http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Phosphorus is one of the key nutrients that can cause algal blooms and related water quality problems in lakes, rivers, and estuaries worldwide. Phosphorus entering waters originates from a variety of sources. Agricultural land receiving long term applications of organic by-products such as animal manure is one of the major contributors. Such soils often become enriched with P, leading to elevated P loss through erosion and runoff. Information on the chemical characteristics of P in these soils is essential to improving our understanding of how P behaves in soils and how it is transported in runoff to devise better management practices that protect water quality. http://www.physorg.com/news152975509.html Space & Earth Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:12:55 EST news152975509 Training people to avoid falls by repeatedly exposing them to unstable situations in the laboratory helped them to later maintain their balance on a slippery floor, according to new research from the Journal of Neurophysiology. http://www.physorg.com/news152966347.html Medicine & Health Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:39:36 EST news152966347 (PhysOrg.com) -- SF State's planet hunting team is trying new avenues of investigation in the quest to discover planets beyond our solar system. At the American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting in January, graduate students presented novel approaches being used by the Exoplanet Group to search for earth-like planets. http://www.physorg.com/news152900631.html Space & Earth Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:24:14 EST news152900631 Your mother's wrinkles - or lack there of, may not be the best predictor of how you'll age. In fact, a new study claims just the opposite. The study, involving identical twins, suggests that despite genetic make-up, certain environmental factors can add years to a person's perceived age. Results just published on the web-based version of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), reveal that factors like divorce or the use of antidepressants are the real culprits that can wreak havoc on one's face. http://www.physorg.com/news152884242.html Medicine & Health Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:51:13 EST news152884242 Radiologists who work in breast imaging tend to overestimate their actual risk of medical malpractice lawsuits, according to a study performed at the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine in Seattle, WA. http://www.physorg.com/news152807289.html Medicine & Health Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:28:34 EST news152807289 A new Science Advisory report from the American Heart Association recommends that omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), as found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, are beneficial when part of a heart-healthy eating plan. Consumers should aim for at least 5-10% of energy (calories) from omega-6 PUFAs, and will derive most benefit when omega-6 PUFAs replace saturated or trans fats in the diet. Precise recommended daily servings will depend on physical activity level, age and gender, but range between 12 and 22 grams per day. http://www.physorg.com/news152527394.html Medicine & Health Fri, 30 Jan 2009 08:43:54 EST news152527394 In the world of nanomaterials, scientists and engineers can create new structures with tiny building blocks as small as one billionth of a meter. http://www.physorg.com/news152455521.html Chemistry Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:45:51 EST news152455521 (PhysOrg.com) -- UV light-enhanced tooth bleaching is not only a con, but is dangerous to your eyes and skin, says a Royal Society of Chemistry journal. http://www.physorg.com/news152453762.html Chemistry Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:16:29 EST news152453762 Scientists seek to create reliable early warning systems that accurately estimate the magnitude of an earthquake within the first seconds of rupture. In this paper published by the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, authors S. Murphy of University College Dublin, Ireland and S. Nielsen of the Instituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Roma, Italy look at the idea that an earthquake's final size can be determined during its initiation, rather than something that only becomes apparent at the end of the rupture. http://www.physorg.com/news152375731.html Space & Earth Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:35:53 EST news152375731 Rocks formed only under the extreme heat and friction during earthquakes, called pseudotachylytes, may be more abundant than previously reported, according to new research focused on eight faults found in the Sierra Nevada. The research appears in the February issue of the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. http://www.physorg.com/news152375539.html Space & Earth Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:32:41 EST news152375539 The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) released photos today from the first large-scale census of jaguars in the Amazon region of Ecuador -one of the most biologically rich regions on the planet. http://www.physorg.com/news152294109.html Biology Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:55:31 EST news152294109 New hazard maps for communities from San Jose to Palo Alto in Northern California delineate the probability of earthquake-induced liquefaction, based on three scenarios: a magnitude 7.8 on the San Andreas Fault comparable to the 1906 event, a magnitude 6.7 on the Hayward Fault comparable to the 1868 event, and a magnitude 6.9 on the Calavaras Calaveras Fault. http://www.physorg.com/news152273940.html Space & Earth Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:19:32 EST news152273940 A study published in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggested that the use of certain medications in elderly populations may be associated with cognitive decline. The study examined the effects of exposure to anticholinergic medications, a type of drug used to treat a variety of disorders that include respiratory and gastrointestinal problems, on over 500 relatively healthy men aged 65 years or older with high blood pressure. http://www.physorg.com/news152197278.html Medicine & Health Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:01:48 EST news152197278 A new and simple urine test can detect polyomavirus nephropathy, a relatively new and serious complication that affects up to 9% of kidney transplant recipients, according to a study appearing in the February 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The advance could lead to better diagnosis and treatment of patients with this condition. http://www.physorg.com/news151781450.html Medicine & Health Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:31:12 EST news151781450 (PhysOrg.com) -- An important British seabird has been tracked for the first time using miniature positioning loggers. The results are giving a team led by Oxford University zoologists