ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Tuesday, March 13, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Tuesday, March 13, 2012

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Mathematical methods predicts movement of oil and ash following environmental disasters (March 12, 2012) -- For those involved in managing the fallout from environmental disasters like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, it is essential to have tools that predict how the oil will move, so that they make the best possible use of resources to control the spill. Such tools now appear to be within reach. ... > full story

How the human body controls viruses thought to cause a variety of cancers (March 12, 2012) -- New research addresses how the human body controls gamma-herpesviruses, a class of viruses thought to cause a variety of cancers. ... > full story

Tweens just say 'maybe' to cigarettes and alcohol (March 12, 2012) -- When it comes to prevention of substance use in our tween population, turning our kids on to thought control may just be the answer to getting them to say no. ... > full story

Correcting human mitochondrial mutations (March 12, 2012) -- Researchers have identified, for the first time, a generic way to correct mutations in human mitochondrial DNA by targeting corrective RNAs, a finding with implications for treating a host of mitochondrial diseases. ... > full story

Extensive taste loss found in mammals: Feeding preferences shaped by taste receptors (March 12, 2012) -- Scientists report frequent loss of sweet taste in mammalian species that are exclusive meat eaters. Further, two sea-dwelling mammals that swallow their food whole have extensive taste loss. Many sweet-blind species eat only meat, demonstrating that a liking for sweets is frequently lost during the evolution of diet specialization. ... > full story

New study examines stair-related injuries among children in the US (March 12, 2012) -- A new study found that from 1999 through 2008, more than 93,000 children younger than five years of age were treated in US emergency departments for stair-related injuries. On average, this equates to a child younger than five years of age being rushed to an emergency department for a stair-related injury every six minutes in the US. ... > full story

First consumption of abundant life form, Archaea, discovered (March 12, 2012) -- Scientists have documented for the first time that animals can and do consume Archaea – a type of single-celled microorganism thought to be among the most abundant life forms on Earth. Archaea that consume the greenhouse gas methane were in turn eaten by worms living at deep-sea cold seeps off Costa Rica and the West Coast of the United States. ... > full story

Medical imaging technology used to better understand fish senses (March 12, 2012) -- A marine biologist gets an occasional strange look when she brings fish to Rhode Island Hospital. While the facility's microCT scanner is typically used to study bone density and diseases like osteoporosis, it is also providing new insights into the skull structure and sensory systems of fish. ... > full story

Epstein Barr-like virus infects and may cause cancer in dogs (March 12, 2012) -- Best known for causing mononucleosis, or "the kissing disease," the Epstein Barr virus has also been implicated in more serious conditions, including Hodgkin's, non-Hodgkin's and Burkitt's lymphomas. Now a team of researchers has the first evidence that an Epstein Barr-like virus can infect and may also be responsible for causing lymphomas in man's best friend. ... > full story

Statue, chapels and animal mummies found in Egypt (March 12, 2012) -- A wooden statue of a king, a private offering chapel, a monumental building and remains of over 80 animal mummies found in Abydos, Egypt, reveal intriguing information about ritual activity associated with the great gods. ... > full story

Spring break ritual could lead to brain damage (March 12, 2012) -- Every year, thousands of teens and young adults celebrate Spring Break by binge drinking large amounts of alcohol, a dangerous right-of-passage and one linked to possible brain damage later as adults. ... > full story

Delay in surgery can cause irreparable meniscus tears in children with ACL injuries (March 12, 2012) -- For children aged 14 and under, delaying reconstructive surgery for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries may raise their risk of further injury. If surgery occurs later than 12 weeks after the injury, the injury may even be irreparable. ... > full story

Touch of gold improves nanoparticle fuel-cell reactions (March 12, 2012) -- Chemists have created a triple-headed metallic nanoparticle that reportedly performs better and lasts longer than any other nanoparticle catalyst studied in fuel-cell reactions. The key is the addition of gold: it yields a more uniform crystal structure while removing carbon monoxide from the reaction. ... > full story

