ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Tuesday, January 10, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Tuesday, January 10, 2012

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Who's the boss? Research shows cells influence their own destiny (January 9, 2012) -- In a major shake-up of scientists' understanding of what determines the fate of cells, researchers have shown that cells have some control over their own destiny. ... > full story

Fibroblasts contribute to melanoma tumor growth (January 9, 2012) -- Fibroblasts, cells that play a role in the structural framework of tissues, play an apparent role in melanoma tumor growth. Fibroblasts also contribute to melanoma drug resistance and may also facilitate the "flare" response when a tumor's metabolism is enhanced following a patient being removed from a targeted therapy, said researchers. ... > full story

Relay race with single atoms: New ways of manipulating matter (January 9, 2012) -- A relay reaction of hydrogen atoms at a single-molecule level has been observed in real-space. This way of manipulating matter could open up new ways to exchange information between novel molecular devices in future electronics. ... > full story

Quitting smoking: Starting Chantix earlier may make it easier to quit (January 9, 2012) -- Smokers planning to kick the habit may have more success if they begin using a cessation medication several weeks before they actually try to quit. ... > full story

New quantitative method enables researchers to assess environmental risks posed by non-native species (January 9, 2012) -- The Harlequin ladybeetle, Japanese knotweed and the American lobster -- while this trio of creatures may have friendly sounding names, they are all introduced species in Norway, and may be anything but friendly to the Norwegian environment. But determining exactly how damaging introduced species may be in their new environment has always been something of a challenge for biologists and land managers -- until now. ... > full story

The perils of 'bite-size' science (January 9, 2012) -- Short, fast, and frequent: Those 21st-century demands on publication have radically changed the news, politics, and culture -- for the worse, many say. Now a new article aims a critique at a similar trend in psychological research. ... > full story

How does our brain know what is a face and what's not? (January 9, 2012) -- Objects that resemble faces are everywhere. Whether it’s New Hampshire’s erstwhile granite “Old Man of the Mountain,” or Jesus’ face on a tortilla, our brains are adept at locating images that look like faces. However, the normal human brain is almost never fooled into thinking such objects actually are human faces. New research by neuroscientists helps explain how the brain recognizes faces. ... > full story

Cell membrane proteins could provide targets for broader vaccines (January 9, 2012) -- Vaccines with broader reach might be made by stimulating specialized immune cells to recognize foreign cell membrane proteins that are shared across bacterial species, say researchers. The approach could be particularly beneficial in preventing infection by multi-drug resistant organisms. ... > full story

Mystery of car battery's current solved (January 9, 2012) -- Chemists have solved the 150 year-old mystery of what gives the lead-acid battery, found under the bonnet of most cars, its unique ability to deliver a surge of current. ... > full story

PET effectively detects dementia, decade of research shows (January 9, 2012) -- Scientists find that a method of positron emission tomography safely and accurately detects dementia, including the most common and devastating form among the elderly, Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story

Belize protected area boosting predatory fish populations (January 9, 2012) -- A 14-year study in an atoll reef lagoon in Glover's Reef, Belize has found that fishing closures there produce encouraging increases in populations of predatory fish species. However, such closures have resulted in only minimal increases in herbivorous fish, which feed on the algae that smother corals and inhibit reef recovery. ... > full story

Listening to music can be effective for reducing pain in high-anxiety persons (January 9, 2012) -- Distraction is an effective pain reliever, and a new study concludes that listening to music can be effective for reducing pain in high-anxiety persons who can easily become absorbed in cognitive activities. ... > full story

Clearest picture yet of dark matter points the way to better understanding of dark energy (January 9, 2012) -- Scientists have independently made the largest direct measurements of the invisible scaffolding of the universe, using the gravitational lensing effect known as "cosmic shear" to build maps of the distribution of dark matter. Their methods show that surveys with ground-based telescopes can measure cosmic shear with enough accuracy to aid in better understanding the mysterious space-stretching effects of dark energy. ... > full story

Proton therapy effective prostate cancer treatment, study suggests (January 9, 2012) -- Proton therapy, a type of external beam radiation therapy, is a safe and effective treatment for prostate cancer, according to two new studies. ... > full story

Nanoparticles hold promise as potential vehicle for drug delivery in brain (January 9, 2012) -- In the images of fruit flies, clusters of neurons are all lit up, forming a brightly glowing network of highways within the brain. It's exactly what researchers were hoping to see: It meant that ORMOSIL, a novel class of nanoparticles, had successfully penetrated the insects' brains. And even after long-term exposure, the cells and the flies themselves remained unharmed. ... > full story

