Saturday 14 July 2012

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Mutation in gene IDH a possible target for AML treatment

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 07:39 PM PDT

Though the IDH gene seems far removed from cancer, mutation in the gene starts a cascade that predicts an aggressive form of AML. Doctors may be able to target this mutation for therapy.

How to make global fisheries worth five times more

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 07:39 PM PDT

Rebuilding global fisheries would make them five times more valuable while improving ecology, according to a new study.

Poisons on public lands put wildlife at risk

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 07:39 PM PDT

Rat poison used on illegal marijuana farms may be sickening and killing the fisher, a rare forest carnivore that makes its home in some of the most remote areas of California, according to veterinary scientists.

Getting amped: Instrument for exploring the cosmos and the quantum world created

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 01:19 PM PDT

Researchers have developed a new type of amplifier for boosting electrical signals. The device can be used for everything from studying stars, galaxies, and black holes to exploring the quantum world and developing quantum computers.

Mechanical engineers develop an 'intelligent co-pilot' for cars

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 11:01 AM PDT

Mechanical engineers have developed a new semiautonomous safety system for automobiles.

New proteins to clear the airways in cystic fibrosis and COPD

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 09:29 AM PDT

Scientists discovered a new strategy to help CF and COPD patients clear the thick and sticky mucus clogging their lungs, leading to life-threatening infections. The report shows the "SPLUNC1" protein and its derivative peptides may help thin mucus by affecting the epithelial sodium channel. Along with its implications for cystic fibrosis and COPD, the research enhances the understanding of hypertension due to its role in controlling blood pressure.

In the mind of the psychopath

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 09:29 AM PDT

Ice cold, hard and emotionless. Such is the psychopath – we think. Until we get a glimpse behind the mask. Researchers have for decades been almost unanimous in their accord with the popular perception that psychopaths are made in a certain way, and will forever remain that way. But some experts disagree. New research reveals that psychopaths had an upbringing quite different from that of the so-called normal members of the population.

Questionnaire completed by parents may help identify one-year-olds at risk for autism

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 09:28 AM PDT

Researchers have found that 31 percent of children identified as at risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) at 12 months received a confirmed diagnosis of ASD by age 3 years. In addition, 85 percent of the children found to be at risk for ASD based on results from the First Year Inventory (FYI), a 63-item questionnaire filled out by their parents, had some other developmental disability or concern by age three.

Giving time can give you time

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 06:54 AM PDT

Many people these days feel a sense of "time famine" -- never having enough minutes and hours to do everything. We all know that our objective amount of time can't be increased (there are only 24 hours in a day), but a new study suggests that volunteering our limited time -- giving it away -- may actually increase our sense of unhurried leisure.

How cells degrade aberrant membrane proteins

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 06:52 AM PDT

Researchers have achieved unexpected insights into the process of how damaged proteins are degraded within cells. Their work focused on the function of a special protease. This enzyme can hydrolyze peptide bonds in the plane of cellular membranes, a site where such water-requiring reactions commonly do not occur. The scientists can now show that this unusual protease recognizes and degrades aberrant proteins directly in the membrane.

Salt cress genome yields new clues to salt tolerance

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 06:16 AM PDT

Biologists have completed the genomic sequence and analysis of salt cress Thellungiella salsuginea, a wild salt-tolerant plant. The salt cress genome serves as a useful tool for exploring mechanisms of adaptive evolution and sheds new lights on understanding the genetic characteristics underlying plant abiotic stress tolerance.

New tech for complex micro structures for use in sensors and other apps

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 06:16 AM PDT

Chemists have developed new materials and nanofabrication techniques for building miniaturized versions of components needed for medical diagnostics, sensors and other applications. These miniaturized components -- many impossible to make with conventional techniques -- would allow for rapid analysis at lower cost and with small sample volumes.

Nuclear weapons' surprising contribution to climate science

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 06:16 AM PDT

Nuclear weapons testing may at first glance appear to have little connection with climate change research. But key Cold War research laboratories and the science used to track radioactivity and model nuclear bomb blasts have today been repurposed by climate scientists.

Copper's previously unknown exit strategy from the body

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 06:16 AM PDT

Scientists have long known that the body rids itself of excess copper and various other minerals by collecting them in the liver and excreting them through the liver's bile. However, a new study suggests that when this route is impaired there's another exit route just for copper: A molecule sequesters only that mineral and routes it from the body through urine.

Chemicals in personal care products -- phthalates -- may increase risk of diabetes in women

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 05:31 AM PDT

Researchers have shown an association between increased concentrations of phthalates in the body and an increased risk of diabetes in women. Phthalates are endocrine disrupting chemicals that are commonly found in personal care products such as moisturizers, nail polishes, soaps, hair sprays and perfumes.

