ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Abuse, lack of parental warmth in childhood linked to multiple health risks in adulthood
• Biologists confirm role of sperm competition in formation of new species
• Hospital-grade lightweight blood flow imager on the cheap
• How viral infection disrupts neural development in offspring, increasing risk of autism
• Spirals of light may lead to better electronics
• Martian chemical complicates hunt for life's clues
• Observations reveal critical interplay of interstellar dust, hydrogen
• Research reveals bottom feeding techniques of tagged humpback whales in Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary
• Hidden genetic code for better designer genes
• Lunar orbiters discover source of space weather near Earth
• How to make ceramics that bend without breaking: Self-deploying medical devices?
• Unusual Mars rock: Pyramid-shaped volcanic rock unlike any other Martian igneous rock ever found
• NASA Mars rover Curiosity finds water in first sample of planet surface
• Water glides freely across 'nanodrapes' made from the world's thinnest material
• Scientists identify brain circuitry that triggers overeating
• New energy storage capabilities between the layers of two-dimensional materials
• Steroids may persist longer in the environment than expected
• Tick tock: Marine animals with at least two internal clocks
• Warm summers coincide with less frequent flooding
• Bone hormone influences brain development and cognition
• Genetic map developed linking complex diseases
• Anthropologists confirm link between cranial anatomy and two-legged walking
• Study links heavy texting, sleep problems in college freshmen
• Do beetles have maternal instincts?
• Singing mice protect their turf with high-pitched tunes
• Lithium in the brain
• Analgesic molecule discovered in its natural state in Africa
• Quitting smoking easier for social media users
• Robotic fabrication in timber construction
• Malignant brain tumours can be transformed into benign forms
• Without a trace: Cells keep to one direction by erasing the path
• Can bacteria combat oil spill disasters?
• Experts confirm that fruit and vegetable consumption reduces risk of mortality
• Understanding clouds as a necessary ingredient in the search for life: Case study of exoplanet Kepler-7b
• Study unlocks origin of brown fat cells, important in weight maintenance
• Medical sensors improve with holey gold nanostructures
• Drivers who test positive for drugs have triple the risk of fatal car crash
• Restricting antibiotics could be key to fighting 'superbug'
• Study shows over 200 mobile apps related to dermatology
• New mechanism for protein misfolding may link to ALS
• Study shines new light on consequences of preterm births
• Hope for halting incurable citrus disease
• Torrent frogs use toes, belly, thighs to hold tight under waterfall-like conditions
• Missouri ponds provide clue to killer frog disease
• Getting an expected award music to the brain's ears
• Cancer cells propagated from early prostate cancer
• Model developed for studying tissue pattern formation during embryonic development

Abuse, lack of parental warmth in childhood linked to multiple health risks in adulthood Posted: 26 Sep 2013 05:50 PM PDT A new study for the first time examines the effects of abuse and lack of parental affection across the body's entire regulatory system, and finds a strong biological link for how negative early life experiences affect physical health.

Biologists confirm role of sperm competition in formation of new species Posted: 26 Sep 2013 05:50 PM PDT Female promiscuity -- something that occurs in a majority of species, including humans -- results in the ejaculates from two or more males overlapping within her reproductive tract. When this happens, sperm compete for fertilization of the female's eggs. In addition, the female has the opportunity to bias fertilization of her eggs in favor of one male's sperm over others.

Hospital-grade lightweight blood flow imager on the cheap Posted: 26 Sep 2013 05:49 PM PDT Tracking blood flow in the laboratory is an important tool for studying ailments like migraines or strokes and designing new ways to address them. Now, using $90 worth of off-the-shelf commercial parts including a webcam and a laser pointer, researchers have duplicated the performance of expensive, scientific-grade LSCI instruments at a fraction of the cost.

How viral infection disrupts neural development in offspring, increasing risk of autism Posted: 26 Sep 2013 05:47 PM PDT Activating a mother's immune system during her pregnancy disrupts the development of neural cells in the brain of her offspring and damages the cells' ability to transmit signals and communicate with one another, an animal study suggests. They said the finding suggests how maternal viral infection might increase the risk of having a child with autism spectrum disorder or schizophrenia.

Spirals of light may lead to better electronics Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:32 AM PDT Researchers have created the optical equivalent of a tuning fork -- a device that can help steady the electrical currents needed to power high-end electronics and stabilize the signals of high-quality lasers. The work marks the first time that such a device has been miniaturized to fit on a chip and may pave the way to improvements in high-speed communications, navigation, and remote sensing.

