ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Monday, September 6, 2010
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Mothers matter! High social status and maternal support play an important role in mating success of male bonobos (September 5, 2010) -- The higher up a male bonobo is placed in the social hierarchy, the greater his mating success is with female bonobos, researchers have found. But even males who are not so highly placed still have a chance of impressing females. A new study finds evidence of direct support from mothers to their sons in agonistic conflicts over access to estrous females. ... > full story
New pump created for microneedle drug-delivery patch (September 5, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a new type of pump for drug-delivery patches that might use arrays of "microneedles" to deliver a wider range of medications than now possible with conventional patches. ... > full story
Did Viking Mars landers find life's building blocks? Missing piece inspires new look at puzzle (September 5, 2010) -- Experiments prompted by a 2008 surprise from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander suggest that soil examined by NASA's Viking Mars landers in 1976 may have contained carbon-based chemical building blocks of life. ... > full story
Vitamin D is a prognostic marker in heart failure, study finds (September 5, 2010) -- Survival rates in heart failure patients with reduced levels of vitamin D are lower than in patients with normal levels. This is the finding of a major study carried out in the Netherlands. ... > full story
New bee species discovered in downtown Toronto (September 5, 2010) -- A doctoral student who discovered a new species of bee in Toronto has completed a study of 84 species of sweat bees in Canada. Nineteen of these species are new to science -- never before identified -- including the new Toronto bee, which is actually quite common in eastern Canada and the US. The new research will help scientists track bee diversity, and understand pollination biology and insect social behavior. ... > full story
Race, insurance status cited in uneven death rates among pedestrians hit by cars (September 5, 2010) -- Uninsured minority pedestrians hit by cars are at a significantly higher risk of death than their insured white counterparts, even if the injuries sustained are similar, new research suggests. ... > full story
Mosquitoes: Genetic structure of first animal to show evolutionary response to climate change determined (September 5, 2010) -- Scientists have determined the fine-scale genetic structure of the first animal to show an evolutionary response to rapid climate change. ... > full story
Starvation keeps sleep-deprived fly brain sharp (September 5, 2010) -- As anyone who has ever struggled to keep his or her eyes open after a big meal knows, eating can induce sleepiness. New research in fruit flies suggests that, conversely, being hungry may provide a way to stay awake without feeling groggy or mentally challenged. ... > full story
Global warming's silver lining? Northern countries will thrive and grow, researcher predicts (September 5, 2010) -- Move over, Sunbelt. The New North is coming through, a geographer predicts in a new book. As worldwide population increases by 40 percent over the next 40 years, sparsely populated Canada, Scandinavia, Russia and the northern United States will become formidable economic powers and migration magnets, Laurence C. Smith writes. ... > full story
Iron deficiency in heart failure (September 5, 2010) -- Iron deficiency is a relatively common nutritional disorder that affects more than one third of the general population, and is often associated with chronic diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, Parkinson's disease, rheumatoid diseases and renal failure. New research has demonstrated that iron deficiency also affects at least one-third of non-anaemic chronic heart failure patients. ... > full story
NASA and ATK successfully test five-segment solid rocket motor (September 5, 2010) -- With a loud roar and mighty column of flame, NASA and ATK Aerospace Systems successfully completed a two-minute, full-scale test of the largest and most powerful solid rocket motor designed for flight. The motor is potentially transferable to future heavy-lift launch vehicle designs. ... > full story
Americans struggle with long-term weight loss (September 5, 2010) -- Only about one in every six Americans who have ever been overweight or obese loses weight and maintains that loss, according to researchers. ... > full story
Magnetism's subatomic roots: Study of high-tech materials helps explain everyday phenomenon (September 4, 2010) -- Theoretical physicists have created a new model that helps define the subatomic origins of ferromagnetism -- the everyday "magnetism" of compass needles and refrigerator magnets. The model was created to explore the inner workings of ferromagnetic compounds that are related to high-temperature superconductors. ... > full story
Hair provides proof of the link between chronic stress and heart attack (September 4, 2010) -- Researchers have provided the first direct evidence using a biological marker, to show chronic stress plays an important role in heart attacks. The scientists developed a method to measure cortisol levels in hair providing an accurate assessment of stress levels in the months prior to an acute event such as a heart attack. ... > full story
Novel nanotechnology collaboration leads to breakthrough in cancer research (September 4, 2010) -- A multidisciplinary group of researchers has produced a 3.6-angstrom resolution structure of the human adenovirus. Scientists are working with adenovirus as a vector for gene therapy, but have needed better structural information. ... > full story
Functional motor neuron subtypes generated from embryonic stem cells (September 4, 2010) -- Scientists have devised a method for coaxing mouse embryonic stem cells into forming a highly specific motor neuron subtype. The research provides new insight into motor neuron differentiation and may prove useful for devising and testing future therapies for motor neuron diseases. ... > full story
