ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• One good tern deserves another: Low-power, remote monitoring of island birds cuts bills
• When hospitals share patient records, emergency patients benefit, study suggests
• Sequence of water buffalo completed
• Mars could have supported life: Ten years on Mars leads to livable mud
• Material developed could speed up underwater communications by orders of magnitude
• Do religious people love their neighbors? Yes, some neighbors, study finds
• 40 percent of parents learn how to use technology from their children
• The scent of cancer: Detecting cancer with fruit fly's antenna
• Looking inside food microstructures
• A treasure trove of Arabic terms
• Mining no shortcut for economic independence for Greenland, report suggests
• Rainforests in Far East shaped by humans for the last 11,000 years
• Plant scientists unravel a molecular switch to stimulate leaf growth
• New computer model may aid personalized cancer care
• 3-D Graphene: Super-capacitors from sugar bubbles
• Generation blame: How age affects our views of anti-social behavior
• Can walking the dogs show who's the leader of the pack?
• Evolution of drug resistance within a HIV population
• The rocky road to a better flu vaccine
• A thousand years ago, Central Europeans digested milk as well as us today
• Lab-grown, virus-free stem cells repair retinal tissue in mice
• Are developing heart valves sensitive to environmental chemicals?
• Super bowl ads score with popular music
• Depression symptoms, emotional support impact PTSD treatment progress, study finds
• Collaborative software helps systems engineers link performance and cost
• Doctors implant first new valve device in heart patient after FDA approval
• Liars find it more rewarding to tell truth than fib when deceiving others
• Gap in life expectancy between rural, urban residents is growing
• Scientists identify key to body's use of free calcium
• Moderate doses of radiation therapy to unaffected breast may prevent second breast cancers
• National plan for preventing healthcare-associated infections shows progress
• Potential drug targets for early onset glaucoma
• Changing climate: How dust changed the face of Earth
• Cheap hydrogen gas? Probing hydrogen catalyst assembly
• New genes spring, spread from non-coding DNA
• Donors should have access to their own raw data provided to biobanks
• Timing is everything: How the brain links memories of sequential events
• Bats use water ripples to hunt frogs
• Los Angeles would experience stronger-than-expected ground motion in major earthquake, virtual earthquake generator shows
• Genome of longest-living cancer: 11,000-year-old living dog cancer reveals its origin, evolution
• When nanotechnology meets quantum physics in one dimension: New experiment supports long-predicted 'Luttinger liquid' model
• Key pathway for plant cell growth identified
• Watching molecules morph into memories: Breakthrough allows scientists to probe how memories form in nerve cells
• Morphing bat skull model: Using engineering plus evolutionary analyses to answer natural selection questions
• World's first magma-enhanced geothermal system created in Iceland
• Captive breeding no help to endangered woodrat
• Salmonella infection mitigates asthma
• Researchers discover origin of unusual glands in the body
• More benefits emerging for one type of omega-3 fatty acid: DHA
• Scientists map gene changes driving tumors in common pediatric soft-tissue cancer
• A new wrinkle in the control of waves: Flexible materials could provide new ways to control sound and light
• Two proteins compete for one port on a growth factor; one promotes metastasis, the other blocks it
• Natural History Museum, London, yields remarkable new beetle specimens from Brazil
• Death row confessions and the last meal test of innocence
• Fur and feathers keep animals warm by scattering light
• Arctic inland waters emit large amounts of carbon
• Large and in charge: Study shows size matters in prehistoric seas
• Obesity in mothers alters babies' weight through brain rewiring
• Sniffed out: 'Gas detectors' of the plant world
• Scientists find regulator of amyloid plaque buildup in alzheimer's disease

One good tern deserves another: Low-power, remote monitoring of island birds cuts bills Posted: 24 Jan 2014 08:11 AM PST A new report reveals details of an energy-efficient system for monitoring wild birds that reduces power consumption without significantly compromising image quality.

When hospitals share patient records, emergency patients benefit, study suggests Posted: 24 Jan 2014 07:19 AM PST As hospitals and doctors' offices across the country race to join online systems that let them share medical information securely, a new study suggests that these systems may already be helping cut unnecessary care. Fewer emergency patients got repeated medical scans when they went to a hospital that takes part in a health information exchange,according to new findings.

Sequence of water buffalo completed Posted: 24 Jan 2014 07:18 AM PST Scientists have completed the genome sequencing of water buffalo. The outstanding work lays an important foundation for molecular breeding of water buffalo, and sheds new light on the understanding of its origin and domestication process.