Martian chemical complicates hunt for life's clues Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:32 AM PDT The quest for evidence of life on Mars could be more difficult than scientists previously thought. A scientific paper published today details the investigation of a chemical in the Martian soil that interferes with the techniques used by the Curiosity rover to test for traces of life. The chemical causes the evidence to burn away during the tests.

Observations reveal critical interplay of interstellar dust, hydrogen Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:32 AM PDT For astrophysicists, the interplay of hydrogen -- the most common molecule in the universe -- and the vast clouds of dust that fill the voids of interstellar space has been an intractable puzzle of stellar evolution.

Research reveals bottom feeding techniques of tagged humpback whales in Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:32 AM PDT New research on tagged humpback whales in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary reveals a variety of previously unknown feeding techniques along the seafloor. Rather than a single bottom feeding behavior, the whales show three distinct feeding approaches: Simple side-rolls, side-roll inversions, and repetitive scooping.

Hidden genetic code for better designer genes Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:32 AM PDT The relative abundance of rare "words," or codons, in bacterial genes helps control how much of the corresponding protein the bacteria produce. The results could help scientists engineer bacteria more precisely than ever before, and greatly increase the efficiency of microbial manufacturing.

Lunar orbiters discover source of space weather near Earth Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:31 AM PDT Solar storms, powerful eruptions of solar material and magnetic fields into interplanetary space, can cause hazards on Earth known as space weather, ranging from interference with radio communications to extensive power blackouts, complete failure of critical satellites and even the shutdown of GPS-guided transportation and global communication systems. New research increases our understanding of our space environment, and explains the source of Earth's space weather.

How to make ceramics that bend without breaking: Self-deploying medical devices? Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:31 AM PDT New materials could lead to actuators on a chip and self-deploying medical devices. Ceramics are not known for their flexibility: they tend to crack under stress. But researchers have just found a way around that problem -- for very tiny objects, at least. The team has developed a way of making minuscule ceramic objects that are not only flexible, but also have a "memory" for shape: When bent and then heated, they return to their original shapes.

Unusual Mars rock: Pyramid-shaped volcanic rock unlike any other Martian igneous rock ever found Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:31 AM PDT The first rock that scientists analyzed on Mars with a pair of chemical instruments aboard the Curiosity rover turned out to be a doozy -- a pyramid-shaped volcanic rock called a "mugearite" that is unlike any other Martian igneous rock ever found.

NASA Mars rover Curiosity finds water in first sample of planet surface Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:31 AM PDT The first scoop of soil analyzed by the analytical suite in the belly of NASA's Curiosity rover reveals that fine materials on the surface of the planet contain several percent water by weight.

Water glides freely across 'nanodrapes' made from the world's thinnest material Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:29 AM PDT Engineering researchers have developed a new drape made from graphene -- the thinnest material known to science -- which can enhance the water-resistant properties of materials with rough surfaces. These "nanodrapes" are less than a nanometer thick, chemically inert, and provide a layer of protection without changing the properties of the underlying material.

Scientists identify brain circuitry that triggers overeating Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:28 AM PDT Researchers have pinpointed the precise cellular connections responsible for triggering binge eating. The finding lends insight into a cause for obesity and could lead to treatments for anorexia, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder -- the most prevalent eating disorder in the U.S.

New energy storage capabilities between the layers of two-dimensional materials Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:28 AM PDT Researchers are continuing to expand the capabilities and functionalities of a family of two-dimensional materials they discovered that are as thin as a single atom, but have the potential to store massive amounts of energy. Their latest achievement has pushed the materials storage capacities to new levels while also allowing for their use in flexible devices.

Steroids may persist longer in the environment than expected Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:28 AM PDT Certain anabolic steroids and pharmaceutical products last longer in the environment than previously known, according to a new study. The researchers found that the steroid trenbolone acetate, along with some other pharmaceutical products, never fully degrade in the environment, and in fact can partially regenerate themselves.

Tick tock: Marine animals with at least two internal clocks Posted: 26 Sep 2013 09:33 AM PDT Animals living in marine environments keep to their schedules with the aid of multiple independent -- and, in at least some cases, interacting -- internal clocks. The findings, suggest that multiple clocks -- not just the familiar, 24-hour circadian clock -- might even be standard operating equipment in animals.

Warm summers coincide with less frequent flooding Posted: 26 Sep 2013 09:32 AM PDT Over the past 2,500 years, flooding in the Alps has been less frequent during warm summers than during cool summers. This research suggests that the frequency of flooding can be expected to wane in the central Alps.

