ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Psychologist discovers intricacies about lying
• Clinical tool classifies spots on lung scans of smokers
• Hibernating lemurs hint at the secrets of sleep
• DNA changes during pregnancy persist into childhood
• Pacific flights create most amount of ozone
• Your finger's pulse holds the key to your heart's health
• Heart attack death rates unchanged in spite of faster care at hospitals
• Look at what i'm saying: Engineers show brain depends on vision to hear
• Youthful stem cells from bone can heal the heart
• Chemotherapy helps elderly patients with small cell lung cancer
• Electronics advance moves closer to a world beyond silicon
• Discovery shows cerebellum plays important role in sensing limb position and movement
• Wheat research indicates rise in mean temperature would cut yields
• West Antarctica ice sheet existed 20 million years earlier than previously thought
• Experimental compound reverses down syndrome-like learning deficits in mice
• New laser-based tool could dramatically improve the accuracy of brain tumor surgery
• Personality interactions between animals may dictate outcomes in the wild
• Genetic similarities between bats and dolphins discovered
• Training the older brain in 3-D: Video game enhances cognitive control
• New pathway discovered in blood vessel inflammation and disease
• TB and Parkinson's disease linked by unique protein
• Biologists uncover details of how we squelch defective neurons
• More than one-third of populations worldwide may have low levels of vitamin D, study shows
• New low-temperature chemical reaction explained
• Bismuth-carrying nanotubes show promise for CT scans
• Faulty internal recycling by brain's trash collectors may contribute to Alzheimer's
• Alzheimer's 'missing link' found: Promising target for new drugs
• Pain-free microneedle influenza vaccine is effective, long-lasting
• The difference between obsession and delusion
• New approach enhances quantum-based secure communication
• Why energy drinks are harming children, adolescents
• Childhood adversity linked to higher risk of early death
• Knowing exposure risks important to saving structures from wildfires
• 'Seeing' faces through touch: Brain may code facial information in shared representation between vision and haptics
• Links made between problem gambling and substance abuse, and lack of treatment options
• Wiring microbes to conduct and produce electricity faster
• Better hygiene in wealthy nations may increase Alzheimer's risk, study suggests
• Gravity variations over Earth much bigger than previously thought
• Simian foamy viruses readily occur between humans and macaques in urban Bangladesh
• Air pollution worsened by climate change set to be more potent killer in the 21st century
• Scientists link a protein to initial tumor growth in several cancers
• LED light bulbs brighter and more energy efficient than ever
• Discovery helps to unlock brain's speech-learning mechanism
• New groundbreaking research may expose new aspects of the universe
• People who undergo cataract surgery to correct visual impairment live longer
• Nanostructures with potential to advance energy devices produced
• Using harsh verbal discipline with teens found to be harmful
• The African fish that lives fast and dies young
• Psychological effects of genetic testing for risk of weight gain
• Treatment of children with cerebral palsy could be boosted
• Unexpected magic by cosmic rays in cloud formation
• Blue light observations indicate water-rich atmosphere of super-Earth
• Bizarre alignment of planetary nebulae
• Measuring progress in nanotech design

Psychologist discovers intricacies about lying Posted: 04 Sep 2013 05:51 PM PDT How you remember a lie may be impacted profoundly by how you lie, according to a new study. The study examines two kinds of lies -- false descriptions and false denials -- and the different cognitive machinery that we use to record and retrieve them.

Clinical tool classifies spots on lung scans of smokers Posted: 04 Sep 2013 05:41 PM PDT A new clinical risk calculator has been developed that classifies, nine out of ten times, which spots or lesions are benign and malignant on an initial lung computed tomography scan among individuals at high risk for lung cancer.

Hibernating lemurs hint at the secrets of sleep Posted: 04 Sep 2013 05:41 PM PDT By studying hibernation, scientists are providing a window into why humans sleep. Observations of a little-known primate called the fat-tailed dwarf lemur in captivity and the wild has revealed that it goes for days without the deepest part of sleep during its winter hibernation season. The findings support the idea that sleep plays a role in regulating body temperature and metabolism.

