ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Thursday, September 29, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Thursday, September 29, 2011

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Easily embarrassed? Study finds people will trust you more (September 29, 2011) -- If tripping in public or mistaking an overweight woman for a mother-to-be leaves you red-faced, don't feel bad. A new study suggests that people who are easily embarrassed are also more trustworthy, and more generous. ... > full story

Pregnant women who exercise protect their offspring against long-term neurodegenerative diseases, study suggests (September 29, 2011) -- If you are pregnant, here's another reason to work out: you will reduce the chances of your baby developing neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, later in life, new research suggests. A new report shows that mice bred to develop a neurodegenerative disease equivalent to Alzheimer's disease showed fewer signs of the disease and greater brain plasticity later in life when their mothers exercised regularly than those whose mothers did not. ... > full story

Assessing California earthquake forecasts (September 29, 2011) -- Earthquake prediction remains an imperfect science, but the best forecasts are about 10 times more accurate than a random prediction, according to a new study. ... > full story

Control gene for developmental timing discovered (September 29, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a key regulator that controls the speed of development in the fruit fly. When the researchers blocked the function of this regulator, animals sped up their rate of development and reached maturity much faster than normal. ... > full story

'Molecular wipe': Potential treatment for 'pink eye' epidemic (September 29, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting discovery of a potential new drug for epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) -- sometimes called "pink eye" -- a highly infectious eye disease that may occur in 15 million to 20 million people annually in the United States alone. Their report describes an innovative new "molecular wipe" that sweeps up viruses responsible for EKC. ... > full story

Who's the best leader: The saint or the scrooge? (September 29, 2011) -- Generosity is typically regarded as a virtue. But among leaders, it can be seen as a sign of weakness, according to a new study. The research finds that generosity -- in the sense of contributing to the public good -- influences a person's status on two critical dimensions: prestige and dominance. ... > full story

Scientists reveal molecular sculptor of memories (September 29, 2011) -- Researchers working with adult mice have discovered that learning and memory were profoundly affected when they altered the amounts of a certain protein in specific parts of the mammals' brains. ... > full story

Alcohol in moderation can reduce asthma risk, study suggests (September 29, 2011) -- Drinking alcohol in moderate quantities can reduce the risk of asthma, according to Danish researchers. ... > full story

Study uncovers a predictable sequence toward coral reef collapse (September 29, 2011) -- Coral reefs that have lots of corals and appear healthy may, in fact, be heading toward collapse, according to a new study. ... > full story

Genetic variant linked to blocked heart arteries in patients with diabetes (September 29, 2011) -- Researchers have identified the first genetic variant associated with severity of coronary artery disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. Though this variant is not likely the cause of more severe coronary disease, the researchers say, it implicates a gene that could be. Such a gene has promise as a future target for treating coronary artery disease in diabetic patients. ... > full story

Testing cookstoves for Haiti (September 29, 2011) -- Scientists have teamed up with students to run a series of efficiency tests comparing the traditional Haiti cookstove with a variety of low-cost, commercially available alternatives. The long-term goal is to find the safest and most fuel-efficient stove -- or to design a new one that would win favor with the cooks of Haiti. ... > full story

Resisting peer pressure: Why adolescents respond differently to peer influence (September 29, 2011) -- The company an adolescent keeps affects his or her behavior -- particularly when these friends engage in illicit activities and are indifferent to education -- right? Well, that all depends, according to a new study. ... > full story

Hide-and-seek: Altered HIV can't evade immune system (September 28, 2011) -- Researchers have modified HIV in a way that makes it no longer able to suppress the immune system. Their work could remove a major hurdle in HIV vaccine development and lead to new treatments. ... > full story

Popular colorectal cancer drug may cause permanent nerve damage, study suggests (September 28, 2011) -- Oxaliplatin, a platinum-based anticancer drug that's made enormous headway in recent years against colorectal cancer, appears to cause nerve damage that may be permanent and worsens even months after treatment ends, according to a new study. ... > full story

Female mate searching evolves when mating gifts are important, katydid study finds (September 28, 2011) -- In the animal world, males typically search for their female partners. The mystery is that in some species, you get a reversal -- the females search for males. A new study of katydids supports a theory that females will search if males offer a lot more than just sperm. ... > full story

New cancer drug combination significantly delays breast cancer progression, phase II study shows (September 28, 2011) -- The first randomised trial to investigate the use of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) for the initial treatment of HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer has shown that it makes a significant difference to the time women live without their disease worsening. Patients with the cancer who received T-DM1 had a 41 percent improvement in the time they lived without it worsening compared to those who received standard docetaxel chemotherapy plus trastuzumab. ... > full story