Pockets of high cervical cancer rates found in North Carolina, U.S. (March 12, 2012) -- A study of cervical cancer incidence and mortality in North Carolina has revealed areas where rates are unusually high. ... > full story

'Two steps' ahead in cystic fibrosis research (March 12, 2012) -- Restoring normal function to the mutant gene product responsible for cystic fibrosis (CF) requires correcting two distinct structural defects, according to new research. This finding could point to more effective therapeutic strategies for CF in the future. ... > full story

Potential role of parents' work exposures in autism risk examined: Possible link between some work exposures and risk for offspring (March 12, 2012) -- Could parental exposure to solvents at work be linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their children? According to an exploratory study, such exposures could play a role, but more research would be needed to confirm an association. ... > full story

Circumcision may help protect against prostate cancer (March 12, 2012) -- A new analysis has found that circumcision before a male's first sexual intercourse may help protect against prostate cancer. The study suggests that circumcision can hinder infection and inflammation that may lead to this malignancy. ... > full story

Ancestor of biggest dinosaurs: First dinosaur discovered in Spain dates back 15 million years earlier than thought (March 12, 2012) -- The dinosaur Aragosaurus ischiaticus, discovered 25 years ago in Teruel, is from 15 million years earlier than originally thought. Its new dating means that it was the ancestor of the Titanosauriforms, which includes the biggest dinosaurs. ... > full story

Nitrous oxide emissions are no laughing matter (March 12, 2012) -- While many are acquainted with the problems caused by CO­­2 emissions, the harmful effects of the release of nitrous oxide into the atmosphere have been far less well known. Only in recent years has the international scientific community begun to understand the scope of the threat posed by N­­2O emissions.   ... > full story

Powerful treatment provides effective relief for urinary incontinence, study suggests (March 12, 2012) -- The biggest study into the treatment of urinary incontinence with botulinum toxin (trade name Botox) has demonstrated that it is effective in treating overactive bladder (OAB) - a debilitating common condition which can affect up to 20% of people over the age of 40. ... > full story

3-D Printer with Nano-Precision (March 12, 2012) -- Printing three-dimensional objects with incredibly fine details is now possible using “two-photon lithography”. With this technology, tiny structures on a nanometer scale can be fabricated. Researchers have now made a major breakthrough in speeding up this printing technique. ... > full story

World's tallest man stops growing (March 12, 2012) -- The world’s tallest man appears to have stopped growing following treatment at the University of Virginia Medical Center, earning the medical center a mention in the 2012 Guinness World Records. ... > full story

California's snow not disappearing despite drought (March 12, 2012) -- During some winters a significant amount of snow falls on parts of California. During other winters — like this one (so far) — there is much less snow. But more than 130 years of snow data show that over time snowfall in California is neither increasing nor decreasing. ... > full story

Mechanism in cells that leads to inflammatory diseases discovered (March 12, 2012) -- Researchers have unlocked the mystery of how an inflammatory molecule is produced in the body, a discovery they say could lead to advances in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, Type 2 diabetes and numerous other chronic diseases that affect tens of millions of people. ... > full story

Reducing academic pressure may help children succeed (March 12, 2012) -- Children may perform better in school and feel more confident about themselves if they are told that failure is a normal part of learning, rather than being pressured to succeed at all costs, according to new research. ... > full story

Sending out an SOS: How telomeres incriminate cells that can't divide (March 12, 2012) -- The well-being of living cells requires specialized squads of proteins that maintain order. Degraders chew up worn-out proteins, recyclers wrap up damaged organelles, and-most importantly-DNA repair crews restitch anything that resembles a broken chromosome. If repair is impossible, the crew foreman calls in executioners to annihilate a cell. As unsavory as this last bunch sounds, failure to summon them is one aspect of what makes a cancer cell a cancer cell. ... > full story

