ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Synthetic fuel could eliminate U.S. need for crude oil, researchers say
• First evidence of fish sensing geomagnetic fields from a Czech Christmas market
• Hearing positive verbs can induce unconscious physical response
• Exercise affects reproductive ability in horses
• Proteins that indicate which kidney tumors are most likely to spread identified
• Clinical trial tests if rice bran can reduce incidence of cancer
• Patients with severe back pain who quit smoking report less pain than patients who continue to smoke
• MECP2 duplication affects immune system as well as brain development
• Northeast U.S. sees second driest November in more than a century
• Extraverted gorillas enjoy longer lives, research suggests
• Obesity reversed in mice by manipulating production of an enzyme
• Workings of the brain: After 100 years, understanding the electrical role of dendritic spines
• When the first stars blinked on: Very first stars may have turned on when the universe was 750 million years old
• The birth of new cardiac cells: Where new heart cells come from
• Astronomers discover and 'weigh' infant solar system: Young star with rotating dust disk is youngest still-forming planetary system yet found
• Invasive grass fuels increased fire activity in the West
• Proliferation warnings on nuclear 'wonder-fuel', thorium
• Many maps of the brain
• A leap forward for red blood cell formation: Researchers have identified 75 genetic regions that influence red blood cell formation
• Speeding up electronics to light frequencies
• New genetic fingerprint lives in your gut
• Remote sensing, microbiology used to trace foodborne pathogens
• Switching with a few photons for quantum computing
• NASA twin spacecraft create most accurate gravity map of moon
• First synthesis of gold nanoparticles inside human hair for dyeing and much more
• Communications training, surgical checklist can reduce costly postoperative complications
• Plastics used in some medical devices break down in a previously unrecognized way
• Research identifies a way to block memories associated with PTSD or drug addiction
• ApoE is an ideal target for halting progression of Alzheimer's disease, scientists say
• Antibody therapy clears Alzheimer's plaques in mice, study shows
• Where 'where it's at' is at in the brain
• Women and men appear to benefit in different ways from AA participation
• Reading history through genetics
• Studying marrow, researchers accelerate blood stem cells
• DNA hydrogel flows like liquid but remembers its original shape
• Mobile browsers fail Internet safety test
• New test adds to scientists' understanding of Earth's history, resources
• Microchoreography: Synthetic molecule used to guide cellular 'dance'
• Fire and ice: Wildfires darkening Greenland snowpack, increasing melting
• See-through 'MitoFish' opens a new window on brain diseases
• New technique to deliver stem cell therapy may help damaged eyes regain their sight
• Small patches of native plants help boost pollination services in large farms
• Africa's Homo sapiens were the first techies
• Great-earthquake hot spots pinpointed
• Tasty and gluten-free
• 'Very low' complication rates with regional anesthesia in children
• In U.S. first, surgeons implant brain 'pacemaker' for Alzheimer's disease
• Mild vitamin B12 deficiency associated with accelerated cognitive decline
• Less invasive surgery detects residual breast cancer in lymph nodes after chemotherapy
• Field tests seek new control methods for resistant ragweed in cotton crops
• Pokemon provides rare opening for study of face-recognition processes
• One in five children live in poverty in US: New report examines effect of poverty on children
• Wind speeds in southern New England declining inland, remaining steady on coast: Climate change, urbanization among possible causes
• Oceanography student uses crashing waves on shorelines to study Earth's interior
• Breakthrough in augmented reality contact lens
• Extending duration of adjuvant tamoxifen treatment to 10 years reduced risk for late breast cancer recurrence, improved survival
• Higher doses of fulvestrant prolonged survival in patients with advanced breast cancer
• Hybrid scaffold more than skin deep
• Evolution: Social exclusion leads to cooperation
• Hushed hoarders and prying pilferers: Eurasian jays change strategies to prevent others from stealing food

Synthetic fuel could eliminate U.S. need for crude oil, researchers say Posted: 05 Dec 2012 05:02 PM PST The United States could eliminate the need for crude oil by using a combination of coal, natural gas and non-food crops to make synthetic fuel, a team of researchers has found. Besides economic and national security benefits, the plan has potential environmental advantages. Because plants absorb carbon dioxide to grow, the United States could cut vehicle greenhouse emissions by as much as 50 percent in the next several decades using non-food crops to create liquid fuels, the researchers said.

First evidence of fish sensing geomagnetic fields from a Czech Christmas market Posted: 05 Dec 2012 05:00 PM PST Carp stored in large tubs at Czech Christmas markets align themselves in the north-south direction, suggesting they possess a previously unknown capacity to perceive geomagnetic fields, according to a new study.

