ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Wednesday, May 26, 2010
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Star of Africa's savanna ecosystems may be the lowly termite: Regularly spaced termite mounds are key to maintaining ecological function (May 26, 2010) -- The majestic animals most closely associated with the African savanna -- fierce lions, massive elephants, towering giraffes -- may be relatively minor players when it comes to shaping the ecosystem. The real king of the savanna appears to be the termite, say ecologists who've found that these humble creatures contribute mightily to grassland productivity in central Kenya via a network of uniformly distributed colonies. ... > full story
Gene variants lead to autism and mental retardation: Inner structure of nerve synapses defective in patients (May 26, 2010) -- Researchers in Germany have discovered previously unknown mutations in autistic and mentally impaired patients in what is known as the SHANK2 gene, a gene that is partially responsible for linking nerve cells. ... > full story
Dangerous lung worms found in people who eat raw crayfish (May 26, 2010) -- If you're headed to a freshwater stream this summer and a friend dares you to eat a raw crayfish -- don't do it. You could end up in the hospital with a severe parasitic infection. ... > full story
Study sheds light into the nature of embryonic stem cells (May 26, 2010) -- New insight into what stem cells are and how they behave could help scientists to grow cells that form different tissues. A new study has shown that embryonic stem cells consist of cells that switch back and forth between precursors of different cell types. This may be linked to their potential to become any cell type in the body. ... > full story
NASA develops enhanced search and rescue technologies (May 26, 2010) -- NASA, which pioneered the technology used for the satellite-aided search and rescue capability that has saved more than 27,000 lives worldwide since its inception nearly three decades ago, has developed new technology that will more quickly identify the locations of people in distress and reduce the risk of rescuers. ... > full story
Criminals have their own distictive 'local haunts' when committing crimes (May 26, 2010) -- Research conducted by psychologists and the police has found that criminals have their own distinctive "local haunts" when committing crime. ... > full story
20th century one of driest in nine centuries for northwest Africa (May 26, 2010) -- Droughts in the late 20th century rival some of North Africa's major droughts of centuries past, reveals new research that peers back in time to the year 1179. The first multi-century drought reconstruction that includes Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia shows frequent and severe droughts during the 13th and 16th centuries and the latter part of the 20th century. An international team developed the tree-ring-based drought history. ... > full story
Moving closer to a universal influenza vaccine (May 26, 2010) -- Researchers have developed a new influenza vaccine that brings science one step closer to a universal influenza vaccine that would eliminate the need for seasonal flu shots. ... > full story
New study of psoriatic cells could fire up the study of inflammation (May 26, 2010) -- New research promises to pry some long held secrets from one of humanity's oldest known diseases. Scientists have discovered how to parse the most troublesome cells behind the debilitating skin lesions in psoriasis and have identified several distinctive markers that suggest how they might be contributing to the disease -- a painful inflammation of the skin that afflicts up to 2 percent of the U.S. population. ... > full story
Vaccination key to preventing childhood pneumonia in sub-Saharan Africa (May 26, 2010) -- Researchers have found that respiratory syncytial virus appears to be the predominant virus detected among infants and children hospitalized in Kenya. ... > full story
Grin and bear it: Texas dentists to test students' portable suction device (May 26, 2010) -- A group of university students has created a portable dental suction device, an inexpensive, battery-powered version of the vacuum system commonly used in dentists' offices to remove blood and saliva from a patient's mouth. ... > full story
Banning all gay men from donating blood is unscientific and wrong, say AIDS researchers (May 26, 2010) -- Since 1983, blood agencies in Canada, the United States and many other industrialized nations have disallowed all blood donations from men who have sex with men. While a total ban was justified scientifically and ethically in 1983, in 2010 it no longer makes sense, say AIDS researchers in a new article. ... > full story
Nearby black hole is feeble and unpredictable (May 25, 2010) -- A decade-long study by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory reveals that the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Andromeda galaxy was in a very dim, or quiet, state before 2006. However, on January 6, 2006, the black hole became more than a hundred times brighter, suggesting an outburst of X-rays. This was the first time such an event had been seen from a supermassive black hole in the nearby, local universe. ... > full story
New cancer vaccine starves tumours of blood (May 25, 2010) -- A DNA-vaccine that restricts the supply of blood to tumors has been developed by scientists in Sweden. The vaccine slows the growth of breast cancer tumors in mice. ... > full story
Scientists track plume of polluted groundwater to the sea (May 25, 2010) -- In the first study of its kind, researchers have tracked a plume of polluted groundwater from a septic system to one of Northern California's top recreational beaches. The researchers say their findings could be an important step toward improving waste water management in coastal communities throughout the United States. ... > full story
