ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Tuesday, August 23, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Tuesday, August 23, 2011

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Are stellar explosions created equal? Scientists recheck a standard model for supernovae on which cosmic distance measurement is based (August 23, 2011) -- A new analysis of Type Ia supernova, used to measure cosmic distance, suggests many of them develop from similar initial conditions. ... > full story

Traumatic brain injury increases risk of Parkinson's disease, researchers say; Threat doubles with exposure to the pesticide paraquat (August 23, 2011) -- While traumatic brain injury was known to be a risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD), no one knew why. Now scientists have found the mechanism for this elevated, long-term risk that is caused by TBI -- the loss of a specific type of neuron that is known to cause PD. ... > full story

When well-known flu strains 'hook up' dangerous progeny can result (August 23, 2011) -- A new study finds that a process called reassortment, a kind of viral sexual reproduction, between the virus responsible for the 2009 flu pandemic (H1N1) and a common type of avian flu virus (H9N2) can produce offspring -- new combined flu viruses -- with the potential for creating a new influenza pandemic. ... > full story

Road block as a new strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer's (August 23, 2011) -- Two main agents involved in the inception of Alzheimer's disease (APP and beta secretase) follow a different path through the brain cells to meet up. ... > full story

Scale models: How patterns stay in sync with size as an embryo grows and develops (August 23, 2011) -- Scientists have added a significant piece to the puzzle of scaling -- how patterns stay in sync with size as an embryo or organism grows and develops. ... > full story

Happiness can deter crime, a new study finds (August 23, 2011) -- Happy youth report less involvement with crime, and programs that increase happiness could deter crime and drug use. ... > full story

Ancient whale skulls and directional hearing: A twisted tale (August 23, 2011) -- Skewed skulls may have helped early whales discriminate the direction of sounds in water and are not solely, as previously thought, a later adaptation related to echolocation. ... > full story

Confirmation that vitamin D acts as a protective agent against the advance of colon cancer (August 23, 2011) -- A new study confirms that a lack of vitamin D increases the aggressiveness of colon cancer. The indication that vitamin D and its derivatives have a protective effect against various types of cancer is not new. Researchers have now confirmed the pivotal role of vitamin D, specifically its receptor (VDR), in slowing down the action of a key protein in the carcinogenic transformation process of colon cancer cells. ... > full story

Milk better than water to rehydrate kids, study finds (August 23, 2011) -- Children become dehydrated during exercise, and it's important they get enough fluids, particularly before going into a second round of a game. A new study by researchers in Canada found that milk is better than either a sports drink or water because it is a source of high quality protein, carbohydrates, calcium and electrolytes. ... > full story

Narcolepsy and influenza: Onset of narcolepsy appears to follow seasonal patterns of H1N1, China study finds (August 23, 2011) -- The onset of narcolepsy appears to follow seasonal patterns of H1N1 and other upper airway infections, according to a new study of patients in China. ... > full story

Large Hadron Collider experiments eliminate more Higgs hiding spots (August 23, 2011) -- Two experimental collaborations at the Large Hadron Collider, located at CERN laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland, announced that they have significantly narrowed the mass region in which the Higgs boson could be hiding. The ATLAS and CMS experiments excluded with 95 percent certainty the existence of a Higgs over most of the mass region from 145 to 466 GeV. ... > full story

Males believe discussing problems is a waste of time, study shows (August 23, 2011) -- A new study finds that boys feel that discussing problems is a waste of time. ... > full story

Yeast's epic journey 500 years ago gave rise to lager beer (August 22, 2011) -- An international team of researchers believes it has identified the wild yeast that, in the age of sail, apparently traveled more than 7,000 miles to make a fortuitous microbial match that today underpins the 0 billion a year lager beer industry. ... > full story

Small molecules shed light on cancer therapies (August 22, 2011) -- Patients suffering from an aggressive brain cancer will benefit from the results of a new study that could advance the development of targeted gene therapies and improve prognosis. ... > full story

Hyenas' ability to count helps them decide to fight or flee (August 22, 2011) -- Being able to count helps spotted hyenas decide to fight or flee, according to new research. When animals fight, the larger group tends to win. Researchers have now shown that hyenas listen to the sound of intruders' voices to determine who has the advantage. ... > full story

Researchers find increase in infection rates in patients with cardiac electrophysiological devices (August 22, 2011) -- New research shows that patients in the United States who receive cardiac electrophysiological devices (CIEDs), including permanent pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are now at greater risk of contracting an infection over the life span of the device. ... > full story

Measurement tools for traffic crash injury severity improving (August 22, 2011) -- Efforts to improve traffic safety have been aided by mathematical models that allow researchers to better assess those factors that impact the degree of injury suffered as a result of traffic crashes, researchers say. ... > full story

