ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Tuesday, August 2, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Tuesday, August 2, 2011

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Ancient glacial melting shows that small amount of subsurface warming can trigger rapid collapse of ice shelves (August 2, 2011) -- An analysis of prehistoric "Heinrich events" that happened many thousands of years ago, creating mass discharges of icebergs into the North Atlantic Ocean, make it clear that very small amounts of subsurface warming of water can trigger a rapid collapse of ice shelves. The results are important due to concerns that warmer water could cause a comparatively fast collapse of ice shelves in Antarctica or Greenland. ... > full story

Colon cleansing has no benefit but many side effects including vomiting and death, doctors say (August 2, 2011) -- Colon cleansing -- it's been described as a natural way to enhance well-being, but doctors say there's no evidence to back that claim. In fact, their review of scientific literature demonstrates that colon cleansing can cause side effects ranging from cramping and to renal failure and death. ... > full story

Artificial nanoparticles influence heart rate and rhythm, study finds (August 2, 2011) -- Artificial nanoparticles are becoming increasingly pervasive in modern life. However, their influences on our health remain largely shrouded in mystery. Using a so-called Langendorff heart, a team of scientists in Germany has now for the first time shown that selected artificial nanoparticles have a direct effect on heart rate and heart rhythm. ... > full story

Mechanism of sculpting the plasma membrane of intestinal cells identified (August 2, 2011) -- Scientists have identified a previously unknown mechanism which modifies the structure of plasma membranes in intestinal epithelial cells. Unlike other proteins with a similar function, the new protein -- named 'Pinkbar' by the researchers - creates planar membrane sheets. Further research investigates the potential connection of this protein with various intestinal disorders. ... > full story

US sets drought monitor's 'exceptional drought' record in July (August 2, 2011) -- The percent of contiguous US land area experiencing the worst form of drought reached the highest levels in the history of the US Drought Monitor in July, officials said. ... > full story

New research might help people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (August 2, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a mechanism in the brain that explains for the first time why people make particularly strong, long-lasting memories of stressful events in their lives. ... > full story

Sugar doesn't melt -- it decomposes, scientists demonstrate (August 2, 2011) -- Flying in the face of years of scientific belief, researchers have demonstrated that sugar doesn't melt, it decomposes. This discovery is important to food scientists and candy lovers because it will give them yummier caramel flavors and more tantalizing textures. It even gives the pharmaceutical industry a way to improve excipients, the proverbial spoonful of sugar that helps your medicine go down. ... > full story

High blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and obesity in middle age may shrink brain, damage thinking (August 2, 2011) -- A new study suggests smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes and being overweight in middle age may cause brain shrinkage and lead to cognitive problems up to a decade later. ... > full story

Researchers 'genetically fingerprinting' E. coli from watersheds (August 2, 2011) -- Researchers have been collecting water samples at 30 river sites -- 15 in the Lampasas River watershed and 15 in the Leon River watershed -- monthly since February. They've also been taking fecal samples from all over the watersheds of known possible sources: home septic systems, wildlife, livestock, pets and water-treatment plants. The samples are then "genetically fingerprinted" to determine exactly what the source of E. coli is. ... > full story

Researchers use improved imaging technique and discover a better approach to diagnosing epilepsy (August 2, 2011) -- Using state-of-the-art, 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology, researchers may have uncovered a better approach to diagnosing epilepsy. ... > full story

NASA satellite tracks severity of African drought (August 2, 2011) -- Northeast Africa continues to reel from the effects of the worst drought to strike the region in decades. ... > full story

Childhood adversities and early-onset mental disorders associated with higher rates of chronic physical problems in adulthood (August 2, 2011) -- Children who experience psychosocial adversities and early-onset mental disorders appear to be at increased risk of developing chronic physical conditions later in life, according to a new study. ... > full story

In the battle to relieve back aches, researchers create bioengineered spinal disc implants (August 1, 2011) -- Engineers and doctors have created a biologically based spinal implant that could someday spell relief for these countless back and neck pain sufferers. ... > full story