Pregnancy doubles HIV risk in men; first trial of a microbicide in pregnant women (May 25, 2010) -- Young women of reproductive-age are among those at greatest risk of acquiring HIV, and several studies have suggested that during pregnancy women are even more susceptible to infection. Now, a new study finds that pregnancy is a time when men also are at greater risk -- double the risk, in fact. Another pivotal study is the first to ask whether using a microbicide during pregnancy is safe for women and their babies. ... > full story
Rising levels of dioxins from common soap ingredient in Mississippi River, study finds (May 25, 2010) -- Specific dioxins derived from the antibacterial agent triclosan, used in many hand soaps, deodorants, dishwashing liquids and other consumer products, account for an increasing proportion of total dioxins in Mississippi River sediments, according to new research. ... > full story
'Nature's batteries' may have helped power early lifeforms (May 25, 2010) -- Researchers in the UK have uncovered new clues to the origins of life on Earth. The team found that a compound known as pyrophosphite may have been an important energy source for primitive lifeforms. ... > full story
Discovery of stem cell illuminates human brain evolution, points to therapies (May 25, 2010) -- Scientists have discovered a new stem cell in the developing human brain. The cell produces nerve cells that help form the neocortex -- the site of higher cognitive function -- and likely accounts for the dramatic expansion of the region in the lineages that lead to humans, the researchers say. ... > full story
What genes help blossoms last longer? (May 25, 2010) -- To help cut flowers and potted plants stay fresh longer, a plant physiologist is investigating the gene-controlled mechanisms of plants' aging. ... > full story
New role for zebrafish in human studies: Animal model uses mysterious enzyme also found in human brains (May 25, 2010) -- A researcher has discovered that zebrafish -- an important animal model in disease and environmental studies -- could provide the means to help scientists eventually reveal the function of a mysterious enzyme linked to the steroid cortisol, and found in the human brain. ... > full story
Perennial grass Miscanthus shows promise as energy crop while lowering atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> (May 25, 2010) -- A new article reveals that Miscanthus x giganteus, a perennial grass, could effectively reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, while lowering atmospheric carbon dioxide. ... > full story
Saving rainforests may help reduce poverty (May 25, 2010) -- Saving rainforests and protecting land in national parks and reserves reduced poverty in two developing countries, according to new research. ... > full story
Weird orbits of neighbors can make 'habitable' planets not so habitable (May 25, 2010) -- New findings from computer modeling indicate some exoplanets might fluctuate between being habitable and being inhospitable to life because of forces exerted by giant neighbors with eccentric orbits. ... > full story
Folate prevents alcohol-induced congenital heart defects in mice, study finds (May 25, 2010) -- A new animal study found that high levels of the B-vitamin folate prevents heart birth defects induced by alcohol exposure very early in pregnancy, a condition known as fetal alcohol syndrome. The dose that best protected against heart defects in mice was considerably higher than the current dietary recommendation of 400 micrograms of folate daily for women of child-bearing age, researchers report. ... > full story
Preventing cells from getting the kinks out of DNA (May 25, 2010) -- Some of the most common antibiotics and anticancer drugs block topoisomerases that snip the tangles out of DNA. If a cell cannot remove the tangles, it dies. Researchers investigating the structure of these enzymes have found that Type II topoisomerases, which snip double-stranded DNA, use their metal catalysts in a novel way that could help drug designers improve antimicrobials and cancer poisons and make them less toxic to the host. ... > full story
Antibiotic alternative for battling meningitis-causing bacteria (May 25, 2010) -- A new study suggests that boosting the abundance of one of the body's own proteins might be more effective than antibiotic treatment at fighting off a common meningitis-causing bacterium. ... > full story
Scientists to study impact of gulf oil spill on marine food webs (May 25, 2010) -- New reports are surfacing every day about the immediate impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Gulf Coast wildlife, especially as the oil reaches the sensitive marshlands along the coast. But how will these communities be affected over time? Shells from oysters, clams, and periwinkles hold clues about the ways and rates at which harmful compounds from the spill are being incorporated into the Gulf's marine food web. ... > full story
Switching medications and continuing treatment could help teens with severe depression, study suggests (May 25, 2010) -- More than one-third of teenagers with treatment-resistant depression -- many of whom had been depressed for more than two years -- became symptom-free six months after switching their medication or combining a medicine switch with cognitive behavioral therapy during a multicenter study. ... > full story
Inspired by a cotton candy machine, engineers put a new spin on creating tiny nanofibers (May 25, 2010) -- Hailed as a "cross between a high-speed centrifuge and a cotton candy machine," a new, practical technology for fabricating tiny nanofibers has been developed by bioengineers. The reference to the fairground treat of spun sugar is deliberate, as the device literally -- and just as easily -- spins, stretches and pushes out 100 nanometer-diameter polymer-based threads using a rotating drum and nozzle. ... > full story
Viral infection linked to juvenile diabetes (May 25, 2010) -- Researchers from Italy have found a statistically significant association between enteroviral infection and diagnosis of type-1 diabetes in children. ... > full story
Chott el Jerid, Tunisia: Closest thing to Mars on Earth? (May 25, 2010) -- Scientists are analyzing one of the most Mars-like places on Earth -- Chott el Jerid in South West Tunisia -- in preparation for future missions to the Red Planet. ... > full story
