ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Monday, May 23, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Monday, May 23, 2011

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Movement without muscles: Zoologists on trail of evolution of body contractions (May 23, 2011) -- All animals move -- cheetahs faster, snails more slowly. Muscle contractions are the basis of movement in many, but not all, species. Some animal groups don't have any muscles at all, as they branched off from the evolutionary path before muscle cells evolved. Yet these animal groups -- for instance, the sea sponges -- are not incapable of movement. Sponges are able to contract without muscles. But which cells in sponges are actually contracting? ... > full story

Scientists observe single gene activity in living cells in detail for first time (May 23, 2011) -- Researchers have for the first time observed the activity of a single gene in living cells. In an unprecedented study, scientists were able to follow, in real time, the process of gene transcription, which occurs when a gene converts its DNA information into molecules of messenger RNA that go on to make the protein coded by the gene. ... > full story

A new program for neural stem cells (May 23, 2011) -- Neural stem cells can do a lot, but not everything. For example, brain and spinal cord cells are not usually generated by neural stem cells of the peripheral nervous system, and it is not possible to produce cells of the peripheral nervous system from the stem cells of the brain. However, researchers have now succeeded in producing central nervous system cells from neural stem cells of the peripheral nervous system. They found that if peripheral stem cells are maintained under defined growth conditions, they generate oligodendrocytes, which form the myelin layer that surrounds the neurons found in the brain and spinal cord. ... > full story

New method to localize the epileptic focus in severe epilepsy (May 23, 2011) -- Medical researchers have started to utilize stereo-EEG method for localizing the epileptic focus in severe epilepsy for epilepsy surgery purposes. They are getting ready to introduce the so-called deep brain stimulation therapy in the treatment of epilepsy. ... > full story

Livestock also suffer traffic accidents during transport (May 23, 2011) -- A Spanish study has analyzed traffic accidents involving cattle being transported for human consumption in the country for the first time. Despite the "relatively" low mortality rate, animals suffer high-risk situations that cause pain and stress. The scientists say that specific protocols for action are needed with regard to these accidents, and to prepare the emergency services to deal with them. ... > full story

'Death anxiety' prompts people to believe in intelligent design, reject evolution, study suggests (May 23, 2011) -- Researchers have found that people's 'death anxiety' can influence them to support theories of intelligent design and reject evolutionary theory. ... > full story

Oceanic land crab extinction linked to colonization of Hawaii (May 23, 2011) -- Researchers have described a new species of land crab that documents the first crab extinction during the human era. The loss of the crab likely greatly impacted the ecology of the Hawaiian Islands, as land crabs are major predators, control litter decomposition and help in nutrient cycling and seed dispersal. Their disappearance was caused by the arrival of humans to the islands and resulted in large-scale changes in the state's ecosystem. ... > full story

A direct path for understanding and treating brittle bones (May 23, 2011) -- Researchers have new insights into the means by which bone cells produce new bone in response to mechanical stresses, such as exercise. New findings lay a path for developing new strategies for treating diseases characterized by low bone density, such as osteoporosis in adults and osteogenesis imperfecta in children. ... > full story

Evolutionary conservation of fat metabolism pathways (May 23, 2011) -- A new study recently revealed just how similarly mammals and insects make critical metabolic adjustments when food availability changes, either due to environmental catastrophe or everyday changes in sleep/wake cycles. Those findings may suggest novel ways to treat metabolic conditions such as obesity and type II diabetes. ... > full story

Enzyme essential for healthy lung development discovered (May 23, 2011) -- Dysregulation of cell polarity has been associated with developmental disorders and cancer. Until now, little has been know about what controls it. Investigators have now determined that Eya1 phosphatase regulates cell polarity in lung epithelial stem cells. ... > full story

Emissions trading doesn't cause pollution 'hot spots,' study finds (May 23, 2011) -- Critics worry that trading emissions allowances will create heavily polluted "hot spots" in low-income and minority communities. But a new study finds the problem hasn't materialized. ... > full story

