ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Monday, March 15, 2010
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Silk structure analysis explains paradox of super-strength; could lead to even stronger synthetic materials (March 15, 2010) -- Spiders and silkworms are masters of materials science, but scientists are finally catching up. Silks are among the toughest materials known, stronger and less brittle, pound for pound, than steel. Now scientists have unraveled some of their deepest secrets in research that could lead the way to the creation of synthetic materials that duplicate, or even exceed, the extraordinary properties of natural silk. ... > full story
Caution urged in reducing blood pressure in patients with diabetes, coronary disease (March 15, 2010) -- Systolic blood pressure levels between 130 and 140 appear to be the most healthful for patients with both diabetes and coronary artery disease, according to new findings. ... > full story
Forest tree species diversity depends on individual variation (March 15, 2010) -- It's a paradox that's puzzled scientists for a half-century. Models clearly show that the coexistence of competing species depends on those species responding differently to the availability of resources. Then why do studies comparing competing tree species draw a blank? ... > full story
New risk score tool more accurately predicts patients' risk for cardiac disease and death, study finds (March 15, 2010) -- By combining patients' Framingham Risk Score with new Intermountain Risk Score, researchers found that they were 30 percent more likely to correctly determine a woman's risk, and 57 percent more likely to determine a man's risk for a cardiovascular problem or death within 30 days of an angiography. ... > full story
Analytical eye: Viewing through the data jungle (March 15, 2010) -- Unmanageable volumes of data accumulate in our digitized working world. Scientists are developing analytical techniques that make use of our ability to identify complex data relationships by means of pictorial images. ... > full story
Hutterite study: Vaccinating children for flu may help prevent transmission, protect those who are not vaccinated (March 15, 2010) -- Immunizing children and adolescents with inactivated influenza vaccine resulted in reduced rates of influenza in their community compared to a similar community in which children did not receive the vaccine, suggesting that vaccinating children may help prevent transmission of the virus and offer protection for unimmunized community residents, according to a new study of Hutterite communities. ... > full story
To Arctic animals, time of day really doesn't matter (March 15, 2010) -- In the far northern reaches of the Arctic, day versus night often doesn't mean a whole lot. During parts of the year, the sun does not set; at other times, it's just the opposite. A new study shows that Arctic reindeer have come up with a solution to living under those extreme conditions: They've abandoned use of the internal clock that drives the daily biological rhythms in other organisms. ... > full story
Intensive blood pressure, combined lipid therapies do not help adults with diabetes, study finds (March 15, 2010) -- Lowering blood pressure to normal levels -- below currently recommended levels -- did not significantly reduce the combined risk of fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular disease events in adults with type 2 diabetes who were at especially high risk for cardiovascular disease events, according to new results. ... > full story
Can a single layer of cells control a leaf's size? (March 15, 2010) -- Little is known about the developmental control of leaf size and shape, and understanding the mechanisms behind this is a major issue in plant biology. New research concludes that communication between adjacent cell layers plays an important role in determining leaf size. Cells in one tissue layer can control the rate of division of cells in another tissue layer, which in turn influences overall leaf size. ... > full story
Donating kidney does not appear to significantly increase long-term risk of death (March 15, 2010) -- An analysis of outcomes for live kidney donors in the US over a 15 year period finds they have similar long-term survival rates compared to healthy individuals who were not kidney donors, according to a new study. ... > full story
Fishery management practices for beluga sturgeon must change, experts urge (March 15, 2010) -- A first-of-its-kind study of a Caspian Sea beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) fishery demonstrates current harvest rates are four to five times higher than those that would sustain population abundance. The study's results suggest that conservation strategies for beluga sturgeon should focus on reducing the overfishing of adults rather than heavily relying upon hatchery supplementation. ... > full story
One-page questionnaire is effective screening tool for common psychiatric disorders (March 15, 2010) -- A one-page, 27-item questionnaire that is available free online is a valid and effective tool to help primary care doctors screen patients for four common psychiatric illnesses, a new study concludes. ... > full story
Why surprises temporarily blind us (March 14, 2010) -- New research reveals for the first time how our brains coordinate two different types of attention and why we may be temporarily blinded by surprises. ... > full story
Stem cell research shows promise for tissue-engineered vascular grafts (March 14, 2010) -- Researchers are the first to fully characterize a special type of stem cell, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) that exist in circulating blood, to see if they can behave as endothelial cells in the body when cultured on a bioengineered surface. The results show promise for a new generation of tissue-engineered vascular grafts which could improve the success rate of surgery for peripheral arterial disease. ... > full story
Mars constantly loses part of its atmosphere to space due to solar wind (March 14, 2010) -- Space physicists have identified the impact of the Sun on Mars' atmosphere. The scientists report that Mars is constantly losing part of its atmosphere to space. The new study shows that pressure from solar wind pulses is a significant contributor to Mars's atmospheric escape. ... > full story
