Current Event Articles: ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Wednesday, July 7, 2010

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Wednesday, July 7, 2010

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Lone whales shout to overcome noise (July 7, 2010) -- Just like people in a bar or other noisy location, North American right whales increase the volume of their calls as environmental noise increases; and just like humans, at a certain point, it may become too costly to continue to shout, according to marine and acoustic scientists. ... > full story

Scientists reveal the mystery of sudden cardiac death (July 7, 2010) -- Scientists in the UK have solved a mystery connected with why people die from sudden cardiac arrest during sleep -- potentially saving thousands of lives. ... > full story

Secrets of nutritious corn breed that withstands rigors of handling (July 7, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered the basis for what makes corn kernels hard, a quality that allows corn to be easily harvested, stored and transported. The findings could lead to better hybrids and increase the supply for people in developing countries who rely on it as a nutritional staple. The study examines "quality protein maize," or QPM, which has key protein ingredients and a hard-shelled kernel. ... > full story

Patients with treatment-resistant CLL respond positively to stem cell transplants (July 7, 2010) -- Allogeneic (donor-derived) stem cell transplant may be a promising option for patients with treatment-resistant chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), regardless of the patient's underlying genetic abnormalities, according to the results of a new study. ... > full story

NASA satellite adds carbon dioxide to its repertoire (July 7, 2010) -- A NASA-led research team has expanded the growing global armada of remote sensing satellites capable of studying carbon dioxide, the leading greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth's climate. ... > full story

Many mephedrone alternatives just as risky, warn experts (July 7, 2010) -- Since the recent ban on mephedrone, many so-called "legal substitutes" available on the internet are in fact banned cathinones (chemically related to amphetamines) and just as risky, warn experts. ... > full story

Researchers measure single-molecule machines in action (July 7, 2010) -- In the development of future molecular devices, new display technologies, and "artificial muscles" in nanoelectromechanical devices, functional molecules are likely to play a primary role. Rotaxanes, one family of such molecules, are tiny, mechanically interlocked structures that consist of a dumbell-shaped molecule whose rod section is encircled by a ring. These structures behave as molecular "machines," with the ring moving along the rod from one station to another when stimulated by a chemical reaction, light or acidity. ... > full story

Best tests for predicting Alzheimer's disease identified (July 7, 2010) -- New research has identified the memory and brain scan tests that appear to predict best whether a person with cognitive problems might develop Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story

How T cells make a commitment (July 7, 2010) -- When does a cell decide its particular identity? According to biologists, in the case of T cells -- immune system cells that help destroy invading pathogens -- the answer is when the cells begin expressing a particular gene called Bcl11b. ... > full story

Short-term kidney failure in heart patients may not be as detrimental, study shows (July 7, 2010) -- New research shows that while short-term worsening kidney function is frequent among patients with heart failure, these patients also have better outcomes than those who have persistent kidney failure. ... > full story

Cleaner water mitigates climate change effects on Florida Keys coral reefs, study shows (July 7, 2010) -- Improving the quality of local water increases the resistance of coral reefs to global climate change, according to a new study. ... > full story

Why are blacks more likely to die from cancer diagnosis? Patient, doctor, hospital factors all contribute to worse survival, review finds (July 7, 2010) -- While disparities exist for nearly every common cancer type, the largest differences occur among cancers that benefit most from treatment -- suggesting that black patients are not getting needed lifesaving treatments, according to a review. ... > full story

Bridge to the quantum world: Darwinian concept of natural selection figures into theory about core of physical reality (July 6, 2010) -- Researchers propose an answer to one of the long-running questions in the study of quantum physics: the mystery of how the world of our sensory experience emerges from the cloudy realm of atoms. ... > full story

Cocoa flavanols improve vascular and blood pressure measures for coronary artery disease patients (July 6, 2010) -- A new study finds that high concentrations of cocoa flavanols decrease blood pressure, improve the health of blood vessels and increase the number of circulating blood-vessel-forming cells in patients with heart disease. The findings indicate that foods rich in flavanols -- such as cocoa products, tea, wine and various fruits and vegetables -- have a cardio-protective benefit for heart disease patients. ... > full story

Hips don't lie: Researchers find more accurate technique to determine sex of skeletal remains (July 6, 2010) -- Researchers are offering a new means of determining the sex of skeletal human remains -- an advance that may have significant impacts in the wake of disasters, the studying of ancient remains and the criminal justice system. ... > full story

Head and spine trauma from ATV accidents cost .24 billion annually, study finds (July 6, 2010) -- Severe trauma to the head and spine resulting from all-terrain vehicle accidents are increasing dramatically, according to new research. ... > full story

Team devises technique to predict dust storms with infrared satellite (July 6, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a method for predicting dust and sandstorms that uses infrared satellite images to determine when conditions are ripe for the destructive phenomena, a technique that could be implemented globally and that the research team used to forecast a 2008 New Mexico dust storm -- the area's largest in decades -- two days beforehand. ... > full story

