ScienceDaily: Top News

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• NASA deciphering the mysterious math of the solar wind
• For embolism patients, clot-busting drug is worth risk, study suggests
• Influenza study: Meet virus' new enemy
• Why sourdough bread resists mold
• Why some soldiers develop PTSD while others don't
• Promising new method for next-generation live-attenuated viral vaccines against Chikungunya virus
• Stem cell 'homing' signal may help treat heart failure patients
• ‘Stressed’ bacteria become resistant to antibiotics
• Conserving corals by understanding their genes
• Particle physics research sheds new light on possible 'fifth force of nature'
• Using amount of fish caught as measure of fisheries health is misleading
• New clues to Epstein-Barr virus
• Scientists make older adults less forgetful in memory tests
• Researchers 'nanoweld' by applying light to aligned nanorods in solid materials
• Robotic bat wing engineered: Researchers uncover flight secrets of real bats
• Geoengineering by coalition to mitigate global warming
• Should grandma join Facebook? It may give her a cognitive boost, study finds
• Caves point to thawing of Siberia: Thaw in Siberia's permafrost may accelerate global warming
• Floral signs go electric: Bumblebees find and distinguish electric signals from flowers
• Protein 'passport' helps nanoparticles get past immune system
• Eliminating malaria has longlasting benefits for many countries
• How human language could have evolved from birdsong: Researchers propose new theory on deep roots of human speech
• Journey to the limits of space-time: Black hole simulations on supercomputers present new view of jets and accretion disks
• Heavy backpacks may damage nerves, muscles and skeleton, study suggests
• Modeling Alzheimer's disease using iPSCs
• Coldness triggers northward flight in monarch butterflies: Migration cycle may be vulnerable to global climate change
• Life's tiniest architects pinpointed: Molecular regulators of epigenetics
• Aspirin and omega-3 fatty acids work together to fight inflammation
• How to kill an asteroid? Get out a paint spray gun
• Antibacterial protein's molecular workings revealed
• Mercury may have harbored an ancient magma ocean: Massive lava flows may have given rise to two distinct rock types
• Discovering the birth of an asteroid trail
• Scientists unveil secrets of important natural antibiotic
• In rich and poor nations, giving makes people feel better than getting, research finds
• Early life stress may take early toll on heart function
• Explosives vapor detection technology: The new 'sniff test'
• Common acne drug not associated with increased risk of IBD
• Writing without keyboard: Handwriting recognition on the wrist
• Cooling may prevent trauma-induced epilepsy
• Study of remora fish could lead to new bio-adhesive
• Disruption of circadian clock linked to obesity, diabetes and heart attacks
• Great Backyard Bird Count goes global, shatters records
• Earthquakes in small laboratory samples
• Molecular system that could help develop potential treatments for conditions such as Alzheimer's disease identified
• Common swifts make mysterious twilight ascents
• Bees attracted to contrasting colors when looking for nectar
• When water speaks: Solvents make catalysts more efficient
• Cell therapy: New mouse model promises to advance research on induced pluripotent stem cells
• Microbubbles improve myocardial remodelling after infarction
• Cancer drug a possible treatment for multiple sclerosis, rat study suggests
• Insects inspiring new technology: Autonomous navigation of mobile robots based on locust vision
• More than just looking: A role of tiny eye movements explained
• Talking about being old is important indicator of body dissatisfaction
• Digital processing system avoids 17.4 million drug errors in US in one year
• Scrap 'unwinnable' drugs war and divert funds into curbing global antibiotic misuse, experts say

NASA deciphering the mysterious math of the solar wind Posted: 21 Feb 2013 06:46 PM PST The sun and its prodigious stream of solar particles, called the solar wind, can be particularly tricky to model since as the material streams to the outer reaches of the solar system it carries along its own magnetic fields. The magnetic forces add an extra set of laws to incorporate when trying to determine what's governing the movement. Indeed, until now, equations for certain aspects of the solar wind have never been successfully devised to correlate to the observations seen by instruments in space. Now, for the first time, a scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has created a set of the necessary equations.

