ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Tuesday, September 28, 2010
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A shot to the heart: Nanoneedle delivers quantum dots to cell nucleus (September 28, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a tiny needle to deliver a shot of quantum dots right to a cell's nucleus. This is the first technique that allows delivery to a pinpointed location within the nucleus. The researchers can then learn a lot about the physical conditions inside the nucleus by monitoring the quantum dots with a standard fluorescent microscope. ... > full story
Surgery found effective for patients with aggressive prostate cancer, study suggests (September 28, 2010) -- In one of the first studies to focus exclusively on the outcomes after treatment for patients with high-risk prostate cancer, researchers have found that surgery provides high survival rates. ... > full story
Rain or shine, researchers find new ways to forecast large photovoltaic power plant output (September 28, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a new system to monitor how clouds affect large-scale solar photovoltaic power plants. By observing cloud shape, size and movement, the system provides a way for utility companies to predict and prepare for fluctuations in power output due to changes in weather. The resulting models will provide utility companies with valuable data to assess potential power plant locations, ramp rates and power output. ... > full story
Protein may advance Parkinson's by preventing neurons from clearing debris (September 28, 2010) -- A protein linked to Parkinson's disease may cause neurodegeneration by inhibiting autophagy -- the process in which cells digest some of their contents -- according to a new study. ... > full story
Electric cars hold greater promise for reducing emissions and lowering US oil imports, study finds (September 28, 2010) -- Electric cars hold greater promise for reducing emissions and lowering US oil imports than a national renewable portfolio standard, according to new research. ... > full story
Mindfulness meditation may ease fatigue, depression in multiple sclerosis (September 28, 2010) -- Learning mindfulness meditation may help people who have multiple sclerosis with the fatigue, depression and other life challenges that commonly accompany the disease, according to a new study. ... > full story
Complexity not so costly after all: Moderately complex plants and animals can be better equipped to adapt (September 28, 2010) -- The more complex a plant or animal, the more difficulty it should have adapting to changes in the environment. But if that tenet is true, how do you explain all the well-adapted, complex organisms in the world? This "cost of complexity" conundrum puzzles biologists and offers ammunition to proponents of intelligent design. A new analysis reveals flaws in the models from which the cost of complexity idea arose and shows that complexity can, indeed, develop through evolutionary processes. ... > full story
New level of control for the heart beat (September 28, 2010) -- The heart beat, nerve cell communication, and skeletal muscle function are all controlled by channels in the cell membrane that regulate the movement of sodium ions (Na+). Mutations in these so called voltage-gated Na+ channels result in forms of epilepsy and heart conditions such as long QT syndrome that are characterized by an irregular heart beat. ... > full story
Interneurons are not all created equally: Some classes of interneurons may underlie distinct brain disorders (September 28, 2010) -- A type of neuron that, when malfunctioning, has been tied to epilepsy, autism and schizophrenia is much more complex than previously thought, researchers report. ... > full story
Report predicts huge increase in osteoporotic fractures due to aging populations (September 28, 2010) -- Preliminary findings from an upcoming new report by the International Osteoporosis Foundation show alarming projections and reveal the poor state of post-fracture care in the Russian Federation and many other countries in the region. ... > full story
Diving deeper into the gene pool: Innovative software analyzes diseased cells (September 28, 2010) -- New software, called miRNAkey, has been developed to search for microRNA patterns in both healthy and diseased tissues, improving scientists' understanding of the data collected from deep sequencing technology. ... > full story
Homeless youths most often victims of crime (September 28, 2010) -- Homeless youths in Toronto are victims of crime at rates that would be considered unacceptable for any other group, according to a new report. More than 76 percent of homeless youth surveyed said they had been victims of violent crime in the past year, and almost three-quarters reported multiple incidents. Females and those who became homeless at the age of 16 or 17 were most vulnerable. ... > full story
Quantum information systems: Researchers convert signals to telecom wavelengths, increase memory times (September 27, 2010) -- Using optically dense, ultra-cold clouds of rubidium atoms, researchers have made advances in three key elements needed for quantum information systems -- including a technique for converting photons carrying quantum data to wavelengths that can be transmitted long distances on optical fiber telecom networks. ... > full story
Patient-specific vaccines for metastatic melanoma may induce durable complete regression, study shows (September 27, 2010) -- Researchers have announced encouraging clinical study results for patient-specific vaccine therapy to treat metastatic melanoma. The study is ongoing, but the report concludes that patient-specific vaccines can sometimes induce durable complete regression of progressing soft-tissue melanoma metastases, as demonstrated in one particular patient who participated in the trial. ... > full story
Winter drought stress can delay flowering, prevent fruit loss in orange crops (September 27, 2010) -- Successful mechanical harvesting of perennial fruit crops requires efficient, economical harvesting systems that do not reduce trees' production life or diminish fruit quality. Researchers have published a new study that determined if winter drought stress could successfully delay flowering and fruit development of immature 'Valencia' sweet oranges to avoid young fruit loss during late-season mechanical harvesting. ... > full story
