ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Fertility therapy not associated with long-term cardiovascular disease
• Chanel, UCSB's corpse flower, blooms and causes a big stink
• Understanding the effects of genes on human traits
• Figuring out flow dynamics
• Artificial earthquakes could lead to safer, sturdier buildings
• A glass of milk after eating sugary cereals may prevent cavities
• Anemia linked to increased risk of dementia
• Spitzer Discovers Young Stars with a 'Hula Hoop'
• NASA's Cassini sees forces controlling Enceladus jets
• One in three U. S. youths report being victims of dating violence
• Nanomaterials: Sized-up for strength
• New variants at gene linked to kidney disease, sleeping sickness resistance
• Universal law for light absorption in 2-D semiconductors
• Game changer for synthesizing new materials: Method synthesizes thousands of new compounds with ultra low thermal conductivity
• 'Highway from Hell' fueled Costa Rican volcano
• Bird brains predate birds themselves: 'Flight-ready' brain was present in some non-avian dinosaurs, CT scans indicate
• Digest this: Cure for cancer may live in our intestines
• Flexible tail of the prion protein poisons brain cells
• Cross-country collaboration leads to new leukemia model
• Using gold and light to study molecules in water
• Robots strike fear in the hearts of fish: Anxious zebrafish help researchers understand how alcohol affects fear
• New therapy improves life span in melanoma patients with brain metastases
• Physicists discover theoretical possibility of large, hollow magnetic cage molecules
• Promising new direction for organ regeneration and tissue repair
• Sediment trapped behind dams makes them 'hot spots' for greenhouse gas emissions
• Researchers successfully spoof an $80 million yacht at sea
• Guided growth of nanowires leads to self-integrated circuits
• New protein discovered with vast potential for treatment of cancer and other diseases
• 3-D molecular syringes: Scientists solve structure of infection tool used by Yersinia bacterium
• Gene decoding obeys road traffic rules
• Tiny, brightly shining silicon crystals could be safe for deep-tissue imaging
• By tracking maggots' food choices, scientists open significant new window into human learning
• Surprising result discovered when looking into effects of carbon nanotubes and soil sorption of toxicants
• Key factors for wireless power transfer
• Airborne campaign preparing to probe pollution-climate link
• Catching aerosols in a CATS eye
• Saturn's Mimas and Pandora: Two moons passing in the night
• Progress in using ethanol to make key raw material now produced from oil
• Insect-inspired super rubber moves toward practical uses in medicine
• Computational biology: Cells reprogrammed on the computer
• Studying the emotions which cause opinions to change
• Sensitive parenting can boost premature children's school performance
• Polar ecosystems acutely vulnerable to sunlight-driven tipping points
• Scientists analyze genetic makeup of human and mouse embryos in amazing detail
• Ancient viruses that function in early human development may play role in cancer
• Hide, ambush, kill, eat: The giant water bug Lethocerus patruelis kills a fish
• Autism symptoms not explained by impaired attention
• BPA exposure disrupts human egg maturation
• Microfluidic breakthrough in biotechnology
• Chemists develop innovative nano-sensors for multiple proteins
• Could planting trees in the desert mitigate climate change?
• Dawn of carnivores explains animal boom in distant past
• Naked mole rat's secret to staying cancer free
• Stem cells in urine easy to isolate and have potential for numerous therapies

Fertility therapy not associated with long-term cardiovascular disease Posted: 31 Jul 2013 08:01 PM PDT Women who gave birth following fertility treatment had no long-term increased risk of death or major cardiovascular events compared to women who gave birth without fertility therapy, according to new research.

Chanel, UCSB's corpse flower, blooms and causes a big stink Posted: 31 Jul 2013 01:48 PM PDT Chanel, UC Santa Barbara's corpse flower, has finally spread her odiferous wings, broadcasting a stench that smells like a cross between rotting flesh and Limburger cheese. "It's disgusting," said UCSB junior Connor Way, who visited Wednesday morning. "It's pretty nasty."

