ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• NASA spacecraft reactivated to hunt for asteroids; Probe will assist agency in search for candidates to explore
• Rising mountains, cooling oceans prompted spread of invasive species 450 million years ago
• Antipsychotic drug use in children for mood/behavior disorders increases type 2 diabetes risk
• Disease caused by repeat brain trauma in athletes may affect memory, mood, behavior
• After a fire, before a flood: NASA's Landsat directs restoration to at-risk areas
• NASA's Fermi celebrates five years in space, enters extended mission
• NASA Goddard plays major role in NASA lunar mission
• NASA plans to crash helicopter to study safety
• Astronomers take sharpest photos ever of the night sky
• What is your heart attack risk?
• Lab-made complexes are 'sun sponges'
• High-precision measurement of subatomic shape shifting and new result on differences among neutrino masses
• How women achieve a healthier weight may impact long-term health of offspring
• Experimental Ebola treatment protects some primates even after disease symptoms appear
• Mood is influenced by immune cells called to the brain in response to stress
• Tuberculosis genomes portray secrets of pathogen's success
• JPL, Masten testing new precision landing software
• Mars rover Opportunity working at edge of 'Solander'
• NASA Voyager statement about competing models to explain recent spacecraft data
• NASA rover gets movie as a Mars moon passes another
• Radar images of Asteroid 2005 WK4
• Littlest continent had biggest role in sea level drop
• Cassini releases image of Earth waving at Saturn
• Genesis and evolution of H7N9 influenza virus
• Putting sleep disorders to bed: New way to improve internal clock function
• The bitter and the sweet: Fruit flies reveal a new interaction between the two
• MERS virus discovered in bat near site of outbreak in Saudi Arabia
• Researchers open a door for solid state physics: Laser processes observed with X-rays on a solid
• Mother's genes can impact aging process
• Bacteria make us feel pain… and suppress our immune response
• Schizophrenia symptoms linked to faulty 'switch' in brain
• A brighter method for measuring the surface gravity of distant stars
• Physicists pinpoint key property of material that both conducts and insulates
• Poor oral health linked to cancer-causing oral HPV infection
• Brain circuit can tune anxiety
• How personality affects fertility: Men's and women's personalities linked to likelihood that they will have children
• Forest-interior birds may be benefiting from harvested clearings
• Use of tPA for ischemic stroke nearly doubled from 2003 to 2011
• Viewing Fukushima in the cold light of Chernobyl
• New tests for determining health and environmental effects of nanomaterials
• First scientific method to authenticate world's costliest coffee, from the feces of the palm civet
• Psychotherapy lags as evidence goes unheeded
• Elevated levels of copper in amyloid plaques associated with neurodegeneration in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease
• Shorter working hours do not guarantee happier workers
• Hand transplantation: New method for local immunosuppression successful
• Crocodile confession: Meat-eating predators occasionally eat fruit
• Grandmothers who raise their grandkids struggle with depression, study suggests
• Carbon monoxide penetrates gypsum wallboard
• A new gene-expression mechanism is a minor thing of major importance
• 'Virtual heart' precision-guides defibrillator placement in children with heart disease
• Pulsars make a GPS for the cosmos
• Plasma-treated nano filters help purify world water supply
• X-ray vision to detect unseen gold
• Playing video games can boost brain power
• Better insight into molecular interactions
• Hue of barn swallow breast feathers can influence their health
• Hamster genome decoded: Researchers successfully sequence genome of Chinese hamster
• Honeyguide birds destroy own species' eggs to eliminate competition
• Peering into the heart of aquatic embryo development
• Human foot not as unique as originally thought

NASA spacecraft reactivated to hunt for asteroids; Probe will assist agency in search for candidates to explore Posted: 21 Aug 2013 02:56 PM PDT A NASA spacecraft that discovered and characterized tens of thousands of asteroids throughout the solar system before being placed in hibernation will return to service for three more years starting in September, assisting the agency in its effort to identify the population of potentially hazardous near-Earth objects, as well as those suitable for asteroid exploration missions.

