ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Monday, February 8, 2010
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Second 'quantum logic clock' based on aluminum ion is now world's most precise clock (February 8, 2010) -- Physicists have built an enhanced version of an experimental atomic clock based on a single aluminum atom that is now the world's most precise clock, more than twice as precise as the previous pacesetter based on a mercury atom. The new aluminum clock would neither gain nor lose one second in about 3.7 billion years. ... > full story
Gene that improves quality of reprogrammed stem cells identified (February 8, 2010) -- Scientists report that Tbx3 significantly improves quality of induced pluripotent stem cells. Stem cells reprogrammed from differentiated cells are known as induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells. ... > full story
New way to study how enzymes repair DNA damage (February 8, 2010) -- Researchers have found a new way to study how enzymes move as they repair DNA sun damage -- and that discovery could one day lead to new therapies for healing sunburned skin. Ultraviolet (UV) light damages skin by causing chemical bonds to form in the wrong places along the DNA molecules in our cells. ... > full story
Screening for spinal muscular atrophy not cost effective, study finds (February 8, 2010) -- New findings suggest that it is not cost effective to screen for spinal muscular atrophy. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is the most common genetic cause of infant mortality and the second most common inherited autosomal recessive disorder. There is controversy about whether prenatal carrier detection should be routinely offered to couples. ... > full story
Genetic analysis helps spot sugarcane rusts (February 8, 2010) -- Scientists have analyzed rust fungi from more than 160 sugarcane samples from 25 countries to provide a valuable resource for plant breeders and pathologists who are searching for genetic resistance to the deadly orange and brown rusts. ... > full story
Fingers account for majority of pediatric amputations, new study finds (February 8, 2010) -- According to a new study, there were more than 950 cases of traumatic amputations among children aged 17 years and younger in the United States in 2003. Of these cases, finger and thumb amputations accounted for the majority of the injuries. ... > full story
Migrating insects fly in the fast lane (February 8, 2010) -- Scientists shed new light on the flight behaviors that enable insects to undertake long-distance migrations, and highlights the remarkable abilities of these insect migrants. ... > full story
Estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy may increase risk of asthma after menopause (February 8, 2010) -- Estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy may increase the risk of developing asthma after the menopause, suggests a large scale study. ... > full story
Uncorrelated activity in the brain (February 8, 2010) -- Interconnected networks of neurons process information and give rise to perception by communicating with one another via small electrical impulses known as action potentials. In the past, scientists believed that adjacent neurons synchronized their action potentials. However, researchers now show that this synchronization does not happen. ... > full story
Preventing pancreatic islet loss after transplantation (February 8, 2010) -- Although transplantation of pancreatic islets is an attractive way to treat type 1 diabetes, early islet loss soon after transplantation has limited its clinical use. By studying islet transplantation in a mouse model of diabetes, researchers have now identified a potential new set of targets to improve the efficiency of pancreatic islet transplantation. ... > full story
Characteristics of Earthquakes that Have Caused Exceptional Ground Accelerations and Velocities (February 8, 2010) -- A new study identifies earthquakes through July 2007 that have produced 100 of the strongest peak accelerations and 100 of the strongest peak velocities ever recorded. ... > full story
Many surgeons suffer injuries from minimally invasive techniques (February 8, 2010) -- Surgeons who engage in minimally invasive, laparoscopic surgery are providing great benefits to their patients, but possibly to their own detriment. That's the finding of the largest survey ever conducted of surgeons in North America who perform laparoscopic procedures. The survey found that 87 percent of laparoscopic surgeons have experienced physical symptoms or discomfort. This was especially true among those with high case volumes. ... > full story
How well do scientists understand how changes in Earth's orbit affect long-term natural climate trends? (February 7, 2010) -- The notion that scientists understand how changes in Earth's orbit affect climate well enough for estimating long-term natural climate trends that underlie any anthropogenic climate change is challenged by new research findings. ... > full story
Scientists discover new treatment for chronic pain condition (February 7, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered that treating the immune system of patients with complex regional pain syndrome leads to a significant reduction in pain. ... > full story
First measurement of energy released from a virus during infection (February 7, 2010) -- For the first time, scientists have directly measured the energy associated with the expulsion of viral DNA, a pivotal discovery toward fully understanding the physical mechanisms that control viral infection and designing drugs to interfere with the process. ... > full story
Cholesterol's link to heart disease gets clearer and more complicated (February 7, 2010) -- By considering molecular-level events on a broader scale, researchers now have a clearer, if more complicated, picture of how one class of immune cells goes wrong when loaded with cholesterol. The findings show that, when it comes to the development of atherosclerosis and heart disease, it's not about any one bad actor -- it's about a network gone awry. ... > full story
Helmets reduce the risk of head injuries among skiers and snowboarders by 35 percent (February 7, 2010) -- Helmets reduce the risk of head injury among skiers and snowboarders by 35 percent with no evidence of an increased risk of neck injury, a new study finds. ... > full story