Understanding the effects of genes on human traits Posted: 31 Jul 2013 01:47 PM PDT Recent technological developments in genomics have revealed a large number of genetic influences on common complex diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, cancer or schizophrenia. However, discovering a genetic variant predisposing to a disease is only a first step. Scientists now propose a novel approach for scanning the entire genome that will help us understand the effect of genes on human traits.

Figuring out flow dynamics Posted: 31 Jul 2013 01:47 PM PDT Scientists have been building models of turbulent flow. Recently, they developed a new and improved way of looking at the composition of turbulence near walls, the type of flow that dominates our everyday life. Their research could lead to significant fuel savings, as a large amount of energy is consumed by ships and planes, for example, to counteract turbulence-induced drag.

Artificial earthquakes could lead to safer, sturdier buildings Posted: 31 Jul 2013 01:47 PM PDT Earthquakes never occur when you need one, so structural engineers are shaking up a building themselves in the name of science and safety. Using massive moving platforms and an array of sensors and cameras, the researchers are trying to find out how well a two-story building made of cold-formed steel can stand up to a lab-generated Southern California quake.

A glass of milk after eating sugary cereals may prevent cavities Posted: 31 Jul 2013 01:47 PM PDT Sugary cereals eaten dry could cause tooth decay, but when washed down with milk after eating, plaque acid levels are reduced, reducing damage to tooth enamel that leads to cavities, according to new research.

Anemia linked to increased risk of dementia Posted: 31 Jul 2013 01:47 PM PDT Anemia, or low levels of red blood cells, may increase the risk of dementia, according to a new study.

Spitzer Discovers Young Stars with a 'Hula Hoop' Posted: 31 Jul 2013 12:57 PM PDT Astronomers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have spotted a young stellar system that "blinks" every 93 days. Called YLW 16A, the system likely consists of three developing stars, two of which are surrounded by a disk of material left over from the star-formation process.

NASA's Cassini sees forces controlling Enceladus jets Posted: 31 Jul 2013 12:53 PM PDT The intensity of the jets of water ice and organic particles that shoot out from Saturn's moon Enceladus depends on the moon's proximity to the ringed planet, according to data obtained by NASA's Cassini spacecraft.

One in three U. S. youths report being victims of dating violence Posted: 31 Jul 2013 12:22 PM PDT About one in three American youths age 14-20 say they've been of victims of dating violence and almost one in three acknowledge they've committed violence toward a date, according to new study.

Nanomaterials: Sized-up for strength Posted: 31 Jul 2013 12:20 PM PDT Experiments and numerical simulations show that miniaturized ultra-small platinum cylinders weaken when their constituents are reduced in number.

New variants at gene linked to kidney disease, sleeping sickness resistance Posted: 31 Jul 2013 10:39 AM PDT A new study involves a classic case of evolution's fickle nature: a genetic mutation that protects against a potentially fatal infectious disease also appears to increase the risk of developing a chronic, debilitating condition.

Universal law for light absorption in 2-D semiconductors Posted: 31 Jul 2013 10:32 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated a universal law of light absorption for 2-D semiconductors. This discovery not only provides new insight into the optical properties of 2-D semiconductors and quantum wells, it should also open doors to exotic new optoelectronic and photonic technologies.

Game changer for synthesizing new materials: Method synthesizes thousands of new compounds with ultra low thermal conductivity Posted: 31 Jul 2013 10:32 AM PDT A chemist likens his lab's newly published accomplishments to combining two flavors of ice cream and churning out thousands of flavors to appeal to any taste bud. In reality, he is referring to his method of synthesizing thousands of new compounds with ultra low thermal conductivity.

'Highway from Hell' fueled Costa Rican volcano Posted: 31 Jul 2013 10:31 AM PDT Scientists suggest that the 1960s eruption of Costa Rica's largest stratovolcano was triggered by magma rising from the mantle over a few short months, rather than thousands of years or more, as many scientists have thought.

Bird brains predate birds themselves: 'Flight-ready' brain was present in some non-avian dinosaurs, CT scans indicate Posted: 31 Jul 2013 10:31 AM PDT New research provides evidence that dinosaurs evolved the brainpower necessary for flight well before they actually took to the air as birds. Based on computed tomographic scans, the study takes a comprehensive look at the so-called "bird brain," revealing that at least a few non-avian dinosaurs had brains that were as large or larger than that of one of the earliest known birds, Archaeopteryx.

