ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Monday, January 3, 2011
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Bizarre bioluminescent snail: Secrets of strange mollusk and its use of light as a possible defense mechanism revealed (January 2, 2011) -- Two scientists have provided the first details about the mysterious flashes of dazzling bioluminescent light produced by a little-known sea snail. ... > full story
Walking slows progression of Alzheimer's, study suggests (January 2, 2011) -- Walking may slow cognitive decline in adults with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, as well as in healthy adults, according to a new study. ... > full story
Calculating tidal energy turbines' effects on sediments and fish (January 2, 2011) -- Engineers are developing computer models to study how changes in water pressure and current speed around tidal turbines affect sediment buildup and fish health. ... > full story
Type 1 diabetes computer model's predictive success validated through lab testing (January 2, 2011) -- Type 1 diabetes researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of a recently developed computer model in predicting key information about nasal insulin treatment regimens in Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes. ... > full story
Enzyme cocktail could eliminate a step in biofuel process (January 2, 2011) -- Conversion of biomass to fuel requires several steps: chemical pretreatment to break up the biomass, detoxification to remove the toxic chemicals required in pretreatment, and microbial fermentation to convert the soluble sugars to fuels. Researchers have discovered an enzyme mixture that works in the presence of the toxic infused liquid biomass (hydrolysate), meaning that the detoxification step is unnecessary. ... > full story
Most women do not get recommended mammograms, study finds (January 2, 2011) -- Only half of eligible women in the United States are getting their annual mammograms, even if they have insurance to pay for the procedure, according to a new study. ... > full story
Neandertals’ extinction not caused by deficient diets, tooth analysis shows (January 1, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered evidence to debunk the theory that Neandertals' disappearance was caused in part by a deficient diet -- one that lacked variety and was overly reliant on meat. After discovering starch granules from plant food trapped in the dental calculus on 40-thousand-year-old Neandertal teeth, the scientists believe that Neandertals ate a wide variety of plants and included cooked grains as part of a more sophisticated, diverse diet similar to early modern humans. ... > full story
Alzheimer's disease: Are plaques and tangles a symptom, not the cause? (January 1, 2011) -- One researcher thinks that the national research effort to understand Alzheimer's disease has gone about as far as it can go with its current theories. And that's not far enough. He thinks plaques and tangles are a symptom, not the cause. ... > full story
Budding research links climate change and earlier flowering plants (January 1, 2011) -- New research shows that global warming may be impacting the blooming cycle of plants. ... > full story
Esophageal cancer risk lower than expected for patients with GERD (January 1, 2011) -- The risk of esophageal cancer among patients who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease is not as high as many may think, according to new research. ... > full story
Technique turns computer chip defects into an advantage (January 1, 2011) -- Physicists have discovered that tiny defects inside a computer chip can be used to tune the properties of key atoms in the chip. The technique involves rearranging the holes left by missing atoms to tune the properties of dopants -- the chemical impurities that give the semiconductors in computer chips their special properties. ... > full story
When the brain knows no fear: Fear discovery could lead to new interventions for PTSD (January 1, 2011) -- Researchers have pinpointed the part of the brain that causes people to experience fear -- a discovery that could improve treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety conditions. ... > full story
New genetic alterations associated with human height identified (January 1, 2011) -- New research identifies uncommon and previously unknown variants associated with height and might provide insight into the genetic architecture of other complex traits. ... > full story
Key protein discovered that allows nerve cells to repair themselves (January 1, 2011) -- An unexpected process that is required for regeneration after severe neuron injury has been discovered in the part of the neuron that receives information from other cells and from the outside world. The scientists hope that the discovery will provide insights for researchers who are developing drug therapies for patients with nerve disease or nerve damage. ... > full story
Scientists peer into the future of stem cell biology (January 1, 2011) -- Remarkable progress in understanding how stem cell biology works has been reported by a team of leading scientists. Stem cell biology is making waves around the world with great hope for the eventual repair of parts of the body. While many scientists see these breakthroughs as viable, there are hurdles that must be overcome, including the worrisome potential for introducing cancer when making a repair to an organ. ... > full story
Blood-thinning treatment standards changing for heart patients, new research shows (January 1, 2011) -- Researchers have found that warfarin, a known anticoagulation (blood-thinning) drug, may not be as beneficial to some patients with atrial fibrillation as previously thought. ... > full story
Cloud atlas: Scientist maps the meaning of mid-level clouds (January 1, 2011) -- Clouds play a major role in the climate-change equation, but they are the least-understood variable in the sky, observes a geoscientist, who says mid-level clouds are especially understudied. ... > full story
Study probes obesity link to fibromyalgia (January 1, 2011) -- Afflicting up to 5 percent of the U.S. population, mostly women, fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread pain and range of function problems. A new study reports there is close association between obesity and disability in fibromyalgia patients. ... > full story
