ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Severe python damage to Florida's native Everglades animals documented in new study
• Terahertz polarizer nears perfection: Research leads to nanotube-based device for communication, security, sensing
• Superfluorescence seen from solid-state material: Many bodies make one coherent burst of light
• Earth's energy budget remained out of balance despite unusually low solar activity, study finds
• Scientists see 'sloshing' galaxy cluster
• Livestock, not Mongolian gazelles, drive foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks
• Music training has biological impact on aging process
• Bright lights of purity: Why pure quantum dots and nanorods shine brighter
• Mouse to elephant? Just wait 24 million generations
• Ferroelectric switching discovered for first time in soft biological tissue
• Addicts' cravings have different roots in men and women
• Was the Little Ice Age triggered by massive volcanic eruptions?
• Smart paint could revolutionize structural safety of bridges, mines and more
• Early intervention may curb dangerous college drinking
• Alcohol and your heart: Friend or foe?
• Divorce hurts health more at earlier ages
• Chirality of a nanotube controls growth: Armchair nanotubes grow fastest
• Chimp 'X factor': Extensive adaptive evolution specifically targeting the X chromosome of chimpanzees
• Cutting off the oxygen supply to serious diseases
• Warming in the Tasman Sea, near Australia, a global warming hot spot
• Genetic breakthrough for brain cancer in children
• Sun unleashes an X1.8 class flare on Jan. 27, 2012
• Need muscle for a tough spot? Turn to fat stem cells
• Processes leading to acute myeloid leukemia discovered
• Oxygen molecule survives to enormously high pressures
• Targeted DNA vaccine using an electric pulse
• What do killer whales eat in the Arctic?
• Grasslands soils offer some insurance against climate change
• Good news about carbon storage in tropical vegetation
• How bacteria behind serious childhood disease evolve to evade vaccines

Severe python damage to Florida's native Everglades animals documented in new study Posted: 30 Jan 2012 04:32 PM PST Precipitous declines in formerly common mammals in Everglades National Park in Florida have been linked to the presence of invasive Burmese pythons, according to new research. The study, the first to document the ecological impacts of this invasive species, strongly supports that animal communities in the 1.5-million-acre park have been markedly altered by the introduction of pythons within 11 years of their establishment as an invasive species. Mid-sized mammals are the most dramatically affected, but some Everglades pythons are as large as 16 feet long, and their prey have included animals as large as deer and alligators.

Terahertz polarizer nears perfection: Research leads to nanotube-based device for communication, security, sensing Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:26 PM PST Researchers are using carbon nanotubes as the critical component of a robust terahertz polarizer that could accelerate the development of new security and communication devices, sensors and non-invasive medical imaging systems as well as fundamental studies of low-dimensional condensed matter systems.

Superfluorescence seen from solid-state material: Many bodies make one coherent burst of light Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:26 PM PST In a flash, the world changed for Tim Noe -- and for physicists who study what they call many-body problems. The graduate student was the first to see, in the summer of 2010, proof of a theory that solid-state materials are capable of producing an effect known as superfluorescence.

Earth's energy budget remained out of balance despite unusually low solar activity, study finds Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:26 PM PST A new NASA study underscores the fact that greenhouse gases generated by human activity -- not changes in solar activity -- are the primary force driving global warming. The study offers an updated calculation of Earth's energy imbalance, the difference between the amount of solar energy absorbed by Earth's surface and the amount returned to space as heat. The researchers' calculations show that, despite unusually low solar activity between 2005 and 2010, the planet continued to absorb more energy than it returned to space.

Scientists see 'sloshing' galaxy cluster Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:24 PM PST Scientists have recently discovered that vast clouds of hot gas are "sloshing" in Abell 2052, a galaxy cluster located about 480 million light years from Earth.