Novel mechanism discovered for communication between proteins that cause ‘cell suicide’ (September 27, 2010) -- A recent study provides new clues for the understanding of the 'cell suicide' process. Research reveals that three essential components of the apoptotic process, the BAX and DRP-1 proteins and cardiolipin, act in a joint manner to produce a large hole in the external membrane of the mitochondria, proving to be lethal for the cell. ... > full story
Cause of dead zone in Gulf: Tile drainage directly related to nitrate loss (September 27, 2010) -- A recent study shows that the most heavily tile-drained areas of North America are also the largest contributing source of nitrate to the Gulf of Mexico, leading to seasonal hypoxia. In the summer of 2010 this dead zone in the Gulf spanned over 7,000 square miles. ... > full story
Quarks 'swing' to the tones of random numbers (September 27, 2010) -- Quarks are found in protons and are bound together by forces which cause all other known forces of nature to fade. To understand the effects of these strong forces between the quarks is one of the greatest challenges in modern particle physics. New theoretical results show that enormous quantities of random numbers can describe the way quarks "swing" inside the protons. ... > full story
Celiac disease rate is growing, particularly among elderly, study reveals (September 27, 2010) -- The number of celiac disease cases in the US has doubled every 15 years since 1974, increasing particularly among older people, according to a new study. As people in the study aged, the incidence of celiac rose, echoing a previous study that found the rate of celiac in the elderly to be nearly two and a half times higher than the general population. ... > full story
Let your fingers do the driving: If you don't hear directions, you can feel them (September 27, 2010) -- If drivers are yakking on cell phones and don't hear spoken instructions to turn left or right from a passenger or navigation system, they still can get directions from devices that are mounted on the steering wheel and pull skin on the driver's index fingertips left or right, a study found. The study may lead to new navigation devices for motorists, hearing-impaired drivers and blind pedestrians. ... > full story
Acupuncture not effective in stroke recovery, study finds (September 27, 2010) -- Acupuncture does not appear to aid in stroke recovery, according to a new study. ... > full story
Elevated nitrogen and phosphorus still widespread in U.S. streams and groundwater (September 27, 2010) -- Elevated concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, nutrients that can negatively impact aquatic ecosystems and human health, have remained the same or increased in many streams and aquifers across the United States since the early 1990s, according to a new national study. ... > full story
Brainstorming 'rules' can lead to real-world success in business settings (September 27, 2010) -- Researchers have long held that there are steps that can be taken to make brainstorming sessions more productive. New research finds that these recommendations actually do contribute to success when applied in real-world business environments. ... > full story
Genetic clues to evolution of jaws in vertebrates unearthed (September 27, 2010) -- A half-billion years ago, vertebrates lacked the ability to chew their food. They did not have jaws. Instead, their heads consisted of a flexible, fused basket of cartilage. ... > full story
Gene linked to common form of migraine discovered (September 27, 2010) -- An international study has identified a gene associated with common migraines. Their findings show that a mutation in the KCNK18 gene inhibits the function of a protein called TRESK. TRESK normally plays a key role in nerve cell communication. Published today in Nature Medicine, this study may have implications for people who suffer from recurrent headaches, which include more than 6 million Canadians. ... > full story
Gigantic mirror for X-radiation in outer space (September 27, 2010) -- It is to become the largest X-ray telescope ever: The International X-Ray Observatory (IXO), which has been planned in a cooperation between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency JAXA, will be launched into space in 2021 and provide the world with brand new information about black holes and, thus, about the origin of the universe. Its dimensions are gigantic: The surface of the mirror alone, which is to capture, for example, the cosmic X-radiation of black holes, will be 1300 square meters in size. ... > full story
Rewiring a damaged brain (September 27, 2010) -- Researchers are developing microelectronic circuits to bypass brain damage and induce the growth of axons, rewiring the lost connections. ... > full story
U.S. vulnerable to multidrug-resistant TB epidemic, computer model shows (September 27, 2010) -- While the United States has made great progress in the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis, the nation has become more susceptible to potential epidemics of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, or MDR-TB, according a new study. Computer simulations show that as TB prevalence falls, the risk for more extensive MDR-TB increases. In addition, the simulation also showed that higher detection of TB cases without proper treatment of cases also increased risk. ... > full story
No pain in the hospital: Wishful thinking or reality? (September 27, 2010) -- More than 80% of hospitalized patients suffer more severe pain than necessary, new research from Germany suggests. ... > full story
Physics breakthrough: Fast-moving neutral atom isolated and captured (September 27, 2010) -- In a major physics breakthrough, scientists in New Zealand have developed a technique to consistently isolate and capture a fast-moving neutral atom -- and have also seen and photographed this atom for the first time. ... > full story
Could brain abnormalities cause antisocial behavior and drug abuse in boys? (September 27, 2010) -- Antisocial boys who abuse drugs, break laws and act recklessly are not just "bad" kids. Many of these boys may have malfunctioning brains, according to a new study. ... > full story
