ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Thursday, October 27, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Thursday, October 27, 2011

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3-D simulations of nova explosions (October 27, 2011) -- A new study has shown how mixing of elements occurs during a nova explosion, thus solving an enigma that has puzzled stellar astrophysicists for over half a century. ... > full story

Multiple malaria vaccine offers protection to people most at risk (October 27, 2011) -- A new malaria vaccine could be the first to tackle different forms of the disease and help those most vulnerable to infection, a study suggests. ... > full story

Cells are crawling all over our bodies, but how? (October 27, 2011) -- For better and for worse, human health depends on a cell's motility -- the ability to crawl from place to place. In every human body, millions of cells are crawling around doing mostly good deeds -- though if any of those crawlers are cancerous, watch out. ... > full story

Can antivirulence drugs stop infections without causing resistance? (October 27, 2011) -- Antivirulence drugs disarm pathogens rather than kill them, and although they could be effective in theory, antivirulence drugs have never been tested in humans. A new study reveals these drugs have the potential to fight infection while avoiding the pitfalls of drug resistance. ... > full story

New tool clears the air on cloud simulations (October 27, 2011) -- Climate models have a hard time representing clouds accurately because they lack the spatial resolution necessary to accurately simulate the billowy air masses. But scientists have developed a new tool that will help scientists better represent the clouds observed in the sky in climate models. ... > full story

Study uncovers clues to young children's aggressive behavior (October 27, 2011) -- In a new longitudinal study that moves beyond descriptive findings to explain underlying processes, researchers looked at difficult infant temperament and negative maternal parenting for more than 260 mother and child pairs and found that negative maternal parenting mattered more than difficult infant temperament in putting parent-child pairs at risk for conflict in the toddler period, and then putting children at risk for conduct problems at school age. ... > full story

Face-to-face with an ancient human (October 27, 2011) -- A reconstruction based on the skull of Norway’s best-preserved Stone Age skeleton makes it possible to study the features of a boy who lived outside Stavanger 7,500 years ago. ... > full story

Potential new drug target could stop debilitating effects of multiple sclerosis (October 27, 2011) -- Medical researchers in Canada have discovered a potential new drug target for multiple sclerosis that could prevent physical disability associated with the disease, once a new drug is developed. ... > full story

Effect of aging on the brain (October 27, 2011) -- Biologists have discovered that under stressful conditions, such as neurodegeneration due to Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, synapses grow excessively, potentially contributing to dysfunction. ... > full story

For patients with both HIV and tuberculosis the timing of drug therapies is critical (October 27, 2011) -- How best to treat 700,000 tuberculosis patients globally who are HIV positive is the subject of a new study whose authors had previously shown that integrating antiretroviral therapy (ART) concurrently with tuberculosis treatment is preferable to treating the diseases sequentially. The new study finds that the best timing for introducing treatment depends on the patient's immune status. Patients with very low T-cell counts appear to do better with an earlier integration of treatment for HIV. ... > full story

Dividing corn stover makes ethanol conversion more efficient (October 27, 2011) -- Not all parts of a corn stalk are equal, and they shouldn't be treated that way when creating cellulosic ethanol, say researchers. ... > full story

Religious, spiritual support benefits men and women facing chronic illness, study finds (October 27, 2011) -- Individuals who practice religion and spirituality report better physical and mental health than those who do not. To better understand this relationship and how spirituality/religion can be used for coping with significant health issues, researchers are examining what aspects of religion are most beneficial and for what populations. Now, researchers have found that religious and spiritual support improves health outcomes for both men and women who face chronic health conditions. ... > full story

Plants feel the force: How plants sense touch, gravity and other physical forces (October 26, 2011) -- At the bottom of plants' ability to sense touch, gravity or a nearby trellis are mechanosensitive channels, pores through the cells' plasma membrane that are opened and closed by the deformation of the membrane. Biologists are studying the roles these channels play in Arabdopsis plants by growing mutant plants that lack one or more of the 10 possible channel proteins in this species. ... > full story

