The EDGE: ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Friday, August 24, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Friday, August 24, 2012

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Repairing cartilage with fat: Problems and potential solutions (August 23, 2012) -- Stem cells isolated from fat are being considered as an option for treating tissue damage and diseases because of their accessibility and lack of rejection. New research shows that this is not as straightforward as previously believed, and that fat-derived stem cells secrete VEGF and other factors, which can inhibit cartilage regeneration. However pre-treating the cells with antibodies against VEGF and growing them in nutrients specifically designed to promote chondrocytes can neutralize these effects. ... > full story

Indo-European languages originated in Anatolia, research suggests (August 23, 2012) -- The Indo-European languages belong to one of the widest spread language families of the world. For the last two millenia, many of these languages have been written, and their history is relatively clear. But controversy remains about the time and place of the origins of the family. New research links the origins of Indo-European with the spread of farming from Anatolia 8,000 to 9,500 years ago. ... > full story

Rock sparrows react to infidelity by singing louder (August 23, 2012) -- Rock sparrows indicate their age and their reproductive success with their songs and react to infidelity with a higher song volume. ... > full story

Archaeologists complete survey of Charleston Harbor Civil War Naval Battlefield (August 23, 2012) -- Archaeologists have dived, mapped and completed the first survey of the prolonged Civil War naval battle that took place in Charleston Harbor in 1861 - 1865. ... > full story

For juvenile moose, Momma's boys and girls fare best (August 23, 2012) -- A new study shows that if you’re a juvenile moose trying to make it in the real world, you can’t beat an overprotective mom. ... > full story

New survey of ocean floor finds juvenile scallops are abundant in Mid-Atlantic (August 23, 2012) -- Researchers are getting a comprehensive view of the ocean floor using a new instrument, and have confirmed that there are high numbers of young sea scallops off of Delaware Bay. ... > full story

Antarctic ice sheet quakes shed light on ice movement and earthquakes (August 23, 2012) -- Analysis of small, repeating earthquakes in an Antarctic ice sheet may not only lead to an understanding of glacial movement, but may also shed light on stick slip earthquakes like those on the San Andreas fault or in Haiti, according to geoscientists. ... > full story

Nanoparticles reboot blood flow in brain (August 23, 2012) -- Nanoparticles show promise in restoring blood flow to the brain when administered soon after a traumatic brain or other injury. ... > full story

Language, emotion and well-being explored (August 23, 2012) -- We use language every day to express our emotions, but can this language actually affect what and how we feel? Two new studies explore the ways in which the interaction between language and emotion influences our well-being. ... > full story

'Smart catheters' for the major problem of catheter-related infections (August 23, 2012) -- A new "smart catheter" that senses the start of an infection, and automatically releases an anti-bacterial substance, is being developed to combat the problem of catheter-related blood and urinary tract infections. ... > full story

Human melanoma stem cells identified (August 23, 2012) -- Cancer stem cells are defined by three abilities: differentiation, self-renewal and their ability to seed a tumor. These stem cells resist chemotherapy and many researchers posit their role in relapse. A new study shows that melanoma cells with these abilities are marked by the enzyme ALDH, and imagines new therapies to target high-ALDH cells, potentially weeding the body of these most dangerous cancer creators. ... > full story

Collective motion in schools of fish can evolve as finely tuned defense against attack from predators: Virtual fish simulation (August 23, 2012) -- Researchers have designed a video game for predatory fish that has unraveled some lingering evolutionary questions about group formation and movement in animals. ... > full story

Research on wood formation sheds light on plant biology (August 23, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a phenomenon never seen before in plants while studying molecular changes inside tree cells as wood is formed. ... > full story

Webb Telescope's 'golden spider' (August 23, 2012) -- What looks like a giant golden spider weaving a web of cables and cords, is actually ground support equipment, including the Optical Telescope Simulator (OSIM), for the James Webb Space Telescope. OSIM's job is to generate a beam of light just like the one that the real telescope optics will feed into the actual flight instruments. Because the real flight instruments will be used to test the real flight telescope, their alignment and performance first have to be verified by using the OSIM. Engineers are thoroughly checking out OSIM now in preparation for using it to test the flight science instruments later. ... > full story