Cholesterol-lowering drugs may help prevent recurrent strokes in younger people (August 1, 2011) -- New research indicates cholesterol lowering drugs known as statins may help prevent future strokes among young people who have already had a stroke. ... > full story

The last great wilderness: Human impact on the deep sea (August 1, 2011) -- Over 20 deep-sea experts participating in the Census of Marine Life project SYNDEEP conducted a semi-quantitative analysis of the most important anthropogenic impacts that affect deep-sea habitats at the global scale in past, present and future scenarios. Which deep-sea habitats are at highest risk in the short and mid-term, as well as what will be the main anthropogenic impacts affecting these areas are identified in a new paper. ... > full story

Why long-term antibiotic use increases infection with a mycobacterium (August 1, 2011) -- The clinical outcome is improved if patients with chronic lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis are treated long-term with the antibiotic azithromycin. However, azithromycin treatment in patients with cystic fibrosis as recently associated with increased infection with nontuberculous mycobacteria. Now, researchers have confirmed that long-term use of azithromycin by adults with cystic fibrosis is associated with infection with nontuberculous mycobacteria and identified an underlying mechanism. ... > full story

Aerosols affect climate more than satellite estimates predict (August 1, 2011) -- Aerosol particles, including soot and sulfur dioxide from burning fossil fuels, essentially mask the effects of greenhouse gases and are at the heart of the biggest uncertainty in climate change prediction. New research shows that satellite-based projections of aerosols' effect on Earth's climate significantly underestimate their impacts. ... > full story

Majority of adolescents with prescriptions for pain, stimulant, sleeping and antianxiety medications take them appropriately, study finds (August 1, 2011) -- Adolescents who misuse controlled medications (e.g., pain, stimulant, sleeping and antianxiety medications) for which they have a legitimate prescription may be more likely to abuse other substances and to sell, give or trade their controlled medications to other individuals, according to a new study. ... > full story

Microbes consumed oil in Gulf slick at unexpected rates, study finds (August 1, 2011) -- In the first published study to explain the role of microbes in breaking down the oil slick on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, researchers have found that bacterial microbes inside the slick degraded the oil at a rate five times faster than microbes outside the slick -- accounting in large part for the disappearance of the slick some three weeks after Deepwater Horizon's Macondo well was shut off. ... > full story

Some exercise is better than none: More is better to reduce heart disease risk (August 1, 2011) -- Researchers found that 2.5 hours of moderate intensity physical activity per week can lower the overall risk of heart disease by 14 percent. This is the first review to quantify the amount of physical activity that is required to lower the risk of heart disease; others suggest only qualitative estimates. ... > full story

NASA's Dawn spacecraft begins science orbits of Vesta (August 1, 2011) -- NASA's Dawn spacecraft, the first ever to orbit an object in the main asteroid belt, is spiraling towards its first of four intensive science orbits. That initial orbit of the rocky world Vesta begins Aug. 11, at an altitude of nearly 1,700 miles (2,700 kilometers) and will provide in-depth analysis of the asteroid. Vesta is the brightest object in the asteroid belt as seen from Earth and is thought to be the source of a large number of meteorites that fall to Earth. ... > full story

Indoor air cleaners ease asthma symptoms in children living with smokers, study suggests (August 1, 2011) -- Children who have asthma and live with smokers shows that indoor air cleaners can greatly reduce household air pollution and lower the rates of daytime asthma symptoms to those achieved with certain anti-inflammatory asthma drugs. Although the air cleaners improved the overall air quality in homes, they did not reduce air nicotine levels and did not counter all ill effects of secondhand smoke, the researchers warn. ... > full story

Nobel Prize winner’s unfinished symphony (August 1, 2011) -- When Robert Burns Woodward passed away in 1979 he left 699 pages of handwritten notes. Because R.B. Woodward was a Nobel Laureate (Chemistry, 1965) his family had carefully preserved his notes for posterity. An extensive study has now uncovered hidden treasures in these notes. ... > full story

New brain imaging research reveals why autistic individuals confuse pronouns (August 1, 2011) -- A new brain imaging study provides an explanation as to why autistic individuals' use of the wrong pronoun is more than simply a word choice problem. Researchers found that errors in choosing a self-referring pronoun reflect a disordered neural representation of the self, a function processed by at least two brain areas -- one frontal and one posterior. ... > full story

