Current Event Articles: ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Tuesday, July 13, 2010

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Tuesday, July 13, 2010

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Origin of key cosmic explosions still a mystery (July 13, 2010) -- When a star explodes as a supernova, it shines so brightly that it can be seen from millions of light-years away. One particular supernova variety -- Type Ia -- brightens and dims so predictably that astronomers use them to measure the universe's expansion. The resulting discovery of dark energy and the accelerating universe rewrote our understanding of the cosmos. Yet the origin of these supernovae, which have proved so useful, remains unknown. ... > full story

Scientists create army of tumor-fighting immune cells and watch as they attack cancer (July 13, 2010) -- Researchers created a large, well-armed battalion of tumor-seeking immune system cells and watched, in real time using positron emission tomography (PET), as the special forces traveled throughout the body to locate and attack dangerous melanomas. ... > full story

Staggering tree loss from 2005 Amazon storm (July 13, 2010) -- A single, huge, violent storm that swept across the whole Amazon forest in 2005 killed half a billion trees, a new study shows. ... > full story

Smoking-related colorectal cancer in older women is associated with molecularly defined DNA changes (July 13, 2010) -- Smoking, an established risk factor for colon cancer, may induce specific epigenetic changes and gene mutations that may be involved in the development of colon cancer, according to a new study. ... > full story

Artificial intelligence for improving team sports (July 13, 2010) -- Researchers in Spain are participating in a study to develop a system for evaluating sport performance through application of artificial intelligence techniques to automatically analyze the development of plays. ... > full story

Ethical, scientific issues related to 'post-market' clinical trials (July 13, 2010) -- Amid growing concerns about clinical trials for drugs that have been approved by the FDA but are later linked to serious health risks, an independent committee at the Institute of Medicine has developed a conceptual framework to guide the agency through the tough decision of ordering such controversial "post-market" drug-safety trials. ... > full story

Plant 'breathing' mechanism discovered (July 13, 2010) -- A tiny, little-understood plant pore has enormous implications for weather forecasting, climate change, agriculture, hydrology, and more. Scientists have now overturned the conventional belief about how these important structures called stomata regulate water vapor loss from the leaf -- a process called transpiration. They found that radiation is the driving force of physical processes deep within the leaf. ... > full story

Eating foods rich in vitamin E associated with lower dementia risk (July 13, 2010) -- Consuming more vitamin E through the diet appears to be associated with a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. ... > full story

Researchers witness overnight breakup, retreat of Greenland glacier (July 13, 2010) -- NASA-funded researchers monitoring Greenland's Jakobshavn Isbrae glacier report that a 7 square kilometer (2.7 square mile) section of the glacier broke up on July 6 and 7, as shown in a new image. ... > full story

High potassium? Check your antibiotic (July 13, 2010) -- Older adults taking the antibiotic combination trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) -- widely prescribed for urinary tract infections -- are at increased risk of elevated potassium levels, called hyperkalemia, according to a new study. ... > full story

Radiation device allows for targeted breast radiation to control cancer, study finds (July 13, 2010) -- A new study of breast cancer patients at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center and the Arizona Oncology Services shows that after almost two years, the radiation given with the Strut-Adjusted Volume Implant (SAVI™) controls the rate of cancer and may reduce the complications seen with alternate types of brachytherapy. ... > full story

Antidepressants make shrimps see the light (July 12, 2010) -- Rising levels of antidepressants in coastal waters could change sea-life behavior and potentially damage the food-chain, according to a new study. ... > full story

Antisense therapy for spinal muscular atrophy shows promise (July 12, 2010) -- Scientists have succeeded in reversing symptoms of type III SMA, a relatively mild form of spinal muscular atrophy, in mice by introducing chemically modified RNA pieces called ASOs into their spinal cords. The ASOs fix the molecular mistake underlying SMA by redirecting a cellular editing process called alternative splicing. ... > full story

