ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

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• Research explores links between physical and emotional pain relief
• Quirky Lyme disease bacteria: Unlike most organisms, they don't need iron, but crave manganese
• Road traffic pollution as serious as passive smoke in the development of childhood asthma
• Most pre-packaged meals, snacks for toddlers contain too much salt
• Eating too much salt led to 2.3 million heart-related deaths worldwide in 2010
• Energy drinks may increase blood pressure, disturb heart rhythm
• Seabirds need effective marine conservation in wake of discard ban, warns study
• Low-cost 'cooling cure' would avert brain damage in oxygen-starved babies
• Fossil bird study on extinction patterns could help today's conservation efforts
• Increase in postpartum sleep is still only a dream for new moms
• Acting out dreams linked to development of dementia
• Serious mental illness no barrier to weight loss success
• Researchers alter mosquito genome with goal of controlling disease
• First images released from newest Earth observation satellite
• Breakthrough could lead to cheaper, more sustainable chemical production
• Enzymes allow DNA to swap information with exotic molecules
• Pain reliever shows anti-viral activity against flu
• New method developed to expand blood stem cells for bone marrow transplant
• Quantum computers coming soon? Metamaterials used to observe giant photonic spin Hall effect
• Discovery could increase efficacy of promising cystic fibrosis drug
• Multiple sclerosis research: Thalamus moves into the spotlight
• Quantum computers counting on carbon nanotubes
• How serotonin receptors can shape drug effects from LSD to migraine medication
• 'Evolutionary glitch' possible cause of childhood ear infections
• Megavolcanoes tied to pre-dinosaur mass extinction: Apparent sudden climate shift could have analog today
• Scientists develop innovative twists to DNA nanotechnology
• Stem cells use signal orientation to guide division, study shows
• Terradynamics: Technique could help designers predict how legged robots will move on granular surfaces
• Primary care physicians missing early signs of serious mental illness
• Archerfish get an eye test
• Physical therapy as effective as surgery for torn meniscus and arthritis of the knee, study suggests
• Findings to help in design of drugs against virus causing childhood illnesses
• Scientists identify gene that is consistently altered in obese individuals
• Chemical compounds that halt virus replication identified
• New diagnostic technology points to possible new blood tests for conditions from Alzheimer's to autoimmune diseases
• Harnessing immune cells' adaptability to design an effective HIV vaccine
• Do i know you? Memory patterns help us recall the social webs we weave
• Differences in bone healing in young vs. old mice may hold answers to better bone healing for seniors
• Cancer drug shortages mean higher costs and greater risk for patients
• Faster, smarter and cheaper drug discovery
• 'Sideline quasars' helped to stifle early galaxy formation
• What you eat before surgery may affect your recovery
• Misregulated genes may have big autism role
• Novel insights into the evolution of protein networks
• Adults worldwide eat almost double daily recommended amount of sodium
• Smelling genetic information: Molecules allow mice to sniff out the genes of other mice
• New method may sharpen microscopic images
• Global nitrogen availability consistent for past 500 years linked to carbon levels
• Parents should do chores together, study says
• Men may have natural aversion to adultery with friends' wives
• Amateur parody videos can make the originals more popular and profitable
• Pavlov inverted: Reward linked to image is enough to activate brain's visual cortex
• Immune system can delay healing of bone fractures
• Neuroscience of finding your lost keys
• Best map ever made of universe's oldest light: Planck mission brings universe into sharp focus
• Genes may be reason some kids are picky about food
• 98 percent of total knee replacement patients return to life, work following surgery
• Ants rise with temperature
• Molecular geometry, new field in the making
• Computerized mannequin changes body shape and size

Research explores links between physical and emotional pain relief Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:57 PM PDT Though we all desire relief -- from stress, work, or pain -- little is known about the specific emotions underlying relief. New research explores the psychological mechanisms associated with relief that occurs after the removal of pain, also known as pain offset relief.

Quirky Lyme disease bacteria: Unlike most organisms, they don't need iron, but crave manganese Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:57 PM PDT Scientists have confirmed that the pathogen that causes Lyme disease -- unlike any other known organism -- can exist without iron, a metal that all other life needs to make proteins and enzymes. Instead of iron, the bacteria substitute manganese to make an essential enzyme, thus eluding immune system defenses that protect the body by starving pathogens of iron.

