ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Matched 'hybrid' systems may hold key to wider use of renewable energy
• Post-medieval Polish buried as potential 'vampires' were likely local
• DNA survives critical entry into Earth's atmosphere
• Invisible shield found thousands of miles above Earth blocks 'killer electrons'
• Treatment breakthrough for advanced bladder cancer
• High-tech mirror beams heat away from buildings into space
• Unbelievable underworld and its impact on us all
• 'Eye of Sauron' provides new way of measuring distances to galaxies
• 'Off switch' for pain discovered: Activating the adenosine A3 receptor subtype is key to powerful pain relief
• Vaccines may make war on cancer personal
• Shaping the future of energy storage with conductive clay
• Modeling the past to understand the future of a stronger El Niño
• Why patients respond to a life-saving melanoma drug
• The living, breathing ocean
• Laser physicists 'see' how electrons make atomic and molecular transitions
• Copper on the brain at rest
• Engineers make sound loud enough to bend light on a computer chip: Device could improve wireless communications systems
• Saving ovaries does not help prevent prolapse for women after menopause
• More public health interventions required to tackle grim reaper of 'lifestyle' diseases
• An enzyme that fixes broken DNA sometimes destroys it instead, researchers find
• Dogs hear our words and how we say them
• Elderly brains learn, but maybe too much
• Cognitive test battery developed to assess impact of long duration spaceflights on astronauts' brain function
• Enzyme may be key to cancer progression in many tumors
• Brain researchers pinpoint gateway to human memory
• New guide to genetic jungle of muscles can help health research
• Hacked emails slice spam fast
• Iberian orcas, increasingly trapped
• How a common antacid could lead to cheaper anti-cancer drugs
• Minimally invasive disc surgery is a pain in the neck
• Amazonian shrimps: An underwater world still unknown
• An 'eel-lectrifying' future for autonomous underwater robots
• The mysterious 'action at a distance' between liquid containers
• New evidence of ancient rock art across Southeast Asia
• Bioengineering study finds two-cell mouse embryos already 'talking' about their future
• Protecting rainforest through agriculture, forestry
• Study unlocks basis of key immune protein's two-faced role
• Particles, waves and ants
• Protons fuel graphene prospects
• Global quantum communications: No longer the stuff of fiction?
• Prehistoric conflict hastened human brain's capacity for collaboration
• Isolation of important centres in brain results in age-related memory deficits
• Pleasure at another's misfortune is evident in children as young as two
• Drivers of sexual traits: Age and a whole lot more
• How various brain areas interact in decisions
• Hydrothermal settlers: Barnacle holds clues about how climate change is affecting the deep ocean
• Glassy protein solution may cause eyesight deterioration
• New test to measure HDL cholesterol can predict cardiovascular risk
• New measuring system to objectively ascertain level of fatigue in physicians through eye movement
• Efficacy of new drug against stem cells that provoke onset, growth of cancer, metastasis
• Classical enzymatic theory revised by including water motions
• Why do people with autism see faces differently?
• Van der Waals force re-measured: Physicists verified nonlinear increase with growing molecular size
• Microbial communities for health and environment: Precise measurements of microbial ecosystems
• 'Giant' charge density disturbances discovered in nanomaterials
• A colorful gathering of middle-aged stars
• New study examines effect of timing of folic acid supplementation during pregnancy
• A warming world may spell bad news for honey bees
• Endangered hammerhead shark found migrating into unprotected waters
• Sweet-smelling breath to help diabetes diagnosis in children

Matched 'hybrid' systems may hold key to wider use of renewable energy Posted: 26 Nov 2014 11:42 AM PST The use of renewable energy in the United States could take a significant leap forward with improved storage technologies or more efforts to 'match' different forms of alternative energy systems that provide an overall more steady flow of electricity, researchers say in a new report.

Post-medieval Polish buried as potential 'vampires' were likely local Posted: 26 Nov 2014 11:42 AM PST Potential 'vampires' buried in northwestern Poland with sickles and rocks across their bodies were likely local and not immigrants to the region. In northwestern Poland, apotropaic funerary rites--a traditional practice intended to prevent evil--occurred throughout the 17th-18th c. AD.

