ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Friday, March 2, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Friday, March 2, 2012

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Turning off small RNA: New tool designed for breaking the epigenetic code (March 1, 2012) -- Scientists have known for years that minuscule strings of genetic material called small RNA are critically important to our genetic makeup, but finding out what they do hasn't been easy. Now scientists have developed a way to turn off small RNAs and find out just how important they can be. ... > full story

Clearer picture of how protein machine systems tweak gene expression (March 1, 2012) -- Biologists have found that specific types of RNA polymerase enzymes, the molecular machines that convert DNA into RNA, can differ in function based on variation in the parts -- in this case protein subunits -- used to assemble those machines. ... > full story

Bacteria communicate by touch, new research suggests (March 1, 2012) -- What if bacteria could talk to each other? What if they had a sense of touch? A new study suggests both, and theorizes that such cells may, in fact, need to communicate in order to perform certain functions. ... > full story

Sturdy Scandinavian conifers survived Ice Age (March 1, 2012) -- Until now, it was presumed that the last glacial period denuded the Scandinavian landscape of trees until a gradual return of milder weather began and melted away the ice cover some 9,000 years ago. New research shows that some Scandinavian conifers survived the inhospitable ice age climate likely for several thousands of years. ... > full story

Ocean acidification rate may be unprecedented, study says (March 1, 2012) -- The world's oceans may be turning acidic faster today from human carbon emissions than they did during four major extinctions in the last 300 million years, when natural pulses of carbon sent global temperatures soaring, says a new study. The study is the first of its kind to survey the geologic record for evidence of ocean acidification over this vast time period. ... > full story

Antibodies are not required for immunity against some viruses (March 1, 2012) -- A new study turns the well established theory that antibodies are required for antiviral immunity upside down and reveals that an unexpected partnership between the specific and non-specific divisions of the immune system is critical for fighting some types of viral infections. The research may lead to a new understanding of the best way to help protect those exposed to potentially lethal viruses, such as the rabies virus. ... > full story

How marijuana impairs memory (March 1, 2012) -- A major downside of the medical use of marijuana is the drug's ill effects on working memory, the ability to transiently hold and process information for reasoning, comprehension and learning. Researchers provide new insight into the source of those memory lapses. The answer comes as quite a surprise: Marijuana's major psychoactive ingredient (THC) impairs memory independently of its direct effects on neurons. ... > full story

Basic molecular 'wiring' of stem cells revealed (March 1, 2012) -- Scientists have created the first ever blueprint of how stem cells are wired to respond to the external signaling molecules to which they are constantly exposed. The finding, which reconciles years of conflicting results from labs across the world, gives scientists the ability to precisely control the development, or differentiation, of stem cells into specific cell types. ... > full story

Pioneering research reveals versatile bacterium's secrets (March 1, 2012) -- Ground-breaking research will help to make one of the most versatile of bacteria even more useful to society and the environment. Though it lives naturally in the soil, the bacterium Bacillus subtilis is widely used as a model laboratory organism. It is also used as a 'cell factory' to produce vitamins for the food industry and, in biotechnology, to produce enzymes such as those used in washing powders. ... > full story

Protein complex affects cells' ability to move, respond to external cues (March 1, 2012) -- Scientists have explained for the first time how a long-studied protein complex affects cell migration and how external cues affect cell’s ability to migrate. ... > full story

Cell and signaling pathway that regulates the placental blood stem cell niche identified (March 1, 2012) -- Stem cell researchers have discovered a critical placental niche cell and signaling pathway that prevent blood precursors from premature differentiation in the placenta, a process necessary for ensuring proper blood supply for an individual’s lifetime. ... > full story

Treating brain cancer with viral vector (March 1, 2012) -- Surgeons are now starting to treat patients with recurrent brain cancer by directly injecting an investigational viral vector into their tumor. ... > full story

Nutrient found in dark meat of poultry, some seafood, may have cardiovascular benefits (March 1, 2012) -- A nutrient found in the dark meat of poultry may provide protection against coronary heart disease in women with high cholesterol, according to a new study. ... > full story

How anesthetic isoflurane induces Alzheimer's-like changes in mammalian brains (March 1, 2012) -- The association of the inhaled anesthetic isoflurane with Alzheimer's-disease-like changes in mammalian brains may by caused by the drug's effects on mitochondria, the structures in which most cellular energy is produced. ... > full story

What makes a robot fish attractive? Robot fish moves to the head of the school (March 1, 2012) -- Probing the largely unexplored question of what characteristics make a leader among schooling fish, researchers have discovered that by mimicking nature, a robotic fish can transform into a leader of live ones. In early experiments aimed at understanding how a robot could potentially lead wildlife from danger, the researchers were intrigued to find that their biomimetic robotic fish could not only infiltrate and be accepted by the swimmers, but actually assume a leadership role. ... > full story

How does nearsightedness develop in children? (March 1, 2012) -- Myopia (nearsightedness) develops in children when the lens stops compensating for continued growth of the eye, according to a new study. ... > full story

