ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Bird beaks show why 'sister' species don't live together
• Scientists 'surprised' to discover very early ancestors survived on tropical plants, new study suggests
• Extending Einstein's ideas: New kind of quantum entanglement demonstrated
• Physicists make strides in understanding quantum entanglement
• Engineers develop new energy-efficient computer memory using magnetic materials
• We're all living longer, but longevity increases not benefiting everybody
• Dreidel-like dislocations lead to remarkable properties
• In decision-making, it might be worth trusting your gut
• Developing power sources for flexible, stretchable electronics
• Flesh-eating fungus responsible for five deaths in wake of massive tornado
• Research explores how children reason, think about others
• 'Liquid that thinks:' Swarm of ping-pong-ball-sized robots created
• Long-term anabolic-androgenic steroid use may impact visuospatial memory
• Drug to treat opioid addiction places children at risk for accidental exposure
• 'House hunters walrus': Novel camera system to map Arctic sea ice surface topography
• Study fuels insight into conversion of wood to bio-oil
• What mechanism generates our fingers and toes? Genetic studies confirm a mathematical model
• New findings on killer bacteria’s defence
• Biosynthetic process that makes all metabolism possible elucidated
• If you cut down a tree in the forest, can wildlife hear it?
• Medical errors in hospitals: Doing the right thing when things go wrong
• Nanocrystals not small enough to avoid defects
• New targets for drugs to defeat aggressive brain tumor
• Schizophrenia linked to social inequality
• Passing the alcohol test: Fundamental properties of molecules have not changed during the past seven billion years
• Antidepressant could do double duty as diabetes drug, study shows
• Countering brain chemical could prevent suicides, research suggests
• Carriers of gene variant appear less likely to develop heart disease
• Changes in the gut bacteria protect against stroke, research finds
• Male bushcrickets are in charge when it comes to sex
• Fertile soil doesn't fall from the sky: Contribution of bacterial remnants to soil fertility has been underestimated until now
• What's in a genome? Whole-genome sequence of the fruit fly Drosophila mauritiana
• The end of a dogma: Bipolar cells generate action potentials
• Intense mind wandering could account for 'substantial proportion' of road crashes
• Dogs can accurately sniff out 'superbug' infections
• Despite hype, costly prostate cancer treatment offers little relief from side effects, study finds

Bird beaks show why 'sister' species don't live together Posted: 14 Dec 2012 06:50 PM PST A study of closely-related bird species has found that they do not coexist in the same region because they remain too ecologically similar and will out-compete each other, not because of geographical barriers or unsuitable habitats.

Scientists 'surprised' to discover very early ancestors survived on tropical plants, new study suggests Posted: 14 Dec 2012 05:09 PM PST Between three million and 3.5 million years ago, the diet of our very early ancestors in central Africa is likely to have consisted mainly of tropical grasses and sedges, new research suggests.

Extending Einstein's ideas: New kind of quantum entanglement demonstrated Posted: 14 Dec 2012 04:15 PM PST Physicists have published new research which builds on the original ideas of Einstein and adds a new ingredient: a third entangled particle.

Physicists make strides in understanding quantum entanglement Posted: 14 Dec 2012 04:15 PM PST While some theoretical physicists make predictions about astrophysics and the behavior of stars and galaxies, others work in the realm of the very small, which includes quantum physics. Recently, theoretical physicists have made important strides in studying a concept in quantum physics called quantum entanglement, in which electron spins are entangled with each other.

Engineers develop new energy-efficient computer memory using magnetic materials Posted: 14 Dec 2012 04:15 PM PST By using electric voltage instead of a flowing electric current, researchers have made major improvements to an ultra-fast, high-capacity class of computer memory known as magnetoresistive random access memory, or MRAM.

We're all living longer, but longevity increases not benefiting everybody Posted: 14 Dec 2012 04:15 PM PST Global lifespans have risen dramatically in the past 40 years, but the increased life expectancy is not benefiting everybody equally. In particular, adult males from low- and middle-income countries are losing ground.

Dreidel-like dislocations lead to remarkable properties Posted: 14 Dec 2012 04:12 PM PST Dreidel-shaped dislocations put a new spin on two-dimensional materials for advanced electronics, hinting at sub-nanometer signal paths.

In decision-making, it might be worth trusting your gut Posted: 14 Dec 2012 04:12 PM PST Turns out the trope is true: You should trust your gut -- as long as you're an expert. So says a new study.

