ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Wednesday, December 1, 2010
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Sugary lemonade may cool a hot temper (December 1, 2010) -- A spoonful of sugar may be enough to cool a hot temper, at least for a short time, according to new research. A study found that people who drank a glass of lemonade sweetened with sugar acted less aggressively toward a stranger a few minutes later than did people who consumed lemonade with a sugar substitute. ... > full story
Mother’s young alter brain’s response to drug (December 1, 2010) -- The presence of a mother's young changes the way her brain responds to drugs, according to new animal research. The findings suggest new avenues of treatment for mothers who are recovering drug abusers. ... > full story
Tiny RNA molecules control labor, may be key to blocking premature birth (December 1, 2010) -- Tiny molecules called microRNAs act together with hormones to control the onset of labor, raising the prospect that RNA-based drugs might be able to prevent premature labor, researchers have discovered in a preclinical study. ... > full story
Anti-microbials are a common cause of drug-induced liver injury and failure, study suggests (December 1, 2010) -- New research shows that anti-microbial medications are a common cause of drug-induced liver injury leading to acute liver failure (ALF), with women and minorities disproportionately affected. While ALF evolves slowly, once it does occur a spontaneous recovery is unlikely; however, liver transplantation offers an excellent survival rate. ... > full story
Motorcycle simulator gives new clues to road safety (December 1, 2010) -- New research using a world leading motorcycle simulator to analyze rider behavior has proved that safer doesn't necessarily mean slower and that formal advanced training for bikers can demonstrate improved safety on our roads. ... > full story
Older animals unable to distinguish similar-looking objects (December 1, 2010) -- Older rats appeared unable to discriminate between objects with similar features, behavior comparable to that of elderly people, who often have memory and perception troubles. The older rats' actions may be similar to those of young rats with damage in specific brain regions, according to a new study. ... > full story
Brain scans detect autism's signature (December 1, 2010) -- An autism study using functional magnetic resonance imaging has identified a pattern of brain activity that may characterize the genetic vulnerability to developing autism spectrum disorder. The study could eventually lead to earlier and more accurate autism diagnosis. ... > full story
Internal body clock controls fat metabolism (December 1, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered that circadian rhythms -- the internal body clock -- regulate fat metabolism. This helps explain why people burn fat more efficiently at certain times of day and could lead to new pharmaceuticals for obesity, diabetes and energy-related illnesses. ... > full story
Predatory bugs can save cornfields (December 1, 2010) -- One of the worst pests of corn in the world, the corn rootworm, may owe its worldwide success partly to its larvae's nasty, sticky blood, according to researchers. ... > full story
New report ties diabetes to shortened life expectancy (December 1, 2010) -- Despite medical advances enabling those with diabetes to live longer today than in the past, a 50-year-old with the disease still can expect to live 8.5 years fewer years, on average, than a 50-year-old without the disease. This critical finding comes from a new report that finds that older adults with diabetes have a lower life expectancy at every age than those without the disease. ... > full story
Could 135,000 laptops help solve the energy challenge? (December 1, 2010) -- Fifty-seven innovative research projects have been awarded time on supercomputers -- using computer simulations to perform virtual experiments that in most cases would be impossible or impractical in the natural world. ... > full story
Are good-looking people more employable? Findings vary depending on whether it's a male or female applicant and who's doing the screening (December 1, 2010) -- In a new study by researchers in Israel, the resumes of "attractive" males received a 19.9 percent response rate, nearly 50 percent higher than the 13.7 percent response rate for "plain" males and more than twice the 9.2 percent response rate of no-picture males. Among women, the study indicates that, contrary to popular belief, "attractive" women are called back for a position LESS often than "plain women" (unattractive), as well as women who had no picture on their resume. ... > full story
Alternative therapies may leave asthmatics gasping, study suggests (November 30, 2010) -- Approximately 13 percent of parents turn to alternative therapies to treat their children's asthma, according to a new study. The findings suggest that this trend is associated with a two-fold higher rate of poor asthma control in children. ... > full story
How some microorganisms bore their way into carbonate substrates: Implications for coral reefs and mussel aquaculture (November 30, 2010) -- Geo-microbiologists have solved a long-standing conundrum about how some photosynthetic microorganisms, endolithic cyanobacteria, bore their way into limestone, sand grains, mussel shells, coral skeletons and other substrates composed of carbonate. ... > full story
SRC-1 controls liver's 'sweet spot' for glucose production (November 30, 2010) -- SRC-1 (steroid receptor coactivator) orchestrates glucose production in the liver, regulating the activity of a cascade of enzymes that turns sugar production on and off in the liver, according to new research. ... > full story
Arsenic-polluted water toxic to Bangladesh economy (November 30, 2010) -- Economists have found that exposure to arsenic in rural Bangladesh, in addition to the longer-term health damages expected to occur in coming years, is reducing the labor supply by 8 percent. The study's novel method, the researchers say, can also be applied to other environmental pollution problems in developing countries, aiding in public health efforts. ... > full story
