ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Friday, May 13, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Friday, May 13, 2011

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How a flatworm regenerates missing tissues: Pluripotent adult stem cells power planarian regeneration (May 13, 2011) -- Researchers have determined that the planarian flatworm regenerates missing tissues by using pluripotent adult stem cells. Until now, scientists could not determine whether the dividing cells in planarians, called neoblasts, are a mixture of specialized stem cells that each regenerates specific tissues, or if individual neoblasts are pluripotent and able to regenerate all tissues. ... > full story

Irritable bowel syndrome: Common gastrointestinal disorder linked to bacterial overgrowth, food poisoning (May 13, 2011) -- Researchers have reported two advances in the understanding of irritable bowel syndrome, the most common gastrointestinal disorder in the United States, affecting an estimated 30 million people. One study provides further evidence that IBS is linked to an overgrowth of bacteria in the gut. In a separate study, a mathematical model reveals the disease's link to food poisoning and shows that military personnel are at a much higher risk for the disorder than the rest of the population. ... > full story

Slow road to a synapse: Why some neuronal proteins take their time getting to the terminal (May 13, 2011) -- Grappling with a question that has defied scientific explanation for decades, researchers offer the first evidence-based model to explain how certain proteins in neurons travel from the central body of the cell (where they are made) down its axon to the terminal synapse -- the junction where neurons communicate with each other. ... > full story

15 eggs is the perfect number needed to achieve a live birth after IVF, study suggests (May 13, 2011) -- An analysis of over 400,000 IVF cycles in the UK has shown that doctors should aim to retrieve around 15 eggs from a woman's ovaries in a single cycle in order to have the best chance of achieving a live birth after assisted reproduction technology. ... > full story

Ancient gene gives planarians a heads-up in regeneration (May 13, 2011) -- A little-studied gene known as notum plays a key role in the planarian's regeneration decision-making process, according to scientists. At head-facing (anterior) wounds, the gene notum acts as a dimmer switch to dampen the Wnt pathway -- an ancient signaling circuit that operates in all animals -- and promote head regeneration. ... > full story

How adversity dulls our perceptions (May 13, 2011) -- Perceptions learned in an aversive context are not as sharp as those learned in other circumstances, new research suggests. ... > full story

Why some genes are silenced: Researchers find clue as to how notes are played on the 'genetic piano' (May 13, 2011) -- Scientists report an epigenetic rationale as to how some genes are silenced and others aren't. By reversing this effect, it may be possible to devise therapies for cancer and other diseases. ... > full story

New method for engineering human tissue regeneration (May 13, 2011) -- If clinical trials prove successful, a discovery could represent a leap toward human tissue regeneration and engineering. In a new study, scientists provide evidence to support a paradigm shift from the idea that cells added to a graft before implantation are the building blocks of tissue, to a new belief that engineered tissue constructs can induce or augment the body's own reparative mechanisms, including complex tissue regeneration. ... > full story

Water for Mongolia: How vital resource can be efficiently managed and used (May 13, 2011) -- Clean water is a rare commodity in many countries of the world and governments often face problems ensuring its reliable supply. In Mongolia, an interdisciplinary research team is demonstrating how this vital resource can be efficiently managed and used. Specially developed software help to detect weak points in the supply system. ... > full story

Taking additional selenium will not reduce cancer risk, study suggests (May 13, 2011) -- Although some people believe that taking selenium can reduce a person's risk of cancer, a Cochrane Systematic Review of randomized controlled clinical trials found no protective effect against non-melanoma skin cancer or prostate cancer. In addition, there is some indication that taking selenium over a long period of time could have toxic effects. ... > full story

Reforesting rural lands in China pays big dividends, researchers say (May 13, 2011) -- An innovative program to encourage sustainable farming in rural China has helped restore eroded forestland while producing economic gains for many farmers, according to a new study. ... > full story

Power of placebos: Canadian psychiatrists more ready than other physicians to acknowledge the benefits of placebos, survey shows (May 13, 2011) -- They may be uncomfortable talking about it, but it's definitely going on. A recent survey reports that one in five respondents -- physicians and psychiatrists in Canadian medical schools -- have administered or prescribed a placebo. Moreover, an even higher proportion of psychiatrists (more than 35 per cent) reported prescribing subtherapeutic doses of medication (that is, doses that are below, sometimes considerably below, the minimal recommended therapeutic level) to treat their patients. ... > full story

Guilt, cooperation linked by neural network: Why people choose to cooperate rather than act selfishly (May 12, 2011) -- On a daily basis, our social life places us in situations where we have to decide whether or not to cooperate with others. However, the motivation that encourages us to behave cooperatively is often not clear. Now, new research suggests that anticipation of the feeling of guilt can motivate us to behave unselfishly and reveals a neural mechanism that may underlie this guilt aversion-driven cooperation. ... > full story

Smarter treatment for killer infections (May 12, 2011) -- Sepsis is a major killer in hospital intensive care units. Researchers have found that manipulating a genetic factor that can launch or throttle the body's defenses can improve survival rates during bacterial infection. ... > full story

