ScienceDaily: Top News

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• In one aspect of vision, computers catch up to primate brain
• Ibuprofen use leads to extended lifespan in several species, study shows
• Origin of long-standing space mystery revealed: Origin of the 'theta aurora'
• Revealing the quantum geometry of the graphene lattice
• Study fuels hope for natural gas cars: Metal organic framework candidates for methane storage identified
• Crows are smarter than you think: Crows join humans, apes and monkeys in exhibiting advanced rational thinking
• How will climate change transform agriculture?
• Birds sensed severe storms and fled before tornado outbreak
• Genetic ancestry of different ethnic groups varies across the United States
• Kepler proves it can still find planets
• 550-million-year-old fossils provide new clues about fossil formation
• New technique provides novel approach to diagnosing ciliopathies
• 'Cool' new method for probing how molecules fold
• Trigger mechanism for recovery after spinal cord injury revealed
• Scientists map out how childhood brain tumours relapse
• Islet cell transplantation restores type 1 diabetics' blood sugar defense mechanisms
• Mutations prevent programmed cell death
• Hearing capabilities of bushcrickets, mammals
• Expectant fathers experience prenatal hormone changes
• Getting bot responders into shape
• Using power of computers to harness human genome may provide clues into Ebola virus
• The Greenland Ice Sheet: Now in HD
• Electron spin could be the key to high-temperature superconductivity
• High-dose flu vaccine superior for frail elderly living in long-term care facilities
• Fine particulate air pollution linked with increased autism risk
• Early caregiving experiences have long-term effects on social relationships, achievement
• Quality of parent-infant relationships, early childhood shyness predict teen anxiety
• Subtle but important memory function affected by preterm birth
• Moms of food-allergic kids need dietician's support
• Wild blueberries (bilberries) can help tackle adverse effects of high-fat diet
• Protection of mouse gut by mucus depends on microbes
• Why do parents who usually vaccinate their children hesitate or refuse?
• Why are UK teenagers skipping school?
• Surprise gene finding on 'back or belly' decision in sea anemones
• Pilot plant for removal of extreme gas charges from deep waters installed
• Could trophoblasts be the immune cells of pregnancy?
• Researchers discover protein protecting against chlorine
• Deforestation threatens species richness in streams
• Lynx take lunch breaks
• Laparoscopic surgery for bladder cancer leads to good long-term cancer control
• How does prostate cancer form? Parkinson's Link?
• Clearing tropical rainforests distorts Earth's wind and water systems, packs climate wallop beyond carbon
• Life expectancy increases globally as death toll falls from major diseases
• Targeted next-generation sequencing reveals a high number of genomic mutations in advanced malignant
• Weigh-in once a week or you'll gain weight
• Spider's web weaves way to advanced networks and displays
• Ultrafast imaging of complex systems in 3-D at near atomic resolution nears
• Airline pilots can be exposed to cockpit radiation similar to tanning beds
• Switching to spintronics: Electric field switching of ferromagnetism at room temperature
• Satellites measure increase of Sun's energy absorbed in the Arctic
• 49 percent of patients withhold clinically sensitive information
• Satellite sees holiday lights brighten cities
• Lens-free microscope can detect cancer at cellular level
• Surprising theorists, stars within middle-aged clusters are of similar age
• New conversion process turns biomass 'waste' into lucrative chemical products
• Short-necked Triassic marine reptile discovered in China
• Microscopy pencils patterns in polymers at the nanoscale
• Multiple allergic reactions traced to single protein

In one aspect of vision, computers catch up to primate brain Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:10 AM PST For decades, neuroscientists have been trying to design computer networks that can mimic visual skills such as recognizing objects, which the human brain does very accurately and quickly. Until now, no computer model has been able to match the primate brain at visual object recognition during a brief glance. Now neuroscientists have found that one of the latest generation of 'deep neural networks' matches the primate brain.

