ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Thursday, August 11, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Thursday, August 11, 2011

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Engineers reverse E. coli metabolism for quick production of fuels, chemicals (August 11, 2011) -- In a biotechnological tour de force, engineering researchers have now unveiled a new method for converting simple glucose into biofuels and petrochemical substitutes that is up to 10 times faster than previously reported methods. Researchers have reversed one of the most efficient of all metabolic pathways -- the beta oxidation cycle -- to engineer bacteria that make biofuel at a breakneck pace. ... > full story

Blocking receptor in key hormone fires up enzyme to kill pancreatic cancer cells (August 11, 2011) -- Pancreatic cancer researchers have shown, for the first time, that blocking a receptor of a key hormone in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) reduces cancer cell growth by activating the enzyme AMPK to inhibit fatty acid synthase, the ingredients to support cell division. ... > full story

How an antibiotic-producing organism controls resistance to its own antibiotic (August 11, 2011) -- Working out the structure of a complex formed when a protein binds to DNA has proved to be key in understanding how an antibiotic-producing organism controls resistance to its own antibiotic, and may be an example of how other antibiotic producers regulate export to prevent self-toxicity. ... > full story

No proof fibrate drugs reduce heart risk in diabetes patients on statins, experts say (August 11, 2011) -- Type 2 diabetes patients, who face higher risk of cardiovascular disease, often take a combination of medications designed to lower their LDL or "bad" cholesterol and triglyceride levels while raising their HDL or "good" cholesterol because doctors long have thought that taken together, the drugs offer protection from heart attacks and improve survival. Now experts suggest more studies. ... > full story

Did global methane level-off because of less dependency on oil or new farming practices? (August 11, 2011) -- Two new articles reach markedly different conclusions about why methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas, unexpectedly leveled off near the end of the 20th century. ... > full story

Pulling a fast one: How do consumers react to zippy disclaimers? (August 11, 2011) -- Consumers react negatively to most quick disclaimers at the end of ads, according to a new study. But if the fast disclaimer comes from a trusted company, they'll let it slide. ... > full story

Genetically modified 'serial killer' T-cells obliterate tumors in leukemia patients (August 11, 2011) -- In a cancer treatment breakthrough 20 years in the making, researchers have shown sustained remissions of up to a year among a small group of advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients treated with genetically engineered versions of their own T cells. ... > full story

New genetic cause of blinding eye disease (August 11, 2011) -- Researchers have found a new genetic cause of the blinding eye disease retinitis pigmentosa and, in the process, discovered an entirely new version of the message that codes for the affected protein. ... > full story

Poultry farms that go organic have significantly fewer antibiotic-resistant bacteria (August 11, 2011) -- Poultry farms that have transitioned from conventional to organic practices and ceased using antibiotics have significantly lower levels of drug-resistant enterococci bacteria. The findings suggest that removing antibiotic use from large-scale US poultry farms can result in immediate and significant reductions in antibiotic resistance for some bacteria. ... > full story

Popular muscle-boosting supplement does not increase blood flow, study suggests (August 11, 2011) -- A new study has found that a popular nutritional supplement that is marketed to lead to greater muscle strength through increasing blood flow to the muscle does not increase blood flow as claimed on the bottle. ... > full story

Working towards replacing platinum in fuel cells: Performance of iron-based catalysts improved (August 11, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new and improved iron-based catalyst capable of generating even more electric power in fuel cells for transportation applications. Previously, only platinum-based catalysts could produce similar performance. ... > full story

Service as performance: How do class differences affect hospitality interactions? (August 11, 2011) -- Is your hairdresser seething with hidden resentment? Do you subconsciously want to dominate the people who serve you? According to a new study, customers and hospitality workers engage in a game of status that plays out in their everyday encounters. ... > full story

Multiple sclerosis research doubles number of genes associated with the disease, increasing the number to over 50 (August 10, 2011) -- Scientists have identified 29 new genetic variants linked to multiple sclerosis, providing key insights into the biology of a very debilitating neurological disease. ... > full story

New agent prevents stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, study suggests (August 10, 2011) -- In the primary result from the largest double-blind study ever completed to assess a drug's effect in the prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm abnormality, rivaroxaban, an anti-clotting drug, was shown to be an attractive alternative to warfarin, the current standard for treatment of atrial fibrillation. ... > full story

Bird song-sharing like verbal sparring (August 10, 2011) -- While singing the same songs as your neighbors may sound harmonious, new research suggests that song-sharing amongst song sparrow populations is actually an aggressive behavior, akin to flinging insults back and forth. ... > full story

Alzheimer's disease symptoms more subtle in people over 80 (August 10, 2011) -- A new study suggests that the relationship between brain shrinkage and memory loss in Alzheimer's disease changes across the age spectrum. ... > full story

