Friday, July 1, 2011

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Preventing diabetes damage: Zinc's effects on a kinky, two-faced cohort

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 02:17 PM PDT

In type 2 diabetes, a protein called amylin forms dense clumps that shut down insulin-producing cells, wreaking havoc on the control of blood sugar. But zinc has a knack for preventing amylin from misbehaving.

Foot positioning during walking and running may influence ankle sprains

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 02:17 PM PDT

The position of the foot just before ground contact during running and walking may put people at risk for ankle sprains, according to a new study.

Assessing agroforestry's advantages: Scientists develop model to assess the impact agroforestry windbreaks have on farming operations

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 02:17 PM PDT

Agroforestry can provide production benefits while capturing substantial amounts of carbon on agricultural lands. Research is being conducted towards developing a method of accurately determining agroforestry's benefits in farming operations.

Novel genetic variation linked to increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 02:17 PM PDT

A study by a global consortium of physician-scientists has identified a genetic variation that may predispose people to double the risk of having a sudden cardiac arrest, a disorder that gives little warning and is fatal in about 95 percent of cases. Although previous, smaller studies have identified some genes with a potential association with sudden cardiac arrest, this is the first study large enough to enable scientists to apply results to the general population.

Discovery of genetic mutations better diagnose myelodysplastic syndromes

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 02:17 PM PDT

Researchers have developed a means of improving prognosis methods and predicting how long patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) will live after diagnosis by identifying certain gene mutations in their abnormal bone marrow.

Massive genome studies identify genetics behind white blood cell counts

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 02:17 PM PDT

A trio of large-scale genome-wide association studies, or GWAS, have identified more than 15 gene variants responsible for the diversity of white blood cell counts among whites, African-Americans, and Japanese. Combined, the studies offer the first comprehensive analysis into why some people, and some populations, have more or fewer white blood cells than others.

WiFi 'napping' doubles phone battery life

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 02:17 PM PDT

A graduate student has found a way to double the battery life of mobile devices -- such as smartphones or laptop computers -- by making changes to WiFi technology.

New approach to link genome-wide association signals to biological function

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 02:17 PM PDT

Researchers have identified a new strategy to improve the outcome of genome-wide association (GWA) studies. This will lead to a better understanding of the function of affected genes and the biological pathways involved, potentially translating these findings into clinical benefits. It is estimated that this approach, which finds the open chromatin regions in human cells, could be used in one in four GWA studies.

Reproductive behavior of the silkmoth is determined by a single pheromone receptor protein

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 02:17 PM PDT

Pheromone preference, and the initiation of a complex programmed sexual behavior, is determined by the specificity of a single sex pheromone receptor protein expressed in a population of olfactory receptor neurons in the silkmoth. The study provides the first direct proof of the long-held belief that the control of sexual behavior in male moths originates in the chemical specificity of the pheromone receptor proteins expressed in pheromone receptor neurons.

Variation in susceptibility to a virus is the key to understanding infection biology

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 02:17 PM PDT

A new study shows that differences in the vulnerability of animals to a virus are crucial to understanding patterns of infection, and that variation in susceptibility to two marginally different viruses increases the number of infections when the two virus variants are present in the same animal.

At the feet of the pharaohs: Capturing the majesty of Luxor in 3-D

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 01:59 PM PDT

For a while, it seemed the revolution in Egypt would end his mission before it had even begun. Thomas A. DeFanti, an expert in data visualization, had been planning for months to capture spectacular 3-D surround images of Egypt's temples at Luxor on his way to Saudi Arabia early in April. It would be a proof-of-concept expedition to see if the 3-D CAVEcam -- two Lumix GF1 cameras carefully calibrated to take simultaneous right and left images -- would be functional in the super bright, hot and dusty conditions of the Nile River Valley. But for DeFanti, an avid traveler and lover of photography, it would also be a way to bring the splendors of one of the primary world heritage sites back to his state-of-the-art visualization facility in California.

NASA's Spitzer finds distant galaxies grazed on gas

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 01:24 PM PDT

Galaxies once thought of as voracious tigers are more like grazing cows, according to a new study using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Astronomers have discovered that galaxies in the distant, early universe continuously ingested their star-making fuel over long periods of time. This goes against previous theories that the galaxies devoured their fuel in quick bursts after run-ins with other galaxies.

Making a spectacle of star formation in Orion

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 01:23 PM PDT

Looking like a pair of eyeglasses only a rock star would wear, a new nebula view brings into focus a murky region of star formation. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope exposes the depths of this dusty nebula with its infrared vision, showing stellar infants that are lost behind dark clouds when viewed in visible light.

