ScienceDaily: Top News

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• MAKS: Drug-free prevention of dementia decline
• Chemical warfare of stealthy silverfish: Parasites hide by covering themselves in ants' scent
• Astronomers discover new exoplanet similar in size to Earth; Planet Kepler-21b found using space and ground-based observations
• Magnetic pole reversal happens all the (geologic) time
• Using radiation to sterilize insect pests may protect California fruits and vegetables
• Texas drought visible in new national groundwater maps
• NASA's Swift finds a gamma-ray burst with a dual personality
• Trail of 'stone breadcrumbs' reveals the identity of one of the first human groups to leave Africa
• Fully printed carbon nanotube transistor circuits for displays
• Stronger corn? Take it off steroids, make it all female
• Abrupt permafrost thaw increases climate threat, experts say
• Is it Alzheimer's disease or another dementia? Marker may give more accurate diagnosis
• Earthquakes: Water as a lubricant
• In a star's final days, astronomers hunt 'signal of impending doom'
• Timing is everything: Bacterial attachment mimics just-in-time industrial model
• Astronomers look to neighboring galaxy for star formation insight
• Researchers examine role of inflammatory mechanisms in a healing heart
• Setting the stage for life: Scientists make key discovery about the atmosphere of early Earth
• From gene to function: Genome wide study into new gene functions in the formation of platelets
• Biologists deliver neutralizing antibodies that protect against HIV infection in mice
• Earthquake friction effect demonstrated at the nanoscale
• Petroleum-eating mushrooms
• Unlocking the genetic and molecular mystery of soft-tissue sarcoma
• At a crossroads: New research predicts which cars are likeliest to run lights at intersections
• Scientists use laser imaging to assess safety of zinc oxide nanoparticles in sunscreen
• Clinical trial for muscular dystrophy demonstrates safety of customized gene therapy
• Early sign of Alzheimer's reversed in lab
• Engineered botulism toxins could have broader role in medicine
• Some people can hallucinate colors at will
• Gone with the wind: Why the fast jet stream winds cannot contribute much renewable energy after all
• New research distinguishes roles of conscious and sub-conscious awareness in information processing
• British butterfly is evolving to respond to climate change
• Eating fish reduces risk of Alzheimer's disease, study finds
• Heart attack risk differs between men and women
• Violent video games alter brain function in young men
• Controlled disorder: Scientists find way to form random molecular patterns
• Why evolutionarily ancient brain areas are important
• Body rebuilding: Researchers regenerate muscle in mice
• 'Graphene earns its stripes': New nanoscale electronic state discovered on graphene sheets
• New insight into climate change in the Pacific

MAKS: Drug-free prevention of dementia decline Posted: 30 Nov 2011 05:26 PM PST There are many different causes of dementia and, although its progression can be fast or slow, it is always degenerative. Symptoms of dementia include confusion, loss of memory, and problems with speech and understanding. It can be upsetting for the affected person, their relatives and carers. New research shows that a regime of behavioral and mental exercises was able to halt the progression of dementia.

Chemical warfare of stealthy silverfish: Parasites hide by covering themselves in ants' scent Posted: 30 Nov 2011 05:25 PM PST A co-evolutionary arms race exists between social insects and their parasites. Army ants share their nests with several parasites such as beetles, snails and spiders. They also share their food with the kleptoparasitic silverfish. New research shows that the silverfish manage to hide amongst the ants by covering themselves in the ant's chemical scent.

Astronomers discover new exoplanet similar in size to Earth; Planet Kepler-21b found using space and ground-based observations Posted: 30 Nov 2011 02:56 PM PST The NASA Kepler Mission is designed to survey a portion of our region of the Milky Way Galaxy to discover Earth-size planets in or near the "habitable zone," the region in a planetary system where liquid water can exist, and determine how many of the billions of stars in our galaxy have such planets. It now has another planet to add to its growing list. Researchers have shown that one of the brightest stars in the Kepler star field has a planet with a radius only 1.6 that of Earth's radius and a mass no greater that 10 earth masses, circling its parent star with a 2.8 day period.

