ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Bats split on family living
• HIV-like viruses in non-human primates have existed much longer than previously thought
• Pathogenic bacteria adhering to the human vascular wall triggers vascular damage during meningococcal sepsis
• Jet fuel, plastics exposures cause disease in later generations; Reproductive diseases, obesity
• Low vitamin D levels linked to high risk of premenopausal breast cancer
• Chameleon star baffles astronomers
• Fetal exposure to tributyltin linked to obesity
• NASA Super-TIGER balloon shatters flight record
• Stem cell therapy to repair damaged knee cartilage
• Liquid metal makes silicon crystals at record low temperatures
• Using Twitter to track the flu: Researchers find a better way to screen the tweets
• Chance finding reveals new control on blood vessels in developing brain
• Red explosions: Secret life of binary stars is revealed
• New mutations discovered driving malignant melanoma
• Scientists discover how epigenetic information could be inherited: Mechanism of epigenetic reprogramming revealed
• Extinction rates not as bad as feared ... for now: Scientists challenge common belief
• Genetic landscape of common brain tumors holds key to personalized treatment
• Chameleon pulsar dramatically changes the way it shines
• Organic ferroelectric molecule shows promise for memory chips, sensors
• Love triumphs over hate to make exotic new compound: Compound could be useful in batteries, semiconductors, memory devices
• Immune cell suicide alarm helps destroy escaping bacteria
• Genes provide clues to gender disparity in human hearts
• NASA officially joins ESA's 'dark universe' mission
• 'Cool' kids in middle school bully more, psychologists report
• Prenatal inflammation linked to autism risk
• The storm that never was: Why meteorologists are often wrong
• Proton size puzzle: Surprisingly small proton radius confirmed with laser spectroscopy of exotic hydrogen
• Mars rover Curiosity uses arm camera at night
• 'Scarecrow' gene: Key to efficient crops, could lead to staple crops with much higher yields
• Vocabulary instruction failing U.S. students, expert says
• Female mice exposed to BPA by mothers show unexpected characteristics
• Smokers who quit before age 40 have lifespan almost as long as people who never smoked
• Cells 'flock' to heal wounds: Researchers analyze physics of epithelial cell cooperation
• Medical cannabis provides dramatic relief for sufferers of chronic ailments, Israeli study finds
• 3-D fireworks of a star: Astronomers reconstruct journey of emitted gas
• Lightning linked to onset of headache, migraines
• Dung beetles follow the milky way: Insects found to use stars for orientation
• Climate change beliefs of independent voters shift with the weather
• Synthetic corkscrew peptide kills antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacteria
• Don’t ignore the snore: Snoring may be early sign of future health risks
• False beliefs persist, even after instant online corrections
• Liquid crystal's chaotic inner dynamics
• Revolutionary theory of dark matter
• 'Connection error' in brains of anorexics
• New dinosaur fossil challenges bird evolution theory
• Children's play spaces becoming increasingly artificial
• Implementation of smoke-free legislation reduces the number of acute myocardial infarctions by 11 percent

Bats split on family living Posted: 24 Jan 2013 03:36 PM PST For the tiny Daubenton's bat, the attractions of family life seem to vary more with altitude than with the allure of the opposite sex.

HIV-like viruses in non-human primates have existed much longer than previously thought Posted: 24 Jan 2013 03:36 PM PST Viruses similar to those that cause AIDS in humans were present in non-human primates in Africa at least five million years ago and perhaps up to 12 million years ago, according to new study. Until now, researchers have hypothesized that such viruses originated much more recently.

Pathogenic bacteria adhering to the human vascular wall triggers vascular damage during meningococcal sepsis Posted: 24 Jan 2013 03:36 PM PST Researchers have shown how adhesion of Neisseria meningitidis to human microvessels in a humanized mouse model leads to the characteristic cutaneous lesions of meningococcal sepsis. This work is an important demonstration of the direct role of adhesion, specifically Type IV pili mediated adhesion, plays in the development of the disease.

Jet fuel, plastics exposures cause disease in later generations; Reproductive diseases, obesity Posted: 24 Jan 2013 03:36 PM PST Researchers have lengthened their list of environmental toxicants that can negatively affect as many as three generations of an exposed animal's offspring. Among them: BPA and jet fuel. And they see a new outcome: Obesity.

