ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Monday, November 28, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Monday, November 28, 2011

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Supercool: Water doesn't have to freeze until -55 F (November 28, 2011) -- We drink water, bathe in it and we are made mostly of water, yet the common substance poses major mysteries. Now, University of Utah chemists may have solved one enigma by showing how cold water can get before it absolutely must freeze: 55 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. ... > full story

Finger (mal)formation reveals surprise function of desert DNA (November 28, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered a genetic mechanism that defines the shape of our members in which, surprisingly, genes play only a secondary role. The research shows the mechanism is found in a DNA sequence that was thought, incorrectly, to play no role. This long string has seven enhancers which, when combined with one another, modulate the activity of the genes responsible for the formation of the fingers. ... > full story

Studying bat skulls, evolutionary biologists discover how species evolve (November 28, 2011) -- A new study involving bat skulls, bite force measurements and scat samples collected by an international team of evolutionary biologists is helping to solve a nagging question of evolution: Why some groups of animals develop scores of different species over time while others evolve only a few. ... > full story

Emerging new properties at oxide interfaces (November 28, 2011) -- Researchers discovered a collective electronic state not seen before in the bulk of either two individual insulating oxides, thus demonstrating that electrons at their interface can now exhibit ferromagnetism. ... > full story

Dreaming takes the sting out of painful memories, research shows (November 27, 2011) -- They say time heals all wounds, and new research indicates that time spent in dream sleep can help. Researchers have found that during the dream phase of sleep, also known as REM sleep, our stress chemistry shuts down and the brain processes emotional experiences and takes the painful edge off difficult memories. ... > full story

Diabetes drug shows promise in reducing risk of cancer, study suggests (November 27, 2011) -- An inexpensive drug that treats Type 2 diabetes has been shown to prevent a number of natural and human-made chemicals from stimulating the growth of breast cancer cells, according to a new study. ... > full story

Nanoparticle electrode for batteries could make grid-scale power storage feasible (November 27, 2011) -- Researchers have used nanoparticles of a copper compound to develop a high-power battery electrode that is so inexpensive to make, so efficient and so durable that it could be used to build batteries big enough for economical large-scale energy storage on the electrical grid -- something researchers have sought for years. ... > full story

Researchers surprised to find fatty liver disease poses no excess risk for death (November 27, 2011) -- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common condition associated with obesity and heart disease long thought to undermine health and longevity. But a new study suggests the condition does not affect survival. ... > full story

Smart phones power consumption cut by more than 70 percent (November 27, 2011) -- Researchers have designed a network proxy that can cut the power consumption of 3G smart phones up to 74 percent. This device enhances performance and significantly reduces power usage by serving as a middleman for mobile devices to connect to the Internet and handling the majority of the data transfer for the smart phone. Historically, the high energy requirements of mobile phones have slowed the adoption of mobile Internet services in developing countries. ... > full story

Researchers discover clues to developing more effective antipsychotic drugs (November 27, 2011) -- Researchers have identified the pattern of cell signaling induced by antipsychotic drugs in a complex composed of two brain receptors linked to schizophrenia. The discovery should allow researchers to predict the effectiveness of novel compounds for the treatment of schizophrenia and other serious mental disorders and may accelerate the development of better antipsychotic drugs. ... > full story

Astronomers take a photograph of the youngest supernova right after its explosion (November 27, 2011) -- Astronomers have obtained a never-before achieved radio astronomical photograph of the youngest supernova. Fourteen days after the explosion of a star in the galaxy Galàxia del Remolí (M51) last June, coordinated telescopes around Europe have taken a photograph of the cosmic explosion in great detail – equivalent to seeing a golf ball on the surface of the moon. ... > full story

Recipient's immune system governs stem cell regeneration (November 27, 2011) -- A new study describes how different types of immune system T-cells alternately discourage and encourage stem cells to regrow bone and tissue, bringing into sharp focus the importance of the transplant recipient's immune system in stem cell regeneration. ... > full story

Scientists unlock the mystery surrounding a tale of shaggy dogs (November 27, 2011) -- Researchers have produced the first clear evidence that textiles made by the indigenous population of the Pacific coast of North America contained dog hair. ... > full story

Study evaluates 'normal range' systolic blood pressure levels after ischemic stroke and risk of recurrent stroke (November 27, 2011) -- Among patients who experienced an ischemic stroke, systolic blood pressure levels of less than 120 mm Hg, or higher than 140 mm Hg, were associated with an increased risk of subsequent stroke, according to a new study. ... > full story

Small forest with big impact: Fragmented rainforests maintain their ecological functionality (November 27, 2011) -- Rainforests that are subject to use by the human population and are divided into forest fragments can maintain their ecological functionality. ... > full story

Brain imaging, behavior research reveals physicians learn more by paying attention to failure (November 27, 2011) -- Research on physicians' decision-making processes has revealed that those who pay attention to failures as well as successes become more adept at selecting the correct treatment. The researchers also found that all the physicians in the study included irrelevant criteria in their decisions about treatment. ... > full story