Matter shows abrupt escape from flatness: Lead made to undergo a rapid transition from 'pancake' to hemisphere (September 28, 2011) -- At first glance, it seems as if billions of lead atoms have mysteriously disappeared. When exposed to heat, a layer of lead coated onto a nickel surface becomes almost invisible from one moment to the next. In reality, the slightest disturbance causes these atoms to suddenly switch from a broad “flat pancake” shape to a compact hemisphere. Interestingly, this all takes place at a temperature below the melting point of lead. The hemispheres, too, consist of solid lead. So no mass has been lost, the material has simply taken on a different spatial configuration. ... > full story

Alcohol-related behavior changes: Blame your immune system (September 28, 2011) -- When you think about your immune system, you probably think about it fighting off a cold. But new research suggests that immune cells in your brain may contribute to how you respond to alcohol. ... > full story

Millesecond memory: 'Teleportation' of rats sheds light on how the memory is organized (September 28, 2011) -- An experiment in which rats are "teleported" shows how memory is organized into discrete 125 millisecond-long packets, enabling a smooth transition between one memory and the next. ... > full story

Gene may be good target for tough-to-kill prostate cancer cells (September 28, 2011) -- Scientists believe they have found an effective target for killing late-stage, metastatic prostate cancer cells. They are focusing on the function of a gene called Polo-like kinase (Plk1), a critical regulator of the cell cycle. Plk1 is also an oncogene, which tends to mutate and can cause cancer. ... > full story

Copper film could lower touch screen, LED and solar cell costs (September 28, 2011) -- Copper nanowires may be coming to a little screen near you. These new nanostructures have the potential to drive down the costs of displaying information on cell phones, e-readers and iPads, and they could also help engineers build foldable electronics and improved solar cells, according to new research. ... > full story

Vital protein complex and therapeutic possibilities revealed (September 28, 2011) -- Scientists have detailed the structure and workings of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a large family of human proteins that are the target of one-third to one-half of modern drugs. ... > full story

Managing future forests for water (September 28, 2011) -- Scientists recently used long-term data to examine the feasibility of managing forests for water supply under the changing weather conditions forecast for the future. ... > full story

Teenage mind: First time evidence links over interpretation of social situations to personality disorder (September 28, 2011) -- Researchers have became interested in the way people think, how they organize thoughts, execute a decision, then determine whether a decision is good or bad. ... > full story

Light from galaxy clusters confirms general theory of relativity (September 28, 2011) -- All observations in astronomy are based on light (electromagnetic radiation) emitted from stars and galaxies and, according to the general theory of relativity, the light will be affected by gravity. At the same time all interpretations in astronomy are based on the correctness of the theory of relatively, but it has been difficult to accurately test Einstein's theory of gravity on scales larger than the solar system. Now astrophysicists in Denmark have managed to measure how the light is affected by gravity on its way out of galaxy clusters. The observations confirm the theoretical predictions. ... > full story

New stem cell activity identified in human brain (September 28, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a new pathway of stem cell activity in the brain that represents potential targets of brain injuries affecting newborns. The recent study raises new questions of how the brain evolves. ... > full story

Tendons absorb shocks muscles won't handle (September 28, 2011) -- Researchers have learned how muscles and tendons in the legs deal with sudden impacts. Experiments showed that tendons absorb the initial burst of energy from impact before the leg muscles react. The tendons act as shock absorbers, protecting the leg muscle from damage at the moment of impact. ... > full story

Saving heart attack victims with computer science (September 28, 2011) -- Newly discovered subtle markers of heart damage hidden in plain sight among hours of EKG recordings could help doctors identify which heart attack patients are at high risk of dying soon. ... > full story

Method for creating tiny diamond machines improved (September 28, 2011) -- Diamonds may be best known as a symbol of long-lasting love, but semiconductor makers are also hoping they'll pan out as key components of long-lasting micromachines if a new method for carving these tough, capable crystals proves its worth. ... > full story

Dyslexia isn't a matter of IQ, brain imaging study shows (September 28, 2011) -- About 5 to 10 percent of American children are diagnosed as dyslexic. Historically, the label has been assigned to kids who are bright, even verbally articulate, but who struggle with reading -- in short, whose high IQs mismatch their low reading scores. When children are not as bright, however, their reading troubles have been chalked up to their general intellectual limitations. ... > full story

Feast your eyes on the Fried Egg Nebula (September 28, 2011) -- Astronomers have used ESO's Very Large Telescope to image a colossal star that belongs to one of the rarest classes of stars in the Universe, the yellow hypergiants. The new picture is the best ever taken of a star in this class and shows for the first time a huge dusty double shell surrounding the central hypergiant. The star and its shells resemble an egg white around a yolky center, leading the astronomers to nickname the object the Fried Egg Nebula. ... > full story