Glasses-free 3-D TV looks nearer: Multiple-perspective method could beat holography in short term

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 05:08 AM PDT

As striking as it is, the illusion of depth now routinely offered by 3-D movies is a paltry facsimile of a true three-dimensional visual experience. In the real world, as you move around an object, your perspective on it changes. But in a movie theater showing a 3-D movie, everyone in the audience has the same, fixed perspective -- and has to wear cumbersome glasses, to boot. Despite impressive recent advances, holographic television, which would present images that vary with varying perspectives, probably remains some distance in the future. But in a new paper, researchers offer a new approach to multiple-perspective, glasses-free 3-D that could prove much more practical in the short term.

Want to lose weight? Keep a food journal, don't skip meals and avoid going out to lunch

Posted: 13 Jul 2012 05:00 AM PDT

Women who want to lose weight should faithfully keep a food journal, and avoid skipping meals and eating in restaurants – especially at lunch – suggests new research.

Advertisers could target online audiences more efficiently with personality scale

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:48 PM PDT

A new study has developed a method that could help advertisers target online audiences easier by knowing their personality types.

Many more elderly people could benefit from drugs to prevent heart disease

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:48 PM PDT

More patients aged 75 and over should be prescribed drugs to help lower their risk of cardiovascular disease, a study published today on bmj.com suggests.

Advanced drug testing method detects 'spice' drugs

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:45 PM PDT

A new method of drug testing makes it possible to detect a wider range of synthetically-produced 'designer' drugs.

Friday 13 July 2012

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Childhood trauma linked to adult smoking for girls

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:46 PM PDT

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can stay with us for life. New research explains how these events can be tied up with adult smoking patterns, especially for women, and suggests that treatment and strategies to stop smoking need to take into account the psychological effects of childhood trauma.

Obese kids as bright as thinner peers

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:46 PM PDT

Obesity is not to blame for poor educational performance, according to early findings from new research. In a study that combines statistical methods with genetic information, researchers dispel the false idea that being overweight has damaging educational consequences.

Love thy neighbor, unless they are The Weakest Link

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:46 PM PDT

A study of voting patterns on The Weakest Link TV quiz show has provided new evidence that the adage "love thy neighbor" may be hard-wired into the human brain. Psychologists who examined the behavior of contestants on the BBC show found players were statistically less inclined to vote off the person stood next to them and more likely to target competitors stood further away.

Controlling your computer with your eyes

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:46 PM PDT

Millions of people suffering from multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injuries or amputees could soon interact with their computers and surroundings using just their eyes, thanks to a new device that costs less than £40. Composed from off-the-shelf materials, the new device can work out exactly where a person is looking by tracking their eye movements, allowing them to control a cursor on a screen just like a normal computer mouse.

Messy experiment cleans up cornstarch and water mystery

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:45 PM PDT

Most people buy cornstarch to make custard or gravy, but two scientists have used it to solve a longstanding physics problem with a substance known to generations of Dr. Seuss readers as "Oobleck," and to scientists as a non-Newtonian liquid.

First ever videos of snow leopard mother and cubs in dens recorded in Mongolia

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 01:27 PM PDT

For the first time, the den sites of two female snow leopards and their cubs have been located in Mongolia's Tost Mountains, with the first known videos taken of a mother and cubs, located and recorded.

Early human ancestor, Australopithecus sediba, fossils discovered in rock

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 01:27 PM PDT

A large rock containing significant parts of a skeleton of an early human ancestor has just been discovered. The skeleton is believed to be the remains of "Karabo," the type skeleton of Australopithecus sediba, discovered at the Malapa site in the Cradle of Humankind in 2009.

Large, medically important class of proteins starts to yield its secrets

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 01:27 PM PDT

New research illuminates a large and medically important family of proteins called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).

Antarctica at risk from human activities

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 12:31 PM PDT

The continent of Antarctica is at risk from human activities and other forces, and environmental management is needed to protect the planet's last great wilderness area, say experts.

Vaccines backfire: Veterinary vaccines found to combine into new infectious viruses

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:47 AM PDT

Two different vaccine viruses -- used simultaneously to control the same condition in chickens -- have combined to produce new infectious viruses. The research found that when two different ILT vaccine strains were used in the same populations, they combined into two new strains (a process known as recombination), resulting in disease outbreaks.

