ScienceDaily: Top News

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• How birds master courtship songs: Zebra finches shed light on brain circuits and learning
• Role of taxane-based chemotherapy drugs may be underestimated, especially against prostate cancer, study suggests
• Thalidomide relieves disabling cough and improves quality of life for people with deadly lung disease: study
• Europe's second polar-orbiting weather satellite is aloft
• New gene could lead to better bug-resistant plants
• Hope on the horizon for asthma sufferers
• Risk of developing diabetes higher in neighborhoods that aren't walk-friendly
• Antibiotic-resistant pathogens persist in antibiotic-free pigs
• Study links breast cancer risk to early-life diet and metabolic syndrome
• Precision motion tracking -- thousands of cells at once: Technique could open new windows into protozoan behavior, microbial diseases and fertility
• 'Blue Brain' project accurately predicts connections between neurons
• Rapid urban expansion threatens biodiversity
• New enzyme to fight Alzheimer's disease identified
• Most extensive pictures ever of an organism's DNA mutation processes
• Cause of chemotherapy resistance in melanoma found
• Temperature in turbulent convection: Discovery could aid design of new cooling systems
• Shrinking snow depth on Arctic sea ice threatens ringed seal habitat
• About half of adults say schools should take action when kids bully with social isolation
• Improving memory for specific events can alleviate symptoms of depression
• Sex matters: Men recognize cars and women recognize living things best, psychological analysis finds
• Hubble sees NGC 7090 — an actively star-forming galaxy
• Prenatal damage from dioxin shown to involve microRNAs
• First 3-D model of a protein critical to embryo development
• Dry-run experiments verify key aspect of nuclear fusion concept: Scientific 'break-even' or better is near-term goal
• When it rains, it pours: Intensification of extreme tropical rainfall with global warming modeled
• Researchers call for early diagnosis of flesh-eating infections
• Assessing a new technique for ensuring fresh produce remains Salmonella-free
• Toxic protein build-up in blood shines light on fatal brain disease
• Adequate sleep helps weight loss
• Cervical cancer and pre-cancer cervical growths require single HPV protein
• Mechanism that leads to diabetes, blindness, identified
• Sorghum eyed as a southern bioenergy crop
• Eating well during pregnancy reduces baby's obesity risk regardless of mom's size
• Alpine glaciers contribute to carbon cycling
• Scientists bid to develop anthrax vaccine to counteract world bioterrorism threat
• Spacetime ripples from dying black holes could help reveal how they formed
• At the right place at the right time: New insights into muscle stem cells
• New 'ATM' takes old phones and gives back green
• Scientists reveal how natural antibiotic kills tuberculosis bacterium
• Cancer now leading cause of death in US Hispanics
• The biology of emotions
• U.S. underestimates costs of carbon pollution and climate change
• Sound level around seriously ill patients 'like a busy road'
• Simple test to predict if pregnant women will give birth prematurely
• Drug combination against NRSA-mutant melanoma discovered
• World’s most powerful digital camera opens eye, records first images in hunt for dark energy
• Gap found in treatment of sexually transmitted diseases among teens
• Kidney stone sufferers 'double in a generation'
• Only children are significantly more likely to be overweight, European study finds
• Damaged metal surfaces repair themselves
• Considerably more patients may benefit from effective antidiabetic drug, study suggests
• Hospital design affects patient care
• Behavior issues are a bigger headache for children with migraines, research reveals
• Skilled hunters 300,000 years ago
• Whales fall through the research net: Global populations of marine mammals observed far too little
• Mobile phones and wireless networks: No evidence of health risk found, Norwegian experts find
• New snake species: List of animal species threatened by mining and deforestation in western Panama augmented
• Researchers' novel use of nanoparticles target non-invasive treatment for deep cancer

How birds master courtship songs: Zebra finches shed light on brain circuits and learning Posted: 17 Sep 2012 02:31 PM PDT By studying how birds master songs used in courtship, scientists have found that regions of the brain involved in planning and controlling complex vocal sequences may also be necessary for memorizing sounds that serve as models for vocal imitation.

Role of taxane-based chemotherapy drugs may be underestimated, especially against prostate cancer, study suggests Posted: 17 Sep 2012 02:29 PM PDT The power of taxane-based chemotherapy drugs are misunderstood and potentially underestimated, according to researchers. Most physicians and investigators believe that taxane chemotherapy (paclitaxel, docetaxel and cabazitaxel) just does one thing -- stop a cancer cell from dividing -- but the team of scientists has revealed it acts much more powerfully and broadly, especially against prostate cancer.

