ScienceDaily: Top News

---

• Letrozole may help women with polycystic ovary syndrome become pregnant
• Hunting gives deer-damaged forests in state parks a shot at recovery
• Young Hispanics often obese, at higher risk for heart diseases
• No extra mutations in modified stem cells, study finds
• Minimally invasive heart stents prove safer
• Doctors have ethical obligation to educate, protect athletes from concussion, experts say
• Protecting privacy online: New system would give individuals more control over shared digital data
• New recreational travel model to help states stop firewood assisted insect travel
• Not at home on the range: As hosts expand geographical range, the parasites don’t always follow
• Polar bears from space: Satellite imagery a promising tool to monitor arctic polar bears
• Odor communication in wild gorillas: Wild gorillas signal using odor
• Making quantum connections: The speed of information in a spin network
• Amphibians can acquire resistance to deadly fungus
• Biologists link sexual selection, placenta formation
• Bacteria hijack plentiful iron supply source to flourish
• Bee foraging chronically impaired by pesticide exposure: Study
• Effect of depressed mood on pulmonary rehab completion
• New technology illuminates colder objects in deep space: New material offers more stable infrared detection
• Safety of fecal transplant to treat C. difficile examined in study
• Postcards from the photosynthetic edge: Femtosecond snapshots of photosynthetic water oxidation
• Ranavirus predicted to be potential new culprit in amphibian extinctions
• Birdlike fossil challenges notion that birds evolved from ground-dwelling dinosaurs
• One secret of ancient amber revealed
• Urban heat: Not a myth, and worst where it's wet
• First snapshots of water splitting in photosynthesis
• 'Nano-pixels' promise thin, flexible, high resolution displays
• Human cells' protein factory has an alternate operating manual: Process may help body rein in disease-fighting side effects
• Cosmic grains of dust formed in supernova explosion
• L-dopa medication could be helpful in treatment of phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder
• Climate change provides good growing conditions for charcoal rot in soybeans
• New paths into the world of quasiparticles
• 'Yin and yang' of malaria parasite development
• Study cracks how brain processes emotions
• Zebra, quagga mussels trump pollution as change agents in Lake Erie
• Immune function predicts infection risk among child trauma patients
• Making a more healthful, low-fat hot dog without giving up texture

• Lung cancer study hints at new treatments
• Tiny DNA pyramids enter bacteria easily -- and deliver a deadly payload
• My brother's keeper: How siblings teach one another about the world
• Shark teeth analysis provides detailed new look at Arctic climate change
• Projecting a three-dimensional future based on nanoantennas
• Most prescription labels fail to meet guidelines, risking dosage errors, Canadian study concludes
• Rotten egg gas holds key to healthcare therapies
• Discovery of new drug targets for memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease
• Chemists develop novel catalyst with two functions
• Vitamin D ups bowel cancer survival odds, study finds
• Living kidney donation does not increase risk of death or heart disease for older adult donors, research shows
• DNA 'replication fork' reconstituted for the first time
• Beautiful but a threat: Tropical fish invasion destroys kelp forests
• Immune system component found that resists sepsis in mice
• More efficient fuel cells under developement by engineers
• Nearly 50 percent of grade 12 students in Ontario report texting while driving
• Discovery of new means to erase pain
• Why people with bipolar disorder are bigger risk-takers
• Ancient arachnid brought 'back to life': Video recreates 410-million-year-old animal walking
• Highway for ultracold atoms in light crystals
• Children on dairy farms run one-tenth the risk of developing allergies; Dairy farm exposure also beneficial during pregnancy
• Sugar protects cells from bacterial invasion
• Frog larvae have developed rapid defenses against red swamp crayfish
• Even geckos can lose their grip

Letrozole may help women with polycystic ovary syndrome become pregnant Posted: 09 Jul 2014 03:21 PM PDT The drug letrozole results in higher birth rates in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) than the current preferred infertility treatment drug, according to a nationwide American study. PCOS affects 5 to 10 percent of reproductive-age women and is the most common cause of female infertility. Women affected have excessive levels of the hormone androgen, have infrequent periods, develop small cysts on the ovaries and have trouble conceiving.