For embolism patients, clot-busting drug is worth risk, study suggests Posted: 21 Feb 2013 04:42 PM PST When doctors encounter a patient with a massive pulmonary embolism, they face a difficult choice: Is it wise to administer a drug that could save the patient's life, even though many people suffer life-threatening bleeding as a result? Based on new findings researchers are answering that question in no uncertain terms.

Influenza study: Meet virus' new enemy Posted: 21 Feb 2013 04:42 PM PST Virologists have discovered a new class of molecular compounds capable of killing the influenza virus. Working on the premise that too much of a good thing can be a killer, the scientists have advanced previous researchers' methods of manipulating an enzyme that is key to how influenza replicates and spreads. The new compounds will lead to a new generation of anti-influenza drugs that the virus' strains can't adapt to, and resist, as easily as they do Tamiful.

Why sourdough bread resists mold Posted: 21 Feb 2013 04:42 PM PST Sourdough bread resists mold, unlike conventionally leavened bread. Now scientists show why. During sourdough production, bacteria convert the linoleic acid in bread flour to a compound that has powerful antifungal activity.

Why some soldiers develop PTSD while others don't Posted: 21 Feb 2013 04:42 PM PST Pre-war vulnerability is just as important as combat-related trauma in predicting whether veterans' symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder will be long-lasting, according to new research.

Promising new method for next-generation live-attenuated viral vaccines against Chikungunya virus Posted: 21 Feb 2013 04:42 PM PST Researchers have applied a novel method of vaccine creation for Chikungunya virus using a technique called large scale random codon re-encoding. Using this approach, scientists have demonstrated that the engineered viruses exhibit a stable phenotype with a significantly decreased viral fitness, making it a new vaccine candidate for this emerging viral disease.

Stem cell 'homing' signal may help treat heart failure patients Posted: 21 Feb 2013 04:42 PM PST In the first human study of its kind, researchers activated heart failure patients' stem cells with gene therapy to improve their symptoms, heart function and quality of life. Rather than use multiple procedures to remove, multiply, then re-insert cells, scientists injected a treatment that signals stems cells to come to injured tissue to repair it -- like a homing signal. Researchers are conducting a larger trial.

‘Stressed’ bacteria become resistant to antibiotics Posted: 21 Feb 2013 04:40 PM PST Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics when stressed, finds new research. In particular E. coli grown at high temperatures become resistant to rifampicin. It is generally thought that antibiotic resistance is costly to maintain, for example mutations which reduce antibiotic uptake also restrict the amount of nutrients entering the cell. Consequently in the absence of antibiotics non-resistant bacteria will out-compete the resistant ones. However researchers have discovered that by putting bacteria under stress, by growing them at a high temperature, the bacteria could spontaneously develop resistance to the antibiotic rifampicin.

Conserving corals by understanding their genes Posted: 21 Feb 2013 04:40 PM PST In reef-building corals variations within genes involved in immunity and response to stress correlate to water temperature and clarity, finds a new study. This information could be used to conserve or rebuild reefs in areas affected by climate change, by changes in extreme weather patterns, increasing sedimentation or altered land use.

Particle physics research sheds new light on possible 'fifth force of nature' Posted: 21 Feb 2013 04:27 PM PST In a breakthrough for the field of particle physics, researchers have established new limits on what scientists call "long-range spin-spin interactions" between atomic particles. These interactions have been proposed by theoretical physicists but have not yet been seen. Their observation would constitute the discovery of a "fifth force of nature" (in addition to the four known fundamental forces: gravity, weak, strong and electromagnetic) and would suggest the existence of new particles, beyond those presently described by the Standard Model of particle physics.

Using amount of fish caught as measure of fisheries health is misleading Posted: 21 Feb 2013 04:27 PM PST Changes in the amount of fish caught does not necessarily reflect the number of fish in the sea.

