ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Friday, July 15, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Friday, July 15, 2011

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Editing the genome: Scientists unveil new tools for rewriting the code of life (July 15, 2011) -- Researchers have unveiled genome-engineering technologies capable of fundamentally re-engineering genomes from the nucleotide to the megabase scale. Treating the chromosome as both an editable and an evolvable template, the researchers have demonstrated methods to rewrite a cell's genome through powerful new tools for biotechnology, energy and agriculture. ... > full story

Large waist doubles risk of kidney disease mortality, study finds (July 15, 2011) -- For kidney disease patients, a large belt size can double the risk of dying. A new study has found that the larger a kidney patient's waist circumference, the greater the chance the patient would die during the course of the study. ... > full story

Fast-shrinking Greenland glacier experienced rapid growth during cooler times (July 15, 2011) -- Large, marine-calving glaciers have the ability not only to shrink rapidly in response to global warming, but to grow at a remarkable pace during periods of global cooling, according to geologists working in Greenland. ... > full story

Poor bone health may start early in people with multiple sclerosis (July 15, 2011) -- Osteoporosis and low bone density are common in people in the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study. ... > full story

New opportunity for AM radio (July 15, 2011) -- Radio broadcasters compete for airwave space in the saturated FM range, in detriment to AM wavebands with a poorer sound quality. Nevertheless, frequencies at wavebands less than 30 MHz (AM ones) could well have a new opportunity, with terrestrial digital radio broadcasting. ... > full story

Ghrelin increases willingness to pay for food (July 15, 2011) -- New research suggests that ghrelin, a naturally occurring gut hormone, increases our willingness to pay for food, while simultaneously decreasing our willingness to pay for non-food items. ... > full story

Brainy lizards pass test for birds (July 15, 2011) -- Tropical lizards may be slow. But they aren't dumb. They can do problem-solving tasks just as well as birds and mammals, a new study shows. A new experiment tested Puerto Rican anoles on several cognitive tasks and found they can learn and remember to solve a problem they've never faced before. ... > full story

PSA test for men could get a second life for breast cancer in women (July 15, 2011) -- The widely known PSA blood test for prostate cancer in men may get a second life as a much-needed new test for breast cancer, the most common form of cancer in women worldwide, scientists are reporting in a new study. ... > full story

'Dry rot' genome offers lessons for biofuel pretreatment processes: Breaking down cellulose without blasting lignin (July 15, 2011) -- Dry rot due to the fungus Serpula lacrymans causes millions of dollars worth of damage to homes and buildings around the world. Now a comparative analysis involving Serpula lacrymans, the second brown rot fungus to have its genome sequenced, sheds light on the mechanism by which Serpula breaks down cellulose and the role of brown rot fungi in the global carbon cycle. ... > full story

New study may lead to quicker diagnosis, improved treatment for fatal lung disease (July 15, 2011) -- Twenty percent of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension suffer with the fatal disease for more than two years before being correctly diagnosed and properly treated, according to a new study. ... > full story

A LEAP in controlling cardiac fibrillation: Researchers develop a new low-energy defibrillation method (July 15, 2011) -- An international team of scientists has developed a new low-energy method for terminating life-threatening cardiac fibrillation of the heart. They have shown that their new technique called LEAP (Low-Energy Anti-fibrillation Pacing) reduces the energy required for defibrillation by more than 80% as compared to the current conventional method. Their discovery opens the path for the painless therapy of life threatening cardiac fibrillation. ... > full story

Half of patients with Parkinson's disease and psychosis treated with antipsychotic agents, including drugs that may worsen Parkinson symptoms, study finds (July 15, 2011) -- Half of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and psychosis receive prescriptions for anti-psychotic (AP) agents, including drugs that have the potential to worsen Parkinson symptoms, and the frequency of use of these agents has not changed since a warning about using these drugs in patients with dementia and PD was issued, according to a new study. ... > full story

What activates a supermassive black hole? Galaxy collisions not the culprits, even in the jam-packed early universe (July 14, 2011) -- A new study combining data from the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton X-ray space observatory has turned up a surprise. Most of the huge black holes in the centres of galaxies in the past 11 billion years were not turned on by mergers between galaxies, as had been previously thought. ... > full story

