ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Extinctions of large animals sever the Earth's 'nutrient arteries'
• Anthropologists study testosterone spikes in non-competitive activities
• Light slowed to a crawl in liquid crystal matrix
• Toxicologist says NAS panel 'misled the world' when adopting radiation exposure guidelines
• Super-fast quantum computers? Scientists find asymmetry in topological insulators
• Shortening tails gave early birds a leg up
• Brain scans may help diagnose dyslexia
• Ancient mammal relatives cast light on recovery after mass extinction
• New culprit that may make aging brains susceptible to neurodegenerative diseases identified
• Early surgery better than watchful waiting for patients with severe mitral valve regurgitation
• Ecosystems change long before species are lost
• High-angle helix helps bacteria swim
• New compound prevents first steps of fungal infection
• How genes tell cellular construction crews, 'Read me now!'
• Computer model predicts red blood cell flow
• Children with allergy, asthma may be at higher risk for ADHD
• Low-temperature combustion enables cleaner, more efficient engines
• Wireless devices go battery-free with new communication technique
• Meal timing can significantly improve fertility in women with polycystic ovaries
• Dating oldest known petroglyphs in North America
• Crowdsourcing weather using smartphone batteries
• Breaking up the superbugs' party
• Newly discovered 'switch' plays dual role in memory formation
• Fuel cell innovation: Novel cathode material which has outstanding performance
• Decellularized mouse heart beats again after regenerating with human heart precursor cells
• More accurate multiple sclerosis diagnostics possible
• 'Talking' to structures to boost public safety
• Heat waves increase incidence of infectious gastroenteritis and IBD flares
• Autism four times likelier when mother's thyroid is weakened
• Mediterranean diet counteracts a genetic risk of stroke
• Sugar toxic to mice in 'safe' doses, test finds
• Baby corals pass the acid test
• New strategy to disarm the dengue virus brings new hope for a universal dengue vaccine
• Virus-derived particles target blood cancer
• DHA-enriched formula in infancy linked to positive cognitive outcomes in childhood
• Canine distemper virus: An emerging disease in rare Amur tigers
• MRSA strain in humans originally came from cattle
• More siblings means less chance of divorce as adult
• Seafood: 'Ray' wings sold to consumers include vulnerable species and can be mislabeled
• Study challenges popular perception of new 'hookup culture' on college campuses
• Bright birds make good mothers
• Highest winter losses in recent years for honey bees in Scotland
• A hypnotic suggestion can generate true and automatic hallucinations
• Precisely measuring velocity of supernova shockwave
• Who benefits from vitamin D?
• Enhancer RNAs may open new avenues for gene therapy
• New electron beam writer enables next-gen biomedical and information technologies

Extinctions of large animals sever the Earth's 'nutrient arteries' Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:27 PM PDT A new study has demonstrated that large animals have acted as carriers of key nutrients to plants and animals over thousands of years and on continental scales.

Anthropologists study testosterone spikes in non-competitive activities Posted: 13 Aug 2013 05:14 PM PDT The everyday physical activities of an isolated group of forager-farmers in central Bolivia are providing valuable information about how industrialization and its associated modern amenities may impact health and wellness.

Light slowed to a crawl in liquid crystal matrix Posted: 13 Aug 2013 05:14 PM PDT Light traveling in a vacuum is the Universe's ultimate speed demon, racing along at approximately 300,000 kilometers/second. Now scientists have found an effective new way to put a speed bump in light's path. Researchers have embedded dye molecules in a liquid crystal matrix to throttle the group velocity of light back to less than one billionth of its top speed.

Toxicologist says NAS panel 'misled the world' when adopting radiation exposure guidelines Posted: 13 Aug 2013 05:14 PM PDT A toxicologist describes how regulators came to adopt the linear no threshold (LNT) dose-response approach to ionizing radiation exposure in the 1950s, which was later generalized to chemical carcinogen risk assessment. He also offers further evidence to support his earlier assertions that two geneticists deliberately suppressed evidence to prevent the U.S. National Academy of Sciences from considering an alternative, threshold model, for which there was experimental support.