Hunting gives deer-damaged forests in state parks a shot at recovery Posted: 09 Jul 2014 01:44 PM PDT Regulated deer hunts in Indiana state parks have helped restore the health of forests suffering from decades of damage caused by overabundant populations of white-tailed deer, a study shows. A research team found that a 17-year-long policy of organizing hunts in state parks has successfully spurred the regrowth of native tree seedlings, herbs and wildflowers rendered scarce by browsing deer.

Young Hispanics often obese, at higher risk for heart diseases Posted: 09 Jul 2014 01:44 PM PDT Obesity is common among US Hispanics and is severe among young Hispanics. The first large-scale data on body mass index (BMI) and cardiovascular disease risk factors among U.S. Hispanic/Latino adult populations suggests that severe obesity may be associated with considerable excess risk for cardiovascular diseases.

No extra mutations in modified stem cells, study finds Posted: 09 Jul 2014 01:20 PM PDT The ability to switch out one gene for another in a line of living stem cells has only crossed from science fiction to reality within this decade. As with any new technology, it brings with it both promise -- the hope of fixing disease-causing genes in humans, for example -- as well as questions and safety concerns. Now, scientists have put one of those concerns to rest: using gene-editing techniques on stem cells doesn't increase the overall occurrence of mutations in the cells.

Minimally invasive heart stents prove safer Posted: 09 Jul 2014 01:20 PM PDT The safety benefits of aortic stent grafts inserted during minimally invasive surgery to repair abdominal aortic aneurysms – weaknesses in the body's largest artery that can rupture, causing potentially lethal internal bleeding -- have been studied by researchers. The study shows that patients who received the minimally invasive aortic repair procedure had a 42 percent reduction in preventable post-operative complications and a 72 percent reduction in mortality, compared with those who had undergone open repair surgery.

Doctors have ethical obligation to educate, protect athletes from concussion, experts say Posted: 09 Jul 2014 01:20 PM PDT The American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the largest professional association of neurologists and a leading authority on sports concussion, is releasing a new position paper that states doctors have an ethical obligation to educate and protect athletes from sports concussion and clear them to play only when the athlete is medically ready, standing firm against objections from players, parents or coaches.

Protecting privacy online: New system would give individuals more control over shared digital data Posted: 09 Jul 2014 12:16 PM PDT Cellphone metadata has been in the news quite a bit lately, but the National Security Agency isn't the only organization that collects information about people's online behavior. Newly downloaded cellphone apps routinely ask to access your location information, your address book, or other apps, and of course, websites like Amazon or Netflix track your browsing history in the interest of making personalized recommendations. At the same time, a host of recent studies have demonstrated that it's shockingly easy to identify unnamed individuals in supposedly "anonymized" data sets, even ones containing millions of records. A new system would allow individuals to pick and choose what data to share with websites and mobile apps.

New recreational travel model to help states stop firewood assisted insect travel Posted: 09 Jul 2014 12:16 PM PDT The spread of damaging invasive forest pests is only partially powered by the insects' own wings. People moving firewood for camping can hasten and widen the insects' spread and resulting forest destruction. A new study gives state planners a tool for anticipating the most likely route of human-assisted spread they can use to enhance survey and public education efforts.

Not at home on the range: As hosts expand geographical range, the parasites don’t always follow Posted: 09 Jul 2014 12:16 PM PDT Do parasites accompany their hosts into neighboring territory? Not necessarily. For some species, the opposite may happen: Hosts may actually lose their parasites when the hosts shift or increase their range. Theirs is one of very few studies that examine the effects of climate change on the lives of often overlooked -- but nonetheless significant -- parasite populations.

