science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Πέμπτη 23 Αυγούστου 2012

Science News SciGuru.com

Elusive Metal Nickel Oxide Discovered
Fresh water breathes fresh life into hurricanes
ORNL technology moves scientists closer to extracting uranium from seawater
Low oxygen boosts stem cell survival in muscular dystrophy therapy
Deadly Outbreak of West Nile Virus Highlights Urgent Need for More Research, Funding
Better Monitoring of Food Quantity Makes Self-Control Easier

Posted: 22 Aug 2012 02:34 PM PDT

Carnegie scientists are the first to discover the conditions under which nickel oxide can turn into an electricity-conducting metal. Nickel oxide is one of the first compounds to be studied for its electronic properties, but until now scientists have not been able to induce a metallic state. The compound becomes metallic at enormous pressures of 2.4 million times the atmospheric pressure (240 gigapascals). The finding is published in Physical Review Letters.

Fresh water breathes fresh life into hurricanes

Posted: 22 Aug 2012 09:20 AM PDT

An analysis of a decade's worth of tropical cyclones shows that when hurricanes blow over ocean regions swamped by fresh water, the conditions can unexpectedly intensify the storm. Although the probability that hurricanes will hit such conditions is small, ranging from 10 to 23 percent, the effect is potentially large: Hurricanes can become 50 percent more intense, researchers report in a study appearing this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.

ORNL technology moves scientists closer to extracting uranium from seawater

Posted: 22 Aug 2012 09:07 AM PDT

Fueling nuclear reactors with uranium harvested from the ocean could become more feasible because of a material developed by a team led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Low oxygen boosts stem cell survival in muscular dystrophy therapy

Posted: 22 Aug 2012 09:02 AM PDT

Controlling the amount of oxygen that stem cells are exposed to can significantly increase the effectiveness of a procedure meant to combat an often fatal form of muscular dystrophy, according to Purdue University research.

Deadly Outbreak of West Nile Virus Highlights Urgent Need for More Research, Funding

Posted: 22 Aug 2012 08:52 AM PDT

Mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV) caused 26 deaths already this year, and nearly 700 cases had been reported by mid-August according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). WNV had become "old news" among the public and the media. Furthermore, funding to support research, training and education, and surveillance and vector control had waned. Now there is an urgent imperative to redouble our efforts to understand and control this dangerous virus.

Better Monitoring of Food Quantity Makes Self-Control Easier

Posted: 22 Aug 2012 08:29 AM PDT

New research from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management suggests learning how to stop enjoying unhealthy food sooner may play a pivotal role in combating America’s obesity problem. The research, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, explores how satiation, defined as the drop in liking during repeated consumption, can be a positive mechanism when it lowers the desire for unhealthy foods.