Super-fast quantum computers? Scientists find asymmetry in topological insulators Posted: 13 Aug 2013 05:14 PM PDT New research shows that a class of materials being eyed for the next generation of computers behaves asymmetrically at the sub-atomic level. This research is a key step toward understanding the topological insulators that may have the potential to be the building blocks of a super-fast quantum computer that could run on almost no electricity.

Shortening tails gave early birds a leg up Posted: 13 Aug 2013 05:14 PM PDT A radical shortening of their bony tails over 100 million years ago enabled the earliest birds to develop versatile legs that gave them an evolutionary edge, a new study shows.

Brain scans may help diagnose dyslexia Posted: 13 Aug 2013 05:14 PM PDT A new study shows that differences in a key language structure can be seen even before children start learning to read.

Ancient mammal relatives cast light on recovery after mass extinction Posted: 13 Aug 2013 05:13 PM PDT Much work so far suggests that the survivors of mass extinctions often are presented with new ecological opportunities because the loss of many species in their communities allows them to evolve new lifestyles and new anatomical features as they fill the roles vacated by the victims. However, it turns out that not all survivors respond in the same way, and some may not be able to exploit fully the new opportunities arising after a mass extinction.

New culprit that may make aging brains susceptible to neurodegenerative diseases identified Posted: 13 Aug 2013 05:13 PM PDT The steady accumulation of a protein in healthy, aging brains may explain seniors' vulnerability to neurodegenerative disorders, a new study reports.

Early surgery better than watchful waiting for patients with severe mitral valve regurgitation Posted: 13 Aug 2013 05:09 PM PDT Patients with severe mitral valve regurgitation who are otherwise healthy should have mitral valve repair surgery sooner rather than later, even if they feel no symptoms. The results challenge the long-held belief that it is safer to "watch and wait" until a patient has symptoms, such as shortness of breath.

Ecosystems change long before species are lost Posted: 13 Aug 2013 10:45 AM PDT Researchers take a detailed look at how species affect an ecosystem as they progress through their lifecycles.

High-angle helix helps bacteria swim Posted: 13 Aug 2013 10:45 AM PDT It's counterintuitive but true: Some microorganisms that use flagella for locomotion are able to swim faster in gel-like fluids such as mucus. Research engineers have now figured out why. It's the angle of the coil that matters.

New compound prevents first steps of fungal infection Posted: 13 Aug 2013 10:45 AM PDT A team of researchers has discovered a chemical compound that prevents fungal cells from adhering to surfaces.

How genes tell cellular construction crews, 'Read me now!' Posted: 13 Aug 2013 10:04 AM PDT When egg and sperm combine, the new embryo bustles with activity. Its cells multiply so rapidly they largely ignore their DNA, other than to copy it and to read just a few essential genes. The embryonic cells mainly rely on molecular instructions placed in the egg by its mother in the form of RNA.

Computer model predicts red blood cell flow Posted: 13 Aug 2013 10:03 AM PDT Researchers have now created the first simplified computer model of the process that forms the Fåhræus-Lindqvist layer in our blood -- a model that could help to improve the design of artificial platelets and medical treatments for trauma injuries and for blood disorders such as sickle cell anemia and malaria.

Children with allergy, asthma may be at higher risk for ADHD Posted: 13 Aug 2013 10:03 AM PDT Researchers have found that there is an increased risk of ADHD in boys that have a history of allergy or asthma. The study also found an even stronger risk associated with milk intolerance.

Low-temperature combustion enables cleaner, more efficient engines Posted: 13 Aug 2013 10:03 AM PDT As demand climbs for more fuel-efficient vehicles, knowledge compiled over several years about diesel engines and a new strategy known as "low-temperature combustion" (LTC) might soon lead auto manufacturers and consumers to broader use of cleaner diesel engines in the United States.

Wireless devices go battery-free with new communication technique Posted: 13 Aug 2013 10:03 AM PDT Engineers have created a new wireless communication system that allows devices to interact with each other without relying on batteries or wires for power. The technology could enable a network of devices and sensors to communicate with no power source or human attention needed.