Road traffic pollution as serious as passive smoke in the development of childhood asthma Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:55 PM PDT New research conducted in 10 European cities has estimated that 14 percent of chronic childhood asthma is due to exposure to traffic pollution near busy roads.

Most pre-packaged meals, snacks for toddlers contain too much salt Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:55 PM PDT Most pre-packaged meals and snacks for toddlers contain high amounts of sodium. Some toddler meals had as much as 630 mg of sodium per serving.

Eating too much salt led to 2.3 million heart-related deaths worldwide in 2010 Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:55 PM PDT Excessive sodium (salt) consumption caused 2.3 million heart-related deaths in the world in 2010. Nearly 1 million of these deaths occurred in people 69 years and younger.

Energy drinks may increase blood pressure, disturb heart rhythm Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:55 PM PDT Energy drinks may increase blood pressure and disturb the heart's rhythm. Researchers who analyzed seven previously published studies found an increase of 3.5 points in systolic blood pressure for those consuming energy drinks. Consuming energy drinks may increase the chances of developing an abnormal heart rhythm.

Seabirds need effective marine conservation in wake of discard ban, warns study Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:54 PM PDT Conservationists have renewed urgent calls for effective marine protection in European waters, after a new study revealed that the recent EU ban on fish discards could have a significant short-term impact on some seabirds.

Low-cost 'cooling cure' would avert brain damage in oxygen-starved babies Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:53 PM PDT When babies are deprived of oxygen before birth, brain damage can occur. Preventive treatment is not always available in developing nations. Students have invented a low-tech $40 unit to provide protective cooling in the absence of modern hospital equipment that can cost $12,000.

Fossil bird study on extinction patterns could help today's conservation efforts Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:48 PM PDT A new study of nearly 5,000 Haiti bird fossils shows contrary to a commonly held theory, human arrival 6,000 years ago didn't cause the island's birds to die simultaneously.

Increase in postpartum sleep is still only a dream for new moms Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:48 PM PDT Sleep tips and supports from specially-trained nurses are valued by new parents but do not help increase postpartum sleep for first-time moms or their babies.

Acting out dreams linked to development of dementia Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:48 PM PDT The strongest predictor of whether a man is developing dementia with Lewy bodies — the second most common form of dementia in the elderly — is whether he acts out his dreams while sleeping, researchers have discovered.

Serious mental illness no barrier to weight loss success Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:48 PM PDT Through a program that teaches simple nutrition messages and involves both counseling and regular exercise classes, people with serious mental illness can make healthy behavioral changes and achieve significant weight loss.

Researchers alter mosquito genome with goal of controlling disease Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:48 PM PDT With a technique called TALENS, scientists used a pair of engineered proteins to disrupt a targeted gene in the mosquito genome, changing the eye color of ensuing generations of the insect. The method might help scientists find ways control disease transmission.

First images released from newest Earth observation satellite Posted: 21 Mar 2013 02:09 PM PDT NASA and the Department of the Interior's U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have released the first images from the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) satellite, which was launched Feb. 11.

Breakthrough could lead to cheaper, more sustainable chemical production Posted: 21 Mar 2013 12:19 PM PDT A new advance could enable the production of an important commodity chemical using carbon dioxide as a carbon source instead of petroleum. Carbon dioxide is basically free, and something the planet currently has in excess. Activating carbon dioxide for the production of commodity chemicals could be a way make them more cheaply and sustainably.

Enzymes allow DNA to swap information with exotic molecules Posted: 21 Mar 2013 12:19 PM PDT Scientists have been hunting for a biological Rosetta Stone -- an enzyme allowing DNA's four-letter language to be written into a simpler (and potentially more ancient) molecule that may have existed as a genetic pathway to DNA and RNA in the prebiotic world. Research results demonstrate that DNA sequences can be transcribed into a molecule known as TNA and reverse transcribed back into DNA, with the aid of commercially available enzymes.

Pain reliever shows anti-viral activity against flu Posted: 21 Mar 2013 12:19 PM PDT The over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drug naproxen may also exhibit antiviral activity against influenza A virus, according to a team of scientists. The findings are the result of a structure-based investigation.

