News on Science and Research

Read the latest from the world of science, including news on research projects and results. The news is kindly supplied by idw (Informationsdienst Wissenschaft).

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Sulphur and iron compounds common in old shipwrecks	Sulphur and iron compounds have now been found in shipwrecks both in the Baltic and off the west coast of Sweden. The group behind the results, presented in the Journal of Archaeological Science, includes scientists from the University of Gothenburg and Stockholm University.
The Teacher Is Central to Successful Use of Computers in Schools	The idea of one computer per student is becoming increasingly common in the Swedish school system. The University of Gothenburg, Sweden, is now conducting several studies on the educational consequences of the so-called 1:1 initiative in a group of Swedish municipalities. 'The teacher is the key to successful use of computers in the classroom,' says Professor Berner Lindstr�m, scientific director of the studies.
Most people brushes their teeth in the wrong way	Almost all Swedes brush their teeth, yet only one in ten does it in a way that effectively prevents tooth decay. Now researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, are eager to teach Swedes how to brush their teeth more effectively.
Young People are Too Pressured to Choose	Young people are forced to choose an educational path early in life. International trends in the educational sector have led to reduced opportunities to change direction later on, according to a new doctoral thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Drugs from lizard saliva reduces the cravings for food	A drug made from the saliva of the Gila monster lizard is effective in reducing the craving for food. Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, have tested the drug on rats, who after treatment ceased their cravings for both food and chocolate.
Fuel for the black hole	An international research team led by Gerd Weigelt from the Max-Planck-Institut f�r Radioastronomie in Bonn reports on high-resolution studies of an active galactic nucleus. The use of near-infrared interferometry allowed the team to resolve a ring-shaped dust distribution (generally called "dust torus") in the inner region of the nucleus of the active galaxy NGC 3783. This method is able to achieve an angular resolution equivalent to the resolution of a telescope with a diameter of 130 Meters. The resolved dust torus probably represents the reservoir of gaseous and dusty material that "feeds" the hot gas disk ("accretion disk") and the supermassive black hole in the center of this galaxy.
Software SAMG for the acceleration of groundwater simulations now available with new license model	The software package SAMG was developed for highly efficient, numerical solutions of large, sparsely populated matrix problems. Problems of this type can be found in several application domains, e.g. in simulations of oil reservoirs, automotive design and also simulations relevant for environmental analyses, such as groundwater flow. SAMG is developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing (SCAI).
Black holes turn up the heat for the Universe	HITS astrophysicists discover a new heating source in cosmological structure formation So far, astrophysicists thought that super-massive black holes can only influence their immediate surroundings. A collaboration of scientists at the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS) and in Canada and the US now discovered that diffuse gas in the universe can absorb luminous gamma-ray emission from black holes, heating it up strongly. This surprising result has important implications for the formation of structures in the universe. The results have just been published in "The Astrophysical Journal" and "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society".
More comfort for breast cancer patients	In cooperation with Amoena Medizin-Orthop�die-Technik GmbH, researchers from the Hohenstein Institute have taken on a highly sensitive yet very important issue. In the framework of the publicly funded research project (AiF no. KF2136714HG0)they developed a special brassiere for breast cancer patients. The new brassiere can be worn during and directly after radiation therapy and takes into account the high sensitivity of the skin which often occurs during treatments as well as changes in breast volume.
German astronomers finish Europe's largest solar telescope on Tenerife	After ten years of development, the new German solar telescope GREGOR will start operating at the Spanish Observatorio del Teide of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias on Tenerife. It is the largest solar telescope in Europe and number three worldwide.
The Downside of Good Memory	Experiencing distressing memories of a shocking experience characterizes posttraumatic stress disorder. Scientists from the University of Basel have now discovered that a genetic factor for good memory is also associated with a heightened risk for the development of a posttraumatic stress disorder in war victims. The findings of this study will be published this week in the American journal PNAS.
The gut could reveal effect of climate change on fish	As sea temperatures rise, stocks of some fish species can decline while others may grow, reveals new research from the University of Gothenburg looking at gastrointestinal function in fish.
Real Science in Virtual School Labs	Up-to-date marine data enables students to carry out scientifically valid virtual experiments. The method yields insights on how scientific knowledge is created and developed, according to research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
New research could mean faster computers and better mobile phones	Graphene and carbon nanotubes could improve the electronics used in computers and mobile phones, reveals new research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Playful Games Promote Reading Development	Short but intense training sessions in the form of structured language games from the age of four can stimulate children's early language development and may also make it easier for children to learn to read. This is found in a current research project at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Large Differences in Outcomes of Attempts to Eliminate Double Taxation	A new doctoral thesis from the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, explores the issue of double taxation in connection with international transactions. The study sheds light on the vastly different results that the established methods to eliminate double taxation may yield in certain situations: that a transaction is still subject to double taxation or that no tax is paid at all.
New species of fish in Sweden	Reticulated dragonet have been found in V�der�arna - "Weather Islands" - off the west coast of Sweden. It is not often that a new species of fish is discovered in Sweden.
School Politics Increasingly Important to Swedish Voters	Education is a growing political issue in Sweden, school politics is becoming increasingly important to Swedish voters in elections to parliament, and the share of voters who support the school politics of the Liberal Party has increased. These are three trends pointed out in new reports from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Hitch-hiking with birds for life	Although chewing lice spend their entire lives as parasites on birds, it is difficult to predict patterns of lice distribution, new research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, reveals.
Growth Regulator mTORC2 Linked to Diabetes	The signaling protein mTOR is a key regulator that controls cell growth. Dysfunction of mTOR increases not only the likelihood of developing cancer but also diabetes. In the current issue of the journal �Cell Metabolism�, Mike Hall and his team from the Biozentrum of the University of Basel describe how inhibition of mTOR signaling can impair carbohydrate metabolism and potentially lead to diabetes.