ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Particles of crystalline quartz wear away teeth
• Good managers fake it
• Spin and bias in published studies of breast cancer trials
• Herschel spacecraft eyes asteroid Apophis
• Mussels inspire innovative new adhesive for surgery
• Next-generation adaptive optics brings remarkable details to light in stellar nursery
• Variation found in foot strike patterns in predominantly barefoot runners
• Mapping the Milky Way: Radio telescopes give clues to structure, history
• Sickle cells show potential to attack aggressive cancer tumors
• Brown eyes appear more trustworthy than blue: People judge men's trustworthiness based on face shape, eye color
• Deal or no deal: Five year olds make smart decisions in games of risk
• Baby sharks stay still to avoid being detected by predators
• Measuring genomic response to infection leads to earlier, accurate diagnoses
• Stem cells may hold promise for Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS)
• Machine perception lab shows robotic one year old on video
• Dark energy alternatives to Einstein are running out of room
• High fiber diet prevents prostate cancer progression, study shows
• Invading species can extinguish native plants despite recent reports to the contrary
• New research method to identify brain tumors could enhance neurosurgery
• Engineering alternative fuel with cyanobacteria
• Microscopic blood in urine unreliable indicator of urinary tract cancer
• Faulty behavior: New earthquake fault models show that 'stable' zones may contribute to the generation of massive earthquakes
• Flooding preparedness needs to include infection prevention and control strategies
• Unnecessary antimicrobial use increases risk of recurrent infectious diarrhea
• A history lesson from genes: Using DNA to tell us how populations change
• Farthest supernova yet for measuring cosmic history
• A rapid test for fungus that caused injection deaths
• Scientists use Pap test fluid to detect ovarian, endometrial cancers
• Researchers foresee new treatments and diagnostics for deadly fibrotic diseases of the lung, liver, and kidney
• Dimmer switch for regulating cell's read of DNA code
• Drug resistance in E. coli: 'Baby steps' can pay off big
• Magma in mantle has deep impact: Rocks melt at greater depth than once thought
• Scientists unlock how insulin interacts with cells
• Drug-resistant melanoma tumors shrink when therapy is interrupted
• Scientists use marine robots to detect endangered whales
• Americans have worse health than people in other high-income countries
• Smaller radiation fields can spare brain when treating tumors, research finds
• Eliminating useless information important to learning, making new memories
• Tree seeds offer potential for sustainable biofuels
• Sensory hair cells regenerated, hearing restored in noise-damaged mammal ear
• Newly found 'volume control' in brain promotes learning, memory
• How does your garden glow?
• Scientists discover new gene that affects clearance of hepatitis C virus
• Nursing gerbils unravel benefit of multiple mothers in collective mammals
• Networking ability a family trait in monkeys
• Whales' foraging strategies revealed by new technology
• Expert suggests tried-and-true strategies to strengthen your relationship
• Used coffee grounds are a rich source of healthful antioxidants
• Chemical modules that mimic predator-prey and other behaviors devised
• Making whole wheat bread taste and smell more appetizing
• Passive smoking increases risk of severe dementia, according to study in China
• Researchers reveal most effective treatment for common kidney disorder
• New study identifies significance of co-infection in disease control
• News from the world of quantum physics: A non-causal quantum eraser
• Low extinction rates made California a refuge for diverse plant species
• Multiple sclerosis drug may one day treat colorectal cancer
• The Teotihuacans exhumed their dead and dignified them with make-up
• Not all stem cells are equally efficient for use in regenerative medicine
• BPA linked to potential adverse effects on heart and kidneys in children and adolescents
• Bugs need symbiotic bacteria to exploit plant seeds: Mid-gut microbes help insects in processing their food

Particles of crystalline quartz wear away teeth Posted: 09 Jan 2013 06:52 PM PST Dental microwear, the pattern of tiny marks on worn tooth surfaces, is an important basis for understanding the diets of fossil mammals, including those of our own lineage. Now nanoscale research has unraveled some of its causes.

Good managers fake it Posted: 09 Jan 2013 06:52 PM PST Managers recognize the need to feign their emotions at work, especially when interacting with staff. Researchers have established just how important it is that managers 'perform' or put on a public emotional show, even if they don't feel like it.

Spin and bias in published studies of breast cancer trials Posted: 09 Jan 2013 06:52 PM PST Spin and bias exist in a high proportion of published studies of the outcomes and adverse side-effects of phase III clinical trials of breast cancer treatments, according to new research.

