ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Friday, May 6, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Friday, May 6, 2011

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Succulent plants waited for cool, dry Earth to make their mark (May 6, 2011) -- Between five and 10 million years ago, the landscape on Earth changed dramatically. Biologists and colleagues have determined that cacti exploded onto the global scene then, about the same geologic time as other succulent plants and tropical grasses. The trigger: A global period marked by cooling and increased aridity, possibly with lowered atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. ... > full story

Mutation provides new insight into the molecular mechanisms of aging (May 6, 2011) -- A new study identifies the mutation that underlies a rare, inherited accelerated-aging disease and provides key insight into normal human aging. The research highlights the importance of a cellular structure called the "nuclear envelope" in the process of aging. ... > full story

NASA selects investigations for future key missions (May 6, 2011) -- NASA has selected three science investigations from which it will pick one potential 2016 mission to look at Mars' interior for the first time; study an extraterrestrial sea on one of Saturn's moons; or study in unprecedented detail the surface of a comet's nucleus. ... > full story

Drug-resistance fears for deadly fungal disease (May 6, 2011) -- Deadly human fungal infections caused by certain strains of Aspergillus fungi appear to be developing resistance to current drug treatments at an alarming rate, say scientists. ... > full story

Capt. Kidd shipwreck site to be dedicated 'Living Museum of the Sea' (May 6, 2011) -- Nearly three years after the discovery of the shipwreck Quedagh Merchant, abandoned by the scandalous 17th century pirate Captain William Kidd, the underwater site will be dedicated as a "Living Museum of the Sea". ... > full story

Life satisfaction and state intervention go hand in hand (May 6, 2011) -- People living in countries with governments that have a greater number of social services report being more satisfied with life, according to a new study. ... > full story

Why more species live in Amazon rainforests: Evolution of treefrogs sheds light on the mystery (May 6, 2011) -- For more than two hundred years, the question of why there are more species in the tropics has been a biological enigma. A particularly perplexing aspect is why so many species live together in a small area in the tropics, especially at some sites in the rainforests of the Amazon Basin in South America. New research on the evolution and ecology of treefrogs sheds new light on the puzzle. ... > full story

Prolonged bottle feeding increases the risk of obesity, study suggests (May 6, 2011) -- Experts agree that obesity prevention should begin before children enter school. But due to a lack of conclusive data, health care providers often have trouble advising parents about which interventions are the most beneficial. A new study suggests that limiting prolonged bottle use in children may be an effective way to help prevent obesity. ... > full story

Precipitation, predators may be key in ecological regulation of infectious disease (May 6, 2011) -- Ecologists have shown that just three ecological factors -- rainfall, predator diversity, and island size and shape -- can account for nearly all of the differences in infection rates among the eight Channel Islands off the California coast. ... > full story

Anatomy of an outbreak: Tiny changes in chikungunya virus separate epidemic African strain and tamer Asian variety (May 6, 2011) -- Researchers have found a genetic solution to the puzzle of why the chikungunya virus infected millions of people after it was introduced to Asia in 2005, but infected almost no one after an earlier Asian introduction. ... > full story

Mars tribute marks memories of Shepard's flight (May 6, 2011) -- The team exploring Mars via NASA's Opportunity rover for the past seven years has informally named a Martian crater for the Mercury spacecraft that astronaut Alan Shepard christened Freedom 7. On May 5, 1961, Shepard piloted Freedom 7 in America's first human spaceflight. ... > full story

Can social deficits of autism and schizophrenia be modeled in animals? (May 6, 2011) -- Social deficits are common in several psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. Individuals with severe social dysfunction can experience significant difficulties with everyday functioning. Now, scientists have further characterized a mouse model that provides some insights into biological factors related to social deficits, by comparing mice that had their oxytocin receptor gene made inactive, using a specialized technique called genetic knockout, with unaltered mice. ... > full story

New way to control conductivity: Reversible control of electrical and thermal properties could find uses in storage systems (May 5, 2011) -- A team of researchers has found a way to manipulate both the thermal conductivity and the electrical conductivity of materials simply by changing the external conditions, such as the surrounding temperature. And the technique they found can change electrical conductivity by factors of well over 100, and heat conductivity by more than threefold. ... > full story

Far-reaching effects of estrogen signaling mapped in breast cancer cells (May 5, 2011) -- Researchers have made the most comprehensive measurement to date of estrogen's effect on breast cancer cells, showing for the first time how immediate and extensive the effect is. ... > full story

Expert panel calls for 'transforming US agriculture': Changes in markets, policies and science needed for more sustainable farming (May 5, 2011) -- A group of leading scientists, economists and farmers is calling for a broad shift in federal policies to speed They say current policies focus on the production of a few crops and a minority of farmers while failing to address farming's contribution to global warming, biodiversity loss, natural resource degradation and public health problems. ... > full story

Short antibiotic courses safer for breathing-tube infections in children (May 5, 2011) -- Short courses of antibiotics appear just as effective as longer ones -- and a great deal safer -- in treating respiratory infections that might cause pneumonia in children on temporary breathing devices, according to a Johns Hopkins Children's Center study published online May 3 in Clinical Infectious Diseases. ... > full story