Mars could have supported life: Ten years on Mars leads to livable mud Posted: 24 Jan 2014 06:37 AM PST Some of the oldest minerals ever analyzed by NASA's Mars Opportunity Rover show that around four billion years ago Mars had liquid water so fresh it could have supported life.

Material developed could speed up underwater communications by orders of magnitude Posted: 24 Jan 2014 06:37 AM PST Electrical engineering professors have taken the first steps in a project to develop fast-blinking LED systems for underwater optical communications. Scientists have shown that an artificial metamaterial can increase the light intensity and "blink speed" of a fluorescent light-emitting dye molecule.

Do religious people love their neighbors? Yes, some neighbors, study finds Posted: 24 Jan 2014 06:37 AM PST Most religions teach their followers to "Love thy neighbor" -- including those of different races or beliefs. But is religiousness really related to love of neighbors? A study provides partial support for that idea.

40 percent of parents learn how to use technology from their children Posted: 24 Jan 2014 05:27 AM PST Scientists have found that youth influence their parents in all technologies studied (computer, mobile Internet, social networking) up to 40 percent of the time. The children's scores were higher compared to parents, showing that parents don't necessarily recognize the influence.

The scent of cancer: Detecting cancer with fruit fly's antenna Posted: 24 Jan 2014 05:27 AM PST Researchers have, for the first time, detected cancer cells using the olfactory senses of fruit flies.

Looking inside food microstructures Posted: 24 Jan 2014 05:27 AM PST Applying imaging techniques to food structure is helping scientists devise ways of improving the quality of processed food.

A treasure trove of Arabic terms Posted: 24 Jan 2014 05:26 AM PST Are the terms alcohol and kohl related? Yes, if we trace their origins. An Arabic etymological term base, the first of its kind, can provide new knowledge about Arab identity and cultural history.

Mining no shortcut for economic independence for Greenland, report suggests Posted: 24 Jan 2014 05:26 AM PST Contrary to the hopes of many Greenlandic lawmakers, mineral and oil extraction is no shortcut for the country to obtain economic independence from the Kingdom of Denmark, a new report suggests.

Rainforests in Far East shaped by humans for the last 11,000 years Posted: 24 Jan 2014 05:26 AM PST New research shows that the tropical forests of South East Asia have been shaped by humans for the last 11,000 years. The rain forests of Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Thailand and Vietnam were previously thought to have been largely unaffected by humans, but the latest research suggests otherwise.

Plant scientists unravel a molecular switch to stimulate leaf growth Posted: 24 Jan 2014 05:26 AM PST Cell division is essential for growth and development of all multicellular organisms. In plants, leaf growth consists of two different phases. A first phase is characterized by intense cell division, which leads to the formation of many new cells. During the second phase, cell division activity declines, the cells elongate and acquire a certain expertise. Biologists have now identified a molecular switch that stimulates leaf growth.

New computer model may aid personalized cancer care Posted: 24 Jan 2014 05:23 AM PST Scientists have developed a mathematical model to predict how a patient's tumor is likely to behave and which of several possible treatments is most likely to be effective.

3-D Graphene: Super-capacitors from sugar bubbles Posted: 24 Jan 2014 05:23 AM PST Graphene sheets are immensely strong, lightweight and excellent at conducting electricity. Theoretically, macroscopical three-dimensional graphene assemblies should retain the properties of nanoscale graphene flakes. However, recent attempts to make 3-D graphene have resulted in weak conductivity due to poor contact between graphene sheets. Loss of strength is also a problem, and self-supporting 3-D graphene has not yet been produced.

Generation blame: How age affects our views of anti-social behavior Posted: 23 Jan 2014 07:23 PM PST Research reveals disconnect between what adults and young people interpret as anti-social behavior (ASB), as 40 percent of adults see young people gathering in public as ASB. Study is the first to directly compare teenage perceptions of ASB with those of adults.

Can walking the dogs show who's the leader of the pack? Posted: 23 Jan 2014 07:20 PM PST Dogs' paths during group walks could be used to determine leadership roles and through that their social ranks and personality traits, say researchers. Using high-resolution GPS harnesses, scientists tracked the movements of six dogs and their owner across 14 30-40 minute walks off the lead. The dogs' movements were measurably influenced by underlying social hierarchies and personality differences.

