The EDGE: ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Monday, August 27, 2012

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Monday, August 27, 2012

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Simplifying genetic codes to look back in time (August 26, 2012) -- Researchers show simpler versions of the universal genetic code can still function in protein synthesis. In addition to understanding early primordial organisms, the research could lead to applications preventing non-natural genetically modified materials from entering the natural world. ... > full story

Diagnostic test shows potential to noninvasively identify significant coronary artery disease (August 26, 2012) -- Among patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease, use of a method that applies computational fluid dynamics to derive certain data from computed tomographic (CT) angiography demonstrated improved diagnostic accuracy vs. CT angiography alone for the diagnosis of ischemia. ... > full story

Targeted oxidation-blocker prevents secondary damage after traumatic brain injury, study suggests (August 26, 2012) -- Treatment with an agent that blocks the oxidation of an important component of the mitochondrial membrane prevented the secondary damage of severe traumatic brain injury and preserved function that would otherwise have been impaired, according to a research team. ... > full story

Scientists identify new gene that influences survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (August 26, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a gene that influences survival time in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). ... > full story

'Cyborg' tissues: Merging engineered human tissues with bio-compatible nanoscale wires (August 26, 2012) -- Scientists have, for the first, time created a type of "cyborg" tissue by embedding a three-dimensional network of functional, bio-compatible nanoscale wires into engineered human tissues. ... > full story

Compound discovered that boosts effect of vaccines against HIV and flu (August 26, 2012) -- Scientists have discovered a compound that greatly boosts the effect of vaccines against viruses like flu, HIV and herpes in mice. ... > full story

Sleep learning is possible: Associations formed when asleep remained intact when awake (August 26, 2012) -- Is sleep learning possible? A new study has found that if certain odors are presented after tones during sleep, people will start sniffing when they hear the tones alone -- even when no odor is present -- both during sleep and, later, when awake. In other words, people can learn new information while they sleep, and this can unconsciously modify their waking behavior. ... > full story

New wave of technologies possible after ground-breaking analysis tool for nanometer devices developed (August 26, 2012) -- A revolutionary tool has enabled researchers to analyze nanometer-sized devices without destroying them for the first time, opening the door to a new wave of technologies. ... > full story

Genomic variant that increases risk of brain tumors discovered (August 26, 2012) -- People who carry a “G” instead of an “A” at a specific spot in their genetic code have roughly a six-fold higher risk of developing certain types of brain tumors a study has found. ... > full story

Commercial drivers could be understating sleep apnea symptoms for fear of losing their license (August 26, 2012) -- People who drive commercial vehicles, such as buses, taxis, trucks and airplanes, could be incorrectly reporting their symptoms of sleep apnea due to their fears of endangering their employment, according to a new study. ... > full story

Sudden death less likely in exercise related cardiac arrests (August 26, 2012) -- People who have a cardiac arrest during or shortly after exercise are three times more likely to survive than those who have a cardiac arrest that is not exercise related, according to new research. ... > full story

Novel blood test predicts sudden death risk patients who would benefit from ICDs (August 26, 2012) -- A novel blood test that predicts sudden death risk in heart failure patients is set to help physicians decide which patients would benefit from implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). Approximately 5 million patients in the US have heart failure, a condition where the heart is unable to pump blood adequately, and nearly 550,000 people are diagnosed annually. Heart failure is the single most common cause of admission to hospitals in the US. ... > full story

Women with acute heart failure have similar in-hospital mortality to men but are less treated (August 26, 2012) -- Women with acute heart failure have similar in-hospital mortality to men but are less treated in the real world, according to new results. ... > full story

Obesity triggers atrial fibrillation in fertile women, study suggests (August 26, 2012) -- Obesity triggers atrial fibrillation in fertile women, according to new research. ... > full story

Type 2 diabetes: Preliminary results in Aliskiren trial show drug 'may even be harmful' (August 26, 2012) -- Preliminary results from the Aliskiren Trial in Type 2 Diabetes Using Cardio-Renal Endpoints (ALTITUDE) do not support administration of aliskiren on top of standard therapy with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blockade in type 2 diabetics at high risk of cardiovascular and renal events, according to researchers. Researchers have now said the treatment "may even be harmful". ... > full story

