ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Monday, August 23, 2010
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DNA puts chemists on scent of better artificial nose (August 23, 2010) -- Chemists working on an "artificial nose" have developed new sensors that offer more information "per sniff" than most existing noses. The sensors, made by sticking fluorescent compounds onto a backbone of DNA, are easy and cheap to make and could help the devices become widely available. ... > full story
Novel 'antisense' therapies protect primates from lethal Ebola and Marburg viruses (August 23, 2010) -- New studies show that treatments targeting specific viral genes protected monkeys infected with deadly Ebola or Marburg viruses. Furthermore, the animals were protected even when therapeutics were administered one hour after exposure -- suggesting the approach holds promise for treating accidental infections in laboratory or hospital settings. ... > full story
Electrifying findings: New ways of boosting healthful antioxidant levels in potatoes (August 23, 2010) -- Scientists in Japan are busy zapping potatoes and, as a result, the fifth most popular food consumed around the world may one day become an even more healthful vegetable. ... > full story
Difficulty swallowing a sign of poor prognosis among hospitalized patients (August 23, 2010) -- Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is associated with longer hospital stays among patients with any diagnosis, is increasingly prevalent with older age and is an indicator of a poor prognosis, according to a new study. ... > full story
The future of the Web is a matter of semantics (August 23, 2010) -- The first incarnation of the web was composed of static websites that linked to each other and search engines to help you find sites of interest. Web 2.0 brought a social element to the web, with users sharing, commenting, and interacting through sites such as YouTube, Facebook, and Flickr. The future web, the "semantic web," or Web 3.0, will embed meaning within digital information so that any given page can be understood by computers as well as people. ... > full story
Street outreach workers an important tool for violence prevention and intervention (August 23, 2010) -- A new study describes how using street outreach workers is an effective strategy to reach and engage youth with the goal of violence prevention and intervention. Street outreach workers are typically members of the community who intervene to prevent conflict and retaliation. While violence prevention programs utilizing street outreach workers , including CeaseFire in Chicago and Safe Streets in Baltimore, this is the first peer-reviewed study on a program to be published. ... > full story
Ancient galaxy cluster still producing stars (August 23, 2010) -- In ongoing observations of one of the universe's earliest, most distant cluster of galaxies using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers have discovered that a significant fraction of those ancient galaxies are still actively forming stars. ... > full story
Protein made by breast cancer gene purified (August 23, 2010) -- A key step in understanding the origins of familial breast cancer has been made. Researchers have purified, for the first time, the protein produced by the breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA2 and used it to study the oncogene's role in DNA repair. ... > full story
Limiting ocean acidification under global change (August 23, 2010) -- Emissions of carbon dioxide are causing ocean acidification as well as global warming. Scientists have previously used computer simulations to quantify how curbing of carbon dioxide emissions would mitigate climate impacts. New computer simulations have now examined the likely effects of mitigation scenarios on ocean acidification trends. They show that both the peak year of emissions and post-peak reduction rates influence how much ocean acidity increases by 2100. ... > full story
Molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of asthma illuminated (August 23, 2010) -- Scientists have taken a further step towards improving our understanding of how asthma develops. New findings show that the gene-regulating molecule "IRF4" plays a key role in the development of T helper 9 lymphocytes (Th9 cells), which can play a major part in the development of this chronic, inflammatory illness of the respiratory tract. ... > full story
Road signs and traffic signals on DNA: Physical model describes the distribution of nucleosome (August 23, 2010) -- The DNA in the cell nuclei of higher organisms is tightly coiled around protein complexes called nucleosomes, which repress gene expression. Researchers in Germany have now developed a model that explains how nucleosomes are distributed around sites that must remain accessible to transcribing polymerases. ... > full story
Use of decision-aid program increases safety for women experiencing abuse, researchers find (August 23, 2010) -- Intimate partner violence results in two million injuries among women in the US each year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Researchers are reducing these numbers with a new Web-based program that helps women experiencing abuse develop individualized safety plans and better assess the severity of their situations. ... > full story
Researchers take a look inside molecules (August 22, 2010) -- Looking at individual molecules through a microscope is part of nanotechnologists' everyday lives. However, it has so far been difficult to observe atomic structures inside organic molecules. In a new study, researchers explain their novel method, which enables them to take an "X-ray view" inside molecules. The method may facilitate the analysis of organic semiconductors and proteins. ... > full story
'Rotten eggs' gas and inflammation in arthritic joints (August 22, 2010) -- Hydrogen sulfide is a gas more commonly associated with the smell of "rotten eggs" and blocked drains. However, it has now been shown to be present naturally in our bodies and reside in knee joint synovial fluid, the protective fluid found in the cavities of joints that reduces friction between the cartilage of joints during movement. Synovial fluid H2S may play a role in reducing inflammation in joints. ... > full story