Developing power sources for flexible, stretchable electronics Posted: 14 Dec 2012 04:12 PM PST Electronic devices become smaller, lighter, faster and more powerful with each passing year. Currently, however, electronics such as cell phones, tablets, laptops, etc., are rigid. But what if they could be made bendable or stretchy? According to engineers, stretchable electronics are the future of mobile electronics.

Flesh-eating fungus responsible for five deaths in wake of massive tornado Posted: 14 Dec 2012 04:09 PM PST A fast growing, flesh-eating fungus killed five people following a massive tornado that devastated Joplin, Mo., according to two new studies.

Research explores how children reason, think about others Posted: 14 Dec 2012 11:30 AM PST Two new studies explore the development of reasoning and perspective-taking in children.

'Liquid that thinks:' Swarm of ping-pong-ball-sized robots created Posted: 14 Dec 2012 11:30 AM PST If one robot can accomplish a singular task, think how much more could be accomplished if you had hundreds of them. A research team has developed a basic robotic building block, which they hope to reproduce in large quantities to develop increasingly complex systems. Recently the team created a swarm of 20 robots, each the size of a ping-pong ball, which they call "droplets." When the droplets swarm together, they form a "liquid that thinks."

Long-term anabolic-androgenic steroid use may impact visuospatial memory Posted: 14 Dec 2012 11:30 AM PST The long-term use of anabolic-androgenic steroids may severely impact the user's ability to accurately recall the shapes and spatial relationships of objects, according to a recent study.

Drug to treat opioid addiction places children at risk for accidental exposure Posted: 14 Dec 2012 09:40 AM PST As the prescribed use of buprenorphine has dramatically increased in recent years, accidental exposure of children to the drug has risen sharply, placing them at risk for serious injury, and in extremely rare cases even death.

'House hunters walrus': Novel camera system to map Arctic sea ice surface topography Posted: 14 Dec 2012 09:40 AM PST Scientists have developed a novel camera system to map the surface topography of Arctic sea ice to assess walrus habitat.

Study fuels insight into conversion of wood to bio-oil Posted: 14 Dec 2012 08:26 AM PST New research provides molecular-level insights into how cellulose -- the most common organic compound on Earth and the main structural component of plant cell walls -- breaks down in wood to create "bio-oils" which can be refined into any number of useful products, including liquid transportation fuels to power a car or an airplane.

What mechanism generates our fingers and toes? Genetic studies confirm a mathematical model Posted: 14 Dec 2012 08:26 AM PST Researchers have identified the mechanism responsible for generating our fingers and toes, and revealed the importance of gene regulation in the transition of fins to limbs during evolution.

New findings on killer bacteria’s defence Posted: 14 Dec 2012 08:26 AM PST Research from Sweden casts new light on the interaction between the immune system and streptococcus bacteria, which cause both mild tonsillitis and serious infections such as sepsis and necrotising fasciitis. The way in which antibodies attach to the bacteria is linked to how serious the disease is.

Biosynthetic process that makes all metabolism possible elucidated Posted: 14 Dec 2012 08:26 AM PST At crucial points in the metabolism of all organisms, a protein with the unwieldy name of Translation Elongation Factor P (EF-P, for short) takes center stage. What it actually does during protein synthesis has only now been elucidated.

If you cut down a tree in the forest, can wildlife hear it? Posted: 14 Dec 2012 08:26 AM PST A new tool is being used by scientists and land managers to model how noise travels through landscapes and affects species and ecosystems -— a major factor in land and wildlife management decisions such as where to locate new roads or recreational trails.

Medical errors in hospitals: Doing the right thing when things go wrong Posted: 14 Dec 2012 08:26 AM PST The Univ. of Michigan Health System doesn't claim to be perfect. But its response to medical errors is a model that other hospitals can and should copy, according to a new study.

Nanocrystals not small enough to avoid defects Posted: 14 Dec 2012 07:27 AM PST A team of researchers has shown that contrary to computer simulations, the tiny size of nanocrystals is no safeguard from defects. Studies at Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source show that dislocations can form in the finest of nanocrystals when stress is applied.

New targets for drugs to defeat aggressive brain tumor Posted: 14 Dec 2012 07:27 AM PST Researchers have identified over 125 genetic components in a chemotherapy-resistant, brain tumor-derived cell line, which could offer new hope for drug treatment to destroy the cancer cells. The potential drug targets were identified after testing more than 5,000 genes derived from glioblastoma multiforme.

Schizophrenia linked to social inequality Posted: 14 Dec 2012 07:27 AM PST Higher rates of schizophrenia in urban areas can be attributed to increased deprivation, increased population density and an increase in inequality within a neighborhood, new research reveals.

