ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Tuesday, July 5, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Tuesday, July 5, 2011

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Genetic component of autism spectrum disorders may be moderate compared to environment, twin study suggests (July 4, 2011) -- After evaluating twin pairs in which at least one child has autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), researchers suggest that the shared environment may play a more substantial role in development of the condition than shared genes do, according to a new study. ... > full story

Smokers using varenicline to quit the habit at greater risk of heart attack, study suggests (July 4, 2011) -- Healthy, middle-aged smokers who take the most popular smoking cessation drug on the market have a 72 percent increased risk of being hospitalized with a heart attack or other serious heart problems compared to those taking a placebo, a new study suggests. ... > full story

Biofuels from the sea: Seaweed may prove a viable future biofuel, especially if harvested in summer (July 4, 2011) -- The use of kelp as a biofuel could provide an important alternative to terrestrial grown biofuels; however the suitability of its chemical composition varies on a seasonal basis. Harvesting the kelp in July when carbohydrate levels are at their highest would ensure optimal sugar release for biofuel production. ... > full story

New research addresses the major cause of pregnancy loss in IVF (July 4, 2011) -- A new study has addressed chromosomal imbalance in embryos, a condition that is currently the major cause of pregnancy loss in IVF. ... > full story

Design and print your own 3-D chocolate objects (July 4, 2011) -- Manufacturing and retail could get a much needed boost from a newly developed 3-D chocolate printer. In the long term the technology could be used by customers to design many different products themselves -- tailor-made to their needs and preferences. Using new digital technology the printer allows you to create your own designs on a computer and reproduce them physically in three dimensional form in chocolate. ... > full story

Length of parental military deployment associated with children's mental health diagnoses, study finds (July 4, 2011) -- Children with a parent who was deployed in the US military efforts Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom for longer periods were more likely than children whose parents did not deploy to receive a diagnosis of a mental health problem, according to a new study. ... > full story

Tree frogs' self-cleaning feet could solve a sticky problem (July 4, 2011) -- Tree frogs have specially adapted self-cleaning feet which could have implications for new designs of medical bandages, tires, and even long lasting adhesives. Researchers have now discovered how tree frogs prevent their feet from picking up dirt while maintaining stickiness. ... > full story

'Megapixel' DNA replication technology promises faster, more precise diagnostics (July 4, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a DNA measurement platform that sets dramatic new performance standards in the sensitivity and accuracy of sample screening. ... > full story

Researchers map the physics of Tibetan singing bowls (July 4, 2011) -- Researchers have been investigating the connection between fifth century Himalayan instruments used in religious ceremonies and modern physics. ... > full story

Pre-pregnancy diet affects the health of future offspring, mouse study suggests (July 4, 2011) -- Poor maternal diet before conception can result in offspring with reduced birth weights and increased risk of developing type II diabetes and obesity. In a new study, mice that were fed a low protein diet before conception (but had a normal diet during pregnancy) gave birth to offspring that had lower birth weights and increased insulin sensitivity. ... > full story

Protein structure of key molecule in DNA transcription system deciphered (July 4, 2011) -- Scientists have deciphered the structure of an essential part of Mediator, a complex molecular machine that plays a vital role in regulating the transcription of DNA. ... > full story

Ingredients of happiness around the world (July 4, 2011) -- In a new study, researchers put Maslow's "hierarchy of needs" to the test with data from 123 countries representing every major region of the world. ... > full story

Warming ocean layers will undermine polar ice sheets, climate models show (July 4, 2011) -- Warming of the ocean's subsurface layers will melt underwater portions of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets faster than previously thought, according to new research. The research, based on 19 state-of-the-art climate models, proposes a new mechanism by which global warming will accelerate the melting of the great ice sheets during this century and the next. Such melting would increase the sea level more than already projected. ... > full story

Could ovarian stimulation cause an increase in oocyte chromosome abnormalities? (July 4, 2011) -- Ovarian stimulation for IVF in women aged over 35 years may be leading to chromosome abnormalities resulting in pregnancy loss and birth defects such as Down syndrome, say members of a polar body screening study team. ... > full story

First cookiecutter shark attack on a live human (July 4, 2011) -- A new study provides details on the first cookiecutter shark attack on a live human, a concern as warm summer waters attract more people to the ocean. ... > full story

Zinc and the zebrafish: Fluorescent fish could hold key to understanding diabetes and other diseases (July 4, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered a new way of detecting zinc in zebra fish, that could pave the way for furthering our understanding of diseases like Type 2 diabetes, prostate cancer and Alzheimer's. ... > full story

Important step in next generation of computing: Vital insight into spintronics (July 4, 2011) -- Scientists have taken one step closer to the next generation of computers. New research provides insight into spintronics, which has been hailed as the successor to the transistor. ... > full story

Sport performance follows a physiological law; Study suggests peak at 20-30 years of age, then irreversible decline (July 4, 2011) -- Researchers in France have published research describing the evolution of performances in elite athletes and chess grandmasters. Their findings suggest that changes in individual performance are linked to physiological laws structuring the living world. ... > full story

