ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Electricity from the nose: Engineers make power from human respiration
• Priming with DNA vaccine makes avian flu vaccine work better: Proof of concept for universal influenza vaccine
• Pale people may need vitamin D supplements
• Hormonal contraception doubles HIV risk, study suggests
• Faulty intellectual disability genes linked to older dads at conception, research finds
• 'Mirage-effect' helps researchers hide objects
• Saturn's geyser moon Enceladus shows off for NASA's Cassini
• Unprecedented Arctic ozone loss last winter
• Sentinel lymph node biopsy predicts outcomes for Merkel cell carcinoma
• Ice Age carbon mystery: Rising carbon dioxide levels not tied to Pacific Ocean, as had been suspected
• Virtual reality worm-tracking challenge leads to new tool for brain research
• How gas and temperature controlled bacterial response to Deepwater Horizon spill
• Tuberculosis bacterium's outer cell wall disarms the body's defense to remain infectious
• Raw sewage: Home to millions of undescribed viruses
• Decline and recovery of coral reefs linked to 700 years of human and environmental activities
• MRI tests can be safe for people with implanted cardiac devices, study suggests
• How the brain makes memories: Rhythmically
• Overall quality of pregnant woman’s diet affects risk for two birth defects, study shows
• Severely impaired schizophrenics enter dynamic cycle of recovery after cognitive therapy
• Increased fat in children raises their blood pressure risk
• Premature birth may increase risk of epilepsy later in life
• Rebooting the system: Immune cells repair damaged lung tissues after flu infection
• Engineers build smart petri dish: Device can be used for medical diagnostics, imaging cell growth continuously
• Researchers discover new enzyme function for anemia
• Nanoparticles seek and destroy glioblastoma in mice
• Brain study reveals stress code
• Forest structure, services and biodiversity may be lost even as form remains
• Evidence found for the genetic basis of autism: Models of autism show that gene copy number controls brain structure and behavior
• Cell transformation from one type of cell to another
• A robot brain implanted in a rodent
• Child abuse in boobies: Study documents 'cycle of violence' in birds
• Cell movement provides clues to aggressive breast cancer
• Polymeric material has potential for noninvasive procedures
• From compost to sustainable fuels: Heat-loving fungi sequenced
• We discount the pain of people we don't like
• Alzheimer's research: Researchers watch amyloid plaques form
• Residential washers may not kill hospital-acquired bacteria
• Researchers transform iPhone into high-quality medical imaging device
• When water and air meet: New light shed on mysterious structure of world's most common liquid interface
• Helium raises resolution of whole cell imaging
• In reversing motor nerve damage, time is of the essence: 'Wait and see' in injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome may miss a window for recovery
• Study of COX-2 inhibitors could lead to new class of stroke drugs
• Novel mechanism for preventing infection via body's mucosal borders
• Gravitational waves that are 'sounds of the universe'
• Factor in keeping 'good order' of genes discovered
• Dawn at Vesta: Massive mountains, rough surface, and old-young dichotomy in hemispheres
• Tenerife geology discovery is among 'world's best': Holiday Island landscape reveals explosive past
• A hitchhiker's guide to the Galápagos: Co-evolution of Galápagos mockingbirds and their parasites
• Modeling cancer using ecological principles
• Two early stages of carbon nanotube growth discovered
• First images from ALMA telescope: Hidden star-formation in Antennae Galaxies revealed
• BPA exposure in utero may increase predisposition to breast cancer
• Smokers twice as likely to have strokes, study suggests
• Manipulated gatekeeper: How viruses find their way into the cell nucleus
• Exotic quantum states: A new research approach
• 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: Breakthroughs in understanding how human Immune system is activated
• Genomic architecture presages genomic instability
• Previously unknown cell interaction key in immune system attacks
• New insight into plant immune defenses

Electricity from the nose: Engineers make power from human respiration Posted: 03 Oct 2011 08:46 PM PDT The same piezoelectric effect that ignites your gas grill with the push of a button could one day power sensors in your body via the respiration in your nose.

