ScienceDaily: Top News

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• NASA Mars Orbiter examines dramatic new crater
• Theorists predict new forms of exotic insulating materials: Six new types?
• Autism: Birth hormone may control expression of the syndrome in animals
• Nutritional supplement improves cognitive performance in older adults, study finds
• A key facilitator of mRNA editing uncovered by researchers
• Molecular traffic jam makes water move faster through nanochannels
• Quick test finds signs of diarrheal disease
• Pacific salmon inherit magnetic sense of direction
• Scientists reprogram skin cells into insulin-producing pancreas cells
• Digital music gets a cubist makeover
• Birds of a different color: Three major genes set feather hue in pigeons
• New microchip demonstrates how metastasis takes place
• RNA sequencing of 750-year-old barley virus sheds new light on the Crusades
• Proteins snap those wrinkly fingers back into shape: Physicists model skin from wet to dry
• Sneezing sponges suggest existence of sensory organ: Discovery challenges assumptions about 'primitive' organism
• Bacterial fibers critical to human, avian infection
• Converting land to agriculture reduces carbon uptake, study shows
• Falcon feathers pop up during dive
• Valentine's Day advice: Don't let rocky past relations with parents spoil your romance
• A look back and ahead at Greenland's changing climate
• 'Entrance exam' that is key to successful pregnancy
• 'Friendly' robots could allow for more realistic human-android relationships
• Red skies discovered on extreme brown dwarf
• What makes us human? Unique brain area linked to higher cognitive powers
• Tree roots in the mountains 'acted like a thermostat' for millions of years
• Record rise in insulin use, British study reveals
• New stem cell research removes reliance on human and animal cells
• Durable end to AIDS will require HIV vaccine development
• Mass extinction may not cause all organisms to 'shrink': Aquatic invertebrates varied in size after mass extinction event
• Female mice prefer unfamiliar male songs: Females discern male mouse songs to avoid inbreeding
• Fruit fly microRNA research offers clues to aging process
• Crossover sound: Unambiguous evidence for coherent phonons in superlattices
• New analysis of endometriosis could help diagnoses, treatments
• Inducing climate-smart global supply networks
• Water supply availability 'to dominate U.S. natural resource management'
• Approach helps identify new biofuel sources that don't require farmland
• Non-traditional risk factors illuminate racial disparities in type 2 diabetes
• Fewer than half of women attend recommended doctors visits after childbirth
• Detection of Down Syndrome during pregnancy improves for younger women

NASA Mars Orbiter examines dramatic new crater Posted: 06 Feb 2014 01:44 PM PST Space rocks hitting Mars excavate fresh craters at a pace of more than 200 per year, but few new Mars scars pack as much visual punch as one seen in a NASA image released Feb. 5, 2014.

Theorists predict new forms of exotic insulating materials: Six new types? Posted: 06 Feb 2014 11:21 AM PST Topological insulators could exist in six new types not seen before. Topological insulators -- materials whose surfaces can freely conduct electrons even though their interiors are electrical insulators -- have been of great interest to physicists in recent years because of unusual properties that may provide insights into quantum physics. But most analysis of such materials has had to rely on highly simplified models.

Autism: Birth hormone may control expression of the syndrome in animals Posted: 06 Feb 2014 11:21 AM PST A new article demonstrates that chloride levels are abnormally elevated from birth in the neurons of mice used in an animal model of autism. Researchers show for the first time that oxytocin, the birth hormone, brings about a decrease in chloride level during birth, which controls the expression of the autistic syndrome.

Nutritional supplement improves cognitive performance in older adults, study finds Posted: 06 Feb 2014 10:39 AM PST A neuroscientist and gerontologist team up to investigate the effects of a antioxidant-rich nutritional supplement on the mental performance of older adults without impaired memory. An initial clinical trial indicates that the supplement, including blueberries and green tea extracts, improves cognitive processing speeds.

A key facilitator of mRNA editing uncovered by researchers Posted: 06 Feb 2014 10:39 AM PST Molecular biologists have identified a protein that regulates the information present in a large number of messenger ribonucleic acid molecules that are important for carrying genetic information from DNA to protein synthesis.

