ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Monday, February 27, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Monday, February 27, 2012

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European Neanderthals were on the verge of extinction even before the arrival of modern humans (February 25, 2012) -- Most Neanderthals in Europe died off around 50,000 years ago, new research suggests. The previously held view of a Europe populated by a stable Neanderthal population for hundreds of thousands of years up until modern humans arrived must therefore be revised, researchers say. ... > full story

Training parents is good medicine for children with autism behavior problems, study suggests (February 24, 2012) -- Children with autism spectrum disorders who also have serious behavioral problems responded better to medication combined with training for their parents than to treatment with medication alone, researchers report. ... > full story

Significant state-by-state differences in black, white life expectancy (February 24, 2012) -- A group of researchers tracing disparities in life expectancy between blacks and whites in the US has found that white males live about 7 years longer on average than African American men and that white women live more than 5 years longer than their black counterparts. ... > full story

Memory formation triggered by stem cell development (February 24, 2012) -- Researchers have discovered an answer to the long-standing mystery of how brain cells can both remember new memories while also maintaining older ones. ... > full story

Advancing personalized medicine: Tailoring drugs to fit a patient's genetic predisposition (February 24, 2012) -- Researchers are examining how drugs can be matched to a patient’s genetic information through the study of single nucleotide polymorphisms. ... > full story

Bird brains follow the beat (February 24, 2012) -- By training birds to ‘get rhythm’, scientists uncover evidence that our capacity to move in time with music may be connected with our ability to learn speech. ... > full story

Diagnostic tool: Polymer film loaded with antibodies can capture tumor cells (February 24, 2012) -- The development of polymer film loaded with antibodies that can capture tumor cells shows promise as a diagnostic tool. Cancer cells that break free from a tumor and circulate through the bloodstream spread cancer to other parts of the body. But this process, called metastasis, is extremely difficult to monitor because the circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can account for as few as one in every billion blood cells. ... > full story

NASA pinning down where 'here' is better than ever (February 24, 2012) -- Before our Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation devices can tell us where we are, the satellites that make up the GPS need to know exactly where they are. For that, they rely on a network of sites that serve as "you are here" signs planted throughout the world. The catch is, the sites don't sit still because they're on a planet that isn't at rest, yet modern measurements require more and more accuracy in pinpointing where "here" is. To meet this need, NASA is helping to lead an international effort to upgrade the four systems that supply this crucial location information. ... > full story

The Many Moods of Titan (February 24, 2012) -- A set of recent papers, many of which draw on data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft, reveal new details in the emerging picture of how Saturn's moon Titan shifts with the seasons and even throughout the day. The papers show how this largest moon of Saturn is a cousin -- though a very peculiar cousin -- of Earth. ... > full story

Erosional origin of linear dunes on Earth and Saturn's moon Titan (February 24, 2012) -- Linear dunes, widespread on Earth and Saturn's moon, Titan, are generally considered to have been formed by deposits of windblown sand. It has been speculated for some time that some linear dunes may have formed by "wind-rift" erosion, but this model has commonly been rejected due to lack of sufficient evidence. Now, new research indicates that erosional origin models should not be ruled out. ... > full story

Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, certain cancers: Correct protein folding illuminated (February 24, 2012) -- Using the exceptionally bright and powerful X-ray beams of the Advanced Light Source, researchers have discovered a critical control element within chaperonin, the protein complex responsible for the correct folding of other proteins. The "misfolding" of proteins has been linked to many diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and some forms of cancer. ... > full story

Trusting feelings when predicting future events: The emotional oracle effect (February 24, 2012) -- People with higher trust in their feelings were more likely to correctly predict a variety of future events. The researchers call this phenomenon the emotional oracle effect. ... > full story

Light-emitting nanocrystal diodes go ultraviolet (February 24, 2012) -- Scientists have developed a process for creating glass-based, inorganic light-emitting diodes that produce light in the ultraviolet range. The work is a step toward biomedical devices with active components made from nanostructured systems. ... > full story