Priming with DNA vaccine makes avian flu vaccine work better: Proof of concept for universal influenza vaccine Posted: 03 Oct 2011 04:52 PM PDT The immune response to an H5N1 avian influenza vaccine was greatly enhanced in healthy adults if they were first primed with a DNA vaccine expressing a gene for a key H5N1 protein, researchers say.

Pale people may need vitamin D supplements Posted: 03 Oct 2011 04:52 PM PDT Fair-skinned people who burn quickly in the sun may need to take supplements to ensure they get the right amount of vitamin D, new research finds.

Hormonal contraception doubles HIV risk, study suggests Posted: 03 Oct 2011 04:52 PM PDT Researchers have found that women using hormonal contraception -- such as a birth control pill or a shot like Depo-Provera -- are at double the risk of acquiring HIV, and HIV-infected women who use hormonal contraception have twice the risk of transmitting the virus to their HIV-uninfected male partners, according to a new study.

Faulty intellectual disability genes linked to older dads at conception, research finds Posted: 03 Oct 2011 04:52 PM PDT Chromosomal abnormalities linked to intellectual disability can be traced back to the father, particularly those who are older when the child is conceived, new research finds.

'Mirage-effect' helps researchers hide objects Posted: 03 Oct 2011 04:52 PM PDT Scientists have created a working cloaking device that not only takes advantage of one of nature's most bizarre phenomenon, but also boasts unique features; it has an "on and off" switch and is best used underwater.

Saturn's geyser moon Enceladus shows off for NASA's Cassini Posted: 03 Oct 2011 04:10 PM PDT NASA's Cassini spacecraft successfully completed its Oct. 1 flyby of Saturn's moon Enceladus and its jets of water vapor and ice. At its closest approach, the spacecraft flew approximately 62 miles (100 kilometers) above the moon's surface. The close approach was designed to give some of Cassini's instruments, including the ion and neutral mass spectrometer, the chance to "taste" the jets themselves.

Unprecedented Arctic ozone loss last winter Posted: 03 Oct 2011 04:09 PM PDT A NASA-led study has documented an unprecedented depletion of Earth's protective ozone layer above the Arctic last winter and spring caused by an unusually prolonged period of extremely low temperatures in the stratosphere.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy predicts outcomes for Merkel cell carcinoma Posted: 03 Oct 2011 04:00 PM PDT Patients with Merkel cell carcinoma who underwent a procedure called sentinel lymph node biopsy had a lower risk of cancer recurrence after two years, according to a new study. When the biopsy's results were used to guide subsequent tests and treatment, these patients had longer survival rates than patients who had not undergone the procedure.

Ice Age carbon mystery: Rising carbon dioxide levels not tied to Pacific Ocean, as had been suspected Posted: 03 Oct 2011 03:04 PM PDT After the last Ice Age peaked about 18,000 years ago, levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide rose about 30 percent. Scientists believe that the additional CO2 -- the source of which was thought to be the deep ocean -- played a key role in warming the planet and melting the continental ice sheets. But a new study suggests that the deep ocean was not an important source of carbon during glacial times. The finding will force researchers to reassess their ideas about the fundamental mechanisms that regulate atmospheric CO2 over long time scales.

Virtual reality worm-tracking challenge leads to new tool for brain research Posted: 03 Oct 2011 03:04 PM PDT Using new optical equipment, researchers put roundworms into a world of virtual reality, monitored both their behavior and brain activity and gained unexpected information on how the organism's brain operates as it moves.

How gas and temperature controlled bacterial response to Deepwater Horizon spill Posted: 03 Oct 2011 03:04 PM PDT Scientists used DNA to identify microbes present in the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and then identified the microbes responsible for consuming the large amount of natural gas present immediately after the spill. They have also explained how water temperature played a key role in the way bacteria reacted to the spill.

