ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Monday, October 4, 2010
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Fungal spores travel farther by surfing their own wind (October 4, 2010) -- Many fungi, including the destructive Sclerotinia, spew thousands of spores at once to give the spores an extra boost into their host plants. Researchers now show how this works. The near-simultaneous ejection of spores reduces drag to nearly zero and creates a wind that carries some of the spores 20 times farther than a single spore could travel solo. ... > full story
Parkinson's: Excess of protein suggests new target for treatment with widely used anti-cancer drug imatinib (October 4, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered that the over-activation of a single protein may shut down the brain-protecting effects of a molecule and facilitate the most common form of Parkinson's disease. The finding of this mechanism could lead to important new targets for drugs already known to inhibit it, thus controlling symptoms of the disorder, which affects about 1 million older Americans. ... > full story
Experts urge making cigarettes non-addictive a research priority (October 4, 2010) -- After a major review of scientific information, six leading tobacco research and policy experts have concluded that a nicotine reduction strategy should be an urgent research priority because of its potential to profoundly reduce the death and disease from tobacco use. ... > full story
In pregnancy, a large waistline and high triglycerides: Early screen for gestational diabetes (October 4, 2010) -- A large waistline and high triglyceride levels in pregnant women could be an early screening tool for gestational diabetes, according to a new study. ... > full story
Dual nature of dew: Researcher measures the effect of dew on desert plants (October 4, 2010) -- Dew is often celebrated as a bringer of life. Now, a researcher in Israel has examined the effects of dew in the Eastern Mediterranean region and says that dew serves as an important water source for plant life. ... > full story
Are pre-teen babysitters able to deal with emergencies? (October 4, 2010) -- Nearly all of 11- to 13-year-old babysitters know who to contact in the event of an intruder or if a child is sick or injured (96 percent) or poisoned (85 percent), according to new research. ... > full story
An elegant galaxy in an unusual light (October 4, 2010) -- A new image taken with the powerful HAWK-I camera on ESO's Very Large Telescope at Paranal Observatory in Chile shows the beautiful barred spiral galaxy NGC 1365 in infrared light. NGC 1365 is a member of the Fornax cluster of galaxies, and lies about 60 million light-years from Earth. ... > full story
Gene variations that alter key enzyme linked to prostate cancer (October 4, 2010) -- Researchers have found that variations in a gene for an enzyme involved in cell energy metabolism appear to increase the risk for prostate cancer. The genetic variations all impair the enzyme phosphodiesterase 11A, which helps regulate a cell's responses to hormones and other signals. ... > full story
Noise and chemicals: Workers are losing their hearing, Spanish study finds (October 4, 2010) -- A study carried out by Spanish researchers has shown that the presence of chemical contaminants can interact with noise and modify, for good or for bad, the way in which work-related "deafness" -- which is increasingly common among young people -- manifests itself. Noise-related hearing loss is the most common occupational disease in Europe. ... > full story
'Hi-JAK-ing' cancer by inhibiting Jak2 (October 4, 2010) -- Myeloproliferative neoplasms are a family of blood cancers that if left untreated can progress to bone marrow failure and acute myeloid leukemia. Inhibition of the protein JAK2 has emerged as potential therapy. However, this approach has thus far had limited success and been accompanied by significant toxicity. New research in mice suggests that JAK2 activity can be reduced by pharmacological targeting of the protein HSP90, which stabilizes JAK2. ... > full story
Launch of Germ Genie to kill keyboard germs (October 4, 2010) -- Scientists in the UK have helped prove the effectiveness of Germ Genie, a tool to prevent infections from keyboards. ... > full story
Memory impairment common in people with a history of cancer (October 4, 2010) -- People with a history of cancer have a 40 percent greater likelihood of experiencing memory problems that interfere with daily functioning, compared with those who have not had cancer, according to results of a new, large study. ... > full story
Milky Way sidelined in galactic tug-of-war, computer simulation shows (October 3, 2010) -- The Magellanic Stream is an arc of hydrogen gas spanning more than 100 degrees of the sky behind the Milky Way's neighbor galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. Our home galaxy has long been thought to be the dominant gravitational force in forming the Stream. A new computer simulation now shows that the Magellanic Stream resulted from a past close encounter between these dwarf galaxies rather than effects of the Milky Way. ... > full story
Individual mutations are very slow to promote tumor growth, mathematical modeling shows (October 3, 2010) -- Individual cancer-causing mutations have a minute effect on tumor growth, increasing the rate of cell division by just 0.4 percent on average, according to new mathematical modeling. The research reinforces that cancer is the culmination of many accumulated mutations, and highlights the fundamental heterogeneity and randomness of many cancers. ... > full story