In the genes, but which ones? Studies that linked specific genes to intelligence were largely wrong, experts say (February 24, 2012) -- For decades, scientists have understood that there is a genetic component to intelligence, but a new study has found both that most of the genes thought to be linked to the trait are probably not in fact related to it, and identifying intelligence's specific genetic roots may still be a long way off. ... > full story

Neither birth nor death stops a flock, new theory shows (February 24, 2012) -- Neither births nor deaths stop the flocking of organisms. They just keep moving, says a theoretical physicist. The notion, he says, has implications in biology and eventually could point to new cancer therapies. ... > full story

The genetic basis for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (February 24, 2012) -- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide, especially in developed countries, and there is currently no known treatment or cure or for the vast majority of AMD patients. New research has identified genes whose expression levels can identify people with AMD, as well as tell apart AMD subtypes. It is estimated that 6.5% of people over age 40 in the US currently have AMD. There is an inheritable genetic risk factor but risk is also increased for smokers and with exposure to UV light. ... > full story

Cunning super-parasitic wasps sniff out protected aphids and overwhelm their defenses (February 24, 2012) -- In the war between parasite and host, the parasitic wasp and the pea aphid are locked in a battle for survival. New research shows that this cunning parasite sniffs out differences between protected and unprotected aphids, and alters its egg-laying strategy, in order to overwhelm aphid defenses and ensure survival of wasp offspring. The wasp lays an egg inside the pea aphid, where  the egg hatches and converts the aphid's insides into a wasp nursery. The wasp larva uses the still-living aphid as a food source, eventually pupating inside the aphid and emerging as a fully-formed mature wasp. However the pea aphid is not defenseless. It is protected by a bacterial symbiont. ... > full story

CFC substitutes: Good for the ozone layer, bad for climate? (February 24, 2012) -- The Montreal Protocol led to a global phase-out of most substances that deplete the ozone layer, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). A happy side-effect of the gradual ban of these products is that the Earth’s climate has also benefited because CFCs are also potent greenhouse gases. However, now a "rebound effect" threatens to accelerate the rate of global warming. ... > full story

Liquid water diffusion at molecular level (February 24, 2012) -- Researchers have described for the first time the diffusion of liquid water through nanochannels in molecular terms; nanochannels are extremely tiny channels with a diameter of 1-100 nanometers that scientists use to study the behavior of molecules. This study might have an important impact on water desalinization and filtration methods. The introduction of graphene membranes and carbon nanolayers will revolutionize water desalinization and filtration processes, as water diffuses rapidly through these materials when their pores are 1nm in diameter. ... > full story

Female sex hormones can weaken the ability of fish to protect themselves against environmental toxins (February 24, 2012) -- It is well known that female sex hormones (estrogens) that end up in rivers and lakes, primarily via spillage from sewers and livestock farming, pose a threat to the environment. Some environmental toxins can also have the same impact as estrogens. One example of such substances are degradation products (metabolites) from the pollutant PCB. ... > full story

Car tracks beyond the asphalt (February 24, 2012) -- The contamination caused by road traffic not only affects the air, it also seeps under the asphalt and harms the adjacent soil and plants. A chemist has delved into the subject and studied the extent of the impact of the metals emitted by cars. Likewise, he has analyzed their consequences in the short, medium and long term. ... > full story

Robot obeys to commands and gestures (February 24, 2012) -- A robot helping in the household no longer is a dream of the future. ARMAR, the humanoid robot, can understand commands and execute them independently. For instance, it gets the milk out of the fridge. Thanks to cameras and sensors, it orients itself in the room, recognizes objects, and grasps them with the necessary sensitivity. Additionally, it reacts to gestures and learns by watching a human colleague how to empty a dishwasher or clean the counter. Thus, it adapts naturally to our environment. ... > full story

Novel method to make nanomaterials discovered (February 24, 2012) -- Researchers have discovered a novel way to make nanomaterials. Using computer simulations, the researchers have been able to predict that long and narrow graphene nanoribbons can be rolled into carbon nanotubes by means of twisting. ... > full story

Wireless bicycle brake, a prototype on an exciting mission (February 24, 2012) -- At this time, wireless networks are able to brake just one bike, but in the future, the technical elements will be further developed to regulate entire trains as they travel over the lines. In view of this, computer scientists are designing mathematical calculations to check such systems automatically. ... > full story

