ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Spider venom reveals new secret: Once injected into a bite wound, venom of brown recluse spider causes unexpected reaction
• Collagen patch speeds repair of damaged heart tissue in mice
• Eating whole fruits linked to lower risk of Type 2 diabetes
• Terror bird's beak was worse than its bite: 'Terror bird' was probably a herbivore
• Intensity of Facebook use can be predicted by reward-related activity in the brain
• Bacteria supplemented their diet to clean up after Deep Water Horizon oil
• A wine a day ... keeps the psychiatrist away? Light drinking linked to lower risk of depression
• Toward an early diagnostic tool for Alzheimer's disease
• Hydrogen fuel from sunlight
• Protein predicts breast cancer prognosis
• From cancer treatment to ion thruster: The newest little idea for nanosat micro rockets
• Mutations in a gene that impacts immune function increase susceptibility to prostate cancer
• Little difference between heavy metal pollutants in fish at oil platforms and natural sites
• Novel topological crystalline insulator shows mass appeal
• 'Trojan' asteroids in far reaches of solar system more common than previously thought
• Poor concentration: Poverty reduces brainpower needed for navigating other areas of life
• Protein that protects nucleus also regulates stem cell differentiation
• Learning how to migrate: Young whoopers stay the course when they follow a wise old bird
• Transparent artificial muscle plays music to prove a point
• NASA's Chandra Observatory catches giant black hole rejecting material
• NASA data reveals mega-canyon under Greenland ice sheet
• Now hear this: Scientists discover compound to prevent noise-related hearing loss
• Learning a new language alters brain development
• Single gene change increases mouse lifespan by 20 percent
• On warming Antarctic Peninsula, moss and microbes reveal unprecedented ecological change
• NASA's Hubble sees a cosmic caterpillar
• Statins may slow human aging by protecting against telomere shortening: A feature of senescent cells
• 'Safe' levels of environmental pollution may have long-term health consequences
• Antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella tracked from farm to fork
• Substance use by adolescents on an average day is alarming
• Doubling the daily allowance of protein intake with diet and exercise protects muscle loss
• Potential diagnostic marker for zinc status offers insights into the effects of zinc deficiency
• Protect corridors to save tigers, leopards
• Reproducing nature's chemistry: Researchers alter molecular properties in a new way
• Dieting for obese mothers just before pregnancy may not be enough
• Newly discovered weakness in cancer cells make them more susceptible to chemotherapy
• Clingy platelets suggest potential treatment strategy for rheumatoid arthritis
• New imaging technology promising for several types of cancer
• Adding blood pressure drug to standard antibiotics speeds up TB treatment
• 'Mini human brains' created: Scientists grow human brain tissue in 3-D culture system
• Where can coral reefs relocate to escape the heat?
• Ozone depletion linked to extreme precipitation in austral summer
• Your spouse's voice is easier to hear -- and easier to ignore
• Human heart disease recently found in chimpanzees
• New sensor is almost as sensitive as a dog's nose
• Why electrons pass through very tiny wires less smoothly than expected: Light shed on 20-year-old mystery
• Unexpected use of former cancer drug
• Recipe for Britain's first chilled chocolate treats discovered
• Echolocation for humans: Playing it by ear
• Neutron stars in the computer cloud
• Why smokers gain weight when they quit smoking: Changes in intestinal flora
• First large scale study links autism and autoimmunity
• Scientists detail critical role of gene in many lung cancer cases
• Men feel worse about themselves when female partners succeed

Spider venom reveals new secret: Once injected into a bite wound, venom of brown recluse spider causes unexpected reaction Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:47 PM PDT Venom of spiders of the genus Loxosceles, which includes the brown recluse, produces a different chemical product than scientists have long believed. The discovery could lead to better understanding of how these spider bites can cause necrotic lesions or systemic reactions in humans and to new treatments for spider bites.

Collagen patch speeds repair of damaged heart tissue in mice Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:46 PM PDT Researchers have developed a patch composed of structurally modified collagen that can be grafted onto damaged heart tissue. Their studies in mice have demonstrated that the patch not only speeds generation of new cells and blood vessels in the damaged area, it also limits the degree of tissue damage resulting from the original trauma.

