ScienceDaily: Top News

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• An embryo that is neither male nor female: Impact of three unexpected sex determination factors analyzed
• Bering Sea study finds prey density more important to predators than biomass
• New molecule to target in pancreatic cancer treatment
• Your brain on Big Bird: Sesame Street helps to reveal patterns of neural development
• Gene variant linked to active personality traits also linked to human longevity
• Planets abound: Astronomers estimate that at least 100 billion planets populate the galaxy
• Improving DNA amplification from problematic plants
• New study links low wages with hypertension, especially for women and younger workers
• Editing genome with high precision: New method to insert multiple genes in specific locations, delete defective genes
• First meteorite linked to Martian crust
• Rethinking bacterial persistence: Optofluidics allow for new understanding of resistance to antibiotics
• Synthetic chemistry: Steroids that only nature could make on a large scale, until now
• Coral records suggest El Nino activity rises above background
• How deadly skin cancer spreads into other parts of the body
• Nanoparticles reach new peaks: Researchers show short laser pulses selectively heat gold nanoparticles
• Time pressure enhances thrill of auctions
• Researchers use stem cells to pinpoint cause of common type of sudden cardiac death
• Stem cell technology could help harness patients' own immune cells to fight disease
• Big brains are pricey, guppy study shows
• Cancer-specific killer T cells created from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)
• Carbon in Vesta's craters: Asteroid impacts may have transferred carbonaceous material to protoplanet and inner solar system
• Rare form of active 'jumping genes' found in mammals
• Liquid jets and bouncing balls combine for surprising results
• Power spintronics: Producing AC voltages by manipulating magnetic fields
• Sorting stem cells: Scientists propose a new way to isolate early stage embryonic stem cells
• In epigenomics, location is everything: Researchers exploit gene position to test 'histone code'
• Secretive food concocting: New characteristic of binge eating identified
• Smile: Gingivitis bacteria manipulate your immune system so they can thrive in your gums
• Cholesterol medicine affects energy production in muscles
• How computers push on the molecules they simulate
• Quick detection of periodontitis pathogens
• Study suggests gene variation may shape bladder cancer treatment
• New information on autism and genetics
• No need for routine repeated CT scans after mild head trauma, study suggests
• Astrophysicists make stellar discovery about galaxies far, far away
• 'Universal' personality traits don't necessarily apply to isolated indigenous people
• Biologists unlock 'black box' to underground world: How tiny microbes make life easier for humans
• Cognitive difficulties associated with menopause described
• Unlocking sorghum's gene bank
• Use of disinfection cap is associated with fewer bloodstream infections, study finds
• Spinal ultrasounds seeking why astronauts grow taller in space
• Key mechanism in calcium regulation discovered: May help lead to new drugs for neurodegenerative diseases
• Cup color influences the taste of hot chocolate
• Repeated miscarriage: Scientists pinpoint molecular signals that make some women prone to miscarriage
• Updated tool now available to predict prostate cancer spread
• Video analysis: Detecting text every which way

An embryo that is neither male nor female: Impact of three unexpected sex determination factors analyzed Posted: 03 Jan 2013 04:24 PM PST Is it a girl or a boy? This is the first question parents ask at the birth of an infant. Though the answer is obvious, the mechanism of sex determination is much less so. Researchers attempt to shed light on this complex process by identifying the crucial role played by insulin and IGF1 and IGF2 growth factors, a family of hormones known for its role in metabolism and growth.

Bering Sea study finds prey density more important to predators than biomass Posted: 03 Jan 2013 04:24 PM PST Marine resource managers often gauge the health of species based on overall biomass, but a new study of predator-prey relationships in the Bering Sea found that it isn't the total number of individuals that predators care about -- it's how densely they are aggregated.

New molecule to target in pancreatic cancer treatment Posted: 03 Jan 2013 04:23 PM PST Researchers have identified a new target to improve treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cancer, which accounts for more than 95 percent of pancreatic cancer cases.

Your brain on Big Bird: Sesame Street helps to reveal patterns of neural development Posted: 03 Jan 2013 04:23 PM PST Using brain scans of children and adults watching Sesame Street, cognitive scientists are learning how children's brains change as they develop intellectual abilities like reading and math. The novel use of brain imaging during everyday activities like watching TV, say the scientists, opens the door to studying other thought processes in naturalistic settings and may one day help to diagnose and treat learning disabilities.