A sporting chance for active total knee replacement patients (March 14, 2010) -- Total knee arthroplasty patients may be able to participate in high-impact sports without increasing risk of early implant failure, according to a new study. ... > full story
'World's most useful tree' provides new low-cost water purification method for developing world (March 14, 2010) -- A low-cost water purification technique could help drastically reduce the incidence of waterborne disease in the developing world. The procedure, which uses seeds from the Moringa oleifera tree, can produce a 90.00% to 99.99% bacterial reduction in previously untreated water. ... > full story
Different fat types can help or hinder obese girls' bone health (March 14, 2010) -- Obese teenage girls with a greater ratio of visceral fat (fat around internal organs) to subcutaneous fat (fat found just beneath the skin) are likely to have lower bone density than peers with a lower ratio of visceral to subcutaneous fat, according to a new study. ... > full story
Discovery of cellular 'switch' may provide new means of triggering cell death, treating disease (March 14, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered a previously unknown cellular "switch" that may provide researchers with a new means of triggering programmed cell death, findings with implications for treating cancer. ... > full story
Designer nano luggage to carry drugs to diseased cells (March 14, 2010) -- Scientists have succeeded in growing empty particles derived from a plant virus and have made them carry useful chemicals. The external surface of these nano containers could be decorated with molecules that guide them to where they are needed in the body, before the chemical load is discharged to exert its effect on diseased cells. The containers are particles of the Cowpea mosaic virus, which is ideally suited for designing biomaterial at the nanoscale. ... > full story
Quantum dots spotlight DNA-repair proteins in motion (March 14, 2010) -- Repair proteins appear to efficiently scan the genome for errors by jumping like fleas between DNA molecules, sliding along the strands, and perhaps pausing at suspicious spots, say researchers who tagged the proteins with quantum dots to watch the action unfold. ... > full story
New tool for operations on people with severe or profound auditory loss (March 14, 2010) -- Engineers and doctors have designed a new tool for operating on the inner ear with maximum precision, reducing the possibility of damage to the auditory function during the surgery. This is the first micromanipulator specifically for operations involving cochlear and middle ear implants, of which about a hundred are carried out in this hospital annually. ... > full story
Scientists identify key protein from mitochondria in energy regulation (March 14, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered a new mechanism that governs this pathway and in the process identified a novel potential therapeutic target for controlling fat metabolism. ... > full story
African-Americans have highest stroke rate, southerners more likely to die, study finds (March 14, 2010) -- African-Americans age 65 and younger are more than twice as likely to have a stroke compared with Caucasians in any region, and people who have a stroke are more likely to die in the South than elsewhere, according to researchers. ... > full story
Scientists identify driving forces in human cell division (March 14, 2010) -- Using a novel imaging system for quantifying aspects of cell division in three dimensions, scientists have discovered new interactions between sister kinetochores -- the protein bundles at the contact point between the two identical strands of a chromosome -- and the microtubule motors that help pull the strands apart. ... > full story
Effort aims to spike breast cancer with new approach (March 14, 2010) -- Many women live with breast cancer that does not respond to standard medical treatment, a condition that researchers want to change by aggressively targeting specific genes. ... > full story
Compliant systems: Flexible yet strong materials allow aircraft wings to flex with air flow (March 14, 2010) -- Researchers once wanted to build aircraft wings based on compliant systems, which would continually change shape in response to the air flow resistance, obviating the need for rigid flap and rudder surfaces. A range of different industries are interested in so-called "smart" systems because they can be used to make low-maintenance (and therefore economic) products such as medical tools and robot gripper arms. ... > full story
New clues about the basis of muscle wasting disease (March 14, 2010) -- New findings shed light on how genetic damage to muscle cell proteins can lead to the development of the rare muscle-wasting disease, nemaline myopathy. ... > full story
Barrier in mosquito midgut protects invading pathogens (March 14, 2010) -- Scientists studying the Anopheles gambiae mosquito have found that the act of feeding triggers two enzymes to form a protective barrier that prevents the mosquito's immune defense system from clearing disease-causing agents that can be passed on to humans. Disrupting the protein barrier can trigger mosquito immune defenses to intervene and protect the insect from infection. This finding could inform new strategies for blocking malaria transmission. ... > full story
12 year olds more likely to use potentially deadly inhalants than cigarettes or marijuana (March 14, 2010) -- More 12 year olds have used potentially lethal inhalants than have used marijuana, cocaine and hallucinogens combined, according to new data. ... > full story
Human cells exhibit foraging behavior like amoebae and bacteria (March 13, 2010) -- When cells move about in the body, they follow a complex pattern similar to that which amoebae and bacteria use when searching for food, researchers have found. ... > full story
New insight into brain's decision-making process (March 13, 2010) -- The hippocampus, a part of the brain essential for memory, has long been known to "replay" recently experienced events. Previously, replay was believed to be a simple process of reviewing recent experiences in order to help consolidate them into long-term memory. However, new research shows the phenomenon of memory replay is much more complex, cognitive process that may help an animal maintain its internal representation of the world, or its cognitive map. ... > full story
