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Thursday, September 6, 2012

ScienceDaily: Top News

ScienceDaily: Top News


Wetter Arctic could influence climate change, study finds

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 05:05 PM PDT

Increased precipitation and river discharge in the Arctic has the potential to speed climate change, according to the results of a new study.

HIF gene mutation found in tumor cells offers new clues about cancer metabolism

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 03:30 PM PDT

For the first time, a mutation in HIF2 alpha, a specific group of genes known as transcription factors that is involved in red blood cell production and cell metabolism, has been identified in cancer tumor cells.

Albatross 'dynamic soaring' achieved by repeated curve-altitude oscillation

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 02:16 PM PDT

Albatrosses leverage the energy of the wind to fly with essentially no mechanical cost to themselves, very rarely flapping their wings, and new work offers insight into how exactly they accomplish this feat.

Picky penguins: Does mate choice depend on genes that help resist disease?

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 01:37 PM PDT

Magellanic penguins have a high level of variation in genes associated with the ability to fight infectious disease, but a recent study found that the mechanism the penguins use to ensure that diversity is far from black and white. A recent study tested whether the significant diversity in the Major Histocompatibility Complex genome region observed in these birds is attributable to mate choice or genetic selection based on disease exposure.

NFL players may be at higher risk of death from Alzheimer’s and ALS, research shows

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 01:33 PM PDT

New research shows that professional football players may be at a higher risk of death from diseases that damage the cells in the brain, such as Alzheimer's disease and ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease), compared to the general U.S. population.

Major advances in understanding the regulation and organization of the human genome

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 12:46 PM PDT

The National Human Genome Research Institute today announced the results of a five-year international study of the regulation and organization of the human genome. The project is named ENCODE, which stands for the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements. In conjunction with the release of those results, the Journal of Biological Chemistry has published a series of reviews that focus on several aspects of the findings.

Dinosaur die out might have been second of two closely timed extinctions

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 12:43 PM PDT

New research indicates that shortly before an asteroid impact spelled doom for the dinosaurs, a separate extinction triggered by volcanic eruptions killed life on the ocean floor.

Computational method for pinpointing genetic factors that cause disease

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 12:43 PM PDT

Researchers have developed a computational method of identifying "causal" genetic variants that lead to particular diseases, with wide application for genome-wide association studies.

LEDs winning light race to save energy, the environment

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 11:19 AM PDT

Light-emitting diode light bulbs, also known as LEDs, are more environmentally friendly than compact fluorescent and incandescent lights, new research shows. LEDs' environmental edge is expected to grow substantially as technology and manufacturing methods improve by 2017.

Seeing the birth of the universe in an atom of hydrogen: Radio waves used to uncover oldest galaxies yet

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 11:19 AM PDT

Astronomers are using radio telescopes to find radio waves emitted by hydrogen atoms, which were abundant in the early days of the universe. This new field of research, called "21-centimeter cosmology," opens the way to learning more about the universe's oldest galaxies.

Animal study finds anti-HIV vaginal ring can prevent virus transmission

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 11:19 AM PDT

Scientists have found that a vaginal ring releasing an anti-HIV drug can prevent the transmission of SHIV in macaques. This study provides the first efficacy data on the delivery of a microbicide from a vaginal ring, and indicates strong potential for the success of such rings in women. Microbicides are compounds that can be applied inside the vagina or rectum to protect against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.

Carbon sequestration on U. S. rangelands offers promise, but not profit

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 11:16 AM PDT

Nearly 239 million hectares of land in the United States are devoted to pastures and rangeland. Worldwide, rangelands cover about 3.6 billion hectares. Harnessing the potential for carbon sequestration from these lands could have a global impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Genome-wide scan maps mutations in deadly lung cancers; reveals embryonic gene link

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 11:16 AM PDT

Scientists have completed a comprehensive map of genetic mutations linked to an aggressive and lethal type of lung cancer. Among the errors found in small cell lung cancers, scientists found an alteration in a gene called SOX2 associated with early embryonic development.