Rehab robots lend stroke patients a hand (August 10, 2011) -- Robot-assisted therapy has measurable benefits for patients with a weaker arm following a stroke. ... > full story

Telephone trumps social media when communicating with teens about research (August 10, 2011) -- If you think teenagers prefer social media over the telephone, you may want to think again, at least when it comes to teens involved in research studies. ... > full story

Deep recycling in Earth faster than thought (August 10, 2011) -- The recycling of Earth's crust in volcanoes happens much faster than scientists have previously assumed. Rock of the oceanic crust, which sinks deep into the earth due to the movement of tectonic plates, reemerges through volcanic eruptions after around 500 million years. ... > full story

New discovery in battle against infections (August 10, 2011) -- Researchers have now identified a previously unknown link between the migration of white blood cells to infected tissues and the ability of these cells to survive and become long-lived memory cells after the infection has been cleared. ... > full story

NASA Mars rover arrives at new site on Martian surface (August 10, 2011) -- After a journey of almost three years, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has reached the Red Planet's Endeavour crater to study rocks never seen before. ... > full story

Fading ability to taste iron raises health concerns for people over age 50 (August 10, 2011) -- People lose the ability to detect the taste of iron in drinking water with advancing age, raising concern that older people may be at risk for an unhealthy over-exposure to iron, engineers are reporting. ... > full story

Is this how simple life got complicated? (August 10, 2011) -- A new study has created an analog of what researchers think the first multicellular cooperation might have looked like, showing that yeast cells -- in an environment that requires them to work for their food -- grow and reproduce better in multicellular clumps than singly. ... > full story

Frequent tanning bed users exhibit brain changes and behavior similar to addicts, study finds (August 10, 2011) -- People who frequently use tanning beds may be spurred by an addictive neurological reward-and-reinforcement trigger, researchers have found. ... > full story

Exotic quantum crystal discovered: Researchers discover novel state of crystal matter (August 10, 2011) -- Nature knows two opposite types of solids: One that emerges upon compression from a liquid and a second that appears if the pressure on a liquid is reduced. While the former is typical for substances in our everyday life the latter occurs for example in a dense quantum liquid of electrons (such as in metals) or ions (in exotic white dwarf or neutron stars). Now it has been shown that there exists yet a third form of matter that inherits both of these properties. ... > full story

Study finds new ADHD genes, links susceptibility with autism and other neuropsychiatric conditions (August 10, 2011) -- New research has identified more genes in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and shows that there is an overlap between some of these genes and those found in other neuropsychiatric conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ... > full story

High energy output found from algae-based fuel, but 'no silver bullet' (August 10, 2011) -- Algae-based fuel is one of many options among the array of possible future energy sources. New research shows that while algae-based transportation fuels produce high energy output with minimal land use, their production could come with significant environmental burdens. ... > full story

Arthritis sufferers are not engaging in physical activity critical to their health (August 10, 2011) -- Being physically active is one of best ways people with arthritis can improve their health, but a new study shows that more than half of women and 40 percent of men with arthritis are virtually couch potatoes. ... > full story

Revolutionary material dramatically increases explosive force of weapons (August 10, 2011) -- A revolutionary material that will replace steel in warhead casings will bring added lethality and increase the likelihood of a hit on an enemy target, Navy researchers say. ... > full story

Scared of the wrong things: Lack of major enzyme causes poor threat-assessment in mice (August 10, 2011) -- Do you run when you should stay? Are you afraid of all the wrong things? An enzyme deficiency might be to blame, reveals new research in mice. ... > full story

Study builds on plausible scenario for origin of life on Earth (August 10, 2011) -- A relatively simple combination of naturally occurring sugars and amino acids offers a plausible route to the building blocks of life, according to a new article. The study shows how the precursors to RNA could have formed on Earth before any life existed. ... > full story

Human cells engineered to make functional anal sphincters in lab (August 10, 2011) -- Researchers have built the first functional anal sphincters in the laboratory, suggesting a potential future treatment for both fecal and urinary incontinence. ... > full story

Tactile technology for video games guaranteed to send shivers down your spine (August 10, 2011) -- A new tactile technology called Surround Haptics makes it possible for video game players and film viewers to feel a wide variety of sensations, from the smoothness of a finger being drawn against skin to the jolt of a collision. The technology is based on rigorous psychophysical experiments and new models of tactile perception. ... > full story

Prenatal pet exposure, delivery mode, race are key factors in early allergy risk, study finds (August 10, 2011) -- Prenatal pet exposure, a mother's delivery mode and race are influential factors in a child's risk of developing allergies by age 2, according to a new study. Researchers found that babies who have indoor prenatal pet exposure have a pattern of lower levels of the antibody Immunoglobulin E, or IgE, between birth and age 2. IgE is linked to the development of allergies and asthma. ... > full story