Brain dopamine receptor density correlates with social status (February 7, 2010) -- People have typically viewed the benefits that accrue with social status primarily from the perspective of external rewards. A new study suggests that there are internal rewards as well. Researchers found that increased social status and increased social support correlated with the density of dopamine D2/D3 receptors in the striatum, a region of the brain that plays a central role in reward and motivation, where dopamine plays a critical role in both of these behavioral processes. ... > full story
NASA, GM take giant leap in robotic technology (February 7, 2010) -- Engineers and scientists from NASA and GM are working together to build a new humanoid robot capable of working side by side with people. Using leading edge control, sensor and vision technologies, future robots could assist astronauts during hazardous space missions and help GM build safer cars and plants. ... > full story
Link between birth defect gastroschisis and the agricultural chemical atrazine found (February 7, 2010) -- New findings demonstrate a link between the birth defect gastroschisis and the agricultural chemical atrazine. Gastroschisis is a type of inherited congenital abdominal wall defect in which the intestines, and sometimes other organs, develop outside the fetal abdomen through an opening in the abdominal wall. The incidence of gastroschisis is on the rise, increasing two to four times in the last 30 years. ... > full story
Earlier glacial melt rate revised downward, but recent melt is accelerating dramatically (February 7, 2010) -- Glaciologists have shown that previous studies have largely overestimated mass loss from Alaskan glaciers over the past 40 years. Recent data from the SPOT 5 and ASTER satellites have enabled researchers to extensively map mass loss in these glaciers, which contributed 0.12 mm/year to sea-level rise between 1962 and 2006, rather than 0.17 mm/year as previously estimated. However, the spectacular acceleration in mass loss since the mid-1990s, corresponding to a contribution of 0.25 to 0.30 mm/year to sea-level rise, is not in question and proves to be a worrying indication of future sea-level rise. ... > full story
New research on Type 2 diabetes could benefit young adults with condition (February 7, 2010) -- Researchers have demonstrated new mechanisms in muscle cells that may explain severe insulin resistance and a reduced response to aerobic exercise in young obese patients with type 2 diabetes. These findings may contribute to the development of more specific treatments for young people with type 2 diabetes. ... > full story
Instruments to study space weather set for NASA launch (February 7, 2010) -- A million instrument package set for launch Feb. 9 by NASA should help scientists better understand the violent effects of the sun on near-Earth space weather that can affect satellites, power grids, ground communications systems and even astronauts and aircraft crews. ... > full story
High sensitivity to stress isn't always bad for children (February 7, 2010) -- Researchers looked at 338 kindergarteners, as well as their teachers and families, to determine how family adversity and biological reactivity contribute to healthy development. They found that children who had significantly stronger biological reactions to a series of mildly stressful tasks designed to look like challenges in their daily lives were more affected by their family contexts, both bad and good. ... > full story
Scientists demonstrate world's fastest graphene transistor; holds promise for improving performance of transistors (February 7, 2010) -- IBM researchers have demonstrated a radio-frequency graphene transistor with the highest cut-off frequency achieved so far for any graphene device -- 100 billion cycles/second (100 GigaHertz). The high frequency record was achieved using wafer-scale, epitaxially grown graphene using processing technology compatible to that used in advanced silicon device fabrication. ... > full story
New compound could become important new antidepressant (February 7, 2010) -- Chemists have discovered and synthesized a new compound that in laboratory and animal tests appears to be similar to, but may have advantages over one of the most important antidepressant medications in the world. ... > full story
First discovery of the female sex hormone progesterone in a plant (February 7, 2010) -- In a finding that overturns conventional wisdom, scientists are reporting the first discovery of the female sex hormone progesterone in a plant. Until now, scientists thought that only animals could make progesterone. A steroid hormone secreted by the ovaries, progesterone prepares the uterus for pregnancy and maintains pregnancy. ... > full story
Biologists determine microRNA activity is suppressed in mouse ovum (February 7, 2010) -- Scientists studying RNA activity, the so-called dark matter of the biological world, may have found the first event in reprogramming a differentiated oocyte into pluripotent blastomeres of the embryo. ... > full story
Sunny Record: Breakthrough for Hybrid Solar Cells (February 7, 2010) -- Scientists in Germany have succeeded in developing a method for treating the surface of nanoparticles which greatly improves the efficiency of organic solar cells. The researchers were able to attain an efficiency of 2 percent by using so-called quantum dots composed of cadmium selenide. These measurements, well above the previous efficiency ratings of 1 to 1.8 percent, were confirmed. ... > full story
Early abuse tied to more depression in children (February 7, 2010) -- A study of 500 low-income children ages 7 to 13, about half of whom had been abused and/or neglected, aimed to find out whether abuse early in life and feelings of depression affected cortisol ("stress hormone") levels. Study results suggest that there are different subtypes of depression, with atypical cortisol regulation occurring among children who were abused before age 5. ... > full story
How the butterflies got their spots (February 6, 2010) -- How two butterfly species have evolved exactly the same striking wing color and pattern has intrigued biologists since Darwin's day. Now, scientists have found "hot spots" in the butterflies' genes that they believe will explain one of the most extraordinary examples of mimicry in the natural world. ... > full story
New malaria vaccine is safe and protective in children, scientists find (February 6, 2010) -- A new vaccine to prevent the deadly malaria infection has shown promise to protect the most vulnerable patients -- young children -- against the disease, according to an international team of researchers. The vaccine seems to replicate in children the natural protective immunity that adults develop after years of intense exposure to malaria. A child dies of malaria every 30 seconds, according to the WHO. ... > full story
