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ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for the Week of August 21 to August 28, 2011

Posted 2011-08-27:

• Possible biological control discovered for pathogen devastating amphibians
• Could a tumor suppressor also fight obesity? Research reveals hormone receptor GCC's role in appetite
• Atomic clock with the world's best long-term accuracy is revealed after evaluation
• Novel control of Dengue fever
• Molecular chaperones traffic signaling proteins between cells in plant stem-cell maintenance pathway
• First glimpse into birth of the Milky Way
• Wide gap in immune responses of people exposed to the flu
• Florida's reefs cannot endure a 'cold snap'
• Greater impact of chemotherapy on fertility
• Summer drought limits the positive effects of CO₂ and heat on plant growth in future climate
• Building a better antipsychotic drug by treating schizophrenia's cause: How drugs act on dopamine-producing neurons

Posted 2011-08-27:

• Could new drug cure nearly any viral infection? Technology shows promise against common cold, influenza and other ailments, researchers say
• T-cell discovery holds promise for organ transplant and immunodeficiency treatment
• Cars could run on recycled newspaper, scientists say
• Omega-3s reduce stroke severity, study suggests
• Adapting to climate change with floating houses?
• Feeding the five thousand -- or was it three? Researchers claim most crowd estimations are unreliable
• Exotic galaxy reveals tantalizing tale
• Life expectancy success story
• Uncovering the spread of deadly cancer: New imaging device enables scientists to see tumor cells traveling in the brain
• Breakthrough in genetics of fibroids
• Biological communities studied at historical WWII shipwrecks along North Carolina
• New score can tell doctors how long cancer patients have left to live
• New depiction of light could boost telecommunications channels
• Protein linked to Parkinson's disease may regulate fat metabolism
• New X-ray technique for electronic structures: Ability to probe deep below material surfaces should be boon for nanoscale devices
• Mathematical model predicts weight with varying diet, exercise changes; Findings challenge one-size-fits-all weight assumptions
• Heat in chili peppers can ease sinus problems, research shows
• What determines a company's performance? Shape of the CEO's face!
• Earth-bound asteroids come from stony asteroids, new studies confirm
• Natural Alzheimer's-fighting compound created inexpensively in lab
• Claims of drought-driven declines in plant productivity, global food security refuted: Modeling errors produced exaggerated claims
• New genetic clue in development of rheumatoid arthritis
• Build music with blocks: Audio d-touch
• Succeeding in school: Stress boosts performance for confident students, but holds back those with more anxiety
• Milky Way's halo raining ionized gas to fuel continued star formation
• New prostate cancer screening test shows promise for diagnosis
• No bones about it: Eating dried plums helps prevent fractures and osteoporosis, study suggests
• Early embryos can correct genetic abnormalities during development, researchers find
• Using math to fight cancer
• Major brain similarities found in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
• Simple way to grow muscle tissue with real muscle structure
• Could the Spanish flu devastate us again?
• Predicting perilous plaque in coronary arteries via fluid dynamics
• Crucial role for molecule in muscle development
• New model predicts environmental effect of pharmaceutical products
• Fat-stigma study: Mass media messages appear to trump opinions of family, close friends
• Hand-held unit to detect cancer in poorer countries
• Risk measurement tool for heart attacks and strokes updated
• Guidelines for the Management of Dyslipidaemias
• Atherosclerosis is not limited to the heart
• Single parents and gay couples face rental housing discrimination, Canadian study finds
• Children with congenital heart disease at risk from harmful toxins

Posted 2011-08-26:

