ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Poor parenting -- including overprotection -- increases bullying risk
• Tracking gunfire with a smartphone
• How Parkinson's disease protein acts like a virus
• Boosting the powers of genomic science
• Roundworm quells obesity and related metabolic disorders
• Cost-effectiveness of helicopter transport of trauma victims examined
• Novel approach to find RNAs involved in long-term memory storage
• Hormone levels and sexual motivation among young women
• Forced exercise may still protect against anxiety and stress
• New imaging technology could reveal cellular secrets
• Sunshine hormone, vitamin D, may offer hope for treating liver fibrosis
• NASA probe observes meteors colliding with Saturn's rings
• Keeping beverages cool in summer: I''s not just the heat, it's the humidity
• Scientists image nanoparticles in action
• Clues to making vaccine for infant respiratory illness
• Longer days bring 'winter blues' -- for rats, not humans
• Missing link in Parkinson's disease found: Discovery also has implications for heart failure
• Earth's center is 1,000 degrees hotter than previously thought, synchrotron X-ray experiment shows
• Whales are able to learn from others: Humpbacks pass on hunting tips
• 'When in Rome': Monkeys found to conform to social norms
• Ecology buys time for evolution: Climate change disrupts songbird's timing without impacting population size (yet)
• Archeologists unearth new information on origins of Maya civilization
• More days in classroom does not translate into more learning in Mexico
• Einstein's gravity theory passes toughest test yet
• 'Taxels' convert mechanical motion to electronic signals
• Vaterite: Crystal within a crystal helps resolve an old puzzle
• Why do guppies jump?
• How trees play role in smog production
• With wave of the hand, researchers create touch-based interfaces
• First edition of a bookworm's genome
• Thanks to rare alpine bacteria, researchers identify one of alcohol's key gateways to the brain
• Bold move forward in molecular analyses
• Key cellular organelle involved in gene silencing identified
• Novel mechanism by which UVA contributes to photoaging of skin
• Discovery of a gene that controls three different diseases
• Inhibiting enzymes in the cell may lead to development and proliferation of cancer cells
• Periodic bursts of genetic mutations drive prostate cancer
• As people live longer and reproduce less, natural selection keeps up
• Seeding a new kind of concrete
• Ceramic foam cleans up exhaust gases
• 'Redshirting' kindergarteners not as common as reported
• High performance semiconductor spray paint could be a game changer for organic electronics
• New grass hybrid could help reduce the likelihood of flooding
• Entire galaxies feel the heat from newborn stars: Bursts of star birth can curtail future galaxy growth
• TRAPPIST participated in the detection of ten percent of all transiting exoplanets known to date
• Examine social factors to explain rise in diagnoses of mental disorders
• Role of vital proteins in allergic reactions, other conditions
• Early dialogue between parents, children stems teen smoking
• Melatonin delays ALS symptom onset and death in mice
• Novel therapeutic approaches may cure chronic HBV infection
• New advances in the management of patients with cirrhosis
• Liver disease: New studies demonstrates lethal link between alcohol, weight
• Faith in God positively influences treatment for individuals with psychiatric illness
• Autism risk spotted at birth in abnormal placentas
• Link between school climate and violence confirmed
• Metabolic disorders predict the hardening of the arterial walls already in childhood
• Scientists advocate a simple, affordable and accurate technology to identify threats from sea-level rise
• Pedophiles identified accurately with implicit association tasks
• Nanostructures improve the efficiency of solar cells
• Coffee may help prevent breast cancer returning, study finds

Poor parenting -- including overprotection -- increases bullying risk Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:40 PM PDT Children who are exposed to negative parenting -- including abuse, neglect but also overprotection -- are more likely to experience childhood bullying by their peers, according to a meta-analysis of 70 studies of more than 200,000 children.

Tracking gunfire with a smartphone Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:38 PM PDT A team of computer engineers has developed an inexpensive hardware module and related software that can transform an Android smartphone into a simple shooter location system.

How Parkinson's disease protein acts like a virus Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:37 PM PDT A protein known to be a key player in the development of Parkinson's disease is able to enter and harm cells in the same way that viruses do, according to a new study.

Boosting the powers of genomic science Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:37 PM PDT Scientists describe novel statistical models that more broadly and deeply identify associations between bits of sequenced DNA called single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs and say lead to a more complete and accurate understanding of the genetic underpinnings of many diseases and how best to treat them.

