ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Tuesday, August 30, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Tuesday, August 30, 2011

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

Mind-altering microbes: Probiotic bacteria may lessen anxiety and depression (August 30, 2011) -- Probiotic bacteria have the potential to alter brain neurochemistry and treat anxiety and depression-related disorders, according to a new study by researchers in Ireland and Canada. ... > full story

Protecting cells: Evidence found for a neuronal switch to prevent neurodegenerative diseases (August 30, 2011) -- Scientists have reported a surprising discovery that offers a possible new route for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. In a study of the transparent roundworm C. elegans, they found that a genetic switch in master neurons inhibits the proper functioning of protective cell stress responses, leading to the accumulation of misfolded and damaged proteins. ... > full story

Females choose mates for their personalities, zebra finch study shows (August 30, 2011) -- Adventurous females choose mates with similar personalities, regardless of the male's appearance and other assets, according to new research in birds. This is the first study to show that the non-sexual behavior or personalities of both mates influences partner choice in non-humans. The study focused on a population of more than 150 zebra finches. ... > full story

Poor sleep quality increases risk of high blood pressure (August 30, 2011) -- A reduced level of dreamless, deep sleep is a powerful predictor for developing high blood pressure in older men, according to new research. High quality sleep is as important to health as diet and exercise. ... > full story

Mysteries of ozone depletion continue 25 years after the discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole (August 30, 2011) -- Even after many decades of studying ozone and its loss from our atmosphere, plenty of mysteries and surprises remain, including an unexpected loss of ozone over the Arctic this past winter, an authority on the topic has said. She also discussed chemistry and climate change, including some proposed ideas to "geoengineer" the Earth's climate to slow down or reverse global warming at a recent meeting. ... > full story

Patients in a minimally conscious state remain capable of dreaming during their sleep (August 30, 2011) -- Researchers compared the sleep of "vegetative" patients and minimally conscious state patients. The results of their study demonstrate once again the necessity of an adapted and specific medical care for each of these states. ... > full story

Bilingual babies' vocabulary linked to early brain differentiation (August 29, 2011) -- Researchers are investigating the brain mechanisms that contribute to infants' prowess at learning languages, with the hope that the findings could boost bilingualism in adults, too. In a new study, the researchers report that the brains of babies raised in bilingual households show a longer period of being flexible to different languages and the relative amount of each language -- English and Spanish -- babies were exposed to affected their vocabulary as toddlers. ... > full story

New drug candidates found for set of protein-folding diseases (August 29, 2011) -- Researchers have identified chemical compounds that show promise as potential therapeutics for a set of medical conditions caused by the abnormal clumping together of a protein known as transthyretin. ... > full story

Meiosis: Oocytes have intracellular stream to push chromosomes off center for cell division (August 29, 2011) -- Most cells rely on structural tethers to position chromosomes in preparation for cell division. Not so oocytes. Instead, a powerful intracellular stream pushes chromosomes far-off the center in preparation for the highly asymmetric cell division that completes oocyte maturation upon fertilization of the egg, report researchers. ... > full story

Scientists identify molecular basis for DNA breakage, a hallmark of cancer cells (August 29, 2011) -- Scientists have identified the molecular basis for DNA breakage, a hallmark of cancer cells. ... > full story

'Smelling' heart failure: Evaluation of an electronic nose (August 29, 2011) -- A German team has developed a completely new non-invasive method to identify heart failure. It consists of an "electronic nose" which could make the "smelling" of heart failure possible. ... > full story

Species share perceptual capabilities that affect how communication evolves, research finds (August 29, 2011) -- New research reveals that two entirely different species show similar perception of auditory cues that drive basic biological functions; that these perceptions may be universally shared among animals; and that such perception may also limit the evolution of communication signals. ... > full story