DNA changes during pregnancy persist into childhood Posted: 04 Sep 2013 05:41 PM PDT Even before they are born, babies accumulate changes in their DNA through a process called DNA methylation that may interfere with gene expression, and in turn, their health as they grow up. But until now it's been unclear just how long these changes during the prenatal period persist. In a new study, researchers establish that signs of DNA methylation persist through early childhood.

Pacific flights create most amount of ozone Posted: 04 Sep 2013 05:37 PM PDT The amount of ozone created from aircraft pollution is highest from flights leaving and entering Australia and New Zealand, a new study has shown. The findings could have wide-reaching implications for aviation policy as ozone is a potent greenhouse gas with comparable short-term effects to those of carbon dioxide.

Your finger's pulse holds the key to your heart's health Posted: 04 Sep 2013 05:36 PM PDT A new technique to measure the stiffness of the aorta, a common risk factor for heart disease, involves measuring the pulse in the finger or on the arm, combined with an individual's age and body mass index.

Heart attack death rates unchanged in spite of faster care at hospitals Posted: 04 Sep 2013 05:35 PM PDT Heart attack deaths have remained the same, even as hospital teams have gotten faster at treating heart attack patients with emergency angioplasty, according to a new study.

Look at what i'm saying: Engineers show brain depends on vision to hear Posted: 04 Sep 2013 05:35 PM PDT Bioengineers have discovered our understanding of language may depend more heavily on vision than previously thought: under the right conditions, what you see can override what you hear.

Youthful stem cells from bone can heal the heart Posted: 04 Sep 2013 01:16 PM PDT Researchers have discovered that when it comes to the regeneration of heart tissue, cortical bone-derived stem cells might do a better job than the heart's own stem cells. This finding challenges longstanding assumptions about which cells are the most effective at repairing damaged heart tissue after heart attacks.

Chemotherapy helps elderly patients with small cell lung cancer Posted: 04 Sep 2013 01:16 PM PDT Researchers conclude that chemotherapy is associated with a greater than six-month improvement in median survival among elderly patients with small-cell lung cancer, even in patients over the age of 80 years.

Electronics advance moves closer to a world beyond silicon Posted: 04 Sep 2013 01:16 PM PDT Researchers have made a significant advance in the function of metal-insulator-metal, or MIM diodes, a technology premised on the assumption that the speed of electrons moving through silicon is simply too slow. For the extraordinary speed envisioned in some future electronics applications, these innovative diodes solve problems that would not be possible with silicon-based materials as a limiting factor.

Discovery shows cerebellum plays important role in sensing limb position and movement Posted: 04 Sep 2013 01:12 PM PDT New findings show, for the first time, the link between the brain's cerebellum and proprioception, or the body's ability to sense movement and joint and limb position. A new study uncovers a previously unknown perceptual deficit among cerebellar patients, suggesting that damage to this portion of the brain can directly impact a person's ability to sense the position of their limbs and predict movement. This discovery could prompt future researchers to reexamine physical therapy tactics for cerebellar patients, who often have impaired coordination or appear clumsy.

Wheat research indicates rise in mean temperature would cut yields Posted: 04 Sep 2013 01:12 PM PDT Wheat producers know that growing a healthy, high-yielding wheat crop takes skill and hard work. Quality drought-tolerant varieties that are resistant to pests and disease are important. And cooperation from Mother Nature in terms of temperature and precipitation doesn't hurt, either. To quantify the impact of genetic improvement in wheat, disease and climate change over a 26-year period, researchers examined wheat variety yield data from Kansas performance tests, along with location-specific weather and disease data.

West Antarctica ice sheet existed 20 million years earlier than previously thought Posted: 04 Sep 2013 11:10 AM PDT The results of new research mark the beginning of a new paradigm for our understanding of the history of Earth's great global ice sheets. The research shows that, contrary to the popularly held scientific view, an ice sheet on West Antarctica existed 20 million years earlier than previously thought.

Experimental compound reverses down syndrome-like learning deficits in mice Posted: 04 Sep 2013 11:09 AM PDT Researchers have identified a compound that dramatically bolsters learning and memory when given to mice with a Down syndrome-like condition on the day of birth. The single-dose treatment appears to enable the cerebellum of the rodents' brains to grow to a normal size.

