ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Monday, January 9, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Monday, January 9, 2012

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Whiff of 'love hormone' helps monkeys show a little kindness (January 8, 2012) -- Oxytocin, the "love hormone" that builds mother-baby bonds and may help us feel more connected toward one another, can also make surly monkeys treat each other a little more kindly. ... > full story

New hope for diseases of protein folding such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s diseases, ALS, cancer and diabetes (January 8, 2012) -- Two related studies offer new strategies for tackling the challenges of preventing and treating diseases of protein folding, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, ALS, cystic fibrosis, cancer and type 2 diabetes. The research identifies new genes and pathways that prevent protein misfolding and toxic aggregation, keeping cells healthy, and also identifies small molecules with therapeutic potential that restore health to damaged cells, providing new targets for drug development. ... > full story

First hint of the Higgs boson particle (January 8, 2012) -- The answer to one of the most exciting questions in particle physics seems almost close enough to touch: Scientists have observed first signs of the Higgs boson and now believe that they will soon be able to prove the existence of the elementary particle they have been trying so hard to isolate. ... > full story

Gunshot, stabbing victims are recovering without exploratory surgery (January 8, 2012) -- Although more patients with abdominal gunshot and stab wounds can successfully forego emergency “exploratory” surgery and its potential complications, new research suggests that choosing the wrong patients for this “watchful waiting” approach substantially increases their risk of death from these injuries. ... > full story

Sensor improvement brings analysis method into mainstream (January 8, 2012) -- An advance in sensor design could unshackle a powerful yet high-maintenance technique for exploring material, expanding the scope of neutron interferometry from a test of quantum mechanics to a tool for industry. ... > full story

Daily Show and Colbert Report viewers are 'deep' (January 8, 2012) -- Daily Show viewers are deep. That might be a shallow analysis of the research, but “there is a segment of the political satire audience that is motivated by a deeper level of processing,” according to new research. ... > full story

Hybrid silkworms spin stronger spider silk (January 7, 2012) -- Silk produced by transgenically engineered silkworms in the lab exhibit the highly sought-after strength and elasticity of spider silk. This stronger silk could possibly be used to make sutures, artificial limbs and parachutes. ... > full story

How poor maternal diet can increase risk of diabetes: New mechanism discovered (January 7, 2012) -- Researchers have shown one way in which poor nutrition in the womb can put a person at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other age-related diseases in later life. This finding could lead to new ways of identifying people who are at a higher risk of developing these diseases and might open up targets for treatment. ... > full story

Graphene rips follow rules (January 7, 2012) -- Researchers may give science and industry a new way to manipulate graphene, which naturally rips along armchair and zigzag paths. ... > full story

Malignancy-risk gene signature for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer found (January 7, 2012) -- A malignancy-risk gene signature developed for breast cancer has been found to have predictive and prognostic value for patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer. ... > full story

Multi-year prediction of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation at 26.5 °N possible (January 7, 2012) -- Climate scientists have now shown for the first time that the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation at 26.5 °N can be skillfully predicted for up to four years. ... > full story

Majority groups support assimilation, except when they're not majorities (January 7, 2012) -- We generally think that views about how to integrate a diverse society depend on people's positions in that society -- that is, whether they're in the racial, religious, or cultural majority or a member of a minority. In the US, "people tend to believe that blacks prefer pluralism and whites prefer assimilation," says a psychologist. Assimilation asks minorities -- whether newly arrived or historically rooted -- to drop their cultural identities and adopt the ways of the majority. ... > full story

Down to the wire for silicon: Researchers create a wire four atoms wide, one atom tall (January 6, 2012) -- The smallest wires ever developed in silicon -- just one atom tall and four atoms wide -- have been shown by a team of researchers to have the same current-carrying capability as copper wires. ... > full story

Moderate red wine drinking may help cut women’s breast cancer risk, study suggests (January 6, 2012) -- Drinking red wine in moderation may reduce one of the risk factors for breast cancer, providing a natural weapon to combat a major cause of death among U.S. women, new research shows. ... > full story

Salt water alone unlikely to halt Burmese python invasion (January 6, 2012) -- Invasive Burmese python hatchlings from the Florida Everglades can withstand exposure to salt water long enough to potentially expand their range through ocean and estuarine environments. ... > full story

DNA mismatch repair happens only during a brief window of opportunity (January 6, 2012) -- In eukaryotes-the group of organisms that include humans –- a key to survival is the ability of certain proteins to quickly and accurately repair genetic errors that occur when DNA is replicated to make new cells. Researchers have solved part of the mystery of how these proteins do their job, a process called DNA mismatch repair. ... > full story