Tuberculosis bacterium's outer cell wall disarms the body's defense to remain infectious Posted: 03 Oct 2011 03:04 PM PDT The bacterium that causes tuberculosis has a unique molecule on its outer cell surface that blocks a key part of the body's defense. New research suggests this represents a novel mechanism in the microbe's evolving efforts to remain hidden from the human immune system. The TB bacterium has a molecule on its outer surface called lipomannan that can stop production of an important protein in the body's immune cells that helps contain TB infection and maintain it in a latent state.

Raw sewage: Home to millions of undescribed viruses Posted: 03 Oct 2011 03:04 PM PDT Biologists have described only a few thousand different viruses so far, but a new study reveals a vast world of unseen viral diversity that exists right under our noses. A new article explores ordinary raw sewage and finds that it is home to thousands of novel, undiscovered viruses, some of which could relate to human health.

Decline and recovery of coral reefs linked to 700 years of human and environmental activities Posted: 03 Oct 2011 03:04 PM PDT Changing human activities coupled with a dynamic environment over the past few centuries have caused fluctuating periods of decline and recovery of corals reefs in the Hawaiian Islands, according to a new study. Using the reefs and island societies as a model social-ecological system, a team of scientists reconstructed 700 years of human-environment interactions in two different regions of the Hawaiian archipelago.

MRI tests can be safe for people with implanted cardiac devices, study suggests Posted: 03 Oct 2011 03:04 PM PDT Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), an important diagnostic test, has traditionally been off limits to more than 2 million people in the United States who have an implanted pacemaker to regulate heart rhythms or an implanted defibrillator to prevent sudden cardiac death. Now, cardiologists report that a protocol they developed has proved effective in enabling patients with implanted cardiac devices to safely undergo an MRI scan.

How the brain makes memories: Rhythmically Posted: 03 Oct 2011 01:19 PM PDT The brain learns through changes in the strength of synapses -- the connections between neurons -- in response to stimuli. Now, researchers have found there is an optimal brain rhythm, or timing, for changing synaptic strength, and hence learning.

Overall quality of pregnant woman’s diet affects risk for two birth defects, study shows Posted: 03 Oct 2011 01:17 PM PDT The overall quality of a pregnant woman's diet is linked with risk for two types of serious birth defects, a new study has shown. In the study, women who ate better before and during pregnancy gave birth to fewer infants with malformations of the brain and spinal cord, or orofacial clefts, such as cleft lip and cleft palate.

Severely impaired schizophrenics enter dynamic cycle of recovery after cognitive therapy Posted: 03 Oct 2011 01:17 PM PDT For the first time, researchers have shown that a psychosocial treatment can significantly improve daily functioning and quality of life in the lowest-functioning cases of schizophrenia.

Increased fat in children raises their blood pressure risk Posted: 03 Oct 2011 01:16 PM PDT Overweight or obese children have almost three times the risk of high blood pressure compared to normal weight children. Researchers observed the effects of excess weight on blood pressure in children of all ages.

Premature birth may increase risk of epilepsy later in life Posted: 03 Oct 2011 01:16 PM PDT Being born prematurely may increase your risk of developing epilepsy as an adult, according to a new study.

Rebooting the system: Immune cells repair damaged lung tissues after flu infection Posted: 03 Oct 2011 12:18 PM PDT There's more than one way to mop up after a flu infection. Now, researchers report that a previously unrecognized population of lung immune cells orchestrate the body's repair response following flu infection.

Engineers build smart petri dish: Device can be used for medical diagnostics, imaging cell growth continuously Posted: 03 Oct 2011 12:18 PM PDT The cameras in our cell phones have dramatically changed the way we share the special moments in our lives, making photographs instantly available to friends and family. Now, the imaging sensor chips that form the heart of these built-in cameras are helping engineers transform the way cell cultures are imaged by serving as the platform for a "smart" petri dish.

Researchers discover new enzyme function for anemia Posted: 03 Oct 2011 12:18 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a new function for an enzyme that may protect against organ injury and death from anemia.