Acidification of oceans may contribute to global declines of shellfish (October 3, 2010) -- The acidification of the Earth's oceans due to rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) may be contributing to a global decline of clams, scallops and other shellfish by interfering with the development of shellfish larvae, according to scientists. ... > full story
Gene associated with aggressive skin cancer found (October 3, 2010) -- The loss of a gene known as INPP5A could predict the onset, and track the progression, of an aggressive type of skin cancer, according to a new study. ... > full story
Insecticides from genetically modified corn are present in adjacent streams, new study reveals (October 3, 2010) -- A new study by ecologists reveals that streams throughout the Midwest are receiving transgenic materials from corn crop byproducts, even six months after harvest. ... > full story
Unlocking the secret of beauty: Scientists discover the complexities of attractive female bodies (October 3, 2010) -- Scientists have conducted a comprehensive study to discover how different body measurements correspond with ratings of female attractiveness. The study found that across cultural divides young, tall and long armed women were considered the most attractive. ... > full story
Turning waste heat into power (October 3, 2010) -- Physicists have discovered a new way of harvesting waste heat and turning it into electrical power. Taking advantage of quantum effects, the technology holds great promise for making cars, power plants, factories and solar panels more efficient. ... > full story
How injured nerves grow themselves back (October 3, 2010) -- Unlike nerves of the spinal cord, the peripheral nerves that connect our limbs and organs to the central nervous system have an astonishing ability to regenerate themselves after injury. Now, a new report offers new insight into how that healing process works. ... > full story
Tracking down pathogenic yeasts (October 3, 2010) -- If the human immunological system is weakened, yeast fungi that are normally harmless can be transformed into a lethal danger. This is why researchers in Germany are using next-generation sequencing to track down one of the most frequent pathogens for fungal infections among humans. ... > full story
Protein key to growth of pancreatic cancer (October 3, 2010) -- A protein known to regulate cell proliferation and survival has been linked for the first time to pancreatic cancer. ... > full story
Climate change target 'not safe', researchers say (October 3, 2010) -- An analysis of geological records that preserve details of the last known period of global warming has revealed "startling" results which suggest current targets for limiting climate change are unsafe. ... > full story
Citizen scientist: Helping scientists help themselves (October 3, 2010) -- Researchers have mapped out an approach to virtual organizations that might allow scientific advances made in part by citizen scientists to move forward much more quickly. ... > full story
Adult stem cells that do not age (October 3, 2010) -- Biomedical researchers have engineered adult stem cells that scientists can grow continuously in culture, a discovery that could speed development of cost-effective treatments for diseases including heart disease, diabetes, immune disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. ... > full story
Early surgery after hip fractures reduces death, study finds (October 3, 2010) -- Performing early surgery on elderly hip fracture patients reduces the risk of death by 19 percent, a new study finds. ... > full story
Digging deep for ways to curb ammonia emissions (October 3, 2010) -- Dairy farmers can greatly reduce ammonia emissions from their production facilities by injecting liquid manure into crop fields below the soil surface, according to new research. ... > full story
c-Met may be a biomarker for metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (October 3, 2010) -- Targeting c-Met may be a promising personalized treatment method for approximately 45 percent of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who have c-Met-positive tumors, according to new study results. ... > full story
NASA's EPOXI mission sets up for comet flyby (October 3, 2010) -- On Sept. 29, 2010, navigators and mission controllers for NASA's EPOXI mission watched their computer screens as 23.6 million kilometers (14.7 million miles) away, their spacecraft successfully performed its 20th trajectory correction maneuver. The maneuver refined the spacecraft's orbit, setting the stage for its flyby of comet Hartley 2 on Nov. 4. ... > full story
Exercise associated with lower rate of fractures in elderly women (October 3, 2010) -- Home-based exercises followed by voluntary home training seem to be associated with long-term effects on balance and gait, and may help protect high-risk, elderly women from hip fractures, according to a new study. ... > full story
Collective intelligence: Number of women in group linked to effectiveness in solving difficult problems (October 2, 2010) -- Researchers document the existence of collective intelligence among groups of people who cooperate well, showing that such intelligence extends beyond the cognitive abilities of the groups' individual members, and that the tendency to cooperate effectively is linked to the number of women in a group. ... > full story
Source of breast drug side effect identified; Pharmacogenomic discovery allows for improved cancer therapy (October 2, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered genetic variants that lead to severe arthritis for a subset of women when taking aromatase inhibitors to treat their breast cancer. ... > full story
