ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Electronic health records slow the rise of healthcare costs
• High carbon dioxide spurs wetlands to absorb more carbon
• Heart of space weather observed in action
• New insights on cancer cell signaling
• Scientists outline long-term sea-level rise in response to warming of planet
• Drought response identified in potential biofuel plant
• Fear factor: Missing brain enzyme leads to abnormal levels of fear in mice, new research reveals
• Music decreases perceived pain for kids in pediatric ER
• Researchers generate long-lasting blood vessels from reprogrammed human cells
• Elevated blood pressure increasing among children, adolescents
• Chinese people may be at higher risk for stroke than Caucasians
• Common autism supplement affects endocrine system
• Chemical compound shows promise as alternative to opioid pain relievers
• CSI-style DNA fingerprinting tracks down cause of cancer spread
• Computer as smart as a 4-year-old? Researchers IQ test new artificial intelligence system
• Fiji's largest marine reserve swarming with sharks
• In children with fever, researchers distinguish bacterial from viral infections
• Scientists construct visual of intracellular 'zip code' signaling linked to learning, memory
• Nesting Gulf of Mexico loggerhead turtles face offshore risks
• Lunar cycle affects cardiac patients undergoing acute aortic dissection: Waning and full moon cycles impact length of stay, mortality
• Distorted GPS signals reveal hurricane wind speeds
• Chew more to retain more energy
• Great exaptations: Most traits emerge for no crucial reason, scientists find
• Hubble finds new Neptune moon: Smallest known moon in the Neptunian system
• Share robotic frogs help turn a boring mating call into a serenade
• Solving DNA puzzles is overwhelming computer systems, researchers warn
• How cranberries impact infection-causing bacteria
• Brain discovery could help schizophrenics
• New form of carbon: Grossly warped 'nanographene'
• Free market is best way to combat climate change, study suggests
• Attractive and successful: In bonobos, attractive females are more likely to win conflicts against males
• Path of plaque buildup in brain shows promise as early biomarker for Alzheimer's disease
• Neural origins of hot flashes identified in menopausal women
• Drug shows dramatic reduction in seizures in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex
• Cancer researchers discover how BRCA mutation starts breast, ovarian cancers
• Surprise finding reveals how adaptive our immune systems can be
• Biochemists uphold law of physics
• Black-legged ticks linked to encephalitis in New York state
• Findings offer alternative approach to creating a universal influenza vaccine
• Early spatial reasoning predicts later creativity and innovation, especially in STEM fields
• Phytoplankton social mixers: Tiny ocean plants use turbulence for travel to social gatherings
• Physicists offer novel insight into experimental cancer treatment
• Very preterm babies show bonding difficulties despite parental sensitivity
• New retroviruses found in polar bear 'Knut' and panda 'Bao Bao'
• Smallest puzzle in the world
• Taking the 'random' out of a random laser
• The universe or the brain: Where does math originate?

Electronic health records slow the rise of healthcare costs Posted: 15 Jul 2013 05:24 PM PDT Use of electronic health records can reduce the costs of outpatient care by roughly 3 percent, compared to relying on traditional paper records.

High carbon dioxide spurs wetlands to absorb more carbon Posted: 15 Jul 2013 05:24 PM PDT Under elevated carbon dioxide levels, wetland plants can absorb up to 32 percent more carbon than they do at current levels, according to a 19-year study just published. With atmospheric carbon dioxide passing the 400 parts-per-million milestone this year, the findings offer hope that wetlands could help soften the blow of climate change.

Heart of space weather observed in action Posted: 15 Jul 2013 01:49 PM PDT Two NASA spacecraft have provided the most comprehensive movie ever of a mysterious process at the heart of all explosions on the sun: magnetic reconnection. Magnetic reconnection happens when magnetic field lines come together, break apart and then exchange partners, snapping into new positions and releasing a jolt of magnetic energy. This process lies at the heart of giant explosions on the sun, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which can fling radiation and particles across the solar system.

New insights on cancer cell signaling Posted: 15 Jul 2013 01:49 PM PDT A pair of studies sheds light on a biological process which is activated across a vast range of malignancies.