Magnetic pole reversal happens all the (geologic) time Posted: 30 Nov 2011 02:11 PM PST Scientists understand that Earth's magnetic field has flipped its polarity many times over the millennia. The answer, from the geologic and fossil records we have from hundreds of past magnetic polarity reversals, seems to be "no."

Using radiation to sterilize insect pests may protect California fruits and vegetables Posted: 30 Nov 2011 02:11 PM PST A new study shows that radiation can be used to effectively sterilize the light brown apple moth, an invasive pest to the California wine industry, as well as fruit and vegetable growers.

Texas drought visible in new national groundwater maps Posted: 30 Nov 2011 02:11 PM PST The record-breaking drought in Texas that has fueled wildfires, decimated crops and forced cattle sales has also reduced levels of groundwater in much of the state to the lowest levels seen in more than 60 years, according to new national maps.

NASA's Swift finds a gamma-ray burst with a dual personality Posted: 30 Nov 2011 02:10 PM PST A peculiar cosmic explosion first detected by NASA's Swift observatory on Christmas Day 2010 was caused either by a novel type of supernova located billions of light-years away or an unusual collision much closer to home, within our own galaxy.

Trail of 'stone breadcrumbs' reveals the identity of one of the first human groups to leave Africa Posted: 30 Nov 2011 02:10 PM PST A series of new archaeological discoveries in the Sultanate of Oman, nestled in the southeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, reveals the timing and identity of one of the first modern human groups to migrate out of Africa, according to new research.

Fully printed carbon nanotube transistor circuits for displays Posted: 30 Nov 2011 01:15 PM PST Researchers outline the first practical demonstration of carbon nanotube transistor based printed circuits for display backplane applications revealing CNT's viable candidacy as a competing technology alongside amorphous silicon and metal oxide semiconductor solution as a low-cost and scalable backplane option.

Stronger corn? Take it off steroids, make it all female Posted: 30 Nov 2011 01:15 PM PST Researchers have taken corn off steroids and found that the results might lead to improvements in that and other crops.

Abrupt permafrost thaw increases climate threat, experts say Posted: 30 Nov 2011 01:15 PM PST As the Arctic warms, greenhouse gases will be released from thawing permafrost faster and at significantly higher levels than previous estimates, according to a survey of international experts. Permafrost thaw will release approximately the same amount of carbon as deforestation. However, the effect of thawing permafrost on climate will be 2.5 times greater because emissions include methane, a more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

Is it Alzheimer's disease or another dementia? Marker may give more accurate diagnosis Posted: 30 Nov 2011 01:15 PM PST New research finds a marker used to detect plaque in the brain may help doctors make a more accurate diagnosis between two common types of dementia -- Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. The study is published in the Nov. 30, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Earthquakes: Water as a lubricant Posted: 30 Nov 2011 11:22 AM PST Geophysicists have established a mode of action that can explain the irregular distribution of strong earthquakes at the San Andreas Fault in California. The scientists examined the electrical conductivity of the rocks at great depths, which is closely related to the water content within the rocks. From the pattern of electrical conductivity and seismic activity they were able to deduce that rock water acts as a lubricant.

In a star's final days, astronomers hunt 'signal of impending doom' Posted: 30 Nov 2011 11:22 AM PST An otherwise nondescript binary star system in the Whirlpool Galaxy has brought astronomers tantalizingly close to their goal of observing a star just before it goes supernova.

Timing is everything: Bacterial attachment mimics just-in-time industrial model Posted: 30 Nov 2011 11:22 AM PST Biologists and physicists have shown that certain bacteria wait until the last minute to synthesize the glue that allows them to attach permanently to surfaces.

Astronomers look to neighboring galaxy for star formation insight Posted: 30 Nov 2011 11:19 AM PST An international team of astronomers has mapped in detail the star-birthing regions of the nearest star-forming galaxy to our own, a step toward understanding the conditions surrounding star creation. They found a large number of relatively low-mass clouds of molecular hydrogen -- material for star forming -- and found a correlation between young massive stars and molecular clouds.

