ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Evolution of human intellect: Human-specific regulation of neuronal genes
• Beneficial microbes are 'selected and nurtured' in the human gut
• Human obedience: The myth of blind conformity
• Birch tree genome sequenced for first time
• Wormholes from centuries-old art prints reveal the history of the 'worms'
• Warming to shift heavy rainfall patterns in the UK
• Discovery offers new treatment for epilepsy
• High-speed video and artificial flowers shed light on mysteries of hummingbird-pollinated flowers
• Herbivore defense in ferns
• Curiosity rover preparing for Thanksgiving activities
• Natural fungus may provide effective bed bug control
• Nanotechnology simplifies hydrogen production for clean energy
• New electrically conductive polymer nanoparticles can generate heat to kill colorectal cancer cells
• Tiny probes shine brightly to reveal the location of targeted tissues
• New method helps target Parkinson's disease
• Decline in availability and use of electroconvulsive therapy for depression
• Seals gamble with their pups' futures
• Gold nanoparticles quickly detect hazardous chemicals
• Chimpanzees and bonobos may reveal clues to evolution of favor exchange in humans
• Ribosome regulates viral protein synthesis, revealing potential therapeutic target
• Impulsivity in first grade predicts problem gambling in late teen years for urban boys
• Bioinspired robot meets fish: Robotic fish research swims into new ethorobotics waters
• Well-known protein implicated in fibrosis
• Are social networking Internet sites a factor in psychotic symptoms?
• Synthetic membrane channels built out of DNA: Nanotech structures mimic nature's way of tunneling through cell walls
• Reasons for severe bleeding in hemophilia revealed
• Engineered bacteria can make the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the population
• Algae can take energy from other plants
• Urban noise makes flycatchers change length of their songs
• Fragile Western Isles ecosystem under threat: Misconceived sea defense measures will destroy machair, says expert
• Thousands of natural gas leaks discovered in Boston
• How does antibiotic resistance spread? Scientists find answers in the nose
• Bias in ecology and climate studies? How leaves shrink as they dry out is often overlooked
• Sweat glands play major role in healing human wounds
• Discovery of molecular pathway of Alzheimer's disease reveals new drug targets
• Nanomedicine breakthrough could improve chemotherapy for childhood cancer
• Nanotech device mimics dog's nose to detect explosives
• Hot gas bridges galaxy cluster pair
• Scientists identify inhibitor of myelin formation in central nervous system
• Finding rainbows on the nanoscale may lead to better solar cells and LED-displays
• Astronomers directly image massive star's 'super-Jupiter'

Evolution of human intellect: Human-specific regulation of neuronal genes Posted: 20 Nov 2012 04:49 PM PST A new study has identified hundreds of small regions of the genome that appear to be uniquely regulated in human neurons. These regulatory differences distinguish us from other primates, including monkeys and apes, and as neurons are at the core of our unique cognitive abilities, these features may ultimately hold the key to our intellectual prowess (and also to our potential vulnerability to a wide range of 'human-specific' diseases from autism to Alzheimer's).

Beneficial microbes are 'selected and nurtured' in the human gut Posted: 20 Nov 2012 04:35 PM PST Animals, including humans, actively select the gut microbes that are the best partners and nurture them with nutritious secretions, suggests a new study.

Human obedience: The myth of blind conformity Posted: 20 Nov 2012 04:35 PM PST In the 1960s and 1970s, classic social psychological studies were conducted that provided evidence that even normal, decent people can engage in acts of extreme cruelty when instructed to do so by others. However, professors revisit these studies' conclusions and explain how awful acts involve not just obedience, but enthusiasm too -- challenging the long-held belief that human beings are 'programmed' for conformity.

Birch tree genome sequenced for first time Posted: 20 Nov 2012 04:35 PM PST Scientists have sequenced the genetic code of a birch tree for the first time, which could help protect birch populations.

Wormholes from centuries-old art prints reveal the history of the 'worms' Posted: 20 Nov 2012 04:35 PM PST A new technique is the first of its kind to use printed art as a "trace fossil" to precisely date insect species and to identify their geographical locations. A biologistsdeveloped the technique and used it to examine art printed from woodblocks spanning five centuries. He then identified the species responsible for making the ever-present wormholes in European printed art since the Renaissance.