Anxiety may be at root of religious extremism, researchers find (July 6, 2010) -- New findings show that anxiety and uncertainty can cause us to become more idealistic and more radical in our religious beliefs. ... > full story

Rare creatures from the deep: Findings may revolutionize thinking about deep-sea life in Atlantic Ocean (July 6, 2010) -- Scientists have just returned from a voyage with samples of rare animals and more than 10 possible new species in a trip which they say has revolutionized their thinking about deep-sea life in the Atlantic Ocean. One group of creatures they observed -- and captured -- during their six weeks in the Atlantic aboard the RRS James Cook is believed to be close to the missing evolutionary link between vertebrate and invertebrate animals. ... > full story

Bacterial communication encourages chronic, resistant ear infections (July 6, 2010) -- Ear infections caused by more than one species of bacteria could be more persistent and antibiotic-resistant because one pathogen may be communicating with the other, encouraging it to bolster its defenses. Interrupting or removing that communication could be key to curing these infections. ... > full story

Can you make a snail forget? (July 6, 2010) -- Scientists have identified which environmental stress conditions encourage pond snails to remember and which make them forget. Following training, predator scent super-sensitised the snails whilst overcrowding and reduced calcium blocked memory formation. Understanding when stress blocks or enhances memory in a simple animal model may help elucidate mechanisms in more complex animals, like humans. ... > full story

Aerobic exercise safe and effective for rheumatoid arthritis patients, experts say (July 6, 2010) -- Researchers have determined that cardio-respiratory aerobic exercise is safe for patients with stable rheumatoid arthritis. The team found that RA patients who exercised regularly had improved function, less joint pain, and greater quality of life. ... > full story

Multi-layered images projected onto water droplets with new technology (July 6, 2010) -- AquaLux 3-D, a new projection technology, can target light onto and between individual water droplets, enabling text, video and other moving or still images to be displayed on multiple layers of falling water. ... > full story

Romantic rejection stimulates areas of brain involved in motivation, reward and addiction (July 6, 2010) -- The pain and anguish of rejection by a romantic partner may be the result of activity in parts of the brain associated with motivation, reward and addiction cravings, according to a new study. ... > full story

With magnetic nanoparticles, scientists remotely control neurons and animal behavior (July 6, 2010) -- Clusters of heated, magnetic nanoparticles targeted to cell membranes can remotely control ion channels, neurons and even animal behavior, according to a new study. ... > full story

Maternal diet and genes interact to affect heart development (July 6, 2010) -- A pregnant mother's diet may be able to interact with the genes her unborn child inherits and influence the type or severity of birth defect, according to new research. The study suggests that mothers who eat a high fat diet before and through pregnancy could be inadvertently putting the health of their offspring at risk. ... > full story

Infrared camera may provide a better view for night driving (July 6, 2010) -- Infrared cameras see more than the naked eye and can make road traffic safer. Cameras for the long-wave infrared range, however, have the disadvantage that the sensor requires constant cooling, which adds to the cost and complexity of the device. Now a new type of detector has been developed which functions at room temperature. ... > full story

Nna proteins play role in catastrophic neuron death in mice, flies -- and perhaps people (July 6, 2010) -- A team of researchers has identified a key player in the dramatic loss of neurons in mice and fly models, a discovery that could help illuminate the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in human neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease. ... > full story

Barrier to faster integrated circuits may be mere speed bump, scientists say (July 6, 2010) -- Integrated circuits, which enable virtually every electronics gadget you use on a daily basis, are constantly being pushed by the semiconductor industry to become smaller, faster, and cheaper. As has happened many times in the past and will continue in the future, integrated circuit scaling is perpetually in danger of hitting a wall that must be maneuvered around. According to French researchers, in order to continue increasing the speed of integrated circuits, interconnect insulators will require an upgrade to porous, low-dielectric constant materials. ... > full story

Many English speakers cannot understand basic grammar (July 6, 2010) -- Research into grammar suggests that a significant proportion of native English speakers are unable to understand some basic sentences. The findings - which undermine the assumption that all speakers have a core ability to use grammatical cues - could have significant implications for education, communication and linguistic theory. ... > full story

Thermal-powered, insect-like robot crawls into microrobot contenders' ring (July 6, 2010) -- Engineers have built an insect-like robot with hundreds of tiny legs. Compared to other such microrobots, this new model excels in its ability to carry heavy loads -- more than seven times its own weight -- and move in any direction. ... > full story

Revolutionary therapy slows tumor growth in advanced breast cancer, research reports (July 6, 2010) -- A novel therapy designed to attack tumors in patients with a genetic mutation in either BRCA1 or BRCA2, slowed tumor growth in 85 percent of advanced breast cancer patients treated in a small study, researchers report. ... > full story