Smooth sailing: Space launch system giving Marshall, Langley wind tunnels a workout (August 23, 2012) -- Since well before the inception of NASA, engineers used wind tunnels and scale models to test how vehicles would respond and interact with the atmosphere. At the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., engineers are using wind tunnel testing to enhance the development of NASA's Space Launch System, a heavy-lift launch vehicle that will propel science and human exploration into deep space and launch NASA's Orion spacecraft to expand human presence beyond low Earth orbit. ... > full story

More exoplanets discovered: 41 new transiting planets in Kepler field of view (August 23, 2012) -- Two newly submitted studies verify 41 new transiting planets in 20 star systems. These results may increase the number of Kepler's confirmed planets by more than 50 percent: to 116 planets hosted in 67 systems, over half of which contain more than one planet. ... > full story

Study helps pancreatic cancer patients make hard choices (August 23, 2012) -- Researchers have examined SEER data on 25,476 pancreatic cancer patients, correlating days spent on medical care with disease stage, type of treatment and survival time. The first of its kind, the study is intended to provide physicians and patients with vital information needed to maximize quality of life for people with pancreatic cancer. ... > full story

NCAA football exploits players in 'invisible labor market', expert says (August 23, 2012) -- College football exploits players in an "invisible labor market," and the only plausible way for student-athletes to address their interests is the credible threat of unionization, according to new research from an expert in labor relations and collective bargaining in athletics. ... > full story

March Madness brings September students: Out-of-state students drawn by college sports success (August 23, 2012) -- A new study examines the impact that college sports success has in drawing prospective students. A pair of economists show how much of a bump follows a stellar season (up to 10 percent) and what types of prospective students are attracted to schools with winning teams. ... > full story

Learning one of cancer's tricks: Chemists determine one way tumors meet their growing needs (August 23, 2012) -- Researchers have shown for the first time that a specific sugar, known as GlcNAc ("glick-nack"), plays a key role in helping cancer cells grow rapidly and survive under harsh conditions. The finding suggests new potential targets for therapeutic intervention. ... > full story

Advantage flu virus: Scientists discover one of the ways the influenza virus disarms host cells (August 23, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered one of the ways the influenza virus disarms our natural defense system. The virus decreases the production of key immune regulating proteins in human cells that help fight the invader. The virus does this by turning on the microRNAs -- little snippets of RNA -- that regulate these proteins. The researchers are among the first to show the influenza virus can change the expression of microRNA to control immune responses in human lung cells. ... > full story

Link found between cold European winters and solar activity (August 23, 2012) -- Scientists have long suspected that the Sun's 11-year cycle influences climate of certain regions on Earth. Yet records of average, seasonal temperatures do not date back far enough to confirm any patterns. Now, armed with a unique proxy, an international team of researchers show that unusually cold winters in Central Europe are related to low solar activity – when sunspot numbers are minimal. ... > full story

Past tropical climate change linked to ocean circulation (August 23, 2012) -- A new record of past temperature change in the tropical Atlantic Ocean's subsurface provides clues as to why the Earth's climate is so sensitive to ocean circulation patterns. ... > full story

For mitochondria, bigger may not be better: Optimal length of mitochondria is essential to preventing Alzheimer's (August 23, 2012) -- Abnormalities in mitochondrial length promote the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. ... > full story

Field guide to the Epstein-Barr virus charts viral paths toward cancer (August 23, 2012) -- Researchers have published the first annotated atlas of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome, providing the best look yet at how EBV interacts with human genes and proteins. EBV, which is thought to be responsible for one percent of all human cancers -- including B cell lymphomas, gastric carcinomas, and nasopharyngeal carcinomas -- establishes a latent infection in nearly 100 percent of infected adult humans. ... > full story

