ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Crayfish species proves to be the ultimate survivor
• Memory improves for older adults using computerized brain fitness program
• What you don't know can hurt you
• Judging adolescents' actions: Teens mature intellectually before they mature emotionally
• New generation of virtual humans helping to train psychologists
• Ancient records shed light on Italian earthquakes (Aquila area)
• Birds that live with varying weather sing more versatile songs
• Situation dire for threatened rhino species, researcher finds
• Unexpected variation in immune genes poses difficulties for transplantation
• Fragile X and Down syndromes share signalling pathway for intellectual disability
• Giant moa had climate change figured out
• Playfulness may help adults attract mates, study finds
• Parents get physical with unruly kids, study finds
• New approach to treat acute liver failure
• Researchers invent new tool to study single biological molecules
• Relaxors: Nanoscale properties of materials that can be used in electronic devices to change temperature or shape
• Mystery of elephant infrasounds revealed
• Supernova progenitor found? New research identifies star system that may explode
• Irony seen through the eye of MRI
• Predatory beetles eavesdrop on ants' chemical conversations to find best egg-laying sites
• Research may lead to new approach to detect prostate cancer
• Students with strong hearts and lungs may make better grades
• NASA announces next steps in effort to launch Americans from U.S. soil
• Hitchhiking sensors capture Curiosity's entry
• Newest NASA Mars Mission Connects Past and Future
• Invasive insects cause staggering impact on native tree
• Dangerous experiment in fetal engineering
• New drug shows promise for kidney disease
• Killer infections targeted by hospital study
• People with Allergies May Have Lower Risk of Brain Tumors
• Bears, scavengers count on all-you-can-eat salmon buffet lasting for months
• Major step taken towards 'unbreakable' message exchange
• Bacterial community inside the plant root: Plants choose soil bacteria that they allow into their roots
• Bilingualism 'can increase mental agility'
• Novel double-stranded DNA structure produced through mechanical stretching
• How the cell swallows
• Strawberry extract protects against UVA rays, study suggests
• Percentage of teen drivers continues to drop
• Making mobile better: Mobile computing devices may overtake personal computer for internet use in 2013
• Data storage: Keeping things in place
• Photonics: Sensing on the way
• Data storage: Memory that does it all

Crayfish species proves to be the ultimate survivor Posted: 03 Aug 2012 04:38 PM PDT Red swamp crayfish, known as one of the most successful invaders on earth, is able to feed off the land as well as getting food from its usual source in the water.

Memory improves for older adults using computerized brain fitness program Posted: 03 Aug 2012 04:35 PM PDT Researchers found that older adults who regularly used a brain fitness program played on a computer demonstrated significantly improved memory and language skills.

What you don't know can hurt you Posted: 03 Aug 2012 12:31 PM PDT Is it possible for a health-care system to redesign its services to better educate patients to deal with their immediate health issues and also become more savvy consumers of medicine in the long run?

Judging adolescents' actions: Teens mature intellectually before they mature emotionally Posted: 03 Aug 2012 12:31 PM PDT Determining when a teenage brain becomes an adult brain is not an exact science but it's getting closer, according to an expert.

New generation of virtual humans helping to train psychologists Posted: 03 Aug 2012 11:06 AM PDT New technology has led to the creation of virtual humans who can interact with therapists via a computer screen and realistically mimic the symptoms of a patient with clinical psychological disorders, according to new research.

Ancient records shed light on Italian earthquakes (Aquila area) Posted: 03 Aug 2012 10:19 AM PDT When a damaging earthquake struck the area of L'Aquila in central Italy in 2009, it was the latest in the region's long history of strong and persistent quakes. But according to a new study the historical record on ancient and medieval earthquakes comes with its own shortcomings that must be addressed before the seismic history of L'Aquila can be useful in assessing the current seismic hazard in this area.

Birds that live with varying weather sing more versatile songs Posted: 03 Aug 2012 10:19 AM PDT A new study of North American songbirds reveals that birds that live with fluctuating weather are more flexible singers. Mixing it up helps birds ensure that their songs are heard no matter what the habitat.

Situation dire for threatened rhino species, researcher finds Posted: 03 Aug 2012 09:11 AM PDT A researcher hopes his recent finding confirming the extinction of the Javan rhinoceros in Vietnam pushes the public to protect the last remaining group of these prehistoric creatures living in Indonesia.

Unexpected variation in immune genes poses difficulties for transplantation Posted: 03 Aug 2012 09:11 AM PDT Human HLA genes -- the genes that allow our immune system to tell the difference between our own cells and foreign invaders -- are evolving much more rapidly than previously thought, according to a new article. The resulting degree of variation improves our ability to fight off disease, but could also present challenges to current worldwide efforts aimed at identifying potential donors for patients undergoing stem cell transplantation.

