ScienceDaily: Top News

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• First measurements made of key brain links
• Learning to control brain activity improves visual sensitivity
• Mercury in coastal fog linked to upwelling of deep ocean water
• Doctoral student unravels 'tin whisker' mystery
• New NASA Mars rover to launch in 2020
• Brain stimulation may buffer feelings of social pain
• Why is the flu more common during the winter season?
• New optical tweezers trap specimens just a few nanometers across
• Combating MRSA: Researchers study toxin
• Go ahead and jump: Learning how to properly jump and land can help female athletes avoid serious knee injuries
• Quantum thermodynamics: A better understanding of how atoms soak up their surroundings
• New way to protect historic limestone buildings
• U.S wildfire risk worsening, according to climate projections
• Potent greenhouse gas: California's N2O emissions may be nearly triple current estimates
• Synchrotron gives insight into green energy enzymes
• Gulf oil spill: Oil-dispersing chemicals had little effect on oil surfacing, according to new study
• Improving chemotherapy effectiveness by acting on the immune system
• Targeting neurotransmitter may help treat gastrointestinal conditions
• Understanding anger, overcoming anxiety
• Boosting heat transfer with nanoglue: New method for significantly increasing heat transfer rate across two different materials
• Drug shows promise in prostate cancer spread to bone: Tumors were reduced on bone scans, bone pain decreased after patients received cabozantinib
• Bridge to the quantum world: Dirac electrons found in unique material
• The radical restructuring of brain networks in comatose patients
• Prioritizing rather than canvassing entire plant genome may lead to improved crops
• Nanotechnology drug delivery shows promise for treatment of pediatric cancer
• Predicting the age at menopause of women having suffered from childhood cancers
• Multiple media use tied to depression, anxiety
• African savannah -- and its lions -- declining at alarming rates
• Parents key to preventing alcohol, marijuana use by kids
• Could high insulin make you fat? Mouse study says yes
• Street forms of 'synthetic marijuana' products linked to thousands of hospital emergency departments visits each year
• Infants learn to look and look to learn: Model explains crucial links among looking, learning, and memory
• Researchers successfully destroy brain tumor cells; Use unique combination of diet and radiation therapy
• Moderate coffee consumption may reduce risk of diabetes by up to 25 percent
• Dance of quantum tornadoes: Quantum fluid trapped on top of semiconductor chip
• Pacific Northwest and Himalayas could experience major earthquakes, geophysicists say
• Titan, Saturn's largest moon, icier than thought
• Cork the key to unlocking the potential of graphene
• Working towards happiness: Retiring later is unlikely to affect men's quality of life
• Fox invasion threatens wave of extinction in Tasmania
• Census of the invisible universe reveals extraordinary high star-formation rates across history of the universe
• Planet rings could be behind the formation of solar system satellites
• Faster, safer method for producing stem cells
• Webcams offer a low-cost way to tune lasers for serious science
• Tool used in animal breeding programs also predicts skin cancer risk
• Fungus has cancer-fighting power, researchers find
• Second-hand smoke linked to children's behavior problems
• Smartphones might soon develop emotional intelligence: Algorithm for speech-based emotion classification developed
• Five big strides to fight lung disease in the tiniest patients
• Crucial step in AIDS virus maturation simulated for first time
• Why some strains of Lyme disease bacteria are common and others are not
• Men with erection problems are three times more likely to have inflamed gums, study finds
• Teen smoking decreases bone accumulation in girls, may increase osteoporosis risk
• New findings on glucagon synthesis
• Diabetes drug may reduce brain damage after stroke
• How copper restricts the spread of global antibiotic-resistant infections
• Ray of hope for human Usher syndrome patients
• Lobster farming breakthrough: Doubling survival rates among lobster larvae under farmed conditions
• Fitness for toad sperm: Secret is to mate frequently

First measurements made of key brain links Posted: 04 Dec 2012 04:43 PM PST Until now, brain scientists have been almost completely in the dark about how most of the nonspecific thalamus interacts with the prefrontal cortex, a relationship believed to be key in such fundamental functions as maintaining consciousness and mental arousal. Researchers have performed a set of experiments to explore and measure those circuits for the first time.