Thalidomide relieves disabling cough and improves quality of life for people with deadly lung disease: study Posted: 17 Sep 2012 02:29 PM PDT In the first clinical trial to demonstrate an effective treatment for constant, disabling cough among people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), researchers found that taking thalidomide significantly reduced the cough and improved quality of life.

Europe's second polar-orbiting weather satellite is aloft Posted: 17 Sep 2012 01:31 PM PDT The second Metop satellite was launched Sept. 17 from the Baikonur cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan, atop a Russian Soyuz launcher. Metop-B will ensure the continuity of the weather and atmospheric monitoring service provided by its predecessor Metop-A, which has been circling the globe from pole to pole, 14 times a day, since 2006 and has now exceeded its design lifetime.

New gene could lead to better bug-resistant plants Posted: 17 Sep 2012 01:14 PM PDT The discovery of a new gene could lead to better bug-resistant plants. New research demonstrates that domestic tomatoes could re-learn a thing or two from their wild cousins.

Hope on the horizon for asthma sufferers Posted: 17 Sep 2012 01:11 PM PDT A new study that identifies ways to reduce the factors that lead to an asthma attack gives hope to asthma sufferers. Researchers believe they have found a way to help asthma sufferers by impeding the two most significant biological responses that lead to an asthma attack.

Risk of developing diabetes higher in neighborhoods that aren't walk-friendly Posted: 17 Sep 2012 12:21 PM PDT Whether your neighborhood is conducive to walking could determine your risk for developing diabetes, according to a new study.

Antibiotic-resistant pathogens persist in antibiotic-free pigs Posted: 17 Sep 2012 12:20 PM PDT Researchers have found identical strains of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter coli in both antibiotic-free and conventionally raised pigs. This finding may indicate that these antibiotic-resistant pathogens can persist and thrive in the environment, regardless of antimicrobial usage by pork producers.

Study links breast cancer risk to early-life diet and metabolic syndrome Posted: 17 Sep 2012 12:20 PM PDT Striking new evidence suggesting that diet and related factors early in life can boost the risk for breast cancer -- totally independent of the body's production of the hormone estrogen -- has been uncovered by a team of researchers. The findings provide new insights into the processes that regulate normal breast development and the impact those processes may have on the risk of developing breast cancer later in life.

Precision motion tracking -- thousands of cells at once: Technique could open new windows into protozoan behavior, microbial diseases and fertility Posted: 17 Sep 2012 12:20 PM PDT Researchers have developed a new way to observe and track large numbers of rapidly moving objects under a microscope, capturing precise motion paths in three dimensions. Over the course of their study, researchers followed an unprecedented 24,000 rapidly moving cells over wide fields of view and through large sample volumes, recording each cell's path for as long as 20 seconds.

'Blue Brain' project accurately predicts connections between neurons Posted: 17 Sep 2012 12:20 PM PDT Scientists have identified key principles that determine synapse-scale connectivity by virtually reconstructing a cortical microcircuit and comparing it to a mammalian sample. These principles now make it possible to predict the locations of synapses in the neocortex.

Rapid urban expansion threatens biodiversity Posted: 17 Sep 2012 12:20 PM PDT A brief window of opportunity exists to shape the development of cities globally before a boom in infrastructure construction transforms urban land cover, according to a new study.

New enzyme to fight Alzheimer's disease identified Posted: 17 Sep 2012 12:17 PM PDT An enzyme could represent a powerful new tool for combating Alzheimer's disease.

Most extensive pictures ever of an organism's DNA mutation processes Posted: 17 Sep 2012 12:17 PM PDT Biologists and informaticists have produced one of the most extensive pictures ever of mutation processes in the DNA sequence of an organism, elucidating important new evolutionary information about the molecular nature of mutations and how fast those heritable changes occur.

Cause of chemotherapy resistance in melanoma found Posted: 17 Sep 2012 10:23 AM PDT Researchers have identified a major reason why melanoma is largely resistant to chemotherapy. They found a genetic pathway in melanoma cells that inhibits the cellular mechanism for detecting DNA damage wrought by chemotherapy, thereby building up tolerance to cancer-killing drugs.

Temperature in turbulent convection: Discovery could aid design of new cooling systems Posted: 17 Sep 2012 10:23 AM PDT An international team of physicists is working to ascertain more about the fundamental physical laws that are at work in a process known as convection, which occurs in a boiling pot of water as well as in the turbulent movement of the liquid outer core of Earth. The team's new finding specifies the way that the temperature of a gas or liquid varies with the distance from a heat source during convection.