Passing the alcohol test: Fundamental properties of molecules have not changed during the past seven billion years Posted: 14 Dec 2012 07:24 AM PST The mass ratio of protons and electrons is deemed to be a universal constant. And rightly so, as the latest radio-astronomy observations of a distant galaxy have shown. Scientists used the 100-metre radio telescope in Effelsberg to measure absorption lines of the methanol molecule at a number of characteristic frequencies. The researchers analysed the spectrum of the simplest of all the alcohols in a very distant galaxy. The result: to a high degree of accuracy molecules and molecular matter have the same properties today as they did seven billion years ago. According to this finding, the mass ratio of protons and electrons in particular has changed by less than one hundred thousandth of a percent in this period.

Antidepressant could do double duty as diabetes drug, study shows Posted: 14 Dec 2012 06:16 AM PST Researchers have discovered that the commonly used antidepressant drug paroxetine could also become a therapy for the vascular complications of diabetes.

Countering brain chemical could prevent suicides, research suggests Posted: 14 Dec 2012 06:16 AM PST Researchers have found the first proof that a chemical in the brain called glutamate is linked to suicidal behavior, offering new hope for efforts to prevent people from taking their own lives.

Carriers of gene variant appear less likely to develop heart disease Posted: 14 Dec 2012 06:13 AM PST Scientists have discovered a new gene mechanism that appears to regulate triglyceride levels. This pathway may protect carriers of a gene variant against cardiovascular disease.

Changes in the gut bacteria protect against stroke, research finds Posted: 14 Dec 2012 06:10 AM PST Researchers in Sweden demonstrate that an altered gut microbiota in humans is associated with symptomatic atherosclerosis and stroke.

Male bushcrickets are in charge when it comes to sex Posted: 14 Dec 2012 06:10 AM PST All a question of timing: When bushcrickets mate, the male attaches a sticky package, the so-called spermatophore, to the female's abdomen. Alongside the sperm themselves, this 'bridal present' consists of a protein-rich mass that the female eats after mating. It then takes several hours for the sperm to find their way into the female's reproductive tract. But, who decides when that will happen? A new study suggests that it is the male who determines the dynamics of this process even when he has long 'hopped off' somewhere else.

Fertile soil doesn't fall from the sky: Contribution of bacterial remnants to soil fertility has been underestimated until now Posted: 14 Dec 2012 06:10 AM PST Remains of dead bacteria have far greater meaning for soils than previously assumed. Around 40 per cent of the microbial biomass is converted to organic soil components, researchers report. Until now, it was assumed that the organic components of the soil were composed mostly of decomposed plant material which is directly converted to humic substances. In a laboratory experiment and in field testing, the researchers have now refuted this thesis. Evidently the easily biologically degradable plant material is initially converted to microbial biomass which then provides the source material to soil organic matter.

What's in a genome? Whole-genome sequence of the fruit fly Drosophila mauritiana Posted: 14 Dec 2012 05:58 AM PST Researchers have just published the first whole-genome sequence of the fruit fly Drosophila mauritiana, revealing intriguing details about the evolution of the species.

The end of a dogma: Bipolar cells generate action potentials Posted: 14 Dec 2012 05:58 AM PST To make information transmission to the brain reliable, the retina first has to "digitize" the image. Until now, it was widely believed that this step takes place in the retinal ganglion cells, the output neurons of the retina. Scientists have now been able to show that already bipolar cells can generate "digital" signals. At least three types of mouse BC showed clear evidence of fast and stereotypic action potentials, so called "spikes". These results show that the retina is by no means as well understood as is commonly believed.

Intense mind wandering could account for 'substantial proportion' of road crashes Posted: 13 Dec 2012 04:31 PM PST People whose minds wander whilst driving, especially when intense, are significantly more likely to be responsible for a crash and are threatening safety on the roads, a new study warns.

Dogs can accurately sniff out 'superbug' infections Posted: 13 Dec 2012 04:31 PM PST Dogs can sniff out Clostridium difficile (the infective agent that is responsible for many of the dreaded "hospital acquired infections") in stool samples and even in the air surrounding patients in hospital with a very high degree of accuracy, a new study finds.

Despite hype, costly prostate cancer treatment offers little relief from side effects, study finds Posted: 13 Dec 2012 02:23 PM PST Prostate cancer patients receiving the costly treatment known as proton radiotherapy experienced minimal relief from side effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction, compared to patients undergoing a standard radiation treatment called intensity modulated radiotherapy, researchers report.

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