Mouse study suggests sleep problems may be early Alzheimer's sign

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 11:16 AM PDT

Sleep disruptions may be among the earliest indicators of Alzheimer's disease, scientists report.

First holistic view of how human genome actually works: ENCODE study produces massive data set

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 11:09 AM PDT

The Human Genome Project produced an almost complete order of the 3 billion pairs of chemical letters in the DNA that embodies the human genetic code -- but little about the way this blueprint works. Now, after a multi-year concerted effort by more than 440 researchers in 32 labs around the world, a more dynamic picture gives the first holistic view of how the human genome actually does its job.

How a high-fat diet and estrogen loss leads women to store more abdominal fat than men

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 10:54 AM PDT

A high-fat diet triggers chemical reactions in female mice that could explain why women are more likely than men to gain fat in the abdomen after eating excess saturated fat, new research suggests. The study also sheds light on why women gain fat following menopause.

Study in mice discovers injection of heat-generating cells reduces belly fat

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 10:53 AM PDT

The injection of a tiny capsule containing heat-generating cells into the abdomens of mice led those animals to burn abdominal fat and initially lose about 20 percent of belly fat after 80 days of treatment.

How ocean energy impacts life in the deep sea: Results will help scientists understand what to expect under future climate change

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 10:53 AM PDT

A new study of deep-sea species worldwide examines how gradients in food and temperature in the deep sea's dark, frigid waters affect the creatures that live there. Similar studies have been conducted in the shallow oceans, but our understanding of the impact of food and temperature on life in the deep sea -- the Earth's largest and most remote ecosystem -- is more limited. The results will help scientists understand what to expect under future climate change.

Children exposed to two phthalates have elevated risk of asthma-related airway inflammation

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 10:53 AM PDT

Children exposed to diethyl phthalate and butylbenzyl phthalate -- phthalate chemicals commonly found in personal care and plastic products -- have elevated risk of asthma-related airway inflammation, according to researchers.

Millions of DNA switches that power human genome's operating system are discovered

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 10:53 AM PDT

Genes make up only 2 percent of the human genome and are easy to spot, but the on/off switches controlling those genes were encrypted within the remaining 98 percent of the genome. Without these switches, called regulatory DNA, genes are inert. Scientists created detailed maps of the locations of regulatory DNA within hundreds of different kinds of living cells. They also compiled a dictionary of the instructions written within regulatory DNA.

In massive genome analysis ENCODE data suggests 'gene' redefinition

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 10:50 AM PDT

As part of a huge collaborative effort called ENCODE (Encyclopedia of DNA Elements), a research team at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has analyzed all the RNA messages, called transcripts, produced within human cells. They show that three-quarters of the genome is capable of being transcribed, indicating that nearly all of our genome is dynamic and active. This raises exciting new possibilities for research into complex genetic diseases.

Loss of tropical forests reduces rain

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 10:50 AM PDT

Deforestation can have a significant effect on tropical rainfall, new research confirms. The findings have potentially devastating impacts for people living in and near the Amazon and Congo forests. Continued destruction of these forests would reduce rain across the Amazon basin by up to a fifth (21 percent) in the dry season by 2050.

Mapping a genetic world beyond genes

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 10:50 AM PDT

Most of the DNA alterations that are tied to disease do not alter protein-coding genes, but rather the "switches" that control them. Characterizing these switches is one of many goals of the ENCODE project -- a sweeping, international effort to create a compendium of all of the working parts of the human genome that have not been well studied or well understood. The function of the vast majority of the human genome has remained largely unknown, but the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project, launched in 2003, set out to change that.

Researchers unlock disease information hidden in genome's control circuitry

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 10:49 AM PDT

Researchers have determined that the majority of genetic changes associated with more than 400 common diseases and clinical traits affect the genome's regulatory circuitry. These are the regions of DNA that contain instructions dictating when and where genes are switched on or off. Most of these changes affect circuits that are active during early human development, when body tissues are most vulnerable.

