ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Friday, July 29, 2011 ~ Technology

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Friday, July 29, 2011

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Aging brains are different in humans and chimpanzees; Evolution of human longevity led to both a large brain and brain shrinkage (July 29, 2011) -- Brains shrink in humans, potentially causing a number of health problems and mental illnesses as people age, but do they shrink to the same extent in the closest living relatives to humans -- the chimpanzees? ... > full story

New gene for intellectual disability discovered (July 29, 2011) -- A new gene linked to intellectual disability was just discovered. To date, MAN1B1 is the eighth known gene connected with recessive intellectual disability, but there are likely many more involved. ... > full story

SOHO watches a comet fading away (July 29, 2011) -- On Nov. 4, 2010, NASA's EPOXI spacecraft came within 450 miles of Comet Hartley 2, a small comet not even a mile in diameter, which takes about six and a half years to orbit the sun. Designated officially as 103P/Hartley 2, the comet thus became the fifth for which scientists have collected close-up images. ... > full story

Study finds new points of attack on breast cancers not fueled by estrogen (July 29, 2011) -- Although it sounds like a case of gender confusion on a molecular scale, the male hormone androgen spurs the growth of some breast tumors in women. In a new study, scientists provide the first details of the cancer cell machinery that carries out the hormone's relentless growth orders. ... > full story

Emulating nature for better engineering (July 29, 2011) -- Researchers in the UK describe a novel approach to making porous materials, solid foams, more like their counterparts in the natural world, including bone and wood. ... > full story

Common Korean surname tells tale of nationhood (July 29, 2011) -- The most common surname in Korea -- Kim -- has been traced back 1,500 years using a statistical model, providing evidence of a strong, stable culture that has remained intact to this day. ... > full story

Sea level rise less from Greenland, more from Antarctica, than expected during last interglacial (July 29, 2011) -- New research results are revealing surprising patterns of melting during the last interglacial period that suggest that Greenland's ice may be more stable -- and Antarctica's less stable -- than many thought. ... > full story

Discovery throws light on blood pressure regulation (July 29, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered that a protein found in the walls of blood vessels plays a key role in maintaining healthy blood pressure -- a discovery that could one day lead to new treatments for people with high blood pressure. ... > full story

Vessel-damaging activation of the 'intracellular waste disposal' mechanism found in smokers (July 29, 2011) -- Researchers have found that substances found in cigarette smoke lead to blood vessels’ endothelial cells constantly digesting themselves. This permanent damage to the interior surface of the blood vessels leads, amongst others, to calcification of the arteries, as the recently published study confirms. ... > full story

Progressive telomere shortening characterizes familial breast cancer patients (July 29, 2011) -- Telomeres of peripheral blood cells are significantly shorter in patients with familial breast cancer than in the general population. Results of the study carried out by a Human Genetics Group, to be published in open-access journal PLoS Genetics on July 28, reflect that familial, but not sporadic, breast cancer cases are characterized by shorter telomeres. Importantly, they also provide evidence for telomere shortening as a mechanism of the successively earlier onset of cancer down generations. ... > full story

Ongoing global biodiversity loss unstoppable with protected areas alone (July 29, 2011) -- Continued reliance on a strategy of setting aside land and marine territories as "protected areas" is insufficient to stem global biodiversity loss, according to a new comprehensive assessment. ... > full story

Teacher influence persists in early grades (July 29, 2011) -- Having consistently good teachers in elementary school appears to be as important for student achievement as small class sizes, according to new research. ... > full story

World population to surpass 7 billion in 2011; Explosive population growth means challenges for developing nations (July 28, 2011) -- Global population is expected to hit 7 billion later this year, up from 6 billion in 1999. Between now and 2050, an estimated 2.3 billion more people will be added -- nearly as many as inhabited the planet as recently as 1950. New estimates from the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations also project that the population will reach 10.1 billion in 2100. ... > full story

Unexpected discovery on hormone secretion (July 28, 2011) -- Geneticists have made an unexpected discovery on hormone secretion. Contrary to common belief, the researchers found that pituitary cells are organized in structured networks. ... > full story

Unexpected clue to thermopower efficiency: Uneven temperature can lead to electronic whirlpools and sideways magnetic fields (July 28, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered a new relation among electric and magnetic fields and differences in temperature, which can result in swirling vortices of electrons and holes in semiconductor devices and emit sideways magnetic fields. Understanding the unusual new effect may lead to more efficient thermoelectric devices, which convert heat into electricity or electricity into heat. ... > full story

Geographic analysis offers new insight into coral disease spread (July 28, 2011) -- In the last 30 years, more than 90 percent of the reef-building coral responsible for maintaining major marine habitats and providing a natural barrier against hurricanes in the Caribbean has disappeared because of a disease of unknown origin. ... > full story