Herschel spacecraft eyes asteroid Apophis Posted: 09 Jan 2013 05:06 PM PST Scientists using the Herschel Space Observatory made new observations of asteroid Apophis as it approached Earth this past weekend. The data show the asteroid to be bigger than first estimated, and less reflective.

Mussels inspire innovative new adhesive for surgery Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:59 PM PST Mussels can be a mouthwatering meal, but the chemistry that lets mussels stick to underwater surfaces may also provide a highly adhesive wound closure and more effective healing from surgery.

Next-generation adaptive optics brings remarkable details to light in stellar nursery Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:58 PM PST A new image reveals how Gemini Observatory's most advanced adaptive optics system will help astronomers study the universe with an unprecedented level of clarity and detail by removing distortions due to the Earth's atmosphere.

Variation found in foot strike patterns in predominantly barefoot runners Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:58 PM PST A recently paper shows that the running foot strike patterns vary among habitually barefoot people in Kenya due to speed and other factors such as running habits and the hardness of the ground. These results are counter to the belief that barefoot people prefer one specific style of running.

Mapping the Milky Way: Radio telescopes give clues to structure, history Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:58 PM PST Surveys of the Milky Way are vastly increasing the number of known sites of massive star formation, tracing the structure of the Galaxy and giving clues to its history, including evidence of possible past mergers with other galaxies.

Sickle cells show potential to attack aggressive cancer tumors Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:58 PM PST By harnessing the very qualities that make sickle cell disease a lethal blood disorder, a research team has developed a way to deploy the misshapen red blood cells to fight cancer tumors.

Brown eyes appear more trustworthy than blue: People judge men's trustworthiness based on face shape, eye color Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:58 PM PST People view brown-eyed faces as more trustworthy than those with blue eyes, except if the blue eyes belong to a broad-faced man, according to research published Jan. 9 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Karel Kleisner and colleagues from Charles University in the Czech Republic.

Deal or no deal: Five year olds make smart decisions in games of risk Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:58 PM PST You may have to be over a certain age to be a contestant on "Deal or No Deal", but children as young as five start to maximize their profits -- in cookies -- when making decisions similar to those on the show, according to new research.

Baby sharks stay still to avoid being detected by predators Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:58 PM PST Baby sharks still developing in their egg cases can sense when predators are near, and keep very still to avoid being detected, according to new research.

Measuring genomic response to infection leads to earlier, accurate diagnoses Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:58 PM PST Researchers are looking to genomic technologies -- not the isolation of bacteria or viruses -- to quickly detect and diagnose infectious diseases such as the flu and staph.

Stem cells may hold promise for Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:56 PM PST Apparent stem cell transplant success in mice may hold promise for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, according to results of a new study.

Machine perception lab shows robotic one year old on video Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:56 PM PST The world is getting a long-awaited first glimpse at a new humanoid robot in action mimicking the expressions of a one-year-old child. The robot will be used in studies on sensory-motor and social development – how babies "learn" to control their bodies and to interact with other people.

Dark energy alternatives to Einstein are running out of room Posted: 09 Jan 2013 01:20 PM PST Astronomers have found that a popular alternative to Albert Einstein's theory for the acceleration of the expansion of the universe does not fit newly obtained data on a fundamental constant, the proton to electron mass ratio.

High fiber diet prevents prostate cancer progression, study shows Posted: 09 Jan 2013 01:20 PM PST The rate of prostate cancer occurrence in Asian cultures is similar to the rate in Western cultures, but in the West, prostate cancer tends to progress, whereas in Asian cultures it does not. Why? A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the January 2013 issue of the journal Cancer Prevention Research shows that the answer may be a high-fiber diet.

Invading species can extinguish native plants despite recent reports to the contrary Posted: 09 Jan 2013 01:20 PM PST Evolutionary biologists have found that, given time, invading exotic plants will likely eliminate native plants growing in the wild despite recent reports to the contrary. A new study reports that recent statements that invasive plants are not problematic are often based on incomplete information, with insufficient time having passed to observe the full effect of invasions on native biodiversity.

New research method to identify brain tumors could enhance neurosurgery Posted: 09 Jan 2013 01:09 PM PST The use of a new brain tumor-targeting contrast agent that differentiates between normal and cancer cells in conjunction with a high-powered microscopy system could potentially lead to a method of more precise neurosurgery for brain tumors, according to research paper. The contrast agent adheres to a molecular marker of medulloblastoma, a form of brain cancer, and can be seen by the optical microscope system, also developed by the research team.

Engineering alternative fuel with cyanobacteria Posted: 09 Jan 2013 01:09 PM PST Biologists have engineered two strains of cyanobacteria to produce free fatty acids, a precursor to liquid fuels. Micro-algal fuels might be one way to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign energy. Such fuels would be renewable since they are powered by sunlight. They also could reduce carbon dioxide emissions since they use photosynthesis, and they could create jobs in a new industry.