Nanoparticles seek and destroy glioblastoma in mice Posted: 03 Oct 2011 12:18 PM PDT Scientists have combined a tumor-homing peptide, a cell-killing peptide, and a nanoparticle. When administered to mice with glioblastoma that could not otherwise be treated, this new nanosystem eradicated most tumors in one model and significantly delayed tumor development in another.

Brain study reveals stress code Posted: 03 Oct 2011 12:18 PM PDT Neuroscientists investigating the 'brain code' claim to have made a significant step forwards in understanding how the brain deals with stress- and mitigates its impact.

Forest structure, services and biodiversity may be lost even as form remains Posted: 03 Oct 2011 12:18 PM PDT A forest may look like a forest, have many of the same trees that used to live there, but still lose the ecological, economic or cultural values that once made it what it was, researchers suggest.

Evidence found for the genetic basis of autism: Models of autism show that gene copy number controls brain structure and behavior Posted: 03 Oct 2011 12:18 PM PDT Scientists have discovered that one of the most common genetic alterations in autism -- deletion of a 27-gene cluster on chromosome 16 -- causes autism-like features. By generating mouse models of autism using a technique known as chromosome engineering, researchers provide the first functional evidence that inheriting fewer copies of these genes leads to features resembling those used to diagnose children with autism.

Cell transformation from one type of cell to another Posted: 03 Oct 2011 12:10 PM PDT Researchers have now described a mechanism by which one cell can be converted into another entirely different one. The research is vital for the future development of cell therapy treatments, a new method for replacing cells damaged by illness, trauma or aging. Transcription factor C/EBP± is responsible for regulating this transformation. The study was carried out on immune system cells.

A robot brain implanted in a rodent Posted: 03 Oct 2011 10:24 AM PDT With new cutting-edge technology aimed at providing amputees with robotic limbs, a researcher has successfully implanted a robotic cerebellum into the skull of a rodent with brain damage, restoring its capacity for movement.

Child abuse in boobies: Study documents 'cycle of violence' in birds Posted: 03 Oct 2011 10:24 AM PDT For one species of seabird in the Galapagos, the child abuse "cycle of violence" found in humans plays out in the wild. The new study of Nazca boobies provides the first evidence from the animal world showing those who are abused when they are young often grow up to be abusers.

Cell movement provides clues to aggressive breast cancer Posted: 03 Oct 2011 10:24 AM PDT Researchers have identified a specific molecule that alters how breast cancer cells move. This affects the cells' ability to spread or metastasize to distant parts of the body, the hallmark of deadly, aggressive cancer.

Polymeric material has potential for noninvasive procedures Posted: 03 Oct 2011 10:24 AM PDT Scientists have developed what they believe to be the first polymeric material that is sensitive to biologically benign levels of near infrared irradiation, enabling the material to disassemble in a highly controlled fashion. The study represents a significant milestone in the area of light-sensitive material for non-invasive medical and biological applications.

From compost to sustainable fuels: Heat-loving fungi sequenced Posted: 03 Oct 2011 10:24 AM PDT Two heat-loving fungi, often found in composts that self-ignite without flame or spark, could soon have new vocations. The complete genetic makeup of Myceliophthora thermophila and Thielavia terrestris has now been decoded. The findings may lead to the faster and greener development of biomass-based fuels, chemicals and other industrial materials.

We discount the pain of people we don't like Posted: 03 Oct 2011 10:24 AM PDT If a patient is not likeable, will he or she be taken less seriously when exhibiting or complaining about pain? Researchers have found that observers of patients estimate lower pain intensity and are perceptually less sympathetic to the patients' pain when the patients are not liked.

Alzheimer's research: Researchers watch amyloid plaques form Posted: 03 Oct 2011 10:24 AM PDT Researchers use optical trapping to take a detailed look at the early minutes of amyloid aggregate formation, a process important in Alzheimer's disease. The technique could be used for new drug design.

