ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Friday, October 1, 2010
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No evidence for Clovis comet catastrophe, archaeologists say (October 1, 2010) -- New research challenges the controversial theory that an ancient comet impact devastated the Clovis people, one of the earliest known cultures to inhabit North America. ... > full story
Molecular On-off Switches for Cancer and Autoimmunity Defined (October 1, 2010) -- A new report offers hope in the search for new cancer drugs. By examining the seemingly conflicting roles of how oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes handle cellular stress, scientists argue that these opposing systems could be potent cancer drug targets. In addition, their hypothesis provides new insights into what contributes to immunological disorders such as chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases. ... > full story
Dog ownership is associated with reduced eczema in children with dog allergies (October 1, 2010) -- Children with eczema have a greater risk of developing asthma and food allergies. The number of children with eczema is rising, but the reasons are unclear. A new study examines the relationship between pet ownership and eczema. Researchers found that dog ownership among children with dog allergies may reduce the risk of developing eczema by age 4 years; cat ownership, however, may increase the risk among children with cat allergies. ... > full story
Mammography significantly lowers death rate in women 40-49 (October 1, 2010) -- The landmark breast cancer screening study of women 40-49 has proven that annual mammography screening of women in their 40s reduces the breast cancer death rate in these women by nearly 30 percent. The results of this largest study ever conducted on women in this age group confirm that the use of the age of 50 as a threshold for breast cancer screening is scientifically unfounded. Women should begin getting annual mammograms at age 40. ... > full story
Researchers find phone apps sending data without notification; TaintDroid tool IDs untrustworthy apps (October 1, 2010) -- TaintDroid, a prototype extension to the Android mobile-phone platform designed by researchers, recently identified that 15 of 30 randomly selected, popular, free Android Marketplace applications sent users' private information to remote advertising servers and two-thirds of the apps handled data in ambiguous ways. ... > full story
Alcohol consumers are becoming the norm in U.S., analysis finds (October 1, 2010) -- More people are drinking than 20 years ago, according to an analysis of national alcohol consumption patterns in the United States. Gathered from more than 85,000 respondents, the data suggests that a variety of factors, including social, economic and ethnic influences and pressures, are involved in the increase. ... > full story
Species accumulate on Earth at slower rates than in the past, computational biologists say (October 1, 2010) -- Computational biologists say that species are still accumulating on Earth but at a slower rate than in the past. ... > full story
Increased risk of other cancers for relatives of women with early onset breast cancer (October 1, 2010) -- Close relatives of women diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 35 years are at an increased risk of developing other cancers, according to a new study. ... > full story
Mars Rover Opportunity approaching possible meteorite (October 1, 2010) -- Images that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity took at the end of an 81-meter (266-foot) drive on Sept. 16 reveal a dark rock about 31 meters (102 feet) away. The rover's science team has decided to go get a closer look at the toaster-sized rock and determine whether it is an iron meteorite. ... > full story
Varying CRP levels in ethnic groups may affect statin eligibility, heart risk prediction (October 1, 2010) -- Average C-reactive protein (CRP) values vary in diverse populations -- possibly impacting how doctors estimate cardiovascular risk and determine statin treatment, according to a new study. ... > full story
Growing drought-resistant plants: Research could offer alternative to genetically-engineered crops to combat global food shortages (October 1, 2010) -- New findings could lead to environmentally-friendly sprays that help plants survive drought and other stresses in harsh environments to combat global food shortages. ... > full story
Language barriers may play role in health care disparities, study finds (October 1, 2010) -- Researchers have found that individuals who do not speak English at home are less likely to receive colorectal cancer screenings (CRC) as compared to those who do speak English at home. ... > full story
Genome of mosquito that spreads West Nile virus sequenced (September 30, 2010) -- To understand the genetic makeup of the Culex mosquito, and how the insect is able to transmit this and other viruses, scientists have sequenced the genome of Culex quinquefasciatus, a representative of the Culex genus of mosquitoes. The genome could give scientists clues to target specific Culex genes involved in the transmission of West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, lymphatic filariasis and other diseases. ... > full story
Brain chemical finding could open door to new schizophrenia drugs (September 30, 2010) -- New research has linked psychosis with an abnormal relationship between two signaling chemicals in the brain. The findings suggest a new approach to preventing psychotic symptoms, which could lead to better drugs for schizophrenia. ... > full story
Offshore San Andreas Fault and associated ecosystems mapped (September 30, 2010) -- An effort to map offshore portions of the San Andreas fault could help scientists better understand past earthquakes -- and the potential for future ones. ... > full story