Freedom in the swamp: Unearthing the secret history of the Great Dismal Swamp (May 23, 2011) -- Anthropologists have been researching maroons (African-Americans who permanently escaped enslavement) and other communities in the Great Dismal Swamp's approximately 200 square miles of densely wooded wetlands in southeast Virginia and northeast North Carolina. ... > full story

Out of Africa: How the fruit fly made its way in the world (May 22, 2011) -- The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster used to be found only in sub-Saharan Africa, but about 10,000 years ago it began to colonize Asia and Europe. This period saw the start of human agriculture and the domestication of cats and oxen, but we have no evidence to suggest that early agricultural practices were associated with significant global warming. So, the fly's northerly spread is thought to relate to genetic factors rather than to environmental changes. Now researchers in Austria offer an intriguing clue to the mechanism. ... > full story

Epstein-Barr virus could be risk factor for multiple sclerosis, study suggests (May 22, 2011) -- While there is no cause known for multiple sclerosis, patients with MS seem to have genetic vulnerability to certain environmental factors that could trigger this condition, such as the Epstein-Barr virus. Scientists have now found a link between the Epstein-Barr virus --- which belongs to the herpes viruses family --- and the development of this condition. ... > full story

Embryonic cells: Predicting fate of personalized cells may be next step toward new therapies (May 22, 2011) -- Discovering the step-by-step details of the path embryonic cells take to develop into their final tissue type is the clinical goal of many stem cell biologists. To that end, researchers looked at immature cells called progenitors and found a way to potentially predict their fate. They base this on how the protein spools around which DNA winds -- called histones -- are marked by other proteins. ... > full story

Chinese herbal paste may help prevent exacerbations of COPD (May 22, 2011) -- A traditional Chinese herbal paste known as Xiao Chuan, or XCP, may help reduce winter exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a new study conducted by researchers in Beijing. The paste has been used to treat breathing difficulties in China for more than a thousand years. ... > full story

Engineers scale up process that could improve economics of ethanol production (May 22, 2011) -- Engineers have built a pilot plant to test a process designed to improve ethanol production. They're growing fungi on some of ethanol's leftovers to make a quality animal feed and to clean water so it can be recycled back into fuel production. The researchers think the fungi could also be developed into a low-cost nutritional supplement for people. ... > full story

Video game effects on kids: Not all black and white, expert argues (May 22, 2011) -- A new article argues that existing video game literature can't be classified in black and white terms. Instead, there's a vast gray area when considering the multiple dimensions of video game effects on kids -- with at least five dimensions on which video games can affect players simultaneously. ... > full story

Octopuses make some pretty good moves (May 22, 2011) -- In case you thought that octopuses were smart only in guessing the outcome of soccer matches (remember the late Paul the octopus in Germany who picked all the right winners in last year's world cup matches in Johannesburg?), scientists have now shown that not only are they smart, they can make some pretty good moves as well. ... > full story

Marker identifies breast cancer patients likely to respond to tamoxifen (May 22, 2011) -- Cancer researchers have discovered a biomarker in breast cancer that may help identify which women will respond to anti-estrogen therapy. ... > full story

How retinas develop: Scientists make strides in vision research (May 22, 2011) -- New research is contributing to the basic biological understanding of how retinas develop. In two new studies, scientists document how they used mice as a research model organism to show that the size of different populations of retinal neurons display wide-ranging variability among individuals. ... > full story

Scientists discover switch to speed up stem cell production (May 22, 2011) -- A team of scientists from Singapore have shown how proteins involved in controlling genes work together to carry out their functions in stem cells and demonstrated for the very first time, how they can change interaction partners to make other types of cells. ... > full story

New method of unreeling cocoons could extend silk industry beyond Asia (May 22, 2011) -- The development and successful testing of a method for unreeling the strands of silk in wild silkworm cocoons could clear the way for establishment of new silk industries not only in Asia but also in vast areas of Africa and South America. ... > full story