Oxygen molecules found in nearby star-forming cloud (August 1, 2011) -- The European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory has found molecules of oxygen in a nearby star-forming cloud. This is the first undisputed detection of oxygen molecules in space. It concludes a long search but also leaves questions unanswered. ... > full story

New composite material may restore damaged soft tissue (August 1, 2011) -- Biomedical engineers have developed a new liquid material that in early experiments in rats and humans shows promise in restoring damaged soft tissue relatively safely and durably. The material, a composite of biological and synthetic molecules, is injected under the skin, then "set" using light to form a more solid structure, like using cold to set gelatin in a mold. The researchers say the product one day could be used to reconstruct soldier's faces marred by blast injuries. ... > full story

Greenhouse gas impact of hydroelectric reservoirs downgraded (August 1, 2011) -- Scientists have amassed the largest data set to date on greenhouse gas emissions from hydroelectric reservoirs. Their analysis posits that these human-made systems emit about one-sixth of the carbon dioxide and methane previously attributed to them. ... > full story

Novel analysis sheds new light on the mechanisms of brain development (August 1, 2011) -- Scientists have taken an important step in identifying how the brain organizes itself during development. The findings describe -- in more detail than ever before -- the consequences of the loss of a key molecule involved in establishing proper brain architecture during brain development. ... > full story

Cold electrons to aid better design of drugs and materials (August 1, 2011) -- A new source of very cold electrons will improve the quality and speed of nanoimaging for drug and materials development, to a trillionth of a second. ... > full story

Helping children learn to understand numbers: It's all in the way we speak to them (August 1, 2011) -- Most people know how to count, but the way we master this ability remains something of a puzzle. Now a formal model of the cognitive basis of counting has been developed. ... > full story

Manipulating light at will: Research could help replace electronic components with optical technology (August 1, 2011) -- Electrical engineers have developed a material that allows them to manipulate light in much the same way that electronics manipulate flowing electrons. The researchers say the results of their latest proof-of-concept experiments could lead to the replacement of electrical components with those based on optical technologies. Light-based devices would enable faster and more efficient transmission of information, much in the same way that replacing wires with optical fibers revolutionized the telecommunications industry. ... > full story

Nicotine can protect the brain from Parkinson's disease, research suggests (August 1, 2011) -- If you've ever wondered if nicotine offered society any benefit, a new study offers a surprising answer. Nicotine can protect the brain against Parkinson's disease, the research suggests, and the discovery of how nicotine does this may lead to entirely new types of treatments for the disease. ... > full story

In the pursuit of dangerous clumps: Customized surfaces help reveal the causes of diseases (August 1, 2011) -- When normal proteins form protein clumps in the body, then alarm bells start ringing. Such clumps, called "amyloids," are closely associated with Alzheimer's disease and Type 2 diabetes. If doctors knew how these proteins form clumps, then they might be able to treat such diseases more efficiently. Researchers in Germany and Denmark have now succeeded in taking a major step in that direction. ... > full story

Scientists reveal mechanism behind 'oncogene addiction' in acute leukemia (August 1, 2011) -- Scientists have laid bare the mechanism behind oncogene addiction, in mice suffering from a form of leukemia that mimics acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in humans. The team was able to target "addiction" pathways in the model mice, resulting in rapid and complete eradication of the cancer, which is usually fatal and resistant to conventional chemotherapy. ... > full story

'Wonder material' graphene tapped for electronic memory devices (August 1, 2011) -- Hailed as the new "wonder material," graphene is being tapped to help overcome issues associated with increasing the storage density and speed of electronic memory devices. ... > full story

Physics could be behind the secrets of crop-circle artists (August 1, 2011) -- Researchers takes a serious, objective look at a topic that critics might claim is beyond scientific understanding -- crop circles. ... > full story

