ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Lengthening life of high capacity silicon electrodes in rechargeable lithium batteries with novel rubber-like coating
• Fear and caring are what's at the core of divisive wolf debate
• 55 percent of carbon in Amazonian indigenous territories and protected lands may be at risk
• Brain representations of social thoughts accurately predict autism diagnosis
• How to stop the spread of HIV in Africa
• Atmospheric carbon dioxide used for energy storage products
• People putting their lives at risk by dismissing cancer symptoms
• In a rapidly changing north, new diseases travel on the wings of birds
• A better look at the chemistry of interfaces
• Chemists identify role of soil in pollution control
• Missing ingredient in energy-efficient buildings: Trained people
• Wake Up and Breathe program benefits ICU patients
• Losing air: barrage of small impacts likely erased much of the Earth’s primordial atmosphere
• Strange galaxy perplexes astronomers
• Inexpensive hydrolysable polymer developed
• Nanotubes may restore sight to blind retinas
• See it, touch it, feel it: New research, using ultrasound, has developed invisible 3D haptic shape that can be seen and felt
• New techniques for estimating Atlantic bluefin tuna reproduction
• Vitamin supplement successfully prevents noise-induced hearing loss
• Potential biological control for avocado-ravaging disease
• Another case against the midnight snack
• Traces of Martian biological activity could be locked inside a meteorite
• Chemists fabricate novel rewritable paper
• King Richard III: Case closed after 529 years
• Fighting air pollution in China with social media
• Maternal insulin resistance changes pancreas development, increases risk of metabolic disorders in offspring
• Vitamin D deficiency, depression linked in international study
• New study strengthens evidence of connection between statin use and cataracts; any risks should be weighed against benefits
• Cover crops can sequester soil organic carbon
• New drug could help reduce dietary phosphorus absorption, pilot study suggests
• Turn back the molecular clock, say Argentina's plant fossils
• Inflammatory discovery sheds new light on skin disease
• Identifying the cellular origin of fibrosis
• Celiac disease does not increase clinical consultations for fertility problems
• Revealed: How bacteria drill into our cells and kill them
• Stressed-out cancers may provide drug target
• Nutrition, safety key to consumer acceptance of nanotech, genetic modification in foods
• Ideals may play role in knowledge formation, professor's research says
• Vitamin D reduces lung disease flare-ups by over 40 percent
• Sons' intelligence linked to fathers' criminal history
• Heavier newborns show academic edge in school
• Patients take control of their medical exam records
• Risk-based screening misses breast cancers in women in their forties
• 3-D mammography improves cancer detection in dense breasts
• Insects play important role in dealing with garbage on NYC streets
• Meteorology meets metrology: Climate research high up in the clouds
• Researchers control adhesion of E. coli bacteria
• The Biology of Anxious Temperament May Lie With a Problem in an Anxiety 'Off Switch'
• New cause of child brain tumor condition identified
• Antacids linked to better survival in head and neck cancer
• For severe allergic reaction, epinephrine first and fast
• Predators and Isolation Shape the Evolution of 'Island Tameness,' Providing Conservation Insights
• Sweet smell of success: Researchers boost methyl ketone production in e. coli
• Most ancient pinworm yet found was infected with parasitic nematodes

Lengthening life of high capacity silicon electrodes in rechargeable lithium batteries with novel rubber-like coating Posted: 02 Dec 2014 11:49 AM PST A new study will help researchers create longer-lasting, higher-capacity lithium rechargeable batteries, which are commonly used in consumer electronics. Researchers have shown how a coating that makes high capacity silicon electrodes more durable could lead to a replacement for lower-capacity graphite electrodes.

Fear and caring are what's at the core of divisive wolf debate Posted: 02 Dec 2014 11:48 AM PST To hunt or not hunt: Wolves can't be quantified as simply as men vs. women, hunters vs. anti-hunters, Democrats vs. Republicans or city vs. rural.

55 percent of carbon in Amazonian indigenous territories and protected lands may be at risk Posted: 02 Dec 2014 11:48 AM PST A new peer-reviewed study reveals the unprecedented amount of carbon stored within the nine-nation network of Amazonian indigenous territories and protected natural areas. The article suggests that protecting the vast amount of carbon stored above ground in the forests of indigenous and protected lands is critical to the stability of the global climate.

