ScienceDaily: Top News

---

• Top scientists ask UN leaders to act on nuclear weapons, climate change: Still 5 minutes to midnight and much too close to doomsday
• New patent mapping system helps find innovation pathways
• Patients with MS may be at increased risk of developing cancer
• Young 'pranksters' skewed landmark sexuality study
• Nitrous oxide emissions in streams and rivers examined
• Employment may lead to improvement in autism symptoms
• Research shows early promise of new drug for cancers caused by viruses
• Potential future data storage at domain boundaries
• Researchers harness sun's energy during day for use at night
• Health and 'hookups' correlated in first-year college women
• Brain structure shows who is most sensitive to pain
• How electricity helps spider webs snatch prey and pollutants
• Starchy food led to rotten teeth in ancient hunter-gatherers
• CT scans could bolster forensic database to ID unidentified remains
• Fish derived serum omega-3 fatty acids help reduce risk of type 2 diabetes
• New breast cancer stem cell findings explain how cancer spreads
• Social experience drives empathetic, pro-social behavior in rats
• Review finds lack of delirium screening in the emergency department
• Dance and virtual reality: A promising treatment for urinary incontinence in elderly women
• T-cell research sheds light on why HIV can persist despite treatment
• NHS cancer risk threshold 'too high' for patients, research indicates
• Bald reef gets new growth with seaweed transplant
• First farmers and stockbreeders painted with the same pigments as their hunters ancestors
• Educated black men remembered as 'whiter'
• Younger people have 'high definition' memories
• Physical reason for chromosome's cylindrical shape discovered
• Even 25 metres below ground, positioning system tracks firefighters
• Most common gene mutation in human pigmentation in Mediterranean countries linked to increased skin cancer
• First plastic cell with working organelle
• Scientists develop a more efficient and economical solar cell based on graphene and perovskite
• What lies beneath: Giant trench under Antarctic Ice, deeper than Grand Canyon
• How could dinosaurs weigh up to 80 tons? New research on sauropod gigantism
• How fiber prevents diabetes, obesity
• Mitochondrial genes matter for survival and reproduction
• And that is how the desert locust lost its memory
• Promising drug candidates for pain, addiction
• Prevalence of hepatitis C infection found to vary widely among Hispanics
• Primate growing up with half the calories: New understanding about human health and longevity
• Tricky protein may help HIV vaccine development
• Viral microRNAs responsible for causing AIDS-related cancer, study shows
• Food companies marketing to kids
• Keeping stem cells pluripotent
• Study examines probiotic use in preventing gastrointestinal disorders in infants
• How immune system fights off malaria
• Children or no children: Similar life satisfaction for Americans
• New test could simplify diagnosis of celiac disease
• How fruit flies detect sweet foods
• Microbes swap for tiny goods in minuscule markets: Microbes buy low, sell high

Top scientists ask UN leaders to act on nuclear weapons, climate change: Still 5 minutes to midnight and much too close to doomsday Posted: 14 Jan 2014 11:55 AM PST Scientists have called on the United States and Russia to restart negotiations on reducing their nuclear arsenals, to lower alert levels for their nuclear weapons, and to scrap their missile defense programs.

New patent mapping system helps find innovation pathways Posted: 14 Jan 2014 11:54 AM PST A new patent mapping system that considers how patents cite one another may help researchers better understand the relationships between technologies – and how they may come together to spur disruptive new areas of innovation.

Patients with MS may be at increased risk of developing cancer Posted: 14 Jan 2014 10:08 AM PST Individuals with multiple sclerosis may have an increased risk of developing any type of cancer, with an especially high risk of developing breast cancer. That is the conclusion of a recent study published. Because the findings contradict earlier studies, additional research is needed to determine whether a true link exists between multiple sclerosis and cancer.

Young 'pranksters' skewed landmark sexuality study Posted: 14 Jan 2014 10:07 AM PST The joke's on a generation of human-sexuality researchers: Adolescent pranksters responding to the widely cited National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health in the mid-1990s may have faked nonheterosexuality.

Nitrous oxide emissions in streams and rivers examined Posted: 14 Jan 2014 10:07 AM PST The scientists are trying to understand how populations of microorganisms regulate emissions of nitrous oxide from streams and rivers.

Employment may lead to improvement in autism symptoms Posted: 14 Jan 2014 10:06 AM PST More independent work environments may lead to reductions in autism symptoms and improve daily living in adults with the disorder, according to a new study.

