ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Friday, September 30, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Friday, September 30, 2011

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'Superfast' muscles responsible for bat echolocation (September 30, 2011) -- As nocturnal animals, bats rely echolocation to navigate and hunt prey. By bouncing sound waves off objects, including the bugs that are their main diet, bats can produce an accurate representation of their environment in total darkness. Now, researchers at the University of Southern Denmark and the University of Pennsylvania have shown that this amazing ability is enabled by a physical trait never before seen in mammals: so-called "superfast" muscles. ... > full story

Knockout of protein prevents colon tumor formation in mice (September 30, 2011) -- A protein that regulates differentiation in normal tissue may play a very different role in colon and breast cancer, activating proliferation of damaged cells, according to researchers. ... > full story

Researchers produce cheap sugars for sustainable biofuel production (September 30, 2011) -- Researchers have developed technologies to efficiently produce, recover and separate sugars from the fast pyrolysis of biomass. That's a big deal because those sugars can be further processed into biofuels. ... > full story

Oral steroids linked to severe vitamin D deficiency in nationwide US study (September 30, 2011) -- People taking oral steroids are twice as likely as the general population to have severe vitamin D deficiency, according to a study of more than 31,000 children and adults. Their findings suggest that physicians should more diligently monitor vitamin D levels in patients being treated with oral steroids. ... > full story

Financial crisis: Calculating the probability of extreme events (September 30, 2011) -- It had to happen: the property bubble burst and the global financial market experienced its biggest crisis in the last hundred years. In retrospect, many suspected it was coming, but nobody could have known for sure. The traditional investment strategy failed, as all forms of investment suddenly collapsed at the same time. In order to calculate the probability of several such extreme events occurring at the same time, scientists have developed a new method. ... > full story

Women in science? Universities don't make the grade (September 30, 2011) -- Despite years of trying to improve the number of women undergraduates in science and engineering, a new study shows most universities are failing. ... > full story

Sharks are in trouble, new analysis confirms (September 30, 2011) -- Sharks are in big trouble on the Great Barrier Reef and worldwide, according to an Australian-based team who have developed a world-first way to measure rates of decline in shark populations. ... > full story

Breakthrough in understanding white matter development (September 30, 2011) -- Through the identification of a gene's impact on a signaling pathway, scientists continue to make progress in understanding the mechanics of a key brain developmental process: growth and repair of white matter, known as myelination. ... > full story

Cancer detection from an implantable, flexible LED (September 30, 2011) -- Researchers in South Korea have developed a new concept in cancer detection: a biocompatible, flexible gallium nitride (GaN) LED that can detect prostate cancer. ... > full story

Computational modeling can help plan vaccine introduction, study finds (September 30, 2011) -- Proper planning before the introduction of new vaccines into a developing country's active immunization program could prevent storage problems and transportation bottlenecks that decrease the availability of existing vaccines by as much as two-thirds, according to a new study. Computational models can forecast the impact of new vaccine introduction and identify potential disruptions, concluded the study. ... > full story

Smartphones revolutionize psychological experiments (September 30, 2011) -- Researchers have tapped into smartphone technology to carry out psychological experiments, allowing them access to millions of participants at the touch of a button. ... > full story

End-of-life discussions do not affect survival rates, study shows (September 30, 2011) -- Discussing and documenting patients' preferences for care at the end of life does not cause them any harm, contrary to recent claims. A new study found that patients who talk with their physicians about end-of-life care and have an advance directive in their medical record have similar survival rates as patients who do not have these discussions and documents. ... > full story

Single dose of 'magic mushrooms' hallucinogen may create lasting personality change, study suggests (September 29, 2011) -- A single high dose of the hallucinogen psilocybin, the active ingredient in so-called "magic mushrooms," was enough to bring about a measurable personality change lasting at least a year in nearly 60 percent of the participants in a new study, according to researchers. ... > full story

Researchers explain hormonal role in glucose and fat metabolism (September 29, 2011) -- Hormone researchers have their sights set on providing long-term treatment options for diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases by better understanding estradiol, the most potent naturally occurring estrogen. They now believe that this estrogen hormone is a prominent regulator of several body functions in both females and males. ... > full story

All-access genome: New study explores packaging of DNA (September 29, 2011) -- A team of biophysicists has been preoccupied with tiny, spool-like entities known as nucleosomes. Their latest insights help explain how these structures wrap and unwrap, permitting regulatory proteins to access, bind with and act on regions of DNA. ... > full story

Key protein causing excess liver production of glucose in diabetes identified (September 29, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a powerful molecular pathway that regulates the liver's management of insulin and new glucose production, which could lead to new therapies for diabetes. ... > full story

3-D microscope opens eyes to prehistoric oceans and present-day resources (September 29, 2011) -- A research team has turned their newly developed 3-D microscope technology on ancient sea creatures and hopes to expand its use. ... > full story

