Rabu, 17 Agustus 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Wednesday, August 17, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.


Breathing new life into Earth: Evidence of early oxygen in the oceans of our planet (August 17, 2011) -- New research suggests oxygen may have been made on Earth hundreds of millions of years before its debut in the atmosphere, keeping a low profile in "oxygen oases" in the oceans. Researchers found evidence that tiny aerobic organisms may have evolved to survive on extremely low levels of the gas in these undersea oases. ... > full story

Scientists show how gene variant linked to ADHD could operate; Study offers potential new target for treatment of ADHD (August 17, 2011) -- A study using mice provides insight into how a specific receptor subtype in the brain could play a role in increasing a person's risk for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The research could also help explain how stimulants work to treat symptoms of ADHD. ... > full story

Cosmological evolution of dark matter is similar to that of visible matter (August 17, 2011) -- Large cosmic structures made up of dark and normal matter evolve along the same lines -- this is one of the most important conclusions emerging from the latest computer simulations. ... > full story

Persistent, microscopic blood in urine associated with increased risk of kidney disease (August 17, 2011) -- Adolescents and young adults who had persistent, microscopic blood in their urine (hematuria) were more likely to develop end-stage renal disease over a follow-up period of about 20 years, although the absolute risk was low, according to a new study. ... > full story

Diamond’s quantum memory (August 17, 2011) -- Two completely different quantum systems have been successfully joined. This should pave the way to feasible quantum-computer microchips. ... > full story

Brand-conscious consumers take bad news to heart (August 17, 2011) -- Consumers with close ties to a brand respond to negative information about the beloved brand as they do to personal failure -- they experience it as a threat to their self-image, according to a new study. ... > full story

Major breakthrough on how viruses infect plants (August 17, 2011) -- Plant scientists have shed light on a problem that has puzzled researchers since the first virus was discovered in 1892 -- how exactly do they cause disease? ... > full story

Recurrence risk of autism in younger siblings higher than thought, study finds (August 17, 2011) -- The risk that an infant with an older sibling with autism will develop the disorder, previously estimated at between 3 and 10 percent, is substantially higher at approximately 19 percent, a large, international, multi-site study has found. It found an even more elevated risk of recurrence of over 26 percent for males, and over 32 percent for infants with more than one older sibling with autism. ... > full story

Rediscovery of disappeared species: Truly back from the brink? (August 17, 2011) -- Extinction is a focal issue among scientists, policy makers and the general public. Each year, numerous species which are thought to have disappeared are rediscovered. Yet, these rediscoveries remain on the brink of extinction. ... > full story

New approach to thyroid surgery eliminates neck scar (August 17, 2011) -- Thyroid nodules affect nearly 13 million Americans and are a result of abnormal cell growth on the gland. Until recently, the only way to remove nodules and rule out cancer was through surgery that required a five centimeter incision across the front of the neck. Today however, a new option exists that allows surgeons to access the neck through the armpit, allowing for a biopsy of tissue with no visible scar. ... > full story

Dark beer has more iron than pale beer or non-alcoholic beer (August 17, 2011) -- Researchers have analyzed 40 brands of beer, discovering that dark beer has more free iron than pale and non-alcoholic beers. Iron is essential to the human diet, but also helps oxidize the organic compounds that give these beverages stability and flavor. ... > full story

In job market, social contacts help men, not women (August 17, 2011) -- When it comes to finding a job, who you know is as important as what you know. Work experience generally helps people foster the kinds of personal contacts that can lead someone to new career opportunities, but a new study shows that this is really only true for men. The study finds that work experience doesn't improve women's chances of finding a job through social contacts. ... > full story

Key mechanism that regulates shape and growth of plants discovered (August 16, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a key mechanism that -- much like a construction site foreperson -- controls the direction of plant growth as well as the physical properties of the biopolymers that plants produce. ... > full story