Evolution of drug resistance within a HIV population Posted: 23 Jan 2014 07:20 PM PST A new study found that in some patients a resistance mutation to a particular drug appeared in a single virus particle, which then rapidly proliferated until the entire viral population within the patient consisted of its progeny and was also resistant to the drug. In other patients the same resistance mutation occurred in multiple viral particles within a short window of time, which led to a more heterogeneous, but still drug-resistant, viral population.

The rocky road to a better flu vaccine Posted: 23 Jan 2014 07:20 PM PST Currently approved flu vaccines are less effective in the elderly, yet an estimated 90 percent of influenza-related deaths occur in people over 65.

A thousand years ago, Central Europeans digested milk as well as us today Posted: 23 Jan 2014 07:19 PM PST Back in the Middle Ages, Central Europeans were already capable of digesting milk, yogurt and cheese just as well as most people of European descent are today. Researchers have discovered that the population of the medieval town of Dalheim had a similar genetic predisposition for milk digestion to present-day Germans and Austrians. Moreover, the study reveals that lactose tolerance was more widespread than previously believed.

Lab-grown, virus-free stem cells repair retinal tissue in mice Posted: 23 Jan 2014 07:19 PM PST Investigators have developed human induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) capable of repairing damaged retinal vascular tissue in mice. The stem cells, derived from human umbilical cord-blood and coaxed into an embryonic-like state, were grown without the conventional use of viruses, which can mutate genes and initiate cancers, according to the scientists. Their safer method of growing the cells paves the way for a stem cell bank of cord-blood derived iPSCs to advance regenerative medicine research.

Are developing heart valves sensitive to environmental chemicals? Posted: 23 Jan 2014 01:18 PM PST Exposure to environmental endocrine disrupters, such as bisphenol A, which mimic estrogen, is associated with adverse health effects. Bisphenol A is commonly found in plastic bottles and plastic food containers. New research from on the effects of these chemicals on zebrafish shows that embryonic heart valves could be particularly in danger.

Super bowl ads score with popular music Posted: 23 Jan 2014 01:18 PM PST Researchers are wrapping up a 10-year study of popular music in Super Bowl commercials this year. Through this research they will illustrate the frequency in which advertisers employ popular music to market and relate with consumers.

Depression symptoms, emotional support impact PTSD treatment progress, study finds Posted: 23 Jan 2014 12:48 PM PST Researchers found that during PTSD treatments, rapid improvements in depression symptoms are associated with better outcomes.

Collaborative software helps systems engineers link performance and cost Posted: 23 Jan 2014 12:48 PM PST Researchers have produced an advanced web-based tool that lets physically separated participants collaborate on model-based systems engineering projects. The program utilizes open-source software components to allow users to visualize a system's potential expense alongside its performance, reliability and other factors.

Doctors implant first new valve device in heart patient after FDA approval Posted: 23 Jan 2014 12:47 PM PST American doctors yesterday became the first to use a new minimally invasive medical device since it received FDA approval last week. The device treats patients with severely damaged aortic heart valves who are too ill or frail to have their aortic valves replaced through traditional open-heart surgery.

Liars find it more rewarding to tell truth than fib when deceiving others Posted: 23 Jan 2014 12:47 PM PST A report based on two neural imaging studies that monitored brain activity has found individuals are more satisfied to get a reward from telling the truth rather than getting the same reward through deceit.

Gap in life expectancy between rural, urban residents is growing Posted: 23 Jan 2014 12:47 PM PST A new study finds that rural American residents have experienced smaller gains in life expectancy than their urban counterparts and the gap continues to grow.

Scientists identify key to body's use of free calcium Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:20 AM PST Scientists report they have figured out a key step in how "free" calcium -- the kind not contained in bones -- is managed in the body, a finding that could aid in the development of new treatments for a variety of neurological disorders that include Parkinson's disease.

Moderate doses of radiation therapy to unaffected breast may prevent second breast cancers Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:20 AM PST Survivors of breast cancer have a one in six chance of developing breast cancer in the other breast. But a study conducted in mice suggests that survivors can dramatically reduce that risk through treatment with moderate doses of radiation to the unaffected breast at the same time that they receive radiation therapy to their affected breast. The treatment, if it works as well in humans as in mice, could prevent tens of thousands of second breast cancers.