ENCODE Project publishes new genomic insights in special issue of Genome Research

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 10:49 AM PDT

Genome Research publishes a special issue dedicated to The ENCODE (ENCyclopedia Of DNA Elements) Project, whose goal is to characterize all functional elements in the human genome.

Tough gel stretches to 21 times its length, recoils, and heals itself: Biocompatible material much tougher than cartilage

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 10:49 AM PDT

A team of experts in mechanics, materials science, and tissue engineering has created an extremely stretchy and tough gel that may pave the way to replacing damaged cartilage in human joints. Called a hydrogel, because its main ingredient is water, the new material is a hybrid of two weak gels that combine to create something much stronger. Not only can this new gel stretch to 21 times its original length, but it is also exceptionally tough, self-healing, and biocompatible -- a valuable collection of attributes that opens up new opportunities in medicine and tissue engineering.

Understanding the human genome: ENCODE at BioMed Central

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 10:49 AM PDT

The completion of the human genome project in 2003 was an immeasurably important milestone, but (like an book written in code) left many biologists wondering what the sequence might actually mean. Consequently, the focus of human genomics that year began the transition from generating sequence -- to annotating the functional elements, hidden within the human genome's 3.2 billion As, Cs, Gs and Ts. With this goal in mind the ENCODE (Encyclopedia of DNA Elements) consortium was formed.

First stars, galaxies formed more rapidly than expected

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 10:48 AM PDT

Analysis of data from the National Science Foundation's South Pole Telescope, for the first time, more precisely defines the period of cosmological evolution when the first stars and galaxies formed and gradually illuminated the universe.

List of Asian species at conservation crossroads released by Wildlife Conservation Society

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 10:48 AM PDT

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) today released a list of Asian species that are at a conservation crossroads calling for governments to take immediate action with The Three Rs Approach: Recognition, Responsibility, Recovery.

Decoding the Black Death: Anthropologist finds clues in medieval skeletons

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 10:48 AM PDT

Researchers have been studying medieval skeletons at the Museum of London since 2003, each year unlocking more clues to the mystery that surrounds the Black Death.

Quantum teleportation goes the distance: Record-breaking distance of 143 kilometers through free space

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 10:43 AM PDT

An international research team has achieved quantum teleportation over a record-breaking distance of 143 kilometers through free space.

When do we lie? When we're short on time and long on reasons

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 09:30 AM PDT

Almost all of us have been tempted to lie at some point, whether about our GPA, our annual income, or our age. But what makes us actually do it? In a new study, psychological scientists discover that time pressure and available justifications both influence dishonest behavior.

Champagne proves a fantastic playground for physicists

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 09:28 AM PDT

The fleeting life of champagne bubbles intrigues scientists; collapsing bubbles are common in our everyday lives but are still not fully understood. Two reviews explore collapsing bubbles and bubble flow patterns in champagne glasses. These phenomena are of much wider interest because of the huge importance of bubbles in many natural and industrial processes.

Salamanders display survival techniques in period of extreme drought

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 09:27 AM PDT

The stress of drought is acutely felt by aquatic animals such as salamanders. The extreme drought in the southeastern United States in 2007–2008 provided an opportunity to study how salamanders react and survive during such dry conditions. It also gave us clues as to how salamanders and other aquatic organisms may react to global warming.

Plaque-forming substances in mice with Alzheimer’s disease dramatically reduced

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 09:27 AM PDT

Scientists have found that eliminating an enzyme from mice with symptoms of Alzheimer's disease leads to a 90 percent reduction in the compounds responsible for formation of the plaques linked to this form of dementia. That is the most dramatic reduction in this compound reported to date in published research.

Explosion of galaxy formation lit up early universe

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 08:12 AM PDT

The universe was dark until the first stars began to form, but really lit up once massive hydrogen clouds began birthing galaxies of stars. A study by researchers using data from the South Pole Telescope finds that this period, the Epoch of Reionization, was later and more explosive than thought, ending 13 billion years ago. The clues come from minute temperature fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background radiation.

