ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Small family size increases wealth of descendants but reduces evolutionary success
• Less is more for reef-building corals: Surprisingly more flexible corals are more sensitive to environment disturbances
• Chimpanzees create 'social traditions': Unique handclasp grooming behavior reveals local difference
• Curiosity rover plays first song transmitted from another planet
• NASA's Kepler discovers multiple planets orbiting a pair of stars
• NASA sees Hurricane Isaac affecting the Northern Gulf Coast
• Why are there so many species of beetles and so few crocodiles?
• Adverse effects of mining industry provoke hard questions for medical humanitarian organizations
• Aspirin may help men with prostate cancer live longer, study suggests
• Male snails babysit for other dads: Family secrets of marine whelk Solenosteira macrospira
• Magnetic vortex reveals key to spintronic speed limit
• Protein found to regulate red blood cell size and number
• Pretend play may not be as crucial to child development as believed, new study shows
• Kindergarten readiness: Are shy kids at an academic disadvantage?
• Evaluate children's stress after natural disasters
• Metabolism in the brain fluctuates with circadian rhythm
• Heightened visual awareness by following brains natural rhythms?
• Gene that predicts happiness in women discovered
• Having to make quick decisions helps witnesses identify the bad guy in a lineup
• Bright Arctic clouds formed by exhaust from final space shuttle launch
• Study of tribe could help find East Asian skin color genes
• Unforeseen regulation of the anti-bacterial immune response discovered
• Space-warping white dwarfs produce gravitational waves
• Better vaccines for tuberculosis could save millions of lives
• NASA's IceBridge seeking new view of changing sea ice
• 'New England Banksia' a distinct species, botany student shows
• Strong candidate for possible single-dose malaria cure discovered
• A new look at proteins in living cells
• New imaging technique homes in on electrocatalysis of nanoparticles
• Genome of diploid cotton sequenced
• Low cost, high efficiency solar technology developed
• Antibiotic residues in sausage meat may promote pathogen survival
• Is long-term weight loss possible after menopause?
• Mechanism provides clues for research into pancreatic diabetes
• Capturing movements of actors and athletes in real time with conventional video cameras
• Ten year decline in ischemic stroke after acute myocardial infarction
• Method to simplify production of proteins used in many types of drugs developed
• Deep brain stimulation changes rhythms to treat Parkinson's disease and tremor
• 30-day mortality after acute myocardial infarction drops with improved treatment
• Raccoons spreads dangerous diseases as they invade Europe, Spanish researchers find
• Enlisting the AIDS virus to fight cancer
• How 'beige' fat makes the pounds melt away
• Zebrafish study explains why the circadian rhythm affects your health

Small family size increases wealth of descendants but reduces evolutionary success Posted: 28 Aug 2012 04:09 PM PDT Evolutionary biologists have long puzzled over this because natural selection is expected to have selected for organisms that try to maximize their reproduction. But in industrialized societies around the world, increasing wealth coincides with people deliberately limiting their family size -- the so-called 'demographic transition'. In a new study, researchers reject a popular theory put forward to explain the phenomenon. This 'adaptive' hypothesis proposes that low fertility may boost evolutionary success in the long term by increasing offspring wealth, which in turn eventually increases the number of long-term descendants because richer offspring end up having more children.

Less is more for reef-building corals: Surprisingly more flexible corals are more sensitive to environment disturbances Posted: 28 Aug 2012 04:09 PM PDT Researchers have made a discovery that challenges a major theory in the field of coral reef ecology. The general assumption has been that the more flexible corals are, regarding which species of single-celled algae they host in coral tissues, the greater ability corals will have to survive environmental stress. However, scientists documented that the more flexible corals are, the more sensitive to environment disturbances they are.

Chimpanzees create 'social traditions': Unique handclasp grooming behavior reveals local difference Posted: 28 Aug 2012 04:08 PM PDT Researchers have revealed that chimpanzees are not only capable of learning from one another, but also use this social information to form and maintain local traditions. A recent study shows that the way in which chimpanzees groom each other depends on the community to which they belong. Specifically, it is the unique handclasp grooming behaviour that reveals this local difference.