New method developed to expand blood stem cells for bone marrow transplant Posted: 21 Mar 2013 12:19 PM PDT More than 50,000 stem cell transplants are performed each year worldwide. Scientists may have solved a major issue of expanding adult hematopoietic stem cells outside the human body for clinical use in bone marrow transplantation -- a critical step towards producing a large supply of blood stem cells needed to restore a healthy blood system.

Quantum computers coming soon? Metamaterials used to observe giant photonic spin Hall effect Posted: 21 Mar 2013 12:19 PM PDT Engineering a unique metamaterial of gold nanoantennas, researchers were able to obtain the strongest signal yet of the photonic spin Hall effect, an optical phenomenon of quantum mechanics that could play a prominent role in the future of computing.

Discovery could increase efficacy of promising cystic fibrosis drug Posted: 21 Mar 2013 12:15 PM PDT Researchers believe they have found exactly how Kalydeco (Vx-770), the first drug of its kind to treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis, works and how to improve its effectiveness in the future.

Multiple sclerosis research: Thalamus moves into the spotlight Posted: 21 Mar 2013 11:15 AM PDT A new study found that atrophy of the thalamus, determined with MRI, can help identify which patients with clinically isolated syndrome, a patient's first episode of MS, are at risk for developing clinically definite MS.

Quantum computers counting on carbon nanotubes Posted: 21 Mar 2013 11:15 AM PDT Carbon nanotubes can be used as quantum bits for quantum computers. A study by physicists has shown how nanotubes can store information in the form of vibrations. Up to now, researchers have experimented primarily with electrically charged particles. Because nanomechanical devices are not charged, they are much less sensitive to electrical interference.

How serotonin receptors can shape drug effects from LSD to migraine medication Posted: 21 Mar 2013 11:15 AM PDT Researchers have determined and analyzed the high-resolution atomic structures of two kinds of human serotonin receptor. The new findings help explain why some drugs that interact with these receptors have had unexpectedly complex and sometimes harmful effects.

'Evolutionary glitch' possible cause of childhood ear infections Posted: 21 Mar 2013 11:14 AM PDT Researchers have uncovered how the human ear is formed, giving clues as to why children are susceptible to infections such as glue ear.

Megavolcanoes tied to pre-dinosaur mass extinction: Apparent sudden climate shift could have analog today Posted: 21 Mar 2013 11:14 AM PDT Scientists examining evidence across the world say they have linked the abrupt disappearance of half of earth's species 200 million years ago to a precisely dated set of gigantic volcanic eruptions. The eruptions may have caused climate changes so sudden that many creatures were unable to adapt -- possibly on a pace similar to that of human-influenced climate warming today. The extinction opened the way for dinosaurs to evolve and dominate the planet for the next 135 million years.

Scientists develop innovative twists to DNA nanotechnology Posted: 21 Mar 2013 11:14 AM PDT In a new discovery that represents a major step in solving a critical design challenge, scientists have produced a wide variety of 2-D and 3-D structures that push the boundaries of the burgeoning field of DNA nanotechnology.

Stem cells use signal orientation to guide division, study shows Posted: 21 Mar 2013 11:14 AM PDT Cells in the body need to be acutely aware of their surroundings. A signal from one direction may cause a cell to react in a very different way than if it had come from another direction. Now, researchers have devised a way to mimic in the laboratory the spatially oriented signaling that cells normally experience.

Terradynamics: Technique could help designers predict how legged robots will move on granular surfaces Posted: 21 Mar 2013 11:14 AM PDT Using a combination of theory and experiment, researchers have developed a new approach for understanding and predicting how small legged robots -- and potentially also animals -- move on and interact with complex granular materials such as sand.

Primary care physicians missing early signs of serious mental illness Posted: 21 Mar 2013 11:13 AM PDT Primary care providers could help people with warning signs of psychosis get critical early treatment and potentially reduce the current burden on emergency departments and inpatient units, finds a new study.

Archerfish get an eye test Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:32 AM PDT A modified version of an eye test used to assess visual acuity in the military has been given to archerfish by scientists to help explain how these remarkable fish are able to accurately spit down tiny insects high above the water's surface.

Physical therapy as effective as surgery for torn meniscus and arthritis of the knee, study suggests Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:32 AM PDT A new study showing that physical therapy is just as effective as surgery in patients with meniscal tears and arthritis of the knee should encourage many health care providers to reconsider their practices in the management of this common injury, experts say.

