ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Friday, September 9, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Friday, September 9, 2011

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Powered by seaweed: Polymer from algae may improve battery performance (September 9, 2011) -- By looking to Mother Nature for solutions, researchers have identified a promising new binder material for lithium-ion battery electrodes that could not only boost energy storage, but also eliminate the use of toxic compounds now used in manufacturing the components. Known as alginate, the material is extracted from common, fast-growing brown algae. ... > full story

Genomic analysis of superbug provides clues to antibiotic resistance (September 9, 2011) -- An analysis of the genome of a superbug has yielded crucial, novel information that could aid efforts to counteract the bacterium's resistance to an antibiotic of last resort. ... > full story

Scientists probe connection between sight and touch in the brain (September 9, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered that as you look at an object, your brain not only processes what the object looks like, but remembers what it feels like to touch it as well. This connection is so strong that a computer examining data coming only from the part of your brain that processes touch can predict which object you are actually looking at. ... > full story

Glucose uptake relies on newly identified protein (September 9, 2011) -- A new study identifies the protein -- called CDP138 -- that helps muscle and fat cells properly insert glucose transporters in their outer membranes. These results provide a new understanding of glucose metabolism -- an important finding considering that impaired insulin action and glucose metabolism contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. ... > full story

Handier than Homo habilis? Versatile hand of Australopithecus sediba makes a better candidate for an early tool-making hominin (September 9, 2011) -- Hand bones from a single individual with a clear taxonomic affiliation are scarce in the hominin fossil record, which has hampered understanding of the evolution of manipulative abilities in hominins. An international team of researchers has now published a study that describes the earliest, most complete fossil hominin hand post-dating the appearance of stone tools in the archaeological record, the hand of a 1.98-million-year-old Australopithecus sediba from Malapa, South Africa. ... > full story

Physicians in varying specialties endure similar levels of mental effort, stress (September 9, 2011) -- Researchers have used work intensity measurement tools to determine that the level of mental effort and stress within various specialty groups tends to be similar, a finding that may lead to more equitable payment for primary care physicians as well as validating these tools for further assessment of stress and workload in medicine with the goal of improving health care. ... > full story

New method to grow synthetic collagen unveiled: New material may find use in reconstructive surgery, cosmetics, tissue engineering (September 9, 2011) -- In a significant advance for cosmetic and reconstructive medicine, scientists have unveiled a new method for making synthetic collagen. The new material, which forms from a liquid in as little as an hour, has many of the properties of natural collagen and may prove useful as a scaffold for regenerating new tissues and organs from stem cells. ... > full story

Gene that controls chronic pain identified (September 9, 2011) -- A gene responsible for regulating chronic pain, called HCN2, has been identified. Chronic pain comes in two main varieties. The first, inflammatory pain, occurs when a persistent injury (e.g. a burn or arthritis) results in an enhanced sensitivity of pain-sensitive nerve endings, thus increasing the sensation of pain. ... > full story

Human brain evolution, new insight through X-rays: Experiment reveals brain shape of an early human ancestor (September 9, 2011) -- A new paper preveals an accurate, high-resolution X-ray scan of the brain case of Australopithecus sediba, an early human ancestor. The overall shape of the endocast resembles humans more than chimpanzees which, combined with the brain's small volume, is consistent with a model of gradual neural (brain) reorganization in the front part of the brain. ... > full story

Research gives new hope to those with rare vascular cancer (September 9, 2011) -- A specific genetic alteration has been discovered as a defining feature of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, a rare but devastating vascular cancer. These findings have also been used to develop a new diagnostic test for this blood vessel disease. ... > full story

Managing intellectual property a challenge for firms, innovators (September 9, 2011) -- The increasing complexity of multi-invention technologies such as laptops and smartphones raises serious challenges for firms looking to cash in with the "next big thing," and points to a need for businesses to integrate their patent and business strategies, according to a patent strategy expert. ... > full story

White favoritism by Major League home plate umps lowers minority pitcher performance and pay, baseball study finds (September 9, 2011) -- Racial/ethnic bias by home plate umpires lowers the performance of Major League's minority pitchers, diminishing their pay compared to white pitchers, a new study finds. A researcher says analysis of 3.5 million pitches found minorities responded to racial bias by sacrificing performance and throwing safer balls to limit umpires' subjective judgments. The findings matter when measuring the extent of wage discrimination not only in baseball, but also labor markets generally. ... > full story

800,000 years of abrupt climate variability: Earth's climate is capable of very rapid transitions (September 8, 2011) -- An international team of scientists has produced a prediction of what climate records from Greenland might look like over the last 800,000 years. The team's reconstruction is based on the much longer ice core temperature record retrieved from Antarctica and uses a mathematical formulation to extend the Greenland record beyond its current limit. ... > full story

Combination therapy rids common infection from implanted medical devices, researchers report (September 8, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a therapy for a potentially deadly type of infection common in catheters, artificial joints and other 'in-dwelling' medical devices. The therapy targets fungal infections, which are hard to treat in such devices because they are composed of biofilms—complex groupings of cells that attach to surfaces. Biofilms, in turn, are coated in a gooey matrix that resists drugs. ... > full story

