ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Tuesday, August 17, 2010
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IBEX spacecraft reveals surprising details of solar system (August 17, 2010) -- It wasn't until the advent of the Interstellar Boundary Explorer or IBEX, a NASA spacecraft launched in October 2008, that scientists have been able to see what the human eye cannot: the first-ever images of an electromagnetic crash scene in space. They can now witness how some of the solar wind's charged particles are being neutralized by gas escaping from Earth's atmosphere. ... > full story
Studies pinpoint key targets for MRSA vaccine (August 17, 2010) -- Two studies point to a new way to a vaccinate against drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus -- also known as MRSA -- the leading US cause of skin, soft tissue, bloodstream and lung infections, as well as deaths from infectious disease. One counteracts the bacteria's tools for evading the immune system; the other disrupts the germ's tissue-damaging mechanism. Each approach reduced the microbe's virulence in mice. The combination may protect people from MRSA and provide lasting immunity. ... > full story
Health impact of Gulf Coast oil spill hazardous but improving (August 17, 2010) -- The oil spill along the United States Gulf Coast poses health risks to volunteers, fishermen, clean-up workers and members of coastal communities, according to a new commentary by researchers who spent time in the region and are among the first to look into health problems caused by the oil spill. ... > full story
Scientists map epigenetic changes during blood cell differentiation; Potential application for stem cell therapies (August 17, 2010) -- Having charted the occurrence of a common chemical change that takes place while stem cells decide their fates and progress from precursor to progeny, scientists have produced the first-ever epigenetic landscape map for tissue differentiation. ... > full story
Gene that causes barnacles to avoid ship hulls identified (August 17, 2010) -- The substance medetomidine has proved effective in preventing fouling of ship bottoms. Researchers have now identified the gene that causes the barnacle to react to the substance, opening up the possibility of an anti-fouling paint that is gentle both on barnacles and on the environment. ... > full story
Obesity rates decline for many adolescents, but disparities worsen (August 17, 2010) -- Obesity rates have started to decline and level off for many adolescents, but continue to increase for certain racial and ethnic minorities, according to a new study. ... > full story
Massive coral mortality following bleaching in Indonesia (August 17, 2010) -- Initial field observations indicate that a dramatic rise in the surface temperature in Indonesian waters has resulted in a large-scale bleaching event that has devastated coral populations. ... > full story
Genes associated with aggressive breast cancer (August 17, 2010) -- Researchers in Sweden have identified 12 genes that could be associated with aggressive breast tumors. The discovery could result in more reliable prognoses and better treatment strategies for patients. ... > full story
Cassini bags Enceladus 'Tigers' (August 17, 2010) -- NASA's Cassini spacecraft has successfully completed its flyby over the "tiger stripes" in the south polar region of Saturn's moon Enceladus and has sent back images of its passage. The spacecraft also targeted the moon Tethys. ... > full story
Novel role: EZH2 boosts creation of ovarian cancer blood vessels (August 17, 2010) -- A protein associated with cancer progression when abundant inside of tumors also unexpectedly regulates the creation of new blood vessels that feed the tumor outside, a research team reports. ... > full story
Arsenic in field runoff linked to poultry litter (August 17, 2010) -- Fields amended with poultry litter can accumulate significant levels of arsenic, according to new studies. These findings provide key information about the agricultural pollutants that can build up in agricultural soils over time -- and possibly migrate into nearby streams and rivers. ... > full story
Disadvantaged adolescents prone to adult crime and substance abuse problems, study finds (August 17, 2010) -- Early intervention among young adolescents with delinquency problems may help prevent the development of long-term crime and substance abuse problems, a new article suggests. ... > full story
Resolving the paradox of the Antarctic sea ice (August 16, 2010) -- While Arctic sea ice has been diminishing in recent decades, the Antarctic sea ice extent has been increasing slightly. Researchers provide an explanation for the seeming paradox of increasing Antarctic sea ice in a warming climate. ... > full story