Low vitamin D levels linked to high risk of premenopausal breast cancer Posted: 24 Jan 2013 03:34 PM PST Low serum vitamin D levels in the months preceding diagnosis may predict a high risk of premenopausal breast cancer.

Chameleon star baffles astronomers Posted: 24 Jan 2013 03:34 PM PST New observations of a pulsar challenge all proposed pulsar emissions theories, a new study reports. This reopens a decades-old debate about the nature of these bizarre stars.

Fetal exposure to tributyltin linked to obesity Posted: 24 Jan 2013 01:34 PM PST Exposing pregnant mice to low doses of the chemical tributyltin -- which was used in marine antifouling paints and is used as an antifungal agent in some paints, certain plastics and a variety of consumer products -- can lead to obesity for multiple generations without subsequent exposure, a new study has found.

NASA Super-TIGER balloon shatters flight record Posted: 24 Jan 2013 01:34 PM PST Flying high over Antarctica, a NASA long duration balloon has broken the record for longest flight by a balloon of its size. The record-breaking balloon, carrying the Super Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder (Super-TIGER) experiment, has been afloat for 46 days and is on its third orbit around the South Pole.

Stem cell therapy to repair damaged knee cartilage Posted: 24 Jan 2013 01:32 PM PST Medical researchers are conducting the first clinical study in the U.S. of an innovative stem cell drug, Cartistem, to repair knee cartilage damaged by aging, trauma or degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis.

Liquid metal makes silicon crystals at record low temperatures Posted: 24 Jan 2013 01:32 PM PST A new way of making crystalline silicon could make this crucial ingredient of computers and solar cells much cheaper and greener.

Using Twitter to track the flu: Researchers find a better way to screen the tweets Posted: 24 Jan 2013 01:32 PM PST Computer scientists have developed a new tweet-screening method that not only delivers real-time data on flu cases, but also filters out online chatter that is not linked to actual flu infections.

Chance finding reveals new control on blood vessels in developing brain Posted: 24 Jan 2013 12:08 PM PST Zhen Huang freely admits he was not interested in blood vessels four years ago when he was studying brain development in a fetal mouse. Instead, he wanted to see how changing a particular gene in brain cells called glia would affect the growth of neurons. The result was hemorrhage, caused by deteriorating veins and arteries, and it begged for explanation.

Red explosions: Secret life of binary stars is revealed Posted: 24 Jan 2013 12:08 PM PST An astrophysicist has revealed the workings of a celestial event involving binary stars that produce an explosion so powerful its luminosity ranks close to that of a supernova, an exploding star.

New mutations discovered driving malignant melanoma Posted: 24 Jan 2013 12:08 PM PST Two new mutations that collectively occur in 71 percent of malignant melanoma tumors have been discovered in what scientists call the "dark matter" of the cancer genome, where cancer-related mutations haven't been previously found.

Scientists discover how epigenetic information could be inherited: Mechanism of epigenetic reprogramming revealed Posted: 24 Jan 2013 12:08 PM PST New research reveals a potential way for how parents' experiences could be passed to their offspring's genes.

Extinction rates not as bad as feared ... for now: Scientists challenge common belief Posted: 24 Jan 2013 12:08 PM PST Concerns that many animals are becoming extinct, before scientists even have time to identify them, are greatly overstated, according to new research.

Genetic landscape of common brain tumors holds key to personalized treatment Posted: 24 Jan 2013 12:08 PM PST Nearly the entire genetic landscape of the most common form of brain tumor can be explained by abnormalities in just five genes, an international team of researchers report. Knowledge of the genomic profile of the tumors and their location in the brain make it possible for the first time to develop personalized medical therapies for meningiomas, which currently are only managed surgically.

Chameleon pulsar dramatically changes the way it shines Posted: 24 Jan 2013 12:08 PM PST A pulsar that is able, without warning, to dramatically change the way in which it shines has been identified.

Organic ferroelectric molecule shows promise for memory chips, sensors Posted: 24 Jan 2013 12:07 PM PST A cheap, flexible organic molecule could replace inorganic crystals as the working parts for memory chips, sensors and energy-harvesting systems.

