ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Friday, January 20, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Friday, January 20, 2012

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Almost perfect: Researcher nears creation of superlens (January 20, 2012) -- A superlens would let you see a virus in a drop of blood and open the door to better and cheaper electronics. It might, says one researcher, make ultra-high-resolution microscopes as commonplace as cameras in our cell phones. ... > full story

How immune cells move against invaders (January 20, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered the unexpected way in which a key cell of the immune system prepares for battle. The finding, they said, offers insight into the processes that take place within these cells and could lead to strategies for treating conditions from spinal cord injury to cancer. ... > full story

Legionnaires' disease outbreak linked to hospital's decorative fountain (January 20, 2012) -- A 2010 outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in Wisconsin has been linked to a decorative fountain in a hospital lobby, according to a new study. ... > full story

Statin use in postmenopausal women associated with increased diabetes risk (January 20, 2012) -- The use of statins in postmenopausal women is associated with increased diabetes risk, according to a new study. ... > full story

Cheap beads offer alternative solar-heating storage (January 20, 2012) -- A cheap material that can store heat energy collected from the sun during the day that can be released slowly over night has been developed by researchers in the India. The material, based on paraffin wax and stearic acid, could help keep homes warm in sunny parts of the world that get very cold at night without burning wood or fossil fuels. ... > full story

Listen up: Abnormality in auditory processing underlies dyslexia (January 20, 2012) -- Although disrupted processing of speech sounds has been implicated in the underlying pathology of dyslexia, the basis of this disruption and how it interferes with reading comprehension has not been fully explained. Now, new research finds that a specific abnormality in the processing of auditory signals accounts for the main symptoms of dyslexia. ... > full story

Harp seals on thin ice after 32 years of warming (January 20, 2012) -- Warming in the North Atlantic over the last 32 years has significantly reduced winter sea ice cover in harp seal breeding grounds, resulting in sharply higher death rates among seal pups in recent years, according to a new study. ... > full story

Flexible adult stem cells, right there in your eye (January 20, 2012) -- In the future, patients in need of perfectly matched neural stem cells may not need to look any further than their own eyes. Researchers have identified adult stem cells of the central nervous system in a single layer of cells at the back of the eye. ... > full story

Spasticity gene finding provides clues to causes of nerve cell degeneration (January 20, 2012) -- The discovery of a gene that causes a form of hereditary spastic paraplegia may provide scientists with an important insight into what causes axons, the stems of our nerve cells, to degenerate in conditions such as multiple sclerosis. ... > full story

New, noninvasive way to identify lymph node metastasis (January 20, 2012) -- Using two cell surface markers found to be highly expressed in breast cancer lymph node metastases, researchers have developed targeted, fluorescent molecular imaging probes that can non-invasively detect breast cancer lymph node metastases. The new procedure could spare breast cancer patients invasive and unreliable sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsies and surgery-associated negative side effects. ... > full story

Two new standard reference materials for monitoring human exposure to environmental toxins (January 20, 2012) -- Scientists have developed two new standard reference materials for measurements of human exposure to environmental toxins. The new reference materials replace and improve older versions, adding measures for emerging environmental contaminants such as perchlorate, a chemical that the Environmental Protection Agency has targeted for regulation as a contaminant under the Safe Drinking Water Act. ... > full story

Scientists map the frontiers of vision (January 20, 2012) -- Pioneering vision study in mice will help revolutionize the study of brain function and mental disease. ... > full story

Umbilical cord stem cells converted into brain support cells (January 19, 2012) -- Researchers have succeeded in converting stem cells from umbilical cords into other types of cells, which may eventually lead to new treatment options for spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis, among other nervous system diseases. ... > full story

Environmental exposure to organochlorines may impact male reproduction (January 19, 2012) -- Environmental exposure to organochlorine chemicals, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and p,p'-DDE (the main metabolite of the insecticide DDT) can affect male reproduction, according to new research. ... > full story

Impact of land use activity in the Amazon basin evaluated (January 19, 2012) -- Portions of the Amazon basin are experiencing a transition in energy and water cycles. Evidence suggests that the Amazon may also be transitioning from a net carbon sink to a net source. This research shows that although the Amazon is resilient to individual disturbances, such as drought, multiple disturbances override this, increasing the vulnerability of forest ecosystems to degradation. This review provides a framework for understanding the associations between natural variability and drivers of change. ... > full story

Insulin therapy may help repair atherosclerotic lesions in diabetic patients (January 19, 2012) -- New research reveals that insulin applied in therapeutic doses selectively stimulates the formation of new elastic fibers in cultures of human aortic smooth muscle cells. These results advance the understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of diabetic vascular disease. ... > full story