Brain representations of social thoughts accurately predict autism diagnosis Posted: 02 Dec 2014 11:48 AM PST Researchers have created brain-reading techniques to use neural representations of social thoughts to predict autism diagnoses with 97 percent accuracy. This establishes the first biologically based diagnostic tool that measures a person's thoughts to detect the disorder that affects many children and adults worldwide.

How to stop the spread of HIV in Africa Posted: 02 Dec 2014 11:47 AM PST To stop the spread of HIV in Africa, researchers, using a complex mathematical model, have developed a strategy that focuses on targeting "hot zones," areas where the risk of HIV infection is much higher than the national average.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide used for energy storage products Posted: 02 Dec 2014 11:06 AM PST Researchers have discovered a fascinating new way to take some of the atmospheric carbon dioxide that's causing the greenhouse effect and use it to make an advanced, high-value material for use in energy storage products.

People putting their lives at risk by dismissing cancer symptoms Posted: 02 Dec 2014 11:06 AM PST People could be putting their lives at risk by dismissing potential warning signs of cancer as less serious symptoms, according to new research. More than half (53 per cent) of 1,700 people who completed a health questionnaire said they had experienced at least one red-flag cancer 'alarm' symptom during the previous three months. But only two per cent of them thought that cancer was a possible cause.

In a rapidly changing north, new diseases travel on the wings of birds Posted: 02 Dec 2014 10:55 AM PST When wild birds are a big part of your diet, opening a freshly shot bird to find worms squirming around under the skin is a disconcerting sight. That was exactly what Victoria Kotongan saw in October, 2012, when she set to cleaning two of four spruce grouse (Falcipennis canadensis) she had taken near her home in Unalakleet, on the northwest coast of Alaska. The next day, she shot four grouse and all four harbored the long, white worms. In two birds, the worms appeared to be emerging from the meat.

A better look at the chemistry of interfaces Posted: 02 Dec 2014 10:54 AM PST SWAPPS - Standing Wave Ambient Pressure Photoelectron Spectroscopy – is a new X-ray technique that provides sub-nanometer resolution of every chemical element to be found at heterogeneous interfaces, such as those in batteries, fuel cells and other devices.

Chemists identify role of soil in pollution control Posted: 02 Dec 2014 10:24 AM PST Scientists have long known that air pollution caused by cars and trucks, solvent use and even plants, is reduced when broken down by naturally occurring compounds that act like detergents of the atmosphere. What has not been well understood until now are the relative contributions of all the processes producing such compounds. A new study shows a key component of the process is the soil beneath our feet.

Missing ingredient in energy-efficient buildings: Trained people Posted: 02 Dec 2014 10:24 AM PST More than one-third of new commercial building space includes energy-saving features, but without training or an operator's manual many occupants are in the dark about how to use them.

Wake Up and Breathe program benefits ICU patients Posted: 02 Dec 2014 10:24 AM PST Waking intensive care unit patients and having them breathe on their own decreased both sedation levels and coma prevalence. The Wake Up and Breathe program also showed a trend toward reduced delirium in a critically ill population.

Losing air: barrage of small impacts likely erased much of the Earth’s primordial atmosphere Posted: 02 Dec 2014 10:23 AM PST Researchers believe a blitz of small space rocks, or planetesimals, may have bombarded Earth around the time the moon was formed, kicking up clouds of gas with enough force to permanently eject small portions of the atmosphere into space.

Strange galaxy perplexes astronomers Posted: 02 Dec 2014 10:23 AM PST With the help of citizen scientists, astronomers have found an important new example of a very rare type of galaxy that may provide valuable insight on galaxy evolution in the early Universe.

Inexpensive hydrolysable polymer developed Posted: 02 Dec 2014 09:38 AM PST Through some inventive chemistry, scientists have developed a class of 'hindered urea bond-containing polymeric materials' or 'poly(hindered urea)s' -- cheap polymers that can be designed to degrade over a specified time period, making them potentially useful in biomedical and agricultural applications.

Nanotubes may restore sight to blind retinas Posted: 02 Dec 2014 09:38 AM PST Retinal degeneration is one of the most worrisome dangers in the aging process. Now researchers have made an important technological breakthrough towards a prosthetic retina that could help alleviate conditions that result from problems with this vital part of the eye.

See it, touch it, feel it: New research, using ultrasound, has developed invisible 3D haptic shape that can be seen and felt Posted: 02 Dec 2014 09:38 AM PST Technology has changed rapidly over the last few years with touch feedback, known as haptics, being used in entertainment, rehabilitation and even surgical training. New research, using ultrasound, has developed an invisible 3D haptic shape that can be seen and felt.

