ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Wednesday, July 27, 2011 ~ Technology

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Wednesday, July 27, 2011

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Biological interface using piezotronics: Nanowires allow electrical signals to be produced from mechanical actions (July 27, 2011) -- Taking advantage of the unique properties of zinc oxide nanowires, researchers have demonstrated a new type of piezoelectric resistive switching device in which the write-read access of memory cells is controlled by electromechanical modulation. ... > full story

Eliminating protein in specific brain cells blocks nicotine reward (July 27, 2011) -- Removing a protein from cells located in the brain's reward center blocks the anxiety-reducing and rewarding effects of nicotine, according to a new animal study. The findings may help researchers better understand how nicotine affects the brain. ... > full story

Seeing the wood for the trees: New study shows sheep in tree-ring records (July 27, 2011) -- Nibbling by herbivores can have a greater impact on the width of tree rings than climate, new research has found. The study could help increase the accuracy of the tree ring record as a way of estimating past climatic conditions. ... > full story

Researchers identify genetic mutations associated with diseases of the esophagus (July 27, 2011) -- Mutations in three genes have been identified that are more prevalent in patients with esophageal cancer and Barrett esophagus, a premalignant metaplasia (change in cells or tissue) caused by chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease, according to preliminary research. ... > full story

How the modular structure of proteins permits evolution to move forward (July 27, 2011) -- A new study compares the development of the egg laying organ in two species of nematodes; with its results providing support for the theory of developmental systems drift. This theory maintains that, over the course of evolution, analogous organs of different species can retain the same shape and function while the regulative mechanisms underlying their development can change considerably. ... > full story

Afghanistan's health system shows improvements, but staff and patient protection remains a concern (July 27, 2011) -- After a basic package of health services was introduced by Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health, the development and performance of Afghanistan's health care services improved dramatically in many areas between 2004 and 2008, particularly in health service capacity and delivery of care. However, experts warn of the dangers of security issues for health staff and patients, which is seriously hampering progress, and argue that the likelihood of Afghanistan emerging from its fragile status is far from certain. ... > full story

Hubble constant: A new way to measure the expansion of the universe (July 27, 2011) -- Using a measurement of the clustering of the galaxies surveyed, plus other information derived from observations of the early universe, researchers have measured the Hubble constant with an uncertainly of less than 5 percent. The new work draws on data from a survey of more than 125,000 galaxies. ... > full story

New study sheds light on role of genetics in recovering from eating disorders (July 27, 2011) -- A substantial number of people with eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa have a chronic course. They are severely underweight and have a high likelihood of dying from malnutrition. No treatment has been found that helps people who are chronically ill. Now, a new study sheds light on the reason that some people have poor outcome. ... > full story

Non-coding RNA has role in inherited neurological disorder, and maybe other brain diseases too (July 27, 2011) -- Scientists have uncovered a novel mechanism regulating gene expression and transcription linked to Spinocerebellar ataxia 7, an inherited neurological disorder. The discovery promises to have broad ramifications, suggesting that abundant non-coding transcripts of ribonucleic acid (RNA) may be key players in neurological development and function, and could be powerful targets for future clinical therapies. ... > full story

New tasks attributed to Aurora proteins in cell division (July 27, 2011) -- New information from fission yeast provides clues for research on cancer treatments. When a cell divides, the genetic information in the chromosomes must be passed on error-free to the daughter cells. Researchers are studying this process using fission yeast as a model organism. They have succeeded in attributing additional tasks to the Aurora enzymes, which were already recognized as important cellular tools for the reliable transmission of genetic information. Because uncontrolled cell division is a feature of tumors, Aurora enzyme inhibitors are already being tested as new cancer treatments, and these new insights from basic research may prove to be of use for this clinical research. ... > full story