Scientists successfully use human induced pluripotent stem cells to treat Parkinson's in rodents (August 16, 2010) -- Researchers have successfully used human induced pluripotent stem cells to treat rodents afflicted with Parkinson's disease. The research validates a scalable protocol that can be used to manufacture the type of neurons needed to treat the disease and paves the way for the use of iPSC's in various biomedical applications. ... > full story
Scared snails opt for single parenthood rather than wait for a mate (August 16, 2010) -- Solitary snails in search of a mate put off parenthood as long as possible in the hopes that a partner will appear. But when Physa acuta snails smell predators, they don't wait as long for a mate. Scared snails settle for single parenthood much sooner than their calm counterparts, says a new study. ... > full story
Birth control pill equally effective for women regardless of their weight (August 16, 2010) -- The first study to compare the effectiveness of the birth control pill in women with marked weight differences has found that the pill works equally well in women with obesity and thinner women. This new finding by physician-scientists refutes a long-held conviction among many doctors that the pill may not reliably prevent pregnancy in women who are overweight or obese. ... > full story
New microneedle antimicrobial techniques may foster medical tech innovation (August 16, 2010) -- Researchers have developed two new approaches for incorporating antimicrobial properties into microneedles -- vanishingly thin needles that hold great promise for use in portable medical devices. Researchers expect the findings to spur development of new medical applications using microneedles. ... > full story
Boys and girls not as different as previously thought (August 16, 2010) -- Although girls tend to hang out in smaller, more intimate groups than boys, this difference vanishes by the time children reach the eighth grade, according to a new study. ... > full story
15,000 beams of light: Pens that write with light offer low-cost, rapid nanofabrication capabilities (August 16, 2010) -- One city skyline is dazzling enough. Now imagine 15,000 of them. Researchers have done just that -- drawing 15,000 identical skylines with tiny beams of light using an innovative nanofabrication technology called beam-pen lithography. BPL uses an array of pens made of a polymer to print patterns over large areas with nanoscopic through macroscopic resolution. The method could do for nanofabrication what the desktop printer has done for printing and information transfer. ... > full story
Possible cocaine addiction trigger uncovered: Protein linked to mental retardation may be controlling factor in drug's effect in the brain (August 16, 2010) -- Scientists from the Florida campus of the Scripps Research Institute have identified a protein that may act as the trigger controlling the addictive impact of cocaine in the brain. The findings may one day lead to new therapies to treat addiction. ... > full story
Embryonic heart paced with laser (August 16, 2010) -- Scientists have found that pulsed infrared light can pace contractions in an avian embryonic heart, with no apparent damage to the tissue. ... > full story
Discovered gene causes Kabuki syndrome: Researchers streamline DNA sequencing strategies to find rare disease genes quickly (August 16, 2010) -- Using a new, rapid and less expensive DNA sequencing strategy, scientists have discovered genetic alterations that account for most cases of Kabuki syndrome, a rare disorder that causes multiple birth defects and mental retardation. Instead of sequencing the entire human genome, the new approach sequences just the exome, the 1-2 percent of the human genome that contains protein-coding genes. ... > full story
Probing the nanoparticle: Predicting how nanoparticles will react in the human body (August 16, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a method for predicting the ways nanoparticles will interact with biological systems -- including the human body. Their work could have implications for improved human and environmental safety in the handling of nanomaterials, as well as applications for drug delivery. ... > full story
Memory researchers explain latest findings on improving the mind, stopping memory loss (August 16, 2010) -- The ability to remember is not just to glimpse into the past; a sharp memory can help with creativity, productivity and even the ability to imagine the future, according to several psychologists. ... > full story
Solution to beading-saliva mystery has practical purposes (August 16, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered precisely why strands of some fluids containing long molecules called polymers form beads when stretched, findings that could be used to improve industrial processes and for administering drugs in "personalized medicine." ... > full story