Physicists break color barrier for sending, receiving photons (October 2, 2010) -- Scientists have invented a method to change the color of single photons in a fiber optic cable. The laser-tweaked feat could be a quantum step forward for transferring and receiving high volumes of secured data for future generations of the Internet. ... > full story
How to still kill a resistant parasite (October 2, 2010) -- Scientists in Belgium, in collaboration with colleagues from several developing countries, were able to restore a sleeping sickness parasite’s susceptibility to drugs. The parasite causes sleeping sickness in cattle. Because it has become resistant against all currently available drugs, it causes enormous economic losses. Until now, that is. ... > full story
Lightweight construction materials: Suitable for car wheels? (October 2, 2010) -- Are lightweight construction materials suitable for extremely stressed and safety-relevant components such as car wheel? Tests and calculations show that fiber-reinforced plastics are highly damage-tolerant and distinctly superior to aluminum in car wheels. Researchers have already produced a prototype lightweight wheel. ... > full story
Rebels without applause: New study on peer victimization (October 2, 2010) -- Loners and antisocial kids who reject other children are often bullied at school -- an accepted form of punishment from peers as they establish social order. Such peer victimization may be an extreme group response to control renegades, according to a new study. ... > full story
Severe food allergies turned off in mice (October 2, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered a way to turn off the immune system's allergic reaction to certain food proteins in mice, a discovery that could have implications for the millions of people who suffer severe reactions to foods, such as peanuts and milk. ... > full story
Screening tool can detect colorectal cancer from a small blood sample (October 2, 2010) -- A new microRNA screening assay detected the majority of early stage colorectal cancers with good specificity and sensitivity. ... > full story
Mosquito gene examined for new disease response (October 2, 2010) -- Researchers have searched for new genes that are turned on during infection in a type of mosquito that is not only a pest, but transmits disease-causing pathogens. ... > full story
New strategy could reduce twin rate after IVF (October 2, 2010) -- A strategy to encourage single embryo transfer after in vitro fertilization could be an important tool to prevent multiple pregnancies and their associated complications, finds a new study. ... > full story
Searching for dense water cascades in the Arctic Ocean (October 2, 2010) -- The Arctic is one of the most sensitive regions of the plant to the effects of global climate change. Researchers are now studying the phenomenon of dense water cascading and its relationship with climate change in an area to the west of the Svalbard Islands in the Arctic Circle. ... > full story
Could genetically altered trees, plants help counter global warming? (October 2, 2010) -- New research examines the prospects for enhancing biological carbon sequestration through a variety of policy and technical approaches, including the deployment of genetically engineered trees and other plants. ... > full story
Tanezumab reduces osteoarthritis knee pain, phase II study finds (October 2, 2010) -- Just months after a pharmaceutical company halted studies of tanezumab, a drug used in reducing pain and improving function in people with moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis of the knee, the results of a small, phase II clinical trial found only a few minor side effects and substantial improvement in patient conditions. ... > full story
New TB pathogen discovered (October 2, 2010) -- In studies of banded mongoose in Botswana, researchers have discovered a novel tuberculosis species in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Unlike other species of tuberculosis, which typically present as a chronic disease, M. mungi usually kills infected banded mongoose within two to three months after symptoms develop, with outbreaks occurring in a largely seasonal pattern. ... > full story
Short and long sleep in early pregnancy linked to high blood pressure in the third trimester (October 2, 2010) -- Getting too little or too much sleep in early pregnancy is associated with elevated blood pressure in the third trimester. The study suggests that improving prenatal sleep hygiene may provide important health benefits. ... > full story
Catalyst sandwich: Synthetic PCR mimic could lead to highly sensitive medical, environmental diagnostics (October 2, 2010) -- Researchers have taken another step towards realizing a new class of PCR enzyme mimics, opening the door for the development of highly sensitive chemical detection systems that go beyond nucleic acid targets. The blueprint for building synthetic structures to detect and signal the presence of targets such as small molecule medical analytes and environmental hazards is inspired by biology. The method also could be useful in catalysis and the production of polymers. ... > full story
Real partners are no match for ideal mate, study finds (October 2, 2010) -- Our ideal image of the perfect partner differs greatly from our real-life partner, according to new research. The research found that our actual partners are of a different height, weight and body mass index than those we would ideally choose. ... > full story
World's rivers in 'crisis state', report finds (October 1, 2010) -- The world's rivers, the single largest renewable water resource for humans and a crucible of aquatic biodiversity, are in a crisis of ominous proportions, according to a new global analysis. ... > full story
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