ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Thursday, July 28, 2011 ~ Technology

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Thursday, July 28, 2011

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Wave power can drive sun's intense heat (July 28, 2011) -- A new study sheds light on why the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, is more than 20 times hotter than its surface. The research may bring scientists a step closer to understanding the solar cycle and the sun's impacts on Earth. ... > full story

Children and adolescent cell phone users at no greater risk of brain cancer than non-users, study suggests (July 28, 2011) -- Children and adolescents who use mobile phones are not at a statistically significant increased risk of brain cancer compared to their peers who do not use mobile phones, according to a new study. ... > full story

Graphene nanocomposite a bridge to better batteries (July 28, 2011) -- Researchers have built a high-capacity energy storage device for lithium ion batteries by constructing a unique nanoscale sandwich of graphene and tin. The device is engineered to improve electrochemical cycling of the battery, which reduces charging time and allows repeated recharging without degrading battery performance. ... > full story

Breast density tied to specific types of breast cancer, study suggests (July 28, 2011) -- Women with breasts that appear dense on mammograms are at a higher risk of breast cancer and their tumors are more likely to have certain aggressive characteristics than women with less dense breasts, according to a study. ... > full story

New X-ray camera will reveal big secrets about how chemistry works (July 28, 2011) -- Designed to record bursts of images at an unprecedented speed of 4.5 million frames per second, an innovative X-ray camera being built by engineers in the UK will help a major new research facility shed light on the structure of matter. ... > full story

Speed cameras in urban areas save millions in cash, analysis finds (July 28, 2011) -- The deployment of speed cameras in urban areas saves vast amounts of money as well as lives, reveals a two-year financial analysis. ... > full story

Cod resurgence in Canadian waters (July 28, 2011) -- Cod and other groundfish populations off the east coast of Canada are showing signs of recovery more than 20 years after the fisheries collapsed in the early 1990s, according to new research. ... > full story

A new target to inhibit malaria and toxoplasmosis infection (July 28, 2011) -- Scientists have characterized a protein complex that allows the agents that cause malaria and toxoplasmosis to infect host cells. This is a highly original mechanism, since the parasite supplies both the receptor which it inserts into the host cell membrane and the ligand it exposes at its surface. The researchers have now shown the three-dimensional structure of this complex. The new data paves the way for new drugs designed to inhibit the formation of the protein complex in question and block invasion by Plasmodium falciparum in red blood cells. ... > full story

Bacteria can 'fertilize' copper-polluted soil (July 28, 2011) -- When miners abandoned Michigan's Copper Country, they left a lot of the red metal behind, and not in a good way. Waste from the mining operations still contains a high fraction of copper, so high that almost nothing can grow on it -- and hasn't for decades, leaving behind moonscape expanses that can stretch for acres. Researchers may have now discovered how to make plants grow in the mine-waste desert and soak up some copper while they are at it. ... > full story

Computer-aided detection does not improve mammogram accuracy, study suggests (July 28, 2011) -- Using computer-aided detection software to help analyze and interpret mammograms does not improve accuracy, according to a new study. ... > full story

Closer look at cells: Fluorescence microscopy lets scientists observe exchanges across cell membranes (July 28, 2011) -- Many substances and nutrients are exchanged across the cell membrane. Scientists in Switzerland have developed a method to observe these exchanges, by taking a highly accurate count of the number of proteins found there. ... > full story

Why people phone hack: A look into the psyche of wrongdoing (July 28, 2011) -- Phone hacking. It doesn't even sound ethical. Neither does phone spying nor so called, 'phreaking.' So how does management at a best-selling newspaper approve this and everyone else play along? ... > full story

Tundra fires could accelerate climate warming (July 27, 2011) -- After a 10,000-year absence, wildfires have returned to the Arctic tundra, and a new study shows that their impact could extend far beyond the areas blackened by flames. ... > full story

Could patients' own kidney cells cure kidney disease? Reprogrammed kidney cells could make transplants and dialysis things of the past (July 27, 2011) -- Approximately 60 million people across the globe have chronic kidney disease, and many will need dialysis or a transplant. Breakthrough research indicates that patients' own kidney cells can be gathered and reprogrammed. Reprogramming patients' kidney cells could mean that in the future, fewer patients with kidney disease would require complicated, expensive procedures that affect their quality of life. ... > full story

VST looks at the Leo Triplet -- and beyond (July 27, 2011) -- A huge image, from the new VLT Survey Telescope (VST) and its camera OmegaCAM at the European Southern Observatory's Paranal Observatory, shows a triplet of bright galaxies in the constellation of Leo (the Lion). But the faint objects in the background, rather than the foreground galaxies, are what may capture an astronomer's attention. The VST's sharp view of these dim objects hints at the power of the telescope and OmegaCAM for mapping the distant universe. ... > full story

CT shows changes in lungs associated with COPD flare-ups (July 27, 2011) -- Using computed tomography, researchers have identified two types of structural changes in the lungs of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that are associated with frequent exacerbations, or episodes when symptoms suddenly worsen. ... > full story