What triggers mass extinctions? Study shows how invasive species stop new life (December 31, 2010) -- An influx of invasive species can stop the dominant natural process of new species formation and trigger mass extinction events, according to new research. The study of the collapse of Earth's marine life 378 to 375 million years ago suggests that the planet's current ecosystems, which are struggling with biodiversity loss, could meet a similar fate. ... > full story
Alzheimer's: Therapy for brain disease could target blood (December 31, 2010) -- The aggregated proteins strewn about the brain are the hallmark of one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders: Alzheimer's disease. But while these irregular, gunky proteins, called amyloid-beta, are believed to contribute to the deterioration of memory and cognitive ability in Alzheimer's patients, no one knows how they lead to these symptoms. New experiments show how amyloid-beta interacts with a clotting agent in the blood, increasing blood clots that are harder than usual to break down and starving neurons of their regular supply of oxygen. The research suggests that the effects of amyloid-beta on the blood vessels feeding the brain could be an important aspect of the havoc they wreak on the brain. ... > full story
New cognitive robotics lab tests theories of human thought (December 31, 2010) -- Researchers are exploring how human thought outwits brute force computing in the real world. Twenty programmable robots allow students to test the real-world performance of computer models that mimic human thought. ... > full story
Strict heart rate control provides no advantage over lenient approach, study finds (December 31, 2010) -- Strict heart rate control in atrial fibrillation patients is not beneficial over lenient control, according to new research. The antiplatelet drug clopidogrel, plus aspirin, might be considered to reduce the risk of major vascular events, including stroke in patients who are poor candidates for the anticoagulant drug warfarin. Catheter ablation is useful to maintain normal sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation. ... > full story
Demise of large satellite may have led to the formation of Saturn’s rings and inner moons (December 31, 2010) -- Simulations may explain how Saturn's majestic rings and icy inner moons formed following the collision of a Titan-sized satellite with the planet, according to a new article. ... > full story
Lower levels of education are associated with increased risks of heart failure (December 31, 2010) -- Results from a large European study suggest that poorly educated people are more likely to be admitted to hospital with chronic heart failure than the better educated, even after differences in lifestyle have been taken into account. ... > full story
Was Israel the birthplace of modern humans? (December 31, 2010) -- Archaeologists have discovered evidence that places Homo sapiens in Israel as early as 400,000 years ago -- the earliest evidence for the existence of modern humans anywhere in the world. ... > full story
Consistent exercise associated with lower risk of colon cancer death (December 31, 2010) -- Consistent exercise is associated with a lower risk of dying from colon cancer, according to a new study. The study is among the first to show that physical activity can make the disease less deadly. ... > full story
New technology to speed cleanup of nuclear contaminated sites (December 31, 2010) -- Engineers have invented a new type of radiation detection and measurement device that will be particularly useful for cleanup of sites with radioactive contamination, making the process faster, more accurate and less expensive. ... > full story
Key role for a protein in cell division described (December 31, 2010) -- Just before a cell divides into two -- the basic act of reproducing life -- the cellular environment must be exquisitely prepared. The exact timing and localization of the vast array of molecules and processes involved in duplicating chromosomes and separating the offspring from the parent is one of the basic wonders of biology and is at the core of both healthy living and diseases such as cancer, which arise when the process goes awry. Now scientists have detailed the role of one protein, PRC1, that acts in the penultimate stage of cell division, helping to form the architectural structures, called central spindles, needed before the cell splits in two. ... > full story
System for detecting noise pollution in the sea and its impact on cetaceans (December 31, 2010) -- Researchers have developed the first system equipped with hydrophones able to record sounds on the seafloor in real time over the Internet. The system detects the presence of cetaceans and makes it possible to analyze how noise caused by human activity can affect the natural habitat of these animals and the natural balance of oceans. A new EU directive on the sea has ruled that all member states must comply with a set of indicators for measuring marine noise pollution before 2012. ... > full story
Home health care could help sustain health care systems, study finds (December 31, 2010) -- Home health care technology may provide one important solution to global concerns about how to sustain health care systems threatened by rising costs and manpower shortages, but such a change faces multiple obstacles to adoption, according to a new study. ... > full story
What makes a face look alive? Study says it's in the eyes (December 31, 2010) -- The face of a doll is clearly not human; the face of a human clearly is. Telling the difference allows us to pay attention to living things, which are capable of interacting with us. But where is the line at which a face appears to be alive? A new study finds that a face has to be quite similar to a human face to appear alive, and that the cues are mainly in the eyes. ... > full story
Risk for alcoholism linked to risk for obesity (December 31, 2010) -- Addiction researchers have found that a risk for alcoholism also may put individuals at risk for obesity, and the association between a family history of alcoholism and obesity risk has become more pronounced in recent years. ... > full story
When their tools get dull, leaf-cutters switch jobs (December 31, 2010) -- When their razor-sharp mandibles wear out, leaf-cutter ants change jobs, remaining productive while letting their more efficient sisters take over cutting, say researchers. Their study provides a glimpse of nature's way of providing for its displaced workers. ... > full story
