ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Thursday, December 8, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Thursday, December 8, 2011

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One of the world's smallest electronic circuits created (December 8, 2011) -- Scientists have engineered one of the world's smallest electronic circuits. It is formed by two wires separated by only about 150 atoms or 15 nanometers. ... > full story

Multiple sclerosis often starts in brain's outer layers (December 8, 2011) -- Multiple sclerosis may progress from the outermost layers of the brain to its deep parts, and isn't always an "inside-out" process as previously thought, reported a new study. The traditional understanding is that the disease begins in the white matter that forms the bulk of the brain's inside, and extends to involve the brain's superficial layers, the cortex. Study findings support an opposite, outside-in process. ... > full story

How biological capsules respond under stress (December 8, 2011) -- Cosmetics and pharmaceutical drug delivery systems could be improved thanks to a new method developed to precisely measure the capability of capsule-like biological membranes to change shape under external stress. ... > full story

Role of fat in assessing breast cancer risk (December 8, 2011) -- It is known that a high proportion of dense breast tissue, as seen with a mammogram, is associated with a high risk of breast cancer. But the role of non-dense fat tissue in the breast is less clear. New research separates the breast cancer risks associated with dense, fibroglandular tissue, and fat, and shows that large areas of either are independently associated with an increased risk. ... > full story

High tech detection of breast cancer using nanoprobes and SQUID (December 8, 2011) -- Mammography saves lives by detecting very small tumors. However, it fails to find 10-25% of tumors and is unable to distinguish between benign and malignant disease. New research provides a new and potentially more sensitive method using tumor-targeted magnetic nanoprobes and superconducting quantum interference device sensors. ... > full story

Avatars help people develop real world skills (December 8, 2011) -- New research suggests that far from disengaging young people from real life, virtual worlds can provide unique environments that can help them learn and negotiate new situations. ... > full story

NASA Mars rover finds mineral vein deposited by water (December 8, 2011) -- NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has found bright veins of a mineral, apparently gypsum, deposited by water. Analysis of the vein will help improve understanding of the history of wet environments on Mars. ... > full story

Lessons learned from yeast about human leukemia: The power of basic model organisms in human health (December 8, 2011) -- The trifecta of biological proof is to take a discovery made in a simple model organism like baker's yeast and track down its analogs or homologs in "higher" creatures right up the complexity scale to people, in this case, from yeast to fruit flies to humans. In a pair of related studies, scientists have hit such a trifecta, closing a circle of inquiry that they opened over a decade ago. ... > full story

Atherosclerotic plaques' downstream spread linked to low shear stress (December 8, 2011) -- In human coronary arteries, atherosclerotic plaques tend to spread downstream because of the changes in blood flow patterns the plaque causes, researchers have found. This insight comes from a study of fluid dynamics in the arteries of people being treated for coronary artery disease. ... > full story

Study shows benefits, limits of therapy for rare inflammatory syndrome (December 8, 2011) -- A study shows that the medication etanercept reduces the frequency and severity of symptoms of TNF receptor-associated periodic syndrome, a rare inherited condition characterized by recurrent fevers, abdominal pain and skin rashes. The study also points out the need for the development of additional therapies to more thoroughly ease symptoms and prevent long-term complications of the disease. ... > full story

Ingredients involved in 'splashing' revealed (December 8, 2011) -- "Splashing" plays a central role in the transport of pollutants and the spread of diseases, but while the sight of a droplet striking and splashing off of a solid surface is a common experience, the actual physical ingredients and mechanisms involved in splashing aren't all that well understood. A team of researchers has discovered that there is indeed more involved in splashing than previously believed. ... > full story

Economic recession takes toll on family relationships (December 8, 2011) -- Researchers studied how parents' financial problems and resulting mental distress affect their relationships with their children. They found that parents who experience financial problems and depression are less likely to feel connected to their children, and their children are less likely to engage in prosocial behaviors, such as volunteering or helping others. ... > full story

Why does the same mutation kill one person but not another? (December 7, 2011) -- The vast majority of genetic disorders (schizophrenia or breast cancer, for example) have different effects in different people. Moreover, an individual carrying certain mutations can develop a disease, whereas another one with the same mutations may not. This holds true even when comparing two identical twins who have identical genomes. But why does the same mutation have different effects in different individuals? ... > full story

Sewage treatment plants may contribute to antibiotic resistance problem (December 7, 2011) -- Water discharged into lakes and rivers from municipal sewage treatment plants may contain significant concentrations of the genes that make bacteria antibiotic-resistant. That's the conclusion of a new study on a sewage treatment plant on Lake Superior in the Duluth, Minn., harbor. ... > full story

Best routes found to self-assembling 3-D shapes (December 7, 2011) -- Researchers have found optimal configurations for creating 3-D geometric shapes — like tiny, highly simplified geodesic domes that assemble by themselves. The team developed the algorithmic tools and tested selected configurations. The research may lead to advances from drug-delivery containers to 3-D sensors and electronic circuits. ... > full story