New strategies for treatment of infectious diseases (February 24, 2012) -- The immune system protects from infections by detecting and eliminating invading pathogens. These two strategies form the basis of conventional clinical approaches in the fight against infectious diseases. Scientists now propose that a third strategy needs to be considered: tolerance to infection, whereby the infected host protects itself from infection by reducing tissue damage and other negative effects caused by the pathogen or the immune response against the invader. ... > full story

Inflammatory circuit that triggers breast cancer uncovered (February 24, 2012) -- Although it's widely accepted that inflammation is a critical underlying factor in a range of diseases, including the progression of cancer, little is known about its role when normal cells become tumor cells. Now, scientists have shed new light on exactly how the activation of a pair of inflammatory signaling pathways leads to the transformation of normal breast cells to cancer cells. ... > full story

Novel bioactive peptides promote wound healing in vivo (February 24, 2012) -- Researchers have combined bioactive peptides to stimulate wound healing. The peptides act by stimulating the growth of new blood vessels and promoting re-growth of tissue. Further development of these peptides could lead to a treatment for chronic and acute wounds. ... > full story

Are you making your spring allergies worse? Five things that can aggravate your suffering (February 24, 2012) -- Read about the five things you might be doing that are actually making your spring allergy symptoms worse. ... > full story

Cancer therapy more potent when it hits two targets, study suggests (February 24, 2012) -- Simultaneous targeting of two different molecules in cancer is an effective way to shrink tumors, block invasion, and stop metastasis, scientists have found -— work that may improve the effectiveness of combination treatments that include drugs like Avastin. ... > full story

Metal nanoparticles shine with customizable color (February 23, 2012) -- Engineers have demonstrated a new kind of tunable color filter that uses optical nanoantennas to obtain precise control of color output. ... > full story

Blood mystery solved: Two new blood types identified (February 23, 2012) -- You probably know your blood type: A, B, AB or O. You may even know if you're Rhesus positive or negative. But how about the Langereis blood type? Or the Junior blood type? Positive or negative? Most people have never even heard of these. Yet this knowledge could be "a matter of life and death." While blood transfusion problems due to Langereis and Junior blood types are rare worldwide, several ethnic populations are at risk. ... > full story

Engineers create a rainbow-colored polymer that could open the door to portable, handheld multispectral imaging devices (February 23, 2012) -- Engineers have developed a one-step, low-cost method to fabricate a polymer that is rainbow-colored, reflecting many different wavelengths of light when viewed from a single perspective. The colors won't fade with time because they are produced by surface geometry, and not pigment -- the same principle that gives color to the wings of butterflies and feather of peacocks. ... > full story

Replacing electricity with light: First physical 'metatronic' circuit created (February 23, 2012) -- The technological world of the 21st century owes a tremendous amount to advances in electrical engineering, specifically, the ability to finely control the flow of electrical charges using increasingly small and complicated circuits. And while those electrical advances continue to race ahead, researchers are pushing circuitry forward in a different way, by replacing electricity with light. ... > full story

More powerful electric cars: Mechanism behind capacitor's high-speed energy storage discovered (February 23, 2012) -- Researchers have discovered the means by which a polymer known as PVDF enables capacitors to store and release large amounts of energy quickly. Their findings could lead to much more powerful and efficient electric cars. ... > full story

Nanoscale magnetic resonance imaging, quantum computer get nudge from new research (February 23, 2012) -- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on the nanoscale and the ever-elusive quantum computer are among the advancements edging closer toward the realm of possibility, and a new study may give both an extra nudge. ... > full story

Mobile DNA elements can disrupt gene expression and cause biological variation, study shows (February 23, 2012) -- The many short pieces of mobile DNA that exist in the genome can contribute to important biological differences between strains of mice, according to a new study. The mobile DNA, sometimes called jumping genes, can disrupt gene expression even from a distance, with the disruption influenced by the gender of the parent that supplied it. The findings reveal a mechanism of natural variation in animals and humans that may apply to cancer and other diseases. ... > full story