New clues to Epstein-Barr virus Posted: 21 Feb 2013 12:27 PM PST Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) affects more than 90 percent of the population worldwide and was the first human virus found to be associated with cancer. Now, researchers have broadened the understanding of this widespread infection with their discovery of a second B-cell attachment receptor for EBV.

Scientists make older adults less forgetful in memory tests Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:39 AM PST Scientists have found compelling evidence that older adults can eliminate forgetfulness and perform as well as younger adults on memory tests. The cognitive boost comes from a surprising source -- a distraction learning strategy.

Researchers 'nanoweld' by applying light to aligned nanorods in solid materials Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:39 AM PST Researchers have developed a way to melt or "weld" specific portions of polymers by embedding aligned nanoparticles within the materials. Their technique, which melts fibers along a chosen direction within a material, may lead to stronger, more resilient nanofibers and materials.

Robotic bat wing engineered: Researchers uncover flight secrets of real bats Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:39 AM PST Researchers have developed a robotic bat wing that is providing valuable new information about dynamics of flapping flight in real bats. From an engineering perspective, the researchers hope the data may make for better aircraft, especially micro air vehicles. From a biological and evolutionary perspective, building the robot offered the researchers a new perspective on how bat anatomy is adapted to deal with the forces generated by flapping wings.

Geoengineering by coalition to mitigate global warming Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:39 AM PST Solar geoengineering is a proposed approach to reduce the effects of climate change due to greenhouse gasses by deflecting some of the sun's incoming radiation. This type of proposed solution carries with it a number of uncertainties, however, including geopolitical questions about who would be in charge of the activity and its goals. New modeling work shows that if a powerful coalition ever decided to deploy a geoengineering system, they would have incentive to exclude other countries from participating in the decision-making process.

Should grandma join Facebook? It may give her a cognitive boost, study finds Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:39 AM PST Preliminary research findings suggest learning to use Facebook may help give adults older than 65 a cognitive boost. The study shows that seniors who learned to use Facebook saw improvements in their ability to continuously monitor and quickly add or delete the contents of their working memory.

Caves point to thawing of Siberia: Thaw in Siberia's permafrost may accelerate global warming Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:39 AM PST Evidence from Siberian caves suggests that a global temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius could see permanently frozen ground thaw over a large area of Siberia, threatening release of carbon from soils, and damage to natural and human environments.

Floral signs go electric: Bumblebees find and distinguish electric signals from flowers Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:39 AM PST Flowers' methods of communicating are at least as sophisticated as any devised by an advertising agency, according to a new study. The research shows for the first time that pollinators such as bumblebees are able to find and distinguish electric signals given out by flowers. However, for any advertisement to be successful, it has to reach, and be perceived by, its target audience.

Protein 'passport' helps nanoparticles get past immune system Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:38 AM PST The immune system exists to destroy foreign objects, whether they are bacteria, viruses, flecks of dirt or splinters. Unfortunately, drug-delivering nanoparticles and implanted devices like pacemakers are just as foreign and subject to the same response. Now, researchers have figured out a way to provide a "passport" for such therapeutic devices, enabling them to bypass the body's security system.

Eliminating malaria has longlasting benefits for many countries Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:38 AM PST A review of malaria elimination suggests stopping malaria transmission completely has longlasting benefits for many countries and that once eliminated, the disease is unlikely to reemerge over time.

How human language could have evolved from birdsong: Researchers propose new theory on deep roots of human speech Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:16 AM PST The sounds uttered by birds offer in several respects the nearest analogy to language," Charles Darwin wrote in "The Descent of Man" (1871), while contemplating how humans learned to speak. Language, he speculated, might have had its origins in singing, which "might have given rise to words expressive of various complex emotions." Linguistics and biology now researchers propose a new theory on the deep roots of human speech.

