ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Wednesday, October 27, 2010

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Newly discovered snub-nosed monkey sneezes in the rain (October 27, 2010) -- Primatologists have discovered a new species of monkey in Northern Myanmar. Rhinopithecus Strykeri, a species of snub-nosed monkey, has an upturned nose which causes it to sneeze when it rains. ... > full story

Following lifestyle tips could prevent almost a quarter of bowel cancer cases, study suggests (October 27, 2010) -- Almost a quarter of colorectal (bowel) cancer cases could be prevented if people followed healthy lifestyle advice in five areas including diet and exercise, says a new study. ... > full story

What can country of birth tell us about childhood asthma? (October 27, 2010) -- Researchers have pooled data from five epidemiological studies to investigate the prevalence of asthma in children in two Boston neighborhoods. Among children born in the United States, low socioeconomic status and exposure to mice and cockroaches were both associated with increased risk of asthma. Neither association was present in children born outside of the US. ... > full story

Genetic variations linked with worse outcomes with use of antiplatelet drug for cardiac procedures (October 27, 2010) -- An analysis of data from previously published studies indicates that use of the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel for patients who have common genetic variants of a certain gene and are undergoing a procedure such as coronary stent placement have an associated increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events, particularly development of blood clots in stents, according to a new study. ... > full story

Tracking golden eagles by satellite; Impact of large-scale wind farms studied (October 27, 2010) -- Large-scale wind farm establishment may have a negative effect on Sweden’s golden eagles. In a unique project in northern Sweden, scientists are trapping adult golden eagles and fitting them with satellite transmitters. ... > full story

Sleep disturbances show clear association with work disability (October 27, 2010) -- Sleep disturbances increase the risk of work disability and may slow the return to work process. This is especially true in cases where work disability is due to mental disorders or musculoskeletal diseases. ... > full story

Risk of cancer due to radiation exposure in middle age may be higher than previously estimated (October 27, 2010) -- Contrary to common assumptions, the risk of cancer associated with radiation exposure in middle age may not be lower than the risk associated with exposure at younger ages, according to a new study. ... > full story

How H1N1 differs from other viruses as a respiratory illness (October 27, 2010) -- The 2009/2010 Influenza A (H1N1) is one of several viruses responsible for respiratory-related infections. A new study examined patients with viruses and found distinguishing characteristics of the H1N1 virus in how it affects respiratory illness. ... > full story

Third of shark and ray species are threatened, study suggests (October 27, 2010) -- A global study suggests that 33 percent of shark, skate, and ray species are threatened with extinction. The work is part of a major new study of vertebrates around the world by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. ... > full story

Haptoglobin as an early serum biomarker of virus-induced type 1 diabetes in rats (October 27, 2010) -- Type 1 diabetes is a multifactorial disease of complex etiology characterized by the autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells. In addition to genetic susceptibility, it is generally accepted that environmental factors such as virus infection may play important roles in triggering disease. The recent availability of novel immunomodulatory therapies that may preserve residual beta cell mass in new onset diabetics has generated a demand for noninvasive testable biomarkers that can identify the development of the autoreactive process before it becomes clinically apparent. ... > full story

Emissions from consumption outstrip efficiency savings in UK (October 27, 2010) -- Emissions from consumption growth have exceeded carbon savings from efficiency improvements in the global supply chain of products consumed in the UK, according to new research. ... > full story

Sensitivity to bodily symptoms of anxiety may make a difference in treatment in heart patients, study suggests (October 27, 2010) -- Levels of anxiety sensitivity may be important in choosing medical treatment for patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation, researchers report. ... > full story

Nature's backbone at risk: World's vertebrates face an extinction crisis, assessment finds (October 26, 2010) -- The most comprehensive assessment of the world's vertebrates confirms an extinction crisis with one-fifth of species threatened. However, the situation would be worse were it not for current global conservation efforts, according to a study launched today at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, CBD, in Nagoya, Japan. ... > full story