Curiosity rover plays first song transmitted from another planet Posted: 28 Aug 2012 04:06 PM PDT For the first time in history, a recorded song has been beamed back to Earth from another planet. Students, special guests and news media gathered at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., today to hear "Reach for the Stars" by musician will.i.am after it was transmitted from the surface of Mars by the Curiosity rover.

NASA's Kepler discovers multiple planets orbiting a pair of stars Posted: 28 Aug 2012 04:01 PM PDT Coming less than a year after the announcement of the first circumbinary planet, Kepler-16b, NASA's Kepler mission has discovered multiple transiting planets orbiting two suns for the first time. This system, known as a circumbinary planetary system, is 4,900 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus.

NASA sees Hurricane Isaac affecting the Northern Gulf Coast Posted: 28 Aug 2012 02:17 PM PDT NASA and NOAA satellites continue to provide detailed information on Hurricane Isaac as the storm bears down on the US Gulf coast. NASA's TRMM and Terra satellites captured imagery, and NOAA's GOES-13 satellite provided animations of Isaac's march toward the coast Aug. 28.

Why are there so many species of beetles and so few crocodiles? Posted: 28 Aug 2012 02:17 PM PDT Why are there so many species of beetles and so few crocodiles? The answer may be ecological limits to species number, scientists report.

Adverse effects of mining industry provoke hard questions for medical humanitarian organizations Posted: 28 Aug 2012 02:17 PM PDT Increasingly humanitarian organizations will find themselves responding to health emergencies provoked by the adverse effects of mining and other extractive industries, setting up a potential clash to do with the core principles and values at the heart of humanitarian medicine, according to an expert.

Aspirin may help men with prostate cancer live longer, study suggests Posted: 28 Aug 2012 02:07 PM PDT Men who have been treated for prostate cancer, either with surgery or radiation, could benefit from taking aspirin regularly, says a new study.

Male snails babysit for other dads: Family secrets of marine whelk Solenosteira macrospira Posted: 28 Aug 2012 01:30 PM PDT Pity the male of the marine whelk, Solenosteira macrospira. He does all the work of raising the young, from egg-laying to hatching -- even though few of the baby snails are his own. Throw in extensive promiscuity and sibling cannibalism, and the species has one of the most extreme life histories in the animal kingdom.

Magnetic vortex reveals key to spintronic speed limit Posted: 28 Aug 2012 01:30 PM PDT Spintronics use electron spin to write and read information. To mobilize this emerging technology, scientists must understand exactly how to manipulate spin as a carrier of computer code. Now, scientists have precisely measured a key parameter of electron interactions called non-adiabatic spin torque that is essential to the development of spintronic devices. This unprecedented precision guides the reading and writing of digital information and sets the spintronic speed limit.

Protein found to regulate red blood cell size and number Posted: 28 Aug 2012 01:30 PM PDT By examining the results of genome-wide association studies in conjunction with experiments on mouse and human red blood cells, researchers have identified the protein cyclin D3 as regulating the number of cell divisions RBC progenitors undergo, which ultimately affects the resulting size and quantity of RBCs.

Pretend play may not be as crucial to child development as believed, new study shows Posted: 28 Aug 2012 12:25 PM PDT Pretend play that involves uses of the imagination to create a fantasy world or situation can be fun for preschool children, but a new study finds that it is not as crucial to a child's development as currently believed.

Kindergarten readiness: Are shy kids at an academic disadvantage? Posted: 28 Aug 2012 11:33 AM PDT Researchers have identified specific attributes among young children that affect school performance.

Evaluate children's stress after natural disasters Posted: 28 Aug 2012 11:33 AM PDT Some children, depending on other stressors, may have a harder time recovering from natural disasters.

Metabolism in the brain fluctuates with circadian rhythm Posted: 28 Aug 2012 11:33 AM PDT The rhythm of life is driven by the cycles of day and night, and most organisms carry in their cells a common, (roughly) 24-hour beat. In animals, this rhythm emerges from the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus. Take it out of the brain and keep it alive in a lab dish and this "brain clock" will keep on ticking for days. A new study reveals that the brain clock itself is driven, in part, by metabolism.

