ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Too much texting can disconnect couples
• Babies can learn their first lullabies in the womb
• New study analyzes barriers to cancer research commercialization
• Staggering turbines improves performance 33%
• A first step in learning by imitation, baby brains respond to another's actions
• The secret math of plants: Biologists uncover rules that govern leaf design
• How the universe's violent youth seeded cosmos with iron
• New multiple action intestinal hormone corrects diabetes
• Lava world baffles astronomers: Planet Kepler-78b 'shouldn't exist'
• Atherosclerosis in HIV patients linked to infection, not treatment
• Earth-like exoplanet in mass and size: While too hot to support life, Kepler 78b is roughly the size of Earth
• Incurable brain cancer gene silenced: Gene regulation technology increases survival rates in mice with glioblastoma
• Warming will disturb balance of soil nutrients in drylands, make drylands less productive
• Two peptides better than one in targeting diabetes, obesity
• Chinese bats likely source of SARS virus
• Genetic rarity rules in wild guppy population
• Pore formation in cell membranes linked to triggers of rheumatoid arthritis
• Researchers study epigenetic mechanisms of tumor metastasis for improved cancer therapy
• A sauropod walks into a bar: 'Why the long neck?'
• Lowering blood pressure prevents cardiovascular events in people with kidney disease
• Improving earthquake early warning systems for California and Taiwan
• Potential window for treating CMV, preventing mother-to-child transmission
• MS study correlates negative effect of warmer weather on cognitive status
• Divorced people more likely to die from preventable accidents
• Pain in infancy alters response to stress, anxiety later in life
• Scientists digitally reconstruct giant steps taken by dinosaurs for the first time
• First results from LUX dark matter detector: Searching for elusive dark matter
• Rare earths in bacteria: Methane-decomposing bacteria from hot springs need the valuable metals to produce energy
• Nerve stimulation in neck may reduce heart failure symptoms
• Prices, family interactions influence eating behaviors
• Bottom-feeding behavior of humpback whales confirmed
• Bloomberg's health legacy: Urban innovator or meddling nanny?
• Authenticity is the key to successfully leading change
• First aid teams set to improve heart attack survival with pocket manual
• Media Consumption To Average 15.5 Hours A Day By 2015
• Alarming increase of myopia; environmental factors influence development, progression of myopia
• Go ahead, dunk your cell phone in salt water
• Baking blueberries changes their polyphenol content, health benefits
• Low vitamin D levels during pregnancy associated with preterm birth for non-white mothers
• A mimic of 'good cholesterol' could treat cardiovascular, other diseases
• Google street view: Tool for recording earthquake damage
• Recycling valuable materials used in TVs, car batteries, cell phones
• First health economic evaluation of antidepressants completed
• Gimball: A crash-happy flying robot
• Future Internet aims to sever links with servers
• Brain regions can be specifically trained with video games
• 'Good' cholesterol controls blood glucose
• World's most powerful terahertz quantum cascade laser
• Understanding the difference between 'human smart' and 'computer smart'
• Weight loss not always beneficial for romantic relationships
• Events coordination during embryogenesis
• Stents linked to low major adverse coronary events
• What happens when the lightbulb turns on? Measuring a person's creativity from single spoken words
• Biomarkers could lead to early diagnosis of colorectal cancer
• New look at old test may provide earlier detection of meningitis
• 'Molecular Velcro' may lead to cost-effective alternatives to natural antibodies
• Moral in the morning, but dishonest in the afternoon
• Study explores intimate partner violence across generations
• Is left-handedness higher among those suffering from psychosis?
• Warm winters let trees sleep longer

Too much texting can disconnect couples Posted: 30 Oct 2013 04:00 PM PDT Couples shouldn't let their thumbs do the talking when it comes to serious conversations, disagreements or apologies.

Babies can learn their first lullabies in the womb Posted: 30 Oct 2013 03:55 PM PDT An infant can recognize a lullaby heard in the womb for several months after birth, potentially supporting later speech development.

