ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Friday, September 16, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Friday, September 16, 2011

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Ancient crocodile competed with Titanoboa, world's largest snake, for food, paleontologists discover (September 16, 2011) -- Did an ancient crocodile relative give the world's largest snake a run for its money? In a new study, researchers describe a new 20-foot extinct species discovered in the same Colombian coal mine with Titanoboa, the world's largest snake. The findings help scientists better understand the diversity of animals that occupied the oldest known rainforest ecosystem, which had higher temperatures than today, and could be useful for understanding the impacts of a warmer climate in the future. ... > full story

An apple or pear a day may keep strokes away (September 16, 2011) -- Eating apples and pears may help prevent stroke, according to a new study. While high consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with lower stroke risk, a Dutch study found that eating fruit and vegetables with white edible portions was associated with a 52 percent lower stroke risk. Apples and pears were the majority of the white fruits and vegetables consumed in the study. ... > full story

New method for detecting lung cancer unveiled (September 16, 2011) -- When lung cancer strikes, it often spreads silently into more advanced stages before being detected. In a new article, biological engineers and medical scientists reveal how their discovery could provide a much earlier warning signal. ... > full story

Unconventional hunt for new cancer targets leads to a powerful drug candidate for leukemia (September 16, 2011) -- Scientists have used an unconventional approach to cancer drug discovery to identify a new potential treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive blood cancer that is currently incurable in 70 percent of patients. The researchers have pinpointed a protein called Brd4 as a novel drug target for AML. Using a drug compound that inhibits the activity of Brd4, the scientists were able to suppress the disease in experimental models. ... > full story

Researchers create new Urban Network Analysis toolbox (September 16, 2011) -- Researchers have created a new Urban Network Analysis (UNA) toolbox that enables urban designers and planners to describe the spatial patterns of cities using mathematical network analysis methods. Such tools can support better informed and more resilient urban design and planning in a context of rapid urbanization. ... > full story

All credit ratings not created equal: Study shows inflation of credit scores in various asset classes (September 16, 2011) -- At least one of the "Big Three" credit ratings agencies exaggerated credit scores of private debt compared to public bonds during the last 30 years, according to a new study. ... > full story

Small distant galaxies host supermassive black holes, astronomers find (September 16, 2011) -- Using the Hubble Space Telescope to probe the distant universe, astronomers have found supermassive black holes growing in surprisingly small galaxies. The findings suggest that central black holes formed at an early stage in galaxy evolution. ... > full story

Estrogen treatment may help reverse severe pulmonary hypertension (September 16, 2011) -- Researchers have found that the hormone estrogen may help reverse advanced pulmonary hypertension, a rare and serious condition that affects 2 to 3 million individuals in the US, mostly women, and can lead to heart failure. The preclinical study shows that in rats, estrogen treatment can reverse the progression of pulmonary hypertension to heart failure and can restore lung and ventricle structure and function. ... > full story

World-first viral therapy trial in cancer patients (September 16, 2011) -- Researchers have reported promising results of a world-first cancer therapy trial. The trial is the first to show that an intravenously-delivered viral therapy can consistently infect and spread within tumors without harming normal tissues in humans. It is also the first to show tumor-selective expression of a foreign gene after intravenous delivery. ... > full story

New rapid test tells difference between bacterial and viral infections (September 16, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting development and successful testing of a rapid and accurate test to tell the difference between bacterial and viral infections. Those common afflictions often have similar symptoms but vastly different treatments -- antibiotics work for bacterial infections but not for viruses. ... > full story

Archivist in the sound library: New model for speech and sound recognition (September 16, 2011) -- A new mathematical model mimics the process of speech and noise recognition in the human brain efficiently. It may explain experimental findings that remained unclear so far. ... > full story

New study quantifies use of social media in Arab Spring (September 16, 2011) -- After analyzing more than three million tweets, gigabytes of YouTube content and thousands of blog posts, a new study finds that social media played a central role in shaping political debates in the Arab Spring. Conversations about revolution often preceded major events, and social media has carried inspiring stories of protest across international borders. ... > full story