Eating whole fruits linked to lower risk of Type 2 diabetes Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:46 PM PDT Eating more whole fruits, particularly blueberries, grapes, and apples, was significantly associated with a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

Terror bird's beak was worse than its bite: 'Terror bird' was probably a herbivore Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:45 PM PDT Analysis of fossilized remains of the two meter tall terror bird (Gastornis) indicate that was unlikely to have been a carnivore.

Intensity of Facebook use can be predicted by reward-related activity in the brain Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:44 PM PDT Neuroscientists have shown a link between reward activity in the brain due to discovering one has a good reputation and social media use.

Bacteria supplemented their diet to clean up after Deep Water Horizon oil Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:43 PM PDT Bacteria living in the Gulf of Mexico beaches were able to 'eat up' the contamination from the Deep Water Horizon oil spill by supplementing their diet with nitrogen.

A wine a day ... keeps the psychiatrist away? Light drinking linked to lower risk of depression Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:43 PM PDT Drinking wine in moderation may be associated with a lower risk of developing depression, according to new research.  The reported findings suggest that the moderate amounts of alcohol consumed may have similar protective effects on depression to those that have been observed for coronary heart disease. The lowest rates of depression were seen in the group of individuals who drank two to seven small glasses of wine per week.

Toward an early diagnostic tool for Alzheimer's disease Posted: 29 Aug 2013 12:58 PM PDT Despite all the research done on Alzheimer's, there is still no early diagnostic tool for the disease. By looking at the brain wave components of individuals with the disease, scientists have identified a promising avenue of research that may not only help diagnose the disease, but also assess its severity.

Hydrogen fuel from sunlight Posted: 29 Aug 2013 12:58 PM PDT Researchers have developed a way to interface a molecular hydrogen-producing catalyst with a visible light absorbing semiconductor. With this approach, hydrogen fuel can be produced off a photocathode using sunlight.

Protein predicts breast cancer prognosis Posted: 29 Aug 2013 12:58 PM PDT Researchers have identified a protein that they believe may help predict breast cancer prognosis, potentially relieving thousands of women at low risk from having to undergo painful, oft-debilitating therapies, while insuring the most successful treatments for those at high risk.

From cancer treatment to ion thruster: The newest little idea for nanosat micro rockets Posted: 29 Aug 2013 12:56 PM PDT The next generation of micro rockets could be built around a magnetic fluid that appears to defy gravity.

Mutations in a gene that impacts immune function increase susceptibility to prostate cancer Posted: 29 Aug 2013 12:56 PM PDT Mutations in the gene BTNL2, which encodes a protein involved in regulating T-cell proliferation and cytokine production – both of which impact immune function – increase the risk of developing prostate cancer.

Little difference between heavy metal pollutants in fish at oil platforms and natural sites Posted: 29 Aug 2013 11:52 AM PDT Scientists analyzed whole-body fish samples taken from oil-and-gas production platforms and natural sites for heavy metal pollutants. The results showed all but four elements were relatively consistent at both types of location.

Novel topological crystalline insulator shows mass appeal Posted: 29 Aug 2013 11:52 AM PDT Physicists have theorized that topological crystalline insulators possess unique surface states as a result of crystalline symmetry. An international team of researchers has confirmed that experimental signature and revealed that disrupting the lattice-like structure imparts mass upon previously mass-less electrons. Furthermore, the researchers found manipulating structural symmetry offers a degree of control over the electronic phases of the solid-state material.

'Trojan' asteroids in far reaches of solar system more common than previously thought Posted: 29 Aug 2013 11:52 AM PDT Astronomers have discovered the first Trojan asteroid sharing the orbit of Uranus, and believe 2011 QF99 is part of a larger-than-expected population of transient objects temporarily trapped by the gravitational pull of the solar system's giant planets.

Poor concentration: Poverty reduces brainpower needed for navigating other areas of life Posted: 29 Aug 2013 11:51 AM PDT Poverty and all its related concerns require so much mental energy that the poor have less remaining brainpower to devote to other areas of life.

