ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Tuesday, December 15, 2009
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Theorists propose a new way to shine -- and a new kind of star: 'electroweak' (December 15, 2009) -- Physicists propose there may be a new stage for some dying stars. Dubbed electroweak stars, they are fueled by the conversion of quarks to leptons, which prevents or staves off collapse into a black hole. ... > full story
Variable doses of radiation raise safety concerns for CT procedures (December 15, 2009) -- Radiation doses from common CT procedures vary widely and are higher than generally thought, raising concerns about increased risk for cancer, according to a new study. ... > full story
California's troubled waters: Satellite-based findings reveal significant groundwater loss in Central Valley (December 15, 2009) -- New space observations reveal that since October 2003, the aquifers for California's primary agricultural region -- the Central Valley -- and its major mountain water source -- the Sierra Nevada -- have lost nearly enough water combined to fill Lake Mead, America's largest reservoir. The findings, based on satellite data, reflect California's extended drought and increased pumping of groundwater for human uses such as irrigation. ... > full story
Three anticoagulant studies may change current medical practice (December 15, 2009) -- New research reveals that the practice of using the anticoagulants aspirin and heparin with the hope of preventing clots in placental blood vessels is ineffective for preventing unexplained, recurrent miscarriages. Two other studies look at treatments for venous thromboembolism, a common and sometimes deadly clotting disorder. ... > full story
Ancient Book of Mark Found Not So Ancient After All (December 15, 2009) -- A biblical expert, together with experts in micro-chemical analysis and medieval bookmaking, has concluded that one of the University of Chicago Library's most enigmatic possessions is a forgery. ... > full story
High-sensation seeking youth drawn to sweet-tasting cigarettes, study finds (December 15, 2009) -- New research showing that thrill-seeking teenagers are especially susceptible to fruit-flavored cigarettes is in line with the recent ban on the sale of flavored cigarettes by the US Food and Drug Administration in September 2009. According to the FDA, the ban, authorized by the new Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, is part of a national effort by the FDA to reduce smoking, which is the leading preventable cause of death in America. ... > full story
Black carbon deposits on Himalayan ice threaten Earth's 'Third Pole' (December 15, 2009) -- Black soot deposited on Tibetan glaciers has contributed significantly to the retreat of the world's largest non-polar ice masses, according to new research by scientists from NASA and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Soot absorbs incoming solar radiation and can speed glacial melting when deposited on snow in sufficient quantities. ... > full story
Brain plaques in healthy individuals linked to increased Alzheimer's risk (December 15, 2009) -- Scientists have long assumed that amyloid brain plaques found in autopsies of Alzheimer's patients are harmful and cause Alzheimer's disease. But autopsies of people with no signs of mental impairment have also revealed brain plaques, challenging this theory. Now, for the first time, researchers have shown that brain plaques in apparently healthy individuals are associated with increased risk of diagnosis with Alzheimer's disease years later. ... > full story
Mechanism discovered by which body's cells encourage tuberculosis infection (December 15, 2009) -- Tuberculosis bacteria use a signaling pathway to coerce disease fighting cells to switch allegiance and work on their behalf. Scientists have discovered a molecular mechanism by which TB bacteria prod epithelial cells to help produce tubercles. Instead of protecting the body, the tubercles act as hubs for production and dissemination of TB bacteria. The same signal pathway may also occur in non-infectious inflammatory conditions like arthritis, heart disease and cancer. ... > full story
Potential genetic links to lung disease risk uncovered (December 15, 2009) -- A new study involving data from more than 20,000 individuals has uncovered several DNA sequences linked to impaired pulmonary function. The research, an analysis that combined the results of several smaller studies, provides insight into the mechanisms involved in reaching full lung capacity. The findings may ultimately lead to better understanding of lung function and diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. ... > full story
Geneticist reveals molecular view of key epigenetic regulator (December 15, 2009) -- New research reveals the structure and function of a key player in regulating chromatin in yeast and humans. ... > full story
Brainstorming works best in less specialized efforts, study finds (December 15, 2009) -- Applying brainstorming techniques to new product development works best when the collaboration employs participants from varied specialties gathering to develop a less complex product, according to new research. ... > full story
Universal quantum mechanism: Physicists find reappearing quantum trios (December 14, 2009) -- Using atoms at temperatures colder than deep space, physicists have delivered overwhelming proof for a 1970 theory that was largely scoffed at when it first appeared. They offers experimental proof of a universal quantum mechanism that causes trios of particles to appear and reappear at higher energy levels in an infinite progression. The triplets, or trimers, form in special cases where pairs cannot. ... > full story
Hidden sensory system discovered in the skin (December 14, 2009) -- Researchers report that the human body has an entirely unique and separate sensory system aside from the nerves that give most of us the ability to touch and feel. Surprisingly, this sensory network is located throughout our blood vessels and sweat glands, and is for most people, largely imperceptible. This discovery may shed light on the causes of unexplained chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia. ... > full story
