ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Wednesday, January 12, 2011
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How human vision perceives rapid changes: Brain predicts consequences of eye movements based on what we see next (January 12, 2011) -- Scientists have demonstrated that the brain predicts consequences of our eye movements based on what we see next. The findings have implications for understanding human attention and applications to robotics. ... > full story
DNA introduced directly into cell nucleus using protein nanodisks (January 12, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a novel gene therapy method using particles measuring only a few nanometers which encapsulate genetic material and introduce themselves directly into the cell nucleus. The nanodisks, as researchers have named the particles, travel rapidly to the interior of the cell until reaching the nucleus, thus increasing the efficiency of the gene transfer process. ... > full story
New insights into sun's photosphere (January 12, 2011) -- Researchers at Big Bear Solar Observatory have reported new insights into the small-scale dynamics of the Sun's photosphere. The observations were made during a period of historic inactivity on the Sun. The high-resolution capabilities of BBSO's new 1.6-meter aperture solar telescope have made such work possible. ... > full story
New research aims to shut down viral assembly line (January 12, 2011) -- Scientists are studying the intricate formation of coronaviruses. The research may provide fresh insights leading to antiviral agents against viral pathogens like SARS. ... > full story
Study estimates land available for biofuel crops (January 12, 2011) -- Using detailed land analysis, researchers have found that biofuel crops cultivated on available land could produce up to half of the world's current fuel consumption -- without affecting food crops or pastureland. Focusing on marginal land, the team assessed land availability from a physical perspective to identify land around the globe available to produce grass crops for biofuels, with minimal impact on agriculture or the environment. ... > full story
The Starbucks effect: Committed customers don't like logo redesigns, research finds (January 12, 2011) -- The negative reaction to Starbucks' redesigned logo by the company's self-described most loyal customers may be attributable to the strong connection Starbucks' consumers feel toward the brand, according to new research. ... > full story
Species loss tied to ecosystem collapse and recovery (January 12, 2011) -- Geologists have a cautionary tale: Lose enough species in the oceans, and the entire ecosystem could collapse. Looking at two of the greatest mass extinctions in Earth's history, the scientists attribute the ecosystems' collapse to a loss in the variety of species sharing the same space. It took up to 10 million years after the mass extinctions for the ecosystem to stabilize. ... > full story
New multiple sclerosis target identified (January 12, 2011) -- Using a mouse model, researchers have discovered that a molecular switch called EMMPRIN plays an important role in MS. The researchers explored how in MS, EMMPRIN affects MMPs and the entry of leukocytes into the CNS to result in disease activity. ... > full story
NASA image shows La Niña-caused woes down under (January 12, 2011) -- The current La Niña in the Pacific Ocean, one of the strongest in the past 50 years, continues to exert a powerful influence on weather around the world, affecting rainfall and temperatures in varying ways in different locations. For Australia, La Niña typically means above-average rains, and the current La Niña is no exception. Heavy rains that began in late December led to the continent's worst flooding in nearly a half century, at its peak inundating an area the size of Germany and France combined. ... > full story
Implant appears effective for treating inflammatory disease within the eye (January 12, 2011) -- An implant that releases the medication dexamethasone within the eye appears safe and effective for the treatment of some types of uveitis (swelling and inflammation in the eye's middle layer), according to new study. ... > full story
International Space Station begins new era of utilization (January 12, 2011) -- A new era of utilization for research and technology begins for the completed International Space Station. The orbiting laboratory shifts focus in 2011 from finalizing construction efforts to full-scale use of the facility for scientific investigation and technological advances. ... > full story
Secret businesses aimed to exploit vaccine fears, British Medical Journal investigation finds (January 12, 2011) -- Andrew Wakefield, the disgraced doctor who claimed a link between MMR and autism, planned secret businesses intended to make huge sums of money, in Britain and America, from his now-discredited allegations, according to a British Medical Journal investigation. ... > full story
NASA's Fermi catches thunderstorms hurling antimatter into space (January 11, 2011) -- Scientists have detected beams of antimatter produced above thunderstorms on Earth -- a phenomenon never seen before. Scientists think the antimatter particles were formed in a terrestrial gamma-ray flash (TGF), a brief burst produced inside thunderstorms and shown to be associated with lightning. It is estimated that about 500 TGFs occur daily worldwide, but most go undetected. ... > full story
Feast or famine: Researchers identify leptin receptor's sidekick as a target for appetite regulation (January 11, 2011) -- A new study adds a new twist to the body of evidence suggesting human obesity is due in part to genetic factors. While studying hormone receptors in laboratory mice, neuroscientists identified a new molecular player responsible for the regulation of appetite and metabolism. ... > full story
Wildlife biologists use dogs' scat-sniffing talents for good (January 11, 2011) -- Biologists have harnessed a dog's natural talent for sniffing out the scat of other animals for a good cause. Researchers are fine-tuning the use of dogs as a non-invasive tool for wildlife studies and management. ... > full story