DNA survives critical entry into Earth's atmosphere Posted: 26 Nov 2014 11:41 AM PST The genetic material DNA can survive a flight through space and re-entry into Earth's atmosphere -- and still pass on genetic information. Scientists obtained these astonishing results during an experiment on the TEXUS-49 research rocket mission.

Invisible shield found thousands of miles above Earth blocks 'killer electrons' Posted: 26 Nov 2014 10:38 AM PST An invisible shield has been discovered some 7,200 miles above Earth that blocks so-called 'killer electrons,' which whip around the planet at near-light speed and have been known to threaten astronauts, fry satellites and degrade space systems during intense solar storms.

Treatment breakthrough for advanced bladder cancer Posted: 26 Nov 2014 10:38 AM PST A major breakthrough in developing a new therapy for advanced bladder cancer -- for which there have been no major treatment advances in the past 30 years -- has been made by scientists. The study examined an antibody (MPDL3280A) which blocks a protein (PD-L1) thought to help cancer cells evade immune detection.

High-tech mirror beams heat away from buildings into space Posted: 26 Nov 2014 10:38 AM PST Engineers have invented a material designed to help cool buildings. The material reflects incoming sunlight, and it sends heat from inside the structure directly into space as infrared radiation.

Unbelievable underworld and its impact on us all Posted: 26 Nov 2014 10:27 AM PST A new study has pulled together research into the most diverse place on earth to demonstrate how the organisms below-ground could hold the key to understanding how the worlds ecosystems function and how they are responding to climate change.

'Eye of Sauron' provides new way of measuring distances to galaxies Posted: 26 Nov 2014 10:27 AM PST Scientists have developed a new way of measuring precise distances to galaxies tens of millions of light years away, using the W. M. Keck Observatory near the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii. The method is similar to what land surveyors use on Earth, by measuring the physical and angular, or 'apparent', size of a standard ruler in the galaxy, to calibrate the distance from this information.

'Off switch' for pain discovered: Activating the adenosine A3 receptor subtype is key to powerful pain relief Posted: 26 Nov 2014 10:26 AM PST A way to block a pain pathway in animal models of chronic neuropathic pain has been discovered by researchers, suggesting a promising new approach to pain relief.

Vaccines may make war on cancer personal Posted: 26 Nov 2014 10:26 AM PST In the near future, physicians may treat some cancer patients with personalized vaccines that spur their immune systems to attack malignant tumors. New research has brought the approach one step closer to reality.

Shaping the future of energy storage with conductive clay Posted: 26 Nov 2014 10:26 AM PST Materials scientists have invented clay, which is both highly conductive and can easily be molded into a variety of shapes and sizes. It represents a turn away from the rather complicated and costly processing -- currently used to make materials for lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors -- and toward one that looks a bit like rolling out cookie dough with results that are even sweeter from an energy storage standpoint.

Modeling the past to understand the future of a stronger El Niño Posted: 26 Nov 2014 10:26 AM PST El Nino is not a contemporary phenomenon; it's long been the Earth's dominant source of year-to-year climate fluctuation. But as the climate warms and the feedbacks that drive the cycle change, researchers want to know how El Nino will respond.

Why patients respond to a life-saving melanoma drug Posted: 26 Nov 2014 10:26 AM PST Researchers have pioneered a new methodology to predict why some patients battling advanced melanoma respond well or not at all to the new breakthrough drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda).

The living, breathing ocean Posted: 26 Nov 2014 09:44 AM PST The ocean is a complex ecosystem. The ocean carbon cycle is governed by the relationship among carbon, nutrients and oxygen, and the ratio between certain elements is key to understanding ocean respiration.

Laser physicists 'see' how electrons make atomic and molecular transitions Posted: 26 Nov 2014 09:44 AM PST By solving a six-dimensional equation that had previously stymied researchers, physicists have pinpointed the characteristics of a laser pulse that yields electron behavior they can predict and essentially control.