Pregnancy and birth environment may affect development of autism in twins, study finds (July 4, 2011) -- Findings from the largest study of twins with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) suggests that both genetic and shared environmental factors significantly increase risk for ASD, estimated 38 percent risk associated with genetic heritability and 58 percent from factors shared by twins during pregnancy and perhaps early infancy. ... > full story

Balance tips toward environment as heritability ebbs in autism? Non-inherited genetic factors also in the mix, study finds (July 4, 2011) -- The largest and most rigorous twin study of its kind to date has found that shared environment influences susceptibility to autism more than previously thought. It found that experiences and exposures common to both twins accounted for 55 percent of strict autism and 58 percent of more broadly defined autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Genetic heritability accounted for 37 percent of autism and 38 percent of ASD. ... > full story

Exposure to anti-depressants in pregnancy may increase autism risk, study suggests (July 4, 2011) -- A new study has found that exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor anti-depressants in early pregnancy may modestly increase the risk of autism spectrum disorders. However, researchers cautioned that the number of children exposed prenatally to SSRIs was low and that further studies are needed to validate these results. The population-based, case-control study of 1,805 children is the first to systematically address the association between prenatal SSRI exposure and ASD risk. ... > full story

Popular smoking cessation drug associated with 72 percent increased risk of serious CV events, study finds (July 4, 2011) -- Smoking cigarettes is a dangerous habit that many are struggling to break, but for the smokers who choose to use one of the most popular smoking cessation drugs on the market, new warnings about the risk of serious cardiovascular events are on their way. ... > full story

Varenicline for smoking cessation linked to increased risk of serious harmful cardiac events, study finds (July 4, 2011) -- The use of varenicline to stop smoking is associated with a 72 percent increased risk of a serious adverse cardiovascular event, according to a new study. ... > full story

The smell of danger: Rats instinctively avoid compound in carnivore urine (July 3, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a single compound found in high concentrations in the urine of carnivores that triggers an instinctual avoidance response in mice and rats. This is the first time that scientists have identified a chemical tag that would let rodents sense carnivores in general from a safe distance. ... > full story

Possible new target for sarcoma treatment and prevention (July 3, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a protein signaling pathway that becomes hyperactivated in human sarcoma cells, suggesting that medications to inhibit this pathway may be effective in the treatment of human sarcomas. ... > full story

Red wine: Exercise in a bottle? (July 3, 2011) -- As strange as it sounds, a new research study suggests that the "healthy" ingredient in red wine, resveratrol, prevents the negative effects that spaceflight and sedentary lifestyles have on people. The report describes experiments in rats that simulated the weightlessness of spaceflight, during which the group fed resveratrol did not develop insulin resistance or a loss of bone mineral density, as did those who were not fed resveratrol. ... > full story

Droplets for detecting tumoral DNA (July 3, 2011) -- New research suggests it may be possible, in the near future, to detect cancer by a simple blood or urine test. Biologists from France have developed a technique capable of detecting minute traces of tumoral DNA present in the biological fluids of patients suffering from cancer. ... > full story

New light shed on the private lives of electrons: Lasers allow scientists to observe how electrons become entangled (July 3, 2011) -- Scientists have used lasers to peek into the complex relationship between a single electron and its environment, a breakthrough that could aid the development of quantum computers. ... > full story

Women get up sooner than men after a fall in soccer, study finds (July 3, 2011) -- When women play football (soccer), the individual interruptions, for instance for substitutions or to cheer a goal, are a lot shorter than when men play. In particular after injuries men remain on the ground significantly longer. This is what sports scientists discovered after analyzing 56 soccer games and evaluating the place, time and duration of every single interruption of the game. In soccer, men stage themselves much more than women, the scientists conclude. ... > full story

Tongue makes the difference in how fish and mammals chew (July 3, 2011) -- New research shows that fish and mammals chew differently. Fish use tongue muscles to thrust food backward, while mammals use tongue muscles to position food for grinding. The evolutionary divergence is believed to have occurred with amphibians, though further research is needed to identify which species and when. ... > full story

New biomarker predicts breast cancer relapse (July 3, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a new biomarker related to the body's immune system that can predict a breast cancer patients' risk of cancer recurrence. ... > full story

Changes in specific dietary factors may have big impact on long-term weight gain (July 3, 2011) -- Researchers have found that modest changes in specific foods and beverages, physical activity, TV-watching, and sleep duration were strongly linked with long-term weight gain. ... > full story

Cell rigidity linked to activity in proteins associated with cancer (July 3, 2011) -- Scientists have demonstrated that exerting mechanical force on cells activates Rho GEF proteins through distinct signaling pathways. The Rho GEFs activate Rho proteins that are part of the RAS superfamily -- a class of proteins associated with cancer activity. ... > full story

