ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Expert assessment: Ocean acidification may increase 170 percent this century
• Fossil of new big cat species discovered: Oldest ever found
• The 'evolution' of Little Red Riding Hood
• Scorpions use strongest defense mechanisms when under attack
• Early uses of chili peppers in Mexico
• Queen bee's honesty is the best policy for reproduction signals
• Buried leaves reveal precolonial eastern U.S. forests and guide stream restoration
• The big fish that got away… (it was let go)
• Gut microbes in healthy kids carry antibiotic resistance genes
• Deletion of any single gene provokes mutations elsewhere in the genome
• Your brain sees things you don't
• Impulsivity, rewards and ritalin: Monkey study shows tighter link
• Nature's glowing slime: Scientists peek into hidden sea worm's light
• Sobriety, spirituality linked for teens in treatment
• Warming since 1950s partly caused by El Niño
• Study uses neutron scattering, supercomputing to demystify forces at play in biofuel production
• Stingray movement could inspire the next generation of submarines
• New treatment discovered to cure MRSA infection
• Lignin-feasting microbe holds promise for biofuels
• Feral cats avoid urban coyotes, are surprisingly healthy
• Study shows decrease in sepsis mortality rates
• New antenna spreads good vibrations in fusion plasma
• Lifting fusion power onto an (optimized) pedestal
• Fantastic phonons: Blocking sound, channeling heat with 'unprecedented precision'
• Snow melts faster under trees than in open areas in mild climates
• Novel gene therapy works to reverse heart failure
• Plasma experiment demonstrates admirable self-control
• Hot lithium vapors shield fusion facility walls
• Fusion foe lends a helping hand: Recent experiments breathe new understanding into oxygen's role in fusion devices
• Finding antitumor T cells in a patient's own cancer
• Fatty acid produced by gut bacteria boosts the immune system
• Astronomers reveal contents of mysterious black hole jets
• Newly discovered protist suggests evolutionary answers, questions
• Improving detection of radioactive material in nuclear waste water
• Generation length for mammals: An essential reference point for conservation studies
• Schools help kids choose carrots over candy bars
• Menstrual cycle influences concussion outcomes
• Island biodiversity in danger of total submersion with climate change
• Squeeze and you shall measure: Squeezed coherent states shown to be optimal for gravitational wave
• Monkeys 'understand' rules underlying language musicality
• Monitoring material changes in the hostile environment of a fusion reactor
• Tossed on the waves: Charting the path of ejected particles
• New way to dissolve semiconductors holds promise for electronics industry
• Smartphone accelerometers distinguish between different motorized transportation modalities
• Building a better tokamak by blowing giant plasma bubbles: How magnetic reconnection -- the force behind solar flares -- could initiate fusion in a tokamak reactor
• Better batteries through biology? Modified viruses boost battery performance
• New generation of micro sensors for monitoring ocean acidification
• Natural disasters of the past can help solve future problems
• Healing powers of cells
• Social networks make us smarter
• Experimental regimen tested for small cell lung cancer
• New heart valve repair option provides hope for high-risk patients
• Human stem cells used to reveal mechanisms of beta-cell failure in diabetes
• New links between social status, brain activity
• Using airport screening technology to visualize waves in fusion plasma
• Don't hold the anchovies: Study shows Peruvian fish worth more as food than feed
• 'Missing heat' discovery prompts new estimate of global warming: Arctic warming fast
• Carbon dioxide’s new-found signalling role could be applied to blood flow, birth and deafness
• HOPE Act passes: May help reduce U. S. organ shortage
• Meteor Raspberry Pi cluster used to teach parallel computing

Expert assessment: Ocean acidification may increase 170 percent this century Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:38 PM PST In a major new international report, experts conclude that the acidity of the world's ocean may increase by around 170 percent by the end of the century bringing significant economic losses. People who rely on the ocean's ecosystem services -- often in developing countries -- are especially vulnerable.

