ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Monday, January 16, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Monday, January 16, 2012

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How star-forming galaxies evolve into 'red and dead' elliptical galaxies (January 15, 2012) -- Astronomers using the partially completed ALMA observatory have found compelling evidence for how star-forming galaxies evolve into 'red and dead' elliptical galaxies, catching a large group of galaxies right in the middle of this change. ... > full story

Researchers use sugar to halt esophageal cancer in its tracks (January 15, 2012) -- Scientists have identified changes in the patterns of sugar molecules that line pre-cancerous cells in the esophagus, a condition called Barrett’s dysplasia, making it much easier to detect and remove these cells before they develop into esophageal cancer. These findings have important implications for patients and may help to monitor their condition and prevent the development of cancer. ... > full story

Bacterial infections: New laboratory method uses mass spectrometry to rapidly detect staph infections (January 15, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a new laboratory test that can rapidly identify the bacterium responsible for staph infections. The test uses mass spectrometry to quantify the number of Staphylococcus aureus organisms in a large number of samples in just a few hours. ... > full story

Pivotal immune cell in Type 1 diabetes in humans identified (January 15, 2012) -- Researchers have demonstrataed -- for the first time in human tissues -- the specific immune system T cells which trigger the destruction of Type 1 diabetes in the pancreas. The finding is an important advance that verifies in humans several important disease characteristics shown in mouse studies and provides a key focal point for interrupting the disease process. ... > full story

Improved method for protein sequence comparisons is faster, more accurate, more sensitive (January 15, 2012) -- Sequence comparisons are an essential tool for the prediction and analysis of the structure and functions of proteins. A new method developed by computational biologists permits sequence comparisons to be performed faster and more accurately than ever before. ... > full story

Office workers spend too much time at their desks, experts say (January 15, 2012) -- In a typical working week, people spend on average 5 hours and 41 minutes per day sitting at their desk and 7 hours sleeping at night. Prolonged sitting at your desk is not only bad for your physical health, but potentially your mental well-being, experts in the UK say. ... > full story

Dark side of the moon revealed: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's LAMP reveals lunar surface features (January 15, 2012) -- New maps produced by the Lyman Alpha Mapping Project aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter reveal features at the moon's northern and southern poles in regions that lie in perpetual darkness. LAMP uses a novel method to peer into these so-called permanently shadowed regions, making visible the invisible. ... > full story

Cancer sequencing project identifies potential approaches to combat aggressive leukemia (January 15, 2012) -- Researchers have discovered that a subtype of leukemia characterized by a poor prognosis is fueled by mutations in pathways distinctly different from a seemingly similar leukemia associated with a much better outcome. The findings highlight a possible new strategy for treating patients with this more aggressive cancer. ... > full story

Opioids erase memory traces of pain (January 15, 2012) -- Medical researchers have discovered a previously unknown effect of opioids. The study shows that opioids not only temporarily relieve pain, but at the right dose can also erase memory traces of pain in the spinal cord and therefore eliminate a key cause of chronic pain. ... > full story

Surprising results from smoke inhalation study (January 15, 2012) -- A new study includes some unexpected findings about the immune systems of smoke-inhalation patients. ... > full story

New clue in battle against Australian Hendra virus: African bats have antibodies that neutralize deadly virus (January 15, 2012) -- A new study on African bats provides a vital clue for unraveling the mysteries in Australia's battle with the deadly Hendra virus. ... > full story

Pythons and people take turns as predators and prey (January 15, 2012) -- People and giant snakes not only target each other for food -- they also compete for the same prey, according to a new study. ... > full story

What can be done to slow climate change? (January 14, 2012) -- Scientists have detailed 14 key air pollution control measures that, if implemented, could slow the pace of global warming, improve health and boost agricultural production. ... > full story

Brain glia cells increase their DNA content to preserve vital blood-brain barrier (January 14, 2012) -- Scientists report that as the developing larval fruit fly brain grows by cell division, it instructs subperineurial glia (SPG) cells that form the blood-brain barrier to enlarge by creating multiple copies of their genomes in a process known as polyploidization. ... > full story

Calculating what's in the universe from the biggest color 3-D map (January 14, 2012) -- Astronomers have used visual data from nearly a million luminous galaxies for the most accurate calculation yet of how matter clumps together in the universe. By deriving cosmic rulers from an immense volume of sky, from a time when the universe was half its present age until now, the study establishes how much dark matter, dark energy, and even hard-to-detect neutrinos it contains. ... > full story

Faulty proteins may prove significant in identifying new treatments for ovarian cancer (January 14, 2012) -- A constellation of defective proteins suspected in causing a malfunction in the body's ability to repair its own DNA could be the link scientists need to prove a new class of drugs will be effective in treating a broad range of ovarian cancer patients, a new study found. ... > full story