Molecular 'maturation clock' modulates branching architecture in tomato plants (January 6, 2012) -- The secret to pushing tomato plants to produce more fruit might not lie in an extra dose of Miracle-Gro. Instead, new research suggests that an increase in fruit yield might be achieved by manipulating a molecular timer or so-called "maturation clock" that determines the number of branches that make flowers, called inflorescences. ... > full story

Religious beliefs battle hypertension, Norwegian study of church attendance suggests (January 6, 2012) -- Does a belief in God confer any health benefits? Researchers in Norway have found a clear relationship between time spent in church and lower blood pressure in both women and men. ... > full story

Now you see it, now you didn't: Researchers cloak a moment in time (January 6, 2012) -- Think Harry Potter movie magic: Researchers have demonstrated a "temporal cloak" -- albeit on a very small scale -- in the transport of information by a beam of light. ... > full story

Sea snails help scientists explore a possible way to enhance memory (January 6, 2012) -- Efforts to help people with learning impairments are being aided by a species of sea snail. The mollusk, which is used by researchers to study the brain, has much in common with other species including humans. Neuroscientists have used this animal model to test an innovative learning strategy designed to help improve the brain's memory and the results were encouraging. ... > full story

What determines the capacity of short-term memory? (January 6, 2012) -- Short-term memory plays a crucial role in how our consciousness operates. Several years ago a hypothesis has been formulated, according to which capacity of short-term memory depends in a special way on two cycles of brain electric activity. Scientists have now demonstrated this experimentally for the first time. ... > full story

New drug screening identifies chemical agents with potent anti-cancer activity (January 6, 2012) -- Drugs already approved for clinical use across a variety of therapeutic categories can be screened to identify effective agents for thyroid cancer, according to a recent study. These findings could rapidly be implemented into a clinical trial to test how effective the treatment would be. ... > full story

New system may one day steer microrobots through blood vessels for disease treatment (January 6, 2012) -- Researchers use a magnetic field to generate both side-to-side and corkscrew-like motions of tiny robots. ... > full story

Why young couples aren't getting married: They fear the ravages of divorce (January 6, 2012) -- With the share of married adults at an all-time low in the United States, new research by demographers unveils clues why couples don't get married -- they fear divorce. ... > full story

Flatworm flouts fundamental rule of biology: Worm regenerates without centrosome, a structure long thought necessary for cell division (January 6, 2012) -- A tiny, freshwater flatworm found in ponds and rivers around the world that has long intrigued scientists for its remarkable ability to regenerate has now added a new wrinkle to biology. ... > full story

Scientists 'hijack' bacterial immune system (January 6, 2012) -- The knowledge that bacteria possess adaptable immune systems that protect them from individual viruses and other foreign invaders is relatively new to science, and researchers across the globe are working to learn how these systems function and to apply that knowledge in industry and medicine. Now, a team of researchers has discovered how to harness this bacterial immune system to selectively target and silence genes. ... > full story

No brakes on breast cancer cells (January 6, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a tiny RNA molecule, called miR-520, which at once blocks two important pathways in the development of cancer in cells. In estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer, the production of this microRNA is often reduced and this is correlated with malignant behavior of tumor cells. The team has found out that tumors with low levels of miR-520 have a particularly strong tendency to metastasize. ... > full story

Novel brain tumor vaccine acts like bloodhound to locate cancer cells (January 6, 2012) -- A national U.S. clinical trial testing the efficacy of a novel brain tumor vaccine has begun. The vaccine will be tested in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive and highest grade malignant glioma. ... > full story

Traditional social networks fueled Twitter's spread (January 6, 2012) -- Researchers who studied the growth of the newly hatched Twitter from 2006 to 2009 say the site's growth in the United States actually relied primarily on media attention and traditional social networks based on geographic proximity and socioeconomic similarity. In other words, at least during those early years, birds of a feather flocked -- and tweeted -- together. ... > full story

Why people choose running over walking (January 6, 2012) -- Other than Olympic race walkers, people generally find it more comfortable to run than walk when they start moving at around two meters per second – about 4.5 miles per hour. Biomedical engineers have discovered why: At two meters per second, running makes better use of an important calf muscle than walking, and therefore is a much more efficient use of the muscle's – and the body's – energy. ... > full story

World’s first primate chimeric offspring produced: Research demonstrates not all embryonic stem cells are equal (January 6, 2012) -- Scientists have shed new light on how early embryonic stem cells develop and take part in formation of the primate species. The research has also resulted in the first successful birth of chimeric monkeys -- monkeys developed from stem cells taken from two separate embryos. ... > full story

Genetic cause of thyroid cancer discovered (January 6, 2012) -- Researchers have discovered three genes that increase the risk of thyroid cancer, which is has the largest incidence increase in cancers among both men and women. ... > full story