Residential washers may not kill hospital-acquired bacteria Posted: 03 Oct 2011 10:23 AM PDT Residential washing machines may not always use hot enough water to eliminate dangerous bacteria like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter, a Gram-negative bacteria, from hospital uniforms, according to a new study.

Researchers transform iPhone into high-quality medical imaging device Posted: 03 Oct 2011 10:22 AM PDT In a feat of technology tweaking that would rival MacGyver, a team of researchers has transformed everyday iPhones into medical-quality imaging and chemical detection devices. With materials that cost about as much as a typical app, the decked-out smartphones are able to use their heightened senses to perform detailed microscopy and spectroscopy.

When water and air meet: New light shed on mysterious structure of world's most common liquid interface Posted: 03 Oct 2011 10:22 AM PDT New findings have resolved a long-standing debate over the structure of water molecules at the water surface. The research combines theoretical and experimental techniques to pinpoint, for the first time, the origin of water's unique surface properties in the interaction of water pairs at the air-water interface.

Helium raises resolution of whole cell imaging Posted: 03 Oct 2011 10:14 AM PDT The ability to obtain an accurate three-dimensional image of an intact cell is critical for unraveling the mysteries of cellular structure and function. However, for many years, tiny structures buried deep inside cells have been practically invisible to scientists due to a lack of microscopic techniques that achieve adequate resolution at the cell surface and through the entire depth of the cell. Now, a new study demonstrates that microscopy with helium ions may greatly enhance both surface and sub-cellular imaging.

In reversing motor nerve damage, time is of the essence: 'Wait and see' in injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome may miss a window for recovery Posted: 03 Oct 2011 10:14 AM PDT When a motor nerve is severely damaged, people rarely recover full muscle strength and function. Combining patient data with observations in a mouse model, neuroscientists now show why. It's not that motor nerve fibers don't regrow -- they can -- but they don't grow fast enough. By the time they get to the muscle fibers, they can no longer communicate with them.

Study of COX-2 inhibitors could lead to new class of stroke drugs Posted: 03 Oct 2011 10:14 AM PDT A new study in mice points toward potential new therapies for stroke, a leading cause of death and foremost single cause of severe neurological disability. The study also may reveal why a much-heralded class of blockbuster drugs failed to live up to their promise.

Novel mechanism for preventing infection via body's mucosal borders Posted: 03 Oct 2011 06:44 AM PDT Researchers have identified a previously unknown mechanism that generates protective immune memory cells to fight recurring infections at the body's mucosal linings -- which include the mouth, the intestines, the lungs and other areas. These are the main entry points for many viruses and other infectious organisms.

Gravitational waves that are 'sounds of the universe' Posted: 03 Oct 2011 06:44 AM PDT Einstein wrote about them, and we're still looking for them -- gravitational waves, which are small ripples in the fabric of space-time, that many consider to be the sounds of our universe. Just as sound complements vision in our daily life, gravitational waves will complement our view of the universe taken by standard telescopes.

Factor in keeping 'good order' of genes discovered Posted: 03 Oct 2011 06:44 AM PDT A factor that is crucial for the proper positioning of genes in the cell nucleus has now been discovered.

Dawn at Vesta: Massive mountains, rough surface, and old-young dichotomy in hemispheres Posted: 03 Oct 2011 06:33 AM PDT NASA's Dawn mission, which has been orbiting Vesta since mid-July, has revealed that the asteroid's southern hemisphere boasts one of the largest mountains in the System. Other results show that Vesta's surface, viewed at different wavelengths, has striking diversity in its composition particularly around craters. The surface appears to be much rougher than most asteroids in the main asteroid belt. Preliminary results from crater age dates indicate that areas in the southern hemisphere are as young as 1-2 billion years old, much younger than areas in the north.

Tenerife geology discovery is among 'world's best': Holiday Island landscape reveals explosive past Posted: 03 Oct 2011 05:05 AM PDT Volcanologists have uncovered one of the world's best-preserved accessible examples of a monstrous landslide that followed a huge volcanic eruption on the Canarian island of Tenerife.