information that could help conserve wildlife around Britain`s shores. http://www.physorg.com/news151772504.html Biology Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:02:11 EST news151772504 (PhysOrg.com) -- After announcing last April a method for growing exceptionally long, straight, numerous and well-aligned carbon cylinders only a few atoms thick, a Duke University-led team of chemists has now modified that process to create exclusively semiconducting versions of these single-walled carbon nanotubes. http://www.physorg.com/news151762245.html Nanotechnology Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:11:23 EST news151762245 Solarmer Energy Inc. is developing plastic solar cells for portable electronic devices that will incorporate technology invented at the University of Chicago. http://www.physorg.com/news151761095.html Chemistry Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:52:08 EST news151761095 In a finding straight out of science fiction, chemical and biomolecular engineers in Maryland are describing development of microscopic, chemically triggered robotic "hands" that can pick up and move small objects. They could be used in laboratory-on-a-chip applications, reconfigurable microfluidic systems, and micromanufacturing, the researchers say. A report on their so-called "microgrippers" is in the December 3, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society. http://www.physorg.com/news151582443.html Chemistry Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:14:03 EST news151582443 New data released today by the Wildlife Conservation Society and Malaysia's Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) reveals that a population of endangered Asian elephants living in a Malaysian park may be the largest in Southeast Asia. http://www.physorg.com/news151160631.html Biology Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:03:51 EST news151160631 Could eating cereal really make it more likely for someone to have a boy baby than a girl baby? Researchers wrote a paper, "Cereal-Induced Gender Selection? Most Likely a Multiple Testing False Positive," that will be published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B refuting such a notion. http://www.physorg.com/news151140851.html Medicine & Health Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:34:11 EST news151140851 The earliest known bird, the magpie-sized Archaeopteryx, had a similar hearing range to the modern emu, which suggests that the 145 million-year-old creature - despite its reptilian teeth and long tail - was more birdlike than reptilian, according to new research published today. http://www.physorg.com/news151139884.html Other Sciences Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:18:04 EST news151139884 Small changes can lead to big rewards, such as maintaining a healthy weight, American Society for Nutrition (ASN) President James O. Hill, PhD, describes in a recent report. The article, to be published in the February issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is written by Hill on behalf of a joint task force of ASN, the Institute of Food Technologists, and the International Food Information Council. http://www.physorg.com/news151072771.html Medicine & Health Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:39:31 EST news151072771 Following the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970 and 1990 acidic deposition in North America has declined significantly since its peak in 1973. Consequently, research has shifted from studying the effects of acidic deposition to the recovery of these aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Regional-scale studies have focused primarily on aquatic systems and while many of these ecosystems are showing signs of chemical recovery (increases in acid neutralizing capacity and pH, decreases in sulfate and aluminum concentrations), recovery is slower than expected based on the magnitude of the decline in acid deposition. http://www.physorg.com/news150988084.html Space & Earth Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:08:04 EST news150988084 Buttery Christmas cookies, eggnog, juicy beef roast, rich gravy and creamy New York-style cheesecake. Happy holiday food unfortunately can send blood cholesterol levels sky high. http://www.physorg.com/news150730240.html Chemistry Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:30:40 EST news150730240 University of Utah researchers dusted wild deer mice with fluorescent pink, blue, green, yellow and orange talcum powders to show which rodents most often fought or mated with others and thus were most likely to spread deadly hantavirus. The study identified bigger, older mice as the culprits. http://www.physorg.com/news150537571.html Biology Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:59:31 EST news150537571 The level of nitric oxide (NO) in an asthmatic's exhaled breath can portend worsening asthma symptoms, and may even signify an imminent attack linked to underlying airway inflammation. This has made the monitoring of NO levels, particularly in children, of significant interest as a potential way to help clinicians fine-tune medications and improve treatment outcomes. However, a recent multi-center prospective study found that calibrating medications based on daily monitoring of the fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) and symptoms in asthmatic children showed no significant improvement over medicating based on daily symptom monitoring alone. http://www.physorg.com/news150537448.html Medicine & Health Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:57:28 EST news150537448 MRI of the wrist at 3T is an effective way to detect wrist ligament tears and in some cases can avoid unnecessary surgery, according to a study performed at Neuroskeletal Imaging in Merritt Island, Florida. http://www.physorg.com/news150480716.html Medicine & Health Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:11:56 EST news150480716 (PhysOrg.com) -- An international team of chemical engineers, chemists and pharmacists has made a major breakthrough that will significantly boost the accuracy and speed of drug testing. http://www.physorg.com/news150386054.html Chemistry Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:54:14 EST news150386054 (PhysOrg.com) -- When there is a threat of disease during pregnancy, mothers produce less aggressive sons with more efficient immune systems, researchers at The University of Nottingham have discovered. http://www.physorg.com/news150373790.html Biology Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:29:50 EST news150373790 A new epidemiological study has found that among women who have never used menopausal hormone therapy, obese women are at an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer compared with women of normal weight. Published in the February 15, 2009 issue of Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the research indicates that obesity may contribute to the development of ovarian cancer through a hormonal mechanism. http://www.physorg.com/news150346593.html Medicine & Health Mon, 05 Jan 2009 02:56:33 EST news150346593