polar regions depends on an over-the-hill and increasingly fragile U.S. icebreaking fleet. And the latest breakdown has scientists worried about the fate of future research cruises.
Author: Jeffrey Mervis
[News of the Week] ScienceInsider: From the Science Policy Blog
ScienceInsider reported this week that in the latest twist in a contentious debate about a possible tie between a retrovirus and chronic fatigue syndrome, the journal Retrovirology last week published a study that failed to find a key virus in blood samples from 51 CFS patients and 56 healthy people, among other stories.
[News of the Week] Biomedical Research: Dream Team Plans a Blitz on Schizophrenia
Three top neuroscientists are betting big money and their scientific careers on a new approach to studying schizophrenia and other psychiatric diseases. With help from philanthropists, they are launching an institute that will look for treatments by probing early brain development for the origins of mental illness.
Author: Jocelyn Kaiser
Science Magazine This Week in Science
Long-period comets originate from the Oort cloud, a vast reservoir of icy bodies that surrounds the solar system. These bodies are thought to be remnants from the formation of the … [Read more]
BK channels are potassium ion channels found on the surface of a variety of cell types that are essential for the regulation of several key physiological processes, including smooth muscle … [Read more]
When needing to mix two fluids rapidly, turbulent flow can be beneficial. However, in most cases, the churning and tumbling motions of a fluid during turbulent flow reduce the efficiency … [Read more]
Most of the densest, deepest water at the bottom of the oceans comes from two regions, the North Atlantic and the circum-Antarctic. Have other regions been able to produce significant … [Read more]
Nanoparticles and colloids have been used to model crystallization and melting phenomena. Liu et al. (p. 197) studied the polymerization kinetics of nanoparticles. Functionalized arrowhead nanorods acted as linkable units … [Read more]
