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ScienceDaily Technology Headlines -- for Monday, December 13, 2010

2010-12-13T02:23:00.001-08:00

ScienceDaily Technology Headlines

for Monday, December 13, 2010

Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.

Improving children's diets using behavior change video games shows promise (December 13, 2010) -- Obesity in youngsters has risen dramatically in recent decades. Fruit and vegetable consumption and increased water intake can lower the risk of obesity, as can increased physical activity, but it is not always easy to convince children to eat better and exercise more. In a new study, researchers found that video games designed to encourage these behaviors were effective. ... > full story

Microbatteries with nanowire hearts (December 13, 2010) -- Researchers have moved a step closer to creating robust, three-dimensional microbatteries that would charge faster and hold other advantages over conventional lithium-ion batteries. They could power new generations of remote sensors, display screens, smart cards, flexible electronics and biomedical devices. ... > full story

Practical, tunable, 3-D microdroplet laser developed (December 13, 2010) -- Scientists have developed a microdroplet 3-D laser system in which laser light shines forth in all directions from dye molecules lodged within spherical drops of helical molecules dispersed in a liquid solution. ... > full story

A swarm of ancient stars (December 12, 2010) -- We know of about 150 of the rich collections of old stars called globular clusters that orbit our galaxy, the Milky Way. A sharp new image of Messier 107 displays the structure of one such globular cluster in exquisite detail. Studying these stellar swarms has revealed much about the history of our galaxy and how stars evolve. ... > full story

Synchrotron study shows how nitric oxide kills (December 12, 2010) -- Nitric oxide is a toxic pollutant, but the human body also creates it and uses it to attack invading microbes and parasites. A new study by researchers in the U.S. and the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute shows how nitric oxide, attacks an important group of proteins critical to cell survival. ... > full story

'Green' water treatments may not kill bacteria in large building cooling systems (December 12, 2010) -- Non-chemical water treatment systems -- touted as environmentally conscious stand-ins for such chemicals as chlorine -- may allow dangerous bacteria to flourish in the cooling systems of hospitals, commercial offices and other water-cooled buildings. The study is the first to thoroughly investigate the ability of nonchemical treatment devices to control the growth of bacteria in water-based air-conditioning systems found in many large buildings. ... > full story

Wind and water have shaped Schiaparelli impact basin on Mars (December 11, 2010) -- The small crater embedded in the northwestern rim of the Schiaparelli impact basin features prominently in this new image from the European Space Agency's Mars Express. All around is evidence for past water and the great martian winds that periodically blow. ... > full story

Computer-based program may help relieve some ADHD symptoms in children (December 11, 2010) -- An intensive, five-week working memory training program shows promise in relieving some of the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, a new study suggests. Researchers found significant changes for students who completed the program in areas such as attention, ADHD symptoms, planning and organization, initiating tasks and working memory. ... > full story

Neutron stars and string theory in a lab: Chilled atoms give clues to deep space and particle physics (December 11, 2010) -- Using lasers to contain some ultra-chilled atoms, a team of scientists has measured the viscosity or stickiness of a gas often considered to be the sixth state of matter. The measurements verify that this gas can be used as a "scale model" of exotic matter, such as super-high temperature superconductors, the nuclear matter of neutron stars, and even the state of matter created microseconds after the Big Bang. The results may also allow experimental tests of string theory in the future. ... > full story

Simulations aim to unlock nature's process of biomineralization (December 11, 2010) -- Researchers are leveraging advanced modeling and simulation resources to study the process of biomineralization, nature's ability to form complex structures, such as bones, teeth and mollusk shells. This natural phenomenon, if harnessed, could lead to the design of composite materials and devices for such applications as bone replacement, sensing systems, efficient energy generation and treatment of diseases. ... > full story

WISE sees an explosion of infrared light (December 10, 2010) -- A circular rainbow appears like a halo around an exploded star in a new view of the IC 443 nebula from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE. When massive stars die, they explode in tremendous blasts, called supernovae, which send out shock waves. The shock waves sweep up and heat surrounding gas and dust, creating supernova remnants like the one pictured in the new image. The supernova in IC 443 happened somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 years ago. ... > full story

Odyssey orbiter nears Martian longevity record (December 10, 2010) -- By the middle of next week, NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter will have worked longer at Mars than any other spacecraft in history. Odyssey made its most famous discovery -- evidence for copious water ice just below the dry surface of Mars -- during its first few months, and it finished its radiation-safety check for future astronauts before the end of its prime mission in 2004. The bonus years of extended missions since then have enabled many accomplishments that would not have been possible otherwise. ... > full story

Winter treat for skywatchers as Geminid meteors sparkle in December sky (December 10, 2010) -- On the evening of December 13th and the morning of the 14th, skywatchers across the northern hemisphere will be looking up as the Geminid meteor shower reaches its peak, in one of the best night sky events of the year. And unlike many astronomical phenomena, meteors are best seen without a telescope (and are perfectly safe to watch). ... > full story