Home is where the healthy meal is (July 28, 2011) -- Can a cozy dining table and nice music prompt people to reach for the greens and go light on dessert? So suggests a new study probing why people tend to eat more-nutritious meals at home than away from home. ... > full story

Fundamental matter-antimatter symmetry confirmed (July 28, 2011) -- An international collaboration has set a new value for the antiproton mass relative to the electron with unprecedented precision. ... > full story

New therapy may help people with unexplained symptoms of pain, weakness and fatigue (July 28, 2011) -- A new type of therapy may help people with symptoms such as pain, weakness, or dizziness that can't be explained by an underlying disease, according to a new study. These symptoms, which can also include fatigue, tingling and numbness, are also known as functional or psychogenic symptoms. ... > full story

The brain's connectome -- from branch to branch (July 28, 2011) -- Scientists have developed new analytical tools for fast and accurate reconstruction of neural networks. ... > full story

A heart-rate-reducing medication reduces the risk of heart failure and cardiac fibrosis (July 28, 2011) -- A new study suggest that ivabradine, a heart rate reduction medication, is also effective in reducing the risk of diastolic heart failure (left ventricular insufficiency) and cardiac fibrosis. ... > full story

Protecting networks is just a game (July 28, 2011) -- Information technologists have used game theory to develop a defense mechanism for networks that is more effective than previous approaches. ... > full story

'Mirroring' might reflect badly on you (July 28, 2011) -- The benefits of body-language mimicry have been confirmed by numerous psychological studies. And in popular culture, mirroring is frequently urged on people as a strategy -- for flirting or having a successful date, for closing a sale or acing a job interview. But new research suggests that mirroring may not always lead to positive social outcomes. In fact, sometimes the smarter thing to do is to refrain. ... > full story

New invisibility cloak hides objects from human view (July 28, 2011) -- For the first time, scientists have devised an invisibility cloak material that hides objects from detection using light that is visible to humans. The new device is a leap forward in cloaking materials. ... > full story

How a gene linked to both Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes works (July 28, 2011) -- Researchers have identified how a gene for a protein that can cause type 2 diabetes, also possibly kills nerve cells in the brain, thereby contributing to Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story

Toucans wearing GPS backpacks help Smithsonian scientists study seed dispersal (July 28, 2011) -- Nutmeg-loving toucans wearing GPS transmitters recently helped scientists in Panama address an age-old problem in plant ecology: accurately estimating seed dispersal. The tracking data revealed what scientists have long suspected, that toucans are excellent seed dispersers, particularly in the morning; also, for the first time, the data enabled researchers to create a map of the relative patterns and distances that toucans distribute the seeds of a nutmeg tree. ... > full story

Gout prevalence swells in U.S. over last two decades; Increase in obesity and hypertension are likely contributors (July 28, 2011) -- A new study shows the prevalence of gout in the United States has risen over the last twenty years and now affects 8.3 million Americans. Prevalence of increased uric acid levels (hyperuricemia) also rose, affecting 43.3 million adults in the U.S. Greater frequency of obesity and hypertension may be associated with the jump in prevalence rates, according to the findings. ... > full story

Researchers tap yeasts as source of 'green' surfactants (July 28, 2011) -- Surfactants, which are wetting agents that lower a liquid's surface tension, have a long list of uses, from detergents and cosmetics to paints and pesticides. Most surfactants are petroleum-based. But one group of scientists has now focused its attention on sophorolipids, surfactant-like molecules produced by naturally occurring yeasts. ... > full story

Research reveals why hedge funds are an unlikely large source of systemic risk (July 28, 2011) -- A new study finds that hedge funds are moderately leveraged, leverage is counter-cyclical to the leverage of banks and the finance sector, and hedge fund leverage was at its lowest during the financial crisis in 2008. ... > full story

Reservoirs of ancient lava shaped Earth (July 28, 2011) -- Geological history has periodically featured giant lava eruptions that coat large swaths of land or ocean floor with basaltic lava, which hardens into rock formations called flood basalt. New research proposes that the remnants of six of the largest volcanic events of the past 250 million years contain traces of the ancient Earth's primitive mantle -- which existed before the largely differentiated mantle of today -- offering clues to the geochemical history of the planet. ... > full story

Increased muscle mass may lower risk of pre-diabetes: Study shows building muscle can lower person's risk of insulin resistance (July 28, 2011) -- A recent study has found that the greater an individual's total muscle mass, the lower the person's risk of having insulin resistance, the major precursor of type 2 diabetes. ... > full story