Scientists outline long-term sea-level rise in response to warming of planet Posted: 15 Jul 2013 01:48 PM PDT A new study estimates that global sea levels will rise about 2.3 meters, or more than seven feet, over the next several thousand years for every degree (Celsius) the planet warms. This is one of the first analyses to combine four major contributors to potential sea level rise into a collective estimate, and compare it with evidence of past sea-level responses to global temperature changes.

Drought response identified in potential biofuel plant Posted: 15 Jul 2013 01:48 PM PDT Drought resistance is the key to large-scale production of Jatropha, a potential biofuel plant -- and an international group of scientists has identified the first step toward engineering a hardier variety.

Fear factor: Missing brain enzyme leads to abnormal levels of fear in mice, new research reveals Posted: 15 Jul 2013 01:48 PM PDT A little bit of learned fear is a good thing, keeping us from making risky, stupid decisions or falling over and over again into the same trap. But new research from neuroscientists and molecular biologists shows that a missing brain protein may be the culprit in cases of severe over-worry, where the fear perseveres even when there's nothing of which to be afraid.

Music decreases perceived pain for kids in pediatric ER Posted: 15 Jul 2013 01:48 PM PDT Medical researches have provided more evidence that music decreases children's perceived sense of pain.

Researchers generate long-lasting blood vessels from reprogrammed human cells Posted: 15 Jul 2013 01:48 PM PDT Researchers have used vascular precursor cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells to generate, in an animal model, functional blood vessels that lasted as long as nine months.

Elevated blood pressure increasing among children, adolescents Posted: 15 Jul 2013 01:47 PM PDT The risk of elevated blood pressure among children and adolescents rose 27 percent during a 13-year period, according to new research. Higher body mass, larger waistlines and eating excess sodium may be the reasons for the elevated blood pressure readings, researchers said.

Chinese people may be at higher risk for stroke than Caucasians Posted: 15 Jul 2013 01:47 PM PDT A new study suggests that Chinese people may be at higher risk for stroke than Caucasians.

Common autism supplement affects endocrine system Posted: 15 Jul 2013 12:11 PM PDT Plant-based diets are healthy. Plants are high in flavonoids. So flavonoids are healthy. At least that's the reasoning of many manufacturers of flavonoid-based nutritional supplements. But a new study shows that may not be the case. Flavonoids tested in the study affected the endocrine system in ways that in one case promoted cancer and in another repressed it.

Chemical compound shows promise as alternative to opioid pain relievers Posted: 15 Jul 2013 12:11 PM PDT A drug targeting a protein complex containing two different types of opioid receptors may be an effective alternative to morphine and other opioid pain medications, without any of the side effects or risk of dependence, according to new research.

CSI-style DNA fingerprinting tracks down cause of cancer spread Posted: 15 Jul 2013 12:11 PM PDT How do stationary cancer cells get the mutations that allow them to travel through the body to seed metastasis? Do they just grow these mutations themselves? Study shows that cancer cells fuse with blood cells -- which already can travel! -- to create a hybrid, metastatic cancer cell.

Computer as smart as a 4-year-old? Researchers IQ test new artificial intelligence system Posted: 15 Jul 2013 12:10 PM PDT Artificial and natural knowledge researchers IQ-tested one of the best available artificial intelligence systems and learned that it's about as smart as the average 4-year-old.

Fiji's largest marine reserve swarming with sharks Posted: 15 Jul 2013 12:10 PM PDT Researchers have found that Fiji's largest marine reserve contains more sharks than surrounding areas that allow fishing, evidence that marine protected areas can be good for sharks.

In children with fever, researchers distinguish bacterial from viral infections Posted: 15 Jul 2013 12:10 PM PDT Many children develop fevers without an obvious cause. Now, researchers have shown they can tell whether a child has a viral or bacterial infection by profiling the activity of genes in a blood sample.

Scientists construct visual of intracellular 'zip code' signaling linked to learning, memory Posted: 15 Jul 2013 11:18 AM PDT New research provides a rare "picture" of the activity taking place at the single molecular level: visual evidence of the mechanisms involved when a cell transports mRNA (or messenger RNA) to where a protein is needed to perform a cellular function.