Long non-coding RNA prevents the death of maturing red blood cells (December 7, 2011) -- A long non-coding RNA prevents programmed cell death during one of the final stages of red blood cell differentiation, according to Whitehead Institute researchers. Preventing normal cell death is a key step in the development of leukemias and other cancers. Because of its role in red blood cell apoptosis, this lncRNA or the pathways through which it exerts its anti-apoptotic effects may represent potential therapeutic targets. ... > full story

Supercomputer reveals new details behind drug-processing protein model (December 7, 2011) -- Supercomputer simulations are giving scientists unprecedented access to a key class of proteins involved in drug detoxification. ... > full story

Stress reduction and mindful eating curb weight gain among overweight women (December 7, 2011) -- Mastering simple mindful eating and stress-reduction techniques helped prevent weight gain even without dieting in overweight women. ... > full story

Maternal care influences brain chemistry into adulthood, animal study shows (December 7, 2011) -- The effect of the messenger substance neuropeptide Y depends on the behavior of the mother during infancy. ... > full story

Researchers suggest unconventional approach to control HIV epidemics (December 7, 2011) -- A new weapon to prevent HIV infection, called pre-exposure prophylaxis, Because PrEP is based on the same drugs used to treat HIV-infected individuals, the big public health scare is that the dual use of these drugs will lead to skyrocketing levels of drug resistance. In fact, say researchers in a new study, that is not the case and indeed, the exact opposite is likely to happen. ... > full story

New all-sky map shows the magnetic fields of the Milky Way with the highest precision (December 7, 2011) -- With a unique new all-sky map, scientists have made significant progress toward measuring the magnetic field structure of the Milky Way in unprecedented detail. Specifically, the map is of a quantity known as Faraday depth, which among other things, depends strongly on the magnetic fields along a particular line of sight. To produce the map, data were combined from more than 41,000 individual measurements using a novel image reconstruction technique. The new map not only reveals the structure of the galactic magnetic field on large scales, but also small-scale features that provide information about turbulence in the galactic gas. ... > full story

Specific bacteria that precede autoimmune diabetes identified: New potential avenues for early disease detection and prevention (December 7, 2011) -- A study by researchers in Finland suggests that autoimmune diabetes is preceded by diminished gut microbial diversity of the Clostridium leptum subgroup, elevated plasma leptin and enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. ... > full story

Shedding light on why it is so 'tough' to make healthier hot dogs (December 7, 2011) -- In part of an effort to replace animal fat in hot dogs, sausages, hamburgers and other foods with healthier fat, scientists are reporting an advance in solving the mystery of why hot dogs develop an unpleasant tough texture when vegetable oils pinch hit for animal fat. ... > full story

Short walk cuts chocolate consumption in half (December 7, 2011) -- A 15-minute walk can cut snacking on chocolate at work by half, according to new research. The study showed that, even in stressful situations, workers eat only half as much chocolate as they normally would after this short burst of physical activity. ... > full story

World's first super predator had remarkable vision (December 7, 2011) -- Scientists working on fossils from Kangaroo Island, South Australia, have found eyes belonging to a giant 500 million-year-old marine predator that sat at the top of the earth's first food chain. ... > full story

Novel drug wipes out deadliest malaria parasite through starvation (December 7, 2011) -- An antimalarial agent proved effective at clearing infections caused by the malaria parasite most lethal to humans -- by literally starving the parasites to death. ... > full story

SETI search resumes at Allen Telescope Array, targeting new planets (December 7, 2011) -- The Allen Telescope Array (ATA) is once again searching planetary systems for signals that would be evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence. Among its first targets are some of the exoplanet candidates recently discovered by NASA's Kepler space telescope. ... > full story

New method to quickly separate and identify thousands of protein molecules (December 7, 2011) -- Scientist have developed a new "top-down" method that can separate and identify thousands of protein molecules quickly. The researchers were able to identify more than 3,000 protein forms created from 1,043 genes from human HeLa cells. Many have been skeptical that such an approach, where each protein is analyzed intact instead of in smaller parts, could be done on such a large scale. ... > full story

Butterfly wings inspire design of water-repellent surface (December 7, 2011) -- Researchers mimic the many-layered nanostructure of blue mountain swallowtail wings to make a silicon wafer that traps both air and light. ... > full story

Traumatic injury sets off a 'genomic storm' in immune system pathways (December 7, 2011) -- Serious traumatic injuries, including major burns, set off a "genomic storm" in human immune cells, altering around 80 percent of the cells' normal gene expression patterns. ... > full story

Vampire star reveals its secrets (December 7, 2011) -- Astronomers have obtained the best images ever of a star that has lost most of its material to a vampire companion. By combining the light captured by telescopes at the European Southern Observatory's Paranal Observatory they created a virtual telescope 130 meters across with vision 50 times sharper than the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Surprisingly, the new results show that the transfer of mass from one star to the other in this double system is gentler than expected. ... > full story

Drug duo kills chemotherapy-resistant ovarian cancer cells, researchers find (December 7, 2011) -- The use of two drugs never tried in combination before in ovarian cancer resulted in a 70 percent destruction of cancer cells already resistant to commonly used chemotherapy agents, say researchers. ... > full story

