ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Wednesday, June 29, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Wednesday, June 29, 2011

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Tiny ring laser accurately detects and counts nanoparticles (June 29, 2011) -- A ring-shaped laser no bigger than a pinprick can accurately detect and count individual viruses, the particles that jumpstart cloud formation or those that contaminate the air we breathe. A particle disturbs the light circulating in the ring, splitting the lasing frequency. This split is a measure of the particle's size. ... > full story

Surgeon shows simple cotton swab slashes post-surgical wound infections (June 29, 2011) -- A simple item found in almost every medicine cabinet -- a cotton swab -- may be a key tool in the fight against post-surgical wound infections. ... > full story

Conservation dollars and sense: A case for shark conservation through ecotourism (June 29, 2011) -- New article examines the impact of sharks on coastal economies and the importance of including conservation efforts in long term management plans. ... > full story

Quality of hospital care in US territories appears lower than in US states, report finds (June 29, 2011) -- Hospitals in US territories appear to have poorer outcomes and higher mortality rates for patients with acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), heart failure or pneumonia, compared to hospitals in US states, according to a new report. ... > full story

Splitsville for boron nitride nanotubes (June 29, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a technique for mass-producing defect-free boron nitride nanoribbons (BNNRs) of uniform length and thickness. BNNRs are predicted to display magnetic and electronic properties that hold enormous potential for future devices. ... > full story

Black members of Adventist church defy health disparities, study shows (June 29, 2011) -- Health disparities between black Americans and the rest of the nation have been well-documented in medical journals. But one study shows that blacks who identify as members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church actually report a better quality of life than the average American. Researchers point to certain lifestyle behaviors as a possible explanation for the difference. ... > full story

BPA-exposed male deer mice are demasculinized and undesirable to females, new study finds (June 29, 2011) -- The latest research shows that BPA causes male deer mice to become demasculinized and behave more like females in their spatial navigational abilities, leading scientists to conclude that exposure to BPA during human development could be damaging to behavioral and cognitive traits that are unique to each sex and important in reproduction. ... > full story

Finding could lead to reduced side effects in anti-cancer antibiotics (June 29, 2011) -- Most of us have had a doctor prescribe an antibiotic for a stubborn bacterial infection, or for a cut that gets infected. However, prescribing an antibiotic to fight cancer? In fact, anti-cancer antibiotics have been used since the 1950s to successfully treat several forms of cancer, but often the side effects limit the duration they can be given to a patient. Newly published results show how the anti-cancer antibiotic Geldanamycin and its derivative 17AAG work in more detail and have uncovered a possible explanation for side effects observed in clinical trials of the drug. ... > full story

Female mate choice enhances offspring fitness in an annual herb (June 29, 2011) -- Mate choice and sexual selection in plants is more complex in some ways than in animals because plants are sessile organisms and often must rely on external vectors, e.g. animals, for pollen transport. Plants can only do so much to affect the timing of pollen arrival, or the size and diversity of deposited pollen. But can a plant control which pollen grains, of the hundreds that land on their stigmas, make it to the ovules? ... > full story

Obesity is a killer in nonsmoking women (June 29, 2011) -- Obesity is an important contributor to premature death in women who have never smoked, especially among women in low income groups, new research finds. ... > full story

Peat wildfire smoke linked to heart failure risk (June 29, 2011) -- The 2008 peat bog wildfires in North Carolina led to an increase in emergency room visits for respiratory and cardiovascular effects, records show. ... > full story

Alcohol blamed for high suicide rates in Northern Ireland (June 29, 2011) -- Alcohol and drugs are fueling homicide and suicide rates in Northern Ireland, a new independent report has found, with alcohol appearing to be a key factor for the country's higher suicide rates, including among mental health patients, compared to England and Wales. ... > full story

Mystery ingredient in coffee boosts protection against Alzheimer's disease, study finds (June 28, 2011) -- An unidentified coffee component combined with caffeine increases a growth factor that counters Alzheimer's pathology in mice, according to new research. ... > full story

Single gene defect causes brain tumor (June 28, 2011) -- Scientists have shown in mice that a defect in a single gene, which is involved in cellular signaling, is sufficient to cause a dangerous brain tumor. ... > full story

High levels of toxic compounds found on coasts of West Africa (June 28, 2011) -- Scientists have found very high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) along the coasts of West Africa. Production of these extremely toxic compounds has been banned in Europe and the United States for years. These harmful substances could come from the illegal dumping of waste or from an enormous ship breaking yard in Mauritania. ... > full story

Certain populations may benefit most from alcohol-dependence treatment naltrexone (June 28, 2011) -- Naltrexone is one of the most effective pharmacological treatments for alcohol dependence. However, naltrexone does not work for everyone. A new study has found that naltrexone is effective for women, and individuals with the A118G polymorphism of the mu opioid receptor gene. ... > full story