Helping corn-based plastics take more heat (September 4, 2010) -- A team of agricultural scientists are working to make corn-derived plastics more heat tolerant -- research that may broaden the range of applications for which these plastics could be used as an alternative to petroleum-based plastics. ... > full story
Next step in evolution? A technical life form that passes on knowledge and experience (September 4, 2010) -- Dutch biologist Gerard Jagers op Akkerhuis has developed the ‘operator hierarchy’ -- a system based on the complexity of particles and of organisms, which can predict the next step in evolution: a technical life form, that can pass on its knowledge and experience to the next generation. ... > full story
Most new farmland in tropics comes from slashing forests, research shows (September 4, 2010) -- A new study shows that more than 80 percent of the new farmland created in the tropics between 1980 and 2000 came from felling forests, which sends carbon into the atmosphere and drives global warming. But the research team also noted that big agribusiness has largely replaced small farmers in doing most of the tree cutting in Brazil and Indonesia, which may make it easier to rein in the trend. ... > full story
When it comes to the immune system, we're all more alike than previously thought, study finds (September 4, 2010) -- When it comes to the mechanics of the human immune system, we are all more alike than previously thought, according to a new study. ... > full story
Why fish oils work swimmingly against inflammation and diabetes (September 4, 2010) -- Researchers have identified the molecular mechanism that makes omega-3 fatty acids so effective in reducing chronic inflammation and insulin resistance. ... > full story
New animal model for hemophilia A developed (September 4, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a new animal model for studying hemophilia A, with the goal of eventually treating people with the disorder. Hemophilia A, a hereditary defect that prevents blood from clotting normally, is caused by a variety of mutations in the factor VIII gene. ... > full story
Many urban streams harmful to aquatic life following winter pavement deicing (September 4, 2010) -- The use of salt to deice pavement can leave urban streams toxic to aquatic life, according to a new study on the influence of winter runoff in northern US cities, with a special focus on eastern Wisconsin and Milwaukee. ... > full story
Verbal snippets offer insights on well-being amid separation, divorce (September 4, 2010) -- A new study of romantically separated people shows they offer clues to their emotional status in just a few seconds of conversation. ... > full story
Ants take on Goliath role in protecting trees in the savanna from elephants (September 3, 2010) -- Ants are not out of their weight class when defending trees from the appetite of nature's heavyweight, the African elephant, a new study finds. Columns of angered ants will crawl up into elephant trunks to repel the ravenous beasts from devouring tree cover throughout drought-plagued East African savannas, playing a potentially important role in regulating carbon sequestration in these ecosystems. ... > full story
Mechanisms and function of a type of mysterious immune cell discovered (September 3, 2010) -- In two closely related studies, two teams of scientists have discovered the underlying mechanisms that activate a type of immune cell in the skin and other organs. The findings may lead to the development of new therapies to treat inflammation, wounds, asthma and malignant tumors. ... > full story
Giant Greenland iceberg -- largest in the northern hemisphere -- enters Nares Strait (September 3, 2010) -- The European Space Agency's Envisat satellite has been tracking the progression of the giant iceberg that calved from Greenland's Petermann glacier on 4 August 2010. A new animation shows that the iceberg, the largest in the northern hemisphere, is now entering Nares Strait -- a stretch of water that connects the Lincoln Sea and Arctic Ocean with Baffin Bay. ... > full story
How bone-marrow stem cells hold their 'breath' in low-oxygen environments (September 3, 2010) -- Researchers have identified unique metabolic properties that allow a specific type of stem cell in the body to survive and replicate in low-oxygen environments. ... > full story
Chemists, engineers achieve world record with high-speed graphene transistors (September 3, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a new fabrication process for high-speed graphene transistors using a nanowire as the self-aligned gate. This new technique does not produce any appreciable defects in the graphene during fabrication, so the carrier mobility is retained. Also, by using a self-aligned approach with a nanowire as the gate, the group was able to overcome alignment difficulties previously encountered and fabricate short channel devices with unprecedented performance. ... > full story
Low grades in adolescence linked to dopamine genes, says biosocial criminologist (September 3, 2010) -- The academic performance of adolescents will suffer in at least one of four key subjects -- English, math, science, history -- if their DNA contains one or more of three specific dopamine gene variations, according to a biosocial criminologist. ... > full story
Brainy worms: Scientists uncover counterpart of cerebral cortex in marine worms (September 3, 2010) -- Unexpectedly, scientists have now discovered a true counterpart of the cerebral cortex in an invertebrate, a marine worm. Their findings give an idea of what the most ancient higher brain centers looked like, and what our distant ancestors used them for. ... > full story
Capsaicin can act as co-carcinogen, study finds; Chili pepper component linked to skin cancer (September 3, 2010) -- New research links capsaicin, a component of chili peppers, to skin cancer. While the molecular mechanisms of the cancer-promoting effects of capsaicin are not clear and remain controversial, the new research has shown a definite connection to formation of skin cancer through various laboratory studies. ... > full story
