ScienceDaily: Top News

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• NASA's SDO mission untangles motion inside the sun
• Space laser to prove increased broadband possible
• Wake up and smell the reef: Fish larvae sniff their way back home
• Hidden shell middens reveal ancient human presence in Bolivian Amazon
• Kids' fast food ads emphasize giveaways more than food
• Milky Way gas cloud causes multiple images of distant quasar
• Fifteen new species of Amazonian birds
• Wildfires projected to worsen with climate change
• Oxygen 'sponge' presents path to better catalysts, energy materials
• Promising chronic pain drug developed
• School-age drinking increases breast cancer risk​​​​​​
• Does migraine affect income or income affect migraine?
• Migraine may permanently change brain structure
• Mindfulness training can help reduce teacher stress and burnout
• Brain inflammation linked to more severe Parkinson's symptoms
• Researchers aim to use light -- not electric jolts -- to restore healthy heartbeats
• Woodland salamanders indicators of forest ecosystem recovery
• How anthrax toxins cause illness, death
• Scientists 'spike' stem cells to generate myelin
• The science of collaboration
• Blocking molecular pathway reverses pulmonary hypertension in rats
• A major cause of age-related memory loss identified: Potentially reversible
• Model of 'near-optimal' genetic code developed
• New Cassini data from Saturn's largest moon Titan indicate a rigid, weathered ice shell
• East Antarctic Ice Sheet could be more vulnerable to climate change than previously thought
• Magnetic charge crystals imaged in artificial spin ice
• Intestinal flora determines health of obese people
• A potential cause of autism? Key enzymes are found to have a 'profound effect' across dozens of genes linked to autism
• New approach to prevent diabetes-induced birth defects?
• Scientists identify amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease mechanism
• Producing hydrogen from water with carbon/charcoal powder
• Scientists uncover how superbug fights off antibiotic
• Autistic children can outgrow difficulty understanding visual cues and sounds
• Butterfly wings + carbon nanotubes = new 'nanobiocomposite' material
• Modified law of gravity predicts dwarf galaxy feature prior to observations
• Using a form of 'ice that burns' to make potable water from oil and gas production
• UK children less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than US children
• AC or DC? Two newly described electric fish from the Amazon are wired differently
• Oldest solar twin identified: New clues to help solve lithium mystery
• Parasitic worm genome uncovers potential drug targets
• Fukushima radioactive plume to reach US in 3 years
• Expectant mothers' periodontal health vital to health of her baby
• Matroid theory: Mathematician solves 40-year-old problem
• Combating sports-related concussions: New device accurately and objectively diagnoses concussions from the sidelines
• Greener Greenland predicted
• Scientists monitor with phosphorus the algal blooms in European lakes
• Molecular motors: Power much less than expected?
• Spread of farming and origin of lactase persistence in Neolithic Age
• Personal goals may facilitate or hinder older adults' striving for exercise
• Not the end of the world: Why Earth's greatest mass extinction was the making of modern mammals
• Zealous imaging fuelling unnecessary and harmful treatment of low risk thyroid cancers, experts warn
• Broccoli could be key in the fight against osteoarthritis

NASA's SDO mission untangles motion inside the sun Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:11 PM PDT Using an instrument on NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, called the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager, or HMI, scientists have overturned previous notions of how the sun's writhing insides move from equator to pole and back again, a key part of understanding how the dynamo works. Modeling this system also lies at the heart of improving predictions of the intensity of the next solar cycle.

Space laser to prove increased broadband possible Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:11 PM PDT Scientists are attemping to show two-way laser communication beyond Earth is possible, expanding the possibility of transmitting huge amounts of data. This new ability could one day allow for 3-D high definition video transmissions in deep space to become routine.

Wake up and smell the reef: Fish larvae sniff their way back home Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:11 PM PDT A new study conducted at One Tree Island in the Great Barrier Reef has established that reef fish larvae can smell the presence of coral reefs from as far as several kilometers offshore, and use this odor to find home.

Hidden shell middens reveal ancient human presence in Bolivian Amazon Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:11 PM PDT Previously unknown archeological sites in forest islands reveal human presence in the western Amazon as early as 10,000 years ago, according to new research.

Kids' fast food ads emphasize giveaways more than food Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:11 PM PDT Fast-food marketing aimed at children emphasizes giveaways and movie tie-ins much more frequently than ads targeted at adults, according to new research.

Milky Way gas cloud causes multiple images of distant quasar Posted: 28 Aug 2013 02:31 PM PDT For the first time, astronomers have seen the image of a distant quasar split into multiple images by the effects of a cloud of ionized gas in our own Milky Way Galaxy. Such events were predicted as early as 1970, but the first evidence for one now has come from the National Science Foundation's Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) radio telescope system.