New study analyzes barriers to cancer research commercialization Posted: 30 Oct 2013 03:54 PM PDT A new study cites a combination of factors that prevent academic-based cancer research faculty from ultimately commercializing their work.

Staggering turbines improves performance 33% Posted: 30 Oct 2013 03:51 PM PDT Researchers have found staggering and spacing out turbines in an offshore wind farm can improve performance by as much as 33 percent.

A first step in learning by imitation, baby brains respond to another's actions Posted: 30 Oct 2013 03:51 PM PDT Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery for adults, but for babies it's their foremost tool for learning. Now researchers have found the first evidence revealing a key aspect of the brain processing that occurs in babies to allow this learning by observation.

The secret math of plants: Biologists uncover rules that govern leaf design Posted: 30 Oct 2013 12:29 PM PDT Biologists have discovered fundamental rules for leaf design that underlie the ability of plants to make leaves that vary enormously in size.

How the universe's violent youth seeded cosmos with iron Posted: 30 Oct 2013 12:29 PM PDT By detecting an even distribution of iron throughout a massive galaxy cluster, astrophysicists can tell the 10-billion-year-old story of how exploding stars and black holes sowed the early cosmos with heavy elements.

New multiple action intestinal hormone corrects diabetes Posted: 30 Oct 2013 11:29 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new therapeutic approach for treatment of Type 2 diabetes. A novel single molecule hormone, which acts equally on the receptors of the insulin-stimulating hormones GLP-1 and GIP, was observed to reduce weight and improve blood sugar.

Lava world baffles astronomers: Planet Kepler-78b 'shouldn't exist' Posted: 30 Oct 2013 11:29 AM PDT Kepler-78b is a planet that shouldn't exist. This scorching lava world circles its star every eight and a half hours at a distance of less than one million miles - one of the tightest known orbits. According to current theories of planet formation, it couldn't have formed so close to its star, nor could it have moved there.

Atherosclerosis in HIV patients linked to infection, not treatment Posted: 30 Oct 2013 11:29 AM PDT HIV infection, not antiretroviral therapy (ART), is associated with risk for atherosclerosis in patients with no history of smoking, particularly those infected for eight years or more. While a growing body of literature reports that HIV patients have higher risk for atherosclerotic disease and cardiovascular disease, it had been unknown whether HIV infection or ART are the responsible factors, and to what extent traditional cardiovascular risk factors, chiefly smoking, are responsible.

Earth-like exoplanet in mass and size: While too hot to support life, Kepler 78b is roughly the size of Earth Posted: 30 Oct 2013 11:28 AM PDT In August, researchers identified an exoplanet with an extremely brief orbital period: The team found that Kepler 78b, a small, intensely hot planet 400 light-years from Earth, circles its star in just 8.5 hours — lightning-quick, compared with our own planet's leisurely 365-day orbit. From starlight data gathered by the Kepler Space Telescope, the scientists also determined that the exoplanet is about 1.2 times Earth's size — making Kepler 78b one of the smallest exoplanets ever measured.

Incurable brain cancer gene silenced: Gene regulation technology increases survival rates in mice with glioblastoma Posted: 30 Oct 2013 11:28 AM PDT Glioblastoma multiforme, the brain cancer that killed Sen. Edward Kennedy, is aggressive and incurable. Researchers can now demonstrate delivery of a drug that turns off a critical gene in this complex cancer, increasing survival rates significantly in animals with the disease. The therapeutic, based on nanotechnology, is nimble enough to cross the blood-brain barrier and get to the brain tumor. Once there, it flips the switch of the oncogene to "off," silencing the gene.

Warming will disturb balance of soil nutrients in drylands, make drylands less productive Posted: 30 Oct 2013 11:28 AM PDT An increase in aridity due to global warming will disturb the balance of nutrients in the soil and reduce productivity of the world's drylands, which support millions of people, a landmark study predicts. The research was conducted by a global collaboration of scientists who studied sites in 16 countries. It shows that increasing aridity is associated with a reduction in carbon and nitrogen in the soil and an increase in phosphorus.

