ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Aboriginal hunting practice increases animal populations
• Gold nanoparticles give an edge in recycling carbon dioxide
• Reading this in a meeting? Women twice as likely as men to be offended by smartphone use
• When scaling the quantum slopes, veer for the straight path
• Why plants usually live longer then animals
• What is it about your face? Researchers provide new insight into why each human face is unique
• Polymer scientists jam nanoparticles, trapping liquids in useful shapes
• Persuading light to mix it up with matter
• Learning how to convert heat directly into power: A thermoelectric materials emulator
• Making hydrogen cheaply? Unique chemistry in hydrogen catalysts revealed
• Increasing toxicity of algal blooms tied to nutrient enrichment and climate change
• Scientists solve mystery of odd patterns of oxygen in solar system's earliest rocks
• Ghostly shape of 'coldest place in the universe' revealed
• Yeast, human stem cells drive discovery of new Parkinson's disease drug targets
• 100 percent of an image restored using a version containing between one and 10 percent of the information
• Male spiders have better chance of fathering offspring in return for good gifts to potential female mates
• Coyote more likely to make a meal out of moose than thought
• For fish and rice to thrive in Yolo Bypass, 'just add water'
• Gene variants in immune system pathways correlated with composition of microbes of human body
• Optimism about meeting 'Grand Challenge' of global prosperity
• Obesity may increase risk of Clostridium difficile infection
• Researchers apply brainpower to understanding neural stem cell differentiation
• Bee sting allergy could be a defense response gone haywire
• Genetic mutation provides clues to battling childhood obesity
• Samurai sword protein makes strategic cuts in cell skeletons
• Molecular biology: Designer of protein factories exposed
• Review of daily aspirin dosage highlights concerns about side effects
• Sharing the power of the crowd
• Conflicting criteria for diagnosing polycystic ovary syndrome clarified
• Bees underwent massive extinctions when dinosaurs did
• Curing HIV/AIDS gets tougher: Far more 'hidden' active virus than thought
• Global HIV vaccine shows promise in monkeys
• Inexpensive material boosts battery capacity
• Charged up and ready to connect
• Unprecedented Arctic warming: Average summer temperatures in last 100 years may be warmest in 120,000 years
• Data reaffirms test's ability to identify benign thyroid nodules
• Google search serves users from 700 percent more locations than a year ago
• Sleep apnea study uncovers more hidden dangers for women
• Physicists decode decision circuit of cancer metastasis
• Climate change and coevolution: Scientists have done the math
• Gene variant that raises risk for colorectal cancer from eating processed meat present in one-in-three people
• Novel technique to detect fingerprints
• PVC as flooring material in childhood is related to asthma 10 years later
• Getting a grip on inventory management
• Need different types of tissue? Just print them!
• Landslide sensors may save lives worldwide
• Overuse of radiation therapy services when urologists profit through self-referral
• Using sound waves for remote bomb detection
• Preventive effect of plant sterols in Alzheimer’s disease
• Unique chemical composition surrounding supermassive black holes
• Uterine fibroids have significant impact on quality of life, workplace performance
• New links between sleep deprivation, immune system discovered
• Food additive may prevent spread of deadly new avian flu
• Long-term study links box jellyfish abundance, environmental variability at Waikiki Beach
• Seeing the song: Study aims to understand how, when the auditory system registers complex auditory-visual synchrony
• Oral bacteria create a 'fingerprint' in your mouth
• 'Name that tune' algorithm used to identify signature whistles of dolphins

Aboriginal hunting practice increases animal populations Posted: 24 Oct 2013 03:25 PM PDT In Australia's Western Desert, Aboriginal hunters use a unique method that actually increases populations of the animals they hunt, according to a new study. The hunting method -- using fire to clear patches of land to improve the search for game -- also creates a mosaic of regrowth that enhances habitat.

Gold nanoparticles give an edge in recycling carbon dioxide Posted: 24 Oct 2013 03:25 PM PDT It's a 21st-century alchemist's dream: turning Earth's superabundance of carbon dioxide -- a greenhouse gas -- into fuel or useful industrial chemicals. Researchers have shown gold nanoparticles can be tuned to selectively reduce CO2 into CO, an active carbon molecule that can be used to make alternative fuels and commodity chemicals. The key is maximizing the particles' long edges, which are the active sites for the reaction.

