ScienceDaily: Top News

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• First detection of organic matter on Mars
• Glacier beds can get slipperier at higher sliding speeds
• People's genes may influence 'gut' bacteria that cause Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis
• The simplest element: Turning hydrogen into 'graphene'
• Carbon-trapping 'sponges' can cut greenhouse gases
• Scientists trace nanoparticles from plants to caterpillars: Are nanoparticles getting in our food?
• Exact solution to model Big Bang and quark gluon plasma
• Political extremists may be less susceptible to common cognitive bias
• Why lifespans are more variable among blacks than whites in the U.S.
• People trust typical-looking faces most
• Diagnostic screening: Microwave imaging of the breast may be better and safer
• Commensal bacteria were critical shapers of early human populations
• First steps for Hector the robot stick insect
• Future batteries: Lithium-sulfur with a graphene wrapper
• Researchers generate tunable photon-pair spectrum using room-temperature quantum optics silicon chip
• Discovery aims to fight destructive bee disease
• New research unlocks a mystery of albinism
• High-definition scopes accurately assess polyps, physicians say
• Domestic abuse may affect children in womb
• A lot or a little? Wolves discriminate quantities better than dogs
• Broad receptive field responsible for differentiated neuronal activity
• A beetle named Marco Polo
• How brain can distinguish good from bad smells
• Composite plane life cycle assessment shows lighter planes are the future
• Scientist finds genetic wrinkle to block sun-induced skin aging
• Is the Higgs Boson a piece of the matter-antimatter puzzle?
• Promising drug doubled positive effect in hormone-receptor positive breast cancer, study finds
• Discovery of official clay seals support existence of biblical kings David and Solomon, archaeologists say
• Breast density helps better predict breast cancer risk
• Extra vitamin E protected older mice from getting common type of pneumonia
• Damming beavers are slowly changing the world: Growing beaver population affecting methane gas emissions
• Depression in dementia more common in community care, study finds
• Use of alcohol, cigarettes, number of illicit drugs declines among U.S. teens
• E-cigarettes surpass tobacco cigarettes among teens
• New technology directly reprograms skin fibroblasts for a new role
• NASA Voyager: 'Tsunami wave' still flies through interstellar space
• Cost of cloud brightening for cooler planet revealed
• Switching to vehicles powered by electricity from renewables could save lives
• Dental plaque reveals key plant in prehistoric Easter Island diet
• Long noncoding RNAs: Novel prognostic marker in older patients with acute leukemia
• Shame on us: Toward defining basic emotions
• Feeling younger than actual age meant lower early death rate for older people, study finds
• Most patients don't get counseling about sex after heart attack
• Women's age at first menstrual cycle linked to heart disease risk
• Research on farmers' markets shows presence of Salmonella, E. coli
• Receptor may be key to treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
• Back to future with Roman architectural concrete: Advanced light source reveals key to longevity of imperial Roman monuments
• NASA's Fermi Mission brings deeper focus to thunderstorm gamma rays
• Cake or carrots? Timing may decide what you'll eat
• Seeing the forest for the trees: Youngest trees in a forest tell the biggest story
• Too much, too little, just right: Balance of proteins keeps cancer in check
• NASA's MAVEN Mars orbiter mission identifies links in chain leading to atmospheric loss

First detection of organic matter on Mars Posted: 16 Dec 2014 11:41 AM PST Scientists have made the first definitive detection of organic molecules at Mars. The surface of Mars is currently inhospitable to life as we know it, but there is evidence that the Red Planet once had a climate that could have supported life billions of years ago.

Glacier beds can get slipperier at higher sliding speeds Posted: 16 Dec 2014 11:07 AM PST Scientists have found that as a glacier's sliding speed increases, the bed beneath the glacier can grow slipperier. That laboratory finding could help researchers make better predictions of glacier response to climate change and the corresponding sea-level rise.

People's genes may influence 'gut' bacteria that cause Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis Posted: 16 Dec 2014 09:38 AM PST People's genes may have an influence over some of the intestinal bacteria that cause Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, collectively know as inflammatory bowel disease, a new study by an international team of researchers shows for the first time. About 1.6 million Americans suffer from Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Understanding the causes of these diseases is another step toward prevention and treatment.