Researchers examine role of inflammatory mechanisms in a healing heart Posted: 30 Nov 2011 11:18 AM PST Researchers have found that an inflammatory mechanism known as inflammasome may lead to more damage in the heart following injury such as a heart attack, pointing researchers toward developing more targeted strategies to block the inflammatory mechanisms involved.

Setting the stage for life: Scientists make key discovery about the atmosphere of early Earth Posted: 30 Nov 2011 11:18 AM PST Scientists have used the oldest minerals on Earth to reconstruct the atmospheric conditions present on Earth very soon after its birth. The findings are the first direct evidence of what the ancient atmosphere of the planet was like soon after its formation and directly challenge years of research on the type of atmosphere out of which life arose on the planet.

From gene to function: Genome wide study into new gene functions in the formation of platelets Posted: 30 Nov 2011 11:18 AM PST A new study successfully identifies new genetic variants involved in the formation of platelets and more importantly, defines how genes near these variants affect platelet size and number using a series of biological analyses. This is the largest genome-wide meta-analysis on platelet size and number and involves more than 68,000 individuals from different ancestries.

Biologists deliver neutralizing antibodies that protect against HIV infection in mice Posted: 30 Nov 2011 11:18 AM PST Researchers have been studying a group of potent antibodies that have the ability to neutralize HIV in the lab; Their hope is to create a vaccine that makes antibodies with similar properties. Now, biologists have taken one step closer to that goal: They have developed a way to deliver these antibodies to mice and, in so doing, have effectively protected them from HIV infection.

Earthquake friction effect demonstrated at the nanoscale Posted: 30 Nov 2011 11:18 AM PST Earthquakes are some of the most daunting natural disasters that scientists try to analyze. Though Earth's major fault lines are well known, there is little scientists can do to predict when an earthquake will occur or how strong it will be. And, though earthquakes involve millions of tons of rock, a team of researchers has helped discover an aspect of friction on the nanoscale that may lead to a better understanding of the disasters.

Petroleum-eating mushrooms Posted: 30 Nov 2011 09:54 AM PST Take a Petri dish containing crude petroleum and it will release a strong odor distinctive of the toxins that make up the fossil fuel. Sprinkle mushroom spores over the Petri dish and let it sit for two weeks in an incubator, and surprise, the petroleum and its smell will disappear.

Unlocking the genetic and molecular mystery of soft-tissue sarcoma Posted: 30 Nov 2011 09:01 AM PST Scientists have uncovered important molecular and genetic keys to the development of soft-tissue sarcomas in skeletal muscle, giving researchers and clinicians additional targets to stop the growth of these often deadly tumors.

At a crossroads: New research predicts which cars are likeliest to run lights at intersections Posted: 30 Nov 2011 09:01 AM PST Researchers have developed an algorithm that predicts which cars are likeliest to run lights at intersections.

Scientists use laser imaging to assess safety of zinc oxide nanoparticles in sunscreen Posted: 30 Nov 2011 08:58 AM PST Ultra-tiny zinc oxide (ZnO) particles are among the ingredients list of some commercially available sunscreen products, raising concerns about whether the particles may be absorbed beneath the outer layer of skin. To help answer these questions, a team of scientists from Australia and Switzerland have developed a way to optically test the concentration of ZnO nanoparticles at different skin depths.

Clinical trial for muscular dystrophy demonstrates safety of customized gene therapy Posted: 30 Nov 2011 08:58 AM PST Researchers have shown that it is safe to cut and paste together different viruses in an effort to create the ultimate vehicle for gene therapy. In a phase I clinical trial, the investigators found no side effects from using a "chimeric" virus to deliver replacement genes for an essential muscle protein in patients with muscular dystrophy.

Early sign of Alzheimer's reversed in lab Posted: 30 Nov 2011 07:04 AM PST One of the earliest known impairments caused by Alzheimer's disease -- loss of sense of smell -- can be restored by removing a plaque-forming protein in a mouse model of the disease, a new study shows. The study confirms that the protein, called amyloid beta, causes the loss.