Two peptides better than one in targeting diabetes, obesity Posted: 30 Oct 2013 11:28 AM PDT Researchers have published results showing that a molecule combining the properties of two endocrine hormones is an effective treatment for adult-onset diabetes. The research included clinical trials with human subjects as well as detailed laboratory studies with rodents and monkeys. The drug candidate targets receptors for two naturally occurring peptide hormones, known as GLP-1 and GIP.

Chinese bats likely source of SARS virus Posted: 30 Oct 2013 11:24 AM PDT Scientists say they've produced "the clearest evidence yet" the SARS virus originated in Chinese horseshoe bats and that direct bat-to-human transmission is "plausible." The 2002 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) pandemic was one of the most significant public health events in recent history and researchers have been studying the virus to better understand how it is transmitted to prepare for future outbreaks.

Genetic rarity rules in wild guppy population Posted: 30 Oct 2013 11:24 AM PDT A new study demonstrates a female preference for rare males using an experiment in a wild population, rather than a laboratory setting.

Pore formation in cell membranes linked to triggers of rheumatoid arthritis Posted: 30 Oct 2013 11:24 AM PDT Experiments by scientists have unraveled two biological mechanisms as the major cause of protein citrullination in rheumatoid arthritis. Protein citrullination is suspected of sparking the immune system and driving the cascade of events leading to the disease.

Researchers study epigenetic mechanisms of tumor metastasis for improved cancer therapy Posted: 30 Oct 2013 10:28 AM PDT A review article by researchers suggests that epigenetics may be a useful target to stop the growth, spread and relapse of cancer.

A sauropod walks into a bar: 'Why the long neck?' Posted: 30 Oct 2013 10:28 AM PDT New research sheds light on the complex evolutionary cascade theory that made the unique gigantism of sauropod dinosaurs possible.

Lowering blood pressure prevents cardiovascular events in people with kidney disease Posted: 30 Oct 2013 09:56 AM PDT Lowering blood pressure is a highly effective and affordable way to prevent cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke among people with chronic kidney disease. One in 10 people globally is affected by kidney disease, with many unaware of the problem, which puts them at increased risk of cardiovascular disease as well as kidney failure.

Improving earthquake early warning systems for California and Taiwan Posted: 30 Oct 2013 09:56 AM PDT Earthquake early warning systems may provide the public with crucial seconds to prepare for severe shaking. For California, a new study suggests upgrading current technology and relocating some seismic stations would improve the warning time, particularly in areas poorly served by the existing network -- south of San Francisco Bay Area to north Los Angeles and north of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Potential window for treating CMV, preventing mother-to-child transmission Posted: 30 Oct 2013 09:56 AM PDT Using next generation sequencing and population genetic modeling, scientists have found that CMV evolves rapidly and dramatically in humans. These findings provide new genetic targets that could impede the evolution of CMV and prevent its spread.

MS study correlates negative effect of warmer weather on cognitive status Posted: 30 Oct 2013 09:56 AM PDT Scientists correlated fMRI findings with the negative impact of outdoor temperature on cognitive functioning in multiple sclerosis. This study in Brain Imaging & Behavior corroborates the group's previous study that established that people with MS performed worse on cognitive tasks during warmer outdoor temperatures. This new study extends previous research by demonstrating a link between brain activity and outdoor temperature.

Divorced people more likely to die from preventable accidents Posted: 30 Oct 2013 09:55 AM PDT Divorced people are more likely to die from preventable accidents than married counterparts, according to a new study.

Pain in infancy alters response to stress, anxiety later in life Posted: 30 Oct 2013 09:55 AM PDT Early life pain alters neural circuits in the brain that regulate stress, suggesting pain experienced by infants who often do not receive analgesics while undergoing tests and treatment in neonatal intensive care may permanently alter future responses to anxiety, stress and pain in adulthood, medical researchers have discovered.