Ibuprofen use leads to extended lifespan in several species, study shows Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:10 AM PST A common over-the-counter drug that tackles pain and fever may also hold keys to a longer, healthier life, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist. Regular doses of ibuprofen extended the lifespan of multiple species.

Origin of long-standing space mystery revealed: Origin of the 'theta aurora' Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:09 AM PST Scientists have solved a long-standing space mystery - the origin of the 'theta aurora'. Auroras are the most visible manifestation of the Sun's effect on Earth. They are seen as colorful displays in the night sky, known as the Northern or Southern Lights. They are caused by the solar wind, a stream of plasma - electrically charged atomic particles - carrying its own magnetic field, interacting with the earth's magnetic field. Normally, the main region for this impressive display is the 'auroral oval', which lies at around 65-70 degrees north or south of the equator, encircling the polar caps. However, auroras can occur at even higher latitudes. One type is known as a 'theta aurora' because seen from above it looks like the Greek letter theta - an oval with a line crossing through the center.

Revealing the quantum geometry of the graphene lattice Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:09 AM PST Among the most revolutionary concepts of modern physics is that the laws of nature are inherently non-local. One striking manifestation of this non-locality was famously predicted by Aharonov and Bohm: a magnetic field confined to the interior of a solenoid can alter the behavior of electrons outside it, shifting the phase of their wave-like interference although they never directly encounter the magnetic field. Originally regarded as a mere curiosity, such "geometric phase shifts" are now known to have dramatic consequences for electron transport in solid-state materials, e.g., allowing unimpeded current flow along the edges of a material that is insulating in the bulk.

Study fuels hope for natural gas cars: Metal organic framework candidates for methane storage identified Posted: 18 Dec 2014 10:19 AM PST Cars that run on natural gas are touted as efficient and environmentally friendly, but getting enough gas onboard to make them practical is a hurdle. A new study promises to help. Researchers have calculated the best candidates among possible metal organic frameworks to store natural gas for cars.

Crows are smarter than you think: Crows join humans, apes and monkeys in exhibiting advanced rational thinking Posted: 18 Dec 2014 10:14 AM PST Crows have the brain power to solve higher-order, relational-matching tasks, and they can do so spontaneously, according to new research. That means crows join humans, apes and monkeys in exhibiting advanced relational thinking, according to the research.

How will climate change transform agriculture? Posted: 18 Dec 2014 10:14 AM PST Climate change impacts will require major but very uncertain transformations of global agriculture systems by mid-century, according to new research.

Birds sensed severe storms and fled before tornado outbreak Posted: 18 Dec 2014 10:14 AM PST Golden-winged warblers apparently knew in advance that a storm that would spawn 84 confirmed tornadoes and kill at least 35 people last spring was coming, according to a new report. The birds left the scene well before devastating supercell storms blew in.

Genetic ancestry of different ethnic groups varies across the United States Posted: 18 Dec 2014 10:14 AM PST The United States is a melting pot of different racial and ethnic groups, but it has not been clear how the genetic ancestry of these populations varies across different geographic regions. In a landmark study, researchers analyzed the genomes of more than 160,000 African-Americans, Latinos, and European-Americans, providing novel insights into the subtle differences in genetic ancestry across the United States.

Kepler proves it can still find planets Posted: 18 Dec 2014 09:08 AM PST To paraphrase Mark Twain, the report of the Kepler spacecraft's death was greatly exaggerated. Despite a malfunction that ended its primary mission in May 2013, Kepler is still alive and working. The evidence comes from the discovery of a new super-Earth using data collected during Kepler's 'second life.'

550-million-year-old fossils provide new clues about fossil formation Posted: 18 Dec 2014 09:08 AM PST A new study is challenging accepted ideas about how ancient soft-bodied organisms become part of the fossil record. Findings suggest that bacteria involved in the decay of those organisms play an active role in how fossils are formed -- often in a matter of just a few tens to hundreds of years. Understanding the relationship between decay and fossilization will inform future study and help researchers interpret fossils in a new way.