Fossil of new big cat species discovered: Oldest ever found Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:26 PM PST Scientists have discovered the oldest big cat fossil ever found -- which fills in a significant gap in the fossil record.

The 'evolution' of Little Red Riding Hood Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:26 PM PST Evolutionary analysis can be used to study similarities among folktales.

Scorpions use strongest defense mechanisms when under attack Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:26 PM PST Scorpions tend to use their strongest defense mechanisms when they are being attacked.

Early uses of chili peppers in Mexico Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:25 PM PST Chili peppers may have been used to make spicy beverages thousands of years ago in Mexico.

Queen bee's honesty is the best policy for reproduction signals Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:25 PM PST Queen bees convey honest signals to worker bees about their reproductive status and quality, according to an international team of researchers, who say their findings may help to explain why honey bee populations are declining.

Buried leaves reveal precolonial eastern U.S. forests and guide stream restoration Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:25 PM PST Sediment behind milldams in Pennsylvania preserved leaves deposited just before European contact that provide a glimpse of the ancient forests, according to a team of geoscientists, who note that neither the forests nor the streams were what they are today.

The big fish that got away… (it was let go) Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:24 PM PST It's not every day that fishermen catch the world's largest fish species in their nets, but this is what recently happened in Indonesia's Karimunjawa National Park, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Gut microbes in healthy kids carry antibiotic resistance genes Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:24 PM PST Friendly microbes in the intestinal tracts of healthy American children have numerous antibiotic resistance genes that could be passed to harmful microbes, according to a pilot study.

Deletion of any single gene provokes mutations elsewhere in the genome Posted: 13 Nov 2013 01:25 PM PST Researchers report that the deletion of any single gene in yeast cells puts pressure on the organism's genome to compensate, leading to a mutation in another gene. Their discovery, which is likely applicable to human genetics because of the way DNA is conserved across species, could have significant consequences for the way genetic analysis is done in cancer and other areas of research.

Your brain sees things you don't Posted: 13 Nov 2013 01:25 PM PST A study indicates that our brains perceive objects in everyday life of which we may never be aware. The finding challenges currently accepted models about how the brain processes visual information.

Impulsivity, rewards and ritalin: Monkey study shows tighter link Posted: 13 Nov 2013 01:23 PM PST Even as the rate of diagnosis has reached 11 percent among American children aged 4 to 17, neuroscientists are still trying to understand attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). One classic symptom is impulsivity — the tendency to act before thinking.

Nature's glowing slime: Scientists peek into hidden sea worm's light Posted: 13 Nov 2013 12:26 PM PST Scientists are unraveling the mechanisms behind a little-known marine worm that produces a dazzling bioluminescent display in the form of puffs of blue light released into seawater. Found around the world in muddy environments, from shallow bays to deeper canyons, the light produced by the "parchment tube worm" is secreted as a slimy bioluminescent mucus.

Sobriety, spirituality linked for teens in treatment Posted: 13 Nov 2013 12:26 PM PST Increased spirituality in teens undergoing substance abuse treatment is associated with greater likelihood of abstinence (as measured by toxicology screens), increased positive social behaviors, and reduced narcissism, according to a study.

Warming since 1950s partly caused by El Niño Posted: 13 Nov 2013 12:25 PM PST A natural shift to stronger warm El Niño events in the Pacific Ocean might be responsible for a substantial portion of the global warming recorded during the past 50 years, according to new research.

Study uses neutron scattering, supercomputing to demystify forces at play in biofuel production Posted: 13 Nov 2013 12:25 PM PST Researchers studying more effective ways to convert woody plant matter into biofuels have identified fundamental forces that change plant structures during pretreatment processes used in the production of bioenergy.

Stingray movement could inspire the next generation of submarines Posted: 13 Nov 2013 12:25 PM PST Stingrays swim through water with such ease that researchers are studying how their movements could be used to design more agile and fuel-efficient unmanned underwater vehicles.