Global study suggests need for strategies to combat unhealthy lifestyles among the poor and the rich (August 26, 2012) -- The Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study involving 154,000 individuals from 628 communities reported on the patterns of diet, physical activity and smoking. ... > full story

New device to remove stroke-causing blood clots proves better than standard tool (August 26, 2012) -- Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death and a common cause of long-term disability in the United States, but doctors have very few proven treatment methods. Now a new device that mechanically removes stroke-causing clots from the brain is being hailed as a game-changer. ... > full story

Manipulating the microbiome could help manage weight (August 26, 2012) -- Vaccines and antibiotics may someday join caloric restriction or bariatric surgery as a way to regulate weight gain, according to a new study focused on the interactions between diet, the bacteria that live in the bowel, and the immune system. "Diet-induced obesity depends not just on calories ingested but also on the host's microbiome," said the study's senior author. For most people, he said, "host digestion is not completely efficient, but changes in the gut flora can raise or lower digestive efficiency." ... > full story

Controlling gene expression: How chromatin remodelers block a histone pass (August 26, 2012) -- Researchers show how repressor proteins ensure accurate gene expression by thwarting histone exchange. ... > full story

Neil Armstrong, 1930-2012: U.S. astronaut was first man to walk on the moon (August 25, 2012) -- Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon during the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, has died, following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures. He was 82. Armstrong's words "That is one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind," spoken on July 20, 1969, as he became the first person ever to step onto another planetary body, instantly became a part of history. ... > full story

Promising new drug target discovered for treatment and prevention of heart failure (August 25, 2012) -- A promising new drug target for the treatment and prevention of heart failure has been discovered. ... > full story

Heart separation device improves three year outcomes in heart failure patients (August 25, 2012) -- A novel non-invasive device which separates healthy and damaged heart muscle and restores ventricle function improves 3 year outcomes in patients with ischemic heart failure, according to new research. ... > full story

Electronic cigarettes do not damage the heart, study suggests (August 25, 2012) -- Smoking is the most preventable risk factor for cardiac and lung disease and is expected to cause 1 billion deaths during the 21st century. Electronic cigarettes have been marketed in recent years as a safer habit for smokers, with several millions of people already using them worldwide. ... > full story

Passive smoking increases platelet activation in healthy people (August 25, 2012) -- It is well known that passive smoking is harmful for cardiovascular health, but the mechanism has not yet been discovered, researchers said. They investigated the effects of passive smoking on the levels of three parameters – mean platelet volume (MPV), carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and lactate - in an effort to further understand this mechanism. ... > full story

Adolescent smokers have artery damage (August 25, 2012) -- Early exposure to tobacco smoke is associated with various adverse health outcomes in children and adolescents, including low birth weight and impaired lung growth and function. Tobacco smoke is considered highly atherogenic in adults, but little is known about the impact of tobacco smoke exposure on cardiovascular health in adolescents. Children and adolescents are exposed to tobacco smoke through passive and active smoking. ... > full story

Non-smokers benefit most from smoking ban (August 25, 2012) -- Many European countries have passed anti-smoking legislation which bans smoking from restaurants, bars and public buildings. After implementation of such a smoking ban on 1 January 2008 in the metropolitan area of Bremen in northwest Germany (800,000 inhabitants) a 16% decline in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was observed. STEMI is the severest form of myocardial infarction. ... > full story

Hubble captures a collection of ancient stars (August 25, 2012) -- The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has produced a beautiful image of the globular cluster Messier 56 (also known as M 56 or NGC 6779), which is located about 33,000 light years away from Earth in the constellation of Lyra (The Lyre). The cluster is composed of a large number of stars, tightly bound to each other by gravity. ... > full story

Obese youth have significantly higher risk of gallstones (August 24, 2012) -- Children who are overweight or obese face an increased risk for gallstones, according to a new study. ... > full story

Research shows children at risk from rural water supplies (August 24, 2012) -- Children drinking from around half the UK’s private water supplies are almost five times more likely to pick up stomach infections – according to new research. ... > full story

Rapid-scanning microscope with no loss of quality (August 24, 2012) -- Scientists have developed a rapid-scanning microscope with no loss of quality. ... > full story

Ancestral link places Mexican-Americans at greater risk for metabolic disease (August 24, 2012) -- Mexican-Americans with an ancestral link to Amerindian tribes were found to have higher insulin resistance levels, which is an indication of several chronic conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, according to new research. ... > full story