Rising mountains, cooling oceans prompted spread of invasive species 450 million years ago Posted: 21 Aug 2013 02:01 PM PDT New research suggests that the rise of an early phase of the Appalachian Mountains and cooling oceans allowed invasive species to upset the North American ecosystem 450 million years ago.

Antipsychotic drug use in children for mood/behavior disorders increases type 2 diabetes risk Posted: 21 Aug 2013 02:01 PM PDT Prescribing of "atypical" antipsychotic medications to children and young adults with behavioral problems or mood disorders may put them at unnecessary risk for type 2 diabetes, a new study shows. Young people using medications like risperidone, quetiapine, aripiprazol and olanzapine led to a threefold increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes within the first year of taking the drug, according to the study.

Disease caused by repeat brain trauma in athletes may affect memory, mood, behavior Posted: 21 Aug 2013 02:01 PM PDT New research suggests that chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease associated with repeat brain trauma including concussions in athletes, may affect people in two major ways: initially affecting behavior or mood or initially affecting memory and thinking abilities. The condition has been found in amateur and professional athletes, members of the military and others who experienced repeated head injuries, including concussions and subconcussive trauma.

After a fire, before a flood: NASA's Landsat directs restoration to at-risk areas Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:28 PM PDT While the 138,000-acre Silver Fire still smoldered, forest restoration specialists were on the job. They analyzed maps created using Landsat satellite data to determine where the burn destroyed vegetation and exposed soil -- and where to focus emergency restoration efforts.

NASA's Fermi celebrates five years in space, enters extended mission Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:25 PM PDT During its five-year primary mission, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has given astronomers an increasingly detailed portrait of the universe's most extraordinary phenomena, from giant black holes in the hearts of distant galaxies to thunderstorms on Earth.

NASA Goddard plays major role in NASA lunar mission Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:23 PM PDT In partnership with NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, Calif., Goddard's Wallops Flight Facility will launch the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer known as LADEE in September, a robotic mission that will study the moon's thin atmosphere and dust particles.

NASA plans to crash helicopter to study safety Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:22 PM PDT NASA researchers will drop a 45-foot-long helicopter fuselage from a height of about 30 feet to test improved seat belts and seats and advance experimental techniques and crashworthiness data.

Astronomers take sharpest photos ever of the night sky Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:21 PM PDT Thanks to new technology, astronomers can now view objects in the sky at unprecedented sharpness in visible light. Using a telescope mirror that vibrates a thousand times each second to counteract atmospheric flickering, the team has achieved image resolution capabilities that could see a baseball diamond on the moon.

What is your heart attack risk? Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:21 PM PDT Researchers in India have carried out a data mining exercise to determine which are the most important risk factors in increasing the chances of an individual suffering a heart attack. They confirm that the usual suspects high blood cholesterol, intake of alcohol and passive smoking play the most crucial role in "severe," "moderate" and "mild" cardiac risks, respectively.

Lab-made complexes are 'sun sponges' Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:21 PM PDT Scientists have described a testbed for light-harvesting antennae, the structures that capture the sun's light in plants and bacteria. Prototype designs built on the testbed soak up more of the sun's spectrum and are far easier to assemble than synthetic antennas made entirely from scratch. They offer the best of both worlds, combining human synthetic ingenuity with the repertoire of robust chemical machinery selected by evolution.

High-precision measurement of subatomic shape shifting and new result on differences among neutrino masses Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:21 PM PDT New results about the oscillation of neutrinos -- elusive, ghostlike particles that carry invaluable clues about the makeup of the early universe -- have been announced by the Daya Bay Collaboration, an international experiment taking place outside of Hong Kong.

How women achieve a healthier weight may impact long-term health of offspring Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:21 PM PDT New research suggests that the healthy weight and glucose control women achieve through weight-loss surgery don't necessarily translate into health benefits for their future children.

Experimental Ebola treatment protects some primates even after disease symptoms appear Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:20 PM PDT Scientists have successfully treated the deadly Ebola virus in infected animals following onset of disease symptoms, according to a new article. The results show promise for developing therapies against the virus, which causes hemorrhagic fever with human case fatality rates as high as 90 percent.