Early reproduction retains fertility in cheetah females (September 27, 2010) -- Reproduction in free-ranging female cheetah in Namibia is far better than expected. Their reproductive organs are healthy and approximately 80 percent of their young reach adulthood. With these findings, scientists in Germany have overturned the established dogma that cheetahs generally reproduce badly due to their low genetic diversity. The scientists demonstrated that female fertility critically depended on the age at which they conceived their first litter. ... > full story
Physicians beware: Cholesterol counts in kidney disease patients (September 27, 2010) -- To understand the health effects of high cholesterol levels, doctors first need to assess malnutrition and inflammation status in their chronic kidney disease patients, according to a new study. ... > full story
Greener pastures and better breeds could reduce carbon 'hoofprint' (September 27, 2010) -- Greenhouse gas emissions caused by livestock operations in tropical countries -- a major contributor to climate change -- could be cut significantly by changing diets and breeds and improving degraded lands, according to a new study. And as an added bonus, scientists found the small changes in production practices could provide a big payoff by providing poor farmers with up to .3 billion annually in payments for carbon offsets. ... > full story
Psychologist shows why we 'choke' and how to avoid it (September 27, 2010) -- A star golfer misses a critical putt; a brilliant student fails to ace a test; a savvy salesperson blows a key presentation. Each of these people has suffered the same bump in mental processing: They have just choked under pressure. ... > full story
Light workout: Scientists use optogenetics to effectively stimulate muscle movement in mice (September 27, 2010) -- Researchers were able to use light to induce normal patterns of muscle contraction, in a study involving bioengineered mice whose nerve-cell surfaces are coated with special light-sensitive proteins. ... > full story
Inhibiting cell signaling pathway may improve bone marrow transplant success rate (September 27, 2010) -- Identification of a molecular communications pathway that influences the mobilization of hematopoietic (blood) stem cells could lead to targeted therapies for improving bone marrow transplant success rates. Researchers report a scientific basis for enhancing the effectiveness of autologous bone marrow transplants, in which the recipient donates his or her own stem cells prior to the procedure. ... > full story
Egyptian desert expedition confirms spectacular meteorite impact (September 27, 2010) -- A 2008 Google Earth search led to the discovery of Kamil crater, one of the best-preserved meteorite impact sites ever found. Earlier this year, a gritty, sand-blown expedition reached the site deep in the Egyptian desert to collect iron debris and determine the crater's age and origins. ... > full story
Millions with voice problems don't know treatment available, study finds (September 27, 2010) -- Two-thirds of Americans with voice problems don't seek medical care either because they don't know treatment is available or because they think the problem will just go away, according to a new study. ... > full story
How safe is your swipe? Thinking like hackers, programmers find security loopholes in 'secure' microchips (September 27, 2010) -- Researchers in Israel have developed an innovative way of extracting information from chip technology. By combining modern cryptology methods with constraint programming -- an area of computer science designed to solve a series of complex equations -- the researchers were able to extract more information from secure chips. ... > full story
Start of school can worsen bedwetting in children (September 27, 2010) -- Bedwetting perennially drives parents to the pediatric urology clinics, but September -- and the start of the school year -- always brings a predictable uptick in visits, according to pediatric urologists. ... > full story
Pinpointing where volcanic eruptions could strike (September 27, 2010) -- A better way to pinpoint where volcanic eruptions are likely to occur has been produced by an international team of geophysicists. ... > full story
Surgery can lead to long-term reduction in stroke risk (September 27, 2010) -- Successful surgery for narrowed arteries in the neck halves the risk of having a stroke over the next 5 years, and benefit persists for at least 10 years, a new study has shown. ... > full story
Why are there no hyenas in Europe? (September 27, 2010) -- Researchers have analyzed the impact of climate change on spotted hyena survival in Europe over 10,000 years ago. These changes played an important role, but the scientists say studies are still needed to look at the influence of human expansion and changes in herbivorous fauna on the definitive extinction of this species across the continent. ... > full story
Cellular structural molecule can be toxic: Makes pneumonia worse (September 27, 2010) -- A structural molecule called cardiolipin and the cellular pump that regulates its levels influence the severity of pneumonia and could provide new ways of treating the lung infection, which is a leading cause of hospitalization and death, according to scientists. ... > full story
Lead-free piezoelectric materials of the future (September 27, 2010) -- Over the past 60 years, lead zirconate titanate, or PZT, has been the material of choice for piezoelectric applications from ink jet printers to gas grill igniters. Despite this success, many scientists would like to find a more environmentally-friendly, lead-free material. The theoretical potential of another class of materials has now been shown. ... > full story
New look at racial disparities in head and neck cancer (September 27, 2010) -- Head and neck cancer outcomes associated with race may be more closely linked to social and behavioral factors than biological differences, especially for African-Americans, according to a new study. Researchers found that while those who self-reported to be African-American are at greater risk for late stage cancer, there was no correlation between patients' genetic ancestry and cancer stage or survival. ... > full story
Mystery of disappearing Martian carbon dioxide ice solved? (September 27, 2010) -- Scientists may have solved the mystery of the carbon dioxide ice disappearance early in the Northern Martian springs followed later by its sudden reappearance, revealing a very active water cycle on the planet. ... > full story
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