ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Mathematically detecting stock market bubbles before they burst
• Fighting fire with fire: 'Vampire' bacteria has potential as living antibiotic
• Savannas and forests in a battle of the biomes
• Putting the body back into the mind of schizophrenia
• Live longer with fewer calories? Key enzyme involved in aging process found
• Bigger birds in central California, courtesy of global climate change
• New findings may help explain high blood pressure in pregnancy
• High levels of master heat shock protein linked to poor prognosis in breast cancer patients
• Shared genes with Neanderthal relatives: Modern East Asians share genetic material with prehistoric Denisovans
• Nerve protein linked to learning and memory
• Fighting violent gang crime with math
• Boosting LED efficiency: Zinc oxide microwires improve performance of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) through the piezo-phototronic effect
• World's most efficient flexible organic light-emitting diodes created on plastic
• A SHARP new microscope for the next generation of biochips
• Rethinking equilibrium: In nature, large energy fluctuations may rile even 'relaxed' systems
• Link discovered among spectrum of childhood diseases
• New rice varieties offer benefits to growers
• Noninvasive current stimulation improves sight in patients with optic nerve damage, study suggests
• Influencing craving for cigarettes by stimulating the brain
• Do deficits in brain cannabinoids contribute to eating disorders?
• Cigarette smoking's impact lingers after quitting: Current, former smokers may face impaired pancreatic duct cell function, elevated colorectal cancer risk
• Key driver of metastasis identified
• One step closer to dark matter in universe
• Mould fungi can cure plants
• Drugs used to tackle hospital-acquired infections can increase post-op complications
• Mechanics behind new cell cycle that fuels growth described
• Patterns of new DNA letter in brain suggest distinct function
• Findings offer new clues into the addicted brain
• Fat cells in abdomen fuel spread of ovarian cancer
• First-of-its-kind study creates new tool for targeted cancer drug development
• Scientists identify protein form linked to Huntington's disease

Mathematically detecting stock market bubbles before they burst Posted: 31 Oct 2011 07:06 PM PDT From the dotcom bust in the late nineties to the housing crash in the run-up to the 2008 crisis, financial bubbles have been a topic of major concern. Identifying bubbles is important in order to prevent collapses that can severely impact nations and economies. A mathematical model has now been proposed for the detection of financial bubbles in order to prevent their collapse.

Fighting fire with fire: 'Vampire' bacteria has potential as living antibiotic Posted: 31 Oct 2011 07:06 PM PDT A vampire-like bacteria that leeches onto specific other bacteria -- including certain human pathogens -- has the potential to serve as a living antibiotic for a range of infectious diseases, a new study indicates.

Savannas and forests in a battle of the biomes Posted: 31 Oct 2011 07:06 PM PDT Climate change, land use and other human-driven factors could pit savannas and forests against each other by altering the elements found by researchers to stabilize the two. Without this harmony, the habitats, or biomes, could increasingly encroach on one other to the detriment of the people and animals that rely on them.

Putting the body back into the mind of schizophrenia Posted: 31 Oct 2011 07:02 PM PDT A new study of body ownership using the rubber hand illusion found that people with schizophrenia have a weakened sense of self awareness and produced one of the rare documented cases of a spontaneous out-of-body experience in the laboratory.

Live longer with fewer calories? Key enzyme involved in aging process found Posted: 31 Oct 2011 06:59 PM PDT By consuming fewer calories, aging can be slowed down and the development of age-related diseases such as cancer and type 2 diabetes can be delayed. The earlier calorie intake is reduced, the greater the effect. Researchers have now identified one of the enzymes that hold the key to the aging process.

Bigger birds in central California, courtesy of global climate change Posted: 31 Oct 2011 12:41 PM PDT Birds are getting bigger in central California, and that was a big surprise for researchers. They uncovered the trend while working analyzing data from thousands of birds caught and released each year at two sites near San Francisco Bay and Point Reyes National Seashore. The study found that birds' wings have grown longer and birds are increasing in mass.

New findings may help explain high blood pressure in pregnancy Posted: 31 Oct 2011 12:41 PM PDT Researchers have discovered that the infiltration of white blood cells into an expectant mother's blood vessels may explain high blood pressure in pregnancy.