Meal timing can significantly improve fertility in women with polycystic ovaries Posted: 13 Aug 2013 09:16 AM PDT A common disorder that impairs fertility by producing an overabundance of insulin may be naturally treatable through meal timing. Research indicates that an increased caloric intake at breakfast can lead to lower levels of testosterone and a dramatic increase in ovulation frequency.

Dating oldest known petroglyphs in North America Posted: 13 Aug 2013 09:16 AM PDT A new high-tech analysis shows the oldest known petroglyphs in North America, which are cut into several boulders in western Nevada, date to at least 10,500 years ago and perhaps even as far back as 14,800 years ago.

Crowdsourcing weather using smartphone batteries Posted: 13 Aug 2013 09:16 AM PDT A group of smartphone app developers and weather experts have developed a way to use the temperature sensors built into smartphone batteries to crowdsource weather information. These tiny thermometers usually prevent smartphones from dangerously overheating, but the researchers discovered the battery temperatures tell a story about the environment around them.

Breaking up the superbugs' party Posted: 13 Aug 2013 09:15 AM PDT The fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs has taken a step forward thanks to a new discovery by scientists.

Newly discovered 'switch' plays dual role in memory formation Posted: 13 Aug 2013 08:23 AM PDT Researchers have uncovered a protein switch that can either increase or decrease memory-building activity in brain cells, depending on the signals it detects. Its dual role means the protein is key to understanding the complex network of signals that shapes our brain's circuitry, the researchers say.

Fuel cell innovation: Novel cathode material which has outstanding performance Posted: 13 Aug 2013 08:23 AM PDT Scientists have developed a novel cathode material which has outstanding performance and robust reliability even at the intermediate temperature range.

Decellularized mouse heart beats again after regenerating with human heart precursor cells Posted: 13 Aug 2013 08:23 AM PDT For the first time, a mouse heart beat again after its own cells were stripped and replaced with human heart precursor cells. The findings show the promise that regenerating a functional organ by placing human induced pluripotent stem cells -- which could be personalized for the recipient -- in a three-dimensional scaffold could have for transplantation and understanding heart development.

More accurate multiple sclerosis diagnostics possible Posted: 13 Aug 2013 08:21 AM PDT A group of proteins could play a role in helping multiple sclerosis patients get more accurate diagnostics about the severity and progress of their disease.

'Talking' to structures to boost public safety Posted: 13 Aug 2013 08:19 AM PDT Researchers are developing low-cost technology which can 'talk' to structures like bridges and airplanes to monitor their structural health and assess them for damage.

Heat waves increase incidence of infectious gastroenteritis and IBD flares Posted: 13 Aug 2013 08:17 AM PDT Swiss researchers report an increase risk of inflammatory bowel disease relapse in patients during heat wave periods. The study also found an increase of infectious gastroenteritis during heat waves, with the strongest impact following a 7 day lag time after the heat wave.

Autism four times likelier when mother's thyroid is weakened Posted: 13 Aug 2013 08:17 AM PDT Pregnant women who don't make nearly enough thyroid hormone are nearly 4 times likelier to produce autistic children than healthy women.

Mediterranean diet counteracts a genetic risk of stroke Posted: 13 Aug 2013 08:17 AM PDT A gene variant strongly associated with development of type 2 diabetes appears to interact with a Mediterranean diet pattern to prevent stroke, report researchers. The results are a significant advance for nutrigenomics, the study of the linkages between nutrition and gene function.

Sugar toxic to mice in 'safe' doses, test finds Posted: 13 Aug 2013 08:17 AM PDT When mice ate a diet of 25 percent extra sugar -- the mouse equivalent of a healthy human diet plus three cans of soda daily -- females died at twice the normal rate and males were a quarter less likely to hold territory and reproduce, according to a toxicity test developed at the University of Utah.

Baby corals pass the acid test Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:19 AM PDT Corals can survive the early stages of their development even under the tough conditions that rising carbon emissions will impose on them says a new study. Globally, ocean acidification remains a major concern and scientists say it could have severe consequences for the health of adult corals, however, the evidence for negative effects on the early life stages of corals is less clear cut.