Maintaining balance: Blood progenitor cells receive signals from niche cells and the daughter blood cells they create (January 9, 2012) -- Maintaining balance is crucial. In Drosophila, the common fruit fly, the creation and maintenance of the blood supply requires such balance. Stem cell scientists have now uncovered that two-way signaling from two different sets of cells is necessary for that balance, both to ensure enough blood cells are made to respond to injury and infection and that the blood progenitor cell population remains available for future needs. ... > full story

New culprit in Earth's massive extinction: Mercury (January 9, 2012) -- Researchers have discovered a new culprit likely involved in Earth's greatest extinction event: an influx of mercury into the ecosystem. ... > full story

Fit females make more daughters, mighty males get grandsons (January 9, 2012) -- Females influence the gender of their offspring so they inherit either their mother's or grandfather's qualities. "High-quality" females -- those which produce more offspring -- are more likely to have daughters. Weaker females, whose own fathers were stronger and more successful, produce more sons. ... > full story

Graphene reveals its magnetic personality (January 9, 2012) -- Can organic matter behave like a fridge magnet? Scientists have now shown that it can. Researchers took nonmagnetic graphene and then either 'peppered' it with other nonmagnetic atoms like fluorine or removed some carbon atoms from the chicken wire. The empty spaces, called vacancies, and added atoms all turned out to be magnetic, exactly like atoms of, for example, iron. ... > full story

Research demonstrating link between virus and MS could point the way to treatment and prevention (January 9, 2012) -- A new study from researchers at Queen Mary, University of London shows how a particular virus tricks the immune system into triggering inflammation and nerve cell damage in the brain, which is known to cause MS. ... > full story

Cell-CT: A new dimension in breast cancer research (January 9, 2012) -- Medical researchers have examined normal, benign and malignant cells, using the only research Cell-CT apparatus -- a specialized instrument capable of imaging cells in vivid 3-D with true isotropic resolution. The technology permits the examination of subtle cellular details inaccessible by more conventional forms of microscopy that are inherently 2-D. ... > full story

Drug to treat HIV in children shows promise via national clinical trial (January 9, 2012) -- For children with HIV infection, the FDA approval of the use of raltegravir, an antiretroviral drug that slows the spread of HIV infection, offers a new weapon to treat HIV infection in children. ... > full story

Newly formed plants could lead to improved crop fertility (January 9, 2012) -- A new study shows genomes of a recently formed plant species to be highly unstable, a phenomenon that may have far-reaching evolutionary consequences. ... > full story

Low vitamin D levels linked to depression, psychiatrists report (January 9, 2012) -- Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to depression, according to psychiatrists. ... > full story

Hatcheries change salmon genetics after a single generation (January 9, 2012) -- The impact of hatcheries on salmon is so profound that in just one generation traits are selected that allow fish to survive and prosper in the hatchery environment, at the cost of their ability to thrive and reproduce in a wild environment. Researchers were surprised by the speed of evolution and natural selection. ... > full story

Mass prostate cancer screening doesn't reduce deaths, study suggests (January 9, 2012) -- There's new evidence that annual prostate cancer screening does not reduce deaths from the disease, even among men in their 50s and 60s and those with underlying health conditions, according to new research. ... > full story

Concussion testing makes everyone tired (January 9, 2012) -- Testing athletes for concussions may induce mental fatigue in subjects whether or not they have a head injury, according to researchers. ... > full story

Major variation in bladder cancer subtype trends highlights need for focused research (January 9, 2012) -- A major study of 128,000 patients has found significant differences between the most common cancer tumors growing inside and on the surface of the bladder. Papillary transitional cell carcinoma rose by 56% between 1973 and 2007 and non-papillary transitional cell carcinoma fell by 53% over the same period, suggest that they may be two disease entities with different causes. This significant finding underlines the importance of future research differentiating between these two subtypes. ... > full story

Pneumonia outbreak in endangered markhor goats (January 9, 2012) -- If they didn't have enough to worry about from dodging poachers, snow leopards, and landslides in Central Asia's rugged mountains, a population of endangered markhor -- a majestic wild goat species -- has contracted pneumonia. ... > full story

Researchers create a healthier cigarette (January 9, 2012) -- From a health care perspective, the best cigarette is no cigarette, but for the millions of people who try to quit smoking every year, researchers may have found a way to make cigarette smoking less toxic. ... > full story

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