Expansion of HIV screening cost-effective in reducing spread of AIDS, study shows (December 31, 2010) -- An expanded US program of HIV screening and treatment could prevent as many as 212,000 new infections over the next 20 years and prove to be very cost-effective, according to a new study. ... > full story
Study classifies and uses artificial proteins to analyze protein-protein interfaces (December 31, 2010) -- A new study suggests that there may be roughly a thousand structurally distinct protein-protein interfaces -- and that their structures depend largely on the simple physics of the proteins. ... > full story
George Clooney Effect? High-earning women want older, more attractive partners, research finds (December 31, 2010) -- Psychologists have found that George Clooney may be even luckier than previously thought. New research has discovered that as women become more financially independent, they want an older, more attractive male partner. ... > full story
Your genome in minutes: New technology could slash sequencing time (December 31, 2010) -- Scientists are developing technology that could ultimately sequence a person's genome in mere minutes, at a fraction of the cost of current commercial techniques. ... > full story
New test for major killer of lung transplant patients: High stem cell count after transplant predicts debilitating syndrome (December 31, 2010) -- A lung transplant can mean a new chance at life. But many who receive one develop a debilitating, fatal condition that causes scar tissue to build up in the lungs and chokes off the ability to breathe. Researchers hope a new diagnostic tool they developed to predict bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome will allow doctors to intervene earlier and, ultimately, to provide life-saving treatments. ... > full story
Evolutionary arms race between smut fungi and maize plants (December 31, 2010) -- Fungi are a major cause of plant diseases and are responsible for large-scale harvest failure in crops like maize and other cereals all over the world. Scientists have now analyzed the genetic make-up of Sporisorium reilianum, an important maize parasite. ... > full story
Why does dialysis fail? (December 31, 2010) -- A protein implicated in the development of vascular diseases may also contribute to the failure of arteriovenous (AV) fistulas created for vascular access in dialysis patients, according to a new study. ... > full story
Crops: Improving nitrogen use efficiency lessens environmental impact (December 31, 2010) -- Most agricultural crops require large quantities of nitrate-rich fertilizer to realize optimal yields. Increased interest in environmentally beneficial "low-input" approaches is challenging researchers to identify genotypes that have a characteristic called "high nutrient use efficiency", or NUE. Using vegetable types with high NUE could help growers lessen environmental impacts while maintaining high crop yields. A new study reported on improved NUE traits that resulted from grafting melon plants onto commercial rootstocks. ... > full story
Depressed smokers less likely to stay tobacco free (December 31, 2010) -- Depressed smokers want to quit the nicotine habit just as much as non-depressed smokers, but a new study suggests that depression can put a kink in their success. ... > full story
Light dawns on dark gamma-ray bursts (December 30, 2010) -- Gamma-ray bursts are among the most energetic events in the Universe, but some appear curiously faint in visible light. The biggest study to date of these so-called dark gamma-ray bursts, using the 2.2-meter MPG/ESO telescope at La Silla in Chile, has found that these explosions don't require exotic explanations. Their faintness is now explained by a combination of causes, the most important of which is the presence of dust between the Earth and the explosion. ... > full story
Gene protects against dementia in high-risk individuals, study finds (December 30, 2010) -- Neuroscientists had assumed that a mutation in the progranulin gene, which makes the progranulin protein and supports brain neurons, was sufficient to produce a kind of dementia known as frontotemporal lobar degeneration. But now an international team of scientists has found another genetic factor they say appears to protect against the disorder in progranulin mutation carriers. ... > full story
New imaging advance illuminates immune response in breathing lung (December 30, 2010) -- In a recent study in mice, researchers developed a method to stabilize living lung tissue for imaging without disrupting the normal function of the organ. The method allowed the team to observe, for the first time, both the live interaction of living cells in the context of their environment and the unfolding of events in the immune response to lung injury. ... > full story
Trace amounts of microbe-killing molecules predict chronic granulomatous disease survival (December 30, 2010) -- Investigators have observed that the survival rate of people with a rare immunodeficiency disease called chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is greatly improved when even very low levels of microbe-killing molecules are present. Because production of these molecules, made by an enzyme called NADPH oxidase, can be predicted from genetic analysis, a patient's risk for severe CGD could be assessed very early in life, allowing for more personalized treatment, say the researchers. ... > full story
Link between ancient lizard fossil in Africa and today's Komodo dragon in Indonesia (December 30, 2010) -- Researchers have unearthed a mysterious link between bones of an ancient lizard found in Africa and the biggest, baddest modern-day lizard of them all, the Komodo dragon, half a world away in Indonesia. ... > full story
Visual skills required for independence are impaired in children with autism, research finds (December 30, 2010) -- The ability to find shoes in the bedroom, apples in a supermarket, or a favorite animal at the zoo is impaired among children with autism, according to new research from the UK. They are unable to search effectively for objects in real-life situations -- a skill that is essential for achieving independence in adulthood. ... > full story
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