NASA Mars research helps find buried water on Earth (September 15, 2011) -- A NASA-led team has used radar sounding technology developed to explore the subsurface of Mars to create high-resolution maps of freshwater aquifers buried deep beneath an Earth desert, in the first use of airborne sounding radar for aquifer mapping. ... > full story

Genomic catastrophe causes developmental delay, cognitive disorders (September 15, 2011) -- Using a diversity of DNA sequencing and human genome analytic techniques, researchers have identified some cases of developmental delay or cognitive disorders associated with a sudden chromosomal catastrophe that occurred early in development, perhaps during cell division when DNA is replicated. ... > full story

Meteor likely cause of Southwest U.S. light show (September 15, 2011) -- A meteor is the most probable cause of a bright, colorful fireball witnessed by people in a wide swath of the southwestern United States, according to NASA. ... > full story

Mobile phone electromagnetic field affects local glucose metabolism in the human brain, Finnish study finds (September 15, 2011) -- Recent PET-measurements in Turku, Finland, show that the GSM mobile phone electromagnetic field suppresses glucose metabolism in temporoparietal and anterior temporal areas of the hemisphere next to the antenna. ... > full story

When ticks transmit dangerous pathogens: Local antibiotic therapy stops Lyme disease (September 15, 2011) -- Blood-sucking ticks are not just a nuisance, they can also transmit dangerous diseases. One of them is Lyme disease, which is caused by bacteria of the genus Borrelia, and requires a course of treatment with antibiotics lasting several weeks. Researchers have come up with a quicker alternative. ... > full story

Cancer information on Wikipedia is accurate, but not very readable, study finds (September 15, 2011) -- It is a commonly held that information on Wikipedia should not be trusted, since it is written and edited by non-experts without professional oversight. But researchers have found differently, according to a new study. ... > full story

Carbon cycle reaches Earth's lower mantle: Evidence of carbon cycle found in 'superdeep' diamonds From Brazil (September 15, 2011) -- The carbon cycle, upon which most living things depend, reaches much deeper into Earth than generally supposed -- all the way to the lower mantle, researchers report. ... > full story

New model for treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: Mouse model that replicates human OCD can point to more effective treatments (September 15, 2011) -- Researchers have created a new model of obsessive-compulsive disorder that mirrors both symptoms of the disease and the timing of its treatment in humans. ... > full story

Mom, dad and kids undergo novel genome analyses for medical risks in new study (September 15, 2011) -- Researchers have predicted the inherited health risks of a four-person family by analyzing their whole genome sequences. With the DNA sequences of both parents and children, the team was able to better check for sequencing errors and more accurately predict how individual genetic variants affect each family member's risk for disease. ... > full story

Team discovers treatable mechanism responsible for often deadly response to flu (September 15, 2011) -- Researchers have found a novel mechanism by which certain viruses such as influenza trigger a type of immune reaction that can severely sicken or kill those infected. ... > full story

New material synthesized: Graphene nanoribbons inside of carbon nanotubes (September 15, 2011) -- Physicists from Sweden and Finland have found an efficient way to synthesize graphene nanoribbons directly inside of single-walled carbon nanotubes. ... > full story

Serotonin levels affect the brain's response to anger (September 15, 2011) -- Fluctuations of serotonin levels in the brain, which often occur when someone hasn't eaten or is stressed, affects brain regions that enable people to regulate anger, new research has shown. ... > full story

NASA's Kepler discovery confirms first planet orbiting two stars (September 15, 2011) -- The existence of a world with a double sunset, as portrayed in the film Star Wars more than 30 years ago, is now scientific fact. NASA's Kepler mission has made the first unambiguous detection of a circumbinary planet -- a planet orbiting two stars -- 200 light-years from Earth. ... > full story