Malignant stem cells may explain why some breast cancers develop and recur (August 16, 2011) -- Mutations that are found in stem cells could be causing some breast cancers to develop and may be the reason the disease recurs. These abnormal cells are likely controlling cell functions in the tumor and, given they are not targeted by chemotherapy and radiation, they enable the disease to recur, according to a new study. ... > full story

Carbon nanotube structures changed by ‘attack’ from within, researchers discover (August 16, 2011) -- A team of researchers has shown for the first time that chemical reactions at the nano-level which change the structure of carbon nanotubes can be sparked by an 'attack' from within. ... > full story

Defect in A20 gene expression can contribute to onset of rheumatoid arthritis (August 16, 2011) -- Researchers in Belgium have shown that a defective gene can contribute to the onset of rheumatoid arthritis, an often-crippling inflammation of the joints that afflicts about one percent of the world's population. ... > full story

Tsunami observed by radar, may lead to better early warning systems (August 16, 2011) -- The tsunami that devastated Japan on March 11 was picked up by high-frequency radar in California and Japan as it swept toward their coasts, according to US and Japanese scientists. This is the first time that a tsunami has been observed by radar, raising the possibility of new early warning systems. ... > full story

A tool to measure stress hormone in birds: Feathers (August 16, 2011) -- Traditionally, researchers have analyzed blood samples to detect corticosterone levels in wild birds. But recently, scientists have shown that corticosterone spikes can also be detected by analyzing bird feathers. ... > full story

Speaking and understanding speech share the same parts of the brain (August 16, 2011) -- The brain has two big tasks related to speech: making it and understanding it. Psychologists and others who study the brain have debated whether these are really two separate tasks or whether they both use the same regions of the brain. Now, a new study finds that speaking and understanding speech share the same parts of the brain, with one difference: we don't need the brain regions that control the movements of lips, teeth, and so on to understand speech. ... > full story

Cigarette smoking implicated in half of bladder cancers in women; Bladder cancer risk from smoking is higher than previously estimated, study confirms (August 16, 2011) -- Current cigarette smokers have a higher risk of bladder cancer than previously reported, and the risk in women is now comparable to that in men, according to a new study. While previous studies showed that only 20 to 30 percent of bladder cancer cases in women were caused by smoking, these new data indicate that smoking is responsible for about half of female bladder cancer cases. ... > full story

Climate change could drive native fish out of Wisconsin waters (August 16, 2011) -- The cisco, a key forage fish found in Wisconsin's deepest and coldest bodies of water, could become a climate change casualty and disappear from most of the Wisconsin lakes it now inhabits by the year 2100, according to a new study. ... > full story

Antibody discovered that may help detect ovarian cancer in earliest stages (August 16, 2011) -- Using a new approach to developing biomarkers for the very early detection of ovarian cancer, researchers have identified a molecule in the bloodstream of infertile women that could one day be used to screen for those at high risk for the disease -- or even those with early-stage ovarian cancer. ... > full story

Tiny gold particles boost organic solar cell efficiency: Plasmonic technique helps enhance power conversion by up to 20 percent (August 16, 2011) -- Researchers have demonstrated how they inserted a gold nanoparticle layer between two subcells to combine the tandem cell strategy with the plasmonic effect -- a process that concentrates light via scattering from nanoparticles. As a result, a 20 percent improvement of power conversion efficiency has been attained by the light concentration of gold nanoparticles. ... > full story

Research on famous Siamese twins demonstrates how the paradox of American identity played out in the bodies of Chang and Eng (August 16, 2011) -- A cultural scholar has spent years studying Chang and Eng Bunker, a pair of Asian-born, co-joined, entrepreneurial, self-promoting "human marvels." "The Bunker twins," she says, "have served for more than 100 years as metaphors for the paradox that while 'individualism' is what makes Americans stand apart from Europeans, unity is equally valued." ... > full story