Learning to control brain activity improves visual sensitivity Posted: 04 Dec 2012 04:43 PM PST Training human volunteers to control their own brain activity in precise areas of the brain can enhance fundamental aspects of their visual sensitivity, according to a new study. This non-invasive 'neurofeedback' approach could one day be used to improve brain function in patients with abnormal patterns of activity, for example stroke patients.

Mercury in coastal fog linked to upwelling of deep ocean water Posted: 04 Dec 2012 04:43 PM PST An ongoing investigation of elevated mercury levels in coastal fog in California suggests that upwelling of deep ocean water along the coast brings mercury to the surface, where it enters the atmosphere and is absorbed by fog.

Doctoral student unravels 'tin whisker' mystery Posted: 04 Dec 2012 04:42 PM PST A doctoral student has discovered how and why tin whiskers grow. These hair-like fibers of metal grow out of the tin used as solder and coating on many electronic circuits. The presence of these whiskers can cause short-circuits since they act as bridges to conduct electricity to closely-spaced parts, a problem expected to become more prevalent as devices are designed smaller and smaller.

New NASA Mars rover to launch in 2020 Posted: 04 Dec 2012 03:44 PM PST Building on the success of Curiosity's Red Planet landing, NASA has announced plans for a robust multi-year Mars program, including a new robotic science rover set to launch in 2020. This announcement affirms the agency's commitment to a bold exploration program that meets our nation's scientific and human exploration objectives.

Brain stimulation may buffer feelings of social pain Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:22 PM PST Accumulating evidence suggests that certain brain areas involved in processing physical pain may also underlie feelings of social pain. But can altering brain activity in these areas actually change how people experience social pain? In a new study, researchers examine whether there might be a causal relationship between activity in the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex -- known to be involved in the regulation of physical pain and negative expressions of emotion -- and experiences of social pain.

Why is the flu more common during the winter season? Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:21 PM PST Environmental engineers have shown for the first time the relationship between the influenza A virus viability in human mucus and humidity over a large range of relative humidities, from 17 percent to 100 percent.

New optical tweezers trap specimens just a few nanometers across Posted: 04 Dec 2012 12:44 PM PST A microscale technique known as optical trapping uses beams of light as tweezers to hold and manipulate tiny particles. Researchers have found a new way to trap particles smaller than 10 nanometers -- and potentially down to just a few atoms in size -- which until now have escaped light's grasp.

Combating MRSA: Researchers study toxin Posted: 04 Dec 2012 12:43 PM PST Researchers have discovered a toxin in community-associated MRSA that kills human cells.

Go ahead and jump: Learning how to properly jump and land can help female athletes avoid serious knee injuries Posted: 04 Dec 2012 12:43 PM PST Learning how to properly jump and land might help hundreds of female athletes avoid a serious knee injury.

Quantum thermodynamics: A better understanding of how atoms soak up their surroundings Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:59 AM PST The best yet calculations of the effect of blackbody radiation on the wavefunction of ytterbium atoms, should help produce a better atomic clock.

New way to protect historic limestone buildings Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:59 AM PST Buildings and statues constructed of limestone can be protected from pollution by applying a thin, single layer of a water-resistant coating, according to new research. Researchers developed a new way to minimize chemical reactions that cause limestone buildings to deteriorate.

U.S wildfire risk worsening, according to climate projections Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:59 AM PST Scientists have projected drier conditions likely will cause increased fire activity across the United States in coming decades. Other findings about U.S. wildfires, including their amount of carbon emissions and how the length and strength of fire seasons are expected to change under future climate conditions, were also researched.

Potent greenhouse gas: California's N2O emissions may be nearly triple current estimates Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:59 AM PST Using a new method for estimating greenhouse gases that combines atmospheric measurements with model predictions, scientists have found that the level of nitrous oxide in California may be 2.5 to 3 times greater than the current inventory. At that level, total N2O emissions -- which are believed to come primarily from nitrogen fertilizers used in agricultural production -- would account for about 8 percent of California's total greenhouse gas emissions.

Synchrotron gives insight into green energy enzymes Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:59 AM PST Chemists have been using a Japanese synchrotron to get a detailed look at enzymes that could help power the green economy.