Journey to the limits of space-time: Black hole simulations on supercomputers present new view of jets and accretion disks Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:16 AM PST Black holes shape the growth and death of the stars around them through their powerful gravitational pull and explosive ejections of energy. In a recent article, researchers predicted the formation of accretion disks and relativistic jets that warp and bend more than previously thought, shaped by the extreme gravity of the black hole and by powerful magnetic forces generated by its spin.

Heavy backpacks may damage nerves, muscles and skeleton, study suggests Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:16 AM PST Damage to muscles and the skeleton is the frequent consequence of carrying heavy backpacks and occupational gear on our backs. New research confirms that damage to the nerves that travel through the neck and shoulders is also a serious risk.

Modeling Alzheimer's disease using iPSCs Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:13 AM PST Researchers have successfully modeled Alzheimer's disease (AD) using both familial and sporadic patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells, and revealed stress phenotypes and differential drug responsiveness associated with intracellular amyloid beta oligomers in AD neurons and astrocytes.

Coldness triggers northward flight in monarch butterflies: Migration cycle may be vulnerable to global climate change Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:12 AM PST Each fall millions of monarch butterflies migrate south in order to escape frigid temperatures, traveling up to 2,000 miles to an overwintering site in a specific grove of fir trees in central Mexico. A new study suggests that exposure to coldness found in the microenvironment of the monarch's overwintering site triggers their return north every spring. Without this cold exposure, the monarch butterfly would continue flying south.

Life's tiniest architects pinpointed: Molecular regulators of epigenetics Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:12 AM PST If a genome is the blueprint for life, then the chief architects are tiny slices of genetic material that orchestrate how we are assembled and function. The study pinpoints the molecular regulators of epigenetics -- the process by which unchanging genes along our DNA are switched on and off at precisely right time and place.

Aspirin and omega-3 fatty acids work together to fight inflammation Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:12 AM PST Experts tout the health benefits of low-dose aspirin and omega-3 fatty acids but the detailed mechanisms involved in their effects are not fully known. Now researchers show that aspirin helps trigger the production of molecules called resolvins that are naturally made by the body from omega-3 fatty acids. These resolvins shut off, or "resolve," the inflammation that underlies destructive conditions such as inflammatory lung disease, heart disease, and arthritis.

How to kill an asteroid? Get out a paint spray gun Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:11 AM PST There is research that is off the wall, some off the charts and some off the planet, such as what a Texas A&M University aerospace and physics professor is exploring. It's a plan to deflect a killer asteroid by using paint, and the science behind it is absolutely rock solid, so to speak, so much so that NASA is getting involved.

Antibacterial protein's molecular workings revealed Posted: 21 Feb 2013 08:59 AM PST Investigators report new insights to the workings of calprotectin, an immune system protein that "starves" bacterial pathogens of the metal nutrients they require. The findings, which include a detailed structural view of how calprotectin binds the metal manganese, could guide efforts to develop novel antibacterials that limit a microbe's access to metals.

Mercury may have harbored an ancient magma ocean: Massive lava flows may have given rise to two distinct rock types Posted: 21 Feb 2013 08:58 AM PST By analyzing Mercury's rocky surface, scientists have been able to partially reconstruct the planet's history over billions of years.

Discovering the birth of an asteroid trail Posted: 21 Feb 2013 08:52 AM PST Unlike comets, asteroids are not characterised by exhibiting a trail, but there are now ten exceptions. Researchers have observed one of these rare asteroids from the Gran Telescopio Canarias (Spain) and have discovered that something happened around the 1st July 2011 causing its trail to appear: maybe internal rupture or collision with another asteroid.

Scientists unveil secrets of important natural antibiotic Posted: 21 Feb 2013 07:43 AM PST An international team of scientists has discovered how an important natural antibiotic called dermcidin, produced by our skin when we sweat, is a highly efficient tool to fight tuberculosis germs and other dangerous bugs.