Toward safer plastics that lock in potentially harmful plasticizers (February 6, 2010) -- Scientists have published the first report on a new way of preventing potentially harmful plasticizers -- the source of long-standing human health concerns -- from migrating from one of the most widely used groups of plastics. ... > full story
How progesterone prevents preterm birth (February 6, 2010) -- Researchers believe they may have discovered how the hormone progesterone acts to prevent preterm birth. ... > full story
Secrets to superb malting barleys explored (February 6, 2010) -- Agricultural scientists are discovering more about what goes on inside malting barley grains as they germinate, or sprout, in the malt house. ... > full story
Moms' depression in pregnancy tied to antisocial behavior in teens (February 6, 2010) -- Researchers studying 120 British youth from inner-city areas found that mothers who became depressed when pregnant were four times as likely to have children who were violent at 16. This was true for both boys and girls. The mothers' depression, in turn, was predicted by their own aggressive and disruptive behavior as teens. ... > full story
Quantum computing leap forward: altering a lone electron without disturbing its neighbors (February 6, 2010) -- A major hurdle in the ambitious quest to design and construct a radically new kind of quantum computer has been finding a way to manipulate the single electrons that very likely will constitute the new machines' processing components or "qubits." Now, a physicist has discovered how to do just that -- demonstrating a method that alters the properties of a lone electron without disturbing the trillions of electrons in its immediate surroundings. The feat is essential to the development of future varieties of superfast computers with near-limitless capacities for data. ... > full story
World's first in-depth study of the malaria parasite genome (February 6, 2010) -- Groundbreaking research could lead to the development of more potent drugs or a vaccine for malaria. Scientists have scored a world first in successfully using transcriptional profiling to uncover hitherto unknown gene expression (activity) patterns in malaria. ... > full story
Leaves whisper their properties through ultrasound (February 6, 2010) -- The water content of leaves, their thickness, their density and other properties can now be determined without even having to touch them. Researchers in Spain have presented an innovative technique that enables plant leaves to be studied using ultrasound in a quick, simple and noninvasive fashion. ... > full story
Blacks with MS have more severe symptoms, decline faster than whites, new study shows (February 6, 2010) -- Fewer African Americans than Caucasians develop multiple sclerosis, statistics show, but their disease progresses more rapidly, and they don't respond as well to therapies, a new study by neurology researchers has found. ... > full story
Sweet! Sugar plays key role in cell division (February 6, 2010) -- Using an elaborate sleuthing system they developed to probe how cells manage their own division, scientists have discovered that common but hard-to-see sugar switches are partly in control. ... > full story
Length of time in institutional care may influence children's learning (February 6, 2010) -- A new study shows that children adopted early from foster care didn't differ from children who were raised in their birth families but that children adopted from institutional care performed worse than those raised in families on tests measuring visual memory and attention, learning visual information, and impulse control. Findings suggest that children make tremendous advances in cognitive functioning once they reach their adoptive families but the impact of early deprivation is difficult to reverse completely. ... > full story
Where did today's spiral galaxies come from? (February 6, 2010) -- Using data from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have created a demographic census of galaxy types and shapes from a time before the Earth and the sun existed, to the present day. The results show that more than half of the present-day spiral galaxies had peculiar shapes only six billion years ago, which, if confirmed, highlights the importance of collisions and mergers in the recent past of many galaxies. It also provides clues for the unique status of our own galaxy. ... > full story
HPV vaccines may reduce a wide range of genital diseases (February 6, 2010) -- High-coverage human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations among adolescents and young women may result in a rapid reduction of genital warts, cervical cell abnormalities, and diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, researchers report in a new study. Some of these genital abnormalities are precursors of cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancers. ... > full story
Craters young and old in southern highlands of Mars (February 6, 2010) -- The Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera has imaged craters both young and old in a new view of the southern highlands of Mars. ... > full story
Screening for short cervix could improve pregnancy outcomes and reduce preterm birth (February 6, 2010) -- Using ultrasound to screen all pregnant women for signs of a shortening cervix improves pregnancy outcomes and is a cost-effective way to reduce preterm birth, researchers report in a new study. ... > full story
Super material will make lighting cheaper and fully recyclable (February 6, 2010) -- With the use of the new super material graphene, Swedish and American researchers have succeeded in producing a new type of lighting component. It is inexpensive to produce and can be fully recycled. ... > full story
Youth who self-identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual at higher suicide risk, say researchers (February 6, 2010) -- Mental health professionals have long-known that gay, lesbian and bisexual teens face significantly elevated risks of mental health problems, including suicidal thoughts and suicidal attempts. However, a group of researchers has now come to the conclusion that self-identity is the crucial risk-factor, rather than actual sexual behaviors. ... > full story
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