ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Tuesday, September 14, 2010
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Scientists 'clone' human virus responsible for congenital malformations and other life-threatening diseases (September 14, 2010) -- Scientists have successfully cloned a human virus, offering new hope for the treatment of potentially life-threatening diseases. Human cytomegalovirus is a major infectious cause of congenital malformations worldwide. The virus is also known to cause life-threatening disease in transplant patients and people with HIV/AIDS. ... > full story
Childhood cancer survivors show sustained benefit from common ADHD medication (September 14, 2010) -- A medicine widely used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also provides long-term relief from the attention and behavior changes that affect many childhood cancer survivors, according to a multicenter trial. ... > full story
Public handwashing: More adults than ever (85 percent) observed washing hands in public restrooms (September 14, 2010) -- A new observational study finds that 85 percent of adults washed their hands in public restrooms, compared with 77 percent in 2007. ... > full story
New metabolic markers may predict preeclampsia in early pregnancy (September 14, 2010) -- Researchers identified 14 new markers that could identify in early pregnancy who may be at risk of developing preeclampsia in later pregnancy. Preeclampsia is a life-threatening condition characterized by high blood pressure and high levels of protein in the urine. ... > full story
2010 was fourth warmest U.S. summer on record (September 14, 2010) -- The contiguous United States had its fourth-warmest summer (June-August) on record, according to the latest NOAA State of the Climate report. The report also showed the August average temperature was 75.0 degrees F, which is 2.2 degrees F above the long-term (1901-2000) average. Last month's average precipitation was 2.41 inches, 0.19 inch below the 1901-2000 average. ... > full story
Opioid use to relieve pain and suffering at end of life is safe in hospital-at-home setting, study finds (September 14, 2010) -- Patients who choose to spend their last days at home with specialized care and monitoring can safely be given opioids to control pain and other symptoms without reducing survival time, according to a new study. ... > full story
Sun and volcanic eruptions pace North Atlantic climate swings (September 14, 2010) -- Changes in solar intensity and volcanic eruptions act as a metronome for temperature variations in the North Atlantic climate, according to new research. Scientists studied the climate in the North Atlantic region over the past 600 years using the Bergen Climate Model and the observed temperature evolution. They point to changes in the solar intensity and explosive volcanic eruptions as important causes for climate variations in the North Atlantic during this period. ... > full story
Protein-based biomarkers in blood serum could classify individuals with Alzheimer's disease (September 14, 2010) -- An initial analysis suggests that biomarkers in blood serum can be combined with clinical information to accurately classify patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. ... > full story
Targeted agent shows promise for chronic lymphoid leukemia (September 14, 2010) -- New research may have identified an experimental agent that targets chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and perhaps other proliferative disorders of lymphocytes. This study using tumor cells from patients shows that the small-molecule inhibitor CAL-101 directly promotes cell death in CLL cells and disrupts several external survival pathways needed for CLL cell viability and proliferation. The findings provide a rationale for developing CAL-101 as the first in a new class of CLL targeted therapies. ... > full story
The pocket projector is a reality (September 14, 2010) -- The projector of the future -- one cubic centimeter of technology that can be integrated into a portable computer or mobile telephone -- is about to take the market by storm. Many applications have already been identified, in particular in the automobile industry or the operating theater. ... > full story
Male maturity shaped by early nutrition; Differences between the sexes affected by environment during first six months of life (September 13, 2010) -- A new study makes a strong case for nurture's role in male to female differences -- suggesting that rapid weight gain in the first six months of life predicts earlier puberty for boys. Males who experienced rapid growth as babies -- an indication that they were not nutritionally stressed -- also were taller, had more muscle and were stronger, and had higher testosterone levels as young adults. ... > full story
Repeated antibiotic use alters gut's composition of beneficial microbes, study shows (September 13, 2010) -- Repeated use of an antibiotic that is considered generally benign, because users seldom incur obvious side effects, induces cumulative and persistent changes in the composition of the beneficial microbial species inhabiting the human gut, researchers have found. ... > full story
No dead zones observed or expected as part of BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill (September 13, 2010) -- A new report showed dissolved oxygen levels have dropped by about 20 percent from their long-term average in the Gulf of Mexico in areas where federal and independent scientists previously reported the presence of subsurface oil. Scientists from agencies involved in the report attribute the lower dissolved oxygen levels to microbes using oxygen to consume the oil from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. These dissolved oxygen levels, measured within 60 miles of the wellhead, have stabilized and are not low enough to become "dead zones." ... > full story
Key pathway implicated in progression of childhood cancer identified (September 13, 2010) -- A protein crucial for the immune response appears to be a key player in the progression of a devastating form of childhood leukemia called T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Suppressing the activity of the protein kills the leukemic cells, the study shows, opening a potential avenue to new drugs that could prevent progression of the disease. ... > full story
Dwarf galaxy evolution: Reionization alone is not able to stop star formation, research shows (September 13, 2010) -- New research suggests that reionization alone is not able to stop star formation in dwarf galaxies, as had been expected. ... > full story