Scientists digitally reconstruct giant steps taken by dinosaurs for the first time Posted: 30 Oct 2013 09:55 AM PDT Scientists were able to laser scan a 40 meter-long skeleton of the vast Cretaceous Agentinosaurus dinosaur. Then using an advanced computer modeling technique involving the equivalent of 30,000 desktop computers they recreated its walking and running movements and tested its locomotion ability tested for the very first time.

First results from LUX dark matter detector: Searching for elusive dark matter Posted: 30 Oct 2013 09:55 AM PDT In its first three months of operation, the Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment has proven itself to be the most sensitive dark matter detector in the world, scientists with the experiment have announced. Researchers are now preparing the detector, located a mile underground in an old South Dakota gold mine, for a 300-day run next year in hopes of detecting for the first time weakly interacting particles thought to account for most of the matter in the universe. Though dark matter has not yet been detected directly, scientists are fairly certain that it exists.

Rare earths in bacteria: Methane-decomposing bacteria from hot springs need the valuable metals to produce energy Posted: 30 Oct 2013 09:54 AM PDT Rare earths are among the most precious raw materials of all. These metals are used in mobile telephones, display screens and computers. And they are apparently indispensable for some organisms as well. Scientists have discovered a bacterium which needs rare earths to grow -- in a hot spring.

Nerve stimulation in neck may reduce heart failure symptoms Posted: 30 Oct 2013 09:53 AM PDT A multidisciplinary team of experts in heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia, and neurosurgery are now testing nerve stimulation in the neck as a novel therapy for heart failure patients to potentially help relieve their debilitating symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath, and heart arrhythmias, while reducing their hospitalizations.

Prices, family interactions influence eating behaviors Posted: 30 Oct 2013 09:53 AM PDT Researchers looked at how prices, parents and peers affect fruit and vegetable consumption among African-American youths. Researchers say understanding these factors can help design more effective policy interventions.

Bottom-feeding behavior of humpback whales confirmed Posted: 30 Oct 2013 09:53 AM PDT Scientists have confirmed that humpback whales in the southern Gulf of Maine are spending more feeding time on the ocean floor than in any of their known feeding behaviors, putting them at risk for entanglement in bottom-set fishing gear like lobster traps.

Bloomberg's health legacy: Urban innovator or meddling nanny? Posted: 30 Oct 2013 08:14 AM PDT As New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg prepares to leave office, a commentary by a leading bioethicist analyzes his controversial public health policies and concludes that he is an urban innovator who created a new paradigm of public health, "reaching beyond infectious diseases to upstream risk factors in everyday life and the human habitat."

Authenticity is the key to successfully leading change Posted: 30 Oct 2013 08:13 AM PDT Leaders need to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their impact on others if they are to succeed at managing organizational change, says an academic.

First aid teams set to improve heart attack survival with pocket manual Posted: 30 Oct 2013 08:13 AM PDT First aid teams are set to improve the survival of heart attack patients with the first pocket-sized manual on acute cardiac conditions. The toolkit was created to help first aid teams across Europe make the best decisions in seconds after a heart attack.

Media Consumption To Average 15.5 Hours A Day By 2015 Posted: 30 Oct 2013 08:13 AM PDT A new report looks at media consumption by individuals in and out of the home, excluding the workplace, between 2008 and 2015, breaking "media" down into 30 categories of media type and delivery (e.g. television, social media, computer gaming) and conclude that the average person will consume 15.5 hours per day by 2015.

Alarming increase of myopia; environmental factors influence development, progression of myopia Posted: 30 Oct 2013 08:13 AM PDT New research on myopia — how it develops, risk and protective factors, and potentially effective measures for prevention and treatment - is widely available to help address the illness.

Go ahead, dunk your cell phone in salt water Posted: 30 Oct 2013 08:13 AM PDT New barrier films could better protect electronics in harsh environments, and are being developed for public consumption.