Research shows early promise of new drug for cancers caused by viruses Posted: 14 Jan 2014 08:42 AM PST A newly published paper is the first to report that specialized fat (lipid) molecules, called sphingolipids, play a key role in the survival of aggressive lymphomas caused by viruses. The paper also reveals a new therapy for preventing production of sphingolipids by lymphoma cells, thereby killing these cells, which are often resistant to standard therapies.

Potential future data storage at domain boundaries Posted: 14 Jan 2014 08:42 AM PST Storing more and more in an ever-smaller space -- what sounds impossible is in fact just part of the daily routine in information technology, where for decades, increasing amounts of data have been successfully stored on media with ever higher densities. An international team has now discovered a physical phenomenon that could prove suitable for use in further data aggregation.

Researchers harness sun's energy during day for use at night Posted: 14 Jan 2014 08:42 AM PST Solar energy has long been used as a clean alternative to fossil fuels such as coal and oil, but it could only be harnessed during the day when the sun's rays were strongest. Now researchers have built a system that converts the sun's energy not into electricity but hydrogen fuel and stores it for later use, allowing us to power our devices long after the sun goes down.

Health and 'hookups' correlated in first-year college women Posted: 14 Jan 2014 08:41 AM PST Sexual experimentation outside of committed romantic relationships, or "hooking up," is typically portrayed by the media as unhealthy, especially for young women. These portrayals, however, are largely conjecture. Research now demonstrates potential negative outcomes associated with hooking up in female college students.

Brain structure shows who is most sensitive to pain Posted: 14 Jan 2014 08:41 AM PST Everybody feels pain differently, and brain structure may hold the clue to these differences. In a study published, scientistshave shown that the brain's structure is related to how intensely people perceive pain.

How electricity helps spider webs snatch prey and pollutants Posted: 14 Jan 2014 08:33 AM PST Spider webs actively spring towards prey thanks to electrically-conductive glue spread across their surface, scientists have discovered. The researchers found that the electrostatic properties of the glue that coats spider webs causes them to reach out to grab all charged particles, from pollen and pollutants to flying insects. They also showed that the glue spirals can distort Earth's electric field within a few millimetres of the web, which may enable insects to spot the webs with their antennae 'e-sensors'.

Starchy food led to rotten teeth in ancient hunter-gatherers Posted: 14 Jan 2014 08:27 AM PST A diet rich in starchy foods may have led to high rates of tooth decay in ancient hunter-gatherers, according to a new study that challenges the long-held view that dental disease was linked to the advent of farming. The research shows widespread tooth decay occurred in a hunter-gathering society in Morocco several thousand years before the dawn of agriculture.

CT scans could bolster forensic database to ID unidentified remains Posted: 14 Jan 2014 07:30 AM PST A study finds that data from CT scans can be incorporated into a growing forensic database to help determine the ancestry and sex of unidentified remains. The finding may also have clinical applications for craniofacial surgeons.

Fish derived serum omega-3 fatty acids help reduce risk of type 2 diabetes Posted: 14 Jan 2014 07:27 AM PST High concentrations of serum long-chain omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a new study. The sources of these fatty acids are fish and fish oils.

New breast cancer stem cell findings explain how cancer spreads Posted: 14 Jan 2014 07:25 AM PST Breast cancer stem cells exist in two different states and each state plays a role in how cancer spreads, according to an international collaboration of researchers. Their finding sheds new light on the process that makes cancer a deadly disease.

Social experience drives empathetic, pro-social behavior in rats Posted: 14 Jan 2014 07:25 AM PST Empathy-driven behavior has been observed in rats who will free trapped companions from restrainers. This behavior also extends toward strangers, but requires prior, positive social interactions with the type (strain) of the unfamiliar individual, report scientists. The findings suggest that social experiences, not genetics or kin selection, determine whether an individual will help strangers out of empathy.

Review finds lack of delirium screening in the emergency department Posted: 14 Jan 2014 07:24 AM PST Delirium in older patients in an emergency room setting can foretell other health issues. But according to a new study, the condition is frequently overlooked because of a lack of screening tools in emergency departments.

Dance and virtual reality: A promising treatment for urinary incontinence in elderly women Posted: 14 Jan 2014 07:24 AM PST Virtual reality, dance and fun are not the first things that come to mind when we think of treating urinary incontinence in senior women. However, these concepts were the foundations of a promising study .

T-cell research sheds light on why HIV can persist despite treatment Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:21 AM PST Research by an international team provides evidence that a particular T-cell type may help researchers better understand why HIV can persist despite treatment.

