ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Wednesday, December 15, 2010
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Vaccine boosts immune system, helps prevent chronic inflammation (December 15, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered for the first time a protein normally found in the body that can act to prevent chronic tissue inflammation. When administered in the form of a therapeutic vaccine it is able to effectively prevent and treat a number of different inflammatory disease models for multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, skin hypersensitivity and allergic asthma. ... > full story
High levels of 'good' cholesterol may be associated with lower risk of Alzheimer's disease (December 15, 2010) -- High levels of high-density lipoprotein, also known as "good" cholesterol, appear to be associated with a reduced risk for Alzheimer's disease in older adults, according to a new report. ... > full story
Satellites pinpoint drivers of urban heat islands in northeastern U.S. (December 15, 2010) -- The size, background ecology, and development patterns of major northeastern cities combine to make them unusually warm, according to NASA scientists. Summer land surface temperatures of cities in the Northeast were an average of 13°F to 16°F (7°C to 9°C) warmer than surrounding rural areas over a three year period, the new research shows. The complex phenomenon that drives up temperatures of cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. is called the urban heat island effect. ... > full story
US EPA removes saccharin from hazardous substances listing (December 15, 2010) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has removed saccharin, a common artificial sweetener, and its salts from the agency's list of hazardous substances. Saccharin is no longer considered a potential hazard to human health. ... > full story
Satellite data provide a new way to monitor groundwater in agricultural regions (December 15, 2010) -- Much of the agriculture in the American West depends on underground water systems that need to be carefully monitored to avoid overuse. Traditional data about aquifers are sparse and expensive to obtain. Until now, crops growing above the aquifer prevented satellite-based radar from "seeing" under the surface. But researchers have found a way around the plant problem. ... > full story
Power and corruption may be good for society (December 15, 2010) -- An evolutionary biology professor found that power and corruption may play a role in maintaining overall societal cooperation. ... > full story
Hubble spots a celestial bauble (December 15, 2010) -- Hubble has spotted a festive bauble of gas in our neighbouring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud. Formed in the aftermath of a supernova explosion that took place four centuries ago, this sphere of gas has been snapped in a series of observations made between 2006 and 2010. ... > full story
Smoking behind more than a third of severe rheumatoid arthritis cases (December 15, 2010) -- Smoking accounts for more than a third of cases of the most severe and common form of rheumatoid arthritis, indicates new research. ... > full story
Killing drug-resistant melanoma requires combination therapy (December 15, 2010) -- Researchers report that melanoma that have become resistant to PLX4032 and other BRAF inhibitors will signal around the blocked proteins by shifting rerouting signaling pathways. They also show how to overcome this resistance by simultaneously targeting two additional proteins. The researchers see this as further evidence that some cancers must be treated with multiple targeted drugs at the outset of treatment. ... > full story
New labeling method expands ability to read DNA modification (December 15, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a method for labeling and mapping a "sixth nucleotide," whose biological role scientists are only beginning to explore. The method allowed the researchers to see for the first time how 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) is distributed throughout the genome. ... > full story
Tubeworms colony discovered off Cyprus (December 15, 2010) -- When a field of tubeworms was unexpectedly discovered on the side of a large underwater mountain 50 miles off the coast of Cyprus this summer, the finding was notable both for the discovery itself and for the process of the discovery. ... > full story
People who believe in justice also see a victim's life as more meaningful after tragedy (December 15, 2010) -- Seeing bad things happen to other people is scary. One way to respond to this is to blame the victim -- to look for some reason why it happened to them. But there's another common response, according to a new study. The researchers found that people who believe in justice in the world also believe that a tragedy gives the victim's life more meaning. ... > full story
Cancer: Defective cell surface 'glue' is key to tumor invasion (December 14, 2010) -- A remarkable discovery into how tumor cells invade normal tissue should lead to vital diagnostic tools and help develop strategies to stop the spread of cancer cells. ... > full story
Attempting to predict epileptic seizure (December 14, 2010) -- While the causes of epileptic seizures continue to confound brain researchers, scientists have been exploring how changes in the coordinated activity of brain networks, monitored through electrodes, might help predict impending seizures. ... > full story
Experiment hurtled into aurora above Norway by NASA rocket (December 14, 2010) -- Scientists launched an instrument-laden, four-stage sounding rocket from Norway's Andoya Rocket Range into the aurora about 200 miles above Earth early in the morning of Dec. 12, 2010, just before the two-week launch window slammed shut. ... > full story
Two people receive kidney transplants with computerized matching program (December 14, 2010) -- A man in St. Louis and a woman in New Hampshire have received the first kidney transplants made possible through a new national program of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network that uses a new computer algorithm to match transplant candidates with living donors. ... > full story