Greenland ice sheet may melt completely with 1.6 degrees of global warming (March 12, 2012) -- The Greenland ice sheet is likely to be more vulnerable to global warming than previously thought. The temperature threshold for melting the ice sheet completely is in the range of 0.8 to 3.2 degrees Celsius of global warming, with a best estimate of 1.6 degrees above pre-industrial levels, shows a new study. ... > full story

Promising new drug target for kidney disease (March 12, 2012) -- Researchers have identified a regulator protein that plays a crucial role in kidney fibrosis, a condition that leads to kidney failure. Finding this regulator provides a new therapeutic target for the millions of Americans affected by kidney failure. ... > full story

Protein discovery could switch off cardiovascular disease (March 12, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a protein inside blood vessels with an ability to protect the body from substances which cause cardiovascular disease. ... > full story

Antidepressant shows promise as cancer treatment (March 12, 2012) -- An antidepressant combined with a drug derived from vitamin A could be used to treat a common adult form of leukemia, suggests laboratory research. ... > full story

New approach to treating type 1 diabetes? Transforming gut cells into insulin factories (March 11, 2012) -- A new study suggests that cells in the patient’s intestine could be coaxed into making insulin, circumventing the need for a stem cell transplant. Until now, stem cell transplants have been seen by many researchers as the ideal way to replace cells lost in type I diabetes and to free patients from insulin injections. ... > full story

World breakthrough on salt-tolerant wheat (March 11, 2012) -- A team of Australian scientists has bred salt tolerance into a variety of durum wheat that shows improved grain yield by 25% on salty soils. ... > full story

New transplant method may allow kidney recipients to live life free of anti-rejection medication (March 11, 2012) -- New ongoing research suggests organ transplant recipients may not require anti-rejection medication in the future thanks to the power of stem cells, which may prove to be able to be manipulated in mismatched kidney donor and recipient pairs to allow for successful transplantation without immunosuppressive drugs. A new clinical trial is set to study the use of donor stem cell infusions that have been specially engineered to "trick" the recipients' immune system into thinking the donated organ is part of the patient's natural self, thus gradually eliminating or reducing the need for anti-rejection medication. ... > full story

Thermonuclear behavior of unique neutron star captured (March 10, 2012) -- A neutron star is the closest thing to a black hole that astronomers can observe directly, crushing half a million times more mass than Earth into a sphere no larger than a city. In October 2010, a neutron star near the center of our galaxy erupted with hundreds of X-ray bursts that were powered by a barrage of thermonuclear explosions on the star's surface. NASA captured the month-long fusillade in extreme detail. ... > full story

Global warming threat to coral reefs: Can some species adapt? (March 10, 2012) -- Coral reefs are among the ecosystems most severely threatened by global warming, but hopeful new evidence has emerged that some coral species may be able to adapt to warmer oceans. Researchers now report on coral populations which unexpectedly survived a massive bleaching event in 2010 in Southeast Asian waters and had previously experienced severe bleaching during an event in 1998. ... > full story

In recognizing faces, the whole is not greater than the sum of its parts (March 9, 2012) -- How do we recognize a face? To date, most research has answered "holistically": We look at all the features -- eyes, nose, mouth -- simultaneously and, perceiving the relationships among them, gain an advantage over taking in each feature individually. Now a new study overturns this theory. ... > full story

Don’t bite the hand that feeds: Using satellite technology to evaluate the effects of ecotourism on tiger sharks (March 9, 2012) -- Ecotourism activities that use food to attract and concentrate wildlife for viewing have become a controversial topic in ecological studies. This debate is best exemplified by the shark dive tourism industry, a highly lucrative and booming global market. Use of chum or food to attract big sharks to areas where divers can view the dwindling populations of these animals has generated significant criticism because of the potential for ecological and behavioral impacts to the species. However, the debate has been largely rhetorical due to a lack of sufficient data to make any conclusions either way. ... > full story