Copper on the brain at rest Posted: 26 Nov 2014 09:44 AM PST Proper copper levels are essential to the health of the brain at rest, new research shows. The brain consumes 20-percent of the oxygen taken in through respiration. This high demand for oxygen and oxidative metabolism has resulted in the brain harboring the body's highest levels of copper, as well as iron and zinc. Over the past few years, researchers have developed a series of fluorescent probes for molecular imaging of copper in the brain.

Engineers make sound loud enough to bend light on a computer chip: Device could improve wireless communications systems Posted: 26 Nov 2014 09:44 AM PST Engineering researchers have developed a chip on which both sound wave and light wave are generated and confined together so that the sound can very efficiently control the light.

Saving ovaries does not help prevent prolapse for women after menopause Posted: 26 Nov 2014 09:43 AM PST Removing ovaries at hysterectomy does not increase a woman's risk of pelvic organ prolapse after menopause. In fact, removing ovaries lowers the risk of prolapse. This surprising finding from a Women's Health Initiative study has just been published.

More public health interventions required to tackle grim reaper of 'lifestyle' diseases Posted: 26 Nov 2014 09:43 AM PST More public health interventions, along the lines of the smoking ban, are needed to tackle the devastating toll of 'lifestyle' diseases, including heart disease and cancer, according to academics.

An enzyme that fixes broken DNA sometimes destroys it instead, researchers find Posted: 26 Nov 2014 09:43 AM PST Enzymes inside cells that normally repair damaged DNA sometimes wreck it instead, researchers have found. The insight could lead to a better understanding of the causes of some types of cancer and neurodegenerative disease.

Dogs hear our words and how we say them Posted: 26 Nov 2014 09:43 AM PST When people hear another person talking to them, they respond not only to what is being said -- those consonants and vowels strung together into words and sentences -- but also to other features of that speech -- the emotional tone and the speaker's gender, for instance. Now, a report provides some of the first evidence of how dogs also differentiate and process those various components of human speech.

Elderly brains learn, but maybe too much Posted: 26 Nov 2014 09:43 AM PST Learning requires both mental flexibility, or 'plasticity,' and stability. A new study finds that in learning a visual task, older people exhibited a surprising degree of plasticity, but had trouble filtering out irrelevant information, suggesting that their learning was not as stable.

Cognitive test battery developed to assess impact of long duration spaceflights on astronauts' brain function Posted: 26 Nov 2014 09:39 AM PST A cognitive test battery, known as Cognition, has been developed for the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) to measure the impact of typical spaceflight stressors (like microgravity, radiation, confinement and isolation, exposure to elevated levels of CO2, and sleep loss) on cognitive performance. This computer-based test has already been tested by astronauts on Earth. It will be performed for the first time in a pilot study on the International Space Station (ISS) on November 28.

Enzyme may be key to cancer progression in many tumors Posted: 26 Nov 2014 09:39 AM PST A deeper understanding of how KRAS turns off tumor suppressor genes and identifies a key enzyme in the process has been gained by researchers. The findings suggest that this enzyme, known as TET1, may be an important target for cancer diagnostics and treatment.

Brain researchers pinpoint gateway to human memory Posted: 26 Nov 2014 08:12 AM PST An international team of researchers has successfully determined the location, where memories are generated with a level of precision never achieved before. To this end the scientists used a particularly accurate type of magnetic resonance imaging technology.

New guide to genetic jungle of muscles can help health research Posted: 26 Nov 2014 08:12 AM PST A comprehensive overview of how tens of thousands of genes interact in relation to the behavior of muscles has been developed by scientists. At the same time, they have developed a guide to the enormous amounts of data and thus paved the way for new knowledge about diseases associated with lack of activity.

Hacked emails slice spam fast Posted: 26 Nov 2014 08:12 AM PST Spam spreads much faster and to more people when it is being propagated by hacked, or otherwise compromised, email accounts rather than legitimate accounts, according to new research.

Iberian orcas, increasingly trapped Posted: 26 Nov 2014 08:11 AM PST Thanks to the more than 11,200 sightings of cetaceans over the course of ten years, Spanish and Portuguese researchers have been able to identify, in detail, the presence of orcas in the Gulf of Cadiz, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Alboran Sea. According to the models that have been generated, the occurrence of these cetaceans is linked to the distribution of their main prey (red tuna) and their presence in Spanish, Portuguese and Moroccan waters is thus more limited than previously thought.