Oldest written document ever found in Jerusalem discovered (July 12, 2010) -- A tiny clay fragment -- dating from the 14th century B.C.E. -- that was found in excavations outside Jerusalem's Old City walls contains the oldest written document ever found in Jerusalem, say researchers in Israel. The find, believed to be part of a tablet from a royal archives, further testifies to the importance of Jerusalem as a major city in the Late Bronze Age, long before its conquest by King David, they say. ... > full story

Universal HIV testing and immediate treatment could reduce but not eliminate HIV/AIDS epidemic (July 12, 2010) -- Implementing a program of universal HIV testing and immediate antiretroviral treatment for infected individuals could have a major impact on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Washington, D.C., but a new study finds that it would not halt the epidemic, something that a previous report had projected. ... > full story

New research can spot cloud computing problems before they start (July 12, 2010) -- Large-scale computer hosting infrastructures offer a variety of services to computer users, including cloud. But when these infrastructures run into problems -- like bottlenecks that slow their operating speed -- it can be costly for both the infrastructure provider and the user. New research will allow these infrastructure providers to more accurately predict such anomalies, and address them before they become a major problem. ... > full story

Bars, restaurants see no significant employment change under smoking bans in two cities (July 12, 2010) -- The passage of smoking bans in two large Minnesota cities was not associated with job losses at bars and may in fact have contributed to higher employment in restaurants, according to new research. The study is the first to examine the economic effects of clean indoor air policies on bars and restaurants as independent types of businesses, the researchers said. ... > full story

Expecting the unexpected does not improve one's chances of seeing it, new study finds (July 12, 2010) -- A new study finds that those who know that an unexpected event is likely to occur are no better at noticing other unexpected events -- and may be even worse -- than those who aren't expecting the unexpected. ... > full story

One in four not covering coughs, sneezes (July 12, 2010) -- Approximately one out of every four people observed in a public setting failed to cover their mouth when they coughed or sneezed according to new research. Even more concerning, less than 5 percent of people covered their mouth using methods recommended by public health officials. ... > full story

New way to expand donor pool for transplant organs? (July 12, 2010) -- New research could have an “incredible” impact on the numbers of people being saved through the organ donor system, experts claim. As demand for organ transplants continues to outstrip supply, scientists from the UK are hopeful they may have found a way to expand the donor pool. ... > full story

Stem cell transplantation successfully treats therapy-resistant chronic leukemia, German study finds (July 12, 2010) -- The transplantation of stem cells from a healthy donor (allogeneic) offers the chance of cure for patients with an aggressive form of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), irrespective of genetic prognostic factors and the prior course of the disease. ... > full story

Sewage overflow promotes spread of West Nile virus (July 12, 2010) -- Sewage that overflows into urban creeks and streams during periods of heavy rain can promote the spread of West Nile virus, a study finds. The analysis of six years of data showed that people living near creeks with sewage overflows in lower-income neighborhoods of Southeast Atlanta had a seven times higher risk for West Nile virus than the rest of the city. ... > full story

Simple two-question survey can better identify hungry children (July 12, 2010) -- Asking parents just two simple screening questions could help health care providers and social workers to easily identify families whose young children are suffering from hunger, enabling early interventions that could prevent serious health consequences, according to a new study. ... > full story

Neutrinos are likely half as massive as previous estimates suggested (July 12, 2010) -- Neutrinos are so numerous that they affected the evolution of the universe in ways that provide an estimate of their masses. ... > full story

Mouse stem cell study offers new insights into body fat distribution (July 12, 2010) -- New research shows that adding fat to mouse stem cells grown in the lab affects their response to the signals that push them to develop into one or other of the main types of fat storage cells -- subcutaneous (under the skin) or visceral (around the organs). ... > full story

Penguin males with steady pitch make better parents (July 12, 2010) -- Courtship calls help penguin females decide which males are likely to be devoted dads, according to a new study. By listening to male courtship calls, a female can tell how fat a male is and what kind of father he'll be. Fatter males make better fathers because they have the energy reserves to endure long fasts, so are less likely to leave the nest and desert their chicks. ... > full story