Digest this: Cure for cancer may live in our intestines Posted: 31 Jul 2013 10:31 AM PDT Treating a cancerous tumor is like watering a houseplant with a fire hose -- too much water kills the plant, just as too much chemotherapy and radiation kills the patient before it kills the tumor. However, if the patient's gastrointestinal tract remains healthy and functioning, the patient's chances of survival increase exponentially.

Flexible tail of the prion protein poisons brain cells Posted: 31 Jul 2013 10:31 AM PDT Prion proteins are the infectious pathogens that cause Mad Cow Disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. They occur when a normal prion protein becomes deformed and clumped. The naturally occurring prion protein is harmless and can be found in most organisms. In humans, it is found in our brain cell membrane. By contrast, the abnormally deformed prion protein is poisonous for the brain cells. Scientists have now discovered that the prion protein has a kind of switch that controls its toxicity.

Cross-country collaboration leads to new leukemia model Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:29 AM PDT They were postdocs at Stanford when they first began considering the problem. Eight years later, and a continent apart, they found the answer.

Using gold and light to study molecules in water Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:29 AM PDT Thanks to a new device that is the size of a human hair, it is now possible to detect molecules in a liquid solution and observe their interactions. This is of major interest for the scientific community, as there is currently no reliable way of examining both the behavior and the chemical structure of molecules in a liquid in real time.

Robots strike fear in the hearts of fish: Anxious zebrafish help researchers understand how alcohol affects fear Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:29 AM PDT The latest in a series of experiments testing the ability of robots to influence live animals shows that bio-inspired robots can not only elicit fear in zebrafish, but that this reaction can be modulated by alcohol. These findings may pave the way for new methodologies for understanding anxiety and other emotions, as well as substances that modulate them.

New therapy improves life span in melanoma patients with brain metastases Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:29 AM PDT The treatment, given to patients with brain metastases, triggers the body's own immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells.

Physicists discover theoretical possibility of large, hollow magnetic cage molecules Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:29 AM PDT Researchers have discovered, in theory, the possibility of creating large, hollow magnetic cage molecules that could one day be used in medicine as a drug delivery system to non-invasively treat tumors, and in other emerging technologies.

Promising new direction for organ regeneration and tissue repair Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:28 AM PDT Researchers have identified an entirely new approach to enhance tissue growth, findings that could lead to advances in organ regeneration and tissue repair, with widespread therapeutic applications.

Sediment trapped behind dams makes them 'hot spots' for greenhouse gas emissions Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:28 AM PDT With the "green" reputation of large hydroelectric dams already in question, scientists are reporting that millions of smaller dams on rivers around the world make an important contribution to the greenhouse gases linked to global climate change. Their study shows that more methane than previously believed bubbles out of the water behind small dams.

Researchers successfully spoof an $80 million yacht at sea Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:28 AM PDT A radio navigation research team discovered they could subtly coerce a 65-meter superyacht off its course, using a custom-made GPS device. The purpose of the experiment was to measure the difficulty of carrying out a spoofing attack at sea and to determine how easily sensors in the ship's command room could identify the threat.

Guided growth of nanowires leads to self-integrated circuits Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:28 AM PDT Teaching nanowires self-control from the outset enabled scientists to produce complex electronic nanocomponents.

New protein discovered with vast potential for treatment of cancer and other diseases Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:28 AM PDT In cancer research, discovering a new protein that plays a role in cancer is like finding a key and a treasure map: follow the clues and eventually there could be a big reward. At least that's the hope from a new study that discovered a novel protein called ceramide-1 phosphate transport protein.

3-D molecular syringes: Scientists solve structure of infection tool used by Yersinia bacterium Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:28 AM PDT Abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea -- these symptoms could point to an infection with the bacterium Yersinia. Its pathogenic potential is based on a syringe-like injection apparatus called injectisome. Scientists have now unraveled this molecular syringe's spatial conformation. The researchers demonstrated that the length of Yersinia's injectisome's basal body, which crosses the bacterial cell wall, is adjustable -- very likely an adaptation to physical stress.