Warming to shift heavy rainfall patterns in the UK Posted: 20 Nov 2012 04:33 PM PST It appears that it's not just us Brits who are fascinated with the UK weather. A group of researchers from Germany has taken to investigating the potential changes in extreme rainfall patterns across the UK as a result of future global warming and has found that in some regions, the time of year when we see the heaviest rainfall is set to shift.

Discovery offers new treatment for epilepsy Posted: 20 Nov 2012 04:33 PM PST New drugs derived from components of a specific diet used by children with severe, drug-resistant epilepsy could offer a new treatment.

High-speed video and artificial flowers shed light on mysteries of hummingbird-pollinated flowers Posted: 20 Nov 2012 04:33 PM PST How flowers have evolved particular colours, shapes and scents to attract pollinators has long fascinated ecologists. Now, using artificial flowers and high-speed video, researchers have gained intriguing insights into the intimate relationship between hummingbirds and the flowers they pollinate. The study is the first to measure how much energy hummingbirds use while hovering to feed from flowers of different orientation.

Herbivore defense in ferns Posted: 20 Nov 2012 04:33 PM PST They dominated the earth for 200 million years and numerous different species can still be found all over the world: mosses, horsetails and ferns. Researchers have now found out that bracken ferns do not release any volatiles when they are attacked − unlike many of the now dominant and evolutionary younger flowering plants. Such an emission of volatile compounds may attract the pest insects' enemies, such as ichneumon wasps or predatory bugs, that parasitize herbivores. Nevertheless, volatile emission could be also elicited in fern fronds, if they had been treated with plant hormone jasmonic acid.

Curiosity rover preparing for Thanksgiving activities Posted: 20 Nov 2012 02:17 PM PST NASA's Mars rover Curiosity completed a touch-and-go inspection of one rock on Sunday, Nov. 18, then pivoted and, on the same day, drove toward a Thanksgiving overlook location.

Natural fungus may provide effective bed bug control Posted: 20 Nov 2012 01:09 PM PST "Don't let the bed bugs bite" is no longer a harmless adage. In reality today, these bloodthirsty bugs infest thousands of homes. According to entomologists, biopesticides -- naturally occurring microorganisms -- might provide an answer to this pest problem.

Nanotechnology simplifies hydrogen production for clean energy Posted: 20 Nov 2012 01:09 PM PST In the first-ever experiment of its kind, researchers have demonstrated that clean energy hydrogen can be produced from water splitting by using very small metal particles that are exposed to sunlight.

New electrically conductive polymer nanoparticles can generate heat to kill colorectal cancer cells Posted: 20 Nov 2012 12:24 PM PST Researchers have modified electrically conductive polymers, commonly used in solar energy applications, to develop revolutionary polymer nanoparticles for a medical application. When the nanoparticles are exposed to infrared light, they generate heat that can be used to kill colorectal cancer cells.

Tiny probes shine brightly to reveal the location of targeted tissues Posted: 20 Nov 2012 12:24 PM PST Nanostructures called BRIGHTs seek out biomarkers on cells and then beam brightly to reveal their locations. In the tiny gap between the gold skin and the gold core of the nanoparticle, there is an electromagnetic hot spot that lights up the reporter molecules trapped there. BRIGHTs, which shine about 1.7 x 10^11 more brightly than isolated Raman reporters, are intended for use in noinvasive bioimaging.

New method helps target Parkinson's disease Posted: 20 Nov 2012 12:24 PM PST Health professionals may soon have a new method of diagnosing Parkinson's disease, one that is noninvasive and inexpensive, and, in early testing, has proved to be effective more than 90 percent of the time.

Decline in availability and use of electroconvulsive therapy for depression Posted: 20 Nov 2012 12:24 PM PST Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is considered the most effective treatment option for patients with severe depression who cannot find symptom relief through antidepressant medications or psychotherapy. In a new study, researchers found a sharp decline in the availability and use of ECT in general hospitals across the US.

Seals gamble with their pups' futures Posted: 20 Nov 2012 12:24 PM PST Some grey seal mums adopt risky tactics when it comes to the future of their young, a strategy that can give their pup a real advantage, according to scientists.