Mars Science Laboratory: NASA launches most capable and robust rover to Red Planet (November 26, 2011) -- NASA began a historic voyage to Mars with the Nov. 26 launch of the Mars Science Laboratory, which carries a car-sized rover named Curiosity. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard an Atlas V rocket occurred at 10:02 a.m. EST (7:02 a.m. PST). ... > full story

Scientists uncover new role for gene in maintaining steady weight (November 26, 2011) -- Against the backdrop of the growing epidemic of obesity in the United States, scientists have made an important new discovery regarding a specific gene that plays an important role in keeping a steady balance between our food intake and energy expenditure. The study may help scientists better understand the keys to fighting obesity and related disorders such as diabetes. ... > full story

Ulcer-causing bacteria tamed by defect in cell-targeting ability (November 26, 2011) -- Without the ability to swim to their targets in the stomach, ulcer-causing bacteria do not cause the inflammation of the stomach lining that leads to ulcers and stomach cancer, according to a new study. ... > full story

Psychological intervention reduces disability and depression in adolescents with fibromyalgia (November 26, 2011) -- A recent trial shows cognitive-behavioral therapy reduces functional disability and depressive symptoms in adolescents with juvenile fibromyalgia. The psychological intervention was found to be safe and effective, and proved to be superior to disease management education. ... > full story

DNA system developed to identify and authenticate plant species (November 26, 2011) -- Biologists have developed a method which can detect the use of illegal or counterfeit plants in medicine and could also be used to boost conservation by identifying and monitoring the exploitation of endangered plant species. ... > full story

Child abuse in birds: Study documents 'cycle of violence' in nature (November 26, 2011) -- For one species of seabird in the Galapagos, the child abuse "cycle of violence" found in humans plays out in the wild. The new study of Nazca boobies provides the first evidence from the animal world showing those who are abused when they are young often grow up to be abusers. ... > full story

Climate sensitivity to carbon dioxide more limited than extreme projections, research shows (November 25, 2011) -- The rate of global warming from doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide may be less than the most dire estimates of some previous studies -- and, in fact, may be less severe than projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report in 2007. Researchers say that global warming is real and that increases in atmospheric CO2 will have multiple serious impacts. However, the most Draconian projections of temperature increases from the doubling of CO2 are unlikely, according to new research. ... > full story

Worms reveal secrets of wound-healing response (November 25, 2011) -- The lowly and simple roundworm may be the ideal laboratory model to learn more about the complex processes involved in repairing wounds and could eventually allow scientists to improve the body's response to healing skin wounds, a serious problem in diabetics and the elderly. ... > full story

Discovery of a new muscle repair gene (November 25, 2011) -- Scientists have presented new findings regarding the function of muscle stem cells. Researchers investigated several families with children suffering from a progressive muscle disease. Using a genetic analysis technique known as "next generation sequencing" the scientists identified a defective gene called MEGF10 responsible for the muscle weakness. ... > full story

Body mass index associated with short-term mortality rates following surgery (November 25, 2011) -- Body Mass Index appears to be associated with 30-day mortality risk following surgical procedures, and patients with a BMI of less than 23.1 appear to be at highest risk of death, according to a new study. ... > full story

Mechanism of wine swirling explained (November 25, 2011) -- Wine drinkers know that swirling a good vintage around in a glass aerates the wine and releases its bouquet. Just how the process -- known as "orbital shaking" -- works, however, has been something of a mystery. ... > full story

Human development experts recommend tuning in to family, not devices (November 25, 2011) -- Human development specialists say powering down digital devices is a vital step in maintaining family relationships and health. ... > full story

Scientists turn on fountain of youth in yeast (November 25, 2011) -- Researchers have successfully manipulated the life span of common, single-celled yeast organisms by figuring out how to remove and restore protein functions related to yeast aging. ... > full story

The ABCC9 of sleep: A genetic factor regulates how long we sleep (November 25, 2011) -- Researchers have shown that ABCC9, a known genetic factor in heart disease and diabetes, also influences the duration of sleep in humans. This function is evolutionarily conserved as knock-out of the gene reduces the duration of nocturnal sleep in fruitflies. ... > full story

Ancient environment found to drive marine biodiversity (November 25, 2011) -- Much of our knowledge about past life has come from the fossil record -- but how accurately does that reflect the true history and drivers of biodiversity on Earth? ... > full story

Researchers decode a puzzling movement disorder (November 25, 2011) -- Neurodegenerative diseases represent one of the greatest challenges of our aging society. However, investigation into these diseases is made particularly difficult due to the limited availability of human brain tissue. Scientists have now taken a roundabout path: They reprogrammed skin cells from patients with a hereditary movement disorder into so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) and obtained functional nerve cells from them. They subsequently decoded how the disease arises. ... > full story