Livestock, not Mongolian gazelles, drive foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:24 PM PST Wildlife health experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society have published evidence which supports the conclusion that Mongolian gazelles -- one of the most populous large land mammals on the planet -- are not a reservoir of foot-and-mouth disease, a highly contagious viral disease that threatens both wildlife and livestock in Asia.

Music training has biological impact on aging process Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:24 PM PST Age-related delays in neural timing are not inevitable and can be avoided or offset with musical training, according to the first study to provide biological evidence that lifelong musical experience impacts the aging process. Measuring automatic brain responses of younger and older musicians and non-musicians to speech sounds, researchers found older musicians not only outperformed older non-musicians, they also encoded sound stimuli as quickly and accurately as younger non-musicians.

Bright lights of purity: Why pure quantum dots and nanorods shine brighter Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:24 PM PST Researchers have discovered why a promising technique for making quantum dots and nanorods has so far been a disappointment. Better still, they've also discovered how to correct the problem.

Mouse to elephant? Just wait 24 million generations Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:19 PM PST Scientists have for the first time measured how fast large-scale evolution can occur in mammals, showing it takes 24 million generations for a mouse-sized animal to evolve to the size of an elephant.

Ferroelectric switching discovered for first time in soft biological tissue Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:01 PM PST The walls of the aorta, the largest blood vessel carrying blood from the heart, exhibits a response to electric fields known to exist in inorganic and synthetic materials. The discovery could have implications for treating human heart disease.

Addicts' cravings have different roots in men and women Posted: 30 Jan 2012 10:15 AM PST A new brain imaging study suggests stress robustly activates areas of the brain associated with craving in cocaine-dependent women, while drug cues activate similar brain regions in cocaine-dependent men. The study suggests men and women with cocaine dependence might benefit more from different treatment options.

Was the Little Ice Age triggered by massive volcanic eruptions? Posted: 30 Jan 2012 10:15 AM PST Scientists suggest that the Little Ice Age was triggered by an unusual, 50-year episode of four massive volcanic eruptions. This led to an expansion of sea ice and a related weakening of Atlantic currents that caused the cool period to persist for centuries.

Smart paint could revolutionize structural safety of bridges, mines and more Posted: 30 Jan 2012 10:15 AM PST An innovative low-cost smart paint that can detect microscopic faults in wind turbines, mines and bridges before structural damage occurs is being developed.

Early intervention may curb dangerous college drinking Posted: 30 Jan 2012 10:12 AM PST The first few weeks of college are a critical time in shaping students' drinking habits. Now researchers have a tailored approach that may help prevent students from becoming heavy drinkers.

Alcohol and your heart: Friend or foe? Posted: 30 Jan 2012 10:11 AM PST A meta-analysis of the relationship between alcohol consumption and heart disease provides new insight into the long-held belief that drinking a glass of red wine a day can help protect against heart disease.

Divorce hurts health more at earlier ages Posted: 30 Jan 2012 10:11 AM PST Divorce at a younger age hurts people's health more than divorce later in life, according to a new study.

Chirality of a nanotube controls growth: Armchair nanotubes grow fastest Posted: 30 Jan 2012 10:08 AM PST Scientists have experimentally confirmed a theory that foretold a pair of interesting properties about nanotube growth: That the chirality of a nanotube controls the speed of its growth, and that armchair nanotubes should grow the fastest.

Chimp 'X factor': Extensive adaptive evolution specifically targeting the X chromosome of chimpanzees Posted: 30 Jan 2012 10:08 AM PST Genetic mutations that boost an individual's adaptability have greater chances of getting through to X chromosomes -- at least in chimpanzees, according to new Danish research. An analysis of the genes of 12 chimpanzees has now demonstrated that the chimpanzee X chromosome plays a very special role in the animal's evolutionary development.

Cutting off the oxygen supply to serious diseases Posted: 30 Jan 2012 10:04 AM PST A new family of proteins which regulate the human body's 'hypoxic response' to low levels of oxygen has been discovered.