New treatment discovered to cure MRSA infection Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:41 AM PST Recent work promises to overcome one of the leading public health threats of our time. In a groundbreaking study, the team presents a novel approach to treat and eliminate methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a potent bacterium whose resistance to antibiotics has kept it one step ahead of researchers. That is, until now.

Lignin-feasting microbe holds promise for biofuels Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:36 AM PST Researchers have identified a rain forest microbe that feasts on the lignin in plant leaf litter, making it a potential ally for the cost-effective production of advanced biofuels.

Feral cats avoid urban coyotes, are surprisingly healthy Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:36 AM PST Cats that live outdoors in the city do their darnedest to steer clear of urban coyotes, a new study says. The cats cause less damage to wildlife in urban green spaces, such as city parks and nature preserves, because of that dodging.

Study shows decrease in sepsis mortality rates Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:35 AM PST A recent study shows a significant decrease in severe sepsis mortality rates over the past 20 years. Looking at data from patients with severe sepsis enrolled in clinical trials, researchers found that in-hospital mortality rates decreased from 47 percent between 1991 and 1995 to 29 percent between 2006 and 2009, a time period when no new pharmacological treatments were developed for severe sepsis.

New antenna spreads good vibrations in fusion plasma Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:35 AM PST "Shoelace Antenna" exploits naturally occurring resonant vibrations to regulate heat and particle flow through the plasma boundary in a tokamak fusion reactor.

Lifting fusion power onto an (optimized) pedestal Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:35 AM PST New technique that will help optimize the transport barrier, or pedestal, in fusion plasmas, which will be key to increasing future fusion power performance.

Fantastic phonons: Blocking sound, channeling heat with 'unprecedented precision' Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:32 AM PST The phonon, like the photon or electron, is a physical particle that travels like waves, representing mechanical vibration. Phonons transmit everyday sound and heat. Recent progress in phononics has led to the development of new ideas and devices that are using phononic properties to control sound and heat, according to a new review.

Snow melts faster under trees than in open areas in mild climates Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:31 AM PST Researchers have found that tree cover actually causes snow to melt more quickly in warm, Mediterranean-type climates around the world. Alternatively, open, clear gaps in the forests tend to keep snow on the ground longer into the spring and summer.

Novel gene therapy works to reverse heart failure Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:31 AM PST Researchers have successfully tested a powerful gene therapy, delivered directly into the heart, to reverse heart failure in large animal models.

Plasma experiment demonstrates admirable self-control Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:23 AM PST A self-generated, or "bootstrap," current has significant implications for the cost-effectiveness of fusion power.

Hot lithium vapors shield fusion facility walls Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:23 AM PST Lithium treatment could alleviate widespread concerns that liquid-lithium plasma-facing components will rapidly overwhelm the core of the plasma with impurities and abort fusion reactions.

Fusion foe lends a helping hand: Recent experiments breathe new understanding into oxygen's role in fusion devices Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:23 AM PST Recent laboratory experiments and atomistic simulations have found that the oxygen bound by lithium at the walls of fusion devices plays a key role in improving plasma performance.

Finding antitumor T cells in a patient's own cancer Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:23 AM PST In a paper recently published, investigators demonstrated for the first time that a T cell activation molecule can be used as a biomarker to identify rare antitumor T cells in human cancers. The molecule, CD137, is a protein that is not normally found on the surface of resting T cells but its expression is induced when the T cell is activated.

Fatty acid produced by gut bacteria boosts the immune system Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:22 AM PST New research sheds light on the role of gut bacteria on the maturation of the immune system and provides evidence supporting the use of butyrate as therapy for inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn's disease.

Astronomers reveal contents of mysterious black hole jets Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:22 AM PST An international team of astronomers has answered a long-standing question about the enigmatic jets emitted by black holes. Jets are narrow beams of matter spat out at high speed from near a central object, like a black hole. Although they have been observed for decades, astronomers are still not sure what they are made of, or what powers them.