NHS cancer risk threshold 'too high' for patients, research indicates Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:21 AM PST Patients have expressed an appetite for potential cancer symptoms to be checked out much sooner than current NHS thresholds guidelines suggest, new research has revealed.

Bald reef gets new growth with seaweed transplant Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:19 AM PST Marine ecologists in Sydney have successfully restored a once thriving seaweed species, which vanished along a stretch of the city's coastline during the 1970s and 80s during high levels of sewage outfalls. Researchers transplanted fertile specimens of the missing crayweed (Phyllospora comosa) onto two barren reef sites where it once grew abundantly. The new seaweed survived and reproduced.

First farmers and stockbreeders painted with the same pigments as their hunters ancestors Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:19 AM PST Scientists have analyzed, for the first time, two cave figures of rock shelters located in the archaeological ensemble of Minateda, in Hellín (Albacete). They have different styles and are separated by several millenniums in time. The results show that the composition of the painting in Prehistory did not change in thousands of years and that there were no cultural or ritual connotations in its making.

Educated black men remembered as 'whiter' Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:19 AM PST A new study finds that instead of breaking stereotypes, intellectually successful black individuals may be susceptible to being remembered as "whiter" and therefore "exceptions to their race," perpetuating cultural beliefs about race and intelligence. This new study shows that a black man who is associated with being educated is remembered as being lighter in skin tone than he actually is, a phenomenon the study authors refer to as "skin tone memory bias."

Younger people have 'high definition' memories Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:18 AM PST It's not that younger people are able to remember more than older people. Their memories seem better because they are able to retrieve them in higher definition. So says a researcher, in a study that sheds light on how differences in the behavioral and neural activity of younger and older adults influence the different generations' ability to store and recall memories.

Physical reason for chromosome's cylindrical shape discovered Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:18 AM PST Researchers have determined why metaphase chromosomes have their characteristic elongated cylindrical shape. The results show that this morphology is related to the chromosome's self-organizing structure.

Even 25 metres below ground, positioning system tracks firefighters Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:17 AM PST With sensor-equipped footwear firefighters can be even more effective at saving lives and property.

Most common gene mutation in human pigmentation in Mediterranean countries linked to increased skin cancer Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:17 AM PST When Homo sapiens left Africa and had to adapt to less sunny climates, there was a mutation in one of the genes responsible for regulating the synthesis of melanin, the MC1R gene, which involved a discoloration of the skin. This discoloration allowed for better absorption of vitamin D, necessary for growth, but it also increased the risk of developing skin cancer in adulthood. This mutation is most common among people from Mediterranean regions such as Spain, Portugal, Italy and Israel, presenting in about 10-20% of the population.

First plastic cell with working organelle Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:17 AM PST For the first time, chemists have successfully produced an artificial cell containing organelles capable of carrying out the various steps of a chemical reaction.

Scientists develop a more efficient and economical solar cell based on graphene and perovskite Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:08 AM PST Scientists have created and characterized a photovoltaic device based on a combination of titanium oxide and graphene as charge collector and perovskite as sunlight absorber. The device is manufactured at low temperatures and has a high efficiency.

What lies beneath: Giant trench under Antarctic Ice, deeper than Grand Canyon Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:08 AM PST A massive ancient subglacial trough -- deeper than the Grand Canyon -- has been discovered by a team of scientists. The researchers charted the Ellsworth Subglacial Highlands -- an ancient mountain range buried beneath several kilometers of Antarctic ice -- by combining data from satellites and ice-penetrating radars towed behind snowmobiles and on-board small aircraft.

How could dinosaurs weigh up to 80 tons? New research on sauropod gigantism Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:08 AM PST Sauropods, the largest land animals in Earth's history, are still mightily puzzling the scientists. These plant-eating dinosaurs with their long necks and small heads could reach a height of 10 meters or more and dominated all other land vertebrates in terms of size. They could weigh up to 80 tons, more than any other known land vertebrate. One question that has been intensely debated is how these giants of the animal kingdom regulated their own body temperature.

How fiber prevents diabetes, obesity Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:08 AM PST Scientists have known for the past twenty years that a fiber-rich diet protects the organism against obesity and diabetes but the mechanisms involved have so far eluded them. A French-Swedish team has succeeded in elucidating this mechanism, which involves the intestinal flora and the ability of the intestine to produce glucose between meals.