Warming in the Tasman Sea, near Australia, a global warming hot spot Posted: 30 Jan 2012 07:25 AM PST Oceanographers have identified a series of ocean hotspots around the world generated by strengthening wind systems that have driven oceanic currents, including the East Australian Current, polewards beyond their known boundaries.

Genetic breakthrough for brain cancer in children Posted: 30 Jan 2012 07:25 AM PST Scientists have made a major genetic breakthrough that could change the way pediatric cancers are treated in the future. The researchers identified two genetic mutations responsible for up to 40 per cent of glioblastomas in children. The mutations were found to be involved in DNA regulation, which could explain the resistance to traditional treatments, and may have significant implications on the treatment of other cancers.

Sun unleashes an X1.8 class flare on Jan. 27, 2012 Posted: 30 Jan 2012 07:02 AM PST The sun unleashed an X1.8 class flare that began at 1:12 PM ET on January 27, 2012 and peaked at 1:37. The flare immediately caused a strong radio blackout at low-latitudes, which was rated an R3 on NOAA's scale from R1-5. The blackout soon subsided to a minor R1 storm. Models from NASA's Goddard Space Weather Center predict that the CME is traveling at over 1500 miles per second. It does not initially appear to be Earth-directed, but Earth may get a glancing blow.

Need muscle for a tough spot? Turn to fat stem cells Posted: 30 Jan 2012 06:43 AM PST Stem cells derived from fat have a surprising trick up their sleeves: Encouraged to develop on a stiff surface, they undergo a remarkable transformation toward becoming mature muscle cells. The new cells remain intact and fused together even when transferred to an extremely stiff, bone-like surface, which has bioengineers intrigued. These cells, they suggest, could hint at new therapeutic possibilities for muscular dystrophy.

Processes leading to acute myeloid leukemia discovered Posted: 30 Jan 2012 06:43 AM PST Researchers have discovered a molecular pathway that may explain how a particularly deadly form of cancer develops. The discovery may lead to new cancer therapies that reprogram cells instead of killing them.

Oxygen molecule survives to enormously high pressures Posted: 30 Jan 2012 06:39 AM PST Using computer simulations, researchers have shown that the oxygen molecule (O2) is stable up to pressures of 1.9 terapascal, which is about nineteen million times higher than atmosphere pressure. Above that, it polymerizes, i.e. builds larger molecules or structures.

Targeted DNA vaccine using an electric pulse Posted: 30 Jan 2012 06:36 AM PST The vaccines of the future against infections, influenza and cancer can be administered using an electrical pulse and a specially-produced DNA code, new research suggests. The DNA code programs the body's own cells to produce a super-fast missile defense against the disease, researchers say.

What do killer whales eat in the Arctic? Posted: 29 Jan 2012 08:28 PM PST Killer whales are the top marine predator. The increase in hunting territories available to killer whales in the Arctic due to climate change and melting sea ice could seriously affect the marine ecosystem balance. New research has combined scientific observations with Canadian Inuit traditional knowledge to determine killer whale behavior and diet in the Arctic.

Grasslands soils offer some insurance against climate change Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:10 PM PST The earth beneath our feet plays an important role in carbon storage – a key factor in climate change – and new research shows that in times of drought some types of soil perform better than others.

Good news about carbon storage in tropical vegetation Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:10 PM PST Tropical vegetation contains 21 percent more carbon than previously thought. Using a combination of remote sensing and field data, scientists were able to produce the first "wall-to-wall" map (with a spatial resolution of 500 m x 500 m) of carbon storage of forests, shrublands, and savannas in the tropics of Africa, Asia, and South America.

How bacteria behind serious childhood disease evolve to evade vaccines Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:10 PM PST Genetics has provided surprising insights into why vaccines used in both the UK and US to combat serious childhood infections can eventually fail. The study, which investigates how bacteria change their disguise to evade the vaccines, has implications for how future vaccines can be made more effective.

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