Chemists transform acids into bases: Research offers vast family of new catalysts for use in drug discovery, biotechnology (August 1, 2011) -- Chemists have accomplished in the lab what until now was considered impossible: transform a family of compounds which are acids into bases. Their research shows it is possible to replace phosphorus ligands in catalysts with boron ligands. While phosphorus is toxic, boron is not. The research makes possible a vast array of chemical reactions -- such as those used in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, manufacturing new materials and research academic institutions. ... > full story

Omega-3 reduces anxiety and inflammation in healthy students, study suggests (August 1, 2011) -- A new study gauging the impact of consuming more fish oil showed a marked reduction both in inflammation and, surprisingly, in anxiety among a cohort of healthy young people. The findings suggest that if young participants can get such improvements from specific dietary supplements, then the elderly and people at high risk for certain diseases might benefit even more. ... > full story

Without competition, island frogs evolve rapidly (August 1, 2011) -- Scientists have documented the rapid evolution of new fanged frog species on the island of Sulawesi, near the Philippines. ... > full story

Novel gene associated with asthma in African-Americans confirmed (August 1, 2011) -- A new US national collaboration of asthma genetics researchers has revealed a novel gene associated with the disease in African-Americans, and confirmed the significance of four gene associations reported by a European asthma genetics study. ... > full story

New duck-billed dinosaur gives scientists clues to evolution of head ornamentation and provinciality (August 1, 2011) -- A new genus and species of hadrosaur (duck-billed) dinosaur -- the oldest duck-billed dinosaur known from North America -- has been named by scientists who expect the discovery to shed new light on dinosaur evolution. ... > full story

Evolution of human generosity (August 1, 2011) -- Imagine you're dining at a restaurant in a city you're visiting for the first -- and, most likely the last -- time. Chances are slim to none that you'll ever see your server again, so if you wanted to shave a few dollars off your tab by not leaving a tip, you could do so. And yet, if you're like most people, you will leave the tip anyway, and not give it another thought. ... > full story

Scientists build battery in a nanowire: Hybrid energy storage device is as small as it can possibly get (August 1, 2011) -- Scientists have packed an entire lithium ion energy storage device into a single nanowire. The researchers believe their creation is as small as such devices can possibly get, and could be valuable as a rechargeable power source for new generations of nanoelectronics. ... > full story

Gum disease can increase the time it takes to become pregnant (August 1, 2011) -- Women who are trying to become pregnant should make sure they visit their dentist and brush their teeth regularly, after preliminary research revealed that gum disease potentially can lengthen the time it takes for a woman to become pregnant by an average of an extra two months. For the first time, fertility experts have shown that, from the time that a woman starts trying to conceive, poor oral health can have a significant effect on the time to pregnancy. ... > full story

Pathogens and insecticides: A lethal cocktail for honeybees (August 1, 2011) -- For over 15 years, bee colonies have been plagued by a strange disease that causes the disappearance of thousands of colonies every year and is poorly understood by beekeepers and scientists. Researchers have now found that infection by Nosema ceranae, a parasite that causes Nosema disease, results in higher mortality among honeybees when they are exposed to low doses of insecticides. ... > full story

Seventy percent of 8-month-olds consume too much salt, UK study shows (August 1, 2011) -- Seventy per cent of eight-month-old babies have a salt intake higher than the recommended UK maximum level, due to being fed salty and processed foods like yeast extract, gravy, baked beans and tinned spaghetti. High levels of salt can damage developing kidneys, give children a taste for salty foods and establish poor eating practices that continue into adulthood and can result in health problems later in life. ... > full story

Evolution in the back yard: Census of 750,000 banded snails leads to surprising results (August 1, 2011) -- Thousands of members of the public across Europe have taken part in one of the largest evolutionary studies ever, by observing banded snails in their gardens and open public spaces. ... > full story

Treating obesity via brain glucose sensing (August 1, 2011) -- The past two decades have witnessed an epidemic spread of obesity-related diseases in Western countries. Elucidating the biological mechanism that links overnutrition to obesity could prove crucial in reducing obesity levels. A new study finds that a defect in the brain's glucose-sensing process contributes to the development of obesity and related disease. Importantly, correction of this defect can normalize the whole-body energy balance and treat obesity. ... > full story

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