ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Tuesday, June 21, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Tuesday, June 21, 2011

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Genius of Einstein, Fourier key to new computer vision that mimics how humans perceive 3-D shapes (June 21, 2011) -- Two new techniques for computer-vision technology mimic how humans perceive three-dimensional shapes by instantly recognizing objects no matter how they are twisted or bent, an advance that could help machines see more like people. ... > full story

Every second counts when performing CPR: Increase in survival when AED used less than 10 seconds after CPR pause (June 21, 2011) -- A new study has found the number of people who survive after suffering a cardiac arrest outside a hospital drops significantly if the pause between stopping CPR and using a defibrillator to administer an electric shock is longer than 20 seconds. ... > full story

Fighting massive declines in frog populations with bacteria and fungicides (June 21, 2011) -- A microscopic chytrid fungus is causing massive declines in frog populations all over the world and even the extinction of certain species. Researchers have now developed methods for combating the chytrid fungus with bacteria and fungicides. The possibility of vaccinating frogs is also being considered. ... > full story

Exercise training program improves outcomes in 'Grinch Syndrome' patients (June 21, 2011) -- An exercise training program worked better than a commonly used beta blocker, significantly improving -- even curing -- patients with a debilitating heart syndrome, according to new research. ... > full story

Madagascar marine resources plundered by international seafood markets (June 21, 2011) -- Fish catches in Madagascar over the last half-century are double the official reports, and much of that fish is being caught by unregulated traditional fishers or accessed cheaply by foreign fishing vessels. Seafood exports from Madagascar often end up in a European recipe, but are a recipe for political unrest at home, where two-thirds of the population face hunger. ... > full story

Need a nap? Find yourself a hammock (June 21, 2011) -- For grownups, drifting off for an afternoon snooze is often easier said than done. But many of us have probably experienced just how simple it can be to catch those zzz's in a gently rocking hammock. By examining brain waves in sleeping adults, researchers now have evidence to explain why that is. ... > full story

Unexpected function of dyslexia-linked gene: Controlling cilia of cells (June 21, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered that a gene linked to dyslexia has a surprising biological function: it controls cilia, the antenna-like projections that cells use to communicate. ... > full story

Discoveries in mitochondria open new field of cancer research (June 21, 2011) -- Researchers have revealed novel mechanisms in mitochondria that have implications for cancer as well as many other age-related diseases such as Parkinson's disease, heart disease and hypertension. This discovery has pioneered the formation of a whole new field within epigenetics research ripe with possibilities of developing future gene therapies to treat cancer and age-associated diseases. ... > full story

Mimicking nature at the nanoscale: Selective transport across a biomimetic nanopore (June 21, 2011) -- Researchers have established a biomimetic nanopore that provides a unique test and measurement platform for the way that proteins move into a cell's nucleus. In a new study, they report an artificial nanopore that is functionalized with key proteins which mimics the natural nuclear pore. ... > full story

How the immune system responds to hepatitis A virus (June 21, 2011) -- A surprising finding in a study comparing hepatitis C virus (HCV) with hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections in chimpanzees sheds new light on the nature of the body's immune response to these viruses. ... > full story

Learning from mom boosts low-income kids' school readiness (June 21, 2011) -- Previous research says on average, children living in poverty are less well prepared to start school than children from middle-income homes. Now, new research says home learning experiences may help low-income children's school readiness. ... > full story

Buzz kills: No amount of alcohol safe to drive (June 20, 2011) -- In the United States, the blood-alcohol limit may be 0.08 percent, but no amount of alcohol seems to be safe for driving, according to new research. A study finds that blood-alcohol levels well below the U.S. legal limit are associated with incapacitating injury and death. ... > full story

Signaling pathway is 'executive software' of airway stem cells (June 20, 2011) -- Researchers have found out how mouse basal cells that line airways "decide" to become one of two types of cells that assist in airway-clearing duties. The findings could help provide new therapies for either blocked or thinned airways. ... > full story

Horse blind date could lead to loss of foal (June 20, 2011) -- Fetal loss is a common phenomenon in domestic horses after away-mating, according to researchers. When mares return home after mating with a foreign stallion, they either engage in promiscuous mating with the home males to confuse paternity, or, failing that, the mares abort the foal to avoid the likely future infanticide by the dominant home male. ... > full story

Genetic factor controls health-harming inflammation in obese: Trigger holds promise for treating diabetes, other chronic illnesses (June 20, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a genetic factor that can regulate obesity-induced inflammation that contributes to chronic health problems. ... > full story

Production of mustard oils: On the origin of an enzyme (June 20, 2011) -- In the evolutionary arms race, small changes can be sufficient to gain advantage. Scientists found that the ancestor of a gene involved in making chemical defenses in plants of the mustard family, such as rapeseed, originally had a completely different function, playing a part in the formation of leucine, an amino acid. Small changes in the enzyme structure enabled it to take over new tasks that could increase the survival advantage of the plants. ... > full story