Perfectly spherical gold nanodroplets produced with the smallest-ever nanojets (January 14, 2012) -- Scientists have developed a new method for optical manipulation of matter at the nanoscale. Using ‘plasmonic hotspots’ – regions with electric current that heat up very locally – gold nanostructures can be melted and made to produce the smallest nanojets ever observed. The tiny gold nanodroplets formed in the nanojets, are perfectly spherical, which makes them interesting for applications in medicine. ... > full story

I recognise you! But how did I do it? (January 14, 2012) -- Are you someone who easily recognizes everyone you’ve ever met? Or maybe you struggle, even with familiar faces? It is already known that we are better at recognizing faces from our own race but researchers have only recently questioned how we assimilate the information we use to recognize people. ... > full story

Evolution is written all over your face (January 13, 2012) -- Why are the faces of primates so dramatically different from one another? Biologists serving as "evolutionary detectives" studied the faces of 129 adult male primates from Central and South America, and offer answers. These faces evolved over at least 24 million years. ... > full story

Genes and disease mechanisms behind a common form of muscular dystrophy discovered (January 13, 2012) -- Continuing a series of groundbreaking discoveries begun in 2010 about the genetic causes of the third most common form of inherited muscular dystrophy, scientists have identified the genes and proteins that damage muscle cells, as well as the mechanisms that can cause the disease. ... > full story

Novel chemical route to form organic molecules (January 13, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a novel chemical route to form polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons -- complex organic molecules such as naphthalene carrying fused benzene rings -- in ultra-cold regions of interstellar space. ... > full story

NIH study shows 32 million Americans have autoantibodies that target their own tissues (January 13, 2012) -- More than 32 million people in the United States have autoantibodies, which are proteins made by the immune system that target the body’s tissues and define a condition known as autoimmunity, a study shows. The first nationally representative sample looking at the prevalence of the most common type of autoantibody, known as antinuclear antibodies (ANA), found that the frequency of ANA is highest among women, older individuals, and African-Americans. ... > full story

Discovery of plant 'nourishing gene' brings hope for increased crop seed yield and food security (January 13, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a "nourishing gene" which controls the transfer of nutrients from plant to seed -- a significant step which could help increase global food production. ... > full story

Would you stop eating out to lose weight? (January 13, 2012) -- Going out to eat has become a major part of our culture. Frequently eating out and consuming high-calorie foods in large portions at restaurants can contribute to excess calorie intake and weight gain. A new study demonstrates that people can eat out and still lose weight. ... > full story

Blame your taste buds for liking fat: Receptor for tasting fat identified in humans (January 13, 2012) -- Why do we like fatty foods so much? We can blame our taste buds. In the first study to identify a human receptor that can taste fat, researchers report that our tongues recognize and have an affinity for fat and that variations in a gene can make people more or less sensitive to the taste of fat in foods. ... > full story

New 'smart' nanotherapeutics can deliver drugs directly to the pancreas (January 13, 2012) -- Scientists have developed "smart" nanotherapeutics that can be programmed to selectively deliver drugs to the cells of the pancreas. The approach was found to increase drug efficacy by 200-fold in in vitro studies based on the ability of these nanomaterials to both protect the drug from degradation and concentrate it at key target sites, such as regions of the pancreas that contain the insulin-producing cells. ... > full story

Astronomers release unprecedented data set on celestial objects that brighten and dim (January 13, 2012) -- Astronomers have released the largest data set ever collected that documents the brightening and dimming of stars and other celestial objects -- two hundred million in total. ... > full story

No link found between prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke and autism, Swedish study finds (January 13, 2012) -- A large population-based study in Sweden indicates that there is no link between smoking during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children. ... > full story

European mountain vegetation shows effects of warmer climate (January 13, 2012) -- Researchers from 13 countries report clear and statistically significant evidence of a continent-wide warming effect on mountain plant communities in Europe. ... > full story

How the brain routes traffic for maximum alertness (January 13, 2012) -- A new study shows how the brain reconfigures its connections to minimize distractions and take best advantage of our knowledge of situations. ... > full story

Offsetting global warming: Molecule in Earth's atmosphere could 'cool the planet' (January 13, 2012) -- Scientists have shown that a newly discovered molecule in Earth's atmosphere has the potential to play a significant role in offsetting global warming by cooling the planet. ... > full story

Rare genetic mutations linked to bipolar disorder (January 13, 2012) -- Scientists report that abnormal sequences of DNA known as rare copy number variants, or CNVs, appear to play a significant role in the risk for early onset bipolar disorder. ... > full story

Graphene quantum dots: The next big small thing (January 13, 2012) -- Scientists have found a way to turn common carbon fiber into graphene quantum dots, tiny specks of matter with properties expected to prove useful in electronic, optical and biomedical applications. ... > full story

Statins may increase risk of interstitial lung abnormalities in smokers (January 13, 2012) -- Use of statins may influence susceptibility to or the progression of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in smokers, according to a new study. ... > full story