Eating citrus fruit may lower women's stroke risk (February 23, 2012) -- Eating higher amounts of a compound in citrus fruits, especially oranges and grapefruit, may lower ischemic stroke risk. Women who ate high amounts of the compound had a 19 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke than women who consumed the least amount. ... > full story

Neurotoxins in shark fins: A human health concern (February 23, 2012) -- Sharks are among the most threatened of marine species worldwide due to unsustainable overfishing. They are primarily killed for their fins to fuel the growing demand for shark fin soup, which is an Asia delicacy. A new study has discovered high concentrations of BMAA in shark fins, a neurotoxin linked to neurodegenerative diseases in humans including Alzheimer’s and Lou Gehrig Disease (ALS). The study suggests that consumption of shark fin soup and cartilage pills may pose a significant health risk for degenerative brain diseases. ... > full story

Lifestyle of naked mole-rats holds lifesaving clues (February 23, 2012) -- A biologist thinks the subterranean lifestyle of the naked mole-rat may hold clues to keeping brain cells alive and functioning when oxygen is scarce, as during a heart attack. The key may lie in how brain cells regulate their intake of calcium, he says. ... > full story

Climate change, increasing temperatures alter bird migration patterns (February 23, 2012) -- Birds in eastern North America are picking up the pace along their yearly migratory paths. The reason, according to researchers, is rising temperatures due to climate change. ... > full story

Key to growth differences between species (February 23, 2012) -- The tiny, little-noticed jewel wasp may provide some answers as to how different species differ in size and shape. And that could lead to a better understanding of cell growth regulation, as well as the underlying causes of some diseases. ... > full story

Earliest horses show past global warming affected body size of mammals (February 23, 2012) -- As scientists continue developing climate change projection models, paleontologists studying an extreme short-term global warming event have discovered direct evidence about how mammals respond to rising temperatures. Researchers have now found a correlation between temperature and body size in mammals by following the evolution of the earliest horses about 56 million years ago: As temperatures increased, their body size decreased. ... > full story

Disarming the botulinum neurotoxin (February 23, 2012) -- Researchers have discovered how botulinum neurotoxin, a potential bioterrorism agent, survives the hostile environment in the stomach on its journey through the human body. Their study reveals the first 3D structure of a neurotoxin together with its bodyguard, a protein made simultaneously in the same bacterium. This new information reveals the toxin's weak spot -- a point in the journey that can be targeted with new therapeutics. ... > full story

Classic Maya Civilization collapse related to modest rainfall reductions, research suggests (February 23, 2012) -- The disintegration of the Maya Civilization may have been related to relatively modest reductions in rainfall, according to new research. Rather modest rainfall reductions between times when the Classic Maya Civilization flourished and its collapse - between AD 800-950, seems to have caused the collapse. These reductions amount to only 25 to 40 per cent in annual rainfall, but they were large enough for evaporation to become dominant over rainfall, and open water availability was rapidly reduced, researchers say. ... > full story

Illegal orangutan trader prosecuted (February 23, 2012) -- Sumatra has made its first ever successful sentence of an illegal orangutan owner and trader in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. ... > full story

90 percent of firefighters exhibit symptoms of PTSD, Israeli study suggests (February 23, 2012) -- A new study on the prevalence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among firefighters in Israel indicates that approximately 90 percent show some form of full or partial symptoms. ... > full story

Aircraft of the future could capture and re-use some of their own power (February 23, 2012) -- Tomorrow's aircraft could contribute to their power needs by harnessing energy from the wheel rotation of their landing gear to generate electricity. They could use this to power their taxiing to and from airport buildings, reducing the need to use their jet engines. This would save on aviation fuel, cut emissions and reduce noise pollution at airports. ... > full story

'Storm of the century' may become 'storm of the decade' (February 23, 2012) -- Researchers report that projected increases in sea level and storm intensity brought on by climate change would make devastating storm surges -- the deadly and destructive mass of water pushed inland by large storms -- more frequent in low-lying coastal areas. Regions such as the New York City metropolitan area that currently experience a disastrous flood every century could instead become submerged every one or two decades. ... > full story