A hitchhiker's guide to the Galápagos: Co-evolution of Galápagos mockingbirds and their parasites Posted: 03 Oct 2011 05:05 AM PDT Along with the famous finches the Galápagos mockingbirds had a great influence on Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Now, 176 years later, three of the four mockingbird species are among the rarest birds in the world. New research untangles the evolutionary relationships between Galápagos mockingbirds and provides information about their parasites to help ensure the birds survival.

Modeling cancer using ecological principles Posted: 03 Oct 2011 05:05 AM PDT The invasion of a new species into an established ecosystem can be directly compared to the steps involved in cancer metastasis. New research uses the Tilman model of competition between invasive species to study the metastasis of prostate cells into bone.

Two early stages of carbon nanotube growth discovered Posted: 03 Oct 2011 05:05 AM PDT Orderly rows of neatly aligned carbon nanotubes have served as the standard for nanotechnology researchers. But physicists now report the discovery of two early stages of carbon nanotube growth that produce tangled or semi-aligned tubes with characteristics that could lend themselves to thermal management and other applications.

First images from ALMA telescope: Hidden star-formation in Antennae Galaxies revealed Posted: 03 Oct 2011 05:04 AM PDT First visualizations of ALMA test data are made public with unprecedented views of once-hidden star-formation in the colliding galaxy pair, the Antennae.

BPA exposure in utero may increase predisposition to breast cancer Posted: 03 Oct 2011 05:04 AM PDT A recent study found that perinatal exposure to environmentally relevant doses of bisphenol A (BPA) alters long-term hormone response and breast development in mice that may increase the propensity to develop cancer.

Smokers twice as likely to have strokes, study suggests Posted: 03 Oct 2011 05:04 AM PDT Not only are smokers twice as likely to have strokes, they are almost a decade younger than non-smokers when they have them, according to a study.

Manipulated gatekeeper: How viruses find their way into the cell nucleus Posted: 03 Oct 2011 04:56 AM PDT Adenoviruses cause respiratory diseases and are more dangerous for humans than previously assumed. They manipulate gatekeeper molecules and infiltrate the cell nucleus with the aid of the host cell. Biologists and virologists have succeeded in demonstrating this mechanism in detail for the first time.

Exotic quantum states: A new research approach Posted: 03 Oct 2011 04:55 AM PDT Theoretical physicists have formulated a new concept to engineer exotic, so-called topological states of matter in quantum mechanical many-body systems. They linked concepts of quantum optics and condensed matter physics and show a direction to build a quantum computer which is immune against perturbations.

2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: Breakthroughs in understanding how human Immune system is activated Posted: 03 Oct 2011 04:43 AM PDT The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2011 to Bruce A. Beutler and Jules A. Hoffmann for their discoveries concerning the activation of innate immunity and the other half to Ralph M. Steinman for his discovery of the dendritic cell and its role in adaptive immunity.

Genomic architecture presages genomic instability Posted: 02 Oct 2011 04:00 PM PDT When cells divide, DNA is copied perfectly and distributed among daughter cells evenly. Occasionally, DNA breaks during division and is rearranged, resulting in duplications or deletions. Now researchers who study families with such genomic disorders have found a shared architecture resulting from this jumble that is associated with very severe forms of disease.

Previously unknown cell interaction key in immune system attacks Posted: 02 Oct 2011 04:00 PM PDT Most of the time, the immune system is the body's protector. But in autoimmune diseases, the immune system does an about face, turning on the body and attacking normal cells. A major discovery of a previously unknown molecular interaction that is essential for T lymphocyte activation, could have major implications for stopping this aberrant immune system behavior and the accompanying undesirable immune responses that cause autoimmune diseases and allergies.

New insight into plant immune defenses Posted: 02 Oct 2011 04:00 PM PDT Researchers have identified an important cog in the molecular machinery of plant immunity -- a discovery that could help crop breeders produce disease-resistant varieties to help ensure future food security. There may also be implications for treating human immune-related disorders.

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