Gulf oil spill: Oil-dispersing chemicals had little effect on oil surfacing, according to new study Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:58 AM PST A new study examined the effects of the use of unprecedented quantities of synthetic dispersants on the distribution of an oil mass in the water column. Scientists developed and tested models to show that the application of oil-dispersing chemicals had little effect on the oil surfacing in the Gulf of Mexico.

Improving chemotherapy effectiveness by acting on the immune system Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:58 AM PST A new article suggests that two chemotherapy drugs frequently used to treat digestive and breast cancers may encourage the development of tumors by modulating the anti-tumoral immune response.

Targeting neurotransmitter may help treat gastrointestinal conditions Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:58 AM PST Selective targeting of the neurotransmitter that differentially affects brain cells that control the two distinct functions of the pancreas may allow for new medication therapies for conditions like diabetes, dyspepsia and gastro-esophageal reflux, according to researchers.

Understanding anger, overcoming anxiety Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:58 AM PST Anger is a powerful emotion with serious health consequences. A new study shows that for millions of individuals around the world who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder, anger is more than an emotion; it's an agent that exacerbates their illness.

Boosting heat transfer with nanoglue: New method for significantly increasing heat transfer rate across two different materials Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:56 AM PST Scientists have developed a new method for significantly increasing the heat transfer rate across two different materials. Results could enable new advances in cooling computer chips and lighting-emitting diode devices, collecting solar power, harvesting waste heat, and other applications.

Drug shows promise in prostate cancer spread to bone: Tumors were reduced on bone scans, bone pain decreased after patients received cabozantinib Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:56 AM PST A new drug demonstrated dramatic and rapid effects on prostate cancer that had spread to the bone, according to a new study.

Bridge to the quantum world: Dirac electrons found in unique material Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:56 AM PST In a discovery that helps clear a new path toward quantum computers, University of Michigan physicists have found elusive Dirac electrons in a superconducting material.

The radical restructuring of brain networks in comatose patients Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:56 AM PST Researchers have analyzed data from 17 comatose patients using functional MRI data. Their research reveals that the brain networks of these patients have been restructured. The results could help clinical practitioners diagnose comatose patients.

Prioritizing rather than canvassing entire plant genome may lead to improved crops Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:56 AM PST A genetics study shows promise in feeding the world in spite of heat and drought.

Nanotechnology drug delivery shows promise for treatment of pediatric cancer Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:56 AM PST Nanotechnology shows potential for the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents in a way that attacks cancer cells without harming healthy cells. Encapsulated dexamethasone delivered to pre-clinical models with leukemia significantly improved quality of life and survival compared to the control receiving the unencapsulated drug.

Predicting the age at menopause of women having suffered from childhood cancers Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:56 AM PST Researchers studied the age at menopause of a cohort of 706 women who had suffered from childhood cancer. The data revealed that these women, in particular those who had undergone unilateral oophorectomy or who had been treated with alkylating agents and who had received a radiation dose to the ovaries, were menopaused on average four to seven years earlier than average.

Multiple media use tied to depression, anxiety Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:55 AM PST Using multiple forms of media at the same time -- such as playing a computer game while watching TV -- is linked to symptoms of anxiety and depression, scientists have found for the first time.

African savannah -- and its lions -- declining at alarming rates Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:55 AM PST About 75 percent of Africa's savannahs and more than two-thirds of the lion population once estimated to live there have disappeared in the last 50 years, according to a new study.

Parents key to preventing alcohol, marijuana use by kids Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:55 AM PST New research finds that parental involvement is more important than the school environment when it comes to preventing or limiting alcohol and marijuana use by children.

Could high insulin make you fat? Mouse study says yes Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:55 AM PST When we eat too much, obesity may develop as a result of chronically high insulin levels, not the other way around. That's according to new evidence in mice which challenges the widespread view that rising insulin is a secondary consequence of obesity and insulin resistance.

Street forms of 'synthetic marijuana' products linked to thousands of hospital emergency departments visits each year Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:53 AM PST Street forms of synthetic cannabinoids – so-called "synthetic marijuana" – were linked to 11,406 of the 4.9 million drug-related emergency department (ED) visits in 2010, according to a new report.