Early-stage melanoma tumors contain clues to metastatic potential (July 14, 2011) -- Scientists have demonstrated that it's possible -- early in a tumor's growth -- to identify cancer genes that endow the tumor with the ability to metastasize. Testing the technique in melanoma skin cancer, they found six abnormal genes that are both cancer-causing and metastasis-promoting. One of those genes, ACP5, can be used to predict whether human melanoma tumors are likely to spread. ... > full story

Enzymes for cell wall synthesis conserved across species barriers (July 14, 2011) -- Plants have neither supportive bone tissue nor muscles, and yet they can form rigid structures like stalks and even tree trunks. This is due to the fact that plant cells are enveloped by a stable cell wall. The main component of the plant cell wall is cellulose, which represents almost 50 percent of the total cell wall material and, at one billion tons per year, is the most frequently produced macromolecule in nature. Very little is known about the way in which cellulose is produced, and the knowledge that is available has mainly been obtained from the model plant thale cress which, although easy to study, is of no economic significance. Researchers have now succeeded in showing that knowledge obtained in thale cress can be applied to other plant species. ... > full story

Benefit of blood glucose lowering to near-normal levels remains unclear (July 14, 2011) -- Whether patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus benefit from attempts to lower their blood glucose levels to near-normal levels through treatment ("intensive blood glucose control") remains an unanswered question. The studies currently available provide indications of a benefit but also of potential harm, researchers say. ... > full story

Red light from carbon nanotubes (July 14, 2011) -- To the human eye, carbon nanotubes usually appear as a black powder. They can hardly be forced to emit light, as they are excellent electrical conductors and capture the energy from other luminescent chemical species placed nearby. Researchers recently developed a relatively simple method allowing the nanotubes exposed to UV to emit red light. ... > full story

Secret to successful aging: How 'positivity effect' works in brain (July 14, 2011) -- Whether we choose to accept or fight it, the fact is that we will all age, but will we do so successfully? Aging successfully has been linked with the “positivity effect”, a biased tendency towards and preference for positive, emotionally gratifying experiences. New research published in Biological Psychiatry now explains how and when this effect works in the brain. ... > full story

Loss of large predators has caused widespread disruption of ecosystems (July 14, 2011) -- The decline of large predators and other "apex consumers" at the top of the food chain has disrupted ecosystems all over the planet, according to a review of recent findings conducted by an international team of scientists. The study looked at a wide range of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems and concluded that "the loss of apex consumers is arguably humankind's most pervasive influence on the natural world." ... > full story

Mutation in a protein-sorting gene is linked with Parkinson's disease (July 14, 2011) -- Parkinson disease (PD) is a devastating incurable disease in which degeneration of dopamine neurons in the brainstem leads to tremors and problems with movement and coordination. An increasing proportion of patients appear to be genetically predisposed to disease. Now, two independent research groups have identified a mutation associated with an inherited form of PD. The papers provide new insight into the pathogenesis of late-onset PD and present compelling evidence that implicates a novel protein-recycling pathway in neurodegeneration. ... > full story

Chemistry: Separation a thousand-fold faster may lead to new composite materials (July 14, 2011) -- Numerous industrial processes make use of blends. Researchers have studied how the external electric field affects the rate of component separation in blends composed of polymers and liquid crystals and those composed of various types of polymers. The observations gathered open interesting opportunities, e.g., for the development of new composite materials. ... > full story

Bone marrow transplant survival more than doubles for young high-risk leukemia patients (July 14, 2011) -- Bone marrow transplant survival more than doubled in recent years for young, high-risk leukemia patients, with patients who lacked genetically matched donors recording the most significant gains. ... > full story

NASA spacecraft to enter asteroid's orbit on July 15 (July 14, 2011) -- On July 15, NASA's Dawn spacecraft will begin a prolonged encounter with the asteroid Vesta, making the mission the first to enter orbit around a main-belt asteroid. ... > full story

