ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Wednesday, February 22, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Wednesday, February 22, 2012

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How good cholesterol turns bad (February 21, 2012) -- Researchers have found new evidence to explain how cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) mediates the transfer of cholesterol from "good" high density lipoproteins (HDLs) to "bad" low density lipoproteins (LDLs). These findings point the way to the design of safer, more effective next generation CETP inhibitors that could help prevent the development of heart disease. ... > full story

Anticipation of stressful situations accelerates cellular aging (February 21, 2012) -- The ability to anticipate future events allows us to plan and exert control over our lives, but it may also contribute to stress-related increased risk for the diseases of aging, according to a new study. ... > full story

Technique creates piezoelectric ferroelectric nanostructures (February 21, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a “soft template infiltration” technique for fabricating free-standing piezoelectrically active ferroelectric nanotubes and other nanostructures from PZT – a material that is attractive because of its large piezoelectric response. ... > full story

Injectable gel could repair tissue damaged by heart attack (February 21, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a new injectable hydrogel that could be an effective and safe treatment for tissue damage caused by heart attacks. ... > full story

Gold coaxed into nanowires to allow inexpensive detection of poisonous industrial gases (February 21, 2012) -- Researchers have coaxed gold into nanowires as a way of creating an inexpensive material for detecting poisonous gases found in natural gas. ... > full story

Rare fungus kills endangered rattlesnakes in southern Illinois (February 21, 2012) -- A small population of rattlesnakes that already is in decline in southern Illinois faces a new and unexpected threat in the form of a fungus rarely seen in the wild, researchers report. The finding matches reports of rattlesnake deaths in the northeast United States. ... > full story

Cell energy sensor mechanism discovered (February 21, 2012) -- Researchers have discovered more details about how an energy sensing “thermostat” protein determines whether cells will store or use their energy reserves. The researchers have shown that a chemical modification on the thermostat protein changes how it’s controlled. Without the modification, cells use stored energy, and with it, they default to stockpiling resources. When cells don’t properly allocate their energy supply, they can die off or become cancerous. ... > full story

Fastest wind from stellar-mass black hole (February 21, 2012) -- Astronomers have clocked the fastest wind yet discovered blowing off a disk around a stellar-mass black hole. This result has important implications for understanding how this type of black hole behaves. ... > full story

Seven adult-sized humanoid robots together for first time in the U.S. (February 21, 2012) -- Seven adult-sized humanoid robots took the stage during Drexel University's celebration of National Engineers Week in a first-of-its-kind assembly of robotic technology. Their presence -- together in one place -- is a unique event. ... > full story

Origin of photosynthesis revealed: Genome analysis of 'living fossil' sheds light on the evolution of plants (February 21, 2012) -- Evolutionary biologists have shed light on the early events leading to photosynthesis, the result of the sequencing of 70 million base pair nuclear genome of the one-celled alga Cyanophora. They consider this study the final piece of the puzzle to understand the origin of photosynthesis in eukaryotes. ... > full story

Can consuming caffeine while breastfeeding harm your baby? (February 21, 2012) -- Babies are not able to metabolize or excrete caffeine very well, so a breastfeeding mother's consumption of caffeine may lead to caffeine accumulation and symptoms such as wakefulness and irritability, according to an expert. ... > full story

Many young people don't know what constitutes sensible alcohol consumption (February 21, 2012) -- A new study reveals that young people do not possess the knowledge or skills required to adhere to U.S. government guidelines for responsible alcohol consumption. ... > full story

Rare element, tellurium, detected for the first time in ancient stars (February 21, 2012) -- Researchers has detected the element tellurium for the first time in three ancient stars. Tellurium is rare on Earth. ... > full story

Is fructose being blamed unfairly for obesity epidemic? (February 21, 2012) -- Is fructose being unfairly blamed for the obesity epidemic? Or do we just eat and drink too many calories? Researchers reviewed more than 40 published studies on whether the fructose molecule itself causes weight gain. In 31 "isocaloric" trials they reviewed, participants ate a similar number of calories, but one group ate pure fructose and the other ate non-fructose carbohydrates. The fructose group did not gain weight. ... > full story

Step forward in effort to regenerate damaged nerves (February 21, 2012) -- Scientists have taken a step forward toward the goal of repairing nerves in such patients more effectively. In a new study, researchers report that a surprising set of cells may hold potential for nerve transplants. ... > full story

Does depression contribute to the aging process? (February 21, 2012) -- Stress has numerous detrimental effects on the human body. Many of these effects are acutely felt by the sufferer, but many more go "unseen," one of which is shortening of telomere length. ... > full story