Molecular traffic jam makes water move faster through nanochannels Posted: 06 Feb 2014 10:38 AM PST Water molecules traveling through tiny carbon nanotube pipes do not flow continuously but rather intermittently, like stop-and-go traffic, with unexpected results, researchers say.

Quick test finds signs of diarrheal disease Posted: 06 Feb 2014 10:38 AM PST Bioengineers have developed a simple, highly sensitive and efficient test for the diarrheal disease cryptosporidiosis that could have great impact in developing countries.

Pacific salmon inherit magnetic sense of direction Posted: 06 Feb 2014 10:36 AM PST A team of scientists last year presented evidence of a correlation between the migration patterns of ocean salmon and Earth's magnetic field, suggesting it may help explain how the fish can navigate across thousands of miles of water to find their river of origin. This week, scientists confirmed the connection between salmon and the magnetic field.

Scientists reprogram skin cells into insulin-producing pancreas cells Posted: 06 Feb 2014 10:36 AM PST A cure for type 1 diabetes has long eluded even the top experts. Not because they do not know what must be done -- but because the tools did not exist to do it. But now scientists, harnessing the power of regenerative medicine, have developed a technique in animal models that could replenish the very cells destroyed by the disease.

Digital music gets a cubist makeover Posted: 06 Feb 2014 10:34 AM PST An 8-inch wooden cube may be an unlikely spark for a musical revolution -- but that's the hope of a collaboration of electronic engineers and musicians working towards hackable electronic instruments that performers can easily modify to produce sounds in surprising new ways.

Birds of a different color: Three major genes set feather hue in pigeons Posted: 06 Feb 2014 10:33 AM PST Scientists have identified mutations in three key genes that determine feather color in domestic rock pigeons. The same genes control pigmentation of human skin and can be responsible for melanoma and albinism.

New microchip demonstrates how metastasis takes place Posted: 06 Feb 2014 08:14 AM PST Nearly 70 percent of patients with advanced breast cancer experience skeletal metastasis, in which cancer cells migrate from a primary tumor into bone -- a painful development that can cause fractures and spinal compression. While scientists are attempting to better understand metastasis in general, not much is known about how and why certain cancers spread to specific organs, such as bone, liver, and lungs. Now researchers have developed a three-dimensional microfluidic platform that mimics the spread of breast cancer cells into a bonelike environment.

RNA sequencing of 750-year-old barley virus sheds new light on the Crusades Posted: 06 Feb 2014 08:13 AM PST Scientists have for the first time sequenced an ancient RNA genome -- of a barley virus once believed to be only 150 years old -- pushing its origin back at least 2,000 years and revealing how intense farming at the time of the Crusades contributed to its spread.

Proteins snap those wrinkly fingers back into shape: Physicists model skin from wet to dry Posted: 06 Feb 2014 08:13 AM PST You know how your fingers wrinkle up in the bath? The outer layer of your skin absorbs water and swells up, forming ridges -- but quickly returns to its old state when dry. Physicists have shown just why skin has this remarkable ability.

Sneezing sponges suggest existence of sensory organ: Discovery challenges assumptions about 'primitive' organism Posted: 06 Feb 2014 08:01 AM PST Biologists have used a variety of drugs to elicit sneezes in freshwater sponges and observed the process using fluorescent dye. Their efforts focused on the sponge's osculum, which controls water exiting the organism, including water expelled during a sneeze.

Bacterial fibers critical to human, avian infection Posted: 06 Feb 2014 07:11 AM PST Researchers targeted a specific group of threadlike fibers known as E. coli common pilus, which adorn bacterial cell surfaces. In the first study of its kind, they analyzed the way these structures contribute to avian pathogenic E. coli's ability to cause infection and form dense cell aggregates known as biofilms.

Converting land to agriculture reduces carbon uptake, study shows Posted: 06 Feb 2014 07:11 AM PST Researchers examined the impact that converting natural land to cropland has on global vegetation growth, as measured by satellite-derived net primary production, or NPP. They found that measures of terrestrial vegetation growth actually decrease with agricultural conversion, which has important implications for terrestrial carbon storage.