Avian influenza virus may persist on feathers fallen from domestic ducks (August 22, 2010) -- Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) may persist on feathers fallen from the bodies of infected domestic ducks and contribute to environmental contamination. ... > full story
New compound may be effective against Chagas' disease (August 22, 2010) -- A new compound may offer an effective drug candidate against the deadly tropical infection, Chagas' disease say researchers from Brazil. ... > full story
Nanotech yields major advance in heat transfer, cooling technologies (August 22, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered a new way to apply nanostructure coatings to make heat transfer far more efficient, with important potential applications to high-tech devices as well as the conventional heating and cooling industry. ... > full story
Oxytocin: It’s a Mom and Pop Thing (August 22, 2010) -- The hormone oxytocin has come under intensive study in light of emerging evidence that its release contributes to the social bonding that occurs between lovers, friends, and colleagues. Oxytocin also plays an important role in birth and maternal behavior, but until now, research had never addressed the involvement of oxytocin in the transition to fatherhood. ... > full story
Bar-tailed godwit sets record for long-distance flight (August 22, 2010) -- How is it possible to fly 11,000 kilometers without a single break? The record holder for long distance flight outdoes all human-made aircraft. The bar-tailed godwit has very low energy consumption, but this is not enough to explain its success. ... > full story
New understanding of the 'flight-or-fight' response (August 22, 2010) -- New research helps explain how the body's "flight-or-fight" response is mediated. The study may provide new answers to the question of how the heart pacemaker -- the sinoatrial node -- is regulated. ... > full story
Contrary to popular models, sugar is not burned by self-control tasks (August 22, 2010) -- Contradicting a popular model of self-control, a psychologist says the data from a 2007 study argues against the idea that glucose is the resource used to manage self control and that humans rely on this energy source for will power. ... > full story
New twist on drug screening to treat common childhood cancer (August 22, 2010) -- Scientists have developed a new method of identifying drugs to treat children suffering from fatal cancers for which an effective treatment has not been found. Rather than developing a new drug from scratch, which is a complicated and time-consuming process, they tried a different approach: in the lab, they tested existing drugs on cancer stem cells from young patients with neuroblastoma, one of the common cancers of infants and children. ... > full story
A tale of two atolls (August 22, 2010) -- To gain new insights on the impact of fishing on coral reefs, marine biologists are taking advantage of an ongoing "natural experiment" at two isolated Pacific atolls -- one inhabited by people, the other off-limits to fishing. ... > full story
Fear of falling linked to future falls in older people (August 22, 2010) -- Fear of falling is likely to lead to future falls among older people, irrespective of their actual fall risk, a new study finds. ... > full story
Nanoscale DNA sequencing could spur revolution in personal health care (August 21, 2010) -- In experiments with potentially broad health care implications, researchers have devised a method that works at a very small scale to sequence DNA quickly and relatively inexpensively. That could open the door for more effective individualized medicine, for example providing blueprints of genetic predispositions for specific conditions and diseases such as cancer, diabetes or addiction. ... > full story
Virus may act as 'evolution-proof' biopesticide against malaria (August 21, 2010) -- A naturally occurring virus in mosquitoes may serve as a "late-life-acting" insecticide by killing older adult mosquitoes that are responsible for the bulk of malaria transmission. ... > full story
Big quakes more frequent than thought on San Andreas fault, research shows (August 21, 2010) -- Earthquakes have rocked the powerful San Andreas fault that splits California far more often than previously thought, according to researchers who have charted temblors there stretching back 700 years. ... > full story
Newly identified RNA sequence is key in microRNA processing (August 21, 2010) -- Researchers have uncovered a mechanism that regulates the processing of microRNAs (miRNAs), molecules that regulate cell growth, development, and stress response. The discovery helps researchers understand the links between miRNA expression and chronic disease. ... > full story
Lowering Daisy's emissions: Battle against agricultural climate offenders (August 21, 2010) -- Agriculture accounts for approximately nine per cent of Norway's total emissions of greenhouse gases. Now, researchers are acquiring actual gas measurements and new knowledge about what causes the emissions -- with the aim of mitigating Norwegian agriculture's impact on the climate and environment. In particular, it is emissions of the greenhouse gases methane (CH4, from cattle) and nitrous oxide (N2O, from the soil and fertilisers) that make agriculture such a major climate culprit. This summer Daisy has gone to pasture adorned with some advanced monitoring equipment to help out. ... > full story
Today's superheroes send wrong image to boys, say researchers (August 21, 2010) -- Watching superheroes beat up villains may not be the best image for boys to see if society wants to promote kinder, less stereotypical male behaviors, according to psychologists. ... > full story
Drought drives decade-long decline in plant growth (August 21, 2010) -- Global plant productivity that once was on the rise with warming temperatures and a lengthened growing season is now on the decline because of regional drought, according to a new study of NASA satellite data. ... > full story