NASA tests future deep space vehicle for water landings (July 27, 2011) -- As NASA closes the chapter on the Space Shuttle Program, a new era of exploration vehicles is beginning to take off. Testing began this month at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., in the new Hydro Impact Basin to certify the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) for water landings. The Orion MPCV will carry astronauts into space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and ensure safe re-entry and landing. ... > full story

Who takes risks? (July 27, 2011) -- It's a common belief that women take fewer risks than men, and that adolescents always plunge in headlong without considering the consequences. But the reality of who takes risks when is actually a bit more complicated, according to the authors of a new article. ... > full story

Social deficits associated with autism, schizophrenia induced in mice with new technology (July 27, 2011) -- Researchers have been able to switch on, and then switch off, social-behavior deficits in mice that resemble those seen in people with autism and schizophrenia, thanks to a technology that allows scientists to precisely manipulate nerve activity in the brain. In synchrony with this experimentally induced socially aberrant behavior, the mice exhibited a brain-wave pattern called gamma oscillation that has been associated with autism and schizophrenia in humans, the researchers say. ... > full story

Yoga boosts stress-busting hormone, reduces pain, study finds (July 27, 2011) -- A new study finds that practicing yoga reduces the physical and psychological symptoms of chronic pain in women with fibromyalgia. The study is the first to look at the effects of yoga on cortisol levels in women with fibromyalgia. Participants' saliva revealed elevated levels of total cortisol following a program of 75 minutes of hatha yoga twice weekly over the course of eight weeks. ... > full story

More powerful 'lab-on-a-chip' made for genetic analysis (July 27, 2011) -- Researchers have invented a silicone chip that could make genetic analysis far more sensitive, rapid, and cost-effective by allowing individual cells to fall into place like balls in a pinball machine. The device -- about the size of a nine-volt battery -- allows scientists to simultaneously analyze 300 cells individually by routing fluid carrying cells through microscopic tubes and valves. By facilitating such "single-cell analysis," the device could accelerate genetic research and hasten the use of far more detailed tests for diagnosing cancer. ... > full story

Zinc lozenges may shorten common cold duration, Finnish research suggests (July 27, 2011) -- Depending on the total dosage of zinc and the composition of lozenges, zinc lozenges may shorten the duration of common cold episodes by up to 40%, according to a Finnish study. ... > full story

How early reptiles moved (July 27, 2011) -- Modern scientists would have loved the sight of early reptiles running across the Bromacker near Tambach-Dietharz in Germany 300 million years ago. Unfortunately this journey through time is impossible. But thanks to a team of researchers, numerous skeletons and footprints of early dinosaurs have been found and conserved there during the last 40 years. ... > full story

Social acumen equals spatial skill, psychologist finds (July 27, 2011) -- People who are socially skilled -- who are adept at metaphorically putting themselves in someone else's shoes -- generally are also more proficient when it comes to spatial skills. ... > full story

New material lets electrons 'dance' and form new state (July 27, 2011) -- Scientists have successfully created an ultrapure material that captures new states of matter and could have applications in high-speed quantum computing. The material, gallium arsenide, is used to observe states in which electrons no longer obey the laws of single-particle physics, but instead are governed by their mutual interactions. ... > full story

Gastric bypass surgery changes food preferences so that they eat less high fat food (July 27, 2011) -- Gastric bypass surgery alters people's food preferences so that they eat less high fat food, according to a new study. The findings suggest a new mechanism by which some types of bariatric surgery lead to long-term weight loss. ... > full story

Social networking elephants never forget (July 27, 2011) -- Asian elephants typically live in small, flexible, social groups centered around females and calves while adult males roam independently. However, new research shows that while Asian elephants in Sri Lanka may change their day to day associations they maintain a larger, stable, network of friends from which they pick their companions. ... > full story

Non-cocaine, topical anesthetics can kill pain when repairing skin wounds (July 27, 2011) -- While some pain killers need to be injected into the damaged tissue in order to work, topical anesthetics only need to be spread on the surface. The earliest examples of "topical" anesthetics contained cocaine, but now a new systematic review has shown that newer agents that don't contain cocaine can effectively treat pain caused by torn skin. This makes these pain killers an attractive choice for doctors who need to sew-up a patient's skin wound. ... > full story

First measurements of harmful haloacetic acids in urine of swimmers and pool workers (July 27, 2011) -- The first scientific measurements in humans show that potentially harmful haloacetic acids (HAAs) appear in the urine of swimmers within 30 minutes after exposure to chlorinated water where HAAs form as a byproduct of that water disinfection method. The study found that HAAs also appeared in the urine of swimming pool workers. ... > full story

As unhealthy food outlets multiply, teens eat more junk (July 27, 2011) -- Nearly three-quarters of California teenagers live or go to school in neighborhoods disproportionately crowded with fast food and other outlets that sell unhealthy food, including convenience stores, liquor stores, dollar stores and pharmacies. And unsurprisingly, teens that live or go to school in such neighborhoods are more likely to drink soda and eat fast food. ... > full story