Environmental toxin bisphenol A (BPA) can affect newborn brain, mouse study shows (October 26, 2011) -- Newborn mice that are exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) develop changes in their spontaneous behavior and evince poorer adaptation to new environments, as well hyperactivity as young adults, according to researchers. Their study also revealed that one of the brain’s most important signal systems, the cholinergic signal system, is affected by bisphenol A and that the effect persisted into adulthood. ... > full story

New weapon against cancer: Microwaves can be used to create medical images (October 26, 2011) -- A research team from Sweden has developed new techniques of cancer diagnosis and treatment with the aid of microwaves, which could play a pioneering role in the battle against cancer. These techniques could save many lives and are more effective, less invasive and simpler than currently available alternatives. Clinical studies are now being planned. ... > full story

Some contraceptive pills more likely to cause blood clots, study confirms (October 26, 2011) -- A new study confirms previous findings that certain oral contraceptive pills are more likely to cause serious blood clots than others. ... > full story

Recycling thermal cash register receipts contaminates paper products with BPA (October 26, 2011) -- Bisphenol A (BPA) -- a substance that may have harmful health effects -- occurs in 94 percent of thermal cash register receipts, scientists are reporting. The recycling of those receipts, they add, is a source of BPA contamination of paper napkins, toilet paper, food packaging and other paper products. The report could have special implications for cashiers and other people who routinely handle thermal paper receipts. ... > full story

Hear the one about men being funnier than women? Study shows gender stereotype that men are funnier than women (October 26, 2011) -- Why do we think that men are funnier than women? And why are men particularly responsive to other men's humor? Women, however, find men funnier because they mistakenly attribute funny things to men. A new article explores the reasons behind the stereotype that men are funnier than women and find scientific proof to support it. ... > full story

Autistic brains develop more slowly than healthy brains, researchers say (October 26, 2011) -- Researchers have found a possible explanation for why autistic children act and think differently than their peers -- for the first time, they show that the connections between regions of the brain that are important for language and social skills grow much more slowly in boys with autism, when compared to healthy children. ... > full story

Source found for immune system effects on learning, memory (October 26, 2011) -- Immune system cells of the brain, which scavenge pathogens and damaged neurons, are also key players in memory and learning, according to new research by neuroscientists. Earlier studies had shown that laboratory rats experiencing an infection at an early age have an aggressive immune response to subsequent infections, which also harms their learning and memory. In a new study, researchers have identified the source of the learning difficulties and traces it back to the immune system itself. ... > full story

New generation of superlattice cameras add more 'color' to night vision (October 26, 2011) -- Recent breakthroughs have enabled scientists to build cameras that can see more than one optical waveband or "color" in the dark. ... > full story

Gene responsible for relapses in young leukemia patients (October 26, 2011) -- One of the causes of resistance to cancer treatment in children is now beginning to be elucidated. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients with a particular form of the ATF5 gene are at higher risk of having a relapse when treated with E. coli asparaginase, a key chemotherapy drug for this type of leukemia. ... > full story

Controversy over reopening the 'Sistine Chapel' of Stone Age art (October 26, 2011) -- Plans to reopen Spain's Altamira caves are stirring controversy over the possibility that tourists' visits will further damage the 20,000-year old wall paintings that changed views about the intellectual ability of prehistoric people, according to a new article. The caves are the site of Stone Age paintings so magnificent that experts have called them the "Sistine Chapel of Paleolithic Art." ... > full story

Scary can be exciting when it comes to strange traditional foods (October 26, 2011) -- Sheep’s head: Until now very few of us have been tempted by this traditional Norwegian dish. Eating scary food is practice in overcoming fear, according to one researcher. In the tourism industry, a few entrepreneurs have commercialized this idea and thereby raised traditional food to new heights. ... > full story

