ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Thursday, January 26, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Thursday, January 26, 2012

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Alzheimer's neurons from pluripotent stem cells: First-ever feat provides new method to understand cause of disease, develop drugs (January 26, 2012) -- Scientists have, for the first time, created stem cell-derived, in vitro models of sporadic and hereditary Alzheimer’s disease (AD), using induced pluripotent stem cells from patients with the much-dreaded neurodegenerative disorder. ... > full story

High animal fat diet increases gestational diabetes risk, study finds (January 26, 2012) -- Women who consumed a diet high in animal fat and cholesterol before pregnancy were at higher risk for gestational diabetes than women whose diets were lower in animal fat and cholesterol, according to researchers. ... > full story

Photo from NASA Mars orbiter shows wind's handiwork (January 26, 2012) -- Some images of stark Martian landscapes provide visual appeal beyond their science value, including a recent scene of wind-sculpted features from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. ... > full story

Middle-age risk factors drive greater lifetime risk for heart disease (January 26, 2012) -- A new study reports that while an individual's risk of heart disease may be low in the next five or 10 years, the lifetime risk could still be very high, findings that could have implications for both clinical practice and public health policy. ... > full story

Coastal storms have long-reaching effects, study says (January 26, 2012) -- Coastal storms are known to cause serious damage along the shoreline, but they also cause significant disruption of the deep-sea ecosystem as well. ... > full story

Being ignored hurts, even by a stranger (January 26, 2012) -- Feeling like you're part of the gang is crucial to the human experience. All people get stressed out when we're left out. A new study finds that a feeling of inclusion can come from something as simple as eye contact from a stranger. ... > full story

Under the electron microscope: 3-D image of an individual protein showing structure (January 26, 2012) -- Scientists are reporting the first 3-D images of an individual protein ever obtained with enough clarity to determine its structure. ... > full story

Morgellons: Unexplained skin condition is non-infectious, not linked to environmental cause: CDC report (January 26, 2012) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has completed a comprehensive study of an unexplained skin condition commonly referred to as Morgellons. ... > full story

Turtles' mating habits protect against effects of climate change (January 26, 2012) -- The mating habits of marine turtles may help to protect them against the effects of climate change. The study shows how the mating patterns of a population of endangered green turtles may be helping them deal with the fact that global warming is leading to a disproportionate number of females being born. ... > full story

New standard for vitamin D testing to ensure accurate test results (January 26, 2012) -- At a time of increasing concern about low vitamin D levels in the world's population and increased use of blood tests for the vitamin, scientists are reporting development of a much-needed reference material to assure that measurements of vitamin D levels are accurate. ... > full story

Nanocrystals make dentures shine (January 26, 2012) -- Chemists have developed novel glass ceramics for dentistry. The new kind of glass ceramic with a nanocrystalline structure seems to be well suited to be used in dentistry due to its high strength and its optical characteristics. ... > full story

High-school high achievers who flounder in university: Some students may have undetected reading comprehension difficulties (January 26, 2012) -- Everyone knows a high-school high achiever who has floundered in university. Now researchers may have an explanation for the problem. They say it is likely that some of these students may have undetected reading comprehension difficulties. ... > full story

Dawn of social networks: Ancestors may have formed ties with both kin and non-kin based on shared attributes (January 25, 2012) -- Ancient humans may not have had the luxury of updating their Facebook status, but social networks were nevertheless an essential component of their lives, a new study suggests. The study's findings describe elements of social network structures that may have been present early in human history, suggesting how our ancestors may have formed ties with both kin and non-kin based on shared attributes, including the tendency to cooperate. According to the paper, social networks likely contributed to the evolution of cooperation. ... > full story

Environment that nurtures blood-forming stem cells' growth identified (January 25, 2012) -- Scientists have identified the environment in which blood-forming stem cells survive and thrive within the body, an important step toward increasing the safety and effectiveness of bone-marrow transplantation. ... > full story

World's most powerful X-ray laser creates 2-million-degree matter (January 25, 2012) -- Researchers working at the US Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have used the world's most powerful X-ray laser to create and probe a 2-million-degree piece of matter in a controlled way for the first time. This feat takes scientists a significant step forward in understanding the most extreme matter found in the hearts of stars and giant planets, and could help experiments aimed at recreating the nuclear fusion process that powers the sun. ... > full story

Many people continue to smoke after being diagnosed with cancer (January 25, 2012) -- A new analysis has found that a substantial number of lung and colorectal cancer patients continue to smoke after being diagnosed. ... > full story

Strategic research plan needed to help avoid potential risks of nanomaterials (January 25, 2012) -- Despite extensive investment in nanotechnology and increasing commercialization over the last decade, insufficient understanding remains about the environmental, health, and safety aspects of nanomaterials. Without a coordinated research plan to help guide efforts to manage and avoid potential risks, the future of safe and sustainable nanotechnology is uncertain, says a new report. ... > full story