In rich and poor nations, giving makes people feel better than getting, research finds Posted: 21 Feb 2013 07:43 AM PST Feeling good about spending money on someone else rather than for personal benefit may be a universal response among people in both impoverished countries and rich nations, according to new research.

Early life stress may take early toll on heart function Posted: 21 Feb 2013 07:43 AM PST Early life stress like that experienced by ill newborns appears to take an early toll of the heart, affecting its ability to relax and refill with oxygen-rich blood, researchers report.

Explosives vapor detection technology: The new 'sniff test' Posted: 21 Feb 2013 06:20 AM PST A quick, accurate and highly sensitive process to reliably detect minute traces of explosives on luggage, cargo or traveling passengers has been demonstrated. The vapor detection technology accurately detects and identifies the vapors of even very low-volatility explosives in real time at ambient temperature and without sample pre-concentration.

Common acne drug not associated with increased risk of IBD Posted: 21 Feb 2013 06:20 AM PST Doctors should not be discouraged from prescribing isotretinoin to adolescents for inflammatory acne, according to a new study showing the drug does not increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease.

Writing without keyboard: Handwriting recognition on the wrist Posted: 21 Feb 2013 06:18 AM PST Typing text messages on the mobile phone via the tiny soft keyboard is very cumbersome. How about simply writing it into the air! This idea drove the development of  "airwriting" by computer scientists. Sensors attached to a glove record hand movements, a computer system captures relevant signals and translates them into text.

Cooling may prevent trauma-induced epilepsy Posted: 21 Feb 2013 06:18 AM PST In the weeks, months and years after a severe head injury, patients often experience epileptic seizures that are difficult to control. A new study in rats suggests that gently cooling the brain after injury may prevent these seizures.

Study of remora fish could lead to new bio-adhesive Posted: 21 Feb 2013 06:18 AM PST A new study provides details of the structure and tissue properties of the unique adhesion system used by remora fish to attach themselves to sharks and other marine animals. The information could lead to a new engineered reversible adhesive.

Disruption of circadian clock linked to obesity, diabetes and heart attacks Posted: 21 Feb 2013 06:18 AM PST Disruption in the body's circadian rhythm can lead not only to obesity, but can also increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease. That is the conclusion of the first study to show definitively that insulin activity is controlled by the body's circadian biological clock. The study, helps explain why not only what you eat, but when you eat, matters.

Great Backyard Bird Count goes global, shatters records Posted: 21 Feb 2013 06:18 AM PST Bird watchers from 101 countries made history in the first global Great Backyard Bird Count, Feb. 15 to 18. In the largest worldwide bird count ever, bird watchers set new records, counting more than 25 million birds on 116,000 checklists in four days -- and recording 3,138 species, nearly one-third of the world's total bird species.

Earthquakes in small laboratory samples Posted: 21 Feb 2013 05:47 AM PST Mechanical failure of materials is a complex phenomenon underlying many accidents and natural disasters ranging from the fracture of small devices to earthquakes. Despite the vast separation of spatial, temporal, energy, and strain-rate scales, and the differences in geometry, it has been proposed that laboratory experiments on brittle fracture in heterogeneous materials can be a model for earthquake occurrence.

Molecular system that could help develop potential treatments for conditions such as Alzheimer's disease identified Posted: 21 Feb 2013 05:47 AM PST Scientists have identified the molecular system that contributes to the harmful inflammatory reaction in the brain during neurodegenerative diseases. An important aspect of chronic neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's or prion disease, is the generation of an innate inflammatory reaction within the brain. Results from the study open new avenues for the regulation of the inflammatory reaction and provide new insights into the understanding of the biology of microglial cells, which play a leading role in the development and maintenance of this reaction.

Common swifts make mysterious twilight ascents Posted: 21 Feb 2013 05:47 AM PST Common swifts climb to altitudes of up to 2.5 km both at dawn and dusk. This unexpected behavior was discovered by a geo-ecologist.