Toward a more efficient use of solar energy (July 3, 2011) -- The exploitation and utilization of new energy sources are considered to be among today's major challenges. Solar energy plays a central role, and its direct conversion into chemical energy, for example hydrogen generation by water splitting, is one of its interesting variants. Titanium oxide-based photocatalysis is the presently most efficient, yet little understood conversion process. ... > full story

Nuclear waste requires cradle-to-grave strategy, study finds (July 3, 2011) -- After Fukushima, it is now imperative to redefine what makes a successful nuclear power program -- from cradle to grave. If nuclear waste management is not thought out from the beginning, the public in many countries will reject nuclear power as an energy choice, according to new research. ... > full story

'Odd couple' binary star system makes dual gamma-ray flares (July 2, 2011) -- In December 2010, a pair of mismatched stars in the southern constellation Crux whisked past each other at a distance closer than Venus orbits the sun. The system possesses a so-far unique blend of a hot and massive star with a compact fast-spinning pulsar. The pair's closest encounters occur every 3.4 years and each is marked by a sharp increase in gamma rays, the most extreme form of light. ... > full story

Key immune substance linked to asthma, study finds (July 2, 2011) -- Medical researchers have linked a master molecule of the immune system, gamma-interferon, to the pathology of asthma, in a study of mice. ... > full story

Web weaving skills provide clues to aging, spider study reveals (July 2, 2011) -- Young house spiders weave webs with perfect angles and regular patterns, but as they reach old age their webs deteriorate, showing gaping holes and erratic weaving. By using spiders as a simple model, new research may provide insight into how age affects behavior in other organisms, including humans. ... > full story

In pilot study, screening detects potentially serious heart conditions in healthy children (July 2, 2011) -- A pilot study in healthy children and adolescents shows that it is feasible to screen for undiagnosed heart conditions that increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Adding a 10-minute, relatively low-cost electrocardiogram to a history and physical examination identified unsuspected cases of potentially serious heart conditions. ... > full story

Hawaii is not an evolutionary dead end for marine life, snail study finds (July 2, 2011) -- The question of why there are so many species in the sea and how new species form remains a central question in marine biology. Below the waterline, about 30% of Hawaii's marine species are endemic – being found only in Hawaii and nowhere else on Earth – one of the highest rates of endemism found worldwide. But where did this diversity of species come from? In a new study of limpets, cone-shaped marine snails, researchers have demonstrated that Hawaii is not an evolutionary dead end for marine species. ... > full story

Good communication in early years key to success at school, UK study shows (July 2, 2011) -- Researchers in the UK have shown that although social background has a noticeable effect on a child’s readiness for school, what parents do with their children, even before they begin to talk, is actually much more important. The results of the study showed that children who were taken to the library more often and owned more books at two-years-old achieved higher scores on the school assessment tests when they began primary school. ... > full story

New theory on origin of birds: Enlarged skeletal muscles (July 2, 2011) -- A new theory of the origin of birds, traditionally believed to be driven by the evolution of flight, is now being credited to the emergence of enlarged skeletal muscles in birds. Their upright two-leggedness, he says, led to the opportunity for other adaptive changes like flying or swimming. ... > full story

Potential of simple injection on patients with head injury (July 2, 2011) -- New research has suggested that tranexamic acid has the potential to prevent people dying from head injuries. It is a cheap, off-patent drug with the potential to help people suffering from brain trauma. ... > full story

Flapping micro air vehicles inspired by swifts (July 2, 2011) -- A new design of micro air vehicle (MAV) will be able to flap, glide and hover. Researchers have been inspired by birds to design a MAV that combines flapping wings, which will allow it to fly at slow speeds and hover, with the ability to glide, ensuring good quality images from any on-board camera. ... > full story

More sensitive test for cardiac biomarker may better identify patients who experienced heart attack (July 2, 2011) -- In patients with a suspected acute coronary syndrome (or ACS, such as heart attack or unstable angina), use of a more sensitive test to detect the protein troponin in blood was associated with increased diagnosis of a heart attack and improved identification of patients at high risk of another heart attack and death in the following year, according to new study. ... > full story

Breaking Kasha's rule: Scientists find unique luminescence in tetrapod nanocrystals (July 2, 2011) -- Researchers created tetrapod molecules of semiconductor nanocrystals and watched them break a fundamental principle of photoluminescence known as "Kasha's rule." The discovery holds promise for multi-color light emission technologies, including LEDs. ... > full story

'Goat plague' threat to global food security and economy must be tackled, experts warn (July 2, 2011) -- "Goat plague," or peste des petits ruminants, is threatening global food security and poverty alleviation in the developing world, say leading veterinarians and animal health experts. ... > full story

Clocking Neptune's spin by tracking atmospheric features (July 1, 2011) -- By tracking atmospheric features on Neptune, a planetary scientist has accurately determined the planet's rotation, a feat that had not been previously achieved for any of the gas planets in our solar system except Jupiter. ... > full story