Discovery of chemical that affects biological clock offers new way to treat diabetes

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:47 AM PDT

Biologists have discovered a chemical that offers a completely new and promising direction for the development of drugs to treat metabolic disorders such as Type 2 diabetes. Their discovery initially came as a surprise because the chemical they isolated does not directly control glucose production in the liver, but instead affects the activity of a key protein that regulates the internal mechanisms of our daily night and day activities, which scientists call our circadian rhythm or biological clock.

Attacking biofilms that cause chronic infections

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:47 AM PDT

Using super-resolution microscopy and continuous fluorescent imaging, scientists have for the first time revealed the structure of bacterial biofilms, which are responsible for the tenacious nature of bacterial diseases such as cholera, chronic sinusitis and lung infections in CF patients. The picture of bacterial apartment buildings provides new targets for the development of drugs that can tear down these structures and expose them to antibiotics.

Solar system ice: Source of Earth's water

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:47 AM PDT

Scientists have long believed that comets and, or a type of very primitive meteorite were the sources of early Earth's volatile elements. Understanding where these volatiles came from is crucial for determining the origins of both water and life. New research focuses on ice that was distributed throughout much of the early Solar System. The team's findings contradict prevailing theories and suggest that meteorites are the most-likely sources of the Earth's water.

The challenges facing the vulnerable Antarctic

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:47 AM PDT

A century ago, the South Pole was one of Earth's last frontiers, but now the Antarctic is under threat from human activity.

Questions raised about iris recognition systems

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:19 AM PDT

Since the early days of iris recognition technologies, it has been assumed that the iris was a "stable" biometric over a person's lifetime -- "one enrollment for life." However, new research has found that iris biometric enrollment is susceptible to an aging process that causes recognition performance to degrade slowly over time.

Hockey: Researchers hit back at early bodycheck theory

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:19 AM PDT

A new study shows no evidence to back up the popular theory that teaching kids to body check earlier prevents injuries later.

Solar storm protection

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:19 AM PDT

Massive explosions on the sun unleash radiation that could kill astronauts in space. Now, researchers have developed a warning system capable of forecasting the radiation from these violent solar storms nearly three hours (166 minutes) in advance, giving astronauts, as well as air crews flying over Earth's polar regions, time to take protective action.

Men's involvement at home: Sports 1, housework, 0

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:19 AM PDT

Pressure to be more involved in their children's lives has many middle class men turning to sports as a way to nurture their kids. This softening of gender roles might be seen on the field, but researchers found it doesn't change traditional behavior at home – where household chores and other parenting responsibilities are still seen as mom's job.

As old as Clovis sites, but not Clovis: Paisley Caves, Oregon yields Western Stemmed points, more human DNA

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:19 AM PDT

Western Stemmed projectile points dating to at least 13,200 calendar years ago have been uncovered in Oregon's Paisley Caves. Researchers report the discovery and provide substantial new documentation that confirms the human DNA pulled earlier from dried feces in the caves also dates to the same time period.

Highest resolution ever for human protein

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:18 AM PDT

Never has a crystal structure of a human protein molecule in a cell wall been so crystal clear. Researchers have achieved the most detailed crystal structure ever of a target protein for medicines.

Study: Wolverines need refrigerators

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:15 AM PDT

The distribution of wolverines in the wild relates to the species' ability to store and "refrigerate" their food supply through tough times. The cold caches play a particularly important role in wolverine reproductive success, as they provide a source of nutrition for lactating females while they are nursing young.

Nose landing gear tested for Dream Chaser spacecraft

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:39 AM PDT

NASA partner Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has completed a successful test of the nose landing gear for its full-scale Dream Chaser engineering flight test vehicle. The completed test and an upcoming flight test are part of SNC's Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

Plasmonic chains act like polymers

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:17 AM PDT

New research that seeks to establish points of reference between plasmonic particles and polymers might lead to smaller computer chips, better antennae and improvements in optical computing. Materials scientists take advantage of strong interactions between chemicals to form polymers that self-assemble into patterns and are the basis of things people use every day. Anything made of plastic is a good example.

Tamarisk biocontrol efforts get evolutionary boost

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:17 AM PDT

Scientists trying to control the invasive tamarisk plant have been getting a boost from evolution, in the form of a rapidly evolving beetle that has been changing its life cycle to more efficiently consume the noxious weed.

Does becoming a doctor pay off for women?

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:17 AM PDT

Women who go to medical school just for the financial rewards of being a doctor could be making a mistake, according to a new study.

Disentangling information from photons

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:17 AM PDT

Theoretical physicists have found a new method of reliably assessing the information contained in photon pairs used for applications in cryptography and quantum computing. The findings are so robust that they enable access to the information even when the measurements on photon pairs are imperfect.