NASA's WISE Eye on the Universe Begins All-Sky Survey Mission (December 14, 2009) -- NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, lifted off over the Pacific Ocean Dec. 14 on its way to map the entire sky in infrared light. WISE will see the infrared colors of the whole sky with sensitivity and resolution far better than the last infrared sky survey, performed 26 years ago. ... > full story
Cut out the (estrogen) middleman: Risky therapy for aging brain may be avoidable by focusing instead on hormone's target (December 14, 2009) -- Estrogen has a dual role in brain as a hormone and, indirectly, as a neurotransmitter, according to a new study which suggests a strategy for replacing hormone therapy. ... > full story
Chemists Create Class Of Carbenes Used To Make Catalysts (December 14, 2009) -- Researchers have successfully created in the laboratory a class of carbenes used to make catalysts. Until now, chemists believed these carbenes, called "abnormal N-heterocyclic carbenes" or aNHCs, were impossible to make. The aNHCs are stable at room temperature both in the solid state and in solution, which means their application as metal-free catalysts is extremely wide, greatly benefiting industry by making possible scores of new chemical reactions. ... > full story
Action on climate change compatible with long-term U.S. economic growth (December 14, 2009) -- Measures being proposed by the U.S. Climate Action Partnership to curb greenhouse gas emissions are unlikely to affect potential long-term economic growth in the United States, according to a study. ... > full story
Female fruit flies can be 'too attractive' to males, scientists show (December 14, 2009) -- Females can be too attractive to the opposite sex ---- too attractive for their own good ---- say biologists. They found that, among fruit flies, too much male attention directed toward attractive females leads to smaller families and, ultimately, to a reduced rate of population-wide adaptive evolution. ... > full story
Tendons shape bones during embryonic development (December 14, 2009) -- In all vertebrates, including humans, bones, muscles and tendons work together to give the skeleton its characteristic balance of stability and movement. Now, new research uncovers a previously unrecognized interaction between tendons, which connect muscles to bones, and the developing embryonic skeleton. This study demonstrates that tendons drive the development of specific bone features that are needed for a strong skeletal system. ... > full story
Absence of evidence for a meteorite impact event 13,000 years ago (December 14, 2009) -- An international team of scientists has found no evidence supporting an extraterrestrial impact event at the onset of the Younger Dryas approximately 13,000 years ago. ... > full story
Rapid cardiac biomarker testing system developed; cuts testing time from 6 hours to 45 minutes (December 14, 2009) -- A new rapid and sensitive integrated system tests simultaneously for specific cardiac biomarkers in finger prick amount of blood. It could help physicians quickly arrive at the right diagnosis for timely medical intervention in patients suspected of having heart attacks. ... > full story
New light vision goggles light up the night (December 14, 2009) -- Vanderbilt LifeFlight is now using technology once reserved for military operations or secret spy missions. With the ability to enhance light 10,000 times, the air ambulance service's new night vision goggles essentially turn night into day. ... > full story
Texting, tweeting ought to be viewed as GR8 teaching tools, scholar says (December 14, 2009) -- Carol L. Tilley, a professor of library and information science at Illinois, says that critics who equate texting with literary degradation are wrong, and that they also overlook the bigger role that texting and its distant cousin, "tweeting," could play in education and research. ... > full story
Yellowstone's plumbing reveals plume of hot and molten rock 410 miles deep (December 14, 2009) -- The most detailed seismic images yet published of the Yellowstone supervolcano's plumbing shows a plume of hot and molten rock rising from the northwest at a depth of at least 410 miles, contradicting claims that there is no deep plume. A related study indicates the banana-shaped magma chamber a few miles beneath Yellowstone is 20 percent larger than believed, so a future cataclysmic eruption could be larger than thought. ... > full story
Immune-boosting drugs could enhance cancer treatment (December 14, 2009) -- Stimulating the body’s own immune system to fight cancer offers new treatment opportunities for cancer patients, and scientists have made the first step towards finding existing drugs that could help. ... > full story
How Arctic food webs affect mercury in polar bears (December 14, 2009) -- With growing concerns about the effects of global warming on polar bears, it's increasingly important to understand how other environmental threats, such as mercury pollution, are affecting these magnificent Arctic animals. New research lays the groundwork for assessing current and future effects of mercury deposition and climate change on polar bears. ... > full story
Screening method able to identify newborns with blood disorder that affects immune system (December 14, 2009) -- The testing of DNA from a statewide blood screening program for newborns in Wisconsin was able to identify infants with T-cell lymphopenia, a blood disorder that affects the child's immune system, a disease in which early identification is important, according to a new study. ... > full story
Ethanol-powered vehicles generate more ozone than gas-powered ones (December 14, 2009) -- Vehicles running on ethanol will generate higher concentrations of ozone than those using gasoline, especially in the winter, researchers have found. That could create new health concerns in areas where ozone hasn't been a significant problem before. ... > full story
Food industry faulted for pushing high-calorie, low-nutrient products (December 14, 2009) -- A new report faults food and beverage producers for continuing to saturate television with ads for high-calorie, low-nutrient products. ... > full story
First super-Earths discovered orbiting Sun-like stars (December 14, 2009) -- Planet hunters have discovered as many as six low-mass planets around two nearby Sun-like stars, including two "super-Earths" with masses 5 and 7.5 times the mass of Earth. These detections indicate that low-mass planets are quite common around nearby stars, according to researchers. ... > full story
