ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Tuesday, June 28, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Tuesday, June 28, 2011

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It's not an apple a day after all -- it's strawberries: Flavonoids could represent two-fisted assault on diabetes and nervous system disorders (June 28, 2011) -- A recent study suggests that a strawberry a day (or more accurately, 37 of them) could keep not just one doctor away, but an entire fleet of them, including the neurologist, the endocrinologist, and maybe even the oncologist. The report explains that fisetin, a naturally-occurring flavonoid found most abundantly in strawberries and to a lesser extent in other fruits and vegetables, lessens complications of diabetes. ... > full story

Waistlines in people, glucose levels in mice hint at sweeteners' effects: Related studies point to the illusion of the artificial (June 28, 2011) -- In the constant battle to lose inches or at least stay the same, we reach for the diet soda. Two studies suggest this might be self-defeating behavior. Epidemiologists report data showing that diet soft drink consumption is associated with increased waist circumference in humans, and a second study that found aspartame raised fasting glucose (blood sugar) in diabetes-prone mice. ... > full story

Scientists discover dielectron charging of water nano-droplet (June 28, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered fundamental steps of charging of nano-sized water droplets and unveiled the long-sought-after mechanism of hydrogen emission from irradiated water. ... > full story

Diastolic dysfunction of the heart associated with increased risk of death, study finds (June 28, 2011) -- Individuals with diastolic dysfunction (an abnormality involving impaired relaxation of the heart's ventricle [pumping chamber] after a contraction) appear to have an increased risk of death, regardless of whether their systolic function (contraction of the heart) is normal or they have other cardiovascular impairments, according to a new report. ... > full story

Landsat satellite images reveal extent of historic North Dakota flooding (June 28, 2011) -- Heavy rains in Canada caused historic flooding in Minot, N.D. Landsat satellite images taken before and during the flooding reveal the water's extent. ... > full story

Surprising drop in physicians' willingness to accept patients with insurance, U.S. study finds (June 28, 2011) -- As required under the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, millions of people will soon be added to the ranks of the insured. However, this rapid expansion of coverage is colliding with a different, potentially problematic trend that could end up hampering access to health care. ... > full story

Fossilized pollen reveals climate history of northern Antarctica: Tundra persisted until 12 million years ago (June 28, 2011) -- A painstaking examination of the first direct and detailed climate record from the continental shelves surrounding Antarctica reveals that the last remnant of Antarctic vegetation existed 12 million years ago. ... > full story

Childhood cancer survivors are at high risk for multiple tumors as they age (June 28, 2011) -- The largest study yet of adult childhood cancer survivors found that the first cancer is just the beginning of a lifelong battle against different forms of the disease for about 10 percent of these survivors. ... > full story

Nanowire-based sensors offer improved detection of volatile organic compounds (June 28, 2011) -- A team of researchers has made nano-sized sensors that detect volatile organic compounds -- harmful pollutants released from paints, cleaners, pesticides and other products -- that offer several advantages over today's commercial gas sensors, including low-power, room-temperature operation and the ability to detect one or several compounds over a wide range of concentrations. ... > full story

In chronic kidney disease, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring seems more accurate in predicting subsequent health events (June 28, 2011) -- Ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring with collection of BP readings over 24 hours may better predict, in cases of nondialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD), whether patients will experience end-stage renal disease, mortality or cardiovascular events that require hospitalization, according to a new report. ... > full story

Student publishes case for faster, less expensive DNA analysis (June 28, 2011) -- A student's undergraduate research is challenging a widely held assumption on the best way to analyze old DNA in anthropological and forensic investigations. At issue is the best way to sequence "ancient" DNA, bits of genetic code pulled from remains up to 800,000 years old. ... > full story

Studies examine impact of media use among youth, recommend preventative measures (June 28, 2011) -- Two new studies focus on different uses of media and assess how media usage can lead to depression in college students and disrupt sleep patterns in preschool-aged children. ... > full story

Flooding of ancient Salton Sea linked to San Andreas earthquakes (June 27, 2011) -- Southern California's Salton Sea, once a large natural lake fed by the Colorado River, may play an important role in the earthquake cycle of the southern San Andreas Fault and may have triggered large earthquakes in the past. ... > full story

Soluble fiber strikes a blow to belly fat (June 27, 2011) -- All fat is not created equal. Unsightly as it is, subcutaneous fat, the fat right under the skin, is not as dangerous to overall health as visceral fat, the fat deep in the belly surrounding vital organs. ... > full story

Cooling system may build eggs' natural defenses against salmonella (June 27, 2011) -- Once eggs are laid, their natural resistance to pathogens begins to wear down, but a scientist believes he knows how to rearm those defenses. ... > full story