Microscopic blood in urine unreliable indicator of urinary tract cancer Posted: 09 Jan 2013 12:12 PM PST Microscopic amounts of blood in urine have been considered a risk factor for urinary tract malignant tumors. However, only a small proportion of patients referred for investigation are subsequently found to have cancer. A new study reports on the development and testing of a Hematuria Risk Index to predict cancer risk. This could potentially lead to significant reductions in the number of unnecessary evaluations.

Faulty behavior: New earthquake fault models show that 'stable' zones may contribute to the generation of massive earthquakes Posted: 09 Jan 2013 12:12 PM PST In an earthquake, ground motion is the result of waves emitted when the two sides of a fault move rapidly past each other. Not all fault segments move so quickly, however -- some slip slowly and are considered to be "stable." One hypothesis suggests that creeping fault behavior is persistent over time, with stable segments acting as barriers to fast-slipping earthquakes. But a new study shows that this might not be true.

Flooding preparedness needs to include infection prevention and control strategies Posted: 09 Jan 2013 12:12 PM PST Clinical investigators report key findings and recommendations related to the closure and re-opening of hospitals impacted by black-water floods. The guidance builds on lessons learned from Thailand and the United States. The findings come as many flood-damaged healthcare facilities in New York and New Jersey look to reopen in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

Unnecessary antimicrobial use increases risk of recurrent infectious diarrhea Posted: 09 Jan 2013 12:12 PM PST A new study found that many patients with Clostridium difficile infection are prescribed unnecessary antibiotics, increasing their risk of recurrence of the deadly infection. The retrospective report shows that unnecessary antibiotics use is alarmingly common in this vulnerable patient population.

A history lesson from genes: Using DNA to tell us how populations change Posted: 09 Jan 2013 12:11 PM PST Researchers have developed a software model that can infer population history from modern DNA.

Farthest supernova yet for measuring cosmic history Posted: 09 Jan 2013 12:11 PM PST In 2004 the Supernova Cosmology Project based at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory used the Hubble Space Telescope to find a tantalizing supernova that appeared to be almost 10 billion light-years distant. But researchers had to wait years until a new camera was installed on the Hubble before they could confirm the spectrum and light curve of supernova SCP-0401 -- the supernova furthest back in time useful for precise measures of the expansion history of the universe.

A rapid test for fungus that caused injection deaths Posted: 09 Jan 2013 12:11 PM PST A rapid detection assay has been developed to Exserhilum rostratum, the fungus primarily responsible for 39 deaths among patients injected last year with a contaminated steroid medication. The test can be used both for patient samples and for detection of contamination in lots of medication.

Scientists use Pap test fluid to detect ovarian, endometrial cancers Posted: 09 Jan 2013 12:11 PM PST Using cervical fluid obtained during routine Pap tests, scientists have developed a test to detect ovarian and endometrial cancers. In a pilot study, the "PapGene" test, which relies on genomic sequencing of cancer-specific mutations, accurately detected all 24 (100 percent) endometrial cancers and nine of 22 (41 percent) ovarian cancers.

Researchers foresee new treatments and diagnostics for deadly fibrotic diseases of the lung, liver, and kidney Posted: 09 Jan 2013 12:11 PM PST A team of scientists has developed a playbook for ending the devastating impact of fibrotic diseases of the liver, lung, kidney, and other organs, which are responsible for as many as 45 percent of all deaths in the industrialized world.

Dimmer switch for regulating cell's read of DNA code Posted: 09 Jan 2013 12:11 PM PST Researchers have been studying the epigenetics enzyme HDAC3 for several years. They discovered that its activity requires interaction with a specific region on another protein called the Deacetylase Activating Domain. This "nuts and bolts" discovery on the epigenetic control of a person's genome has implications for cancer and neurological treatments.

Drug resistance in E. coli: 'Baby steps' can pay off big Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:15 AM PST Scientists have found that mutations of seemingly small consequence can turn out to be game changers in the bacterial fight against antibiotic drugs. The discovery came during an exhaustive, three-year effort to create a mathematical model that could accurately predict how specific mutations would allow E. coli to ward off attacks by the antibiotic minocycline.

Magma in mantle has deep impact: Rocks melt at greater depth than once thought Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:15 AM PST Magma forms far deeper in the Earth's interior than previously thought, and may solve several puzzles for geologists.