Bees attracted to contrasting colors when looking for nectar Posted: 21 Feb 2013 05:47 AM PST Flower colors that contrast with their background are more important to foraging bees than patterns of colored veins on pale flowers, according to new research. Researchers' observation of how patterns of pigmentation on flower petals influence bumblebees' behavior suggests that color veins give clues to the location of the nectar. There is little to suggest, however, that bees have an innate preference for striped flowers.

When water speaks: Solvents make catalysts more efficient Posted: 21 Feb 2013 05:47 AM PST Why certain catalyst materials work more efficiently when they are surrounded by water instead of a gas phase is unclear. Chemists have now gleaned some initial answers from computer simulations. They showed that water stabilizes specific charge states on the catalyst surface.

Cell therapy: New mouse model promises to advance research on induced pluripotent stem cells Posted: 21 Feb 2013 05:46 AM PST Cell therapy is a promising alternative to tissue and organ transplantation for diseases that are caused by death or poor functioning of cells. Considering the ethical discussions surrounding human embryonic stem cells, a lot is expected of the so-called 'induced pluripotent stem cells' (iPS cells). However, before this technique can be applied effectively, a lot of research is required into the safety and efficacy of such iPS cells. Scientists have now developed a mouse model that can advance this research to the next step.

Microbubbles improve myocardial remodelling after infarction Posted: 21 Feb 2013 05:46 AM PST Scientists have successfully tested a method in mice allowing the morphological and functional sequelae of a myocardial infarction to be reduced. Tiny gas bubbles are made to oscillate within the heart via focused ultrasound -- this improves microcirculation and decreases the size of the scar tissue. The results show that the mice, following myocardial infarction, have improved cardiac output as a result of this method, as compared to untreated animals.

Cancer drug a possible treatment for multiple sclerosis, rat study suggests Posted: 21 Feb 2013 05:46 AM PST A drug that is currently used for cancer can relieve and slow down the progression of the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS) in rats, according to a new study. The discovery might one day lead to better forms of treatment for patients with MS.

Insects inspiring new technology: Autonomous navigation of mobile robots based on locust vision Posted: 21 Feb 2013 05:46 AM PST The way in which the locust's distinctive visual system could be transferred into technology for state of the art vehicle collision sensors, surveillance technology and video games has been detailed as part of robotics research.

More than just looking: A role of tiny eye movements explained Posted: 21 Feb 2013 05:46 AM PST Have you ever wondered whether it's possible to look at two places at once? Because our eyes have a specialized central region with high visual acuity and good color vision, we must always focus on one spot at a time in order to see our environment. As a result, our eyes constantly jump back and forth as we look around. But what if -- when you are looking at an object -- your brain also allowed you to "look" somewhere else at the same time, out of the corner of your eye, as it were? Now, a scientist has found a possible explanation for how this might happen.

Talking about being old is important indicator of body dissatisfaction Posted: 20 Feb 2013 05:37 PM PST Similar to talking about being fat, talking about being old is an important an indicator of body dissatisfaction, shows new research. Body dissatisfaction is known to be correlated with, and predictive of, physical and mental health problems including binge eating, emotional eating, stress, low self-esteem, depression, and use of unhealthy weight control behaviors. High levels of talking about weight and being fat, 'fat talk', is known to be a good indicator of body dissatisfaction.

Digital processing system avoids 17.4 million drug errors in US in one year Posted: 20 Feb 2013 03:50 PM PST Processing a prescription through an electronic ordering system can halve the likelihood of a drug error, and avert more than 17 million such incidents in US hospitals in one year alone, indicates new research.

Scrap 'unwinnable' drugs war and divert funds into curbing global antibiotic misuse, experts say Posted: 20 Feb 2013 03:49 PM PST Governments around the world should stop squandering resources fighting an "unwinnable war" against illegal drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. Instead, they should use the cash to curb antibiotic misuse, which poses a far more serious threat to human health, claims a leading ethicist.

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