Bone hormone influences brain development and cognition Posted: 26 Sep 2013 09:23 AM PDT Researchers have found that the skeleton, acting through the bone-derived hormone osteocalcin, exerts a powerful influence on prenatal brain development and cognitive functions such as learning, memory, anxiety, and depression in adult mice. Findings from the mouse study could lead to new approaches to the prevention and treatment of neurologic disorders.

Genetic map developed linking complex diseases Posted: 26 Sep 2013 09:23 AM PDT Scientists have created one of the most expansive analyses to date of the genetic factors at play in complex diseases such as autism and heart disease by using diseases with known genetic causes to guide them. Identifying trends of co-occurrence among hundreds of diseases in 120 million patients, they created a unique genetic map that has the potential to help diagnose, identify risk factors for and someday develop therapies against complex diseases.

Anthropologists confirm link between cranial anatomy and two-legged walking Posted: 26 Sep 2013 08:19 AM PDT Anthropologists confirm a direct link between upright two-legged (bipedal) walking and the position of the foramen magnum, a hole in the base of the skull that transmits the spinal cord.

Study links heavy texting, sleep problems in college freshmen Posted: 26 Sep 2013 08:19 AM PDT A new study has found that texting was direct predictor of sleep problems in first-year college students.

Do beetles have maternal instincts? Posted: 26 Sep 2013 07:30 AM PDT A new study of the natural history of Neotropical leaf beetles in the subfamily Chrysomelinae reveals that females in two genera and multiple species show indisputable signs of maternal instincts. Mothers were caught actively defending eggs and larvae, with tactics ranging from quite aggressive to more passive between the species.

Singing mice protect their turf with high-pitched tunes Posted: 26 Sep 2013 07:30 AM PDT Two species of tawny brown singing mice that live deep in the mountain cloud forests of Costa Rica and Panama set their boundaries by emitting high-pitched trills, researchers have discovered.

Lithium in the brain Posted: 26 Sep 2013 07:30 AM PDT Experiments with neutrons show that the antidepressant lithium accumulates more strongly in white matter of the brain than in grey matter. This leads to the conclusion that it works differently from synthetic psychotropic drugs. Brain tissue samples were examined in one study with the aim of developing a better understanding of the effects this substance has on the human psyche.

Analgesic molecule discovered in its natural state in Africa Posted: 26 Sep 2013 07:28 AM PDT A team of researchers has discovered that an African medicinal plant produces large quantities of molecules with analgesic properties.

Quitting smoking easier for social media users Posted: 26 Sep 2013 07:28 AM PDT Smoking is a major public health problem, killing approximately 443,000 people every year in the United States. Quitting smoking can have a profound effect on a person's health, but it is also one of the hardest addictions to kick. A recent paper reports that people who engage in health specific social networking sites found it easier to quit smoking.

Robotic fabrication in timber construction Posted: 26 Sep 2013 07:26 AM PDT Researchers are developing a lightweight timber construction system combining robotic prefabrication with computational design and simulation processes, as well as three-dimensional surveying technologies used in engineering geodesy. Their goal is to develop innovative, performative and sustainable construction systems made from wood, which also expand the repertoire of architectural expression in timber construction.

Malignant brain tumours can be transformed into benign forms Posted: 26 Sep 2013 07:26 AM PDT Cells of malignant brain tumours deceive our immune system so effectively that it starts working for them. But who lives by the sword, dies by the sword. Researchers show how to deceive brain tumours and change malignant gliomas into benign forms.

Without a trace: Cells keep to one direction by erasing the path Posted: 26 Sep 2013 07:24 AM PDT Migrating cells, it seems, cover their tracks not for fear of being followed, but to keep moving forward. Scientists have now shown that cells in a zebrafish embryo determine which direction they move in by effectively erasing the path behind them. The findings could have implications not just for development but also for cancer and metastasis.

Can bacteria combat oil spill disasters? Posted: 26 Sep 2013 07:24 AM PDT Scientists have decrypted the effectiveness of two types of bacteria, which could be used in the future to help combat oil spill disasters. Alcanivorax borkumensis converts hydrocarbons into fatty acids which then form along the cell membrane. New insights on the bacteria Oleispira antarctica are important to understand their adaptation to low temperatures and could help in mitigation strategies for oil spills in polar seas or the deep sea.

Experts confirm that fruit and vegetable consumption reduces risk of mortality Posted: 26 Sep 2013 07:24 AM PDT A European study analyzes the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and the risk of mortality. As previous research has already suggested, this study concludes that fruit and vegetable consumption reduces all-cause mortality, and especially cardiovascular disease mortality.