Nesting Gulf of Mexico loggerhead turtles face offshore risks Posted: 15 Jul 2013 11:18 AM PDT Threatened loggerhead sea turtles in the northern Gulf of Mexico can travel distances up to several hundred miles and visit offshore habitats between nesting events in a single season, taking them through waters impacted by oil and fishing industries.

Lunar cycle affects cardiac patients undergoing acute aortic dissection: Waning and full moon cycles impact length of stay, mortality Posted: 15 Jul 2013 11:18 AM PDT If you need cardiac surgery in the future, aortic dissection in particular, reach for the moon. Or at least try to schedule your surgery around its cycle. A new study found that acute aortic dissection repair performed in the waning full moon appears to reduce the odds of death, and a full moon was associated with shorter length of stay.

Distorted GPS signals reveal hurricane wind speeds Posted: 15 Jul 2013 10:56 AM PDT Researchers have found a way to do something completely different with GPS: Measure and map the wind speeds of hurricanes. The new technique could help meteorologists better predict storm severity, how storms form, and where they might be headed.

Chew more to retain more energy Posted: 15 Jul 2013 10:46 AM PDT Almonds may still be considered one of the highest energy food sources but it's not about how much you bite off, instead it's about how much you chew, according to new research.

Great exaptations: Most traits emerge for no crucial reason, scientists find Posted: 15 Jul 2013 10:44 AM PDT By simulating changes in an organism's metabolism, scientists have now shown that most traits may emerge as non-crucial "exaptations" rather than as selection-advantageous adaptations.

Hubble finds new Neptune moon: Smallest known moon in the Neptunian system Posted: 15 Jul 2013 10:20 AM PDT NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has discovered a new moon orbiting the distant blue-green planet Neptune, the 14th known to be circling the giant planet.

Share robotic frogs help turn a boring mating call into a serenade Posted: 15 Jul 2013 08:48 AM PDT With the help of a robotic frog, biologists have discovered that two wrong mating calls can make a right for female túngara frogs. The "rather bizarre" result may provide insight into how complex traits evolve by hooking together much simpler traits.

Solving DNA puzzles is overwhelming computer systems, researchers warn Posted: 15 Jul 2013 08:46 AM PDT Scientists in the fast-growing field of computational genomics are getting lots of data but lack the computer power needed to analyze it quickly.

How cranberries impact infection-causing bacteria Posted: 15 Jul 2013 08:46 AM PDT Researchers are shedding light on the biological mechanisms by which cranberries may impart protective properties against urinary tract and other infections.

Brain discovery could help schizophrenics Posted: 15 Jul 2013 07:56 AM PDT The discovery of brain impairment in mice may eventually lead to better therapies for people with schizophrenia and major depression.

New form of carbon: Grossly warped 'nanographene' Posted: 15 Jul 2013 07:56 AM PDT By introducing multiple odd-membered ring defects into a graphene lattice, researchers have experimentally demonstrated that the electronic properties of graphene can be modified in a predictable manner through precisely controlled chemical synthesis.

Free market is best way to combat climate change, study suggests Posted: 15 Jul 2013 07:54 AM PDT The best way to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change is through the use of market forces, according to a new study.

Attractive and successful: In bonobos, attractive females are more likely to win conflicts against males Posted: 15 Jul 2013 07:52 AM PDT While intersexual dominance relations in bonobos never have been thoroughly studied in the wild, several ideas exist of how females attain their dominance status. Some researchers suggest that bonobo female dominance is facilitated by females forming coalitions which suppress male aggression. Others think of an evolutionary scenario in which females prefer non-aggressive males which renders male aggressiveness to a non-adaptive trait.

Path of plaque buildup in brain shows promise as early biomarker for Alzheimer's disease Posted: 15 Jul 2013 07:51 AM PDT The trajectory of amyloid plaque buildup —- clumps of abnormal proteins in the brain linked to Alzheimer's disease —- may serve as a more powerful biomarker for early detection of cognitive decline rather than using the total amount to gauge risk, researchers suggest in a new study.

Neural origins of hot flashes identified in menopausal women Posted: 15 Jul 2013 07:51 AM PDT A new study from neuroscientists provides the first novel insights into the neural origins of hot flashes in menopausal women in years. The study may inform and eventually lead to new treatments for those who experience the sudden but temporary episodes of body warmth, flushing and sweating.