Shrinking snow depth on Arctic sea ice threatens ringed seal habitat Posted: 17 Sep 2012 10:23 AM PDT University of Washington scientists found that the habitat required for ringed seals -- animals under consideration for the threatened species list -- to rear their young will drastically shrink this century.

About half of adults say schools should take action when kids bully with social isolation Posted: 17 Sep 2012 10:23 AM PDT Most adults say schools should take action when bullies threaten physical safety or embarrass others, according to a new poll.

Improving memory for specific events can alleviate symptoms of depression Posted: 17 Sep 2012 10:23 AM PDT Hear the word "party" and memories of the big bash you attended last New Year's may rush to mind. But it's exactly these kinds of memories, embedded in a specific place and time, that people with depression have difficulty recalling. In a new study, researchers investigated whether a training program might improve people's memory for past events and ameliorate their symptoms of depression.

Sex matters: Men recognize cars and women recognize living things best, psychological analysis finds Posted: 17 Sep 2012 10:20 AM PDT Women are better than men at recognizing living things and men are better than women at recognizing vehicles. That is the unanticipated result of an analysis psychologists performed on data from a series of visual recognition tasks collected in the process of developing a new standard test for expertise in object recognition.

Hubble sees NGC 7090 — an actively star-forming galaxy Posted: 17 Sep 2012 10:05 AM PDT A new image portrays a beautiful view of the galaxy NGC 7090, as seen by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The galaxy is viewed edge-on from Earth, meaning we cannot easily see the spiral arms, which are full of young, hot stars. However, a side-on view shows the galaxy's disc and the bulging central core, where typically a large group of cool old stars are packed in a compact, spheroidal region. In addition, there are two interesting features present in the image that are worth mentioning.

Prenatal damage from dioxin shown to involve microRNAs Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:43 AM PDT New research has identified novel mechanisms through which dioxin can alter physiological functions.

First 3-D model of a protein critical to embryo development Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:42 AM PDT Researchers have constructed the first detailed and complete picture of a protein complex that is tied to human birth defects as well as the progression of many forms of cancer. Knowing the architecture of this protein, PRC2, should be a boon to its future use in the development of new and improved therapeutic drugs.

Dry-run experiments verify key aspect of nuclear fusion concept: Scientific 'break-even' or better is near-term goal Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:42 AM PDT Magnetically imploded tubes, intended to help produce controlled nuclear fusion at scientific "break-even" energies or better within the next few years, have functioned successfully in preliminary tests.

When it rains, it pours: Intensification of extreme tropical rainfall with global warming modeled Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:42 AM PDT Global warming is expected to intensify extreme precipitation, but the rate at which it does so in the tropics has remained unclear. Now a new study has given an estimate based on model simulations and observations.

Researchers call for early diagnosis of flesh-eating infections Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:42 AM PDT Researchers stress that orthopedists should have a high index of suspicion for necrotizing fasciitis, or flesh-eating bacterial infection, in every patient with pain or other symptoms that are out of proportion to the initial diagnosis.

Assessing a new technique for ensuring fresh produce remains Salmonella-free Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:39 AM PDT Researchers have tested a new technique to ensure fresh produce is free of bacterial contamination. Plasmas are a mix of highly energetic particles created when gases are excited by an energy source. They can be used to destroy bacteria but as new research shows, some can hide from its effects in the microscopic surface structures of different foods.

Toxic protein build-up in blood shines light on fatal brain disease Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:39 AM PDT A new light-based technique for measuring levels of the toxic protein that causes Huntington's disease (HD) has been used to demonstrate that the protein builds up gradually in blood cells. The findings shed light on how the protein causes damage in the brain, and could be useful for monitoring the progression of HD, or testing new drugs aimed at suppressing production of the harmful protein.

Adequate sleep helps weight loss Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:39 AM PDT Adequate sleep is an important part of a weight loss plan and should be added to the recommended mix of diet and exercise, states an expert.

Cervical cancer and pre-cancer cervical growths require single HPV protein Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:38 AM PDT Human papillomavirus (HPV) has long been implicated in cervical cancer, but details of how it happens have remained a mystery. Now researchers have found that a single HPV protein is required for cervical cancer and even pre-cancer growths in the cervix to survive.