Hearing positive verbs can induce unconscious physical response Posted: 05 Dec 2012 05:00 PM PST Hearing a verb related to physical action automatically increases the force with which people grip objects, but has no effect on their physical reaction if the word is presented in the negative form, according to new research.

Exercise affects reproductive ability in horses Posted: 05 Dec 2012 12:18 PM PST Results from the study showed that exercise induced greater cortisol concentrations in horses. Cortisol has been shown to have effects on reproduction.

Proteins that indicate which kidney tumors are most likely to spread identified Posted: 05 Dec 2012 11:24 AM PST Researchers have identified 29 proteins that are likely to be involved in the spread of kidney cancer. The discovery will help physicians recognize which tumors are going to behave more aggressively and provide those patients with more intensive treatment and closer followup.

Clinical trial tests if rice bran can reduce incidence of cancer Posted: 05 Dec 2012 11:24 AM PST A recent review shows that rice bran offers promising cancer prevention properties. Meanwhile, an ongoing clinical trial is testing the effectiveness of rice bran in preventing the recurrence of colon cancer.

Patients with severe back pain who quit smoking report less pain than patients who continue to smoke Posted: 05 Dec 2012 11:24 AM PST For years, research has shown a link between smoking and an increased risk for low back pain, intervertebral (spine) disc disease, and inferior patient outcomes following surgery. A new study also found that smokers suffering from spinal disorders and related back pain, reported greater discomfort than spinal disorder patients who stopped smoking during an eight-month treatment period.

MECP2 duplication affects immune system as well as brain development Posted: 05 Dec 2012 11:24 AM PST Boys with Rett syndrome tend to get devastating infections such as pneumonias. Medical researchers have now identified the culprit in these infections.

Northeast U.S. sees second driest November in more than a century Posted: 05 Dec 2012 11:23 AM PST Even though Hurricane Sandy helped create wet start, November 2012 went into the record books as the second-driest November since 1895 in the Northeast. With an average of 1.04 inches or precipitation, the region received only 27 percent of its normal level. The record driest November was 1917 when the Northeast received only 0.88 inches of precipitation.

Extraverted gorillas enjoy longer lives, research suggests Posted: 05 Dec 2012 10:24 AM PST Gorillas with an extravert personality live longer than their more introverted peers, a study suggests. Researchers looked at the role of personality by studying 298 gorillas in North American zoos and sanctuaries for over 18 years.

Obesity reversed in mice by manipulating production of an enzyme Posted: 05 Dec 2012 10:24 AM PST Approximately 68 percent of US adults are overweight or obese, according to the National Cancer Institute, which puts them at greater risk for developing cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and a host of other chronic illnesses. Scientists have now successfully reversed obesity in mice by manipulating the production of an enzyme.

Workings of the brain: After 100 years, understanding the electrical role of dendritic spines Posted: 05 Dec 2012 10:24 AM PST More than a century after they were discovered, researchers still remain in the dark about the precise role of a neuron's dendritic spines. Researchers have recently gained valuable insight into their electrical properties.

When the first stars blinked on: Very first stars may have turned on when the universe was 750 million years old Posted: 05 Dec 2012 10:24 AM PST Researchers have peered far back in time, to the era of the first stars and galaxies, and found matter with no discernible trace of heavy elements.

The birth of new cardiac cells: Where new heart cells come from Posted: 05 Dec 2012 10:24 AM PST Recent research has shown that there are new cells that develop in the heart, but how these cardiac cells are born and how frequently they are generated remains unclear. Researchers have used a novel method to identify these new heart cells and describe their origins.

Astronomers discover and 'weigh' infant solar system: Young star with rotating dust disk is youngest still-forming planetary system yet found Posted: 05 Dec 2012 10:24 AM PST A young star no more than 300,000 years old is surrounded by a disk of dust and gas rotating in the same manner as planets in our Solar System, making it the youngest such infant system yet found.

Invasive grass fuels increased fire activity in the West Posted: 05 Dec 2012 10:23 AM PST An invasive grass species may be one reason fires are bigger and more frequent in certain regions of the western United States, according to a team of researchers.

Proliferation warnings on nuclear 'wonder-fuel', thorium Posted: 05 Dec 2012 10:22 AM PST Thorium is being touted as an ideal fuel for a new generation of nuclear power plants, but new research suggests it may not be as benign as portrayed.

Many maps of the brain Posted: 05 Dec 2012 10:22 AM PST Your brain has at least four different senses of location – and perhaps as many as 10. And each is different, according to new research.