How a common antacid could lead to cheaper anti-cancer drugs Posted: 26 Nov 2014 08:11 AM PST A cheap answer to anti-cancer medication may be in your medicine cabinet. Cimetidine treats indigestion by blocking histamine receptors in the gut, which decreases the production of gastric acid. It also appears to block histamine receptors in cancer cells, as well as supporting the immune system's defenses against cancer.

Minimally invasive disc surgery is a pain in the neck Posted: 26 Nov 2014 08:10 AM PST In comparison with open surgery, while minimally invasive surgery for cervical or lumbar discectomy may speed up recovery and reduce post-operative pain, it does not improve long-term function or reduce long-term extremity pain.

Amazonian shrimps: An underwater world still unknown Posted: 26 Nov 2014 07:39 AM PST A study reveals how little we know about the Amazonian diversity. Aiming to resolve a scientific debate about the validity of two species of freshwater shrimp described in the first half of the last century, researchers have found that not only this species is valid, but also discovered the existence of a third unknown species. The researchers concluded that these species evolved about 10 million years ago.

An 'eel-lectrifying' future for autonomous underwater robots Posted: 26 Nov 2014 07:39 AM PST Scientists have developed and built a prototype for an eel-like robotic fish to be operable remotely, small, sophisticated and intelligent enough to operate autonomously underwater. A new form of central pattern generator model is presented, by which the swimming pattern of a real Anguilliform fish is successfully applied to the robotic prototype. Mathematical model, control law design, different locomotion patterns, and locomotion planning are presented for an Anguilliform robotic fish.

The mysterious 'action at a distance' between liquid containers Posted: 26 Nov 2014 07:38 AM PST For several years, it has been known that superfluid helium housed in reservoirs located next to each other acts collectively, even when the channels connecting the reservoirs are too narrow and too long to allow for substantial flow. A new theoretical model reveals that the phenomenon of mysterious communication 'at a distance' between fluid reservoirs is much more common than previously thought.

New evidence of ancient rock art across Southeast Asia Posted: 26 Nov 2014 06:42 AM PST Research on the oldest surviving rock art of Southeast Asia shows the region's first people brought with them a rich art practice. These earliest people skilfully produced paintings of animals in rock shelters from southwest China to Indonesia. Besides these countries, early sites were also recorded in Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia.

Bioengineering study finds two-cell mouse embryos already 'talking' about their future Posted: 26 Nov 2014 06:42 AM PST Bioengineers have discovered that mouse embryos are contemplating their cellular fates in the earliest stages after fertilization when the embryo has only two to four cells, a discovery that could upend the scientific consensus about when embryonic cells begin differentiating into cell types. Their research used single-cell RNA sequencing to look at every gene in the mouse genome.

Protecting rainforest through agriculture, forestry Posted: 26 Nov 2014 06:42 AM PST Conservationists are always looking for ways to halt the pace of deforestation in tropical rainforests. One approach involves recultivating abandoned agricultural land. Working in the mountainous regions of Ecuador, the an international team of researchers found afforestation and intense pasturing to be particularly effective, clearly increasing the environmental and economic value of abandoned farmlands.

Study unlocks basis of key immune protein's two-faced role Posted: 26 Nov 2014 06:42 AM PST A long sought-after partner for a key immune protein, called TIM-3, that helps explain its two-faced role in the immune system has been discovered by researchers. The interest in TIM-3 as a drug target stems largely from its inhibitory role, particularly in cancer. Scientists explain that if there were a way to block TIM-3 pharmacologically, it could unleash the immune system, freeing it to attack tumors.

Particles, waves and ants Posted: 26 Nov 2014 06:42 AM PST Particles or waves traveling through disordered media are scattered at small impurities. Surprisingly, the density of these impurities does not affect the overall dwell time the particle -- or wave -- spends inside the medium. This remarkable finding applies not only to particles and waves, but also to crawling ants or drunken sailors hitting streetlamps.