Mechanism that leads to diabetes, blindness, identified Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:38 AM PDT The rare disorder Wolfram syndrome is caused by mutations in a single gene, but its effects on the body are far reaching. Now, researchers report that they have identified a mechanism that affects both insulin-secreting cells and neurons. The finding will aid in the understanding of Wolfram syndrome and also may be important in the treatment of milder forms of diabetes and other disorders.

Sorghum eyed as a southern bioenergy crop Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:38 AM PDT Sweet sorghum is primarily grown in the United States as a source of sugar for syrup and molasses, but the sturdy grass has other attributes that could make it uniquely suited to production as a bioenergy crop, new studies suggest.

Eating well during pregnancy reduces baby's obesity risk regardless of mom's size Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:38 AM PDT If you are overweight and pregnant, your baby isn't destined to become obese, according to a research report. The report shows that modifying fat intake during pregnancy to a moderate level benefits the child regardless of the mother's size. Specifically, they found that the protein "SIRT1" rewrites a developing fetus' histone code, which affects his or her "epigenetic likelihood" of being overweight throughout his or her lifetime.

Alpine glaciers contribute to carbon cycling Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:34 AM PDT Scientists have unraveled the role of Alpine glaciers for carbon cycling. They have uncovered unexpected biogeochemical complexity of dissolved organic matter locked in glaciers and studied its fate for carbon cycling in glacier-fed streams. A new article expands current knowledge on the importance of the vanishing cryosphere for biogeochemistry.

Scientists bid to develop anthrax vaccine to counteract world bioterrorism threat Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:34 AM PDT A team of scientists is leading new research to develop a vaccine against anthrax to help counteract the threat of bioterrorism.

Spacetime ripples from dying black holes could help reveal how they formed Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:34 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a new property of black holes: their dying tones could reveal the cosmic crash that produced them.

At the right place at the right time: New insights into muscle stem cells Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:31 AM PDT Muscles have a pool of stem cells in special niches which provides a source for muscle growth and for the regeneration of injured muscles. Researchers have elucidated how these stem cells colonize these niches. They also show that the stem cells weaken when, due to a mutation, they locate outside of the muscle fibers.

New 'ATM' takes old phones and gives back green Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:31 AM PDT Researchers have developed a unique, automated kiosk that lets consumers trade in cell phones for reimbursement or recycling.

Scientists reveal how natural antibiotic kills tuberculosis bacterium Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:31 AM PDT A natural product secreted by a soil bacterium shows promise as a new drug to treat tuberculosis report scientists. Scientists have shown how pyridomycin, a natural antibiotic produced by the bacterium Dactylosporangium fulvum, works. This promising drug candidate is active against many of the drug-resistant types of the tuberculosis bacterium that no longer respond to treatment with the front-line drug isoniazid.

Cancer now leading cause of death in US Hispanics Posted: 17 Sep 2012 09:31 AM PDT A new report from American Cancer Society researchers finds that despite declining death rates, cancer has surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death among Hispanics in the US.

The biology of emotions Posted: 17 Sep 2012 08:10 AM PDT Emotions tag our experiences and act as signposts to steer our behavior. Avoiding danger and pursuing rewards is essential for successful navigation through a complex environment, and thus for survival. The search for the neural correlate of emotions has fascinated not only scientists – after all, emotions are a central part of our mental self.

U.S. underestimates costs of carbon pollution and climate change Posted: 17 Sep 2012 08:10 AM PDT Model used by government all but ignores economic damages that climate change will inflict on future generations.

Sound level around seriously ill patients 'like a busy road' Posted: 17 Sep 2012 08:10 AM PDT Seriously ill patients in intensive care units are being cared for in environments with sound levels more than 20 dB higher than the WHO's recommendations.

Simple test to predict if pregnant women will give birth prematurely Posted: 17 Sep 2012 08:10 AM PDT Babies born early run a greater risk of serious complications. Researchers have now developed a method to predict if pregnant women with preterm contractions will give birth within seven days. The method offers new possibilities to delay delivery and prepare care for the premature baby.

Drug combination against NRSA-mutant melanoma discovered Posted: 17 Sep 2012 08:10 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a novel drug combination aimed at a subset of melanoma patients who currently have no effective therapeutic options. About one-fourth of melanoma patients have NRAS-mutant tumors. For the first time, this study provides new hope for these patients that an effective targeted treatment might be developed by combining Mek and Cdk4 inhibitors.