Sensor detects glucose in saliva and tears for diabetes testing (August 23, 2012) -- Researchers have created a new type of biosensor that can detect minute concentrations of glucose in saliva, tears and urine and might be manufactured at low cost because it does not require many processing steps to produce. ... > full story

How to feed data-hungry mobile devices? Use more antennas (August 23, 2012) -- Researchers have just unveiled Argos, a new multi-antenna technology that could help wireless providers keep pace with the voracious demands of data-hungry smartphones and tablets. Argos aims to dramatically increase network capacity by allowing cell towers to simultaneously beam signals to more than a dozen customers on the same frequency. ... > full story

Novel microscopy method offers sharper view of brain's neural network (August 23, 2012) -- An Italian research team has, for the first time, imaged a fluorescent mouse brain in its entirety with the highest resolution to date. The novel method, which uses a new microscopy technique, produced 100 percent sharper images of the neural pathways, and should be applicable to human brain samples in the future – opening the door to a better understanding of brain disorders such as autism and ischemic stroke. ... > full story

Gene 'switch' may explain DiGeorge syndrome severity (August 23, 2012) -- The discovery of a 'switch' that modifies a gene known to be essential for normal heart development could explain variations in the severity of birth defects in children with DiGeorge syndrome. ... > full story

Supernovae of the same brightness, cut from vastly different cosmic cloth (August 23, 2012) -- Astronomers have presented the first-ever direct observations of a Type 1a supernova progenitor system. Astronomers have collected evidence indicating that the progenitor system of a Type 1a supernova contains a red giant star. They also show that the system previously underwent at least one much smaller nova eruption before it ended its life in a destructive supernova. By comparison, indirect observations of another Type 1a supernova progenitor system showed no evidence of a red giant star. Taken together, these observations unequivocally show that just because Type 1a supernovae look the same, that doesn't mean they are all born the same way. ... > full story

Engineers achieve longstanding goal of stable nanocrystalline metals (August 23, 2012) -- Most metals -- from the steel used to build bridges and skyscrapers to the copper and gold used to form wires in microchips -- are made of crystals: orderly arrays of molecules forming a perfectly repeating pattern. In many cases, the material is made of tiny crystals packed closely together, rather than one large crystal. The crystals tend to merge and grow larger if subjected to heat or stress. Now, researchers have found a way to avoid that problem. They've designed and made alloys that form extremely tiny grains -- called nanocrystals -- that are only a few billionths of a meter across. ... > full story

How does body temperature reset the biological clock? (August 23, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a molecular mechanism by which body temperature rhythms influence the expression of 'clock genes' and synchronize local oscillators. This study also demonstrates how the production of DBP, a protein involved in detoxification and drug metabolism, is modulated by daily variations of temperature. ... > full story

Human lungs brush out intruders (August 23, 2012) -- A new study helps to explain how human airways clear mucus out of the lungs. The findings may give researchers a better understanding of what goes wrong in many human lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. ... > full story

New way to fight bacterial infections: 'Naked Darth Vader' approach could tame antibiotic resistant superbugs (August 23, 2012) -- Rather than trying to kill bacteria outright with drugs, researchers have discovered a way to disarm bacteria that may allow the body's own defense mechanisms to destroy them. "To understand this strategy one could imagine harmful bacteria being like Darth Vader, and the anti-virulence drug would take away his armor and lightsaber," explained the study's lead author. ... > full story

Human-chimp genetic differences: New insights into why humans are more susceptible to cancer and other diseases (August 23, 2012) -- Ninety-six percent of a chimpanzee's genome is the same as a human's. It's the other 4 percent, and the vast differences, that has intrigued researchers. For instance, why do humans have a high risk of cancer, even though chimps rarely develop the disease? In a new study, scientists have looked at brain samples of each species. They found that differences in certain DNA modifications, called methylation, may contribute to phenotypic changes. The results also hint that DNA methylation plays an important role for some disease-related phenotypes in humans, including cancer and autism. ... > full story