New technique provides novel approach to diagnosing ciliopathies Posted: 18 Dec 2014 09:08 AM PST It is difficult to diagnose, study and treat cioliopathies, because it is difficult to examine cilia in molecular detail. Now researchers report that they have captured the highest-resolution images of human cilia ever, using a new approach.

'Cool' new method for probing how molecules fold Posted: 18 Dec 2014 09:07 AM PST A powerful new system for studying how proteins and other biological molecules form and lose their natural folded structures has been developed by scientists. Using the new system, researchers can force a sample of molecules to unfold and refold by boosting and then dropping the temperature, so quickly that even some of the fastest molecular folding events can be tracked.

Trigger mechanism for recovery after spinal cord injury revealed Posted: 18 Dec 2014 09:07 AM PST After an incomplete spinal cord injury, the body can partially recover basic motor function. So-called muscle spindles and associated sensory circuits back to the spinal cord promote the establishment of novel neuronal connections after injury. This circuit-level mechanism behind the process of motor recovery was elucidated by recent research; findings may contribute to designing novel strategies for treatment after spinal cord injuries.

Scientists map out how childhood brain tumours relapse Posted: 18 Dec 2014 09:07 AM PST The unique genetic paths that the childhood brain tumor medulloblastoma follows when the disease comes back has been mapped out, researchers report. Scientists looked at biopsies from the relapsed tumours of 29 patients. They found a range of changes that only appeared when the disease returned and were responsible for the cancer becoming more aggressive.

Islet cell transplantation restores type 1 diabetics' blood sugar defense mechanisms Posted: 18 Dec 2014 09:05 AM PST Type 1 diabetes patients who have developed low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) as a complication of insulin treatments over time are able to regain normal internal recognition of the condition after receiving pancreatic islet cell transplantation, according to a new study.

Mutations prevent programmed cell death Posted: 18 Dec 2014 07:32 AM PST Programmed cell death is a mechanism that causes defective and potentially harmful cells to destroy themselves. It serves a number of purposes in the body, including the prevention of malignant tumor growth. Now, researchers have discovered a previously unknown mechanism for regulating programmed cell death. They have also shown that patients with lymphoma often carry mutations in this signal pathway.

Hearing capabilities of bushcrickets, mammals Posted: 18 Dec 2014 07:31 AM PST In the animal kingdom many species must identify environmental sounds to increase their chance of survival. Therefore, animals have evolved a vast diversity of mechanisms to detect sounds. Acoustic communication occurs in many groups of animals. Yet, due to their biological diversity, insect species constitute a large percentage of the acoustic community -- particularly cicadas, crickets, katydids and grasshoppers. A detailed review of the functional mechanics of katydid (bushcricket) hearing, draws distinct parallels between the ear of the bushcricket and tetrapods.

Expectant fathers experience prenatal hormone changes Posted: 18 Dec 2014 06:09 AM PST Impending fatherhood can lower two hormones -- testosterone and estradiol -- for men, even before their babies are born, a new study found. This is the first study to show that the decline may begin even before the child's birth, during the transition to fatherhood.

Getting bot responders into shape Posted: 18 Dec 2014 06:09 AM PST Scientists are tackling one of the biggest barriers to the use of robots in emergency response: energy efficiency. They are developing technology that will dramatically improve the endurance of legged robots, helping them operate for long periods while performing the types of locomotion most relevant to disaster response scenarios.

Using power of computers to harness human genome may provide clues into Ebola virus Posted: 18 Dec 2014 06:09 AM PST New work is blending the power of computers with biology to use the human genome to remove much of the guesswork involved in discovering cures for diseases. A corresponding article describes how key genes that are present in our cells could be used to develop drugs for Ebola virus disease.

The Greenland Ice Sheet: Now in HD Posted: 18 Dec 2014 06:09 AM PST The highest-resolution maps of the Greenland Ice Sheet are debuting. Starting with Worldview satellite imagery, The maps are already revealing previously unknown features on the ice sheet.