Dogs may help collar Chagas disease: Researchers propose new ways to combat prevalent public health challenge (July 12, 2010) -- Chagas disease affects 10 to 12 million people in Latin America, killing more than 15,000 a year. It is caused by a parasite that roams with only limited control among the rural poor in Latin America. Researchers have found that dogs are important vectors in both the spread of the disease and the potential to help control it, and can make good sentinels for health officials monitoring T. cruzi transmission. ... > full story

North Pacific: Global backup generator for past climate change (July 12, 2010) -- Toward the end of the last ice age, a major reorganization took place in the current system of the North Pacific with far-reaching implications for climate. About that time, the North Pacific branch of the conveyor belt changed drastically. The reconstructed changes in the North Pacific current system may have buffered the global impacts of the collapsed circulation in the Atlantic and possibly prevented further cooling of the Northern hemisphere. ... > full story

Making the invisible visible: Verbal cues enhance visual detection (July 12, 2010) -- Cognitive psychologists have shown that an image displayed too quickly to be seen by an observer can be detected if the participant first hears the name of the object. ... > full story

Fibers that can hear and sing: Fibers created that detect and produce sound (July 12, 2010) -- Scientists have announced a new milestone on the path to functional fibers: fibers that can detect and produce sound. Applications could include clothes that are themselves sensitive microphones, for capturing speech or monitoring bodily functions, and tiny filaments that could measure blood flow in capillaries or pressure in the brain. ... > full story

New method helps nerves grow after trauma or injury (July 12, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered a way to enhance nerve regeneration in the peripheral nervous system. The finding could lead to new treatments for nerve damage caused by diabetes or traumatic injuries. Peripheral nerves connect the brain and spinal cord to the body, and without them, there is no movement or sensation. Peripheral nerve damage is common and often irreversible. ... > full story

Mexican salamander helps uncover mysteries of stem cells and evolution (July 12, 2010) -- Scientists have been using a Mexican aquatic salamander called an axolotl to study the evolution and genetics of stem cells -- research that supports the development of regenerative medicine to treat the consequences of disease and injury using stem cell therapies. ... > full story

'Dawning of a new age' in bacteria research (July 12, 2010) -- Lowly bacteria are turning out to be much more complex than previously thought. Researchers describe an example of bacterial complexity, called "protein acetylation," which once was thought to be rare in bacteria. ... > full story

DNA through graphene nanopores (July 12, 2010) -- Researchers in the Netherlands have developed a new type of nanopore devices that may significantly impact the way we screen DNA molecules, for example to read off their sequence. The scientists report a novel technique to fabricate tiny holes in a layer of graphene (a carbon layer with a thickness of only 1 atom) and they managed to detect the motion of individual DNA molecules that travel through such a hole. ... > full story

Earliest archaeological evidence of pet tortoises discovered (July 12, 2010) -- An archaeologist has discovered a bone belonging to a late 19th-century tortoise from Stafford Castle, Staffordshire - believed to be the earliest archaeological evidence of a tortoise kept as a family pet. ... > full story

The proton -- smaller than thought: Scientists measure charge radius of hydrogen nucleus and stumble across physics mysteries (July 12, 2010) -- Big problems sometimes come in small packages. The problem with which physicists must now concern themselves measures a mere 0.0350 millionth of a millionth of a millimetre. This is precisely the difference between the new, smaller, dimension of the proton, the nucleus of the hydrogen atom, and the value which has been assumed so far. Instead of 0.8768 femtometres it measures only 0.8418 femtometres. Researchers have now measured this in experiments which are ten times more accurate than all previous ones. They thus present physics with some tough problems: at least one fundamental constant now changes. And physicists have also to check the calculations of quantum electrodynamics. This theory is assumed to be very well proven, but its predictions do not agree with these latest measurements. ... > full story

