ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Thursday, December 16, 2010
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Meteorite just one piece of an unknown celestial body (December 16, 2010) -- Scientists from all over the world are taking a second, more expansive, look at the car-sized asteroid that exploded over Sudan's Nubian Desert in 2008, with major implications for the meteorite's origin. In the first round of research, scientists examined one fragment of the asteroid and determined that it fell into a very rare category called ureilites. Now they have expanded the scope of the work and examined 11 meteorite fragments, focusing on the presence of oxygen isotopes. ... > full story
Feast, famine and the genetics of obesity: You can't have it both ways (December 16, 2010) -- In addition to fast food, desk jobs, and inertia, there is one more thing to blame for unwanted pounds -- our genome, which has apparently not caught up with the fact that we no longer live in the Stone Age. ... > full story
Dolphin by-catch includes genetic relatives (December 16, 2010) -- A new study provides insight for the conservation of small cetaceans by demonstrating that Franciscana dolphins accidentally entangled in fishing nets include genetic relatives, or mother-offspring pairs. ... > full story
Link between cholesterol compound and multiple sclerosis unlikely, researchers say (December 16, 2010) -- New research findings indicate that compounds called oxysterols are not present in any significant amount in multiple sclerosis patients, contradicting a previous study that suggested that some of these cholesterol metabolites were associated with MS and could be used as diagnostic tools in the clinic. ... > full story
NASA scientific balloons to return to flight (December 16, 2010) -- NASA's scientific balloon program is resuming flights this month after an extensive evaluation of its safety processes following a mishap during an April launch attempt from Australia. NASA's high-altitude balloons fly instruments for scientific and technological investigations that contribute to our understanding of Earth, the solar system, and the universe. ... > full story
Submerging your feet in alcohol will not get you drunk (December 16, 2010) -- New research explodes the Danish myth that it is possible to get drunk by submerging your feet in alcohol. ... > full story
How hard are we pushing the land? Plant consumption rising significantly as population grows and economies develop (December 16, 2010) -- Humans are consuming an increasing amount of Earth's total annual land plant production, new NASA research has found. As the human population continues to grow and more societies develop modern economies, this rate of consumption is increasing both as a whole and on a per capita basis globally. ... > full story
Sticking to dietary recommendations would save 33,000 lives a year in the UK (December 16, 2010) -- If everyone in the UK ate their "five a day," and cut their dietary salt and unhealthy fat intake to recommended levels, 33,000 deaths could be prevented or delayed every year, reveals new research. ... > full story
Study improves understanding of method for creating multi-metal nanoparticles (December 16, 2010) -- A new study sheds light on how a technique that is commonly used for making single-metal nanoparticles can be extended to create nanoparticles consisting of two metals -- and that have tunable properties. The study also provides insight into the optical properties of some of these nanoparticles. ... > full story
Vitamin D and parathyroid hormone levels may not affect cardiovascular mortality (December 16, 2010) -- There is burgeoning public interest in possible wide-ranging health benefits from vitamin D, including cardiovascular health. Investigators have now found that there was no independent association between serum levels of vitamin D or parathyroid hormone and cardiovascular mortality in this prospective study, the first in a population of older community-dwelling adults with a low prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and a broad range of kidney function. ... > full story
Protecting the Amazon rainforest: Extensive inventory forms basis for legislation governing when trees in the Brazilian rainforests can be logged (December 16, 2010) -- The forestry industry in a highly sensitive part of the Amazon rainforest has just become more sustainable thanks to the work of a team of researchers. They produced an inventory of extensive forest areas, regularly flooded by the Amazon and Solimões rivers, and calculated the rates of growth and reproduction of individual species of trees. The Brazilian state of Amazonas has taken these findings as the basis for its new logging legislation for the floodplain forests. ... > full story
Similarities in the embryonic development of various animal species are also found at molecular level (December 15, 2010) -- The astonishing similarity in the appearance of embryos from different animal species was observed as far back as the 19th century by scientists such as Karl von Baer, Charles Darwin and Ernst Haeckel. Such observations prompted the hypothesis that the individual development of an organism reflects its evolutionary history or phylogeny. Two groups of scientists have now succeeded in demonstrating, for the first time, that parallels exist between individual development and phylogeny on the level of gene expression. ... > full story
SIDS spikes on New Year's Day (December 15, 2010) -- Not a happy holiday thought, but an important one: The number of babies who die of SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, surges by 33 percent on New Year's Day. The suspected reason? Alcohol consumption by caretakers the night before. ... > full story
NASA's Odyssey spacecraft sets exploration record on Mars (December 15, 2010) -- NASA's Mars Odyssey, which launched in 2001, broke the record Dec. 15, 2010 for longest-serving spacecraft at the Red Planet. The probe began its 3,340th day in Martian orbit at 5:55 p.m. PST (8:55 p.m. EST) on Wednesday to break the record set by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor, which orbited Mars from 1997 to 2006. ... > full story