World's smallest battery: Real-time observation of nanowire anode to help improve lithium batteries (December 10, 2010) -- A benchtop version of the world's smallest battery -- its anode a single nanowire one seven-thousandth the thickness of a human hair -- has been created by a team of researchers. ... > full story

Bioengineers develop bacterial strain to increase ethanol biofuel production (December 10, 2010) -- Bioengineers have modified a strain of bacteria to increase its ability to produce ethanol. The research reveals how adaptation and metabolic engineering can be combined for strain improvement, a positive development for the biofuel industry. ... > full story

Seeing the invisible: New 'CSI tool' visualizes bloodstains and other substances (December 10, 2010) -- Snap an image of friends in front of a window curtain and the camera captures the people -- and invisible blood stains splattered on the curtain during a murder. Sound unlikely? Chemists are reporting development of a camera with that ability to see the invisible, and more. Called multimode imaging in the thermal infrared, the new technology could find uses in crime scene investigations and elsewhere, they say. ... > full story

New insights into formation of Earth, the Moon, and Mars (December 10, 2010) -- New research reveals that the abundance of so-called highly siderophile, or metal-loving, elements like gold and platinum found in the mantles of Earth, the moon and Mars were delivered by massive impactors during the final phase of planet formation over 4.5 billion years ago. The predicted sizes of the projectiles, which hit within tens of millions of years of the giant impact that produced our moon, are consistent with current planet formation models. They predict that the largest of the late impactors on Earth -- at 1,500 to 2,000 miles in diameter -- potentially modified Earth's obliquity by approximately 10 degrees, while t hose for the Moon, at approximately 150-200 miles, may have delivered water to its mantle. ... > full story

Perfectly needled nonwoven (December 10, 2010) -- Hardly any other textile is as versatile as nonwoven: it keeps babies' bottoms dry and protects plants from the sun. In the Gulf of Mexico, special nonwovens soaked up the oil washed up on beaches like blotting paper. A new piece of simulation software now makes it possible to produce high-quality, stripe-free nonwoven fabrics. ... > full story

Elusive spintronics success could lead to single chip for processing and memory (December 9, 2010) -- Researchers have shown that a magnetically polarized current can be manipulated by electric fields. This important discovery opens up the prospect of simultaneously processing and storing data on electrons held in the molecular structure of computer chips -- combining computer memory and processing power on the same chip. ... > full story

Online photos may reveal your friendships (December 9, 2010) -- Comparing the locations of photos posted on the Internet with social network contacts, computer scientists have found that as few as three "co-locations" for images at different times and places could predict with high probability that two people posting photos were socially connected. ... > full story

Physicists discover ultrasensitive microwave detector (December 9, 2010) -- Physicists have discovered a way to use one of the information technology industry's mainstay materials -- gallium arsenide semiconductors -- as an ultrasensitive microwave detector that could be suitable for quantum computing. The discovery comes at a time when computer chip engineers are racing both to add nanophotonic devices directly to microchips and to boost processor speeds beyond 10 gigahertz. ... > full story

Astronomers discover, image new planet in planetary system very similar to our own (December 9, 2010) -- An international team of astronomers has discovered and imaged a fourth giant planet outside our solar system, whose discovery strengthens some remarkable resemblances between this planetary system and our own. The astronomers say the planetary system resembles a super-sized version of our solar system. ... > full story

Redrawing the map of Great Britain based on human interaction (December 9, 2010) -- A group of researchers have used one of the world's largest databases of telecommunications records to redraw the map of Great Britain. The research is based on the analysis of 12 billion anonymized records representing more than 95% of Great Britain's residential and business landlines. ... > full story

Bacteria to test water lines: Contained bacteria change color when they contact toxins (December 9, 2010) -- Although drinking water is monitored more strictly than almost anything, our water supply network is still not immune to accidents, wear and tear or targeted attacks. A one-minute warning system for toxins and other substances in water hazardous to health could set off alarms in future if there is a danger. ... > full story

Black holes and warped space revealed by powerful new array of radio telescopes (December 9, 2010) -- A new image shows how the light from a quasar billions of light years away is bent around a foreground galaxy by the curvature of space. This light has been traveling for 9 billion years before it reached the Earth. The quasar is a galaxy powered by a super-massive black hole, leading to the ejection of jets of matter moving at almost the speed of light. ... > full story

Astronomers open new window into early universe: Epoch of Reionization (December 8, 2010) -- Thirteen billion years ago, our universe was dark. Eventually that mysterious time came to an end as the first stars ignited and their radiation transformed the nearby gas atoms into ions. Astronomers have developed a small-scale radio astronomy experiment designed to detect a never-before-seen signal from the early universe during this period of time, called the Epoch of Reionization, which is intimately linked to many fundamental questions in cosmology. ... > full story

Extending the life of oil reserves: Greener, cheaper more efficient oil extraction made possible (December 8, 2010) -- Scientists have come up with a new way to treat carbon dioxide, so that it can be used in efficient and environmentally friendly methods for extracting oil. These new CO2 soluble additives can also be used to reduce the environmental damage caused by every day industrial processes such as food processing and the manufacture of electronics. ... > full story