Researchers identify two FDA approved drugs that may fight HIV (August 21, 2010) -- Researchers have identified two drugs that, when combined, may serve as an effective treatment for HIV. The two drugs, decitabine and gemcitabine -- both FDA approved and currently used in pre-cancer and cancer therapy -- were found to eliminate HIV infection in the mouse model by causing the virus to mutate itself to death -- an outcome researchers dubbed "lethal mutagenesis." ... > full story
New targets for anti-angiogenesis drugs revealed (August 21, 2010) -- A new study describes a novel pathway of angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Targeting the new pathway, scientists identified two approaches that significantly reduced angiogenesis in mice. These discoveries may lead to novel treatments for diseases caused by excessive angiogenesis, including corneal graft rejection, age-related macular degeneration, cancer and diabetes. ... > full story
Disturbances in certain genes play a role in autism (August 21, 2010) -- Autism researchers have found that autism can be partially explained by abnormalities in certain genes. The group's results could, in the long run, pave the way for more appropriate treatments for autism. ... > full story
Hydrogen causes metal to break (August 21, 2010) -- Hydrogen is considered the fuel of the future. Yet this lightest of the chemical elements can embrittle the metals used in vehicle engineering. The result: components suddenly malfunction and break. A new special laboratory is aiding researchers' search for hydrogen-compatible metals. ... > full story
Drug addicts get hooked via prescriptions, keep using 'to feel like a better person,' research shows (August 21, 2010) -- If you want to know how people become addicted and why they keep using drugs, ask the people who are addicted. Thirty-one of 75 patients hospitalized for opioid detoxification told physicians they first got hooked on drugs legitimately prescribed for pain. ... > full story
Autism linked to multisensory integration (August 20, 2010) -- A new study has provided concrete evidence that children with autism spectrum disorders process sensory information such as sound, touch and vision differently than typically developing children. ... > full story
Frozen flies may yield secrets for human organ transplants (August 20, 2010) -- Frozen fruit fly cells may hold key to human organ transplant process, according to new research. ... > full story
Smart fungus disarms plant, animal and human immunity (August 20, 2010) -- Fungal and bacterial pathogens are well capable of infecting plants, animals and humans despite their immune systems. Fungi penetrate leafs, stalks and roots, or skin, intestines and lungs, to infect their hosts. Researchers have now discovered how this is possible. They found that the fungus secretes a protein that makes stray building blocks of the fungal cell wall invisible for the immune system of the plant. In this way infection remains unnoticed. ... > full story
Innovative imaging system may boost speed and accuracy in treatment of heart rhythm disorder (August 20, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a novel 3-D imaging approach that may improve the accuracy of treatment for ventricular tachycardia, a potentially life-threatening heart rhythm disorder that causes the heart to beat too fast. The new approach couples CT (computed tomography) images with conventional ablation techniques to eliminate erratic electrical circuits in the heart that produce arrhythmias. ... > full story
Mapping out pathways to better soybeans (August 20, 2010) -- Agricultural scientists are a step closer to unlocking genetic clues that may lead to packing more protein and oil into soybeans, a move that would boost their value and help US growers compete in international markets. ... > full story
Male menopause affects more than five million men (August 20, 2010) -- While most frequently associated with women's health, age-related hormone changes, often dubbed menopause, can occur in men as well, causing symptoms of fatigue, mood swings, decreased desire for sex, hair loss, lack of concentration and weight gain. Experts estimate that more than 5 million men are affected, yet worry the number may be considerably higher since symptoms are frequently ignored. ... > full story
Is the ice in the Arctic Ocean getting thinner? (August 20, 2010) -- The extent of the sea ice in the Arctic will reach its annual minimum in September. Forecasts indicate that it will not be as low as in 2007, the year of the smallest area covered by sea ice since satellites started recording such data. Nevertheless, sea ice physicists are concerned about the long-term equilibrium in the Arctic Ocean. ... > full story
Cigarette smoke causes harmful changes in the lungs even at the lowest levels, study finds (August 20, 2010) -- Casual smokers may think that smoking a few cigarettes a week is "no big deal." But according to new research, having an infrequent smoke, or being exposed to secondhand smoke, may be doing more harm than people may think. The findings may further support public smoking bans, say the authors. ... > full story
Diabetes risk in children increases risk for weak bones (August 20, 2010) -- Children at risk for diabetes before they reach puberty also appear to be at risk for weak bones, researchers report. A study of 140 overweight children age 7-11 who got little regular exercise found that the 30 percent with signs of poor blood sugar regulation had 4-5 percent less bone mass, a measure of bone strength, said a bone biologist. ... > full story
Blood pressure drugs could help fight frailty, experiments show (August 20, 2010) -- Researchers believe they've found a way to use widely available blood pressure drugs to fight the muscular weakness that normally accompanies aging. ... > full story
Nanoscale inhomogeneities in superconductors explained (August 20, 2010) -- Superconducting materials, which transmit power resistance-free, are found to perform optimally when high- and low-charge density varies on the nanoscale level, according to new research. ... > full story
Victims of bullying suffer academically as well, psychologists report (August 20, 2010) -- Students who are bullied repeatedly do substantially worse in school, psychologists report. A high level of bullying was consistently associated with lower grades across the three years of middle school. ... > full story
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