La Niña's exit leaves climate forecasts in limbo

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 01:21 PM PDT

It's what Bill Patzert, a climatologist and oceanographer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, likes to call a "La Nada" -- that puzzling period between cycles of the El NiƱo-Southern Oscillation climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean when sea surface heights in the equatorial Pacific are near average.

Women win out in gastrointestinal surgery

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 01:18 PM PDT

In the first study to consider the impact of gender on patient outcomes in major gastrointestinal surgeries, researchers have found that women are more likely to survive after the procedure than men. The pattern is even more pronounced when comparing women before menopause with men of the same age.

Research identifies key reasons racial disparities exist in emergent stroke treatment

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 01:18 PM PDT

African-Americans are less likely than whites to receive critical stroke treatment primarily because they do not get to a hospital soon enough for time-sensitive treatment and because of preexisting medical conditions, according to new research. For patients who are eligible for treatment, no racial disparity was found.

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission gets a sunrise view of Tycho crater's peak

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 01:18 PM PDT

On June 10, 2011, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft pointed the LRO Camera NACs to capture a dramatic sunrise view of Tycho crater.

Scientists hope to get glimpse of adolescent universe from revolutionary instrument-on-a-chip

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 01:18 PM PDT

Thanks to technological advances,scientists hope to provide a picture of how the cosmos developed into the kind of place that could support life like that found on Earth.

Plastic found in nine percent of 'garbage patch' fishes: Tens of thousands of tons of debris annually ingested

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 01:18 PM PDT

The first scientific results from an ambitious voyage led by a group of graduate students from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego offer a stark view of human pollution and its infiltration of an area of the ocean that has been labeled as the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch."

Key ingredient: Change in material boosts prospects of ultrafast single-photon detector

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 01:18 PM PDT

By swapping one superconducting material for another, researchers have found a practical way to boost the efficiency of the world's fastest single-photon detector, while also extending light sensitivity to longer wavelengths.

Worse outcomes for older breast cancer patients with other health problems, study finds

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 01:18 PM PDT

Older breast cancer patients with certain other health problems have higher mortality rates than patients without these problems, according to a new study. The other health problems, or "comorbidities," include heart attack and other heart-related problems, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and others.

Up to 220,000 California children excluded from health care reform due to immigrant status, experts say

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 11:28 AM PDT

Restrictions on eligibility for health care reform programs will result in the potential exclusion of up to 220,000 children from affordable health care coverage in California, according to a new policy brief. The number represents up to 20 percent of all uninsured children in California.

Heart transplant patients at risk for serious skin cancers, study finds

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 11:28 AM PDT

A new study reveals that there is a significant risk of serious skin cancers, including cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma, in heart transplant patients.

Telomeres: Two genes linked to why they stretch in cancer cells

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 11:28 AM PDT

Scientists have provided more clues to one of the least understood phenomena in some cancers: why the "ends caps" of cellular DNA, called telomeres, lengthen instead of shorten.

Takeoffs and landings cause more precipitation near airports, researchers find

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 11:28 AM PDT

Researchers have found that areas near commercial airports sometimes experience a small but measurable increase in rain and snow when aircraft take off and land under certain atmospheric conditions. The new study is part of ongoing research that focuses on so-called hole punch and canal clouds that form when planes fly through certain mid-level clouds, forcing nearby air to rapidly expand and cool.

How social pressure can affect what we remember: Scientists track brain activity as false memories are formed

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 11:28 AM PDT

How easy is it to falsify memory? New research shows that a bit of social pressure may be all that is needed. The study reveals a unique pattern of brain activity when false memories are formed -- one that hints at a surprising connection between our social selves and memory.

Unearthing the appearance of ancient animals: X-ray technique for determining fossil pigmentation patterns

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 11:28 AM PDT

An international team is unearthing the appearance of ancient animals by using the world's most powerful X-rays. New research shows how trace metals in fossils can be used to determine the pigmentation patterns of creatures dead for more than a hundred million years.

Down-under digestive microbes could help lower methane gas from livestock

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 11:28 AM PDT

The discovery that a bacterial species in the Australian Tammar wallaby gut is responsible for keeping the animal's methane emissions relatively low suggests a potential new strategy may exist to try to reduce methane emissions from livestock, according to a new study.

X-rays reveal patterns in the plumage of the first birds

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 11:28 AM PDT

Researchers report in Science Express that they have taken a big step in determining what the first birds looked like more than 100 million years ago, when their relatives, the dinosaurs, still ruled the Earth. At the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, they discovered chemical traces of a pigment, an important component of color, that once formed patterns in the feathers of the fossilized birds.

Pigment patterns from the prehistoric past

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 11:28 AM PDT

An international collaboration has for the first time revealed chemical traces of pigments in bird, fish and squid fossils, some over 100 million years old.