Watch while an asteroid eats a star (July 6, 2010) -- In a rare event on July 8, 2010, skywatchers will be able to see an asteroid briefly block out the light from a star as it passes in front. It may be the only asteroid 'occultation' this century observable with the naked eye. ... > full story

Doctors to treat septic patients with hypothermia (July 6, 2010) -- Mild hypothermia can reduce the effects of sepsis on oxygen transport around the body and may be a valuable tool in the treatment of human sepsis patients. Sepsis is an inflammatory response to infection and will often result in septic shock, which is the biggest cause of death in intensive care units. ... > full story

More fish than thought may thrive in the ocean's depths, study suggests (July 6, 2010) -- A study of the occurrence of fishes in the ocean's deepest reaches -- the hadal zone, below 6000 meters -- has provided evidence that some species of fishes are more numerous at such depths than experts had thought. ... > full story

Memory links to 40 winks (July 6, 2010) -- When it comes to executing items on tomorrow's to-do list, it's best to think it over, then "sleep on it," say psychologists. The researchers have shown that sleep enhances our ability to remember to do something in the future, a skill known as prospective memory. ... > full story

Long-term fate of Gulf oil spill: Computer simulations show oil reaching up the Atlantic coastline and toward Europe (July 6, 2010) -- The possible spread of the oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon rig over the course of one year was studied in a series of computer simulations by a team of researchers. The simulations suggest that the coastlines near northern Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas could see the effects of the oil spill as early as October 2010, while the main branch of the subtropical gyre is likely to transport the oil film towards Europe, although strongly diluted. ... > full story

Antioxidants do help arteries stay healthy (July 6, 2010) -- Long-term supplementation with dietary antioxidants has beneficial effects on sugar and fat metabolism, blood pressure and arterial flexibility in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Researchers report these positive results in a randomized controlled trial of combined vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 and selenium capsules. ... > full story

Environmental toxins affect the body's hormone systems (July 6, 2010) -- Individual variants of the environmental pollutants PCB and PFC can affect several of the body's hormone systems in a more complex way than previously supposed. Humans and animals are constantly exposed to these toxins through the food they eat and the air they breathe. ... > full story

New key to corneal transplant success (July 6, 2010) -- Although already one of medicine's most successful transplant procedures, doctors continue to seek ways to improve corneal transplants. Now, for the first time, a team of German and British researchers have confirmed that failure and rejection of transplanted corneas are more likely in patients whose eyes exhibit abnormal vessel growth, called corneal neovascularization, prior to surgery. The findings also suggest a new treatment approach that could improve transplant success rates. ... > full story

Breath of the Earth: Cycling carbon through terrestrial ecosystems (July 6, 2010) -- Two recent international studies are poised to change the way scientists view the crucial relationship between Earth's climate and the carbon cycle. These reports explore the global photosynthesis and respiration rates -- the planet's deep "breaths" of carbon dioxide, in and out -- and researchers say that the new findings will be used to update and improve upon traditional models that couple together climate and carbon. ... > full story

Adolescent cyberbullies and their victims may have physical, mental health problems (July 6, 2010) -- Adolescent victims and perpetrators of electronic bullying appear more likely to report having psychiatric and physical symptoms and problems, according to a new study. ... > full story

For female baboons, too, it's good to have friends (July 6, 2010) -- Female baboons that maintain closer ties with other members of their troop live substantially longer than do those whose social bonds are less stable, a recent study has found. The researchers say that the findings add to evidence in animals from mice to humans that social bonds have real adaptive value. ... > full story

Cognition and memory improve dramatically in mice when brain compound levels were decreased (July 6, 2010) -- For the first time, scientists have linked a brain compound called kynurenic acid to cognition, possibly opening doors for new ways to enhance memory function and treat catastrophic brain diseases, according to a new study. When researchers decreased the levels of kynurenic acid in the brains of mice, their cognition was shown to improve markedly, according to a new study. ... > full story

Benchtop biofuels: Fine-tuning growth conditions helps cyanobacteria flourish (July 6, 2010) -- Cyanobacteria are among the oldest living forms in nature, responsible for generating the atmospheric oxygen we breathe today. Now researchers are perfecting the means to culture these microbes -- potentially rich source of biofuels and biomaterials -- significantly greater abundance. ... > full story

Low vitamin D linked to the metabolic syndrome in elderly people (July 6, 2010) -- A new study adds to the mounting evidence that older adults commonly have low vitamin D levels and that vitamin D inadequacy may be a risk factor for the metabolic syndrome, a condition that affects one in four adults. ... > full story

Optical imaging could create pathway for radiotracers, study finds (July 6, 2010) -- A new study reports on investigative research of a novel optical imaging technique called "Cerenkov luminescence imaging." According to the authors, the technique could lead to the faster and more cost-effective development of radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other conditions. ... > full story

Abused children appear likely to have mental disorders as young adults (July 6, 2010) -- Abuse and neglect during childhood appear to be associated with increased rates of mood, anxiety and substance use disorders among young adults, according to a new study. ... > full story

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