Organized crime is wiping out wildlife, report finds (July 28, 2011) -- An immense and increasingly sophisticated illegal trade in wildlife parts conducted by organized crime, coupled with antiquated enforcement methods, are decimating the world's most beloved species including rhinos, tigers and elephants on a scale never before seen. ... > full story

Researchers look to dogs to better understand intricacies of bone cancer (July 28, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a gene pattern that distinguishes the more severe form of bone cancer from a less aggressive form in dogs. ... > full story

Artificial cilia open new nanotech possibilties; One step closer to learning how cilia movement is coordinated (July 28, 2011) -- Cilia -- tiny hair-like structures that perform feats such as clearing microscopic debris from the lungs and determining the correct location of organs during development -- move in mysterious ways. Researchers have created artificial cilia-like structures that offers a new approach for cilia study. ... > full story

Getting 50-year-old Americans as healthy as Europeans could save Medicare and Medicaid 2 billion by 2050, study says (July 28, 2011) -- A new study is the first to calculate the fiscal consequences of the growing life expectancy gap over the next few decades. The study also pinpoints the crucial age at which U.S. life expectancy starts to deteriorate. ... > full story

NASA's WISE finds Earth's first 'trojan' asteroid (July 28, 2011) -- Astronomers studying observations taken by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission have discovered the first known "Trojan" asteroid orbiting the sun along with Earth. ... > full story

Gene variant in Proteus syndrome identified: Molecular insight may confirm cause of the Elephant Man's severe disfigurement (July 28, 2011) -- A team of researchers has identified the genetic mutation that causes Proteus syndrome, a rare disorder in which tissue and bone grows massively out of proportion. ... > full story

German E. Coli code cracked: Rapid, high-tech study of ongoing epidemic creates new paradigm for outbreak (July 28, 2011) -- A team of researchers has unraveled the genomic code of the E. coli bacterium that caused a deadly outbreak in Germany that began in May 2011. The paper describes how researchers worked together to use cutting edge technology to sequence and analyze the genomics of E. coli samples from the outbreak in a matter of days. ... > full story

Treatment provides dramatic survival benefit for hard-to-match kidney transplant patients (July 28, 2011) -- Hard-to-match kidney transplant candidates who receive a treatment designed to make their bodies more accepting of incompatible organs are twice as likely to survive eight years after transplant surgery as those who stay on dialysis for years awaiting compatible organs, new research finds. ... > full story

Bacterial spite: When kamikaze-like behavior is a good strategy (July 28, 2011) -- Spite evolves in close quarters, according to new research. Scientists studied a bacterial species in which individuals sometimes explode, releasing a toxin into the environment that is deadly to competing bacteria. This kamikaze-like behavior is a bit of an evolutionary mystery. How could a behavior in which an individual gives up its chance to reproduce evolve? ... > full story

Gene gives clues to self-injurious behavior in rare disorder (July 28, 2011) -- In humans, inherited mutations in a gene called HPRT1 lead to very specific self-destructive behavior. Boys with Lesch-Nyhan disease experience uncontrollable urges to bite their fingers, slam their arms into doorways and otherwise harm themselves. Puzzlingly, mice with mutations in the same gene don't behave differently than normal mice. Researchers have identified a gene related to HPRT1, present in humans but not in mice that helps explain this discrepancy. ... > full story

How memory is lost: Loss of memory due to aging may be reversible (July 28, 2011) -- The neural networks in the brains of the middle-aged and elderly have weaker connections and fire less robustly than in youthful ones. Intriguingly, the research suggests that this condition is reversible. ... > full story

Growing up on livestock farm linked to increased risk of blood cancers (July 28, 2011) -- Growing up on a livestock farm seems to be linked to an increased risk of developing blood cancers as an adult, indicates new research. ... > full story

Pigment discovery expanding into new colors (July 28, 2011) -- Chemists have discovered that the same crystal structure they identified two years ago to create what may be the world's best blue pigment can also be used with different elements to create other colors, with significant potential in the paint and pigment industries. ... > full story

How some breast cancers alter their sensitivity to estrogen (July 28, 2011) -- Using human breast cancer cells and the protein that causes fireflies to glow, scientists have shed light on why some breast cancer cells become resistant to the anticancer effects of the drug tamoxifen. The key is a discovery of two genetic "dimmer switches" that apparently control how a breast cancer gene responds to the female hormone estrogen. ... > full story

Social media poised to drive disaster preparedness and response (July 28, 2011) -- Social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare may be an important key to improving the public health system's ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters, according to a new article. ... > full story

Short-term use of amphetamines can improve ADHD symptoms in adults, review finds (July 28, 2011) -- Giving amphetamines to adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can help them control their symptoms, but the side effects mean that some people do not manage to take them for very long, according to a team of researchers in Spain. ... > full story

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