ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Recent study reduces Casimir force to lowest recorded level
• Smoking during pregnancy may increase risk of bipolar disorder in offspring
• Gene expression databases could uncover therapeutic targets, biological processes
• New fossils push the origin of flowering plants back by 100 million years to the early Triassic
• Scientist sniffs out possible new tick species
• Armed and attentive: The face is the focus for a person wielding a gun
• Researchers propose new theory to explain seeds of life in asteroids
• Supercomputing the transition from ordinary to extraordinary forms of matter
• Supercomputers help solve a 50-year homework assignment
• Drinking fluoridated water gives no additional risks for hip fractures
• Genes associated with unhealthy liver function
• Product testing to foster care system
• 'Walking droplets': Strange behavior of bouncing drops demonstrates pilot-wave dynamics in action
• Solar power's future brawl
• Bad luck? Knocking on wood can undo perceived jinx, study suggests
• New kind of 'X-ray/CT vision' reveals objects' internal nanoscale structure, chemistry
• Traffic cop for meiosis — with implications for fertility, birth defects
• New process to create artificial cell membranes
• My dishwasher is trying to kill me: Extreme conditions suit pathogenic fungus
• Probing the secrets of the ryegrasses: A route for synthesis of loline alkaloids
• Understanding soil nitrogen management using synchrotron technology
• Compound may keep survivors of brain aneurysms from succumbing to stroke
• What makes us left or right handed? New study rules out strong genetic factors
• Discovery goes from the lab to the patient
• Short sleepers most likely to be drowsy drivers
• Role of brain stress in obesity, type 2 diabetes development
• Breakthrough in photonics could allow for faster and faster electronics
• Solving ethanol's corrosion problem may help speed the biofuel to market
• Caribou may be indirectly affected by sea-ice loss in the Arctic
• Clinician observations of preschoolers' behavior help to predict ADHD at school age
• Insight into combined radiation injury from nuclear disaster
• 'Waviness' explains why carbon nanotube forests have low stiffness
• Putting a face on a robot
• Scientists who share data publicly receive more citations
• Vikings may have been more social than savage
• More accurate estimate of amount of water on surface layer of Mars
• Concerns over mercury levels in fish may be unfounded
• Researchers apply regenerative medicine to battlefield injuries
• Zinc discovery may shed light on Parkinson's, Alzheimer's
• Less blood clot risk linked to estradiol than to Premarin pills
• Two common estrogen drugs compared regarding cardiovascular safety
• New insights into DNA repair process may spur better cancer therapies
• Better protein creation may be secret of longevity for the world's longest-living rodent
• New research links individual animal behavior with social spacing
• Egg growth induced in infertile women, one gives birth

Recent study reduces Casimir force to lowest recorded level Posted: 01 Oct 2013 04:21 PM PDT Scientists have recorded a drastically reduced measurement of the Casimir effect, a fundamental quantum phenomenon experienced between two neutral bodies that exist in a vacuum.

Smoking during pregnancy may increase risk of bipolar disorder in offspring Posted: 01 Oct 2013 04:21 PM PDT A study published suggests an association between smoking during pregnancy and increased risk for developing bipolar disorder in adult children. Researchers evaluated offspring from a large cohort of pregnant women and found that maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with a twofold increased risk of bipolar disorder in their offspring.

Gene expression databases could uncover therapeutic targets, biological processes Posted: 01 Oct 2013 04:21 PM PDT A new computational tool developed by US and Israeli scientists will help scientists exploit the massive databases of gene expression experimental results that have been created over the past decade. Researchers say it could uncover new links between diseases and treatments and provide new insights into biological processes.

New fossils push the origin of flowering plants back by 100 million years to the early Triassic Posted: 01 Oct 2013 04:18 PM PDT Drilling cores from Switzerland have revealed the oldest known fossils of the direct ancestors of flowering plants. These beautifully preserved 240-million-year-old pollen grains are evidence that flowering plants evolved 100 million years earlier than previously thought, according to a new study. Flowering plants evolved from extinct plants related to conifers, ginkgos, cycads, and seed ferns. The oldest known fossils from flowering plants are pollen grains. These are small, robust and numerous and therefore fossilize more easily than leaves and flowers. An uninterrupted sequence of fossilized pollen from flowers begins in the Early Cretaceous, approximately 140 million years ago, and it is generally assumed that flowering plants first evolved around that time. But the present study documents flowering plant-like pollen that is 100 million years older, implying that flowering plants may have originated in the Early Triassic (between 252 to 247 million years ago) or even earlier.