Sweet and biodegradable: Sugar and cornstarch make environmentally safer plastics (December 14, 2010) -- A new lactide-based variety of catalysts, which initiate or sustain reactions in chemical processes, is improving the production of "green" plastics, making them stronger and more heat-resistant. This research has applications in a variety of manufacturing fields, from car parts to plastic cups -- and is a significant step in the "greening" of the plastics and chemical industries. ... > full story
Post-9/11 security zones blight landscape, create 'architecture of fear' (December 14, 2010) -- A new study says post-9/11 "security zones" in major American cities blight landscape, create "architecture of fear" and safety effects may be negligible. ... > full story
Cassini spots potential ice volcanoes on Saturn's moon Titan (December 14, 2010) -- NASA's Cassini spacecraft has found possible ice volcanoes on Saturn's moon Titan that are similar in shape to those on Earth that spew molten rock. Topography and surface composition data have enabled scientists to make the best case yet in the outer solar system for an Earth-like volcano landform that erupts in ice. ... > full story
Compound with potent effects on the biological clock discovered (December 14, 2010) -- Using automated screening techniques developed by pharmaceutical companies to find new drugs, researchers have discovered a molecule with the most potent effects ever seen on the biological clock. ... > full story
Elusive neuronal targets of deep brain stimulation identified (December 14, 2010) -- Deep brain stimulation of a brain area that controls complex behaviors has proven to be effective against several therapeutically stubborn neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Now, a new study has found that this technique targets the same class of neuronal cells that are known to respond to physical exercise and drugs such as Prozac. ... > full story
New signaling pathway linked to inflammatory disease discovered (December 14, 2010) -- Scientists have described for the first time a key inhibitory role for the IL-1 signaling pathway in the human innate immune system, providing novel insights into human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and potential new treatments. ... > full story
Geologist's discoveries resolve debate about oxygen in Earth's mantle (December 14, 2010) -- While there continues to be considerable debate among geologists about the availability of oxygen in the Earth's mantle, recent discoveries are bringing resolution to the question. Analysis of erupted rock from Agrigan volcano in the western Pacific near Guam found it to be highly oxidized as a result of its exposure to oxygen when it formed in the Earth's mantle. ... > full story
Violent games not to blame for youth aggression, study suggests (December 14, 2010) -- How depressed young people are strongly predicts how aggressive and violent they may be or may become. Contrary to popular belief, however, exposure to violence in video games or on television is not related to serious acts of youth aggression or violence among Hispanics in the US, according to new research. ... > full story
Biological computers: Genetically modified cells communicate like electronic circuits (December 14, 2010) -- Genetically modified cells can be made to communicate with each other as if they were electronic circuits. Using yeast cells, a group of researchers has taken a groundbreaking step towards being able to build complex systems in the future where the body's own cells help to keep us healthy. ... > full story
Transcription factor clears protein clumps in Huntington's mice models (December 14, 2010) -- Over expressing a transcription factor that promotes increase in number of mitochondria greatly improves neurological function of transgenic mice models for Huntington's disease. ... > full story
What 'pine' cones reveal about the evolution of flowers (December 14, 2010) -- From southern Africa's pineapple lily to Western Australia's swamp bottlebrush, flowering plants are everywhere. Also called angiosperms, they make up 90 percent of all land-based, plant life. New research provides new insights into their genetic origin, an evolutionary innovation that quickly gave rise to many diverse flowering plants more than 130 million years ago. Moreover, a flower with genetic programming similar to a water lily may have started it all. ... > full story
How virus triggers cervical and mouth cancer (December 14, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered for the first time an important new way in which the human papilloma virus (HPV) triggers cancer in what could lead to new treatments for cervical and mouth cancer. ... > full story
Engineers test underground border security system between US and Mexico (December 14, 2010) -- A unique underground surveillance system tested by researchers could be used to watch the entire US-Mexico border continuously. The border-monitoring system, known as Helios, consists of laser pulses transmitted through fiber-optic cables buried in the ground that respond to movements on the surface above. ... > full story
Anatomy of a shopping spree: Pretty things make us buy more (December 14, 2010) -- With the holidays fast approaching and consumers in full shopping mode, new research shows a single luxury item purchase can lead to an unintended shopping spree. ... > full story
NASA probe sees solar wind decline en route to interstellar space (December 14, 2010) -- The 33-year odyssey of NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has reached a distant point at the edge of our solar system where there is no outward motion of solar wind. Now hurtling toward interstellar space some 10.8 billion miles from the sun, Voyager 1 has crossed into an area where the velocity of the hot ionized gas, or plasma, emanating directly outward from the sun has slowed to zero. Scientists suspect the solar wind has been turned sideways by the pressure from the interstellar wind in the region between stars. The event is a major milestone in Voyager 1's passage through the heliosheath, the turbulent outer shell of the sun's sphere of influence, and the spacecraft's upcoming departure from our solar system. ... > full story
Protein restores learning, memory in Alzheimer's mouse model (December 14, 2010) -- New studies point to a way to reverse effects of the memory-robbing Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story
