ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Twitter principles of social networking increase family success in nesting birds
• Fossil study helps pinpoint extinction risks for ocean animals: When it comes to ocean extinctions, range size matters most
• Formula unlocks secrets of cauliflower's geometry
• Grandmas made humans live longer: Chimp lifespan evolves into human longevity, computer simulation shows
• Opposite behaviors? Arctic sea ice shrinks, Antarctic grows
• New paper examines shifting gears in the circadian clock of the heart
• Neuroscientists propose revolutionary DNA-based approach to map wiring of whole brain
• Precisely targeted electrical brain stimulation alters perception of faces, study finds
• New vitamin-based treatment that could reduce muscle degeneration in muscular dystrophy
• Local wildlife is important in human diets in central Africa, experts say
• Men with certain cardiovascular risk factors may be at increased risk of peripheral artery disease
• Droplet response to electric voltage in solids exposed
• Amish children are twice as physically active as non-Amish children are, study finds
• Analysis of dinosaur bone cells confirms ancient protein preservation
• NASA's NuSTAR spots flare from Milky Way's black hole
• Genetic patterns of deep-sea coral provide insights into evolution of marine life
• Blood chromosome differences are linked to pancreatic cancer
• Summer babies less likely to be CEOs
• Oxygen's ups and downs in early atmosphere and ocean
• Connection between Hawaii's dueling volcanoes explained
• Biology-friendly robot programming language: Training your robot the PaR-PaR way
• Is declining medical imaging use driving up hospital stays and medical costs?
• Quasar may be embedded in unusually dusty galaxy
• NASA sees active region on the sun emit another flare
• Tiny pores in graphene could give rise to membranes
• New technique to grow black truffles
• Perfect pitch: Knowing the note may be in your genes
• Self-powered sensors to monitor nuclear fuel rod status
• Zeroing in on the 'science of sound propagation' in burning buildings
• Whale racket: Sounding out how loud the oceans were from whale vocalizing prior to industrial whaling
• Nineteen species of fern named for Lady Gaga; Researcher says the inspiration was literally written in the DNA sequences
• Quantum computing with recycled particles
• Turbulent flows in 2-d can be calculated in new model
• Nanofibrillar cellulose film to ease performing medical tests
• How patterns and timing of sunlight exposure contribute to skin cancers
• Neutron experiments give unprecedented look at quantum oscillations
• Ootent growth factor for blood stem cells identified
• Brain chemicals: Using carbon fiber microelectrodes (CFM) in neurochemical measurements
• Biologists record increasing amounts of plastic litter in the Arctic deep sea
• Effective treatment helps Danes with personality disorders
• The fabric for weaving memory: To establish long-term memory, neurons have to synthesize new proteins
• Puppies don't pick up on yawns: Dogs, like humans, show a gradual development of susceptibility to contagious yawning
• Assembly of nano-machines mimics human muscle
• Diabetes drug could be effective in treating addiction, researchers find
• Scientists build 'mechanically active' DNA material that responds with movement when stimulated
• Combination of Gulf oil and dispersant spell potential trouble for gut microbes
• Next generation vaccines: Eliminating the use of needles
• Simulating secure carbon dioxide storage
• Circuit diagram of the mouse brain: Scientists aim to analyse a whole mouse brain under the electron microscope
• Hot plasma core, cold edge: A masterpiece of control technique
• Lung mucus gel scaffold prevents nanoparticles from getting through
• Glove keyboard may revolutionize use of devices with one hand
• Researchers double down on heat to break up cellulose, produce fuels and power
• Antiviral therapy may halve risk of liver cancer after chronic hepatitis C infection, analysis indicates

Twitter principles of social networking increase family success in nesting birds Posted: 23 Oct 2012 05:47 PM PDT New research reveals for the first time the importance of social networking in producing a successful family. The study found that, regardless of how big and healthy individual chicks are, what really matters to their chances of surviving and breeding is how siblings in the nest interact with each other, with cooperative families faring best.

Fossil study helps pinpoint extinction risks for ocean animals: When it comes to ocean extinctions, range size matters most Posted: 23 Oct 2012 05:47 PM PDT What makes some ocean animals more prone to extinction? An analysis of roughly 500 million years of fossil data for marine invertebrates reveals that ocean animals with small ranges have been consistently hard hit, whereas population size has little effect. This means that reductions in range size -- such as when a species' habitat is destroyed or degraded -- could mean a big increase in long-term extinction risk, even when remaining populations are large, the authors say.

