ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Fast forward to the past: NASA technologists test 'game-changing' data-processing technology
• NASA's TRMM satellite confirms 2010 landslides
• 'Fountain of youth' technique rejuvenates aging stem cells
• Embracing data 'noise' brings Greenland's complex ice melt into focus
• New thermoelectric material could be an energy saver
• Study points to potential new therapies for cancer and other diseases
• Studies examine whether therapies for heart failure are associated with improved survival
• How infidelity helps nieces and nephews: Men may share more genes with sisters' kids than cheating wife's kids
• Four common antipsychotic drugs found to lack safety and effectiveness in older adults
• Common drug increases deaths in atrial fibrillation patients
• Possible trigger for multiple sclerosis nerve damage
• Reducing sibling rivalry in youth improves later health and well-being
• Does human transformation of land threaten future sustainability?
• Increasing drought stress challenges vulnerable hydraulic system of plants, professor finds
• Compound found in rosemary protects against macular degeneration in laboratory model
• Cutting real Christmas trees less environmentally harmful than using an artificial one for six years, biologists say
• Vitamin D linked to lower rates of tooth decay
• Installed price of solar photovoltaic systems in US continues to decline at rapid pace
• Gene linked to respiratory distress in babies
• Safer spinach? Scientist's technique dramatically reduces E. coli numbers
• Measles vaccine given with a microneedle patch could boost immunization programs
• Illuminating the no-man's land of waters' surface: Strong electric charge observed at the interface between oil and water is not due to impurities
• Seeing the world through the eyes of an orangutan
• Sonar vision system for congenitally blind
• What keeps a cell's energy source going?
• Researchers study cry acoustics to determine risk for autism
• Man's best friend: Common canine virus may lead to new vaccines for deadly human diseases
• 'Middle ground' of sea-level change: 'Intra-seasonal' variability impacts forecasting and ecosystems
• Graphene/nanotube hybrid makes single-surface material for energy storage, electronics
• Do missing Jupiters mean massive comet belts?
• A rather thin and long new snake crawls out of one of Earth's biodiversity hotspots
• New understanding of X chromosome inactivation
• New test to help heavy drinkers reduce alcohol intake
• New behavioral strategies may help patients learn to better control chronic diseases
• Brief exercise immediately enhances memory: Results apply to older adults both with and without cognitive deficits
• New mechanism for cancer progression discovered
• Thawing of permafrost expected to cause significant additional global warming, not yet accounted for in climate predictions
• Protein injection points to muscular dystrophy treatment
• Orsini's viper: Alternates between reproducing and growing, year-by-year
• Three new arthropod species have been found in the Maestrazgo Caves in Teruel
• Paralysis by analysis should not delay decisions on climate change, experts urge
• Galapagos tortoises are a migrating species
• Enzyme explains angina in diabetics
• Being bullied can cause trauma symptoms
• Milestone along the way to CO2-free power plants
• Tracking down smallest biomarkers
• Chemical 'switches' for neurodegenerative diseases discovered
• Researchers use shock tube for insight into physics early in blasts
• Gene that causes tumor disorder linked to increased breast cancer risk

Fast forward to the past: NASA technologists test 'game-changing' data-processing technology Posted: 27 Nov 2012 04:13 PM PST It's a digital world. Or is it? NASA technologist Jonathan Pellish isn't convinced. In fact, he believes a computing technology of yesteryear could potentially revolutionize everything from autonomous rendezvous and docking to remotely correcting wavefront errors on large, deployable space telescope mirrors like those to fly on the James Webb Space Telescope.

NASA's TRMM satellite confirms 2010 landslides Posted: 27 Nov 2012 04:12 PM PST A NASA study using TRMM satellite data revealed that the year 2010 was a particularly bad year for landslides around the world.

'Fountain of youth' technique rejuvenates aging stem cells Posted: 27 Nov 2012 04:12 PM PST A new method of growing cardiac tissue is teaching old stem cells new tricks. The discovery, which transforms aged stem cells into cells that function like much younger ones, may one day enable scientists to grow cardiac patches for damaged or diseased hearts from a patient's own stem cells -- no matter what age the patient -- while avoiding the threat of rejection.

Embracing data 'noise' brings Greenland's complex ice melt into focus Posted: 27 Nov 2012 04:12 PM PST Researchers have developed an enhanced approach to capturing changes on the Earth's surface via satellite could provide a more accurate account of how geographic areas are changing as a result of natural and human factors. In a first application, the technique revealed sharper-than-ever details about Greenland's massive ice sheet, including that the rate at which it is melting might be accelerating more slowly than predicted.