Heart disease, stroke deaths continue to fall but costs remain high (December 15, 2010) -- America is winning a battle against heart disease and stroke mortality, but is still losing the war, according to the American Heart Association. ... > full story
'Green genes' in yeast may boost biofuel production by increasing stress tolerance (December 15, 2010) -- An effort to increase biofuel production has led scientists to discover genes in yeast that improve their tolerance to ethanol, allowing the production of more ethanol from the same amount of nutrients. A new study shows how genetically altered yeast cells survive higher ethanol concentrations, addressing a bottleneck in the production of ethanol from cellulosic material (nonfood plant sources) in quantities that could compete economically with fossil fuels. ... > full story
Close proximity of authors leads to better science (December 15, 2010) -- Through analyzing the locations of authors of academic papers, researchers have determined that physical proximity of collaborators, especially between the first and last author, correlates with how widely the paper is cited. ... > full story
Polar bears still on thin ice, but cutting greenhouse gases now can avert extinction, experts say (December 15, 2010) -- New research indicates that that if humans reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly in the next decade or two, enough Arctic ice is likely to remain intact during late summer and early autumn for polar bears to survive. ... > full story
Multitude of genetic regions key to embryonic stem cell development identified (December 15, 2010) -- More than 2,000 genetic regions involved in early human development have now been identified. The regions, called enhancers, are responsible for triggering the expression of distant genes when embryonic stem cells begin to divide to form the many tissues of a growing embryo. ... > full story
Plasma therapy: An alternative to antibiotics? (December 15, 2010) -- Cold plasma jets could be a safe, effective alternative to antibiotics to treat multi-drug resistant infections, according to a new study. ... > full story
Epstein-Barr: Scientists decode secrets of a very common virus that can cause cancer (December 15, 2010) -- About 90 percent of people are infected at some time in their lives with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), usually with no ill effects. But individuals with compromised immune systems, such as people with organ transplants or HIV infection, have a greater risk of cancer occurring because of this virus. Scientists have discovered a pathway that infected cells use to root out EBV infections, a finding that has implications for understanding the human response to cancer-causing viruses in general. ... > full story
Rare Earth metal and cousin of platinum is attractive for improving flash memory chips (December 15, 2010) -- One of the rarest metals on Earth may be an excellent option for enabling future flash memory chips to continue increasing in speed and density, according to a group of researchers in Taiwan, who describe incorporating nanocrystals of iridium into critical components of flash memory. ... > full story
Preteen conduct problems lead to teenage serious violence and delinquency, study suggests (December 15, 2010) -- Conduct disorders in preteens are predictive of eventual teenage serious violent and delinquent behavior, according to a new study. ... > full story
Compound derived from curry spice is neuroprotective against stroke and traumatic brain injury (December 15, 2010) -- A synthetic derivative of the curry spice turmeric dramatically improves the behavioral and molecular deficits seen in animal models of ischemic stroke and traumatic brain injury. Two new studies suggest that the novel compound may have clinical promise for these conditions, which currently lack good therapies. ... > full story
Breast inflammation is key to cancer growth, researchers say (December 15, 2010) -- It took 12 years and a creation of a highly sophisticated transgenic mouse, but researchers have finally proven a long suspected theory: Inflammation in the breast is key to the development and progression of breast cancer. In a new study, the scientists report they can now definitively show that an inflammatory process within the breast itself promotes growth of breast cancer stem cells responsible for tumor development. ... > full story
New method for making tiny catalysts holds promise for air quality (December 15, 2010) -- Researchers have demonstrated a simpler method of adding iron to tiny carbon spheres to create catalytic materials that have the potential to remove contaminants from gas or liquid. In one continuous process, it produces tiny, micrometer-sized spheres of porous, spongy carbon embedded with iron nanoparticles -- all in the span of a few seconds. ... > full story
Missing molecules hold promise of therapy for pancreatic cancer: Lost microRNAs put brakes on tumors (December 15, 2010) -- By determining what goes missing in human cells when the gene that is most commonly mutated in pancreatic cancer gets turned on, scientists have discovered a potential strategy for therapy. ... > full story
Fabric softener sheets repel gnats: Scientists prove Bounce sheets fend off insect pests (December 15, 2010) -- Gardeners often claim that putting Bounce fabric softener sheets in their pockets is an effective way to repel pests like mosquitoes and gnats. In a new study, researchers discussed a series experiments they conducted to ascertain whether Bounce dryer sheets (Outdoor Fresh Scent, Procter and Gamble) repel fungus gnat adults under laboratory conditions. The research team also analyzed the volatile compounds in the dryer sheets using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. ... > full story
'Aha' effect: New hypothesis seeks to explain the pleasures of insight (December 15, 2010) -- The sudden appearance of a solution through insight -- the famous 'aha' effect -- is a peculiar phenomenal experience that people have when they solve a problem. Researchers have now put forward a new hypothesis that integrates the known features of insight experiences into a unitary framework. ... > full story