Light speed hurdle to invisibility cloak overcome by undergraduate (August 10, 2011) -- An undergraduate student has overcome a major hurdle in the development of invisibility cloaks by adding an optical device into their design that not only remains invisible itself, but also has the ability to slow down light. ... > full story

Narcissists look like good leaders, but they aren't (August 10, 2011) -- Narcissists rise to the top. That's because other people think their qualities -- confidence, dominance, authority, and self-esteem -- make them good leaders. But new research shows otherwise. ... > full story

New eruption discovered at undersea volcano, after successfully forecasting the event (August 10, 2011) -- Scientists just discovered a new eruption of Axial Seamount, an undersea volcano located about 250 miles off the Oregon coast -- and one of the most active and intensely studied seamounts in the world. The event is intriguing because the scientists had forecast the eruption starting five years ago -- the first successful forecast of an undersea volcano. ... > full story

Baker's yeast protects against fatal infections (August 10, 2011) -- Injecting mice with simple baker's yeast protects against the fatal fungal infection, aspergillosis, according to new research. The work could lead to the development of a human vaccine that protects immuno-compromised people against a range of life-threatening fungal infections, for which current therapy often fails. ... > full story

Think healthy, eat healthy: Scientists show link between attention and self-control (August 10, 2011) -- Choosing what to have for dinner, it turns out, is a complex neurological exercise. But, according to researchers, it's one that can be influenced by a simple shifting of attention toward the healthy side of life. And that shift may provide strategies to help us all make healthier choices -- not just in terms of the foods we eat, but in other areas, like whether or not we pick up a cigarette. ... > full story

Study on silencing of tumor suppressor gene suggests new target for lymphoma (August 10, 2011) -- Researchers have found that a cancer-causing fusion protein works by silencing the tumor suppressor gene IL-2R common gamma-chain. The results suggest news targets for lymphoma and other types of cancer. ... > full story

New insights into the how the powerhouse of the cell works (August 10, 2011) -- Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell. They are thought to have evolved more than a billion years ago from primitive bacterium which was engulfed by an early eukaryotic cell resulting in endosymbiotic relationships between the host cell and the newly formed organelle. During evolution the vast majority of the mitochondrial genetic material left the organelle and got integrated into the nucleus of the host cell. Hence, most of the mitochondrial proteins are synthesized outside of the organelle and have to be imported into the various internal mitochondrial compartments. ... > full story

Music reduces anxiety in cancer patients (August 10, 2011) -- Cancer patients may benefit from sessions with trained music therapists or from listening to music. A new systematic review shows using music can reduce anxiety in cancer patients, and may also have positive effects on mood, pain and quality of life. ... > full story

Polar dinosaur tracks open new trail to past (August 10, 2011) -- Paleontologists have discovered a group of more than 20 polar dinosaur tracks on the coast of Victoria, Australia, offering a rare glimpse into animal behavior during the last period of pronounced global warming, about 105 million years ago. ... > full story

A protein may help treat obesity, diabetes (August 10, 2011) -- A newly-identified protein may hold the key to keeping appetite and blood sugar in check, according to a new study. Researchers found that rats administered with nesfatin-1 ate less, used more stored fat and became more active. In addition, the protein stimulated insulin secretion from the pancreatic beta cells of both rats and mice. ... > full story

Mosquitoes can't spot a spermless mate (August 10, 2011) -- A female mosquito cannot tell if the male that she has mated with is fertile or 'spermless' and unable to fertilize her eggs, according to a new study. The research could help scientists in their mission to prevent the spread of malaria by interfering with the mosquitoes' ability to reproduce. ... > full story

No strong evidence to support aspirin use for IVF (August 10, 2011) -- A systematic review did not find compelling evidence to support the routine use of aspirin in women being treated for IVF. The researchers reported that taking aspirin during an IVF cycle did not seem to increase a woman's chances of becoming pregnant. ... > full story

Waging war on invasive plant species: Effects of invasives persist even after removal (August 10, 2011) -- Invasive species cost an estimated .4 trillion annually in their environmental and economic impacts worldwide and are second only to habitat loss as a threat to biodiversity. As scientists struggle with the challenge of controlling invasive species, the question of why some species are so successful continually arises. ... > full story

Suicide risk high for war veterans in college, study finds (August 10, 2011) -- Nearly half of college students who are U.S. military veterans reported thinking of suicide and 20 percent said they had planned to kill themselves -- rates significantly higher than among college students in general, according to a new study. ... > full story

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