Fifteen new species of Amazonian birds Posted: 28 Aug 2013 02:31 PM PDT Biologists have recently discovered 15 species of birds previously unknown to science. Not since 1871 have so many new species of birds been introduced under a single cover.

Wildfires projected to worsen with climate change Posted: 28 Aug 2013 02:29 PM PDT Environmental scientists brings bad news to the western United States, where firefighters are currently battling dozens of fires in at least 11 states.

Oxygen 'sponge' presents path to better catalysts, energy materials Posted: 28 Aug 2013 02:28 PM PDT Scientists have developed a new oxygen "sponge" that can easily absorb or shed oxygen atoms at low temperatures. Materials with these novel characteristics would be useful in devices such as rechargeable batteries, sensors, gas converters and fuel cells.

Promising chronic pain drug developed Posted: 28 Aug 2013 02:28 PM PDT A recent report indicates that 116-million Americans live with some form of chronic pain. Historically, chemists have developed drugs aimed at just one biological target. Two drugs used together may metabolize differently or present other issues. This new drug, named UMB 425 affects two different opioid receptors, providing diminished tolerance.

School-age drinking increases breast cancer risk​​​​​​ Posted: 28 Aug 2013 02:26 PM PDT Here's a sobering fact for millions of young women heading back to school: The more alcohol they drink before motherhood, the greater their risk of future breast cancer.

Does migraine affect income or income affect migraine? Posted: 28 Aug 2013 02:26 PM PDT Studies show that migraine is more common among people with lower incomes. This relationship is examined in a study looking at whether developing migraines limits people's educational and career achievements, leading to a lower income status, or whether problems related to low income such as stressful life events and poor access to health care increase the likelihood of developing migraines.

Migraine may permanently change brain structure Posted: 28 Aug 2013 02:26 PM PDT Migraine may have long-lasting effects on the brain's structure, according to a new study.

Mindfulness training can help reduce teacher stress and burnout Posted: 28 Aug 2013 11:48 AM PDT Teachers who practice "mindfulness" are better able to reduce their own levels of stress and prevent burnout, according to a new study.

Brain inflammation linked to more severe Parkinson's symptoms Posted: 28 Aug 2013 11:48 AM PDT Reversing inflammation in the fluid surrounding the brain's cortex may provide a solution to the complex riddle of Parkinson's, according to researchers who have found a link between pro-inflammatory biomarkers and the severity of symptoms such as fatigue, depression and anxiety in patients with the chronic disease.

Researchers aim to use light -- not electric jolts -- to restore healthy heartbeats Posted: 28 Aug 2013 11:48 AM PDT When a beating heart slips into an irregular rhythm, the treatment is electric current from a pacemaker or defibrillator. But the electricity itself can cause pain, tissue damage and other side effects. Now, researchers want to replace jolts with a gentler remedy: light.

Woodland salamanders indicators of forest ecosystem recovery Posted: 28 Aug 2013 11:48 AM PDT Woodland salamanders are a viable indicator of forest ecosystem recovery, according to researchers,

How anthrax toxins cause illness, death Posted: 28 Aug 2013 11:48 AM PDT Researchers have identified the cells in two distinct areas of the body that are simultaneously targeted for damage by anthrax toxins, eventually causing illness and sometimes death. Their findings are based on testing in mice. However, the results may contribute to the development of anthrax treatments for humans, the researchers say.

Scientists 'spike' stem cells to generate myelin Posted: 28 Aug 2013 11:48 AM PDT Stem cell technology has long offered the hope of regenerating tissue to repair broken or damaged neural tissue.

The science of collaboration Posted: 28 Aug 2013 11:48 AM PDT The future of biomedical innovation depends in part on a new trend for all players in biomedical innovation to work together for the common goal, say researchers.

Blocking molecular pathway reverses pulmonary hypertension in rats Posted: 28 Aug 2013 11:48 AM PDT Pulmonary hypertension, a deadly form of high blood pressure that develops in the lungs, may be caused by an inflammation-producing molecular pathway that damages the inner lining of blood vessels, according to a new study.

A major cause of age-related memory loss identified: Potentially reversible Posted: 28 Aug 2013 11:48 AM PDT Scientists have found that the deficiency of a protein called RbAp48 in the hippocampus is a significant contributor to age-related memory loss and that this form of memory loss is reversible. The study, conducted in postmortem human brain cells and in mice, also offers the strongest causal evidence that age-related memory loss and Alzheimer's disease are distinct conditions.

Model of 'near-optimal' genetic code developed Posted: 28 Aug 2013 11:48 AM PDT Researchers have created a model that may explain the complexities of the origins of life. Their work offers new insights into how RNA signaling likely developed into the modern "genetic code."