Gold nanoparticles quickly detect hazardous chemicals Posted: 20 Nov 2012 12:23 PM PST Scientists have developed a system to quickly detect trace amounts of chemicals like pollutants, explosives or illegal drugs. The new system can pick out a single target molecule from 10,000 trillion water molecules within milliseconds, by trapping it on a self-assembling single layer of gold nanoparticles. The technology opens the way to develop devices that are compact, reusable and easy to assemble, and could have a range of uses including detecting illegal drugs, explosives, pollutants in rivers or nerve gases released into the air.

Chimpanzees and bonobos may reveal clues to evolution of favor exchange in humans Posted: 20 Nov 2012 10:29 AM PST When your neighbor asks to borrow a cup of sugar and you readily comply, is your positive response a function of the give and take that characterize your longstanding relationship? Or does it represent payment -- or prepayment -- for the cup of sugar you borrowed last week, or may need to borrow a month from now?

Ribosome regulates viral protein synthesis, revealing potential therapeutic target Posted: 20 Nov 2012 10:29 AM PST Rather than target RNA viruses directly, aiming at the host cells they invade could hold promise, but any such strategy would have to be harmless to the host. Now, a surprising discovery made in ribosomes may point the way to fighting fatal viral infections such as rabies.

Impulsivity in first grade predicts problem gambling in late teen years for urban boys Posted: 20 Nov 2012 10:28 AM PST A developmental pattern of impulsiveness in young males is linked with gambling problems in late adolescence. Respondents considered to be in the high impulsivity track as early as first grade doubled the odds of meeting criteria for at-risk/problem gambling, and tripled the odds of meeting criteria for problem gambling. The study is the first to link a developmental pattern of impulsivity and late-adolescent gambling.

Bioinspired robot meets fish: Robotic fish research swims into new ethorobotics waters Posted: 20 Nov 2012 09:20 AM PST New research is illuminating the emerging field of ethorobotics -- the study of bioinspired robots interacting with animal counterparts. They studied how real-time feedback attracted or repelled live zebrafish. The fish were more attracted to robots with tail motions that mimicked the live fish. The researchers hope that robots eventually may steer live animal or marine groups from danger.

Well-known protein implicated in fibrosis Posted: 20 Nov 2012 09:20 AM PST Scientists have uncovered a new role for the protein toll-like receptor four in the development of tissue fibrosis, or scarring. This finding has implications for the treatment of scleroderma.

Are social networking Internet sites a factor in psychotic symptoms? Posted: 20 Nov 2012 09:20 AM PST Internet communication is exploding -- and so is the possibility of a related psychopathology called Internet addiction. Now a researcher says that a review of several case studies from his own practice shows a direct connection between psychotic episodes and participation in certain online social networking sites.

Synthetic membrane channels built out of DNA: Nanotech structures mimic nature's way of tunneling through cell walls Posted: 20 Nov 2012 09:20 AM PST Physicists have shown that synthetic membrane channels can be constructed through "DNA nanotechnology." This technique employs DNA molecules as programmable building materials for custom-designed, self-assembling, nanometer-scale structures. The researchers present evidence that their nature-inspired nanostructures may also behave like biological ion channels. Their results could mark a step toward applications of synthetic membrane channels as molecular sensors, antimicrobial agents, and drivers of novel nanodevices.

Reasons for severe bleeding in hemophilia revealed Posted: 20 Nov 2012 09:20 AM PST New insights into what causes uncontrollable bleeding in hemophilia patients have been provided. By revealing that blood clots spread in traveling waves through vessels, the study offers new strategies that could lead to the development of more effective treatments for hemophilia as well as common cardiovascular disorders.

Engineered bacteria can make the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the population Posted: 20 Nov 2012 09:19 AM PST Scientists have engineered bacteria that are capable of sacrificing themselves for the good of the bacterial population. These altruistically inclined bacteria can be used to demonstrate the conditions where programmed cell death becomes a distinct advantage for the survival of the bacterial population.

Algae can take energy from other plants Posted: 20 Nov 2012 09:19 AM PST Flowers need water and light to grow. Even children learn that plants use sunlight to gather energy from earth and water. Biologists have made an astounding discovery that one plant has another way of doing this. They have confirmed for the first time that a plant not only engages in photosynthesis, but also has an alternative source of energy: it can draw it from other plants. This finding could also have a major impact on the future of bioenergy.

