ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Thursday, September 2, 2010
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Metal-mining bacteria are green chemists (September 2, 2010) -- Microbes could soon be used to convert metallic wastes into high-value catalysts for generating clean energy, say scientists. ... > full story
Stopping smoking cessation treatments too soon may reduce odds of success for 45 percent of smokers (September 2, 2010) -- A new study may change the way clinicians make treatment decisions for their patients who smoke. The findings suggest that current treatment theories that maintain any smoking after the planned target quit day predicts treatment failure need to be expanded to take into account a more dynamic quitting process. The research points to two types of successful quitters: those who quit immediately and remain abstinent through the end of treatment and those who are "delayed" in attaining abstinence but achieve success by the end of treatment. ... > full story
Live imaging puts new light on stem cell division (September 2, 2010) -- A long-held assumption about asymmetrical division of stem cells has cracked. Researchers report that the mitotic spindle does not act alone -- that cortical proteins help to position a cleavage furrow in the right location. ... > full story
Lower blood pressure may preserve kidney function in some patients (September 2, 2010) -- Intensively treating hypertension in some African Americans with kidney disease by pushing blood pressure well below the current recommended goal may significantly decrease the number who lose kidney function and require dialysis, suggests a new study. ... > full story
New solar prediction system gives time to prepare for the storms ahead (September 2, 2010) -- A new method of predicting solar storms that could help to avoid widespread power and communications blackouts costing billions of pounds has been launched by researchers in the UK. ... > full story
Economic theory suggests symbiosis is driven by simple self-interest, not rewards or punishment (September 2, 2010) -- Applying employment contract theory to symbiosis, a new paper suggests mutually beneficial relationships are maintained by simple self-interest, with partners benefiting from healthy hosts much as employees benefit from robust employers. The new work discounts the theory that host species have evolved to promote symbiosis by promising rewards or threatening punishment. ... > full story
Finding variants in the human genome: HapMap 3 points the way forward for human genetics studies (September 2, 2010) -- The results of the third phase of the HapMap study, which looks at genetic variation in multiple populations, have just been published. Researchers looked at 1184 samples from 11 populations to identify variants in the human genome. The team looked at the distribution and frequency of variants across different populations and suggest that variants in some genes, including genes involved in the immune system, wound healing and sense of smell, are under selection in different populations. ... > full story
Personalized medicine: Molecular imaging predicts treatment success in many cancers (September 2, 2010) -- New studies show that molecular imaging plays a critical role in the evaluation and treatment planning for a broad spectrum of cancers, including thyroid cancer and lymphoma. ... > full story
NASA and NOAA's newest GOES satellite ready for action (September 2, 2010) -- NASA and NOAA's latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-15, has successfully completed five months of on-orbit testing and has been accepted into service. The satellite has demonstrated operational readiness of its subsystems, spacecraft instruments and communications services. GOES-15 is the third and final spacecraft in the GOES N-P Series of geostationary environmental weather satellites. ... > full story
Increased risk of death in men with insomnia and a short sleep duration (September 2, 2010) -- Men with chronic insomnia who slept for less than six hours were four times more likely to die during the 14-year follow-up period, according to a new study. Results were adjusted for potential confounders such as body mass index, smoking status, depression and obstructive sleep apnea. Further adjustments for hypertension and diabetes had little effect on the elevated mortality risk. No significant mortality risk was found in women with insomnia and a short sleep duration of less than six hours. ... > full story
Less waste with shelf-life indicator for food (September 2, 2010) -- Norwegian food retailers discard over 50,000 tonnes of food annually – much of it of perfectly good quality. New technology the TimeTemp company in cooperation with Norwegian research institutions could substantially reduce this wastefulness. TimeTemp has developed a new method of more precisely measuring the freshness of food items: a shelf-life indicator attached directly to the product. In addition to time, the company’s device also factors in the temperatures to which the item has been exposed. ... > full story
Violence in inner city neighborhoods contributes to trouble with asthma, study finds (September 2, 2010) -- Patients with asthma who are exposed to violence in their community are at an increased risk for an asthma-related hospitalization and emergency room visits for asthma or any cause, according to new research. ... > full story
'Charitable' behavior found in bacteria (September 1, 2010) -- Researchers have discover "charitable" behavior in bacteria populations, where individuals with the highest antibiotic resistance sacrifice so the whole population can better fight off medication. ... > full story
Brain exercises may slow cognitive decline initially, but speed up dementia later (September 1, 2010) -- New research shows that mentally stimulating activities such as crossword puzzles, reading and listening to the radio may, at first, slow the decline of thinking skills but speed up dementia later in old age. ... > full story
Navigation satellites contend with stormy Sun (September 1, 2010) -- Just as we grow used to satellite navigation in everyday life, media reports argue that a coming surge in solar activity could render satnav devices useless, perhaps even frying satellites themselves. Is it true? No. ... > full story
Protecting nerve cells from death in a model of stroke (September 1, 2010) -- Researchers in China have now identified a way to preserve nerve cells in a rat model of stroke. ... > full story