Polar bears from space: Satellite imagery a promising tool to monitor arctic polar bears Posted: 09 Jul 2014 12:16 PM PDT The potentially severe impacts of climate change in the Arctic may threaten regional wildlife. Scientists trying to develop efficient and effective wildlife monitoring techniques to track Arctic populations face great challenges, including the remoteness and associated logistical constraints of accessing wildlife. Polar bear population estimates based on satellite images are similar to aerial estimates, according to new research.

Odor communication in wild gorillas: Wild gorillas signal using odor Posted: 09 Jul 2014 12:16 PM PDT Silverback gorillas appear to use odor as a form of communication to other gorillas. Mammals communicate socially through visual, auditory, and chemical signals. The chemical sense is in fact the oldest sense, shared by all organisms including bacteria, and mounting evidence suggests that humans also participate in social chemical signaling. However, not much is known about this type of signaling in closely related hominoids, like wild apes.

Making quantum connections: The speed of information in a spin network Posted: 09 Jul 2014 12:15 PM PDT Physicists are pretty adept at controlling quantum systems and even making certain entangled states. Researchers are putting these skills to work to explore the dynamics of correlated quantum systems. Recent results investigated how information flows through a quantum many-body system.

Amphibians can acquire resistance to deadly fungus Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:04 AM PDT Emerging fungal pathogens pose a greater threat to biodiversity than any other parasitic group, causing population declines of amphibians, bats, corals, bees and snakes. New research reveals that amphibians can acquire behavioral or immunological resistance to a deadly chytrid fungus implicated in global amphibian population declines.

Biologists link sexual selection, placenta formation Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:04 AM PDT Sexual selection enhances opportunities to mate, the tail of male peacocks being an iconic example. Biologists have found that sexual selection and 'placentation' -- the formation of a placenta -- are linked. Describing the life histories of more than 150 species of fish in the family Poeciliidae, the researchers found that species with placentas tend to have males that do not have bright coloration, ornamentation or courtship displays.

Bacteria hijack plentiful iron supply source to flourish Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:03 AM PDT In an era of increasing concern about antibiotic-resistant illness, researchers have identified a new pathway to disabling disease: blocking bacteria's access to iron. Scientists showed how bacterial siderophore, a small molecule, captures iron from two supply sources to fan bacterial growth -- as well as how the body launches a chemical counterassault against this infection process.

Bee foraging chronically impaired by pesticide exposure: Study Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:03 AM PDT A new study that involved fitting bumblebees with tiny radio frequency tags shows long-term exposure to a neonicotinoid pesticide hampers bees' ability to forage for pollen. The study shows how long-term pesticide exposure affects individual bees' day-to-day behavior, including pollen collection and which flowers worker bees chose to visit.

Effect of depressed mood on pulmonary rehab completion Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:03 AM PDT People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who are also depressed have difficulty sticking to a pulmonary rehabilitation program, a study shows. This appears to be particularly true for women, and screening and brief treatment of depression should be considered as part of treatment. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a common and often disabling inflammatory lung disease characterized by a progressive airway obstruction that is not fully reversible. An important component of non-medication treatment for COPD is multidisciplinary pulmonary rehabilitation.

New technology illuminates colder objects in deep space: New material offers more stable infrared detection Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:02 AM PDT Too cool and faint, many objects in the universe are impossible to detect with visible light. Now scientists have refined a new technology that could make these colder objects more visible, paving the way for enhanced exploration of deep space. Scientists have engineered a new technology that can detect very long wavelength infrared light.

Safety of fecal transplant to treat C. difficile examined in study Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:02 AM PDT Fecal transplantation is effective and safe for treating C. difficile in immunocompromised patients, research has found. Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, has increased to epidemic proportions over the past decade. It is an infection that is often difficult to treat and leaves sufferers with frequent diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and fever and can lead to dehydration, loss of appetite and weight loss. Patients who are immunocompromised, or considered high-risk, are more susceptible.

Postcards from the photosynthetic edge: Femtosecond snapshots of photosynthetic water oxidation Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:02 AM PDT Using the world's most powerful x-ray laser, an international collaboration took femtosecond 'snapshots' of water oxidation in photosystem II, the only known biological system able to harness sunlight for splitting the water molecule. The results should help advance the development of artificial photosynthesis for clean, green and renewable energy.