Possibility of temporarily reversing aging in the immune system (August 16, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a new mechanism controlling aging in white blood cells. The research opens up the possibility of temporarily reversing the effects of aging on immunity and could, in the future, allow for the short-term boosting of the immune systems of older people. ... > full story

Scientists expand knowledge of cell process involved in many diseases (August 16, 2011) -- Scientists have for the first time defined the structure of one of the cell's most basic engines, which is required for cell growth, as it assembles from its components. ... > full story

Soft coral builds strong reefs (August 16, 2011) -- Marine scientists have shown that soft corals are one of the central building blocks of reefs. An in-depth analysis of reefs in the South China Sea challenges conventional thinking about soft corals and makes their preservation a priority, researchers say. ... > full story

Causes of high incidence of breast cancer in African-American women identified (August 16, 2011) -- Investigators have reported findings that may shed light on why African American women have a disproportionately higher risk of developing more aggressive and difficult-to-treat breast cancers, specifically estrogen and progesterone receptor negative (ER-/PR-) cancers. Childbearing may increase the risk of hormone receptor-negative breast cancer in African-American women. ... > full story

Dramatic simplification paves the way for building a quantum computer (August 16, 2011) -- Scientists have demonstrated a new technique that dramatically simplifies quantum circuits, bringing quantum computers closer to reality. ... > full story

Consequences of co-worker rudeness are far-reaching (August 16, 2011) -- A co-worker's rudeness can have a great impact on relationships far beyond the workplace, according to a new study. Findings suggest that stress created by incivility can be so intense that, at the end of the day, it is taken home by the worker and impacts the well-being of the worker's family and partner, who in turn takes the stress to his/her workplace. ... > full story

Researchers unravel the magic of flocks of starlings (August 16, 2011) -- Do fish swimming in schools or birds flying in flocks have a collective spirit that enables them to move as one? Are they animals with highly developed cognition, a complex instinct or a telepathic gift? A recent study conducted researchers in the Netherlands points in another direction. Mathematical models of self-organization show that complicated collective behavior can be the consequence of a few simple behavioral rules. ... > full story

Daily TV quota of six hours could shorten life expectancy by five years (August 16, 2011) -- Watching TV for an average of six hours a day could shorten the viewer's life expectancy by almost five years, indicates new research. ... > full story

What caused a giant arrow-shaped cloud on Saturn's moon Titan? (August 16, 2011) -- Why does Titan, Saturn's largest moon, have what looks like an enormous white arrow about the size of Texas on its surface? A research group has answered this question by using a global circulation model of Titan to demonstrate how planetary-scale atmospheric waves affect the moon's weather patterns, leading to a "stenciling" effect that results in sharp and sometimes surprising cloud shapes. ... > full story

Influence of breast milk vs. formula and genetics on gut microbiota composition could help prevent celiac disease (August 16, 2011) -- The autoimmune condition, Celiac disease, afflicts roughly one in 133 Americans. It is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Now a team of investigators from Spain shows that the level of genetic risk of celiac disease influences the composition of infants' gut microbiota, and confirms earlier studies showing that the type of milk feeding -- breast vs. formula -- also influences the species distribution. Their hypothesis is that these changes in the intestinal microbiota may directly influence the risk of celiac disease, and that if this is so, changes in diet -- particularly breast feeding -- could reduce that risk. ... > full story

Bending light with better precision (August 16, 2011) -- Physicists have demonstrated a new technique to control the speed and direction of light using memory metamaterials whose properties can be repeatedly changed. A metamaterial is a structure engineered from a variety of substances that, when put together, yield optical properties that do not exist in nature. ... > full story

Garlic doesn't just repel vampires (August 16, 2011) -- The folk wisdom that eating garlic fights illness is ancient. In these more modern times, fruit and vegetable extracts that can inhibit the growth of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms are actually being evaluated as food preservatives, in part because consumers are demanding fewer synthetic chemical food preservatives. Now, researchers have found, contrary to expectations, that a group of garlic-derived organosulfur compounds has greater antimicrobial activity than garlic-derived phenolic compounds. ... > full story