Baking blueberries changes their polyphenol content, health benefits Posted: 30 Oct 2013 07:41 AM PDT Blueberries are called a "superfood" for their high polyphenol content, but when served as warm, gooey pie filling or when lending bursts of sweet flavor to a muffin, their "super" health benefits change. Scientists studied how cooking and baking affect the increasingly popular fruit's polyphenols and reported their mixed findings in a new article.

Low vitamin D levels during pregnancy associated with preterm birth for non-white mothers Posted: 30 Oct 2013 07:41 AM PDT African-American and Puerto Rican women who have low levels of vitamin D during pregnancy are more likely to go into labor early and give birth to preterm babies, research reveals. The study is the largest to date to look at the association between vitamin D and preterm birth.

A mimic of 'good cholesterol' could treat cardiovascular, other diseases Posted: 30 Oct 2013 07:41 AM PDT A new type of "good cholesterol," made in the lab, could one day deliver drugs to where they are needed in the body to treat disease or be used in medical imaging, according to scientists. The report states that the high-density lipoprotein mimic is easy to make in large amounts.

Google street view: Tool for recording earthquake damage Posted: 30 Oct 2013 07:41 AM PDT Scientists have used Google's online street view scans to document the damage caused by the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake and suggests that the database would be a useful tool for surveying damage caused by future earthquakes.

Recycling valuable materials used in TVs, car batteries, cell phones Posted: 30 Oct 2013 07:41 AM PDT Many of today's technologies, from hybrid car batteries to flat-screen televisions, rely on materials known as rare earth elements (REEs) that are in short supply, but scientists are reporting development of a new method to recycle them from wastewater. The process could help alleviate economic and environmental pressures facing the REE industry.

First health economic evaluation of antidepressants completed Posted: 30 Oct 2013 07:41 AM PDT The report on a health economic evaluation of antidepressants has provided very helpful results. It is now for politicians to decide what role such health economic evaluations should play in the health care system.

Gimball: A crash-happy flying robot Posted: 30 Oct 2013 07:39 AM PDT Gimball bumps into and ricochets off of obstacles, rather than avoiding them. This 34-cm in diameter spherical flying robot buzzes around the most unpredictable, chaotic environments, without the need for fragile detection sensors.

Future Internet aims to sever links with servers Posted: 30 Oct 2013 07:38 AM PDT A prototype new IP layer for the internet has been designed. Called PURSUIT, it replaces a system in which we obtain information from servers with a model similar to p2p file-sharing, but on a massive, internet-wide scale. Content would be accessed not from servers, but in fragments from other people's computers.

Brain regions can be specifically trained with video games Posted: 30 Oct 2013 07:38 AM PDT Video gaming causes increases in the brain regions responsible for spatial orientation, memory formation and strategic planning as well as fine motor skills. This has been shown in a new study. The positive effects of video gaming may also prove relevant in therapeutic interventions targeting psychiatric disorders.

'Good' cholesterol controls blood glucose Posted: 30 Oct 2013 07:36 AM PDT High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), the so-called "good" cholesterol, improves blood glucose levels by enhancing skeletal muscle function and reducing adiposity, scientists report.

World's most powerful terahertz quantum cascade laser Posted: 30 Oct 2013 07:35 AM PDT Terahertz waves are invisible, but incredibly useful; they can penetrate many materials which are opaque to visible light and they are perfect for detecting a variety of molecules. Terahertz radiation can be produced using tiny quantum cascade lasers, only a few millimeters wide. This special kind of lasers consists of tailor made semiconductor layers on a nanometer scale. A new world record has now been set; using a special merging technique, two symmetrical laser structures have been joined together, resulting in a quadruple intensity of laser light.

Understanding the difference between 'human smart' and 'computer smart' Posted: 30 Oct 2013 07:35 AM PDT Considering 798 to be an odd number is endemic to human cognition, reveals a new study. A common assumption in the cognitive sciences is that thinking consists of following sets of rules (as it does in a computer). A recent research argues that unlike digital computers, which are designed to follow rules, the computations performed by the neural networks that make up our brain are inherently context dependent. People sometimes make seemingly strange mistakes like thinking that 798 is an odd number despite knowing how to identify odd and even numbers.