Social support is most effective when provided invisibly (November 30, 2010) -- New research shows how social support benefits are maximized when provided "invisibly" -- that is without the support recipient being aware that they are receiving it. ... > full story
Venus holds warning for Earth (November 30, 2010) -- A mysterious high-altitude layer of sulphur dioxide discovered by ESA's Venus Express has been explained. As well as telling us more about Venus, it could be a warning against injecting our atmosphere with sulphur droplets to mitigate climate change. ... > full story
Children with autism have mitochondrial dysfunction, study finds (November 30, 2010) -- Children with autism are far more likely to have deficits in their ability to produce cellular energy than are typically developing children, according to new research. A study found that cumulative damage and oxidative stress in mitochondria, the cell's energy producer, could influence both the onset and severity of autism, suggesting a strong link between autism and mitochondrial defects. ... > full story
Discovering the secrets of Stonehenge (November 30, 2010) -- A revolutionary new idea on the movement of big monument stones like those at Stonehenge has been put forward by an archaeology student. He discovered that many of the late Neolithic stone balls had a diameter within a millimeter of each other, which he felt indicated they would have been used together in some way rather than individually. ... > full story
Dosing directions, measuring devices appear inconsistent for many children's liquid medications, study finds (November 30, 2010) -- An examination of 200 of the top-selling cough/cold, allergy, analgesic and gastrointestinal over-the-counter liquid medications for children finds that there have been high levels of variability and inconsistencies regarding medication labeling and measuring devices, according to a new study. ... > full story
Biofuels production has unintended consequences on water quality and quantity in Mississippi (November 30, 2010) -- More water is required to produce corn than to produce cotton in the Mississippi Delta requiring increased withdrawals of groundwater from the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer for irrigation. This is contributing to already declining water levels in the aquifer. In addition, increased use of nitrogen fertilizer for corn in comparison to cotton could contribute to low dissolved oxygen conditions in the Gulf of Mexico. ... > full story
Narcissistic students don't mind cheating their way to the top, study finds (November 30, 2010) -- College students who exhibit narcissistic tendencies are more likely than fellow students to cheat on exams and assignments, a new study shows. The results suggested that narcissists were motivated to cheat because their academic performance functions as an opportunity to show off to others, and they didn't feel particularly guilty about their actions. ... > full story
Neuroscience of instinct: How animals overcome fear to obtain food (November 30, 2010) -- When crossing a street, we look to the left and right for cars and stay put on the sidewalk if we see a car close enough and traveling fast enough to hit us before we're able to reach the other side. It's an almost automatic decision, as though we instinctively know how to keep ourselves safe. Now neuroscientists have found that other animals are capable of making similar instinctive safety decisions. ... > full story
Drop in breast cancer rates directly tied to reduced hormone therapy, large study finds (November 30, 2010) -- In a new study of more than 2 million mammogram screenings performed on nearly 700,000 women in the United States, scientists for the first time show a direct link between reduced hormone therapy and declines in ductal carcinoma in situ as well as invasive breast cancer. The researchers saw such a striking decrease, they believe they also have uncovered indirect evidence that hormones promote breast tumor growth. ... > full story
Cinnamon can replace harmful chemicals used to create nanoparticles (November 30, 2010) -- Scientists have found a method that could replace nearly all of the toxic chemicals required to make gold nanoparticles. The missing ingredient can be found in nearly every kitchen's spice cabinet -- cinnamon. ... > full story
Belly fat puts women at risk for osteoporosis, study finds (November 30, 2010) -- For years, it was believed that obese women were at lower risk for developing osteoporosis, and that excess body fat actually protected against bone loss. However, a new study found that having too much internal abdominal fat may, in fact, have a damaging effect on bone health. ... > full story
Genomic fault zones come and go: Fragile regions in mammalian genomes go through 'birth and death' process (November 30, 2010) -- The fragile regions in mammalian genomes that are thought to play a key role in evolution go through a "birth and death" process, according to new bioinformatics research. The findings could help researchers identify the current fragile regions in the human genome -- information that may reveal how the human genome will evolve in the future. ... > full story
Worst case scenario: Can we adapt to a world 2 to 4 degrees warmer? (November 30, 2010) -- Potentially dangerous rates of global warming could outpace the ability of ecosystems and artificial infrastructure to adapt, experts warn. ... > full story
Thin air: Oxygen atmosphere found on Saturn's moon Rhea (November 30, 2010) -- NASA's Cassini spacecraft has detected a very tenuous atmosphere known as an exosphere, infused with oxygen and carbon dioxide around Saturn's icy moon Rhea. This is the first time a spacecraft has directly captured molecules of an oxygen atmosphere -- albeit a very thin one -- at a world other than Earth. ... > full story
Acupuncture changes brain's perception and processing of pain, researchers find (November 30, 2010) -- Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, researchers have captured pictures of the brain while patients experienced a pain stimulus with and without acupuncture to determine acupuncture's effect on how the brain processes pain. ... > full story
Snakes on a rope: Researchers take a unique look at the climbing abilities of boa constrictors (November 30, 2010) -- In the wild, how does a snake climb a vertical surface without slipping? To find out, researchers sent snakes climbing up varying widths and tensions of ropes as they explored snake movement in relation to their musculoskeletal design and variation in their environment. ... > full story