Love triumphs over hate to make exotic new compound: Compound could be useful in batteries, semiconductors, memory devices Posted: 24 Jan 2013 12:07 PM PST A graduate student had a hunch for creating an exotic new chemical compound, and his idea that the force of love is stronger than hate proved correct. He and his colleagues are the first to permanently interlock two identical tetracationic rings that normally are repelled by each other. Many experts had said it couldn't be done. The new compound has attractive electronic characteristics and can be made quickly and inexpensively.

Immune cell suicide alarm helps destroy escaping bacteria Posted: 24 Jan 2013 12:07 PM PST A new study may have implications for thwarting the effects of bio-terrorism attack with lethal microbes, as well as finding a way to save people in septic shock, an overwhelming bacterial infection of the blood.

Genes provide clues to gender disparity in human hearts Posted: 24 Jan 2013 12:07 PM PST Healthy men and women show little difference in their hearts, except for small electrocardiographic disparities. But new genetic differences found in hearts with disease could ultimately lead to personalized treatment of various heart ailments.

NASA officially joins ESA's 'dark universe' mission Posted: 24 Jan 2013 11:07 AM PST NASA has joined the European Space Agency's (ESA's) Euclid mission, a space telescope designed to investigate the cosmological mysteries of dark matter and dark energy.

'Cool' kids in middle school bully more, psychologists report Posted: 24 Jan 2013 11:07 AM PST Bullying boosts the social status and popularity of middle school students, a new psychology study shows, and popular students engage most in bullying.

Prenatal inflammation linked to autism risk Posted: 24 Jan 2013 11:07 AM PST Maternal inflammation during early pregnancy may be related to an increased risk of autism in children, according to new findings. Researchers found this in children of mothers with elevated C-reactive protein, a well-established marker of systemic inflammation.

The storm that never was: Why meteorologists are often wrong Posted: 24 Jan 2013 11:07 AM PST Have you ever woken up to a sunny forecast only to get soaked on your way to the office? On days like that it's easy to blame the weatherman. But engineering professor Julie Crockett doesn't get mad at meteorologists. She understands something that very few people know: it's not the weatherman's fault he's wrong so often.

Proton size puzzle: Surprisingly small proton radius confirmed with laser spectroscopy of exotic hydrogen Posted: 24 Jan 2013 11:07 AM PST An international team of scientists confirms a surprisingly small proton radius with laser spectroscopy of exotic hydrogen.

Mars rover Curiosity uses arm camera at night Posted: 24 Jan 2013 11:06 AM PST NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has for the first time used the camera on its arm to take photos at night, illuminated by white lights and ultraviolet lights on the instrument.

'Scarecrow' gene: Key to efficient crops, could lead to staple crops with much higher yields Posted: 24 Jan 2013 10:40 AM PST With projections of 9.5 billion people by 2050, humankind faces the challenge of feeding modern diets to additional mouths while using the same amounts of water, fertilizer and arable land as today. Researchers have taken a leap toward meeting those needs by discovering a gene that could lead to new varieties of staple crops with 50 percent higher yields. The gene, called Scarecrow, is the first discovered to control a special leaf structure, known as Kranz anatomy, which leads to more efficient photosynthesis.

Vocabulary instruction failing U.S. students, expert says Posted: 24 Jan 2013 10:40 AM PST Vocabulary instruction in the early years is not challenging enough to prepare students for long-term reading comprehension, argues an author of a new study.

Female mice exposed to BPA by mothers show unexpected characteristics Posted: 24 Jan 2013 10:39 AM PST Female mice exposed to Bisphenol A through their mother's diet during gestation and lactation were found to be hyperactive, exhibit spontaneous activity and had leaner body mass than those not exposed to the chemical, researchers have discovered.

Smokers who quit before age 40 have lifespan almost as long as people who never smoked Posted: 24 Jan 2013 09:36 AM PST Smokers who quit when they are young adults can live almost as long as people who never smoked, groundbreaking new research has found.

Cells 'flock' to heal wounds: Researchers analyze physics of epithelial cell cooperation Posted: 24 Jan 2013 09:36 AM PST Like flocks of birds, cells coordinate their motions as they race to cover and ultimately heal wounds to the skin. A new computational model offers clues to the physics behind their cooperation.

Medical cannabis provides dramatic relief for sufferers of chronic ailments, Israeli study finds Posted: 24 Jan 2013 09:34 AM PST Though still controversial, medical cannabis has been gaining ground as a valid therapy for cancer, PTSD, and chronic pain. Now a specialist says that residents of an Israel nursing home experienced dramatic physical and mental improvements following cannabis therapy and that the therapy significantly reduced the need for chronic medications for many of them.