High resting heart linked to shorter life expectancy in stable heart disease patients, study suggests (October 26, 2010) -- If you are a person who already has stable heart disease, how fast your heart beats at rest can predict your risk of dying, not only from heart disease but all other causes, researchers say. ... > full story

Hubble data used to look 10,000 years into the future (October 26, 2010) -- The globular star cluster Omega Centauri has caught the attention of sky watchers ever since the ancient astronomer Ptolemy first catalogued it 2,000 years ago. Ptolemy, however, thought Omega Centauri was a single star. He didn't know that the "star" was actually a beehive swarm of nearly 10 million stars, all orbiting a common center of gravity. The stars are so tightly crammed together that astronomers had to wait for the powerful vision of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to peer deep into the core of the "beehive" and resolve individual stars. Hubble's vision is so sharp it can even measure the motion of many of these stars, and over a relatively short span of time. ... > full story

WHO pesticide regulations should be based on toxicity in humans, not rats, experts say (October 26, 2010) -- Current WHO pesticide classifications are based on toxicity in rats, but basing regulation on human toxicity will make pesticide poisoning less hazardous and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths globally without compromising agricultural needs, according to a new study. ... > full story

Tornado warnings are too often ignored, researcher says (October 26, 2010) -- With big storms ripping across the Midwest, Bob Drost is hoping people are paying attention to the severe weather and tornado warnings. Unfortunately, Drost knows that many times those warnings are ignored, according to his research. "Only 63 percent understood that a warning is the most urgent National Weather Service statement during severe weather," he said. ... > full story

School attendance, refusal skills combat smoking risk in youth (October 26, 2010) -- New research is examining the unique differences in adolescent tobacco use among Asians and other groups to provide specific recommendations for prevention and treatment. The study found that youths who frequently were absent from school were more likely to smoke or engage in health-risk behaviors. Asian Americans who have parents and other family members that smoke are more likely to smoke. The findings also indicate that demonstrating refusal to smoke is related to non-smoking in teens. ... > full story

Six new isotopes of the superheavy elements discovered (October 26, 2010) -- Scientists have created six new isotopes of the superheavy elements, reaching in an unbroken chain of decays from element 114 down to rutherfordium. The discovery is a major step toward understanding how to explore the long-sought Island of Stability, which is thought to lie in the vicinity of element 114 -- and possibly beyond. ... > full story

Scented consumer products shown to emit many unlisted chemicals (October 26, 2010) -- Even "green" fragranced products give off many chemicals that are not listed on the label, including some that are classified as toxic. A study of 25 of the most popular scented products showed they emit 133 different chemicals, of which only two are listed anywhere. ... > full story

Eggshells could help combat climate change, research suggests (October 26, 2010) -- The food industry generates a lot of waste products, but one of these -- eggshells -- could help combat climate change, according to new research. ... > full story

Consuming polyunsaturated fatty acids may lower the incidence of gum disease (October 26, 2010) -- Periodontitis, a common inflammatory disease in which gum tissue separates from teeth, leads to accumulation of bacteria and potential bone and tooth loss. In a new study, researchers found that dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids like fish oil, known to have anti-inflammatory properties, shows promise for the effective treatment and prevention of periodontitis. ... > full story

NASA's Kepler Mission changing how astronomers study distant stars (October 26, 2010) -- NASA's Kepler Mission is changing how astronomers study stars. Kepler, launched in March 2009, is returning data the astronomers say is amazing for its quantity and quality. ... > full story

Older people advised that taking an afternoon nap can lead to more active lives (October 26, 2010) -- Older people should not feel guilty about napping during the day if it allows them to keep active and busy when they are feeling less tired, new research reveals. ... > full story

Stable way to store the sun's heat: Storing thermal energy in chemical could lead to advances in storage and portability (October 26, 2010) -- Researchers have revealed exactly how a molecule called fulvalene diruthenium, which was discovered in 1996, works to store and release heat on demand. This understanding should make it possible to find similar chemicals based on more abundant, less expensive materials than ruthenium, and this could form the basis of a rechargeable battery to store heat rather than electricity. ... > full story