Robot arm improves performance of brain-controlled device (December 15, 2010) -- The performance of a brain-machine interface designed to help paralyzed subjects move objects with their thoughts is improved with the addition of a robotic arm providing sensory feedback, a new study finds. ... > full story
Nanoscale gene 'ignition switch' may help spot and treat cancer (December 15, 2010) -- In a proof of principal study in mice, scientists have shown that a set of genetic instructions encased in a nanoparticle can be used as an "ignition switch" to rev up gene activity that aids cancer detection and treatment. ... > full story
IBEX makes first images of magnetotail structures, dynamic interactions occurring in space (December 15, 2010) -- NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft, designed to image the invisible interactions occurring at the edge of the solar system, captured images of magnetospheric structures and a dynamic event occurring in the magnetosphere as the spacecraft observed from near lunar distance. ... > full story
Increased BPA exposure linked to reduced egg quality in women (December 15, 2010) -- A small-scale study has identified the first evidence in humans that exposure to bisphenol A may compromise the quality of a woman's eggs retrieved for in vitro fertilization. ... > full story
Earthshaking possibilities may limit underground storage of carbon dioxide (December 15, 2010) -- Combating global warming by pumping carbon dioxide into the ground for long-term storage -- known as carbon sequestration -- could trigger small earthquakes that might breach the storage system, allowing the gas back into the atmosphere, according to a geophysicist. That hazard, combined with a need for thousands of injection sites around the globe, may keep sequestration from being feasible on a large scale. ... > full story
Positive mood allows human brain to think more creatively (December 15, 2010) -- People who watch funny videos on the Internet at work aren't necessarily wasting time. According to new research, they may be taking advantage of the latest psychological science -- putting themselves in a good mood so they can think more creatively. ... > full story
New hot Jupiter-like exoplanet discovered (December 15, 2010) -- Astronomers have discovered a new alien world. This "hot Jupiter," now named Qatar-1b, adds to the growing list of alien planets orbiting distant stars. ... > full story
Novel memory-enhancing mechanism in brain (December 15, 2010) -- Researchers have identified a novel mechanism in the brain that boosts memory. Scientists found that a small protein called neuropeptide S can strengthen and prolong memories of everything from negative events to simple objects. ... > full story
NASA helps create a more silent night (December 15, 2010) -- The holidays are here and the nation's airports are busier than ever -- thousands of airplanes taking off and landing. Passengers and people living around airports are reminded that the airplane is not the quietest mode of transportation; certainly not as quiet as a sleigh pulled by eight tiny reindeer. ... > full story
Allergy treatments containing aluminum may cause new allergy, study suggests (December 15, 2010) -- Allergic contact dermatitis from aluminum has previously been considered very unusual. However, there are now reports of pruritic nodules and aluminum allergy arising after vaccinations or treatments for allergies. ... > full story
Is Internet backbone vulnerable to cyber attack? (December 15, 2010) -- While cyber attacks on the internet involving malware, hacking and distributed denial of service are featured in the headlines most often, researchers in Switzerland suggest that physical attack on internet backbones, servers and internet data hubs could be just as important a problem in sustaining network functions. ... > full story
Soda taxes: Weight loss benefit linked to household income (December 15, 2010) -- Imposing higher taxes on sodas and other sweetened drinks may generate a lot of money -- but would lead to only minimal weight loss among most people and would have no effect on weight among consumers in the highest and lowest income groups, according to new research. ... > full story
Champion hydrogen-producing microbe (December 15, 2010) -- The cyanobacteria are famous for releasing the oxygen that made the Earth a hospitable planet but some strains also have a hidden talent for producing hydrogen gas, a potential biofuel. With the help of a few metabolic tricks, a lab has coaxed one such strain to produce champion levels of the gas. ... > full story
Asthma? Allergens could be growing in your lungs (December 15, 2010) -- Scientists investigating the allergic reactions that asthmatics suffer towards a common mold have discovered that many people with asthma actually had the mold growing in their own lungs. ... > full story
Human networking theory gives picture of infectious disease spread (December 15, 2010) -- New research using human-networking theory may give a clearer picture of just how, exactly, infectious diseases such as the common cold, influenza, whooping cough and SARS can spread through a closed group of people, and even through populations at large. ... > full story
Unique case study on Alzheimer's disease (December 15, 2010) -- A new case study sheds light on the pathological course of Alzheimer's disease. The brain of the first Alzheimer's patient to display amyloids demonstrable with a PET scanner has been studied, both during progression of the disease and after death. ... > full story
Microchip harvests its own energy (December 15, 2010) -- Microchips that ‘harvest’ the energy they need from their own surroundings, without depending on batteries or mains electricity. That will be possible now that researchers have for the first time succeeded in manufacturing a microchip with an efficient solar cell placed on top of the microelectronics. ... > full story
More than 25% of teenagers have suffered cyber bullying in the past year (December 15, 2010) -- Cyber bullying is an emerging phenomenon that is becoming increasingly common among teenagers. Research in Spain shows that between 25% and 29% of all teenagers have been bullied via their mobile phone or the internet over the past year. ... > full story
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
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