Promising results of gene therapy to treat diseases of the eye (August 16, 2010) -- The easy accessibility of the eye and the established link between specific genetic defects and ocular disorders offer hope for using gene therapy to provide long-term therapeutic benefit. Two new reports describe the effective replacement of a human gene to preserve photoreceptor function in a mouse model of severe retinal degeneration. ... > full story
Making sense of space dust: Researchers explore solar system's origins (August 16, 2010) -- The chemical breakdown of minerals that may be lurking in space dust soon will be available to scientists around the world. ... > full story
Preclinical inquiry into one mutation sheds light on addiction and a birth defect (August 16, 2010) -- When a certain protein is mutated or missing, symptoms of the neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome arise, causing a gradual loss of brain function during early development. This fact led researchers to test a theory that the protein might also contribute to nerve-cell connection (synapse) changes in a fully formed adult mouse brain when exposed to psychostimulant use. ... > full story
Trojan Horse attack on native lupine: Tiny mice advance under of invasive beachgrass to feast on seeds of endangered plant (August 16, 2010) -- At Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County, Calif., a fierce battle is taking place between an invasive plant and a native plant, but one with a new twist. European beachgrass provides cover that allows a timid deer mouse to get close enough to the lupine to snip off stalks of lupine fruits without being nabbed by overflying birds. The two plants aren't in direct competition, but the beachgrass in this indirect way threatens the lupine's ability to survive. ... > full story
Adversity in childhood can increase risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood, research shows (August 16, 2010) -- Early life adversity through poverty, social isolation or abuse in childhood is linked to heightened reactivity, which can lead to heart disease later on, a leading expert on stress and disease said Saturday. ... > full story
Drugs encased in nanoparticles travel to tumors on the surface of immune-system cells (August 16, 2010) -- Clinical trials using patients' own immune cells to target tumors have yielded promising results. However, this approach usually works only if the patients also receive large doses of drugs designed to help immune cells multiply rapidly, and those drugs have life-threatening side effects. Now engineers have devised a way to deliver the necessary drugs by smuggling them on the backs of the cells sent in to fight the tumor. That way, the drugs reach only their intended targets, greatly reducing the risk to the patient. ... > full story
Shape matters: The corkscrew twist of H. pylori enables it to 'set up shop' in the stomach (August 16, 2010) -- The bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which lives in the human stomach and is associated with ulcers and gastric cancer, is shaped like a corkscrew, or helix. For years researchers have hypothesized that the bacterium's twisty shape is what enables it to survive -- and thrive -- within the stomach's acid-drenched environment, but until now they have had no proof. ... > full story
Researchers assess severity of prostate cancers using magnetic resonance imaging (August 16, 2010) -- Researchers are developing methods that can accurately assess the severity of prostate cancer by analyzing magnetic resonance images and spectra of a patient's prostate gland. This may help physicians decide more confidently which patients need aggressive treatment and which are better served by "watchful waiting," and could even postpone or eliminate invasive biopsies in patients with low-grade tumors. ... > full story
Technique to preserve fertility in young women may be unsafe for patients with leukemia (August 16, 2010) -- Although the use of ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation has lead to 13 live births in women with lymphoma or solid tumors, this method of fertility preservation may be unsafe for patients with leukemia, according to a recent study. ... > full story
Pushing the limits of 3D TV technology (August 16, 2010) -- Some of the thrills of 3D cinema have reached the living room of the average family this year, but the result is still far from perfect. That could change thanks to a technology developed by a German-Swiss partnership. ... > full story
Childhood abuse, adversity may shorten life, weaken immune response among the elderly (August 16, 2010) -- The emotional pains we suffer in childhood can lead to weakened immune systems later in life, according to a new study. Based on this new research, the amount of this immune impairment even enhances that caused by the stress of caregiving later in life. ... > full story