Roundworm quells obesity and related metabolic disorders Posted: 25 Apr 2013 01:45 PM PDT Researchers have shown in a mouse model that infection with nematodes (also known as roundworms) can not only combat obesity but ameliorate related metabolic disorders.

Cost-effectiveness of helicopter transport of trauma victims examined Posted: 25 Apr 2013 01:45 PM PDT Researchers have for the first time determined how often emergency medical helicopters need to help save the lives of seriously injured people to be considered cost-effective compared with ground ambulances.

Novel approach to find RNAs involved in long-term memory storage Posted: 25 Apr 2013 01:02 PM PDT Scientists have developed a novel strategy for isolating and characterizing a substantial number of RNAs transported from the cell-body of neuron (nerve cell) to the synapse, the small gap separating neurons that enables cell to cell communication.

Hormone levels and sexual motivation among young women Posted: 25 Apr 2013 01:02 PM PDT Feeling frisky? If so, chances are greater your estrogen level -- and, perhaps, fertility -- are hitting their monthly peak. If not, you're more likely experiencing a profusion of desire-deadening progesterone, and the less fertile time in your cycle. Oh, the power of hormones.

Forced exercise may still protect against anxiety and stress Posted: 25 Apr 2013 01:02 PM PDT Being forced to exercise may still help reduce anxiety and depression just as exercising voluntarily does, according to a new study.

New imaging technology could reveal cellular secrets Posted: 25 Apr 2013 01:02 PM PDT Researchers have married two biological imaging technologies, creating a new way to learn how good cells go bad.

Sunshine hormone, vitamin D, may offer hope for treating liver fibrosis Posted: 25 Apr 2013 01:01 PM PDT Liver fibrosis results from an excessive accumulation of tough, fibrous scar tissue and occurs in most types of chronic liver diseases. In industrialized countries, the main causes of liver injury leading to fibrosis include chronic hepatitis virus infection, excess alcohol consumption and, increasingly, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

NASA probe observes meteors colliding with Saturn's rings Posted: 25 Apr 2013 11:46 AM PDT NASA's Cassini spacecraft has provided the first direct evidence of small meteoroids breaking into streams of rubble and crashing into Saturn's rings. These observations make Saturn's rings the only location besides Earth, the moon and Jupiter where scientists and amateur astronomers have been able to observe impacts as they occur. Studying the impact rate of meteoroids from outside the Saturnian system helps scientists understand how different planet systems in our solar system formed.

Keeping beverages cool in summer: I''s not just the heat, it's the humidity Posted: 25 Apr 2013 11:24 AM PDT Those drops on the outside of your drink don't just make the can slippery. Experiments show that in hot, humid weather, condensation heats a drink more than the surrounding air.

Scientists image nanoparticles in action Posted: 25 Apr 2013 11:24 AM PDT Scientists have invented a technique for imaging nanoparticle dynamics with atomic resolution as these dynamics occur in a liquid environment. The results will allow, for the first time, the imaging of nanoscale processes, such as the engulfment of nanoparticles into cells.

Clues to making vaccine for infant respiratory illness Posted: 25 Apr 2013 11:24 AM PDT An atomic-level snapshot of a respiratory syncytial virus protein bound to a human antibody represents a leap toward developing a vaccine for a common -- and sometimes very serious -- childhood disease.

Longer days bring 'winter blues' -- for rats, not humans Posted: 25 Apr 2013 11:24 AM PDT Biologists have found that rats experience more anxiety and depression when the days grow longer. More importantly, they discovered that the rat's brain cells adopt a new chemical code when subjected to large changes in the day and night cycle.

Missing link in Parkinson's disease found: Discovery also has implications for heart failure Posted: 25 Apr 2013 11:23 AM PDT Researchers have described a missing link in understanding how damage to the body's cellular power plants leads to Parkinson's disease and, perhaps surprisingly, to some forms of heart failure.

Earth's center is 1,000 degrees hotter than previously thought, synchrotron X-ray experiment shows Posted: 25 Apr 2013 11:23 AM PDT The temperature near Earth's center is 6,000 degrees Celsius, 1,000 degrees more than given in an experiment 20 years ago. This experiment with synchrotron X-rays confirms geophysical models that explain Earth's magnetic field and the creation and intense activity of hot-spot volcanoes. The scientists also established why the earlier experiment had produced lower temperature figures.