New techniques for estimating Atlantic bluefin tuna reproduction Posted: 02 Dec 2014 09:38 AM PST A fisheries oceanographer and colleagues introduce a new endocrine-based approach to determine timing of sexual maturation in one of the most important commercial tuna species in the Atlantic.

Vitamin supplement successfully prevents noise-induced hearing loss Posted: 02 Dec 2014 09:38 AM PST A way to prevent noise-induced hearing loss has been found in a mouse using a simple chemical compound that is a precursor to vitamin B3. This discovery has important implications not only for preventing hearing loss, but also potentially for treating some aging-related conditions that are linked to the same protein.

Potential biological control for avocado-ravaging disease Posted: 02 Dec 2014 09:37 AM PST Redbay ambrosia beetles can bring the laurel wilt disease to avocado trees, ravaging the trees and crop. But UF/IFAS researchers may have found a biological control for the beetles.

Another case against the midnight snack Posted: 02 Dec 2014 09:37 AM PST These days, with the abundance of artificial light, TV, tablets and smartphones, adults and children alike are burning the midnight oil. What they are not burning is calories: with later bedtimes comes the tendency to eat. A new study cautions against an extended period of snacking, suggesting instead that confining caloric consumption to an 8- to 12-hour period-as people did just a century ago-might stave off high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity.

Traces of Martian biological activity could be locked inside a meteorite Posted: 02 Dec 2014 09:01 AM PST Did Mars ever have life? Does it still? A meteorite from Mars has reignited the old debate. New research shows that Martian life is more probable than previously thought.

Chemists fabricate novel rewritable paper Posted: 02 Dec 2014 09:01 AM PST Chemists have fabricated novel rewritable paper, one that is based on the color switching property of commercial chemicals called redox dyes. The dye forms the imaging layer of the paper. Printing is achieved by using ultraviolet light to photobleach the dye, except the portions that constitute the text on the paper. The new rewritable paper can be erased and written on more than 20 times with no significant loss in contrast and resolution.

King Richard III: Case closed after 529 years Posted: 02 Dec 2014 09:01 AM PST King Richard III: a DNA and genealogical study confirms the identity of remains found in Leicester and uncovers new truths about his appearance and Plantagenet lineage.

Fighting air pollution in China with social media Posted: 02 Dec 2014 09:00 AM PST The serious air pollution problem in China has attracted the attention of online activists who want the government to take action, but their advocacy has had only limited success, a new study has revealed.

Maternal insulin resistance changes pancreas development, increases risk of metabolic disorders in offspring Posted: 02 Dec 2014 09:00 AM PST Changes to a mother's metabolism can lead to increased risk of insulin resistance, obesity and other problems in offspring. "Since insulin resistance alters the metabolic status in the affected individuals, its presence in women during pregnancy has the potential to be detrimental to growth and metabolism in the offspring. Thus, insulin resistance directly impacts pregnant women and also their offspring," researchers note.

Vitamin D deficiency, depression linked in international study Posted: 02 Dec 2014 08:11 AM PST Vitamin D deficiency is not just harmful to physical health -- it also might impact mental health, according to a team of researchers that has found a link between seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, and a lack of sunlight.

New study strengthens evidence of connection between statin use and cataracts; any risks should be weighed against benefits Posted: 02 Dec 2014 08:06 AM PST Few classes of drugs have had such a transformative effect on the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) as have statins, prescribed to reduce total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. However, some clinicians have ongoing concerns regarding the potential for lens opacities (cataracts) as a result of statin use. In an article, researchers report increased risk for cataracts in patients treated with statins. An accompanying editorial discusses the history of statins and positions this new study in the context of conflicting results from previous analyses of purported adverse effects due to statin use.

Cover crops can sequester soil organic carbon Posted: 02 Dec 2014 08:06 AM PST A 12-year study shows that, although the use of cover crops does not improve crop yields, the practice does increase the amount of sequestered soil organic carbon using three different soil management systems.

New drug could help reduce dietary phosphorus absorption, pilot study suggests Posted: 02 Dec 2014 08:06 AM PST The potential of a small-molecule inhibitor of NHE3 to help reduce phosphorus absorption in patients with kidney disease has been demonstrated by two separate studies. Patients with reduced kidney function are unable to maintain normal levels of phosphorus, which can lead to hyperphosphatemia.