New thermoelectric material could be an energy saver Posted: 27 Nov 2012 04:12 PM PST By using common materials found pretty much anywhere there is dirt, a team of researchers has developed a new thermoelectric material. This is important, they said, because the vast majority of heat that is generated from, for example, a car engine, is lost through the tail pipe. It's the thermoelectric material's job to take that heat and turn it into something useful, like electricity.

Study points to potential new therapies for cancer and other diseases Posted: 27 Nov 2012 04:12 PM PST Researchers are fueling the future of cancer treatment by improving a powerful tool in disease defense: the body's immune system. By revealing a novel but widespread cell signaling process, the scientists may have found a way to manipulate an important component of the immune system into more effectively fighting disease.

Studies examine whether therapies for heart failure are associated with improved survival Posted: 27 Nov 2012 04:00 PM PST An analysis of two heart failure therapies finds differing outcomes regarding improvement in survival.

How infidelity helps nieces and nephews: Men may share more genes with sisters' kids than cheating wife's kids Posted: 27 Nov 2012 04:00 PM PST A new study produced new mathematical support for a theory that explains why men in some cultures often feed and care for their sisters' children: where extramarital sex is common and accepted, a man's genes are more likely to be passed on by their sister's kids than by their wife's kids.

Four common antipsychotic drugs found to lack safety and effectiveness in older adults Posted: 27 Nov 2012 04:00 PM PST In older adults, antipsychotic drugs are commonly prescribed off-label for a number of disorders outside of their Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved indications -- schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The largest number of antipsychotic prescriptions in older adults is for behavioral disturbances associated with dementia, some of which carry FDA warnings on prescription information for these drugs.

Common drug increases deaths in atrial fibrillation patients Posted: 27 Nov 2012 12:42 PM PST Digoxin, a drug widely used to treat heart disease, increases the possibility of death when used by patients with a common heart rhythm problem -- atrial fibrillation (AF), according to new study findings. The results raises serious concerns about the expansive use of this long-standing heart medication in patients with AF.

Possible trigger for multiple sclerosis nerve damage Posted: 27 Nov 2012 12:42 PM PST High-resolution real-time images show in mice how nerves may be damaged during the earliest stages of multiple sclerosis. The results suggest that the critical step happens when fibrinogen, a blood-clotting protein, leaks into the central nervous system and activates immune cells called microglia.

Reducing sibling rivalry in youth improves later health and well-being Posted: 27 Nov 2012 12:42 PM PST Sibling conflict represents parents' number one concern and complaint about family life, but a new prevention program demonstrates that siblings of elementary-school age can learn to get along. In doing so, they can improve their future health and well-being.

Does human transformation of land threaten future sustainability? Posted: 27 Nov 2012 12:42 PM PST Social and physical scientists have long been concerned about the effects of humans on Earth's surface -- in part through deforestation, encroachment of urban areas onto traditionally agricultural lands, and erosion of soils -- and the implications these changes have on Earth's ability to provide for an ever-growing population. A new article presents examples of land transformation by humans and documents some of the effects of these changes.

Increasing drought stress challenges vulnerable hydraulic system of plants, professor finds Posted: 27 Nov 2012 12:42 PM PST The hydraulic system of trees is so finely-tuned that predicted increases in drought due to climate change may lead to catastrophic failure in many species. A recent paper finds that those systems in plants around the globe are operating at the top of their safety threshold, making forest ecosystems vulnerable to increasing environmental stress.

Compound found in rosemary protects against macular degeneration in laboratory model Posted: 27 Nov 2012 12:42 PM PST Researchers report that carnosic acid, a component of the herb rosemary, promotes eye health. The team found that carnosic acid protects retinas from degeneration and toxicity in cell culture and in rodent models of light-induced retinal damage. Their findings suggest that carnosic acid may have clinical applications for the outer retina, including age-related macular degeneration.

Cutting real Christmas trees less environmentally harmful than using an artificial one for six years, biologists say Posted: 27 Nov 2012 12:30 PM PST Given recent extreme weather events – the summer's brutal heat and subsequent drought, followed by Superstorm Sandy's disastrous path – newly green-conscious consumers may be wondering how to lessen their carbon footprint this holiday season. Plant biologists says that buying a real Christmas tree may not solve the world's climate ills, but it is environmentally better than getting an artificial one.

Vitamin D linked to lower rates of tooth decay Posted: 27 Nov 2012 10:03 AM PST Health scientists have long disputed the role of vitamin D in preventing tooth decay. A new review of existing studies suggests that vitamin D may indeed have a role in tooth health. The review encompassed 24 controlled clinical trials from the 1920s to the 1980s. About 3,000 children in several countries participated. Vitamin D levels in many populations are declining while dental caries in children are increasing.

Installed price of solar photovoltaic systems in US continues to decline at rapid pace Posted: 27 Nov 2012 10:02 AM PST The installed price of solar photovoltaic power systems in the United States fell substantially in 2011 and through the first half of 2012, according to new research.