'Logic gates' made to program bacteria as computers (December 8, 2010) -- Researchers have engineered E. coli with the key molecular circuitry that will enable genetic engineers to program cells to communicate and perform computations. ... > full story

Computer model for projecting severity of flu season (December 8, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a statistical model for projecting how many people will get sick from seasonal influenza based on analyses of flu viruses circulating that season. ... > full story

So you think you can solve a cosmology puzzle? Scientists challenge other scientists with a series of galaxy puzzles (December 8, 2010) -- Cosmologists have come up with a new way to solve their problems. They are inviting scientists, including those from totally unrelated fields, to participate in a grand competition. The idea is to spur outside interest in one of cosmology's trickiest problems -- measuring the invisible dark matter and dark energy that permeate our universe. ... > full story

Theoretical breakthrough: Generating matter and antimatter from nothing (December 8, 2010) -- Under just the right conditions -- which involve an ultra-high-intensity laser beam and a two-mile-long particle accelerator -- it could be possible to create something out of nothing, according to researchers. ... > full story

Pure nanotube-type growth edges toward the possible (December 8, 2010) -- New research could ultimately show scientists the way to make batches of nanotubes of a single type. Scientists unveil an elegant formula that defines the energy of a piece of graphene cut at any angle. ... > full story

Astronomers detect first carbon-rich exoplanet (December 8, 2010) -- Astronomers have discovered that a huge, searing-hot planet orbiting another star is loaded with an unusual amount of carbon. The planet, a gas giant named WASP-12b, is the first carbon-rich world ever observed. The discovery was made using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, along with previously published ground-based observations. ... > full story

Duelling dipoles: In search of a new theory of photosynthetic energy transfer (December 8, 2010) -- Chemists have refuted a basic postulate of Förster theory, which describes energy transfers between pigment molecules, such as those that underlie photosynthesis. A revised version of the theory could have an impact on the design of optical computers and improve the efficiency of solar cells. ... > full story

New observations of exploding stars reveal pauses, flickers and flares not reliably seen before (December 8, 2010) -- Astronomers have traced the waxing and waning light of exploding stars more closely than ever before and seen patterns that aren't yet accounted for in our current understanding of how these eruptions occur. ... > full story

Chemical coarsening: How the big get bigger (December 8, 2010) -- Scientists are studying a process called coarsening, a branch of surface chemistry that examines how objects of different sizes transform into fewer objects with larger average sizes. They are using scanning tunneling microscope technology to see how coarsening happens on the surface of objects and how it can be enhanced. ... > full story

Tiny laser light show illuminates quantum computing (December 8, 2010) -- A new laser-beam steering system that aims and focuses bursts of light onto single atoms for use in quantum computers has been developed. The new system is somewhat like the laser-light-show projectors used at rock concerts and planetariums. But it's much smaller, faster, atom-scale accurate and aimed at the future of computing, not entertainment. ... > full story

Nanoparticle gives antimicrobial ability to fight Listeria longer (December 8, 2010) -- Scientists have developed a nanoparticle that can hold and release an antimicrobial agent as needed for extending the shelf life of foods susceptible to Listeria monocytogenes. ... > full story

Providing incentives to cooperate can turn swords into ploughshares (December 8, 2010) -- When two individuals face off in conflict, the classic problem in evolutionary biology known as the prisoner's dilemma says that the individuals are not likely to cooperate even if it is in their best interests to do so. But a new study suggests that with incentives to cooperate, natural selection can minimize conflict, changing the game from one of pure conflict to one of partial cooperation. ... > full story

Creating 'Living' Buildings (December 8, 2010) -- Researchers are poised to use ethical synthetic biology to create 'living' materials that could be used to clad buildings and help combat the effects of climate change. ... > full story

Using chaos to model geophysical phenomena (December 8, 2010) -- Researchers have developed the first direct approach for identifying packets of air or water, called "coherent sets," that are transported in the atmosphere and ocean and have far-reaching effects on weather and climate. The new methodology has tested significantly better than existing technologies. ... > full story

Scientists forecast new atom smashers to keep Europe leading in nuclear physics (December 8, 2010) -- Europe needs new particle accelerators and major upgrades to existing facilities over the next ten years to stay at the forefront of nuclear physics, according to the European Science Foundation, which has launched its Long Range Plan 2010 for nuclear physics. ... > full story

Scientists map what factors influence the news agenda (December 8, 2010) -- Computer scientists have analyzed over a million news articles in 22 languages to pinpoint what factors, such as the Eurovision song contest, influence and shape the news agenda in 27 EU countries. This is the first large-scale content-analysis of cross-linguistic text using artificial intelligence techniques. ... > full story

Ultra-thin solar blind extreme ultraviolet imager developed (December 8, 2010) -- Researchers have developed an ultra-thin hybrid AlGaN-on-Si-based extreme ultraviolet (EUV) imager with only 10µm pixel-to-pixel pitch. The wide-bandgap material (AlGaN) provides insensitivity to visible wavelengths and enhanced UV radiation hardness compared to silicon. Backside illumination in a hybrid design was used to achieve a very small pitch-to-pitch (10µm only). The novel imager shows an excellent detection down to a wavelength of 1nm. ... > full story