Sunbathing helps these bugs stay healthy (August 24, 2012) -- Sunbathing may be healthy -- at least for one group of North American insects, the Western boxelder bug -- that apparently uses the activity to fight off germs. The bugs are known to group together in sunlit patches and release monoterpenes, strong-smelling chemical compounds that help protect the bugs by killing germs on their bodies. ... > full story

Good diet, proper exercise help protect astronauts’ bones (August 24, 2012) -- Eating right and exercising hard in space helps protect International Space Station astronauts' bones, a finding that may help solve one of the key problems facing future explorers heading beyond low Earth orbit. ... > full story

New non-invasive method for diagnosing epilepsy (August 24, 2012) -- Biomedical engineers have outlined how a new type of non-invasive brain scan taken immediately after a seizure gives additional insight into possible causes and treatments for epilepsy patients. The new findings could specifically benefit millions of people who are unable to control their epilepsy with medication. ... > full story

Only two percent of Canadians deny climate change (August 24, 2012) -- A new survey shows that only two percent of Canadians deny climate change. ... > full story

Microwave ovens may help produce lower cost solar energy technology (August 24, 2012) -- The same type of microwave oven technology that most people use to heat up leftover food has found an important application in the solar energy industry, providing a new way to make thin-film photovoltaic products with less energy, expense and environmental concerns. ... > full story

Boston subway system to be used to test new sensors for biological agents (August 24, 2012) -- The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate has scheduled a series of tests in the Boston subways to measure the real-world performance of new sensors recently developed to detect biological agents within minutes. ... > full story

New strain of hand, foot and mouth virus worries parents, pediatricians (August 24, 2012) -- Your child goes to bed in perfect health. The next morning she wakes up with high fever, malaise and bright red blisters erupting all over her body. Dermatologists say the disturbing scenario has become quite common in the last few months, sending scared parents to their pediatrician’s office or straight to the emergency room. ... > full story

Superior fuel cell material developed (August 24, 2012) -- Using a mixture of gold, copper and platinum nanoparticles, researchers have developed a more powerful and longer lasting fuel cell material. ... > full story

Most mutations come from dad: New insights into age, height and sex reshape views of human evolution (August 24, 2012) -- Humans inherit more than three times as many mutations from their fathers as from their mothers, and mutation rates increase with the father's age but not the mother's, researchers have found in the largest study of human genetic mutations to date. ... > full story

Survival statistics show hard fight when malignant brain tumors appear at multiple sites (August 24, 2012) -- When aggressive, malignant tumors appear in more than one location in the brain, patient survival tends to be significantly shorter than when the disease starts as a single tumor, even though patients in both groups undergo virtually identical treatments, according to new research. ... > full story

Flat lens offers a perfect image (August 24, 2012) -- Applied physicists have created an ultrathin, flat lens that focuses light without imparting the distortions of conventional lenses. It operates at telecom wavelengths -- i.e., those used for fiber-optics -- and is scalable to a wider range. ... > full story

Mars surface data: ChemCam laser first analyses yield beautiful results (August 24, 2012) -- Scientists squeezed in a little extra target practice after zapping the first fist-sized rock that was placed in the laser's crosshairs last weekend. Much to the delight of the scientific team, the laser instrument has fired nearly 500 shots so far that have produced strong, clear data about the composition of the Martian surface. ... > full story

Good news from the bad drought: Gulf 'Dead Zone' smallest in years (August 24, 2012) -- The worst drought to hit the United States in at least 50 years does have one benefit: It has created the smallest "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico in years, say researchers. ... > full story

Simplified approach for high-power, single-mode lasers (August 24, 2012) -- Researchers have developed a new resonator that creates the purest, brightest, and most powerful single-mode quantum cascade lasers yet at the eight-12 micron range, a wavelength of great interest for both military and industrial use. ... > full story

Newly discovered genetic markers could signal colon cancer development (August 24, 2012) -- Researchers have discovered how some proteins may cause the development of some forms of colon cancers. ... > full story

Modeling metastasis (August 24, 2012) -- A technique used by animators helps scientists model how cancer cells enter the bloodstream. ... > full story

Invention will strike a chord with musicians (August 24, 2012) -- Digital software and hardware is set to revolutionize the music industry around the world. ... > full story

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