Corn gene provides resistance to multiple diseases, study shows (May 5, 2011) -- Researchers have found a specific gene in corn that appears to be associated with resistance to three important plant leaf diseases. ... > full story

Who knows you best? Not you, say psychologists (May 5, 2011) -- Know thyself. That was Socrates' advice, and it squares with conventional wisdom. But a new article reviews the research and suggests an addendum to the philosopher's edict: Ask a friend. ... > full story

Amygdala detects spontaneity in human behavior: Study of jazz musicians reveals how brain processes improvisations (May 5, 2011) -- A pianist is playing an unknown melody freely without reading from a musical score. How does the listener's brain recognise if this melody is improvised or if it is memorized? Researchers investigated jazz musicians to discover which brain areas are especially sensitive to features of improvised behaviour. Among these are the amygdala and a network of areas known to be involved in the mental simulation of behaviour. ... > full story

Normal stem cells made to look and act like cancer stem cells (May 5, 2011) -- Researchers, after isolating normal stem cells that form the developing placenta, have given them the same properties of stem cells associated with an aggressive type of breast cancer. ... > full story

Using solar power to sterilize medical instruments (May 5, 2011) -- Engineering students are using the sun to power an autoclave that sterilizes medical instruments and help solve a long-standing health issue for developing countries. ... > full story

Key gene found in childhood cancer (May 5, 2011) -- Scientists have identified the Aurora A gene -- which is vital for tumor growth and known to be expressed at higher-than-normal levels in many cancers -- as a target for potential therapies for rhabdoid tumors, aggressive childhood cancers that usually strike children under three years old and affect the brain or kidneys. The disease is extremely rare and is particularly difficult to treat and almost always fatal. ... > full story

Robot engages novice computer scientists (May 5, 2011) -- Learning how to program a computer to display the words "Hello World" once may have excited students, but that hoary chestnut of a lesson doesn't cut it in a world of videogames, smartphones and Twitter. One option to take its place and engage a new generation of students in computer programming is a robot called Finch. The robot was designed specifically to make introductory computer science classes an engaging experience once again. ... > full story

More than 20 percent of atheist scientists are 'spiritual', study finds (May 5, 2011) -- More than 20 percent of atheist scientists are spiritual, according to new research. Though the general public marries spirituality and religion, the study found that spirituality is a separate idea -- one that more closely aligns with scientific discovery -- for "spiritual atheist" scientists. ... > full story

Reptile 'cousins' shed new light on end-Permian extinction (May 5, 2011) -- The end-Permian extinction, by far the most dramatic biological crisis to affect life on Earth, may not have been as catastrophic for some creatures as previously thought, according to a new study. ... > full story

Mirror neuron system in autism: Broken or just slowly developing? (May 5, 2011) -- Developmental abnormalities in the mirror neuron system may contribute to social deficits in autism. Now, a new study reports that the mirror system in individuals with autism is not actually broken, but simply delayed. ... > full story

Hunting for deadly bacteria (May 5, 2011) -- Biochemists have developed a simple test that can swiftly and accurately identify specific pathogens using a system that will "hunt" for bacteria, identifying their harmful presence before they have a chance to contaminate our food and water. ... > full story

Anti-inflammatory drug may fight breast cancer (May 5, 2011) -- The anti-inflammatory drug celecoxib may be a useful additional treatment for people with breast cancer, Dutch researchers report. ... > full story

Sharpened focus: Improving the numbers, utility of medical imaging (May 5, 2011) -- The idea of probing the body's interior with radiation stretches back to experiments with X rays in the 1800s, but more than a century later, images taken with radiological scans still are not considered reliable enough to serve as the sole indicator of the efficacy of a cancer treatment. Researchers have now set out to change that. ... > full story

Artful dodgers: Seeing questions can help voters detect dodges and be better informed, new study says (May 5, 2011) -- How can some people respond to a question without answering the question, yet satisfy their listeners? This skill of "artful dodging" and how to better detect it are explored in a new article. ... > full story

Spitzer detects shadow of 'super-Earth' in front of nearby star (May 5, 2011) -- NASA's Spitzer satellite has detected the crossing of a solid planet in front of a star located at only 42 light-years in the constellation Cancer. Thanks to this detection, astronomers know that this "super-Earth" measures 2.1 times the size of our Earth. This is the smallest exoplanet detected in the neighborhood of our Sun. ... > full story

Worm discovery could help one billion people worldwide (May 5, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered why some people may be protected from harmful parasitic worms naturally while others cannot in what could lead to new therapies for up to one billion people worldwide. ... > full story

Better glasses-free 3-D: Mew approach to make 3-D illusions more realistic (May 5, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a fundamentally new approach to glasses-free 3-D, called HR3D, which they say could double the battery life of devices without compromising screen brightness or resolution. Among other advantages, the technique could also expand the viewing angle of a 3-D screen, making it practical for larger devices with multiple users, and it would maintain the 3-D effect even when the screen is rotated -- something that happens routinely with handheld devices. ... > full story