Doctor Who's trusty invention is anything but sci-fi: Sonic screwdriver to solve future DIY woes (December 7, 2010) -- Ultrasonic engineers have uncovered how a real life version of the fictional screwdriver -- which uses sonic technology to open locks and undo screws -- could be created. ... > full story

Double vision: New instrument casts its eyes to the sky (December 7, 2010) -- The Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer has taken its first images of the star Beta Peg in the constellation Pegasus -- an encouraging start for an instrument designed to probe the cosmic neighborhoods where Earth-like planets could exist. ... > full story

Using new materials to make more reliable nanoelectromechanical systems (December 7, 2010) -- Researchers have found a way to dramatically improve the reliability of carbon nanotube-based nanoelectromechanical systems. ... > full story

Self-healing autonomous material comes to life (December 7, 2010) -- Researchers have created a material that may be able to sense and heal damage, such as cracking in a fiber reinforced composite. The aim of developing "autonomous adaptive structures" is to mimic the ability of biological systems such as bone to sense the presence of damage, halt its progression and regenerate itself. ... > full story

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ScienceDaily Health Headlines -- for Monday, December 13, 2010

2010-12-13T02:22:00.001-08:00

ScienceDaily Health Headlines

for Monday, December 13, 2010

Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.

Type 1 diabetes: Grow your own transplant? Human testes cells turned into insulin-producing islet cells (December 13, 2010) -- Men with type 1 diabetes may be able to grow their own insulin-producing cells from their testicular tissue, say researchers. Their laboratory and animal study is a proof of principle that human spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) extracted from testicular tissue can morph into insulin-secreting beta islet cells normally found in the pancreas. And the researchers say they accomplished this feat without use of any of the extra genes now employed in most labs to turn adult stem cells into a tissue of choice. ... > full story

New mechanism links cellular stress and brain damage (December 13, 2010) -- A new study uncovers a mechanism linking a specific type of cellular stress with brain damage similar to that associated with neurodegenerative disease. The research is the first to highlight the significance of the reduction of a specific calcium signal that is directly tied to cell fate. ... > full story

Genetic variants linked to increased risk of common gynecological disease (December 13, 2010) -- Two genetic variants increase the risk of developing endometriosis, a common gynecological disease. The study provides clues to the origin of this often very painful condition, which has a significant impact on the quality of life of sufferers. ... > full story

Study on skin formation suggests strategies to fight skin cancer (December 13, 2010) -- Researchers discovered that a pair of enzymes called HDACs are critical to the proper formation of mammalian skin. The findings not only provide information about the molecular processes underlying skin development, they also suggest a potential anticancer strategy. Inhibition of these HDAC enzymes might be able to shut down the growth of tumors that contain cells resembling those in embryonic skin. ... > full story

Cellular protein hobbles HIV-1 (December 13, 2010) -- A cellular protein called BST-2 had already been known to interfere with the spread of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), by inhibiting the release of its progeny particles from infected cells. Now scientists show that in addition, each progeny virion's ability to cause infection is severely impaired. ... > full story

Women smokers shocked into giving up habit by seeing effect on their faces, study finds (December 13, 2010) -- Seeing the effect smoking will have on their faces shocks women into giving up the habit, research from the UK has revealed. ... > full story

How natural drug, abscisic acid, fights inflammation (December 12, 2010) -- Researchers have discovered how abscisic acid, a natural plant hormone with known beneficial properties for the treatment of disease, helps fight inflammation. ... > full story

Lowering the drinking age is unlikely to curb college binge drinking, new study finds (December 12, 2010) -- Although presidents at some US colleges have argued that lowering the minimum legal drinking age could help curb binge drinking on campuses, a new study suggests such a measure would be ineffective. ... > full story

Drug-resistant HIV genes identified (December 12, 2010) -- New, groundbreaking research by a biomedical engineer significantly advances our understanding of HIV and how to treat it. They studied approximately 15,000 different versions of the virus -- something that has never been done before. This information has allowed them to locate the specific genes of the virus that were resistant to the drugs -- knowledge that could ultimately help researchers develop more effective treatments for HIV. ... > full story

New characteristics of premature aging protein discovered (December 12, 2010) -- Researchers have uncovered a disease-related protein outside of its known range. This new look into the workings of the body creates hope for future treatments and other advances in biology and medicine. ... > full story

Higher mobility while hospitalized linked to reduced stays: A few steps could lead to big gains for hospitalized seniors (December 12, 2010) -- A new study has shown that hospitalized elderly patients who take even short walks around a hospital unit tend to leave the hospital sooner than their more sedentary peers. ... > full story

'White-noise' therapy alone not enough to curb tinnitus (December 12, 2010) -- Tinnitus -- what many think of as "ringing in the ears" -- is the perception of sound without any real acoustic stimulation. Sound masking therapy, a common component of tinnitus treatment, is of uncertain benefit when used on its own, a new evidence review finds. ... > full story