Scientists complete final scan of space shuttle heat shield (July 27, 2011) -- After Columbia's debris-damaged heat shield failed in 2003, causing the tragic accident that took the lives of all seven on board, researchers in the U.S. developed a laser dynamic range imager, or LDRI, which generates 3-D images from 2-D video. ... > full story

One in six fast-food customers cut calories after US food labeling system introduction (July 27, 2011) -- Around a sixth of fast food customers used calorie information and, on average, bought food with lower calories since the introduction of a labeling system in the US, says a new study. ... > full story

Heavy metal hardens battle: Body armor hindered Medieval warriors (July 26, 2011) -- The French may have had a better chance at the Battle of Agincourt had they not been weighed down by heavy body armor, say researchers. A new study shows that soldiers carrying armor in Medieval times would have been using more than twice the amount of energy had they not been wearing it. This is the first clear experimental evidence of the limitations of wearing Medieval armor on a soldier's performance. ... > full story

Clinical trial of molecular therapy for muscular dystrophy yields significant positive results (July 26, 2011) -- A molecular technique has taken one step closer to becoming a treatment for the devastating genetic disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy. ... > full story

Detailed picture of ice loss following the collapse of Antarctic ice shelves (July 26, 2011) -- Researchers have combined data from multiple sources to provide the clearest account yet of how much glacial ice surges into the sea following the collapse of Antarctic ice shelves. ... > full story

Adding a stent during minimally invasive surgery to repair aneurysms prevents recurrence, study suggests (July 26, 2011) -- The addition of a simple stent can help prevent potentially lethal blood vessel bulges in the brain from recurring after they are repaired in a minimally invasive "coiling" procedure, according to physicians. A report on the research could make coiling a more viable option for the 30,000 people diagnosed with brain aneurysms each year in the United States, the investigators say. ... > full story

Reforestation's cooling influence is a result of farmers' past choices (July 26, 2011) -- Decisions by farmers to plant on productive land with little snow enhances the potential for reforestation to counteract global warming, concludes new research. Previous research has led scientists and politicians to believe that regrowing forests on Northern lands that were cleared in order to grow crops would not decrease global warming. But these studies did not consider the importance of the choices made by farmers in the historical past. ... > full story

Excluding children from discussions about their hospital care causes unnecessary distress (July 26, 2011) -- Children who are excluded from discussions about their hospital care often feel scared and angry that no one is listening to them or telling them what is going on. Researchers says that health professionals and parents need to do more to consult them and include them in decisions and are calling for guidelines to ensure that children's voices are heard on matters that directly affect their health. ... > full story

Minority rules: Scientists discover tipping point for the spread of ideas (July 26, 2011) -- Scientists have found that when just 10 percent of the population holds an unshakable belief, their belief will always be adopted by the majority of the society. The scientists used computational and analytical methods to discover the tipping point where a minority belief becomes the majority opinion. ... > full story

New cancer treatment? Universal donor immune cells (July 26, 2011) -- A ready pool of donor immune cells fitted with cancer-seeking receptors could provide an alternative to costly personalized treatments. ... > full story

Sea squirt cells shed light on cancer development (July 26, 2011) -- Specialized structures that cancer cells use to invade tissue also could help them escape protection mechanisms aimed at eliminating them, scientists have discovered. The findings may change the way scientists look at cancer formation and offer new targets for cancer therapies. ... > full story

New mouse model for testing cancer drugs (July 26, 2011) -- Only one in twenty cancer drugs makes its way from the laboratory to the market. The majority of new agents are only shown to be unsuitable in the later phases of clinical development which would explain the exorbitantly high development costs. A new mouse model could help researchers to recognize effects and side effects at an earlier stage. ... > full story

Beetles play an important role in reducing weeds (July 26, 2011) -- Researchers have found that ground beetles reduce the amount of weed seeds in the soil. Weeds reduce crop yields and these findings support the need to conserve farmland biodiversity as it plays an important supporting role to herbicides in controlling weeds and improving food security. ... > full story

