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New study supports scientists’ proof for global warming

A new interpretation for temperature data from satellites, published earlier this year, raised controversy when its authors claimed it eliminated doubt that, on average, the lower atmosphere is getting warmer as fast as the Earth’s surface. Now, in another study headed by the same researcher to be published Dec. 15 in the Journal of Climate, direct temperature data from other scientists has validated the satellite interpretation.

New Tool Automatically Searches Handwritten Historical Documents

Historians and researchers searching through handwritten documents, such as the 140,000 pages that make up George Washington’s personal papers in the Library of Congress, now have a new powerful tool to aid their work — a first-of-its kind manuscript retrieval system developed at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The search tool has been developed by the Center for Intelligent Information Retrieval in the computer science department at UMass Amherst.

It’s official: Stress can make you look older

Increasing scientific evidence suggests that prolonged psychological stress takes its toll on the body, but the exact mechanisms by which stress influences disease processes have remained elusive. Now, scientists report that psychological stress may exact its toll, at least in part, by affecting molecules believed to play a key role in cellular aging and, possibly, disease development.

Bush Appoints Arden Bement as NSF Director

President Bush on Nov. 24 officially appointed Arden L. Bement, Jr., as the 12th director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across nearly all fields of science and engineering. Bement has been NSF’s acting director since Feb. 22, 2004. For the time he was acting NSF director, he also held the position of Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. He was appointed NIST director in 2001.

Chemo combo offers hope for colorectal cancer patients

Preliminary results from a large, randomized clinical trial for patients with advanced colorectal cancer who had previously received treatment show that those who received bevacizumab (Avastin) in combination with an oxaliplatin (Eloxatin) regimen known as FOLFOX4 lived longer than patients who received FOLFOX4 alone. This difference is statistically significant and corresponds to a 17 percent improvement in median overall survival.

Finding Could Improve Safety of Stem Cell Transplants

A lipid that helps destroy potentially harmful cells during brain development shows promise for improving the safety and efficacy of stem cell transplants, say researchers at the Medical College of Georgia and University of Georgia. When embryonic stem cells are being coaxed toward becoming brain cells that could be transplanted, that lipid, ceramide, helps eliminate cells that could later form tumors called teratomas, researchers say in the Nov. 22 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology.

The poppy-seed bagel theorem

If you run into Ed Saff at a cocktail party and ask him what he does for a living, the mathematician is likely to reply that he is working on a ”method for creating the perfect poppy-seed bagel.” Then he’ll pause and add, ”Maybe that’s not the most accurate description, but it’s the most digestible.” More accurately, Saff, who is a mathematics professor at Vanderbilt, has been working to come up with a new and improved way to distribute points uniformly on various types of surfaces. Plotting a large set of equidistant points on a flat surface doesn’t take a mathematician: Any draftsman can do it. Throw in a curve or two, however, and the problem gets much tougher.

Visualizing the End of the Human Genome

Scientists have glimpsed the three-dimensional structure of a protein that protects the ends of human chromosomes, a function that is essential for normal cell division and survival. By visualizing the protein as it surrounds the end of a chromosome, the scientists have learned how the protein homes in on a specific DNA sequence and acts like a protective cap to prevent erosion of chromosome ends.

Holiday Biohazard: How to Prevent Toy Injuries

While toys can be a big part of the holidays for children, many can pose serious injury risks at different stages of a child’s development according to Duke University Medical Center emergency room workers. Claudia McCormick, program director of the Duke Trauma Center, said parents can help prevent toy-related injuries by following simple safety guidelines, beginning with shopping for the toy.

New pheromone creates buzz about the clout of older bees

A recent discovery unveils the chemical secret that gives old bees the authority to keep young bees home babysitting instead of going out on the town. A hard-to-detect pheromone explains a phenomenon Michigan State University entomologist Zachary Huang published 12 years ago — that somehow older forager bees exert influence over the younger nurse bees in a hive, keeping them grounded until they are more mature, and thus more ready to handle the demands of buzzing about.

Army Helicopters Borrow NASCAR Windshield Technology

A laminate that protects NASCAR racecar windshields from rocks and debris will soon give extra protection to Army helicopters flying in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army’s Aviation Applied Technology Directorate at Fort Eustis, Va., started testing the concept in March and just got the green light to begin applying the Mylar polyester coating to the windshields of operational aircraft. Nathan Bordick, an engineer working on the project, said the Army borrowed the idea from NASCAR, where teams have been applying multiple layers of the peelable coatings to vehicle windshields for years to resist cracking, chipping and scratching. Periodically throughout a race, pit crews peel away a layer, leaving a clear, undamaged windshield for the laps ahead, he said.