Infants learn to look and look to learn: Model explains crucial links among looking, learning, and memory Posted: 04 Dec 2012 11:53 AM PST Researchers have explained how infants learn by looking, and the crucial role these activities play in how infants gain knowledge. Their computer model of babies aged 6 weeks to one year shows how infants use looking to create knowledge and to sear that knowledge into memory. The model also explains how infants' looking and learning changes as they develop.

Researchers successfully destroy brain tumor cells; Use unique combination of diet and radiation therapy Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:26 AM PST A team of brain cancer researchers has effectively treated brain tumor cells using a unique combination of diet and radiation therapy.

Moderate coffee consumption may reduce risk of diabetes by up to 25 percent Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:24 AM PST New research highlights the potential role of coffee consumption in the prevention of type 2 diabetes.

Dance of quantum tornadoes: Quantum fluid trapped on top of semiconductor chip Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:22 AM PST Tornado-like vortexes can be produced in bizarre fluids which are controlled by quantum mechanics, completely unlike normal liquids. New research demonstrates how massed ranks of these quantum twisters line up in rows, and paves the way for engineering quantum circuits and chips measuring motion ultra-precisely.

Pacific Northwest and Himalayas could experience major earthquakes, geophysicists say Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:22 AM PST Recent research by scientists focused on geologic features and activity in the Himalayas and Pacific Northwest that could mean those areas are primed for major earthquakes.

Titan, Saturn's largest moon, icier than thought Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:22 AM PST Scientists have long suspected that a vast ocean of liquid water lies under the crusty exterior of Titan, Saturn's largest moon. New analysis suggests that the internally generated heat that keeps that ocean from freezing relies on the moon's interactions with Saturn and its other moons.

Cork the key to unlocking the potential of graphene Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:22 AM PST Scientists have taken inspiration from one of the oldest natural materials, cork, to engineer graphene, which normally exists layers one atom thick, into useful 3D forms for the first time.

Working towards happiness: Retiring later is unlikely to affect men's quality of life Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:20 AM PST Raising the retirement age to increase financial stability does not make men worse off psychologically in the long-run, according to a new study. Her work shows that individuals go through the same psychological stages as they adjust to retirement, with life satisfaction stabilizing after 70, irrespective of how old they are when they retire.

Fox invasion threatens wave of extinction in Tasmania Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:20 AM PST The effort to stop the irreversible spread of foxes in Tasmania is at a critical stage with many native species at risk of extinction, new research shows.

Census of the invisible universe reveals extraordinary high star-formation rates across history of the universe Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:20 AM PST By combining the observing powers of ESA's Herschel space observatory and the ground-based Keck telescopes, astronomers have characterized hundreds of previously unseen starburst galaxies, revealing extraordinary high star-formation rates across the history of the Universe. Starburst galaxies give birth to hundreds of solar masses' worth of stars each year in short-lived but intense events.

Planet rings could be behind the formation of solar system satellites Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:20 AM PST Two researchers have recently proposed the first ever model explaining how the great majority of regular satellites in our solar system were formed out of planet rings. The model, the only one of its kind, was first tested in 2010 on Saturn's moons. It seems to account for the present distribution of "giant" planets and also explains how the satellites of the "terrestrial" planets such as Earth or Pluto  came into being. These results are a major step forward in understanding and explaining the formation of planet systems across the universe.

Faster, safer method for producing stem cells Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:19 AM PST A new method for generating stem cells from mature cells promises to boost stem cell production in the laboratory, helping to remove a barrier to regenerative medicine therapies that would replace damaged or unhealthy body tissues.

Webcams offer a low-cost way to tune lasers for serious science Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:19 AM PST Using a handful of inexpensive components -- including an off-the-shelf computer webcam and a small diffraction grating, a device for splitting and diffracting light into several beams -- researchers have built a diffraction spectrometer that can tune lasers with better than one part-per-million accuracy.

Tool used in animal breeding programs also predicts skin cancer risk Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:19 AM PST Techniques used in breeding programs meant to yield the perfect dairy cow may soon more accurately predict a person's genetic risk for skin cancer.

Fungus has cancer-fighting power, researchers find Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:18 AM PST Arthrobotrys oligospora doesn't live a charmed life; it survives on a diet of roundworm. But a discovery could give the fungus's life more purpose -- as a cancer fighter.