New laser-based tool could dramatically improve the accuracy of brain tumor surgery Posted: 04 Sep 2013 11:09 AM PDT A new laser-based technology may make brain tumor surgery much more accurate, allowing surgeons to tell cancer tissue from normal brain at the microscopic level while they are operating, and avoid leaving behind cells that could spawn a new tumor.

Personality interactions between animals may dictate outcomes in the wild Posted: 04 Sep 2013 10:25 AM PDT Examining the varying personality types of multiple animal species at once -- in addition to common single-species studies -- could help biologists better predict ecological outcomes, according to a recent study.

Genetic similarities between bats and dolphins discovered Posted: 04 Sep 2013 10:25 AM PDT The evolution of similar traits in different species, a process known as convergent evolution, is widespread not only at the physical level, but also at the genetic level, according to new research.

Training the older brain in 3-D: Video game enhances cognitive control Posted: 04 Sep 2013 10:25 AM PDT Scientists have found a way to reverse some of the negative effects of aging on the brain, using a video game designed to improve cognitive control.

New pathway discovered in blood vessel inflammation and disease Posted: 04 Sep 2013 10:25 AM PDT Researchers have identified a genetic factor that blocks the blood vessel inflammation that can lead to heart attacks, strokes and other potentially life-threatening events.

TB and Parkinson's disease linked by unique protein Posted: 04 Sep 2013 10:24 AM PDT A protein at the center of Parkinson's disease research now also has been found to play a key role in causing the destruction of bacteria that cause tuberculosis, according to microbiologists.

Biologists uncover details of how we squelch defective neurons Posted: 04 Sep 2013 10:04 AM PDT Biologists have identified a new component of the cellular mechanism by which humans and animals automatically check the quality of their nerve cells to assure they're working properly during development.

More than one-third of populations worldwide may have low levels of vitamin D, study shows Posted: 04 Sep 2013 10:04 AM PDT A systematic review focused on patterns of vitamin D status worldwide and in key population subgroups, using continuous values for 25(OH)D to improve comparisons. Although a high degree of variability between reports of vitamin D status at the population level was found, more than one-third of the studies reviewed reported mean serum 25(OH)D values below 50 nmol/l.

New low-temperature chemical reaction explained Posted: 04 Sep 2013 10:03 AM PDT Unusual reaction, never fully understood, is important to fuel combustion, atmospheric chemistry and biochemistry. In all the centuries that humans have studied chemical reactions, just 36 basic types of reactions have been found. Now, a 37th type of reaction can be added to the list.

Bismuth-carrying nanotubes show promise for CT scans Posted: 04 Sep 2013 10:03 AM PDT Scientists are placing bismuth in nanotubes to tag stem cells for efficient tracking with CT scanners.

Faulty internal recycling by brain's trash collectors may contribute to Alzheimer's Posted: 04 Sep 2013 10:03 AM PDT A defective trash-disposal system in the brain's resident immune cells may be a major contributor to neurodegenerative disease, scientists have found.

Alzheimer's 'missing link' found: Promising target for new drugs Posted: 04 Sep 2013 10:03 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a protein that is the missing link in the complicated chain of events that lead to Alzheimer's disease, they report in the Sept. 4 issue of the journal Neuron. Researchers also found that blocking the protein with an existing drug can restore memory in mice with brain damage that mimics the disease.

Pain-free microneedle influenza vaccine is effective, long-lasting Posted: 04 Sep 2013 08:48 AM PDT Scientists have developed an influenza vaccine delivered via microneedle patch that provided 100 percent protection against a lethal influenza virus in mice more than one year after vaccination.

The difference between obsession and delusion Posted: 04 Sep 2013 08:48 AM PDT Because animals can't talk, researchers need to study their behavior patterns to make sense of their activities. Now researchers are using a common zoological method to study people with serious mental disorders such as schizophrenia and OCD.

New approach enhances quantum-based secure communication Posted: 04 Sep 2013 08:48 AM PDT Scientists have overcome an "Achilles' heel" of quantum-based secure communication systems, using a new approach that works in the real world to safeguard secrets. The team's research removes a big obstacle to realizing future applications of quantum communication, including a fully functional quantum network.