Reading this in a meeting? Women twice as likely as men to be offended by smartphone use Posted: 24 Oct 2013 03:25 PM PDT In an increasingly uncivil world, a new study is the first to provide hard evidence for how attitudes about acceptable or rude mobile phone use actually break down across gender, age and region.

When scaling the quantum slopes, veer for the straight path Posted: 24 Oct 2013 01:05 PM PDT Researchers have found that the "landscape" of quantum control -- a representation of quantum mechanics that allows the dynamics of atoms and molecules to be manipulated -- can be unexpectedly simple, which could allow for ready control of quantum operating devices at the nanoscale.

Why plants usually live longer then animals Posted: 24 Oct 2013 11:33 AM PDT Stem cells are crucial for the continuous generation of new cells. Although the importance of stem cells in fuelling plant growth and development still many questions on their tight molecular control remain unanswered. Plant researchers have now discovered a new step in the complex regulation of stem cells.

What is it about your face? Researchers provide new insight into why each human face is unique Posted: 24 Oct 2013 11:33 AM PDT Researchers have found thousands of gene enhancers -- regulatory sequences of DNA that act to turn-on or amplify the expression of a specific gene -- are involved in the development of the human face. These enhancers help explain why every human face is as unique as a fingerprint.

Polymer scientists jam nanoparticles, trapping liquids in useful shapes Posted: 24 Oct 2013 11:33 AM PDT Sharp observation by a doctoral student in a polymer science and engineering laboratory recently led her to discover how to kinetically trap and control one liquid within another, locking and separating them in a stable system over long periods, with the ability to tailor and manipulate the shapes and flow characteristics of each. The advance holds promise for a wide range of different applications including in drug delivery, biosensing, fluidics, photovoltaics, encapsulation and bicontinuous media for energy applications and separations media.

Persuading light to mix it up with matter Posted: 24 Oct 2013 11:33 AM PDT Scientists have documented a never-before-seen coupling of photons with electrons on the surface of an exotic crystal.

Learning how to convert heat directly into power: A thermoelectric materials emulator Posted: 24 Oct 2013 11:33 AM PDT Converting heat directly into power could be a major source of renewable energy. A novel approach to study this so called thermoelectricity may help to design new materials that are highly efficient. In an experiment with cold atoms trapped by lasers an international group of physicists precisely simulates the behavior of thermoelectric materials.

Making hydrogen cheaply? Unique chemistry in hydrogen catalysts revealed Posted: 24 Oct 2013 11:33 AM PDT Making hydrogen easily and cheaply is a dream goal for clean, sustainable energy. Bacteria have been doing exactly that for billions of years, and now chemists are revealing how they do it, and perhaps opening ways to imitate them.

Increasing toxicity of algal blooms tied to nutrient enrichment and climate change Posted: 24 Oct 2013 11:33 AM PDT Nutrient enrichment and climate change are posing yet another concern of growing importance: an apparent increase in the toxicity of some algal blooms in freshwater lakes and estuaries around the world, which threatens aquatic organisms, ecosystem health and human drinking water safety.

Scientists solve mystery of odd patterns of oxygen in solar system's earliest rocks Posted: 24 Oct 2013 11:33 AM PDT By re-creating conditions in the solar nebula, the swirl of gas that coalesced to form our star, the planets and the remnant rocky debris that circles the Sun as asteroids, the researchers demonstrated that a simple chemical reaction, governed by known physical principles, can generate silicate dust with oxygen anomalies that match those found in the oldest rocks in the solar system.

Ghostly shape of 'coldest place in the universe' revealed Posted: 24 Oct 2013 11:31 AM PDT Astronomers have taken a new look at the Boomerang Nebula, the so-called "coldest place in the Universe" to learn more about its frigid properties and determine its true shape, which has an eerily ghost-like appearance.

Yeast, human stem cells drive discovery of new Parkinson's disease drug targets Posted: 24 Oct 2013 11:31 AM PDT Using a discovery platform whose components range from yeast cells to human stem cells, scientists have identified a novel Parkinson's disease drug target and a compound capable of repairing neurons derived from Parkinson's patients.