Infections in rheumatoid arthritis patients: Study finds way to pinpoint risk

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 08:11 AM PDT

Rheumatoid arthritis alone is painful and disabling, but it also puts patients at higher risk of death. The greater susceptibility to infections that accompanies the autoimmune disorder is one reason.

Robotic exoskeletal device: Preliminary research findings for Ekso in spinal cord injury

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 08:11 AM PDT

Preliminary research findings have been released from a clinical study of the wearable robotic exoskeletal device, Ekso (Ekso Bionics). Initial results are promising for the potential application of Ekso-assisted walking in rehabilitation, in exercise/wellness programs, in the community and for home use.

Concern about plans to close unique Canadian environmental project

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 08:11 AM PDT

The Canadian government's plans to discontinue in 2013 a unique environmental research project that has yielded insights into water pollution, climate change and other topics for almost 40 years would be a "huge loss not only to science but to the scientific heritage of humanity."

Galileo didn't invent thermometer that bears his name

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 08:11 AM PDT

The great Italian scientist Galileo may have been the first person to use a telescope to observe the heavens, helping spark the scientific revolution of the 16th century, but Galileo definitely did not invent the famous thermometer and captivating curiosity that bears his name, according to a new article.

Powerful new explosive could replace today's state-of-the-art military explosive

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 08:10 AM PDT

Borrowing a technology used to improve the effectiveness of drugs, scientists are reporting discovery of a new explosive more powerful than the current state-of-the-art explosive used by the military, and just as safe for personnel to handle.

Prenatal exposure to pesticide additive linked with childhood cough

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 08:10 AM PDT

Children exposed in the womb to the widely used pesticide additive piperonyl butoxide have heightened risk of noninfectious cough at ages 5 and 6, according to researchers.

Tumor suppressor genes vital to regulating blood precursor cells in fruit flies

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 08:10 AM PDT

Stem cell scientists have shown that two common tumor suppressor genes, TSC and PTEN, are vital to regulating the stem cell-like precursor cells that create the blood supply in Drosophila, the common fruit fly.

Biting back against Lyme disease

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 08:09 AM PDT

Caused by a bite from an infected tick, Lyme disease has early symptoms that are unpleasant but respond well to antibiotics. However, if diagnosis is delayed or mistaken, the illness can take a serious turn, leading to severe joint pain, brain infection and paralysis. Now a researcher in the UK is on the trail of an accurate test that will enable quick and accurate detection of Lyme disease.

Wireless window sentinel draws its power from its environment

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 08:09 AM PDT

Window contacts tell users if a window is open or closed. Typically, such sensors are wire-based. Scientists working with industry partners recently developed a new system that operates without wires or batteries. It draws its power from its environment: from sunlight and ambient heat.

Can videogaming benefit young people with autism spectrum disorder?

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 08:09 AM PDT

Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder are typically fascinated by screen-based technology such as video games, and these can be used for educational and treatment purposes, as described in a new article.

Why does Alzheimer's disease affect twice as many women as men?

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 08:09 AM PDT

A group of experts has developed consensus recommendations for future research directions to determine why nearly two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are women.

Kinsey Reporter: Free app allows public to anonymously report, share information on sexual behavior

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 08:08 AM PDT

Indiana University has released Kinsey Reporter, a global mobile survey platform for collecting and reporting anonymous data about sexual and other intimate behaviors. The pilot project allows citizen observers around the world to use free applications now available for Apple and Android mobile platforms to not only report on sexual behavior and experiences, but also to share, explore and visualize the accumulated data.

Glacial thinning has sharply accelerated at major South American icefields

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 08:05 AM PDT

For the past four decades scientists have monitored the ebbs and flows of the icefields in the southernmost stretch of South America's vast Andes Mountains, detecting an overall loss of ice as the climate warms. A new study, however, finds that the rate of glacier thinning has increased by about half over the last dozen years in the Southern Patagonian Icefield, compared to the 30 years prior to 2000.

