ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Thursday, September 15, 2011 ~ Technology

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Thursday, September 15, 2011

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Hitchhiking snails fly from ocean to ocean (September 15, 2011) -- Scientists report that snails successfully crossed Central America, long considered an impenetrable barrier to marine organisms, twice in the past million years -- both times probably by flying across Mexico, stuck to the legs or riding on the bellies of shorebirds and introducing new genes that contribute to the marine biodiversity on each coast. ... > full story

Newly discovered protein discovered may suppress breast cancer growth (September 15, 2011) -- Researchers have found that a protein discovered by his laboratory can inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells. Building upon the earlier discovery of nischarin, a novel protein that regulates breast cancer cell migration and movement, a new study examined the presence and levels of nischarin in breast cancer tumor tissue from 300 women as well as normal breast tissue samples. The researchers also generated derivatives of human metastatic breast cancer cells to test by manipulating the protein in a mouse model. ... > full story

Researchers develop mouse genetic blueprint; Mouse study drives forward understanding of human biology (September 15, 2011) -- An international team of researchers has decoded and compared the genome sequence of 17 mouse strains, developing a valuable mouse genetic blueprint that will accelerate future research and understanding of human genetics. The team found an astonishing 56.7 million SNPs among the strains, in addition to other more complex differences, and used these sequence differences to uncover genetic associations with more than 700 biological differences, including markers for diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. ... > full story

Heart failure: Doing what your doctor says works, new research suggests (September 15, 2011) -- Doctors have been dispensing advice to heart failure patients and for the first time researchers have found that it works. While self-care is believed to improve heart failure outcomes, a highlight of the recent American Heart Association scientific statement on promoting heart failure self-care was the need to establish the mechanisms by which self-care may influence neurohormonal, inflammatory, and hemodynamic function. ... > full story

3-D television without glasses (September 15, 2011) -- When the boundaries merge between the action and the viewer, television becomes a special experience. Research scientists in Germany are optimizing the technologies that make it possible to watch TV in 3-D without technical aids such as 3-D glasses. A new four-camera system will even be able to handle live transmissions. ... > full story

When do products (and money) literally make your mouth water? (September 15, 2011) -- In certain situations, people actually salivate when they desire material things, like money and sports cars, according to a new study. ... > full story

Water evaporated from trees cools global climate, researchers find (September 15, 2011) -- Scientists have long debated about the impact on global climate of water evaporated from vegetation. New research concludes that evaporated water helps cool the earth as a whole, not just the local area of evaporation, demonstrating that evaporation of water from trees and lakes could have a cooling effect on the entire atmosphere. These findings have major implications for land-use decision making. ... > full story

Key signal that prompts production of insulin-producing beta cells points way toward diabetes cure (September 15, 2011) -- Researchers have identified the key signal that prompts production of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas -- a breakthrough discovery that may ultimately help researchers find ways to restore or increase beta cell function in people with type 1 diabetes. ... > full story

Cancer-killing cells are caught on film in more 3-D detail than ever before (September 15, 2011) -- Scientists reveal in more detail than ever before how white blood cells kill diseased tissue using deadly granules. The researchers used 'optical' laser tweezers and a super-resolution microscope to see the inner workings of white blood cells at the highest resolution ever. The researchers describe how a white blood cell rearranges its scaffolding of actin proteins on the inside of its membrane, to create a hole through which it delivers deadly enzyme-filled granules to kill diseased tissue. ... > full story

Huge gaps in use of simple, cheap and proven drugs worldwide, say researchers (September 15, 2011) -- A global study in 17 countries has found too few patients are using drugs proven to give significant benefits in warding off a heart attack or stroke. This is true in high income countries as well as middle and low income countries. ... > full story

Pioneering device reduces the cost and power consumption of telecommunications systems (September 15, 2011) -- Researchers have developed the first broadband radio frequency (RF) photonic phase shifter which is tunable and based on a single semiconductor element. This means that producing it will be cheaper, and it will also provide a saving in energy consumption of up to 80%. ... > full story