Weight loss not always beneficial for romantic relationships Posted: 30 Oct 2013 07:35 AM PDT Losing weight is beneficial for human health, but when one partner in a romantic relationship loses weight, it doesn't always have a positive effect on the relationship. According to new research, there can be a "dark side" to weight loss if both partners are not on board with enacting healthy changes.

Events coordination during embryogenesis Posted: 30 Oct 2013 06:32 AM PDT A new study reveals a mechanism through which the expression of genes is controlled -- a finding that highlights genetic mutations that can impair the timing of gene expression. Such mutations can affect the co-ordination of key events that are required for stepwise development of an organism, and can also give rise to cancer by turning on genes at the wrong time.

Stents linked to low major adverse coronary events Posted: 30 Oct 2013 06:32 AM PDT A new study found that both drug-eluting stents (DES) with biocompatible polymers and DES with biodegradable polymers were associated with low major adverse coronary events, demonstrating the non-inferiority of the biocompatible polymer stents in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

What happens when the lightbulb turns on? Measuring a person's creativity from single spoken words Posted: 30 Oct 2013 06:31 AM PDT Neuroscientists have created a quick but reliable test that can measure a person's creativity from single spoken words. The "noun-verb" test is so simple it can be done by virtually anyone anywhere -- even in an MRI machine, setting the stage for scientists to pinpoint how the brain comes up with unusually creative ideas. While some believe ingenuity is spontaneous, the researchers suspect there's a lot of hard work going on in the brain even when the proverbial light bulb turning on feels effortless.

Biomarkers could lead to early diagnosis of colorectal cancer Posted: 30 Oct 2013 06:31 AM PDT Diagnosing colorectal cancer is complex; it relies on significant invasive tests and subjective evaluations. This process may soon become much easier thanks to a medical breakthrough. Researchers have identified genetic changes in the colon lining, or mucosa, in colorectal cancer patients that could be used as biomarkers of the disease. That will allow doctors to diagnose patients earlier, more accurately and less invasively.

New look at old test may provide earlier detection of meningitis Posted: 30 Oct 2013 06:31 AM PDT Researchers have found a more accurate method to screen for bacterial meningococcal infection in its early stages, when it's hardest to detect. The method for diagnosis could save lives by getting patients treatment earlier, when the infection is most treatable.

'Molecular Velcro' may lead to cost-effective alternatives to natural antibodies Posted: 30 Oct 2013 06:31 AM PDT Taking inspiration from the human immune system, researchers have created a new material that can be programmed to identify an endless variety of molecules. The new material resembles tiny sheets of Velcro, each just 100 nanometers across. But instead of securing your sneakers, this molecular Velcro mimics the way natural antibodies recognize viruses and toxins, and could lead to a new class of biosensors.

Moral in the morning, but dishonest in the afternoon Posted: 30 Oct 2013 06:31 AM PDT Our ability to exhibit self-control to avoid cheating or lying is significantly reduced over the course of a day, making us more likely to be dishonest in the afternoon than in the morning, according to a new article.

Study explores intimate partner violence across generations Posted: 30 Oct 2013 06:31 AM PDT Most parents who experienced intimate partner violence had children that grew to face violence in their own adult relationships, according to a study published.

Is left-handedness higher among those suffering from psychosis? Posted: 30 Oct 2013 06:31 AM PDT Researchers have long studied the connections between hand dominance and different aspects of the human brain. A new study finds that among those with mental illnesses, left-handers are more likely to suffer from psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia than mood disorders.

Warm winters let trees sleep longer Posted: 30 Oct 2013 06:31 AM PDT In the temperate zones, vegetation follows the change of the seasons. Researchers have now brought a new correlation to light: The colder the winter, the earlier native plants begin to grow again. Since warmer winters can be expected as the climate changes, the spring development phase for typical forest trees might start later and later -- giving an advantage to shrubs and invasive trees that don't depend on the cold.

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