• Scientists discover an 'instant cosmic classic' supernova
• Cell receptor could allow measles virus to target tumors
• 'Hidden' differences of chromosome organization become visible
• Slim down by targeting the hormone uroguanylin
• Surprise difference in neutrino and antineutrino mass lessening with new measurements from a Fermilab experiment
• Vitamin A supplements for children could save 600,000 lives a year, experts predict
• Pulsar transformed into small planet made of diamond discovered in Milky Way
• Single vaccines to protect against both rabies and Ebola
• Darwin's butterflies? Spectacular species radiation in the Caribbean studied with 'DNA barcoding'
• Malaria mosquito is disappearing, but it is not necessarily just good news
• Irrigation's impacts on global carbon uptake
• Getting back from a trip 'ahead of time'
• Interbreeding between modern humans and evolutionary cousins gave healthy immune system boost to human genome, study finds
• Few health problems are caused by vaccines, review of studies suggests
• Discovery explains why influenza B virus exclusively infects humans: Opens door for new drugs
• Differences in metabolic disease markers in healthy and obese 7-to-9-year-olds identified
• Math-based model for deep-water oil drilling
• Young brains lack the wisdom of their elders, clinical study shows
• Protein-making machinery in bacteria successfully re-engineered
• Smoking soon after waking raises risk of lung and head and neck cancers
• NASA satellites Hurricane Irene almost one-third the size of U.S. east coast
• New sensors streamline detection of estrogenic compounds
• Researchers discover superdense aluminum
• Workplace stress a growing health hazard
• Beams to order from table-top accelerators
• Study identifies chemical changes in brains of people at risk for Alzheimer's disease
• Why spiders don't drop off of their threads: Source of spider silk's extreme strength unveiled
• Commonly prescribed antibiotic reduces acute COPD attacks; Study finds azithromycin lowers frequency and severity of flare-ups
• Tunable nano-suspensions for light harvesting; Discovery may be key to solar energy and smart glass technologies
• Men and women differ in the way they anticipate an unpleasant emotional experience, research finds
• How a distant black hole devoured a star
• Scientists reengineer antibiotic to overcome dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria
• Fast asleep to wide awake: Hibernating bears, predation and pregnancy
• MRI techniques can detect early osteoarthritis
• Storing vertebrates in the cloud: Cloud-based data make searching the world’s museum collections easier
• Seeing eye to eye is key to copying, say scientists
• Engineers discover nanoscale balancing act that mirrors forces at work in living systems
• Bone marrow transplantation may increase cancer resistance in patients, study suggests
• Cod’s surprising immune system
• Caffeine lowers risk of skin cancer: Coffee-based sunscreen might work best
• NASA satellites detect pothole on road to higher seas
• Less depression for working moms who expect that they 'can't do it all'
• Gene study sheds new light on origins of British men
• Children of depressed mothers have a different brain: MRI scans show their children have an enlarged amygdala
• DNA cages 'can survive inside living cells'
• Beta-blocker associated with better outcomes in treatment of infantile vascular tumors
• Pacific walruses studied as sea ice melts
• Anti-aging techniques not yet viewed as acceptable, study suggests
• Astronomers discover 'once in a generation' supernova
• Government-led efforts targeting eating habits of children needed to curb worldwide obesity epidemic, experts urge
• New Jersey researchers have an eye on the science of Hurricane Irene
• Uninsured trauma patients are more likely to use the emergency department for follow-up care
• School-based mental health screening for teens results in connection to care
• Hedge funds sold stocks quickly while mutual fund investors suffered larger losses during crisis
• Nearest supernova observed in 40 years
• New imaging test gives physicians better tool to diagnose Parkinson's disease
• Heart may hold key to unexplained nausea in youths
• E. coli in the countryside: whose problem is it anyway?
• Plants could pave the way for new ovarian cancer treatments
• Researchers produce viable bacterium in which one of four DNA bases is replaced by synthetic analog

Posted 2011-08-25:

• Global warming may cause higher loss of biodiversity than previously thought
• Why only some obese people develop chronic diseases: Disease-causing fat cells found in those with metabolic syndrome
• New Mars rover snapshots capture Endeavour crater vistas
• Researchers identify protein essential in transmission of Ebola virus
• New theory may shed light on dynamics of large-polymer liquids
• Scientists identify point of entry for deadly Ebola virus
• Mechanism links substance abuse with vulnerability to depression
• Climate cycles are driving wars: When El Nino warmth hits, tropical conflicts double
• Source of Haitian cholera outbreak uncovered
• A better test for a potato pest
• Making mistakes while learning has memory benefits for older brains
• Discovery of a 160-million-year-old fossil represents a new milestone in early mammal evolution
• 'Time cells' bridge the gap in memories of event sequences
• Health risks with nanotechnology? Nanoparticles can hinder intracellular transport
• House dust mite test on wheezy toddlers predicts asthma in teen years
• Simple security for wireless
• Exercise can substitute effectively as second 'medication' for people with depression, study suggests
• NASA's WISE mission discovers coolest class of stars
• Extreme morning sickness could lead to lifelong emotional, behavioral disorders in kids
• Scented laundry products emit hazardous chemicals through dryer vents
• Gene silencing: Researchers have paved the way for functional analysis of non-protein-coding genes
• Scientists develop new approaches to predict the environmental safety of chemicals
• A lifetime of physical activity yields measurable benefits as we age
• How many species on Earth? About 8.7 million, new estimate says
• New heart scan may speed up diagnosis with less radiation
• Unexpected adhesion properties of graphene may lead to new nanotechnology devices
• Newfound hijacked proteins linked to salmonella virulence
• Magnitude-5.8 earthquake strikes U.S. National Capital Area
• Afghan patients a common source of drug-resistant bacteria, study finds
• Human gait could soon power portable electronics
• Diet that combines cholesterol-lowering foods results in greater decrease in LDL than low-saturated fat diet, study finds
• Fundamental discovery about neurons may radically alter current view of neurotransmission
• Prolonged breastfeeding does not protect against eczema, global study shows
• Nanowires get into the groove
• Ga ga for goo goo: Research explores the scientific basis for baby fever
• Permafrost could release vast amounts of carbon and accelerate climate change by end of century
• Coriander oil could tackle food poisoning and drug-resistant infections
• Scientist discovers genetic factor implicated in heartbeat defect
• Diastolic dysfunction appears to worsen over time; associated with increased risk of heart failure
• Hake population has withstood overfishing, thanks to the warming of the sea
• Poverty and national parks: Decade-long study finds surprising relationship
• Ancient 'daddy long legs' revealed in 3-D models
• Physicians' exposure to radiation prompt cellular changes that may protect the body from harm
• Blood vessels participate in the eradication of tumors
• Patients discharged from a hospital at increased risk of unintentional discontinuation of medications for chronic diseases
• Research vessel Polarstern at North Pole
• Deaths from strong prescription painkillers are on the increase, experts say
• Single protein, key to Ebola virus infection, could aid in drug design
• NASA's GRAIL moon twins are joined to their booster
• James Webb Space Telescope instrument completes cryogenic testing
• NASA picks three proposals for flight demonstration
• Protein essential for Ebola virus infection is a promising antiviral target
• Researchers find 'key' used by Ebola virus to unlock cells and spread deadly infection
• Database of water, wastewater pipeline infrastructure systems
• 85 percent of homeless people have chronic health conditions
• Magnitude-5.3 earthquake rattles southern Colorado
• Corporate social responsibility programs have little impact on stocks
• Treatment options for cluster headache

Posted 2011-08-24:

• Ancient wild horses help unlock past
• Scientists define cellular pathway essential to removing damaged mitochondria
• Quick and cheap data storage? New multiferroic material is both electrically charged and magnetic
• Novel cytokine protects mice from colitis
• Exploring the possibilities for zeolites: Team creates database of 2.6 million varieties of molecular sieves
• Economic inequality is linked to biased self-perception
• World-record pulsed magnetic field achieved; Lab moves closer to 100-tesla mark
• Inactivity linked to risk factors for Type 2 diabetes
• New set of building blocks for simple synthesis of complex molecules
• Melanin's 'trick' for maintaining radioprotection studied
• Text search tool for electronic medical records shows promise for identifying postoperative complications
• Older adults are better at decision-making than young adults
• Filling without drilling: Pain-free way of tackling dental decay reverses acid damage and re-builds teeth
• Stem cell study offers hope for Parkinson's patients
• Nickel nanoparticles may contribute to lung cancer
• Brain tumors found to have a two-tier system
• Food security helps wildlife
• Two-year-old children understand complex grammar
• Nano bundles pack a powerful punch: Solid-state energy storage takes a leap forward
• New research links obesity with heart rhythm disorder
• Low oxygen triggers moth molt: Caterpillars have a respiratory system that is fixed in size
• Seventeen percent of cancer nurses unintentionally exposed to chemotherapy, study finds
• Southern South American wildfires expected to increase
• Is marriage good for the heart?
• Neuroscientists identify brain activity that predicts how well you will remember images
• Saffron shows promise in preventing liver cancer, study suggests
• Regenerative powers in the animal kingdom explored
• Helping eye care providers better assess driving in older adults
• Genetic markers show something fishy with certified Chilean sea bass sales
• For depression, relapsers go to the front of the brain
• Not so fast: Lasting evolutionary change takes about one million years, researchers find
• New target for treatment of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes identified
• Stress can affect future offspring
• Older adults with too much salt in diet and too little exercise at greater risk of cognitive decline, study finds
• Chemists discover most naturally variable protein in dental plaque bacterium
• Extreme negative anti-smoking ads can backfire, experts find
• Are stellar explosions created equal? Scientists recheck a standard model for supernovae on which cosmic distance measurement is based
• Traumatic brain injury increases risk of Parkinson's disease, researchers say; Threat doubles with exposure to the pesticide paraquat
• When well-known flu strains 'hook up' dangerous progeny can result
• Road block as a new strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer's
• Scale models: How patterns stay in sync with size as an embryo grows and develops
• Happiness can deter crime, a new study finds
• Ancient whale skulls and directional hearing: A twisted tale
• Confirmation that vitamin D acts as a protective agent against the advance of colon cancer
• Milk better than water to rehydrate kids, study finds
• Narcolepsy and influenza: Onset of narcolepsy appears to follow seasonal patterns of H1N1, China study finds
• Large Hadron Collider experiments eliminate more Higgs hiding spots
• Males believe discussing problems is a waste of time, study shows
• Doctors' nutrition advice hits home quickly
• Taxpayer film subsidies promote youth smoking, researchers find
• Government subsidies to the US film industry promote youth smoking, argue researchers
• Men, women get equal care with 'Get With The Guidelines', study finds
• Handsome annual reports cause investors to value company higher
• Fine art in advertising can backfire
• Maintaining exercise when the cardiac rehab is complete
• Algorithm developed to improve remote electrocardiography
• Careers advice 'crucial' in encouraging greater science take-up
• Bullying victims often suffer academically, particularly high-achieving blacks and Latinos
• Shifting domestic roles for men who lost jobs in current recession

Posted 2011-08-23:

• Yeast's epic journey 500 years ago gave rise to lager beer
• Small molecules shed light on cancer therapies
• Hyenas' ability to count helps them decide to fight or flee
• Researchers find increase in infection rates in patients with cardiac electrophysiological devices
• Measurement tools for traffic crash injury severity improving
• Experience puts the personal stamp on a place in memory: Seeing helps map a place in the mind, but exploration and experience are vital
• Newly discovered Icelandic current could change North Atlantic climate picture
• Effects of prenatal smoking on infant neurodevelopment may be worse than feared
• Secret life of millipedes
• Heart attack patients winning the race to angioplasty treatment, U.S. study finds
• Sketching with superconductors: Breakthrough in controlling defects could lead to new generation of electronic devices
• Good ruminations or bad ruminations in the depressed brain?
• Astronomers find ice and possibly methane on Snow White, a distant dwarf planet
• Incisionless surgery now available as an investigational treatment for esophageal disorder
• Tuning natural antimicrobials to improve their effectiveness at battling superbugs
• Genomewide mapping reveals developmental and environmental impacts
• Species affected by climate change: To shift or not to shift?
• Reduced recognition of fear and sadness in post-traumatic stress disorder
• Antennas in your clothes? New design could pave the way
• Possible trigger point of epileptic seizures identified
• Breeding ozone-tolerant crops
• Newest screen for newborns will indicate heart problems
• Better 'photon loops' may be key to computer and physics advances
• Practice makes perfect: Competitive Scrabble players push the boundaries of accepted visual word recognition
• Galaxies are running out of gas: Why the lights are going out in the Universe
• Painting a 'bullseye' on cancer cells
• Deadly ancient Egyptian medication? German scientists shed light on dark secret of Queen Hatshepsut's flacon
• Ignored virus can cause liver cancer, study suggests; Should we be screening blood for hepatitis G?
• Restoration as science: Case of the collared lizard
• Large weight gains most likely for men after divorce, women after marriage
• Oldest fossils on Earth discovered
• At last, a reason why stress causes DNA damage
• New way to treat common hospital-acquired infection: Novel approach may offer treatment for other bacterial diseases
• Sweet insight: Discovery could speed drug development