Database explains strange survival of irregular verbs (July 14, 2011) -- An historical study of the development of irregular verbs in the hundreds of Romance languages including French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian and Catalan has revealed how these structures survive. Experts have also examined why they are learned by successive generations despite 'making no sense' or, apparently, having any function in the language. ... > full story

Soft memory device opens door to new biocompatible electronics (July 14, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a memory device that is soft and functions well in wet environments -- opening the door to a new generation of biocompatible electronic devices. ... > full story

Cancer gene therapy from camels (July 14, 2011) -- Nanobodies produced from camel blood have unique properties, which can be used in future drug development. New research confirms that camel blood can help scientists in the fight against cancer. ... > full story

Molecules 'light up' Alzheimer's roots (July 14, 2011) -- A breakthrough in sensing could make finding signs of Alzheimer's disease nearly as simple as switching on a light. The new technique should help researchers design better medications to treat the devastating disease. ... > full story

Study challenges baby formula claim (July 14, 2011) -- Hypoallergenic baby formula does not reduce a baby's risk of developing allergies in later life, a new study by researchers in Australia has found. ... > full story

Life in 'inner space': Joint mission to film marine life three kilometers down (July 14, 2011) -- Undiscovered ‘alien’ life forms that thrive without sunlight in temperatures approaching boiling point may soon come to light, thanks to a groundbreaking Irish-led marine research mission aboard the national research vessel RV Celtic Explorer. In collaboration with scientists from the UK’s National Oceanography Centre, the researchers are due to sail from Galway for the mid-Atlantic Ridge July 13. The voyage is being filmed for the National Geographic Channel for inclusion in an upcoming series about the ocean. ... > full story

Humans 'predisposed' to believe in gods and the afterlife (July 14, 2011) -- New research finds that humans have natural tendencies to believe in gods and an afterlife. Research suggests that people across many different cultures instinctively believe that some part of their mind, soul or spirit lives on after-death. The studies demonstrate that people are natural 'dualists' finding it easy to conceive of the separation of the mind and the body. ... > full story

New planets feature young star and twin Neptunes (July 14, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered 10 new planets. Amongst them is one orbiting a star perhaps only a few tens of million years old, twin Neptune-sized planets, and a rare Saturn-like world. ... > full story

Print your own teeth: Rapid prototyping comes to dentistry (July 14, 2011) -- What if, instead of waiting days or weeks for a cast to be produced and prosthetic dental implants, false teeth and replacement crowns to be made, your dentist could quickly scan your jaw and "print" your new teeth using a rapid prototyping machine known as a 3-D printer? ... > full story

Brain network connections revealed (July 14, 2011) -- New research has revealed that the brain is characterized by a highly consistent, weighted network among the functional areas of the cortex, which are responsible for such functions as vision, hearing, touch, movement control and complex associations. The study in primates has revealed that such cortical networks and their properties are reproducible from individual to individual. ... > full story

Sudden cardiac death in young athletes: Pediatric cardiologists not always accurate in interpreting ECG results, study finds (July 14, 2011) -- Pediatric cardiologists are prone to misinterpreting electrocardiograms when using the results to determine whether young athletes have heart defects that could make exercising perilous, according to a new study. ... > full story

Tsunami airglow signature could lead to early detection system (July 14, 2011) -- Researchers have recorded an airglow signature in the upper atmosphere produced by a tsunami using a camera system based in Maui, Hawaii. Coupling of the ocean surface to the upper atmosphere enables tsunami imaging. The first ionospheric signature precedes the modeled ocean tsunami by one hour. ... > full story

Is meditation the push-up for the brain? Study shows practice may have potential to change brain's physical structure (July 14, 2011) -- Researchers have found that long time meditators have stronger connections between brain regions, and show less age-related atrophy when compared to a control group. Having stronger connections influences the ability to rapidly relay electrical signals in the brain. And significantly, these effects are evident throughout the entire brain, not just in specific areas. ... > full story