Mood is influenced by immune cells called to the brain in response to stress Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:16 PM PDT New research shows that in a dynamic mind-body interaction during the interpretation of prolonged stress, cells from the immune system are recruited to the brain and promote symptoms of anxiety.

Tuberculosis genomes portray secrets of pathogen's success Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:15 PM PDT By any measure, tuberculosis (TB) is a wildly successful pathogen. It infects as many as two billion people in every corner of the world, with a new infection of a human host estimated to occur every second.

JPL, Masten testing new precision landing software Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:12 PM PDT A year after NASA's Mars rover Curiosity's landed on Mars, engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., are testing a sophisticated flight-control algorithm that could allow for even more precise, pinpoint landings of future Martian spacecraft.

Mars rover Opportunity working at edge of 'Solander' Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:10 PM PDT NASA's Mars rover Opportunity is studying the area of contact between a rock layer formed in acidic wet conditions long ago and an even older one that may be from a more neutral wet environment.

NASA Voyager statement about competing models to explain recent spacecraft data Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:06 PM PDT A newly published paper argues that NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has already entered interstellar space. The model described in the paper is new and different from other models used so far to explain the data the spacecraft has been sending back from more than 11 billion miles (18 billion kilometers) away from our sun.

NASA rover gets movie as a Mars moon passes another Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:02 PM PDT The larger of the two moons of Mars, Phobos, passes directly in front of the other, Deimos, in a new series of sky-watching images from NASA's Mars rover Curiosity.

Radar images of Asteroid 2005 WK4 Posted: 21 Aug 2013 12:01 PM PDT A collage of radar images of near-Earth asteroid 2005 WK4 was generated by NASA scientists using the 230-foot (70-meter) Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, Calif., on Aug. 8, 2013. The asteroid is between 660 and 980 feet (200 and 300 meters) in diameter; it has a rounded and slightly asymmetric shape. As it rotates, a number of features are evident that suggest the presence of some flat regions and a bulge near the equator.

Littlest continent had biggest role in sea level drop Posted: 21 Aug 2013 11:48 AM PDT A unique and complex set of circumstances came together over Australia from 2010 to 2011 to cause Earth's smallest continent to be the biggest contributor to the observed drop in global sea level rise during that time, finds a new study co-authored and co-funded by NASA.

Cassini releases image of Earth waving at Saturn Posted: 21 Aug 2013 11:46 AM PDT People around the world shared more than 1,400 images of themselves as part of the Wave at Saturn event organized by NASA's Cassini mission on July 19 -- the day the Cassini spacecraft turned back toward Earth to take our picture. The mission has assembled a collage from those images.

Genesis and evolution of H7N9 influenza virus Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:27 AM PDT Influenza researchers have used genetic sequencing to trace the source and evolution of the avian H7N9 influenza virus that emerged in humans in China earlier this year.

Putting sleep disorders to bed: New way to improve internal clock function Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:27 AM PDT Researchers have identified how a fundamental biological process called protein synthesis is controlled within the body's circadian clock -- the internal mechanism that controls one's daily rhythms. Their findings may help shed light on future treatments for disorders triggered by circadian clock dysfunction, including jet lag, shift work disorders, and chronic conditions like depression and Parkinson's disease.

The bitter and the sweet: Fruit flies reveal a new interaction between the two Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:27 AM PDT Fruit flies have a lot to teach us about the complexity of food. Like these tiny little creatures, most animals are attracted to sugar but are deterred from eating it when bitter compounds are added.

MERS virus discovered in bat near site of outbreak in Saudi Arabia Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:27 AM PDT A 100 percent genetic match for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome has been discovered in an insect-eating bat in close proximity to the first known case of the disease in Saudi Arabia. The discovery points to the likely animal origin for the disease, although researchers say that an intermediary animal is likely also involved.

Researchers open a door for solid state physics: Laser processes observed with X-rays on a solid Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:27 AM PDT Researchers report a new way to use X-rays to probe the properties of solid materials. They were able to show that solids lend themselves to X-ray analysis based on nonlinear physical effects. Until now, this could only be done using laser analysis. Their results could potentially redefine what future lightsources ought to look like.