Findings to help in design of drugs against virus causing childhood illnesses Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:32 AM PDT New research findings may help scientists design drugs to treat a virus infection that causes potentially fatal brain swelling and paralysis in children. The virus, called enterovirus 71, causes hand, foot and mouth disease, and is common throughout the world.

Scientists identify gene that is consistently altered in obese individuals Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:31 AM PDT Food and environment can chemically alter your gene function, and scientists have identified a gene that is consistently altered in obesity.

Chemical compounds that halt virus replication identified Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:31 AM PDT Researchers have identified a new chemical class of compounds that have the potential to block genetically diverse viruses from replicating. The findings could allow for the development of broad-spectrum antiviral medications to treat a number of viruses, including the highly pathogenic Ebola and Marburg viruses.

New diagnostic technology points to possible new blood tests for conditions from Alzheimer's to autoimmune diseases Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:31 AM PDT Researchers have developed cutting-edge technology that can successfully screen human blood for disease markers. This tool may hold the key to better diagnosing and understanding today's most pressing and puzzling health conditions, including autoimmune diseases.

Harnessing immune cells' adaptability to design an effective HIV vaccine Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:31 AM PDT In infected individuals, HIV mutates rapidly to escape recognition by immune cells. This process of evolution is the main obstacle to natural immunity and the development of an effective vaccine. A new study reveals that the immune system has the capacity to adapt such that it can recognize mutations in HIV.

Do i know you? Memory patterns help us recall the social webs we weave Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:19 AM PDT With a dizzying number of ties in our social networks – that your Aunt Alice is a neighbor of Muhammad who is married to Natasha who is your wife's boss – it's a wonder we remember any of it. How do we keep track of the complexity? We cheat, says a sociologist.

Differences in bone healing in young vs. old mice may hold answers to better bone healing for seniors Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:19 AM PDT By studying the underlying differences in gene expression during healing after a bone break in young versus aged mice, scientists aim to find specific pathways of fracture healing in humans.

Cancer drug shortages mean higher costs and greater risk for patients Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:19 AM PDT Drug shortages erode the quality and increase the cost of cancer care; experts warn that shortages persist despite efforts to fix the problem.

Faster, smarter and cheaper drug discovery Posted: 21 Mar 2013 10:19 AM PDT Computers are now sifting through drug libraries to pick out compounds likely to clobber TB with minimal side effects to humans. Programmers have 'taught' the computers to understand which chemical features of a drug are associated with efficacy against TB and which are associated with toxicity to mammalian cells. The process may lead to much less trial and error in finding new therapies. The computers even rediscovered a compound reported 40 years ago to have anti-TB activity but since forgotten.

'Sideline quasars' helped to stifle early galaxy formation Posted: 21 Mar 2013 08:10 AM PDT Astronomers targeting one of the brightest quasars glowing in the universe some 11 billion years ago say "sideline quasars" likely teamed up with it to heat abundant helium gas billions of years ago, preventing small galaxy formation.

What you eat before surgery may affect your recovery Posted: 21 Mar 2013 08:10 AM PDT According to a new study, the last few meals before surgery might make a difference in recovery after surgery.

Misregulated genes may have big autism role Posted: 21 Mar 2013 08:09 AM PDT A genetic pathway involving proteins in the endosomes of cells appears to be misregulated in the brains of children with autism, according to a newly published statistical analysis. Previously, the genes were shown to cause rare forms of the disease, but the new study suggests they have a wider role.

Novel insights into the evolution of protein networks Posted: 21 Mar 2013 08:09 AM PDT System-wide networks of proteins are indispensable for organisms. Function and evolution of these networks are among the most fascinating research questions in biology. Researchers have reconstructed ancestral protein networks. The results are of high interest not only for evolutionary research but also for the interpretation of genome sequence data.

Adults worldwide eat almost double daily recommended amount of sodium Posted: 21 Mar 2013 08:09 AM PDT Adults worldwide consume almost double the daily recommended amount of sodium (salt). The study is among the first to provide information about sodium intake by country, age and gender.