Heightened visual awareness by following brains natural rhythms? Posted: 28 Aug 2012 10:51 AM PDT Like a melody that keeps playing in your head even after the music stops, researchers have shown that the beat goes on when it comes to the human visual system. Researchers used periodic visual stimuli and electroencephalogram recordings and found, one, that they could precisely time the brain's natural oscillations to future repetitions of the event, and, two, that the effect occurred even after the prompting stimuli was discontinued. These rhythmic oscillations lead to a heightened visual awareness of the next event, meaning controlling them could lead to better visual processing when it matters most, such as in environments like air traffic control towers.

Gene that predicts happiness in women discovered Posted: 28 Aug 2012 10:51 AM PDT Sorry guys, this happiness gene is for women. A new study has found a gene that appears to make women happy, but it doesn't work for men.

Having to make quick decisions helps witnesses identify the bad guy in a lineup Posted: 28 Aug 2012 10:51 AM PDT Eyewitness identification evidence is often persuasive in the courtroom and yet current eyewitness identification tests often fail to pick the culprit. Even worse, these tests sometimes result in wrongfully accusing innocent suspects. Now, psychological scientists are proposing a radical alternative to the traditional police lineup that focuses on eyewitnesses' confidence judgments.

Bright Arctic clouds formed by exhaust from final space shuttle launch Posted: 28 Aug 2012 10:51 AM PDT Scientists are tracking the rapid transport of the exhaust plume from the final launch of the space shuttle in July 2011. The team has found that the plume moved quickly to the Arctic, forming unusually bright polar mesospheric clouds there a day after launch.

Study of tribe could help find East Asian skin color genes Posted: 28 Aug 2012 10:50 AM PDT Genetic investigation of a Malaysian tribe may tell scientists why East Asians have light skin but lower skin cancer rates than Europeans, according to a team of international researchers. Understanding the differences could lead to a better way to protect people from skin cancer.

Unforeseen regulation of the anti-bacterial immune response discovered Posted: 28 Aug 2012 10:50 AM PDT New research holds promise for the improved prevention and treatment of bacterial infections and the life-threatening complications of chronic inflammation that can result from them.

Space-warping white dwarfs produce gravitational waves Posted: 28 Aug 2012 10:49 AM PDT Gravitational waves, much like the recently discovered Higgs boson, are notoriously difficult to observe. Scientists first detected these ripples in the fabric of space-time indirectly, using radio signals from a pulsar-neutron star binary system. The find, which required exquisitely accurate timing of the radio signals, garnered its discoverers a Nobel Prize. Now a team of astronomers has detected the same effect at optical wavelengths, in light from a pair of eclipsing white dwarf stars.

Better vaccines for tuberculosis could save millions of lives Posted: 28 Aug 2012 10:49 AM PDT Cases of one of the world's deadliest diseases -- tuberculosis -- are rising at an alarming rate, despite widespread vaccination. Reasons for the ineffectiveness of the vaccine, especially in regions where this infectious disease is endemic, as well as arguments for replacing the existing vaccine with novel synthetic vaccines, are now being presented.

NASA's IceBridge seeking new view of changing sea ice Posted: 28 Aug 2012 08:35 AM PDT This year scientists working on NASA's Operation IceBridge, a multi-year airborne science mission to study changing ice conditions at both poles, debuted a new data product with the potential to improve Arctic sea ice forecasts.

'New England Banksia' a distinct species, botany student shows Posted: 28 Aug 2012 08:34 AM PDT The New England Banksia is largely restricted to the eastern edge of the New England Tableland, and is common in places along Waterfall Way. Researchers have raised this flowering plant, until now classified as a variety of the Hairpin, to the taxonomic level of a distinct species.

Strong candidate for possible single-dose malaria cure discovered Posted: 28 Aug 2012 08:11 AM PDT A recently discovered compound from the aminopyridine class not only has the potential to become part of a single-dose cure for all strains of malaria, but might also be able to block transmission of the parasite from person to person, according to a new research.

A new look at proteins in living cells Posted: 28 Aug 2012 07:48 AM PDT Scientists have devised a new technique for examining the binding kinetics of membrane proteins.

New imaging technique homes in on electrocatalysis of nanoparticles Posted: 28 Aug 2012 07:47 AM PDT A researcher has found a clever way to measure catalytical reactions of single nanoparticles and multiple particles printed in arrays, which will help characterize and improve existing nanoparticle catalysts, and advance the search for new ones.