Mars dunes: On the move? (March 13, 2010) -- New studies of ripples and dunes shaped by the winds on Mars testify to variability on that planet, identifying at least one place where ripples are actively migrating and another where the ripples have been stationary for 100,000 years or more. ... > full story
Effects of lifestyle and exposures are mirrored in blood gene expression (March 13, 2010) -- A study by Norwegian and French researchers hopes to provide new understanding of how blood cells adjust gene expression in response to various clinical, biochemical and pathological conditions. The Norwegian Woman and Cancer postgenome study highlights numerous blood gene sets affected by one's physical condition, lifestyle factors and exposure variables. ... > full story
Prehistoric response to global warming informs human planning today (March 13, 2010) -- Since 2004, University at Buffalo anthropologist Ezra Zubrow has worked intensively with teams of scientists in the Arctic regions of St. James Bay, Quebec, northern Finland and Kamchatka to understand how humans living 4,000 to 6,000 years ago reacted to climate changes. ... > full story
Brain tumor's 'grow-or-go' switch discovered (March 13, 2010) -- High energy levels cause glioblastoma cells to proliferate; low levels cause them to grow less and to migrate. This study discovered that a molecule called miR-451 coordinates this grow-or-go behavior, which is closely linked to the cells' ability to invade and spread. Thus, the molecule might be a biomarker for predicting survival in patients with glioblastoma multiforme and may serve as a target to develop drugs to fight these tumors. ... > full story
Small dogs originated in the Middle East, genetic study finds (March 13, 2010) -- A genetic study has found that small domestic dogs probably originated in the Middle East more than 12,000 years ago. Researchers have traced the evolutionary history of the IGF1 gene, finding that the version of the gene that is a major determinant of small size probably originated as a result of the domestication of the Middle Eastern gray wolf. ... > full story
Exploiting the architecture of cancers may lead to their destruction (March 13, 2010) -- To grow larger, solid tumors require a network of blood vessels to nourish them. Chemotherapy exploits these vessels to deliver toxic drugs, but is inefficient if the drugs cannot pass quickly enough from the bloodstream into the tumor. A new study describes a way of transiently making the tumor blood vessels leakier, allowing more efficient drug uptake. This work may ultimately enhance delivery of chemotherapies into tumor tissue. ... > full story
Plants discover the benefits of good neighbors in strategy against herbivores (March 13, 2010) -- Scandinavian scientists have discovered that a species of tree defends itself from herbivore attack by using chemicals emitted by neighboring plants. The study reveals how species of Birch tree absorb chemical compounds from neighboring Marsh tea plants, Rhondodendron tomentosum, in a unique "defense by neighbor strategy." ... > full story
Best treatment for childhood epilepsy suggested by new research (March 13, 2010) -- One of the oldest available anti-seizure medications, ethosuximide, is the most effective treatment for childhood absence epilepsy, according to initial outcomes. ... > full story
Calculations made by physicist Gustav Mie in 1908 put to test on single nanoparticles (March 13, 2010) -- Rice students put calculations by German physicist Gustav Mie, made in 1908, to the test when they decided to look at the optical properties of single nanoparticles. ... > full story
Different signal paths for spontaneous and deliberate activation of memories (March 13, 2010) -- Entirely different signal paths and parts of the brain are involved when you try to remember something and when you just happen to remember something, prompted by a smell, a picture, or a word, for instance. ... > full story
Genome analysis of marine microbe reveals a metabolic minimalist (March 13, 2010) -- Flightless birds, blind cave shrimp, and other oddities suggest a "use it or lose it" tendency in evolution. In the microbial world, an unusual marine microorganism appears to have ditched several major metabolic pathways, leaving it with a remarkably reduced set of genes. ... > full story
Breakthroughs in treatment of spine and back conditions (March 13, 2010) -- Approximately 21 million visits were made to physicians' offices due to back problems in 2006. While countless adults experience back pain and stiffness, many suffer from serious spine and back conditions -- including injury, herniated discs and the deterioration of the vertebrae. Three new studies detail advances in back care and treatment options for specific back and spine conditions. ... > full story
Genetic mapping of algae biofuel species groundwork done (March 13, 2010) -- Using green algae to produce hydrocarbon oil for biofuel production is nothing new; nature has been doing so for hundreds of millions of years, according a scientists. ... > full story
Knee replacement in elderly patients shown to improve balance (March 13, 2010) -- Total knee replacement (TKR) successfully relieves pain and improves function in patients with advanced knee arthritis, according to a new study. ... > full story
PEGylated dendrimers: A novel mechanism of drug delivery (March 13, 2010) -- A research team has shown how PEGylated polylysine dendrimers, a new type of nano-sized drug delivery system, can be altered to target either the lymphatic system or the bloodstream, which may improve the treatment of particular types of diseases. ... > full story
Communication often fumbled during patient hand-offs in hospital (March 13, 2010) -- As shifts change in a hospital, outgoing physicians must "hand off" important information to their replacements in a brief meeting. But a new study of this hand-off process finds that the most important information is not fully conveyed in a majority of cases, even as physicians rate their communication as successful. ... > full story
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