Hot stuff: Magma at shallow depth under Hawaii (December 14, 2010) -- Researchers have found a new way to gauge the depth of the magma chamber that forms the Hawaiian Island volcanic chain, and determined that the magma lies much closer to the surface than previously thought. The finding could help scientists predict when Hawaiian volcanoes are going to erupt. It also suggests that Hawaii holds great potential for thermal energy. ... > full story
Potential chink in armor of African sleeping sickness parasite: It's social (December 14, 2010) -- Long considered a freewheeling loner, the Trypanosoma brucei parasite responsible for African sleeping sickness has revealed a totally unexpected social side, opening a potential chink in the behavioral armor of this and other supposedly solitary human parasites. ... > full story
New evidence that magnetism is driving force behind superconductivity (December 14, 2010) -- Physicists are offering up the strongest evidence yet that magnetism is the driving force behind unconventional superconductivity. Researchers can now describe how collective fluctuations of electrons at the border of magnetism provided more than enough energy to drive superconductivity in recent heavy-fermion experiments. ... > full story
Over long haul, money doesn’t buy happiness (December 14, 2010) -- A new analysis shows that long-term happiness does not correspond to increased wealth. Across a worldwide sample of 37 countries, rich and poor, ex-Communist and capitalist, researchers have shown strikingly consistent results: over the long term, a sense of well-being within a country does not go up with income. In contrast to shorter-term studies that have shown a correlation between income growth and happiness, this study examined the happiness and income relationship in each country for an average of 22 years and at least ten years. ... > full story
'Fountain of youth' pill could restore aging immune system (December 14, 2010) -- Researchers have identified an existing medication that restores key elements of the immune system that, when out of balance, lead to a steady decline in immunity and health as people age. ... > full story
A benefit of flu: Protection from asthma? (December 14, 2010) -- A new article suggests a new strategy to prevent asthma. Scientists report that the influenza virus infection in young mice protected the mice as adults against the development of allergic asthma. The same protective effect was achieved by treating young mice with compound isolated from the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a bacterium that colonizes the stomach and is best known for causing ulcers and increasing the risk of gastric cancers. ... > full story
Continued death of forests predicted in southwestern US due to climate change (December 14, 2010) -- If current climate projections hold true, the forests of the Southwestern United States face a bleak future, with more severe ---- and more frequent ---- forest fires, higher tree death rates, more insect infestation, and weaker trees. ... > full story
Parasite and bacterium illustrate convergent evolution: Both hijack cells' 'post office' (December 14, 2010) -- Protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii and pathogenic bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis exemplify convergent evolution, development of similar biological trait in unrelated lineages, according to new research. ... > full story
Cells 'feel' the difference between stiff or soft and thick or thin matrix (December 14, 2010) -- Cultured mesenchymal stem cells can "feel" at least several microns below surface of artificial microfilm matrix, gauging elasticity of extracellular bedding, a crucial variable in determining their fate. ... > full story
Early settlers rapidly transformed New Zealand forests with fire (December 14, 2010) -- New research indicates that the speed of early forest clearance following human colonization of the South Island of New Zealand was much faster and more intense than previously thought. ... > full story
Blooming jellyfish in northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean: Over-fishing, warming waters to blame (December 14, 2010) -- A study examining over 50 years of jellyfish data confirmed an increase in the size and intensity of proliferations of the jellyfish Pelagia noctiluca. There are several complex reasons for this -- over-fishing and the current increase in sea water temperatures. ... > full story
Increased consumption of folic acid can reduce birth defects but may also be associated with colorectal cancer (December 14, 2010) -- Folic acid can reduce birth defects including neural tube defects, congenital heart disease and oral clefts but some speculate high intakes of folic acid may be associated with adverse events such as colorectal cancer. ... > full story
'Array of arrays' coaxing secrets from unfelt seismic tremor events (December 14, 2010) -- New technology is letting researchers get a much better picture of how episodic tremor events relate to potentially catastrophic earthquakes every 300 to 500 years in the Cascadia subduction zone. ... > full story
Tracing microbes between individuals towards personalized oral health care (December 14, 2010) -- The human body harbors a complex ecosystem of microbes recognized as having a role in health and disease. Viruses can attack bacterial communities, yet little is known about how this might influence human health. Scientists have now performed the first metagenomic analysis of a bacterial immune system in humans over time, finding that defenses of the oral microbiome are unique and traceable, information that could personalize oral health care in the future. ... > full story
Southeastern U.S., with exception of Florida, likey to have serious water scarcity issues (December 14, 2010) -- Water scarcity in the western U.S. has long been an issue of concern. Now researchers studying freshwater sustainability in the U.S. have found that the Southeast, with the exception of Florida, does not have enough water capacity to meet its own needs. ... > full story
Acupuncture may help some older children with lazy eye (December 14, 2010) -- Acupuncture could potentially become an alternative to patching for treating amblyopia (lazy eye) in some older children, according to a new report. ... > full story
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