Genome of diploid cotton sequenced Posted: 28 Aug 2012 07:47 AM PDT Scientists have completed the genome sequence and analysis of a diploid cotton -- Gossypium raimondii.

Low cost, high efficiency solar technology developed Posted: 28 Aug 2012 07:22 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new solar technology that could make solar energy more affordable, and thus speed-up its market adoption.

Antibiotic residues in sausage meat may promote pathogen survival Posted: 28 Aug 2012 06:32 AM PDT Antibiotic residues in uncured pepperoni or salami meat are potent enough to weaken helpful bacteria that processors add to acidify the sausage to make it safe for consumption, according to a new study.

Is long-term weight loss possible after menopause? Posted: 28 Aug 2012 06:32 AM PDT Studies have found that it is difficult to keep weight off in the long term. For post-menopausal women, natural declines in energy expenditure could make long-term weight loss even more challenging. A new study finds that in post-menopausal women, some behaviors related to weight loss in the short term are not effective or sustainable for the long term. Interventions targeting these behaviors could improve long-term obesity treatment outcomes.

Mechanism provides clues for research into pancreatic diabetes Posted: 28 Aug 2012 06:32 AM PDT Mice develop pancreatic diabetes when they lack certain genes in the E2F group, and to understand how this happens, scientists have focused on the molecular mechanism behind it.

Capturing movements of actors and athletes in real time with conventional video cameras Posted: 28 Aug 2012 06:31 AM PDT Within milliseconds, and just with the help of mathematics, computing power and conventional  video cameras, computer scientists can automatically capture the movements of several people. The new approach helps not only animation specialists in Hollywood movies but also medical scientists and athletes.

Ten year decline in ischemic stroke after acute myocardial infarction Posted: 28 Aug 2012 06:31 AM PDT The risk of ischemic stroke one year after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) dropped by 21% over a ten year period, according to new research.

Method to simplify production of proteins used in many types of drugs developed Posted: 28 Aug 2012 06:30 AM PDT Engineering researchers have developed a method to simplify the pharmaceutical production of proteins used in drugs that treat a variety of diseases and health conditions, including diabetes, cancer, arthritis and macular degeneration.

Deep brain stimulation changes rhythms to treat Parkinson's disease and tremor Posted: 28 Aug 2012 06:30 AM PDT Deep brain stimulation may stop uncontrollable shaking in patients with Parkinson's disease and essential tremor by imposing its own rhythm on the brain, according to two recent studies.

30-day mortality after acute myocardial infarction drops with improved treatment Posted: 28 Aug 2012 04:33 AM PDT Improved treatment after acute myocardial infarction and less severe patient profile have reduced 30-day mortality over the past 15 years, according to new research.

Raccoons spreads dangerous diseases as they invade Europe, Spanish researchers find Posted: 28 Aug 2012 04:33 AM PDT Furry, agile, intelligent and voracious: the raccoon is far from being a cuddly toy, which is what many people believe when they get one as a pet. It is more like an invader that escapes and is able to adapt and survive in new habitats. According to a study, its expansion across Spain and Europe is bringing infectious and parasitic diseases like rabies.

Enlisting the AIDS virus to fight cancer Posted: 28 Aug 2012 04:33 AM PDT Can HIV be transformed into a biotechnological tool for improving human health? According to a team of scientists, the answer is yes. Taking advantage of the HIV replication machinery, the researchers have been able to select a specific mutant protein. Added to a culture of tumor cells in combination with an anticancer drug, this protein improves the effectiveness of the treatment at 1/300 the normal dosage levels.

How 'beige' fat makes the pounds melt away Posted: 28 Aug 2012 04:30 AM PDT Researchers have decoded a signal path that could boost the burning of body fat. Mice that are missing a signal switch called VASP are clearly leaner and have more of the coveted brown and beige-colored fat cells that convert energy into heat. This might point the way to a new method for fighting obesity.

Zebrafish study explains why the circadian rhythm affects your health Posted: 28 Aug 2012 04:30 AM PDT Disruptions to the circadian rhythm can affect the growth of blood vessels in the body, thus causing illnesses such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer, according to a new study.

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