Molecular basis of touch sensation: Researchers identify new function of a well-known gene (February 21, 2012) -- A gene known to control lens development in mice and humans is also crucial for the development of neurons responsible for mechanosensory function, as neurobiologists have now discovered. They found that in mice in which they had removed the c-Maf gene in the nerve cells, touch sensation is impaired. This similarly applies to human carriers of a mutant c-Maf gene. ... > full story

Irish mammals under serious threat from 'invasional meltdown' (February 21, 2012) -- Some of Ireland's oldest inhabitants are facing serious threat and possible extinction because of foreign species, according to researchers. ... > full story

Ant colonies remember rivals' odor and compete like sports fans (February 21, 2012) -- A new study has shown that weaver ants share a collective memory for the odor of ants in rival nests, and use the information to identify them and compete, similar to how sports fans know each other instantly by their unique colors. ... > full story

Gases drawn into smog particles stay there (February 21, 2012) -- Airborne gases get sucked into stubborn smog particles from which they cannot escape, according to new findings. These finding could explain why air pollution models underestimate organic aerosols. ... > full story

Scientists unlock evolutionary secret of blood vessels (February 21, 2012) -- Scientists have shed light on how vertebrates evolved closed circulation systems designed to more effectively carry blood to organs and tissues. ... > full story

Brain makes call on which ear is used for cell phone (February 21, 2012) -- A new study finds a strong correlation between brain dominance and the ear used to listen to a cell phone, with more than 70 percent of participants holding their cell phone up to the ear on the same side as their dominant hand. ... > full story

Evolution of staph 'superbug' traced between humans and livestock (February 21, 2012) -- A strain of the potentially deadly antibiotic-resistant bacterium known as MRSA has jumped from livestock to humans, according to a new study. ... > full story

Tadpoles adjust buoyancy to adapt to different environments (February 21, 2012) -- Survival and reproduction of many aquatic and semi-aquatic animals can depend upon how well they float. Tadpoles use various strategies to attain buoyancy, depending upon their stage of development and location in still or turbulent waters. Researchers have taken a closer look at the developing frog's strategies to achieve buoyancy. ... > full story

Implantable, wireless sensors share secrets of healing tissues (February 21, 2012) -- A new implantable sensor can wirelessly transmit data from the site of a recent orthopedic surgery. Inexpensive to make and highly reliable, this new sensor holds the promise of more accurate, more cost-effective, and less invasive post-surgery monitoring and diagnosis. ... > full story

Iconic marine mammals are 'swimming in sick seas' of terrestrial pathogens (February 21, 2012) -- Parasites and pathogens infecting humans, pets and farm animals are increasingly being detected in marine mammals such as sea otters, porpoises, harbor seals and killer whales along the Pacific coast of the US and Canada, and better surveillance is required to monitor public health implications, according to a panel of scientific experts from Canada and the United States. ... > full story

Robotic dinosaurs on the way for next-gen paleontology (February 21, 2012) -- Researchers are bringing the latest technological advancements in 3-D printing to the study of ancient life. Using scale models of real fossils, for the first time, they will be able to test hypotheses about how dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals moved and lived in their environments. ... > full story

Over-reactive parenting linked to negative emotions and problem behavior in toddlers (February 21, 2012) -- Researchers have found that parents of young children who anger easily and overreact are more likely to have toddlers who act out and become upset easily. ... > full story

Environmental pollutant level during pregnancy linked with grown daughters who are overweight (February 21, 2012) -- The levels of the environmental pollutant perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) that mothers had in their blood during pregnancy increased the risk of obesity in their daughters at 20 years of age. ... > full story

Hubble reveals a new class of extrasolar planet (February 21, 2012) -- Observations by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have come up with a new class of planet, a waterworld enshrouded by a thick, steamy atmosphere. It’s smaller than Uranus but larger than Earth. ... > full story

Eat and let die: Insect feeds on toxic plants for protection from predators (February 21, 2012) -- Certain insects, such as the African variegated grasshopper or the cinnabar moth, native in Europe and Asia, feed on toxic plants in order to protect themselves from predators. ... > full story

Gene affecting the ability to sleep discovered in fruit flies (February 20, 2012) -- On the surface, it's simple: when night falls, our bodies get sleepy. But behind the scenes, a series of complex molecular events, controlled by our genes, is hard at work to make us groggy. Now, research suggests that a newly identified gene known as insomniac may play a role in keeping us asleep. By cloning and testing this gene in fruit flies researchers say they have discovered an entirely new mechanism by which sleep is regulated. ... > full story