Researchers graft olfactory receptors onto nanotubes (July 27, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a nanotech device that combines carbon nanotubes with olfactory receptor proteins, the cell components in the nose that detect odors. ... > full story

Scientists connect gene to Alzheimer’s precondition (July 27, 2011) -- Connecting a human gene to the risk of developing the Alzheimer's precondition known as mild cognitive impairment has been somewhat of a holy grail for scientists, but now a team of scientists has ended the quest. ... > full story

Can amphibian fungal disease be beaten? (July 27, 2011) -- Over the past 30 years, around 200 species of amphibians have disappeared due to chytridiomycosis, a fungal infection. The scientific community has attempted to fight the pathogen, without success. Now, researchers have reviewed every technique in order to prevent the effects of this disease and local extinctions. ... > full story

Telomere length linked to emphysema risk (July 27, 2011) -- Telomeres, the body's own cellular clocks, may be a crucial factor underlying the development of emphysema, according to new research. ... > full story

Researchers mimic nature to create a 'bio-inspired brain' for robots (July 27, 2011) -- Engineers are developing bio-inspired integrated circuit technology which mimics the neuron structure and operation of the brain. ... > full story

Does Chinese chocolate taste better than Swiss? Depends on when you find out (July 27, 2011) -- When consumers taste a chocolate bar they think is made in Switzerland, they'll prefer it over one supposedly made in China, according to new study. But if you tell them where it's from after they taste the candy, they'll prefer the Chinese chocolate. ... > full story

Are cancers newly evolved species? (July 27, 2011) -- A molecular biologists has long believed that cancer results from chromosome disruption rather than a handful of gene mutations, which is the dominant theory today. That idea has led him to propose that cancers have actually evolved new chromosomal karyotypes that qualify them as autonomous species, akin to parasites and much different from their human hosts. ... > full story

Precision gene targeting in stem cells corrects disease-causing mutations (July 27, 2011) -- Using two distinct methods, researchers have successfully and consistently manipulated targeted genes in both human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (adult cells that have been reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell-like state). In one case, scientists employed proteins known as zinc finger nucleases to change a single base pair in the genome, allowing them either to insert or remove mutations known to cause early-onset Parkinson's disease. ... > full story

Weak synchronization in toddler brains may be a biological marker for autism (July 27, 2011) -- A finding that ties weak synchronization in brain activity to autism could lead to earlier diagnosis of the disorder. ... > full story

Man to receive kidney from brother with different blood type: Novel blood-cleaning procedure used for kidney transplant (July 27, 2011) -- St. Michael's Hospital is the first in North America to use a novel blood-cleaning procedure for a kidney patient that will allow the patient to receive a transplant from a donor with a different blood type. ... > full story

Nano sensor detects minute traces of plastic explosives: Scientists enable inexpensive, reliable checks for explosives (July 27, 2011) -- Materials scientists in Germany have developed an extremely sensitive explosives sensor that is capable of detecting even slight traces of the high-explosive chemical compound pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). Terrorists had employed PETN in several attacks on commercial aircraft. ... > full story

To help doctors and patients, researchers are developing a 'vocabulary of pain' (July 27, 2011) -- A psychiatrist is attempting to help patients suffering from chronic pain and their doctors by drawing on ontology, the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of being or existence. ... > full story

Self-healing, self-cooling, metamaterials: Vascular composites enable dynamic structural materials (July 27, 2011) -- Researchers have developed vascularized structural composites, creating materials that are lightweight and strong with potential for self-healing, self-cooling, stealth and more. The team developed a class of sacrificial fibers that degrade after composite fabrication, leaving hollow vascular tunnels that can transport liquids or gases through the composite. ... > full story

Thalidomide analog appears worthy opponent of sickle cell disease (July 27, 2011) -- A thalidomide analog is shaping up as a safe, worthy opponent of sickle cell disease, researchers report. ... > full story

Interrupted sleep impairs memory in mice (July 27, 2011) -- With the novel use of a technique that uses light to control brain cells, researchers have shown that fragmented sleep causes memory impairment in mice. ... > full story

Genes play greater role in heart attacks than stroke, researchers say (July 27, 2011) -- People are more likely to inherit a predisposition to heart attack than to stroke, according to a new study. The finding supports earlier research that showed genes influencing stroke risk are largely those involved in regulating blood pressure. Researchers say heart and stroke risk should be assessed separately in healthy people. ... > full story

Got flow cytometry? All you need is five bucks and a cell phone (July 27, 2011) -- Researchers have demonstrated the integration of an imaging cytometry and florescent microscopy on a cell phone using a compact, light-weight and cost-effective optofluidic attachment. The cell phone enabled optofluidic imaging flow cytometer could be used for rapid and sensitive imaging of bodily fluids for conducting various cell counts or rare cell analysis. ... > full story

Children born after unplanned pregnancy are slower to develop, UK study finds (July 27, 2011) -- Children born after unplanned pregnancies tend to have a more limited vocabulary and poorer non-verbal and spatial abilities; however this is almost entirely explained by their disadvantaged circumstances, according to a new study from the UK. The same study reported no adverse effects of infertility treatment on the children. ... > full story

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