Scientist sniffs out possible new tick species Posted: 01 Oct 2013 04:15 PM PDT Kibale National Park is an almost 500-square-mile forest in western Uganda. Here scientists frequently study how infectious diseases spread and evolve in the wild. One scientist returned with a "stow-away" -- a new species of tick.

Armed and attentive: The face is the focus for a person wielding a gun Posted: 01 Oct 2013 12:11 PM PDT A person wielding a gun focuses more intently on the face of an opponent with a gun, presumably to try to determine that person's likelihood of pulling the trigger, according to a new study on gun-in-hand research.

Researchers propose new theory to explain seeds of life in asteroids Posted: 01 Oct 2013 12:11 PM PDT A new look at the early solar system introduces an alternative to a long-taught, but largely discredited, theory that seeks to explain how biomolecules were once able to form inside of asteroids.

Supercomputing the transition from ordinary to extraordinary forms of matter Posted: 01 Oct 2013 12:10 PM PDT Calculations plus experimental data help map nuclear phase diagram, offering insight into transition that mimics formation of visible matter in the universe today.

Supercomputers help solve a 50-year homework assignment Posted: 01 Oct 2013 12:10 PM PDT A group of theoretical physicists has solved half of a 50-year homework assignment —- a calculation of one type of subatomic particle decay aimed at helping to answer the question of why the early universe ended up with an excess of matter.

Drinking fluoridated water gives no additional risks for hip fractures Posted: 01 Oct 2013 11:14 AM PDT A team of researchers investigated possible adverse health effects on bone tissue from drinking fluoridated water. With nearly half a million individuals participating in this study, this is believed to be one of the largest studies of its kind.

Genes associated with unhealthy liver function Posted: 01 Oct 2013 11:13 AM PDT A groundbreaking study of nearly 2,300 extremely obese diabetes patients has identified genes associated with unhealthy liver function. This is believed to be the nation's first large-scale genome-wide association study in overweight patients with diabetes.

Product testing to foster care system Posted: 01 Oct 2013 11:13 AM PDT Ever since cruise lines first began building mock suites for passengers to try out before installing the rooms on ocean liners in the 1940s, businesses have been devising trial runs for a small number of consumers to test merchandise. Companies still make important changes based on this "usability testing" before taking their goods to the wider market, and researchers say that what works for cell phones and video games may work for human services.

'Walking droplets': Strange behavior of bouncing drops demonstrates pilot-wave dynamics in action Posted: 01 Oct 2013 11:12 AM PDT A research team recently discovered that it's possible to make a tiny fluid droplet levitate on the surface of a vibrating bath, walking or bouncing across, propelled by its own wave field. Surprisingly, these walking droplets exhibit certain features previously thought to be exclusive to the microscopic quantum realm. This finding of quantum-like behavior inspired a team of researchers to examine the dynamics of these walking droplets.

Solar power's future brawl Posted: 01 Oct 2013 11:12 AM PDT Scientists have turned to computer modeling to help decide which of two competing materials should get its day in the sun as the nanoscale energy-harvesting technology of future solar panels -- quantum dots or nanowires.

Bad luck? Knocking on wood can undo perceived jinx, study suggests Posted: 01 Oct 2013 10:13 AM PDT A new study finds that certain superstitions actually do "reverse" perceived bad fortune.

New kind of 'X-ray/CT vision' reveals objects' internal nanoscale structure, chemistry Posted: 01 Oct 2013 10:13 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new kind of "x-ray vision"—a way to peer inside real-world devices such as batteries and catalysts to map the internal nanostructures and properties of the various components, and even monitor how properties evolve as the devices operate.

Traffic cop for meiosis — with implications for fertility, birth defects Posted: 01 Oct 2013 10:13 AM PDT Researchers have identified the mechanism that plays "traffic cop" in meiosis. Their findings shed new light on fertility and may lead to greater understanding of the factors that lead to birth defects.