Whales are able to learn from others: Humpbacks pass on hunting tips Posted: 25 Apr 2013 11:23 AM PDT Humpback whales are able to pass on hunting techniques to each other, just as humans do, new research has found.

'When in Rome': Monkeys found to conform to social norms Posted: 25 Apr 2013 11:23 AM PDT The human tendency to adopt the behavior of others when on their home territory has been found in non-human primates. Researchers observed 'striking' fickleness in male monkeys, when it comes to copying the behavior of others in new groups. The study has been hailed by leading primate experts as rare experimental proof of 'cultural transmission' in wild primates to date.

Ecology buys time for evolution: Climate change disrupts songbird's timing without impacting population size (yet) Posted: 25 Apr 2013 11:23 AM PDT Songbird populations can handle far more disrupting climate change than expected. Density-dependent processes are buying them time for their battle. But without (slow) evolutionary rescue it will not save them in the end, says an international team of scientists.

Archeologists unearth new information on origins of Maya civilization Posted: 25 Apr 2013 11:23 AM PDT A new study challenges the two prevailing theories on how the ancient Maya civilization began, suggesting its origins are more complex than previously thought. The findings are based on seven years of archaeological excavations at the ancient Maya site of Ceibal in Guatamala.

More days in classroom does not translate into more learning in Mexico Posted: 25 Apr 2013 11:22 AM PDT As Mexico wrestles with improving the quality of education for primary school students, economists have found that extending the length of the school year will do little to improve student performance.

Einstein's gravity theory passes toughest test yet Posted: 25 Apr 2013 11:22 AM PDT A strange stellar pair nearly 7,000 light-years from Earth has provided physicists with a unique cosmic laboratory for studying the nature of gravity. The extremely strong gravity of a massive neutron star in orbit with a companion white dwarf star puts competing theories of gravity to a test more stringent than any available before.

'Taxels' convert mechanical motion to electronic signals Posted: 25 Apr 2013 11:22 AM PDT Using bundles of vertical zinc oxide nanowires, researchers have fabricated arrays of piezotronic transistors capable of converting mechanical motion directly into electronic controlling signals. The arrays could help give robots a more adaptive sense of touch, provide better security in handwritten signatures and offer new ways for humans to interact with electronic devices.

Vaterite: Crystal within a crystal helps resolve an old puzzle Posted: 25 Apr 2013 11:22 AM PDT With the help of a solitary sea squirt, scientists have resolved the longstanding puzzle of the crystal structure of vaterite, an enigmatic geologic mineral and biomineral.

Why do guppies jump? Posted: 25 Apr 2013 10:28 AM PDT Pet guppies often jump out of their tanks. One such accident inspired a new study which reveals how guppies are able to jump so far, and suggests why they do it.

How trees play role in smog production Posted: 25 Apr 2013 10:28 AM PDT After years of scientific uncertainty and speculation, researchers have shown exactly how trees help create one of society's predominant environmental and health concerns: air pollution.

With wave of the hand, researchers create touch-based interfaces Posted: 25 Apr 2013 10:28 AM PDT Researchers previously have shown that a depth camera system, such as Kinect, can be combined with a projector to turn almost any surface into a touchscreen. Now researchers have demonstrated how these touch-based interfaces can be created almost at will, with the wave of a hand. For instance, the new system enables someone to rub the arm of a sofa to "paint" a remote control for her TV.

First edition of a bookworm's genome Posted: 25 Apr 2013 10:28 AM PDT The tiny nematode Panagrellus redivivus, often called the beer-mat worm or the microworm, has emerged from relative obscurity with the publication of its complete genetic code. Further study of this worm is expected to shed new light on many aspects of animal biology.

Thanks to rare alpine bacteria, researchers identify one of alcohol's key gateways to the brain Posted: 25 Apr 2013 10:28 AM PDT Thanks to a rare bacteria that grows only on rocks in the Swiss Alps, researchers have been the first to identify how alcohol might affect key brain proteins.

Bold move forward in molecular analyses Posted: 25 Apr 2013 10:27 AM PDT New metrics for analyzing data from small angle scattering experiments should dramatically improve the ability of scientists to study the structures of macromolecules such as proteins and nanoparticles in solution.