Protons fuel graphene prospects Posted: 26 Nov 2014 06:42 AM PST Graphene, impermeable to all gases and liquids, can easily allow protons to pass through it researchers have found.

Global quantum communications: No longer the stuff of fiction? Posted: 26 Nov 2014 06:42 AM PST Neither quantum computers nor quantum cryptography will become prevalent technologies without memory systems able to manipulate quantum information easily and effectively. Scientists have recently made inroads into popularizing quantum information technologies by creating an atomic memory with outstanding parameters and an extremely simple construction.

Prehistoric conflict hastened human brain's capacity for collaboration Posted: 26 Nov 2014 06:42 AM PST Warfare not only hastened human technological progress and vast social and political changes, but may have greatly contributed to the evolutionary emergence of humans' high intelligence and ability to work together toward common goals, according to a new study.

Isolation of important centres in brain results in age-related memory deficits Posted: 26 Nov 2014 06:41 AM PST Poor memory among the elderly can be explained by regions in the hippocampus complex, an important part of the brain, becoming more co-active during rest, thereby interacting less efficiently with other parts of the brain when we try to memorize information, researchers report.

Pleasure at another's misfortune is evident in children as young as two Posted: 26 Nov 2014 06:40 AM PST Even very young children will show signs of schadenfreude when an inequitable situation is rectified. Until now, researchers believed that children didn't develop such a sophisticated emotion until the age of seven, but a new study found evidence of schadenfreude in children as young as two.

Drivers of sexual traits: Age and a whole lot more Posted: 26 Nov 2014 04:53 AM PST Many male animals have multiple displays and behaviors to attract females; and often the larger or greater the better. Understanding what has driven the evolution of these traits is an important evolutionary question.

How various brain areas interact in decisions Posted: 26 Nov 2014 04:53 AM PST Our decisions can be pictured in the brain, and now scientists have been able to show in a recent study which areas are most active in decision making. Often the so-called prefrontal cortex not only apparently shows increased activity during decisions that require self-control, but in general during decision making. The results could be of use in promoting decision skills in difficult decisions.

Hydrothermal settlers: Barnacle holds clues about how climate change is affecting the deep ocean Posted: 26 Nov 2014 04:53 AM PST The deep ocean seems so remote that it is difficult to imagine any sort of human-generated change making an impact on deep-sea life. It is even more difficult to collect or examine evidence from the deep ocean to determine what those impacts might be. Enter the barnacle; a hard, sessile creature that looks like a tiny volcano and attaches to rocks, boat bottoms, and other hard substrates, where it filters ocean water to feed on tiny organisms. The barnacle holds clues about how climate change is affecting the deep ocean.

Glassy protein solution may cause eyesight deterioration Posted: 26 Nov 2014 04:53 AM PST Long-sightedness caused by age could be due to proteins in the lens of the eye that are converted from a fluid solution to a solid, glassy state, researchers have found. Around the age of 40-50, many people find their sight deteriorates and they need to use reading glasses. This age-related long-sightedness is thought to be due to a reduction in the elasticity of the lens in the eye. A new research study appears to have put its finger on the details of what happens in the eye when long-sightedness develops.

New test to measure HDL cholesterol can predict cardiovascular risk Posted: 26 Nov 2014 04:51 AM PST Changes to the "good cholesterol" HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) can be associated with cardiovascular diseases, researchers report. By developing a new laboratory test, scientists have demonstrated for the first time that the presence of certain proteins in the HDL can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.

New measuring system to objectively ascertain level of fatigue in physicians through eye movement Posted: 26 Nov 2014 04:51 AM PST It is possible to establish in an objective way the level of fatigue in physicians after long shifts through their eye movement, according to an international team of scientists that has demonstrated this for the first time.

Efficacy of new drug against stem cells that provoke onset, growth of cancer, metastasis Posted: 26 Nov 2014 04:51 AM PST An team of researchers has demonstrated the efficacy of a new drug against cancerogenic stem cells, which cause the onset and development of cancer, of relapse after chemotherapy and metastasis. This drug, called Bozepinib, has proved to be effective in tests with mice, they report.