New strategy to disarm the dengue virus brings new hope for a universal dengue vaccine Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:19 AM PDT A new strategy that cripples the ability of the dengue virus to escape the host immune system has been discovered. This breakthrough strategy opens a door of hope to what may become the world's first universal dengue vaccine candidate that can give full protection from all four serotypes of the dreadful virus.

Virus-derived particles target blood cancer Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:19 AM PDT Researchers have developed unique virus-derived particles that can kill human blood cancer cells in the laboratory and eradicate the disease in mice with few side effects.

DHA-enriched formula in infancy linked to positive cognitive outcomes in childhood Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:19 AM PDT While the effect of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in infant formula on children's cognitive development may not always be evident on standardized developmental tasks at 18 months, significant effects may emerge later on more specific or fine-grained tasks.

Canine distemper virus: An emerging disease in rare Amur tigers Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:18 AM PDT Rare Amur tigers in Russia are succumbing to infection with canine distemper virus, a pathogen most commonly found in domestic dogs, according to new research.

MRSA strain in humans originally came from cattle Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:18 AM PDT A strain of bacteria that causes skin and soft tissue infections in humans originally came from cattle, according to a new study. The researchers who conducted the genetic analysis of strains of Staphylococcus aureus known as CC97 say these strains developed resistance to methicillin after they crossed over into humans around forty years ago.

More siblings means less chance of divorce as adult Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:18 AM PDT Growing up with siblings may provide some protection against divorce as an adult, a new nationwide study reveals.

Seafood: 'Ray' wings sold to consumers include vulnerable species and can be mislabeled Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:18 AM PDT Genetic testing by DNA Barcoding, has revealed which species are sold under the commercial term "ray wings" in Ireland and the UK. The blonde ray, given the lowest rating for sustainability in the marine conservation society's good fish guide, was the most widely sold. Samples from the only retailer to label products as originating from more sustainable sources demonstrated high levels of mislabeling, substituted by more vulnerable species. Therefore, consumers cannot make informed purchasing decisions.

Study challenges popular perception of new 'hookup culture' on college campuses Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:18 AM PDT A new study challenges the popular perception that there is a "new and pervasive hookup culture" among contemporary college students.

Bright birds make good mothers Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:15 AM PDT Female blue tits with brightly coloured crowns are better mothers than duller birds, according to a new study.

Highest winter losses in recent years for honey bees in Scotland Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:15 AM PDT Soaring numbers of honey bees died last winter new Scottish research has revealed.

A hypnotic suggestion can generate true and automatic hallucinations Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:10 AM PDT Scientists have found evidence that hypnotic suggestion can modify processing of a targeted stimulus before it reaches consciousness. The experiments show that it is possible to hypnotically modulate even highly automatic features of perception, such as color experience.

Precisely measuring velocity of supernova shockwave Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:10 AM PDT Astronomers have precisely measured the expansion velocity of a shockwave of the supernova remnant W44. The remnant is located in the constellation of Aquila, approximately 10,000 light-years away from our solar system. The team observed the high-temperature and high-density molecular gas in the millimeter/submillimeter wave ranges.

Who benefits from vitamin D? Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:10 AM PDT Studying the expression of genes that are dependent on vitamin D makes it possible to identify individuals who will benefit from vitamin D supplementation, shows a new study. Population-based studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk for chronic diseases and weaken the body's immune system.

Enhancer RNAs may open new avenues for gene therapy Posted: 13 Aug 2013 07:10 AM PDT A study investigating the function of the recently discovered enhancer RNA molecules may open new avenues for gene therapy. According to the study researchers, altering the production and function of these molecules could affect the expression of genes and, in consequence, possibly also the progression of various diseases.

New electron beam writer enables next-gen biomedical and information technologies Posted: 12 Aug 2013 05:35 PM PDT The new electron beam writer housed in the Nano3 cleanroom facility at the Qualcomm Institute is important for electrical engineering professor Shadi Dayeh's two major areas of research. He is developing next-generation, nanoscale transistors for integrated electronics; and he is developing neural probes that have the capacity to extract electrical signals from individual brain cells and transmit the information to a prosthetic device or computer.

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