ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Sunday, December 19, 2010
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Rise in oxygen drove evolution of animal life 550 million years ago (December 18, 2010) -- Researchers have uncovered a clue that may help to explain why the earliest evidence of complex multicellular animal life appears around 550 million years ago, when atmospheric oxygen levels on the planet rose sharply from 3 percent to their modern day level of 21 percent. ... > full story
Does fluoride really fight cavities by 'the skin of the teeth?' (December 18, 2010) -- In a study that the authors describe as lending credence to the idiom, "by the skin of your teeth," scientists are reporting that the protective shield fluoride forms on teeth is up to 100 times thinner than previously believed. It raises questions about how this renowned cavity-fighter really works and could lead to better ways of protecting teeth from decay, the scientists suggest. ... > full story
Wind turbines help crops by channelling beneficial breezes over nearby plants (December 18, 2010) -- Researchers have found that wind turbines benefit nearby crops, keeping them cooler and drier and boosting the uptake of carbon dioxide. ... > full story
Protein disables p53, drives breast cells toward cancer transition (December 18, 2010) -- The recently identified TRIM24 protein plays an active role in pushing normal breast cells into rapid cell proliferation and, potentially, into breast cancer. ... > full story
Using digitized books as 'cultural genome,' researchers unveil quantitative approach to humanities (December 18, 2010) -- Researchers have created a powerful new approach to scholarship, using approximately 4 percent of all books ever published as a digital "fossil record" of human culture. By tracking the frequency with which words appear in books over time, scholars can now precisely quantify a wide variety of cultural and historical trends. ... > full story
Drinking alcohol during a rich meal slows down digestion, but doesn't increase indigestion, study finds (December 18, 2010) -- People can be reassured that while alcohol may slow down digestion after a rich calorific meal, enjoyed by many during the Christmas season, it will not cause indigestion symptoms such as heartburn, belching and bloating, finds new research. ... > full story
Prions mutate and adapt to host environment (December 18, 2010) -- Scientists have shown that prions, bits of infectious protein that can cause fatal neurodegenerative disease such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or "mad cow disease," have the ability to adapt to survive in a new host environment. ... > full story
Major shift in understanding how eczema develops (December 18, 2010) -- In eczema patients the skin barrier is leaky, allowing pollen, mold, pet dander and other irritants to be sensed by the skin and subsequently wreak havoc on the immune system. While the upper-most layer of the skin has been pinned as the culprit in previous research, a new study found that a second skin barrier structure is also faulty in eczema patients and likely plays a role in the development of the disease. ... > full story
As earthquakes take their toll, engineers look at enhancing building designs (December 18, 2010) -- A next generation of design criteria for buildings located in geographic regions where earthquakes are known to occur, either rarely or frequently, is under development. ... > full story
Researchers develop mouse model to help find how a gene mutation leads to autism (December 18, 2010) -- Researchers have found that when one copy of the SHANK3 gene in mice is missing, nerve cells do not effectively communicate and do not show cellular properties associated with normal learning. This discovery may explain how mutations affecting SHANK3 may lead to autism spectrum disorders. ... > full story
Circadian rhythm: Clock-controlled genes discovered in C. elegans (December 18, 2010) -- It's just a worm, a tiny soil-dwelling nematode worm -- but the implications are big for biomedicine and circadian biology as shown in a recent study. Researchers have now discovered clock-controlled genes in C. elegans. ... > full story
Emotional intelligence peaks as we enter our 60s, research suggests (December 18, 2010) -- Older people have a hard time keeping a lid on their feelings, especially when viewing heartbreaking or disgusting scenes in movies and reality shows, psychologists have found. But they're better than their younger counterparts at seeing the positive side of a stressful situation and empathizing with the less fortunate, according to new research. ... > full story
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