Month: September 2011

A worldwide study involving University of Sydney researchers has concluded that a costly and controversial treatment for neonatal sepsis is ineffective.

Astronomers reveal new findings from ‘monster’ black hole

Ref: 11/94
Working as part of an international team, astronomers at the University of Southampton have revealed some striking features in the gases emitted from the regions close to one of the brightest, supermassive black holes known to man.

There are far fewer species on Earth – just 2 million – than widely believed and it is possible to discover them all this century, according to Associate Professor Mark Costello from The University of Auckland’s Leigh Marine Laboratory.

A University of Alberta-led research team has taken a rare look inside the skull of a dinosaur and come away with unprecedented details on the brain and nasal passages of the ancient animal.

Problem-solving therapy may help people who attempt suicide or self-harm according to a study by University of Auckland researchers published in the British Journal of Psychiatry this month.

A team of researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the UW has conducted the first comprehensive assessment of every gene in the genome of advanced, lethal prostate cancer. Until now, the genetic composition of such tumors had been poorly defined.

University of Alberta chemistry researchers have discovered an active catalyst that has the potential to improve the efficiency and environmental impact of manufacturing processes used to make products such as agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Corn split off from its closest relative teosinte, a wild Mexican grass, about 10,000 years ago thanks to the breeding efforts of early Mexican farmers.

A drug used to protect bone may extend survival in older breast cancer patients, according to researchers at the Universities of Sheffield and Leeds.

University of Bergen researchers have contributed to an international declaration on the prevention of non-communicable diseases. Now the UN is discussing the issue.

A 100-year-old lock of hair from a West Australian Aboriginal man has led to a discovery that Aboriginal Australians are directly descended from the first people to leave Africa more than 70,000 years ago.

Novel use of CT scanning technology has allowed researchers at the University of Bristol to create a four-dimensional picture of how ants build their nests.

New research from the University shows that past trends in climate must be very carefully understood before using them to model the future.

A University of Bristol study has found a simple 15-minute screening programme for women at risk of osteoporosis can reduce their chance of fracture by half.

Changes in the ratio of nitrate to phosphorus in the oceans off the coasts of Korea and Japan caused by atmospheric and riverine pollutants may influence marine ecology and the makeup of marine plants, according to researchers from Korea and the U.S.

A nondisease-causing virus kills human breast cancer cells in the laboratory, creating opportunities for potential new cancer therapies, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers who tested the virus on three different breast cancer types that represent the multiple stages of breast cancer development.

Relatively accurate predictions for the extent of Arctic sea ice in a given summer can be made by assessing conditions the previous autumn, but forecasting conditions more than five years into the future depend on understanding the impact of climate trends on the ice pack, new research shows.

The human brain doesn’t stop developing at adolescence, but continues well into our 20s, recent research from the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta demonstrates.

Medical researchers have come a step closer to understanding how to stop breast cancers from coming back.

The media may portray text messaging and social networks as powerful new weapons for freedom fighters, but these new communication tools may not be as uniformly beneficial or as robust as suggested, according to Penn State researchers.

Human devices, from light bulbs to iPods, send information using electrons. Human bodies and all other living things, on the other hand, send signals and perform work using ions or protons.

World leaders gathering at the United Nations in New York this week to discuss non-communicable disease (NCD) such as obesity and diabetes need to consider how law is an essential weapon in the fight against the problem, a University of Sydney legal expert said.

Our livers can fight back against the immune system – reducing organ rejection but also making us more susceptible to liver disease, report scientists from the University of Sydney’s Centenary Institute.

Adult stem cells from mice converted to antigen-specific T cells — the immune cells that fight cancer tumor cells — show promise in cancer immunotherapy and may lead to a simpler, more efficient way to use the body’s immune system to fight cancer, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

Deforestation in the rainforests of West Africa reduces rainfall over the rest of the forest, according to new University of Leeds research published in Geophysical Research Letters.

A grain of salt or two may be all that microbial electrolysis cells need to produce hydrogen from wastewater or organic byproducts, without adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere or using grid electricity, according to Penn State engineers.

While electronic cigarettes may be a long-term alternative to the real thing for some smokers, Penn State College of Medicine researchers suggest medical providers should continue to encourage more traditional smoking cessation methods.

Researchers must collaborate to manage one of the planet’s most precious and threatened resources — for food production and much more, says Steve Banwart.

Mineral inclusions discovered in diamonds prove that surface rocks can be subducted into the deep part of the Earth’s mantle. The isotopic composition of the diamonds confirms that recycling of crustal materials, including carbon, extends into the lower mantle.

Researchers at the University of Sheffield have developed polymers that fluoresce in the presence of bacteria, paving the way for the rapid detection and assessment of wound infection using ultra-violet light.

Researchers at The University of Western Australia in collaboration with more than 200 centres from 24 countries have identified DNA links to blood pressure which could lead to new treatments for cardiovascular disease.

Archaeology is no longer just about digging holes. New research by a team led from the University of Leeds promises to improve the investigation of our heritage from the air.

University of Leeds researchers have used next-generation DNA sequencing techniques to discover what causes a rare form of inherited eye disorders, including cataracts and glaucoma, in young children.

The European Union Center of Excellence (EUCE) at University of Wisconsin–Madison has
received a grant for €300,000 (ca. $430,000) from the European Commission in Brussels renewing
its funding through 2014.

Scientists have successfully created synthetic crystals whose structures and properties mimic those of naturally occurring biominerals such as seashells.

Researchers in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta have discovered that resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant found in common foods, prevents a metabolic syndrome in some offspring that could lead to health issues like diabetes.

Groundbreaking new research has found that sulphur dioxide can boost a plant’s defence system, which could change the way table grapes, wine and dried fruits are preserved.