ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Thursday, December 22, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Thursday, December 22, 2011

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Breakthrough in treatment to prevent blindness (December 21, 2011) -- A new study shows a popular treatment for a potentially blinding eye infection is just as effective if given every six months versus annually. This randomized study on trachoma, the leading cause of infection-caused blindness in the world, could potentially treat twice the number of patients using the same amount of medication. ... > full story

The biology behind severe PMS (December 21, 2011) -- Sensitivity to allopregnanolone, a hormone that occurs naturally in the body after ovulation and during pregnancy, changes during the course of the menstrual cycle and is different in women with severe PMS compared with women without PMS complaints. ... > full story

Will Antarctic worms warm to changing climate? (December 21, 2011) -- Researchers are examining tiny worms that inhabit the frigid sea off Antarctica to learn not only how these organisms adapt to the severe cold, but how they will survive as ocean temperatures increase. ... > full story

Pregnant women advised to stay cool for baby's sake: Australian study (December 21, 2011) -- Medical researchers have found a link between increases in temperature and the incidence of stillbirth and shorter pregnancies. ... > full story

Boron nanoribbons reveal surprising thermal properties in bundles (December 21, 2011) -- Researchers looking at the thermal conductivity of bundles boron nanoribbons have found that they have unusually high heat-transfer capabilities. Contrary to past experiments with similar nanomaterial bundles, the study shows that the thermal conductivity of a bundle of boron nanoribbons can be significantly higher than that a single nanoribbon. Experimental results indicate that the geometry of the ribbons is responsible for the higher conductivity and point to potential method for creating a thermal switch. ... > full story

Prejudice comes from a basic human need and way of thinking, new research suggests (December 21, 2011) -- Where does prejudice come from? Not from ideology, say the authors of a new article. Instead, prejudice stems from a deeper psychological need, associated with a particular way of thinking. People who aren't comfortable with ambiguity and want to make quick and firm decisions are also prone to making generalizations about others. ... > full story

Astronomers discover deep-fried planets: Two Earth-sized planets around dying star that has passed the red giant stage (December 21, 2011) -- Two Earth-sized planets have been discovered around a dying star that has passed the red giant stage. The discovery marks the first known case of planets surviving being engulfed by their parent star and may shed new light on the destiny of stellar and planetary systems, including our solar system. ... > full story

How normal cells fuel tumor growth (December 21, 2011) -- A new study has discovered how normal cells in tumors can fuel cancer progression. The study examines what happens when normal cells called fibroblasts in tumors lose an important tumor-suppressor gene. The findings suggest new strategies for controlling tumor growth, they provide insight into the mechanisms that control the co-evolution of cancer cells and their surrounding normal cells in tumors, and they demonstrate how this gene normally suppresses cancer development. ... > full story

Ironing out details of Earth's core: Researchers obtain highest-pressure vibrational spectrum of iron (December 21, 2011) -- Identifying the composition of Earth's core is key to understanding how our planet formed and the current behavior of its interior. While it has been known for many years that iron is the main element in the core, many questions have remained about just how iron behaves under the conditions found deep in the earth. Now, a team led by mineral-physics researchers has homed in on those behaviors by conducting extremely high-pressure experiments on the element. ... > full story

Model to foster new drug development to treat pain and epilepsy developed (December 21, 2011) -- Drawing on X-ray crystallography and experimental data, as well as a software suite for predicting and designing protein structures, a researcher has developed an algorithm that predicts what has been impossible to generate in the laboratory: the conformational changes in voltage-gated sodium channels when they are at rest or actively transmitting a signal in muscle and nerve cells. ... > full story

New method significantly reduces production costs of fuel cells (December 21, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new and significantly cheaper method of manufacturing fuel cells. A noble metal nanoparticle catalyst for fuel cells is prepared using atomic layer deposition. ... > full story

How pregnancy changes a woman's brain (December 21, 2011) -- We know a lot about the links between a pregnant mother's health, behavior, and moods and her baby's cognitive and psychological development once it is born. But how does pregnancy change a mother's brain? ... > full story

Self-healing electronics could work longer and reduce waste (December 21, 2011) -- Engineers have developed a self-healing system that restores electrical conductivity to a cracked circuit in less time than it takes to blink. As a crack propagates, microcapsules filled with liquid metal break open and the liquid fills the gap, restoring electrical flow. The technology is especially attractive for applications where repair is impossible, such as a battery, or finding the source of a failure is difficult, such as an air- or spacecraft. ... > full story

Cerebrospinal fluid test can pick up Alzheimer's before symptoms appear (December 21, 2011) -- Analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid can detect whether a person has Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms appear. Researchers have studied biomarkers that offer more reliable diagnosis and, in the longer term, the possibility of effective new treatments. ... > full story

Do our medicines boost pathogens? (December 21, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered a parasite that not only had developed resistance against a common medicine, but at the same time had become better in withstanding the human immune system. With some exaggeration: Medical practice helped in developing a superbug. For it appears the battle against the drug also armed the bug better against its host. ... > full story