Stimulant marketed as 'natural' in sports supplement actually of synthetic origin, study suggests

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:17 AM PDT

A new study found that DMAA, a stimulant often found in many nutritional and sports supplements, does not originate from natural substances and is actually composed of synthetic compounds.

Highly conductive and elastic conductors created using silver nanowires

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:17 AM PDT

Researchers have developed highly conductive and elastic conductors made from silver nanoscale wires. These elastic conductors could be used to develop stretchable electronic devices. Stretchable circuitry would be able to do many things that its rigid counterpart cannot. For example, an electronic "skin" could help robots pick up delicate objects without breaking them, and stretchable displays and antennas could make cell phones and other electronic devices stretch and compress without affecting their performance.

Male sex ornaments are fishing lures, literally

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:17 AM PDT

Talk about a bait-and-switch. Male representatives of the tropical fish known as swordtail characins have flag-like sex ornaments that catch mates just like the bait on a fishing rod would.

Finished heart switches stem cells off

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:16 AM PDT

Transcription factor Ajuba regulates stem cell activity in the heart during embryonic development. It is not unusual for babies to be born with congenital heart defects. This is because the development of the heart in the embryo is a process which is not only extremely complex, but also error-prone. Scientists have now identified a key molecule that plays a central role in regulating the function of stem cells in the heart. As a result, not only could congenital heart defects be avoided in future, but new ways of stimulating the regeneration of damaged hearts in adults may be opened up.

Saliva and pupil size differences in autism show system in overdrive

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:15 AM PDT

Researchers have found potential biomarkers of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) that include pupil size and a salivary enzyme. These findings have the potential to significantly impact screening and detection of ASD, as they can be non-invasively measured in infancy, and may hold key to neural pathology of the disorder within the autonomic nervous system.

Sake, soy sauce, and the taming of the microbes

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:15 AM PDT

Study maps the genetic changes involved in the domestication of Aspergillus oryzae, one of the fungi used to make sake, soy sauce and miso.

Newly isolated 'beige fat' cells could help fight obesity

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:15 AM PDT

Scientists have isolated a new type of energy-burning fat cell in adult humans which they say may have therapeutic potential for treating obesity.

Physicists invent 'spintronic' LED

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:15 AM PDT

University of Utah physicists invented a new "spintronic" organic light-emitting diode that promises to be brighter, cheaper and more environmentally friendly than the kinds of LEDs now used in television and computer displays, lighting, traffic lights and numerous electronic devices.

Controlling inflammatory and immune responses

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 08:17 AM PDT

Researchers recently defined the interaction between two essential proteins that control inflammation.

Why hypertension increases damage to eyes of diabetic patients

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 08:17 AM PDT

Hypertension frequently coexists in patients with diabetes. A new study shows why the co-morbid conditions can result in impaired vision.

Sailing with nerves of glass

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 08:17 AM PDT

In the world of racing, tiny details can be the difference between victory and defeat. It is no wonder, then, that manufacturers of racing yachts are always on the lookout for new technologies to optimize boats and sails. An ingenious new sensor technology now helps them to extend the boundaries of what is possible.

Platinum is wrong stuff for fuel cells because it wastes energy, expert says

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 08:17 AM PDT

Fuel cells are inefficient because the catalyst most commonly used to convert chemical energy to electricity is made of the wrong material, a researcher argues. During the oxygen reduction reaction, intermediate molecules bond too tightly or too loosely to platinum, slowing the reaction and causing a drop in voltage.

Keeping electric vehicle batteries cool

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 08:17 AM PDT

Heat can damage the batteries of electric vehicles – even just driving fast on the freeway in summer temperatures can overheat the battery. An innovative new coolant conducts heat away from the battery three times more effectively than water, keeping the battery temperature within an acceptable range even in extreme driving situations.

Blue-fluorescent molecular nanocapsules created by simple mixing 'green-environmentally friendly' metal ions and bent organic blocks

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 08:16 AM PDT

New fluorescent molecular nanocapsules have potential applications as sensors, displays, and drug delivery systems (DDS).

Helping family is key for social birds

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:15 AM PDT

Social birds that forgo breeding to help to raise the offspring of other group members are far more likely to care for their own close relatives than for more distant kin, a new study has found. The study, which looked at a highly social species from outback Australia, the chestnut-crowned babbler, also found that these birds work much harder to care for their brothers and sisters than the young of less-related group members.