Ranavirus predicted to be potential new culprit in amphibian extinctions Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:02 AM PDT Amphibian declines and extinctions around the world have been linked to an emerging fungal disease called chytridiomycosis, but new research from shows that another pathogen, ranavirus, may also contribute. In a series of mathematical models, researchers showed that ranavirus, which causes severe hemorrhage of internal organs in frogs, could cause extinction of isolated populations of wood frogs if they are exposed to the virus every few years, a scenario that has been documented in wild populations.

Birdlike fossil challenges notion that birds evolved from ground-dwelling dinosaurs Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:02 AM PDT The re-examination of a sparrow-sized fossil from China challenges the commonly held belief that birds evolved from ground-dwelling theropod dinosaurs that gained the ability to fly. The birdlike fossil is actually not a dinosaur, as previously thought, but much rather the remains of a tiny tree-climbing animal that could glide.

One secret of ancient amber revealed Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:02 AM PDT The warm beauty of amber was captivating and mysterious enough to inspire myths in ancient times, and even today, some of its secrets remain locked inside the fossilized tree resin. But for the first time, scientists have now solved at least one of its puzzles that had perplexed them for decades.

Urban heat: Not a myth, and worst where it's wet Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:01 AM PDT A new quantifies for the first time the primary causes of the 'urban heat island' (UHI) effect, a common phenomenon that makes the world's urban areas significantly warmer than surrounding countryside and may increase health risks for city residents. In an analysis of 65 cities, researchers found that variation in how efficiently urban areas release heat back into the lower atmosphere is the dominant factor in the daytime UHI effect.

First snapshots of water splitting in photosynthesis Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:01 AM PDT Scientists have taken the first snapshots of photosynthesis in action as it splits water into protons, electrons and oxygen, the process that maintains Earth's oxygen atmosphere. The revealing of the mechanism of this water splitting process is essential for the development of artificial systems that mimic and surpass the efficiency of natural systems.

'Nano-pixels' promise thin, flexible, high resolution displays Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:01 AM PDT A new discovery will make it possible to create pixels just a few hundred nanometers across that could pave the way for extremely high-resolution and low-energy thin, flexible displays for applications such as 'smart' glasses, synthetic retinas, and foldable screens.

Human cells' protein factory has an alternate operating manual: Process may help body rein in disease-fighting side effects Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:01 AM PDT Working with a gene involved in HIV infection, researchers discovered some human genes have an alternate set of operating instructions written into their protein-making machinery, which can quickly alter the proteins' contents, functions and ability to survive. The study is the first to demonstrate the phenomenon of programmed ribosomal frameshifting in a human gene. Frameshifting helps regulate the gene's immune response, the authors report.

Cosmic grains of dust formed in supernova explosion Posted: 09 Jul 2014 11:01 AM PDT There are billions of stars and planets in the universe. The planets are formed in dust clouds that swirled around a newly formed star. But where does the cosmic dust come from? New research shows that not only can grains of dust form in gigantic supernova explosions, they can also survive the subsequent shockwaves they are exposed to.

L-dopa medication could be helpful in treatment of phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:59 AM PDT A drug used to treat Parkinson's disease could also help people with phobias or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), scientists report. They are currently exploring the effects of psychotherapy to extinguish fears in combination with L-dopa. This drug does not only help movement disorders, but might also be used to override negative memories.

Climate change provides good growing conditions for charcoal rot in soybeans Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:59 AM PDT With over 100 diseases that can attack soybean crops, why would charcoal rot rise to the top of the most wanted list? Scientists cite the earth's changing climate as one reason that more research is needed on the fungus that causes charcoal rot. Fungi may often be associated with cool, damp growing conditions but Macrophomina phaseolina, the fungus that causes charcoal rot, prefers hot and dry drought conditions.