Thought for food: Imagining food consumption reduces actual consumption (December 11, 2010) -- A new study shows that when you imagine eating a certain food, it reduces your actual consumption of that food. This landmark discovery changes the decades-old assumption that thinking about something desirable increases cravings for it and its consumption. ... > full story

Drug combination shows promise for newly diagnosed blood cancer patients, study finds (December 11, 2010) -- A new three-drug combination used to treat the blood cancer multiple myeloma may be effective as a front-line therapy for newly diagnosed patients, according to a new study. ... > full story

Personalized molecular therapy shows promising results for people with advanced lung cancer (December 11, 2010) -- A new study shows that a combination of epigenetic therapy and molecular targeted therapy has promising results at combating advanced lung cancer according to new research. ... > full story

When to end a run to avoid injury: Runners change form when running exhausted (December 11, 2010) -- Runners and scientists for years have pondered when runners should end a run in order to avoid injuries. A new study by a physical therapy professor sheds light on this with findings that runners unknowingly change their running form when they run while exhausted. The change in mechanics could be related to an increased risk for injuries. ... > full story

Double block of blood vessels to starve cancerous tumors (December 11, 2010) -- A novel strategy of blocking the growth of blood vessels with antibodies should result in improved treatment of cancerous tumors, researchers in Finland report. ... > full story

New risk factors for brain metastases in breast cancer patients uncovered (December 11, 2010) -- Nearly one-fifth of all metastatic breast cancer patients develop brain metastases and have significantly shorter overall survival than patients who do not have brain involvement. One way to improve the affected patients' survival might be to prevent the brain metastases from arising in the first place. ... > full story

Buprenorphine treatment produces improved outcome for babies born addicted (December 11, 2010) -- Babies born into the world addicted to drugs because of their mother's dependence on pain medication, or opioids, may be weaned off the substance more comfortably, with a shorter hospital stay and at a reduced cost, if the mother receives a new treatment option during pregnancy. ... > full story

Trio of drugs may combat 'triple negative' breast cancer (December 10, 2010) -- Working with cell cultures and mouse models, researchers have tested a cocktail of three drugs that holds promise for treating so-called triple negative breast cancers. ... > full story

Immune system changes linked to inflammatory bowel disease revealed (December 10, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered some of the key molecular events in the immune system that contribute to inflammatory bowel disease. ... > full story

Boxing is risky business for the brain (December 10, 2010) -- Up to 20% of professional boxers develop neuropsychiatric sequelae. But which acute complications and which late sequelae can boxers expect throughout the course of their career? ... > full story

Unraveling Alzheimer's: Simple small molecules could untangle complex disease (December 10, 2010) -- New molecular tools show promise for "cleansing" the brain of amyloid plaques, implicated in Alzheimer's disease. ... > full story

There's a new 'officer' in the infection control army (December 10, 2010) -- Scientists have identified a previously unrecognized step in the activation of infection-fighting white blood cells, the main immunity troops in the body's war on bacteria, viruses and foreign proteins. ... > full story

Doctors don't need to fear red heads (December 10, 2010) -- A new study confirms that there is no need for doctors to fear red heads. The research concludes that, contrary to popular belief, people with red hair do not bleed any more than other patients. ... > full story

Twin study helps scientists link relationship among ADHD, reading, math (December 10, 2010) -- Children with ADHD can sometimes have more difficulties on math and reading tests compared to their peers. A new study used identical and fraternal twins to look at the genetic and environmental influences underlying ADHD behaviors, reading and math skills in children in an attempt to better understand the relationship among them. ... > full story

Cholera strain evolves new mechanism for causing disease (December 10, 2010) -- New clinical strains of cholera appear to have evolved a distinctly different mechanism to cause the same disease, according to new research. ... > full story

New hybrid, precision heart procedures to help stop deadly arrhythmias (December 10, 2010) -- New techniques are allowing doctors to more precisely target certain areas of the heart to stop ventricular arrhythmias -- serious abnormal rhythms in the heart's lower chambers -- in high-risk patients. ... > full story

Accurate method for detecting dangerous levels of fluoride (December 10, 2010) -- Used in the proper amounts, it can make teeth stronger and aid in the treatment of osteoporosis. When excessive amounts are consumed, however, it can be a killer -- a carcinogen that causes bone, lung and bladder cancers. The "it" is fluoride, a common additive in most American communities' drinking water and an ingredient in the vast majority of commercially produced adult toothpastes. ... > full story

Living in certain neighborhoods increases the chances older men and women will develop cancer, study finds (December 10, 2010) -- Older people who live in racially segregated neighborhoods with high crime rates have a much higher chance of developing cancer than do older people with similar health histories and income levels who live in safer, less segregated neighborhoods, according to new research. ... > full story

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is ultimately a stem cell disease, researchers find (December 10, 2010) -- For years, scientists have tried to understand why children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy experience severe muscle wasting and eventual death. After all, laboratory mice with the same mutation that causes the disease in humans display only a slight weakness. Now new research and a new animal model of the disease, points a finger squarely at the inability of human muscle stem cells to keep up with the ongoing damage caused by the disorder. ... > full story