Magnetic actuation enables nanoscale thermal analysis (January 19, 2012) -- In recent years an atomic force microscope-based technique called nanoscale thermal analysis has been employed to reveal the temperature-dependent properties of materials at the sub-100 nm scale. Typically, nanothermal analysis works best for soft polymers. Researchers have now shown that they can perform nanoscale thermal analysis on stiff materials like epoxies and filled composites. ... > full story

Imagine that: How you envision others says a lot about you in real life (January 19, 2012) -- Researchers have found that study participants who conjured positive imaginary co-workers contributed more in the actual workplace, both in job performance and going above and beyond to help others. ... > full story

Unusual 'tulip' creature discovered: Lived in the ocean more than 500 million years ago (January 19, 2012) -- A bizarre creature that lived in the ocean more than 500 million years ago has emerged from the famous Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale in the Canadian Rockies. Officially named Siphusauctum gregarium, fossils reveal a tulip-shaped creature that is about the length of a dinner knife (approximately 20 centimeters or eight inches) and has a unique filter feeding system. ... > full story

Nanoparticles refined for more accurate delivery of cancer drugs (January 19, 2012) -- A new class of nanoparticles, synthesized to prevent premature drug release, holds promise for greater accuracy and effectiveness in delivering cancer drugs to tumors. ... > full story

Slippery when stacked: Theorists quantify the friction of graphene (January 19, 2012) -- Similar to the way pavement, softened by a hot sun, will slow down a car, graphene slows down an object sliding across its surface. But stack the sheets and graphene gets more slippery, say theorists who developed new software to quantify the material's friction. ... > full story

Mechanism by which newly approved melanoma drug accelerates secondary skin cancers uncovered (January 19, 2012) -- Patients with metastatic melanoma taking the recently approved drug vemurafenib (Zelboraf®) responded well to the twice daily pill, but some of them developed a different, secondary skin cancer. Now, researchers have elucidated the mechanism by which vemurafenib excels at fighting melanoma but also allows for the development of skin squamous cell carcinomas. ... > full story

Native forest birds in Hawaii in unprecedented trouble (January 19, 2012) -- Native birds at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge are in unprecedented trouble, according to a new article. ... > full story

When it comes to accepting evolution, gut feelings trump facts (January 19, 2012) -- For students to accept the theory of evolution, an intuitive "gut feeling" may be just as important as understanding the facts, according to a new study. In an analysis of the beliefs of biology teachers, researchers found that a quick intuitive notion of how right an idea feels was a powerful driver of whether or not students accepted evolution -- often trumping factors such as knowledge level or religion. ... > full story

How protein in teardrops annihilates harmful bacteria: Novel technology reveals lysozymes have jaws (January 19, 2012) -- A disease-fighting protein in our teardrops has been tethered to a tiny transistor, enabling scientists to discover exactly how it destroys dangerous bacteria. The research could prove critical to long-term work aimed at diagnosing cancers and other illnesses in their very early stages. ... > full story

Another clue in the mystery of autism (January 19, 2012) -- A study of discordant twins -- twins in which one has autism spectrum disorder and one doesn't -- finds the lower birth weight twins are more than three times as likely to have ASD than heavier twins. Though genetic effects are of major importance, say researchers, the study suggests a non-genetic influence associated with birth weight may contribute to development of ASD. ... > full story

NASA finds 2011 ninth-warmest year on record (January 19, 2012) -- The global average surface temperature in 2011 was the ninth warmest since 1880, according to NASA scientists. The finding continues a trend in which nine of the 10 warmest years in the modern meteorological record have occurred since the year 2000. ... > full story

Study finds potential key to immune suppression in cancer (January 19, 2012) -- In a study investigating immune response in cancer, researchers have found that interaction between the immune system's antigen-specific CD4 T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) – cells that play a major role in cancer-related immune suppression – dramatically change the nature of MDSC-mediated suppression. By contrast, the same effect was not observed when MDSCs interacted with the immune system's CD8 T cells. ... > full story

'Rules' may govern genome evolution in young plant species (January 19, 2012) -- A new study shows a hybrid plant species may experience rapid genome evolution in predictable patterns, meaning evolution repeats itself in populations of independent origin. ... > full story

Enhancing cognition in older adults also changes personality (January 19, 2012) -- A program designed to boost cognition in older adults also increased their openness to new experiences, researchers report, demonstrating for the first time that a non-drug intervention in older adults can change a personality trait once thought to be fixed throughout the lifespan. ... > full story

Helix Nebula in new colors (January 19, 2012) -- Astronomers have captured a striking new image of the Helix Nebula. A new picture, taken in infrared light, reveals strands of cold nebular gas that are invisible in images taken in visible light, as well as bringing to light a rich background of stars and galaxies. The Helix Nebula is one of the closest and most remarkable examples of a planetary nebula. ... > full story