Fail-safe system may lead to cures for inherited disorders (September 15, 2011) -- Scientists have uncovered a previously unknown fail-safe (compensatory) pathway that potentially protects the brain and other organs from genetic and environmental threats. The discovery could provide new ways to diminish the negative consequences of genetic mutations and environmental toxins that cause neurological diseases and other maladies. ... > full story

Salmon and other fish predators rely on 'no guts, no glory' survival tactic (September 15, 2011) -- The phrase "no guts, no glory" doesn't just apply to athletes who are striving to excel. Fish predators take the adage literally, by having up to three times the "gut" capacity they need so they can "glory" when prey is abundant. ... > full story

Inner workings of virus responsible for rare skin cancer (September 15, 2011) -- Scientists have begun to uncover how the virus that causes most Merkel cell carcinoma -- a rare and aggressive skin cancer -- operates, meaning that a rational chemotherapeutic target for this cancer could be developed in the near future. ... > full story

Human-chimp evolutionary divergence: Methylation and gene sequence co-evolved, study suggests (September 15, 2011) -- Scientists published the first quantitative evidence supporting the notion that genome-wide "bookmarking" of DNA with methyl molecules -- a process called methylation -- and underlying DNA sequences have co-evolved in a kind of molecular slow-dance over the 6 million years since humans and chimps diverged from a common ancestor. ... > full story

Arctic ground squirrels muscle up to hunker down (September 15, 2011) -- When Arctic ground squirrels are getting ready to hibernate they don't just get fat -- they pack on muscle at a rate that would make a bodybuilder jealous. And they do it without suffering the harmful effects that high levels of testosterone and other anabolic steroids usually cause. Researchers have started to untangle how the squirrels manage it, and their results could someday have implications for human health. ... > full story

Scientists take first step towards creating 'inorganic life' (September 15, 2011) -- Scientists in Scotland say they have taken their first tentative steps towards creating 'life' from inorganic chemicals potentially defining the new area of 'inorganic biology'. ... > full story

Woolly mammoth's secrets for shrugging off cold points toward new artificial blood for humans (September 15, 2011) -- The blood from woolly mammoths -- those extinct elephant-like creatures that roamed Earth in pre-historic times -- is helping scientists develop new blood products for modern medical procedures that involve reducing patients' body temperature. ... > full story

Researchers analyze the evolving human relationship with fire (September 15, 2011) -- Humanity's relationship to fire -- including wildfires, burning of fossil fuels, controlled burns and human-caused fire -- is the focus of a report by an international team of scientists. ... > full story

Exome sequencing: Defining hereditary deafness (September 15, 2011) -- Precise diagnosis of disease and developmental syndromes often depends on understanding the genetics underlying them. Most cases of early onset hearing loss are genetic in origin but there are many different forms. Heretofore, it has been difficult to identify the gene responsible for the hearing loss of each affected child, because the critical mutations differ among countries and populations. New research has identified six critical mutations in Israeli Jewish and Palestinian Arab families. ... > full story

'Super-spaghetti' with heart-healthy label now possible (September 15, 2011) -- Consumers could soon see packages of pasta labeled 'good source of dietary fiber' and 'may reduce the risk of heart disease' thanks to the development of a new genre of pasta made with barley -- a grain famous for giving beer its characteristic strength and flavor. ... > full story

Computerized anxiety therapy found helpful in small trial (September 15, 2011) -- An emerging therapy known as cognitive bias modification, in which software helps subjects divert attention away from anxiety and interpret situations more calmly, helped improve social anxiety disorder symptoms in a pilot-scale randomized controlled trial. ... > full story

Milky Way's spiral arms are the product of an intergalactic collision course; Models show dark matter packs a punch (September 15, 2011) -- Astronomers have shown how the Milky Way galaxy's iconic spiral arms form, according to new research. A dwarf galaxy named Sagittarius loaded with dark matter has careened twice through our much larger home galaxy in the past two billion years, according to telescope data and detailed simulations, and is lined up to do it again. As the galaxies collide, the force of the impact sends stars streaming from both in long loops. ... > full story