Formula unlocks secrets of cauliflower's geometry Posted: 23 Oct 2012 05:46 PM PDT The laws that govern how intricate surface patterns, such as those found in the cauliflower, develop over time have been described, for the first time. Researchers have now provided a mathematical formula to describe the processes that dictate how cauliflower-like patterns – a type of fractal pattern – form and develop.

Grandmas made humans live longer: Chimp lifespan evolves into human longevity, computer simulation shows Posted: 23 Oct 2012 05:41 PM PDT Computer simulations provide new mathematical support for the "grandmother hypothesis" -- a famous theory that humans evolved longer adult lifespans than apes because grandmothers helped feed their grandchildren.

Opposite behaviors? Arctic sea ice shrinks, Antarctic grows Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:22 PM PDT The steady and dramatic decline in the sea ice cover of the Arctic Ocean over the last three decades has become a focus of media and public attention. At the opposite end of Earth, however, something more complex is happening.

New paper examines shifting gears in the circadian clock of the heart Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:22 PM PDT A new study focuses on the circadian clock of the heart, and used cultured heart tissue. The results of the new study have implications for cardiovascular health, including daily changes in responses to stress and the effect of long-term rotational shift work.

Neuroscientists propose revolutionary DNA-based approach to map wiring of whole brain Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:22 PM PDT A team of neuroscientists has proposed a new and potentially revolutionary way of obtaining a neuronal connectivity map (the "connectome") of the whole brain of the mouse.

Precisely targeted electrical brain stimulation alters perception of faces, study finds Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:21 PM PDT Scientists have shown that mild electrical stimulation of two nerve clusters spaced a half-inch apart in a brain structure called the fusiform gyrus caused the subject's perception of faces to instantly become distorted while leaving his perception of other body parts and inanimate objects unchanged.

New vitamin-based treatment that could reduce muscle degeneration in muscular dystrophy Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:21 PM PDT Boosting the activity of a vitamin-sensitive cell adhesion pathway has the potential to counteract the muscle degeneration and reduced mobility caused by muscular dystrophies, according to a research team.

Local wildlife is important in human diets in central Africa, experts say Posted: 23 Oct 2012 01:12 PM PDT Animals like antelope, frogs and rodents may be tricky to catch, but they provide protein in places where traditional livestock are scarce. According to the authors of a new paper, meat from wild animals is increasingly important in central Africa.

Men with certain cardiovascular risk factors may be at increased risk of peripheral artery disease Posted: 23 Oct 2012 01:11 PM PDT Among nearly 45,000 men who were followed up for more than two decades, those with the risk factors of smoking, hypertension, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes had an associated greater risk of developing PAD.

Droplet response to electric voltage in solids exposed Posted: 23 Oct 2012 12:23 PM PDT For the first time, scientists have observed how droplets within solids deform and burst under high electric voltages. The finding is important because it explains a major reason why such materials as insulation for electrical power lines eventually fail and cause blackouts. This observation not only helps scientists develop better insulation materials, but could also lead to such positive developments as "tunable" lenses for eyes.

Amish children are twice as physically active as non-Amish children are, study finds Posted: 23 Oct 2012 12:23 PM PDT Old Order Amish children are much more physically active and three times less likely to be overweight than non-Amish children, which may provide them with some long-term protection against developing Type 2 diabetes, researchers report.

Analysis of dinosaur bone cells confirms ancient protein preservation Posted: 23 Oct 2012 12:13 PM PDT A team of researchers has found more evidence for the preservation of ancient dinosaur proteins, including reactivity to antibodies that target specific proteins normally found in bone cells of vertebrates. These results further rule out sample contamination, and help solidify the case for preservation of cells -- and possibly DNA -- in ancient remains.

NASA's NuSTAR spots flare from Milky Way's black hole Posted: 23 Oct 2012 11:52 AM PDT NASA's newest set of X-ray eyes in the sky, the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), has caught its first look at the giant black hole parked at the center of our galaxy. The observations show the typically mild-mannered black hole during the middle of a flare-up.

Genetic patterns of deep-sea coral provide insights into evolution of marine life Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT The ability of deep-sea corals to harbor a broad array of marine life, including commercially important fish species, make these habitat-forming organisms of immediate interest to conservationists, managers, and scientists. Understanding and protecting corals requires knowledge of the historical processes that have shaped their biodiversity and biogeography.