In space and on Earth, why build it, when a robot can build it for you? (March 1, 2012) -- Like something straight out of “Star Wars,” armies of robots could nimbly be crawling up towers and skyscrapers to make repairs in the not-so-distant future, so humans don’t have to. ... > full story

Groundbreaking discovery on stem cell regulation (March 1, 2012) -- Scientists have for the first time, identified that precise regulation of polyamine levels is critical for embryonic stem cell (ESC) self-renewal -- the ability of ESCs to divide indefinitely -- and directed differentiation. This paper is crucial for better understanding of ESC regulation. ... > full story

Study of wildfire trends in Northwestern California shows no increase in severity over time (March 1, 2012) -- Even though wildfires have increased in size over time, they haven't necessarily grown in severity nor had corresponding negative impacts to the ecosystem, according to a recent study. ... > full story

Carbon dioxide catchers: New tools for identifying effective carbon capture technologies (March 1, 2012) -- Using techniques from drug discovery, and state-of-the-art advances in mathematics, computational algorithms and supercomputing, researchers have developed a tool for identifying the most efficient porous materials for CO2. ... > full story

Fancy footwork and non-stick leg coating helps spiders not stick to their own webs (March 1, 2012) -- Researchers asked why spiders do not stick to their own sticky webs. Repeating old, widely quoted but poorly documented studies with modern equipment and techniques, they discovered that spiders' legs are protected by a covering of branching hairs and by a non-stick chemical coating and that they modify their behavior to avoid getting stuck. ... > full story

Depression: An evolutionary byproduct of immune system? (March 1, 2012) -- Depression is common enough -- afflicting one in ten adults in the United States -- that it seems the possibility of depression must be "hard-wired" into our brains. This has led biologists to propose several theories to account for how depression, or behaviors linked to it, can somehow offer an evolutionary advantage. Some previous proposals for the role of depression in evolution have focused on how it affects behavior in a social context. A pair of psychiatrists addresses this puzzle in a different way, tying together depression and resistance to infection. They propose that genetic variations that promote depression arose during evolution because they helped our ancestors fight infection. ... > full story

Leatherback turtle migration study identifies Pacific danger zones for endangered species (March 1, 2012) -- The majestic leatherback turtle is the largest sea turtle in the world, growing to more than 6 feet in length. It is also one of the most threatened. A major new study of migration patterns has identified high-use areas -- potential danger zones -- in the Pacific Ocean for this critically endangered species. This new understanding could help inform decisions about fishing practices to help reduce further deaths of this fragile species. ... > full story

Floor of oldest fossilized forest discovered: 385 million years old (March 1, 2012) -- The floor of the world’s oldest forest has been unearthed. Scientists are now piecing together a view of this ancient site, dating back about 385 million years ago, which could shed new light on the role of modern-day forests and their impact on climate change. ... > full story

Alternative fuels expert plans coast-to-coast U.S. trip on 10 gallons of gas or less (March 1, 2012) -- An alternative fuels expert firmly believes he can go coast-to-coast on l0 gallons of gasoline or less. His attempts will be March 3-8, 2012, and in 2013. ... > full story

Promising approach to preventing Alzheimer's (March 1, 2012) -- As scientists struggle to find an effective way to prevent Alzheimer's disease, researchers may have found a new approach to interrupting the process that leads to the devastating disease. ... > full story

Bacteria tend leafcutter ants' gardens (March 1, 2012) -- New research points to two important roles for bacteria that live in the underground fungal gardens of leafcutter ants: they help decompose leaves that ants bring to the gardens and play a major role in turning those leaves into nutrients for both ants and the fungi. The findings could help researchers studying fungal enzymes to convert plants into biofuel. ... > full story

Understanding and treating the cognitive dysfunction of Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease (March 1, 2012) -- Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic disorder in live born children arising as a consequence of a chromosomal abnormality. It occurs as a result of having three copies of chromosome 21, instead of the usual two. It causes substantial physical and behavioral abnormalities, including life-long cognitive dysfunction that can range from mild to severe but which further deteriorates as individuals with DS age. ... > full story

Beauty has a dark side: Morbid curiosity explained (March 1, 2012) -- What draws us to the darker side? What compels us to look whenever we pass a grisly accident on the highway and drives us to watch horror movies and television coverage of disasters? A professor and a lifelong student of the macabre, set out to discover the source of people’s attraction to the morbid, drawing on the perspectives of biologists, sociologists, psychologists, anthropologists, philosophers, theologians and artists. ... > full story

Thickest parts of Arctic ice cap melting faster (February 29, 2012) -- A new study revealed that the oldest and thickest Arctic sea ice is disappearing at a faster rate than the younger and thinner ice at the edges of the Arctic Ocean's floating ice cap. ... > full story

New infant formula ingredients boost babies' immunity by feeding their gut bacteria (February 29, 2012) -- Adding prebiotic ingredients to infant formula helps colonize the newborn's gut with a stable population of beneficial bacteria, and probiotics enhance immunity in formula-fed infants, two studies report. ... > full story