Using antiretroviral to prevent HIV could result in drug resistance if routine screening is not done, study finds (May 25, 2010) -- Their scientific methods may have been quite different, but their conclusions were not. In asking whether drug resistance could be a problem if antiretroviral (ARV) drugs become a mainstay for HIV prevention, two studies -- one involving a mathematical model and the other assays of cells and tissue -- arrived at the same answer. Resistance could happen if people who are unknowingly already infected use the approach. ... > full story
Self-healing concrete: Research yields cost-effective system to extend life of structures (May 25, 2010) -- Efforts to extend the life of structures and reduce repair costs have led engineers to develop "smart materials" that have self-healing properties, but many of these new materials are difficult to commercialize. A new self-healing concrete, however, may prove to be cost-effective. ... > full story
Discarded data may be gateway to new brain insights (May 25, 2010) -- Scientists regularly discard up to 90 percent of the signals from monitoring of brain waves, one of the oldest techniques for observing changes in brain activity. Now, though, researchers have found evidence that these data may contain significant information about how the brain works. ... > full story
Were dinosaurs warm- or cold-blooded? First method for directly measuring body temperatures of extinct vertebrates (May 25, 2010) -- Questions about when, why, and how vertebrates stopped relying on external factors to regulate their body temperatures and began heating themselves internally have long intrigued scientists. Now, a team of researchers has taken a critical step toward providing some answers. They have developed the first method for the direct measurement of the body temperatures of large extinct vertebrates -- through the analysis of rare isotopes in the animals' bones, teeth, and eggshells. ... > full story
Drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages may lower blood pressure (May 25, 2010) -- Drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages -- a leading source of added sugar in the US diet -- may lower blood pressure, according to new research. ... > full story
To attack H1N1, other flu viruses, gold nanorods deliver potent payload (May 25, 2010) -- Future pandemics of seasonal flu, H1N1 and other drug-resistant viruses may be thwarted by a potent, immune-boosting payload that is effectively delivered to cells by gold nanorods, scientists report. ... > full story
H1N1 associated with serious health risks for pregnant women, study finds (May 25, 2010) -- Pregnant women who contract the H1N1 flu strain are at risk for obstetrical complications including fetal distress, premature delivery, emergency cesarean delivery and fetal death, according to a new report. ... > full story
Pollution dispersion research aids understanding of 2002 break-up of Antarctic ozone hole (May 25, 2010) -- Researchers report findings on the flow of particles that will aid in understanding and controlling global-scale phenomena, such as pollution dispersion in the atmosphere and the ocean. For instance, the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico might be modeled to provide greater insight into how the particles might be dragged into the Loop Current. ... > full story
Sept. 11 attacks linked to increased male baby miscarriages, even in women with no direct connection to events (May 25, 2010) -- Stress caused by psychological shock from the Sep. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, felt even by people with no direct link to the event, may have led to an increase in male children being miscarried in the US. ... > full story
Can bacteria make you smarter? (May 25, 2010) -- Exposure to specific bacteria in the environment, already believed to have antidepressant qualities, could increase learning behavior, according to new research. ... > full story
Research points to two promising proteins for preventing diabetes (May 25, 2010) -- Two human proteins that evolutionary processes have conserved from ancient single-celled organisms appear to provide new targets of opportunity for scientists hoping to thwart the development of diabetes. ... > full story
Phoenix Mars Lander is silent, new image shows damage (May 25, 2010) -- NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has ended operations after repeated attempts to contact the spacecraft were unsuccessful. A new image transmitted by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows signs of severe ice damage to the lander's solar panels. ... > full story
Beta-blockers may be associated with benefits in patients with lung disease (May 25, 2010) -- Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may have fewer respiratory flare-ups and longer survival if they take beta-blocker medications, according to a new report. ... > full story
Odds are about 1-in-3 that mega-earthquake will hit Pacific Northwest in next 50 years, scientists say (May 25, 2010) -- The major earthquakes that devastated Chile earlier this year and which triggered the catastrophic Indonesian tsunami of 2004 are more than just a distinct possibility to strike the Pacific Northwest coast of the United States, scientists say. There is more than a one-in-three chance that it will happen within the next 50 years. ... > full story
Revealing China's ancient past (May 25, 2010) -- A U.S. archeologist is helping to reveal for the first time a snapshot of rural life in China during the Han Dynasty. The rural farming village of Sanyangzhuang was flooded by silt-heavy water from the Yellow River around 2,000 year ago. T.R. Kidder, professor of anthropology, is working to excavate the site, which offers a exceptionally well-preserved view of daily life in Western China more than 2,000 years ago. ... > full story
Comet dives into Sun: STEREO, SOHO spacecraft catch crash (May 25, 2010) -- Solar physicists have used STEREO data to track the path of a sun-grazing comet and have caught it crashing through the corona and chromosophere to evaporate in the photosphere. ... > full story
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