Why energy drinks are harming children, adolescents Posted: 04 Sep 2013 08:43 AM PDT Parents beware. If your tots and teens get their hands on your energy drinks, they could experience seizures, heart palpitations or other problems that drive them to the hospital emergency room, experts say.

Childhood adversity linked to higher risk of early death Posted: 04 Sep 2013 07:54 AM PDT Traumatic childhood experiences are linked to an increased risk of early death, according to new research.

Knowing exposure risks important to saving structures from wildfires Posted: 04 Sep 2013 07:54 AM PDT A study of one of California's most devastating wildland fires -- the 2007 Witch Creek/Guejito fire -- strongly suggests that measures for reducing structural damage and property loss from wildland urban interface fires are most effective when they are based on accurate assessments of exposure risks both for individual structures and the community as a whole.

'Seeing' faces through touch: Brain may code facial information in shared representation between vision and haptics Posted: 04 Sep 2013 07:54 AM PDT Our sense of touch can contribute to our ability to perceive faces, according to new research. The findings suggest that facial information may be coded in a shared representation between vision and haptics in the brain.

Links made between problem gambling and substance abuse, and lack of treatment options Posted: 04 Sep 2013 07:53 AM PDT Problem gamblers are a hidden population among people with mental health or substance abuse issues. These people often don't get the treatment they need.

Wiring microbes to conduct and produce electricity faster Posted: 04 Sep 2013 07:53 AM PDT Scientists have found evidence that altering the chemistry of an electrode surface (surface engineering) can help microbial communities to connect to the electrode to produce more electricity (electron-exchange) more rapidly compared to unmodified electrodes. Electron exchange is at the heart of all redox reactions occurring in the natural world, as well as in bioengineered systems: so called 'biolectrochemical systems'. Practical applications of these systems include current generation, wastewater treatment, and biochemical and biofuel production.

Better hygiene in wealthy nations may increase Alzheimer's risk, study suggests Posted: 04 Sep 2013 07:53 AM PDT New research has found a 'very significant' relationship between a nation's wealth and hygiene and the Alzheimer's 'burden' on its population. High-income, highly industrialized countries with large urban areas and better hygiene exhibit much higher rates of Alzheimer's.

Gravity variations over Earth much bigger than previously thought Posted: 04 Sep 2013 07:53 AM PDT Scientists have created the highest-resolution maps of Earth's gravity field to date -- showing gravitational variations up to 40 percent larger than previously assumed. New gravity maps revealed the variations of free-fall gravity over Earth were much bigger than previously thought.

Simian foamy viruses readily occur between humans and macaques in urban Bangladesh Posted: 04 Sep 2013 07:53 AM PDT Scientists have been examining transmission of a virus from monkeys to humans in Bangladesh, one of the world's most densely populated countries. The scientists have found that some people in urban Bangladesh are concurrently infected with multiple strains of simian foamy virus, including strains from more than one source (recombinant) -- and call for more surveillance to prevent another outbreak like HIV.

Air pollution worsened by climate change set to be more potent killer in the 21st century Posted: 04 Sep 2013 07:51 AM PDT This century, climate change is expected to induce changes in air pollution, exposure to which could increase annual premature deaths by more than 100,000 adults worldwide. Scientists urge, in the face of future climate change, stronger emission controls to avoid worsening air pollution and the associated exacerbation of health problems, especially in more populated regions of the world.

Scientists link a protein to initial tumor growth in several cancers Posted: 04 Sep 2013 07:51 AM PDT A team of scientists have shown that a protein once thought to inhibit the growth of tumors is instead required for initial tumor growth. The findings could point to a new approach to cancer treatment.

LED light bulbs brighter and more energy efficient than ever Posted: 04 Sep 2013 07:46 AM PDT LED light bulbs can be brighter and more energy efficient than ever, thanks to a new high performance LED driver. The new driver powers LED light bulbs with an innovative approach called multi-level PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation), which delivers remarkable improvements in terms of light quality and energy efficiency, when compared to pulse width modulation and linear driver approaches currently used in LED products.

Discovery helps to unlock brain's speech-learning mechanism Posted: 04 Sep 2013 06:41 AM PDT By studying songbirds, scientists are uncovering the mechanism that allows juveniles to learn speech through imitation.