3-D fireworks of a star: Astronomers reconstruct journey of emitted gas Posted: 24 Jan 2013 09:34 AM PST In 1901 the star GK Persei gave off a powerful explosion that has not stopped growing and astonishing ever since. Now astronomers have reconstructed the journey of the emitted gas in 3-D which, contrary to predictions, has hardly slowed down its speed of up to 1,000 km/s after all this time.

Lightning linked to onset of headache, migraines Posted: 24 Jan 2013 09:33 AM PST Researchers have found that lightning may affect the onset of headaches and migraines.

Dung beetles follow the milky way: Insects found to use stars for orientation Posted: 24 Jan 2013 09:32 AM PST An insect with a tiny brain and minimal computing power has become the first animal proven to use the Milky Way for orientation. Scientists from South Africa and Sweden have published findings showing the link between dung beetles and the spray of stars which comprises our galaxy.

Climate change beliefs of independent voters shift with the weather Posted: 24 Jan 2013 09:29 AM PST There's a well-known saying in New England that if you don't like the weather here, wait a minute. When it comes to independent voters, those weather changes can just as quickly shift beliefs about climate change.

Synthetic corkscrew peptide kills antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacteria Posted: 24 Jan 2013 09:29 AM PST An engineered peptide provides a new prototype for killing an entire category of resistant bacteria by shredding and dissolving their double-layered membranes, which are thought to protect those microbes from antibiotics. The synthetic peptide was effective in lab experiments against antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, which cause a variety of difficult-to-treat, potentially lethal infections such as pneumonia and sepsis.

Don’t ignore the snore: Snoring may be early sign of future health risks Posted: 24 Jan 2013 09:27 AM PST Snoring may be more than a common bedtime nuisance, say researchers. According to their new study, snoring, even without sleep apnea, causes thickening and abnormalities the carotid artery - a potential precursor to atherosclerosis.

False beliefs persist, even after instant online corrections Posted: 24 Jan 2013 06:23 AM PST It seems like a great idea: Provide instant corrections to web-surfers when they run across obviously false information on the Internet. But a new study suggests that this type of tool may not be a panacea for dispelling inaccurate beliefs, particularly among people who already want to believe the falsehood.

Liquid crystal's chaotic inner dynamics Posted: 24 Jan 2013 06:21 AM PST Scientists have unearthed a new dynamic process induced by strong electric fields in thin liquid crystal cells. Liquid crystal displays are ubiquitous. Now, physicists have demonstrated that the application of a very strong alternating electric field to thin liquid crystal cells leads to a new distinct dynamic effect in the response of the cells.

Revolutionary theory of dark matter Posted: 24 Jan 2013 06:15 AM PST The universe abounds with dark matter. Nobody knows what it consists of. Physicists in Norway have now come up with a mathematical explanation that could solve the mystery once and for all.

'Connection error' in brains of anorexics Posted: 24 Jan 2013 06:15 AM PST Researchers have found altered connectivity in the brain network for body perception in people with anorexia: The weaker the connection, the greater the misjudgement of body shape.

New dinosaur fossil challenges bird evolution theory Posted: 24 Jan 2013 06:15 AM PST The discovery of a new bird-like dinosaur from the Jurassic period challenges widely accepted theories on the origin of flight. A new paper describes a new feathered dinosaur about 30 centimeters in length which pre-dates bird-like dinosaurs that birds were long thought to have evolved from.

Children's play spaces becoming increasingly artificial Posted: 24 Jan 2013 06:14 AM PST What makes a good children's play space? Researchers discovers a world of difference between the 'play memories' of older residents of the East End of London -- who recall wandering freely, playing in the spaces between homes, shops and parks -- and the experiences of today's children, forced into rigid, over-designed and artificial play spaces.

Implementation of smoke-free legislation reduces the number of acute myocardial infarctions by 11 percent Posted: 23 Jan 2013 04:53 PM PST Researchers assessed the impact of the partial smoke-free legislation passed in 2006 on the incidence of acute myocardial infarction in the province of Girona and observed it has dropped 11 percent. This decrease has been noticed especially among women, population aged between 65 and 74, and among non-smokers.

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