ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines
for Thursday, September 25, 2008
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Essential Gene For Forming Ears Of Corn Discovered (September 25, 2008) -- Plant geneticists have identified a gene called sparse inflorescence1, or spi1, that is essential in controlling development of the maize plant. It is involved in the synthesis of the growth hormone auxin, which among other things helps to shape structures such as leaves or the female organs (ears) and male organs (tassels) of corn. ... > full story
Rare Genetic Disorder Gives Clues To Autism, Epilepsy, Mental Retardation (September 25, 2008) -- Studying a rare genetic disorder called tuberous sclerosis complex, researchers have uncovered a possible cause of some neurodevelopmental disorders: structural abnormalities in neurons. The growth of too many axons, resulting in an exuberance of brain connections, supports recent thinking that autism, epilepsy and mental retardation (all common complications of TSC) stem at least partly from abnormal brain connectivity. The researchers also found, in mice, that normal neuronal structure can potentially be restored. ... > full story
Genome Of One Of World's Most Common And Destructive Plant Parasites Sequenced (September 25, 2008) -- Scientists have completed the genome sequence and genetic map of one of the world's most common and destructive plant parasites -- Meloidogyne hapla, a microscopic, soil-dwelling worm known more commonly as the northern root-knot nematode. ... > full story
HPV DNA Test Identifies Cervical Pre-cancerous Disease In Developing Countries With 90% Success Rate (September 25, 2008) -- Results of the first study to determine the accuracy of a new rapid screening test for HPV created specifically for use in the developing world, have shown it to be 90 percent accurate in detecting precancerous cervical disease when tested on a group of local women in Shanxi province, eastern China. ... > full story
Split In Perception Of Similarity Could Double Web Advertising (September 25, 2008) -- Psychology researchers have found a radical 50/50 split in how people decide "What makes two things seem similar?". This research could mean that some advertisers and marketers could be failing to reach up to half of their potential audience and it could double the number of opportunities available in key web advertising methods such as Google AdWords. ... > full story
Presidential Debates Likely To Be As Significant As 1960 Kennedy-Nixon Debate (September 25, 2008) -- With many polls showing presidential candidates Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain in a dead heat, many are predicting that the first presidential debate on Sep. 26 could be a turning point in the election. In addition, with the surprising selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate, the St. Louis vice presidential debate could be the most viewed in US history. ... > full story
World’s Largest Tsunami Debris Discovered (September 25, 2008) -- A line of massive boulders on the western shore of Tonga may be evidence of the most powerful volcano-triggered tsunami found to date. Up to 9 meters (30 feet) high and weighing up to 1.6 million kilograms (3.5 million pounds), the seven coral boulders are located 100 to 400 meters (300 to 1,300 feet) from the coast. ... > full story
New Drug Target For Inflammatory Disease Discovered (September 25, 2008) -- Researchers have defined a cellular process that promotes inflammation and, at the same time, found an important starting point for identifying and testing new drugs for diseases such as sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. ... > full story
Old Growth Forest Must No Longer Be Ignored In Carbon Balances (September 25, 2008) -- Ancient forests, which accumulate large quantities of carbon over the centuries, should be taken into account in global carbon balance assessments. However, such old growth forests were not included in the Kyoto protocol. ... > full story
Isoflavone Dietary Supplement Improves Functioning Of Arteries In Stroke Patients (September 25, 2008) -- A dietary supplement containing isoflavone -- a chemical found in soybeans, chickpeas, legumes and clovers -- can improve artery function in stroke patients according to new research. ... > full story
Purifying Nanorods: Big Success With Tiny Cleanup (September 25, 2008) -- Chemists have discovered a novel method to produce ultra-pure gold nanorods -- tiny, wand-like nanoparticles that are being studied in dozens of labs worldwide for applications as broad as diagnosing disease and improving electronic viewscreens. The method removes more than 99 percent of impurities from nanorods. ... > full story
Strong Leaders Who Punish Freeloaders And Cheats Can Benefit Society: UBC Research (September 25, 2008) -- A strong leader who punishes cheats and freeloaders can increase the cooperation and riches enjoyed by the rest of the group, according to psychology and economics research. ... > full story