Cholera strain in Haiti matches bacteria from south Asia (December 10, 2010) -- Researchers have determined that the strain of cholera erupting in Haiti matches bacterial samples from South Asia and not those from Latin America. The scientists conclude that the bacteria introduced into Haiti most likely came from an infected human, contaminated food or other item from outside of Latin America. ... > full story

Hospital shootings rare, but rate of other assults high, researchers find (December 10, 2010) -- Shootings like the one in which a gunman shot a doctor and killed a patient at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in September are "exceedingly rare," but the rate of other assaults on workers in US health care settings is four times higher than other workplaces, conclude two emergency physicians after reviewing workplace violence in health settings. ... > full story

Gene that causes some cases of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis discovered (December 10, 2010) -- Using a new gene sequencing method, researchers have discovered a gene that appears to cause some instances of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The finding could lead to novel ways to treat the more common form of this fatal neurodegenerative disease, which kills the vast majority of the nearly 6,000 Americans diagnosed with ALS every year. ... > full story

Aortic aneurysm treatable with asthma drugs, Swedish study finds (December 10, 2010) -- A new study from Sweden shows that asthma drugs are a potential treatment for aortic aneurysm. These drugs, which block cysteinyl-leukotrienes, could reduce the break down of vessel wall tissue and the dilation of the aortic wall, and thus the risk of its rupturing. This could both save lives and reduce the need for complicated and risky surgery. ... > full story

Nighttime sleep found beneficial to infants' skills (December 10, 2010) -- Young children who get most of their sleep at night perform better in executive functioning than children who don't sleep as much at night, a new study finds. The study of 60 Canadian children aged 1, 1-1/2 and 2, examined the children's sleep habits and executive functioning skills, including impulse control and mental flexibility. The researchers found that children who sleep mostly at night did better on executive function tasks, especially those involving impulse control. ... > full story

Gene knockout shows potential for diabetes-related heart failure (December 10, 2010) -- Silencing the TLR4 gene can stop the process which may lead to cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients. Researchers carried out a series of in vitro tests which demonstrated that TLR4 plays a critical role in hyperglycaemic cardiac apoptosis, and that silencing the gene using specific small interfering RNA can prevent it. ... > full story

Cutting dietary phosphate doesn't save dialysis patients' lives, study suggests (December 10, 2010) -- Doctors often ask kidney disease patients on dialysis to limit the amount of phosphate they consume in their diets, but this does not help prolong their lives, according to a new study. The results even suggest that prescribing low phosphate diets may increase dialysis patients' risk of premature death. ... > full story

Teleworkers more satisfied than office-based employees (December 10, 2010) -- Employees who telecommute the majority of the work week are more satisfied with their jobs compared to those working mostly in the office because working remotely alleviates more stress than it creates, according to a new study. ... > full story

Our brains are wired so we can better hear ourselves speak (December 9, 2010) -- Like the mute button on the TV remote control, our brains filter out unwanted noise so we can focus on what we're listening to. But when it comes to following our own speech, a new brain study shows that instead of one homogeneous mute button, we have a network of volume settings that can selectively silence and amplify the sounds we make and hear. ... > full story

Impaired clearance, not overproduction of toxic proteins, may underlie Alzheimer’s disease (December 9, 2010) -- In Alzheimer's disease, a protein fragment called beta-amyloid accumulates at abnormally high levels in the brain. Now researchers have found that in the most common, late-onset form of Alzheimer's disease, beta-amyloid is produced in the brain at a normal rate but is not cleared, or removed from the brain, efficiently. ... > full story

Stem cells: A 'stitch in time' could help damaged hearts (December 9, 2010) -- Scientists have demonstrated the feasibility of a novel technology that a surgeon could use to deliver stem cells to targeted areas of the body to repair diseased or damaged tissue. The technique involves bundling biopolymer microthreads into biological sutures and seeding the sutures with stem cells. The team has shown that the adult bone-marrow-derived stem cells will multiply while attached to the threads and retain their ability to differentiate and grow into other cell types. ... > full story

For some, laparoscopic technique not always better (December 9, 2010) -- If skin is the body's fortress against germ invaders, shouldn't minimally invasive surgeries -- operations guided by camera probes, conducted entirely within the abdomen -- carry less risk for serious infection than procedures that slice the same cavity wide open? New research is challenging that assumption -- at least for a subset of patients. ... > full story

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ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Monday, December 13, 2010

2010-12-13T02:20:00.002-08:00

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Monday, December 13, 2010

Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.