New markers for allergic disorders derived from analysis of medical databases (January 11, 2011) -- Researchers have developed new methods for analyzing medical databases that can be used to identify diagnostic markers more quickly and to personalize medication for allergic disorders. They could also reduce the need for animal trials in clinical studies. ... > full story
Hard-to-find fish reveals shared developmental toolbox of evolution (January 11, 2011) -- A SCUBA expedition in Australia and New Zealand to find the rare embryos of an unusual shark cousin enabled American and British researchers to confirm new developmental similarities between fish and mammals. The study confirms that organisms separated by hundreds of millions of years of evolution share similar genetic programs for body formation. ... > full story
Possible off-switch for anxiety discovered (January 11, 2011) -- Scientists have made a breakthrough concerning how anxiety is regulated in the vertebrate brain. The work sheds light on how the brain normally shuts off anxiety and also establishes the relevance of zebrafish as a model for human psychiatric disorders. ... > full story
New glass stronger and tougher than steel (January 11, 2011) -- A new type of damage-tolerant metallic glass, demonstrating a strength and toughness beyond that of steel or any other known material, has been developed. ... > full story
Researchers inch closer to unlocking potential of synthetic blood (January 11, 2011) -- A team of scientists has created particles that closely mirror some of the key properties of red blood cells, potentially helping pave the way for the development of synthetic blood. ... > full story
'Liquid pistons' could drive new advances in camera lenses and drug delivery (January 11, 2011) -- A few unassuming drops of liquid locked in a very precise game of "follow the leader" could one day be found in mobile phone cameras, medical imaging equipment, implantable drug delivery devices, and even implantable eye lenses. ... > full story
Bottle rockets can cause serious eye injuries in children (January 11, 2011) -- Bottle rockets can cause significant eye injuries in children, often leading to permanent loss of vision, according to a new study. ... > full story
Wave power could contain fusion plasma (January 11, 2011) -- Researchers may have found a way to channel the flux and fury of a nuclear fusion plasma into a means to help sustain the electric current needed to contain that very same fusion plasma. ... > full story
Body dysmorphic disorder patients who loathe appearance often get better, but it could take years (January 11, 2011) -- A new study by psychiatrists finds evidence that given enough time, patients with body dysmorphic disorder frequently recover and rarely relapse. The surprisingly high rate may be related to patients in prior studies having had especially severe cases of the disease. ... > full story
NASA's Kepler mission discovers its first rocky planet (January 11, 2011) -- NASA's Kepler mission confirmed the discovery of its first rocky planet, named Kepler-10b. Measuring 1.4 times the size of Earth, it is the smallest planet ever discovered outside our solar system. The discovery of this planet, called an exoplanet, is based on more than eight months of data collected by the spacecraft from May 2009 to early January 2010. ... > full story
High sugar consumption may increase risk factors for heart disease in American teenagers (January 11, 2011) -- Consuming high amounts of added sugars in soft drinks and foods in adolescence is associated with poor cholesterol profiles and poor diet quality, possibly leading to heart disease in adulthood, according to new research. Teens who ate the highest levels of added sugars had lower good cholesterol levels and higher bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels than those with the lowest intake. Overweight or obese teens with the highest levels of sugars intake had increased signs of insulin resistance. ... > full story
Graphene grains make atom-thick patchwork 'quilts' (January 11, 2011) -- Artistry from science: researchers have unveiled striking, atomic-resolution details of what graphene "quilts" look like at the boundaries between patches, and have uncovered key insights into graphene's electrical and mechanical properties. ... > full story
Lifetime risk of adult rheumatoid arthritis determined (January 11, 2011) -- Researchers have determined the lifetime risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis and six other autoimmune rheumatic diseases for both men and women. ... > full story
How do you make lithium melt in the cold? (January 11, 2011) -- Sophisticated tools allow scientists to subject the basic elements of matter to conditions drastic enough to modify their behavior. By doing this, they can expand our understanding of matter. A research team was able to demonstrate surprising properties of the element lithium under intense pressure and low temperatures. ... > full story
Being poor can suppress children's genetic potentials, study finds (January 11, 2011) -- Growing up poor can suppress a child's genetic potential to excel cognitively even before the age of 2, according to research from psychologists in Texas. ... > full story
Hubble zooms in on a space oddity (January 11, 2011) -- One of the strangest space objects ever seen is being scrutinized by the penetrating vision of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. A mysterious, glowing green blob of gas is floating in space near a spiral galaxy. Hubble uncovered delicate filaments of gas and a pocket of young star clusters in the giant object, which is the size of our Milky Way galaxy. ... > full story
Smoking around your kindergartner could raise their blood pressure (January 11, 2011) -- Kindergartners whose parents smoke have higher blood pressure than those with non-smoking parents, according to new research. The study of more than 4,000 pre-school children in Germany is the first to show that exposure to nicotine increases the blood pressure of children as young as 4 or 5. Since childhood blood pressure tracks into adult life, researchers said youngsters exposed to cigarette smoke could have a higher risk of heart disease later in life. ... > full story