National plan for preventing healthcare-associated infections shows progress Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:20 AM PST Independent evaluators have found that measurable progress in reducing the rates of some targeted HAIs has been achieved under the umbrella of a national plan to prevent HAIs that was developed by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Potential drug targets for early onset glaucoma Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:20 AM PST Using a novel high-throughput screening process, scientists have for the first time identified molecules with the potential to block the accumulation of a toxic eye protein that can lead to early onset of glaucoma.

Changing climate: How dust changed the face of Earth Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:20 AM PST In spring 2010, the research icebreaker Polarstern returned from the South Pacific with a scientific treasure -- ocean sediments from a previously almost unexplored part of the South Polar Sea. What looks like an inconspicuous sample of mud to a layman is, to geological history researchers, a valuable archive from which they can reconstruct the climatic history of the polar areas over many years of analysis. This, in turn, is of fundamental importance for understanding global climatic development.

Cheap hydrogen gas? Probing hydrogen catalyst assembly Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:20 AM PST Biochemical reactions sometimes have to handle dangerous things in a safe way. New work shows how cyanide and carbon monoxide are safely bound to an iron atom to construct an enzyme that can generate hydrogen gas.

New genes spring, spread from non-coding DNA Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:20 AM PST "Where do new genes come from?" is a long-standing question in genetics and evolutionary biology. A new study shows that new genes can spring from non-coding DNA more rapidly than expected.

Donors should have access to their own raw data provided to biobanks Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:20 AM PST Scientists have called for data held in biobanks to be made accessible to the people donating material and data to them.

Timing is everything: How the brain links memories of sequential events Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:19 AM PST Suppose you heard the sound of skidding tires, followed by a car crash. The next time you heard such a skid, you might cringe in fear, expecting a crash to follow -- suggesting that somehow, your brain had linked those two memories so that a fairly innocuous sound provokes dread. Scientists have now discovered how two neural circuits in the brain work together to control the formation of such time-linked memories.

Bats use water ripples to hunt frogs Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:19 AM PST As the male tungara frog serenades females from a pond, he creates watery ripples that make him easier to target by rivals and predators such as bats. He will stop calling if he sees a bat overhead, but ripples continue moving for several seconds after the call ceases. In a new study, researchers found evidence that bats use echolocation to detect these ripples and home in on a frog.

Los Angeles would experience stronger-than-expected ground motion in major earthquake, virtual earthquake generator shows Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:19 AM PST Scientists have developed a new "virtual earthquake" technique and used it to confirm a prediction that Los Angeles would experience stronger-than-expected ground motion if a major quake occurred along the southern San Andreas Fault.

Genome of longest-living cancer: 11,000-year-old living dog cancer reveals its origin, evolution Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:17 AM PST A cancer normally lives and dies with a person, however this is not the case with a sexually transmitted cancer in dogs. In a new study, researchers have described the genome and evolution of this cancer that has continued living within the dog population for the past 11,000 years.

When nanotechnology meets quantum physics in one dimension: New experiment supports long-predicted 'Luttinger liquid' model Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:17 AM PST Scientists have succeeded in conducting a new experiment that supports the existence of the long-sought-after Luttinger liquid state.

Key pathway for plant cell growth identified Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:17 AM PST For plants, the only way to grow is for cells to expand. Unlike animals, cell division in plants happens only within a tiny region of the root and stem apex, making cell expansion the critical path to increased stature. Now, a team of scientists reports the discovery of a hormone and receptor that control cell expansion in plants.

Watching molecules morph into memories: Breakthrough allows scientists to probe how memories form in nerve cells Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:17 AM PST Scientists have used advanced imaging techniques to provide a window into how the brain makes memories. These insights into the molecular basis of memory were made possible by a technological tour de force never before achieved in animals: a mouse model in which molecules crucial to making memories were given fluorescent "tags" so they could be observed traveling in real time in living brain cells.

Morphing bat skull model: Using engineering plus evolutionary analyses to answer natural selection questions Posted: 23 Jan 2014 10:32 AM PST Scientists have built an engineering model of a bat skull that can morph into the shape of any species, and used it to create skulls with all possible combinations of snout length and width. Then they ran engineering analyses on all the models to assess their structural strength and mechanical advantage, a measure of how efficiently and how hard bats can bite.

World's first magma-enhanced geothermal system created in Iceland Posted: 23 Jan 2014 10:32 AM PST In 2009, a borehole drilled at Krafla, northeast Iceland, as part of the Icelandic Deep Drilling Project, unexpectedly penetrated into magma (molten rock) at only 2,100 meters depth, with a temperature of 900-1,000 C.