New process to create artificial cell membranes Posted: 01 Oct 2013 10:12 AM PDT The membranes surrounding and inside cells are involved in every aspect of biological function. They separate the cell's various metabolic functions, compartmentalize the genetic material, and drive evolution by separating a cell's biochemical activities. They are also the largest and most complex structures that cells synthesize.

My dishwasher is trying to kill me: Extreme conditions suit pathogenic fungus Posted: 01 Oct 2013 10:12 AM PDT A potentially pathogenic fungus has found a home living in extreme conditions in some of the most common household appliances, researchers have found. Scientists have shown that these sites make perfect habitats for extremotolerant fungi (which includes black yeasts). Some of these are potentially dangerous to human health.

Probing the secrets of the ryegrasses: A route for synthesis of loline alkaloids Posted: 01 Oct 2013 10:12 AM PDT Loline alkaloids protect plants from attack by insects and have other interesting features that have yet to be studied in detail. Chemists have developed a method for the effective synthesis of these compounds, which will facilitate further investigations in biology and medicine.

Understanding soil nitrogen management using synchrotron technology Posted: 01 Oct 2013 09:40 AM PDT Increasing the organic matter in soils is key to growing crops for numerous reasons, including increased water-holding capacity and improved tilth. Scientists have evaluated the effects of various sources of supplemental nitrogen fertilizer on the chemical composition of soil organic matter.

Compound may keep survivors of brain aneurysms from succumbing to stroke Posted: 01 Oct 2013 09:40 AM PDT Working with mice, researchers say they have identified a chemical compound that reduces the risk of dangerous, potentially stroke-causing blood vessel spasms that often occur after the rupture of a bulging vessel in the brain.

What makes us left or right handed? New study rules out strong genetic factors Posted: 01 Oct 2013 09:39 AM PDT Around 10 per cent of the population is left handed. But why exactly someone is left or right handed remains unclear.

Discovery goes from the lab to the patient Posted: 01 Oct 2013 09:35 AM PDT A laboratory testing kit that estimates the risk of breast cancer relapse in spite of anti-hormone treatment has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This technology is based on a gene signature known as "PAM50".

Short sleepers most likely to be drowsy drivers Posted: 01 Oct 2013 09:35 AM PDT New research is revealing that short sleepers, those who sleep less than six hours per night on average, are the most likely to experience drowsy driving, even when they feel completely rested.

Role of brain stress in obesity, type 2 diabetes development Posted: 01 Oct 2013 09:35 AM PDT Researchers have gained new insights into how obesity and type 2 diabetes can create a stress response in the brain, especially in the hypothalamus (the brain region that regulates appetite and energy production), that may contribute to altering metabolism throughout the body.

Breakthrough in photonics could allow for faster and faster electronics Posted: 01 Oct 2013 08:57 AM PDT A pair of breakthroughs in the field of silicon photonics could allow for the trajectory of exponential improvement in microprocessors that began nearly half a century ago -- known as Moore's Law -- to continue well into the future, allowing for increasingly faster electronics, from supercomputers to laptops to smartphones.

Solving ethanol's corrosion problem may help speed the biofuel to market Posted: 01 Oct 2013 08:57 AM PDT To meet a goal set by the US Environmental Protection Agency's Renewable Fuels Standard to use 36 billion gallons of biofuels each year -- mostly ethanol -- the nation must expand its infrastructure for transporting and storing ethanol. Ethanol, however, is known for triggering stress corrosion cracking of steel. Researchers investigated the mechanism of how ethanol triggers stress corrosion cracking, along with ways to circumvent this issue to prevent ethanol-related corrosion issues.

Caribou may be indirectly affected by sea-ice loss in the Arctic Posted: 01 Oct 2013 08:56 AM PDT Melting sea ice in the Arctic may be leading, indirectly, to lower birth and survival rates for caribou calves in Greenland, according to scientists. They have linked the melting of Arctic sea ice with changes in the timing of plant growth on land, which in turn is associated with population declines in caribou herds.

Clinician observations of preschoolers' behavior help to predict ADHD at school age Posted: 01 Oct 2013 07:48 AM PDT Don't rely on one source of information about your preschoolers' inattention or hyperactivity. Rather, consider how your child behaves at home as well as information from his or her teacher and a clinician. This advice comes from researchers who examined how well parent, teacher, and clinician ratings of preschoolers' behavior were able to predict severity and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at age six.