It's all about autonomy: Consumers react negatively when prompted to think about money (September 15, 2011) -- Whether they are aware of it or not, consumers dislike being reminded of money -- so much that they will rebel against authority figures, according to a new study. ... > full story

Strange vent-fellows: Chemosynthetic shrimp, tubeworms together for first time at hydrothermal vent (September 14, 2011) -- Ocean explorers observed two species of marine life scientists believe have never before been seen together at a hydrothermal vent -- chemosynthetic shrimp and tubeworms. They also observed the first known live tubeworms ever seen at a hydrothermal vent in Atlantic waters. ... > full story

Evolution of a gene provides a possible explanation for the development of metastases and mental retardation (September 14, 2011) -- In the course of examining the Drosophila tumor suppressor gene (Dlg), scientists have succeeded in decoding a new mechanism that regulates cell polarity in epithelial tissues or in neurons in the brain. The findings will help to enhance the understanding of how metastases and mental retardation occur and enable targeted, long-term therapeutic approaches to their treatment to be developed. ... > full story

Accidental sea turtle deaths drop 90 percent in U.S. fisheries; Improvements in fishing equipment seem to be preventing lethal 'bycatch' (September 14, 2011) -- The number of sea turtles accidentally caught and killed in fishing gear in United States coastal waters has declined by an estimated 90 percent since 1990, according to a new study by researchers at Duke University Project GloBAL and Conservation International. ... > full story

Sickle cell trait is not risk factor for kidney disease: Study contradicts earlier findings (September 14, 2011) -- Researchers report that sickle cell trait is not a risk factor for the development of severe kidney disease in African-Americans. The study contradicts findings from a 2010 study that first suggested that having one copy of the sickle cell gene was a kidney disease risk factor. ... > full story

New imaging technique evaluates nerve damage (September 14, 2011) -- A new imaging technique could help doctors and researchers more accurately assess the extent of nerve damage and healing in a live patient. Researchers aimed lasers at rats' damaged sciatic nerves to create images of the individual neurons' insulating sheath called myelin. ... > full story

Campus smoking ban reduced students' smoking, changed attitudes (September 14, 2011) -- Smoking bans have become more common on university campuses, but do they work? Do they help reduce smoking in this newly independent age group? According to a new study by tobacco control and health behavior experts, they do. ... > full story

Facial expressions develop before birth, researchers show (September 14, 2011) -- Babies in the womb develop a range of facial movements in such a way that it is possible to identify facial expressions such as laughter and crying. For the first time, a group of researchers was able to show that recognizable facial expressions develop before birth and that, as the pregnancy progresses from 24 to 36 weeks gestation, fetal facial movements become more complex. ... > full story

Engineers probe mechanics behind rapid-aging disease (September 14, 2011) -- Researchers are using both civil engineering and bioengineering approaches to study the behavior of a protein associated with progeria, a rare disorder in children that causes extremely rapid aging and usually ends in death from cardiovascular disease before age 16. The disease is marked by the deletion of 50 amino acids near the end of the lamin A protein, which helps support a cell's nuclear membrane. Pulling the tail of mutated protein could help illuminate problems with misfolding. ... > full story

Air pollution caused by ships plummets when vessels shift to cleaner, low-sulfur fuels, study finds (September 14, 2011) -- New clean fuel regulations in California and voluntary slowdowns by shipping companies substantially reduce air pollution caused by near-shore ships, according to a new study. ... > full story

Breakthrough opens new avenues for hep C vaccine (September 14, 2011) -- Hopes for an effective vaccine and treatment against the potentially fatal hepatitis C virus (HCV) have received a major boost following the discovery of two 'Achilles' heels' within the virus. ... > full story

'Synthetic biology' could replace oil for chemical industry (September 14, 2011) -- Vats of blue-green algae could one day replace oil wells in producing raw materials for the chemical industry, a chemist predicts. ... > full story