Adolescents with autism spend free time using solitary, screen-based media (January 25, 2012) -- Children with autism spectrum disorders tend to be fascinated by screen-based technology. A new study found that adolescents with autism (64.2 percent) spend most of their free time using solitary, or non-social, screen-based media (television and video games) while only 13.2 percent spend time on socially interactive media (e-mail, Internet chatting). ... > full story

Scientists create first atomic X-ray laser (January 25, 2012) -- Scientists have created the shortest, purest X-ray laser pulses ever achieved, fulfilling a 45-year-old prediction and opening the door to a new range of scientific discovery. The researchers aimed SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source at a capsule of neon gas, setting off an avalanche of X-ray emissions to create the world's first "atomic X-ray laser." ... > full story

Protein in brain could be a key target in controlling Alzheimer’s (January 25, 2012) -- A protein recently discovered in the brain could play a key role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. ... > full story

Injecting sulfate particles into stratosphere won't fully offset climate change (January 25, 2012) -- New research demonstrates that one suggested method of geoengineering the atmosphere to deal with climate change, injecting sulfate particles into the stratosphere, probably would have limited success. ... > full story

Foot and ankle structure differs between sprinters and non-sprinters (January 25, 2012) -- The skeletal structure of the foot and ankle differs significantly between human sprinters and non-sprinters, according to researchers. Their findings not only help explain why some people are faster runners than others, but also may be useful in helping people who have difficulty walking, such as older adults and children with cerebral palsy. ... > full story

Improving performance of electric induction motors (January 25, 2012) -- New research describes advanced motor control devices. These control devices are units designed to correct errors and improve the performance of the motors. This researcher has opted for cutting-edge models and has developed them so that they can be applied to an induction motor, and in this way he has transferred them from theory to practice. ... > full story

The price of your soul: How the brain decides whether to 'sell out' (January 25, 2012) -- A neuro-imaging study shows that personal values people refuse to disavow, even when offered cash, are processed differently in the brain than those values that are willingly sold. The experiment found that the realm of the sacred -- whether a strong religious belief, national identity or code of ethics -- is a distinct cognitive process, and prompts greater activation of a brain area associated with rules-based, right-or-wrong thought processes, as opposed to regions linked to costs-versus-benefits thought. ... > full story

'Speed gene' in modern racehorses originated from British mare 300 years ago, scientists claim (January 25, 2012) -- Scientists have traced the origin of the 'speed gene' in Thoroughbred racehorses back to a single British mare that lived in the United Kingdom around 300 years ago. ... > full story

Could Alzheimer's disease be diagnosed with a simple blood test? (January 25, 2012) -- A pilot study suggests infrared analysis of white blood cells is a promising strategy for diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story

Cassini sees the two faces of Titan's dunes (January 25, 2012) -- A new analysis of radar data from NASA's Cassini mission, in partnership with the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency, has revealed regional variations among sand dunes on Saturn's moon Titan. The result gives new clues about the moon's climatic and geological history. ... > full story

Researchers discover method to unravel malaria's genetic secrets (January 25, 2012) -- Researchers have devised a technique to overcome a genetic oddity of Plasmodium falciparum, the major cause of human malaria, which has stymied research into the organism's genes. The technique opens the door to genetic discovery for the entire organism, which should foster a greater understanding of the parasite, and facilitate discovery of new medications for a disease that infects 200 million people and kills nearly 700,000 every year. ... > full story

Toward lowering the power consumption of microprocessors (January 25, 2012) -- The first systematic power profiles of microprocessors could help lower the energy consumption of both small cell phones and giant data centers. ... > full story

In schizophrenia research, a path to the brain through the nose (January 25, 2012) -- A significant obstacle to progress in understanding psychiatric disorders is the difficulty in obtaining living brain tissue for study so that disease processes can be studied directly. Recent advances in basic cellular neuroscience now suggest that, for some purposes, cultured neural stem cells may be studied in order to research psychiatric disease mechanisms. But where can one obtain these cells outside of the brain? ... > full story

Marine mammals on the menu in many parts of world (January 25, 2012) -- The fate of the world's great whale species commands global attention as a result of heated debate between pro and anti-whaling advocates, but the fate of smaller marine mammals is less understood, specifically because the deliberate and accidental catching and killing of dolphins, porpoises, manatees, and other warm-blooded aquatic species are rarely studied or monitored. ... > full story

How do you mend a broken heart? Coaxing the heart into making replacement cardiac muscle cells (January 25, 2012) -- Scientists are closing in on signals that may be able to coax the heart into producing replacement cardiac muscle cells. Using a zebrafish model system, researchers have identified a family of molecules that can stimulate stem cells to develop into beating heart muscle cells. The research may pave the way towards new therapeutic approaches for cardiac regeneration and repair. ... > full story