Newly discovered protist suggests evolutionary answers, questions Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:21 AM PST From Massachusetts to Mississippi, a unicellular protist is hinting at answers about the evolution of multicellularity while raising a whole new set of questions.

Improving detection of radioactive material in nuclear waste water Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:01 AM PST As the Fukushima crisis continues to remind the world of the potential dangers of nuclear disposal and unforeseen accidents, scientists are reporting progress toward a new way to detect the radioactive materials uranium and plutonium in waste water.

Generation length for mammals: An essential reference point for conservation studies Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:01 AM PST Life history traits are the basic ecological descriptors of a species. These include physical traits, such as body mass and physiological traits, such as reproductive rate. A recent article provides the first comprehensive attempt to complete a database of generation lengths for all extant mammals. This database represents an essential reference point for ecological and conservation-related studies that need pragmatic information on species generation length.

Schools help kids choose carrots over candy bars Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:01 AM PST When schools adopt healthful nutrition policies and practices, kids' diets improve. According to new research, when schools offered snacks in lunchtime a la carte or vending that were mostly or entirely healthful, students responded with improvements in their diets.

Menstrual cycle influences concussion outcomes Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:00 AM PST Researchers found that women injured during the two weeks leading up to their period (the premenstrual phase) had a slower recovery and poorer health one month after injury compared to women injured during the two weeks directly after their period or women taking birth control pills. If confirmed in subsequent research, the findings could alter the treatment and prognosis of women who suffer head injuries from sports, falls, car accidents or combat.

Island biodiversity in danger of total submersion with climate change Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:00 AM PST Island ecosystems constitute the most biodiverse regions in the world, holding a large number of endemic flora and fauna. Islands are also under direct threat of predicted sea level rises, with gloomy prognoses predicting large areas submerged, whole islands sinking and up to 11 percent islands inundated. A new study looks at three scenarios to estimate the risks posed by global change to island ecosystems.

Squeeze and you shall measure: Squeezed coherent states shown to be optimal for gravitational wave Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:00 AM PST Extremely precise measurements of distances are key in all techniques used to detect gravitational waves. To increase this precision, physicists have started using quantum effects linked with photons. Physicists now show that it is not necessary to use quantum light states more refined than the squeezed coherent states available currently.

Monkeys 'understand' rules underlying language musicality Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:00 AM PST Many of us have mixed feelings when remembering painful lessons in German or Latin grammar in school. Languages feature a large number of complex rules and patterns: using them correctly makes the difference between something which "sounds good," and something which does not. However, cognitive biologists have shown that sensitivity to very simple structural and melodic patterns does not require much learning, or even being human: South American squirrel monkeys can do it, too.

Monitoring material changes in the hostile environment of a fusion reactor Posted: 13 Nov 2013 09:58 AM PST Researchers have demonstrated for the first time a novel diagnostic instrument that can remotely map the composition of material surfaces inside a magnetic fusion device.

Tossed on the waves: Charting the path of ejected particles Posted: 13 Nov 2013 09:58 AM PST Fusion energy requires confining high energy particles, both those produced from fusion reactions and others injected by megawatt beams used to heat the plasma to fusion temperatures. New experiments are shedding light on one of the major mechanisms by which "fast ions" can be ejected from plasma.

New way to dissolve semiconductors holds promise for electronics industry Posted: 13 Nov 2013 09:58 AM PST Semiconductors, the foundation of modern electronics used in flat-screen TVs and fighter jets, could become even more versatile as researchers make headway on a novel, inexpensive way to turn them into thin films. The new report is on a new liquid that can quickly dissolve nine types of key semiconductors.

Smartphone accelerometers distinguish between different motorized transportation modalities Posted: 13 Nov 2013 09:58 AM PST Researchers have demonstrated how the embedded accelerometers of smartphones can be used to distinguish between different motorized transportation modalities. Experimental evaluation demonstrates over 80 percent accuracy in detecting the most common public transportation types.