Worrying can impact interpersonal relationships, study finds (July 26, 2011) -- Most people worry from time to time. A new research study shows that worrying can be so intrusive and obsessive that it interferes in a person's life and endangers the health of social relationships. ... > full story

Newly developed fluorescent protein makes internal organs visible (July 26, 2011) -- Researchers have developed the first fluorescent protein that enables scientists to clearly "see" the internal organs of living animals without the need for a scalpel or imaging techniques that can have side effects or increase radiation exposure. ... > full story

Scientists design nano-sized drug transporter to fight disease (July 26, 2011) -- Scientists seeking to improve cancer treatments have created a tiny drug transporter that maximizes its ability to silence damaging genes by finding the equivalent of an expressway into a target cell. The transporter, called a nanocarrier, is a lipid-based structure containing a piece of RNA. Lipids are fatty molecules that help maintain the structure of cell membranes. ... > full story

Modeling plant metabolism to optimize oil production (July 26, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a computational model for analyzing the metabolic processes in rapeseed plants -- particularly those related to the production of oils in their seeds. Their goal is to find ways to optimize the production of plant oils that have widespread potential as renewable resources for fuel and industrial chemicals. ... > full story

Scientists developing new therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer (July 26, 2011) -- Patients with HER2-positive breast cancer may have an alternative therapy when they develop resistance to trastuzumab, also known as Herceptin, according to a new laboratory finding. ... > full story

Newly discovered gene sheds light on the evolution of life on Earth (July 26, 2011) -- A chance discovery of a genetic mutation in wild barley that grows in Israel's Judean Desert has led to an international study deciphering evolution of life on land. ... > full story

What is war good for? Sparking civilization, suggest archaeology findings from Peru (July 26, 2011) -- Raiding, triggered by political conflict in the 5th century BC, likely shaped the development of the first settlement that would classify as a civilization in the Titicaca basin in southern Peru, suggests a new study. ... > full story

Enceladus rains water onto Saturn (July 26, 2011) -- The Herschel space observatory has shown that water expelled from the moon Enceladus forms a giant torus of water vapor around Saturn. The discovery solves a 14-year mystery by identifying the source of the water in Saturn's upper atmosphere. ... > full story

Artificial lung mimics real organ's design and efficiency: Small device works with air, pure oxygen not needed (July 26, 2011) -- A new artificial lung has reached efficiencies akin to the genuine organ, using air -- not pure oxygen as current human-made lungs require -- for the source of the essential element. The device is a major step toward creating an easily portable and implantable artificial lung. ... > full story

One tiny electron could be key to furture drugs that repair sunburn (July 26, 2011) -- Researchers who have been working for nearly a decade to piece together the process by which an enzyme repairs sun-damaged DNA have finally witnessed the entire process in full detail in the laboratory. What they saw contradicts fundamental notions of how key biological molecules break up during the repair of sunburn -- and that knowledge could someday lead to drugs or even lotions that could heal sunburn in humans. ... > full story

Hormone therapy may be hazardous for men with heart conditions, study suggests (July 26, 2011) -- Adding hormone therapy to radiation therapy has been proven in randomized clinical trials to improve overall survival for men with intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer. However, adding hormone therapy may reduce overall survival in men with pre-existing heart conditions, even if they have high-risk prostate cancer according to a new study. ... > full story

Little crayfish is big glutton in Arctic waters (July 26, 2011) -- For years, the copepod Metridia has managed to remain hidden from science. However, this spring, during fieldwork at the Arctic Station, for the very first time researchers succeeded in filming how this constantly feeding little crayfish catches its prey. ... > full story

Corporal punishment may have long-term negative effects on children's intelligence (July 26, 2011) -- Children in a school that uses corporal punishment performed significantly worse in tasks involving "executive functioning" -- psychological processes such as planning, abstract thinking, and delaying gratification -- than those in a school relying on milder disciplinary measures such as time-outs, according to a new study involving two private schools in a West African country. ... > full story