Older musicians experience less age-related decline in hearing abilities than non-musicians (September 14, 2011) -- A study led by Canadian researchers has found the first evidence that lifelong musicians experience less age-related hearing problems than non-musicians. While hearing studies have already shown that trained musicians have highly developed auditory abilities compared to non-musicians, this is the first study to examine hearing abilities in musicians and non-musicians across the age spectrum -- from 18 to 91 years of age. ... > full story

Breaching the blood-brain barrier: Finding may permit drug delivery to the brain for Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis and brain cancers (September 14, 2011) -- Researchers may have solved a 100-year puzzle: How to safely open and close the blood-brain barrier so that therapies to treat Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and cancers of the central nervous system might effectively be delivered. ... > full story

New invention unravels mystery of protein folding (September 14, 2011) -- A new invention able to quickly predict three-dimensional structure of protein could have huge implications for drug discovery and human health. ... > full story

Arctic sea ice nears minimum extent (September 14, 2011) -- In the last few days, the decline in Arctic sea ice extent has slowed. New data show Arctic sea ice extent currently at the second-lowest levels in the satellite record. ... > full story

Screen finds an antidepressant and other drugs that might work against brain-wasting prion diseases (September 14, 2011) -- In a new study, researchers report that they have found several chemical compounds, including an antidepressant, that have powerful effects against brain-destroying prion infections in mice, opening the door to potential treatments for human prion diseases. ... > full story

Novel software used in first global camera trap mammal study (September 14, 2011) -- A novel software system has been used in the first global camera trap study of mammals. The research emphasizes the importance of protected areas to ensure the diversity and survival of a wide range of animal populations. ... > full story

Self-delusion is a winning survival strategy, study suggests (September 14, 2011) -- Harboring a mistakenly inflated belief that we can easily meet challenges or win conflicts is actually good for us, a new study suggests. ... > full story

Psychologists discover oxytocin receptor gene's link to optimism, self-esteem (September 14, 2011) -- Life scientists have identified for the first time a particular gene's link to optimism, self-esteem and "mastery," the belief that one has control over one's own life -- three critical psychological resources for coping well with stress and depression. ... > full story

Blood proteins associated with early development of lung cancer: Discovery brings promise of blood test to detect the disease a step closer (September 14, 2011) -- A research team has discovered proteins in the blood that are associated with early lung cancer development in mice and humans. The advance brings the reality of a blood test for the early detection and diagnosis of lung cancer a step closer. ... > full story

NASA announces design for new deep space exploration system: New heavy-lift rocket will take humans far beyond Earth (September 14, 2011) -- NASA has selected the design of a new Space Launch System that will take the agency's astronauts farther into space than ever before, create high-quality jobs here at home, and provide the cornerstone for America's future human space exploration efforts. This new heavy-lift rocket-in combination with a crew capsule already under development, increased support for the commercialization of astronaut travel to low Earth orbit, an extension of activities on the International Space Station until at least 2020. ... > full story

Study of metabolites reveals health implications from small molecules (September 14, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered 37 new genetic variants associated with concentrations of metabolites in the blood: many of these match variants associated with diseases such as kidney disease and type 2 diabetes. The team looked for genetic influences on levels of more than 250 compounds in blood, including lipids, sugars, and amino acids. The effects of variants discovered in genome-wide association analyses can be modest and biological understanding poor: this new approach can overcome these problems. ... > full story

Messy better than neat: Tangled coat of nanowires increases solar cell efficiency by absorbing more light (September 14, 2011) -- Sometimes neatness may not be necessary. Researchers have demonstrated that a tangled coating of randomly positioned nanowires can increase solar cell efficiency by absorbing more light. ... > full story

Crashes common among helicopters used in oil and gas operations, study finds (September 14, 2011) -- A new study finds that helicopters that service the drilling platforms and vessels in the Gulf of Mexico crash on average more than six times per year resulting in an average of five deaths per year. ... > full story

