ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Why it snows so much in the frozen north
• Assumption about mercury in the Arctic overturned
• Researchers grow liquid crystal 'flowers' that can be used as lenses
• Researchers find potential new treatment approach for pancreatic cancer
• Starless cloud cores reveal why some stars are bigger than others
• 91 new species described by California Academy Of Sciences in 2013
• Key drug receptor: Atom-level simulation of a G protein-coupled receptor could lead to improved drug design
• Concussion tests' marketing outpaces scientific evidence, new review says
• Early detection of blinding eye disease could be as easy as scanning barcode
• Birth of black hole kills the radio star
• Essential factor for Lyme disease transmission identified
• Inadequate pregnancy weight gain a risk factor for infant mortality
• Anxiety linked to higher long-term risk of stroke
• Saving dollars while helping babies
• Lactation consultant visits spur breastfeeding among women who usually resist it
• TB bacteria mask their identity to intrude into deeper regions of lungs
• Greek economic crisis leads to air pollution crisis
• Opposing phenomena possible key to high-efficiency electricity delivery
• Scientists discover how immune cells die during HIV infection; Identify potential drug to block AIDS
• Cocaine, meth response differ between two substrains of lab mice
• How cells remodel after UV radiation
• Pharmacy staff frequently misinform teens seeking emergency contraception, study suggests
• Cost of antibiotic drugs for children: Comparison of two countries
• Advances in nanotechnology's fight against cancer
• BCG vaccine more effective than previously thought
• Living at home with dementia
• Deepwater Horizon study shows possible oil impact on dolphins
• African-American women must eat less or exercise more to lose as much weight as Caucasians
• Corn pest decline may save farmers money
• Study confirms target of potent chronic leukemia drug
• Brain repair after injury, Alzheimer's disease

Why it snows so much in the frozen north Posted: 20 Dec 2013 05:06 PM PST Scientists have long puzzled over the seemingly ceaseless drizzle of snow drifting down from arctic clouds. Now they may have an explanation.

Assumption about mercury in the Arctic overturned Posted: 20 Dec 2013 05:06 PM PST A team of scientists from the U.S., Russia, and Canada has compared fish from two Russian rivers, the Lena and the Mezen, and found mercury concentrations to be much lower than expected.

Researchers grow liquid crystal 'flowers' that can be used as lenses Posted: 20 Dec 2013 12:45 PM PST A team of material scientists, chemical engineers and physicists has made another advance in their effort to use liquid crystals as a medium for assembling structures. Their earlier studies produced patterns of "defects," useful disruptions in the repeating patterns found in liquid crystals, in nanoscale grids and rings. The new study adds a more complex pattern out of an even simpler template: a three-dimensional array shaped like a flower.

Researchers find potential new treatment approach for pancreatic cancer Posted: 20 Dec 2013 11:35 AM PST Scientists believe they have discovered a new way to make chemotherapy treatment more effective for pancreatic cancer patients. Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive cancer with poor prognosis and limited treatment options and is highly resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Starless cloud cores reveal why some stars are bigger than others Posted: 20 Dec 2013 11:35 AM PST Massive stars -- those at least 8 times the mass of our Sun -- present an intriguing mystery: how do they grow so large when the vast majority of stars in the Milky Way are considerably smaller? Massive stars -- those at least 8 times the mass of our Sun -- present an intriguing mystery: how do they grow so large when the vast majority of stars in the Milky Way are considerably smaller? To find the answer, astronomers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array telescope to survey the cores of some of the darkest, coldest, and densest clouds in our Galaxy to search for the telltale signs of star formation.

91 new species described by California Academy Of Sciences in 2013 Posted: 20 Dec 2013 09:10 AM PST In 2013, researchers at the California Academy of Sciences discovered 91 new plant and animal species and two new genera, enriching our understanding of the complex web of life on Earth and strengthening our ability to make informed conservation decisions. The new species, previously unknown to science, include 38 different ants, 12 fishes, 14 plants, eight beetles, two spiders, one reptile, and one amphibian.

Key drug receptor: Atom-level simulation of a G protein-coupled receptor could lead to improved drug design Posted: 20 Dec 2013 09:10 AM PST The successful atom-level simulation of a G protein-coupled receptor could lead to improved drug design, blazing the path for specialized scientific projects on cloud computer systems.

Concussion tests' marketing outpaces scientific evidence, new review says Posted: 20 Dec 2013 09:10 AM PST Computerized neurocognitive testing for concussions is widely used in amateur and professional sports, but little research over the past decade proves its effectiveness, a paper published this month says. The review updates a 2005 look at the available research on computerized neurocognitive testing. The authors still urge caution with their use and point out a need for more peer-reviewed studies.

Early detection of blinding eye disease could be as easy as scanning barcode Posted: 20 Dec 2013 09:08 AM PST A new optical device puts the power to detect eye disease in the palm of a hand. The tool -- about the size of a hand-held video camera -- scans a patient's entire retina in seconds and could aid primary care physicians in the early detection of a host of retinal diseases including diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration.

Birth of black hole kills the radio star Posted: 20 Dec 2013 08:40 AM PST Astronomers have discovered a new population of exploding stars that "switch off" their radio transmissions before collapsing into a Black Hole. These exploding stars use all of their energy to emit one last strong beam of highly energetic radiation -- known as a gamma-ray burst -- before they die.

Essential factor for Lyme disease transmission identified Posted: 19 Dec 2013 05:00 PM PST Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, hitchhikes in ticks for dissemination to mammalian hosts -- including humans. A new article identifies HrpA, an RNA helicase, as a crucial player in the transmission from ticks to mammals. Scientists have analyzed the molecular function of the HrpA protein and explored its role in the bacterium's complicated life cycle, in particular for transmission of the pathogen.