New material may reveal inner workings of hi-temp superconductors (September 1, 2010) -- New measurements may help physicists develop a clearer understanding of high-temperature superconductors, whose behavior remains in many ways mysterious decades after their discovery. A new copper-based compound exhibits properties never before seen in a superconductor and could be a step toward solving part of the mystery. ... > full story
Airline passengers in developing countries face 13 times crash risk as US (September 1, 2010) -- Passengers who fly in Developing World countries face 13 times the risk of being killed in an air accident as passengers in the First World. The more economically advanced countries in the Developing World have better overall safety records than the others, but even their death risk per flight is seven times as high as that in First World countries. ... > full story
Capacity for exercise can be inherited: Finding suggests pharmaceutical drugs can be used to alter activity levels in humans (September 1, 2010) -- Biologists have found that voluntary activity, such as daily exercise, is a highly heritable trait that can be passed down genetically to successive generations. Working on mice in the lab, they found that activity level can be enhanced with selective breeding. Their experiments showed that mice that were bred to be high runners produced high-running offspring, indicating that the offspring had inherited the trait for activity. ... > full story
Infant's gaze may be an early, but subtle, marker for autism risk (September 1, 2010) -- New study results show that an early marker for later communication and social delays in infants at a higher-risk for autism may be infrequent gazing at other people when unprompted. The study also found that six-month-old high-risk infants demonstrated the same level of cause and effect learning skills when compared to low-risk infants of the same age. ... > full story
Ultraviolet source helps NASA spacecraft measure the origins of space weather (September 1, 2010) -- With a brilliant, finely tuned spark of ultraviolet light, a physicist has helped NASA scientists successfully position a crucial UV sensor inside a space-borne instrument to observe a "hidden" layer of the Sun where violent space weather can originate. ... > full story
Revaccination could benefit HIV-infected children, review suggests (September 1, 2010) -- Researchers reviewed published data to assess HIV-infected children's immune responses to vaccines and found that most children treated with HAART remained susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases, but responded well to revaccination. ... > full story
Are wolves saving Yellowstone's aspen trees from elk? (September 1, 2010) -- Previous research has claimed that the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park in 1995 is helping restore quaking aspen in risky areas where wolves prowl. But apparently elk hungry for winter food had a different idea. They did not know they were supposed to be responding to a "landscape of fear." ... > full story
Mindfulness meditation increases well-being in adolescent boys, study finds (September 1, 2010) -- "Mindfulness," the process of learning to become more aware of our ongoing experiences, increases well-being in adolescent boys, a new study reports. ... > full story
Astronomers find potassium in giant planet's atmosphere (September 1, 2010) -- Astronomers have analyzed light passing through the upper atmosphere of the giant planet HD 80606 b, about 190 light years from Earth, and determined that its atmosphere contains the element potassium. ... > full story
Babies born past term associated with increased risk of cerebral palsy (September 1, 2010) -- While preterm birth is a known risk factor for cerebral palsy, an examination of data for infants born at term or later finds that compared with delivery at 40 weeks, birth at 37 or 38 weeks or at 42 weeks or later was associated with an increased risk of cerebral palsy, according to a new study. ... > full story
High-speed filter uses electrified nanostructures to purify water at low cost (September 1, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a water-purifying filter that makes the process more than 80,000 times faster than existing filters. The key is coating the filter fabric -- ordinary cotton -- with nanotubes and silver nanowires, then electrifying it. The filter uses very little power, has no moving parts and could be used throughout the developing world. ... > full story
Study shows increased risk of heart attack from physical exertion at altitude and low temperatures during winter sports vacations (September 1, 2010) -- A study carried out by cardiologists has investigated the risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) amongst winter sports tourists to the Tyrolean Alps. The research shows that inadequate preparation for the intense physical exertion required, combined with the effects of altitude and low temperature, leads to an increase in heart attack incidents, particularly during the first two days of vacation. ... > full story
Nanobiotechnology advances point to medical applications (September 1, 2010) -- Scientists have demonstrated the synthesis of nanosize biological particles with the potential to fight cancer and other illnesses. The research introduces new approaches that are considered "green" nanobiotechnology because they use no artificial compounds. ... > full story
Hooked on headphones? Personal listening devices can harm hearing, study finds (September 1, 2010) -- Personal listening devices like iPods have become increasingly popular among young -- and not-so-young -- people in recent years. But music played through headphones too loud or too long might pose a significant risk to hearing, according to a 24-year study of adolescent girls. ... > full story
Climate change implicated in decline of horseshoe crabs (September 1, 2010) -- A distinct decline in horseshoe crab numbers has occurred that parallels climate change associated with the end of the last Ice Age, according to a study that used genomics to assess historical trends in population sizes. ... > full story
High-fat diet during puberty linked to breast cancer risk later in life (September 1, 2010) -- Girls eating a high-fat diet during puberty, even those who do not become overweight or obese, may be at a greater risk of developing breast cancer later in life, according to researchers. The implications -- that a high-fat diet may have detrimental effects independent of its effect to cause obesity -- could drive new cancer prevention efforts. ... > full story