How the autistic brain distinguishes oneself from others (December 14, 2009) -- Scientists have discovered that the brains of individuals with autism are less active when engaged in self-reflective thought. The study provides new evidence for the neural correlates of self-awareness and a new window into understanding social difficulties in autism spectrum conditions. ... > full story
New biosensors reveal workings of anti-psychotic drugs in the living brain (December 14, 2009) -- Scientists have resolved a question about how a popular class of drugs used to treat schizophrenia works using biosensors that reveal previously hidden components of chemical communication in the brain. ... > full story
Amount of gene surplus determines severity of mental retardation in males, researchers find (December 14, 2009) -- Researchers have discovered a new explanation for differences in the severity of mental illness in males. The more excess copies of a certain gene, the more serious the handicap. The genetic defect is situated on the X-chromosome; and it is suspected that it is the amount of copies of the GDI1 gene that is responsible. ... > full story
3-D microchips for more powerful and environmentally friendly computers (December 14, 2009) -- Scientists are working on 3-D microprocessors cooled from the inside through channels with a liquid coolant. The method is expected to boost the performance of future computers. ... > full story
Are angry women more like men? (December 14, 2009) -- "Why is it that men can be bastards and women must wear pearls and smile?" wrote author Lynn Hecht Schafran. The answer, according to a new article may lie in our interpretation of facial expressions. ... > full story
Magnetic power revealed in gamma-ray burst jet (December 14, 2009) -- A specialized camera on a telescope operated by UK astronomers has made the first measurement of magnetic fields in the afterglow of a gamma-ray burst. ... > full story
New genes for lung disease discovered (December 14, 2009) -- Scientists have discovered five genetic variants that are associated with the health of the human lung. The research by an international consortium of 96 scientists from 63 centers in Europe and Australia sheds new light on the molecular basis of lung diseases. ... > full story
Understanding apples' ancestors (December 14, 2009) -- A species of wild apples that could be an ancestor of today's domesticated apples are native to the Middle East and Central Asia. A new study comparing the diversity of recently acquired wild apple varieties from Georgia and Armenia with previously collected varieties originating in Russia and Turkey narrows the large population and establishes a core collection. ... > full story
Moderate weight loss in obese people improves heart function (December 14, 2009) -- Obese patients who lost a moderate amount of weight by eating less and exercising more improved their cardiovascular health, says a new study. ... > full story
Newly identified enzymes help plants sense elevated CO<sub>2</sub> and could lead to water-wise crops (December 14, 2009) -- Plants take in the carbon dioxide they need for photosynthesis through microscopic breathing pores in the surface of leaves. But for each molecule of the gas gained, they lose hundreds of water molecules through these same openings. The pores can tighten to save water when carbon dioxide is abundant, but scientists didn't know how that worked. Now biologists have identified protein sensors that react with CO2 to close the pores. ... > full story
Genetic ancestry highly correlated with ethnic and linguistic groups in Asia (December 14, 2009) -- Several genome-wide studies of human genetic diversity have been conducted on European populations. Now, for the first time, these studies have been extended to 73 Southeast Asian (SEA) and East Asian (EA) populations. In a new paper, over 90 scientists from the Human Genome Organization's Pan-Asian SNP Consortium report that their study conducted within and between different populations in Asia continent showed that genetic ancestry was highly correlated with ethnic and linguistic groups. ... > full story
Black hole found to be much closer to Earth than previously thought (December 14, 2009) -- Astronomers have accurately measured the distance from Earth to a black hole for the first time. Without needing to rely on mathematical models the astronomers came up with a distance of 7800 light years, much closer than had been assumed until now. The researchers achieved this breakthrough by measuring the radio emissions from the black hole and its associated dying star. ... > full story
Anti-estrogens may offer protection against lung cancer mortality (December 14, 2009) -- Anti-estrogens as therapy for breast cancer may also reduce the risk of death from lung cancer, according to a new study. ... > full story
List of 'unsung' wildlife affected by climate change released (December 14, 2009) -- The Wildlife Conservation Society has released a list of animals facing new impacts by climate change, some in strange and unexpected ways. ... > full story
Type 2 diabetes gene predisposes children to obesity, study finds (December 14, 2009) -- Pediatric researchers have found that a gene already implicated in the development of type 2 diabetes in adults also raises the risk of being overweight during childhood. The finding sheds light on the genetic origins of diabetes and may present an avenue for developing drugs to counteract the disease, which has been on the upswing in childhood and adolescence. ... > full story
New approach to emissions makes climate and air quality models more accurate, major study finds (December 14, 2009) -- It's no secret that the emissions leaving a car tailpipe or factory smokestack affect climate and air quality. Even trees release chemicals that influence the atmosphere. But until now, scientists have struggled to know where these organic molecules go and what happens to them once they leave their source, leading to models for predicting climate and air quality that are incomplete or less than accurate. ... > full story
Several serious illnesses missing from US vaccination plan (December 14, 2009) -- While vaccines help prevent many diseases in the United States, the nation lacks immunization protection against several serious illnesses, according to a new report. ... > full story
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