The simplest element: Turning hydrogen into 'graphene' Posted: 16 Dec 2014 09:38 AM PST New work delves into the chemistry underlying some surprising recent observations about hydrogen, and reveals remarkable parallels between hydrogen and graphene under extreme pressures.

Carbon-trapping 'sponges' can cut greenhouse gases Posted: 16 Dec 2014 09:38 AM PST In the fight against global warming, carbon capture -- chemically trapping carbon dioxide before it releases into the atmosphere -- is gaining momentum, but standard methods are plagued by toxicity, corrosiveness and inefficiency. Using a bag of chemistry tricks, materials scientists have invented low-toxicity, highly effective carbon-trapping 'sponges' that could lead to increased use of the technology.

Scientists trace nanoparticles from plants to caterpillars: Are nanoparticles getting in our food? Posted: 16 Dec 2014 09:38 AM PST In one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind, scientists tracked uptake and accumulation of quantum dot nanoparticles from water to plant roots, plant leaves and leaf-eating caterpillars.

Exact solution to model Big Bang and quark gluon plasma Posted: 16 Dec 2014 09:38 AM PST Scientists have published an exact solution that applies to a wide array of physics contexts and will help researchers to better model galactic structure, supernova explosions and high-energy particle collisions, such as those studied at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland.

Political extremists may be less susceptible to common cognitive bias Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:31 AM PST People who occupy the extreme ends of the political spectrum, whether liberal or conservative, may be less influenced by outside information on a simple estimation task than political moderates, according to new research.

Why lifespans are more variable among blacks than whites in the U.S. Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:31 AM PST Eliminating health disparities between races is a goal of many groups and organizations, but a team of sociologists suggests that finding the reasons for the differences in the timing of black and white deaths may be trickier than once thought.

People trust typical-looking faces most Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:30 AM PST Being 'average' is often considered a bad thing, but new research suggests that averageness wins when people assess the trustworthiness of a face. The research indicates that, while typical-looking faces aren't seen as the most attractive, they are considered to be the most trustworthy.

Diagnostic screening: Microwave imaging of the breast may be better and safer Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:30 AM PST Although currently available diagnostic screening systems for breast are effective at detecting early signs of tumors, they are far from perfect, subjecting patients to ionizing radiation and sometimes inflicting discomfort on women who are undergoing screening because of the compression of the breast that is required to produce diagnostically useful images. New research suggests a better, cheaper, and safer way to look for the telltale signs of breast cancer may be with microwaves.

Commensal bacteria were critical shapers of early human populations Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:30 AM PST Using mathematical modeling, researchers have shown that commensal bacteria that cause problems later in life most likely played a key role in stabilizing early human populations. The finding offers an explanation as to why humans co-evolved with microbes that can cause or contribute to cancer, inflammation, and degenerative diseases of aging.

First steps for Hector the robot stick insect Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:29 AM PST A research team has succeeded in teaching the only robot of its kind in the world how to walk.The robot is called Hector, and its construction is modeled on a stick insect. Inspired by the insect, Hector has passive elastic joints and an ultralight exoskeleton. What makes it unique is that it is also equipped with a great number of sensors and it functions according to a biologically inspired decentralized reactive control concept: the Walknet.

Future batteries: Lithium-sulfur with a graphene wrapper Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:27 AM PST What do you get when you wrap a thin sheet of the "wonder material" graphene around a novel multifunctional sulfur electrode that combines an energy storage unit and electron/ion transfer networks? An extremely promising electrode structure design for rechargeable lithium-sulfur batteries.

Researchers generate tunable photon-pair spectrum using room-temperature quantum optics silicon chip Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:07 AM PST A team of researchers have demonstrated a way to emit and control quantum light generated using a chip made from silicon -- one of the most widely used materials for modern electronics.

Discovery aims to fight destructive bee disease Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:06 AM PST Researchers hope their new discovery will help combat a disease killing honeybee populations around the world. The researchers have found a toxin released by the pathogen that causes American foulbrood disease -- Paenibacillus larvae -- and developed a lead-based inhibitor against it.

New research unlocks a mystery of albinism Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:06 AM PST A team of biologists has discovered the way in which a specific genetic mutation appears to lead to the lack of melanin production underlying a form of albinism. About 1 in 40,000 people worldwide have type 2 oculocutaneous albinism, which has symptoms of unsually light hair and skin coloration, vision problems, and reduced protection from sunlight-related skin or eye cancers.