Electron spin could be the key to high-temperature superconductivity Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:14 AM PST Scientists have taken a significant step in our understanding of superconductivity by studying the strange quantum events in a unique superconducting material.

High-dose flu vaccine superior for frail elderly living in long-term care facilities Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:13 AM PST The high-dose flu vaccine is significantly better than the regular flu shot at boosting the immune response to the flu virus in frail, older residents of long-term care facilities, according to the results of a new study. It is the first evaluation of the vaccine in long-term care residents, which is the population most vulnerable to flu-related death.

Fine particulate air pollution linked with increased autism risk Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:13 AM PST Women exposed to high levels of fine particulate matter specifically during pregnancy -- particularly during the third trimester -- may face up to twice the risk of having a child with autism than mothers living in areas with low particulate matter, according to a study. The greater the exposure, the greater the risk, researchers found. It was the first US-wide study exploring the link between airborne particulate matter and autism.

Early caregiving experiences have long-term effects on social relationships, achievement Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:13 AM PST A new study has found that sensitive caregiving in the first three years of life predicts an individual's social competence and academic achievement, not only during childhood and adolescence, but into adulthood. The study used information from 243 individuals who were born into poverty, came from a range of racial/ethnic backgrounds, and had been followed from birth to age 32.

Quality of parent-infant relationships, early childhood shyness predict teen anxiety Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:13 AM PST Social anxiety is one of the most common psychiatric disorders among children and adolescents. A new study has found that together, the quality of parent-infant relationships and early childhood shyness predict the likelihood of social anxiety in adolescence. In this longitudinal study, researchers studied 165 European-American, middle- to upper-middle-class adolescents who were recruited as infants.

Subtle but important memory function affected by preterm birth Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:13 AM PST A study of children born prematurely has found differences in a subtle but important aspect of memory: the ability to form and retrieve memories about context. The study examined 33 8-to 10-year olds using magnetic resonance imaging to measure the volume of the hippocampi. The results suggest that the maturational state of the hippocampus at the time of birth influences the maturation of certain memory functions even at 8- to 10-years old.

Moms of food-allergic kids need dietician's support Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:13 AM PST Discovering your child has a severe food allergy can be a terrible shock. Even more stressful can be determining what foods your child can and cannot eat, and constructing a new diet which might eliminate entire categories of foods. Providing parents with detailed, individual advice from a dietician is a key component of effective food allergy care, experts say.

Wild blueberries (bilberries) can help tackle adverse effects of high-fat diet Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:11 AM PST Eating bilberries diminishes the adverse effects of a high-fat diet, according to a recent study. For the first time, bilberries were shown to have beneficial effects on both blood pressure and nutrition-derived inflammatory responses.

Protection of mouse gut by mucus depends on microbes Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:11 AM PST The quality of the colon mucus in mice depends on the composition of gut microbiota, reports a research team whose work suggests that bacteria in the gut affect mucus barrier properties in ways that can have implications for health and disease.

Why do parents who usually vaccinate their children hesitate or refuse? Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:11 AM PST Even parents who are not "vaccine refusers" and who usually comply with the routine vaccination programs may hesitate or refuse to vaccinate their children based on poor communication from the relevant healthcare provider, as well as concerns about the safety of the vaccine, a study concludes.

Why are UK teenagers skipping school? Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:11 AM PST Analysis of the results of a large-scale survey reveals the extent of truancy in English secondary schools and sheds light on the mental health of the country's teens.

Surprise gene finding on 'back or belly' decision in sea anemones Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:11 AM PST A gene that controls one of the earliest decisions in the life of an animal, where to place the back and the belly on the body, is identified in a sea anemone by researchers.

Pilot plant for removal of extreme gas charges from deep waters installed Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:10 AM PST Being part of the mining area Herrerias in Andalusia, deep waters of Pit Lake Guadiana show extremely high concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide. In the case of a spontaneous ebullition, human beings close-by would be jeopardized. To demonstrate the danger and the possible solution, scientists have constructed a pilot plant for degassing. A fountain pulls deep water through a pipe to the surface, where the gas can escape from the water. The buoyancy produced by the bubbles provides the energy required for driving the flow.

