science newsletter: Science News SciGuru.com

Παρασκευή 24 Αυγούστου 2012

Science News SciGuru.com

Cuckolded males sing louder
Superconductor 'flaws' could be key to its abilities
Prostate Cancer Survival Rates Improved Since Introduction of PSA Testing
For Mitochondria, Bigger May Not Be Better
Research on Wood Formation Sheds Light on Plant Biology
Superheavy, and yet stable

Posted: 24 Aug 2012 07:04 AM PDT

The song of male songbirds is multifaceted and has two main functions: to repel rivals and to attract mates. Females often pay attention to certain features within a song, such as the presence of special syllables, to assess the quality of the singing male. A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen and the University of Copenhagen has now found that the tempo, the pitch, and the amplitude of song reflect male reproductive success in rock sparrows.

Superconductor 'flaws' could be key to its abilities

Posted: 23 Aug 2012 09:41 AM PDT

Many researchers studying superconductivity strive to create a clean, pure, perfect sample, but a team of physicists found that some flaws might hold the key to a material's unique abilities.

Prostate Cancer Survival Rates Improved Since Introduction of PSA Testing

Posted: 23 Aug 2012 08:54 AM PDT

The routine use of prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing for screening and monitoring prostate cancer has led to early and more sensitive detection of the disease. A new study published in The Journal of Urology® reports that in the “PSA era,” survival has improved for patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer that has spread to the bones or other parts of the body and the disparity between African American and Caucasian men has been resolved.

For Mitochondria, Bigger May Not Be Better

Posted: 23 Aug 2012 08:51 AM PDT

Researchers find that optimal length of mitochondria in neurons is essential to preventing onset of Alzheimer’s and other tau-related diseases.

Research on Wood Formation Sheds Light on Plant Biology

Posted: 23 Aug 2012 08:27 AM PDT

Scientists at North Carolina State University have discovered a phenomenon never seen before in plants while studying molecular changes inside tree cells as wood is formed.

In research published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of Aug. 20, the team found that one member of a family of proteins called transcription factors took control of a cascade of genes involved in forming wood, which includes a substance called lignin that binds fibers together and gives wood its strength.

Superheavy, and yet stable

Posted: 23 Aug 2012 08:18 AM PDT

The heaviest element on earth is uranium, which has the atomic number 92 in the periodic table. Although superheavy elements up to number 118 have been produced artificially, their atomic nuclei rapidly decay. A subtle quantum effect means that even heavier atomic nuclei above element 120 could exist for years, however. Physicists have been searching for this hypothetical “island of stability” for a long time.