ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Reactions to everyday stressors predict future health
• Mountain meadows dwindling in Pacific Northwest, U.S. due to climate change, study suggests
• In-sync brain waves hold memory of objects just seen
• Satellite still shows Sandy's remnant clouds over eastern Canada and the northeastern U.S.
• Hubble sees an unexpected population of young-looking stars
• Brain imaging alone cannot diagnose autism
• Giving fluorescence microscopy new power to study cellular transport
• Alcohol, drug abuse counselors don't always require total abstinence
• Were dinosaurs destined to be big? Testing Cope's rule
• Disaster defense: Balancing costs and benefits
• Our solar system is not quite as special as once believed, new research suggests
• Answer three 'why' questions: Abstract thinking can make you more politically moderate
• Difficult-to-read font reduces political polarity, study finds
• NASA rover finds clues to changes in Mars' atmosphere
• Transplantation issues: Kidney donors and children in need of transplants
• Mars longevity champ switching computers
• New medication shows promise as lipid-lowering therapy for rare cholesterol disorder
• Developmental bait and switch: Enzyme responsible for neural crest cell development discovered
• Navy researchers look to rotating detonation engines to power the future
• Cancer bound: How some carcinogens evade removal by stabilizing the very DNA they attack
• Confident beginning key to happy marriage: Don't ignore doubts, experts warn
• New finding gives clues for overcoming tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer
• World record for entanglement of twisted light quanta
• When considering bariatric surgery, think about bones
• Tumor-causing cells are squishier
• Climate change affecting overall weather patterns, may affect water availability, in California
• 'New beginning' in split-brain research, using new analytical tools
• Cyberbullying in the workplace 'worse than conventional bullying'
• Active surveillance can reduce suffering among men with prostate cancer
• Making climate taxes more palatable
• Biochemists discover new mechanism in ribosome formation: Protein controls synchronized transport of ribosome factors
• MRI research sheds new light on nerve fibres in the brain
• A new order in the quantum world: Using laser beams scientists generated quantum matter with novel, crystal-like properties
• Self-harm not always a sign of serious mental health problems, Swedish research suggests
• Cannabis use mimics cognitive weakness that can lead to schizophrenia, fMRI study finds
• Simulations improve predictability of aneurysm development
• Health project in India saved many mothers and children, project finds
• Temporary storage for electrons in a hydrogen-producing enzyme

Reactions to everyday stressors predict future health Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:51 PM PDT Contrary to popular perception, stressors don't cause health problems -- it's people's reactions to the stressors that determine whether they will suffer health consequences, according to new research.

Mountain meadows dwindling in Pacific Northwest, U.S. due to climate change, study suggests Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:51 PM PDT Some high mountain meadows in the Pacific Northwest are declining rapidly due to climate change, a study suggests, as reduced snowpack, longer growing seasons and other factors allow trees to invade these unique ecosystems that once were carpeted with grasses, shrubs and wildflowers.

In-sync brain waves hold memory of objects just seen Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:51 PM PDT The brain holds in mind what has just been seen by synchronizing brain waves in a working memory circuit, an animal study suggests. The more in-sync such electrical signals of neurons were in two key hubs of the circuit, the more those cells held the short-term memory of a just-seen object. The work demonstrates, for the first time, that there is information about short term memories reflected in in-sync brainwaves.

Satellite still shows Sandy's remnant clouds over eastern Canada and the northeastern U.S. Posted: 02 Nov 2012 01:28 PM PDT Satellite imagery from Nov. 2 showed that Sandy's remnant clouds continue to linger over Canada and the northeastern U.S.

Hubble sees an unexpected population of young-looking stars Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:20 PM PDT The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope offers an impressive view of the center of globular cluster NGC 6362. The image of this spherical collection of stars takes a deeper look at the core of the globular cluster, which contains a high concentration of stars with different colors.

Brain imaging alone cannot diagnose autism Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:20 PM PDT Experts caution against heralding the use of brain imaging scans to diagnose autism and urges greater focus on conducting large, long-term multicenter studies to identify the biological basis of the disorder.

Giving fluorescence microscopy new power to study cellular transport Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:20 PM PDT The ability of fluorescence microscopy to study labeled structures like cells has now been empowered to deliver greater spatial and temporal resolutions that were not possible before, thanks to a new method. Using this method, they were able to study the critical process of cell transport dynamics at multiple spatial and temporal scales and reveal, for the first time, properties of diffusive and directed motion transport in living cells.

Alcohol, drug abuse counselors don't always require total abstinence Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:19 PM PDT Compared to a survey conducted nearly 20 years ago, about twice the proportion of addiction counselors now find it acceptable for at least some of their patients to have a drink occasionally -- either as an intermediate goal or as their final treatment goal, according to a new study.