Severe psoriasis linked to major adverse cardiovascular events (June 27, 2011) -- New research has revealed an increased incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with severe psoriasis. ... > full story

Two talks with teens leads to less marijuana use for at least a year, study finds (June 27, 2011) -- Researchers found that a brief, voluntary conversation with an adult led to up to a 20 percent decrease in marijuana use for teenagers who frequently used the drug. ... > full story

Brain rhythm associated with learning also linked to running speed, study shows (June 27, 2011) -- Rhythms in the brain that are associated with learning become stronger as the body moves faster, neurophysicists report in a new study. The research team used specialized microelectrodes to monitor an electrical signal known as the gamma rhythm in the brains of mice. This signal is typically produced in a brain region called the hippocampus, which is critical for learning and memory, during periods of concentration and learning. ... > full story

Tiny cell patterns reveal the progression of development and disease (June 27, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new technique to evaluate human stem cells using cell micropatterning -- a simple but powerful in vitro tool that will enable scientists to study the initiation of left-right asymmetry during tissue formation, to diagnose disease, and to study factors that could lead to certain birth defects. ... > full story

Fighting back from extinction, New Zealand right whale is returning home (June 27, 2011) -- After being hunted to local extinction more than a century ago and unable to remember their ancestral calving grounds, the southern right whales of mainland New Zealand are coming home. A new study has shown for the first time that whales from a small surviving population around remote, sub-Antarctic islands have found their way back to the New Zealand mainland. ... > full story

BRCA2 mutations associated with improved survival for ovarian cancer (June 27, 2011) -- Women with ovarian cancer who have the BRCA2 gene mutation are more likely to survive the malignancy than women with the BRCA1 mutation, or women without either mutation, according to new research. ... > full story

Golden window electrodes developed for organic solar cells (June 27, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a gold plated window as the transparent electrode for organic solar cells. Contrary to what one might expect, these electrodes have the potential to be relatively cheap since the thickness of gold used is only 8 billionths of a meter. ... > full story

Most parents unaware of teen workplace risks, study finds (June 27, 2011) -- Most parents are unaware of the risks their teenagers face in the workplace and could do more to help them understand and prepare for those hazards, according to a new study. ... > full story

First patients receive lab-grown blood vessels from donor cells (June 27, 2011) -- For the first time, blood vessels created in the lab from donor skin cells were successfully implanted in patients. Functioning blood vessels that aren't rejected by the immune system could be used to make durable shunts for kidney dialysis, and potentially to improve treatment for children with heart defects and adults needing coronary or other bypass graft surgery. ... > full story

Master switch for adult epilepsy discovered (June 27, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a central switch responsible for the transformation of healthy brain cells into epileptic ones, opening the way to both treat and prevent temporal lobe epilepsy. ... > full story

New material promises faster electronics (June 27, 2011) -- The novel material graphene makes faster electronics possible. Scientists have developed light detectors made of graphene and analyzed their astonishing properties. ... > full story

Researchers learn how lung fibrosis begins and could be treated (June 27, 2011) -- An invasive cell that leads to fibrosis of the lungs may be stopped by cutting off its supply of sugar, according to researchers. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which affects about 100,000 people in the US each year and leads to death within three years of diagnosis, has only one therapy in the US: lung transplantation. ... > full story

Wildlife surviving conflict in Afghanistan (June 27, 2011) -- A new survey reveals that large mammals, including Asiatic black bears, gray wolves, markhor goats and leopard cats are surviving in parts of Afghanistan after years of conflict. ... > full story

Possible brain damage in young adult binge-drinkers revealed in new study (June 27, 2011) -- It's considered a rite of passage among young people -- acting out their independence through heavy, episodic drinking. But a new study is showing how binge drinking among adolescents and young adults could be causing serious damage to a brain that's still under development at this age. ... > full story

How humpback whales catch prey with bubble nets (June 27, 2011) -- Marine biologist explain how humpback whales in the Gulf of Maine catch prey with advanced water technology. Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are large baleen whales (up to 14 m long) that feed on a small prey in dense concentrations, such as krill or herrings. ... > full story

Rogue blood cells may contribute to post-surgery organ damage (June 27, 2011) -- A study sheds new light on why people who experience serious trauma or go through major surgery, can suffer organ damage in parts of the body which are seemingly unconnected to the injury. ... > full story

Terahertz light to illuminate cell biology and cancer research (June 27, 2011) -- Unique research is set to trigger a new era in research into cancer diagnosis and our understanding of how living things function, researchers say. Scientists are using Europe's most intense terahertz light source to understand the effects of terahertz (THz) rays on human cells. ... > full story