Globular star cluster with a secret

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 05:39 AM PDT

A new image from the European Southern Observatory's La Silla Observatory in Chile shows the spectacular globular star cluster Messier 4. This ball of tens of thousands of ancient stars is one of the closest and most studied of the globular clusters and recent work has revealed that one of its stars has strange and unexpected properties, apparently possessing the secret of eternal youth.

It pays to keep salmon fit: Salmon farmers could save big by exercising their fish more -- without overexerting them

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 05:39 AM PDT

Salmon farmers could save huge sums by exercising their fish more. Researchers in Norway have tested various swimming exercise regimes for three years on salmon fry. The findings indicate that proper exercise can improve smolt health enough to significantly reduce losses at sea.

Archaeology team announces 'huge step forward' in King Richard III search

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 05:39 AM PDT

A UK team confirms it has found medieval Grey Friars Church -- the burial place of Richard III.

Trout will become extinct in the Iberian Peninsula in less than 100 years, Spanish study predicts

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 05:38 AM PDT

Climate change, pollution, the extraction of water for irrigation and overfishing all threaten the survival of the common trout. This fish is very sensitive to changes in its environment and, according to a Spanish study, its habitat will have reduced by half by the year 2040 and will have completely disappeared from Iberian rivers by 2100, so its population will become extinct.

Epigenetic causes of prostate cancer: Researchers observe modified methylation patterns in a group of prostate cancers

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 05:38 AM PDT

In about half of all prostate tumors, there are two genetic areas that are fused with one another. When this is not the case, the exact way cancer cells originate in prostate tumors was not clear until now. Scientists were able to show that the genesis of this fusion-negative prostate cancer has epigenetic causes: methyl groups are distributed differently over the DNA in the cancer cells than in healthy cells. Thanks to this knowledge, physicians may be able to achieve greater specificity in treating prostate tumors in future. In addition, the aberrant DNA methylations can be used as a potential biomarker for identifying prostate cancer.

Brainy beverage: Study reveals how green tea boosts brain cell production to aid memory

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 05:38 AM PDT

It has long been believed that drinking green tea is good for the memory. Now researchers have discovered how the chemical properties of China's favorite drink affect the generation of brain cells, providing benefits for memory and spatial learning.

Northwest Barents Sea warmed substantially during the last decades

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 05:37 AM PDT

A recent study by researchers in Norway shows that the northwest Barents Sea warmed substantially during the last decades. The temperature of the subsurface Atlantic Water in the northern Barents Sea increased rapidly during the late 1990s.

Possible new therapy for the treatment of a common blood cancer

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 05:37 AM PDT

Research from in Sweden shows that sorafenib, a drug used for advanced cancer of the kidneys and liver, could also be effective against multiple myeloma. The disease is one of the more common forms of blood cancer and is generally incurable.

Ecosystems cope with stress more effectively the greater the biodiversity

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 05:37 AM PDT

Ecosystems with a high degree of biodiversity can cope with more stress, such as higher temperatures or increasing salt concentrations, than those with less biodiversity. They can also maintain their services for longer, as botanists and ecologists have discovered. Their study provides the first evidence of the relationship between stress intensity and ecosystem functioning.

Astronomers discover 'pigtail' molecular cloud

Posted: 05 Sep 2012 05:37 AM PDT

A research team has discovered a molecular cloud with a peculiar helical structure by observation with the NRO 45m Telescope at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. The team named it a "pigtail" molecular cloud from its morphology. The "pigtail" molecular cloud is located in the galactic center, approximately 30,000 light years away from the solar system.

In elk hunting, success depends on the animal's personality

Posted: 04 Sep 2012 04:37 PM PDT

New research shows an elk's personality type is a big factor in whether or not it survives the hunting season. Data collected from GPS collars on more than 100 male and female elk in southwestern Alberta showed researchers the study population could be divided into two categories: bold runners and shy hiders, researchers found far more bold-runners were taken by elk hunters than shy hiders.

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