Gene linked to respiratory distress in babies Posted: 27 Nov 2012 10:02 AM PST Some infants are more susceptible to potentially life-threatening breathing problems after birth, and rare, inherited DNA differences may explain why, according to new research.

Safer spinach? Scientist's technique dramatically reduces E. coli numbers Posted: 27 Nov 2012 10:02 AM PST Scientists have found a way to boost current industry capabilities when it comes to reducing the number of E. coli 0157:H7 cells that may live undetected on spinach leaves. By combining continuous ultrasound treatment with chlorine washing, they can reduce the total number of foodborne pathogenic bacteria by over 99.99 percent.

Measles vaccine given with a microneedle patch could boost immunization programs Posted: 27 Nov 2012 10:02 AM PST Measles vaccine given with painless and easy-to-administer microneedle patches can immunize against measles at least as well as vaccine given with conventional hypodermic needles, according to new research.

Illuminating the no-man's land of waters' surface: Strong electric charge observed at the interface between oil and water is not due to impurities Posted: 27 Nov 2012 10:02 AM PST Scientist are refuting previously held theories and offering a new explanation of electrochemical phenomena occurring at the interface between water and a hydrophobic matter. A new paradigm may be on the horizon.

Seeing the world through the eyes of an orangutan Posted: 27 Nov 2012 10:01 AM PST A captive bred Sumatran orangutan and a neuroscientist in Malaysia are hoping to explain some of the mysteries of the visual brain and improve the lives of captive bred animals.

Sonar vision system for congenitally blind Posted: 27 Nov 2012 10:01 AM PST A "sonar vision" system that enables people who are blind from birth to perceive the shape of a face, a house or even words and letters, is now being developed. Using this device, the researchers have shown that, in people that are blind from birth, the areas of the cerebral cortex normally devoted to reading become activated in response to stimulation.

What keeps a cell's energy source going? Posted: 27 Nov 2012 10:00 AM PST Most healthy cells rely on a complicated process to produce the fuel ATP. Knowing how ATP is produced by the cell's energy storehouse – the mitochondria -- is important for understanding a cell's normal state, as well as what happens when things go wrong, for example in cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, and many rare disorders of the mitochondria.

Researchers study cry acoustics to determine risk for autism Posted: 27 Nov 2012 08:13 AM PST Researchers have been studying the cry acoustics of six-month-old infants. At-risk infants produced pain related cries with higher and more variable fundamental frequency (commonly referred to as "pitch") as compared to low-risk infants. A small number of the at-risk infants were later diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder at 36 months of age.

Man's best friend: Common canine virus may lead to new vaccines for deadly human diseases Posted: 27 Nov 2012 08:13 AM PST Researchers have discovered that a virus commonly found in dogs may serve as the foundation for the next great breakthrough in human vaccine development.

'Middle ground' of sea-level change: 'Intra-seasonal' variability impacts forecasting and ecosystems Posted: 27 Nov 2012 08:13 AM PST The effects of storm surge and sea-level rise have become topics of everyday conversation in the days and weeks following Hurricane Sandy's catastrophic landfall along the mid-Atlantic coast. Researchers are throwing light on another, less-familiar component of sea-level variability -- the "intra-seasonal" changes that occupy the middle ground between rapid, storm-related surges in sea level and the long-term increase in sea level due to global climate change.

Graphene/nanotube hybrid makes single-surface material for energy storage, electronics Posted: 27 Nov 2012 08:13 AM PST A seamless graphene/nanotube hybrid may be the best electrode interface material possible for many energy storage and electronics applications.

Do missing Jupiters mean massive comet belts? Posted: 27 Nov 2012 08:12 AM PST Astronomers have discovered vast comet belts surrounding two nearby planetary systems known to host only Earth-to-Neptune-mass worlds. The comet reservoirs could have delivered life-giving oceans to the innermost planets.

A rather thin and long new snake crawls out of one of Earth's biodiversity hotspots Posted: 27 Nov 2012 07:15 AM PST A team of Ecuadorian and American scientists have discovered a new species, belonging to a neotropical group of remarkably long arboreal (tree-dwelling) snakes: the blunt-headed vine snakes, from the Choco biodiversity hotspot in northwestern Ecuador. DNA data suggest that the closest relative of the new species lives on the other side of the Andes.

New understanding of X chromosome inactivation Posted: 27 Nov 2012 07:15 AM PST Scientists have broadened our understanding of how cells regulate silencing of the X chromosome in a process known as X-inactivation.

New test to help heavy drinkers reduce alcohol intake Posted: 27 Nov 2012 07:15 AM PST Researchers have developed a computer-based test that could help heavy drinkers reduce their alcohol consumption.

