ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Tuesday, March 22, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Tuesday, March 22, 2011

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A 'fossil seismograph' for ancient earthquakes (March 22, 2011) -- Scientists have invented a "fossil seismograph," which examines geological formations to find historical patterns of earthquakes reaching far back into the ancient past. With this information, experts can better predict where and when earthquakes may occur again -- and take measures to prevent more catastrophic damage. ... > full story

Streptococcus enzyme could compete with toothbrushes, dental floss (March 22, 2011) -- Investigators from Japan show in vitro that the bacterium Streptococcus salivarius, a non-biofilm forming, and otherwise harmless inhabitant of the human mouth, actually inhibits the formation of dental biofilms, otherwise known as plaque. Two enzymes this bacteria produces are responsible for this inhibition. ... > full story

Basking in the sun: How large mammals survive winter in the mountains (March 22, 2011) -- Sunbathing in sub-zero temperatures may not be everybody’s idea of fun but it forms an important part of the strategy of Alpine ibex for surviving the winter. ... > full story

New statement offers advice on treating dangerous, deep blood clots (March 22, 2011) -- More than 250,000 Americans are hospitalized yearly because of blood clots that form in veins deep inside the body. A new American Heart Association statement gives doctors guidance on diagnosing and treating these potentially deadly blockages. ... > full story

Alternatives have begun in bid to hear from NASA's Spirit Mars rover (March 22, 2011) -- Hopes for reviving NASA's Spirit Mars rover dimmed further with passage of the point at which the rover's locale received its maximum sunshine for the Martian year. ... > full story

Canadian Avalanche victims die significantly quicker than Swiss counterparts, study finds (March 22, 2011) -- Avalanche victims buried in Canada die significantly quicker than those buried in Switzerland, according to new research. ... > full story

Templated growth technique produces graphene nanoribbons with metallic properties (March 22, 2011) -- A new "templated growth" technique for fabricating nanoribbons of epitaxial graphene has produced structures just 15 to 40 nanometers wide that conduct current with almost no resistance. These structures could address the challenge of connecting graphene devices made with conventional architectures -- and set the stage for a new generation of devices that take advantage of the quantum properties of electrons. ... > full story

A better test for human papillomavirus (March 22, 2011) -- A new test for human papillomavirus (HPV) is just as sensitive as the old one, but more specific for detecting cervical cancer, meaning that it has fewer false positive results, according to a new study. ... > full story

New model for studying Parkinson's: Swiss researchers develop new, working mammalian model to combat genetic causes of the disease (March 22, 2011) -- Evidence is steadily mounting that genetic factors play an important role in many cases of Parkinson's disease (PD). Researchers in Switzerland now report a new mammalian model for studying a specific gene mutation commonly found in PD sufferers, opening the door to new drugs to fight the malady. ... > full story

Breakthrough in Niemann-Pick Type C research (March 22, 2011) -- Researchers explain how use of a histone deacetylase inhibitor corrects the damage done by the genetic disorder Niewmann-Pick Type C and allowed once-diseased cells to function normally. ... > full story

Madrid event marks Spain's role in next Mars mission (March 22, 2011) -- Spain is providing a key science instrument and the high-gain antenna communication subsystem for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission, on track for launch this year. ... > full story

Teenagers, parents and teachers unaware of social networking risks (March 22, 2011) -- A report into the legal risks associated with the use of social networking sites has found that while 95 percent of students surveyed in years 7 to 10 use social networking sites, nearly 30 percent did not consider social networking to hold any risks. ... > full story

Spacebound bacteria inspire earthbound remedies (March 21, 2011) -- Recent research aboard the Space Shuttle is giving scientists a better understanding of how infectious disease occurs in space and could someday improve astronaut health and provide novel treatments for people on Earth. ... > full story

Cigarette smoking associated with increased risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (March 21, 2011) -- Cigarette smoking may be associated with an increased risk of developing the muscle-wasting disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, according to a new article. ... > full story

Fault-finding coral reefs can predict the site of coming earthquakes (March 21, 2011) -- Scientists are surveying "mass wasting," a unique geological phenomenon of the Red Sea, to identify active fault-line activity along fossil coral reefs and sediment levels. They say that their research is applicable to any coastal land areas, such as Japan and the west coast of the US. ... > full story

A dose of safflower oil each day might help keep heart disease at bay (March 21, 2011) -- A daily dose of safflower oil, a common cooking oil, for 16 weeks can improve such health measures as good cholesterol, blood sugar, insulin sensitivity and inflammation in obese postmenopausal women who have Type 2 diabetes, according to new research. This finding comes about 18 months after the same researchers discovered that safflower oil reduced abdominal fat and increased muscle tissue in this group of women after 16 weeks of daily supplementation. ... > full story

