ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Tuesday, September 20, 2011 ~ techdeck

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Tuesday, September 20, 2011

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New technique fills gaps in fossil record (September 20, 2011) -- Evolutionary biologists have resolved a long-standing paleontological problem by reconciling the fossil record of species diversity with modern DNA samples. ... > full story

Common genetic contributions to mental illness discovered (September 20, 2011) -- This study of more than 50,000 adults ages 18 and older provides new molecular evidence that 11 DNA regions in the human genome have strong association with these diseases, including six regions not previously observed. ... > full story

Understanding methane's seabed escape (September 20, 2011) -- A shipboard expedition off Norway to determine how methane escapes from beneath the Arctic seabed has discovered widespread pockets of the gas and numerous channels that allow it to reach the seafloor. ... > full story

Enriched infant formulas benefit brain and heart, researchers find (September 20, 2011) -- Scientists have found new evidence that infant formulas fortified with long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) are good for developing brains and hearts. In the randomized, double-blind study, 122 term infants were fed one of four formulas from birth to 12 months; three with varying levels of two LCPUFAs (DHA and ARA) and one formula with no LCPUFA, and tested at four, six and nine months of age. ... > full story

Researchers reinforce gas hydrate strategy: New study goes deeper in proving simple technique to pinpoint valuable energy source (September 20, 2011) -- A new study expands upon previous research to locate and quantify the amount of methane hydrates -- a potentially vast source of energy -- that may be trapped under the seabed by analyzing shallow core samples. The paper should silence the skeptics, the researchers said. ... > full story

'Hidden' child labor: New systematic documentation of the extent in Africa and Asia (September 20, 2011) -- Child labor in developing countries is not only found in sweatshops, but also in the household, in family businesses, and on the farm. These forms of ‘hidden’ child labor have now been systematically documented by researchers in the Netherlands. They use data for sixteen African and Asian countries to show how many children are involved, how many hours they work and by which factors children’s engagement in hidden child labor is affected; all of which are important in combating this phenomenon. ... > full story

Breakthrough technology identifies prostate cancer cells (September 20, 2011) -- A team of researchers has developed a breakthrough technology that can be used to discriminate cancerous prostate cells in bodily fluids from those that are healthy. While the new technology is years away from use in a clinical setting, the researchers are nonetheless confident that it will be useful in developing a microdevice that will help in understanding when prostate cancer will metastasize, or spread to other parts of the body. ... > full story

Bidirectional relationship between schizophrenia and epilepsy, study finds (September 20, 2011) -- Researchers from Taiwan have confirmed a bidirectional relation between schizophrenia and epilepsy. The study reports that patients with epilepsy were nearly eight times more likely to develop schizophrenia and those with schizophrenia were close to six times more likely to develop epilepsy. ... > full story

Experts discover oldest DNA regulatory region known to date in vertebrates and invertebrates (September 20, 2011) -- A team of scientists has discovered the oldest known DNA regulatory region. The team identified a small DNA fragment, with a deeply conserved noncoding sequence region (CNR), in the vicinity of soxB2 regulatory genes, which plays a role in gene regulation. ... > full story

Think locally when treating individually (September 20, 2011) -- By taking local biosurveillance data into account when assessing patients for communicable diseases, doctors may be able to make better diagnostic decisions, according to researchers. ... > full story

Fast switching and printable transistor invented (September 20, 2011) -- A fully functional, fast switching and printable transistor in cheap plastic has just been invented. ... > full story

Safeguards needed to prevent discrimination of early Alzheimer's patients in the workplace (September 20, 2011) -- Despite the emergence of new tools that can diagnose Alzheimer's earlier, no effective interventions have been identified to stop the progression of the disease. A new report tackles the ethical and logistical challenges of safely and effectively communicating a diagnosis of pre-clinical Alzheimer's disease in light of the gulf between diagnosis and treatment. ... > full story