Blood chromosome differences are linked to pancreatic cancer Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT A new study shows that a blood marker is linked to pancreatic cancer. Researchers say the new study is the first time pancreatic cancer risk has been linked to differences in telomeres' length in blood cells.

Summer babies less likely to be CEOs Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT A person's date of birth can affect their climb up the corporate ladder, new research suggests.

Oxygen's ups and downs in early atmosphere and ocean Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT Geochemists challenge the simple notion of an up-only trend for early oxygen on Earth, and provides the first compelling direct evidence for a major drop in oxygen after the gas's first rise. This drop, they say, may have ushered in more than a billion years that were marked by a return to low-oxygen concentrations at Earth's surface, including the likelihood of an oxygen-free deep ocean.

Connection between Hawaii's dueling volcanoes explained Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT A new study finds that a deep connection about 50 miles underground can explain the enigmatic behavior of two of Earth's most notable volcanoes, Hawaii's Mauna Loa and Kilauea.

Biology-friendly robot programming language: Training your robot the PaR-PaR way Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:45 AM PDT PaR-PaR, a simple high-level, biology-friendly, robot-programming language uses an object-oriented approach to make it easier to integrate robotic equipment into biological laboratories. Effective robots can increase research productivity, lower costs and provide more reliable and reproducible experimental data.

Is declining medical imaging use driving up hospital stays and medical costs? Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:45 AM PDT A new report shows that the length of the average hospital stay in the United States has increased at the same time as use of medical imaging scans has declined. It is unclear if the trends are related, but potentially important, as hospital admissions are among the largest, and fastest growing, health care costs.

Quasar may be embedded in unusually dusty galaxy Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:45 AM PDT Hubble astronomers have looked at one of the most distant and brightest quasars in the universe and are surprised by what they did not see: the underlying host galaxy of stars feeding the quasar. The best explanation is that the galaxy is shrouded in so much dust that the stars are completely hidden everywhere. Astronomers believe that the James Webb Space Telescope will reveal the galaxy.

NASA sees active region on the sun emit another flare Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:45 AM PDT The sun emitted a significant solar flare on Oct. 22, 2012, peaking at 11:17 pm EDT. The flare came from an active region on the left side of the sun that has been numbered AR 1598, which has already been the source of a number of weaker flares. This flare was classified as an X1.8-class flare.

Tiny pores in graphene could give rise to membranes Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:45 AM PDT Pristine graphene -- a microscopic sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb pattern -- is among the most impermeable materials ever discovered, making the substance ideal as a barrier film. But the material may not be as impenetrable as scientists have thought. Researchers have found that the material bears intrinsic defects, or holes in its atom-sized armor. The results point to the possibility of promising applications, such as membranes that filter microscopic contaminants from water, or that separate specific types of molecules from biological samples.

New technique to grow black truffles Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:41 AM PDT Researchers have found beneficial effects of the Pseudomonas fluorescens bacterium for the colonization of the black truffles on the pine roots. These results can be promising to enhance the cultivation of truffles.

Perfect pitch: Knowing the note may be in your genes Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:40 AM PDT People with perfect pitch seem to possess their own inner pitch pipe, allowing them to sing a specific note without first hearing a reference tone. This skill has long been associated with early and extensive musical training, but new research suggests that perfect pitch may have as much to do with genetics as it does with learning an instrument or studying voice.

Self-powered sensors to monitor nuclear fuel rod status Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:39 AM PDT Japan's Fukushima Dai'ichi nuclear disaster that occurred in 2011 -- a result of the strongest earthquake on record in the country and the powerful tsunami waves it triggered -- underscored the need for a method to monitor the status of nuclear fuel rods that doesn't rely on electrical power.

Zeroing in on the 'science of sound propagation' in burning buildings Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:39 AM PDT An acoustic navigation system being developed by a team of researchers studying the science of sound propagation inside burning buildings may one day become a life-saving addition to firefighters' arsenal of tools.

Whale racket: Sounding out how loud the oceans were from whale vocalizing prior to industrial whaling Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:39 AM PDT Concern is growing that human-generated noise in the ocean disrupts marine animals that rely on sound for communication and navigation. In the modern ocean, the background noise can be ten times louder than it was just 50 years ago. But new modeling based on recently published data suggests that 200 years ago -- prior to the industrial whaling era -- the ocean was even louder than today due to the various sounds whales make.