Who's in the know? To a preschooler, the person doing the pointing (February 29, 2012) -- If you want a preschooler to get the point, point. That's a lesson that can be drawn from a new study. As part of their investigation of how small children know what other people know, the authors found they were able to mislead preschoolers with the simple introduction of a pointing gesture. ... > full story

Effects of a concussion may last longer than symptoms (February 29, 2012) -- A new study shows that physiological problems stemming from a concussion may continue to present in the patient even after standard symptoms subside. ... > full story

Earthworms to blame for decline of ovenbirds in northern Midwest forests (February 29, 2012) -- A recent decline in ovenbirds, a ground-nesting migratory songbird, in forests in the northern Midwest United States is being linked by scientists to a seemingly unlikely culprit: earthworms. ... > full story

How insects 'remodel' their bodies between life stages (February 29, 2012) -- How is it that an insect can remake itself so completely that it appears to be a different creature altogether, not just once, but several times in its lifetime? Working with fruit flies scientists found that genes whose expression is induced by pulses of steroid hormone are key to these transformations. A similar mechanism may underlie puberty -- the human analog of metamorphosis. ... > full story

Blockade of learning and memory genes may occur early in Alzheimer's disease: Treatable in mice (February 29, 2012) -- A repression of gene activity in the brain appears to be an early event affecting people with Alzheimer's disease, researchers have found. In mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, this epigenetic blockade and its effects on memory were treatable. ... > full story

Finding a potent new energy source by listening for Earth's gas bubbles? (February 29, 2012) -- What if we could cheaply and efficiently detect a potent new energy source, while also monitoring for environmental safety? Physicists are using the symphony of sound produced in the ocean to do just that. ... > full story

Astronomers rediscover life on Earth -- by looking at the moon (February 29, 2012) -- By observing the Moon using ESO's Very Large Telescope, astronomers have found evidence of life in the universe -- on Earth. Finding life on our home planet may sound like a trivial observation, but the novel approach may lead to future discoveries of life elsewhere in the universe. ... > full story

When continents collide: New twist to 50-million-year-old tale (February 29, 2012) -- Fifty million years ago, India slammed into Eurasia, a collision that gave rise to the tallest landforms on the planet, the Himalaya Mountains and the Tibetan Plateau. ... > full story

Old drug reveals new tricks: How interferon works to suppress virus in patients with HIV, hepatitis (February 29, 2012) -- A drug once taken by people with HIV/AIDS but long ago shelved after newer, modern antiretroviral therapies became available has now shed light on how the human body uses its natural immunity to fight the virus—work that could help uncover new targets for drugs. ... > full story

The ever-expanding definition of 'diversity' (February 29, 2012) -- Diversity has become a goal for all sorts of institutions -- but what it means may depend on who you ask. A new study finds that people's ideologies help determine what they count as "diverse." ... > full story

Two genes do not make a voter (February 29, 2012) -- Voting behavior cannot be predicted by one or two genes as previous researchers have claimed, according to a professor of public policy and political science. ... > full story

Genetics of endangered African monkey suggest troubles from warming climate (February 29, 2012) -- A rare and endangered monkey in an African equatorial rainforest is providing a look into our climatic future through its DNA. Its genes show that wild drills, already an overhunted species, may see a dramatic population decline if the forest dries out and vegetation becomes sparser amid warming temperatures, researchers report. ... > full story

In what ways does lead damage the brain? It derails the brain's center for learning (February 29, 2012) -- Exposure to lead wreaks havoc in the brain, with consequences that include lower IQ and reduced potential for learning. But the precise mechanism by which lead alters nerve cells in the brain has largely remained unknown. New research has used high-powered fluorescent microscopy and other advanced techniques to painstakingly chart the varied ways lead inflicts its damage. ... > full story

Nanofiber breakthrough holds promise for medicine and microprocessors (February 29, 2012) -- A new method for creating nanofibers made of proteins promises to greatly improve drug delivery methods, aid in regenerating human tissue, and pave the way to an organic method of building nanofibers for tiny, powerful microprocessors. Researchers have discovered how to make nanofibers using the COMP protein found in human cartilage. By adding different metal ions, researchers found the fibers would absorb or release drug molecules. ... > full story

No workout? No worries: Scientists prevent muscle loss in mice, despite disease and inactivity (February 29, 2012) -- If you want big muscles without working out, there's hope. Scientists report a family of protein transcription factors, called "Forkhead (Fox0)," that plays a significant role in the regulation of skeletal muscle mass. Interfering with Fox0 prevented muscle wasting associated with cancer and sepsis, and even promoted muscle growth. This is likely relevant to any disease, condition or lifestyle that leads to muscle wasting. ... > full story

Exotic material boosts electromagnetism safely (February 29, 2012) -- Using exotic man-made materials, scientists believe they can greatly enhance the forces of electromagnetism, one of the four fundamental forces of nature, without harming living beings or damaging electrical equipment. ... > full story

Gluten-free, casein-free diet may help some children with autism, research suggests (February 29, 2012) -- A gluten-free, casein-free diet may lead to improvements in behavior and physiological symptoms in some children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to researchers. The research is the first to use survey data from parents to document the effectiveness of a gluten-free, casein-free diet on children with ASD. ... > full story