Increase in resting heart rate over 10-year period linked with increased risk of heart disease death (December 21, 2011) -- In a study that enrolled nearly 30,000 apparently healthy men and women, those who had an increase in their resting heart rate over a 10-year period had an increased risk of death from all causes and from ischemic heart disease, according to a new study. ... > full story

New eco-friendly foliar spray provides natural anti-freeze (December 21, 2011) -- A new, biodegradable foliar/floral spray that increases plant resistance to both cold damage and cold mortality has been introduced to the commercial market. The spray improved cold tolerance by approximately 2°F to 9°F, depending on the variety of plant and the duration/ intensity of frost or freeze. Use of the non-toxic spray could add the equivalent of approximately 0.25 to almost 1.0 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone to the cold hardiness rating of plants. ... > full story

Synesthesia linked to a hyper-excitable brain (December 21, 2011) -- Hyper-excitability' in regions of the brain may underlie synesthesia, an unusual condition where some people experience a 'blending of the senses', new researchers suggest. ... > full story

Single cell endoscope: Researchers use nanophotonics for optical look inside living cells (December 21, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a nanowire endoscope that can provide high-resolution optical images of the interior of a single living cell, or precisely deliver genes, proteins, therapeutic drugs or other cargo without injuring or damaging the cell. ... > full story

Hypertension treatment associated with long-term improvement in life expectancy (December 21, 2011) -- Patients with systolic hypertension who were treated with the diuretic chlorthalidone for 4.5 years as part of a clinical trial had a significantly lower rate of death and a gain in life expectancy free from cardiovascular death about 20 years later compared to patients who received placebo, according to a new study. ... > full story

New take on impacts of low dose radiation (December 21, 2011) -- Working with a special line of human breast cells, researchers have shown that for low dose levels of ionizing radiation cancer risks may not be directly proportional to dose. This contradicts the standard model for predicting biological damage from ionizing radiation, which holds that risk is directly proportional to dose at all levels of irradiation. ... > full story

Gene therapy for ears (December 21, 2011) -- Gene therapy may someday in the future replace the use of implants in deaf people. The carrier for this gene medicine may be derived from shrimp shells. ... > full story

How exposure to irregular light affects plant circadian rhythms (December 21, 2011) -- A study of chrysanthemum investigated plants' circadian responses to interruptions in light cycles. Plants were exposed to irregular supplemental light breaks during the night; results showed a correlation between circadian-regulated processes and plant growth. Leaves and stems grew faster in plants grown in short days with irregular light breaks during the night compared with plants grown in a climate with a consecutive long light period. The findings could contribute to energy savings in production greenhouses. ... > full story

Why humans are so sociable these days (December 21, 2011) -- Humans have evolved to become the most flexible of the primates and being able to live in lots of different social settings sets us apart from non-human primates, suggests new research. ... > full story

New evidence for complex molecules on Pluto's surface (December 21, 2011) -- Astronomers have discovered a strong ultraviolet-wavelength absorber on Pluto's surface, providing new evidence that points to the possibility of complex hydrocarbon and/or nitrile molecules lying on the surface. ... > full story

Can nerve growth factor gene therapy prevent diabetic heart disease? (December 21, 2011) -- New research has investigated if nerve growth factor gene therapy can prevent diabetic heart failure and small vascular disease in mice. ... > full story

Forest health versus global warming: Fuel reduction likely to increase carbon emissions (December 21, 2011) -- Forest thinning to help prevent or reduce severe wildfire will release more carbon to the atmosphere than any amount saved by successful fire prevention. There may be valid reasons to thin forests – such as restoration of forest structure or health, wildlife enhancement or public safety – but increased carbon sequestration is not one of them. ... > full story

Breastfeeding saved babies in 19th century Montreal (December 21, 2011) -- Breastfeeding increased infant survival rates in 19th -Century Montreal in two major ways, according to new research. Mother's milk protected vulnerable infants from food and water contaminated by fecal bacteria, while breastfeeding postponed the arrival of more siblings and that improved the health of mothers as well as their subsequent children. ... > full story

New device for rapid, mobile detection of brain injury (December 21, 2011) -- Scientists have created a handheld device capable of quickly detecting brain injuries such as hematomas. The prototype for the hematoma detection device is based on the concept of using instrumental motion as a signal in near-infrared imaging. ... > full story

Being told painting is fake changes brain's response to art (December 21, 2011) -- Being told that a work of art is authentic or fake alters the brain's response to the visual content of artwork, academics have found. ... > full story

Discovery may lead to safer treatments for asthma, allergies and arthritis (December 20, 2011) -- Scientists have discovered a missing link between the body's biological clock and sugar metabolism system, a finding that may help avoid the serious side effects of drugs used for treating asthma, allergies and arthritis. ... > full story

New candidate vaccine neutralizes all tested strains of malaria parasite (December 20, 2011) -- A new candidate malaria vaccine has the potential to neutralize all strains of the most deadly species of malaria parasite. ... > full story

Ion channel makes African naked mole-rat insensitive to acid-induced pain (December 20, 2011) -- Researchers have found out why the African naked mole-rat, one of the world's most unusual mammals, feels no pain when exposed to acid. The animals have an altered ion channel in their pain receptors that is inactivated by acid and makes the animals insensitive to this type of pain. ... > full story