Experience puts the personal stamp on a place in memory: Seeing helps map a place in the mind, but exploration and experience are vital (August 22, 2011) -- Seeing and exploring both are necessary for stability in a person's episodic memory when taking in a new experience, say researchers. ... > full story

Newly discovered Icelandic current could change North Atlantic climate picture (August 22, 2011) -- Physical oceanographers have confirmed the presence of a deep-reaching ocean circulation system off Iceland that could significantly influence the ocean's response to climate change in previously unforeseen ways. ... > full story

Effects of prenatal smoking on infant neurodevelopment may be worse than feared (August 22, 2011) -- In one of the largest studies of its kind to date, researchers have found that babies born to mothers who smoke while pregnant face substantial delays in early neurological development, and the effects may be stronger than researchers had previously thought. ... > full story

Secret life of millipedes (August 22, 2011) -- Male adult helminthomorph millipedes usually have one or two pairs of legs from their seventh segment modified into sexual appendages. These specialized gonopods are used as claspers to hold the female during mating or to transfer sperm. New research has looked in detail at millipede development and the internal reorganization needed to produce functional gonopods. ... > full story

Heart attack patients winning the race to angioplasty treatment, U.S. study finds (August 22, 2011) -- Almost all heart attack patients who need the emergency artery-opening procedure known as angioplasty are receiving it within 90 minutes of being admitted to the hospital, a marked improvement from five years ago when most patients waited longer for the life-saving procedure, according to a report by U.S. researchers. ... > full story

Sketching with superconductors: Breakthrough in controlling defects could lead to new generation of electronic devices (August 22, 2011) -- Researchers in the UK and Italy have discovered a technique to "draw" superconducting shapes using an X-ray beam. This ability to create and control tiny superconducting structures has implications for a completely new generation of electronic devices. ... > full story

Good ruminations or bad ruminations in the depressed brain? (August 22, 2011) -- All of us, at times, ruminate or brood on a problem in order to make the best possible decision in a complex situation. This ruminative thinking can be either passive and maladaptive (i.e., worrying) or active and solution-focused (i.e., coping). New research provides insights into how these types of rumination are represented in the brains of depressed persons. ... > full story

Astronomers find ice and possibly methane on Snow White, a distant dwarf planet (August 22, 2011) -- Astronomers have discovered that the dwarf planet 2007 OR10 -- nicknamed Snow White -- is an icy world, with about half its surface covered in water ice that once flowed from ancient, slush-spewing volcanoes. The new findings also suggest that the red-tinged dwarf planet may be covered in a thin layer of methane, the remnants of an atmosphere that's slowly being lost into space. ... > full story

Incisionless surgery now available as an investigational treatment for esophageal disorder (August 22, 2011) -- POEM is one of a growing number of surgeries to use the body's natural orifices for entry, thus eliminating the need for traditional incisions. ... > full story

Tuning natural antimicrobials to improve their effectiveness at battling superbugs (August 22, 2011) -- Ongoing research is exploring the use of virus-produced proteins that destroy bacterial cells to combat potentially dangerous microbial infections. Bacteriophages produce endolysin proteins that specifically target certain bacteria, and one team of scientists has been studying one that destroys Clostridium difficile, a common source of hospital-acquired infections. New research is showing that it is possible to "tune" these endolysin properties to increase their effectiveness and effectiveness as antimicrobial agents. ... > full story

Genomewide mapping reveals developmental and environmental impacts (August 22, 2011) -- Complex traits that help plants adapt to environmental challenges are likely influenced by variations in thousands of genes that are affected by both the plant's growth and the external environment, report researchers. ... > full story

Species affected by climate change: To shift or not to shift? (August 22, 2011) -- Relocating species threatened by climate change is a radical and hotly debated strategy for maintaining biodiversity. ... > full story

Reduced recognition of fear and sadness in post-traumatic stress disorder (August 22, 2011) -- Facial expressions convey strong cues for someone's emotional state and the ability to interpret these cues is crucial in social interaction. This ability is known to be compromised in many psychiatric and neurological disorders, such as social anxiety or Korsakoff's syndrome. New research has now revealed evidence that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is also characterized by changes in the way the brain processes specific emotions and that certain aspects of this disorder could be understood as a consequence of the altered processing of emotional cues. ... > full story

Antennas in your clothes? New design could pave the way (August 22, 2011) -- The next generation of communications systems could be built with a sewing machine. To make communications devices more reliable, researchers are finding ways to incorporate radio antennas directly into clothing, using plastic film and metallic thread. ... > full story

Possible trigger point of epileptic seizures identified (August 22, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a brain-circuit defect that triggers absence seizures, the most common form of childhood epilepsy. ... > full story

Breeding ozone-tolerant crops (August 22, 2011) -- Scientists have found that future levels of ground-level ozone could reduce soybean yields by an average 23 percent. ... > full story