Turn back the molecular clock, say Argentina's plant fossils Posted: 02 Dec 2014 07:36 AM PST Molecular clocks -- based on changes in genetic material -- indicate much younger ages for a wide variety of plants found as fossils in southern Argentina than do the solid, geologic dates of those fossils, according to geoscientists who surveyed recent paleobotanical discoveries in Patagonia.

Inflammatory discovery sheds new light on skin disease Posted: 02 Dec 2014 07:35 AM PST Inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis may result from abnormal activation of cell death pathways previously believed to suppress inflammation, a surprise finding that could help to develop new ways of treating these diseases.

Identifying the cellular origin of fibrosis Posted: 02 Dec 2014 06:38 AM PST Researchers have identified what they believe to be the cells responsible for fibrosis, the buildup of scar tissue. Fibrotic diseases, such as chronic kidney disease and failure, lung disease, heart failure and cirrhosis of the liver, are estimated to be responsible for up to 45 percent of deaths in the developed world.

Celiac disease does not increase clinical consultations for fertility problems Posted: 02 Dec 2014 06:38 AM PST Women with celiac disease present with fertility problems no more often than women in the general population, according to a new study.

Revealed: How bacteria drill into our cells and kill them Posted: 02 Dec 2014 06:37 AM PST A team of scientists has revealed how certain harmful bacteria drill into our cells to kill them. Their study shows how bacterial 'nanodrills' assemble themselves on the outer surfaces of our cells, and includes the first movie of how they then punch holes in the cells' outer membranes. The research supports the development of new drugs that target this mechanism, which is implicated in serious diseases.

Stressed-out cancers may provide drug target Posted: 02 Dec 2014 06:36 AM PST Cancer cells may be particularly susceptible to metabolic stress – opening the way for new targeted therapy that won't harm normal cells, researchers report. The researchers showed that chromosomal instability -- which is a hallmark of rapidly dividing cancer cells -- makes them stressed and vulnerable to mild metabolic disruption. Metabolism is the normal process by which the body turns food into energy.

Nutrition, safety key to consumer acceptance of nanotech, genetic modification in foods Posted: 02 Dec 2014 06:36 AM PST New research shows that the majority of consumers will accept the presence of nanotechnology or genetic modification (GM) technology in foods – but only if the technology enhances the nutrition or improves the safety of the food.

Ideals may play role in knowledge formation, professor's research says Posted: 02 Dec 2014 06:36 AM PST Research by a professor of philosophy indicates that having an ideal can play a role in acquiring new information that makes our beliefs valuable.

Vitamin D reduces lung disease flare-ups by over 40 percent Posted: 02 Dec 2014 05:25 AM PST Vitamin D supplements can reduce chronic obstructive pulmonary disease lung disease flare-ups by over 40 percent in patients with a vitamin D deficiency, according to new research. COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) includes conditions such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Sons' intelligence linked to fathers' criminal history Posted: 02 Dec 2014 05:25 AM PST Sons whose fathers have criminal records tend to have lower cognitive abilities than sons whose fathers have no criminal history, data from over 1 million Swedish men show. The research, conducted by scientists in Sweden and Finland, indicates that the link is not directly caused by fathers' behavior but is instead explained by genetic factors that are shared by father and son.

Heavier newborns show academic edge in school Posted: 02 Dec 2014 05:25 AM PST Birth weight makes a difference to a child's future academic performance, according to new research that found heavier newborns do better in elementary and middle school than infants with lower birth weights. The study raises an intriguing question: Does a fetus benefit from a longer stay in the mother's womb?

Patients take control of their medical exam records Posted: 02 Dec 2014 05:24 AM PST Patients value direct, independent access to their medical exams, according to a new study. Fragmentation of health information among physicians, healthcare institutions or practices, and inefficient exchange of test results can decrease quality of care and contribute to high medical costs. Improving communications and giving patients more control over their care are critical goals of health IT initiatives.

Risk-based screening misses breast cancers in women in their forties Posted: 02 Dec 2014 05:24 AM PST A study of breast cancers detected with screening mammography found that strong family history and dense breast tissue were commonly absent in women between the ages of 40 and 49 diagnosed with breast cancer.