A leap forward for red blood cell formation: Researchers have identified 75 genetic regions that influence red blood cell formation Posted: 05 Dec 2012 10:22 AM PST New research is revealing how red blood cells are made and how the body regulates the amount of haemoglobin that is packaged in red blood cells at any time. Genomic analysis techniques have doubled the number of genetic regions that are likely to be involved in red blood cell formation and subsequent study using fruit flies has given insights into what these regions do.

Speeding up electronics to light frequencies Posted: 05 Dec 2012 10:22 AM PST New results on the interaction of femto- and attosecond light pulses with a solid insulator hold promise for reaching electronic switching rates up to the petahertz domain.

New genetic fingerprint lives in your gut Posted: 05 Dec 2012 10:21 AM PST Our bodies contain far more microbial genes than human genes. And a new study suggests that just as human DNA varies from person to person, so too does the massive collection of microbial DNA in the intestine. The research is the first to catalog the genetic variation of microbes that live in the gut.

Remote sensing, microbiology used to trace foodborne pathogens Posted: 05 Dec 2012 10:06 AM PST In 2011, an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes in cantaloupe led to almost 150 illnesses and 30 deaths. With a spate of recent outbreaks of such foodborne pathogens as Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and L. monocytogenes, the ability to predict where and how these deadly microbes enter the food supply chain could save lives and prevent disease.

Switching with a few photons for quantum computing Posted: 05 Dec 2012 10:02 AM PST Quantum computing, where bits of information, or "qubits," are represented by the state of single atomic particles or photons of light, won't be of much use unless we can read the results. Researchers have taken a step in that direction with a device that can measure the presence of just a few photons without disturbing them.

NASA twin spacecraft create most accurate gravity map of moon Posted: 05 Dec 2012 09:43 AM PST Twin NASA probes orbiting the moon have generated the highest resolution gravity field map of any celestial body. The new map, created by the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission, is allowing scientists to learn about the moon's internal structure and composition in unprecedented detail. Data from the two washing machine-sized spacecraft also will provide a better understanding of how Earth and other rocky planets in the solar system formed and evolved.

First synthesis of gold nanoparticles inside human hair for dyeing and much more Posted: 05 Dec 2012 09:11 AM PST In a discovery with applications ranging from hair dyeing to electronic sensors to development of materials with improved properties, scientists are reporting the first synthesis of gold nanoparticles inside human hairs.

Communications training, surgical checklist can reduce costly postoperative complications Posted: 05 Dec 2012 09:11 AM PST A new study reports that surgical site infections, blood clots, and urinary tract infections are all measurably reduced when surgical teams use two easily accessible, cost-effective tools.

Plastics used in some medical devices break down in a previously unrecognized way Posted: 05 Dec 2012 09:11 AM PST Scientists have discovered a previously unrecognized way that degradation can occur in silicone-urethane plastics that are often considered for use in medical devices. Their study could have implications for device manufacturers considering use of these plastics in the design of some implantable devices, including cardiac defibrillation leads.

Research identifies a way to block memories associated with PTSD or drug addiction Posted: 05 Dec 2012 09:11 AM PST New research could lead to better treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and drug addiction by effectively blocking memories. The research has identified a common mechanism in a region of the brain called the pre-limbic cortex, which can suppress the recall of memories linked to both aversive, traumatic experiences associated with PTSD and rewarding memories linked to drug addiction, without permanently altering memories.

ApoE is an ideal target for halting progression of Alzheimer's disease, scientists say Posted: 05 Dec 2012 09:11 AM PST Despite researchers' best efforts, no drug exists that can slow, halt or reverse the onslaught of Alzheimer's disease. A progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disorder, Alzheimer's has stolen the memories and livelihoods of millions -- leaving patients and their families struggling to cope with the disease's devastating consequences. But today, scientists propose a new research avenue that has the potential to change all that.

Antibody therapy clears Alzheimer's plaques in mice, study shows Posted: 05 Dec 2012 09:11 AM PST Antibodies against amyloid beta protein deposits that are thought to play a role in Alzheimer's disease have shown some success in preventing the buildup of deposits in animals, but they have not been effective at removing preexisting deposits. Now researchers show that a modified antibody was able to clear preexisting amyloid beta deposits in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Where 'where it's at' is at in the brain Posted: 05 Dec 2012 09:11 AM PST A new study in the journal Neuron suggests that the brain uses a different region than neuroscientists had thought to associate objects and locations in the space around an individual. Knowing where this fundamental process occurs could help treat disease and brain injury as well as inform basic understanding of how the brain supports memory and guides behavior.