Key cellular organelle involved in gene silencing identified Posted: 25 Apr 2013 10:26 AM PDT How exactly microRNAs repress target gene expression is not well understood. Geneticists have now conducted a study on plants that shows that the site of action of the repression of target gene expression occurs on the endoplasmic reticulum, a cellular organelle that is an interconnected network of membranes -- essentially, flattened sacs and branching tubules -- that extends like a flat balloon throughout the cytoplasm in plant and animal cells.

Novel mechanism by which UVA contributes to photoaging of skin Posted: 25 Apr 2013 10:26 AM PDT A study provides new evidence that longwave ultraviolet light induces a protein that could result in premature skin aging. The findings demonstrate that aspects of photoaging, the process of skin aging by chronic exposure to ultraviolet radiation, could be linked to genetic factors that accelerate the aging process when induced by the environment.

Discovery of a gene that controls three different diseases Posted: 25 Apr 2013 10:26 AM PDT Scientists have identified a single gene, ERCC4, that can be involved in three human diseases depending on which type of mutation it presents: Fanconi anaemia, xeroderma pigmentosum, or a type of progeria. The new findings add to existing knowledge of two DNA repair activities that are important in maintaining the stability of our genes and preventing cancer in the general population.

Inhibiting enzymes in the cell may lead to development and proliferation of cancer cells Posted: 25 Apr 2013 10:26 AM PDT Blocking certain enzymes in the cell may prevent cancer cell division and growth, according to new findings.

Periodic bursts of genetic mutations drive prostate cancer Posted: 25 Apr 2013 10:26 AM PDT Cancer is typically thought to develop after genes gradually mutate over time, finally overwhelming the ability of a cell to control growth. But a new closer look at genomes in prostate cancer by an international team of researchers reveals that, in fact, genetic mutations occur in abrupt, periodic bursts, causing complex, large scale reshuffling of DNA driving the development of prostate cancer.

As people live longer and reproduce less, natural selection keeps up Posted: 25 Apr 2013 10:26 AM PDT In many places around the world, people are living longer and are having fewer children. But that's not all. A study of people living in rural Gambia shows that this modern-day "demographic transition" may lead women to be taller and slimmer, too.

Seeding a new kind of concrete Posted: 25 Apr 2013 10:25 AM PDT Sunflower seed husks, a huge waste product of the vegetable oil and food industry, could be used as an environmentally friendly filler, or aggregate, for concrete according to Turkish researchers. The team demonstrated that the use of husks reduces the density of concrete as well as boosting the material's resistance to cracking after exposure to icy then thawing conditions.

Ceramic foam cleans up exhaust gases Posted: 25 Apr 2013 10:25 AM PDT The introduction next year of the Euro 6 exhaust-gas standard means that catalytic converters will become more expensive, above all for diesel vehicles. Scientists are working on a catalytic substrate made of ceramic foam which, because of its structure, is more efficient and therefore more economic. Not only that – it also requires less noble metal coating.

'Redshirting' kindergarteners not as common as reported Posted: 25 Apr 2013 10:23 AM PDT New research findings show that "redshirting" in kindergarten – the practice of delaying for a year a child's entry into kindergarten – is not happening at the rate previously reported.

High performance semiconductor spray paint could be a game changer for organic electronics Posted: 25 Apr 2013 07:33 AM PDT Researchers have come up with a novel solution to one of the biggest technological barriers facing the organic semiconductor industry today. They developed a high performance organic semiconductor 'spray paint' that can be applied to large surface areas without losing electric conductivity.

New grass hybrid could help reduce the likelihood of flooding Posted: 25 Apr 2013 07:33 AM PDT Scientists have used hybridized forage grass to combine fast root growth and efficient soil water retention. Field experiments show Festulolium cultivar reduces water runoff by up to 51 percent against nationally-recommended cultivar. Potential for the hybrid to capture more water and reduce runoff and likelihood of flood generation.

Entire galaxies feel the heat from newborn stars: Bursts of star birth can curtail future galaxy growth Posted: 25 Apr 2013 07:33 AM PDT Astronomers have shown for the first time that bursts of star formation have a major impact far beyond the boundaries of their host galaxy. These energetic events can affect galactic gas at distances of up to twenty times greater than the visible size of the galaxy -- altering how the galaxy evolves, and how matter and energy is spread throughout the Universe.