Engineered botulism toxins could have broader role in medicine Posted: 30 Nov 2011 07:04 AM PST The most poisonous substance on Earth -- already used medically in small doses to treat certain nerve disorders and facial wrinkles -- could be re-engineered for an expanded role in helping millions of people with rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, psoriasis and other diseases, scientists are reporting.

Some people can hallucinate colors at will Posted: 30 Nov 2011 07:02 AM PST Scientists have found that some people have the ability to hallucinate colors at will -- even without the help of hypnosis.

Gone with the wind: Why the fast jet stream winds cannot contribute much renewable energy after all Posted: 30 Nov 2011 07:00 AM PST The assumption that high jet steam wind speeds in the upper atmosphere correspond to high wind power has now been challenged by new research. Taking into account that the high wind speeds result from the near absence of friction and not from a strong power source, scientists found that the maximum extractable energy from jet streams is approximately 200 times less than reported previously.

New research distinguishes roles of conscious and sub-conscious awareness in information processing Posted: 30 Nov 2011 07:00 AM PST What distinguishes information processing with conscious awareness from processing occurring without awareness? And, is there any role for conscious awareness in information processing, or is it just a byproduct, like the steam from the chimney of a train engine, which is significant, but has no functional role? These questions - which have long puzzled psychologists, philosophers, and neurobiologists - were recently addressed in a new study.

British butterfly is evolving to respond to climate change Posted: 30 Nov 2011 06:53 AM PST As global temperatures rise and climatic zones move polewards, species will need to find different environments to prevent extinction. New research has revealed that climate change is causing certain species to move and adapt to a range of new habitats.

Eating fish reduces risk of Alzheimer's disease, study finds Posted: 30 Nov 2011 06:52 AM PST People who eat baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis may be improving their brain health and reducing their risk of developing mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study.

Heart attack risk differs between men and women Posted: 30 Nov 2011 06:52 AM PST Findings on coronary CT angiography, a noninvasive test to assess the coronary arteries for blockages, show different risk scenarios for men and women, according to a new study.

Violent video games alter brain function in young men Posted: 30 Nov 2011 06:52 AM PST A functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis of long-term effects of violent video game play on the brain has found changes in brain regions associated with cognitive function and emotional control in young adult men after one week of game play.

Controlled disorder: Scientists find way to form random molecular patterns Posted: 30 Nov 2011 06:51 AM PST Scientists have discovered a way to control how tiny flat molecules fit together in a seemingly random pattern.

Why evolutionarily ancient brain areas are important Posted: 30 Nov 2011 06:50 AM PST Structures in the midbrain that developed early in evolution can be responsible for functions in newborns which in adults are taken over by the cerebral cortex. New evidence for this theory has been found in the visual system of monkeys. The scientists studied a reflex that stabilizes the image of a moving scene on the retina to prevent blur, the so-termed optokinetic nystagmus.

Body rebuilding: Researchers regenerate muscle in mice Posted: 29 Nov 2011 08:23 AM PST Scientists have regenerated functional muscle tissue in mice, opening the door for a new clinical therapy for major muscle trauma. The team used a novel protocol to coax human muscle cells into a stem cell-like state and grew the reprogrammed cells on biopolymer microthreads. Surprisingly, the microthreads seemed to accelerate the regeneration process by recruiting progenitor mouse muscle cells, suggesting that they alone could become a therapeutic tool.

'Graphene earns its stripes': New nanoscale electronic state discovered on graphene sheets Posted: 29 Nov 2011 08:21 AM PST Researchers have discovered electronic stripes, called 'charge density waves', on the surface of the graphene sheets that make up a graphitic superconductor. This is the first time these stripes have been seen on graphene, and the finding is likely to have profound implications for the exploitation of this recently discovered material, which scientists believe will play a key role in the future of nanotechnology.

New insight into climate change in the Pacific Posted: 29 Nov 2011 07:33 AM PST A new report presents the most comprehensive scientific analysis to date of climate change in the Pacific region.

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