Big Tobacco knew radioactive particles in cigarettes posed cancer risk but kept quiet, study suggests (September 29, 2011) -- Tobacco companies knew that cigarette smoke contained radioactive alpha particles for more than four decades and developed "deep and intimate" knowledge of these particles' cancer-causing potential, but they deliberately kept their findings from the public, according to a new study. ... > full story

NASA space telescope finds fewer asteroids near Earth (September 29, 2011) -- New observations by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, show there are significantly fewer near-Earth asteroids in the mid-size range than previously thought. The findings also indicate NASA has found more than 90 percent of the largest near-Earth asteroids, meeting a goal agreed to with Congress in 1998. ... > full story

New technique identifies first events in tumor development (September 29, 2011) -- A novel technique that enables scientists to measure and document tumor-inducing changes in DNA is providing new insight into the earliest events involved in the formation of leukemias, lymphomas and sarcomas, and could potentially lead to the discovery of ways to stop those events. ... > full story

Tree frogs chill out to collect precious water (September 29, 2011) -- Australian green tree frogs survive the dry season with the help of the same phenomenon that fogs up eyeglasses in the winter, new research shows. ... > full story

High-risk donor livers used with greater frequency in transplantations (September 29, 2011) -- The shortage of available organs for transplantation has driven up use of high-risk donor livers. New research has reported that high volume transplant centers more frequently utilized livers with a high donor risk index, but achieved better risk-adjusted graft and recipient survival rates compared with lower volume centers. ... > full story

Labor-saving way to monitor vast rangelands (September 29, 2011) -- U.S. agricultural scientists have found that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a tool used by the military, may be suitable for keeping an eye on changing land-use patterns across vast tracts of western rangeland. ... > full story

If you're happy and you know it: Researchers trail Twitter to track world's mood swings (September 29, 2011) -- Using Twitter to monitor the attitudes of 2.4 million people in 84 countries, researchers found that people all over the world awaken in a good mood -- but globally that cheer soon deteriorates once the workday progresses. ... > full story

Orbital observations of Mercury reveal flood lavas, hollows, and unprecedented surface details (September 29, 2011) -- After only six months in orbit around Mercury, NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft is sending back information that has revolutionized the way scientists think about the innermost planet. Analyses of new data from the spacecraft show, among other things, new evidence that flood volcanism has been widespread on Mercury, the first close-up views of Mercury's "hollows," the first direct measurements of the chemical composition of Mercury's surface, and the first global inventory of plasma ions within Mercury's space environment. ... > full story

Instead of defibrillator's painful jolt, there may be a gentler way to prevent sudden death (September 29, 2011) -- Each year in the United States, more than 200,000 people have a cardiac defibrillator implanted in their chest to deliver a high-voltage shock to prevent sudden cardiac death from a life-threatening arrhythmia. While it's a necessary and effective preventive therapy, those who've experienced a defibrillator shock say it's painful, and some studies suggest that the shock can damage heart muscle. ... > full story

How normal cells become brain cancers (September 29, 2011) -- Brain tumor specimens taken from neurosurgery cases have given scientists a new window on the transformation that occurs as healthy brain cells begin to form tumors. ... > full story

Major HIV prevention trial in women to drop oral tenofovir arm (September 29, 2011) -- A large-scale clinical trial evaluating whether daily use of an oral tablet or vaginal gel containing antiretroviral drugs can prevent HIV infection in women is being modified because an interim review found that the study cannot show that one of the study products, oral tenofovir, marketed under the trade name Viread, is effective. ... > full story

Roads pave the way for the spread of superbugs (September 29, 2011) -- Antibiotic resistant E. coli was much more prevalent in villages situated along roads than in rural villages located away from roads, which suggests that roads play a major role in the spread or containment of antibiotic resistant bacteria, commonly called superbugs, a new study finds. ... > full story

Americans move dramatically toward acceptance of homosexuality: Young people lead the changes (September 29, 2011) -- Although sharply divided, public attitudes toward gays and lesbians are rapidly changing to reflect greater acceptance, with younger generations leading the way, research shows. In addition to a plurality who now approve of same-sex marriage, Americans overwhelmingly support basic civil liberties and freedom of expression for gays and lesbians, in contrast to sharp division on such issues in the 1970s. ... > full story

Correcting sickle cell disease with stem cells (September 29, 2011) -- Using a patient's own stem cells, researchers have corrected the genetic alteration that causes sickle cell disease, a painful, disabling inherited blood disorder that affects mostly African-Americans. The corrected stem cells were coaxed into immature red blood cells in a test tube that then turned on a normal version of the gene. ... > full story

Even high-but-normal blood pressure elevates stroke risk (September 29, 2011) -- People with prehypertension have a 55 percent higher risk of experiencing a future stroke than people without prehypertension, report researchers in a new meta-analysis of scientific literature. ... > full story