New study reconciles conflicting data on mental aging (September 13, 2010) -- A new look at tests of mental aging reveals a good news-bad news situation. The bad news is all mental abilities appear to decline with age, to varying degrees. The good news is the drops are not as steep as some research showed, according to a new study. ... > full story
Hubble harvests distant solar system objects (September 13, 2010) -- Beyond the orbit of Neptune reside countless icy rocks known as trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). One of the biggest, Pluto, is classified as a dwarf planet. The region also supplies us with comets such as famous Comet Halley. Most TNOs are small and receive little sunlight, making them faint and difficult to spot. Now, astronomers using clever techniques to cull the data archives of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have added 14 new TNOs to the catalog. Their method promises to turn up hundreds more. ... > full story
Brain stimulation can help partially paralysed stroke patients regain use of their muscles, research finds (September 13, 2010) -- Patients who suffered a stroke down one side of their body recovered significant motor function after simple non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the brain. Researchers believe that partial paralysis is caused when one area of the brain is affected by the stroke, becoming inhibited, and the other unaffected area become over-active. The treatment restored the balance. And because the time lapse from stroke to treatment made no difference to the results, this simple technique could have important implications for long-term stroke care. ... > full story
How football playing robots have the future of artificial intelligence at their feet (September 13, 2010) -- The new Premier League season has begun and in Madrid the World Cup celebrations are barely over, yet according to researchers, the world's best players may soon be facing a new challenge from football playing robots, which their creators claim will be able to play and beat a human team. The research reveals how building robots to play football is driving the development of artificial intelligence and robotic technology which can be used for roles including search and rescue and home help. ... > full story
Genes behind arsenic in food identified (September 13, 2010) -- In many countries arsenic in food is a major problem. But researchers in Sweden have now identified two genes that may play a crucial role in how arsenic is stored in plants. ... > full story
New gecko species identified in West African rain forests (September 13, 2010) -- Using a new statistical method to compare the genes of 50 specimens of the West African forest gecko, researchers have determined that the widely distributed species is actually four distinct species that appear to have evolved over the past 100,000 years as the rain forest fragmented with increasing aridification. The finding demonstrates the wealth of biodiversity still surviving in the islands of tropical rain forest in West Africa. ... > full story
Supervised injection facilities can help people quit drugs, study shows (September 13, 2010) -- A new study has found that supervised injection facilities such as Vancouver's Insite connect clients with addiction treatment, which in turn resulted in greater likelihood of stopping injection drug use for at least six months. ... > full story
Video games lead to faster decisions that are no less accurate (September 13, 2010) -- Cognitive scientists have discovered that playing action video games trains people to make the right decisions faster. The researchers found that video game players develop a heightened sensitivity to what is going on around them, and this benefit doesn't just make them better at playing video games, but improves a wide variety of general skills that can help with everyday activities like multitasking, driving, reading small print, and navigating around town. ... > full story
New insight into 'accelerated aging' disease (September 13, 2010) -- Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS or progeria) is a rare genetic disease that causes young children to develop symptoms associated with advanced age, such as baldness, wrinkles, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Now, a study uses a mouse model to shed light on progeria, and perhaps also on the normal aging process. ... > full story
Manatee subspecies genetically confirmed, but diversity challenge looms (September 13, 2010) -- The first genetic study to compare nuclear DNA of endangered Antillean manatees in Belize with Florida manatees confirmed their designation as separate subspecies. Belize's manatees, however, were found to have extremely low genetic diversity, raising questions about their long-term genetic viability. ... > full story
Liquid nitrogen most effective at removing warts, study finds (September 13, 2010) -- Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen is the most effective method to remove common warts, a new study finds. ... > full story
Pole-to-pole climate research: Adaptation lessons from tiny springtails (September 13, 2010) -- What can minuscule soil-dwellers teach us about nature’s adaptation to climate change? Researchers in Norway and South Africa are using springtails as model systems in order to study how different species respond when the climate changes. ... > full story
National study finds 70 percent increase in basketball-related traumatic brain injuries (September 13, 2010) -- A new study examined basketball-related injuries treated in emergency departments among children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 19 from 1997 to 2007. According to the study, more than 4 million basketball-related injuries were treated in emergency departments during the 11-year study. ... > full story
Funneling solar energy: Antenna made of carbon nanotubes could make photovoltaic cells more efficient (September 13, 2010) -- Using carbon nanotubes (hollow tubes of carbon atoms), chemical engineers have found a way to concentrate solar energy 100 times more than a regular photovoltaic cell. Such nanotubes could form antennas that capture and focus light energy, potentially allowing much smaller and more powerful solar arrays. ... > full story
Gene discovery could yield treatments for nearsightedness (September 13, 2010) -- Myopia (nearsightedness) is the most common eye disorder in the world and becoming more common, yet little is known about its genetic underpinnings. Scientists have now uncovered a gene associated with myopia in Caucasian people from several different regions, including Dutch, British and Australian subjects. ... > full story