Inadequate pregnancy weight gain a risk factor for infant mortality Posted: 19 Dec 2013 01:29 PM PST Women who do not gain enough weight during pregnancy are at increased risk of losing their baby in its first year of life, according to a new study. Gaining more weight than recommended was not a risk factor for infant mortality, but may be related to subsequent maternal health problems. Study authors urge that childbearing women have pregnancy weight gain goals specific to their BMI.

Anxiety linked to higher long-term risk of stroke Posted: 19 Dec 2013 01:29 PM PST A new study is the first study to link anxiety to a greater risk of stroke.

Saving dollars while helping babies Posted: 19 Dec 2013 01:29 PM PST Amid soaring health-care costs, nurse home visits can save health dollars while helping families, says a study. For every $1 spent on nurse home visits for newborns, $3 were saved in health expenditures. Program participants had 59 percent fewer emergency care episodes, safer home environments and lower rates of maternal anxiety.

Lactation consultant visits spur breastfeeding among women who usually resist it Posted: 19 Dec 2013 01:25 PM PST In two separate clinical trials, researchers have found that periodic meetings with a lactation consultant encourages women traditionally resistant to breastfeeding to do so, at least for a few months — long enough for mother and child to gain health benefits.

TB bacteria mask their identity to intrude into deeper regions of lungs Posted: 19 Dec 2013 11:23 AM PST TB-causing bacteria appear to mask their identity to avoid recognition by infection-killing cells in the well-patrolled upper airways. The bacteria call up more permissive white blood cells in the deeper regions of the lungs and hitch a ride inside them to get into parts of the host's lungs that are under less surveillance.

Greek economic crisis leads to air pollution crisis Posted: 19 Dec 2013 11:23 AM PST A spike in fuel prices has led to Greek residents burning more wood to keep warm -- with significant negative impacts on air quality.

Opposing phenomena possible key to high-efficiency electricity delivery Posted: 19 Dec 2013 11:23 AM PST Researchers report that the coexistence of two opposing phenomena might be the secret to understanding how materials known as high-temperature superconductors -- heralded as the future of powering our homes and communities -- actually work. Such insight could help spur the further development of high-efficiency electric-power delivery.

Scientists discover how immune cells die during HIV infection; Identify potential drug to block AIDS Posted: 19 Dec 2013 11:22 AM PST Research has identified the chain of molecular events that drives the death of the immune system's CD4 T cells as an HIV infection leads to AIDS. Further, they have identified an existing anti-inflammatory drug that blocks the death of these cells -- and now are planning a Phase 2 clinical trial to determine if it can prevent HIV-infected people from developing AIDS.

Cocaine, meth response differ between two substrains of lab mice Posted: 19 Dec 2013 11:22 AM PST Researchers have found a single nucleotide polymorphism difference in cocaine and methamphetamine response between two substrains of the C57BL/6 or "Black 6" inbred laboratory mouse, pointing to Cyfip2 as a regulator of cocaine response with a possible role in addiction.

How cells remodel after UV radiation Posted: 19 Dec 2013 11:21 AM PST Researchers have produced the first map detailing the network of genetic interactions underlying the cellular response to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

Pharmacy staff frequently misinform teens seeking emergency contraception, study suggests Posted: 19 Dec 2013 11:21 AM PST A new study finds that pharmacy staff frequently give teens misleading or incorrect information about emergency contraception that may prevent them from getting the medication.

Cost of antibiotic drugs for children: Comparison of two countries Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:44 AM PST The 2009 costs of antibiotics covered by private insurance companies in the U.S. for children younger than 10 years old were estimated to be more than five times higher than the costs in the United Kingdom, which are covered by a government universal health plan.

Advances in nanotechnology's fight against cancer Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:12 AM PST Among the most promising advances in the fight against cancer has been the rise of nanomedicine, the application of tiny materials and devices to detect, diagnose and treat disease. Researchers provide one of the most comprehensive assessments to date of research on nanomedicine-based approaches to treating cancer, and offers insight into how researchers can best position nanomedicine-based cancer treatments for FDA approval.

BCG vaccine more effective than previously thought Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:11 AM PST The BCG vaccine has been found to be more effective against the most common form of tuberculosis than previously thought, according to a systematic review.

Living at home with dementia Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:10 AM PST Most people with dementia who live at home have multiple unmet health and welfare needs, any number of which could jeopardize their ability to remain home for as long as they desire, new research suggests.

Deepwater Horizon study shows possible oil impact on dolphins Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:10 AM PST Bottlenose dolphins in Louisiana's Barataria Bay have lung damage and adrenal hormone abnormalities not previously seen in other dolphin populations, according to a new peer-reviewed study.

African-American women must eat less or exercise more to lose as much weight as Caucasians Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:10 AM PST African-American women may need to eat fewer or burn more calories than their Caucasian counterparts in order to lose a comparable amount of weight, according to researchers.

Corn pest decline may save farmers money Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:09 AM PST Populations of European corn borer (ECB), a major corn crop pest, have declined significantly in the eastern United States, according to researchers. The decline suggests that the use of genetically modified, ECB-resistant corn hybrids -- an expensive, yet effective, solution that has been widely adopted by farmers -- may now be unnecessary in some areas.

Study confirms target of potent chronic leukemia drug Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:09 AM PST A new study helps confirm that a molecule targeted by the experimental drug ibrutinib is critical for the development of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the most common form of adult leukemia.

Brain repair after injury, Alzheimer's disease Posted: 19 Dec 2013 10:07 AM PST Scientists have developed an innovative technology to regenerate functional neurons after brain injury. The technology may be developed into a new therapeutic treatment for traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other neurological disorders.

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