Key molecules in multiple myeloma identified (October 26, 2010) -- New research links three molecules to a critical tumor suppressor gene that is often turned off in multiple myeloma. The findings might offer a new strategy for treating this incurable disease and perhaps other blood cancers. The study suggests that re-activating the three molecules triggers expression of the P53 tumor suppressor gene. This slows the growth and leads to the death of myeloma cells and could provide a new strategy for treating the disease. ... > full story

Study raises concern about ability of tests to predict fertility (October 26, 2010) -- The method used to assess infertility in at-home tests might not be the best for identifying which women will have trouble getting pregnant, according to new research. ... > full story

MicroRNAs dictate the Epstein-Barr virus' elaborate waiting game, cancer formation (October 26, 2010) -- Epstein-Barr virus is a champion hider, and has been linked to many diseases that affect people long after the initial infection takes place, including some forms of cancer. Scientists describe how viral microRNA allows EBV to hide within cells and evade the immune system. The scientists believe their findings may one day enable physicians to flush EBV out of hiding, allowing a healthy immune system to rid the body of the virus. ... > full story

Microwave oven key to self-assembly process meeting semi-conductor industry need (October 26, 2010) -- The fundamental nanotechnology process of self assembly may soon replace the lithographic processing use to make the ubiquitous semi-conductor chips. By using microwaves, researchers in Canada have dramatically decreased the cooking time for a specific molecular self-assembly process used to assemble block copolymers, and have now made it a viable alternative to the conventional lithography process for use in patterning semi-conductors. ... > full story

Women's choices, not abilities, keep them out of math-intensive fields (October 26, 2010) -- The question of why women are so underrepresented in math-intensive fields is a controversial one. Two psychological scientists have reviewed all of the evidence and concluded that the main factor is women's choices -- both freely made, such as that they'd rather study biology than math, and constrained, such as the fact that the difficult first years as a professor coincide with the time when many women are having children. ... > full story

Robotic gripper runs on coffee ... and balloons (October 26, 2010) -- Opting for simple elegance, researchers have bypassed traditional designs based around the human hand and fingers, and created a versatile gripper using everyday ground coffee and a latex party balloon. ... > full story

'Reaper' protein strikes at mitochondria to kill cells (October 26, 2010) -- Many billions of cells in the human body kill themselves every day, as the old and decrepit make way for the new and healthy. This process of programmed cell death, called apoptosis, is crucial in early development and in the routine maintenance of life. New research indicates a technique that could allow for highly efficient, targeted killing of problematic cells such as those that drive the uncontrolled growth of tumors. ... > full story

Discovery opens new window on development, and maybe potential, of human egg cells (October 26, 2010) -- Egg cells hold the key to many mysteries about reproduction, and knowing about the genetic makeup of individual eggs is important in fertility treatment. A new method of looking at genetic material egg cells discard offers a way to learn more about individual eggs without destroying them. ... > full story

Plant stem cells could be fruitful source of low-cost cancer drug (October 26, 2010) -- A popular cancer drug could be produced cheaply and sustainably using stem cells derived from trees, a new study suggests. ... > full story

Fire-Breathing Storm Systems (October 26, 2010) -- Pyrocumulonimbus is the fire-breathing dragon of clouds. A cumulonimbus without the "pyre" part is imposing enough -- a massive, anvil-shaped tower of power reaching five miles (8 km) high, hurling thunderbolts, wind and rain. Add smoke and fire to the mix and you have pyrocumulonimbus, an explosive storm cloud actually created by the smoke and heat from fire, and which can ravage tens of thousands of acres. And in the process, "pyroCb" storms funnel their smoke like a chimney into Earth's stratosphere, with lingering ill effects. Researchers believe these intense storms may be the source of what previously was believed to have been volcanic particles in the stratosphere. ... > full story

How do beauty product ads affect consumer self esteem and purchasing? (October 26, 2010) -- Ads featuring beauty products actually lower female consumers' self-esteem, a new study has found. ... > full story