Women and men appear to benefit in different ways from AA participation Posted: 05 Dec 2012 08:35 AM PST A new study finds differences in the ways that participation in Alcoholics Anonymous helps men and women maintain sobriety. Avoidance of companions who encourage drinking and social situations in which drinking is common had more powerful benefits for men, while increased confidence in the ability to avoid drinking while feeling sad, depressed or anxious appeared to be more important for women.

Reading history through genetics Posted: 05 Dec 2012 08:35 AM PST An engineering study demonstrates a new approach used to analyze genetic data to learn more about the history of populations. The authors, the first to develop a method that can describe in detail events in recent history, focused on two populations, the Ashkenazi Jews and the Masai people of Kenya.

Studying marrow, researchers accelerate blood stem cells Posted: 05 Dec 2012 08:35 AM PST Scientists are testing a new approach to speed a patient's recovery of blood counts during a vulnerable period after a stem-cell transplant, according to a new study.

DNA hydrogel flows like liquid but remembers its original shape Posted: 05 Dec 2012 08:28 AM PST A new material is so soft it can flow like a liquid and then, strangely, return to its original shape. It is a hydrogel, a mesh of organic molecules with many small empty spaces that can absorb water like a sponge, and qualifies as a "metamaterial" with properties not found in nature.

Mobile browsers fail Internet safety test Posted: 05 Dec 2012 08:28 AM PST How unsafe are mobile browsers? Unsafe enough that even cyber-security experts are unable to detect when their smartphone browsers have landed on potentially dangerous websites, according to a recent study.

New test adds to scientists' understanding of Earth's history, resources Posted: 05 Dec 2012 08:28 AM PST A new study provides the first direct chronological test of sequence stratigraphy, a powerful tool for exploring Earth's natural resources.

Microchoreography: Synthetic molecule used to guide cellular 'dance' Posted: 05 Dec 2012 08:28 AM PST Researchers have used a small synthetic molecule to stimulate cells to move and change shape, bypassing the cells' usual way of sensing and responding to their environment. The experiment pioneers a new tool for studying cell movement, a phenomenon involved in everything from development to immunity to the spread of cancer.

Fire and ice: Wildfires darkening Greenland snowpack, increasing melting Posted: 05 Dec 2012 08:28 AM PST Satellite observations have revealed the first direct evidence of smoke from Arctic wildfires drifting over the Greenland ice sheet, tarnishing the ice with soot and making it more likely to melt under the sun.

See-through 'MitoFish' opens a new window on brain diseases Posted: 05 Dec 2012 07:30 AM PST Scientists have demonstrated a new model for investigating mechanisms at work in Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases, which also could prove useful in the search for effective drugs. They turned to the zebrafish, transparent in its embryonic stages, and developed a transgenic variety called the "MitoFish." This new model enables them to see – within individual neurons of living animals – how brain diseases disturb the transport of mitochondria, the power plants of the cell.

New technique to deliver stem cell therapy may help damaged eyes regain their sight Posted: 05 Dec 2012 07:30 AM PST Engineers have developed a new technique for delivering stem cell therapy to the eye which they hope will help the natural repair of eyes damaged by accident or disease. This could help millions of people across the world retain – or even regain - their sight.

Small patches of native plants help boost pollination services in large farms Posted: 05 Dec 2012 07:30 AM PST Isolation from natural habitat can lead to productivity losses due to lack of pollinators. Introducing areas of native vegetation within cropland has been proposed as a way to supplement pollinators, but this measure is perceived by farmers to carry costs that outweigh production-benefits. This study shows that small patches of native flowers, that do not compromise production area, increase mango pollination services in South Africa. Such measure allows increases in production without further expanding cropland.

Africa's Homo sapiens were the first techies Posted: 05 Dec 2012 07:30 AM PST The search for the origin of modern human behavior and technological advancement among our ancestors in southern Africa some 70,000 years ago has taken a step closer to firmly establishing Africa, and especially South Africa, as the primary center for the early development of human behavior.

Great-earthquake hot spots pinpointed Posted: 05 Dec 2012 07:30 AM PST The world's largest earthquakes occur at subduction zones – locations where a tectonic plate slips under another. But where along these extended subduction areas are great earthquakes most likely to happen? Scientists have now found that regions where 'scars' on the seafloor, called fracture zones, meet subduction areas are at higher risk of generating powerful earthquakes.

Tasty and gluten-free Posted: 05 Dec 2012 07:26 AM PST Cereals are good for you, supplying the body with carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins. Yet some people are intolerant to the gluten protein they contain. Now, researchers are developing new recipes for tasty, gluten-free pasta and pastries.

