ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Monday, May 2, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Monday, May 2, 2011

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Physicists create quantum twin atoms (May 2, 2011) -- Sophisticated chips have been used to create pairs of quantum mechanically connected twin atoms. Until now, similar experiments were only possible using photons. ... > full story

System in brain -- target of class of diabetes drugs -- linked to weight gain (May 2, 2011) -- Researchers have determined why a certain class of diabetes drugs leads to weight gain and have found that the molecular system involved (PPAR-gamma found in the brain) is also triggered by consumption of high-fat foods. The study could lead to the modification of existing diabetes therapies and even dietary recommendations to limit the action of this nuclear receptor in the brain. ... > full story

Several baffling puzzles in protein molecular structure solved with new method (May 2, 2011) -- A protein's molecular structure shapes its function. The structures of many protein molecules however, remain unsolved even after experts apply an extensive array of approaches. An international collaboration has led to a new, high-performance method that rapidly determined the structure of protein molecules in several cases where previous methods had failed. Protein structure information is useful in disease research, nanotechnology, and drug design, among other fields. ... > full story

Investigational agent shows promise in reducing spread of prostate cancer (May 2, 2011) -- A drug developed to treat Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare childhood cancer, may also help prevent human prostate cancer from spreading, as seen in new lab studies. ... > full story

Actin filaments, cellular 'workhorses,' caught in action (May 2, 2011) -- Scientists have succeeded in showing the breakup of actin filaments, the thread-like structures inside cells that are crucial to their movement, maintenance and division. ... > full story

How to raise a child who doesn't bully (May 2, 2011) -- New research shows that parents can play a key role in decreasing the chances that their son or daughter will harass or intimidate other children. ... > full story

Grandma was right: Infants do wake up taller (May 2, 2011) -- Science is finally confirming what grandma knew all along: infants wake up taller right after they sleep. Findings from the first study of its kind measuring the link between daily growth and sleep show the two are inextricably linked. Specifically, growth spurts are tied to an increase in total daily hours of sleep as well as an increase in the number of daily sleep bouts. ... > full story

Too much or too little sleep may accelerate cognitive aging, study shows (May 2, 2011) -- A new study describes how changes in sleep that occur over a five-year period in late middle age affect cognitive function in later life. The findings suggest that women and men who begin sleeping more or less than 6 to 8 hours per night are subject to an accelerated cognitive decline that is equivalent to four to seven years of aging. ... > full story

Discovery of structure of radio source from a pulsar orbiting a massive star (May 2, 2011) -- For the first time the morphology of an extended radio source in a binary system formed of a pulsar and a massive star has been determined. In a few such systems, the strong interactions of the stellar winds produces high-energy gamma radiation, up to 10 million times more energetic than visible light. The results show for the first time the effect of the winds colliding and support existing theoretical models of radiation emitted by this type of high-energy binary systems, known as gamma-ray binaries. ... > full story

Renal cancer drug temsirolimus shows promise against mesothelioma (May 2, 2011) -- A drug commonly used to treat kidney cancer may increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy for mesothelioma, according to a new study. ... > full story

Biocontrol: Fungus and wasps released to control emerald ash borer (May 2, 2011) -- Scientists are making an effort to contain the emerald ash borer's destructive march through U.S. forests. Researchers are testing a fungal pathogen that could be used as a biocontrol, along with the release of non-stinging wasps that are the beetle's natural enemies. Wasps have now been released in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland, and releases are planned in several other states. ... > full story

Animal-assisted therapy decreases patient anxiety in pre-MRI setting, study suggests (May 2, 2011) -- Patients who undergo MRI often suffer from elevated anxiety. Patient discomfort may cause poor image quality due to motion artifacts or early termination. Anxiolytic medications are currently used to reduce this anticipated anxiety, but animal-assisted therapy may be a non-invasive alternative treatment with fewer adverse effects, according to new research. ... > full story

Scorpion venom: Bad for bugs, good for pesticides (May 1, 2011) -- Fables have long cast scorpions as bad-natured killers of hapless turtles that naively agree to ferry them across rivers. Scientists, however, see them in a different light. Insect toxicologists and neurobiologists have studied the effects of scorpion venom with the hopes of finding new ways to protect plants from bugs. The results have revealed new ways in which the venom works. ... > full story

Researchers link alcohol-dependence impulsivity to brain anomalies (May 1, 2011) -- Alcohol dependence (AD) is strongly associated with impaired impulse control. A new study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine impulsive choices among people with a range of alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Findings suggest that impulsive choice in AD may be the result of functional anomalies in widely distributed but interconnected brain regions that are involved in cognitive and emotional control. ... > full story

Spiders in space: Researchers observe arachnid habits in a microgravity environment (May 1, 2011) -- The very idea of spiders in space brings to mind campy, black and white horror films involving eight-legged monsters. In actuality, it is a scientific investigation called Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus Science Insert-05 or CSI-05, in which researchers observe arachnid habits in a microgravity environment. This is the second spider investigation on the International Space Station -- the first was CSI-03 -- and researchers have high hopes that the sequel will eclipse the original. ... > full story