New Cassini data from Saturn's largest moon Titan indicate a rigid, weathered ice shell Posted: 28 Aug 2013 10:19 AM PDT An analysis of gravity and topography data from Saturn's largest moon, Titan, has revealed unexpected features of the moon's outer ice shell. The best explanation for the findings, the authors said, is that Titan's ice shell is rigid and that relatively small topographic features on the surface are associated with large roots extending into the underlying ocean.

East Antarctic Ice Sheet could be more vulnerable to climate change than previously thought Posted: 28 Aug 2013 10:19 AM PDT The world's largest ice sheet could be more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than previously thought, according to new research.

Magnetic charge crystals imaged in artificial spin ice Posted: 28 Aug 2013 10:19 AM PDT Direct visualization of magnetic charge crystallization in an artificial spin ice material, a first in the study of a relatively new class of frustrated artificial magnetic materials-by-design known as "Artificial Spin Ice." These charges are analogs to electrical charges with possible applications in magnetic memories and devices.

Intestinal flora determines health of obese people Posted: 28 Aug 2013 10:19 AM PDT Scientists have shown that there is a link between richness of bacterial species in the intestines and the susceptibility for medical complications related to obesity. The researchers demonstrated that people with fewer bacterial species in their intestines are more likely to develop complications, such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. A flora with decreased bacterial richness appears to function entirely differently to the healthy variety with greater diversity.

A potential cause of autism? Key enzymes are found to have a 'profound effect' across dozens of genes linked to autism Posted: 28 Aug 2013 10:18 AM PDT Problems with a key group of enzymes called topoisomerases can have profound effects on the genetic machinery behind brain development and potentially lead to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to new research. Scientists have described a finding that represents a significant advance in the hunt for environmental factors behind autism and lends new insights into the disorder's genetic causes.

New approach to prevent diabetes-induced birth defects? Posted: 28 Aug 2013 10:11 AM PDT Scientists have identified a cell signaling pathway which plays a significant role in causing developmental defects of the fetal spinal cord and brain in babies of women with diabetes. Using an animal model of disease, the team's results point to a potential new therapeutic target for preventing these defects in pregnant women having preexisting diabetes.

Scientists identify amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease mechanism Posted: 28 Aug 2013 10:10 AM PDT Researchers have tied mutations in a gene that causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative disorders to the toxic buildup of certain proteins and related molecules in cells, including neurons.

Producing hydrogen from water with carbon/charcoal powder Posted: 28 Aug 2013 08:42 AM PDT In the latest advance in efforts to find an inexpensive way to make hydrogen from ordinary water -- one of the keys to the much-discussed "hydrogen economy" -- scientists are reporting that powder from high-grade charcoal and other forms of carbon can free hydrogen from water illuminated with laser pulses.

Scientists uncover how superbug fights off antibiotic Posted: 28 Aug 2013 08:41 AM PDT Scientists working to stem the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria have taken a major step in their efforts to develop new treatments. In a new study, researchers report they have identified a novel mechanism that a particular superbug uses to fend off a key front-line antibiotic called daptomycin. The superbug often affects critically ill patients.

Autistic children can outgrow difficulty understanding visual cues and sounds Posted: 28 Aug 2013 08:41 AM PDT Scientists have shown that high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children appear to outgrow a critical social communication disability. Younger children with ASD have trouble integrating the auditory and visual cues associated with speech, but the researchers found that the problem clears up in adolescence.

Butterfly wings + carbon nanotubes = new 'nanobiocomposite' material Posted: 28 Aug 2013 07:34 AM PDT Leveraging the amazing natural properties of the Morpho butterfly's wings, scientists have developed a nanobiocomposite material that shows promise for wearable electronic devices, highly sensitive light sensors and sustainable batteries.

Modified law of gravity predicts dwarf galaxy feature prior to observations Posted: 28 Aug 2013 07:34 AM PDT MOND, a modified law of gravity, correctly predicted in advance of observations the velocity dispersion -- the average speed of stars within a galaxy relative to each other -- in 10 dwarf satellite galaxies of the Milky Way's giant neighbor Andromeda. MOND also detected subtle differences in gravity fields that dark matter theory says should be uniform.

Using a form of 'ice that burns' to make potable water from oil and gas production Posted: 28 Aug 2013 07:34 AM PDT In the midst of an intensifying global water crisis, scientists are reporting development of a more economical way to use one form of the "ice that burns" to turn very salty wastewater from fracking and other oil and gas production methods into water for drinking and irrigation. The method removes more than 90 percent of the salt from the water.