Ecological effects of biodiversity loss underestimated (November 30, 2010) -- More than half of all species are believed to change their dietary preferences -- sometimes several times -- between birth and adulthood. A new study finds that this pattern has major implications for the stability of natural ecosystems and survival of threatened species. The findings suggest that previous studies have systematically underestimated the negative consequences of biodiversity loss. ... > full story
Caffeinated alcoholic beverages: A growing public health problem? (November 30, 2010) -- In the wake of multiple state bans on caffeinated alcoholic beverages (CABs) and an FDA warning to four companies to remove their products from the marketplace, a new article delineates the scope of the public health problem and suggests areas of research that might help address it. ... > full story
Marsupial embryo jumps ahead in development (November 30, 2010) -- Long a staple of nature documentaries, the somewhat bizarre development of a grub-like pink marsupial embryo outside the mother's womb is curious in another way. Researchers have found that the developmental program executed by the marsupial embryo runs in a different order than the program executed by virtually every other vertebrate animal. ... > full story
Neurological protein may hold the key to new treatments for depression (November 30, 2010) -- Neuroscientists have developed a protein peptide that may be a novel type of highly targeted treatment for depression with a low side-effect profile. Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide. ... > full story
Hormone oxytocin bolsters childhood memories of mom's affections (November 30, 2010) -- Researchers have found that the naturally-occurring hormone and neurotransmitter oxytocin intensifies men's memories of their mother's affections during childhood. ... > full story
Sporadic breast cancers start with ineffective DNA repair systems (November 30, 2010) -- Breast cancers that arise sporadically, rather than through inheritance of certain genes, likely start with defects of DNA repair mechanisms that allow environmentally triggered mutations to accumulate, according to researchers. The findings indicate that chemotherapy drugs that target DNA in later-stage cancers could be an effective treatment for the earliest of breast tumors. ... > full story
Soil microbes define dangerous rates of climate change (November 30, 2010) -- Scientists have studied a potentially significant feedback to rapid climate change. Runaway reactions in peatlands could give off large amount of carbon and considerable heat. Researchers are now investigating possible links between this reaction and peatland wildfires, such as those in Russia earlier this year. ... > full story
Playing with building blocks of creativity help children with autism (November 30, 2010) -- In an attempt to help children with autism learn the building blocks of creativity, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center tapped a toy box staple for help -- legos. By building lego structures in new and unique ways, children with autism spectrum disorders learned to use creativity, an important skill that they had seen as very challenging prior to the study. ... > full story
Antibacterial soaps: Being too clean can make people sick, study suggests (November 30, 2010) -- Young people who are overexposed to antibacterial soaps containing triclosan may suffer more allergies, and exposure to higher levels of Bisphenol A among adults may negatively influence the immune system, a new study suggests. ... > full story
New genomic technique reveals obesity gene variants (November 30, 2010) -- Obesity is highly heritable, but so far genetic association studies have only explained a small fraction of this heritability. Now, researchers have identified DNA variants in two nervous system genes that are associated with an excessively high BMI. ... > full story
Moderate alcohol consumption lowers the risk of metabolic diseases, study suggests (November 30, 2010) -- With the emergence of an epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes (DM) throughout the world, the association of lifestyle habits that may affect the risk of metabolic diseases is especially important. ... > full story
New approach may help dialysis patients fight anemia (November 30, 2010) -- A new drug called FG-2216 can stimulate production of the hormone erythropoietin in dialysis patients -- possibly offering a new approach to treatment of kidney disease-related anemia, according to a new study. ... > full story
California's controlled fires boost biodiversity (November 30, 2010) -- In certain ecosystems, such as the mixed-conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada region of the western United States, fires are a natural and essential occurrence for maintaining forest health. However, for many decades, resource managers in California and other western states prevented or suppressed natural fires to limit the potential for catastrophic spread. ... > full story
Clarity in short-term memory shows no link with IQ (November 30, 2010) -- One person correctly remembers four of eight items just seen but is fuzzy on details. Another person recalls only two of the items but with amazingly precise clarity. So what ability translates to higher IQ? According to a new study the answer is very clear. ... > full story
Apes unwilling to gamble when odds are uncertain (November 30, 2010) -- Humans are known to play it safe in a situation when they aren't sure of the odds, or don't have confidence in their judgments. We don't like to choose the unknown. And new evidence is showing that chimpanzees and bonobos, our closest living primate relatives, treat the problem the same way we do. ... > full story
Celecoxib (Celebrex) may be effective in preventing non-melanoma skin cancers (November 30, 2010) -- Celecoxib (also known by its brand name Celebrex) may help prevent non-melanoma skin cancers in patients with extensive actinic keratosis, which is often a precursor to these cancers, according to a randomized clinical trial. ... > full story
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