Nanotechnology may speed up drug testing (January 6, 2012) -- Testing the effectiveness of new pharmaceuticals may get faster thanks to a new technique incorporating quantum dots. ... > full story

Progress made toward a genital herpes vaccine (January 6, 2012) -- New research points investigators toward finding a genital herpes vaccine that works on both viruses that cause disease. ... > full story

Scientists find structure of gene-editing protein (January 6, 2012) -- In the two and a half years since scientists discovered how a class of proteins find and bind specific sequences in plant genomes, researchers worldwide have moved fast to use this discovery. Now, the next step has been taken by determining the 3-D structure of a TAL effector bound to DNA. ... > full story

Power does go to our heads (January 6, 2012) -- Power -- defined as the ability to influence others -- makes people think differently. For North Americans, a feeling of power leads to thinking in a focused and analytical way, which may be beneficial when pursuing personal goals. ... > full story

A smoking cessation benefit can save money for Medicaid (January 6, 2012) -- New research indicates that including comprehensive tobacco cessation benefits in Medicaid insurance coverage can result in substantial savings for Medicaid programs. The study found that every dollar spent in program costs resulted in an average program savings of .12, which represents a .12 return on investment. ... > full story

Tobacco company misrepresented danger from cigarettes, study suggests (January 6, 2012) -- A new analysis of tobacco industry documents shows that Philip Morris USA manipulated data on the effects of additives in cigarettes, including menthol, obscuring actual toxicity levels and increasing the risk of heart, cancer and other diseases for smokers, according to researchers. ... > full story

New technology tightens cyber security (January 6, 2012) -- A revolutionary new technology helps with cyber security. ... > full story

Mars rover to spend winter at 'Greeley Haven' (January 6, 2012) -- NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity will spend the next few months during the coldest part of Martian winter at Greeley Haven, an outcrop of rock on Mars recently named informally to honor Ronald Greeley, a professor of planetary geology, who died Oct. 27, 2011. ... > full story

Men and women have major personality differences: New report suggests previous measurements have underestimated variation between the sexes (January 5, 2012) -- Men and women have large differences in personality, according to a new study. The existence of such differences, and their extent, has been a subject of much debate, but the authors of the new report describe a new method for measuring and analyzing personality differences that they argue is more accurate than previous methods. ... > full story

Targeted blocking of cell death prevents fatal condition septic shock, study suggests (January 5, 2012) -- Researchers have discovered a new approach to preventing septic shock, an often fatal extreme inflammatory reaction of the body. It is the most frequent cause of death at intensive care departments in hospitals. Researchers have described how blocking a particular form of cell death (necroptosis) fully protects mice against this fatal inflammation. ... > full story

How male spiders use eavesdropping to one-up their rivals (January 5, 2012) -- Researchers have made a new discovery into the complex world of spiders that reflects what some might perceive as similar behavior in human society. As male wolf spiders go searching for a mate, it appears they eavesdrop, match and even try to outdo the mating dances of their successful rivals, a behavior seen mainly in vertebrate animals. ... > full story

Outside temperatures, sun exposure and gender may trigger glaucoma (January 5, 2012) -- When it comes to whether or not you will develop exfoliation syndrome -- an eye condition that is a leading cause of secondary open-angle glaucoma and increased risk of cataract as well as cataract surgery complications -- age, gender and where you live does matter. ... > full story

Flipped from head to toe: 100 years of continental drift theory (January 5, 2012) -- Exactly 100 years ago Alfred Wegener presented his theory of continental drift to the public for the first time. Modern plate tectonics confirmed his ideas by flipping them upside down. ... > full story

Lower classes quicker to show compassion in the face of suffering (January 5, 2012) -- Emotional differences between the rich and poor, as depicted in such Charles Dickens classics as "A Christmas Carol" and "A Tale of Two Cities," may have a scientific basis. Researchers have found that people in the lower socio-economic classes are more physiologically attuned to suffering, and quicker to express compassion than their more affluent counterparts. ... > full story

Bat brains parse sounds for multitasking (January 5, 2012) -- Imagine listening to music while carrying on a conversation with friends. This type of multi-tasking is fairly easy to do, right? That's because our brains efficiently and effectively separate the auditory signals -- music to the right side; Conversation to the left. But what researchers have not been able to do in humans or animals is to see a parsing of duties at the single neuron level -- until now. ... > full story

Changes seen in cerebrospinal fluid levels before onset of Alzheimer's disease (January 5, 2012) -- Cerebrospinal fluid levels of A-beta42 appear to be decreased at least five to 10 years before some patients with mild cognitive impairment develop Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia whereas other spinal fluid levels seem to be later markers of disease, according to a new report. ... > full story