Additives meant to protect vitamin C actually cause more harm, study suggests (September 28, 2011) -- Anti-caking agents in powdered products may hasten degradation of vitamin C instead of doing what they are supposed to do: protect the nutrient from moisture. ... > full story

Loss of 'lake lawnmowers' leads to algae blooms (September 28, 2011) -- Unprecedented algae growth in some lakes could be linked to the decline of water calcium levels and the subsequent loss of an important algae-grazing organism that helps keep blooms at bay. ... > full story

How dynamic changes in methylation can determine cell fate (September 28, 2011) -- Scientists have uncovered intriguing new evidence helping to explain how methylation -- an epigenetic process -- can help determine the ultimate fate of stem cells. ... > full story

Scanner spies document secrets (September 28, 2011) -- A scanner which combines the convenience of a desktop scanner with the functionality of a powerful laboratory imaging device has been developed and is now being commercialized. ... > full story

Children with autism benefit from early, intensive therapy (September 28, 2011) -- Researchers have found that children with autism spectrum disorders who receive more intensive therapy to combat social-communication impairments, especially at early ages, achieve the best outcomes. ... > full story

Women have stronger immune systems than men -- and it's all down to X-chromosome related microRNA (September 28, 2011) -- As anyone familiar with the phrase "man-flu" will know women consider themselves to be the more robust side of the species when it comes to health and illness. Now new research seems to support the idea. The research focuses on the role of MicroRNAs encoded on the X chromosome to explain why women have stronger immune systems to men and are less likely to develop cancer. ... > full story

Alzheimer's protein kills nerve cells in nose; Animal study may suggest way to rescue cells from disease (September 28, 2011) -- A protein linked to Alzheimer's disease kills nerve cells that detect odors, according to an animal study. The findings shed light on why people with Alzheimer's disease often lose their sense of smell early on in the course of the disease. ... > full story

Like fish on waves, electrons go surfing (September 28, 2011) -- Physicists have succeeded in taking a decisive step towards the development of more powerful computers. They were able to define two little quantum dots (QDs), occupied with electrons, in a semiconductor and to select a single electron from one of them using a sound wave, and then to transport it to the neighboring QD. ... > full story

Modern shift work pattern potentially less harmful to health (September 28, 2011) -- Recent research suggests that the modern day-day-night-night shift pattern for shift workers may not be as disruptive or as potentially carcinogenic as older, more extreme shift patterns. ... > full story

Quantum teleportation analysed by mathematical separation tool (September 28, 2011) -- Scientists recently gave a theoretical description of teleportation phenomena in sub-atomic scale physical systems. ... > full story

What do infants remember when they forget? (September 28, 2011) -- Six-month-old babies are severely limited in what they can remember about the objects they see in the world; if you hide several objects from an infant, they will only remember one of those objects with any detail. But a new study finds that when babies "forget" about an object, not all is lost. ... > full story

New technique maps twin faces of smallest Janus nanoparticles (September 28, 2011) -- Chemists have developed the first method that can rapidly and accurately map the surfaces of Janus nanoparticles, tiny particles that possess two chemically distinct faces. The findings have broad potential applications ranging from drug delivery to video displays. ... > full story

Removal of fibroids that distort the womb cavity may prevent recurrent miscarriages, study suggests (September 28, 2011) -- Researchers have found the first, firm evidence that fibroids are associated with recurrent miscarriages. They have also discovered that if they removed the fibroids that distorted the inside of the womb, the risk of miscarriage in the second trimester of pregnancy was reduced dramatically -- to zero. ... > full story

Engineers simulate large earthquake on curved bridge (September 28, 2011) -- Six full-size pickup trucks took a wild ride on a 16-foot-high steel bridge when it shook violently in a series of never-before-conducted experiments to investigate the seismic behavior of a curved bridge with vehicles in place. The 145-foot-long, 162-ton steel and concrete bridge was built atop four large, 14-foot by 14-foot, hydraulic shake tables. ... > full story

'Belly fat' linked to development of asthma, study finds (September 28, 2011) -- Belly fat, known clinically as central obesity, has been linked to the development of asthma in a new study. ... > full story

Device 'sees' beneath the skin to spot circulation problems (September 28, 2011) -- A ground-breaking device which “sees” beneath the skin to spot circulation problems has passed an important milestone on its journey to commercialization. ... > full story

Two-dimensional learning: Viewing computer images causes long-term changes in nerve cell connections (September 28, 2011) -- Viewing two-dimensional images of the environment, as they occur in computer games, leads to sustained changes in the strength of nerve cell connections in the brain. When the researchers presented rats with new spatial environments on a computer screen, they observed long-lasting changes in the communication between nerve cells in a brain structure which is important for long-term memory (hippocampus). Thus, the researchers showed for the first time that active exploration of the environment is not necessary to obtain this effect. ... > full story