Gene variant linked to active personality traits also linked to human longevity Posted: 03 Jan 2013 12:15 PM PST A variant of a gene associated with active personality traits in humans seems to also be involved with living a longer life, researchers have found. People who carry this variant gene seem to be more motivated to pursue social, intellectual and physical activities. The variant is also linked to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and addictive and risky behaviors, researchers say.

Planets abound: Astronomers estimate that at least 100 billion planets populate the galaxy Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:34 AM PST Look up at the night sky and you'll see stars, sure. But you're also seeing planets -- billions and billions of them. At least. That's the conclusion of a new study by astronomers that provides yet more evidence that planetary systems are the cosmic norm. The team made their estimate while analyzing planets orbiting a star called Kepler-32 -- planets that are representative, they say, of the vast majority in the galaxy and thus serve as a perfect case study for understanding how most planets form.

Improving DNA amplification from problematic plants Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:32 AM PST The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a common technique used to amplify, or copy, pieces of DNA. Amplified DNA is then used in genetic analyses for everything from medicine to forensics. In plant research, PCR is a vital step in detecting and sequencing genes, and its applications are endless. However, compounds found in plants often inhibit PCR. Researchers have discovered that the use of an additive allows PCR to successfully amplify DNA from once problematic plants.

New study links low wages with hypertension, especially for women and younger workers Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:32 AM PST Workers earning the lowest wages have a higher risk of hypertension than workers with the highest wages, according to new research.

Editing genome with high precision: New method to insert multiple genes in specific locations, delete defective genes Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:32 AM PST Researchers have developed a new technique for precisely altering the genomes of living cells by adding or deleting genes.

First meteorite linked to Martian crust Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:32 AM PST After extensive analyses, researchers have identified a new class of Martian meteorite that likely originated from Mars's crust. It is also the only meteoritic sample dated to 2.1 billion years ago, the early era of the most recent geologic epoch on Mars. The meteorite contains an order of magnitude more water than any other Martian meteorite.

Rethinking bacterial persistence: Optofluidics allow for new understanding of resistance to antibiotics Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:31 AM PST Scientists have used microfluidics to observe the behavior of individual tuberculosis-like bacteria in the presence of antibiotics. Their observations call into question the prevailing theory of bacterial resistance, and they have proposed a new explanation for why some bacteria become resistant.

Synthetic chemistry: Steroids that only nature could make on a large scale, until now Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:31 AM PST Scientists have achieved a feat in synthetic chemistry by inventing a scalable method to make complex natural compounds known as "polyhydroxylated steroids." These compounds, used in heart-failure medications and other drugs, have been notoriously problematic to synthesize in the laboratory.

Coral records suggest El Nino activity rises above background Posted: 03 Jan 2013 11:31 AM PST By examining a set of fossil corals that are as much as 7,000 years old, scientists have dramatically expanded the amount of information available on the El Nino-Southern Oscillation, a Pacific Ocean climate cycle that affects climate worldwide.

How deadly skin cancer spreads into other parts of the body Posted: 03 Jan 2013 10:12 AM PST After recently announcing success in eliminating melanoma metastasis in laboratory experiments, scientists have made another important discovery in understanding the process by which the gene mda-9/syntenin contributes to metastasis in melanoma (the spread of skin cancer) and possibly a variety of other cancers.

Nanoparticles reach new peaks: Researchers show short laser pulses selectively heat gold nanoparticles Posted: 03 Jan 2013 10:11 AM PST Researchers have found a way to selectively heat diverse nanoparticles in a batch that could advance their medical and industrial use.

Time pressure enhances thrill of auctions Posted: 03 Jan 2013 10:11 AM PST Shopping is more than the rational exchange of goods against money. Emotions, however, do not only play a role when buying a red sports car or the fiftieth pair of shoes. At the stock exchange or during auctions, bidders also are often influenced by irrational motives.

Researchers use stem cells to pinpoint cause of common type of sudden cardiac death Posted: 03 Jan 2013 10:11 AM PST When a young athlete dies unexpectedly on the basketball court or the football field, it's both shocking and tragic. Now researchers have, for the first time, identified the molecular basis for a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that is the most common cause for this type of sudden cardiac death.

Stem cell technology could help harness patients' own immune cells to fight disease Posted: 03 Jan 2013 10:11 AM PST Researchers reporting in two separate recent articles used stem cell technology to successfully regenerate patients' immune cells, creating large numbers that were long-lived and could recognize their specified targets: HIV-infected cells in one case and cancer cells in the other. The findings could help in the development of strategies to rejuvenate patients' exhausted immune responses.