Faraway Eris is Pluto's twin (October 26, 2011) -- Astronomers have measured the diameter of the dwarf planet Eris by catching it as it passed in front of a faint star. This was seen by telescopes in Chile, including the TRAPPIST telescope at the European Southern Observatory's La Silla Observatory. The observations show that Eris is an almost perfect twin of Pluto in size and appears to be covered in a layer of ice. ... > full story

Advance toward a breath test to diagnose multiple sclerosis (October 26, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting the development and successful tests in humans of a sensor array that can diagnose multiple sclerosis (MS) from exhaled breath, an advance that they describe as a landmark in the long search for a fast, inexpensive and non-invasive test for MS -- the most common neurological disease in young adults. ... > full story

Lab-made skin cells will aid transplantation, cancer, drug discovery research, say scientists (October 26, 2011) -- Researchers have found a way to create melanocytes from mouse tail cells using embryonic stem cell-like intermediates called inducible pluripotent (iPS) cells. They converted mouse tail-tip fibroblasts into iPS cells, producing pluripotent cells similar to embryonic stem cells, but without the concomitant ethical issues. ... > full story

Chiral metal surfaces may help to manufacture pharmaceuticals; Novel approach could be used in pharmaceutical drug synthesis (October 26, 2011) -- New research shows how metal surfaces that lack mirror symmetry could provide a novel approach towards manufacturing pharmaceuticals. ... > full story

Nanoparticles could help pain-relieving osteoarthritis drugs last longer, study indicates (October 26, 2011) -- A novel study demonstrates that using nanoparticles to deliver osteoarthritis drugs to the knee joint could help increase the retention of the drug in the knee cavity, and therefore reduce the frequency of injections patients must receive. ... > full story

Teenage girls and senior students suffered highest levels of PTSD after major earthquake, study finds (October 26, 2011) -- Researchers who spoke to nearly 2,000 teenagers three months after an 8.0 earthquake found high level of post-traumatic stress disorder, especially among girls and senior students. The findings underline the need for young people to receive prompt psychological support after major disasters to avoid them developing long-term mental health problems. The study may be of particular interest to journalists doing follow-up pieces on the aftermath of the Turkish earthquake. ... > full story

Extreme melting on greenland ice sheet, team reports; Glacial melt cycle could become self-amplifying (October 26, 2011) -- The Greenland ice sheet can experience extreme melting even when temperatures don't hit record highs, according to a new analysis by Dr. Marco Tedesco, assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the City College of New York. His findings suggest that glaciers could undergo a self-amplifying cycle of melting and warming that would be difficult to halt. ... > full story

More time outdoors may reduce kids' risk for nearsightedness, research suggests (October 26, 2011) -- A new analysis of recent eye health studies shows that more time spent outdoors is related to reduced rates of nearsightedness, also known as myopia, in children and adolescents. Myopia is much more common today in the United States and many other countries than it was in the 1970s. ... > full story

Morning UV exposure may be less damaging to the skin (October 26, 2011) -- New research suggests that the timing of exposure to UV rays -- early in the morning or later in the afternoon -- can influence the onset of skin cancer. ... > full story

Video games used in new treatment that may fix 'lazy eye' in older children (October 26, 2011) -- A new study conducted in an eye clinic in India found that correction of amblyopia, also called "lazy eye," can be achieved in many older children, if they stick to a regimen that includes playing video games and standard amblyopia treatment. ... > full story

Light can detect pre-cancerous colon cells (October 26, 2011) -- After demonstrating that light accurately detected pre-cancerous cells in the lining of the esophagus, bioengineers turned their technology to the colon and have achieved similar results in a series of preliminary experiments. ... > full story

Why do some athletes choke under pressure? (October 26, 2011) -- Athletes know they should just do their thing on the 18th hole, or during the penalty shootout, or when they're taking a three-point shot in the last moments of the game. But when that shot could mean winning or losing, it's easy to choke. A new article looks at why paying too much attention to what you're doing can ruin performance. ... > full story