High-definition scopes accurately assess polyps, physicians say Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:06 AM PST It may not be necessary for experienced gastroenterologists to send polyps they remove from a patient's colon to a pathologist for examination, according to a large study conducted by physician researchers. They conclude that the pathological polyp examination now required by national practice guidelines may not be necessary -- an advance they say could result in substantial cost savings for the patient and the health care system, as well as more rapid information and recommendations for follow-up for the patient.

Domestic abuse may affect children in womb Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:06 AM PST Domestic violence can affect children even before they're born, indicates new research. The study is the first to link abuse of pregnant women with emotional and behavioral trauma symptoms in their children within the first year of life. Symptoms include nightmares, startling easily, being bothered by loud noises and bright lights, avoiding physical contact and having trouble experiencing enjoyment.

A lot or a little? Wolves discriminate quantities better than dogs Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:05 AM PST Being able to mentally consider quantities makes sense for any social species. Scientists studied how well dogs can discriminate between different quantities and discovered that wolves perform better than dogs at such tasks. Possibly dogs lost this skill, or a predisposition for it, during domestication.

Broad receptive field responsible for differentiated neuronal activity Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:05 AM PST Some neurons are more active than others, even when they are positioned right next to each other and are one and the same neuron type. Researchers now have discovered the cause for this phenomenon.

A beetle named Marco Polo Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:05 AM PST A team of Chinese and Italian scientists has joined efforts to provide a key to the understudied phaleratus group of blister beetles. During their research the scientists have also discovered a new species from the genus Hycleus, which they named after Marco Polo.

How brain can distinguish good from bad smells Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:05 AM PST In fruit flies, the quality and intensity of odors can be mapped in the so-called lateral horn, scientists have found. They have created a spatial map of this part of the olfactory processing system in the fly brain and showed that the lateral horn can be segregated into three activity domains, each of which represents an odor category.

Composite plane life cycle assessment shows lighter planes are the future Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:05 AM PST A global fleet of composite planes could reduce carbon emissions by up to 15 percent, but the lighter planes alone will not enable the aviation industry to meet its emissions targets, according to new research.

Scientist finds genetic wrinkle to block sun-induced skin aging Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:05 AM PST Scientists have shown that an enzyme is key in the aging of skin, which is caused mostly by sun exposure; mice lacking that enzyme developed fewer wrinkles, they report. The discovery points toward potential therapies that would preserve the strength of various tissues -- not just skin, but blood vessels and lung passages.

Is the Higgs Boson a piece of the matter-antimatter puzzle? Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:04 AM PST Several experiments, including the BaBar experiment have helped explain some – but not all – of the imbalance between matter and antimatter in the universe. Now theorists have laid out a possible method for determining if the Higgs Boson is involved. Why there's more matter than antimatter is one of the biggest questions confounding particle physicists and cosmologists, and it cuts to the heart of our own existence.

Promising drug doubled positive effect in hormone-receptor positive breast cancer, study finds Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:04 AM PST In a groundbreaking study that offers new hope for women with advanced breast cancer, researchers have published final clinical trial results that showed the amount of time patients were on treatment without their cancer worsening (called progression-free survival) was effectively doubled in women with advanced breast cancer who took the experimental drug palbociclib.

Discovery of official clay seals support existence of biblical kings David and Solomon, archaeologists say Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:04 AM PST Six official clay seals found by an archaeological team at a small site in Israel offer evidence that supports the existence of biblical kings David and Solomon. Many modern scholars dismiss David and Solomon as mythological figures and believe no kingdom could have existed in the region at the time the Bible recounted their activities. The new finds provide evidence that some type of government activity was conducted there in that period.

Breast density helps better predict breast cancer risk Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:04 AM PST Adding a measurement of breast density better predicts women's risk for breast cancer, a study has found. The study evaluated the association between risk factors and breast cancer diagnosis based on more than 3,400 women who received digital mammograms, including women diagnosed with breast cancer and women not diagnosed with breast cancer between 2003 and 2013.