Mars Polar Cap Mystery Solved: Why Southern Ice Cap Is 'Misplaced' (September 24, 2008) -- Scientists are now able to better explain why Mars's residual southern ice cap is misplaced, thanks to data from ESA's Mars Express spacecraft -- the martian weather system is to blame. And so is the largest impact crater on Mars -- even though it is nowhere near the south pole. ... > full story
Compounds That Prevent Nerve Damage Discovered (September 24, 2008) -- Scientists have made a significant finding that could lead to better drugs for several degenerative diseases including Huntington's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Compounds that block the activity of a specific enzyme prevented brain injury and greatly improved survival in fruit flies that had the same disease process found in Huntington's disease. ... > full story
European Research Effort Tackles Dangerous Mould (September 24, 2008) -- Ubiquitous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus poses an increasing threat to patients with compromised immune systems. The European Science Foundation has launched a new Research Networking Programme, FUMINOMICS, to study the basic genetic and molecular mechanisms employed by the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus when infecting host cells. ... > full story
What Is The Best Strategy For Treating Helicobacter Pylori? (September 24, 2008) -- The best treatment for Helicobacter pylori is not yet established. The organism is becoming resistant to some of the treatments. This study compared the standard three drug treatment with a four drug treatment in a rural hospital in UK. They concluded that four drugs remain the best option for white Caucasians in rural UK, except for some the side effects. ... > full story
Lack Of Large-scale Experiments Slows Progress Of Environmental Restoration (September 24, 2008) -- A new study finds that environmental restoration research using large experimental tests has been limited. The study maintains that for restoration to progress as a science and a practice, more research should be done on whole ecosystems with large experiments. ... > full story
Holiday Drug Taking Linked To Acts Of Violence (September 24, 2008) -- A new study shows that high levels of drug and alcohol consumption are behind the growth in violence among young tourists. The research work, focusing on Mallorca and Ibiza in Spain, shows that 5% of tourists visiting these areas become involved in some kind of violence during their stay. Ecstasy was the only drug consumed that the scientists have not linked to violent acts. ... > full story
Formula Discovered For Longer Plant Life (September 24, 2008) -- Molecular biologists have discovered how the growth of leaves and the aging process of plants are coordinated. ... > full story
Scientists Deliver Toxic Genes To Effectively Kill Pancreatic Cancer Cells (September 24, 2008) -- Investigators have achieved a substantial "kill" of pancreatic cancer cells by using nanoparticles to successfully deliver a deadly diphtheria toxin gene. The findings reflect the first time this unique strategy has been tested in pancreatic cancer cells, and the success seen offers promise for future pre-clinical animal studies, and possibly, a new clinical approach. ... > full story
Human Or Animal Faces Associated With At Least 90 Percent Of Cars By One-third Of Population (September 24, 2008) -- A new study investigated whether people ascribed certain traits to cars, as they do to human faces. One-third of the subjects associated a human or animal face with at least 90 percent of the cars. All subjects marked eyes (headlights), a mouth (air intake/grille), and a nose in more than 50 percent of the cars. Overall, people agreed which type of car possesses certain traits. The authors found that people liked cars most which had a wide stance, a narrow windshield, and/or widely spaced, narrow headlights. ... > full story
Stopping Smoking Reduces Postoperative Complications, Study Shows (September 24, 2008) -- Patients who stop smoking four weeks before an operation reduce the risk of complications, according to a new research. Moreover, many of those who receive help with this ahead of operations remain non-smokers for a long time afterwards. ... > full story
New, More Sensitive Nanotechnology Test For Chemical DNA Modifications Developed (September 24, 2008) -- Researchers have developed a novel test to screen for chemical modifications to DNA known as methylation. The technology potentially could be used both for early cancer diagnoses and for assessing patients' response to cancer therapies. ... > full story
New Life For Middle English: Norwegian Detective Work Gives New Knowledge Of The English Language (September 24, 2008) -- After several years of detective work, philologists have collected a unique collection of texts online. Now they're about to start the most comprehensive analysis of middle English ever. ... > full story
Deep Interior Of Neptune, Uranus And Earth May Contain Some Solid Ice (September 24, 2008) -- The deep interior of Neptune, Uranus and Earth may contain some solid ice. ... > full story