Nanotube technology leading to new era of fast, lower-cost medical diagnostics (March 9, 2012) -- Researchers have tapped into the extraordinary power of carbon "nanotubes" to increase the speed of biological sensors, a technology that might one day allow a doctor to routinely perform lab tests in minutes, speeding diagnosis and treatment while reducing costs. The new findings have almost tripled the speed of prototype nano-biosensors, and should find applications not only in medicine but in toxicology, environmental monitoring, new drug development and other fields. ... > full story

Meteorites reveal another way to make life's components (March 9, 2012) -- Creating some of life's building blocks in space may be a bit like making a sandwich -- you can make them cold or hot, according to new NASA research. This evidence that there is more than one way to make crucial components of life increases the likelihood that life emerged elsewhere in the Universe, according to the research team, and gives support to the theory that a "kit" of ready-made parts created in space and delivered to Earth by impacts from meteorites and comets assisted the origin of life. ... > full story

Environmentally friendly cleaning and washing (March 9, 2012) -- More and more everyday products are based on renewable resources, with household cleaners now containing active cleaning substances made from plant oils and sugar. These fat and dirt removers are especially environmentally friendly and effective when produced using biotechnology, with the aid of fungi and bacteria. ... > full story

Mid-Atlantic suburbs in U.S. can expect an early spring thanks to the heat of the big city (March 9, 2012) -- If you've been thinking our world is more green than frozen these days, you're right. A recent study has found that spring is in arriving earlier -- and autumn later -- in the suburbs of Baltimore and Washington, DC. The reason? The urban landscape traps heat in the summer and holds it throughout the winter, triggering leaves to turn green earlier in the spring and to stay green later into autumn. The result is an extended growing season. ... > full story

A cheap and fully optical solution for ultra-fast internet (March 9, 2012) -- Blisteringly fast Internet speeds, more robust connections and a big increase in network capacity at little extra cost, even in rural areas? It's the sort of fantasy that keeps telecommunication company executives and bandwidth-hungry Internet users awake at night... until now. Groundbreaking fibre-optic technology promises all those things and more. ... > full story

Orientation of ants: Every cue counts (March 9, 2012) -- Foraging desert ants always find their way back to the nest, even when it is only marked by a magnetic cue, vibration, or carbon dioxide. ... > full story

Mapping the Moho with GOCE (March 9, 2012) -- The first global high-resolution map of the boundary between Earth’s crust and mantle – the Moho – has been produced based on data from ESA’s GOCE gravity satellite. Understanding the Moho will offer new clues into the dynamics of Earth’s interior. Earth’s crust is the outermost solid shell of our planet. Even though it makes up less than 1% of the volume of the planet, the crust is exceptionally important not just because we live on it, but because is the place where all our geological resources like natural gas, oil and minerals come from. ... > full story

Strong Grip: Unexpected interaction between organic semiconductors (March 9, 2012) -- Physicists have discovered an unexpectedly strong bond between organic layers. Such structures are still puzzling scientists throughout the world. These structures form the basis for novel electronic components made from organic semiconductors that are now increasingly used in smart phones and television sets. ... > full story

Tracking pedestrians indoors using their smart phones (March 9, 2012) -- The next generation of smart phone could combine the data from its gyroscopes with a built-in compass to allow you to track your movements when indoors even without GPS. Such a system could be useful for shopping mall managers, factory bosses for worker safety and security and office workers hoping to manage the flow of people through buildings. It could also be used to enable location based services and to help users navigate to specific meeting points or shops. ... > full story

Scientists claim brain memory code cracked (March 9, 2012) -- Despite a century of research, memory encoding in the brain has remained mysterious. Neuronal synaptic connection strengths are involved, but synaptic components are short-lived while memories last lifetimes. This suggests synaptic information is encoded and hard-wired at a deeper, finer-grained molecular scale. ... > full story

Revisiting LSD as a treatment for alcoholism (March 8, 2012) -- Several decades ago, a number of clinics used LSD to treat alcoholism with some success. But until now, no research has pulled together the results of these trials to document exactly how effective LSD was. Now a new meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of the drug provides evidence for a clear and consistent beneficial effect of LSD for treating alcohol dependency. ... > full story