Gene decoding obeys road traffic rules Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:28 AM PDT Scientists show that a proper distance between "vehicles" along a gene "track" results in more efficient production of small RNA molecules.

Tiny, brightly shining silicon crystals could be safe for deep-tissue imaging Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:26 AM PDT Tiny silicon crystals caused no health problems in monkeys three months after large doses were injected, marking a step forward in the quest to bring such materials into clinics as biomedical imaging agents, according to a new study.

By tracking maggots' food choices, scientists open significant new window into human learning Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:26 AM PDT The larva of the fruit fly is helping scientists understand the way humans learn information from each other. Fruit flies have long served as models for studying behavior, but new findings show their larvae may be even more valuable. Researchers were able to demonstrate that the larvae, or maggots, are capable of social learning, which opens the door to many other experiments that could provide valuable insights into human behavior.

Surprising result discovered when looking into effects of carbon nanotubes and soil sorption of toxicants Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:25 AM PDT When it comes to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the soil, recent research shows that the new materials do not affect the sorption of the toxic part of oil called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Key factors for wireless power transfer Posted: 31 Jul 2013 09:25 AM PDT What happens to a resonant wireless power transfer system in complex electromagnetic environments? Researchers explored the influences at play in this type of situation and describe how efficient wireless power transfer can be achieved in the presence of metal plates.

Airborne campaign preparing to probe pollution-climate link Posted: 31 Jul 2013 08:40 AM PDT The floor of a NASA hangar and an adjacent laboratory in Southern California's high desert have been in constant motion this month as scientists prepare their instruments for installation on two of the agency's specialized science aircraft that will begin a major NASA airborne science campaign in early August.

Catching aerosols in a CATS eye Posted: 31 Jul 2013 08:37 AM PDT Quick looks by a special CATS-eye attached to the International Space Station will help scientists catalog and track particles in Earth's atmosphere and act as a pathfinder for a new satellite planned for 2021.

Saturn's Mimas and Pandora: Two moons passing in the night Posted: 31 Jul 2013 08:30 AM PDT The Saturn moons Mimas and Pandora remind us of how different they are when they appear together, as in this image taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Pandora's small size means that it lacks sufficient gravity to pull itself into a round shape like its larger sibling, Mimas. Researchers believe that the elongated shape of Pandora (50 miles, or 81 kilometers across) may hold clues to how it and other moons near Saturn's rings formed.

Progress in using ethanol to make key raw material now produced from oil Posted: 31 Jul 2013 07:57 AM PDT Ethanol from corn and other plants could become the sustainable, raw material for a huge variety of products, from plastic packaging to detergents to synthetic rubber, that are currently petroleum-based.

Insect-inspired super rubber moves toward practical uses in medicine Posted: 31 Jul 2013 07:56 AM PDT The remarkable, rubber-like protein that enables dragonflies, grasshoppers and other insects to flap their wings, jump and chirp has major potential uses in medicine, scientists conclude. A new article evaluates the latest advances toward using a protein called resilin in nanosprings, biorubbers, biosensors and other applications.

Computational biology: Cells reprogrammed on the computer Posted: 31 Jul 2013 07:55 AM PDT Scientists have developed a model that makes predictions from which differentiated cells -- for instance skin cells -- can be very efficiently changed into completely different cell types -- such as nerve cells, for example. This can be done entirely without stem cells. These computer-based instructions for reprogramming cells are of huge significance for regenerative medicine.

Studying the emotions which cause opinions to change Posted: 31 Jul 2013 07:41 AM PDT Physicists can use their tools to help understand how, in real life, opinions form and change.

Sensitive parenting can boost premature children's school performance Posted: 31 Jul 2013 07:41 AM PDT Sensitive parenting helps protect against the negative effects of being born prematurely on children's school success, a new study has found.