Extra vitamin E protected older mice from getting common type of pneumonia Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:04 AM PST Extra vitamin E protected older mice from a bacterial infection that commonly causes pneumonia. The study found that extra vitamin E helped regulate the mice's immune system. The older mice were fed a diet containing extra amounts of vitamin E, the equivalent to about 200 IU/day consumed by humans -- about 10 times the Recommended Daily Allowance but well below the upper limit -- were far more resistant to the bacteria than the older mice that had a normal amount of vitamin E in their diet.

Damming beavers are slowly changing the world: Growing beaver population affecting methane gas emissions Posted: 16 Dec 2014 05:25 AM PST There are consequences of the successful efforts worldwide to save beavers from extinction. Along with the strong increase in their population over the past 100 years, these furry aquatic rodents have built many more ponds, establishing vital aquatic habitat. In doing so, however, they have created conditions for climate changing methane gas to be generated in this shallow standing water, and the gas is subsequently released into the atmosphere. In fact, 200 times more of this greenhouse gas is released from beaver ponds today than was the case around the year 1900, estimates an expert.

Depression in dementia more common in community care, study finds Posted: 16 Dec 2014 05:24 AM PST Those residing in long-term care homes are less likely to suffer from depressive symptoms than those living in the community, an English study of over 400 people in eight EU countries with severe dementia has found.

Use of alcohol, cigarettes, number of illicit drugs declines among U.S. teens Posted: 16 Dec 2014 05:21 AM PST A national survey of students in U.S. middle schools and high schools shows some important improvements in levels of substance use. Both alcohol and cigarette use in 2014 are at their lowest points since the study began in 1975. Use of a number of illicit drugs also show declines this year.

E-cigarettes surpass tobacco cigarettes among teens Posted: 16 Dec 2014 05:21 AM PST In 2014, more teens use e-cigarettes than traditional, tobacco cigarettes or any other tobacco product—the first time a U.S. national study shows that teen use of e-cigarettes surpasses use of tobacco cigarettes. "As one of the newest smoking-type products in recent years, e-cigarettes have made rapid inroads into the lives of American adolescents," said a senior investigator of the study.

New technology directly reprograms skin fibroblasts for a new role Posted: 16 Dec 2014 05:21 AM PST Researchers have discovered a way to repurpose fibroblasts into functional melanocytes, the body's pigment-producing cells. The technique has immediate and important implications for developing new cell-based treatments for skin diseases such as vitiligo, as well as new screening strategies for melanoma.

NASA Voyager: 'Tsunami wave' still flies through interstellar space Posted: 15 Dec 2014 05:42 PM PST The Voyager 1 spacecraft has experienced three shock waves. The most recent shock wave, first observed in February 2014, still appears to be going on. One wave, previously reported, helped researchers determine that Voyager 1 had entered interstellar space.

Cost of cloud brightening for cooler planet revealed Posted: 15 Dec 2014 05:30 PM PST Scientists have identified the most energy-efficient way to make clouds more reflective to the sun in a bid to combat climate change. Marine Cloud Brightening is a reversible geoengineering method proposed to mitigate rising global temperatures. It relies on propelling a fine mist of salt particles high into the atmosphere to increase the albedo of clouds -- the amount of sunlight they reflect back into space.

Switching to vehicles powered by electricity from renewables could save lives Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:53 PM PST Driving vehicles that use electricity from renewable energy instead of gasoline could reduce the resulting deaths due to air pollution by 70 percent. This finding comes from a new life cycle analysis of conventional and alternative vehicles and their air pollution-related public health impacts. The study also shows that switching to vehicles powered by electricity made using natural gas yields large health benefits.

Dental plaque reveals key plant in prehistoric Easter Island diet Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:53 PM PST A student analyzing dental calculus from ancient teeth is helping resolve the question of what plant foods Easter Islanders relied on before European contact.

Long noncoding RNAs: Novel prognostic marker in older patients with acute leukemia Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:53 PM PST Patterns of molecules called long noncoding RNAs might help doctors choose the least toxic, most effective treatment for many older patients with acute myeloid leukemia, new research shows. AML occurs mainly in older patients and has a three-year survival rate of 5 to 15 percent.