Contraceptive pill and HRT may protect against cerebral aneurysm, study suggests (May 5, 2011) -- Women who develop cerebral aneurysms are less likely to have taken the oral contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy, suggesting taking estrogen could have a protective effect, reveals new research. ... > full story

Small sea birds hold heat rather than cranking up the furnace (May 5, 2011) -- A new study offers some clues about how small aquatic birds survive in extremely cold climates. ... > full story

Night owls at risk for weight gain and bad diet (May 5, 2011) -- Staying up late every night and sleeping in is a habit that could put you at risk for gaining weight. People who go to bed late and sleep late eat more calories in the evening, more fast food, fewer fruits and vegetables and weigh more than people who go to sleep earlier and wake up earlier, according to a new study. They also had a higher body mass index, a measure of body weight, than normal sleepers. ... > full story

NASA's Gravity Probe B confirms two Einstein space-time theories (May 5, 2011) -- NASA's Gravity Probe B (GP-B) mission has confirmed two key predictions derived from Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, which the spacecraft was designed to test. The experiment, launched in 2004, used four ultra-precise gyroscopes to measure the hypothesized geodetic effect, the warping of space and time around a gravitational body, and frame-dragging, the amount a spinning object pulls space and time with it as it rotates. ... > full story

Protein discovered that could help prevent the spread of cancer (May 5, 2011) -- A protein capable of halting the spread of breast cancer cells could lead to a therapy for preventing or limiting the spread of the disease. ... > full story

World's smallest atomic clock: Tiny laser reduces power consumption 1,000-fold (May 5, 2011) -- A matchbook-sized atomic clock 100 times smaller than its commercial predecessors has been created by researchers. The portable Chip Scale Atomic Clock -- only about 1.5 inches on a side and less than a half-inch in depth -- also requires 100 times less power than its predecessors. Instead of 10 watts, it uses only 100 milliwatts. "It's the difference between lugging around a device powered by a car battery and one powered by two AA batteries," said the lead investigator. ... > full story

Exercise protects the heart via nitric oxide, researchers discover (May 5, 2011) -- Exercise both reduces the risk of a heart attack and protects the heart from injury if a heart attack does occur. For years, doctors have been trying to dissect how this second benefit of exercise works, with the aim of finding ways to protect the heart after a heart attack. Researchers have identified the ability of the heart to produce and store nitric oxide as an important way in which exercise protects the heart from injury. ... > full story

What lies beneath the seafloor? Results from first microbial subsurface observatory experiment (May 5, 2011) -- An international team of scientists report on the first observatory experiment to study the microbial life of an ever-changing environment inside Earth's crust. ... > full story

Spring babies face anorexia risk, study suggests (May 5, 2011) -- Anorexia nervosa is more common among people born in the spring, a new study has found. The researchers say their study -- which is the largest to date -- provides 'clear evidence' of a season-of-birth effect in anorexia. ... > full story

Transistors reinvented using new 3-D structure (May 5, 2011) -- Intel Corporation has announced a significant breakthrough in the evolution of the transistor, the microscopic building block of modern electronics. For the first time since the invention of silicon transistors over 50 years ago, transistors using a three-dimensional structure will be put into high-volume manufacturing. Intel will introduce a revolutionary 3-D transistor design called Tri-Gate, first disclosed by Intel in 2002, into high-volume manufacturing at the 22-nanometer (nm) node in an Intel chip codenamed "Ivy Bridge." A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. ... > full story

Hitting target in cancer fight now easier with new nanoparticle platform, scientists say (May 5, 2011) -- Researchers demonstrate mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNP) as an optimal drug delivery platform providing the ability to change the size and surface properties of MSNP to improve the tumor biodistribution and protected delivery of doxorubicin to a cancer xenograft in a nude mice model. ... > full story

Removable 'cloak' for nanoparticles helps them target tumors (May 5, 2011) -- Chemical engineers have designed a new type of drug-delivery nanoparticle that exploits a trait shared by almost all tumors: They are more acidic than healthy tissues. Such particles could target nearly any type of tumor and can be designed to carry virtually any type of drug. ... > full story

New route to map brain fat (May 5, 2011) -- Mapping the fat distribution of the healthy human brain is a key step in understanding neurological diseases, in general, and the neurodegeneration that accompanies Alzheimer's disease in particular. Researchers in Spain have found a new technique to reveal the fat distribution of three different areas of the healthy human brain. ... > full story

Spacecraft Earth to perform asteroid 'flyby' this fall (May 5, 2011) -- Since the dawn of the space age, humanity has sent 16 robotic emissaries to fly by some of the solar system's most intriguing and nomadic occupants -- comets and asteroids. The data and imagery collected on these deep-space missions of exploration have helped redefine our understanding of how Earth and our part of the galaxy came to be. But this fall, Mother Nature is giving scientists around the world a close-up view of one of her good-sized space rocks -- no rocket required. ... > full story

Women: Painful periods increase sensitivity to pain throughout the month (May 5, 2011) -- Women with painful periods show increased sensitivity to pain throughout their cycles, even when there is no background period pain. ... > full story