Young adults struggle with online political participation (June 20, 2011) -- Young adults who are web savvy, but lack knowledge about federal government, may struggle to use the web for political participation, according to researchers. ... > full story

Fat substitutes linked to weight gain: Rats on high-fat diet gained more weight after eating low-calorie potato chips made with fat substitutes (June 20, 2011) -- Synthetic fat substitutes used in low-calorie potato chips and other foods could backfire and contribute to weight gain and obesity, a new study suggests. ... > full story

First ever drug to treat ‘Celtic Gene’ in cystic fibrosis sufferers (June 20, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a new treatment for cystic fibrosis. The new drug will benefit sufferers who have the ‘Celtic Gene’, a genetic mutation which is particularly common in Ireland. ... > full story

Lab-on-chip sensing: New compact microspectrometer design achieves high resolution and wide bandwidth (June 20, 2011) -- Engineers have designed a new microspectrometer architecture using compact doughnut-shaped resonators. An 81-channel instrument achieved 0.6-nanometer resolution over a spectral range of more than 50 nanometers with a footprint less than one square millimeter. ... > full story

Guidelines for ventilator use help premature infants breathe easier (June 20, 2011) -- Guidelines that reduce the use of mechanical ventilation with premature infants in favor of a gentler form of respiratory support can profoundly affect those children's outcomes while reducing the cost of care, according to new research. ... > full story

Enzymes will play a key role in development of sustainable society, expert says (June 20, 2011) -- Enzymes play a central role in the chemistry of living nature. They facilitate our digestion, for example, and often determine the difference between sick or healthy organisms. One expert now says he expects enzymes to play a key role in the development of a sustainable society. ... > full story

Inconsistent math curricula hurting US students, study finds (June 20, 2011) -- A new study finds important differences in math curricula across US states and school districts. The findings suggest that many students across the country are placed at a disadvantage by less demanding curricula. ... > full story

Atmospheric carbon dioxide buildup unlikely to spark abrupt climate change, scientists find (June 20, 2011) -- New research lends support to recent studies that suggest abrupt climate change is the result of alterations in ocean circulation uniquely associated with ice ages, not from atmospheric carbon dioxide. ... > full story

Diagnosed autism is more common in an IT-rich region, study finds (June 20, 2011) -- A new study has for the first time found that autism diagnoses are more common in an information technology-rich region. The researchers predicted that autism spectrum conditions (ASC) would be more common in populations enriched for 'systemizing', which is the drive to analyze how systems work, and to predict, control and build systems. These skills are required in disciplines such as engineering, physics, computing and mathematics. ... > full story

Discovery of parathyroid glow promises to reduce endocrine surgery risk (June 20, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered that parathyroid glands have a natural fluorescence that can be used during surgery to identify these tiny organs, which are hard to find with the naked eye. ... > full story

Inducing labor is not associated with higher rates of cesarean sections, study finds (June 20, 2011) -- Inducing labor in the weeks around term, or from week 39 to week 41, is not connected with higher rates of cesarean section compared with waiting for a later spontaneous or induced labor. ... > full story

'My dishwasher is trying to kill me': New research finds harmful fungal pathogens living in dishwasher seals (June 20, 2011) -- A potentially pathogenic fungus has found a home living in extreme conditions in some of the most common household appliances, researchers have found. A new paper shows that these sites make perfect habitats for extremotolerant fungi (which includes black yeasts). Some of these are potentially dangerous to human health. ... > full story

Informal daycare not as good for kids' cognitive development as formal daycare, study suggests (June 20, 2011) -- Formal daycare may be better for a child's cognitive development than informal care by a grandparent, sibling, or family friend, according to a study of single mothers and their childcare choices. ... > full story

Shock and recall: Negative emotion may enhance memory (June 20, 2011) -- Picture a menacing drill sergeant, a gory slaughterhouse, a devastating scene of a natural disaster. Researchers have found that viewing such emotion-laden images immediately after taking a test actually enhances people's retention of the tested material. ... > full story

High prevalence and severity of childhood food allergy in the US (June 20, 2011) -- A national study of food allergies in the US, the largest of its kind, finds that more children have food allergies than previously reported. ... > full story

Ancient Mycenaean fortress uncovered (June 20, 2011) -- New research in Cyprus reveals the remnants of a Late Bronze Age (1500-750 B.C.) fortress that may have functioned to protect an important urban economic center in the ancient world. ... > full story

Proteins used to map the aging process (June 20, 2011) -- Loss of muscle mass is not only associated with disease, such as HIV and cancer, but also with the normal aging process. New research shows that nine proteins, isolated from blood of men, alter with age but that the profile of only some of these proteins can be reversed by testosterone treatment. ... > full story