Deep oceans can mask global warming for decade-long periods (September 19, 2011) -- The planet's deep oceans at times may absorb enough heat to flatten the rate of global warming for periods of as long as a decade even in the midst of longer-term warming, according to a new analysis. ... > full story

Association found between stress and breast cancer aggressiveness (September 19, 2011) -- Psychosocial stress could play a role in the etiology of breast cancer aggressiveness, particularly among minority populations, according to a new study. ... > full story

Scientists solve long-standing plant biochemistry mystery (September 19, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered how an enzyme "knows" where to insert a double bond when desaturating plant fatty acids. Understanding the mechanism may lead to new ways to engineer plant oils as a renewable replacement for petrochemicals. ... > full story

Rise of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea needs urgent action, experts urge (September 19, 2011) -- Gonorrhea is evolving into a scourge resistant to most antibiotics, and urgent action is needed to combat this public health threat, say experts. ... > full story

Unzipping DNA mysteries: Physicists discover how a vital enzyme works (September 19, 2011) -- With an eye toward understanding DNA replication, researchers have learned how a helicase enzyme works to actually unzip the two strands of DNA. ... > full story

For kids with ADHD, regular 'green time' is linked to milder symptoms (September 19, 2011) -- A study of more than 400 children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has found a link between the children's routine play settings and the severity of their symptoms, researchers report. Those who regularly play in outdoor settings with lots of green (grass and trees, for example) have milder ADHD symptoms than those who play indoors or in built outdoor environments, the researchers found. The association holds even when the researchers controlled for income and other variables. ... > full story

Black hole, star collisions may illuminate universe's dark side (September 19, 2011) -- Researchers have unveiled a ready-made method for detecting the collision of stars with an elusive type of black hole that is on the short list of objects believed to make up dark matter. Such a discovery could serve as observable proof of dark matter and provide a much deeper understanding of the universe's inner workings. ... > full story

Blocking inflammation could lead to tailored medical treatments (September 19, 2011) -- By using a mouse model of inflammation researchers have discovered a new class of molecules that can inhibit the recruitment of some white blood cells to sites of inflammation in the body. ... > full story

Catching a breath -- wirelessly: Noninvasive method to watch for SIDS, help surgery patients (September 19, 2011) -- Engineers who built wireless networks that see through walls now are aiming the technology at a new goal: noninvasively measuring the breathing of surgery patients, adults with sleep apnea and babies at risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). ... > full story

Expanding flu vaccinations to older children reduces emergency visits for flu-like illnesses by 34 percent, study suggests (September 19, 2011) -- Vaccinating children aged two to four years against seasonal influenza resulted in a 34 percent decline in flu-like illnesses, a new study finds. ... > full story

Self-steering automated tractor offers more precision in the field (September 19, 2011) -- A farmer rising at the crack of dawn to till his fields in a tractor all day? This could soon become a thing of the past. Scientists have now engineered a fully automated, self-steering robotic tractor. ... > full story

Have brain fatigue? A bout of exercise may be the cure, mouse study suggests (September 19, 2011) -- In a new study in mice, researchers have discovered that regular exercise increases mitochondrial numbers in brain cells, a potential cause for exercise's beneficial mental effects. ... > full story

Brightest gamma ray on Earth -- for a safer, healthier world (September 19, 2011) -- The brightest gamma ray beam ever created -- more than a thousand billion times more brilliant than the sun -- has been produced in research that could open up new possibilities for medicine. Physicists have discovered that ultra-short duration laser pulses can interact with ionized gas to give off beams that are so intense they can pass through 20 cm of lead and would take 1.5 m of concrete to be completely absorbed. The ray could have several uses, such as in medical imaging, radiotherapy and radioisotope production for PET (positron emission tomography) scanning. The source could also be useful in monitoring the integrity of stored nuclear waste. ... > full story

Breast milk antibody fights HIV but needs boost, study finds (September 19, 2011) -- Breast milk antibody both neutralizes human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and kills HIV-infected cells, according to a new study. Nonetheless, the statistics indicate that breast milk antibodies are doing an incomplete job of protecting babies from HIV transmission. ... > full story