Estrogen-targeting drug combo may help prevent lung cancer (January 19, 2012) -- A combination of drugs that target estrogen production significantly reduced the number of tobacco carcinogen-induced lung tumors in mice, according to results from a preclinical study. ... > full story

Snakes improve search-and-rescue robots: New design uses less energy (January 19, 2012) -- Researchers have studied the movements of snakes to create more efficient search-and-rescue robots. ... > full story

Participating in marathons, half-marathons not found to increase risk of cardiac arrest (January 19, 2012) -- A new study finds that participating in marathons and half-marathons is associated with a relatively low risk of cardiac arrest, compared to other forms of athletics. The study also identifies bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation as a key factor in patient survival. ... > full story

Chemists unlock potential target for drug development (January 19, 2012) -- A receptor found on blood platelets whose importance as a potential pharmaceutical target has long been questioned may in fact be fruitful in drug testing, according to new research. ... > full story

Which direction now? Just ask the north-facing map in your head (January 19, 2012) -- You're driving from work to pick up your kids at school. The drive is familiar; you've done it almost every day for years. But how do you know in which direction the school is from your home? Landmarks? The sun? Animal instinct? ... > full story

Inventory lists 19,232 newly discovered species during latest count (January 19, 2012) -- More than half of the 19,232 species newly known to science in 2009, the most recent calendar year of compilation, were insects -- 9,738 or 50.6 percent -- according to the 2011 State of Observed Species. ... > full story

New gene discovery unlocks mystery of epilepsy in infants (January 19, 2012) -- Researchers have come a step closer to unlocking a mystery that causes epileptic seizures in babies. Benign familial infantile epilepsy has been recognized for some time as infantile seizures, without fever, that run in families but the cause has so far eluded researchers. However, clinical researchers have now discovered a gene. ... > full story

Breast cancer cells targeted, then burned, by gold-filled silicon wafers (January 19, 2012) -- By shining infrared light on specially designed, gold-filled silicon wafers, scientists have successfully targeted and burned breast cancer cells. If the technology is shown to work in human clinical trials, it could provide patients a non-invasive alternative to surgical ablation, and could be used in conjunction with traditional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, to make those treatments more effective. ... > full story

Solving the mystery of an old diabetes drug that may reduce cancer risk (January 19, 2012) -- Researchers now report on how the diabetes drug metformin potentially reduces cancer risk. ... > full story

Transparency limits on transparent conducting oxides identified (January 19, 2012) -- Computational materials researchers have used cutting-edge calculations to determine fundamental optical transparency limits in conducting oxide material tin oxide. ... > full story

Does marriage really make people happier? Study finds few well-being advantages to marriage over cohabitation (January 19, 2012) -- Married couples experience few advantages for psychological well-being, health, or social ties compared to unmarried couples who live together, according to a new study. While both marriage and cohabitation provide benefits over being single, these reduce over time following a honeymoon period. ... > full story

Most distant dwarf galaxy detected (January 19, 2012) -- Scientists have long struggled to detect the dim dwarf galaxies that orbit our own galaxy. So it came as a surprise on Jan. 18 when a team of astronomers using Keck II telescope's adaptive optics has announced the discovery of a dwarf galaxy halfway across the universe. ... > full story

Commonly used blood pressure drug prevents smoking-related lung damage in mice (January 19, 2012) -- Working with mice, scientists have successfully used a commonly prescribed blood pressure medicine, losartan (Cozaar), to prevent almost all of the lung damage caused from two months of exposure to cigarette smoke. The treatment specifically targeted lung tissue breakdown, airway wall thickening, inflammation and lung over-expansion. ... > full story

Polar growth at the bacterial scale reveals potential new targets for antibiotic therapy (January 19, 2012) -- Microbiologists have identified a new bacterial growth process -- one that occurs at a single end or pole of the cell instead of uniform, dispersed growth along the long axis of the cell -- that could have implications in the development of new antibacterial strategies. ... > full story

How drugs get those tongue-twisting generic names (January 19, 2012) -- Oseltamivir. Esomeprazole. Trastuzumab. Where do drugs get those odd-sounding generic names? The answers are in a new article that explains the logic behind the tongue-twisters. ... > full story

Optical nanoantennas enable efficient multipurpose particle manipulation (January 19, 2012) -- Researchers have shown that by tuning the properties of laser light illuminating arrays of metal nanoantennas, these nano-scale structures allow for dexterous optical tweezing as well as size-sorting of particles. ... > full story

People behave socially and 'well' even without rules, online avatar study shows (January 19, 2012) -- Millions of online human interactions were assessed during a new study which included actions such as communication, founding and ending friendships, trading goods, sleeping, moving, however also starting hostilities, attacks and punishment. The game does not suggest any rules and everyone can live with their avatar (i.e. with their “game character” in the virtual world) as they choose. ... > full story