Maternal obesity puts infants at risk of iron deficiency (May 1, 2011) -- Babies born to obese mothers are at risk for iron deficiency, which could affect infant brain development. ... > full story

Inverting a standard experiment sometimes produces different results (May 1, 2011) -- The standard experimental setup for measuring the cellular uptake of nanoparticles is to place cells in a well on a culture plate and cover them with culture medium containing nanoparticles. The assumption underlying these experiments is that the particles remain well-dispersed. But when a scientist turned cell cultures upside down, he discovered that this assumption doesn't always hold. Some experiments preparing for the clinical use of nanoparticles may therefore need to be redone. ... > full story

'I'm a Mac' -- so what? Study finds way to measure brand personality appeal (May 1, 2011) -- Companies spend millions to develop their brand's personality, in hopes that it can help sell products. But they've had no way of measuring whether that personality actually appeals to consumers. Now, researchers lay out a system for measuring the appeal of a brand's personality. ... > full story

Cells send signals via membrane nanotubes (May 1, 2011) -- A new research discovery may help to explain how cells cooperate to develop tissue in the embryo and how wounds heal. Last year researchers discovered that electrical signals were being passed through nanotubes from one cell to another at high speed (roughly 1-2 m/sec). Now the scientists are seeking answers as to why the cells send signals to each other in this way. The process could explain how cells are coordinated during embryo growth, researchers say. ... > full story

Chemical found in crude oil linked to congenital heart disease: Fetal exposure to solvents may damage heart (May 1, 2011) -- While it may be years before the health effects of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are known, a new study shows that fetal exposure to a chemical found in crude oil is associated with an increased risk of congenital heart disease. ... > full story

NASA building instrument to study magnetic reconnection (May 1, 2011) -- Whether it's a giant solar flare or a beautiful green-blue aurora, just about everything interesting in space weather happens due to a phenomenon called magnetic reconnection. Several spacecraft have already sent back tantalizing data when they happened to witness a magnetic reconnection event in Earth's magnetosphere. However, there are no spacecraft currently dedicated to the study of this phenomenon, yet. Scientists and engineers are now working on a crucial element of the Magnetospheric Multiscale instrument suite: the Fast Plasma Instrument. ... > full story

Robotic surgery effective for removing hard-to-reach throat cancer, study suggests (May 1, 2011) -- Robotic surgery has become a mainstream tool for removing an ever-increasing variety of head and neck tumors. Now, a team of head and neck surgeons has found robotic surgery can treat cancer in the narrow, hard-to-reach area beyond the tongue at the top of the voice box. Some patients were able to avoid further treatment with chemotherapy or radiation, and most could resume normal eating and speaking. ... > full story

Chemist designs new polymer structures for use as 'plastic electronics' (May 1, 2011) -- A chemistry professor is designing new organic polymer structures that conduct electricity and could be useful in solar cells, light-emitting diodes and thin-film transistors. She and her research group are doing fundamental studies of the relationship between the polymer structures and their electronic, physical and optical properties. ... > full story

Video games may help clear airway of cystic fibrosis patients (May 1, 2011) -- Video games controlled by the player's breath can encourage youths with cystic fibrosis to use techniques that can help keep their airways clearer, according to a new study. ... > full story

'Explosive' evolution in pupfish (May 1, 2011) -- Two groups of small fish, one from a Caribbean island and one from the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, exhibit some of the fastest rates of evolution known in any organism, according to a new study. ... > full story

Errors put infants, children at risk for overdose of painkillers: Prescriptions for narcotics often contain too much medication per dose (May 1, 2011) -- Parents who give young children prescription painkillers should take extra care to make sure they give just the right amount. What they may be surprised to learn, however, is that the dose given to them by the pharmacy could be too high. ... > full story

Thinking outside the column: New insights into brain structure reveal new facets of information processing in nervous system (May 1, 2011) -- For more than 50 years, a dominating assumption in brain research was that nerve cells in the cortex of the brain are organized in the form of microscopically small columns. Subsequently, it became a textbook standard that connections are created predominantly between nerve cells within these columns. Researchers now show that this view has to be revised: input from cells that lie outside this column plays a much more important role than previously assumed. ... > full story

Formula-fed preemies at higher risk for dangerous GI condition than babies who get donor milk (May 1, 2011) -- Extremely premature babies fed human donor milk are less likely to develop the dangerous intestinal condition necrotizing enterocolitis than babies fed a standard premature infant formula derived from cow's milk, according to new research. ... > full story

Database on environmental impact of major urban ecosystems created (May 1, 2011) -- An innovative study examines the environmental impact of major urban ecosystems. The team researched such details as airplane and motor vehicle travel, paper and plastic use, recycling and waste disposal, household utility records, and on-site measurements of vegetation and landscape. ... > full story

Scientists examine psychiatric disorders linked with epilepsy (May 1, 2011) -- Researchers in Ireland have conducted the first study of its kind to examine in detail, the basis of psychiatric disorders which occur in people with epilepsy. The findings of this study showed similarities with the brain cell patterns in people with schizophrenia. The research gives greater insights into both conditions which may potentially lead to new treatments in the future. ... > full story