Viral evasion gene reveals new targets for eliminating chronic infections (January 11, 2011) -- Researchers in Australia have discovered how a key viral gene helps viruses evade early detection by the immune system. Their finding is providing new insights into how viruses are able to establish chronic infections, leading scientists to reevaluate their approaches to viral vaccine development. ... > full story
What causes brain cell death in Parkinson's patients? (January 11, 2011) -- Researchers identify a novel way that neurons die in Parkinson's disease. When they block the process, the neurons survive. ... > full story
Shellfish safer to eat, thanks to biosensor technology (January 11, 2011) -- New technology promises to make shellfish safer to eat. A new test not only ensures shellfish are free of toxins before they reach the food chain but is likely to revolutionize the global fishing industry. While the current process for monitoring potentially dangerous toxins in shellfish takes up to two days, the new test slashes the testing time to just 30 minutes using new biosensor technology and provides a much more reliable result. ... > full story
New device set to combat fear of the dentist's drill (January 11, 2011) -- An innovative device which cancels out the noise of the dental drill could spell the end of people's anxiety about trips to the dentist, according to experts. ... > full story
Mountain glacier melt to contribute 12 centimeters to world sea-level increases by 2100 (January 11, 2011) -- Melt off from small mountain glaciers and ice caps will contribute about 12 centimeters to world sea-level increases by 2100, according to new research. ... > full story
New drug target for prion diseases, 'mad cow' (January 11, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered that plasminogen, a protein used by the body to break up blood clots, speeds up the progress of prion diseases such as mad cow disease. ... > full story
Cassini to probe icy moon Rhea for clues to Saturn rings (January 11, 2011) -- Saturn's icy moon Rhea might seem a strange place to look for clues to understanding the vast majestic rings encircling Saturn. But that's what NASA's Cassini spacecraft plans to do on its next flyby of Rhea. ... > full story
Steering cancer inflammation to inhibit tumor growth and spread (January 11, 2011) -- Most cancer tissues are invaded by inflammatory cells that either stimulate or inhibit the growth of the tumor, depending on what immune cells are involved. Now a Swedish-Belgian research team has shown that a protein that naturally occurs in the body, HRG, inhibits tumor growth and metastasis into secondary organs by activating specific immune cells. ... > full story
Energy limits global economic growth, study finds (January 11, 2011) -- A new study establishes macroecological correlations across countries and over time between per capita gross domestic product and per capita energy use. The authors infer a causal linkage. Correlations between these same two measures and measures of lifestyle quality lead the authors to believe that energy production would have to increase several-fold to support a still-growing world population in the current US lifestyle. ... > full story
Abstinence, heavy drinking, binge drinking associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment (January 11, 2011) -- Previous research regarding the association between alcohol consumption and dementia or cognitive impairment in later life suggests that mild to moderate alcohol consumption might be protective of dementia. However, most of the research has been conducted on subjects already rather elderly at the start of the follow-up. A new study addresses this problem with a follow-up of more than two decades. ... > full story
Couch potatoes beware: Too much time spent watching TV is harmful to heart health (January 11, 2011) -- Spending too much leisure time in front of a TV or computer screen appears to dramatically increase the risk for heart disease and premature death from any cause, perhaps regardless of how much exercise one gets, according to a new study. ... > full story
H1N1 pandemic flu points to vaccine strategy for multiple flu strains (January 11, 2011) -- Using blood samples from patients infected with the 2009 H1N1 strain, researchers developed antibodies that could bind H1N1 viruses from the last decade, as well as the 1918 flu virus and even H5N1. Some of the antibodies protected mice from a lethal viral dose, even 60 hours post-infection. The antibodies could help researchers in designing a vaccine against a wide spectrum of flu viruses. ... > full story
Catfish study reveals multiplicity of species (January 11, 2011) -- An extensive investigation of South American Corydoras catfish, reveals that catfish communities, although containing almost identically colored and patterned fish, could actually contain three or more different species. Establishing for the first time that many species are mimetic, this discovery suggests that in many cases the number of Corydoras catfish species may be higher than previously recognized, with consequent implications for environmentalists charged with protecting environmental diversity and safeguarding the species. ... > full story
Less invasive techniques help manage complications of severe pancreatic disease (January 11, 2011) -- The use of combined treatments for severe acute pancreatitis is safe and effective in managing the disease, resulting in shorter hospitalizations and fewer radiological procedures than standard therapy, according to a new study. In a related study, doctors found that patients with infected pancreatic necrosis were able to avoid surgery through primary conservative treatment, which is in-patient medical treatment. ... > full story
IPv6 guide provides path to secure deployment of next-generation Internet protocol (January 11, 2011) -- As the day draws nearer for the world to run out of the unique addresses that allow us to use the Internet, researchers have issued a guide for managers, network engineers, transition teams and others to help them deploy the next generation Internet protocol (IPv6) securely. ... > full story
For non-whites, geography plays key role in colon cancer screening; Race, ethnicity only part of equation, research finds (January 11, 2011) -- New research has found that whether a person gets screened for colon cancer often depends on where they live in addition to their race or ethnicity. ... > full story
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