Big brains are pricey, guppy study shows Posted: 03 Jan 2013 10:11 AM PST Bigger brains can make animals, well, brainier, but that boost in brain size and ability comes at a price. That's according to new evidence in which researchers artificially selected guppies for large and small brain sizes.

Cancer-specific killer T cells created from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) Posted: 03 Jan 2013 10:09 AM PST Researchers in Japan report today that they have succeeded for the first time in creating cancer-specific immune system cells called killer T lymphocytes from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells). To create these killer cells, the team first had to reprogram T lymphocytes specialized in killing a certain type of cancer, into iPS cells. The iPS cells then generated fully active, cancer-specific T lymphocytes. These lymphocytes regenerated from iPS cells could potentially serve as cancer therapy in the future.

Carbon in Vesta's craters: Asteroid impacts may have transferred carbonaceous material to protoplanet and inner solar system Posted: 03 Jan 2013 10:09 AM PST The protoplanet Vesta has been witness to an eventful past: images taken by the framing camera onboard NASA's space probe Dawn show two enormous craters in the southern hemisphere. The images were obtained during Dawn's year-long visit to Vesta that ended in September 2012. These huge impacts not only altered Vesta's shape, but also its surface composition. Scientists have shown that impacting small asteroids delivered dark, carbonaceous material to the protoplanet. In the early days of our solar system, similar events may have provided the inner planets such as Earth with carbon, an essential building block for organic molecules.

Rare form of active 'jumping genes' found in mammals Posted: 03 Jan 2013 10:08 AM PST Much of the DNA that makes up our genomes can be traced back to strange rogue sequences known as transposable elements, or jumping genes, which are largely idle in mammals. But researchers report they have identified a new DNA sequence moving around in bats -- the first member of its class found to be active in mammals.

Liquid jets and bouncing balls combine for surprising results Posted: 03 Jan 2013 10:08 AM PST The physics of a bouncing ball is well understood, but a liquid-filled ball can still surprise scientists.

Power spintronics: Producing AC voltages by manipulating magnetic fields Posted: 03 Jan 2013 10:08 AM PST Scientists are putting a new spin on their approach to generating electrical current by harnessing a recently identified electromotive force known as spinmotive force, which is related to the field of spintronics that addresses such challenges as improving data storage in computers. Now, a novel application of spintronics is the highly efficient and direct conversion of magnetic energy to electric voltage by using magnetic nanostructures and manipulating the dynamics of magnetization.

Sorting stem cells: Scientists propose a new way to isolate early stage embryonic stem cells Posted: 03 Jan 2013 10:07 AM PST When an embryonic stem cell is in the first stage of its development it has the potential to grow into any type of cell in the body, a state scientists call undifferentiated. Using an electric field to pull stem cells through a fluid, a team of researchers from Scotland has now demonstrated a way to easily distinguish undifferentiated embryonic stem cells from later-stage stem cells whose fate is sealed.

In epigenomics, location is everything: Researchers exploit gene position to test 'histone code' Posted: 03 Jan 2013 10:07 AM PST In a novel use of gene knockout technology, researchers tested the same gene inserted into 90 different locations in a yeast chromosome -- and discovered that while the inserted gene never altered its surrounding chromatin landscape, differences in that immediate landscape measurably affected gene activity.

Secretive food concocting: New characteristic of binge eating identified Posted: 03 Jan 2013 10:07 AM PST A new study suggests food concocting -- the making of strange food mixtures like mashed potatoes and Oreo cookies, frozen vegetables mixed with mayonnaise, and chips with lemon, pork rinds, Italian dressing and salt -- is common among binge eaters. The findings reveal that 1 in 4 survey participants secretly create concoctions.

Smile: Gingivitis bacteria manipulate your immune system so they can thrive in your gums Posted: 03 Jan 2013 08:42 AM PST A new research report shows how the bacteria known for causing gum disease -- Porphyromonas gingivalis -- manipulates the body's immune system to disable normal processes that would otherwise destroy it.

Cholesterol medicine affects energy production in muscles Posted: 03 Jan 2013 08:42 AM PST Up to 75 percent of patients who take statins to treat elevated cholesterol levels may suffer from muscle pain. Scientists have now identified a possible mechanism underlying this unfortunate side effect.

How computers push on the molecules they simulate Posted: 03 Jan 2013 08:42 AM PST Simulations are essential to test theories and explore what's inaccessible to direct experiment. Digital computers can't use exact, continuous equations of motion and have to slice time into chunks, so persistent errors are introduced in the form of "shadow work" that distorts the result. Scientists have learned to separate the physically realistic aspects of the simulation from the artifacts of the computer method.