Aircraft influence the local weather, new study shows; Inadvertent cloud seeding can increase precipitation around major airports

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 11:28 AM PDT

As airplanes fly through the clouds, they often punch holes through the ones that contain supercooled water, or water that has remained in liquid form below its freezing point. Now, researchers say that this phenomenon can lead to increased snowfall around the world's major airports.

Enzyme is important regulator of aggressive breast cancer development

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 10:18 AM PDT

Researchers have identified an enzyme that appears to be a significant regulator of breast cancer development. Called PTPN23, the enzyme can regulate the SRC oncoprotein, providing the basis for a new therapeutic approach.

Red wine: Exercise in a bottle?

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 10:18 AM PDT

As strange as it sounds, a new research study suggests that the "healthy" ingredient in red wine, resveratrol, prevents the negative effects that spaceflight and sedentary lifestyles have on people. The report describes experiments in rats that simulated the weightlessness of spaceflight, during which the group fed resveratrol did not develop insulin resistance or a loss of bone mineral density, as did those who were not fed resveratrol.

Why do we share stories, news and information with others?

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 10:18 AM PDT

People often share stories, news and information with the people around them. We forward online articles to our friends, share stories with our co-workers at the water cooler and pass along rumors to our neighbors. Such social transmission has been going on for thousands of years, and the advent of social technologies like texting, Facebook and other social media sites has only made it faster and easier to share content with others.

'Zombie' stars key to measuring dark energy

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 10:18 AM PDT

"Zombie" stars that explode like bombs as they die, only to revive by sucking matter out of other stars. According to an astrophysicist, this isn't the plot for the latest 3-D blockbuster movie. Instead, it's something that happens every day in the universe -- something that can be used to measure dark energy.

Cancer Genome Atlas completes detailed ovarian cancer analysis

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 10:18 AM PDT

As part of the Cancer Genome Atlas project, North Carolina researchers have contributed to the most comprehensive an integrated view of cancer genes for any cancer type produced to date.

Novel analysis method organizes genomic cancer data

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 10:18 AM PDT

The technology that allows scientists to profile the entire genome of individual tumors offers new hope for discovering ways to select the best treatment for each patient's particular type of cancer. However, these profiles produce huge amounts of data, and the volume alone creates unique analytical problems. In a new study, researchers describe a new analytical approach based on a concept called multiplicity, that can organize large amounts of varied genetic data.

Variation in make-up of generic epilepsy drugs can lead to dosing problems, study suggests

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 10:18 AM PDT

Generic anti-epilepsy drugs, pharmaceutical products similar to brand-name versions, save consumers billions of dollars each year, but some are different enough from branded formulations that they may not be effective, particularly if patients switch between two generic drugs, a new study suggests.

Nervous system stem cells can replace themselves, give rise to variety of cell types, even amplify

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 10:18 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered in young adult mice that a lone brain stem cell is capable not only of replacing itself and giving rise to specialized neurons and glia -- important types of brain cells -- but also of taking a wholly unexpected path: generating two new brain stem cells.

Predicting locations for deer vs. car collisions

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 10:18 AM PDT

Researchers have produced a map of Edmonton predicting the most likely locations where vehicles will collide with deer.

MicroRNAs in the songbird brain respond to new songs

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 09:20 AM PDT

Whenever it hears an unfamiliar song from a male of the same species, a zebra finch stops chirping, hopping and grooming. Once it becomes familiar with the song, it goes back to its busy routine. Researchers have now found that levels of microRNAs -- short lengths of ribonucleic acid -- go up or down in the songbird brain after it hears a new song. These microRNAs likely represent a new class of regulatory agents that fine-tune the brain's response to social information.

Using fear to guide smart investments

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 09:20 AM PDT

New research based on an examination of 50 years of market volatility in 10 stock markets in seven different countries, demonstrates that a smart stock market portfolio takes into account both negative returns and the dynamics of psychological volatility.

Herbal medicine treatment reduces inflammation in allergen-induced asthma, study suggests

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 09:20 AM PDT

Researchers using a traditional Korean medicine, SO-CHEONG-RYONG-TANG (SCRT) that has long been used for the treatment of allergic diseases in Asia, found that SCRT treatment alleviates asthma-like pulmonary inflammation via suppression of specific chemokines or proteins.

Resistant mice provide clues about successful immune response to retroviruses

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 09:20 AM PDT

A new study identifies a key virus-sensing mechanism that is necessary for a successful immune response against infection with a particularly deadly type of virus.

Babies are specially attuned to our voices and emotions

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 09:20 AM PDT

Young babies' brains are already specially attuned to the sounds of human voices and emotions, according to a new report.

New mechanism used by cells to reverse silenced genes

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 09:20 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered a new mechanism used by cells in the body to turn on silenced genes. This process is critical in preventing the development of cancer -- suggesting the possibility of new therapies that might target the specific changes underlying the disease.