Natural sequence farming could affect global climate change (June 28, 2011) -- Improving land management and farming practices in Australia could have an effect on global climate change, according to a new study. ... > full story

Social class makes no difference to water contamination risk from chemicals formed in chlorinated water, Spanish study suggests (June 28, 2011) -- Wealthy, well-educated people who choose to drink bottled water rather than water from public supplies may be no less exposed to potentially cancer-causing water contaminants, according to new research. ... > full story

Subatomic quantum memory in diamond demonstrated (June 28, 2011) -- Physicists have developed a breakthrough in the use of diamond in quantum physics, marking an important step toward quantum computing. ... > full story

Scientists identify new breast cancer tumor suppressor and explain how it works (June 28, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a protein long known to regulate gene expression as a potent suppressor of breast cancer growth. Their study demonstrates how this protein, known as Runx3, accomplishes this feat. ... > full story

Does grilling kill E. coli O157:H7? (June 28, 2011) -- Top sirloin steaks have been getting a grilling in food safety studies. Microbiologists are conducting experiments to help make sure that neither the food-borne pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7 nor any of its pathogenic relatives will ruin the pleasure of eating this popular entree. ... > full story

Improved stepladder design may decrease injuries (June 28, 2011) -- Stepladders, a household product used by thousands of people every day, are a surprisingly common cause of injury. In 2009, more than 187,000 Americans visited the hospital after sustaining stepladder injuries, many of which resulted from a fall. A recent human factors/ergonomics study explores how improved design and user behavior can decrease the likelihood of future accidents. ... > full story

Starch-controlling gene fuels more protein in soybean plants (June 28, 2011) -- A newly discovered gene introduced into soybean plants has increased the amount of protein in the plant's seed by 30 to 60 percent. People with protein-starved diets around the world could benefit. ... > full story

Are the wealthiest countries the smartest countries? (June 28, 2011) -- It's not just how free the market is. Some economists are looking at another factor that determines how much a country's economy flourishes: how smart its people are. Researchers have analyzed test scores from 90 countries and found that the intelligence of the people, particularly the smartest 5 percent, made a big contribution to the strength of their economies. ... > full story

Inkjet printing could change the face of solar energy industry (June 28, 2011) -- Inkjet printers, a low-cost technology that in recent decades has revolutionized home and small office printing, may soon offer similar benefits for the future of solar energy. Engineers have discovered a way for the first time to create successful solar devices with inkjet printing, in work that reduces raw material waste by 90 percent and will significantly lower the cost of producing solar energy cells with some very promising compounds. ... > full story

New gene therapy for heart failure developed (June 28, 2011) -- Researchers have found in a Phase II trial that a new gene therapy stabilized or improved cardiac function in people with severe heart failure. Patients receiving a high dose of the therapy, called SERCA2a, experienced substantial clinical benefit and significantly reduced cardiovascular hospitalizations, addressing a critical unmet need in this population. ... > full story

Tropical birds return to harvested rainforest areas in Brazil (June 28, 2011) -- Bird species in rainforest fragments in Brazil that were isolated by deforestation disappeared then reappeared over a quarter-century, according to new research. ... > full story

Long-term benefits of breast screening (June 28, 2011) -- Results from the longest running breast screening trial show that screening with mammography reduces the number of deaths from breast cancer. ... > full story

Model finds optimal fiber optic network connections 10,000 times more quickly (June 28, 2011) -- Designing fiber optic networks involves finding the most efficient way to connect phones and computers that are in different places -- a costly and time-consuming process. Now researchers have developed a model that can find optimal connections 10,000 times more quickly, using less computing power to solve the problem. ... > full story

Sweating the small stuff: Early adversity, prior depression linked to high sensitivity to stress (June 28, 2011) -- Researchers have found that people get depressed more easily following minor life stressors in part because they have experienced early life adversity or prior depressive episodes, both of which may make people more sensitive to later life stress. ... > full story

Neutron star bites off more than it can chew (June 28, 2011) -- The European Space Agency's XMM-Newton space observatory has watched a faint star flare up at X-ray wavelengths to almost 10 000 times its normal brightness. Astronomers believe the outburst was caused by the star trying to eat a giant clump of matter. ... > full story

New clues to how cancer spreads (June 28, 2011) -- Cancer cells circulating in the blood carry newly identified proteins that could be screened to improve prognostic tests and suggest targets for therapies, scientists report. Building on current technologies that detect tumor cells circulating in blood, the team was able to characterize these cells in a new way, illuminating how they may escape from the originating tumors and move to other locations in the body. ... > full story

How cavity-causing microbes invade heart (June 28, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered the tool that bacteria normally found in our mouths use to invade heart tissue, causing a dangerous and sometimes lethal infection of the heart known as endocarditis. The work raises the possibility of creating a screening tool -- perhaps a swab of the cheek, or a spit test -- to gauge a dental patient's vulnerability to the condition. ... > full story