Overfertilizing corn undermines ethanol: Researchers find feeding crops too heavily bad for biofuel, environment (March 21, 2011) -- Scientists have found that when growing corn crops for ethanol, more means less. A new paper shows how farmers can save money on fertilizer while they improve their production of feedstock for ethanol and alleviate damage to the environment. ... > full story

Trauma patients protected from worse outcomes associated with so-called 'weekend effect' (March 21, 2011) -- Patients who've been hurt in car or bike crashes, been shot or stabbed, or suffered other injuries are more likely to live if they arrive at the hospital on the weekend than during the week, according to new research. ... > full story

Primordial soup gets spicier: 'Lost' samples from famous origin of life researcher shed new light on Earth's first life (March 21, 2011) -- Stanley Miller gained fame with his 1953 experiment showing the synthesis of organic compounds thought to be important in setting the origin of life in motion. Five years later, he produced samples from a similar experiment, shelved them and, as far as friends and colleagues know, never returned to them in his lifetime. More 50 years later, Jeffrey Bada, Miller's former student and now a professor of marine chemistry, discovered the samples in Miller's laboratory material and made a discovery that represents a potential breakthrough in the search for the processes that created Earth's first life forms. ... > full story

Molecular determinant of cell identity discovered (March 21, 2011) -- If a big bunch of your brain cells suddenly went rogue and decided to become fat cells, it could cloud your decision-making capacity a bit. Fortunately, early in an organism's development, cells make firm and more-or-less permanent decisions about whether they will live their lives as, say, skin cells, brain cells or, well, fat cells. ... > full story

Stars gather in 'downtown' Milky Way (March 21, 2011) -- The region around the center of our Milky Way galaxy glows colorfully in a new version of an image taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. ... > full story

Treatment breakthrough for rare disease linked to diabetes (March 21, 2011) -- Scientists have led an international team to discover new treatments for a rare and potentially lethal childhood disease that is the clinical opposite of diabetes mellitus. ... > full story

Designing forests to protect roads below from falling rock (March 21, 2011) -- Falling rock is a natural process in the evolution of mountain slopes. Unfortunately, it also threatens urbanized areas and the many roads below. To reduce the risks involved, scientists have studied the protection function of mountain forests. By analyzing the propagation of falling rocks, they have developed robust techniques (simulation models and management practices) to assist forest managers in optimizing the capacity of forests to provide protection. ... > full story

Multi-tasking on the street not a good idea for older people (March 21, 2011) -- Older adults may put themselves at risk by talking on cell phones while crossing the street, researchers report in a new study. The researchers found that adults aged 59 to 81 took significantly longer than college students to cross a simulated street while talking on a mobile phone, and their heightened cautiousness in initiating crossing did nothing to improve their safety. Older adults on cell phones also were more likely to fail to cross in the time allotted for the task. ... > full story

Huge ocean 'Frisbees' spin off Brazil's coast (March 21, 2011) -- Current rings have been known to exist off northeastern coast of Brazil for decades, but knowledge of their basic properties such as size, speed, depth, and rotation velocity has been limited. Researchers now describe the basic properties of 10 rings sampled between 1998 and 2000. Overall, this research has established that the North Brazil Current rings seem to be bigger, faster, and taller than previous observations suggested. ... > full story

Stem cells may show promise for people with rapidly progressing multiple sclerosis (March 21, 2011) -- A long term study reports about the effectiveness of replacing bone marrow, purposely destroyed by chemotherapy, with autologous (self) stem cell rescue for people with aggressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). ... > full story

The drive toward hydrogen vehicles just got shorter (March 21, 2011) -- Researchers have revealed a new single-stage method for recharging the hydrogen storage compound ammonia borane. The breakthrough makes hydrogen a more attractive fuel for vehicles and other transportation modes. ... > full story

Cardiovascular disease: Polypill appears safe and accepted by physicians and patients in developing countries (March 21, 2011) -- A new study provides evidence that a CVD polypill may be a viable option for developing countries, where CVD is strongly emerging and the demand for cost-effective, low maintenance treatment is high. ... > full story

One hundred new species of lichenized fungi (March 21, 2011) -- One hundred newly discovered species are revealed to the world in a single article. ... > full story

Does social anxiety disorder respond to psychotherapy? Brain study says yes (March 21, 2011) -- When psychotherapy is helping someone get better, what does that change look like in the brain? This was the question a team of psychological scientists set out to investigate in patients suffering from social anxiety disorder. ... > full story

Ancient human trash heaps gave rise to Everglades tree islands, research suggests (March 21, 2011) -- Garbage mounds left by prehistoric humans might have driven the formation of many of the Florida Everglades' tree islands, distinctive havens of exceptional ecological richness in the sprawling marsh that are today threatened by human development. ... > full story

Organic nanoparticle uses sound and heat to find and treat tumors (March 21, 2011) -- Scientists have created an organic nanoparticle that is completely non-toxic, biodegradable and nimble in the way it uses light and heat to treat cancer and deliver drugs. ... > full story