Black Death bacterium identified: Genetic analysis of medieval plague skeletons shows presence of Yersinia pestis bacteria (August 29, 2011) -- A team of German and Canadian scientists has shown that today's plague pathogen has been around at least 600 years. The Black Death claimed the lives of one-third of Europeans in just five years from 1348 to 1353. Until recently, it was not certain whether the bacterium Yersinia pestis -- known to cause the plague today -- was responsible for that most deadly outbreak of disease ever. ... > full story

Differences in cell response could explain higher rates of hypertension in African-Americans (August 29, 2011) -- A kinesiology professor has found that differences in the way African-American cells respond to inflammation could be a cause of higher rates of hypertension among this group. ... > full story

Wastewater recycling can multiply greenhouse gas emissions (August 29, 2011) -- New research shows that wastewater recycling processes may generate more greenhouse gases than traditional water-treatment processes. Despite this finding, there are good reasons to continue keep wastewater recycling among the water-resource tools for urban areas. ... > full story

New roles emerge for non-coding RNAs in directing embryonic development (August 29, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered that a mysterious class of large RNAs plays a central role in embryonic development, contrary to the dogma that proteins alone are the master regulators of this process. The research reveals that these RNAs orchestrate the fate of embryonic stem cells by keeping them in their fledgling state or directing them along the path to cell specialization. ... > full story

Geometry of sex: How body size could lead to new species (August 29, 2011) -- Different species of scincid lizards, commonly known as skinks, rarely interbreed, but it's not for lack of trying. According to new research, different species of skinks in western North America will often try to mate with each other when given the opportunity, but mechanical difficulties caused by differing body sizes can cause these encounters to fail. ... > full story

Filling the pantry for the first voyages to the Red Planet (August 29, 2011) -- A green thumb and a little flair as a gourmet chef may be among the key skills for the first men and women who travel to the Red Planet later this century, according to one scientist. ... > full story

Astrophysicists solve 40-year-old Mariner 5 solar wind problem: Turbulence doesn’t go with the flow (August 29, 2011) -- Astrophysicists have resolved a 40-year-old problem with observations of turbulence in the solar wind first made by the probe Mariner 5. The research resolves an issue with what is by far the largest and most interesting natural turbulence lab accessible to researchers today. ... > full story

Virus attacks childhood cancers (August 29, 2011) -- Researchers are looking to a virus from the same family as the rabies virus to fight a form of cancer primarily found in children and young adults. ... > full story

The brittleness of aging bones: More than loss of bone mass (August 29, 2011) -- A new study shows that at microscopic dimensions, the age-related loss of bone quality can be every bit as important as the loss of quantity in the susceptibility of bone to fracturing. While medical treatments to date have focused on age-related loss of bone mass, the age-related loss of bone quality is an independent factor. ... > full story

Genetic variant linked to development of liver cancer in hepatitis C virus carriers (August 29, 2011) -- A genome-wide study has identified a genetic variant associated with the development of liver cancer in chronic hepatitis C virus carriers. The findings are based on a study of 3,312 Japanese individuals. ... > full story

Ancient clams yield new information about greenhouse effect on climate (August 29, 2011) -- Ancient fossilized clams that lived off the coast of Antarctica some 50 million years ago have a story to tell about El Niño, according to new research. ... > full story

Hollywood screenwriters and scientists: More than an artistic collaboration (August 29, 2011) -- In this International Year of Chemistry (IYC), writers and producers for the most popular crime and science-related television shows and movies are putting out an all-points bulletin for scientists to advise them on the accuracy of their plots and to even give them story ideas. ... > full story

Sutureless method for joining blood vessels invented (August 29, 2011) -- Reconnecting severed blood vessels is mostly done the same way today -- with sutures -- as it was 100 years ago. Now, a team of researchers has developed a sutureless method that appears to be a faster, safer and easier alternative. ... > full story