'Paranoia' about rivals alters insect mating behavior (August 16, 2011) -- Scientists have found that male fruit flies experience a type of "paranoia" in the presence of another male, which doubles the length of time they mate with a female, despite the female of the species only ever mating with one male. ... > full story

Slowing the allergic march (August 16, 2011) -- A pandemic of ailments called the "allergic march" -- the gradual acquisition of overlapping allergic diseases that commonly begins in early childhood -- has frustrated both parents and physicians. Now scientists have identified that expression of the protein TSLP may influence susceptibility to multiple allergic diseases by regulating the maturation of basophils, an uncommon type of white blood cell. ... > full story

Hint of elusive Higgs boson: An update from the Large Hadron Collider (August 16, 2011) -- The physics world was abuzz with some tantalizing news a couple of weeks ago. At a meeting of the European Physical Society in Grenoble, France, physicists announced that the latest data from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) might hint at the existence of the ever-elusive Higgs boson. ... > full story

Breast cancer tumor suppressor gene silenced by low oxygen (August 16, 2011) -- Low oxygen can silence the BRCA1 tumor suppressor gene and contribute to the progression of cancer, according to a new study. Silencing this particular gene is one of the steps on the malignant pathway to breast cancer. The research may ultimately lead to ways of reactivating this and other tumor suppressor genes, in order to thwart cancer. ... > full story

Single, key gene discovery could streamline production of biofuels (August 16, 2011) -- Researchers have pinpointed the exact, single gene that controls ethanol production capacity in a microorganism. This discovery could be the missing link in developing biomass crops that produce higher concentrations of ethanol at lower costs. ... > full story

Alcohol interferes with the restorative functions of sleep (August 16, 2011) -- Alcohol is known to increase slow-wave sleep during the first half of sleep, but then become disruptive. A new study of the relationship between sleep and heart rate variability (HRV) during sleep has found that alcohol interferes with the restorative functions of sleep. ... > full story

Fruit bats navigate with internal maps: Scientists fit bats with world's smallest GPS devices (August 16, 2011) -- Egyptian fruit bats fly dozens of kilometers each night to feed on specific fruit trees, making the return trip the same night. To understand how the bats locate individual trees night after night, scientists attached tiny GPS devices to the bats in the first-ever comprehensive GPS-based field study of mammal navigation. ... > full story

New role for protein in hearing (August 16, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered a new role for a protein that is mutated in Usher syndrome, one of the most common forms of deaf-blindness in humans. The findings may help explain why this mutation causes the most severe form of the condition. ... > full story

Novel microscopy generates new view of fuel cells (August 16, 2011) -- A novel microscopy method is helping scientists probe the reactions that limit widespread deployment of fuel cell technologies. ... > full story

Vitamin D levels appear to be associated with risk of skin cancer, although relationship is complex (August 16, 2011) -- As an individual's level of vitamin D increases, the risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer seems to increase as well, although factors such as ultraviolet radiation exposure may complicate the relationship, according to a new report. ... > full story

Strain and spin may enable ultra-low-energy computing (August 16, 2011) -- A new type of integrated circuit may be so energy efficient that it could run simply by harvesting energy from the environment. ... > full story

Heavy drinkers have poor dietary habits (August 16, 2011) -- Excessive drinking and an unbalanced diet are two preventable contributors to health problems. A new study of adults in Spain has found that heavy drinking, binge drinking, a preference for spirits, and drinking alcohol at mealtimes were associated with a poor adherence to major food consumption guidelines. ... > full story


Copyright 1995-2010 © ScienceDaily LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of use.



This message was sent to ranggomas.techdeck@blogger.com from:

ScienceDaily | 1 Research Court, Suite 450 | Rockville, MD 20850

Email Marketing by iContact - Try It Free!

Update Profile  |  Forward To a Friend

0 komentar:

Posting Komentar

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More