ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

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• Proximity of new planets stuns even astronomers
• Avian flu viruses which are transmissible between humans could evolve in nature
• Top predators key to extinctions as planet warms
• Study of phase change materials could lead to better computer memory
• Researchers tune the strain in graphene drumheads to create quantum dots
• Immune system molecule weaves cobweb-like nanonets to snag Salmonella, other intestinal microbes
• Arctic climate more vulnerable than thought, maybe linked to Antarctic ice-sheet behavior
• New cause of spinal muscular atrophy described
• Could Mars have sustained life? Extensive water in Mars' interior
• Elephant seals help uncover slower-than-expected Antarctic melting
• Waves of responders deploy omics to track Deepwater Horizon cleanup microbes
• Stopping and starting cancer cell cycle weakens and defeats multiple myeloma
• Parents -- not TV -- may determine whether kids are active or couch potatoes
• Common blood pressure drug linked to severe gastrointestinal problems
• Lab-engineered kidney project reaches early milestone
• Focusing on water for Central Everglades essential to reversing whole ecosystem's continuing decline
• Racial and gender profiling can affect outcome of traffic stops
• Nano-infused paint can detect strain
• New anti-inflammatory drugs pinch off reactive oxygen species at the source
• Enzyme offers new therapeutic target for cancer drugs
• Genomics and African queens: Diversity within Ethiopian genomes reveals imprints of historical events
• Our microbes, ourselves: Billions of bacteria within, essential for immune function, are ours alone
• New candidate drug stops cancer cells, regenerates nerve cells
• Functional links between autism and genes explained
• Spiders enlisted in fight against woodworms: Could they also help control malaria?
• The 'Truman Show' delusion: Life as a reality TV show
• Giant Ibex lived in the Southern Pyrenees after the Ice Age
• Protein may be key to psoriasis and wound care
• Stagnating life expectancies in United States: Poorer U.S. citizens live five years less than the affluent
• Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' predictions feature uncertainty
• Graphene Research: Trapping light in a carbon net
• Misidentified and contaminated cell lines lead to faulty cancer science, experts say
• Tracking stem cells in the body
• A virtual look at the zebrafish brain
• Darwin’s principles say cancer will always evolve to resist treatment
• Microelectronics: Two at a time
• Eating disorder behaviors and weight concerns are common in women over 50
• How cheetahs outpace greyhounds
• How active is your child really?
• Drug combo can block mother-to-infant HIV transmission, study suggests
• 'Brain pacemaker' effective for years against Parkinson's disease
• Omega-3 lowers inflammation in overweight older adults

Proximity of new planets stuns even astronomers Posted: 21 Jun 2012 12:23 PM PDT One is a rocky planet 1.5 times the size of Earth. The other is a gaseous world nearly four times Earth's size. Together they form a spectacular system in which two planets orbit closer to each other than any yet discovered.

Avian flu viruses which are transmissible between humans could evolve in nature Posted: 21 Jun 2012 12:15 PM PDT It might be possible for human-to-human airborne transmissible avian H5N1 influenza viruses to evolve in nature, new research has found.

Top predators key to extinctions as planet warms Posted: 21 Jun 2012 12:15 PM PDT Global warming may cause more extinctions than predicted if scientists fail to account for interactions among species in their models, researchers argue in a new article.

Study of phase change materials could lead to better computer memory Posted: 21 Jun 2012 12:15 PM PDT Memory devices for computers require a large collection of components that can switch between two states, which represent the ones and zeros of binary language. Engineers hope to make next-generation chips with materials that distinguish between these states by physically rearranging their atoms into different phases. Researchers have now provided new insight into how this phase change happens, which could help engineers make memory storage devices faster and more efficient.

Researchers tune the strain in graphene drumheads to create quantum dots Posted: 21 Jun 2012 12:15 PM PDT Researchers have shown that they can tune the strain in graphene suspended like drumheads over microscopic holes in a substrate of silicon oxide using the tip of an advanced scanning probe microscope and a conducting plate below the substrate. Tuning the strain enabled the group to create areas in the graphene where electrons behaved as though they were confined to quantum dots.