Shame on us: Toward defining basic emotions Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:53 PM PST Emotions are complicated and never more so than in the realm of the scientific, where commonly accepted definitions are lacking. In a new article, a researcher examines the basic emotions of grief, fear/anxiety, anger, shame and pride as they appear in scientific literature in an attempt to take a first step in defining them. "Emotion terms, especially in English, are wildly ambiguous," he writes in the paper's introduction.

Feeling younger than actual age meant lower early death rate for older people, study finds Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:53 PM PST Turns out, feeling younger than your actual age might be good for you. Older people who felt three or more years younger than their chronological age had a lower death rate compared with those who felt their age or who felt more than one year older than their actual age, researchers found.

Most patients don't get counseling about sex after heart attack Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:52 PM PST Most patients don't receive counseling about resuming sexual activity after having a heart attack. Often when healthcare providers did counsel about sexual activity, they recommended restrictions that were more conservative than medical guidelines. In 2013, the American Heart Association published a scientific statement about counseling patients with cardiovascular disease about sexual activity. The statement concluded that sexual counseling should be tailored to the individual needs and concerns of cardiovascular patients and their partners/spouses

Women's age at first menstrual cycle linked to heart disease risk Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:52 PM PST The risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure was significantly higher when menstruation began at age 10 or younger, or age 17 or older. First menstrual cycle at the age of 13 posed the lowest risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure.

Research on farmers' markets shows presence of Salmonella, E. coli Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:51 PM PST A study on the presence of Salmonella and E. coli on certain herbs sold at farmers' markets has been published. Of the 133 samples tested from 13 farmers' markets, 24.1 percent tested positive for E. coli and one sample tested positive for Salmonella.

Receptor may be key to treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:51 PM PST Inhibiting a nuclear receptor in the gut could lead to a treatment for a liver disorder that affects almost 30 percent of the Western world's adult population, according to an international team of researchers. The researchers found that tempol, an antioxidant drug, and antibiotics can treat and prevent nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in mice that were fed a high-fat diet. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease -- NAFLD -- is a build up of fat in liver cells that disrupts liver function and, if left untreated, can lead to liver failure.

Back to future with Roman architectural concrete: Advanced light source reveals key to longevity of imperial Roman monuments Posted: 15 Dec 2014 03:50 PM PST A key discovery to understanding Roman architectural concrete that has stood the test of time and the elements for nearly two thousand years has been made by researchers using beams of X-rays.

NASA's Fermi Mission brings deeper focus to thunderstorm gamma rays Posted: 15 Dec 2014 12:47 PM PST Each day, thunderstorms around the world produce about a thousand quick bursts of gamma rays, some of the highest-energy light naturally found on Earth. By merging records of events seen by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope with data from ground-based radar and lightning detectors, scientists have completed the most detailed analysis to date of the types of thunderstorms involved.

Cake or carrots? Timing may decide what you'll eat Posted: 15 Dec 2014 12:46 PM PST When you open the refrigerator for a late-night snack, are you more likely to grab a slice of chocolate cake or a bag of carrot sticks? Your ability to exercise self-control -- i.e., to settle for the carrots -- may depend upon just how quickly your brain factors healthfulness into a decision, according to a recent study.

Seeing the forest for the trees: Youngest trees in a forest tell the biggest story Posted: 15 Dec 2014 12:46 PM PST The largest trees in a forest may command the most attention, but the smallest seedlings and youngest saplings are the ones that are most critical to the composition and diversity of the forest overall.

Too much, too little, just right: Balance of proteins keeps cancer in check Posted: 15 Dec 2014 12:46 PM PST Scientists have long known the p53 protein suppresses tumors. However, a recent animal study has uncovered a complicated relationship between p53 and another protein, Rbm38, highlighting how the body calibrates protein levels.

NASA's MAVEN Mars orbiter mission identifies links in chain leading to atmospheric loss Posted: 15 Dec 2014 11:08 AM PST Early discoveries by NASA's newest Mars orbiter are starting to reveal key features about the loss of the planet's atmosphere to space over time. The findings are among the first returns from NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission, which entered its science phase on Nov. 16. The observations reveal a new process by which the solar wind can penetrate deep into a planetary atmosphere. They include the first comprehensive measurements of the composition of Mars' upper atmosphere and electrically charged ionosphere. The results also offer an unprecedented view of ions as they gain the energy that will lead to their to escape from the atmosphere.

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