Protein that protects nucleus also regulates stem cell differentiation Posted: 29 Aug 2013 11:51 AM PDT The fact that bone is rigid and mechanically distinct from soft fat or brain had been speculated to play some role in differentiation to new cells in those parts of the body, but mechanisms have been unclear. Now, scientists have shown that a protein found in the nuclei of all cells -- lamin-A -- plays a key role in the differentiation process.

Learning how to migrate: Young whoopers stay the course when they follow a wise old bird Posted: 29 Aug 2013 11:51 AM PDT How do birds find their way on migration? Is their route encoded in their genes, or learned? Working with records from a long-term effort to reintroduce critically endangered whooping cranes in the Eastern US, researchers found these long-lived birds learn the route from older cranes, and get better at it with age.

Transparent artificial muscle plays music to prove a point Posted: 29 Aug 2013 11:50 AM PDT In a materials science laboratory, a transparent disk connected to a laptop fills the room with music —- it's the "Morning" prelude from Peer Gynt, played on an ionic speaker. No ordinary speaker, it consists of a thin sheet of rubber sandwiched between two layers of a saltwater gel, and it's as clear as a window.

NASA's Chandra Observatory catches giant black hole rejecting material Posted: 29 Aug 2013 11:23 AM PDT Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have taken a major step in explaining why material around the giant black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy is extraordinarily faint in X-rays. This discovery holds important implications for understanding black holes.

NASA data reveals mega-canyon under Greenland ice sheet Posted: 29 Aug 2013 11:16 AM PDT Data from a NASA airborne science mission reveals evidence of a large and previously unknown canyon hidden under a mile of Greenland ice. The canyon has the characteristics of a winding river channel and is at least 460 miles (750 kilometers) long, making it longer than the Grand Canyon. In some places, it is as deep as 2,600 feet (800 meters), on scale with segments of the Grand Canyon. This immense feature is thought to predate the ice sheet that has covered Greenland for the last few million years.

Now hear this: Scientists discover compound to prevent noise-related hearing loss Posted: 29 Aug 2013 09:43 AM PDT Your mother was right when she warned you that loud music could damage your hearing, but now scientists have discovered exactly what gets damaged and how. Scientists now describe exactly what type of damage noise does to the inner ear, and provide insights into a compound that may prevent noise-related damage.

Learning a new language alters brain development Posted: 29 Aug 2013 09:43 AM PDT The age at which children learn a second language can have a significant bearing on the structure of their adult brain, according to a new study.

Single gene change increases mouse lifespan by 20 percent Posted: 29 Aug 2013 09:40 AM PDT By lowering the expression of a single gene, researchers have extended the average lifespan of a group of mice by about 20 percent -- the equivalent of raising the average human lifespan by 16 years, from 79 to 95. The research team targeted a gene called mTOR, which is involved in metabolism and energy balance, and may be connected with the increased lifespan associated with caloric restriction.

On warming Antarctic Peninsula, moss and microbes reveal unprecedented ecological change Posted: 29 Aug 2013 09:40 AM PDT By carefully analyzing a 150-year-old moss bank on the Antarctic Peninsula, researchers describe an unprecedented rate of ecological change since the 1960s driven by warming temperatures.

NASA's Hubble sees a cosmic caterpillar Posted: 29 Aug 2013 09:34 AM PDT The light-year-long knot of interstellar gas and dust, seen in a new Hubble photo, resembles a caterpillar on its way to a feast. Harsh winds from extremely bright stars are blasting ultraviolet radiation at this 'wanna-be' star and sculpting the gas and dust into its long shape.

Statins may slow human aging by protecting against telomere shortening: A feature of senescent cells Posted: 29 Aug 2013 08:28 AM PDT Not only do statins extend lives by lowering cholesterol levels and reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease, but new research suggests that they may extend lifespans as well. Specifically, statins may reduce the rate at which telomeres shorten, a key factor in the natural aging process. This opens the door for using statins, or derivatives of statins, as an anti-aging therapy.