Urban noise makes flycatchers change length of their songs Posted: 20 Nov 2012 09:19 AM PST Do birds change their tune in response to urban noise? It depends on the bird species, according to new research. Their work shows that while some birds do adapt their songs in noisy conditions by means of frequency changes, others like the vermilion flycatchers adapt their song by means of changes in song lengths.

Fragile Western Isles ecosystem under threat: Misconceived sea defense measures will destroy machair, says expert Posted: 20 Nov 2012 09:19 AM PST The traditional crofting way of life is under threat in Scotland's Western Isles because of a fundamental misunderstanding of how Atlantic wave action affects their coastlines, a academic has revealed.

Thousands of natural gas leaks discovered in Boston Posted: 20 Nov 2012 09:18 AM PST The City of Boston is riddled with more than 3,000 leaks from its aging natural-gas pipeline system, according to a new study.

How does antibiotic resistance spread? Scientists find answers in the nose Posted: 20 Nov 2012 09:18 AM PST Microbiologists studying bacterial colonization in mice have discovered how the very rapid and efficient spread of antibiotic resistance works in the respiratory pathogen, Streptococcus pneumoniae (also known as the pneumococcus). The team found that resistance stems from the transfer of DNA between bacterial strains in biofilms in the nasopharynx, the area just behind the nose.

Bias in ecology and climate studies? How leaves shrink as they dry out is often overlooked Posted: 20 Nov 2012 07:04 AM PST The simple observation that leaves shrink when they dry out has far-reaching consequences for scientists studying how ecosystems work, a graduate student has discovered. Enlisting a team of 40 middle school students, he set out to study a phenomenon that has been largely overlooked by the scientific community but is likely to bias ecology and climate studies.

Sweat glands play major role in healing human wounds Posted: 20 Nov 2012 07:04 AM PST Researchers have discovered one of the body's most powerful secret weapons in healing: sweat glands.

Discovery of molecular pathway of Alzheimer's disease reveals new drug targets Posted: 20 Nov 2012 07:04 AM PST The discovery of the molecular pathway that drives the changes seen in the brains of Alzheimer's patients is reported today, revealing new targets for drug discovery that could be exploited to combat the disease. The study gives the most detailed understanding yet of the complex processes leading to Alzheimer's.

Nanomedicine breakthrough could improve chemotherapy for childhood cancer Posted: 20 Nov 2012 07:04 AM PST Medical researchers have developed a nanoparticle that could improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy for neuroblastoma by a factor of five.

Nanotech device mimics dog's nose to detect explosives Posted: 20 Nov 2012 07:04 AM PST Engineers have designed a detector that uses microfluidic nanotechnology to mimic the biological mechanism behind canine scent receptors. The device is both highly sensitive to trace amounts of certain vapor molecules, and able to tell a specific substance apart from similar molecules.

Hot gas bridges galaxy cluster pair Posted: 20 Nov 2012 07:01 AM PST Space telescope has made the first conclusive detection of a bridge of hot gas connecting a pair of galaxy clusters across 10 million light-years of intergalactic space.

Scientists identify inhibitor of myelin formation in central nervous system Posted: 20 Nov 2012 07:01 AM PST Scientists have discovered another molecule that plays an important role in regulating myelin formation in the central nervous system. Myelin promotes the conduction of nerve cell impulses by forming a sheath around their projections, the so-called axons, at specific locations -- acting like the plastic insulation around a power cord.

Finding rainbows on the nanoscale may lead to better solar cells and LED-displays Posted: 20 Nov 2012 05:50 AM PST New research may lead to improved solar cells and LED-displays. Researchers have demonstrated in detail how to separate colors and create 'rainbows' using nanoscale structures on a metal surface.

Astronomers directly image massive star's 'super-Jupiter' Posted: 19 Nov 2012 02:13 PM PST Astronomers using infrared data from the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii have discovered a "super-Jupiter" around the bright star Kappa Andromedae, which now holds the record for the most massive star known to host a directly imaged planet or lightweight brown dwarf companion.

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