Newest screen for newborns will indicate heart problems (August 22, 2011) -- About one in every 120 babies are born with congenital heart disease (CHD), of which about 25 percent is critical, requiring special care early in life. Now a group of physicians and scientists has published an important article that recommends strategies for national screening for critical CHD, using a simple, noninvasive test called pulse oximetry that measures oxygen in blood. ... > full story

Better 'photon loops' may be key to computer and physics advances (August 22, 2011) -- Scientists have designed a fault-tolerant way to make "photon delay" devices, a key component for future photon-based computer chips. ... > full story

Practice makes perfect: Competitive Scrabble players push the boundaries of accepted visual word recognition (August 22, 2011) -- Word recognition behavior can be fine-tuned by experience and practice, according to a new study by researchers in Canada. Their work shows, for the first time, that it is possible to develop visual word recognition ability in adulthood, beyond what researchers thought was achievable. Competitive Scrabble players provide the proof. ... > full story

Galaxies are running out of gas: Why the lights are going out in the Universe (August 22, 2011) -- The universe forms fewer stars than it used to, and a new study has now shown why: compared to the past, galaxies today have less gas from which to make stars. ... > full story

Painting a 'bullseye' on cancer cells (August 22, 2011) -- Scientists have successfully created the first genome-scale model of cancer cell metabolism, which can be used to predict which drugs are lethal to cell function. They've demonstrated the efficacy of this method in both computer and laboratory models for kidney cancer, and it holds the promise of effective drug therapies for other kinds of cancer as well. ... > full story

Deadly ancient Egyptian medication? German scientists shed light on dark secret of Queen Hatshepsut's flacon (August 22, 2011) -- The corpus delicti is a plain flacon from among the possessions of Pharaoh Hatshepsut, who lived around 1450 B.C., which is on exhibit in the permanent collection of the Egyptian Museum of the University of Bonn in Germany. For three and a half millennia, the vessel may have held a deadly secret. This is what researchers there have just discovered. ... > full story

Ignored virus can cause liver cancer, study suggests; Should we be screening blood for hepatitis G? (August 22, 2011) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared hepatitis G non-harmful in 1997, but researchers in Saudi Arabia present evidence to suggest that it causes liver disease and cancer. ... > full story

Restoration as science: Case of the collared lizard (August 22, 2011) -- Biologist Alan Templeton fell in love with the eastern collared lizard that lives in the hot, dry Ozark glades when he was 13. By the time he returned from graduate and postgraduate work, 75 percent of the lizard populations had vanished. A new article celebrates the success of his prolonged effort to reintroduce the lizards and make their populations self-sustaining. ... > full story

Large weight gains most likely for men after divorce, women after marriage (August 22, 2011) -- Both marriage and divorce can act as "weight shocks," leading people to add a few extra pounds -- especially among those over age 30 -- according to a new study. But when it comes to large weight gains, the effects of marital transitions are quite different for men than they are for women. ... > full story

Oldest fossils on Earth discovered (August 22, 2011) -- Earth's oldest fossils have been found in Australia. The microscopic fossils show convincing evidence for cells and bacteria living in an oxygen-free world over 3.4 billion years ago. ... > full story

At last, a reason why stress causes DNA damage (August 22, 2011) -- For years, researchers have published papers that associate chronic stress with chromosomal damage. Now researchers have discovered a mechanism that helps to explain the stress response in terms of DNA damage. ... > full story

New way to treat common hospital-acquired infection: Novel approach may offer treatment for other bacterial diseases (August 22, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a molecular process by which the body can defend against the effects of Clostridium difficile, an intestinal disease that impacts several million in the U.S. each year. A commonly acquired hospital infection, the disease has become more common, more severe and harder to cure mainly due to the emergence of a new, highly virulent strain of the bacteria that causes it. ... > full story

Sweet insight: Discovery could speed drug development (August 22, 2011) -- In a new study, researchers have described a simple process to separate sugars from a carrier molecule, then attach them to a drug or other chemical. ... > full story

Computational chemistry shows the way to safer biofuels (August 22, 2011) -- The word "biofuel" sounds positively healthy. But even diesel based on organically grown corn can degrade into toxic and environmentally harmful end products if produced with the wrong method. Now a chemist has developed a mathematical tool that helps predict the environmental impact of various methods of producing the climate friendly alternatives to fossil fuel. This promises cheaper, faster and above all safer ways to develop new biofuels. ... > full story

Psychologists develop successful prevention program for postpartum OCD (August 22, 2011) -- The birth of a baby can elicit many emotions, from joy and excitement to fear and uncertainty. But it can also trigger unexpected difficulties with anxiety, in particular with postpartum Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Psychologists have developed an effective program for the prevention of postpartum obsessive compulsive symptoms. ... > full story

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