'Fasting pathway' points the way to new class of diabetes drugs (May 12, 2011) -- Scientists have uncovered a novel mechanism that turns up glucose production in the liver when blood sugar levels drop, pointing towards a new class of drugs for the treatment of metabolic disease. ... > full story

Genetic clue to common birth defects found (May 12, 2011) -- Scientists have for the first time uncovered a gene responsible for Adams-Oliver syndrome (AOS), a condition which can cause birth defects of the heart, limbs or blood vessels. The study gives valuable insight not only into this particular condition, but also the possible genetic causes of these common birth defects found in the wider population. ... > full story

Action needed to manage climate change risks: U.S. response should be durable, but flexible, experts urge (May 12, 2011) -- Warning that the risk of dangerous climate change impacts is growing with every ton of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. ... > full story

Fake cigarettes increase success rate for quitting smoking, study finds (May 12, 2011) -- Nicotine-free plastic inhalers may increase a smoker's chance of quitting, according to new research. ... > full story

Improving photosynthesis? Solar cells beat plants at harvesting sun's energy, for now (May 12, 2011) -- In a head-to-head battle of harvesting the sun's energy, solar cells beat plants. But scientists think they can even up the playing field. Plants are less efficient at capturing the energy in sunlight than solar cells mostly because they have too much evolutionary baggage. ... > full story

Blood test for lung cancer? Characteristic patterns in microRNA reveal disease (May 12, 2011) -- Researchers have identified characteristic patterns of molecules called microRNA in the blood of people with lung cancer that might reveal both the presence and aggressiveness of the disease, and perhaps who is at risk of developing it. These patterns may be detectable up to two years before the tumor is found by computed tomography (CT) scans. The findings could lead to a blood test for lung cancer. ... > full story

Cats pass disease to wildlife, even in remote areas (May 12, 2011) -- Researchers tracking the spread of Toxoplasma gondii -- a parasite that reproduces only in cats but sickens and kills many other animals -- have found infected wildlife throughout a 1,500-acre (600-hectare) natural area in central Illinois. ... > full story

Lack of exercise linked to higher heart disease risk in healthy children as young as 9 (May 12, 2011) -- Even healthy children as young as 9 years old can start to show an increased risk of future heart problems if they are physically inactive. Researchers studied 223 children with an average age of 9.8 years, assessing their physical activity levels over four days. Children who were more physically active had a lower composite risk factor score for cardiovascular disease. ... > full story

Salinity in Outer Banks wells traced to fossil seawater (May 12, 2011) -- Rising salinity in the primary source for desalinated tap water in North Carolina's Outer Banks has been traced to fossil seawater, not -- as some have feared -- to recent seawater intrusion. ... > full story

Sharing musical instruments means sharing germs (May 12, 2011) -- Disease-causing bacteria can survive for days on wind instruments and may thus contribute to sickness in people who play wind instruments, especially students who share instruments, report researchers. ... > full story

NASA's Galileo reveals magma 'ocean' beneath surface of Jupiter's moon (May 12, 2011) -- A new analysis of data from NASA's Galileo spacecraft reveals a subsurface "ocean" of magma beneath the surface of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io. The finding is the first direct confirmation of such a magma layer at Io and explains how Io can be the most volcanic object known in the solar system. ... > full story

Treating HIV-infected people with antiretrovirals significantly reduces transmission to partners (May 12, 2011) -- Men and women infected with HIV reduced the risk of transmitting the virus to their sexual partners by taking oral antiretroviral medicines when their immune systems were relatively healthy, according to new findings from an international study. ... > full story

Mother and kid goat vocals strike a chord (May 12, 2011) -- Mother and kid goats recognize each other's calls soon after the mothers give birth, new research reveals. ... > full story

New discoveries about tumor-suppressing protein could help reduce treatment side effects (May 12, 2011) -- Researchers have untangled two distinct ways in which a common, naturally occurring "tumor-suppressor" protein works. The separation of these two functions -- which can have quite different consequences -- could enhance efforts to develop treatment approaches that mitigate the sometimes-devastating side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. ... > full story

Drive test: Super-stable laser shines in minivan experiment (May 12, 2011) -- In a step toward taking the most advanced atomic clocks on the road, physicists have designed and demonstrated a super-stable laser operating in a cramped, vibrating location -- a minivan. ... > full story

How higher gas prices affect consumer behavior (May 12, 2011) -- An economist used gasoline purchasing data to show how consumers make buying decisions when prices jump at the pump. When gas prices went up people behaved as if they were much poorer, buying cheaper gasoline -- as if a increase in gasoline prices had decreased their annual income by tens of thousands of dollars. ... > full story

Whales have accents and regional dialects: Biologists interpret the language of sperm whales (May 12, 2011) -- When they dive together, sperm whales make patterns of clicks to each other known as "codas." Recent findings suggest that not only do different codas mean different things, but that whales can also tell which member of their community is speaking based on the sound properties of the codas. Just as we can tell our friends apart by the sounds of their voices and the way they pronounce their words, different sperm whales make the same pattern of clicks, but with different accents. ... > full story

Toward a vaccine for methamphetamine abuse (May 12, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting development of three promising formulations that could be used in a vaccine to treat methamphetamine addiction -- one of the most serious drug abuse problems in the US. ... > full story