New way to store sun's heat: Modified carbon nanotubes can store solar energy indefinitely, then be recharged by exposure to the sun (July 14, 2011) -- A novel application of carbon nanotubes shows promise as an innovative approach to storing solar energy for use whenever it's needed. Storing the sun's heat in chemical form -- rather than converting it to electricity or storing the heat itself in a heavily insulated container -- has significant advantages, since in principle the chemical material can be stored for long periods of time without losing any of its stored energy. The problem with that approach has been that until now the chemicals needed to perform this conversion and storage either degraded within a few cycles, or included the element ruthenium, which is rare and expensive. ... > full story

Diesel fumes pose risk to heart as well as lungs, study shows (July 14, 2011) -- Tiny chemical particles emitted by diesel exhaust fumes could raise the risk of heart attacks, research has shown. ... > full story

Pixel perfect: Lens-free, pinhead-size camera developed (July 14, 2011) -- It's like a Brownie camera for the digital age: The microscopic device fits on the head of a pin, contains no lenses or moving parts, costs pennies to make -- and this camera could revolutionize an array of science from surgery to robotics. ... > full story

Why stored transfusion blood may become less safe with age (July 14, 2011) -- Transfused blood may need to be stored differently to prevent the breakdown of red blood cells that can lead to complications including infection, organ failure and death, say researchers. They reveal new biological interactions between breakdown products and nitric oxide that can reduce blood flow and possibly damage vital tissues after administration of blood stored for longer than 39 days. ... > full story

New method for making human-based gelatin (July 14, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting development of a new approach for producing large quantities of human-derived gelatin that could become a substitute for some of the 300,000 tons of animal-based gelatin produced annually for gelatin-type desserts, marshmallows, candy and innumerable other products. ... > full story

Higher cigarette taxes don't deter all smokers, study finds; Smokers aged 25 to 44 most unresponsive to price increases (July 14, 2011) -- Raising taxes on cigarettes, a public health measure used by governments to encourage people to quit, doesn't motivate all smokers to stop the deadly habit. Research on the long-term impact of taxing cigarettes found higher taxes do prompt low-and middle-income earners to quit. Yet price increases don't persuade wealthier smokers or those aged 25 to 44 to butt out. ... > full story

Neuroscientists uncover neural mechanisms of object recognition (July 14, 2011) -- Neuroscientists have examined the brain of a person with object agnosia, a deficit in the ability to recognize objects, and have uncovered the neural mechanisms of object recognition. The results describe the functional neuroanatomy of object agnosia and suggest that damage to the part of the brain critical for object recognition can have a widespread impact on remote parts of the cortex. ... > full story

Stem cell 'memory' can boost insulin levels (July 14, 2011) -- Scientist have now derived embryonic-like stem cells from adult stem cells that appear to retain their effectiveness in producing insulin in the human body. This research may promise a new avenue of treatment that avoids costly and dangerous pancreas transplants. ... > full story

Narrowest bridges of gold are also the strongest, study finds (July 14, 2011) -- At an atomic scale, the tiniest bridge of gold -- that made of a single atom -- is actually the strongest, according to new research. ... > full story

Unsolved mystery of kava toxicity (July 14, 2011) -- A major new review of scientific knowledge on kava -- a plant used to make dietary supplements and a trendy drink with calming effects -- has left unsolved the mystery of why Pacific Island people can consume it safely, while people in the United States, Europe and other Western cultures sometimes experience toxic effects. ... > full story

Genetically modified Atlantic salmon mating study reveals danger of escape to wild gene pool (July 14, 2011) -- If genetically modified Atlantic salmon were to escape from captivity they could succeed in breeding and passing their genes into the wild, researchers have found. Their research explores the potential reproductive implications of GM salmon as they are considered for commercial farming. ... > full story

People at risk for panic buffered from stressor by high levels of physical activity (July 14, 2011) -- People at risk for experiencing panic attacks respond with less anxiety to a panic-inducing stressor if they have been regularly engaging in high levels of physical activity, suggests a new study. High levels of physical activity appeared to buffer against panic-inducing stress -- inhalation of carbon dioxide-enriched air -- among people typically afraid of the nausea, dizziness, racing heart and shortness of breath that characterize panic episodes, according to psychologists. ... > full story