Mother's genes can impact aging process Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:27 AM PDT Researchers have shown that aging is determined not only by the accumulation of changes during our lifetime, but also by the genes we acquire from our mothers.

Bacteria make us feel pain… and suppress our immune response Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:27 AM PDT Researchers found pain from invasive skin infections from Staph, and possibly other serious, painful infections, appear to be induced by the invading bacteria themselves, and not by the body's immune response as previously thought. The research demonstrates that once the pain neurons "sense" the bacteria, they suppress the immune system, potentially helping the bacteria become more virulent.

Schizophrenia symptoms linked to faulty 'switch' in brain Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:24 AM PDT Scientists have shown that psychotic symptoms experienced by people with schizophrenia could be caused by a faulty 'switch' within the brain.

A brighter method for measuring the surface gravity of distant stars Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:23 AM PDT Astronomers have found a clever new way to slice and dice the flickering light from a distant star in a way that reveals its surface gravity, one of the key properties that astronomers use to calculate a star's physical properties and assess its evolutionary state.

Physicists pinpoint key property of material that both conducts and insulates Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:23 AM PDT Scientists have made the first-ever accurate determination of a solid-state triple point -- the temperature and pressure at which three different solid phases can coexist stably -- in a substance called vanadium dioxide.

Poor oral health linked to cancer-causing oral HPV infection Posted: 21 Aug 2013 10:23 AM PDT Poor oral health, including gum disease and dental problems, was found to be associated with oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which causes about 40 percent to 80 percent of oropharyngeal cancers, according to a new study.

Brain circuit can tune anxiety Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:47 AM PDT New findings may help neuroscientists pinpoint better targets for antianxiety treatments.

How personality affects fertility: Men's and women's personalities linked to likelihood that they will have children Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:47 AM PDT A new study finds a link between men's and women's personalities and the likelihood that they will have children.

Forest-interior birds may be benefiting from harvested clearings Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:46 AM PDT Wildlife biologists suggest that forest regrowth in clearcuts may be vital to birds as they prepare for fall migration.

Use of tPA for ischemic stroke nearly doubled from 2003 to 2011 Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:46 AM PDT Use of the "clot-busting" drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) to treat patients with strokes caused by a blockage of blood flow nearly doubled between 2003 and 2011. A research team reports both an overall increase in the use of tPA to dissolve clots blocking arteries supplying the brain and administration of the potentially life-saving drug to a more diverse group of patients.

Viewing Fukushima in the cold light of Chernobyl Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:45 AM PDT Three research articles on Chernobyl bring a new focus on just how extensive the long-term effects of the Fukushim Daiichi nuclear disaster might be on Japanese wildlife.

New tests for determining health and environmental effects of nanomaterials Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:45 AM PDT A group of international experts from government, industry and academia have concluded that alternative testing strategies that don't rely on animals will be needed to cope with the wave of new nanomaterials emerging from the boom in nanoscience and nanotechnology.

First scientific method to authenticate world's costliest coffee, from the feces of the palm civet Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:45 AM PDT The world's most expensive coffee can cost $80 a cup, and scientists now are reporting development of the first way to verify authenticity of this crème de la crème, the beans of which come from the feces of a Southeast Asian animal called a palm civet. Their study appears in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Psychotherapy lags as evidence goes unheeded Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:45 AM PDT Psychologists analyze why the use of psychotherapy has declined despite a strong evidence base for the efficacy of some psychosocial treatments. The problems, they find, lie within the profession as well as outside.

Elevated levels of copper in amyloid plaques associated with neurodegeneration in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:44 AM PDT Metals such as iron, copper, and zinc are important for many biological processes. In recent years, studies have shown that these nutritionally-essential metals are elevated in human Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains and some animal models of AD. Scientists are now exploring whether these metals are causing the neurodegeneration seen in AD or are indicative of other ongoing pathologic processes.

Shorter working hours do not guarantee happier workers Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:44 AM PDT A reduction in working hours does not necessarily mean happier employees, as it might merely be adding stress to their general working environment. This is according to a study that looks at the impact of South Korea's recently introduced Five-Day Working Policy.

Hand transplantation: New method for local immunosuppression successful Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:44 AM PDT Hope for hand amputees: researchers have successfully tested a new method for local immunosuppression.