New groundbreaking research may expose new aspects of the universe Posted: 04 Sep 2013 06:41 AM PDT No one knows for sure, but it is not unlikely that the universe is constructed in a completely different way than the usual theories and models of today predict. The most widely used model today cannot explain everything in the universe, and therefore there is a need to explore the parts of nature which the model cannot explain. This research field is called new physics, and it turns our understanding of the universe upside down. New research now makes the search for new physics easier.

People who undergo cataract surgery to correct visual impairment live longer Posted: 04 Sep 2013 06:40 AM PDT People with cataract-related vision loss who have had cataract surgery to improve their sight are living longer than those with visual impairment who chose not to have the procedure, according to a new article. After comparing the two groups, the researchers found a 40 percent lower long-term mortality risk in those who had the surgery.

Nanostructures with potential to advance energy devices produced Posted: 04 Sep 2013 06:40 AM PDT An engineering professor and materials scientist have been experimenting for more than two decades with the highly intricate process of dealloying materials. A new article details how the process can be used to produce nanostructures that could enable advances in battery technology and other energy sources.

Using harsh verbal discipline with teens found to be harmful Posted: 04 Sep 2013 06:40 AM PDT A longitudinal study of 967 two-parent families and their children has found that harsh verbal discipline, the psychological force causing emotional pain or discomfort to correct or control behavior, in early adolescence can be harmful to teens later. Researchers found that harsh verbal discipline can cause teens to misbehave at school, lie to parents, steal, or fight. Moreover, parents' hostility increases the risk of delinquency and fosters anger, irritability, and belligerence in adolescents.

The African fish that lives fast and dies young Posted: 04 Sep 2013 06:38 AM PDT African annual fish take the adage 'live fast, die young' to a whole new level with the discovery that their short lifespan is accompanied by the most rapid sexual maturation of any vertebrate species. Extreme environments can give rise to extreme adaptations. The tiny annual fish of Africa live in temporary puddles created by seasonal rainfall, and so must grow and reproduce quickly in order to lay their hardy eggs before the waters dry up. African annual fish can grow up to 23% of their body length in a day.

Psychological effects of genetic testing for risk of weight gain Posted: 04 Sep 2013 06:35 AM PDT Obesity gene testing does not put people off weight loss and may help to reduce self-blame, according to a new study.

Treatment of children with cerebral palsy could be boosted Posted: 04 Sep 2013 06:35 AM PDT Children with cerebral palsy could be helped to speak more clearly following the advice of new research.

Unexpected magic by cosmic rays in cloud formation Posted: 04 Sep 2013 06:35 AM PDT Physicists suggested that cosmic rays, energetic particles from space, are important in the formation of clouds. Since then, experiments have demonstrated that cosmic rays actually help small clusters of molecules to form. But the cosmic-ray/cloud hypothesis seemed to run into a problem when numerical simulations of the prevailing chemical theory pointed to a failure of growth.

Blue light observations indicate water-rich atmosphere of super-Earth Posted: 04 Sep 2013 06:32 AM PDT Astronomers and planetary scientists have observed planetary transits of super-Earth GJ 1214 b (Gilese 1214 b). The team investigated whether this planet has an atmosphere rich in water or hydrogen. The observations show that the sky of this planet does not show a strong Rayleigh scattering feature, which a cloudless hydrogen-dominated atmosphere would predict. When combined with the findings of previous observations in other colors, this new observational result implies that GJ 1214 b is likely to have a water-rich atmosphere.

Bizarre alignment of planetary nebulae Posted: 04 Sep 2013 06:32 AM PDT The final stages of life for a star like our Sun result in the star blowing its outer layers out into the surrounding space, forming objects known as planetary nebulae in a wide range of beautiful and striking shapes. One type of such nebulae, known as bipolar planetary nebulae, create ghostly hourglass or butterfly shapes around their parent stars. A new study by astronomers now shows surprising similarities between some of these nebulae: many of them line up in the sky in the same way.

Measuring progress in nanotech design Posted: 04 Sep 2013 06:24 AM PDT Engineers have developed a way to measure electron band offset in nanodevices using laser spectroscopy.

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