'Safe' levels of environmental pollution may have long-term health consequences Posted: 29 Aug 2013 08:28 AM PDT If you're eating better and exercising regularly, but still aren't seeing improvements in your health, there might be a reason: Pollution. According to a new research report what you are eating and doing may not be the problem, but what's in what you are eating could be the culprit.

Antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella tracked from farm to fork Posted: 29 Aug 2013 08:28 AM PDT Continuing research on Salmonella may enable researchers to identify and track strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria as they evolve and spread, according to researchers.

Substance use by adolescents on an average day is alarming Posted: 29 Aug 2013 08:28 AM PDT On an average day, 881,684 U.S. teenagers aged 12 to 17 smoked cigarettes, according to a new report. The report also says that on an average day 646,707 adolescents smoked marijuana and 457,672 drank alcohol.

Doubling the daily allowance of protein intake with diet and exercise protects muscle loss Posted: 29 Aug 2013 08:04 AM PDT A new report challenges the long-held adage that significant muscle loss is unavoidable when losing weight through exercise and diet. In the report, scientists show that consuming twice the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of protein while adhering to a diet and exercise plan prevents the loss of muscle mass and promotes fat loss. Tripling the RDA of protein failed to provide additional benefits.

Potential diagnostic marker for zinc status offers insights into the effects of zinc deficiency Posted: 29 Aug 2013 08:04 AM PDT According to new research, a drop in blood zinc levels does not directly harm the blood vessel cells. Rather, zinc regulates the production of a small molecular compound, which circulates in the blood, causing harmful blood vessel cell effects. Additionally, not only will having adequate amounts of zinc prevent the creation of this compound, but it can protect you when the compound is circulating in your blood.

Protect corridors to save tigers, leopards Posted: 29 Aug 2013 08:04 AM PDT Conservation geneticists makes the case that landscape-level tiger and leopard conservation that includes protecting the corridors the big cats use for travel between habitat patches is the most effective conservation strategy for their long-term survival.

Reproducing nature's chemistry: Researchers alter molecular properties in a new way Posted: 29 Aug 2013 08:04 AM PDT Taking cues from nature, researchers have tested a new method for achieving particular molecular properties: by changing the geometry of the surface to which the molecule is bound.

Dieting for obese mothers just before pregnancy may not be enough Posted: 29 Aug 2013 08:04 AM PDT If you are obese, and hoping to lose weight before conception, some of the epigenetic damage might have already been done. New research shows that not only is dieting before getting pregnant not enough to prevent diabetes risks, but could actually present new risks as well. Knowing how maternal health and behavior affects how genes express themselves in offspring should help develop more precise prenatal strategies to maximize the health of newborn children.

Newly discovered weakness in cancer cells make them more susceptible to chemotherapy Posted: 29 Aug 2013 08:04 AM PDT A new weakness discovered in cancer cells may cause increased susceptibility to chemotherapy and other treatments. Researchers have identified the HDAC5 protein as essential for maintenance of telomeres within cancer cells that promote their longevity. Cells with longer telomeres are more resistant to therapies, while cells with shorter telomeres are more susceptible. By targeting this mechanism used to maintain telomeres, existing therapies could become more effective at eradicating cancer.

Clingy platelets suggest potential treatment strategy for rheumatoid arthritis Posted: 29 Aug 2013 08:02 AM PDT "Clingy" blood platelets may help people with rheumatoid arthritis. Research shows that a sub population of lymphocytes involved in rheumatoid arthritis has platelets attached to their surface. The platelets reduced the lymphocytes' ability to cause disease by reducing activity levels and ability to spread. This research may lead to investigations into treatments that bind platelets to lymphocytes, and the ability to predicting the severity of the disease.

New imaging technology promising for several types of cancer Posted: 29 Aug 2013 07:57 AM PDT A new form of imaging – PET/MRI – is promising for several types of cancer.

Adding blood pressure drug to standard antibiotics speeds up TB treatment Posted: 29 Aug 2013 07:57 AM PDT Infectious disease experts have found, in studies in mice, that a drug better known as a treatment for high blood pressure and headaches effectively speeds up treatment of TB when added to the standard, daily antibiotic regimen. Test animals were cured in four months instead of the usual six.