Crocodile confession: Meat-eating predators occasionally eat fruit Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:43 AM PDT A new study led by the Wildlife Conservation Society says that the American alligator and a dozen other crocodile species enjoy an occasional taste of fruit along with their normal meat-heavy diets of mammals, birds, and fish.

Grandmothers who raise their grandkids struggle with depression, study suggests Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:43 AM PDT Grandmothers who care for their grandkids fulltime need help for depression and family strains, report researchers.

Carbon monoxide penetrates gypsum wallboard Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:42 AM PDT Carbon monoxide (CO) from external sources can easily penetrate gypsum wallboard (drywall) commonly used in apartments and houses, potentially exposing people indoors to the toxic, odorless, tasteless gas within minutes, concludes a new study. CO also penetrates painted drywall, albeit more slowly, the researchers determined.

A new gene-expression mechanism is a minor thing of major importance Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:42 AM PDT A rare, small RNA turns a gene-splicing machine into a switch that controls the expression of hundreds of human genes. Researchers have discovered an entirely new aspect of the gene-splicing process that produces messenger RNA.

'Virtual heart' precision-guides defibrillator placement in children with heart disease Posted: 21 Aug 2013 09:42 AM PDT The small size and abnormal anatomy of children born with heart defects often force doctors to place lifesaving defibrillators entirely outside the heart, rather than partly inside — a less-than-ideal solution to dangerous heart rhythms that involves a degree of guesstimating and can compromise therapy.

Pulsars make a GPS for the cosmos Posted: 21 Aug 2013 06:49 AM PDT Scientists have written software that could guide spacecraft to Alpha Centauri, show that the planet Nibiru doesn't exist... and prove that the Earth goes around the Sun.

Plasma-treated nano filters help purify world water supply Posted: 21 Aug 2013 06:49 AM PDT Access to safe drinking water is a step closer to being a reality for those in developing countries.

X-ray vision to detect unseen gold Posted: 21 Aug 2013 06:49 AM PDT Powerful x-rays can now be used to rapidly and accurately detect gold in ore samples, thanks to a new technique -- a move that could save Australia's minerals industry hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

Playing video games can boost brain power Posted: 21 Aug 2013 06:49 AM PDT Certain types of video games can help to train the brain to become more agile and improve strategic thinking, according to scientists.

Better insight into molecular interactions Posted: 21 Aug 2013 06:49 AM PDT How molecules in biochemical solutions do interact, is a question of great importance for understanding processes in catalysts, functional materials and even in organisms. Until now, scientists could have a look at these interactions by spectroscopy, but it was hard to distinguish the different interactions, which take place simultaneously. New research could now change the game.

Hue of barn swallow breast feathers can influence their health Posted: 21 Aug 2013 06:49 AM PDT A new study shows the outward appearance of female barn swallows, specifically the hue of their chestnut-colored breast feathers, has an influence on their physiological health.

Hamster genome decoded: Researchers successfully sequence genome of Chinese hamster Posted: 21 Aug 2013 06:48 AM PDT Genome researchers have succeeded in sequencing the genome of the Chinese hamster. The Chinese hamster supplies the cell cultures used by the pharmaceutical industry to produce biopharmaceutical products such as antibodies used in medicine.

Honeyguide birds destroy own species' eggs to eliminate competition Posted: 21 Aug 2013 05:54 AM PDT Like cuckoos, honeyguides are parasitic birds that lay their eggs in other birds' nests and dupe them into raising their young. Now scientists reveal that, unlike in cuckoos, the resemblance between honeyguide eggs and those of their bee-eater bird hosts hasn't evolved to trick hosts into accepting the imposter egg as one of their own.

Peering into the heart of aquatic embryo development Posted: 21 Aug 2013 05:54 AM PDT Scientists using a pioneering bio-imaging system to record simultaneously the development of hundreds of aquatic embryos have discovered significant parent-offspring similarities in the timing and sequence of that development.

Human foot not as unique as originally thought Posted: 21 Aug 2013 05:54 AM PDT The mechanisms of the human foot are not as unique as originally thought and have much more in common with the flexible feet of other great apes.

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