Immune system molecule weaves cobweb-like nanonets to snag Salmonella, other intestinal microbes Posted: 21 Jun 2012 12:15 PM PDT Scientists have found that human alpha-defensin 6 (HD6) -- a key component of the body's innate defense system -- binds to microbial surfaces and forms "nanonets" that surround, entangle and disable microbes, preventing bacteria from attaching to or invading intestinal cells.

Arctic climate more vulnerable than thought, maybe linked to Antarctic ice-sheet behavior Posted: 21 Jun 2012 12:15 PM PDT First analyses of the longest sediment core ever collected on land in the Arctic provide dramatic, "astonishing" documentation that intense warm intervals, warmer than scientists thought possible, occurred there over the past 2.8 million years. Further, these extreme inter-glacial warm periods correspond closely with times when parts of Antarctica were ice-free and also warm, suggesting strong inter-hemispheric climate connectivity. The Polar Regions are much more vulnerable to change than once believed, they add.

New cause of spinal muscular atrophy described Posted: 21 Jun 2012 12:13 PM PDT Scientists have discovered that a commonly held assumption is wrong and that a separate role of the SMN gene – still not completely elucidated -- is likely responsible for the disease's manifestations.

Could Mars have sustained life? Extensive water in Mars' interior Posted: 21 Jun 2012 11:14 AM PDT Until now, Earth was the only planet known to have vast reservoirs of water in its interior. Scientists analyzed the water content of two Martian meteorites and found that the amount of water in places of the Martian mantle is vastly larger than previous estimates and is similar to that of Earth's. The results affect our understanding about Martian geologic history, how water got to the Martian surface, and whether Mars could have sustained life.

Elephant seals help uncover slower-than-expected Antarctic melting Posted: 21 Jun 2012 11:13 AM PDT A team of scientists have drilled holes through an Antarctic ice shelf, the Fimbul Ice Shelf, to gather the first direct measurements regarding melting of the shelf's underside. A group of elephant seals, outfitted with sensors that measure salinity, temperature, and depth sensors added fundamental information to the scientists' data set, which led the researchers to conclude that parts of eastern Antarctica are melting at significantly lower rates than current models predict.

Waves of responders deploy omics to track Deepwater Horizon cleanup microbes Posted: 21 Jun 2012 11:13 AM PDT In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico two years ago, a team of researchers found that marine microbial communities also played a role in the dispersal process.

Stopping and starting cancer cell cycle weakens and defeats multiple myeloma Posted: 21 Jun 2012 11:13 AM PDT Researchers have devised an innovative boxer-like strategy, based on the serial use of two anti-cancer drugs, to deliver a one-two punch to first weaken the defenses of multiple myeloma and then deliver the final knock-out punch to win the fight.

Parents -- not TV -- may determine whether kids are active or couch potatoes Posted: 21 Jun 2012 10:07 AM PDT Researchers have confirmed what we knew all along -- children in this country are increasingly sedentary, spending too much time sitting and looking at electronic screens. But it's not necessarily because of the newest gee-whiz gadgets -- parents play a major factor in whether young children are on the move.

Common blood pressure drug linked to severe gastrointestinal problems Posted: 21 Jun 2012 10:07 AM PDT Researchers have discovered an association between a commonly prescribed blood pressure drug, Olmesartan, and severe gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss and electrolyte abnormalities -- symptoms common among those who have celiac disease.

Lab-engineered kidney project reaches early milestone Posted: 21 Jun 2012 10:07 AM PDT Regenerative medicine researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have reached an early milestone in a long-term project that aims to build replacement kidneys in the lab to help solve the shortage of donor organs.

Focusing on water for Central Everglades essential to reversing whole ecosystem's continuing decline Posted: 21 Jun 2012 10:07 AM PDT Twelve years into a multibillion-dollar state and federal effort to save the Florida Everglades, little progress has been made in restoring the core of the ecosystem, says a new congressionally mandated report.

Racial and gender profiling can affect outcome of traffic stops Posted: 21 Jun 2012 10:07 AM PDT Racial profiling can involve an additional factor: Gender. A researcher is analyzing police actions during routine traffic stops to understand how race and gender are connected.