Does that hurt? Objective way to measure pain being developed (September 14, 2011) -- Researchers have taken a first step toward developing a diagnostic tool that could eliminate a major hurdle in pain medicine -- the dependency on self-reporting to measure the presence or absence of pain. The new tool would use patterns of brain activity to give an objective physiologic assessment of whether someone is in pain. ... > full story

Gene therapy kills breast cancer stem cells, boosts chemotherapy (September 14, 2011) -- Selectively expressing a cell-killing gene in tumors controls breast cancer stem cells, researchers report. The gene therapy approach, now shown to work in breast, lung, liver, pancreatic and ovarian cancers in animal models, is headed for phase I trial. ... > full story

Double jeopardy: Building codes may underestimate risks due to multiple hazards (September 14, 2011) -- As large parts of the United States recover from nature's one-two punch -- an earthquake followed by Hurricane Irene -- building researchers warn that a double whammy of seismic and wind hazards can increase the risk of structural damage to as much as twice the level implied in building codes. ... > full story

Polonium poisoning case sheds light on infection control practices (September 14, 2011) -- A new study uses a famous case of international intrigue and murder to shed new light on the risks health care workers face while treating patients with radiation poisoning. ... > full story

Superconductivity: New piece in the puzzle (September 14, 2011) -- By destabilizing superconductivity with a strong magnetic field, the electrons of a “high temperature” superconductor align into linear filaments. This phenomenon has been demonstrated by a team of researchers in France. The results add a new piece to the puzzle that condensed-matter physicists have been trying to put together for nearly 25 years. ... > full story

Stronger graduated driver licensing programs for teens show mixed results for rates of teen involvement in fatal crashes (September 14, 2011) -- The use of stronger graduated driver licensing programs for 16- to 19-year old drivers in the US that included restrictions on nighttime driving and allowed passengers were associated with a lower incidence of fatal crashes among 16-year-old drivers, but a higher incidence among 18-year-olds, according to a new study. ... > full story

Vigorous star birth without galactic collisions: Herschel paints new story of galaxy evolution (September 14, 2011) -- The European Space Agency's Herschel infrared space observatory has discovered that galaxies do not need to collide with each other to drive vigorous star birth. The finding overturns this long-held assumption and paints a more stately picture of how galaxies evolve. ... > full story

High-fat diet and lack of enzyme can lead to heart disease in mice (September 14, 2011) -- It's no secret that a high-fat diet isn't healthy. Now researchers have discovered a molecular clue as to precisely why that is. Mice lacking a gene-expression-controlling enzyme fed a high-fat diet experience rapid thickening of the heart muscle and heart failure. This link -- at least in mice -- has implications for people on so-called Western diets and combating heart disease. Modulating the enzyme's activity could be a new pharmaceutical target. ... > full story

New hybrid imaging device shows promise in spotting hard-to-detect ovarian cancer (September 14, 2011) -- By combining three previously unrelated imaging tools into one new device, scientists have proposed a new way to diagnose early-stage ovarian cancer in high-risk women through minimally invasive surgery. The new technique may be better than the current standard procedure of preemptively removing the ovaries. ... > full story

Separating a cancer prevention drug from heart disease risk (September 14, 2011) -- Celecoxib reduces the risk of developing precancerous colon polyps, at the cost of increased heart disease risk. By looking closely at how celecoxib acts in the cell, it may be possible to get the benefit without the added risk. Celecoxib inhibits the enzyme GSK3, possibly accounting for its anticancer effects in multiple cell types. ... > full story

Identifying dangerous intersections with help of new computer simulation (September 14, 2011) -- Researchers have developed SAFEPED, a computer simulation that integrates robots and driver statistics to identify traffic "black spots" and allows traffic planners to analyze and fix dangerous intersections. Based on a theory of human cognition, SAFEPED is far more true-to-life than other computer traffic models. ... > full story

Risk of suffering from insomnia higher if family member is insomniac (September 14, 2011) -- The risk of insomnia is 67 percent higher in people from families in which at least one member is an insomniac, according to a new study. ... > full story

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