UK children less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than US children Posted: 28 Aug 2013 07:34 AM PDT New research suggests that children are far less likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the UK than they are in the US. However, the same study suggests that autism diagnosis is still rising.

AC or DC? Two newly described electric fish from the Amazon are wired differently Posted: 28 Aug 2013 07:34 AM PDT Two new species of weakly electric fishes from the Amazon with some unusual characteristics. Often collected together and so similar in many respects that they have been mistaken for a single species, the two species differ most notably with respect to their electric organs and electric signals.

Oldest solar twin identified: New clues to help solve lithium mystery Posted: 28 Aug 2013 07:33 AM PDT Astronomers have used ESO's Very Large Telescope to study the oldest solar twin known to date. Located 250 light-years away, the star HIP 102152 is more like the Sun than any other solar twin — except that it is nearly four billion years older. This older twin may be host to rocky planets and gives us an unprecedented chance to see how the Sun will look when it ages.

Parasitic worm genome uncovers potential drug targets Posted: 28 Aug 2013 07:33 AM PDT Researchers have identified five enzymes that are essential to the survival of a parasitic worm that infects livestock worldwide and is a great threat to global food security. Two of these proteins are already being studied as potential drug targets against other pathogens.

Fukushima radioactive plume to reach US in 3 years Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:23 AM PDT Researchers find it will take three years from the date of leakage for the the plume of radioactive water to reach the US coastline.

Expectant mothers' periodontal health vital to health of her baby Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:23 AM PDT New clinical recommendations urge pregnant women to maintain periodontal health as well. Research has indicated that women with periodontal disease may be at risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, such giving birth to a pre-term or low-birth weight baby.

Matroid theory: Mathematician solves 40-year-old problem Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:23 AM PDT A team of mathematicians has solved a problem first posed more than 40 years ago that has confounded modern mathematicians, until now.

Combating sports-related concussions: New device accurately and objectively diagnoses concussions from the sidelines Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:23 AM PDT There are millions of sports-related concussions each year, but many go undiagnosed because the fear of being benched often trumps the fear of permanent brain damage, and there is no objective test available to accurately diagnose concussions on the sidelines. Researchers have set out to change that by developing software and an inexpensive balance board that can measure balance with 99 percent accuracy on the field and in the clinic.

Greener Greenland predicted Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:22 AM PDT In 2100, a warmer climate will allow growth of trees and bushes in large parts of that Greenland, which is currently ice-free. This opportunity, will offer both risks and opportunities for the Greenlanders according to a new analysis.

Scientists monitor with phosphorus the algal blooms in European lakes Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:20 AM PDT An international research team has analyzed the relationship between the amount of phosphorus recorded in 1,500 European lakes and reservoirs, and the growth of cyanobacteria, a toxin-producing microorganism. The results show that 23% of these water masses in Spain exceed the level established by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This percentage is closer to 50% for Germany and the Netherlands.

Molecular motors: Power much less than expected? Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:20 AM PDT An innovative measurement method has been used for estimating power generated by motors of single molecule in size, comprising a few dozens atoms only. The findings of the study are of crucial importance for construction of future nanometer machines – and they do not instil optimism.

Spread of farming and origin of lactase persistence in Neolithic Age Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:20 AM PDT Scientists have brought to light the spread of dairy farming in Europe and the development of milk tolerance in adult humans. It was after the transition from a hunter-gatherer society to that of a settled farming culture in the Neolithic period that dairy-related animal husbandry first evolved, and this practice spread from the Middle East to all of Europe. The processing of milk to make cheese and yogurt contributed significantly to the development of dairy farming, as this represented a way of reducing the lactose content of fresh milk to tolerable levels, making a valuable foodstuff available to the human population.

Personal goals may facilitate or hinder older adults' striving for exercise Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:20 AM PDT Although exercise may significantly promote healthy aging, many older adults remain sedentary. One reason for this may lie behind older adults' personal goals.

Not the end of the world: Why Earth's greatest mass extinction was the making of modern mammals Posted: 28 Aug 2013 06:20 AM PDT The ancient closest relatives of mammals – the cynodont therapsids - not only survived the greatest mass extinction of all time, 252 million years ago, but thrived in the aftermath, according to new research.

Zealous imaging fuelling unnecessary and harmful treatment of low risk thyroid cancers, experts warn Posted: 27 Aug 2013 05:43 PM PDT New imaging techniques are fuelling an epidemic in diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancers that are unlikely to ever progress to cause symptoms or death, warn experts.

Broccoli could be key in the fight against osteoarthritis Posted: 27 Aug 2013 05:40 PM PDT A compound found in broccoli could be key to preventing or slowing the progress of the most common form of arthritis, according to new research.

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