Nano-infused paint can detect strain Posted: 21 Jun 2012 10:07 AM PDT Nanotube-infused paint can reveal strain in materials by its fluorescence. The material holds promise for detecting strain in aircraft, bridges and buildings.

New anti-inflammatory drugs pinch off reactive oxygen species at the source Posted: 21 Jun 2012 10:07 AM PDT Scientists have identified a new type of anti-inflammatory compound that may be useful in treating a wide range of conditions, including neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases. These compounds inhibit the enzyme Nox2, part of a family of enzymes responsible for producing reactive oxygen species.

Enzyme offers new therapeutic target for cancer drugs Posted: 21 Jun 2012 10:06 AM PDT Researchers have uncovered a new signal transduction pathway specifically devoted to the regulation of alternative RNA splicing, a process that allows a single gene to produce or code multiple types of protein variants. The discovery suggests the new pathway might be a fruitful target for new cancer drugs.

Genomics and African queens: Diversity within Ethiopian genomes reveals imprints of historical events Posted: 21 Jun 2012 10:06 AM PDT Researchers have started to unveil the genetic heritage of Ethiopian populations, who are among the most diverse in the world, and lie at the gateway from Africa. They found that the genomes of some Ethiopian populations bear striking similarities to those of populations in Israel and Syria, a potential genetic legacy of the Queen of Sheba and her companions.

Our microbes, ourselves: Billions of bacteria within, essential for immune function, are ours alone Posted: 21 Jun 2012 10:06 AM PDT Gut bacteria's key role in immunity is tuned to the host species, suggesting that the superabundant microbes lining our digestive tract are ultimately our evolutionary partners. This study, the first to demonstrate that microbes are specific to their host species, also sheds light on what's called the hygiene hypothesis.

New candidate drug stops cancer cells, regenerates nerve cells Posted: 21 Jun 2012 10:06 AM PDT Scientists have developed a small-molecule-inhibiting drug that in early laboratory cell tests stopped breast cancer cells from spreading and also promoted the growth of early nerve cells called neurites. The scientists named their lead drug candidate "Rhosin" and hope future testing shows it to be promising for the treatment of various cancers or nervous system damage.

Functional links between autism and genes explained Posted: 21 Jun 2012 10:06 AM PDT A pioneering report of genome-wide gene expression in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) finds genetic changes that help explain why one person has an ASD and another does not. The study, pinpoints ASD risk factors by comparing changes in gene expression with DNA mutation data in the same individuals. This innovative approach is likely to pave the way for future personalized medicine, not just for ASD but also for any disease with a genetic component.

Spiders enlisted in fight against woodworms: Could they also help control malaria? Posted: 21 Jun 2012 09:55 AM PDT Property owners who need to banish destructive woodworm could have an eight-legged alternative to chemical sprays that are potentially dangerous and only partially effective.  They could enlist the aid of very special spiders that will seek and devour the destructive grubs. And a further, exciting possibility is that malaria could be curtailed by the creatures.

The 'Truman Show' delusion: Life as a reality TV show Posted: 21 Jun 2012 09:54 AM PDT Over the last decade, millions of words have been written about the effect of 'Reality TV' on our cultural and social lives. Much less discussed are the possible interior ramifications such forms of broadcasting can have on our minds. A vital new investigation into this subject has just been published.

Giant Ibex lived in the Southern Pyrenees after the Ice Age Posted: 21 Jun 2012 09:54 AM PDT The sub-species of the Iberian mountain goat Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica became extinct in the year 2000 before its biological and phytogenetic characteristics could be explored in depth. A new study has shed light on their size, origin and post-Ice environmental conditions after discovering three skull fossils from between 4,000 and 7,000 years ago in the southwest of the Pyrenees.

Protein may be key to psoriasis and wound care Posted: 21 Jun 2012 09:49 AM PDT Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder in which skin cells proliferate out of control. For some hard-to-heal wounds, the problem is just the opposite: Restorative skin cells don't grow well or fast enough. Researchers now describe a molecule that may lead to new treatments for both problems.

Stagnating life expectancies in United States: Poorer U.S. citizens live five years less than the affluent Posted: 21 Jun 2012 08:34 AM PDT Despite modest gains in lifespan over the past century, the United States still trails many of the world's countries when it comes to life expectancy, and its poorest citizens live approximately five years less than more affluent persons, according to a new study.

Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' predictions feature uncertainty Posted: 21 Jun 2012 08:34 AM PDT Scientists are predicting that this year's Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone could range from a low of approximately 1,197 square miles to as much as 6,213 square miles. The wide range is the result of using two different forecast models. The forecast is based on Mississippi River nutrient inputs compiled annually by the US Geological Survey.

Graphene Research: Trapping light in a carbon net Posted: 21 Jun 2012 08:33 AM PDT Graphene, an ordered monolayer of carbon, is the thinnest substance known, and yet has extraordinary mechanical strength. A new study shows that its two-dimensional network of atoms can even trap light.

Misidentified and contaminated cell lines lead to faulty cancer science, experts say Posted: 21 Jun 2012 07:20 AM PDT Due to a high rate of contamination, misidentification and redundancy in widely available cell lines, researchers may be drawing faulty conclusions, experts say.

Tracking stem cells in the body Posted: 21 Jun 2012 07:20 AM PDT Researchers have developed new methods to track stem cells and further understanding of what happens to them after they have been in the body for a significant period of time.

A virtual look at the zebrafish brain Posted: 21 Jun 2012 07:20 AM PDT Scientists have long dreamed of being able to grasp the brain as a whole rather than just understanding the function of individual nerve cells. Researchers have now taken a big step toward making this dream a reality. The researchers developed microscopic imaging techniques and software for observing and comparing all of the genes of the zebrafish brain, and thus also the factors influencing its nerve cells, in a three-dimensional virtual model.

Darwin’s principles say cancer will always evolve to resist treatment Posted: 21 Jun 2012 07:19 AM PDT Cancer is subject to the evolutionary processes laid out by Charles Darwin in his concept of natural selection, experts say. Natural selection was the process identified by Darwin by which nature selects certain physical attributes, or phenotypes, to pass on to offspring to better "fit" the organism to the environment.

Microelectronics: Two at a time Posted: 21 Jun 2012 07:18 AM PDT A new design reduces the areal footprint of nanowire transistors by a factor of two. Scientists have now integrated two transistors onto a single vertical silicon nanowire, pushing the areal density limit of nanowire transistors even further.

Eating disorder behaviors and weight concerns are common in women over 50 Posted: 21 Jun 2012 04:09 AM PDT Eating disorders are commonly seen as an issue faced by teenagers and young women, but a new study reveals that age is no barrier to disordered eating. In women aged 50 and over, 3.5 percent report binge eating, nearly eight percent report purging, and more than 70 percent are trying to lose weight. The study revealed that 62 percent of women claimed that their weight or shape negatively impacted on their life.

How cheetahs outpace greyhounds Posted: 21 Jun 2012 04:09 AM PDT Cheetahs are the high-performance sports cars of the animal kingdom, but how do they outstrip other elite athletes when using the same sprint technique? Biologists compared the performance of captive cheetahs and greyhounds and found that in addition to increasing their stride frequency, the cheetahs spend longer in contact with the ground, probably to protect their limbs from stress fractures at high speed.

How active is your child really? Posted: 20 Jun 2012 06:32 PM PDT Children younger than eight need to be targeted to make sure they lead more active lives to combat our obesity time-bomb, researchers say. Their new study reveals that children are not spending enough time being active and that girls are already becoming more sedentary than boys by the age of eight.

Drug combo can block mother-to-infant HIV transmission, study suggests Posted: 20 Jun 2012 06:28 PM PDT A two- or three-drug combination given within 48 hours of birth to infants born of HIV-positive mothers can reduce the risk of intrapartum HIV acquisition by about half, compared to AZT alone.

'Brain pacemaker' effective for years against Parkinson's disease Posted: 20 Jun 2012 01:24 PM PDT A "brain pacemaker" called deep brain stimulation remains an effective treatment for Parkinson's disease for at least three years.

Omega-3 lowers inflammation in overweight older adults Posted: 20 Jun 2012 12:39 PM PDT New research shows that omega-3 fatty acid supplements can lower inflammation in healthy, but overweight, middle-aged and older adults, suggesting that regular use of these supplements could help protect against and treat certain illnesses.

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