Why the human body cannot fight HIV infection

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:15 AM PDT

Researchers have made a discovery that sheds light on why the human body is unable to adequately fight off HIV infection. The researchers discovered that the viral protein vpu, which is created by HIV during infection, directly interferes with the immune response protein IRF3 to dampen the ability of the immune system to protect against virus infection.

Multiple sclerosis: New marker could improve diagnosis

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:15 AM PDT

Diagnosing multiple sclerosis is a challenge even for experienced neurologists. This autoimmune disease has many symptoms and rarely presents a uniform clinical picture. New findings on the immune response involved in MS could help improve the diagnosis of this illness. Scientists analyzing the blood of MS patients have discovered antibodies that attack a specific potassium channel in the cell membrane.

Coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific Ocean naturally tougher than Caribbean reefs

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:15 AM PDT

Coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Great Barrier Reef, recover faster from major stresses than their Caribbean counterparts, leading marine scientists say.

Peering into the heart of a supernova: How to detect a rapidly spinning stellar core

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:15 AM PDT

Using computer simulations, researchers have determined that if the interior of a dying star is spinning rapidly just before it explodes in a magnificent supernova, two different types of signals emanating from that stellar core will oscillate together at the same frequency. This could be a piece of "smoking-gun evidence" that would lead to a better understanding of supernovae.

Mutations in autism susceptibility gene increase risk in boys

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:26 AM PDT

Researchers have identified five rare mutations in a single gene that appear to increase the chances that a boy will develop an autism spectrum disorder. Mutations in the AFF2 gene, and other genes like it on the X chromosome, may explain why autism spectrum disorders affect four times as many boys as girls.

Researchers work to create hypoallergenic wines and sequence the genome of Chardonnay

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:26 AM PDT

Have you ever gotten a headache or a rash from a single glass of wine? Has one glass of Merlot or Shiraz resulted in a painful hangover? If yes, you may be one of the 30 percent of people who are allergic to (or intolerant of) compounds that are in some of the world's most popular wines.

Viruses may be causing coral bleaching and decline around the world

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:26 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered two viruses that appear to infect the single-celled microalgae that reside in corals and are important for coral growth and health, and they say the viruses could play a role in the serious decline of coral ecosystems around the world.

Nocebo effect, not placebo effect: Induced illness studied

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:25 AM PDT

Negative suggestion can induce symptoms of illness. Nocebo effects are the adverse events that occur during sham treatment and/or as a result of negative expectations. While the positive counterpart —- the placebo effect -— has been intensively studied in recent years, the scientific literature contains few studies on nocebo phenomena. Researchers now present the underlying neurobiological mechanisms and highlight the relevance of the nocebo effect in everyday clinical practice.

Fossil egg links dinosaurs to modern birds

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:24 AM PDT

Researchers have discovered a series of dinosaur eggs with a unique characteristic: they are oval in shape. The discovery supports the theory that birds and non-avian theropods, dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period, could have a common ancestor.

Inexperienced video gamers show Macbeth effect

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:24 AM PDT

Current research found that when study participants were asked to select gift products after they had played a violent video game, inexperienced players selected more hygienic products, such as shower gel, toothpaste and deodorant, compared to those who played violent video games more often. Inexperienced players also felt higher moral distress from playing violent games.

Potential new weapon against crop pests discovered

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:24 AM PDT

Scientists have made a discovery that could provide a new means to control insect crop pests around the globe.

Psychologists discover links between angry thoughts and displaced aggression in male gang affiliates

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:24 AM PDT

Research conducted among pupils in three London schools has shown that male street gang affiliates who engage in angry rumination (i.e. think continuously about provoking or negative events and situations) have the greatest tendency towards displaced aggression against innocent others.  

Galaxy-exploring camera to be used in the operating room

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:22 AM PDT

Neurosurgeons are adapting an ultraviolet camera to possibly bring planet-exploring technology into the operating room. If the system works when focused on brain tissue, it could give surgeons a real-time view of changes invisible to the naked eye and unapparent even with magnification of current medical imaging technologies.

Concussions affect college players at high rates too

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:22 AM PDT

As interest in concussion rates and prevention strategies at all levels continues to grow, one population that appears to have increasing head injury rates is collegiate football players. New research shows that the concussion rate in three college football programs has doubled in recent years.

White rot fungus boosts ethanol production from corn stalks, cobs and leaves

Posted: 11 Jul 2012 06:02 PM PDT

Scientists are reporting new evidence that a white rot fungus shows promise in the search for a way to use waste corn stalks, cobs and leaves -- rather than corn itself -- to produce ethanol to extend supplies of gasoline. Their study is on using the fungus to break down the tough cellulose and related material in this so-called "corn stover" to free up sugars for ethanol fermentation.