New paths into the world of quasiparticles Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:59 AM PDT Quasiparticles can be used to explain physical phenomena in solid bodies even though they are not actual physical particles. Physicists have now realized quasiparticles in a quantum system and observed quantum mechanical entanglement propagation in a many-body system.

'Yin and yang' of malaria parasite development Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:59 AM PDT A 'Herculean study' into malaria parasite development is completed – bringing scientists closer to disrupting the life-cycle of this highly efficient parasite. Scientists searching for new drug and vaccine targets to stop transmission of one of the world's deadliest diseases believe they are closer than ever to disrupting the life-cycle of this highly efficient parasite.

Study cracks how brain processes emotions Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:58 AM PDT Although feelings are personal and subjective, the human brain turns them into a standard code that objectively represents emotions across different senses, situations and even people, reports a new study. "Despite how personal our feelings feel, the evidence suggests our brains use a standard code to speak the same emotional language," one researcher concludes.

Zebra, quagga mussels trump pollution as change agents in Lake Erie Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:55 AM PDT Researchers find that invasive species, such as zebra mussels, have affected the composition of Lake Erie's zoobenthic community more than pollution has. In 1986, the zebra mussel was detected in Lake Erie, followed in 1989 by Dreissena rostriformis, the quagga mussel. "The zebra and quagga mussels are ecosystem engineers," said researchers, explaining that both are filter feeders that were brought to the Great Lakes by transoceanic shipping, and they out-compete native filter feeders, which then decrease in abundance.

Immune function predicts infection risk among child trauma patients Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:55 AM PDT Researchers studying critically ill children with traumatic injuries have identified an immune marker that predicts which patients are likely to develop a hospital-acquired infection. The study is part of several larger efforts that could lead to the clinical implementation of quick-turnaround immune function tests and treatments to prevent or reverse immune system damage following critical illness or injury in pediatric patients.

Making a more healthful, low-fat hot dog without giving up texture Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:55 AM PDT Low-fat wieners made with olive oil rather than pork fat make progress toward a healthful alternative hot dog without sacrificing satisfying flavor and texture.

Lung cancer study hints at new treatments Posted: 09 Jul 2014 10:54 AM PDT Studying the most common type of lung cancer, researchers have uncovered mutations in a cell-signaling pathway that plays a role in forming tumors. The new knowledge may expand treatments for patients because drugs targeting some of these genetic changes already are available or are in clinical trials.

Tiny DNA pyramids enter bacteria easily -- and deliver a deadly payload Posted: 09 Jul 2014 08:55 AM PDT Bacterial infections usually announce themselves with pain and fever but often can be defeated with antibiotics -- and then there are those that are sneaky and hard to beat. Now, scientists have built a new weapon against such pathogens in the form of tiny DNA pyramids.

My brother's keeper: How siblings teach one another about the world Posted: 09 Jul 2014 08:55 AM PDT While researchers have long known that brothers and sisters teach each other about the world, most of their observations about this have been made in a lab setting. A new study has investigated a step further by observing how children interact in their natural habitat: their homes. Through the study, investigators not only confirmed that teaching occurs naturally and spontaneously, but that both older and younger siblings initiate learning activities. What's more, siblings acting as teachers use a variety of instructional techniques during these informal lessons.

Shark teeth analysis provides detailed new look at Arctic climate change Posted: 09 Jul 2014 08:55 AM PDT A new study shows that some shark species may be able to cope with the rising salinity of Arctic waters that may come with rising temperatures. The Arctic is of special interest today because it is increasing in temperature at twice the global rate. According to researchers, past climate change in the Arctic can serve as a proxy to better understand our current climate change and aid future predictions. The Eocene epoch is like a "deep-time analogue for what's going to happen if we don't curb CO2 emissions today, and potentially what a runaway greenhouse effect looks like."

Projecting a three-dimensional future based on nanoantennas Posted: 09 Jul 2014 08:54 AM PDT Highly efficient holography has been developed based on nanoantennas, using the parameters of light itself to create dynamic and complex holographic images. This research could be used for security as well as medical and recreational purposes, improving laser-based radars and advancing anti-counterfeiting techniques to safeguard against theft.