False negative tests in breast cancer may lead to wrong drug choice, study finds (June 28, 2011) -- A team of researchers has confirmed that between 10 and 20 percent of breast cancers classified as estrogen receptor negative are really positive. Understanding when and why breast cancers may be misclassified has important implications for treatment and outcomes for women diagnosed with breast cancer. ... > full story

Highest magnetic fields ever created (June 28, 2011) -- On June 22, 2011, scientists at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf set a new world record for magnetic fields with 91.4 teslas. To reach this record, the researchers developed a coil weighing about 200 kilograms in which electric current create the giant magnetic field -- for a period of a few milliseconds. The coil survived the experiment unscathed. ... > full story

Effects of Asperger syndrome noticeable in babies (June 28, 2011) -- People with Asperger syndrome have problems with social interaction and attentiveness, and are also sensitive to noise and light. Several of these characteristics were evident to parents during their child's first two years. ... > full story

Ancient symbiosis between animals and bacteria discovered (June 28, 2011) -- Marine shallow water sandy bottoms on the surface appear desert-like and empty, but in the interstitial space between the sand grains a diverse fauna flourishes. One of the strangest members of this interstitial fauna is Paracatenula, a several millimeters long, mouth and gut-less flatworm, which is found from tropical oceans to the Mediterranean. ... > full story

Potent antiplatelet drug effective with low-dose aspirin, study suggests (June 28, 2011) -- When taken with higher doses of aspirin (more than 300 milligrams), the experimental antiplatelet drug ticagrelor was associated with worse outcomes than the standard drug, clopidogrel, but the opposite was true with lower doses of aspirin, a new study suggests. ... > full story

Tapping titanium's colorful potential (June 28, 2011) -- A new, cost-effective process for coloring titanium can be used in manufacturing products from sporting equipment to color-coded nuclear waste containers. ... > full story

Will new drugs block hepatitis C virus in its tracks? (June 28, 2011) -- Targeted multi-drug treatments for hepatitis C patients that could stop the virus in its tracks have come a step closer, thanks to new research. ... > full story

Active self-defense strategy best deterrent against cyber-attacks (June 28, 2011) -- With the threats of cybercrime, cyberterrorism and cyberwarfare looming over our hyper-connected world, the best defense for the U.S. might be a good offense, says new research by an expert in technology and legal issues. ... > full story

Attachment to cellphones more about entertainment, less about communication (June 28, 2011) -- That panicked feeling we get when the family pet goes missing is the same when we misplace our mobile phone, says a marketing professor. Moreover, those feelings of loss and hopelessness without our digital companion are natural. ... > full story

Scientists sequence endangered Tasmanian devil's genome (June 28, 2011) -- To prevent extinction of the Tasmanian devil, a revolutionary project has sequenced and analyzed the entire genome of one healthy individual and one that died of a contagious cancer known as devil facial tumor disease. The research helps to formulate a plan to prevent the extinction of the animal -- a marsupial found in the wild exclusively in the Australian island-state of Tasmania. The new research model also may be extended to other endangered species. ... > full story

Calcium plus vitamin D may reduce melanoma risks in some women, study finds (June 28, 2011) -- A combination of calcium and vitamin D may cut the chance of melanoma in half for some women at high risk of developing this life-threatening skin cancer, according to a new study. ... > full story

Microbe vs. microbe: Meta-analysis reveals patterns of bacteria-virus infection networks (June 28, 2011) -- A meta-analysis of bacteria-virus infections reveals a nested structure, with hard-to-infect bacteria infected by generalist viruses and easy-to-infect bacteria attacked by generalist and specialist viruses. These findings could provide insights into strategies for viral-based antimicrobial therapies. ... > full story

Stem cell scientists discover new airway stem cell (June 28, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a new stem cell that participates in the repair of the large airways of the lungs, which play a vital role in protecting the body from infectious agents and toxins in the environment. ... > full story

Synthetic collagen from maize has human properties (June 28, 2011) -- Synthetic collagen has a wide range of applications in reconstructive and cosmetic surgery and in the food industry. For proper function in animals a certain number of prolines within the protein need to be hydroxylated. Researchers report that for the first time the alpha 1 chain of type 1 collagen has been produced in maize with similar levels of proline hydroxylation to human collagen. ... > full story

A little practice can change the brain in a lasting way, study finds (June 28, 2011) -- A little practice goes a long way, according to researchers who have found the effects of practice on the brain have remarkable staying power. The study found that when participants were shown visual patterns--faces, which are highly familiar objects, and abstract patterns, which are much less frequently encountered -- they were able to retain very specific information about those patterns one to two years later. ... > full story

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