Classical enzymatic theory revised by including water motions Posted: 26 Nov 2014 04:51 AM PST Enzymes are macromolecular biological catalysists that lead most of chemical reactions in living organisms. The main focus of enzymology lies on enzymes themselves, whereas the role of water motions in mediating the biological reaction is often left aside owing to the complex molecular behavior. Scientists have now revised the classical enzymatic steady state theory by including long-lasting protein-water coupled motions into models of functional catalysis.

Why do people with autism see faces differently? Posted: 26 Nov 2014 04:51 AM PST The way people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) gather information – not the judgement process itself – might explain why they gain different perceptions from peoples' faces, according to a new study. "The evaluation of an individual's face is a rapid process that influences our future relationship with the individual," said the lead author of the study. "By studying these judgments, we wanted to better understand how people with ASD use facial features as cues. Do they need more cues to be able to make the same judgment?"

Van der Waals force re-measured: Physicists verified nonlinear increase with growing molecular size Posted: 26 Nov 2014 04:51 AM PST Van der Waals forces act like a sort of quantum glue on all types of matter. Using a new measuring technique, scientists experimentally determined for the first time all of the key details of how strongly the single molecules bind to a surface. With an atomic force microscope, they demonstrated that the forces do not just increase with molecular size, but that they even grow disproportionately fast.

Microbial communities for health and environment: Precise measurements of microbial ecosystems Posted: 26 Nov 2014 04:50 AM PST Biologists have succeeded for the first time in describing the complex relationships within an ecosystem in unprecedented detail. Their model ecosystem was a "biological wastewater treatment plant". In it live numerous species of bacteria which are involved in the wastewater purification process.

'Giant' charge density disturbances discovered in nanomaterials Posted: 26 Nov 2014 04:50 AM PST In metals such as copper or aluminium, so-called conduction electrons are able to move around freely, in the same way as particles in a gas or a liquid. If, however, impurities are implanted into the metal's crystal lattice, the electrons cluster together in a uniform pattern around the point of interference, resembling the ripples that occur when a stone is thrown into a pool of water. Scientists have, with the help of computer simulations, now discovered a combination of materials that strengthens these Friedel oscillations and bundles them, as if with a lens, in different directions. With a range of 50 nanometers, these "giant anisotropic charge density oscillations" are many times greater than normal and open up new possibilities in the field of nanoelectronics to exchange or filter magnetic information.

A colorful gathering of middle-aged stars Posted: 26 Nov 2014 04:50 AM PST The MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile has captured a richly colorful view of the bright star cluster NGC 3532. Some of the stars still shine with a hot bluish color, but many of the more massive ones have become red giants and glow with a rich orange hue.

New study examines effect of timing of folic acid supplementation during pregnancy Posted: 25 Nov 2014 05:58 PM PST Taking folic acid before conception significantly reduces the risk of small for gestational age at birth, suggests a new study. Folic acid supplementation has already been shown to reduce the risk of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, and it is recommended for women to start folic acid supplementation pre-conceptually. However, uptake is low, state the authors, and previous studies have suggested rates of pre-conceptual uptake to be between 14.8% and 31%, with lower uptake in younger age groups and ethnic minorities.

A warming world may spell bad news for honey bees Posted: 25 Nov 2014 05:58 PM PST A bee parasites from exotic climates threatens UK bees. Research predicts that an exotic gut parasite could cause increasing damage to UK bees as climates warms.

Endangered hammerhead shark found migrating into unprotected waters Posted: 25 Nov 2014 05:58 PM PST The precise movements of a young hammerhead shark have been tracked for the first time, scientists report. The study, which ran over a 10-month period, reveals important gaps in current efforts to protect these endangered sharks and suggests key locations that should be protected to help the survival of the species.

Sweet-smelling breath to help diabetes diagnosis in children Posted: 25 Nov 2014 05:58 PM PST The potential to quickly diagnose children with type 1 diabetes before the onset of serious illness could be achieved using a simple, non-invasive breath test, according to new research.

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