Babies' colic linked to mothers' migraines (February 20, 2012) -- A study of mothers and their young babies by neurologists has shown that mothers who suffer migraine headaches are more than twice as likely to have babies with colic than mothers without a history of migraines. ... > full story

300-million-year-old forest discovered preserved in volanic ash (February 20, 2012) -- Pompeii-like, a 300-million-year-old tropical forest was preserved in ash when a volcano erupted in what is today northern China. Paleobotanists have reconstructed this fossilized forest, lending insight into the ecology and climate of its time. ... > full story

Telomere failure, telomerase activation drive prostate cancer progression (February 20, 2012) -- Genomic instability caused by an erosion of the protective caps on chromosomes, followed by activation of an enzyme that reinforces those caps, allows malignant cells to evade destruction and acquire more deadly characteristics, researchers report. ... > full story

Blocking telomerase kills cancer cells but provokes resistance, progression (February 20, 2012) -- Inhibiting telomerase, an enzyme that rescues malignant cells from destruction by extending the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes, kills tumor cells but also triggers resistance pathways that allow cancer to survive and spread, scientists report. ... > full story

Sheep in Wolf-Rayet's clothing: New image of planetary nebula Hen 3-1333 (February 20, 2012) -- It's well known that the universe is changeable: even the stars that appear static and predictable every night are subject to change. A new image from the NASA Hubble Space Telescope shows planetary nebula Hen 3-1333. Planetary nebulae have nothing to do with planets -- they actually represent the death throes of mid-sized stars like the sun. As they puff out their outer layers, large, irregular globes of glowing gas expand around them, which appeared planet-like through the small telescopes that were used by their first discoverers. ... > full story

Preparations continue for launching engine icing research (February 20, 2012) -- NASA scientists are making progress in their preparations to mount a detailed research campaign aimed at solving a modern-day aviation mystery involving the unlikely combination of fire and ice inside a running jet engine. ... > full story

Taking Earth's pulse: Scientists unveil a new economic and environmental index (February 20, 2012) -- A growing world population, mixed with the threat of climate change and mounting financial problems, has prompted researchers to measure the overall "health" of 152 countries around the world. ... > full story

High definition polarization vision discovered in cuttlefish (February 20, 2012) -- Cuttlefish have the most acute polarization vision yet found in any animal, researchers have discovered by showing them movies on a modified LCD computer screen to test their eyesight. ... > full story

Conservation risk highest off coasts of Canada, Mexico, Peru and New Zealand (February 20, 2012) -- Researchers have identified conservation "hot spots" around the world where the temptation to profit from overfishing outweighs the appetite for conservation. ... > full story

Water management and climate change in ancient Maya city (February 20, 2012) -- There are new findings from inside a cave and a key cultural and religious center for the ancient Maya. ... > full story

New species of bat, Hipposideros griffini, discovered in Vietnam (February 20, 2012) -- A distinctive echolocation frequency led to the discovery of a new species of bat within the genus Hipposideros. Although this bat is similar to the species Hipposideros armiger, differences in acoustics, size, and DNA between these bats led to the identification of the new species. This new member of the bat community, which has been found in two locations in Vietnam, has been given the scientific name Hipposideros griffini. ... > full story

NASA spacecraft reveals recent geological activity on the moon (February 20, 2012) -- New images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft show the moon's crust is being stretched, forming minute valleys in a few small areas on the lunar surface. Scientists propose this geologic activity occurred less than 50 million years ago, which is considered recent compared to the moon's age of more than 4.5 billion years. ... > full story

Traitorous immune cells promote sudden ovarian cancer progression (February 20, 2012) -- In a new mouse model that mimics the tumor microenvironment of ovarian cancer, scientists have demonstrated that ovarian tumors don't necessarily break "free" of the immune system, rather dendritic cells of the immune system seem to actively support the tumor's escape. The researchers show that it might be possible to restore the immune system by targeting a patient's own dendritic cells. ... > full story

World's longest kidney transplant chain completed (February 20, 2012) -- The world's longest living-donor kidney transplant chain has just been completed. The chain involved 30 donors, 30 recipients and 17 hospitals throughout the U.S. ... > full story

Bird stewards increase the effectiveness of protected beaches (February 20, 2012) -- Bird stewards – individuals who police protected beaches and educate the public about the birds who inhabit it – greatly increase the effectiveness of protected beaches, a new survey finds. ... > full story

Pulsars: The universe's gift to physics (February 20, 2012) -- Pulsars, which already have produced two Nobel Prizes, are providing scientists with unique insights on topics from particle physics to General Relativity. ... > full story