Plant Antioxidant May Protect Against Radiation Exposure (September 24, 2008) -- Resveratrol, the natural antioxidant commonly found in red wine and many plants, may offer protection against radiation exposure, according to a new study. When altered with acetyl, resveratrol administered before radiation exposure proved to protect cells from radiation in mouse models. ... > full story
Flooding Might Help Lower Gas Emission From Wetlands (September 24, 2008) -- River floods and storms that send water surging through swamps and marshes near rivers and coastal areas might cut in half the average greenhouse gas emissions from those affected wetlands, according to recent research. A study suggests that pulses of water through wetlands result in lower average emissions of greenhouse gases over the course of the year compared to the emissions from wetlands that receive a steady flow of water. ... > full story
Breast MRI Scan Could Determine Need For Radiation Therapy (September 24, 2008) -- For women whose breast cancer has spread to their lymph nodes, a magnetic resonance imaging scan could replace exploratory surgery as the method for determining whether those women need radiation therapy to treat their disease, according to a study. ... > full story
New Technology Takes On Food Safety, Wastage And Inaccurate 'Best Before' Dates (September 24, 2008) -- Advances in sensing technology will help to reduce the wastage from 'farm to fork' that's contributing to the UK's £10 billion food wastage bill. ... > full story
'Casual' Smokers Have A Greater Risk Of Hazardous Drinking And Alcohol-use Disorders (September 24, 2008) -- Smokers are more likely to drink and drink heavily, and heavy smokers also tend to be heavy drinkers. New findings indicate that nondaily or "casual" smoking among young adults confers a greater risk of hazardous drinking and alcohol-use disorders. Casual smokers were 16 times more likely than non-smokers to be hazardous drinkers, and five times more likely to meet criteria for an AUD. ... > full story
Cosmic 'Dark Flow' Detected Across Billions Of Light Years (September 24, 2008) -- Scientists have identified an unexpected motion in distant galaxy clusters. The cause, they suggest, is the gravitational attraction of matter that lies beyond the observable universe. ... > full story
Source Of Multipotent Stem Cells With Broad Regenerative Potential identified (September 24, 2008) -- In a promising finding for the field of regenerative medicine, stem cell researchers have identified a source of adult stem cells found on the walls of blood vessels with the unlimited potential to differentiate into human tissues such as bone, cartilage and muscle. ... > full story
Honeybee Venom Toxin Used To Develop New Tool For Studying Hypertension (September 24, 2008) -- Researchers have modified a honeybee venom toxin so that it can be used as a tool to study the inner workings of ion channels that control heart rate and the recycling of salt in kidneys. ... > full story
Strong Association Found Between Prevalence Of Low White Blood Count And Women Of African Descent (September 24, 2008) -- Researchers found a strong association between women of African descent from the US and Caribbean, who are otherwise healthy, and the prevalence of neutropenia, or low white blood count. Neutropenia, which is associated with race and ethnicity, has essentially been unexplained and, although thought to be benign, may affect therapy for cancer or other illnesses. Among women of African descent who develop a malignancy, this association may contribute to racial disparities in treatment and outcomes. ... > full story
Hidden Infections Crucial To Understanding, Controlling Disease Outbreaks (September 24, 2008) -- Scientists and news organizations typically focus on the number of dead and gravely ill during epidemics, but new research suggests that less dramatic, mild infections lurking in large numbers of people are the key to understanding cycles of at least one potentially fatal infectious disease: cholera. ... > full story
Un-total Recall: Amnesics Remember Grammar, But Not Meaning Of New Sentences (September 24, 2008) -- Scientists examined which type of memory function contributes to syntactic persistence by comparing amnesics with a group of control volunteers. The amnesics in this study experience anterograde amnesia and exhibit problems forming new memories — they cannot remember facts & events that occurred following their head injury. However, their procedural memory is still intact. For example, these patients will not remember that they received a new bike, but they will improve at riding the bike. ... > full story
Two Planets Suffer Violent Collision (September 24, 2008) -- Two planets in orbit around a mature sun-like star recently suffered a violent collision, astronomers report in the Astrophysical Journal. "It's as if Earth and Venus collided with each other," said Benjamin Zuckerman, UCLA professor of physics and astronomy and a co-author on the paper. "Astronomers have never seen anything like this before. Apparently, major catastrophic collisions can take place in a fully mature planetary system." ... > full story