100 percent of an image restored using a version containing between one and 10 percent of the information Posted: 24 Oct 2013 11:14 AM PDT A computer engineer has developed algorithms to reduce and optimize images; using a reduced image (with between 1 percent and 10 percent of the information from the original image), they allow 100 percent of the pixels in the initial image to be restored.

Male spiders have better chance of fathering offspring in return for good gifts to potential female mates Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:19 AM PDT If a male spider goes to the trouble of finding a good gift, wraps it up nicely in spider silk and offers it to a female he would like to mate, he has far better chances of fathering her offspring than if he skipped the present. This is shown in new research, where researchers studied what it means for female spiders to receive gifts.

Coyote more likely to make a meal out of moose than thought Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:19 AM PDT It has long been believed that coyotes were incapable of taking down an adult moose, but researchers have recently discovered that eastern coyotes and coyote x wolf hybrids (canids) have preyed on adult moose in central Ontario.

For fish and rice to thrive in Yolo Bypass, 'just add water' Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:19 AM PDT From a fish-eye view, the rice fields of California's Yolo Bypass are one big dehydrated food web. Just add water to grow the biggest, fattest salmon in the state.

Gene variants in immune system pathways correlated with composition of microbes of human body Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:18 AM PDT Human genes in immunity-related pathways are likely associated with the composition of an individual's microbiome, which refers to the bacteria and other microbes that live in and on the body.

Optimism about meeting 'Grand Challenge' of global prosperity Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:18 AM PDT A professor of earth and atmospheric sciences outlines his optimism about the world's prospects for sustaining the human population in an environmentally responsible way in a new article.

Obesity may increase risk of Clostridium difficile infection Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:17 AM PDT Researchers have identified obesity as a possible risk factor for Clostridium difficile infection. These findings may contribute to improved clinical surveillance of those at highest risk of disease.

Researchers apply brainpower to understanding neural stem cell differentiation Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:14 AM PDT How do humans and other mammals get so brainy? In a new paper, researchers explain how neural stem and progenitor cells differentiate into neurons and related cells called glia. Neural stem and progenitor cells offer tremendous promise as a future treatment for neurodegenerative disorders, and understanding their differentiation is the first step towards harnessing this therapeutic potential.

Bee sting allergy could be a defense response gone haywire Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:14 AM PDT Scientists are providing an evolutionary explanation for severe allergic reactions. Researchers show that mice injected with a small dose of bee venom were later resistant to a potentially lethal dose of the same venom. The study is the first experimental evidence that the same immune response involved in allergies may have evolved to serve a protective role against toxins.

Genetic mutation provides clues to battling childhood obesity Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:14 AM PDT A new paper identifies a possible genetic root to the insatiable appetite and slow metabolism of some obese patients. The study, which sequenced 2,101 individuals with severe early-onset obesity, found that patients harboring mutations in a particular gene, KSR2, had an increased appetite and a slower metabolism, suggesting that drugs developed to modulate the activity of the protein encoded by the KSR2 gene could provide new treatment options for obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

Samurai sword protein makes strategic cuts in cell skeletons Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:14 AM PDT Research has shown that a protein named after the katana, or samurai sword, plays a crucial role in patterning the "skeleton" inside plant cells. The work provides a clue to the long-standing mystery of how the cytoskeletons within both plant and animal cells become organized in function-specific patterns.

Molecular biology: Designer of protein factories exposed Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:13 AM PDT Researchers have probed the structure of RNA polymerase I, a crucial cog in the machinery of all cells. Now they unveil the full three-dimensional conformation of the enzyme – at atomic resolution.

Review of daily aspirin dosage highlights concerns about side effects Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:13 AM PDT Researchers have published the most comprehensive review of the benefits and risks of a daily dose of prophylactic aspirin and warn that greater understanding of side effects is needed.

Sharing the power of the crowd Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:13 AM PDT Over the past three years, 300,000 gamers have helped scientists with genomic research by playing Phylo, an online puzzle game. Now the developers of the game are making this crowd of players available to scientists around the globe. The idea is to put human talent to work to improve on what is already being done by computers in the field of comparative genomics.

Conflicting criteria for diagnosing polycystic ovary syndrome clarified Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:12 AM PDT A Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) was published today for the diagnosis and treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome, the most common hormone disorder in women of reproductive age and a leading cause of infertility.