Improving LED lighting (June 20, 2011) -- A new light-emitting diode (LED) light uses an array of LEDs 100 times smaller than conventional LEDs. The new device has flexibility, maintains lower temperature and has an increased life-span over existing LEDs. ... > full story

Dangers of portable pools uncovered (June 20, 2011) -- As the weather gets warmer, many parents will turn to pools to keep their family cool. Due to their low cost and ease of use, portable pools -- which include wading pools, inflatable pools and soft-sided, self-rising pools -- have become an increasingly popular alternative to expensive in-ground pools or water park visits. A new study has found that these pools may be more dangerous than many parents realize. ... > full story

Did climate change cause Greenland's ancient Viking community to collapse? (June 20, 2011) -- Our changing climate usually appears to be a very modern problem, yet new research from Greenland published in Boreas, suggests that the AD 1350 collapse of a centuries old colony established by Viking settlers may have been caused by declining temperatures and a rise in sea-ice. The authors suggest the collapse of the Greenland Norse presents a historical example of a society which failed to adapt to climate change. ... > full story

Genetic mutation linked to asbestos exposure, mouse study suggests (June 20, 2011) -- Mice inhabiting an area known for its high concentration of asbestos-contaminated dust, have a higher level of genetic somatic mutations, compared with other regions where asbestos pollution levels are lower. ... > full story

Self-assembling electronic nano-components (June 20, 2011) -- Magnetic storage media such as hard drives have revolutionized the handling of information: huge quantities of data are magnetically stored while relying on highly sensitive electronic components. And data capacities are expected to increase further through ever smaller components. Researchers have now developed a nano-component based on a mechanism observed in nature. ... > full story

New genes for risk and progression of rare brain disease identified (June 20, 2011) -- There are new genetic clues on risk factors and biological causes of a rare neurodegenerative disease called progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), according to a new study. In the largest genetics study of the disease, three new genes associated with risk for PSP were identified and two additional genetic variants affecting risk for PSP were confirmed. ... > full story

Could bacterial predator be harnessed to mop up biofilms? (June 20, 2011) -- Some new research on a bacterial predator that feeds on other bacteria may lead to new ammunition against biofilms. ... > full story

Careless behaviour of cloud users leads to crucial security threats, experts find (June 20, 2011) -- Scientists in Germany have discovered major security vulnerabilities in numerous virtual machines published by customers of Amazon's cloud. Among 1100 public Amazon Machine Images (AMIs), which are used to provide cloud services, about 30 percent are vulnerable, allowing attackers to manipulate or compromise web services or virtual infrastructures, the researchers say. ... > full story

Human vaccine used to cure prostate cancer in mice (June 20, 2011) -- Scientists cured well-established prostate tumors in mice using a human vaccine with no apparent side effects. This novel cancer treatment approach encourages the immune system to rid itself of prostate tumors without assistance from toxic chemotherapies and radiation treatments. Such a treatment model could some day help people to live tumor free with fewer side effects than those experienced from current therapies. ... > full story

Cholesterol boosts antibiotic resistance in H. pylori (June 20, 2011) -- New research suggests that cholesterol boosts resistance in Helicobacter pylori both to many antibiotics and to the endogenous antimicrobial peptide, LL-37. A complete understanding of the pathway of cholesterol uptake might lead to novel strategies thwarting H. pylori by blocking that pathway. ... > full story

Team reports scalable fabrication of self-aligned graphene transistors, circuits (June 20, 2011) -- Researchers previously reported a self-aligned technique for making graphene transistors with unparalleled speed, but scalability was a question. The team now uses a dielectrophoresis assembly approach to precisely place nanowire gate arrays on large area chemical vapor deposition growth graphene to enable the rational fabrication of high speed transistor arrays. They also did this on a glass substrate, minimizing the parasitic delay and enabling graphene transistors with extrinsic cut-off frequencies exceeding 50 GHz. ... > full story

Surroundings matter: Researchers engineer the environment for stem cell development to control differentiation (June 20, 2011) -- New research shows that systematically controlling the local and global environments during stem cell development helps to effectively direct the process of differentiation. In the future, these findings could be used to develop manufacturing procedures for producing large quantities of stem cells for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. ... > full story

New insights on an old material will enable design of better polymer batteries, water purification (June 20, 2011) -- Scientists have devised a way to measure Nafion's internal structure and, in the process, have discovered how to manipulate this structure to enhance the material's applications. ... > full story

Early experience found critical for language development (June 20, 2011) -- Researchers studying more than 100 children who were in foster care in Romania, have found that children who were placed in foster care before they turned 2 had substantially greater language skills at age 3-1/2 than children who stayed in institutional care, with those placed by 15 months showing language skills similar to the comparison group. Findings highlight the importance of early intervention. ... > full story

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