Why cancer 'smart drugs' may not be so smart (May 12, 2011) -- Some of the most effective and expensive cancer drugs, dubbed "smart drugs" for their ability to stop tumors by targeting key drivers of cancer cell growth, are not effective in some patients. In two related studies, researchers examined one such driver, the EGF receptor (EGFR), and found that a decoy receptor might be limiting the amount of drug that gets to the intended target. ... > full story

New findings on noninvasive test for pancreatic cancer (May 12, 2011) -- Pancreatic cancer has one of the highest mortality rates of any of the major cancers, and of the 43,000-plus Americans diagnosed with the disease each year, more than 94 percent die within five years of diagnosis. One reason for this high number of deaths is a lack of effective screening tools for catching the disease early. Now, in an effort to try to gain the upper hand on this deadly form of cancer, researchers believe they have found a new way to test for pancreatic cancer with DNA testing of patients' stool samples. ... > full story

Change is the order of the day in the Arctic (May 12, 2011) -- Climate change in the Arctic is occurring at a faster and more drastic rate than previously assumed, according to experts. The latest scientific data show that developments in the Arctic's climate are closely related to developments in the rest of the world. ... > full story

When words get hot, mental multitaskers collect cool (May 12, 2011) -- How useful would it be to anticipate how well someone will control their emotions? To predict how well they might be able to stay calm during stress? To accept critical feedback stoically? A psychology professor finds clues in what psychologists call "hot" and "cold" psychology. ... > full story

How 'hot Jupiters' got so close to their stars: Extrasolar planet research sheds light on our solar system (May 12, 2011) -- More than 500 extrasolar planets -- planets that orbit stars other than the sun -- have been discovered since 1995. But only in the last few years have astronomers observed that in some of these systems the star is spinning one way and the planet, a "hot Jupiter," is orbiting the star in the opposite direction. ... > full story

Human lung stem cell discovered: Crucial role in tissue regeneration (May 12, 2011) -- For the first time, researchers have identified a human lung stem cell that is self-renewing and capable of forming and integrating multiple biological structures of the lung including bronchioles, alveoli and pulmonary vessels. ... > full story

Marine lab research tracks pollutants in dolphins and beluga whales (May 12, 2011) -- Bottlenose dolphins and beluga whales, two marine species at or near the top of their respective food webs, accumulate more chemical pollutants in their bodies when they live and feed in waters near urbanized areas, according to scientists. ... > full story

Genetic alteration may represent early stage of smoking-induced cardiovascular damage (May 12, 2011) -- A new study uncovers a previously unrecognized link between tobacco smoking and a gene known to influence the cardiovascular system, possibly identifying an early stage of smoking-associated cardiovascular pathology. The research may serve to guide future research strategies aimed at identifying and counteracting mechanisms of smoking-induced pathology. ... > full story

Silver cycle: New evidence for natural synthesis of silver nanoparticles (May 12, 2011) -- Because they have a variety of useful properties, especially as antibacterial and antifungal agents, silver nanoparticles increasingly are being used in a wide variety of industrial and consumer products. This in turn has raised concerns about what happens to them once released into the environment. Now a new research paper adds an additional wrinkle: Nature may be making silver nanoparticles on its own. ... > full story

Stay-at-home parents make for a cooperative family of lizards (May 12, 2011) -- The great desert burrowing skink, a lizard living on the sandy plains of Central Australia, has been discovered to live in family groups within elaborately constructed tunnel complexes. ... > full story

Can clouds help mitigate global warming? Missing links found in biology of cloud formation over oceans (May 12, 2011) -- A new study brings the possibility of using the sulfur cycle to mitigate global warming closer with the identification of the steps in the biochemical pathway that controls how bacteria release the sulfur compound methanethiol, or MeSH, into the microbial food web in the oceans and the genes responsible for that process. ... > full story

Sugar boosters could lead to cheap, effective treatments for chronic bacterial infections (May 12, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered that a simple compound -- sugar -- dramatically boosts the effectiveness of first-line antibiotics. ... > full story

Deepwater Horizon spill threatens more species than legally protected, study finds (May 12, 2011) -- Marine species facing threats from the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico far exceed those under legal protection in the United States, a new paper finds. Researchers found 39 additional marine species beyond the 14 protected by federal law that are at an elevated risk of extinction. ... > full story

Novel mouse model provides insight into rare neurodegenerative disease (May 12, 2011) -- New research sheds light on common pathogenic mechanisms shared by Huntington's disease (HD) and HD-like disorders. The study uses a new transgenic mouse model for an HD-like disorder to unravel complex molecular events that drive disease pathology. ... > full story

High numbers of barred owls likely in Pacific Northwest forests (May 12, 2011) -- Barred owls may be more abundant in coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest than previously recognized, according to new research. ... > full story

Learning through mere exposure: Improving visual perception and attention without training (May 12, 2011) -- Neuroscientists in Germany have demonstrated that human visual perception and attention can be improved without training. In a new study, they report that the sense of vision can be lastingly changed by merely exposing subjects to visual stimuli for a short period of time. ... > full story