Quick detection of periodontitis pathogens Posted: 03 Jan 2013 08:41 AM PST Millions upon millions of people suffer from periodontitis, an inflammation that can lead to the loss of teeth if left untreated. A new diagnostic platform enables the pathogens to be detected quickly, enabling dentists to act swiftly to initiate the right treatment.

Study suggests gene variation may shape bladder cancer treatment Posted: 03 Jan 2013 08:38 AM PST Patients who have inherited a specific common genetic variant develop bladder cancer tumors that strongly express a protein known as prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA), which is also expressed in many pancreatic and prostate tumors, according to new research.

New information on autism and genetics Posted: 03 Jan 2013 08:38 AM PST Research has revealed another piece of the puzzle in a genetic developmental disorder that causes behavioral diseases such as autism.

No need for routine repeated CT scans after mild head trauma, study suggests Posted: 03 Jan 2013 08:38 AM PST When initial computed tomography (CT) scans show bleeding within the brain after mild head injury, decisions about repeated CT scans should be based on the patient's neurological condition, according to a new report.

Astrophysicists make stellar discovery about galaxies far, far away Posted: 03 Jan 2013 08:38 AM PST Astrophysicists have shed new light on how galaxies formed in the early universe. The discovery suggests that the current model for galaxy formation and evolution needs to be reassessed.

'Universal' personality traits don't necessarily apply to isolated indigenous people Posted: 03 Jan 2013 06:52 AM PST Five personality traits widely thought to be universal across cultures might not be, according to a study of an isolated Bolivian society.

Biologists unlock 'black box' to underground world: How tiny microbes make life easier for humans Posted: 03 Jan 2013 06:20 AM PST Biologists have unlocked the "black box" to the underground world home to billions of microscopic creatures. That first peek inside may well explain how the number of species in an ecosystem changes the way it functions.

Cognitive difficulties associated with menopause described Posted: 03 Jan 2013 06:20 AM PST The memory problems that many women experience in their 40s and 50s as they approach and go through menopause are both real and appear to be most acute during the early period of post menopause.

Unlocking sorghum's gene bank Posted: 03 Jan 2013 06:20 AM PST Climate change poses a major challenge to humanity's ability to feed its growing population. But a new study of sorghum promises to make this crop an invaluable asset in facing that challenge.

Use of disinfection cap is associated with fewer bloodstream infections, study finds Posted: 03 Jan 2013 06:20 AM PST Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) dropped by 52 percent when an alcohol-impregnated disinfection cap was used instead of standard scrubbing protocol, according to a new study.

Spinal ultrasounds seeking why astronauts grow taller in space Posted: 03 Jan 2013 06:06 AM PST Did you ever wish you could be just a teensy bit taller? Well, if you spend a few months in space, you could get your wish -- temporarily. It is a commonly known fact that astronauts living aboard the International Space Station grow up to 3 percent taller while living in microgravity. They return to their normal height when back on Earth. Studying the impact of this change on the spine and advancing medical imaging technologies are the goals of the Spinal Ultrasound investigation.

Key mechanism in calcium regulation discovered: May help lead to new drugs for neurodegenerative diseases Posted: 03 Jan 2013 04:32 AM PST All living cells keep their cellular calcium concentration at a very low level. Since a small increase in calcium can affect many critical cellular functions (an elevated calcium concentration over an extended period can induce cell death), powerful cellular mechanisms ensure that calcium concentration quickly returns to its low level.

Cup color influences the taste of hot chocolate Posted: 03 Jan 2013 04:32 AM PST Hot chocolate tastes better in an orange or cream colored cup than in a white or red one, new research has shown. The study adds to recent research demonstrating how our senses perceive food in a different way depending on the characteristics of the container from which we eat and drink.

Repeated miscarriage: Scientists pinpoint molecular signals that make some women prone to miscarriage Posted: 03 Jan 2013 04:32 AM PST Scientists have identified molecular signals that control whether embryos are accepted by the womb, and that appear to function abnormally in women who have suffered repeated miscarriages.

Updated tool now available to predict prostate cancer spread Posted: 03 Jan 2013 04:30 AM PST Prostate cancer experts have developed an updated version of the Partin Tables, a tool to help men diagnosed with prostate cancer and their doctors to better assess their chance of a surgical cure.

Video analysis: Detecting text every which way Posted: 03 Jan 2013 04:30 AM PST Software that detects and extracts text from within video frames, making it searchable, is set to make a vast resource even more valuable.

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