Second-hand smoke linked to children's behavior problems Posted: 04 Dec 2012 08:18 AM PST It is a known fact that active maternal smoking during pregnancy has negative effects on child health, such as attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, new research suggests that second hand smoke, or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), may be just as harmful.

Smartphones might soon develop emotional intelligence: Algorithm for speech-based emotion classification developed Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:13 AM PST If you think having your phone identify the nearest bus stop is cool, wait until it identifies your mood. Engineers may soon make that possible. Researchers have developed a new computer program that gauges human feelings through speech, with substantially greater accuracy than existing approaches.

Five big strides to fight lung disease in the tiniest patients Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:13 AM PST A new paper describes a proposed therapy that would use stem cells from umbilical cords to treat a disease previously thought to be untreatable -- bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or BPD.

Crucial step in AIDS virus maturation simulated for first time Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:13 AM PST Bioinformaticians in Spain have used molecular simulation techniques to explain a specific step in the maturation of the HIV virions, i.e., how newly formed inert virus particles become infectious, which is essential in understanding how the virus replicates. These results could be crucial to the design of future antiretrovirals.

Why some strains of Lyme disease bacteria are common and others are not Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:13 AM PST New clues about the bacteria that cause Lyme disease could lead to a novel strategy to reduce infections, according to new research. The study reveals that the immune system of the white-footed mouse, a very common reservoir for the bacteria that causes the disease responds differently to different strains of the bacterium, a finding that will help scientists tweak the animals' immune systems to prevent spread of infection.

Men with erection problems are three times more likely to have inflamed gums, study finds Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:13 AM PST Men in their thirties who had inflamed gums caused by severe periodontal disease were three times more likely to suffer from erection problems, according to a new study.

Teen smoking decreases bone accumulation in girls, may increase osteoporosis risk Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:13 AM PST Teenage girls who smoke accumulate less bone during a critical growth period and carry a higher risk of developing osteoporosis later in life, according to new research. In the study, researchers report the data can be useful for developing strategies to help prevent osteoporosis (a disease where bones lose mineral density and become brittle) and bone fractures.

New findings on glucagon synthesis Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:12 AM PST Researchers in Sweden have shown that the cells that produce glucagon are stimulated by the hormone itself. A previous study by the same group demonstrated that this principle also applies to insulin. This means that a feedback system is at work in the body, whereby hormone secreting cells receive an immediate signal to produce more of the hormone.

Diabetes drug may reduce brain damage after stroke Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:12 AM PST In a study in mice, scientists in Sweden have discovered a new potential therapy that may reduce brain damage following stroke in type 2 diabetic patients. The suggested drug is already approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, the scientists hope that this new results also opens up the possibility to decrease brain injury after stroke in other patient groups with a high stroke risk.

How copper restricts the spread of global antibiotic-resistant infections Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:11 AM PST New research has shown that copper can prevent horizontal transmission of genes, which has contributed to the increasing number of antibiotic-resistant infections worldwide. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in bacteria is largely responsible for the development of antibiotic resistance, which has led to an increasing number of difficult-to-treat healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs).

Ray of hope for human Usher syndrome patients Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:11 AM PST After years of basic research, scientists are increasingly able to understand the mechanisms underlying human Usher syndrome -- a congenital disorder that causes the loss of both hearing and vision -- and are coming ever closer to finding a successful treatment approach.

Lobster farming breakthrough: Doubling survival rates among lobster larvae under farmed conditions Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:11 AM PST Researchers in Norway have recently succeeded in doubling survival rates among lobster larvae under farmed conditions. This could boost populations of a species threatened in the wild.

Fitness for toad sperm: Secret is to mate frequently Posted: 04 Dec 2012 05:11 AM PST Fertility tests frequently reveal that males have problems with the quality of their sperm.  The problems often relate to sperm senescence, which is a reduction in quality with age.  Sperm senescence can arise either before or after the DNA in the sperm cells is produced by a process known as meiosis.  So-called "pre-meiotic" senescence results from accumulated damage in the germline cells with increasing age and results in older males having sperm of lower quality.  Post-meiotic senescence occurs after the sperm cells have been produced, either during storage of sperm by the male or after ejaculation and before they fertilize the eggs.

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