'Very low' complication rates with regional anesthesia in children Posted: 05 Dec 2012 07:26 AM PST A review of more than 15,000 nerve block procedures performed in children at U.S. hospitals finds little or no risk of permanent complications or death, reports a new study

In U.S. first, surgeons implant brain 'pacemaker' for Alzheimer's disease Posted: 05 Dec 2012 07:26 AM PST Researchers have surgically implanted a pacemaker-like device into the brain of a patient in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, the first such operation in the United States. The device, which provides deep brain stimulation and has been used in thousands of people with Parkinson's disease, is seen as a possible means of boosting memory and reversing cognitive decline.

Mild vitamin B12 deficiency associated with accelerated cognitive decline Posted: 05 Dec 2012 07:26 AM PST A study conducted at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University associates mild vitamin B-12 deficiency with accelerated cognitive decline in men and women, beginning in their mid-seventies. Whether such mild vitamin B-12 deficiency has any clinical consequences is the subject of debate.

Less invasive surgery detects residual breast cancer in lymph nodes after chemotherapy Posted: 05 Dec 2012 07:26 AM PST A new study shows that a less invasive procedure known as sentinel lymph node surgery successfully identified whether cancer remained in lymph nodes in 91 percent of patients with node-positive breast cancer who received chemotherapy before their surgery.

Field tests seek new control methods for resistant ragweed in cotton crops Posted: 05 Dec 2012 07:26 AM PST Giant ragweed lives up to its name, towering over crops and choking out surrounding plant species. Just one ragweed plant per square meter has been shown to reduce crop yields 45 to 77 percent. Now giant ragweed has evolved resistance to the herbicide glyphosate, which had been effective at controlling the weed.

Pokemon provides rare opening for study of face-recognition processes Posted: 05 Dec 2012 07:26 AM PST Neuroscientists used Pokemon cards and kids to test a theory of facial cognition that until now has been difficult to support.

One in five children live in poverty in US: New report examines effect of poverty on children Posted: 05 Dec 2012 06:10 AM PST While most children are looking forward to getting gifts during the upcoming holiday season, it is worth noting that one in five children live in poverty. Poverty is a major risk factor for children's development and deep poverty is linked to a range of problems. A new report provides an overview of the research evidence on the development of children who live in poverty.

Wind speeds in southern New England declining inland, remaining steady on coast: Climate change, urbanization among possible causes Posted: 05 Dec 2012 06:10 AM PST Oceanographers have analyzed long-term data from several anemometers in southern New England and found that average wind speeds have declined by about 15 percent at inland sites while speeds have remained steady at an offshore site.

Oceanography student uses crashing waves on shorelines to study Earth's interior Posted: 05 Dec 2012 06:10 AM PST Scientists have long used the speed of seismic waves traveling through the Earth as a means of learning about the geologic structure beneath the Earth's surface, but the seismic waves they use have typically been generated by earthquakes or human-made explosions. A graduate student is using the tiny seismic waves created by ocean waves crashing on shorelines around the world to learn how an underwater plateau was formed 122 million years ago.

Breakthrough in augmented reality contact lens Posted: 05 Dec 2012 06:09 AM PST Scientists have developed an innovative spherical curved LCD display, which can be embedded in contact lenses. The first step toward fully pixilated contact lens displays, this achievement has potential wide-spread applications in medical and cosmetic domains.

Extending duration of adjuvant tamoxifen treatment to 10 years reduced risk for late breast cancer recurrence, improved survival Posted: 05 Dec 2012 06:09 AM PST Ten years of adjuvant treatment with tamoxifen provided women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer greater protection against late recurrence and death from breast cancer compared with the current standard of five years of tamoxifen, according to a new study.

Higher doses of fulvestrant prolonged survival in patients with advanced breast cancer Posted: 05 Dec 2012 06:09 AM PST Increasing the dose of fulvestrant from 250 mg to 500 mg improved median overall survival in women with locally advanced or metastatic estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, according to updated data.

Hybrid scaffold more than skin deep Posted: 05 Dec 2012 06:08 AM PST Researchers have created a hybrid scaffold which promotes tissue regeneration, strong and biodegradable.

Evolution: Social exclusion leads to cooperation Posted: 05 Dec 2012 05:44 AM PST Social exclusion as a punishment strategy helps explain the evolution of cooperation, according to new research.

Hushed hoarders and prying pilferers: Eurasian jays change strategies to prevent others from stealing food Posted: 05 Dec 2012 05:44 AM PST In order to prevent other birds from stealing the food they are storing for later, Eurasian jays, a type of corvid, minimizes any auditory hints a potential pilferer may use to steal their cache (food that is buried for later use).

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