TRAPPIST participated in the detection of ten percent of all transiting exoplanets known to date Posted: 25 Apr 2013 07:32 AM PDT Among the many planets detected orbiting other stars (exoplanets) over the last twenty years, a little less than three hundred periodically pass in front of their star. This is what astronomers call a planetary transit. Exoplanets that "transit" their stars are key objects for the study of other planetary systems, because they are the only planets beyond our solar system that can be studied in detail, both in terms of their physical parameters (mass, radius, orbital parameters) and their atmospheric properties (thermal structure, dynamics, composition).

Examine social factors to explain rise in diagnoses of mental disorders Posted: 25 Apr 2013 07:32 AM PDT Examining social factors is vital to better explaining and understanding the dramatic rise in the number of Americans diagnosed with mental disorders in recent years, according to a new analysis.

Role of vital proteins in allergic reactions, other conditions Posted: 25 Apr 2013 07:31 AM PDT Antihistamine drugs work by preventing histamine from attaching to H1 receptors. Researchers have learned something new about these receptors and other medically important proteins.

Early dialogue between parents, children stems teen smoking Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:16 AM PDT Early, substantive dialogue between parents and their grade-school age children about the ills of tobacco and alcohol use can be more powerful in shaping teen behavior than advertising, marketing or peer pressure, a researcher has shown.

Melatonin delays ALS symptom onset and death in mice Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:16 AM PDT Melatonin injections delayed symptom onset and reduced mortality in a mouse model of the neurodegenerative condition amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, according to a new study.

Novel therapeutic approaches may cure chronic HBV infection Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:16 AM PDT Exciting new data from early in vitro and in vivo studies targeting covalently closed circular DNA, which may form the basis of a cure for chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

New advances in the management of patients with cirrhosis Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:16 AM PDT New data from clinical studies provide new rationale for an old and established treatment option for portal hypertension. Additionally, spleen stiffness predicts the occurrence of clinical complications, which is of paramount importance in clinical practice.

Liver disease: New studies demonstrates lethal link between alcohol, weight Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:16 AM PDT Scientists have revealed the deadly impact that alcohol and body weight have on liver disease.

Faith in God positively influences treatment for individuals with psychiatric illness Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:16 AM PDT Belief in God may significantly improve the outcome of those receiving short-term treatment for psychiatric illness, according to a recent study.

Autism risk spotted at birth in abnormal placentas Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:16 AM PDT Researchers have figured out how to measure an infant's risk of developing autism by looking for abnormalities in his/her placenta at birth, allowing for earlier diagnosis and treatment for the developmental disorder.

Link between school climate and violence confirmed Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:14 AM PDT Schools may be a step closer towards the development of effective strategies to prevent violent behavior. New research shows that there is a direct link between school climate and school violence.

Metabolic disorders predict the hardening of the arterial walls already in childhood Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:14 AM PDT Metabolic disorders, such as excess abdominal fat, raised blood pressure, higher levels of insulin, glucose and triglycerides and lower levels of the beneficial HDL cholesterol can be found in children as young as 6 to 8 years of age, according to a new study. These metabolic risk factors often accumulate in overweight children and, in the newly published study, this accumulation was linked with mild artery wall stiffness.

Scientists advocate a simple, affordable and accurate technology to identify threats from sea-level rise Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:14 AM PDT Researchers are calling for the global adoption of a method to identify areas that are vulnerable to sea-level rise. The method, which utilizes a simple, low-cost tool, is financially and technically accessible to every country with coastal wet­lands. The team seeks to establish a network to coordinate the standardization and management of the data, as well as to provide a platform for collaboration.

Pedophiles identified accurately with implicit association tasks Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:14 AM PDT A combination of two tasks for implied sexual associations has distinguished – with more than 90 per cent certainty – a group of pedophilic men from a group of men with a sexual preference for adult women. In the long term this could lead to a diagnostic test, for example for men who have applied to work with children.

Nanostructures improve the efficiency of solar cells Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:13 AM PDT Researchers have been able to improve the efficiency of solar cells by coating the cell surface with extremely small nanoscale structures. The new technology has been shown to nearly eliminate the reflection losses of solar radiation.

Coffee may help prevent breast cancer returning, study finds Posted: 25 Apr 2013 06:13 AM PDT Drinking coffee could decrease the risk of breast cancer recurring in patients taking the widely used drug Tamoxifen, a study has found. Patients who took the pill, along with two or more cups of coffee daily, reported less than half the rate of cancer recurrence, compared with their Tamoxifen-taking counterparts who drank one cup or less.

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