Abnormal levels of caffeine in water indicate human contamination (November 25, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered that traces of caffeine are a useful indicator of the contamination of our water by sewers. ... > full story

Celiac patients face potential hazard as information on cosmetic ingredients difficult to find (November 25, 2011) -- The lack of readily available information about cosmetic ingredients may cause patients with celiac disease who use lip, facial or body products to unknowingly expose themselves to gluten -- an ingredient they need to avoid, according to the results of a new study. ... > full story

Many Africans have no access to efficient and safe AIDS therapy (November 25, 2011) -- Scientists warn: the control of the HIV virus in sub-Saharan Africa may have taken some large steps, mainly due to the lower price of medicines, but at the same time a lot of problems remain. ... > full story

Earth's core deprived of oxygen (November 24, 2011) -- Scientists know that the Earth's liquid outer core consists mainly of iron, but it is believed that small amounts of some other elements are also present. Oxygen is the most abundant element in the planet, so it is not unreasonable to expect oxygen might be one of the dominant "light elements" in the core. But new research proves otherwise. This has major implications for our understanding of the period when the Earth formed. ... > full story

Key to aging? Key molecular switch for telomere extension by telomerase identified (November 24, 2011) -- Researchers have described for the first time a key target of DNA damage checkpoint enzymes that must be chemically modified to enable stable maintenance of chromosome ends by telomerase, an enzyme thought to play a key role in cancer and aging. ... > full story

Physicists set strongest limit on mass of dark matter (November 24, 2011) -- Physicists have set the strongest limit for the mass of dark matter, the mysterious particles believed to make up nearly a quarter of the universe. The researchers report that dark matter must have a mass greater than 40 giga-electron volts. The distinction is important because it casts doubt on recent results from underground experiments that have reported detecting dark matter. ... > full story

Treatment of acne using oral antibiotics associated with reporting symptoms of sore throat (November 24, 2011) -- Taking oral antibiotics for treatment of acne appears to be associated with reporting symptoms of pharyngitis, according to a new study. ... > full story

Thanksgiving in space may one day come with all the trimmings (November 24, 2011) -- Future astronauts spending Thanksgiving in space may not have to forgo one of the most traditional parts of the day's feast: fresh sweet potatoes. Agricultural researchers have now developed methods for growing sweet potatoes that reduce the required growing space while not decreasing the amount of food that each plant produces. ... > full story

Happy, feel-good holiday seasons start with healthy choices at Thanksgiving, nutrition experts say (November 24, 2011) -- While most people only gain about a pound of weight during the holiday season, that pound may never come off, increasing the likelihood of becoming overweight or obese and the risk of related health problems, according to a recent study. Dietitians recommend families maintain healthy diet and exercise habits during the holiday season beginning with Thanksgiving. ... > full story

Blocked holes can enhance rather than stop light going through (November 23, 2011) -- Conventional wisdom would say that blocking a hole would prevent light from going through it, but engineers have discovered the opposite to be true. A research team has found that placing a metal cap over a small hole in a metal film does not stop the light at all, but rather enhances its transmission. ... > full story

Surprising pathway implicated in stuttering (November 23, 2011) -- Researchers have obtained new evidence that at least some persistent stuttering is caused by mutations in a gene governing not speech, but a metabolic pathway involved in recycling old cell parts. Beyond a simple association, the study provides the first evidence that mutations affecting cellular recycling centers called lysosomes actually play a role in causing some people to stutter. ... > full story

Jaw size linked to diet: Could too soft a diet cause lower jaw to stay too short and cause orthodontic problems? (November 23, 2011) -- New research suggests that many of the common orthodontic problems experienced by people in industrialized nations is due to their soft modern diet causing the jaw to grow too short and small relative to the size of their teeth. ... > full story

Dendritic cells protect against acute pancreatitis (November 23, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered the novel protective role dendritic cells play in the pancreas. The new study shows dendritic cells can safeguard the pancreas against acute pancreatitis, a sudden dangerous swelling and inflammation of the pancreas gland. ... > full story

NASA flies robotic lander prototype to new heights (November 23, 2011) -- NASA successfully completed the final flight in a series of tests of a new robotic lander prototype at the Redstone Test Center's propulsion test facility on the U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. Data from this test series will aid in the design and development of a new generation of small, smart, versatile robotic landers capable of performing science and exploration research on the surface of the moon or other airless bodies in the solar system, such as asteroids or the planet Mercury. ... > full story

Physical activity impacts overall quality of sleep (November 23, 2011) -- People sleep significantly better and feel more alert during the day if they get at least 150 minutes of exercise a week, a new study concludes. ... > full story

Targeting bacterial gas defenses allow for increased efficacy of numerous antibiotics (November 23, 2011) -- Although scientists have known for centuries that many bacteria produce hydrogen sulfide (H2S) it was thought to be simply a toxic by-product of cellular activity. Now, researchers have discovered H2S in fact plays a major role in protecting bacteria from the effects of numerous different antibiotics. ... > full story