New record for measurement of atomic lifetime (September 8, 2011) -- Researchers in Denmark have measured the lifetime of an extremely stable energy level of magnesium atoms with great precision. Magnesium atoms are used in research with ultra-precise atomic clocks. The new measurements show a lifetime of 2050 seconds, which corresponds to approximately one half hour. This is the longest lifetime ever measured in a laboratory. ... > full story

Stop signal for leukemia stem cells (September 8, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered that hyperactive signaling of a particular growth factor called IGF1 promotes T-cell acute lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-ALL). When the investigators blocked this factor, blood cancer cells ceased to growth further. Moreover, the cancer stem cells lost their capability to self-renew. Inhibitors of this growth factor are already available and might help to enhance treatment of this type of leukemia and prevent recurrence. ... > full story

Tree rings reveal forest fires from hundreds of years ago (September 8, 2011) -- Like clues from an Agatha Christie mystery novel, trees can provide secrets about past events, and their rings are especially good at providing information about fires, some of which happened hundreds of years ago, according to studies from a Texas researcher. ... > full story

Liquor store density linked to youth homicides, U.S. studies find (September 8, 2011) -- Violent crime could be reduced significantly if policymakers at the local level limit the number of neighborhood liquor stores and ban the sale of single-serve containers of alcoholic beverages, according to separate U.S. studies. ... > full story

Babies distinguish pain from touch at 35-37 weeks, research finds (September 8, 2011) -- Babies can distinguish painful stimuli as different from general touch from around 35-37 weeks gestation -- just before an infant would normally be born -- according to new research. ... > full story

Weakened malaria parasites form basis of new vaccine strategy (September 8, 2011) -- Using live but weakened malaria parasites as the basis of a vaccine represents a potentially encouraging anti-malaria strategy, according to results of follow-up animal studies performed after the conclusion of a recent clinical trial in humans. ... > full story

Researchers power line-voltage light bulb with nanotube wire (September 8, 2011) -- Cables made of carbon nanotubes are inching toward electrical conductivities seen in metal wires, and that may light up interest among a range of industries. ... > full story

'Open wide' for new stem cell potential (September 8, 2011) -- Scientists have successfully collected cells from oral mucosa and manipulated them into stem cells almost as easy to manipulate as those from embryos. This breakthrough may provide new therapies for neurodegenerative, heart, and autoimmune diseases, as well as diabetes. ... > full story

New translator app makes sense of foreign-language food menus (September 8, 2011) -- Researchers have created an application that enables cell phones and other portable devices to translate foreign-language food menus for English speakers and could be used for people who must follow restricted diets for medical reasons. ... > full story

Structured homeschooling gets an A+ (September 8, 2011) -- A new study has found that homeschooling -- as long as it's structured or follows a curriculum -- can provide kids with an academic edge. ... > full story

'Invisible' world discovered: Planet alternately runs late and early in its orbit, tugged by second hidden world (September 8, 2011) -- Usually, running five minutes late is a bad thing since you might lose your dinner reservation or miss out on tickets to the latest show. But when a planet runs five minutes late, astronomers get excited because it suggests that another world is nearby. NASA's Kepler spacecraft has spotted a planet that alternately runs late and early in its orbit because a second, "invisible" world is tugging on it. ... > full story

Scientists overcome major obstacle for stem cell therapies and research (September 8, 2011) -- Stem cells show great potential to enable treatments for conditions such as spinal injuries or Lou Gehrig's disease, and also as research tools. Scientists in the United States and Japan have developed a clever solution to the research obstacle of cell mixture purification that should prove more reliable than other methods, safer, and perhaps 100 times cheaper. ... > full story

Switching from coal to natural gas would do little for global climate, study indicates (September 8, 2011) -- Although the burning of natural gas emits far less carbon dioxide than coal, a new study concludes that a greater reliance on natural gas would fail to significantly slow down climate change. Coal releases more carbon dioxide, but it also releases particles that cool the planet. ... > full story

Cancer: Antibodies can directly target oncoproteins inside cancer cells to suppress aggressive cancer growth (September 8, 2011) -- Scientists have made a landmark discovery in the battle against the rapid spread of aggressive cancers. Contrary to the current theory that antibodies can only bind to cancer proteins found on the cancer cell surface, scientists have now discovered that antibodies can in fact directly target oncoproteins that reside within the cancer cells to suppress aggressive cancer growth. ... > full story

New material possible boon for lithium ion batteries (September 8, 2011) -- Batteries could get a boost from a discovery that increases power, energy density and safety while dramatically reducing charge time. ... > full story

Parents who lose child during first year of life at significantly increased risk of early death, study finds (September 8, 2011) -- Parents who lose their child during the first 12 months of life are at significantly increased risk of an early death, new research finds. ... > full story

Australopithecus sediba paved the way for Homo species, new studies suggest (September 8, 2011) -- Researchers have revealed new details about the brain, pelvis, hands and feet of Australopithecus sediba, a primitive hominin that existed around the same time early Homo species first began to appear on Earth. Due to the "mosaic" nature of the hominin's features, researchers are now suggesting that Au. sediba is the best candidate for an ancestor to the Homo genus. ... > full story