Spinstars: First polluters of the universe? Imprints of fast rotating massive stars in Milky Way's bulge (April 30, 2011) -- From the analysis of the chemical composition of some of the oldest stars in our galaxy, an international team of astronomers presents new clues on the nature of the first stellar generations in our universe. ... > full story

Researchers discover mechanism that could convert certain cells into insulin-making cells (April 30, 2011) -- Researchers may have discovered the underlying mechanism that could convert other cell types into pancreatic beta cells. ... > full story

Plant extract may be new therapy for hay fever, study suggests (April 30, 2011) -- Fighting hay fever with a plant extract? It works, as was shown in a new clinical study. Allergic symptoms were alleviated significantly better than with the usual histamine receptor antagonists. ... > full story

Second gene associated with specific congenital heart defects identified (April 30, 2011) -- A gene known to be important in cardiac development has been newly associated with congenital heart malformations that result in obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract. ... > full story

Genes control fruit flies' social groupings (April 30, 2011) -- A new study reveals how a fruit fly's genes can influence the company it keeps. Using male flies that had been bred for varying levels of aggressiveness, researchers observed how the males formed groups when placed into an enclosure with females. ... > full story

Wild hogs: Researchers examine impact of feral pigs in eastern North Carolina (April 30, 2011) -- America's feral pig population continues to expand, increasing the potential for interaction with humans and domestic swine -- and for spreading diseases. Researchers at North Carolina State University examined feral pigs from eastern North Carolina to determine exposure to two parasites that can be transmitted from animals to people -- Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) and Trichinella. ... > full story

Through unique eyes, box jellyfish look out to the world above the water (April 30, 2011) -- Box jellyfish may seem like rather simple creatures, but in fact their visual system is anything but. They've got no fewer than 24 eyes of four different kinds. Now, researchers have evidence revealing that four of those eyes always peer up out of the water, regardless of the way the rest of the animal is oriented. ... > full story

Finding molecular targets of an HIV drug used in cancer therapy (April 30, 2011) -- Researchers have identified potential human molecular targets of the anti-HIV drug Nelfinavir, which may explain why the drug is also effective as a cancer therapy. ... > full story

Electron ping pong in the nano-world (April 30, 2011) -- Researchers in Germany have succeeded in controlling and monitoring strongly accelerated electrons from nano-spheres with extremely short and intense laser pulses. The researchers report how strong electrical fields (near-fields) build up in the vicinity of the nanoparticles and release electrons. The new insights into this light-controlled process can help to generate energetic extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation. ... > full story

New test shows promise for detecting warning signs of joint replacement failure (April 30, 2011) -- A new test shows promise for detecting the early stages of a major cause of failure in joint replacement implants, so that patients can be treated and perhaps avoid additional surgery. More than 1.5 million total joint replacement operations are performed worldwide each year. While the success rate is 90 per cent, almost 10 per cent of implants fail and require additional surgery. ... > full story

Understanding how glasses 'relax' provides some relief for manufacturers (April 30, 2011) -- Researchers have used computer simulations to gain basic insights into a fundamental problem in material science related to glass-forming materials, offering a precise mathematical and physical description of the way temperature affects the rate of flow in this broad class of materials -- a long-standing goal. ... > full story

US Appeals Court opens federal funding for stem cell research (April 30, 2011) -- The US Federal Court of Appeals has overturned an August 2010 ban on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, paving the way for broader exploration of how stem cells function and how they can be harnessed to treat a wide range of currently incurable diseases. ... > full story

Male doctors more likely to be disciplined for misconduct, Australian study shows (April 30, 2011) -- Male doctors are four times more likely than female doctors to be disciplined for misconduct, and sexual misconduct is the most common reason for disciplinary action, an Australian study has found. ... > full story

New solar cell technology greatly boosts efficiency (April 29, 2011) -- With the creation of a 3-D nanocone-based solar cell platform, scientists have boosted the light-to-power conversion efficiency of photovoltaics by nearly 80 percent. ... > full story

Risk of accelerated aging seen in PTSD patients with childhood trauma (April 29, 2011) -- Adults with post-traumatic stress disorder and a history of childhood trauma had significantly shorter telomere length than those with PTSD but without childhood trauma, a recent study found. ... > full story

Mutant mouse reveals new wrinkle in genetic code (April 29, 2011) -- Call it a mystery with a stubby tail: an odd-looking mouse discovered through a US government breeding program in the 1940s that had a short, kinky tail and an extra set of ribs in its neck -- and nobody knew why. ... > full story

A better imaging agent for heart disease and breast cancer (April 29, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting development of a process for producing large quantities of a much-needed new imaging agent for computed tomography scans in heart disease, breast cancer and other diseases, and the first evidence that the material is safe for clinical use. The imaging agent is a tantalum oxide nanoparticle, which is inexpensive, and stays in the body long enough to image many different organs. ... > full story

Identifying beaked whale foraging habitat in the Bahamas (April 29, 2011) -- Marine biologists have found that oceanographic and prey measurements can be used to identify beaked whale foraging habitat. ... > full story