Blood pressure medicines reduce stroke risk in people with prehypertension, study suggests (December 20, 2011) -- Blood pressure medicines reduced the risk of stroke by 22 percent in people with prehypertension. More than 50 million Americans have an increased risk of stroke due to prehypertension. ... > full story

Almost noiseless nanomechanical microwave amplifier (December 20, 2011) -- Physicists have shown how a nanomechanical oscillator can be used for detection and amplification of feeble radio waves or microwaves. A measurement using such a tiny device, resembling a miniaturized guitar string, can be performed with the least possible disturbance. ... > full story

Are the anxious oblivious? (December 20, 2011) -- Anxious study participants aren't as physiologically sensitive to subtle changes in their environment as less fearful individuals, new research shows. Researchers reason that anxious people could have a deficit in their threat evaluation capacities, which are necessary for effective decision-making and fear regulation. ... > full story

Human skull is highly integrated: Study sheds new light on evolutionary changes (December 20, 2011) -- Scientists studying a unique collection of human skulls have shown that changes to the skull shape thought to have occurred independently through separate evolutionary events may have actually precipitated each other. ... > full story

Scientists identify an innate function of vitamin E (December 20, 2011) -- It's rubbed on the skin to reduce signs of aging and consumed by athletes to improve endurance but scientists now have the first evidence of one of vitamin E's normal body functions. The powerful antioxidant found in most foods helps repair tears in the plasma membranes that protect cells from outside forces and screen what enters and exits, new research shows. ... > full story

Towards artificial photosynthesis for solar hydrogen generation: Algal protein gives boost to electrochemical water splitting (December 20, 2011) -- Water splitting in photo-electrochemical cells to yield hydrogen is a promising way to sustainable fuels. Scientists have now made major progress in developing highly efficient electrodes – made of an algal protein, thus mimicking a central step in natural photosynthesis. ... > full story

Mediterranean diet gives longer life, Swedish study suggests (December 20, 2011) -- A Mediterranean diet with large amounts of vegetables and fish gives a longer life, according to Swedish research. A number of studies since the 1950s have shown that a Mediterranean diet, based on a high consumption of fish and vegetables and a low consumption of animal-based products such as meat and milk, leads to better health. ... > full story

The role of Internet pharmacies in prescription drug abuse (December 20, 2011) -- Efforts to halt the growing abuse of prescription drugs must include addressing the availability of these drugs on the Internet and increasing physician awareness of the dangers posed by Internet pharmacies, according to experts. ... > full story

Caterpillars mimic one another for survival (December 20, 2011) -- In the world of insects, high risk of attack has led to the development of camouflage as a means for survival. Researchers have uncovered some of the most extensive evidence of caterpillars using another strategy previously best-known in adult butterflies: mimicry. ... > full story

First Earth-size planets beyond our solar system: Smallest exoplanets ever confirmed around a star like our sun (December 20, 2011) -- NASA's Kepler mission has discovered the first Earth-size planets orbiting a sun-like star outside our solar system. The planets, called Kepler-20e and Kepler-20f, are too close to their star to be in the so-called habitable zone where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface, but they are the smallest exoplanets ever confirmed around a star like our sun. The discovery marks the next important milestone in the ultimate search for planets like Earth. The new planets are thought to be rocky. Kepler-20e is slightly smaller than Venus, measuring 0.87 times the radius of Earth. Kepler-20f is slightly larger than Earth, measuring 1.03 times its radius. Both planets reside in a five-planet system called Kepler-20, approximately 1,000 light-years away in the constellation Lyra. ... > full story

Middle-age blood pressure changes affect lifetime heart disease, stroke risk (December 20, 2011) -- Changes in blood pressure during middle age can affect lifetime risk for heart disease and stroke. People who maintain or reduce their blood pressure to normal levels during middle age have the lowest lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease, while those with an increase in blood pressure have the highest risk. Age and duration of blood pressure changes can help determine individualized lifetime risk for -- and prevention of -- cardiovascular disease. ... > full story

Infectious fungus, thought to be asexual, isn't (December 20, 2011) -- Candida tropicalis turns out to have sex, making it the second medically important member of the genus to be capable of mating. Sex may improve the survival of the species, particularly when it's under pressure. It may also mean the species can achieve greater virulence or drug resistance more quickly than previously thought. ... > full story

Pet kidney injuries are similar to human kidney injuries (December 20, 2011) -- For pets suffering critical illness or injury, researchers have found that even tiny increases of creatinine in blood also could indicate acute kidney damage. Using human blood measurement guidelines for acute kidney injuries, the researchers believe they can now help pet owners better know the severity of their animals' illness. ... > full story

Quantum computing has applications in magnetic imaging (December 20, 2011) -- Quantum computing -- considered the powerhouse of computational tasks -- may have applications in areas outside of pure electronics, according to experts. ... > full story

Babies track word patterns long before word-learning starts (December 20, 2011) -- During the first year of life, when babies spend so much time listening to language, they're actually tracking word patterns that will support their process of word- learning that occurs between the ages of about 18 months and two years. ... > full story