New substances accelerate drug transport into cells (September 8, 2011) -- Biologists have discovered means for speeding the transport of the active ingredients of drugs into live cells that might allow drastically reducing drug dosages in the future. ... > full story

King crabs threaten seafloor life near Antarctica (September 8, 2011) -- King crabs and other crushing predators are thought to have been absent from cold Antarctic shelf waters for millions of years. Scientists speculate that the long absence of crushing predators has allowed the evolution of a unique Antarctic seafloor fauna with little resistance to predatory crabs. A recent study indicates that one species of king crab has moved 120 km across the continental shelf in West Antarctica and established a large, reproductive population in the Palmer Deep along the west Antarctic Peninsula. ... > full story

First U.S. patient receives specially processed donor lungs; Possible new option to increase transplantable lung supply (September 8, 2011) -- Surgeons have transplanted the first lungs treated in the United States with an experimental repair process before transplantation, to evaluate the efficacy of repairing lungs that might otherwise have been passed over as unsuitable for organ donation. ... > full story

Neutron scattering confirms DNA is as stretchy as nylon (September 8, 2011) -- Neutron scientists have measured how fast sound travels along DNA to determine its ‘stiffness’. These findings help to explain how DNA folds, coils and denatures. ... > full story

Death tolls spur pro-war stance, study finds; 'Sunk-cost' mindset also keeps losers in the stock market (September 8, 2011) -- Mounting casualities in America's nearly 10-year-old wars in Iraq and Afghanistan might seem to serve as a catalyst for people to denounce the war and demand a way out. But a new study into the psychology of "sunk-costs" finds that highlighting casualties before asking for opinions on these wars actually sways people toward a more pro-war attitude. This sunk-cost mindset may also expain why losers stay in the stock market. ... > full story

Space instrument observes new characteristics of solar flares; Findings may lead to improved space weather forecasting (September 8, 2011) -- NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which is carrying a suite of instruments, has provided scientists with new information that energy from some solar flares is stronger and lasts longer than previously thought. ... > full story

New drugs hope for dangerous yeast infections (September 8, 2011) -- Researchers are a step closer towards creating a new class of medicines and vaccines to combat drug-resistant and deadly strains of fungal infections, following a new study. ... > full story

Potatoes reduce blood pressure in people with obesity and high blood pressure (September 8, 2011) -- The potato's stereotype as a fattening food for health-conscious folks to avoid is getting another revision as scientists report that just a couple servings of spuds a day reduces blood pressure almost as much as oatmeal without causing weight gain. The research was done on a group of overweight people with high blood pressure. ... > full story

'Dirty' wild mice may be more relevant immunology model (September 8, 2011) -- Like humans, mice that live in their natural habitat encounter bacteria and other pathogens that exercise their immune system, yet lab mice typically used in immunology studies are raised in isolation from most diseases. A study on natural killer cells in wild mice examines the hypothesis that the unsterile living conditions faced by humans and wild mice may improve the readiness of the immune system to fight new infections. ... > full story

Computer-aided design used for breast tissue reconstruction (September 8, 2011) -- A technology usually reserved for designing buildings, bridges and aircraft has now been used to aid breast tissue reconstruction in cancer patients. ... > full story

Aerobic exercise may reduce the risk of dementia, researchers say (September 8, 2011) -- Any exercise that gets the heart pumping may reduce the risk of dementia and slow the condition's progression once it starts, a new study finds. Researchers examined the role of aerobic exercise in preserving cognitive abilities and concluded that it should not be overlooked as an important therapy against dementia. ... > full story

New material shows promise for trapping pollutants (September 8, 2011) -- Water softening techniques are very effective for removing minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which occur as positively-charged ions in "hard" water. But many heavy metals and other inorganic pollutants form negatively-charged ions in water, and existing water treatment processes to remove them are inefficient and expensive. Chemists have now developed a new type of material that can soak up negatively-charged pollutants from water. ... > full story

Researchers eye newer, safer birth control method (September 8, 2011) -- Researchers have uncovered a new contraceptive that is more focused, safer and, therefore, available for use among a larger population of women. This research in monkeys has demonstrated that targeting these enzymes can prevent the release of an egg from the ovary. ... > full story

Study points to way of improving chemotherapy response (September 8, 2011) -- Blocking key proteins could improve response to a common chemotherapy drug, suggests a new study which used cancer cells grown in the lab. ... > full story

Biological agents for rheumatoid arthritis associated with increased skin cancer risk, review finds (September 8, 2011) -- Biological agents used to treat rheumatoid arthritis seem to be associated with an increased risk of skin cancer, indicates a systematic review of published research. ... > full story

Forecasting human behavior by supercomputing global news (September 8, 2011) -- A new article combines advanced supercomputing with a quarter-century of worldwide news to forecast and visualize human behavior, from civil unrest to the movement of individuals. ... > full story

Concerned with safety, hovering 'helicopter parents' can impede child’s ability to play, study shows (September 8, 2011) -- Parental safety concerns may prevent children from getting good exercise, according to a new study that examined how families use neighborhood parks. ... > full story