Evolutionary kings of the hill use good, bad and ugly mutations to speed ahead of competition

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 08:29 AM PDT

Evolutionary adaptation is often compared to climbing a hill, and organisms making the right combination of multiple mutations -- both good and bad -- can become the king of the mountain, according to new research. Through computer simulations, researchers were able to watch evolution play out and see how populations use these combinations to evolve from one adaptive state to another.

The future of chip manufacturing

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 08:29 AM PDT

Researchers have shown how to make e-beam lithography, commonly used to prototype computer chips, more practical as a mass-production technique.

Time to let science drive Great Lakes policy on Asian carp, experts say

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 08:28 AM PDT

The threat Asian carp pose to the Great Lakes community may be politically controversial, but pales in comparison to the costs and danger of continuing to wring hands over established facts. It's time, a fisheries expert says, to let science drive policy and put knowledge into action.

Don't show, don't tell? Direct instruction can thwart independent exploration

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 08:28 AM PDT

It turns out that there is a "double-edged sword" to pedagogy: explicit instruction makes children less likely to engage in spontaneous exploration and discovery. A new compared the behavior of children given a novel toy under four different conditions, finding that children expressly taught one of its functions played with the toy for less time and discovered fewer things to do with it than children in the other three scenarios.

Genetic alterations in pig tissue may allow for human transplantation

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 08:28 AM PDT

A sizzling genetic discovery may one day allow pig tissue to be transplanted successfully into humans. Scientists have taken a step forward toward filling the shortage of vital organs for human transplantation. Research has shown that altering or overexpressing human programmed death ligand-1 molecule in endothelial cells of pig arteries reduces conditions that cause rejection. This suggests humans could receive altered porcine organs with fewer complications.

Your brain on nicotine: Nicotine receptors affect social behavior

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 08:28 AM PDT

No longer assume that nicotine receptors are only important to smokers trying to quit. Research suggests that these receptors are important in social interaction and the ability to choose between competing motivations. Scientists show that prefrontal cortex nicotinic receptors are essential for social interaction in mice, with this area of the brain necessary for balanced social interactions. This knowledge could lead to treatments for ADHD, schizophrenia and depression.

Adult stem cells carry their own baggage: Epigenetics guides stem cell fate

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 08:28 AM PDT

Adult stem and progenitor cells may not contain a clean genetic slate after all. A new report shows that these cells have unique "epigenetic signatures," which change once a cell differentiates. Epigenetic changes do not affect the make up in a cell's DNA, but how that DNA functions. Epigenetic changes have demonstrated a role in a range of diseases, as well as to be heritable from mother to child.

Genome analysis will reveal how bacteria in our guts make themselves at home

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 08:26 AM PDT

Researchers have published the genome sequence of a gut bacterium to help understand how these organisms evolved their symbiotic relationships with their hosts.

TV food advertising increases children's preference for unhealthy foods, study finds

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 08:26 AM PDT

Researchers have found that children who watch advertisements for unhealthy food on television are more likely to want to eat high-fat and high-sugar foods.

Using DNA in fight against illegal logging

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 08:26 AM PDT

Advances in DNA "fingerprinting" and other genetic techniques are making it harder for illegal loggers to get away with destroying protected rainforests.

Antivenom against lethal snake gives hope to developing countries

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 08:26 AM PDT

A new low-cost snake antivenom could empower countries such as Papua New Guinea to produce their own antivenoms, putting an end to chronic antivenom shortages and unnecessary deaths.

Heavy metal meets hard rock: Battling through the ocean crust's hardest rocks

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 08:26 AM PDT

Scientists and drillers recovered a remarkable suite of heat-tempered basalts that provide a detailed picture of the rarely seen boundary between magma and seawater. These samples were collected during a return to ODP Hole 1256D, one of the deepest "hard rock" penetration sites of scientific ocean drilling. ODP Hole 1256D has been stabilized, cleared to its full depth, and primed for further deepening.

Scientists study earthquake triggers in Pacific Ocean

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 08:26 AM PDT

New samples of rock and sediment from the depths of the eastern Pacific Ocean may help explain the cause of large, destructive earthquakes similar to the Tohoku Earthquake that struck Japan in mid-March. Nearly 1,500 meters (almost one mile) of core collected from the ocean floor near the coast of Costa Rica reveal detailed records of approximately two million years of tectonic activity along a seismic plate boundary.

Fire brings communities together and increases trust in government

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 08:26 AM PDT

As homes and cities expand closer to forests and wildlands across the American West, increasing wildfire threats have created an unlikely new phenomena -- confidence in government. Recent studies show that people in neighborhoods adjacent to public forest lands can and do trust natural resource managers to a surprising degree, in part because the risks they face are so severe.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...