Genetic defect that leaves some without fingerprints: Researchers trace cause to rare mutation (September 19, 2011) -- Adermatoglypia, which leaves some individuals without fingerprints, is an exceedingly rare condition. Now researchers have traced the cause of the condition to a genetic mutation that affects only four documented families in the world. Despite the mutation's scarcity, the research provides unique insights into the most complex biological phenomena, such as the consequences of lacking a single protein. ... > full story

Soy peptide plus chemo drug block colon cancer's spread to liver, study finds (September 19, 2011) -- A new study reports a promising new weapon in treating metastatic colon cancer, particularly in patients who have developed resistance to chemotherapy. The research finds that the soy peptide lunasin binds to a specific receptor in highly metastatic colon cancer cells, preventing them from attaching to the liver. ... > full story

Volcanic ash and aircraft safety (September 19, 2011) -- A pioneering technology to study volcanic ash will help advise the aircraft industry as to whether it is safe to fly following an explosive volcanic eruption. ... > full story

Causes of Gulf War Illness are complex and vary by deployment area, study finds (September 19, 2011) -- Gulf War Illness -- the chronic health condition that affects about one in four military veterans of the 1991 Gulf War -- appears to be the result of several factors, which differed in importance depending upon the locations where veterans served during the war, according to a new study. ... > full story

'Inexhaustible' source of hydrogen may be unlocked by salt water, engineers say (September 19, 2011) -- A grain of salt or two may be all that microbial electrolysis cells need to produce hydrogen from wastewater or organic byproducts, without adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere or using grid electricity, according to engineers. ... > full story

Why carbon nanotubes spell trouble for cells (September 19, 2011) -- Carbon nanotubes and other long nanomaterials can spell trouble for cells. The reason: Cells mistake them for spheres and try to engulf them. Once they start, cells cannot reverse course, and complete ingestion never occurs. Researchers detail for the first time how cells interact with carbon nanotubes, gold nanowires and asbestos fibers. ... > full story

Distinct features of autistic brain revealed in novel analysis of MRI scans (September 19, 2011) -- Researchers have used a novel method for analyzing brain-scan data to distinguish children with autism from typically developing children. Their discovery reveals that the gray matter in a network of brain regions known to affect social communication and self-related thoughts has a distinct organization in people with autism. ... > full story

Learning how gut bacteria influence health: Scientists crack sparse genome of microbe linked to autoimmunity (September 19, 2011) -- Scientists have deciphered the genome of a bacterium implicated as a key player in regulating the immune system of mice. The genomic analysis provides the first glimpse of its unusually sparse genetic blueprint and offers hints about how it may activate a powerful immune response that protects mice from infection but also spurs harmful inflammation. ... > full story

Early detection is key in the fight against ovarian cancer (September 19, 2011) -- Ovarian cancer is a rare but often deadly disease that can strike at any time in a woman's life, but researchers have found there are symptoms associated with ovarian cancer that can assist in early detection. ... > full story

Not tonight deer: A new birth control vaccine helps reduce urban deer damage (September 19, 2011) -- A new birth control vaccine for white-tailed deer -- a growing nuisance in urban areas for gardens and landscaping -- eliminates the dangerous reproductive behavior behind the annual autumn surge in automobile-deer collisions. The vaccine is just becoming commercially available in some U.S. states. ... > full story

Watching the world in motion, babies take a first step toward language (September 19, 2011) -- Watching children on the playground, we see them run, climb, slide, get up, and do it all again. While their movements are continuous, we language-users can easily divide them up and name each one. But what about people -- babies -- who don't yet have words? How do they make sense of a world in motion? ... > full story

Sequencing 'dark matter' of life: Elusive genomes of thousands of bacteria species can now be decoded (September 19, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new method to sequence and analyze the 'dark matter' of life -- the genomes of thousands of bacteria species previously beyond scientists' reach, from microorganisms that produce antibiotics and biofuels to microbes living in the human body. ... > full story