Birthplace for primitive life on Earth? Researchers identify mud volcanoes in Greenland as niche for early life (October 26, 2011) -- The mud volcanoes at Isua, in south-west Greenland, have been identified as a possible birthplace for life on Earth by an international team headed by researchers. Almost four billion years ago, these volcanoes released chemical elements indispensable to the formation of the first biomolecules, under conditions favorable to life. It is the first time that such an environment, meeting all the requirements for the emergence of life, has been identified by scientists in 3.8-billion-year-old formations. ... > full story

New test can precisely pinpoint food pathogens (October 26, 2011) -- A new test developed by a team led of scientists will enable government agencies and food companies to pinpoint the exact nature and origin of food-borne bacteria with unprecedented accuracy. ... > full story

Production of biofuel from forests will increase greenhouse gas emissions, study finds (October 26, 2011) -- The largest and most comprehensive study yet done on the effect of biofuel production from West Coast forests has concluded that an emphasis on bioenergy would increase carbon dioxide emissions from these forests at least 14 percent. The findings are contrary to assumptions and some previous studies that suggest biofuels from this source would be carbon-neutral or even reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this research, that wasn't true in any scenario. ... > full story

Will my breast cancer spread? Discovery may predict probability of metastasis (October 26, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a new way to model human breast cancer that could lead to new tools for predicting which breast cancers will spread and new ways to test drugs that may stop its spread. ... > full story

New method of growing high-quality graphene promising for next-gen technology (October 26, 2011) -- Making waves as the material that will revolutionize electronics, graphene -- composed of a single layer of carbon atoms -- has nonetheless been challenging to produce in a way that will be practical for innovative electronics applications. Researchers have discovered a method to synthesize high quality graphene in a controlled manner that may pave the way for next-generation electronics application. ... > full story

Mastering chess: Deliberate practice is necessary but not sufficient, psychologists find (October 26, 2011) -- When it comes to chess, psychological scientists have concluded that practice is necessary to get to the master level -- but it's not enough. There has to be something else that sets apart the people who get really good at chess. ... > full story

Could a computer one day rewire itself? New nanomaterial 'steers' electric currents in multiple dimensions (October 26, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a new nanomaterial that can "steer" electrical currents. The development could lead to a computer that can simply reconfigure its internal wiring and become an entirely different device, based on changing needs. The material combines different aspects of silicon- and polymer-based electronics to create a new classification of electronic materials: nanoparticle-based electronics. ... > full story

You are what you eat: Low fat diet with fish oil slows growth of human prostate cancer cells, study suggests (October 26, 2011) -- A low-fat diet with fish oil supplements eaten for four to six weeks prior to prostate removal slowed down the growth of prostate cancer cells -- the number of rapidly dividing cells -- in human prostate cancer tissue compared to a traditional, high-fat Western diet, according to a new study. ... > full story

Biologists unravel how plants synthesize their growth hormone (October 26, 2011) -- Biologists have succeeded in unraveling, for the first time, the complete chain of biochemical reactions that controls the synthesis of auxin, the hormone that regulates nearly all aspects of plant growth and development. ... > full story

CT scans for lung cancer screening may be beneficial in detecting COPD (October 26, 2011) -- Among men who were current or former heavy smokers, undergoing lung cancer screening with computed tomography (CT) scanning identified a substantial proportion who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), suggesting that this method may be helpful as an additional tool in detecting COPD, according to a new study. ... > full story

Electromobility: New components going for a test run (October 26, 2011) -- The future belongs to electrical cars -- that's what most experts think. In the future, it will be whisper-quiet on road because in the long run electric cars will replace the internal combustion engine. But there are still some unanswered questions. For instance, how do you store the electricity in cars? Or what power networks do you need? ... > full story

Why does explaining why a cupcake is delicious make us love it less? (October 26, 2011) -- When consumers share their thoughts about products or experiences, their opinions can intensify, according to a new study. But it depends on whether they're talking about something sensory or practical. ... > full story