Bees underwent massive extinctions when dinosaurs did Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:11 AM PDT For the first time ever, scientists have documented a widespread extinction of bees that occurred 65 million years ago, concurrent with the massive event that wiped out land dinosaurs and many flowering plants. Their findings could shed light on the current decline in bee species.

Curing HIV/AIDS gets tougher: Far more 'hidden' active virus than thought Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:11 AM PDT Just when some scientists were becoming more hopeful about finding a strategy to outwit HIV's ability to resist, evade and otherwise survive efforts to rid it from the body, another hurdle has emerged to foil their plans, new research shows.

Global HIV vaccine shows promise in monkeys Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:11 AM PDT The considerable diversity of HIV worldwide represents a critical challenge for designing an effective HIV vaccine. Now a scientific team shows that mosaic antigens might overcome this challenge.

Inexpensive material boosts battery capacity Posted: 24 Oct 2013 08:41 AM PDT Next-generation lithium-ion batteries made with iron oxide nanoparticles could extend the driving distance of electric cars.

Charged up and ready to connect Posted: 24 Oct 2013 08:41 AM PDT An innovative strategy produces positively and negatively charged polymer chains ideal for generating multifunctional coatings.

Unprecedented Arctic warming: Average summer temperatures in last 100 years may be warmest in 120,000 years Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:22 AM PDT Average summer temperatures in the Eastern Canadian Arctic during the last 100 years are higher now than during any century in the past 44,000 years and perhaps as long ago as 120,000 years, says a new study.

Data reaffirms test's ability to identify benign thyroid nodules Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:22 AM PDT A researcher has confirmed that a Gene Expression Classifier test can drastically reduce the problem of unnecessary surgeries in thyroid nodule assessment. These indeterminate nodules are being evaluated with a new molecular diagnostic test that measures the expression levels of 142 genes. This test is able to identify which initially indeterminate nodules are highly likely to be benign, and thus allows patients to avoid unnecessary diagnostic surgery.

Google search serves users from 700 percent more locations than a year ago Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:22 AM PDT Google search has dramatically increased the number of sites around the world from which it serves client queries.

Sleep apnea study uncovers more hidden dangers for women Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:22 AM PDT A new study shows that autonomic responses -- the controls that impact such functions as blood pressure, heart rate, sweating -- are weaker in people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but even more so in females than males. While women with sleep apnea may appear to be healthy (i.e. blood pressure normal), their symptoms of OSA tend to be subtler, which often times means their sleep problem is missed and they get diagnosed with other conditions.

Physicists decode decision circuit of cancer metastasis Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:22 AM PDT Researchers have deciphered the operating principles of a genetic circuit that allows cancer to metastasize. The study revealed that the decision circuit has three settings, an oddity that could open the door to cancer treatments that disrupt the circuit.

Climate change and coevolution: Scientists have done the math Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:21 AM PDT When scientists attempt to understand how climate change might reshape our environment, they must grapple with the seemingly endless complexity of interacting systems. For those considering the likely fate of particular species, there is now a relatively simple rule of thumb to help calculate the likely effect of climate change where species interact.

Gene variant that raises risk for colorectal cancer from eating processed meat present in one-in-three people Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:21 AM PDT A common genetic variant that affects one in three people significantly increases the risk of colorectal cancer from the consumption of red meat and processed meat.

Novel technique to detect fingerprints Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:20 AM PDT An innovative product that uses fluorescence to detect fingerprints has been developed. This new product will make it possible to highlight fingerprints directly, more rapidly and at a lower cost, avoiding the cumbersome processes required until now. The product has been successfully put through its paces by the French Police and Gendarmerie as well as by Scotland Yard and the FBI.

PVC as flooring material in childhood is related to asthma 10 years later Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:20 AM PDT Children who had PVC floorings in the bedroom at baseline were more likely to develop asthma during the following 10 years period when compared with children living without such flooring material. Furthermore, there were indications that PVC flooring in the parents' bedrooms were stronger associated with the new cases of asthma when compared with child's bedroom. This could be an indication that prenatal exposure is of importance.

Getting a grip on inventory management Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:20 AM PDT More and more manufacturers are offering their products cooperatively through small retailers, as well as in web shops. Researchers have developed a new RF clip with which products can be labeled. It helps avoid duplicate sales.