Next Mars rover gets a test taste of Mars conditions (March 21, 2011) -- A space-simulation chamber at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., is temporary home for the Curiosity rover, which will land on Mars next year. ... > full story

Newer antimalarials more effective than quinine against severe malaria (March 21, 2011) -- Quinine should no longer be the drug of choice for treating severe malaria, according to an updated systematic review. It is now evident that the antimalarial drug artesunate, which is derived from herbs used in Chinese medicine, is more effective at preventing death in patients with severe malaria. ... > full story

Tiny 'on-chip detectors' count individual photons (March 21, 2011) -- A team of researchers has integrated tiny detectors capable of counting individual photons on computer chips. These detectors, called "single-photon avalanche diodes," act like mini Geiger counters, producing a "tick" each time a photon is detected. ... > full story

Poorly presented risk statistics could misinform health decisions (March 21, 2011) -- Choosing the appropriate way to present risk statistics is key to helping people make well-informed decisions. A new systematic review found that health professionals and consumers may change their perceptions when the same risks and risk reductions are presented using alternative statistical formats. ... > full story

Batteries charge quickly and retain capacity, thanks to new structure (March 21, 2011) -- Scientists have developed a three-dimensional nanostructure for battery cathodes that allows for dramatically faster charging and discharging without sacrificing energy storage capacity. Such batteries could be useful for quick-charge consumer electronics, electric vehicles, medical devices, lasers and military applications. ... > full story

Brain has three layers of working memory, study shows (March 21, 2011) -- Researchers have found support for the theory that the brain has three concentric layers of working memory where it stores readily available items. Memory researchers have long debated whether there are two or three layers and what the capacity and function of each layer is. ... > full story

North Atlantic oceanic currents play greater role in absorption of carbon than previously thought (March 21, 2011) -- The ocean traps carbon through two principal mechanisms: a biological pump and a physical pump linked to oceanic currents. Scientists have managed to quantify the role of these two pumps in an area of the North Atlantic. Contrary to expectations, the physical pump in this region could be nearly 100 times more powerful on average than the biological pump. By pulling down masses of water cooled and enriched with carbon, ocean circulation thus plays a crucial role in deep carbon sequestration in the North Atlantic. ... > full story

Blood pressure: 100 million Americans may be unnecessarily labeled abnormal (March 21, 2011) -- Current US definition of 'normal' blood pressure may unnecessarily label 100 million Americans as 'abnormal.' ... > full story

Gut bacteria can control organ functions (March 21, 2011) -- Bacteria in the human gut may not just be helping digest food but also could be exerting some level of control over the metabolic functions of other organs, like the liver, according to new research. These findings offer new understanding of the symbiotic relationship between humans and their gut microbes and how changes to the microbiota can impact overall health. ... > full story

Rock-paper-scissors tournaments explain ecological diversity (March 21, 2011) -- The mystery of biodiversity -- how thousands of similar species can co-exist in a single ecosystem -- might best be understood as the result of a massive rock-paper-scissors tournament, a new study has revealed. ... > full story

Major clue in long-term memory-making (March 21, 2011) -- You may remember the color of your loved one's eyes for years. But how? Scientists believe that long-term potentiation (LTP) -- the long-lasting increase of signals across a connection between brain cells -- underlies our ability to remember over time and to learn, but how that happens is a central question in neuroscience. ... > full story

Tiny gems take big step toward battling cancer (March 21, 2011) -- Researchers have now demonstrated the significance and translational potential of nanodiamonds in the treatment of chemotherapy-resistant cancers. In studies of liver and breast cancer models in vivo, the team found that a normally lethal amount of a chemotherapy drug when bound to nanodiamonds significantly reduced the size of tumors in mice. Survival rates also increased and no toxic effects on tissues and organs were observed. ... > full story

Silk moth's antenna inspires new nanotech tool with applications in Alzheimer's research (March 21, 2011) -- By mimicking the structure of the silk moth's antenna, researchers led the development of a better nanopore -- a tiny tunnel-shaped tool that could advance understanding of a class of neurodegenerative diseases that includes Alzheimer's. ... > full story

Researchers link novel biomarkers to asthma and COPD (March 21, 2011) -- Four novel biomarkers have been identified which may aid in the diagnosis and management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a study conducted by researchers in Australia, who determined the biomarkers may be used in different combinations to successfully identify patients with either of the airway diseases. In conducting the study, the researchers relied on proteomics, an emerging field of science that focuses on the structure and functions of an organism's proteins. ... > full story

Potential 'game changer' for pathologists (March 21, 2011) -- A technique aims to make computer-aided tissue analysis better, faster and simpler. ... > full story

Sleep-deprived people make risky decisions based on too much optimism (March 21, 2011) -- The powers that be in Las Vegas figured out something long before neuroscientists confirmed their ideas in a recent study: Trying to make decisions while sleep-deprived can lead to a case of optimism. ... > full story

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