Most prescription labels fail to meet guidelines, risking dosage errors, Canadian study concludes Posted: 09 Jul 2014 08:54 AM PDT Small print and poor printing on prescription labels handed out by pharmacists may be misread and may lead to errors in taking medication, according to new research. By simply following recommended guidelines for font size, use of bolding, justification, sentence case and spacing, researchers expect pharmacies can improve the legibility of their labels without the need for new technologies or larger labels.

Rotten egg gas holds key to healthcare therapies Posted: 09 Jul 2014 08:54 AM PDT It may smell of flatulence and have a reputation for being highly toxic, but when used in the right tiny dosage, hydrogen sulfide is now being being found to offer potential health benefits in a range of issues, from diabetes to stroke, heart attacks and dementia. A new compound (AP39) could hold the key to future therapies, by targeting delivery of very small amounts of the substance to the right (or key) places inside cells.

Discovery of new drug targets for memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease Posted: 09 Jul 2014 07:50 AM PDT Reactive astrocytes, which have been commonly observed in Alzheimer's patients, aberrantly and abundantly produce the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA and release it through the Best1 channel, researchers have discovered. The released GABA strongly inhibits neighboring neurons to cause impairment in synaptic transmission, plasticity and memory. This discovery will open a new chapter in the development of new drugs for treating such diseases.

Chemists develop novel catalyst with two functions Posted: 09 Jul 2014 07:50 AM PDT Chemists have made a decisive step towards more cost-efficient regenerative fuel cells and rechargeable metal-air batteries. They developed a new type of catalyst on the basis of carbon, which can facilitate two opposite reactions: electrolysis of water and combustion of hydrogen with oxygen. A catalyst of this kind might make the storage of wind and solar energy and the manufacture of cost-efficient batteries, for example for electric cars, possible.

Vitamin D ups bowel cancer survival odds, study finds Posted: 09 Jul 2014 07:50 AM PDT Bowel cancer patients with high levels of vitamin D in their blood are more likely to survive the disease, a study shows. Patients with the highest levels of vitamin D have half the risk of dying compared with those with the lowest levels, the findings reveal. The study is the first to correlate total blood levels of vitamin D in bowel cancer patients after their diagnosis -- which includes that produced after exposure to sunlight and that obtained from dietary sources -- with their long term survival prospects.

Living kidney donation does not increase risk of death or heart disease for older adult donors, research shows Posted: 09 Jul 2014 07:48 AM PDT Previous studies linking older age with kidney and heart disease have raised concerns about the safety of living kidney donation among older adults. However, in the first study to look closely at this issue, researchers report that older kidney donors (55 years and above) enjoy similar life expectancy and cardiovascular health as very healthy older people who did not donate their kidneys.

DNA 'replication fork' reconstituted for the first time Posted: 09 Jul 2014 07:01 AM PDT While scientists have had an idea of the molecular tools that cells use to replicate DNA -- the enzymes that unzip the double-stranded DNA and create 'daughter' copies -- they did not have a clear picture of how the process works. Now, researchers have built the first model system to decipher what goes on at the 'replication fork' -- the point where DNA is split down the middle in order to create two exact copies.

Beautiful but a threat: Tropical fish invasion destroys kelp forests Posted: 09 Jul 2014 07:01 AM PDT The migration of tropical fish as a result of ocean warming poses a serious threat to the temperate areas they invade, because they overgraze on kelp forests and seagrass meadows, a new study concludes. The harmful impact is most evident in southern Japanese waters and the eastern Mediterranean, where there have been dramatic declines in kelps. There is also emerging evidence of damage in Australia and the US from the spread of tropical fish towards the poles.

Immune system component found that resists sepsis in mice Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:59 AM PDT Mice lacking a specific component of the immune system are completely resistant to sepsis, a potentially fatal complication of infection, molecular microbiologists report. The discovery suggests that blocking this immune system component may help reduce inflammation in human autoimmune and hyper-inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Type 2 diabetes.