Drug shows dramatic reduction in seizures in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex Posted: 15 Jul 2013 07:51 AM PDT A drug originally developed to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs has now been shown to dramatically reduce seizures in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) -- a genetic disease characterized by benign tumors on multiple organ systems. TSC is estimated to affect more than a million individuals throughout the world.

Cancer researchers discover how BRCA mutation starts breast, ovarian cancers Posted: 15 Jul 2013 07:51 AM PDT Scientists have solved a key piece in the puzzle of how BRCA1 gene mutations specifically predispose women to breast and ovarian cancers.

Surprise finding reveals how adaptive our immune systems can be Posted: 15 Jul 2013 06:12 AM PDT Studies of patients with immunodeficiencies involving single gene mutations can reveal a great deal about our immune systems, especially when actual symptoms do not accord with clinical expectations. Australian scientists acknowledge such a gap between expectation and reality in a new study, which examines people with "Autosomal Dominant Hyper IgE Syndrome."

Biochemists uphold law of physics Posted: 15 Jul 2013 06:12 AM PDT Experiments by biochemists show for the first time that a law of physics, the ergodic theorem, can be demonstrated by a collection of individual protein molecules -- specifically, a protein that unwinds DNA.

Black-legged ticks linked to encephalitis in New York state Posted: 15 Jul 2013 06:12 AM PDT The number of tick-borne illnesses reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is on the rise. Lyme disease leads the pack, with some 35,000 cases reported annually. In the Northeast, the black-legged ticks that spread Lyme disease also infect people with other maladies, among them anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and -- now -- Powassan encephalitis.

Findings offer alternative approach to creating a universal influenza vaccine Posted: 15 Jul 2013 06:12 AM PDT Scientists have determined that it might be possible to stimulate the immune system against multiple strains of influenza virus by sequentially vaccinating individuals with distinct influenza strains isolated over the last century. It represents a different approach to creating a "universal" flu vaccine. Their results also suggest that world health experts might need to re-evaluate standard tests used for surveillance of novel influenza strains.

Early spatial reasoning predicts later creativity and innovation, especially in STEM fields Posted: 15 Jul 2013 04:03 AM PDT Exceptional spatial ability at age 13 predicts creative and scholarly achievements over 30 years later, according to new results.

Phytoplankton social mixers: Tiny ocean plants use turbulence for travel to social gatherings Posted: 15 Jul 2013 04:03 AM PDT Scientists have shown that the motility of phytoplankton also helps them determine their fate in ocean turbulence.

Physicists offer novel insight into experimental cancer treatment Posted: 15 Jul 2013 04:03 AM PDT Physicists have carried out new research into how the heating effect of an experimental cancer treatment works.

Very preterm babies show bonding difficulties despite parental sensitivity Posted: 15 Jul 2013 04:03 AM PDT A new study suggests that some very preterm babies have trouble bonding with their care-givers due to neurological impairments and not to the way their parents interact with them.

New retroviruses found in polar bear 'Knut' and panda 'Bao Bao' Posted: 15 Jul 2013 04:03 AM PDT Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are viruses that at some point in the past inserted themselves into the nuclear genome of a host's germ cell. Once integrated in a germ cell the virus would be passed on from one generation to the next and the endogenous retroviral genome would therefore be inherited to new species that evolve from the original host.

Smallest puzzle in the world Posted: 15 Jul 2013 04:03 AM PDT Researchers have created three puzzle pieces of less than 1 mm in size each that may be put together to make what is likely the smallest puzzle in the world. For production, researchers used a new process to manufacture microstructured casting molds. Inexpensive series production is combined with highest precision on the microscale to produce such things as components for watches, engines, or medical products. Now, large series of smallest parts can be injection-molded with the highest accuracy.

Taking the 'random' out of a random laser Posted: 15 Jul 2013 04:02 AM PDT Random Lasers are tiny structures emitting light irregularly into different directions. Scientists have now shown that these exotic light sources can be accurately controlled.

The universe or the brain: Where does math originate? Posted: 15 Jul 2013 04:01 AM PDT Four scientists debate whether math is an inherent part of the universe, or merely how our brains cope with - and explain - our environment.

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