Could trophoblasts be the immune cells of pregnancy? Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:10 AM PST Trophoblasts, cells that form an outer layer around a fertilized egg and develop into the major part of the placenta, have now been shown to respond to inflammatory danger signals, researchers have found.

Researchers discover protein protecting against chlorine Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:10 AM PST Chlorine is a common disinfectant that is used to kill bacteria, for example in swimming pools and drinking water supplies. Our immune system also produces chlorine, which causes proteins in bacteria to lose their natural folding. These unfolded proteins then begin to clump and lose their function. Now researchers have discovered a protein in the intestinal bacterium E. coli that protects bacteria from chlorine. In the presence of chlorine, it tightly bonds with other proteins, thus preventing them from coagulating.

Deforestation threatens species richness in streams Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:10 AM PST With a population of 1.3 billion, China is under immense pressure to convert suitable areas into arable land in order to ensure a continued food supply for its people. Accordingly, China is among the top countries in the world in terms of the extent and intensity of land use change. Deforestation may change the water surface runoff conditions, leading to a negative impact on the occurrence of microorganisms in rivers and streams.

Lynx take lunch breaks Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:10 AM PST Whether a lynx hunts by day or by night and how active it is overall depend primarily on the behavior of the wild cat's most important prey and its individual traits - lighting conditions, on the other hand, do not play a major role in its basic behavioral patterns. This is the key finding of a new study in which scientists fitted GPS collars and motion sensors on 38 free-ranging lynx.

Laparoscopic surgery for bladder cancer leads to good long-term cancer control Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:10 AM PST Long-term survival rates following laparoscopic surgery for bladder cancer are comparable to those of open surgery, according to a study. The findings, which come from the largest study to date with long-term follow-up after this type of minimally invasive surgery, indicate that prospective randomized trials comparing these two bladder cancer surgeries are warranted.

How does prostate cancer form? Parkinson's Link? Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:08 AM PST The cause of prostate cancer may be linked to Parkinson's disease through a common enzyme family called sirtuins. Finding an enzyme that regulates this process could provide excellent new prevention approaches for this common malignancy, researchers say. Sirtuin enzymes have been implicated in neurodegeneration, obesity, heart disease, and cancer.

Clearing tropical rainforests distorts Earth's wind and water systems, packs climate wallop beyond carbon Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:08 AM PST A new study released today presents powerful evidence that clearing trees not only spews carbon into the atmosphere, but also triggers major shifts in rainfall and increased temperatures worldwide that are just as potent as those caused by current carbon pollution. Further, the study finds that future agricultural productivity across the globe is at risk from deforestation-induced warming and altered rainfall patterns.

Life expectancy increases globally as death toll falls from major diseases Posted: 17 Dec 2014 05:15 PM PST People are living much longer worldwide than they were two decades ago, as death rates from infectious diseases and cardiovascular disease have fallen, according to a new, first-ever journal publication of country-specific cause-of-death data for 188 countries.

Targeted next-generation sequencing reveals a high number of genomic mutations in advanced malignant Posted: 17 Dec 2014 02:15 PM PST Next generation sequencing in malignant pleural mesothelioma tumors shows a complex mutational setting with a high number of genetic alterations in genes involved in DNA repair, cell survival and cell proliferation pathways. Increased accumulation of mutations correlates with early progression of the tumor and decreased survival.

Weigh-in once a week or you'll gain weight Posted: 17 Dec 2014 02:14 PM PST Stepping on the scale is common among dieters but how does the frequency of weigh-ins impact weight? A new study showed that the more frequently dieters weighed themselves the more weight they lost, and if participants went more than a week without weighing themselves, they gained weight.

Spider's web weaves way to advanced networks and displays Posted: 17 Dec 2014 02:14 PM PST Searching for new ways to develop efficient, flexible networks, physicists discovered the designs of spider webs and leaf venation, refined across thousands of years of evolution, are worthy models for the next generation of optoelectronic applications.