Fragile X and Down syndromes share signalling pathway for intellectual disability Posted: 03 Aug 2012 09:10 AM PDT Intellectual disability due to Fragile X and Down syndromes involves similar molecular pathways, researchers report. The two disorders share disturbances in the molecular events that regulate the way nerve cells develop dendritic spines, the small extensions found on the surface of nerve cells that are crucial for communication in the brain.

Giant moa had climate change figured out Posted: 03 Aug 2012 08:44 AM PDT An international team of scientists has used ancient DNA from bones of giant extinct New Zealand birds to show that significant climate and environmental changes did not have a large impact on their populations.

Playfulness may help adults attract mates, study finds Posted: 03 Aug 2012 08:11 AM PDT Why do adults continue to play throughout their lives while most other mature mammals cease such behavior? According to researchers, playfulness may serve an evolutionary role in human mating preferences by signaling positive qualities to potential long-term mates.

Parents get physical with unruly kids, study finds Posted: 03 Aug 2012 08:11 AM PDT Parents get physical with their misbehaving children in public much more than they show in laboratory experiments and acknowledge in surveys, according to one of the first real-world studies of caregiver discipline.

New approach to treat acute liver failure Posted: 03 Aug 2012 08:11 AM PDT Acute liver failure is a life-threatening disease. Unfortunately, few treatment options exist. Now researchers have developed a new treatment approach based on a mouse model. In a recent study, the liver failure was reversed and the mice recovered completely.

Researchers invent new tool to study single biological molecules Posted: 03 Aug 2012 08:08 AM PDT Researchers have developed new microscope technology to study single biological molecules with unprecedented accuracy and precision.

Relaxors: Nanoscale properties of materials that can be used in electronic devices to change temperature or shape Posted: 03 Aug 2012 08:08 AM PDT Physicists have determined important information about the nanoscale properties of materials called relaxors, which can be used in electronic devices to change temperature or shape. The discoveries may help maximize efficient use of relaxors to create better medical ultrasound, sensors and heart implants.

Mystery of elephant infrasounds revealed Posted: 03 Aug 2012 07:34 AM PDT An international team of voice researchers and cognitive biologists provides new insights into the production of elephant communication. The so-called "infrasounds", i.e. sounds with pitches below the range of human hearing, are found to be produced with the same physical mechanism as human speech or singing.

Supernova progenitor found? New research identifies star system that may explode Posted: 03 Aug 2012 07:30 AM PDT Type Ia supernovae are violent stellar explosions. Observations of their brightness are used to determine distances in the universe and have shown scientists that the cosmos is expanding at an accelerating rate. But there is still too little known about the specifics of the processes by which these supernovae form. New research identifies a star system, prior to explosion, which will possibly become a type Ia supernova.

Irony seen through the eye of MRI Posted: 03 Aug 2012 07:30 AM PDT In the cognitive sciences, the capacity to interpret the intentions of others is called "Theory of Mind" (ToM). This faculty is involved in the understanding of language, in particular by bridging the gap between the meaning of the words that make up a statement and the meaning of the statement as a whole. In recent years, researchers have identified the neural network dedicated to ToM, but no one had yet demonstrated that this set of neurons is specifically activated by the process of understanding of an utterance. This has now been accomplished: researchers have shown that the activation of the ToM neural network increases when an individual is reacting to ironic statements. The findings represent an important breakthrough in the study of Theory of Mind and linguistics, shedding light on the mechanisms involved in interpersonal communication.

Predatory beetles eavesdrop on ants' chemical conversations to find best egg-laying sites Posted: 03 Aug 2012 07:29 AM PDT Predatory beetles can detect the unique alarm signal released by ants that are under attack by parasitic flies, and the beetles use those overheard conversations to guide their search for safe egg-laying sites on coffee bushes.

Research may lead to new approach to detect prostate cancer Posted: 03 Aug 2012 07:29 AM PDT An undergraduate student's technique for detecting certain metabolites in urine samples could lead to a simpler and more accurate way to test for prostate cancer.

Students with strong hearts and lungs may make better grades Posted: 03 Aug 2012 07:29 AM PDT Having a healthy heart and lungs may be one of the most important factors for middle school students to make good grades in math and reading, according to new findings.

NASA announces next steps in effort to launch Americans from U.S. soil Posted: 03 Aug 2012 07:17 AM PDT NASA has announced new agreements with three American commercial companies to design and develop the next generation of U.S. human spaceflight capabilities, enabling a launch of astronauts from U.S. soil in the next five years. Advances made by these companies under newly signed Space Act Agreements through the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) initiative are intended to ultimately lead to the availability of commercial human spaceflight services for government and commercial customers.,

Hitchhiking sensors capture Curiosity's entry Posted: 03 Aug 2012 07:15 AM PDT Screaming through the thin Martian atmosphere at hypersonic speed, the Mars Science Laboratory is about to experience heat and pressure up to three times more intense than when a space shuttle returned to Earth, and NASA engineers hope to soon have the data to prove it.