Vast amber deposit from India: New trove of fossils suggests global distribution of tropical forest ecosystems in the Eocene (October 26, 2010) -- A vast new amber deposit in India has yielded 100 fossil spiders, bees, and flies that date to the Early Eocene, or 52-50 million years ago. These arthropods are not unique -- as would be expected on an island (which India was at that time) -- but have close evolutionary relationships with fossils from the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The amber is also the oldest evidence of a tropical broadleaf rainforest in Asia. ... > full story

Anti-cholesterol drugs could help stave off seizures, research suggests (October 26, 2010) -- Statins, the family of drugs used to lower cholesterol, might also reduce the risk of epileptic seizures in people with cardiovascular disease, according to a new statistical study by a drug safety expert in Canada. The findings could provide the basis for randomized, controlled clinical trials to test the efficacy of the drugs as anti-epileptic medication. ... > full story

Tabletop instrument makes synchrotron X-rays: Simpler and cheaper way to produce tightly focused high-energy beams (October 26, 2010) -- Producing tightly focused beams of high energy X-rays, to examine everything from molecular structures to the integrity of aircraft wings, could become simpler and cheaper, according to new research. Researchers have now developed a tabletop instrument that produces synchrotron X-rays, whose energy and quality rivals that produced by some of the largest X-ray facilities in the world. ... > full story

Pregnancy outcome affected by immune system genes (October 26, 2010) -- Research sheds new light on genetic factors that increase susceptibility to and provide protection from common disorders of pregnancy, specifically recurrent miscarriage, pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction. ... > full story

Clues about carbon dioxide patterns at end of Ice Age (October 26, 2010) -- New research puts to rest the mystery of where old carbon was stored during the last glacial period. It turns out it ended up in the icy waters of the Southern Ocean near Antarctica. ... > full story

Odor coding in mammals is more complex than previously thought (October 26, 2010) -- The contribution of odorant receptors to olfactory response in mammals is much more complex than previously thought, with important consequences for odorant encoding and information transfer about odorants to the brain. ... > full story

Heavy smoking in midlife may be associated with dementia in later years (October 26, 2010) -- Heavy smoking in middle age appears to be associated with more than double the risk for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia two decades later, according to a new study. ... > full story

Immune cells deploy traps to catch and kill pathogens (October 26, 2010) -- A new study reveals that two enzymes help immune cells deploy pathogen-killing traps by unraveling and using the chromatin (DNA and its associated proteins) contained in the cells' nuclei to form defensive webs. The study appears online on Oct. 25 in the Journal of Cell Biology. ... > full story

Mouse brain seen in sharpest detail ever (October 26, 2010) -- The most detailed magnetic resonance images ever obtained of a mammalian brain are now available to researchers in a free, online atlas of an ultra-high-resolution mouse brain. The interactive images in the atlas will allow researchers worldwide to evaluate the brain from all angles and assess and share their mouse studies against this reference brain in genetics, toxicology and drug discovery. ... > full story

Substantial consumption of fluoride increases chance of mild fluorosis, research finds (October 26, 2010) -- Young children who consume substantial amounts of fluoride through infant formula and other beverages mixed with fluoridated water or by swallowing fluoride toothpaste have an increased chance of developing mild enamel fluorosis, according to new research. However, experts say, children can continue using fluoridated water and fluoride toothpaste because fluoride has been proven to prevent tooth decay, and mild fluorosis does not negatively affect dental health or quality of life. ... > full story

How to avoid fraud in biometric identification (October 26, 2010) -- Scientists in Spain are analyzing possible attempts at fraud in various biometric identification systems in order to improve the security of facial, iris, fingerprint or vascular recognition, among other types. ... > full story

Blood pressure checks performed by barbers improve hypertension control in African-American men (October 26, 2010) -- Neighborhood barbers, by conducting a monitoring, education and physician-referral program, can help their African-American customers better control high blood pressure problems that pose special health risks for them, a new study shows. ... > full story

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