Driving errors increase with age among older drivers: Blind-spot errors most common mistake (May 22, 2011) -- Even healthy adults with a safe driving record tend to make more driving errors as they age, including potentially dangerous mistakes, such as failing to check blind spots, according to a new study. ... > full story

How ants tame the wilderness: Rainforest species use chemicals to identify which plants to prune (May 22, 2011) -- Survival in the depths of the tropical rainforest not only depends on a species' ability to defend itself, but can be reliant on the type of cooperation researchers discovered between ants and tropical trees. The research reveals how the ants use chemical signals on their host tree to distinguish them from competing plant species. Once a competing plant is recognized the ants prune them to defend their host. ... > full story

Adult stem cells take root in livers and repair damage (May 22, 2011) -- Researchers have demonstrated that human liver cells derived from adult cells coaxed into an embryonic state can engraft and begin regenerating liver tissue in mice with chronic liver damage. ... > full story

Wildlife in trouble from oil palm plantations, researchers say (May 22, 2011) -- Palm oil plantations are having a catastrophic effect on the sustainability of a variety of plant and animal species, scientists in the UK have discovered. ... > full story

'Blueprint' for blocking MMP may unlock new treatments for deadly blood infection (May 22, 2011) -- Researchers studying the life threatening infectious disease sepsis have discovered how the infection can lead to a fatal inflammatory response through blood vessel cells. The research focuses on blocking crucial matrix metalloprotease enzymes (MMP) which activate the response. ... > full story

New strategy aims to reduce agricultural ammonia (May 22, 2011) -- Scientists report how natural plant compounds known as tannins can reduce both the amount of nitrogen cows excrete in urine, and the action of a microbial enzyme in manure that converts the nitrogen into ammonia on the barn floor. ... > full story

Sensitivity to alcohol can lead to greater consumption and risk for alcoholism (May 22, 2011) -- Children with a family history of alcoholism (FHP) have a higher risk for becoming alcoholic themselves. Of the two classifications of alcoholism -- types I and II -- the former is less severe but more prevalent. New findings show that a "moderate" alcohol dose can increase subjective responses of stimulation and elevate positive mood state in individuals with an FHP of type I alcoholism. ... > full story

Young graphite in old rocks challenges the earliest signs of life (May 21, 2011) -- Carbon found laced within rock formations has helped establish a timeline for the emergence of life on the planet. But a new study contends such carbon deposits may be millions of years younger than the rock they inhabit, fueling a reassessment of the first appearance of the earth's earliest biosphere, according to a team of US researchers. ... > full story

Enlarged prostate: Study demonstrates immediate and long-term benefits of laser treatment (May 21, 2011) -- New research demonstrates that holmium laser therapy is a safe and durable treatment option for benign prostatic hyperplasia -- an enlargement of the prostate that affects most men as they age. ... > full story

The wetter the better for daddy longlegs -- and birds (May 21, 2011) -- Keeping moorland soils wet could prove vital in conserving some of Britain's important upland breeding bird species -- by protecting the humble daddy longlegs, according to new research. In spring, thousands of adult crane-flies (daddy longlegs) emerge from the peat soils of UK mountains and moorland, providing a vital food source for breeding birds, such as Golden Plover, and their chicks. ... > full story

Traditional remedy bitter cumin is a great source antioxidant plant phenols, study suggests (May 21, 2011) -- Bitter cumin is used extensively in traditional medicine to treat a range of diseases from vitiligo to hyperglycemia. It is considered to be antiparasitic and antimicrobial and science has backed up claims of its use to reduce fever or as a painkiller. New research shows that this humble spice also contains high levels of antioxidants. ... > full story

Wii key to helping kids balance (May 21, 2011) -- By cleverly linking five Wii Balance Boards, a team of university undergraduates has combined the appeal of a video game with the utility of a computerized motion-tracking system that can enhance patient progress. ... > full story

