ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Monday, June 20, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Monday, June 20, 2011

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Arctic snow can harbor deadly assassin: Killer fungal strains (June 20, 2011) -- Heavy and prolonged snowfall can bring about unexpected conditions that encourage fungal growth, leading to the death of plants in the Arctic, according to experts. A new international study confirms that while snow has an insulating effect which helps plants to grow bigger, heavy and prolonged snow can, in certain circumstances, also encourage the rapid and extensive growth of killer fungal strains. ... > full story

Experimental radioprotective drug safe for lung cancer patients, says study (June 20, 2011) -- Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer can safely take an experimental oral drug intended to protect healthy tissue from the effects of radiation, according to a new study. ... > full story

Noncoding RNA may promote Alzheimer's disease (June 20, 2011) -- Researchers pinpoint a small RNA that spurs cells to manufacture a particular splice variant of a key neuronal protein, potentially promoting Alzheimer's disease or other types of neurodegeneration. ... > full story

Taking tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer can save lives and money, study suggests (June 20, 2011) -- Tamoxifen, taken by certain women as a preventive measure against breast cancer, saves lives and reduces medical costs, a new study suggests. The study's results suggest that the benefits of tamoxifen to prevent cancer can sufficiently compensate for its side effects in post-menopausal women under age 55 years who have an increased risk of developing breast cancer. ... > full story

From seawater to freshwater with a nanotechnology filter (June 20, 2011) -- In a new article, researchers describe the role that carbon nanotubes could play in the desalination of water, providing a possible solution to the problem of the world's ever-growing population demanding more and more fresh drinking water. ... > full story

Pitchers bean more batters in the heat of the summer (June 20, 2011) -- During spring training, you will find Major League pitchers practicing their pitches, perfecting their technique and strengthening their muscles to endure the grueling 162 game season. A new study suggests that hurlers might also consider the effect these sweltering months could have on their brains. ... > full story

Glimpsing the end of our solar system (June 20, 2011) -- Astronomers are investigating the possible eventual fate of the solar system by examining 'white dwarf' stars elsewhere in our galaxy. ... > full story

Scientists find candidate for new TB vaccine (June 20, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered a protein secreted by tuberculosis bacteria that could be a promising new vaccine candidate. The protein could also be used to improve diagnosis of TB. ... > full story

Finding reserves on the electrical grid (June 20, 2011) -- The weather determines how much energy wind turbine systems provide. The same applies to power line capacity. On cold and stormy days, this capacity is higher than on days with no wind and high mid-summer temperatures. An autonomously powered sensor network monitors power lines to find the reserves in the lines. ... > full story

DCIS patients who get invasive breast cancer have higher mortality, study finds (June 20, 2011) -- Women with ductal carcinoma in situ -- DCIS -- who later develop invasive breast cancer in the same breast are at higher risk of dying from breast cancer than those who do not develop invasive disease, according to a new study. ... > full story

Predicting future appearance: New computer-based technique ages photographic images of people's faces (June 20, 2011) -- A graduate student has designed a promising computer program that could serve as a new tool in missing-child investigations and matters of national security. Khoa Luu has developed a more effective computer-based technique to age photographic images of people's faces -- an advance that could help to identify missing kids and criminals on the lam. ... > full story

Grab the leash: Dog walkers more likely to reach exercise benchmarks (June 20, 2011) -- Man's best friend may provide more than just faithful companionship: A new study shows people who owned and walked their dogs were 34 percent more likely to meet federal benchmarks on physical activity. The results show that promoting dog ownership and dog walking could help many Americans -- of which fewer than half meet recommended levels of leisure-time physical activity -- become healthier. ... > full story

Green ring fit for a superhero: Spitzer Space Telescope spies powerful light of giant 'O' stars (June 19, 2011) -- This glowing emerald nebula seen by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope is reminiscent of the glowing ring wielded by the superhero Green Lantern. In the comic books, the diminutive Guardians of the Planet "Oa" forged his power ring, but astronomers believe rings like this are actually sculpted by the powerful light of giant "O" stars. O stars are the most massive type of star known to exist. ... > full story