Uterine stem cells used to treat diabetes (September 15, 2011) -- Controlling diabetes may someday involve mining stem cells from the lining of the uterus, researchers report in a new study. The team treated diabetes in mice by converting cells from the uterine lining into insulin-producing cells. ... > full story

Preschoolers' grasp of numbers predicts math performance in school years; Early number sense linked to elementary math scores (September 15, 2011) -- A new study reports that the precision with which preschoolers estimate quantities, prior to any formal education in mathematics, predicts their mathematics ability in elementary school, according to researchers. ... > full story

Feared spinal X-ray found to be safe, study shows; Spinal angiography also rules out misdiagnosis of inflammation, transverse myelitis (September 15, 2011) -- Medical imaging experts have reviewed the patient records of 302 men and women who had a much-needed X-ray of the blood vessels near the spinal cord and found that the procedure, often feared for possible complications of stroke and kidney damage, is safe and effective. ... > full story

New technology for recovering valuable minerals from waste rock (September 15, 2011) -- Researchers report discovery of a completely new technology for more efficiently separating gold, silver, copper, and other valuable materials from rock and ore. The process uses nanoparticles to latch onto those materials and attach them to air bubbles in a flotation machine. ... > full story

TV found to have negative impact on parent-child communication and early literacy compared to books and toys (September 15, 2011) -- Since the first television screens lit up our living rooms scientists have been studying its affect on young children. Now scientists have compared mother-child communication while watching TV to reading books or playing with toys to reveal the impact on children's development. The results show that watching TV can lead to less interaction between parents and children, with a detrimental impact on literacy and language skills. ... > full story

'Synthetic' chromosome permits rapid, on-demand 'evolution' of yeast; Artificial system has built-in diversity generator (September 15, 2011) -- In the quest to understand genomes -- how they're built, how they're organized and what makes them work -- a team of researchers has engineered from scratch a computer-designed yeast chromosome and incorporated into their creation a new system that lets scientists intentionally rearrange the yeast's genetic material. ... > full story

How specialized pacemaker works at biological level to strengthen failing hearts: Findings could lead to 'pacemaker in a bottle' (September 15, 2011) -- Heart specialists have figured out how a widely used pacemaker for heart failure, which makes both sides of the heart beat together to pump effectively, works at the biological level. Their findings may open the door to drugs or genetic therapies that mimic the effect of the pacemaker and to new ways to use pacemakers for a wider range of heart failure patients. ... > full story

Researchers map the global spread of drug-resistant influenza (September 15, 2011) -- In the new movie "Contagion," fictional health experts scramble to get ahead of a flu-like pandemic as a drug-resistant virus quickly spreads, killing millions of people within days after they contract the illness. Although the film isn't based entirely on reality, it's not exactly science fiction, either. In a new study, researchers explain how seasonal H1N1 influenza became resistant to oseltamivir, otherwise known as Tamiflu, the most widely used antiviral agent for treating and preventing flu. The scientists say that a combination of genetic mutations and human migration through air travel can lead to the rapid global spread of drug-resistant strains. ... > full story

Copper reduces infection risk by more than 40 per cent, experts say (September 15, 2011) -- Medical researchers have presented research into the mechanism by which copper exerts its antimicrobial effect on antibiotic-resistant organisms. ... > full story

Chemists help astronauts make sure their drinking water is clean (September 15, 2011) -- Researchers have developed chemistry and procedures that astronauts can use to test the quality of their drinking water at the International Space Station. The testing technology is now considered operational hardware at the space station. Astronauts will begin using refinements to the tests in late September. ... > full story

Some smokers successfully switch to electronic cigarettes (September 15, 2011) -- While electronic cigarettes may be a long-term alternative to the real thing for some smokers, researchers suggest medical providers should continue to encourage more traditional smoking cessation methods. ... > full story

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