Scientists unlock how insulin interacts with cells Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:15 AM PST An international research group has described how insulin binds to the cell to allow the cell to transform sugar into energy —- and also how the insulin itself changes shape as a result of this connection. This discovery could lead to dramatic improvements in the lives of people managing diabetes.

Drug-resistant melanoma tumors shrink when therapy is interrupted Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:14 AM PST Researchers have discovered that melanomas that develop resistance to the anti-cancer drug vemurafenib (marketed as Zelboraf), also develop addiction to the drug, an observation that may have important implications for the lives of patients with late-stage disease. Surprisingly, intermittent dosing with vemurafenib prolonged the lives of mice with drug-resistant melanoma tumors, researchers said.

Scientists use marine robots to detect endangered whales Posted: 09 Jan 2013 09:42 AM PST Two robots equipped with instruments designed to "listen" for the calls of baleen whales detected nine endangered North Atlantic right whales in the Gulf of Maine last month. The robots reported the detections to shore-based researchers within hours of hearing the whales, demonstrating a new and powerful tool for managing interactions between whales and human activities.

Americans have worse health than people in other high-income countries Posted: 09 Jan 2013 09:42 AM PST On average, Americans die sooner and experience higher rates of disease and injury than people in other high-income countries.

Smaller radiation fields can spare brain when treating tumors, research finds Posted: 09 Jan 2013 09:42 AM PST New research shows that patients suffering from aggressive brain tumors can be effectively treated with smaller radiation fields to spare the rest of the brain and preserve cognition.

Eliminating useless information important to learning, making new memories Posted: 09 Jan 2013 09:42 AM PST As we age, it just may be the ability to filter and eliminate old information -- rather than take in the new stuff -- that makes it harder to learn, scientists report.

Tree seeds offer potential for sustainable biofuels Posted: 09 Jan 2013 09:42 AM PST Tree seeds, rather than biomass or fuel crop plants, could represent an abundant source of renewable energy, according to new research. The study suggests that seeds from the Indian mahua and sal trees have almost as good a thermal efficiency as biodiesel but would produce lower emissions of carbon monoxide, waste hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides.

Sensory hair cells regenerated, hearing restored in noise-damaged mammal ear Posted: 09 Jan 2013 09:42 AM PST Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that hair cells can be regenerated in an adult mammalian ear by using a drug to stimulate resident cells to become new hair cells, resulting in partial recovery of hearing in mouse ears damaged by noise trauma. This finding holds great potential for future therapeutic application that may someday reverse deafness in humans.

Newly found 'volume control' in brain promotes learning, memory Posted: 09 Jan 2013 09:41 AM PST Researchers report synapses that act as "volume control" for nerve cell activity in the brain's hippocampus, the epicenter for learning and memory. Too much synaptic communication between neurons can trigger a seizure, and too little impairs information processing, promoting neurodegeneration. The finding describes how synapses that link two different groups of nerve cells in the hippocampus keep neuronal activity throughout that region at a steady, optimal level.

How does your garden glow? Posted: 09 Jan 2013 09:41 AM PST Nature's ability to create iridescent flowers has been recreated by mathematicians. They have created a mathematical model of a plant's petals to help us learn more about iridescence in flowering plants and the role it may play in attracting pollinators.

Scientists discover new gene that affects clearance of hepatitis C virus Posted: 09 Jan 2013 09:41 AM PST Scientists have discovered a gene that interferes with the clearance of hepatitis C virus infection. They also identified an inherited variant within this gene, Interferon Lambda 4 (IFNL4), that predicts how people respond to treatment for hepatitis C infection.

Nursing gerbils unravel benefit of multiple mothers in collective mammals Posted: 09 Jan 2013 08:06 AM PST In mammals such as rodents that raise their young as a group, infants will nurse from their mother as well as other females. Ecologists have long thought this lets newborns stockpile antibodies to various diseases, but experimental proof has been lacking until now.

Networking ability a family trait in monkeys Posted: 09 Jan 2013 08:06 AM PST Two years of painstaking observation on the social interactions of a troop of free-ranging monkeys and an analysis of their family trees has found signs of natural selection affecting the behavior of the descendants.

Whales' foraging strategies revealed by new technology Posted: 09 Jan 2013 08:06 AM PST Despite the many logistical difficulties of studying large whales, multisensor tags attached to the animals with suction cups are revealing their varied foraging techniques in unprecedented detail. These can be related to the animals' anatomy and to the distribution and behavior of their prey.

Expert suggests tried-and-true strategies to strengthen your relationship Posted: 09 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST What are you doing to keep your relationship alive? A new study highlights the importance of five relationship maintenance strategies that couples can use to preserve or improve the quality of an intimate relationship.