3-D mammography improves cancer detection in dense breasts Posted: 02 Dec 2014 05:24 AM PST A major new study has found that digital breast tomosynthesis, also known as 3-D mammography, has the potential to significantly increase the cancer detection rate in mammography screening of women with dense breasts.

Insects play important role in dealing with garbage on NYC streets Posted: 02 Dec 2014 05:24 AM PST In the city that never sleeps, it's easy to overlook the insects underfoot. But that doesn't mean they're not working hard. A new study shows that insects and other arthropods play a significant role in disposing of garbage on the streets of Manhattan.

Meteorology meets metrology: Climate research high up in the clouds Posted: 02 Dec 2014 05:23 AM PST Barely has the research aircraft HALO entered the kilometer-high clouds towering above the Brazilian rainforest than the researchers find themselves in a complete haze, but they can rely on the measuring instruments that are working at full capacity. HAI – a new, highly accurate hygrometer – is aboard. The shooting star among hygrometers has been developed only recently by metrologists (metrology = the science of measurement) especially for use on board aircraft and in the clouds, but it has already been used in four research campaigns and has already clocked up more than 300 hours of active use. It is the only device worldwide that can determine precisely and simultaneously how much of the water present in the atmosphere is in the form of vapour, condensation, droplets or ice.

Researchers control adhesion of E. coli bacteria Posted: 02 Dec 2014 05:23 AM PST Scientists have created a synthetic surface on which the adhesion of E. coli bacteria can be controlled. The layer, which is only approximately four nanometers thick, imitates the saccharide coating (glycocalyx) of cells onto which the bacteria adhere such as during an infection. This docking process can be switched on and off using light. This means that the scientists have now made an important step towards understanding the relationship between sugar (carbohydrates) and bacterial infections.

The Biology of Anxious Temperament May Lie With a Problem in an Anxiety 'Off Switch' Posted: 02 Dec 2014 05:21 AM PST Persistent anxiety is one of the most common and distressing symptoms compromising mental health. Most of the research on the neurobiology of anxiety has focused on the generation of increased anxiety, i.e., the processes that "turn on" anxiety. But what if the problem lay with the "off switch" instead? In other words, the dysfunction could exist in the ability to diminish anxiety once it has begun. A new report suggests that deficits in one of the brain's off switches for anxiety, neuropeptide Y receptors, are decreased in association with anxious temperament.

New cause of child brain tumor condition identified Posted: 02 Dec 2014 05:21 AM PST Doctors and scientists have identified changes in a gene, which can increase the risk of developing brain tumors in children with a rare inherited condition called Gorlin syndrome. Most people with Gorlin syndrome have a change in a gene called PTCH1, but the new research has revealed that changes in a gene called SUFU also cause Gorlin syndrome and it is children with a change in SUFU that are 20 times more likely to develop a brain tumor.

Antacids linked to better survival in head and neck cancer Posted: 02 Dec 2014 05:19 AM PST Patients with head and neck cancer who used antacid medicines to control acid reflux had better overall survival, according to a new study. Reflux can be a common side effect of chemotherapy or radiation treatment for head and neck cancer. The researchers looked at 596 patients who were treated for head and neck cancer. More than two-thirds of the patients took one or both types of antacid medication after their diagnosis.

For severe allergic reaction, epinephrine first and fast Posted: 02 Dec 2014 05:19 AM PST The fast administration of epinephrine is essential to the treatment of a severe allergic reaction, according to new guidelines. Unfortunately, not all medical personnel know how important epinephrine is in bringing an allergic reaction under control, experts say.

Predators and Isolation Shape the Evolution of 'Island Tameness,' Providing Conservation Insights Posted: 01 Dec 2014 04:12 PM PST Charles Darwin noted more than 150 years ago that animals on the Galapagos Islands, including finches and marine iguanas, were more docile than mainland creatures. He attributed this tameness to the fact that there are fewer predators on remote islands.

Sweet smell of success: Researchers boost methyl ketone production in e. coli Posted: 01 Dec 2014 01:35 PM PST Researchers have engineered E. coli bacteria to convert glucose into significant quantities of methyl ketones, a class of chemical compounds primarily used for fragrances and flavors, but highly promising as clean, green and renewable blending agents for diesel fuel.

Most ancient pinworm yet found was infected with parasitic nematodes Posted: 01 Dec 2014 01:33 PM PST Discovery of 240 million-year-old pinworm egg confirms that herbivorous cynodonts -- the ancestors of mammals -- were infected with the parasitic nematodes.

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