High levels of master heat shock protein linked to poor prognosis in breast cancer patients Posted: 31 Oct 2011 12:41 PM PDT Scientists report that patients whose estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers have high levels of an ancient cellular survival factor experience poor outcomes -- including increased mortality. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately two-thirds of breast cancer patients have ER-positive tumors. HSF1 status may shed light not only on prognosis but also on how such patients might respond to specific therapies.

Shared genes with Neanderthal relatives: Modern East Asians share genetic material with prehistoric Denisovans Posted: 31 Oct 2011 12:41 PM PDT During human evolution our ancestors mated with Neanderthals, but also with other related hominids. Researchers have now shown that people in East Asia share genetic material with Denisovans, who got the name from the cave in Siberia where they were first found.

Nerve protein linked to learning and memory Posted: 31 Oct 2011 12:41 PM PDT Biology professors have found the protein tomosyn plays an important role in regulating neurotransmitter between synapses, and consequently plays a role in longer-term memory and learning. The results may prove helpful in developing new drugs to treat human memory loss.

Fighting violent gang crime with math Posted: 31 Oct 2011 09:12 AM PDT Mathematicians working with the Los Angeles Police Department to analyze crime patterns have designed a mathematical algorithm to identify street gangs involved in unsolved violent crimes -- the first scholarly study of gang violence of its kind.

Boosting LED efficiency: Zinc oxide microwires improve performance of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) through the piezo-phototronic effect Posted: 31 Oct 2011 09:12 AM PDT Researchers have used zinc oxide microwires to significantly improve the efficiency at which gallium nitride light-emitting diodes (LED) convert electricity to ultraviolet light. The devices are believed to be the first LEDs whose performance has been enhanced by the piezo-phototronic effect.

World's most efficient flexible organic light-emitting diodes created on plastic Posted: 31 Oct 2011 09:12 AM PDT Researchers have developed the world's most efficient organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) on plastic. This result enables a flexible form factor, not to mention a less costly, alternative to traditional OLED manufacturing, which currently relies on rigid glass.

A SHARP new microscope for the next generation of biochips Posted: 31 Oct 2011 09:12 AM PDT Scientists are building the world's most advanced extreme-ultraviolet microscope to study and design the photolithography masks, materials, patterns, and architectures essential to the next generation of integrated circuits.

Rethinking equilibrium: In nature, large energy fluctuations may rile even 'relaxed' systems Posted: 31 Oct 2011 09:02 AM PDT Scientists have shown that large energy fluctuations can rile even a "relaxed" system, raising questions about how energy might travel through structures ranging from the ocean to DNA.

Link discovered among spectrum of childhood diseases Posted: 31 Oct 2011 09:02 AM PDT Scientists have identified a genetic mutation that causes a rare childhood disease characterized predominantly by inflammation and fat loss.

New rice varieties offer benefits to growers Posted: 31 Oct 2011 08:52 AM PDT New rice varieties that offer new options for US growers and expanded market opportunities for the US rice industry have just been developed.

Noninvasive current stimulation improves sight in patients with optic nerve damage, study suggests Posted: 31 Oct 2011 08:52 AM PDT It has long been thought that blindness after brain lesions is irreversible and that damage to the optic nerves leads to permanent impairments in everyday activities such as reading, driving, and spatial orientation. A new study suggests that treating such patients with low levels of non-invasive, repetitive, transorbital alternating current stimulation for 10 days (30-40 minutes per day) significantly reduces visual impairment and markedly improves vision-related quality of life.

Influencing craving for cigarettes by stimulating the brain Posted: 31 Oct 2011 08:52 AM PDT Targeted brain stimulation increases cigarette cravings, a new study has found, which may lead to new treatments. Cues such as watching someone else smoke, elicit craving and may provoke relapse. There are many methods that smokers use in an attempt to reduce their craving for cigarettes, including efficacious pharmacologic treatments such as nicotine patches, hypnosis and acupuncture. Scientists have long suspected that these diverse approaches might work through the reduction of activity in a brain circuit that is responsible for cigarette craving.