Is fear deficit a harbinger of future psychopaths? (May 21, 2011) -- Psychopaths are charming, but they often get themselves and others in big trouble; their willingness to break social norms and lack of remorse means they are often at risk for crimes and other irresponsible behaviors. ... > full story

Errors in protein structure sparked evolution of biological complexity (May 21, 2011) -- A new comparison of proteins shared across species finds that complex organisms, including humans, have accumulated structural weaknesses that may have actually launched the long journey from microbe to man. The study suggests that the random introduction of errors into proteins, rather than traditional natural selection, may have boosted the evolution of biological complexity. ... > full story

Herbal remedies offer hope as the new antibiotics (May 21, 2011) -- Cancer treatments often have the side effect of impairing the patient's immune system. This can result in life-threatening secondary infections from bacteria and fungi, especially since bacteria, like Staphylococcus aureus, are becoming multi-drug resistant. New research investigates the potency of Indian wild plants against bacterial and fungal infections in the mouths of oral cancer patients. ... > full story

Proboscis monkeys regurgitating their food, like cows (May 21, 2011) -- A previously unknown behavior pattern is only observed in a large animal very rarely – which is why new videos are nothing short of a sensation: They show proboscis monkeys regurgitating, chewing and gulping back down food they’ve swallowed – just like ruminating cows. ... > full story

New treatment regimen shows clinical benefit in advanced colon cancer (May 21, 2011) -- A new treatment regimen for patients with metastatic colon cancer appears to offer clinical benefit even when used after multiple other treatments have failed, say research physicians. ... > full story

First macro-scale thin-film solid-oxide fuel cell: Strong, nanostructured membrane enables scaling for clean-energy applications (May 21, 2011) -- Materials scientists have demonstrated the first macro-scale thin-film solid-oxide fuel cell. While SOFCs have previously worked at the micro-scale, this is the first time any research group has overcome the structural challenges of scaling the technology up to a practical size with a proportionally higher power output. ... > full story

Pharmacies' software systems miss potentially dangerous interactions, study finds (May 21, 2011) -- Only 28 percent of pharmacies' clinical decision support software systems -- the computer programs that are in place to alert pharmacists to possible medication problems -- correctly identified potentially dangerous drug-drug interactions, according to a new study. ... > full story

Artificial tissue promotes skin growth in wounds (May 21, 2011) -- Improved tissue grafts designed by scientists that promote vascular growth could hasten healing, encourage healthy skin to invade the wounded area and reduce the need for surgeries. ... > full story

Gene-modified stem cells help protect bone marrow from toxic side effects of chemotherapy (May 21, 2011) -- Although chemotherapy is used to kill cancer cells, it can also have a strong toxic effect on normal cells such as bone marrow and blood cells. Researchers report that one possible approach to reduce this toxic effect on bone marrow cells is to modify the cells with a gene that makes them resistant to chemotherapy. ... > full story

The way to (kill) a bug's heart is through its stomach (May 21, 2011) -- A new study has revealed a potential new way for plants to fend off pests -- starvation. A biochemistry and molecular biology professor cites this defense mechanism as just one example of a veritable evolutionary arms race between plants and herbivores. ... > full story

Insight into quality of stored blood used for transfusions (May 21, 2011) -- New research provides evidence for significant differences between new and old red blood cells used for transfusions and could provide a cheap, rapid and effective way to monitor the quality of blood supplies. ... > full story

Smooth single-molecule layers of materials: Expanding the degrees of surface freezing (May 21, 2011) -- As part of the quest to form perfectly smooth single-molecule layers of materials for advanced energy, electronic, and medical devices, researchers have discovered that the molecules in thin films remain frozen at a temperature where the bulk material is molten. ... > full story

Does eating give you pleasure, or make you anxious? (May 21, 2011) -- While most people have a great deal of difficulty in dieting and losing weight, particularly if a diet extends over many months or years, individuals with anorexia nervosa can literally diet themselves to death. In fact, this disorder has a very high death rate from starvation. A new study sheds light on why these symptoms occur in anorexia nervosa. ... > full story

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