Shoo, fly! Catnip oil repels bloodsucking flies (December 13, 2010) -- Catnip, the plant that attracts domestic cats like an irresistible force, has proven 99 percent effective in repelling the blood-sucking flies that attack horses and cows, causing billion in annual loses to the cattle industry. ... > full story

Shrubby crops can help fuel Africa's green revolution (December 13, 2010) -- Crop diversification with shrubby legumes mixed with soybean and peanuts could be the key to sustaining the green revolution in Africa, according to a new study. The study states that diversifying crops would boost production of nutrient-enriched grain by 12 percent to 23 percent. ... > full story

Fire disaster in Israel is a typical example of expected climate change effects in the Mediterranean (December 13, 2010) -- The fire disaster in the Carmel Mountains near Haifa is a typical example of climate change effect and a taste of the future, says a researcher. Ten years ago he had warned of expected climatic fluctuations, heat events, decreased rainfall and delayed late winter rainfall, all of which would lead to increased risk of intense forest fires. ... > full story

Tigers and polar bears are highly vulnerable to environmental change (December 12, 2010) -- Large predators are much more vulnerable than smaller species to environmental changes, such as over-hunting and habitat change, because they have to work so hard to find their next meal, according to a new study. ... > full story

Tiny protozoa may hold key to world water safety (December 12, 2010) -- Biologists have developed a sensor that employs one-celled protozoa to detect toxins in water sources. The new technique works by introducing protozoa into small chambers with water samples taken from municipal, industrial, or military water sources and comparing them to control samples. Any alteration of the protozoa's swimming mechanics is a sign that water conditions have changed and chemical or biological contaminants -- pesticides, industrial chemicals, or biological warfare agents -- may be present. ... > full story

Blue whale-sized mouthfuls make foraging super efficient (December 12, 2010) -- How much can a blue whale eat in a single mouthful and how much energy do they burn while foraging? Researchers discovered that blue whales can swallow almost 2,000,000kJ (almost 480,000kcalories) in a single mouthful of krill, and eat 90 times as much energy as they burn during a dive. ... > full story

Bering Sea chill yields fatter plankton, pollock diet changes (December 11, 2010) -- Despite a 30-year warming trend, the last three years in the Bering Sea have been the coldest on record. An Alaska scientist says that the cold temperatures have helped produce larger zooplankton in the Bering Sea, which may affect the way Walleye pollock feed. ... > full story

Bizarre reptile challenges notion of crocodiles as 'living fossils' (December 10, 2010) -- We all know that crocodiles are reptiles with long snouts, conical teeth, strong jaws and long tails. But, new discoveries show we don't know what we thought we knew. Rather, some crocodiles possessed a dazzling array of adaptations that resulted in unique and sometimes bizarre anatomy, including blunt, pug-nosed snouts, pudgy bodies and short tails. ... > full story

Details of microbe's extraordinary maintenance and repair system revealed (December 10, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered how a network of repair proteins enables bacteria to prioritize the repair of the most heavily used regions of the DNA molecules that carry the instructions necessary for living cells to function. ... > full story

35,000 new species ‘sitting in cupboards’ (December 10, 2010) -- Of the estimated 70,000 species of flowering plants yet to be described by scientists, more than half may already have been collected but are lying unknown and unrecognized in collections around the world, a new study suggests. ... > full story

Ice-age reptile extinctions provide a glimpse of likely responses to human-caused climate change (December 10, 2010) -- A wave of reptile extinctions on the Greek islands over the past 15,000 years may offer a preview of the way plants and animals will respond as the world rapidly warms due to human-caused climate change, according ecologists. ... > full story

Massive gene loss linked to pathogen's stealthy plant-dependent lifestyle (December 10, 2010) -- An international team of scientists has cracked the genetic code of a plant pathogen that causes downy mildew disease. Downy mildews are a widespread class of destructive diseases that cause major losses to crops as diverse as maize, grapes and lettuce. ... > full story

Cloud 'feedback' affects global climate and warming (December 10, 2010) -- Changes in clouds will amplify the warming of the planet due to human activities, according to a breakthrough study that shows that warming due to increases in greenhouse gases will cause clouds to trap more heat, which will lead to additional warming. ... > full story

Genome of barley disease reveals surprises (December 10, 2010) -- Scientists have sequenced the genome of a major fungal disease that affects barley and other cereal crops, a breakthrough that could lead to significant advances in our understanding of how plant diseases evolve. The research suggests that parasites within the genome of the fungus help the disease to adapt and overcome the plant's defenses. ... > full story

Gene hunters tackle crop diseases (December 10, 2010) -- Scientists are on the trail of some of the most economically damaging organisms that infect crops worldwide. Their latest targets are the parasitic water fungus that causes powdery mildew and the water molds that cause late blight in potatoes and tomatoes and downy mildew in cruciferous vegetables and other crops. ... > full story

Stricter testing for federal ground beef program may not lead to safer meat (December 9, 2010) -- A new National Research Council report finds no scientific basis that more stringent testing of meat purchased through the government's ground beef purchase program and distributed to various federal food and nutrition programs -- including the National School Lunch Program -- would lead to safer meat. ... > full story

Double-edged sword of dominance: Top chimps tend to suffer from more parasites (December 9, 2010) -- A study of chimpanzees has revealed that dominant animals with higher testosterone levels tend to suffer from an increased burden of parasites. Researchers observed the primates' behavior and studied their droppings to draw the link between dominance and infection status. ... > full story

Viable female and male mice from two fathers produced using stem cell technology (December 9, 2010) -- Researchers report that they have used stem cell technology to produce mice from two fathers, an achievement that may open new opportunities in reproductive science, including the intriguing possibility of same-sex couples having their own genetic offspring. ... > full story