Calorie-burning brown fat is a potential obesity treatment, researchers say (June 19, 2011) -- A new study suggests that many adults have large amounts of brown fat, the "good" fat that burns calories to keep us warm, and that it may be possible to make even more of this tissue. ... > full story

Cave researchers explore stream-filled cavern at entrance to Jerusalem (June 19, 2011) -- Researchers have conducted an initial survey of what appears to be an important, ancient water source in a cave that was been discovered during excavation work for a new train station being constructed at the entrance to Jerusalem. ... > full story

Barrett's esophagus carries lower risk of malignancy than previously reported, study finds (June 19, 2011) -- Patients with Barrett's esophagus may have a lower risk of esophageal cancer than previously reported, according to a large, long-term study. ... > full story

Observation of rare particles may shed light on why the universe has more matter than antimatter (June 19, 2011) -- Physicists have now observed the decays of a rare particle that was present right after the Big Bang. Scientists hope this will help to solve the mystery of why the universe evolved with more matter than antimatter. ... > full story

College students sleep longer but drink more and get lower grades when classes start later (June 19, 2011) -- Later class start times were associated with a delayed sleep schedule, which led to poorer sleep, more daytime sleepiness, and a lower grade-point average. Students with later class start times also consumed more alcohol and reported more binge drinking. Students who were "night owls" with a natural preference to stay up later were more likely than "morning types" to have a delayed sleep schedule and to consume more alcohol. The study involved 253 college students. ... > full story

Intelligent onboard transportation systems to prevent car crashes? (June 19, 2011) -- Since 2000, there have been 110 million car accidents in the United States, more than 443,000 of which have been fatal -- an average of 110 fatalities per day. These statistics make traffic accidents one of the leading causes of death in this country, as well as worldwide. More progress must be made to achieve the long-term goal of "intelligent transportation": cars that can "see" and communicate with other vehicles on the road, making them able to prevent crashes virtually 100 percent of the time. ... > full story

Molecular movements could lead to new way to treat cancer (June 19, 2011) -- New research could point to a new way to treat aggressive types of cancer. Scientists have found that a molecule called Met is responsible for stimulating the growth and spread of cancer because it is relocating to the wrong part of the cell. Experiments in the lab suggest that moving Met molecules from the inside of the cell to the cell surface could halt the growth of cancer cells and even cause tumors to shrink. ... > full story

'Lost' bats found breeding on UK's Isles of Scilly (June 19, 2011) -- A biologist has discovered a "lost" species of bat breeding on the Isles of Scilly (UK). A pregnant female brown long-eared bat is the first of its species to be found on the islands for at least 40 years. ... > full story

After 55 years, surgery restores sight (June 19, 2011) -- After being hit in the eye by a stone, a detached retina left a man blind in his right eye. Doctors at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary have reported a case, describing how this patient had functional vision restored 55 years after the childhood accident which left him blind. ... > full story

Mimivirus isolated, genome amputated (June 19, 2011) -- In the absence of competition with other microorganisms, Mimivirus, the largest known DNA virus, loses 17% of its genome. ... > full story

Fathers benefit from seeking help as parents (June 19, 2011) -- Men are sometimes criticized for being unwilling to ask for directions when they travel, but they can benefit from looking for help as they begin their journeys as fathers, according to a researcher on fatherhood. Along the way, they should not shy from asserting their roles, the researcher said. ... > full story

Progress using induced pluripotent stem cells to reverse blindness (June 18, 2011) -- Researchers have used cutting-edge stem cell technology to correct a genetic defect present in a rare blinding disorder, another step on a promising path that may one day lead to therapies to reverse blindness caused by common retinal diseases. ... > full story

