ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Green ring fit for a superhero: Spitzer Space Telescope spies powerful light of giant 'O' stars
• Possible susceptibility genes found in neurodegenerative disorder
• Climate change disasters can be predicted, study suggests
• Arctic snow can harbor deadly assassin: Killer fungal strains
• New insights on an old material will enable design of better polymer batteries, water purification
• Fifty-year search for calcium channel ends: Cell's power generator depends on long-sought protein
• Human vaccine used to cure prostate cancer in mice

Green ring fit for a superhero: Spitzer Space Telescope spies powerful light of giant 'O' stars Posted: 19 Jun 2011 11:05 AM PDT This glowing emerald nebula seen by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope is reminiscent of the glowing ring wielded by the superhero Green Lantern. In the comic books, the diminutive Guardians of the Planet "Oa" forged his power ring, but astronomers believe rings like this are actually sculpted by the powerful light of giant "O" stars. O stars are the most massive type of star known to exist.

Possible susceptibility genes found in neurodegenerative disorder Posted: 19 Jun 2011 10:35 AM PDT Scientists have discovered three potential susceptibility genes for development of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurodegenerative disease that causes symptoms similar to those of Parkinson's disease but is resistant to Parkinson's medications.

Climate change disasters can be predicted, study suggests Posted: 19 Jun 2011 10:35 AM PDT Climate change disasters, such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet, dieback of the Amazon rainforest or collapse of the Atlantic overturning circulation, can be predicted according to new research. The "tipping points" that trigger these disasters could be anticipated by looking for changes in climate behavior, researchers say.

Arctic snow can harbor deadly assassin: Killer fungal strains Posted: 19 Jun 2011 10:35 AM PDT Heavy and prolonged snowfall can bring about unexpected conditions that encourage fungal growth, leading to the death of plants in the Arctic, according to experts. A new international study confirms that while snow has an insulating effect which helps plants to grow bigger, heavy and prolonged snow can, in certain circumstances, also encourage the rapid and extensive growth of killer fungal strains.

New insights on an old material will enable design of better polymer batteries, water purification Posted: 19 Jun 2011 10:35 AM PDT Scientists have devised a way to measure Nafion's internal structure and, in the process, have discovered how to manipulate this structure to enhance the material's applications.

Fifty-year search for calcium channel ends: Cell's power generator depends on long-sought protein Posted: 19 Jun 2011 10:35 AM PDT After decades of failed efforts, researchers have discovered, through a combination of digital database mining and laboratory assays, the linchpin protein that drives mitochondria's calcium machinery.

Human vaccine used to cure prostate cancer in mice Posted: 19 Jun 2011 10:34 AM PDT Scientists cured well-established prostate tumors in mice using a human vaccine with no apparent side effects. This novel cancer treatment approach encourages the immune system to rid itself of prostate tumors without assistance from toxic chemotherapies and radiation treatments. Such a treatment model could some day help people to live tumor free with fewer side effects than those experienced from current therapies.