ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Saturday, October 1, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Saturday, October 1, 2011

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Space telescopes reveal secrets of turbulent black hole (September 30, 2011) -- Supermassive black holes at the hearts of active galaxies swallow large amounts of gas. During this feast they spill a lot of their 'food', which is discharged in turbulent outbursts. An international team of astronomers has revealed some striking features of such an outburst around a supermassive black hole in a distant galaxy. They found a very hot 'convertor' corona hovering above the black hole and cold gas 'bullets' in hotter diffuse gas, speeding outwards with velocities up to 700 km/s. ... > full story

Intrinsic aerobic exercise capacity linked to longevity (September 30, 2011) -- Aerobic exercise capacity has proven to be a good indicator of health. A recent article uses a rat model to show that innate exercise capacity can be linked to longevity. ... > full story

Humans and sharks share immune system feature (September 30, 2011) -- A central element of the immune system has remained constant through more than 400 million years of evolution, according to new research. T-cell receptors from mice continue to function even when pieces of shark, frog and trout receptors are substituted in. The function of the chimeric receptors depends on a few crucial amino acids, found also in humans, that help the T-cell receptor bind to MHC molecules presenting antigens. ... > full story

Experts propose new unified genetic model for human disease (September 30, 2011) -- Based on a wide variety of genetic studies and analysis -- from genome wide association studies looking for common variations in the DNA of many people with complex diseases to the sequencing of specific gene mutations thought to cause disease to whole genome sequencing -- four leaders in the field propose a unified genetic model for human disease. ... > full story

Researchers realize high-power, narrowband terahertz source at room temperature (September 30, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a simpler way to generate single-chip terahertz radiation, a discovery that could soon allow for more rapid security screening, border protection, high sensitivity biological/chemical analysis, agricultural inspection, and astronomical applications. ... > full story

Female promiscuity can rescue populations from harmful effects of inbreeding, beetle study finds (September 30, 2011) -- Females in inbred populations become more promiscuous in order to screen out sperm from genetically incompatible males, according to new study by the University of East Anglia (UEA). ... > full story

Autistic mice act a lot like human patients: Geneticists develop promising mouse model for testing new autism therapies (September 30, 2011) -- Scientists have created a mouse model for autism that opens a window into the biological mechanisms that underlie the disease and offers a promising way to test new treatment approaches. The research found that autistic mice display remarkably similar symptoms and behavior as children and adults on the autism spectrum. ... > full story

Glucosamine-like supplement suppresses multiple sclerosis attacks, study suggests (September 30, 2011) -- A glucosamine-like dietary supplement suppresses the damaging autoimmune response seen in multiple sclerosis, according to a new study. ... > full story

Small fish recover faster than large fish (September 30, 2011) -- In football, linebackers are usually the largest players and have the endurance required to get through a game plus overtime. But when it comes to fish, larger doesn't always mean stronger. A new study showed smaller fish recover from exertion faster than larger fish. ... > full story

New approach to keeping coronary arteries open after angioplasties (September 30, 2011) -- Researchers report a possible new approach to preventing coronary arteries from reclogging after balloon angioplasties. ... > full story

Building better catalysts (September 30, 2011) -- Chemists have developed a method to design and test new catalysts, which are substances that speed chemical reactions and are crucial for producing energy, chemicals and industrial products. By using the new method, the chemists also made a discovery that will make it easier to design future catalysts. ... > full story

Changes in attention and visual perception are correlated with aging: Older people find it harder to see the wood for the trees (September 30, 2011) -- When looking at a picture of many trees, young people will tend to say: "This is a forest." However, the older we get, the more likely we are to notice a single tree before seeing the forest. Researchers have found that these age-related changes are correlated with a specific aspect of visual perception, known as Gestalt perception. ... > full story