Were dinosaurs destined to be big? Testing Cope's rule Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:19 PM PDT In the evolutionary long run, small critters tend to evolve into bigger beasts -- at least according to the idea attributed to paleontologist Edward Cope, now known as Cope's Rule. Using the latest advanced statistical modeling methods, a new test of this rule as it applies dinosaurs shows that Cope was right -- sometimes.

Disaster defense: Balancing costs and benefits Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:19 PM PDT Do costly seawalls provide a false sense of security in efforts to control nature? Would it be better to focus on far less expensive warning systems and improved evacuation procedures? A father-son team have developed new strategies to defend society against natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy and the effects of climate change. The approach, which considers costs and benefits while identifying the best solution, is based on a mathematical technique called optimization.

Our solar system is not quite as special as once believed, new research suggests Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:19 PM PDT Some 4.567 billion years ago, our solar system's planets spawned from an expansive disc of gas and dust rotating around the sun. While similar processes are witnessed in younger solar systems throughout the Milky Way, the formative stages of our own solar system were believed to have taken twice as long to occur. Now, new research, suggests otherwise. Indeed, our solar system is not quite as special as once believed.

Answer three 'why' questions: Abstract thinking can make you more politically moderate Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:19 PM PDT Partisans beware! Some of your most cherished political attitudes may be malleable! Researchers report that simply answering three "why" questions on an innocuous topic leads people to be more moderate in their views on an otherwise polarizing political issue.

Difficult-to-read font reduces political polarity, study finds Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:19 PM PDT Liberals and conservatives who are polarized on certain politically charged subjects become more moderate when reading political arguments in a difficult-to-read font, researchers report in a new study. Likewise, people with induced bias for or against a defendant in a mock trial are less likely to act on that bias if they have to struggle to read the evidence against him.

NASA rover finds clues to changes in Mars' atmosphere Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:16 PM PDT NASA's car-sized rover, Curiosity, has taken significant steps toward understanding how Mars may have lost much of its original atmosphere. Learning what happened to the Martian atmosphere will help scientists assess whether the planet ever was habitable.

Transplantation issues: Kidney donors and children in need of transplants Posted: 02 Nov 2012 12:13 PM PDT Three studies provide new information related to kidney transplantation -- specifically, the post-transplant health of kidney donors and the racial disparities faced by children in need of transplants.

Mars longevity champ switching computers Posted: 02 Nov 2012 08:56 AM PDT NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter, already the longest-working spacecraft ever sent to Mars, will switch to some fresh, redundant equipment next week that has not been used since before launch in 2001.

New medication shows promise as lipid-lowering therapy for rare cholesterol disorder Posted: 02 Nov 2012 08:54 AM PDT An international effort has resulted in positive phase 3 clinical trial results for a new medicine to treat patients suffering from a rare and deadly cholesterol disorder, homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.

Developmental bait and switch: Enzyme responsible for neural crest cell development discovered Posted: 02 Nov 2012 08:54 AM PDT During the early developmental stages of vertebrates, cells undergo extensive rearrangements, and some cells migrate over large distances to populate particular areas and assume novel roles as differentiated cell types. A new study provides new clues about this process -- at least in the case of neural crest cells, which give rise to most of the peripheral nervous system, to pigment cells, and to large portions of the facial skeleton.

Navy researchers look to rotating detonation engines to power the future Posted: 02 Nov 2012 08:54 AM PDT At the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, scientists are studying the complex physics of rotating detonation engines which offer the potential for high dollar savings by way of reduced fuel consumption in gas-turbine engines.

Cancer bound: How some carcinogens evade removal by stabilizing the very DNA they attack Posted: 02 Nov 2012 08:54 AM PDT PAHs are common environmental pollutants found in automobile exhaust, barbequed foods and tobacco smoke. These molecules are converted into carcinogens in the body that attack DNA and cause cancer-inducing mutations.

Confident beginning key to happy marriage: Don't ignore doubts, experts warn Posted: 02 Nov 2012 08:53 AM PDT Couples about to tie the knot shouldn't ignore nagging doubts about getting married, warns a researcher.

New finding gives clues for overcoming tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer Posted: 02 Nov 2012 08:53 AM PDT A cancer biology team reports breakthrough findings about specific cellular mechanisms that may help overcome endocrine (hormone) therapy-resistance in patients with estrogen-positive breast cancers, combating a widespread problem in effective medical management of the disease. The team has identified a specific estrogen receptor co-activator -- known as MED1 -- as playing a central role in mediating tamoxifen resistance in human breast cancer.

World record for entanglement of twisted light quanta Posted: 02 Nov 2012 08:53 AM PDT Physicists have achieved a new milestone in the history of quantum physics: Scientists were able to generate and measure the entanglement of the largest quantum numbers to date.