Research aims to starve breast cancer cells (August 29, 2011) -- The most common breast cancer uses the most efficient, powerful food delivery system known in human cells and blocking that system kills it, researchers report. This method of starving cancer cells could provide new options for patients, particularly those resistant to standard therapies such as tamoxifen, researchers said. ... > full story

Giant claw helps fiddler crabs stay cool in more ways than one (August 29, 2011) -- A male fiddler crab's oversized claw not only looks cool to the ladies, but new research suggests it literally helps crabs to stay cool. Researchers placed crabs under a hot light and took their temperatures. They found that the temperatures of crabs missing their large claw rose faster and reached a higher maximum than intact crabs. ... > full story

Prevention of sudden cardiac death: Scientists predict risk for life-threatening arrhythmias (August 29, 2011) -- Researchers in Germany have developed a method to identify a subgroup of patients with myocardial infarction who are at increased risk for sudden cardiac death. Using cardiac magnetic resonance tomography (CMR), the scientists are able to detect the extent of infarction-related damage to the heart muscle and assess the risk for life-threatening arrhythmias. ... > full story

Nano-thermometers show first temperature response differences within living cells (August 29, 2011) -- Using a modern version of open-wide-and-keep-this-under-your-tongue, scientists today reported taking the temperature of individual cells in the human body, and finding for the first time that temperatures inside do not adhere to the familiar 98.6 degree Fahrenheit norm. ... > full story

Playing highly competitive video games may lead to aggressive behavior (August 29, 2011) -- While most research into video games and aggressive behavior has focused on violent games, competitiveness may be the main video game characteristic that influences aggression, according to new research. ... > full story

New method detects emerging sunspots deep inside the sun, provides warning of dangerous solar flares (August 29, 2011) -- Sunspots spawn solar flares that can cause billions of dollars in damage to satellites, communications networks and power grids. But researchers have now developed a way to detect incipient sunspots as deep as 65,000 kilometers inside the sun, providing up to two days' advance warning of a damaging solar flare. ... > full story

Statins reduce deaths from infection and respiratory illness, data eight years on from trial suggests (August 29, 2011) -- The death rate among patients prescribed a statin in a major trial that ended in 2003 is still lower than those given a placebo, even though most participants in both groups have been taking statins ever since. ... > full story

New imaging method sheds light on cell growth (August 29, 2011) -- Researchers developed a new imaging method that can measure cell mass using two beams of light, offering new insight into the much-debated problem of whether cells grow at a constant rate or exponentially. They found that mammalian cells show clear exponential growth only during the G2 phase of the cell cycle. This information has great implications not only for basic biology, but also for diagnostics, drug development and tissue engineering. ... > full story

Detailed map of gene activity in mouse brain completed (August 29, 2011) -- A new atlas of gene expression in the mouse brain provides insight into how genes work in the outer part of the brain called the cerebral cortex. A new article describes the activity of more than 11,000 genes in the six layers of brain cells that make up the cerebral cortex. ... > full story

New device helps the blind to move independently (August 29, 2011) -- Engineers have developed a new device that helps the blind to move independently. ... > full story

Obesity to rise: 65 million more obese adults in the US and 11 million more in the UK expected by 2030 (August 29, 2011) -- The rising prevalence of obesity around the globe places an increasing burden on the health of populations, on health-care systems and on overall economies. Using a simulation model to project the probable health and economic consequences from rising obesity rates researchers forecast 65 million more obese adults in the US and 11 million more in the UK by 2030, leading to millions of additional cases of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. ... > full story

Free radicals crucial to suppressing appetite (August 29, 2011) -- Obesity is growing at alarming rates worldwide, and the biggest culprit is overeating. In a study of brain circuits that control hunger and satiety, researchers have found that molecular mechanisms controlling free radicals -- molecules tied to aging and tissue damage -- are at the heart of increased appetite in diet-induced obesity. ... > full story

Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and type II diabetes: New way to target shape-shifting proteins (August 29, 2011) -- A molecule which can stop the formation of long protein strands, known as amyloid fibrils, that cause joint pain in kidney dialysis patients has been identified. The discovery could lead to new methods to identify drugs to prevent, treat or halt the progression of other conditions in which amyloid fibrils play a part, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and type II diabetes. ... > full story

Sensor chip for monitoring tumors (August 29, 2011) -- A chip implant may soon be capable of monitoring tumors that are difficult to operate on or growing slowly. Medical engineers have developed an electronic sensor chip that can determine the oxygen content in a patient's tissue fluid. This data can then be wirelessly transmitted to the patient's doctor to support the choice of therapy. A drop in oxygen content in tissue surrounding a tumor indicates that the tumor might be growing faster and becoming aggressive. ... > full story

Apixaban superior to warfarin for preventing stroke, reducing bleeding and saving lives, research suggests (August 29, 2011) -- A large-scale trial finds that apixaban, a new anticoagulant drug, is superior to the standard drug warfarin for preventing stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation. Moreover, apixaban results in substantially less bleeding and also results in lower mortality. ... > full story

Stopping dengue fever with bacteria and math (August 29, 2011) -- It may be possible to eliminate the deadly dengue fever by infecting mosquitoes with a bacterium called Wolbachia that prevents the mosquitoes from transmitting the dengue virus to humans. A new mathematical model may be helpful in getting the bacteria established in mosquito populations. ... > full story

Laughter has positive impact on vascular function (August 29, 2011) -- Watching a funny movie or sitcom that produces laughter has a positive effect on vascular function and is opposite to that observed after watching a movie that causes mental stress. ... > full story

Aging authorities differ on tweaks to U.S. Social Security's benefit structure (August 29, 2011) -- Experts agree that financial constraints and an aging population will require America to modify its Social Security system, but some also find that pushing back the eligibility age could be a major concern for those who rely on the program the most. The consequences -- both positive and negative -- of making the country's seniors wait to start claiming benefits are presented in new articles. ... > full story

Astrophysicists simulate a Milky Way-like galaxy; Supercomputer experiment supports cosmological model of a 'cold dark matter' universe (August 29, 2011) -- After nine months of number-crunching on a powerful supercomputer, a beautiful spiral galaxy matching our own Milky Way emerged from a computer simulation of the physics involved in galaxy formation and evolution. The simulation solves a longstanding problem that had led some to question the prevailing cosmological model of the universe. ... > full story

Arabidopsis: Thanks to its flexible genome, the plant can adapt to various environmental conditions (August 28, 2011) -- The plant Arabidopsis thaliana is found throughout the entire northern hemisphere. But how does this small, inconspicuous plant deal with all these different extremes of environmental conditions? In order to discover the whole-genome sequence variation, the 1001 Genomes Project was launched in 2008. Researchers have now found that the Arabidopsis plant can adapt to various environmental conditions because of a very flexible genome. ... > full story

Genetic link to mesothelioma discovered (August 28, 2011) -- Scientists have found that individuals who carry a mutation in a gene called BAP1 are susceptible to developing two forms of cancer -- mesothelioma, and melanoma of the eye. Additionally, when these individuals are exposed to asbestos or similar mineral fibers, their risk of developing mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer of the lining of the chest and abdomen, is markedly increased. ... > full story

Cassini closes in on Saturn's tumbling moon Hyperion (August 28, 2011) -- NASA's Cassini spacecraft captured new views of Saturn's oddly shaped moon Hyperion during its encounter with a cratered body on Aug. 25. Raw images were acquired as the spacecraft flew past the moon at a distance of about 15,500 miles (25,000 kilometers), making this the second closest encounter. ... > full story

In cell culture, like real estate, the neighborhood matters (August 28, 2011) -- Ever since scientists first began growing human cells in lab dishes in 1952, they have focused on improving the chemical soup that feeds the cells and helps regulate their growth. But surfaces also matter, research shows. ... > full story

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

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

Email Marketing by