Scientists predict the next big thing in particle physics: Supersymmetry (January 13, 2012) -- A better understanding of the universe will be the outgrowth of the discovery of the Higgs boson, according to a team of researchers. The team predicts the discovery will lead to supersymmetry or SUSY -- an extension of the standard model of particle physics. SUSY predicts new matter states or super partners for each matter particle already accounted for in the standard model. SUSY theory provides an important new step to a better understanding of the universe we live in. ... > full story

Scarcity of women leads men to spend more, save less (January 13, 2012) -- The perception that women are scarce leads men to become impulsive, save less, and increase borrowing, according to new research. ... > full story

Mystery of source of supernova in nearby galaxy solved (January 13, 2012) -- Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have solved a longstanding mystery of the type of star, or so-called progenitor, that caused a supernova in a nearby galaxy. The finding yields new observational data for pinpointing one of several scenarios that trigger such outbursts. ... > full story

The microbiome and disease: Gut bacteria influence the severity of heart attacks in rats (January 13, 2012) -- New research suggests the types and levels of intestinal bacteria may be used to predict a person's likelihood of having a heart attack, and manipulating these organisms may help reduce risk. This discovery may lead to new tests and therapies that physicians use to prevent and treat heart attacks. In addition, this research suggests probiotics may be able to protect the heart in patients undergoing heart surgery and angioplasty. ... > full story

Cancer treatment with minor side effects (January 13, 2012) -- Side effects are currently the biggest problem with any cancer treatment. A new company is drawing closer to the goal of creating a treatment which kills only cancer cells, leaving other cells unaffected. ... > full story

Regulatory enzyme overexpression may protect against neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease (January 13, 2012) -- Treatment that increases brain levels of an important regulatory enzyme may slow the loss of brain cells that characterizes Huntington's disease (HD) and other neurodegenerative disorders. A team found that increased expression of Sirt1, one of a family of enzymes called sirtuins, in the brain of a mouse model of HD protected against neurodegeneration. The investigators also identified a potential mechanism for this protective effect. ... > full story

Platform safety on the radar for researchers (January 13, 2012) -- Systems used to detect aircraft and ships could soon be fitted in train stations to quickly identify objects – or even people – that have fallen on the tracks, preventing serious accidents and reducing delays that are frequently caused by these mishaps. ... > full story

Habit formation is enabled by gateway to brain cells (January 13, 2012) -- A brain cell type found where habits are formed and movement is controlled has receptors that work like computer processors to translate regular activities into habits, researchers report. "Habits, for better or worse, basically define who we are," said one of the researchers. Habits also provide mental freedom and flexibility by enabling many activities to be on autopilot while the brain focuses on more urgent matters, he said. ... > full story

Electron's negativity cut in half by supercomputer: Simulations slice electron in half -- a physical process that cannot be done in nature (January 13, 2012) -- Using several massive supercomputers, a team of physicists has split a simulated electron perfectly in half. The results are another example of how tabletop experiments on ultra-cold atoms and other condensed-matter materials can provide clues about the behavior of fundamental particles. ... > full story

New method keeps normal cells and tumor cells taken from an individual cancer patient alive (January 13, 2012) -- In a major step that could revolutionize biomedical research, scientists have discovered a way to keep normal cells as well as tumor cells taken from an individual cancer patient alive in the laboratory -- which previously had not been possible. Normal cells usually die in the lab after dividing only a few times, and many common cancers will not grow, unaltered, outside of the body. ... > full story

Wandering albatross alters its foraging due to climate change (January 13, 2012) -- Wandering albatrosses have altered their foraging due to changes in wind fields in the southern hemisphere during the last decades. Since winds have increased in intensity and moved to the south, the flight speed of albatrosses increased and they spend less time foraging. As a consequence, breeding success has improved and birds have gained 1 kilogram. ... > full story

Obesity and cancer screening: Does race and gender also play a role? (January 13, 2012) -- Researchers recently found that obesity was linked to higher rates of prostate cancer screening across all races/ethnic differences and lower rates of cervical cancer screening, most notably in white women. ... > full story

Backing out of the nanotunnel (January 13, 2012) -- Nanopores provide a versatile tool for probing molecular structures. A new study shows that one can obtain more detailed information about the dynamic behavior of nucleic acids during passage through nanopores by directing them to asymmetric pores for the return journey. ... > full story

Penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages keeps the doctor away and saves money, study finds (January 13, 2012) -- Over the past 10 years, Americans drank more sugar-sweetened beverages than ever making these drinks the single largest dietary factor in the current obesity epidemic. In a new study, researchers estimated that if a higher, penny-per-ounce tax were imposed on sugar-sweetened beverages, it would result in an approximately 15 percent reduction in consumption and reduce the prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. ... > full story