When considering bariatric surgery, think about bones Posted: 02 Nov 2012 08:53 AM PDT Bariatric surgery, which significantly curtails the amount of food a person can eat, is the most effective treatment against obesity and is being recognized as a potentially valuable tool in the fight against diabetes related to obesity. It is being performed on increasing numbers of people worldwide, including teenagers. Unfortunately, some types of bariatric surgery may also cause bone loss, a cause for concern, particularly when carried out on young people who have not yet reached their peak bone mass, say endocrinologists who have just published a new review.

Tumor-causing cells are squishier Posted: 02 Nov 2012 08:51 AM PDT A new tool developed by scientists separates tumor-causing cancer cells from more benign cells by subjecting the cells to a microscopic game of Plinko -- except only the squishiest cells make it through.

Climate change affecting overall weather patterns, may affect water availability, in California Posted: 02 Nov 2012 06:20 AM PDT Climate change is affecting overall weather patterns, scientists say, and could affect water availability in California.

'New beginning' in split-brain research, using new analytical tools Posted: 02 Nov 2012 06:20 AM PDT Scientists have reported an important discovery in the interdisciplinary study of split-brain research. The findings uncover dynamic changes in brain coordination patterns between left and right hemispheres.

Cyberbullying in the workplace 'worse than conventional bullying' Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:46 AM PDT Cyberbullying -- using modern communications technology such as e-mails, texts or web-postings to abuse people -- is as common in the workplace as 'conventional' bullying. Yet, the way cyberbullying influences both the victim and witnesses are more hidden in the workplace according to new research by occupational psychologists.

Active surveillance can reduce suffering among men with prostate cancer Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:46 AM PDT With active surveillance many men with prostate cancer could dispense with radiation treatment and surgery, and thus avoid adverse effects such as incontinence and impotence. This is the outcome of a study of almost 1,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer conducted at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Making climate taxes more palatable Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:46 AM PDT A majority of Norwegians would accept increased climate taxes -- if the taxes are understood as targeting specific environmental purposes. Earmarking of the revenues could help to gain public acceptance for such taxes, researchers say.

Biochemists discover new mechanism in ribosome formation: Protein controls synchronized transport of ribosome factors Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:46 AM PDT A new mechanism in the formation of ribosomes has been discovered. Scientists now describe a heretofore uncharacterized protein that plays a specific role in ribosome assembly in eukaryotes, organisms whose cells contain a cell nucleus. This protein makes sure that specific factors required for ribosome synthesis are transported together, like hitchhikers, into the nucleus to the site of assembly.

MRI research sheds new light on nerve fibres in the brain Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:46 AM PDT Experts in magnetic resonance imaging from the UK have made a key discovery which could give the medical world a new tool for the improved diagnosis and monitoring of brain diseases like multiple sclerosis.

A new order in the quantum world: Using laser beams scientists generated quantum matter with novel, crystal-like properties Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:46 AM PDT By using laser beams, scientists have generated quantum matter with novel, crystal-like properties.

Self-harm not always a sign of serious mental health problems, Swedish research suggests Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:46 AM PDT Self-harm is common among young people. Many have at one time scratched, punctured or cut themselves or hit their head forcefully against a wall, and the behavior is almost as common among boys as girls. However, it may not be appropriate to compare young people who self-harm and adult psychiatric patients who self-harm. Knowledge is needed in order not to over-interpret the behavior of the young people, according to a Swedish psychologist.

Cannabis use mimics cognitive weakness that can lead to schizophrenia, fMRI study finds Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:46 AM PDT Researchers in Norway have found new support for their theory that cannabis use causes a temporary cognitive breakdown in non-psychotic individuals, leading to long-term psychosis. In an fMRI study, researchers found a different brain activity pattern in schizophrenia patients with previous cannabis use than in schizophrenic patients without prior cannabis use.

Simulations improve predictability of aneurysm development Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:45 AM PDT Brain aneurysms occur in about six percent of the population. They are dilated sections of blood vessels, which can deteriorate over time until the blood vessel wall ruptures, resulting in a hemorrhage. This causes a loss of mental functions and severe headaches. Hemorrhages of this kind can even be life threatening. The treatment of such patients involves complex medical decision-making. Models developed by a Dutch researcher can be of great use in this regard. She uses information obtained from brain scans, in combination with fluid dynamics models, to predict flows and forces in the affected part of the brain.

Health project in India saved many mothers and children, project finds Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:45 AM PDT Infant mortality has fallen by half, and the number of women who died from complications during pregnancy and childbirth by three-quarters. This is the result of a four-year health care project in one of India's poorest districts.

Temporary storage for electrons in a hydrogen-producing enzyme Posted: 02 Nov 2012 05:44 AM PDT Scientists have found through spectroscopic investigations on a hydrogen-producing enzyme that the environment of the catalytic site acts as an electron reservoir in the enzyme. Thus, it can very efficiently produce hydrogen, which has great potential as a renewable energy source.

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