Genital herpes vaccine ineffective in women, study suggests (September 30, 2010) -- An experimental vaccine intended to prevent genital herpes disease in women, although generally safe and well-tolerated, proved ineffective when tested in the recently concluded clinical study known as the Herpevac Trial for Women. ... > full story
Plants that move: How a New Zealand species disperses seeds in a high alpine, wet environment (September 30, 2010) -- High in an alpine meadow, a researcher crouched low to the ground and splashed some water from her water bottle on a low green plant cushion, then sat back waiting to see if something would move. Sound crazy? Many hikers passing by her may have thought so, but she was trying to find potential plant species that possess a type of plant movement called hygrochasy. ... > full story
A downside to work flexibility? (September 30, 2010) -- Is there a downside to schedule control at work? According to new research, people who have more schedule control at work tend to report more blurring of the boundaries between work and the other parts of their lives, especially family-related roles. ... > full story
IBEX finds surprising changes at solar boundary (September 30, 2010) -- When NASA launched the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) on Oct. 19, 2008, space physicists held their collective breath for never-before-seen views of a collision zone far beyond the planets, roughly 10 billion miles away. That's where the solar wind, an outward rush of charged particles and magnetic fields continuously spewed by the Sun, runs into the flow of particles and fields that permeates interstellar space in our neighborhood of the Milky Way galaxy. ... > full story
Genetic alteration linked with human male infertility (September 30, 2010) -- One in seven couples worldwide has difficulty conceiving a child, and male infertility is thought to account for nearly half of those cases. Although the cause of male infertility is often unknown, scientists have now discovered a genetic alteration that disrupts sperm production in otherwise healthy men. The research provides new insight into one cause of male infertility. ... > full story
Surgery: No sponge left behind (September 30, 2010) -- Using the same technology found in clothing tags used in retail store tracking systems, a new study shows that surgical sponges with implanted radio frequency tags may be an effective adjunct to manual counting and X-ray detection in preventing sponges from being left behind in patients following a surgical procedure. ... > full story
Epigenomics discovery yields new information about fat cells (September 30, 2010) -- By creating a "map" of histone modifications in fat cells, investigators have discovered two new factors that regulate fat formation, a key step on the road to better understanding obesity, diabetes and other metabolic disorders. ... > full story
New 'standard cigarette' available for fire-resistance testing (September 30, 2010) -- An unusual new industrial testing product from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology -- a cigarette deliberately designed to burn stronger than others -- will be used by manufacturers of home furnishings to test the fire resistance of their products. ... > full story
TV viewing likely to make you feel dissatisfied and fear illness, researcher warns (September 30, 2010) -- Watching television and its heavy dose of medical content in news and drama can lead to more concern about personal health and reduce a person's satisfaction with life according to a new study. ... > full story
Fossilized giant penguin reveals unusual colors, sheds light on bird evolution (September 30, 2010) -- Paleontologists have unearthed the first extinct penguin with preserved evidence of scales and feathers. The 36-million-year-old fossil from Peru shows the new giant penguin's feathers were reddish brown and gray, distinct from the black tuxedoed look of living penguins. The fossil shows the flipper and feather shapes that make penguins such powerful swimmers evolved early, while the color patterning of living penguins is likely a much more recent innovation. ... > full story
New method for generating human stem cells is remarkably efficient (September 30, 2010) -- The ability to efficiently generate patient-specific stem cells from differentiated cells and then reliably direct them to form specialized cells (like neurons or muscle) has tremendous therapeutic potential for replacing diseased or damaged tissues. However, despite some successes, there have been significant limitations associated with existing methods used to generate human induced pluripotent stem cells. ... > full story
Research examines vicious cycle of overeating and obesity (September 30, 2010) -- New research provides evidence of the vicious cycle created when an obese individual overeats to compensate for reduced pleasure from food. ... > full story
Mutations in the gene SCARF2 responsible for Van Den Ende-Gupta syndrome, study suggests (September 30, 2010) -- Scientists studied three patients from biologically interrelated Bedouin families, and sent samples to Canada for analysis by GA JOE -- a high-tech genome analyzing machine. They discovered that mutations in the gene SCARF2 are responsible for Van Den Ende-Gupta syndrome. ... > full story
Hydrogen fuel for thought: Metallacarboranes may meet DOE storage goals (September 30, 2010) -- New research suggests that a class of material known as metallacarborane could store hydrogen at or better than benchmarks set by the US Department of Energy Hydrogen Program for 2015. ... > full story
Impending death for paper coupons? (September 30, 2010) -- With digital coupons more readily available, researchers set out to understand how consumers are using them and what they think about the technology behind the promotions and services provided. ... > full story
Most complete beer 'proteome' finding could lead to engineered brews (September 30, 2010) -- In an advance that may give brewers powerful new ability to engineer the flavor and aroma of beer -- the world's favorite alcoholic beverage -- scientists are publishing the most comprehensive deciphering of the beer's "proteome" ever reported. ... > full story