New behavioral strategies may help patients learn to better control chronic diseases Posted: 27 Nov 2012 06:43 AM PST Physicians should take a serious look at tools and strategies used in behavioral economics and social psychology to help motivate their patients to assert better control over chronic diseases. Breaking large goals into smaller, more manageable parts, for example, may help patients better manage diseases such as diabetes.

Brief exercise immediately enhances memory: Results apply to older adults both with and without cognitive deficits Posted: 27 Nov 2012 06:43 AM PST A short burst of moderate exercise enhances the consolidation of memories in both healthy older adults and those with mild cognitive impairment, scientists have discovered.

New mechanism for cancer progression discovered Posted: 27 Nov 2012 06:43 AM PST Researchers have discovered an alternative mechanism for activating rhe oncogene Ras that does not require mutation or hormonal stimulus.

Thawing of permafrost expected to cause significant additional global warming, not yet accounted for in climate predictions Posted: 27 Nov 2012 06:42 AM PST Permafrost covering almost a quarter of the northern hemisphere contains 1,700 gigatonnes of carbon, twice that currently in the atmosphere, and could significantly amplify global warming should thawing accelerate as expected, according to a new report. Warming permafrost can also radically change ecosystems and cause costly infrastructural damage due to increasingly unstable ground, the report says.

Protein injection points to muscular dystrophy treatment Posted: 27 Nov 2012 06:42 AM PST Scientists have discovered that injecting a novel human protein into muscle affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy significantly increases its size and strength, findings that could lead to a therapy akin to the use of insulin by diabetics.

Orsini's viper: Alternates between reproducing and growing, year-by-year Posted: 27 Nov 2012 06:41 AM PST Orsini's viper, a rare and protected species at risk of extinction in France, has an original reproductive strategy. In alternate years, it switches between reproductive and non-reproductive behavior. This strategy has recently been uncovered.

Three new arthropod species have been found in the Maestrazgo Caves in Teruel Posted: 27 Nov 2012 06:41 AM PST Scientists have discovered three new collembolan species in the Maestrazgo caves in Teruel, Spain. These minute animals belong to one of the most ancient animal species on the planet. The Maestrazgo caves in Teruel are located in a region of the Iberian Range where fauna has not been the subject of much study. It is a very isolated region since its average altitude is between 1,550 m and 2,000 m asl and its climate can be described as "almost extreme" experiencing temperatures of between -40°C and -25°C.

Paralysis by analysis should not delay decisions on climate change, experts urge Posted: 27 Nov 2012 06:41 AM PST Uncertainty about how much the climate is changing is not a reason to delay preparing for the harmful impacts of climate change says an expert.

Galapagos tortoises are a migrating species Posted: 27 Nov 2012 06:41 AM PST The Galapagos giant tortoise, one of the most fascinating species of the Galapagos archipelago, treks slowly and untiringly across the volcanic slopes. They usually start their annual migration at the beginning of the dry season.

Enzyme explains angina in diabetics Posted: 27 Nov 2012 06:41 AM PST Scientists have shown that an enzyme called arginase might have a key part to play in the development of cardiovascular disease in patients who already have type II diabetes. According to the team, arginase prevents the formation of protective nitrogen oxide in the blood vessels, and treatments that inhibit this enzyme reduce the risk of angina in diabetics.

Being bullied can cause trauma symptoms Posted: 27 Nov 2012 06:40 AM PST Problems caused by bullying do not necessarily cease when the abuse stops. Recent research shows that victims may need long-term support.

Milestone along the way to CO2-free power plants Posted: 27 Nov 2012 06:40 AM PST An innovative method inexpensively and energetically efficiently reduces power-plant carbon dioxide emissions by more than 90 percent. The initial system for utilization on an existing power plant is currently in the planning stage.

Tracking down smallest biomarkers Posted: 27 Nov 2012 06:39 AM PST Scientists have developed a vacuum-compatible X-ray detector that allows the size of low-contrast nano-objects to be determined.

Chemical 'switches' for neurodegenerative diseases discovered Posted: 27 Nov 2012 06:39 AM PST Researchers have identified and "switched off" a chemical chain that causes neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and dementia. The findings could one day be of particular therapeutic benefit to Huntington's disease patients.

Researchers use shock tube for insight into physics early in blasts Posted: 27 Nov 2012 06:39 AM PST Researchers are using a unique multiphase shock tube to study how densely clustered particles disperse during an explosion.

Gene that causes tumor disorder linked to increased breast cancer risk Posted: 27 Nov 2012 06:38 AM PST New research showing a more than four-fold increase in the incidence of breast cancer in women with neurofibromatosis-1 (NF1) adds to growing evidence that women with this rare genetic disorder may benefit from early breast cancer screening with mammograms beginning at age 40, and manual breast exams as early as adolescence.

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