Honey as an antibiotic: Scientists identify a secret ingredient in honey that kills bacteria (July 12, 2010) -- Sweet news for those looking for new antibiotics: new research explains for the first time how honey kills bacteria. Specifically, the research shows that bees make a protein that they add to the honey, called defensin-1, which could one day be used to treat burns and skin infections and to develop new drugs that could combat antibiotic-resistant infections. ... > full story

First preliminary profile of proteins in bed bugs' saliva (July 12, 2010) -- With bed bugs reemerging as a nuisance in some parts of the country, scientists are reporting the first preliminary description of the bug's sialome -- the saliva proteins that are the secret to Cimex lectularius' ability to suck blood from its human victims and escape to bite again with risking a lethal slap. The findings could have medical applications in diagnosing bed bug bites and preventing the itch. ... > full story

Wet breathing system filters transmit harmful bacteria and yeast, hospitals warned (July 12, 2010) -- UK doctors have highlighted potential problems with the breathing system filters used in anesthesia, including intensive care units, after demonstrating that they don’t provide protection from harmful bacteria and yeast when they become wet. A new study shows that when they were wet, six commonly available filters allowed substantial passage of Candida albicans (a yeast infection linked to a range of chronic illnesses) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (a common hospital-acquired bacterial infection). ... > full story

Breakthrough in terahertz remote sensing: Unique THz 'fingerprints' will identify hidden explosives from a distance (July 12, 2010) -- A major breakthrough in remote wave sensing by a team of researchers opens the way for detecting hidden explosives, chemical, biological agents and illegal drugs from a distance of 20 meters. ... > full story

Eye movements and sight distance reveal how drivers negotiate winding roads (July 12, 2010) -- New research finds that the further drivers can look ahead, generally in left-hand curves, wide curves and when leaving a curve, the less they have to look at the tangent point. The ultimate goal of the project is to build a device into cars that warns the driver if he is in danger of unintentionally departing from the lane. ... > full story

Surprisingly regular patterns in hurricane energy discovered (July 12, 2010) -- Researchers in Spain have discovered a mathematical relation between the number of hurricanes produced in certain parts of Earth and the energy they release. ... > full story

Plasma protein appears to be associated with development and severity of Alzheimer's disease (July 12, 2010) -- Higher concentrations of clusterin, a protein in the blood plasma, appears to be associated with the development, severity and progression of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. ... > full story

Geo-neutrinos: Discovery of subatomic particles could answer deep questions in geology (July 12, 2010) -- An international team has detected subatomic particles -- geo-neutrinos -- deep within Earth's interior. The discovery could help geologists understand how reactions taking place in the planet's interior affect events on the surface such as earthquakes and volcanoes. Someday, scientists may know enough about the sources and flow of heat in Earth to predict events like the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland. ... > full story

Protein identified which helps cancer cells to survive stressful conditions (July 12, 2010) -- Researchers have made a discovery that could lead to the development of more effective treatments for a number of diseases. They have shown that a protein produced when cells are stressed interacts with a stress sensor allowing cells to survive conditions of intense stress. Understanding this interaction may help scientists interfere with cancer cells so the cells can no longer survive exposure to stressful conditions. ... > full story

Red hot chili peppers arrive in sub-zero Arctic Seed Vault (July 12, 2010) -- A new collection of some of North America's hottest foods -- an eclectic range of New World chili peppers -- were delivered to the cool Arctic Circle environs of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault this week, where their exotic tongue-scorching qualities can be kept safe for centuries. ... > full story

Violence, not overdose, the likely method of suicide in veterans with substance use disorders (July 12, 2010) -- Veterans with substance use disorders who die by suicide are more likely to use violent means (such as a firearm) rather than nonviolent means (such as a drug overdose), new research suggests. ... > full story

What’s killing farmed salmon? New virus may also pose risk to wild salmon (July 12, 2010) -- Epidemics of infectious disease are threatening the farmed fish industry, including one of its most popular products: farmed Atlantic salmon. A team of scientists has found evidence that the disease may be caused by a previously unknown virus. ... > full story

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