Nineteen species of fern named for Lady Gaga; Researcher says the inspiration was literally written in the DNA sequences Posted: 23 Oct 2012 08:25 AM PDT Pop music megastar Lady Gaga is being honored with the name of a new genus of ferns found in Central and South America, Mexico, Arizona and Texas. A genus is a group of closely related species; in this case, 19 species of ferns will carry the name Gaga.

Quantum computing with recycled particles Posted: 23 Oct 2012 08:25 AM PDT Scientists have brought the reality of a quantum computer one step closer by experimentally demonstrating a technique for significantly reducing the physical resources required for quantum factoring.

Turbulent flows in 2-d can be calculated in new model Posted: 23 Oct 2012 08:25 AM PDT Turbulent flows have challenged researchers for centuries. It is impossible to predict chaotic weather more than a week in advance. Wind resistance on a plane cannot be calculated precisely, since it is determined by atmospheric turbulence. Now, however, researchers have succeeded in developing a statistical model that can replicate the chaotic flows and thereby provide a better understanding of the process.

Nanofibrillar cellulose film to ease performing medical tests Posted: 23 Oct 2012 08:23 AM PDT Researchers have succeeded in developing a durable and affordable nanofibrillar cellulose film platform to support medical testing. New environmentally friendly, reliable nanofibrillar cellulose (NFC) platforms are more diverse than plastic films. New film can be made, for instance, hydrophobic, hydrophilic and the electric charge can be changed. This will enhance the possibility of conducting thousands of different medical tests at home or in physicians' receptions instead of waiting for results from laboratories.

How patterns and timing of sunlight exposure contribute to skin cancers Posted: 23 Oct 2012 08:23 AM PDT Researchers have studied the patterns and timing of sunlight exposure and how each is related to two nonmelanoma skin cancers – basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Neutron experiments give unprecedented look at quantum oscillations Posted: 23 Oct 2012 08:22 AM PDT Researchers have found that nitrogen atoms in the compound uranium nitride exhibit unexpected, distinct vibrations that form a nearly ideal realization of a physics textbook model known as the isotropic quantum harmonic oscillator.

Ootent growth factor for blood stem cells identified Posted: 23 Oct 2012 07:10 AM PDT Researchers studying the interaction of blood stem cells and the niche where they reside have identified a protein that may be a long-sought growth factor for blood stem cells.

Brain chemicals: Using carbon fiber microelectrodes (CFM) in neurochemical measurements Posted: 23 Oct 2012 07:10 AM PDT Scientists have examined the use of carbon fiber microelectrodes (CFM) in neurochemical measurements, with an emphasis on the most recent findings and technological advances.

Biologists record increasing amounts of plastic litter in the Arctic deep sea Posted: 23 Oct 2012 07:10 AM PDT The sea bed in the Arctic deep sea is increasingly strewn with litter and plastic waste, according to researchers.

Effective treatment helps Danes with personality disorders Posted: 23 Oct 2012 07:10 AM PDT A new study shows that modern psychoanalytic therapy has a good effect on patients with severe personality disorders. The treatment enables a number of patients to start working or start an education.

The fabric for weaving memory: To establish long-term memory, neurons have to synthesize new proteins Posted: 23 Oct 2012 07:09 AM PDT The details of memory formation are still largely unknown. It has, however, been established that the two kinds of memory -- long term and short term -- use different mechanisms. When short-term memory is formed, certain proteins in the nerve cells (neurons) of the brain are transiently modified. To establish long-term memory, the cells have to synthesize new protein molecules. This has been shown in experiments with animals. When drugs were used to block protein synthesis, the treated animals were not able to form long-term memory.

Puppies don't pick up on yawns: Dogs, like humans, show a gradual development of susceptibility to contagious yawning Posted: 23 Oct 2012 07:09 AM PDT Do you get tired when others yawn? Does your dog get tired when you yawn? New research from Sweden establishes that dogs catch yawns from humans. But not if the dogs are too young. The study found that, like humans, dogs show a developmental trend in susceptibility to contagious yawning. While dogs above seven months of age catch human yawns, younger dogs are immune to yawn contagion.

Assembly of nano-machines mimics human muscle Posted: 23 Oct 2012 07:09 AM PDT For the first time, an assembly of thousands of nano-machines capable of producing a coordinated contraction movement extending up to around ten micrometers, like the movements of muscular fibers, has been synthesized by researchers in France.