Researchers quantify muscle soreness (January 25, 2012) -- Quantifying how sore a person is after a long workout is a challenge for doctors and researchers, but scientists think they may have figured it out. ... > full story

Inflammatory mediator promotes colorectal cancer by stifling protective genes (January 25, 2012) -- Chronic inflammation combines with DNA methylation, a process that shuts down cancer-fighting genes, to promote development of colorectal cancer, scientists have discovered. ... > full story

Dung beetle dance provides crucial orientation cues (January 25, 2012) -- Dung beetle dance provides crucial orientation cues: Beetles climb on top of ball, rotate to get their bearings to maintain straight trajectory. ... > full story

Babies are born with 'intuitive physics' knowledge, says researcher (January 25, 2012) -- While it may appear that infants are helpless creatures that only blink, eat, cry and sleep, one researcher says that studies indicate infant brains come equipped with knowledge of "intuitive physics." ... > full story

Lab mimics Jupiter's Trojan asteroids inside a single atom (January 25, 2012) -- Physicists have built an accurate model of part of the solar system inside a single atom. Scientists have shown that they could make an electron orbit the atomic nucleus in the same way that Jupiter's Trojan asteroids orbit the sun. The findings uphold a 1920 prediction by physicist Niels Bohr. ... > full story

Increased exposure to compound widely used in food packaging associated with reduced immune response to vaccinations for children (January 25, 2012) -- Elevated exposures in children to perfluorinated compounds, which are widely used in manufacturing and food packaging, were associated with lower antibody responses to routine childhood immunizations, according to a new study. ... > full story

Restored wetlands rarely equal condition of original wetlands (January 25, 2012) -- Half of all wetlands in the US, Europe and China were destroyed during the 20th century, but a thriving restoration effort aims to recreate marshes and other ecosystems lost. A new study cautions, however, that restored wetlands do not recover to the condition of a natural, undamaged wetland for hundreds of years, if ever. This calls into question mitigation banks that allow developers to destroy one wetland if they create another. ... > full story

Food fried in olive or sunflower oil is not linked to heart disease, Spanish study finds (January 25, 2012) -- Eating food fried in olive or sunflower oil is not linked to heart disease or premature death, a new study finds. The authors stress, however, that their study took place in Spain, a Mediterranean country where olive or sunflower oil is used for frying and their results would probably not be the same in another country where solid and re-used oils were used for frying. ... > full story

Fungi-filled forests are critical for endangered orchids (January 25, 2012) -- When it comes to conserving the world's orchids, not all forests are equal. Ecologists revealed that an orchid's fate hinges on two factors: A forest's age and its fungi. ... > full story

How longstanding conflict influences empathy for others (January 25, 2012) -- A young researcher had long been drawn to conflict -- not as a participant, but an observer. In 1994, while doing volunteer work in South Africa, he witnessed firsthand the turmoil surrounding the fall of apartheid; during a 2001 trip to visit friends in Sri Lanka, he found himself in the midst of the violent conflict between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan military. He is now exploring how longstanding conflict influences empathy for others. ... > full story

Winged dinosaur Archaeopteryx dressed for flight (January 25, 2012) -- The iconic, winged dinosaur Archaeopteryx was dressed for flight, an international team of researchers has concluded. The group identified the color of the raven-sized creature's fossilized wing feather, determining it was black. The color and the structures that supplied the pigment suggest that Archaeopteryx's feathers were rigid and durable, which would have helped it to fly. ... > full story

Brown fat burns calories in adult humans (January 25, 2012) -- Brown fat burns calories to generate body heat in rodents and newborn humans. Recently, adult humans have also been found to possess brown fat, leading to the suggestion that increasing the amount of brown fat a person has will make them slimmer. However, it has never been shown definitively that adult human brown fat burns energy. But now, researchers in Canada have provided this evidence. ... > full story

Bilayer graphene works as an insulator: Research has potential applications in digital and infrared technologies (January 25, 2012) -- Physicists have identified a property of "bilayer graphene" that the researchers say is analogous to finding the Higgs boson in particle physics. The physicists found that when the number of electrons on the BLG sheet is close to 0, the material becomes insulating -- a finding that has implications for the use of graphene as an electronic material in the semiconductor and electronics industries. ... > full story

Availability and use of sanitation reduces by half the likelihood of parasitic worm infections (January 25, 2012) -- Access to sanitation facilities, such as latrines, reduces by half the risk of becoming infected by parasitic worms that are transmitted via soil, according to a new study. ... > full story

'Green' pesticide effective against citrus pests (January 25, 2012) -- Researchers have discovered a key amino acid essential for human nutrition is also an effective insecticide against caterpillars that threaten the citrus industry. ... > full story

Study shows connection between birth weights and armed conflict (January 25, 2012) -- A new study shows pregnant women exposed to armed conflict have a higher risk of giving birth to underweight babies. ... > full story