Do deficits in brain cannabinoids contribute to eating disorders? Posted: 31 Oct 2011 08:52 AM PDT A new report suggests that deficits in endocannabinoid function may contribute to anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Endocannabinoids are substances made by the brain that affect brain function and chemistry in ways that resemble the effects of cannabis derivatives, including marijuana and hashish. These commonly abused drugs are well known to increase appetite, i.e., to cause the "munchies." Thus, it makes sense that deficits in this brain system would be associated with reduced appetite.

Cigarette smoking's impact lingers after quitting: Current, former smokers may face impaired pancreatic duct cell function, elevated colorectal cancer risk Posted: 31 Oct 2011 08:49 AM PDT Cigarette smoking appears to impair pancreatic duct cell function -- even for those who quit -- putting all smokers at risk of compromised digestive function regardless of age, gender and alcohol intake, according to the results of a new study.

Key driver of metastasis identified Posted: 31 Oct 2011 05:20 AM PDT Protein S100A10 is essential for metastatic growth. Macrophages rely upon S100A10 to power movement of tumor cells to new sites.

One step closer to dark matter in universe Posted: 31 Oct 2011 05:19 AM PDT Scientists all over the world are working feverishly to find the dark matter in the universe. Now researchers have taken one step closer to solving the enigma with a new method.

Mould fungi can cure plants Posted: 31 Oct 2011 05:19 AM PDT Genetic research has yielded remarkable insights on mold fungi. This opens the door to the specialized use of fungi in agriculture.

Drugs used to tackle hospital-acquired infections can increase post-op complications Posted: 31 Oct 2011 05:19 AM PDT The introduction of new antibiotic regimes to tackle hospital-acquired infections, such as C. difficile, must take into account the possibility of increased infections following specific surgical procedures. Researchers have studied 709 consecutive patients over 20 months. Patients undergoing a standard surgical procedure to diagnose prostate cancer developed more than five times as many infective complications when a new standard antibiotic regime was introduced in line with national guidance. These included a number of cases of sepsis and one case of septic shock - a highly significant finding.

Mechanics behind new cell cycle that fuels growth described Posted: 30 Oct 2011 12:15 PM PDT Researchers have shed light on the inner workings of the endocycle, a common cell cycle that fuels growth in plants, animals and some human tissues and is responsible for generating up to half of the Earth's biomass.

Patterns of new DNA letter in brain suggest distinct function Posted: 30 Oct 2011 12:15 PM PDT In 2009, the DNA alphabet expanded. Scientists discovered that an extra letter or "sixth nucleotide" was surprisingly abundant in DNA from stem cells and brain cells. Now, researchers have mapped the patterns formed by that letter in the brains of mice, observing how its pattern of distribution in the genome changes during development and aging.

Findings offer new clues into the addicted brain Posted: 30 Oct 2011 12:15 PM PDT What drives addicts to repeatedly choose drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, overeating, gambling or kleptomania, despite the risks involved? Neuroscientists have pinpointed the exact locations in the brain where calculations are made that can result in addictive and compulsive behavior.

Fat cells in abdomen fuel spread of ovarian cancer Posted: 30 Oct 2011 12:15 PM PDT A large pad of abdominal fat cells provides nutrients that promote the spread and growth of ovarian cancer, the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in women. This fatty tissue, extraordinarily rich in energy-dense lipids, serves as a rich fuel source, enabling cancer cells to multiply rapidly.

First-of-its-kind study creates new tool for targeted cancer drug development Posted: 30 Oct 2011 12:15 PM PDT In a technical tour de force, scientists have cataloged and cross-indexed the actions of 178 candidate drugs capable of blocking the activity of one or more of 300 enzymes, including enzymes critical for cancer and other diseases. Additionally, a free library of the results has been made available online to the research community. This unique library represents an important new tool for accelerating the development of an entire class of targeted cancer drugs.

Scientists identify protein form linked to Huntington's disease Posted: 30 Oct 2011 12:15 PM PDT Scientists have discovered how a form of the protein linked to Huntington's disease influences the timing and severity of its symptoms, offering new avenues for treating not only this disease, but also a variety of similar conditions.

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