Understanding clouds as a necessary ingredient in the search for life: Case study of exoplanet Kepler-7b Posted: 26 Sep 2013 07:24 AM PDT Scientists have produced the first map of clouds on an exoplanet using the Kepler Space Telescope. Studying the atmospheres of exoplanets is the path towards ultimately identifying life elsewhere in the Universe. Understanding the role of clouds in exoplanet atmospheres is a necessary ingredient in the cosmic hunt for life.

Study unlocks origin of brown fat cells, important in weight maintenance Posted: 26 Sep 2013 07:22 AM PDT In ongoing research aimed at battling obesity, researchers have deciphered how new fat cells are formed in energy-storing fat pads.

Medical sensors improve with holey gold nanostructures Posted: 26 Sep 2013 07:21 AM PDT A new method that fabricates gold nanostructures quickly and efficiently could lead to highly sensitive, portable medical sensors.

Drivers who test positive for drugs have triple the risk of fatal car crash Posted: 25 Sep 2013 03:56 PM PDT In a new study researchers assessed the association of driver drug use, as well as the combination of drugs and alcohol, with the risk of fatal crash. They found that drug use is associated with a significantly increased risk of fatal crash involvement, particularly when used in combination with alcohol. The study provides critical data for understanding the joint effect of alcohol and drugs on driving safety.

Restricting antibiotics could be key to fighting 'superbug' Posted: 25 Sep 2013 03:56 PM PDT New ways are needed to fight the infection Clostridium difficile and better use of antibiotics could be key, according to the authors of ground-breaking research.

Study shows over 200 mobile apps related to dermatology Posted: 25 Sep 2013 03:56 PM PDT A surge in mobile apps related to dermatology has allowed scores of smart phone users to track and diagnose a wide range of skin diseases, but doctors are urging caution.

New mechanism for protein misfolding may link to ALS Posted: 25 Sep 2013 03:54 PM PDT A recently identified link between a toxic amino acid found in blue-green algae and several motor neuron diseases could help researchers devise a therapy for the fatal conditions.

Study shines new light on consequences of preterm births Posted: 25 Sep 2013 03:54 PM PDT Researchers confirm the strong link between preterm birth and the risk of infant and young adult death, autism and ADHD. But it also suggests that other threats that have been closely tied to the issue, such as severe mental illness, learning problems, suicide and economic woes, may instead be more closely related to other conditions that family members share.

Hope for halting incurable citrus disease Posted: 25 Sep 2013 03:54 PM PDT Using DNA sequencing technologies, a plant scientist has painted a broad picture of how the devastating disease Huonglongbing, or citrus greening, impacts citrus trees before they even show signs of infection.

Torrent frogs use toes, belly, thighs to hold tight under waterfall-like conditions Posted: 25 Sep 2013 03:54 PM PDT Torrent frogs use their toes, belly, and thighs to attach to rough, wet, and steep surfaces. In a multipart study, researchers compared the attachment abilities of two species: torrent frogs (Staurois guttatus) and tree frogs (Rhacophorus pardalis). They found that the torrent frog is better able to attach to extremely wet, steep, and rough surfaces due to its superior attachment abilities.

Missouri ponds provide clue to killer frog disease Posted: 25 Sep 2013 03:54 PM PDT In Missouri, about a third of the ponds are infected with chytrid, the notorious skin fungus that has sickened and killed amphibians in other parts of the world. Why only a third, scientists wondered? A comprehensive study of the ponds suggests there are hidden constraints on the survival of the fungus. One possibility is that invertebrates present in some ponds but not others allow the fungus to persist by acting as alternative hosts or reservoirs.

Getting an expected award music to the brain's ears Posted: 25 Sep 2013 03:52 PM PDT A new study suggests that the auditory cortex does more than just process sound. When study subjects were expecting a reward and received it, or weren't expecting a reward and were right, this area lit up on brain scans.

Cancer cells propagated from early prostate cancer Posted: 25 Sep 2013 03:52 PM PDT A team of cancer researchers has identified the existence of precursor cells in early prostate cancers. These cells are resistant to androgen-deprivation therapy, and may drive the subsequent emergence of recurrent or metastatic prostate cancer.

Model developed for studying tissue pattern formation during embryonic development Posted: 25 Sep 2013 12:21 PM PDT A team of scientists is working to develop a model for studying tissue -- specifically how it organizes into organs and layers during embryonic development. Their findings may have major implications for the study of tissue pattern formation and malformation.

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