Vitamin D supplements found to be safe for healthy pregnant women (June 27, 2011) -- Use of vitamin D supplements during pregnancy has long been a matter of concern, but now researchers report that even a high supplementation amount in healthy pregnant women was safe and effective in raising circulating vitamin D to a level thought by some to be optimal. The study also found no adverse effects of vitamin D supplementation, even at the highest amount, in women or their newborns. ... > full story

Unique lab seeks drought-tolerant traits in cotton, other plants (June 27, 2011) -- As billion-dollar agricultural losses continue to mount in the withering Texas heat, scientists in Corpus Christi are taking a closer look at why some cotton varieties do better than others in drought conditions. ... > full story

Innovative duct tape strategy saves hospitals time, money; improves infection prevention (June 27, 2011) -- A simple roll of duct tape has proven to be an inexpensive solution to the costly and time-consuming problem of communicating with hospital patients who are isolated with dangerous infections. ... > full story

Premature aging caused by some HIV drugs, study shows (June 27, 2011) -- A class of anti-retroviral drugs commonly used to treat HIV, particularly in Africa and low income countries, can cause premature aging, according to new research. The study shows that the drugs damage DNA in the patient's mitochondria -- the 'batteries' which power their cells. ... > full story

Living antibiotic effective against Salmonella, study suggests (June 27, 2011) -- Scientists have tested a predatory bacterium -- Bdellovibrio -- against Salmonella in the guts of live chickens. They found that it significantly reduced the numbers of Salmonella bacteria and, importantly, showed that Bdellovibrio are safe when ingested, researchers say. ... > full story

Mechanics of speciation: Model examines factors that contribute to emergence of new species (June 27, 2011) -- Mate choice, competition, and the variety of resources available are the key factors influencing how a species evolves into separate species, according to a new mathematical model that integrates all three factors to reveal the dynamics at play in a process called sympatric speciation. ... > full story

Preterm babies could be at greater risk of developing kidney disease later in life, study suggests (June 27, 2011) -- Babies born prematurely could be at greater risk of developing kidney diseases later in life according to a landmark study investigating the impacts of preterm birth on kidney development. ... > full story

New solar cell: Engineers crack full-spectrum solar challenge (June 27, 2011) -- Engineering researchers report a new solar cell that may pave the way to inexpensive coatings that efficiently convert the sun's rays to electricity. ... > full story

Work got you down? Researchers identify risk factors associated with development of different burnout types (June 27, 2011) -- Being over-burdened with work, monotony and the perception of lack of recognition can all be catalysts for burnout syndrome. Scientists have analyzed the factors that influence the development of the three sub-types of this condition -- 'frenetic', 'under-challenged' and 'worn out'. ... > full story

Genome editing -- a next step in genetic therapy -- corrects hemophilia in animals (June 27, 2011) -- Using an innovative gene therapy technique called genome editing that hones in on the precise location of mutated DNA, scientists have treated the blood clotting disorder hemophilia in mice. This is the first time that genome editing, which precisely targets and repairs a genetic defect, has been done in a living animal and achieved clinically meaningful results. ... > full story

Hitting moving RNA drug targets: New way to search for novel drugs (June 27, 2011) -- By accounting for the floppy, fickle nature of RNA, researchers have developed a new way to search for drugs that target this important molecule. ... > full story

Scientists pioneer nanoscale nuclear materials testing capability (June 27, 2011) -- A technique for testing irradiated materials on the nanoscale has yielded results on the macroscale. The technique uses electron microscopy with mechanical testing in situ; it could accelerate new materials for nuclear power applications and improve testing of nuclear power plants already in service. ... > full story

Promising results of Phase I diabetes trial (June 27, 2011) -- Medical researchers report promising results of the Phase I clinical trial of the generic drug BCG (bacillus Calmette-Guerin) to treat advanced type I diabetes. ... > full story

Smarter memory device holds key to greener gadgets (June 27, 2011) -- Fast, low-energy memory for MP3s, smartphones and cameras could become a reality thanks to a new development. ... > full story

Experts seek reforms to prevent errors from medical resident fatigue, lack of supervision (June 27, 2011) -- A group of 26 of the nation's leaders in medicine, health care, patient safety, and research have called for sweeping changes in the design, supervision and financing of US hospital residency care programs to protect patients from serious, preventable medical errors, and end dangerously long work hours for physicians in training. ... > full story

Ocean currents speed melting of Antarctic ice: A major glacier is undermined from below (June 27, 2011) -- Stronger ocean currents beneath West Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier Ice Shelf are eroding the ice from below, speeding the melting of the glacier as a whole, according to a new study. ... > full story