World’s most powerful digital camera opens eye, records first images in hunt for dark energy Posted: 17 Sep 2012 07:46 AM PDT Eight billion years ago, rays of light from distant galaxies began their long journey to Earth. That ancient starlight has now found its way to a mountaintop in Chile, where the newly-constructed Dark Energy Camera, the most powerful sky-mapping machine ever created, has captured and recorded it for the first time.

Gap found in treatment of sexually transmitted diseases among teens Posted: 17 Sep 2012 06:02 AM PDT California's pediatricians-in-training are not adequately educated about the methods to prevent recurrent sexually transmitted infections in teenagers. That's the conclusion of a study examining pediatric residents' knowledge of laws governing treatment of their patients' sexual partners.

Kidney stone sufferers 'double in a generation' Posted: 17 Sep 2012 06:00 AM PDT Stones in the kidney and ureter now affect almost one person in ten in Europe, the European Association of Urology has just confirmed. This figure has more than doubled since 1982, with urologists attributing the majority of the rise to the changes in European lifestyles which have led to increasing prevalence of obesity and the metabolic syndrome.

Only children are significantly more likely to be overweight, European study finds Posted: 17 Sep 2012 06:00 AM PDT Children who grow up without siblings have a more than 50 percent higher risk of being overweight or obese than children with siblings. This is the finding of a study of 12,700 children in eight European countries, including Sweden, published in Nutrition and Diabetes.

Damaged metal surfaces repair themselves Posted: 17 Sep 2012 06:00 AM PDT A coating filled with tiny lubricant capsules could come to the rescue when metal surfaces dry out and friction builds up.

Considerably more patients may benefit from effective antidiabetic drug, study suggests Posted: 17 Sep 2012 06:00 AM PDT The antidiabetic drug metformin is not prescribed for patients with reduced kidney function because the risk of adverse effects has been regarded as unacceptably high. A new study has found that the risks have been substantially overrated. As a result, many more patients with diabetes may be able to enjoy the benefits of the medication.

Hospital design affects patient care Posted: 17 Sep 2012 06:00 AM PDT When hospitals group patient rooms into small clusters, nurses have more time for their patients. But the design of these "bed clusters" is important.

Behavior issues are a bigger headache for children with migraines, research reveals Posted: 17 Sep 2012 05:55 AM PDT Kids who get migraine headaches are much more likely than other children to also have behavioral difficulties, including social and attention issues, and anxiety and depression. The more frequent the headaches, the greater the effect, according to new research.

Skilled hunters 300,000 years ago Posted: 17 Sep 2012 05:55 AM PDT Finds from early stone age site in north-central Germany show that human ingenuity is nothing new -- and was probably shared by now-extinct species of humans. Archeologists have found eight extremely well-preserved spears -- an astonishing 300,000 years old, making them the oldest known weapons anywhere. The spears and other artifacts as well as animal remains found at the site demonstrate that their users were highly skilled craftsmen and hunters, well adapted to their environment -- with a capacity for abstract thought and complex planning comparable to our own.

Whales fall through the research net: Global populations of marine mammals observed far too little Posted: 17 Sep 2012 05:55 AM PDT A world map reveals that only a fourth of the world ocean surface has been surveyed for whales and dolphins in the past decades. It is only possible to identify detrimental influences and collect basic information for research and environmental protection if data on marine organisms is collected regularly. First and foremost, it will be necessary to observe international waters more closely and develop new analytical methods, conclude the scientists.

Mobile phones and wireless networks: No evidence of health risk found, Norwegian experts find Posted: 17 Sep 2012 05:55 AM PDT There is no scientific evidence that low-level electromagnetic field exposure from mobile phones and other transmitting devices causes adverse health effects, according to a report presented by a Norwegian Expert Committee. In addition, the Committee provides advice to authorities about risk management and regulatory practice.

New snake species: List of animal species threatened by mining and deforestation in western Panama augmented Posted: 17 Sep 2012 05:55 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a new snake species in the highlands of western Panama. The scientific name of the conspicuously colored reptile Sibon noalamina means "no to the mine." It was chosen to call attention to the fact that the habitat of this harmless snail-eating snake is severely threatened by human interventions.

Researchers' novel use of nanoparticles target non-invasive treatment for deep cancer Posted: 17 Sep 2012 05:53 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a new technology that paves the way for a new safe and non-invasive method of treating deep cancer. The team has so far, demonstrated that their technology could inhibit tumor growth and control gene expression in mice. This is a world's first for the use of nanoparticles for non-invasive photodynamic therapy of deep cancer.

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