Underground solution to starving rice plants (August 23, 2012) -- Scientists have pinpointed a gene that enables rice plants to produce around 20 percent more grain by increasing uptake of phosphorus, an important, but limited, plant nutrient. ... > full story

New insights into salt transport in the kidney (August 23, 2012) -- Sodium chloride, better known as salt, is vital for the organism, and the kidneys play a crucial role in the regulation of sodium balance. However, the underlying mechanisms of sodium balance are not yet completely understood. Researchers in Germany have now deciphered the function of a gene in the kidney and have thus gained new insights into this complex regulation process. ... > full story

Therapeutic avenues for Parkinson's investigated (August 23, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered what may possibly be a key ingredient in the fight against Parkinson's disease. Researchers have demonstrated that the nuclear receptor liver X receptor beta may play a role in the prevention and treatment of this progressive neurodegenerative disease. ... > full story

Study reveals human drive for fair play (August 23, 2012) -- People will reject an offer of water, even when they are severely thirsty, if they perceive the offer to be unfair, according to a new study. The findings have important implications for understanding how humans make decisions that must balance fairness and self-interest. ... > full story

One-molecule-thick material has big advantages (August 23, 2012) -- New research suggests that a whole family of two-dimensional materials may open up possibilities for applications that could change many aspects of modern life. ... > full story

Scientists produce hydrogen for fuel cells using an inexpensive catalyst under real-world conditions (August 23, 2012) -- Scientists have produced hydrogen, a renewable energy source, from water using an inexpensive catalyst under industrially relevant conditions (using pH neutral water, surrounded by atmospheric oxygen, and at room temperature). ... > full story

Spacetime: A smoother brew than we knew (August 23, 2012) -- Spacetime may be less like beer and more like sipping whiskey. Or so an intergalactic photo finish would suggest. Physicists reached this heady conclusion after studying the tracings of three photons of differing wavelengths that were recorded by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope in May 2009. Photons from a gamma-ray burst jetted 7 billion light years across the universe and arrived at Earth in a dead heat, calling into question just how foamy the universe may be. ... > full story

Foreclosures impact California voter turnout, researchers find (August 23, 2012) -- California neighborhoods reeling from record foreclosures also experienced lower levels of voter turnout in the 2008 presidential election. Voters who lost their homes and those who remained in impacted neighborhoods were less likely to cast ballots. ... > full story

No-till could help maintain crop yields despite climate change (August 23, 2012) -- Reducing tillage for some Central Great Plains crops could help conserve water and reduce losses caused by climate change, according to studies at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ... > full story

Sinus irrigation with tap water linked to two deaths (August 23, 2012) -- When water containing the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, a single-celled organism, enters the nose, the organisms may migrate to the brain, causing primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a very rare -- but usually fatal -- disease. A new study has described the first reported cases in the United States implicating nasal irrigation using tap water in these infections. "N. fowleri was found in water samples from both homes," researchers said, but "not found in the treatment plants or distribution systems of the municipal water systems servicing the patients' homes." ... > full story

Primate of the opera: What soprano singing apes on helium reveal about the human voice (August 23, 2012) -- Have you ever heard an opera singing ape? Researchers in Japan have discovered that singing gibbons use the same vocal techniques as professional soprano singers. The study explains how recording gibbons singing under the influence of helium gas reveals a physiological similarity to human voices. ... > full story

Cloud control could tame hurricanes, study shows (August 23, 2012) -- They are one of the most destructive forces of nature on Earth, but now environmental scientists are working to tame the hurricane. Scientists now propose using cloud seeding to decrease sea surface temperatures where hurricanes form. Theoretically, the team claims the technique could reduce hurricane intensity by a category. ... > full story

Researching the dream cure to insomnia (August 23, 2012) -- More than one third of people in the UK are likely to experience acute insomnia each year, say sleep experts. ... > full story