Geneticists help show bitter taste perception is not just about flavors (December 7, 2011) -- Long the bane of picky eaters everywhere, broccoli's taste is not just a matter of having a cultured palate; Some people can easily taste a bitter compound in the vegetable that others have difficulty detecting. Now a team researchers has helped uncover the evolutionary history of one of the genes responsible for this trait. Beyond showing the ancient origins of the gene, the researchers discovered something unexpected: Something other than taste must have driven its evolution. ... > full story

Fruits and vegetables reduce risks of specific types of colorectal cancers, study finds (December 7, 2011) -- The effects of fruit and vegetable consumption on colorectal cancer (CRC) appear to differ by site of origin. Researchers found that within the proximal and distal colon, brassica vegetables (Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli) were associated with decreased risk of these cancers. A lower risk of distal colon cancer was associated with eating more apples, however an increased risk for rectal cancer was found with increasing consumption of fruit juice. ... > full story

Sandeels with a full stomach swim for a longer time (December 7, 2011) -- Researchers have shed light on the peculiar behavior of the commercially and ecologically valuable sandeel. ... > full story

Psychopathy: A misunderstood personality disorder (December 7, 2011) -- Psychopathic personalities are some of the most memorable characters portrayed in popular media today. These characters, like Patrick Bateman from 'American Psycho,' Frank Abagnale Jr. from 'Catch Me If You Can' and Alex from 'A Clockwork Orange,' are typically depicted as charming, intriguing, dishonest, guiltless, and in some cases, downright terrifying. But scientific research suggests that psychopathy is a personality disorder that is widely misunderstood. ... > full story

Solar storms could sandblast the moon (December 7, 2011) -- Solar storms and associated Coronal Mass Ejections can significantly erode the lunar surface according to a new set of computer simulations by NASA scientists. In addition to removing a surprisingly large amount of material from the lunar surface, this could be a major method of atmospheric loss for planets like Mars that are unprotected by a global magnetic field. ... > full story

Rotating night shift work linked to increased risk of Type 2 diabetes in women, study finds (December 7, 2011) -- Women who work a rotating (irregular) schedule that includes three or more night shifts per month, in addition to day and evening working hours in that month, may have an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes when compared with women who only worked days or evenings, according to a new study. ... > full story

How old yeast cells send off their daughter cells without the baggage of old age (December 7, 2011) -- The accumulation of damaged protein is a hallmark of aging that not even the humble baker's yeast can escape. Yet, aged yeast cells spawn off youthful daughter cells without any of the telltale protein clumps. Now, researchers may have found an explanation for the observed asymmetrical distribution of damaged proteins between mothers and their youthful daughters. ... > full story

Structure of key protein associated with Parkinson's disease determined (December 7, 2011) -- Researchers have produced and determined the structure of alpha-synuclein, a key protein associated with Parkinson's disease. Information may someday be used to produce a new kind of treatment. ... > full story

Researchers use CT to recreate Stradivarius violin (December 7, 2011) -- Using computed tomography imaging and advanced manufacturing techniques, a team of experts has created a reproduction of a 1704 Stradivarius violin. ... > full story

Is climate change altering humans' vacation plans? (December 7, 2011) -- Researchers have found peak attendance in US national parks that have experienced climate change is happening earlier, compared to 30 years ago. ... > full story

New horned dinosaur announced nearly 100 years after discovery (December 7, 2011) -- A new species of horned dinosaur was just announced by an international team of scientists, nearly 100 years after the initial discovery of the fossil. The animal, named Spinops sternbergorum, lived approximately 76 million years ago in southern Alberta, Canada. Spinops was a plant-eater that weighed around two tons when alive, a smaller cousin of Triceratops. ... > full story

New tool to help surgeons remove more cancer tissue during brain surgery (December 7, 2011) -- Scientists are reporting development and successful initial testing of a new tool that tells whether brain tissue is normal or cancerous while an operation is underway, so that surgeons can remove more of the tumor without removing healthy tissue, improving patients' survival. ... > full story

Lava fingerprinting reveals differences between Hawaii's twin volcanoes (December 7, 2011) -- Hawaii's main volcano chains -- the Loa and Kea trends -- have distinct sources of magma and unique plumbing systems connecting them to the Earth's deep mantle, according to new research. ... > full story

Targeting leg fatigue in heart failure (December 7, 2011) -- Doctors should not only treat the heart muscle in chronic heart failure patients, but also their leg muscles through exercise, say researchers. ... > full story

Shocking new way to create nanoporous materials (December 7, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a new method of creating nanoporous materials with potential applications in everything from water purification to chemical sensors. ... > full story

Baby see, baby do? Yes, unless you trick them (December 7, 2011) -- Babies love to imitate. Ask any parent and they'll report how infants mimic sounds, facial expressions and actions they observe. Now new research shows that infants can even differentiate between credible and non-credible sources. Simply put, most babies won't follow along if they have been previously tricked by an adult. ... > full story