Cranberry juice shows promise blocking Staph infections (September 3, 2010) -- Expanding their scope of study on the mechanisms of bacterial infection, researchers have reported the surprise finding from a small clinical study that cranberry juice cocktail blocked a strain of Staphylococcus aureus from beginning the process of infection. ... > full story
Cancer-causing gene crucial in stem cell development, study finds (September 3, 2010) -- A research team has shown for the first time that a gene called Myc, which is traditionally thought of as a cancer-causing gene, may be far more important in the development and persistence of stem cells than was known before. ... > full story
Computer technique could help partially sighted 'see' better (September 3, 2010) -- Thousands of people who are partially sighted following stroke or brain injury could gain greater independence from a simple, cheap and accessible training course which could eventually be delivered from their mobile phones or hand-held games consoles, according to a new study. ... > full story
Science's policy clout diminished, but oil risk looms large, study finds (September 3, 2010) -- More people are likely to believe scientific studies claiming that oil drilling is riskier, not safer, than was previously thought, according to a new study of attitudes in California. What's more the findings show that scientists' efforts to influence public opinion have a limited effect. ... > full story
Miniature auto differential helps tiny aerial robots stay aloft (September 3, 2010) -- Engineers have created a millionth-scale automobile differential to govern the flight of minuscule aerial robots that could someday be used to probe environmental hazards, forest fires, and other places too perilous for people. Their new approach is the first to passively balance the aerodynamic forces encountered by these miniature flying devices, letting their wings flap asymmetrically in response to gusts of wind, wing damage, and other real-world impediments. ... > full story
Children who eat vended snack foods face chronic health problems, poor diet, study finds (September 3, 2010) -- School children who consume foods purchased in vending machines are more likely to develop poor diet quality -- and that may be associated with being overweight, obese or at risk for chronic health problems such as diabetes and coronary artery disease, according to new research. ... > full story
Experiment records ultrafast chemical reaction with vibrational echoes (September 3, 2010) -- To watch a magician transform a vase of flowers into a rabbit, it's best to have a front-row seat. Likewise, for chemical transformations in solution, the best view belongs to the molecular spectators closest to the action. Those special molecules comprise the "first solvation shell," and although it has been known for decades that they can sense and dictate the fate of nearly every chemical reaction, it has been virtually impossible to watch them respond -- until now. ... > full story
Increased risk for lupus in men with certain form of immune receptor (September 3, 2010) -- Humans -- males in particular -- with a variant form of the immune receptor gene "Toll Like Receptor 7" are at increased risk of developing the autoimmune disease lupus. This finding offers renewed hope for developing more targeted treatments. ... > full story
Laser-based missile defense for helicopters being developed (September 3, 2010) -- Protecting helicopters in combat from heat-seeking missiles is the goal of new laser technology. ... > full story
Social networks influence health behaviors (September 3, 2010) -- Individuals are more likely to acquire new health practices while living in networks with dense clusters of connections -- that is, when in close contact with people they already know well. ... > full story
Chemists develop simple technique to visualize atomic-scale structures (September 3, 2010) -- Researchers have devised a new technique -- using a sheet of carbon just one atom thick -- to visualize the structure of molecules. The technique, which was used to obtain the first direct images of how water coats surfaces at room temperature, can also be used to image a potentially unlimited number of other molecules, including antibodies and other biomolecules. ... > full story
Cigarette smoke may contribute to lung inflammation through a new chemical pathway (September 3, 2010) -- Cigarette smoke shuts off a key enzyme in airways that regulates the body's response to inflammation, according to new findings. Researchers say smoke inhibits the enzyme, called Leukotriene A4 Hydrolase (LTA4H), causing it to fail in its job of shutting down white blood cells following a successful response to inflammation. ... > full story
Scientists listen to faint sounds inside insects using atomic force microscopy (September 3, 2010) -- Scientists are using atomic force microscopy to record sounds emanating from inside living insects like flies, mosquitoes and ladybugs. ... > full story
Serendipity contributes to MRSA susceptibility findings (September 3, 2010) -- Researchers have found two genes in mice which might help identify why some people are more susceptible than others to potentially deadly staph infections. ... > full story
Researchers discover proton diode: Water is an active element in proteins (September 3, 2010) -- Biophysicists in Germany have discovered a diode for protons: just like the electronic component determines the direction of flow of electric current, the “proton diode” ensures that protons can only pass through a cell membrane in one direction. Water molecules play an important role here as active components of the diode. The researchers were able to observe this through a combination of molecular biology, X-ray crystallography, time-resolved FTIR spectroscopy and biomolecular simulations. ... > full story
Problem of fake medicines in developing countries could be solved, experts say (September 3, 2010) -- Counterfeiting of drugs is a huge industry. In Africa the situation is extremely serious. Half of the malaria medication sold there could be ineffective or even harmful. There is currently no good way to identify counterfeit drugs. However, researchers in Sweden and the UK have now developed a technique that could resolve the situation. ... > full story
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