Red wine ingredient resveratrol stops breast cancer growth, study suggests (September 29, 2011) -- New research shows that resveratrol, the "healthy" ingredient in red wine, stops breast cancer cells from growing by blocking the growth effects of estrogen. This discovery suggests for the first time that resveratrol is able to counteract malignant progression since it inhibits the proliferation of hormone resistant breast cancer cells. This has important implications for treatment of women with breast cancer whose tumors develop resistance to hormonal therapy. ... > full story

Risk factors for cat cancer could have human implications (September 29, 2011) -- A recent, large-scale study on cat intestinal cancer has provided new insight into a common pet disease and its causes; the findings could ultimately benefit humans. ... > full story

In unique fire tests, outdoor decks will be under firebrand attack (September 29, 2011) -- NIST will unleash its Dragon, an invention that bellows showers of glowing embers, at a unique wind tunnel test facility in Japan, where researchers will evaluate the vulnerability of outdoor deck assemblies and materials to ignition during wildfires, a growing peril that accounts for half of the nation's 10 most costly fires. ... > full story

Drug companies must report clinical trial results, even when they won't lead to a product, experts urge (September 29, 2011) -- Drug companies sponsoring human trials of possible new medications have ethical responsibilities to study participants and to science to disclose the results of their clinical research -- even when product development is no longer being pursued. ... > full story

Stardust discovered in far-off planetary systems (September 29, 2011) -- Searching for extra-solar planets -- which are planets outside of our solar system -- is very popular these days. About 700 planets are known at the moment, a number that is continuously rising due to refined observational techniques. Astronomers have just made a remarkable discovery: they were able to establish proof of so-called debris discs around two stars. The debris discs are remnants of the formation of the planets. ... > full story

Commonly used supplement may improve recovery from spinal cord injuries (September 29, 2011) -- A commonly used supplement is likely to improve outcomes and recovery for individuals who sustain a spinal cord injury, according to new research. ... > full story

Self-cleaning cotton breaks down pesticides, bacteria (September 29, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a self-cleaning cotton fabric that can kill bacteria and break down toxic chemicals such as pesticide residues when exposed to light. ... > full story

Key to survival of brain cells discovered (September 29, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered how a key chemical neurotransmitter that interacts with two receptors in the brain promotes either normal function or a disease process -- determining whether brain cells live or die. ... > full story

Redefining the kilogram and the ampere (September 29, 2011) -- New research using graphene presents the most precise measurements of the quantum Hall effect ever made, one of the key steps in the process to redefine two Système Internationale d'unités (SI) units. New research is underpinning the biggest change in the SI Units since the system began 50 years ago. ... > full story

Adolescents particularly susceptible to drinking habits of romantic partner's friends (September 29, 2011) -- The drinking habits of a romantic partner's friends are more likely to impact an adolescent's future drinking than are the behaviors of an adolescent's own friends or significant other, according to a new study. ... > full story

Fish uses tool to dig up and crush clams (September 29, 2011) -- The first video of tool use by a fish has now been published. In the video, an orange-dotted tuskfish digs a clam out of the sand, carries it over to a rock, and repeatedly throws the clam against the rock to crush it. ... > full story

Modified vaccine shows promise in preventing malaria: Vaccine uses immune-stimulating gene (September 29, 2011) -- Continuing a global effort to prevent malaria infections, researchers have now created a new malaria vaccine -- one that combines the use of a disabled cold virus with an immune system-stimulating gene -- that appears to increase the immune response against the parasite that causes the deadly disease. ... > full story

Spontaneous combustion in nanobubbles inspires compact ultrasonic loudspeaker (September 29, 2011) -- Nanometer-sized bubbles containing the gases hydrogen and oxygen can apparently combust spontaneously, although nothing happens in larger bubbles. For the first time, researchers have demonstrated this spontaneous combustion. They intend to use the phenomenon to construct a compact ultrasonic loudspeaker. ... > full story

First detection of pregnancy protein in older people destined for Alzheimer's disease (September 29, 2011) -- In an advance toward a much-needed early diagnostic test for Alzheimer's disease (AD), scientists have discovered that older women destined to develop AD have high blood levels of a protein linked to pregnancy years before showing symptoms. ... > full story

Breath-takingly simple test for human exposure to potentially toxic substances (September 29, 2011) -- The search for a rapid, non-invasive way to determine whether people have been exposed to potentially toxic substances in their workplaces, homes and elsewhere in the environment has led scientists to a technology that literally takes a person's breath away. Their report identifies exhaled breath as an ideal indicator of such exposure. ... > full story

Prescribed stimulant use for ADHD continues to rise steadily (September 29, 2011) -- The prescribed use of stimulant medications to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rose slowly but steadily from 1996 to 2008, according to a new study. ... > full story