New Vaccine Element Could Generate Better Protection From Avian Influenza (September 24, 2008) -- Current vaccines for influenza provide protection against specific seasonal influenza A strains and their close relatives, but not against more distant seasonal influenza A viruses and new avian influenza A viruses, such as H5N1, which still poses a real global health concern. However, new data have been generated that suggest adding a new component to vaccines for influenza might enable them to confer protection against a broader range of avian and seasonal influenza A viruses. ... > full story
New 3D Visualization Tool For Early Diagnosis Of Breast Cancer (September 24, 2008) -- Scientists from Finland, Germany and the ESRF have developed a new X-ray technique for the early detection of breast cancer. This allows a 3D visualization of the breast with a high spatial resolution and is extremely sensitive to alterations in the tissue, such as those generated by cancer. This technique could be used in the next years in hospitals. It may help doctors to detect tumours with greater precision than is possible using current X-ray mammography. ... > full story
High Blood Pressure Takes Big Toll On Small Filtering Units Of The Kidney (September 24, 2008) -- Take a kidney out of the body and it still knows how to filter toxins from the blood. But all bets are off in the face of high blood pressure. "How does the kidney know how to do it and why does it break in hypertension?" says Dr. Edward W. Inscho, physiologist in the Medical College of Georgia Schools of Medicine and Graduate Studies. ... > full story
Proposed Extraction Process May Have Economic, Environmental Benefits (September 24, 2008) -- A researcher from the University of Alberta has proposed an experimental electrical heating process to draw oil from largely untapped deposits, which could yield major rewards for oil production and be more environmentally sound than current extractions processes. ... > full story
Republican And Democratic Values Compared (September 24, 2008) -- Hoping to answer the question of which political party has a monopoly on the "best" values and how religion affects these values, a professor compared the "extrinsic" values (financial success, status, appearance) with "intrinsic" values (growth, intimacy, helping) of self-declared Democrats and Republicans in four different samples. ... > full story
Controlling Light With Sound: New Liquid Camera Lens As Simple As Water And Vibration (September 24, 2008) -- New miniature image-capturing technology powered by water, sound and surface tension could lead to smarter and lighter cameras in everything from cell phones and automobiles to autonomous robots and miniature spy planes. Researchers have now designed and tested an adaptive liquid lens that captures 250 pictures per second and requires considerably less energy to operate than competing technologies. ... > full story
When Healing Turns To Scarring: Research Reveals Why It Happens And How To Stop It (September 24, 2008) -- For the first time, research from the University of Western Ontario has revealed the mechanisms involved in the origin of scarring or fibrotic diseases, as well as a way to control it. The study, led by Andrew Leask of the CIHR Group in Skeletal Development and Remodeling, is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Fibrotic diseases account for 40 percent of all deaths and health care costs in North America. ... > full story
Coating Copies Microscopic Biological Surfaces (September 24, 2008) -- Someday, your car might have the metallic finish of some insects or the deep black of a butterfly's wing, and the reflectors might be patterned on the nanostructure of a fly's eyes, according to researchers who have developed a method to rapidly and inexpensively copy biological surface structures. ... > full story
People With Type 2 Diabetes Can Put Fatty Livers On A Diet With Moderate Exercise (September 24, 2008) -- Weekly bouts of moderate aerobic exercise on a bike or treadmill, or a brisk walk, combined with some weightlifting, may cut down levels of fat in the liver by up to 40 percent in people with type 2 diabetes, a study by physical fitness experts. ... > full story
Calorie-free Natural Sweetener Moves One Step Closer To Use In U. S. (September 24, 2008) -- Researchers are reporting an advance toward the possible use of a new natural non-caloric sweetener in soft drinks and other food products in the United States. Stevia, which is 300 times more potent than sugar but calorie-free, is already used in some countries as a food and beverage additive to help fight obesity and diabetes. ... > full story
Step Back To Move Forward Emotionally, Study Suggests (September 24, 2008) -- When you're upset or depressed, should you analyze your feelings to figure out what's wrong? Or should you just forget about it and move on? ... > full story
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