More evidence vitamin D boosts immune response (June 18, 2011) -- Laboratory-grown gingival cells treated with vitamin D boosted their production of an endogenous antibiotic, and killed more bacteria than untreated cells, according to a new study. The research suggests that vitamin D can help protect the gums from bacterial infections that lead to gingivitis and periodontitis. Periodontitis affects up to 50 percent of the US population, is a major cause of tooth loss, and can also contribute to heart disease. Most Americans are deficient in vitamin D. ... > full story

Chirality: New method to consistently make left-handed or right-handed molecules (June 18, 2011) -- Many organic molecules are non-superimposable with their mirror image. The two forms of such a molecule are called enantiomers and can have different properties in biological systems. The problem is to control which enantiomer you want to produce -- a problem that has proved to be important in the pharmaceutical industry. Researchers have now come up with a new method to control the process. ... > full story

New clues about protein linked to Parkinson's disease: Structural biologists measure energy difference between protein variants (June 18, 2011) -- Researchers have uncovered structural clues about the protein linked to Parkinson's disease, which ultimately could lead to finding a cure for the degenerative neurological disorder. ... > full story

'Ultrawideband' could be future of medical monitoring (June 18, 2011) -- New research has confirmed that an electronic technology called "ultrawideband" could hold part of the solution to an ambitious goal in the future of medicine -- health monitoring with sophisticated "body-area networks." Such networks would offer continuous, real-time health diagnosis to reduce the onset of degenerative diseases, save lives and cut health care costs. ... > full story

How many US deaths are caused by poverty and other social factors? About the same as deaths from heart attacks and stroke, study finds (June 18, 2011) -- In the first comprehensive analysis of the contribution of social factors to US mortality, researchers found that poverty, low levels of education, poor social support and other social factors contribute about as many deaths in the US as such familiar causes as heart attacks, strokes and lung cancer. ... > full story

Dawn of agriculture took toll on health (June 18, 2011) -- When populations around the globe started turning to agriculture around 10,000 years ago, regardless of their locations and type of crops, a similar trend occurred: the height and health of the people declined. The pattern holds up across standardized studies of whole skeletons in populations, say researchers in the first comprehensive, global review of the literature regarding stature and health during the agriculture transition. ... > full story

A better way to remember (June 18, 2011) -- Scientists and educators alike have long known that cramming is not an effective way to remember things. With their latest findings, researchers studying eye movement response in trained mice, have elucidated the neurological mechanism explaining why this is so. Their results suggest that protein synthesis in the cerebellum plays a key role in memory consolidation, shedding light on the fundamental neurological processes governing how we remember. ... > full story

Phobos slips past Jupiter (June 18, 2011) -- Earlier this month, ESA's Mars Express performed a special maneuver to observe an unusual alignment of Jupiter and the martian moon Phobos. The impressive images of this rare event are now available.. ... > full story

American Cancer Society report finds continued progress in reducing cancer mortality (June 18, 2011) -- A steady reduction in overall cancer death rates translates to the avoidance of about 898,000 deaths from cancer between 1990 and 2007, according to the latest statistics from the American Cancer Society. However, progress has not benefited all segments of the population equally. ... > full story

Ocean's harmful low-oxygen zones growing, are sensitive to small changes in climate (June 18, 2011) -- Scientists report a connection between climate fluctuations and the habitability of marine ecosystems by modeling the expansion and contraction of low-oxygen zones that are dangerous for ocean life. The team found that the size of low-oxygen ocean regions is extremely sensitive to changes in their depth caused by oscillations in climate. ... > full story

The way you relate to your partner can affect your long-term mental and physical health, study shows (June 18, 2011) -- The potentially lasting implications of day-to-day couple conflict on physical and mental well-being are revealed in a new study. ... > full story

Spectacular Hubble view of Centaurus A (June 17, 2011) -- The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has produced a close-up view of the galaxy Centaurus A. Hubble's out-of-this-world location and world-class Wide Field Camera 3 instrument reveal a dramatic picture of a dynamic galaxy in flux. ... > full story