Insight into combined radiation injury from nuclear disaster Posted: 01 Oct 2013 07:47 AM PDT A nuclear bomb or nuclear reactor accident can produce a deadly combination of radiation exposure and injuries such as burns and trauma. Now the first study of its kind in 50 years is providing new insights into combined radiation injury.

'Waviness' explains why carbon nanotube forests have low stiffness Posted: 01 Oct 2013 07:47 AM PDT A new study has found that "waviness" in forests of carbon nanotubes dramatically reduces their stiffness. Instead of being a detriment, the waviness may make the nanotube arrays more useful as thermal interface material for conducting heat away from integrated circuits.

Putting a face on a robot Posted: 01 Oct 2013 07:45 AM PDT Older and younger people have varying preferences about what they would want a personal robot to look like. And they change their minds based on what the robot is supposed to do.

Scientists who share data publicly receive more citations Posted: 01 Oct 2013 06:14 AM PDT A new study finds that papers with data shared in public gene expression archives received increased numbers of citations for at least five years. The large size of the study allowed the researchers to exclude confounding factors that have plagued prior studies of the effect and to spot a trend of increasing dataset reuse over time. The findings will be important in persuading scientists that they can benefit directly from publicly sharing their data.

Vikings may have been more social than savage Posted: 01 Oct 2013 06:13 AM PDT Academics have uncovered complex social networks within age-old Icelandic sagas, which challenge the stereotypical image of Vikings as unworldly, violent savages.

More accurate estimate of amount of water on surface layer of Mars Posted: 01 Oct 2013 06:12 AM PDT NASA's rover Curiosity, which landed on the surface of Mars on 6 August 2012, has led to more detailed estimates of the amount of water on the Martian surface.

Concerns over mercury levels in fish may be unfounded Posted: 30 Sep 2013 06:17 PM PDT New research suggests that fish accounts for only seven per cent of mercury levels in the human body. Concerns about the negative effects of mercury on fetal development have led to official advice warning against eating too much fish during pregnancy. A new finding suggests that those guidelines may need to be reviewed.

Researchers apply regenerative medicine to battlefield injuries Posted: 30 Sep 2013 05:00 PM PDT A study has entered its second phase that focuses on developing innovative medical treatments for wounded veterans, including peripheral nerve regeneration, head and face trauma, burns, transplants and other conditions.

Zinc discovery may shed light on Parkinson's, Alzheimer's Posted: 30 Sep 2013 05:00 PM PDT Scientists have made a discovery that, if replicated in humans, suggests a shortage of zinc may contribute to diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, which have been linked to defective proteins clumping together in the brain.

Less blood clot risk linked to estradiol than to Premarin pills Posted: 30 Sep 2013 01:22 PM PDT Women can choose among several types of estrogen pills, which are equally effective at relieving menopausal symptoms. But in a study, use of estradiol was associated with less risk of developing blood clots in leg veins (deep vein thrombosis) and clots in the lungs (pulmonary emboli) than was use of conjugated equine estrogens (Premarin).

Two common estrogen drugs compared regarding cardiovascular safety Posted: 30 Sep 2013 01:15 PM PDT The oral hormone therapy conjugated equine estrogens (CEEs), which is used by women to relieve menopause symptoms, appears to be associated with increased risk for venous thrombosis (VT, blood clots) and possibly myocardial infarction (heart attack), but not ischemic stroke risk, when compared with the hormone therapy oral estradiol.

New insights into DNA repair process may spur better cancer therapies Posted: 30 Sep 2013 12:28 PM PDT By detailing a process required for repairing DNA breakage, scientists have gained a better understanding of how cells deal with the barrage of damage that can contribute to cancer and other diseases.

Better protein creation may be secret of longevity for the world's longest-living rodent Posted: 30 Sep 2013 12:27 PM PDT Biologists conclude that a better protein-making process helps naked mole rats live long, healthy lives.

New research links individual animal behavior with social spacing Posted: 30 Sep 2013 12:27 PM PDT Certain animal species are capable of coordinating their spatial behavior to cover terrain by maintaining areas of exclusive use while sharing other regions of space with their neighbors, new research has found.

Egg growth induced in infertile women, one gives birth Posted: 30 Sep 2013 12:27 PM PDT Researchers have identified a way to induce the ovaries of some infertile women to produce eggs.

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