Technique to reattach teeth using stem cells developed (September 30, 2010) -- A new approach to anchor teeth back in the jaw using stem cells has been developed and successfully tested in the laboratory for the first time. ... > full story
Growing nanowires horizontally yields new benefit: 'nano-LEDs' (September 30, 2010) -- While refining their novel method for making nanoscale wires, chemists discovered an unexpected bonus -- a new way to create nanowires that produce light similar to that from light-emitting diodes. ... > full story
Maternal diet high in trans fats doubles risk of excess body fat in breastfed babies, study finds (September 30, 2010) -- A new study suggests that mothers who consume a diet high in trans fats double the likelihood that their infants will have high levels of body fat. ... > full story
Research lays foundation for building on the Moon -- or anywhere else (September 30, 2010) -- The key to the stability of any building is its foundation, but it is difficult to test some building sites in advance -- such as those on the moon. New research is helping resolve the problem by using computer models that can utilize a small sample of soil to answer fundamental questions about how soil at a building site will interact with foundations. ... > full story
Early life experience modifies gene vital to normal brain function (September 30, 2010) -- Early life stress, such as an extreme lack of parental affection, has lasting effects on a gene important to normal brain processes and also tied to mental disorders, according to a new animal study. ... > full story
For the first time, monkeys recognize themselves in the mirror, indicating self-awareness (September 30, 2010) -- A study shows that under specific conditions, a rhesus macaque monkey that normally would fail the mark test can still recognize itself in the mirror and perform actions that scientists would expect from animals that are self-aware. ... > full story
Chemotherapy alters brain tissue in breast cancer patients, researchers find (September 30, 2010) -- Researchers have published the first report using imaging to show that changes in brain tissue can occur in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. ... > full story
New views of Saturn's aurora, captured by Cassini (September 30, 2010) -- A new movie and images showing Saturn's shimmering aurora over a two-day period are helping scientists understand what drives some of the solar system's most impressive light shows. ... > full story
IV treatment may lower risk of dying from bacterial meningitis (September 30, 2010) -- New research shows that an intravenous treatment -- called dexamethasone -- may cut a person's risk of dying from bacterial meningitis. ... > full story
Nanotechnology brings personalized therapy one step closer to reality (September 30, 2010) -- A novel technology can make nanoscale protein measurements, which scientists can use in clinical trials to learn how drugs work. ... > full story
Less than half of essential workers willing to report to work during a serious pandemic, study finds (September 30, 2010) -- Although first responders willingly put themselves in harm's way during disasters, new research indicates that they may not be as willing -- if the disaster is a potentially lethal pandemic. In a recent study, researchers found that more than 50 percent of the first responders and other essential workers they surveyed might be absent from work during a serious pandemic, even if they were healthy. ... > full story
'Giant' step toward explaining differences in height among people (September 30, 2010) -- An international collaboration of more than 200 institutions has identified hundreds of genetic variants that together account for about 10 percent of the inherited variation of height among people. ... > full story
Addition of immunotherapy boosts pediatric cancer survival in children with neuroblastoma (September 30, 2010) -- Administering a new form of immunotherapy to children with neuroblastoma, a nervous system cancer, increased the percentage of those who were alive and free of disease progression after two years, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and fellow institutions. ... > full story
Blueberries help fight artery hardening, lab animal study indicates (September 30, 2010) -- Blueberries may help fight atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries, according to results of a preliminary study with laboratory mice. The research provides the first direct evidence that blueberries can help prevent harmful plaques or lesions, symptomatic of atherosclerosis, from increasing in size in arteries. ... > full story
Women treated for breast cancer while pregnant have improved survival, study finds (September 30, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered that women treated for breast cancer while pregnant -- long associated with a worse outcome -- in fact have improved disease-free survival and a trend for improved overall survival compared to non-pregnant women treated for the disease. ... > full story
Atmosphere checked, one Mars year before a landing (September 30, 2010) -- What will the Martian atmosphere be like when the next Mars rover descends through it for landing in August of 2012? An instrument studying the Martian atmosphere from orbit has begun a four-week campaign to characterize daily atmosphere changes, one Mars year before the arrival of the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity. A Mars year equals 687 Earth days. ... > full story
Father's incarceration associated with elevated risks of marijuana and other illegal drug use, study finds (September 30, 2010) -- In a new study, researchers report evidence of an association between father's incarceration and substantially elevated risks for illegal drug use in adolescence and early adulthood. ... > full story
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