Mitochondrial genes matter for survival and reproduction Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:08 AM PST Contrary to common belief, mitochondrial genes seem to matter for how well individuals survive and reproduce. These new results are reported by researchers who studied the genes of a common beetle species. Mitochondria are vital power plants of cells. They carry their own genes, which are inherited only through females, and these genes vary greatly between individuals. Scientists have shown for the first time that differences in the mitochondrial genes that individuals carry actually affect how well they survive and reproduce.

And that is how the desert locust lost its memory Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:08 AM PST The desert locust (a type of grasshopper), much like Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde, goes from being an innocuous solitary-living individual to become a voracious gregarious animal that destroys everything on its path (and back). These two very different "personas" are remarkable adaptations of a single genome to distinct environments. But apparently, this flexibility is even more impressive, as they reveal that the locust' solitarious and gregarious forms also have different memory and learning abilities to suit the needs of the two life stages.

Promising drug candidates for pain, addiction Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:04 AM PST Scientists have described a pair of drug candidates that advance the search for new treatments for pain, addiction and other disorders.

Prevalence of hepatitis C infection found to vary widely among Hispanics Posted: 14 Jan 2014 06:04 AM PST A research team has found that the prevalence of Hepatitis C varies widely among different Hispanic groups in the U.S.

Primate growing up with half the calories: New understanding about human health and longevity Posted: 13 Jan 2014 01:38 PM PST New research shows that humans and other primates burn 50 percent fewer calories each day than other mammals. The study suggests that these remarkably slow metabolisms explain why humans and other primates grow up so slowly and live such long lives.

Tricky protein may help HIV vaccine development Posted: 13 Jan 2014 01:38 PM PST Scientists have taken aim at what may be the Achilles' heel of the HIV virus. Combining expertise in biochemistry, immunology and advanced computation, researchers have determined the structure of a key part of the HIV envelope protein, the gp41 membrane proximal external region, which previously eluded complete, functional description. The research will help focus HIV vaccine development efforts.

Viral microRNAs responsible for causing AIDS-related cancer, study shows Posted: 13 Jan 2014 01:38 PM PST For the first time, scientists and engineers have identified a critical cancer-causing component in the virus that causes Kaposi's sarcoma, the most common cancer among HIV-infected people. The discovery lays the foundation for developing drugs that prevent Kaposi's sarcoma and other related cancers.

Food companies marketing to kids Posted: 13 Jan 2014 01:36 PM PST Most students attend schools where they are exposed to fast food and beverages through meals, advertising and promotions, according to researchers.

Keeping stem cells pluripotent Posted: 13 Jan 2014 01:36 PM PST In a paper published, researchers identify a key gene receptor and signaling pathway essential maintaining hESCs in an undifferentiated state.

Study examines probiotic use in preventing gastrointestinal disorders in infants Posted: 13 Jan 2014 01:36 PM PST Giving an infant a probiotic during the first three months of life appears to reduce the onset of gastrointestinal disorders and result in lower associated costs, according to a study.

How immune system fights off malaria Posted: 13 Jan 2014 12:42 PM PST A study reveals immune cells that are critical to combating the parasite in early stages of infection.

Children or no children: Similar life satisfaction for Americans Posted: 13 Jan 2014 12:42 PM PST Americans aged 34 to 46 with children at home rate their life satisfaction at higher levels than those without children at home, according to a report. However, the researchers say that factors such as higher educational attainment, higher income, better health and religiosity all enhance life satisfaction and that, once these are taken into account, parents and nonparents have similar levels of life satisfaction.

New test could simplify diagnosis of celiac disease Posted: 13 Jan 2014 12:42 PM PST A new blood test being developed can rapidly and accurately diagnose celiac disease without the need for prolonged gluten exposure.

How fruit flies detect sweet foods Posted: 13 Jan 2014 12:42 PM PST Using the common fruit fly, researchers have performed a study that describes just how the fly's taste receptors detect sweet compounds. Even though these taste receptors were discovered more than a decade ago, how they recognize diverse chemicals remained an enigma and an unmet challenge -- until now. Understanding the mechanisms by which the fly tastes and ingests sweet substances may offer tools to control insect feeding, the researchers say.

Microbes swap for tiny goods in minuscule markets: Microbes buy low, sell high Posted: 13 Jan 2014 12:26 PM PST Microbes set up their own markets, comparing bids for commodities, hoarding to obtain a better price, and generally behaving in ways more commonly associated with Wall Street than the microscopic world. This has led an international team of scientists to ask which, if any, market features are specific to cognitive agents.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Top News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610