Greenland ice sheet flow driven by short-term weather extremes, not gradual warming, research reveals (December 9, 2010) -- Sudden changes in the volume of meltwater contribute more to the acceleration -- and eventual loss -- of the Greenland ice sheet than the gradual increase of temperature, according to a new study. ... > full story

Influenza virus strains show increasing drug resistance and ability to spread (December 9, 2010) -- Two new studies raise public health concerns about increasing antiviral resistance among certain influenza viruses, their ability to spread, and a lack of alternative antiviral treatment options. ... > full story

Fleshing out the life histories of dead whales (December 9, 2010) -- Dead whales that sink down to the seafloor provide a feast for deep-sea animals that can last for years. Previous research suggested that such "whale falls" hosted unique animals that lived nowhere else. However, after sinking five whale carcasses in Monterey Canyon, researchers found that most of the animals at these sites were not unique to whale falls, but were common in other deep-sea environments as well. ... > full story

Children who attend group child care centers get more infections then, but fewer during school years (December 9, 2010) -- Children who attend large group child care facilities before age 2 and a half appear to develop more respiratory and ear infections at that age, but fewer such illnesses during elementary school years, according to a new study. ... > full story

Mastermind steroid found in plants (December 9, 2010) -- Scientists have known how important plant steroids called brassinosteroids are for regulating plant growth and development. But until now, they did not know how extensive their reach is. Now researchers have identified about a thousand brassinosteroid target genes showing links between the steroid and numerous cellular functions and other hormonal chain reactions. The study is the first comprehensive action map for a plant hormone and will help accelerate basic plant science and crop research. ... > full story

Eutrophication makes toxic cyanobacteria more toxic (December 9, 2010) -- Continued eutrophication of the Baltic Sea, combined with an ever thinner ozone layer, is favouing the toxic cyanobacterium Nodularia spumigena, reveals new research. ... > full story

Study assesses nuclear power assumptions (December 9, 2010) -- A broad review of current research on nuclear power economics has been published. The report concludes that nuclear power will continue to be a viable power source but that the current fuel cycle is not sustainable. ... > full story

'Greener' climate prediction shows plants slow warming (December 9, 2010) -- A new NASA computer modeling effort has found that additional growth of plants and trees in a world with doubled atmospheric carbon dioxide levels would create a new negative feedback -- a cooling effect -- in the Earth's climate system that could work to reduce future global warming. ... > full story

How do DNA components resist damaging UV exposure? (December 9, 2010) -- The genetic material of DNA contains shielding mechanisms to protect itself from the exposure to the UV light emitted by the sun. This is of crucial importance, since without photostability – i.e. without "programmed" defense mechanisms against UV irradiation – there would be a rapid degradation of DNA and RNA. ... > full story

Fledgling ecosystem in former open-pit coal mine in Germany lets scientists observe how soil, flora and fauna develop (December 9, 2010) -- How do ecosystems develop? A unique project could provide answers. In a former open-pit coal mining area in Brandenburg, Germany, a surface of six hectares was partitioned off and then left to its own resources. Scientists are studying the development of soil, flora, and fauna there. With this research they aim to establish the factors that have a particularly strong influence on developing ecosystems. ... > full story

Cranberry juice not effective against urinary tract infections, study suggests (December 8, 2010) -- Drinking cranberry juice has been recommended to decrease the incidence of urinary tract infections, based on observational studies and a few small clinical trials. However, a new study suggests otherwise. ... > full story

Parents' influence on children's eating habits is limited (December 8, 2010) -- Parents are often believed to have a strong influence on children's eating behaviors. However, previous findings on parent-child resemblance in dietary intakes are mixed. ... > full story

Lost civilization under Persian Gulf? (December 8, 2010) -- A once fertile landmass now submerged beneath the Persian Gulf may have been home to some of the earliest human populations outside Africa, according to a new article. ... > full story

Soaring is better than flapping for birds big and small (December 8, 2010) -- Small migrating birds save energy as they fly. Large birds, such as storks, save energy on the flight to their wintering grounds by soaring through the air on thermal currents. Until now, however, we knew nothing about the flight patterns of small migrating songbirds, such as whether they flap their wings or soar and whether these styles of flight allow them to save energy. ... > full story

Blueberries and other purple fruits to ward off Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's (December 8, 2010) -- Eating purple fruits such as blueberries and drinking green tea can help ward off diseases including Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's, a report claims. ... > full story

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ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Monday, December 13, 2010

2010-12-13T02:20:00.001-08:00

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2010-12-12T02:26:00.001-08:00

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2010-12-12T02:23:00.003-08:00

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2010-12-12T02:23:00.002-08:00

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2010-12-12T02:23:00.001-08:00

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ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Sunday, December 12, 2010

2010-12-12T02:22:00.000-08:00

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2010-12-12T02:21:00.001-08:00

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2010-12-12T02:18:00.001-08:00

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ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Saturday, December 11, 2010

2010-12-11T02:21:00.001-08:00

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