Used coffee grounds are a rich source of healthful antioxidants Posted: 09 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST To plant food, insect repellant and other homespun uses for spent coffee grounds, scientists are adding an application that could make the gunk left over from brewing coffee a valuable resource for production of dietary supplements. A new report concludes that used coffee grounds are a rich source of healthful antioxidant substances.

Chemical modules that mimic predator-prey and other behaviors devised Posted: 09 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST Scientists are reporting development of chemical modules that can reproduce, on an "unprecedented" molecular level, changes and interactions that occur in natural populations of plants and animals, including those of hunting and being hunted for food, conducting mutually beneficial relationships and competing for resources. These new "predator-prey biochemical oscillators" could become building blocks for molecular machines and computers.

Making whole wheat bread taste and smell more appetizing Posted: 09 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST The key to giving whole wheat bread a more appetizing aroma and taste may lie in controlling the amounts of a single chemical compound that appears in the bread, which nutritionists regard as more healthful than its refined white counterpart. That's the finding of a new study which opens the door to making whole wheat bakery products more appealing to millions of people.

Passive smoking increases risk of severe dementia, according to study in China Posted: 09 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST Scientists have found a link between passive smoking and syndromes of dementia. The study of nearly 6,000 people in five provinces in China reveals that people exposed to passive smoking have a significantly increased risk of severe dementia syndromes.

Researchers reveal most effective treatment for common kidney disorder Posted: 09 Jan 2013 07:59 AM PST The results of a pioneering UK-wide clinical trial that compared treatments for patients with a common type of kidney disease has found one to be significantly more effective. The results of the study will be recommended to clinicians worldwide as the most effective approach to treating the condition.

New study identifies significance of co-infection in disease control Posted: 09 Jan 2013 07:59 AM PST Becoming infected with one parasite could change your chances of becoming infected with another according to new research. The new study analyses data from school aged children in Tanzania infected with the most common forms of worms.

News from the world of quantum physics: A non-causal quantum eraser Posted: 09 Jan 2013 07:59 AM PST Whether a quantum object behaves like a wave or like a particle depends (according to the Copenhagen interpretation) on the choice of measurement apparatus used for observing the system, and therefore on the type of measurement performed.

Low extinction rates made California a refuge for diverse plant species Posted: 09 Jan 2013 07:59 AM PST The remarkable diversity of California's plant life is largely the result of low extinction rates over the past 45 million years, according to a new study. Although many new species have evolved in California, the rate at which plant lineages gave rise to new species has not been notably higher in California than elsewhere, researchers found.

Multiple sclerosis drug may one day treat colorectal cancer Posted: 09 Jan 2013 07:59 AM PST After uncovering a mechanism that promotes chronic intestinal inflammation and the development of colorectal cancer, scientists have found that fingolimod, a drug currently approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, could potentially eliminate or reduce the progression of colitis-associated cancer.

The Teotihuacans exhumed their dead and dignified them with make-up Posted: 09 Jan 2013 07:58 AM PST Researchers have analyzed for the first time remains of cosmetics in the graves of prehispanic civilizations on the American continent. In the case of the Teotihuacans, these cosmetics were used as part of the after-death ritual to honor their city's most important people.

Not all stem cells are equally efficient for use in regenerative medicine Posted: 09 Jan 2013 07:58 AM PST Scientists at the University of Granada and Alcalá de Henares University have found out that not all isolated stem cells are equally valid in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. In a new paper, the researchers report that, contrary to what was thought, only a specific group of cord blood stem cells (CB-SC) maintained in culture are useful for therapeutic purposes.

BPA linked to potential adverse effects on heart and kidneys in children and adolescents Posted: 09 Jan 2013 07:57 AM PST Exposure to a chemical once used widely in plastic bottles and still found in aluminum cans appears to be associated with a biomarker for higher risk of heart and kidney disease in children and adolescents, according to an analysis of national survey data.

Bugs need symbiotic bacteria to exploit plant seeds: Mid-gut microbes help insects in processing their food Posted: 09 Jan 2013 05:11 AM PST Aggregations of the red and black coloured firebugs are ubiquitous under linden trees in Central Europe, where the bugs can reach astounding population densities. While these insects have no impact on humans, their African, Asian, and American relatives, the cotton stainers, are serious agricultural pests of cotton and other Malvaceous plants. Researchers recently discovered that these bugs need bacterial symbionts to survive on cotton seeds as their sole food source. By using high-throughput sequencing technologies, they found out that firebugs and cotton stainers share a characteristic bacterial community that colonizes a specific region of their mid-gut.

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