Researchers exploring 'fusion strategy' against E. coli (September 1, 2010) -- Researchers are exploring a "fusion strategy" for making improved vaccines to protect pigs and humans against some strains of E. coli. ... > full story
Prophylactic surgeries associated with lower risk of cancer for women with BRCA1/2 gene mutations (September 1, 2010) -- Women at increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer because of inherited mutations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes who had prophylactic mastectomy or salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries) had an associated decreased risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer, according to a new study. ... > full story
Evolution rewritten, again and again (September 1, 2010) -- Palaeontologists are forever claiming that their latest fossil discovery will "rewrite evolutionary history." Is this just boasting or does our "knowledge" of evolution radically change every time we find a new fossil? ... > full story
Girls' early puberty linked to unstable environment via insecure attachment in infancy (September 1, 2010) -- Girls are hitting puberty earlier and earlier. One recent study found that more than 10 percent of American girls have some breast development by age 7. This news has upset many people, but it may make evolutionary sense in some cases for girls to develop faster, according to new research. ... > full story
Mosquitoes use several different kinds of odor sensors to track human prey (September 1, 2010) -- The malaria mosquito needs more than one family of odor sensors to sniff out its human prey, new research suggests. New research provides striking new evidence that Anopheles gambiae -- the species of mosquito that spreads malaria that infects some 250 million and kills 900,000 people annually -- has a second set of olfactory sensors that are fundamentally different from the set of sensors that scientists have known about and have been studying for the last 10 years. ... > full story
Why females fare better than males after traumatic injury (September 1, 2010) -- A new study looks at how female versus male rats fared after suffering a trauma and subsequent hemorrhagic shock who were given Estradiol (estrogen). In the study, the Estradiol prevented vascular permeability following hemorrhagic shock. ... > full story
Researchers develop simulation to better understand the effects of sound on marine life (September 1, 2010) -- A combination of the biology of marine mammals, mechanical vibrations and acoustics has led to a breakthrough discovery allowing scientists to better understand the potential harmful effects of sound on marine mammals such as whales and dolphins. ... > full story
DASH eating plan lowers long-term heart attack risk, especially among African-Americans (September 1, 2010) -- The DASH diet reduced the estimated risk of having a heart attack in the next ten years by 18 percent when compared to a typical American eating plan, according to a new study. Both whites and African-Americans benefited from the diet, but African-Americans had the greatest benefit. Researchers provided all the food to the participants in this eight-week study. ... > full story
Off-the-shelf dyes improve solar cells (September 1, 2010) -- Scientists report success in boosting the ability of zinc oxide solar cells to absorb visible light simply by applying a blended mixture of various off-the-shelf dyes commonly used in food and medical industries -- in a soak-then-dry procedure not unlike that used to color a tee-shirt in a home washing machine. ... > full story
Location determines social network influence, study finds; Number of connections less important than proximity to core (September 1, 2010) -- A team of researchers has shed new light on the way that information and infectious diseases proliferate across complex networks. They report that, contrary to conventional wisdom, persons with the most connections are not necessarily the best spreaders. ... > full story
Lima beans domesticated twice (September 1, 2010) -- Lima beans were domesticated at least twice, according to a new genetic diversity study. Big seeded varieties known as "Big Lima" were domesticated in the Andean Mountains, while small seeded "Sieva" and "Potato" varieties originated in central-western Mexico. ... > full story
Diverse diet of veggies may decrease lung cancer risk (September 1, 2010) -- Adding a variety of vegetables to one's diet may help decrease the chance of getting lung cancer, and adding a variety of fruits and vegetables may decrease the risk of squamous cell lung cancer, especially among smokers. ... > full story
IceCube neutrino observatory nears completion (September 1, 2010) -- In December 2010, IceCube -- the world's first kilometer-scale neutrino observatory, located beneath the Antarctic ice -- will finally be completed after two decades of planning. A new article provides a comprehensive description of the observatory, its instrumentation, and its scientific mission ... > full story
Moderate coffee consumption improves aortic distensibility in hypertensive elderly individuals, study finds (September 1, 2010) -- A detailed study conducted by researchers on the Aegean island of Ikaria has demonstrated that moderate consumption of coffee by hypertensive elderly individuals can lead to improvements in aortic distensibility. ... > full story
In drought-prone Sahel, scientists roll out innovative system for producing vegetables (September 1, 2010) -- With a major famine unfolding in Niger and other countries of West Africa's dry Sahelian region, an agricultural scientist reports new progress in disseminating an innovative system for irrigated vegetable production -- a valuable option in a region that is highly dependent on subsistence rainfed cropping. ... > full story
Migration does not bring happiness, study suggests (September 1, 2010) -- The grass might not be greener on the other side of the border, a new study has found. Economic migrants traveling to different shores for greater income could be set for disappointment -- because the pursuit of wealth does not equate with happiness, according to the research. ... > full story
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