Tapeworm drug inhibits colon cancer metastasis (June 17, 2011) -- A compound that for about 60 years has been used as a drug against tapeworm infection is also apparently effective against colon cancer metastasis, as studies using mice have shown. The compound silences a gene that triggers the formation of metastases in colon cancer. Researchers in Germany made this discovery in collaboration with researchers in the U.S. Plans are already underway to conduct a clinical trial. ... > full story

Size matters -- in virulent fungal spores -- and suggests ways to stop a killer (June 17, 2011) -- Scientists have found that larger fungal spores can be more lethal. Their findings about two different spore sizes of the fungus Mucor circinelloides, a pathogen that kills half or more of its victims, could help to develop new treatments and fight other types of fungal infections. Mucor infection is in the news as an environmental fungus contracted by people who had trauma in the wake of tornadoes in Joplin, Mo. ... > full story

Surgeons perform first prosthetic bypass graft with patient's stem cells at point-of-care (June 17, 2011) -- The first three patients to undergo an investigational surgical procedure for peripheral vascular disease that involves the patient's own stem cells continue to do well, say doctors . The "TGI-PVG IDE" clinical trial initiated at the University of Louisville involves using a patient's own stem cells to line artificial bypass grafts to better the chances at saving the limbs of patients with peripheral artery disease. ... > full story

Nitrogen-fixing bacterial symbiont promises trove of natural products (June 17, 2011) -- Soil-dwelling bacteria of the genus Frankia have the potential to produce a multitude of natural products, including antibiotics, herbicides, pigments, anticancer agents, and other useful products, according to new research. ... > full story

Look before you leap: Teens still learning to plan ahead (June 17, 2011) -- Researchers studied strategic planning and problem solving among 890 10-30 year-olds using a computerized test called the Tower of London. Older test takers did better on the tower test, showing a greater ability to plan ahead and solve problems. On the hardest problems, mature performance wasn't seen until at least age 22. These findings have implications for programs that target adolescents' still-emerging capacity to plan ahead, control impulses, regulate emotions, and resist peer pressure. ... > full story

Scientists turn memories off and on with flip of switch (June 17, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a way to turn memories on and off -- literally with the flip of a switch. Using an electronic system that duplicates the neural signals associated with learning, they replicated the brain function in rats associated with long-term learned behavior, even when the rats had been drugged to forget. "Flip the switch on, and the rats remember. Flip it off, and the rats forget," said the leader of the team reporting the result. ... > full story

Shorter sleep durations may increase genetic risks for obesity (June 17, 2011) -- A recent study found that the heritability of self-reported, habitual sleep duration was 32 percent, and shared environmental influences on sleep duration were negligible. Longer sleep duration was associated with decreased body mass index. Behavioral genetic modeling found that the heritability of self-reported BMI when sleep duration equaled seven hours was more than twice as large as the heritability of BMI when sleep duration equaled nine hours. The study involved 1,811 pairs of identical and fraternal twins. ... > full story

Coming to TV screens of the future: A sense of smell (June 17, 2011) -- In a new paper, engineers demonstrate that it is possible to generate odor, at will, in a compact device small enough to fit on the back of your TV with potentially thousands of odors. ... > full story

Survival niche for cancer cells (June 17, 2011) -- Cancer cells do not grow equally well everywhere in the body. Often, they first create the conditions in which they can grow. Immunologists and hematologists have now shown that specific forms of lymphoma also create their own survival niche. ... > full story

ATV preparing for fiery destruction (June 17, 2011) -- ATV Johannes Kepler has been an important part of the International Space Station since February. Next week, it will complete its mission by undocking and burning up harmlessly in the atmosphere high over an uninhabited area of the Pacific Ocean. ... > full story

Poor 'gut sense' of numbers contributes to persistent math difficulties (June 17, 2011) -- Having a poor "gut sense" of numbers can lead to a mathematical learning disability and difficulty in achieving basic math proficiency. This inaccurate number sense is just one cause of math learning disabilities, according to researchers. ... > full story

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