Polar ecosystems acutely vulnerable to sunlight-driven tipping points Posted: 31 Jul 2013 06:39 AM PDT Slight changes in the timing of the annual loss of sea-ice in polar regions could have dire consequences for polar ecosystems, by allowing a lot more sunlight to reach the sea floor. The research predicts biodiversity on some areas of the polar seabed could be reduced by as much as one third within decades, as the poles warm.

Scientists analyze genetic makeup of human and mouse embryos in amazing detail Posted: 31 Jul 2013 06:39 AM PDT Scientists have used the powerful technology of single-cell RNA sequencing to track the genetic development of a human and a mouse embryo at an unprecedented level of accuracy. The success of this technique could lead to genetic diagnoses of diseases with higher resolution and in embryos earlier than ever achieved before, even when the embryo consists of only eight cells.

Ancient viruses that function in early human development may play role in cancer Posted: 31 Jul 2013 06:39 AM PDT Novel non-coding parts of the human genome known as vlincRNAs (very long intergenic, non-coding RNAs) triggered by ancient viruses, participate in the biology of stem cells, and in the development of cancer. Importantly, scientists found that the elimination of these vlincRNAs caused the death of cancer cells.

Hide, ambush, kill, eat: The giant water bug Lethocerus patruelis kills a fish Posted: 31 Jul 2013 06:39 AM PDT The largest European water insect Lethocerus patruelis, commonly known as giant water bug, can reach the impressive size of up to 8 cm in length. A recent study provides detailed information on karyotype and the reproductive system of the species. The study also presents a rare opportunity to see their vicious predatory practices, catching a giant water bug larva attacking and killing a small fish on video.

Autism symptoms not explained by impaired attention Posted: 31 Jul 2013 06:37 AM PDT Two aspects of attention -- reorienting focus and attending to social information -- do not seem to account for the diversity symptoms seen in autistic children, according to new research.

BPA exposure disrupts human egg maturation Posted: 31 Jul 2013 06:37 AM PDT Exposure to BPA (Bisphenol-A) could be a contributing factor as to why some infertile couples are having difficulty conceiving.

Microfluidic breakthrough in biotechnology Posted: 31 Jul 2013 06:35 AM PDT Chemical flasks and inconvenient chemostats for cultivation of bacteria are likely soon to be discarded. Researchers have constructed a microfluidic system allowing for merging, transporting and splitting of microdroplets. With this method hundreds of different bacteria cultures can be maintained simultaneously in a single system.

Chemists develop innovative nano-sensors for multiple proteins Posted: 31 Jul 2013 06:35 AM PDT Chemists have developed a new method for parallel protein analysis that is, in principle, capable of identifying hundreds or even thousands of different proteins. It could be used to detect the presence of viruses and identify their type in tiny samples. At the same time, it is very cost-effective and quick.

Could planting trees in the desert mitigate climate change? Posted: 31 Jul 2013 06:34 AM PDT As the world starts feeling the effects of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide and consequent global temperature rise, researchers are looking for a Plan B to mitigate climate change. A group of German scientists has now come up with an environmentally friendly method that they say could do just that. The technique, dubbed carbon farming, consists in planting trees in arid regions on a large scale to capture carbon dioxide.

Dawn of carnivores explains animal boom in distant past Posted: 31 Jul 2013 06:33 AM PDT Scientists have linked increasing oxygen levels and the rise and evolution of carnivores (meat eaters) as the force behind a broad explosion of animal species and body structures millions of years ago.

Naked mole rat's secret to staying cancer free Posted: 31 Jul 2013 06:32 AM PDT Scientists have discovered the naked mole rat's unique mechanism to staying cancer free -- a super sugar called high-molecular-mass Hyaluronan (HMM-HA). When secreted by the naked mole rat's cells, this molecule prevents cells from overcrowding and forming tumors. Researchers now say using naked mole-rat HMM-HA in the clinic could open up new avenues for cancer prevention and life extension in humans.

Stem cells in urine easy to isolate and have potential for numerous therapies Posted: 31 Jul 2013 06:32 AM PDT Could harvesting stem cells for therapy one day be as simple as asking patients for a urine sample? Researchers have identified stem cells in urine that can be directed to become multiple cell types.

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