Emerging technologies may fuel revolutionary launcher (September 13, 2010) -- As NASA studies possibilities for the next launcher to the stars, a team of engineers from Kennedy Space Center and several other field centers are looking for a system that turns a host of existing cutting-edge technologies into the next giant leap spaceward. ... > full story
Increasing selenium intake may decrease bladder cancer risk (September 13, 2010) -- A common mineral may provide protection against bladder cancer. ... > full story
Tiny rulers to measure nanoscale structures (September 13, 2010) -- Physicists have discovered that nanospheres combined with a nanorod dimer could be used to solve the problem of measurement sensitivity at the nanoscale. ... > full story
New treatment options target underlying causes of childhood obsessive-compulsive and Tourette's disorders (September 13, 2010) -- Pediatric-onset obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette's disorder (TD) share similarities in their underlying genetic and environmental factors, psychiatric features, and treatment methods. Advances in understanding the neurobiological basis of these disorders and discovering new and more effective therapies are highlighted in a special issue on OCD and TD in Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. ... > full story
Engineers make artificial skin out of nanowires (September 13, 2010) -- Engineers have developed a pressure-sensitive electronic material from semiconductor nanowires that could one day be used as an artificial skin for robots and prosthetic limbs. ... > full story
Genes tied to deadliest ovarian cancers identified (September 13, 2010) -- Scientists have identified two genes whose mutations appear to be linked to ovarian clear cell carcinoma, one of the most aggressive forms of ovarian cancer. Clear cell carcinoma is generally resistant to standard therapy. ... > full story
The bright red of cardinals means less in urban areas (September 13, 2010) -- Normally, the brilliant red of a male cardinal signals to females that he is a high-quality mate. But that may not be true of cardinals living in urban areas, a new study suggests. Researchers found that the bright red feather coloration of male northern cardinals was less related to body condition for birds living in urban forests than it is for those in rural forests. In other words, even cardinals in relatively poor condition may appear bright red in urban areas. ... > full story
Tumor budding identified as predictor for unfavorable outcome in lung cancer (September 13, 2010) -- Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, and the prognosis is generally poor, even if surgery is successful. Furthermore, the incidence of one type of lung cancer, adenocarcinoma, has been increasing in recent years. ... > full story
Brain uses eyes to pick up things: Unraveling the calculations (September 13, 2010) -- How does your brain know where your hand has to go to pick up a cup of coffee and successfully bring this to your mouth? By converting all of the information into coordinates of the eye, according to new Dutch research. Unraveling those calculations will make it possible to more accurately control arm prostheses. ... > full story
Concussions in young athletes on the rise, especially in hockey and football players (September 13, 2010) -- A new study finds visits to emergency departments for concussions that occurred during organized team sports have increased dramatically over a 10-year period, and appear to be highest in ice hockey and football. The number of sports-related concussions is highest in high school-aged athletes, but the number in younger athletes is significant and rising. ... > full story
Ancient viral invasion shaped human genome (September 13, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered that viruses that "invaded" the human genome millions of years ago have changed the way genes get turned on and off in human embryonic stem cells. ... > full story
Physical activity can reduce the genetic predisposition to obesity by 40 percent, study finds (September 13, 2010) -- Although the whole population can benefit from a physically active lifestyle, in part through reduced obesity risk, a new study shows that individuals with a genetic predisposition to obesity can benefit even more. ... > full story
How disease-causing parasite gets around human innate immunity (September 13, 2010) -- A team of researchers has now shown, for the first time, how one species of the parasites that cause African sleeping sickness evades the human innate defenses. ... > full story
Therapeutic targets found for rare cancer in children (September 13, 2010) -- The first study of Ewing's sarcoma that screened hundreds of genes based on how they affect cell growth has identified two potential anti-cancer drug targets, according to a scientific paper. ... > full story
Using underground clues to determine past atmospheric heat (September 13, 2010) -- Before a global climate model can be used by scientists to predict future climate patterns, it must first successfully predict the climate of the past as known by historical records or as inferred by proxy data (for example, oxygen isotopes in ice cores and tree ring records). Because historical records are spatially and temporally scarce, many climate models rely on proxy data, which by definition introduce large amounts of error into model calibrations. Reducing these errors is of high importance to climate scientists. ... > full story
Human well-being is improving even as ecosystem services decline: Why? (September 13, 2010) -- Researchers writing a new article examine four possible explanations for why human well-being is increasing despite the global degradation of ecosystem services. Gains in food production, technological innovation generally, and time lags in the consequences of ecosystem degradation all find some support; observable trends suggest these factors may be limited in the future. ... > full story
Glasperlenspiel: Scientists propose new test for gravity (September 13, 2010) -- A new experiment proposed by physicists may allow researchers to test the effects of gravity with unprecedented precision at very short distances -- a scale at which exotic new details of gravity's behavior may be detectable. ... > full story
Long-standing mystery of protein 'quality control' mechanism solved (September 13, 2010) -- Scientists have solved a long-standing mystery of how cells conduct "quality control" to eliminate the toxic effects of a certain kind of error in protein production. The findings may lead to a better understanding of a host of neurodegenerative diseases. ... > full story
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