Virus as a potential future cancer medicine? (September 19, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered that the vesicular stomatitis virus plays a previously unknown dual role in the prevention of a number of cancers. ... > full story

Some like it hot: European fish stocks changing with warming seas (September 19, 2011) -- The first 'big picture' study of the effects of rapidly rising temperatures in the northeast Atlantic Ocean shows that a major shift in fish stocks is already well underway. But it isn't all bad news. The research shows that some fishes' losses are other fishes' gain. ... > full story

Researchers demonstrate antibiotic sensing event central to MSRA antibiotic resistance (September 19, 2011) -- A new study describes a unique process that is central to induction of antibiotic resistance in the problematic bacterium methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. ... > full story

Colloidal quantum dots: Performance boost next-generation solar cell technology (September 19, 2011) -- Researchers have created the most efficient solar cell ever made based on colloidal quantum dots (CQD). Quantum dots are nanoscale semiconductors that capture light and convert it into an energy source. Because of their small scale, the dots can be sprayed on to flexible surfaces, including plastics. This enables the production of solar cells that are less expensive to produce and more durable than the more widely known silicon-based version. In a new study, the researchers demonstrate how the wrappers that encapsulate the quantum dots can be shrunk to a mere layer of atoms. ... > full story

Put down that game controller: Researcher suggests video games may not boost cognition (September 19, 2011) -- Wouldn't it be nice if all those hours kids spent glued to their PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or Nintendo DS video games actually resulted in something tangible? Better grades, perhaps? Improved concentration? Superior driving skills? Over the past decade, many studies and news media reports have suggested that action video games such as Medal of Honor or Unreal Tournament improve a variety of perceptual and cognitive abilities. But in a new paper, psychologists critically reevaluate those claims. ... > full story

Gamers succeed where scientists fail: Molecular structure of retrovirus enzyme solved, doors open to new AIDS drug design (September 19, 2011) -- Online gamers have solved the structure of a retrovirus enzyme whose configuration had stumped scientists for over a decade. This is the first instance that researchers are aware of in which gamers solved a longstanding scientific problem. The discovery was achieved through Foldit, which allows players to collaborate and compete in predicting protein molecule structures. Foldit is an example of engaging the public in scientific discovery by using games to solve hard problems that can't be solved by either people or computers alone. ... > full story

Possible link between two Type 2 diabetes drugs and pancreatic cancer, new research suggests (September 19, 2011) -- Two newer drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes could be linked to a significantly increased risk of developing pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, and one could also be linked to an increased risk of thyroid cancer, according to a new study. ... > full story

First fluorescence-guided ovarian cancer surgery (September 19, 2011) -- The first fluorescence-guided surgery on an ovarian cancer patient was performed using an imaging agent attached to a modified form of the vitamin folic acid, which acts as a "homing device" to seek out and attach to ovarian cancer cells. Surgeons were able to see clusters of cancer cells as small as one-tenth of a millimeter -- 30 times smaller than the smallest they could detect using standard techniques. ... > full story

Damaged gait and balance can recover with long-term abstinence from alcohol (September 19, 2011) -- Chronic alcoholism is often associated with a disturbed gait and balance, likely caused by alcohol damage to neural systems. While some studies have suggested that abstinence can lead to partial recovery of gait and balance functions, questions remain about duration of abstinence and sample size. This study of both short- and long-term abstinence has found that alcoholics' gait and balance can continue to recover with long-term abstinence from alcohol but that deficits can persist, especially eyes-closed standing balance. ... > full story

Previously unknown ocean bacteria lead scientists to entirely new theories (September 19, 2011) -- Earth's most successful bacteria are found in the oceans and belong to the group SAR11. Researchers have now provide an explanation for their success and at the same time call into question generally accepted theories about these bacteria. In their analysis they have also identified a rare and hitherto unknown relative of mitochondria, the power stations inside cells. ... > full story

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