Need different types of tissue? Just print them! Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:20 AM PDT What sounds like a dream of the future has already been the subject of research for a few years: simply printing out tissue and organs. Now scientists have further refined the technology and are able to produce various tissue types.

Landslide sensors may save lives worldwide Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:19 AM PDT Using technology found in cell phones, inexpensive sensors being tested might one day soon save lives by giving advance warning of deadly landslides in at-risk areas.

Overuse of radiation therapy services when urologists profit through self-referral Posted: 24 Oct 2013 07:19 AM PDT A comprehensive review of Medicare claims for more than 45,000 patients from 2005 through 2010 found that nearly all of the 146 percent increase in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for prostate cancer among urologists with an ownership interest in the treatment was due to self-referral, according to new research.

Using sound waves for remote bomb detection Posted: 24 Oct 2013 06:02 AM PDT A remote acoustic detection system designed to identify homemade bombs can determine the difference between those that contain low-yield and high-yield explosive.

Preventive effect of plant sterols in Alzheimer’s disease Posted: 24 Oct 2013 06:00 AM PDT It's no secret that many of the phytochemicals in fruit and vegetables have a positive effect on our health. For instance, plant sterols (also known as phytosterols) help to lower cholesterol levels. According to a new study, they also appear to prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Unique chemical composition surrounding supermassive black holes Posted: 24 Oct 2013 06:00 AM PDT Astronomers have captured a detailed image of high density molecular gas around an active galactic nucleus harboring a supermassive black hole. The observations at the highest ever achieved reveal a unique chemical composition characterized by enhancement of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) around the black hole. An research team thought a high temperature affected by the black hole caused this peculiar chemical properties. The team expect that this unique chemical properties can be used to find black holes hidden behind dust.

Uterine fibroids have significant impact on quality of life, workplace performance Posted: 24 Oct 2013 05:58 AM PDT Uterine fibroids cause significant fear and morbidity, and can compromise workplace performance, according to a recently published survey of nearly 1,000 women in the U.S. The findings shed new light on the impact, prevalence and treatment concerns related to uterine leiomyomas (fibroids), which affect up to 80 percent of women by age 50.

New links between sleep deprivation, immune system discovered Posted: 23 Oct 2013 03:39 PM PDT The fact that sleep deprivation has an impact on the function of the human immune system is well known. In a recent study, results have shown new biological links between sleep loss and the immune system. The results provide at least a partial explanation of why sleep deprivation increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Food additive may prevent spread of deadly new avian flu Posted: 23 Oct 2013 03:39 PM PDT A common food additive can block a deadly new strain of avian influenza virus from infecting healthy cells, report researchers.

Long-term study links box jellyfish abundance, environmental variability at Waikiki Beach Posted: 23 Oct 2013 03:39 PM PDT Drawing on 14 years of monthly collection data, researchers have found that the total number of box jellyfish that come ashore at Waikiki displayed no net increase or decrease, but instead followed an oscillating four-year pattern. Their abundance is likely influenced by climate fluctuations that play a role in large scale primary production in the ocean, regulating food availability and ultimately affecting the local numbers of box jellyfish.

Seeing the song: Study aims to understand how, when the auditory system registers complex auditory-visual synchrony Posted: 23 Oct 2013 03:32 PM PDT Imagine the brain's delight when experiencing the sounds of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" while simultaneously taking in a light show produced by a visualizer. A new study did more than that. To understand how the brain responds to complex auditory-visual stimuli like music and moving images, the study tracked parts of the auditory system involved in the perceptual processing of "Moonlight Sonata" while synchronized with the light show made by the iTunes Jelly visualizer.

Oral bacteria create a 'fingerprint' in your mouth Posted: 23 Oct 2013 03:32 PM PDT The bacteria in the human mouth -- particularly those nestled under the gums -- are as powerful as a fingerprint at identifying a person's ethnicity, new research shows.

'Name that tune' algorithm used to identify signature whistles of dolphins Posted: 23 Oct 2013 03:32 PM PDT The same algorithm used to find tunes in music retrieval systems has been successfully applied in identifying the signature whistles of dolphins, affording a new time-saving device for research into the world of dolphin communication.

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