Ultrafast imaging of complex systems in 3-D at near atomic resolution nears Posted: 17 Dec 2014 02:14 PM PST It is becoming possible to image complex systems in 3-D with near-atomic resolution on ultrafast timescales using extremely intense X-ray free-electron laser pulses. One important step toward ultrafast imaging of samples with a single X-ray shot is understanding the interaction of extremely brilliant and intense X-ray pulses with the sample, including ionization rates.

Airline pilots can be exposed to cockpit radiation similar to tanning beds Posted: 17 Dec 2014 02:14 PM PST Airline pilots can be exposed to the same amount of UV-A radiation as that from a tanning bed session because airplane windshields do not completely block UV-A radiation, according to research. Airplane windshields are commonly made of polycarbonate plastic or multilayer composite glass. UV-A radiation can cause DNA damage in cells and its role in melanoma is well known, researchers say.

Switching to spintronics: Electric field switching of ferromagnetism at room temperature Posted: 17 Dec 2014 01:16 PM PST Researchers have used an electric field to reverse the magnetization direction in a multiferroic spintronic device at room temperature, a demonstration that points a new way towards spintronics and smaller, faster and cheaper ways of storing and processing data.

Satellites measure increase of Sun's energy absorbed in the Arctic Posted: 17 Dec 2014 12:41 PM PST NASA satellite instruments have observed a marked increase in solar radiation absorbed in the Arctic since the year 2000 -- a trend that aligns with the steady decrease in Arctic sea ice during the same period.

49 percent of patients withhold clinically sensitive information Posted: 17 Dec 2014 12:41 PM PST In the first real-world trial of the impact of patient-controlled access to electronic medical records, almost half of the patients who participated withheld clinically sensitive information in their medical records from some or all of their health care providers.

Satellite sees holiday lights brighten cities Posted: 17 Dec 2014 12:40 PM PST Even from space, holidays shine bright. With a new look at daily data scientists have identified how patterns in nighttime light intensity change during major holiday seasons -- Christmas and New Year's in the United States and the holy month of Ramadan in the Middle East.

Lens-free microscope can detect cancer at cellular level Posted: 17 Dec 2014 12:40 PM PST A lens-free microscope that can be used to detect the presence of cancer or other cell-level abnormalities with the same accuracy as larger and more expensive optical microscopes, has been developed by researchers. The invention could lead to less expensive and more portable technology for performing common examinations of tissue, blood and other biomedical specimens. It may prove especially useful in remote areas and in cases where large numbers of samples need to be examined quickly.

Surprising theorists, stars within middle-aged clusters are of similar age Posted: 17 Dec 2014 12:40 PM PST An examination of middle-aged star clusters reveals an unexpectedly narrow age range among their stars, suggesting that large groups of stars evolve differently than previously understood.

New conversion process turns biomass 'waste' into lucrative chemical products Posted: 17 Dec 2014 12:40 PM PST A new catalytic process is able to convert what was once considered biomass waste into lucrative chemical products that can be used in fragrances, flavorings or to create high-octane fuel for racecars and jets. A team of researchers has developed a process that uses a chemical catalyst and heat to spur reactions that convert lignin into valuable chemical commodities.

Short-necked Triassic marine reptile discovered in China Posted: 17 Dec 2014 12:40 PM PST A new species of short-necked marine reptile from the Triassic period has been discovered in China.

Microscopy pencils patterns in polymers at the nanoscale Posted: 17 Dec 2014 12:39 PM PST Scientists have used advanced microscopy to carve out nanoscale designs on the surface of a new class of ionic polymer materials for the first time.

Multiple allergic reactions traced to single protein Posted: 17 Dec 2014 11:10 AM PST A single protein has been identified as the root of painful and dangerous allergic reactions to a range of medications and other substances. If a new drug can be found that targets the problematic protein, researchers say, it could help smooth treatment for patients with conditions ranging from prostate cancer to diabetes to HIV.

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