Newest NASA Mars Mission Connects Past and Future Posted: 03 Aug 2012 07:08 AM PDT NASA's newest Mars mission, landing in three days, will draw on support from missions sent to Mars years ago and will contribute to missions envisioned for future decades.

Invasive insects cause staggering impact on native tree Posted: 03 Aug 2012 06:45 AM PDT The beautiful, endemic and endangered cycad, Cycas micronesica was once a dominant forest tree on the island of Guam, but recent plant mortality predicts extirpation from Guam habitats by 2019.

Dangerous experiment in fetal engineering Posted: 03 Aug 2012 06:45 AM PDT A new paper uses extensive Freedom of Information Act findings to detail a risky and extremely troubling off-label medical intervention employed in the U.S. on pregnant women to intentionally engineer the development of their fetuses for sex normalization purposes. Mothers are told the drug is safe but there is no such evidence.

New drug shows promise for kidney disease Posted: 03 Aug 2012 06:45 AM PDT Scientists have demonstrated in the laboratory that a new drug is effective in treating a very common kidney disease -- although it will be a few years before it becomes available for clinical testing.

Killer infections targeted by hospital study Posted: 03 Aug 2012 06:44 AM PDT A major international study aims to prevent death and serious illness caused by one of the most common infections contracted by patients in hospitals.

People with Allergies May Have Lower Risk of Brain Tumors Posted: 03 Aug 2012 06:44 AM PDT New research adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that there's a link between allergies and reduced risk of a serious type of cancer that starts in the brain.

Bears, scavengers count on all-you-can-eat salmon buffet lasting for months Posted: 03 Aug 2012 06:44 AM PDT Watersheds need both steep, cold-running streams and meandering streams of warmer water to keep options open for salmon. Preserving that sort of varied landscape serves not just salmon, it provides an all-summer buffet that animals need to sustain themselves the rest of the year.

Major step taken towards 'unbreakable' message exchange Posted: 03 Aug 2012 05:29 AM PDT Single particles of light, also known as photons, have been produced and implemented into a quantum key distribution (QKD) link, paving the way for unbreakable communication networks.

Bacterial community inside the plant root: Plants choose soil bacteria that they allow into their roots Posted: 03 Aug 2012 05:29 AM PDT Soil is the most species-rich microbial ecosystem in the world. From this incredible diversity, plants specifically choose certain species, give them access to the root and so host a unique, carefully selected bacterial community from which they then benefit in a variety of ways. To achieve this, the plant's immune system must be able to tell which of these bacteria are friends and which foes.

Bilingualism 'can increase mental agility' Posted: 03 Aug 2012 05:29 AM PDT Bilingual children outperform children who speak only one language in problem-solving skills and creative thinking, according to new research.

Novel double-stranded DNA structure produced through mechanical stretching Posted: 03 Aug 2012 05:29 AM PDT Researchers' findings address a scientific debate that had lasted for 16 years over the existence of a double-stranded DNA structure.

How the cell swallows Posted: 03 Aug 2012 05:29 AM PDT Scientists have combined the power of two kinds of microscope to produce a 3-dimensional movie of how cells 'swallow' nutrients and other molecules by engulfing them. The study is the first to follow changes in the shape of the cell's membrane and track proteins thought to influence those changes. It also provides ample data to investigate this essential process further.

Strawberry extract protects against UVA rays, study suggests Posted: 03 Aug 2012 05:29 AM PDT An experiment has shown that strawberry extract added to skin cell cultures acts as a protector against ultraviolet radiation as well as increasing its viability and reducing damage to DNA. The study opens the door to the creation of photoprotective cream made from strawberries.

Percentage of teen drivers continues to drop Posted: 03 Aug 2012 05:29 AM PDT Thirty years ago, eight in 10 Americans ages 17 to 19 had a driver's license. Today, it's six in 10, according to a new study.

Making mobile better: Mobile computing devices may overtake personal computer for internet use in 2013 Posted: 02 Aug 2012 03:38 PM PDT Mobile computing devices will probably overtake the personal computer as the most common means for accessing the Internet worldwide sometime in 2013 and it may not be a seamless transition, according to experts.

Data storage: Keeping things in place Posted: 02 Aug 2012 12:03 PM PDT Fluid dynamics simulations aim to better predict how air circulating in a hard disk drive perturbs the vibrating read/write head.

Photonics: Sensing on the way Posted: 02 Aug 2012 12:03 PM PDT Hollow optical fibers containing light-emitting liquids hold big promises for biological sensing applications.

Data storage: Memory that does it all Posted: 02 Aug 2012 12:03 PM PDT Using the correct annealing temperature is key to making fast, non-volatile computer memory.

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