More efficient fuel cells under developement by engineers Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:59 AM PDT Solar panels need sun. Wind turbines need wind. Society needs ways to store and dispense alternative energy. Fuel cells could do this. But their chemical reactions are not fully understood. Researchers have studied a high-efficiency solid-oxide fuel cell. They took atomic-scale 'snapshots' of the conversion process using a synchrotron. Learning why the cell worked well (its atomic defects explain its electrical efficiency) will lead to even better fuel cells -- and make alternative energy systems more practical.

Nearly 50 percent of grade 12 students in Ontario report texting while driving Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:59 AM PDT An ongoing survey of Ontario students in grades seven to 12 reveals a number of significant behavioral trends, including an alarming number of young people who are texting while driving. More than 80 per cent of students visit social media sites daily, with about one in ten spending five hours or more on these sites daily. One in five students play video games daily or almost daily with males being almost four times as likely as females to do so.

Discovery of new means to erase pain Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:59 AM PDT It is possible to relieve pain hypersensitivity using a new method that involves rekindling pain so that it can subsequently be erased, a study by two neuroscientists shows. This discovery could lead to novel means to alleviate chronic pain. The scientists were inspired by previous work on memory conducted some fifteen years ago. These studies had revealed that when a memory is reactivated during recall, its neurochemical encoding is temporarily unlocked.

Why people with bipolar disorder are bigger risk-takers Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:56 AM PDT Circuits in the brain involved in pursuing and relishing rewarding experiences are more strongly activated in people with bipolar disorder, guiding them towards riskier gambles and away from safer ones, researchers report. The study used brain imaging to identify neural pathways that are responsible for the symptoms of the disorder. The findings will help to design, evaluate and monitor therapies for bipolar disorder.

Ancient arachnid brought 'back to life': Video recreates 410-million-year-old animal walking Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:56 AM PDT Scientists have recreated the walking gait of a 410-million-year-old arachnid, one of the first predators on land, based on fossil evidence. The scientists used the fossils -- thin slices of rock showing the animal's cross-section -- to work out the range of motion in the limbs of this ancient, extinct early relative of the spiders.

Highway for ultracold atoms in light crystals Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:56 AM PDT When a superconductor is exposed to a magnetic field, a current on its surface appears which creates a counter field that cancels the magnetic field inside the superconductor. This phenomenon, known as "Meissner-Ochsenfeld effect" after its discoverers, was first observed in 1933. Physicists have now succeeded in realizing an analogue of the Meissner effect by measuring edge currents in a ladder-like crystal of light.

Children on dairy farms run one-tenth the risk of developing allergies; Dairy farm exposure also beneficial during pregnancy Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:56 AM PDT Children who live on farms that produce milk run one-tenth the risk of developing allergies as other rural children. According to researchers, pregnant women may benefit from spending time on dairy farms to promote maturation of the fetal and neonatal immune system.

Sugar protects cells from bacterial invasion Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:56 AM PDT No admission for bacteria: Scientists have succeeded in preventing Pseudomonas bacteria from entering host cells with the help of a sugar complex that binds the bacterial protein LecA. This protein enables the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa to invade human lung cells. Among other things, the hospital germ Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause inflammation of the skin and lungs in patients with a weak immune system or a chronic illness. Moreover, these bacteria are often resistant to antibiotics.

Frog larvae have developed rapid defenses against red swamp crayfish Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:55 AM PDT The common frog is one of the amphibians with the highest distribution in the Iberian Peninsula. It reproduces preferably in permanent areas of water where it comes into contact with the red swamp crayfish, which preys on its larvae. Research confirms that the larvae of these frogs have developed a defensive response to the invasive species.

Even geckos can lose their grip Posted: 09 Jul 2014 06:55 AM PDT Not even geckos and spiders can sit upside down forever. Nanophysics makes sure of that. Mechanics researchers have demonstrated this in an article that can be of great industrial benefit.

You are subscribed to email updates from All Top News -- ScienceDaily To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610