Building a better tokamak by blowing giant plasma bubbles: How magnetic reconnection -- the force behind solar flares -- could initiate fusion in a tokamak reactor Posted: 13 Nov 2013 09:58 AM PST New simulations shed light on the mechanisms at work in magnetic bubbles inside tokomak fusion machines, clarifying what happens at various stages in the ultrafast phenomenon.

Better batteries through biology? Modified viruses boost battery performance Posted: 13 Nov 2013 09:58 AM PST Researchers find a way to boost lithium-air battery performance, with the help of modified viruses.

New generation of micro sensors for monitoring ocean acidification Posted: 13 Nov 2013 07:57 AM PST The first step in developing a cost-effective micro sensor for long-term monitoring of ocean acidification has been achieved by a team of scientists and engineers.

Natural disasters of the past can help solve future problems Posted: 13 Nov 2013 07:57 AM PST Nobody can predict the future, of course -- but we can learn from the past. The past could teach us a lot about how natural disasters influence society at many different levels.

Healing powers of cells Posted: 13 Nov 2013 07:57 AM PST How do cells spread to cover and close a wound? A team of researchers publishes new insights into epithelial cell spreading.

Social networks make us smarter Posted: 13 Nov 2013 07:57 AM PST The secret to why some cultures thrive and others disappear may lie in our social networks and our ability to imitate, rather than our individual smarts, according to a new study.

Experimental regimen tested for small cell lung cancer Posted: 13 Nov 2013 07:20 AM PST Small cell lung cancer, which includes oat cell carcinoma, is a more aggressive disease than other types of lung cancer and often is more advanced at the time of diagnosis. Despite the severity of the disease, the standard-of-care treatment remains the same today as it was nearly 30 years ago. A new clinical trial may improve treatment approaches and combat disease recurrence.

New heart valve repair option provides hope for high-risk patients Posted: 13 Nov 2013 07:20 AM PST A minimally invasive procedure is the first effective treatment for patients who are high risk for standard open heart surgery for a leaking heart valve, a study has found.

Human stem cells used to reveal mechanisms of beta-cell failure in diabetes Posted: 13 Nov 2013 07:20 AM PST Scientists have used stem cells created from the skin of patients with a rare form of diabetes — Wolfram syndrome — to elucidate an important biochemical pathway for beta-cell failure in diabetes.

New links between social status, brain activity Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:25 AM PST New studies released today reveal links between social status and specific brain structures and activity, particularly in the context of social stress.

Using airport screening technology to visualize waves in fusion plasma Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:25 AM PST A new, quasi-optical radar technique images millimeter-wave radiation reflected from fusion plasmas in 2D, time-resolved images. This novel application lets researchers image waves in fusion plasmas in startling detail, and provides vital information to devise strategies to avoid instabilities which can reduce fusion power output.

Don't hold the anchovies: Study shows Peruvian fish worth more as food than feed Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:25 AM PST The true potential of Peruvian anchovy lies not in fishmeal but as food for people and as part of the ocean food web, according to Canadian and Peruvian researchers.

'Missing heat' discovery prompts new estimate of global warming: Arctic warming fast Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:22 AM PST Scientists say they have found "missing heat" in Earth's climate system, casting doubt on suggestions that global warming has slowed or stopped over the past decade. The new research shows that the Arctic is warming at about eight times the pace of the rest of the planet.

Carbon dioxide’s new-found signalling role could be applied to blood flow, birth and deafness Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:22 AM PST New research reveals exactly how the body measures carbon dioxide and suggests that far from being a metabolic waste product, it could play a key role as a biological signalling molecule.

HOPE Act passes: May help reduce U. S. organ shortage Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:21 AM PST The HOPE Act could allow individuals with HIV to receive organ transplants from donors with HIV, and may help reduce the country's current organ shortage.

Meteor Raspberry Pi cluster used to teach parallel computing Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:21 AM PST Researchers have built a Linux cluster using 16 Raspberry Pi computers as part of a program to teach children and adults the basics of parallel computing using a simple model that demonstrates how computers leverage their capacity when working together.

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