Evidence of new solar activity from observations of aurora in New Zealand (August 16, 2010) -- Scientists have obtained sub-visual evidence of the onset of a new cycle of solar-terrestrial activity. The key results being reported deal with the fact that recent auroral displays at high latitudes (ones visible to the naked eye) were accompanied by far less luminous glows in the atmosphere at lower latitudes. ... > full story
Lethal brain tumor's strength may be a weakness as well (August 16, 2010) -- Malignant gliomas are the most common subtype of primary brain tumor – and one of the deadliest. Even as doctors make steady progress treating other types of solid tumor cancers, from breast to prostate, the most aggressive form of malignant glioma, called a glioblastoma multiforme or GBM, has steadfastly defied advances in neurosurgery, radiation therapy and various conventional or novel drugs. But scientists have discovered a new signaling pathway between GBM cells – one that, if ultimately blocked or disrupted, could significantly slow or reduce tumor growth and malignancy. ... > full story
Climate change affects geographical range of plants, study finds (August 16, 2010) -- Researches in Sweden have shown how climate change many million years ago has influenced the geographical range of plants by modeling climate preferences for extinct species. The method can also be used to predict what effects climate change of today and tomorrow will have on future distributions of plants and animals. ... > full story
Green tea extract appears to keep cancer in check in majority of CLL patients (August 16, 2010) -- An extract of green tea appears to have clinical activity with low toxicity in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients who used it in a Phase II clinical trial. ... > full story
Combination of biological and chemical pesticides more effective than expected on malaria mosquitoes (August 16, 2010) -- A combination of fungal spores and chemical insecticides are effective in combating insecticide-resistant malaria mosquitoes. Researchers have shown that the effect of using a combination of both is greater than the sum of using the two methods separately. ... > full story
Daughters caring for a parent recovering from stroke more prone to depression than sons (August 16, 2010) -- Daughters caring for a parent recovering from stroke are more prone to depression than sons, according to new research. Strained relationships before or following the stroke increases depression in daughters. ... > full story
Researchers examine patterns of minority suburbanization circling the nation's major cities (August 16, 2010) -- New research examines the extent to which minorities are moving farther into the suburbs surrounding large, central cities. ... > full story
Involuntary childlessness more detrimental than originally thought, study suggests (August 16, 2010) -- Test-tube fertilization is the reason why more couples than previously now have the chance to become biological parents. However, the path to achieving this can be laborious and, for some, the treatment is unsuccessful. Research from Sweden indicates that people are more negatively affected than previously reported in studies of involuntary childlessness. ... > full story
Rhetoric, framing efforts have little influence in same-sex marriage debate, expert says (August 16, 2010) -- A new study has found that terminology and efforts to frame an issue -- often effective in influencing public opinion -- have no effect on public opinion concerning the ongoing debate in the US over legalizing same-sex marriage. Beliefs and values held sway, not rhetoric, such as the use of "same-sex couple" instead of "homosexual couple" or using the term "civil rights" instead of "gay rights." ... > full story
Dangerous bacterium hosts genetic remnant of life's distant past (August 15, 2010) -- Within a dangerous stomach bacterium, researchers have discovered an ancient but functioning genetic remnant from a time before DNA existed. ... > full story
Carbon nanotubes form ultrasensitive biosensor to detect proteins (August 15, 2010) -- A cluster of carbon nanotubes coated with a thin layer of protein-recognizing polymer form a biosensor capable of using electrochemical signals to detect minute amounts of proteins, which could provide a crucial new diagnostic tool for the detection of a range of illnesses, researchers report. ... > full story
NGC 4696: A cosmic question mark (August 15, 2010) -- Curling around itself like a question mark, the unusual looking galaxy NGC 4696 itself begs many questions. Why is it such a strange shape? What are the odd, capillary-like filaments that stretch out of it? And what is the role of a large black hole in explaining its decidedly odd appearance? ... > full story
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