Smelling genetic information: Molecules allow mice to sniff out the genes of other mice Posted: 21 Mar 2013 08:02 AM PDT Scientists have theorized that animals and humans are able to smell certain genes linked to the immune system, which in turn influences their choice of mate. The genes in question are known as MHC (major histocompatibility complex) genes. Selecting a mate with very different MHC genes from one's own makes sense, because your offspring will then have a greater variety of immunity genes -- and a correspondingly greater resistance to disease. But until now, no scent offering information about MHC genes had been discovered among those emitted by humans and animals. Now researchers have managed to do just that.

New method may sharpen microscopic images Posted: 21 Mar 2013 07:51 AM PDT UT Dallas researchers are developing a new low-light imaging method that could improve a number of scientific applications, including the microscopic imaging of molecules in cancer research.

Global nitrogen availability consistent for past 500 years linked to carbon levels Posted: 21 Mar 2013 07:51 AM PDT Despite humans increasing nitrogen production through industrialization, nitrogen availability in many ecosystems has remained steady for the past 500 years, a new study finds.

Parents should do chores together, study says Posted: 21 Mar 2013 06:31 AM PDT New research finds that keeping score with chores isn't the best path to a high-quality relationship. Instead the data points to two items that should have a permanent place on every father's to-do list: Do housework alongside your spouse, Spend quality time with the kids.

Men may have natural aversion to adultery with friends' wives Posted: 21 Mar 2013 06:31 AM PDT After outgrowing teenage infatuations with the girl next door, adult males seem to be biologically designed to avoid amorous attractions to the wife next door, according to a new study that found adult males' testosterone levels dropped when they were interacting with the marital partner of a close friend.

Amateur parody videos can make the originals more popular and profitable Posted: 21 Mar 2013 06:29 AM PDT Amateur parody videos on YouTube can lead to increased views and popularity for the original, research has found.

Pavlov inverted: Reward linked to image is enough to activate brain's visual cortex Posted: 21 Mar 2013 06:29 AM PDT Once rhesus monkeys learn to associate a picture with a reward, the reward by itself becomes enough to alter the activity in the monkeys' visual cortex.

Immune system can delay healing of bone fractures Posted: 21 Mar 2013 06:29 AM PDT Medical researchers have succeeded in demonstrating an association between delayed bone fracture healing and increased concentration of specific immune cells in the blood of the patient. Results of the study show that the adaptive immune system responds to the fracture in a similar way as to an infection and attempts to fight against it.

Neuroscience of finding your lost keys Posted: 21 Mar 2013 06:28 AM PDT Ever find yourself racking your brain on a Monday morning to remember where you put your car keys? When you do find those keys, you can thank the hippocampus, a brain region responsible for storing and retrieving memories of different environments -- such as that room where your keys were hiding in an unusual spot. Now, scientists have helped explain how the brain keeps track of the incredibly rich and complex environments people navigate on a daily basis.

Best map ever made of universe's oldest light: Planck mission brings universe into sharp focus Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:42 AM PDT The Planck space mission has released the most accurate and detailed map ever made of the oldest light in the universe, revealing new information about its age, contents and origins.

Genes may be reason some kids are picky about food Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:29 AM PDT Parents may plead, cajole or entice their children to try new foods, but some kids just won't budge. Now, new research reveals that the reason these kids fear new foods has less to do with what's on their plate and more to do with their genes.

98 percent of total knee replacement patients return to life, work following surgery Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:28 AM PDT Ninety-eight percent of total knee replacement patients who were working before surgery returned to work after surgery, and of those patients, 89 percent returned to their previous position, according to new research. Another related study highlights the life-restoring outcomes of total hip replacement.

Ants rise with temperature Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:15 AM PDT Aphaenogaster genera are abundant woodland ants that disperse most spring flower seeds. This research shows how rising minimum temperatures affect cold- and warm-adapted ants. Warming minimum temperatures allow warm-adapted ants to migrate up the mountains, replacing cold-adapted ants.

Molecular geometry, new field in the making Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:13 AM PDT Scientists are working towards creating a new field called Molecular Geometry which provides geometrical solutions within the study of molecules.

Computerized mannequin changes body shape and size Posted: 21 Mar 2013 05:13 AM PDT At its first glance, the mannequin 'i.Dummy' looks no different from an ordinary dummy but it is no plain stuff - this sophisticated mannequin can change its body shape and size or even elongate at the point of a fingertip on computer.

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