'Mini human brains' created: Scientists grow human brain tissue in 3-D culture system Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:35 AM PDT Complex human brain tissue has been successfully developed in a three-dimensional culture system. The method allows pluripotent stem cells to develop into cerebral organoids -- or "mini brains" -- that consist of several discrete brain regions.

Where can coral reefs relocate to escape the heat? Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:34 AM PDT The best real estate for coral reefs over the coming decades will no longer be around the equator but in the sub-tropics, new research suggests.

Ozone depletion linked to extreme precipitation in austral summer Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:34 AM PDT The new study showed that the ozone depletion over the South Pole has affected the extreme daily precipitation in the austral summer, for Dec., Jan., and Feb.

Your spouse's voice is easier to hear -- and easier to ignore Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:33 AM PDT With so many other competing voices, having a conversation on a bustling subway or at a crowded cocktail party takes a great deal of concentration. New research suggests that the familiar voice of a spouse stands out against other voices, helping to sharpen auditory perception and making it easier to focus on one voice at a time.

Human heart disease recently found in chimpanzees Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:33 AM PDT While in the past century there have been several documented examples of young, healthy athletes who have died suddenly of heart disease during competitive sporting events, a new study finds that this problem also extends to chimpanzees. Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy, a human heart disease that causes sudden cardiac death in teenagers and young adults (particularly healthy athletes), has now been identified in chimpanzees.

New sensor is almost as sensitive as a dog's nose Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:33 AM PDT Using carbon nanotubes, scientists have developed a sensor that greatly amplifies the sensitivity of commonly used but typically weak vibrational spectroscopic methods, such as Raman spectroscopy. This type of sensor makes it possible to detect molecules present in the tiniest of concentrations.

Why electrons pass through very tiny wires less smoothly than expected: Light shed on 20-year-old mystery Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:31 AM PDT Scientists have found an explanation for a mystery that has been puzzling the physics community since 1995. They explain why electrons pass through very tiny wires (known as quantum point contacts) less smoothly than expected. The observations will affect electronics on a nanoscale: 'Our thinking about this has been too naïve so far.'

Unexpected use of former cancer drug Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:31 AM PDT Researchers have unexpectedly discovered that an old cancer drug can be used to prevent rejection of transplanted tissue. The researchers now have high hopes that their discovery could lead to new treatments for both transplant patients and patients with autoimmune diseases.

Recipe for Britain's first chilled chocolate treats discovered Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:31 AM PDT The first English recipes for iced chocolate desserts, nearly 350 years old, have been uncovered – just in time for the last of the summery weather.

Echolocation for humans: Playing it by ear Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:30 AM PDT Biologists have demonstrated that people can acquire the capacity for echolocation, although it does take time and work.

Neutron stars in the computer cloud Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:30 AM PDT Einstein@Home discovers 24 new pulsars in archival data. The combined computing power of 200,000 private PCs helps astronomers take an inventory of the Milky Way.

Why smokers gain weight when they quit smoking: Changes in intestinal flora Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:30 AM PDT Most smokers put on a couple of kilos when they quit smoking. This is not due to an increased calorie intake, but to a change in the composition of the intestinal flora after quitting smoking, as a study suggests.

First large scale study links autism and autoimmunity Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:26 AM PDT A new study of more than 2,700 mothers of children with autism shows that about one in 10 mothers have antibodies in their bloodstream that react with proteins in the brain of their babies.

Scientists detail critical role of gene in many lung cancer cases Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:26 AM PDT Scientists have shown that a well-known cancer-causing gene implicated in a number of malignancies plays a far more critical role in non-small cell lung cancer, the most common form of the disease, than previously thought.

Men feel worse about themselves when female partners succeed Posted: 29 Aug 2013 06:26 AM PDT Deep down, men may not bask in the glory of their successful wives or girlfriends. While this is not true of women, men's subconscious self-esteem may be bruised when their spouse or girlfriend excels, says a new study.

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