Diabetes drug could be effective in treating addiction, researchers find Posted: 23 Oct 2012 07:09 AM PDT Researchers are reporting that a drug currently used to treat type 2 diabetes could be just as effective in treating addiction to drugs, including cocaine. The findings could have far-reaching implications for patients worldwide who suffer from addiction.

Scientists build 'mechanically active' DNA material that responds with movement when stimulated Posted: 23 Oct 2012 06:10 AM PDT Artificial muscles and self-propelled goo may be the stuff of Hollywood fiction, but the reality of it may not be that far away. By blending their areas of expertise, scientists have created a dynamic gel made of DNA that mechanically responds to stimuli in much the same way that cells do.

Combination of Gulf oil and dispersant spell potential trouble for gut microbes Posted: 23 Oct 2012 06:10 AM PDT In a new study, researchers examined whether crude oil from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the dispersant used on it, or a combination of the two might affect the microbes of the human digestive tract. The researchers found that although high concentrations of oil combined with dispersant are detrimental to these helpful microbial communities, the low to undetectable concentrations typically found in Gulf shellfish had no discernible effect.

Next generation vaccines: Eliminating the use of needles Posted: 23 Oct 2012 06:08 AM PDT Scientists have developed a pioneering new method of oral vaccination which could help boost immunity to tuberculosis (TB) and influenza, as well as prevent C. difficile for which there is currently no vaccine.

Simulating secure carbon dioxide storage Posted: 23 Oct 2012 06:05 AM PDT The race is on to develop the most secure solution for storing carbon dioxide in Earth's crust. A small Norwegian company has developed a method for studying precisely how this greenhouse gas is bound inside rock.

Circuit diagram of the mouse brain: Scientists aim to analyse a whole mouse brain under the electron microscope Posted: 23 Oct 2012 06:05 AM PDT What happens in the brain when we see, hear, think and remember? To be able to answer questions like this, neuroscientists need information about how the millions of neurons in the brain are connected to each other. Scientists have taken a crucial step towards obtaining a complete circuit diagram of the brain of the mouse, a key model organism for the neurosciences. Researchers have developed a method for preparing the whole mouse brain for a special microscopy process. With this, the resolution at which the brain tissue can be examined is so high that the fine extensions of almost every single neuron are visible.

Hot plasma core, cold edge: A masterpiece of control technique Posted: 23 Oct 2012 06:05 AM PDT A world record in heating power, in relation to the size of the device, has been achieved by the ASDEX Upgrade fusion device at Max Planck Institute of Plasma Physics (IPP) in Garching. This was made possible by a sophisticated control system. For the first time world-wide, a fast feedback control facility ensures, on the one hand, that the millions of degrees hot high-power plasmas needed are produced and, on the other, that the wall of the plasma vessel is not overloaded, this being an important result on the way to a fusion power plant.

Lung mucus gel scaffold prevents nanoparticles from getting through Posted: 23 Oct 2012 06:05 AM PDT Scientists have unraveled lung mucus's physical properties: They discovered that a rigid gel scaffold in lung mucus separates large, fluid-filled pores and prevents nanoparticle movement beyond individual pore boundaries. Their findings deepen our understanding of diseases of the respiratory system, notably infections, and support the development of new inhaled medications.

Glove keyboard may revolutionize use of devices with one hand Posted: 23 Oct 2012 06:03 AM PDT Give a hand to some computer engineering students for designing a tool that could revolutionize new ways of using electronic devices with just one hand. It's called a Gauntlet Keyboard, a glove device that functions as a wireless keyboard. Instead of tapping keys on a keyboard, the user simply touches their thumb to points on their fingers assigned a letter or other keyboard function.

Researchers double down on heat to break up cellulose, produce fuels and power Posted: 23 Oct 2012 06:03 AM PDT Researchers have built and are testing a bio-oil gasifier. It will allow them to combine two thermochemical technologies to produce the next generation of fuels from renewable sources such as corn stalks and wood chips.

Antiviral therapy may halve risk of liver cancer after chronic hepatitis C infection, analysis indicates Posted: 22 Oct 2012 04:24 PM PDT Treating chronic hepatitis C infection with antiviral drugs could halve the risk of developing the most common form of liver cancer, in some cases, a new analysis indicates.

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