Unique volcanic complex discovered on Moon's far side (July 26, 2011) -- Analysis of new images of a curious "hot spot" on the far side of the Moon reveal it to be a small volcanic province created by the upwelling of silicic magma. The unusual location of the province and of the surprising composition of the lava that formed it offer tantalizing clues to the Moon's thermal history. ... > full story

Predictors of dying suddenly versus surviving heart attack identified (July 26, 2011) -- While there are many traits that are common among heart attack patients -- both those who survive the event and those who die suddenly -- researchers have identified several traits that can be used to differentiate between risk of dying suddenly versus living through a heart attack. ... > full story

Cancer-causing mineral found in U.S. road gravel: Erionite in roads may increase risk of mesothelioma (July 26, 2011) -- Vehicles traveling along gravel roads in Dunn County, North Dakota stir up clouds of dust containing high levels of the mineral erionite. Those who breathe in the air every day are at an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, new research shows. Erionite shares similar physical similarities with asbestos and when airborne, its fibers can lodge in people's lungs. Over time, the embedded fibers can lead to mesothelioma, a lung cancer most often associated with asbestos. ... > full story

Antibiotic appears more effective than cranberry capsules for preventing urinary tract infections (July 26, 2011) -- In premenopausal women who have repeated urinary tract infections, the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole appeared more effective than cranberry capsules for preventing recurrent infections, at the risk of contributing to antibiotic resistance, according to a new report. ... > full story

Biofuels: Novel gene increases yeast's appetite for plant sugars (July 26, 2011) -- For thousands of years, bakers and brewers have relied on yeast to convert sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Yet, researchers eager to harness this talent for brewing biofuels have found when it comes to churning through sugars, these budding microbes can be picky eaters. ... > full story

Turtles next to lizards on family tree, discovery based on microRNAs shows (July 26, 2011) -- For decades, paleontologists and molecular biologists have disagreed about whether turtles are more closely related to birds and crocodiles or to lizards. Now scientists have developed a new technique using microRNAs for classifying animals, and the secret is out. Turtles are closer kin to lizards than crocodiles. ... > full story

Scientists discover potential stroke treatment that may extend time to prevent brain damage (July 26, 2011) -- A naturally occurring substance shrank the size of stroke-induced lesions in the brains of experimental mice -- even when administered as much as 12 hours after the event, researchers have shown. ... > full story

Making biological images sharper, deeper and faster (July 26, 2011) -- For modern biologists, the ability to capture high-quality, three-dimensional (3-D) images of living tissues or organisms over time is necessary to answer problems in areas ranging from genomics to neurobiology and developmental biology. Looking to improve upon current methods of imaging, researchers have developed a novel approach that could redefine optical imaging of live biological samples by simultaneously achieving high resolution, high penetration depth, and high imaging speed. ... > full story

Heavy metal: Titanium implant safety under scrutiny (July 26, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a new, highly sensitive method to assess the extent of titanium leaks from implants. Titanium implants are routinely used for bone fractures as well as dental work. ... > full story

World's largest sheep is an international traveler (July 26, 2011) -- A genetic study of the world's largest sheep species has revealed that the big-horned animals travel extensively across the moutainous borders of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and China, according to wildlife researchers. ... > full story

Mothers have a stronger tendency to mimic their daughters' consumption behavior than vice versa (July 26, 2011) -- How much do our children influence our consumption behavior? More than we thought. A new study finds that teenage girls have a strong influence on the products their mothers buy solely for personal use, as in makeup or clothing, and that mothers have a much stronger tendency to mimic their daughters' consumption behavior than vice versa. ... > full story

Drug shown to improve sight for patients with inherited blindness (July 26, 2011) -- A condition which robs patients of their sight has for the first time been reversed with a drug, giving some people legally certified as blind, useful vision to improve everyday life. ... > full story