Captive breeding no help to endangered woodrat Posted: 23 Jan 2014 10:31 AM PST Captive breeading and release program does not help save the federally endangered Key Largo woodrat, a new study shows.

Salmonella infection mitigates asthma Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:59 AM PST Researchers have identified the mechanism by which Salmonella infections can reduce the incidence of asthma in mice. The research opens up new avenues of research that could lead to treatments.

Researchers discover origin of unusual glands in the body Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:59 AM PST The thymus gland is a critical component of the human immune system that is responsible for the development of T-lymphocytes, or T-cells, which help organize and lead the body's fighting forces against harmful organisms like bacteria and viruses.

More benefits emerging for one type of omega-3 fatty acid: DHA Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:59 AM PST A study of the metabolic effects of omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA, concludes that these compounds may have an even wider range of biological impacts than previously considered. They could be of significant value in the prevention of fatty liver disease, but that may also be just the beginning.

Scientists map gene changes driving tumors in common pediatric soft-tissue cancer Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:59 AM PST Scientists have mapped the genetic changes that drive tumors in rhabdomyosarcoma, a pediatric soft-tissue cancer, and found that the disease is characterized by two distinct genotypes. The genetic alterations identified in this malignancy could be useful in developing targeted diagnostic tools and treatments for children with the disease.

A new wrinkle in the control of waves: Flexible materials could provide new ways to control sound and light Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:59 AM PST Flexible, layered materials textured with nanoscale wrinkles could provide a new way of controlling the wavelengths and distribution of waves, whether of sound or light. The new method could eventually find applications from nondestructive testing of materials to sound suppression, and could also provide new insights into soft biological systems and possibly lead to new diagnostic tools.

Two proteins compete for one port on a growth factor; one promotes metastasis, the other blocks it Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:58 AM PST Consider two drivers, each with a key that fits the same car. Driver 1 wants simply to turn on the ignition and leave the vehicle idling, ready and waiting to roll. Driver 2 wants to take it on a destructive joy ride. New cancer researchers have discovered that the same happens in our bodies between two proteins.

Natural History Museum, London, yields remarkable new beetle specimens from Brazil Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:58 AM PST Sitting for almost 20 years in the Natural History Museum, London, minute rove beetle specimens of a new genus were discovered. The genus, caught in the 90s in the Brazilian Amazon, shows remarkable sexual dimorphism, with winged, large-eyed males and wingless, tiny-eyed females.

Death row confessions and the last meal test of innocence Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:58 AM PST Social circumstance often gives meals meaning, so it is logical that the last meals of those on death row may signify something beyond taste preference. While there are many factors that could contribute to last meal selection, this study is the first to provide evidence of a link between food selection and self-perceived guilt or innocence. These findings may be useful to the legal community in further assessing the innocence and perceived innocence of those who have received the death penalty in the past.

Fur and feathers keep animals warm by scattering light Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:58 AM PST In work that has major implications for improving the performance of building insulation, scientists have calculated that hairs that reflect infrared light may contribute significant insulating power to the exceptionally warm winter coats of polar bears and other animals.

Arctic inland waters emit large amounts of carbon Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:58 AM PST Streams and lakes of Northern Sweden are hotspots for emissions of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, according to new research.

Large and in charge: Study shows size matters in prehistoric seas Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:55 AM PST Scientists have started to explain why some prehistoric organisms evolved into larger animals. They suggest that height offered a distinct advantage to the earliest forms of multicellular life.

Obesity in mothers alters babies' weight through brain rewiring Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:55 AM PST Obese mothers are more likely to have children with metabolic disorders, but the underlying reasons for this effect have been unclear. A new study reveals that the offspring of mouse mothers on a high-fat diet are predisposed to obesity and diabetes because of abnormal neuronal circuits in the hypothalamus. The findings suggest that mothers who consume a large amount of fat during the third trimester may be putting their children at risk for lifelong obesity.

Sniffed out: 'Gas detectors' of the plant world Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:54 AM PST The elusive trigger that allows plants to 'see' the gas nitric oxide (NO), an important signalling molecule, has been tracked down by scientists. It is the first time that a central mechanism for the detection of NO in plants has been identified.

Scientists find regulator of amyloid plaque buildup in alzheimer's disease Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:53 AM PST Scientists have identified a critical regulator of a molecule deeply involved in the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

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