Falcon feathers pop up during dive Posted: 06 Feb 2014 07:11 AM PST Similar to wings and fins with self-adaptive flaps, the feathers on a diving peregrine falcon's feathers may pop up during high speed dives.

Valentine's Day advice: Don't let rocky past relations with parents spoil your romance Posted: 06 Feb 2014 07:11 AM PST The love between parents and teens -- however stormy or peaceful -- may influence whether those children are successful in romance, even up to 15 years later, according to a new study.

A look back and ahead at Greenland's changing climate Posted: 06 Feb 2014 07:10 AM PST Over the past two decades, ice loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet increased four-fold, contributing to one-quarter of global sea level rise. However, the chain of events and physical processes that contributed to it has remained elusive. One likely trigger for the speed up and retreat of glaciers that contributed to this ice loss is ocean warming.

'Entrance exam' that is key to successful pregnancy Posted: 06 Feb 2014 07:07 AM PST Researchers have discovered how an 'entrance exam' set by the womb determines if the implantation of an embryo is successful; potentially a milestone for advances in pregnancy treatments.

'Friendly' robots could allow for more realistic human-android relationships Posted: 06 Feb 2014 05:24 AM PST Two 'friendly' robots, including a 3D-printed humanistic android, are helping scientists to understand how more realistic long-term relationships might be developed between humans and androids.

Red skies discovered on extreme brown dwarf Posted: 06 Feb 2014 05:23 AM PST A peculiar example of a celestial body, known as a brown dwarf, with unusually red skies has been discovered by a team of astronomers.

What makes us human? Unique brain area linked to higher cognitive powers Posted: 05 Feb 2014 06:20 PM PST Researchers have identified an area of the human brain that appears unlike anything in the brains of some of our closest relatives.

Tree roots in the mountains 'acted like a thermostat' for millions of years Posted: 05 Feb 2014 06:04 PM PST For the first time, scientists have discovered how tree roots in the mountains may play an important role in controlling long-term global temperatures. Researchers have found that temperatures affect the thickness of the leaf litter and organic soil layers, as well as the rate at which the tree roots grow. In a warmer world, this means that tree roots are more likely to grow into the mineral layer of the soil, breaking down rock into component parts which will eventually combine with carbon dioxide. This process, called weathering, draws carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and cools the planet. The theory suggests that mountainous ecosystems have acted like Earth's thermostat, addressing the risk of 'catastrophic' overheating or cooling over millions of years.

Record rise in insulin use, British study reveals Posted: 05 Feb 2014 06:04 PM PST The use of insulin to treat type 2 diabetes has tripled in the UK over the last 20 years, a new study has revealed.

New stem cell research removes reliance on human and animal cells Posted: 05 Feb 2014 06:04 PM PST A new study has found a new method for growing human embryonic stem cells, that doesn't rely on supporting human or animal cells.

Durable end to AIDS will require HIV vaccine development Posted: 05 Feb 2014 03:47 PM PST Broader global access to lifesaving antiretroviral therapies and wider implementation of proven HIV prevention strategies could potentially control and perhaps end the HIV/AIDS pandemic. However, a safe and at least moderately effective HIV vaccine is needed to reach this goal more expeditiously and in a more sustainable way, according to a new commentary.

Mass extinction may not cause all organisms to 'shrink': Aquatic invertebrates varied in size after mass extinction event Posted: 05 Feb 2014 03:47 PM PST The sizes of organisms following mass extinction events may vary more than previously thought, which may be inconsistent with the predictions of the so-called "Lilliput effect."

Female mice prefer unfamiliar male songs: Females discern male mouse songs to avoid inbreeding Posted: 05 Feb 2014 03:47 PM PST Female mice prefer songs of mice that are different from their parents when selecting a mate.

Fruit fly microRNA research offers clues to aging process Posted: 05 Feb 2014 01:57 PM PST Diseases like Alzheimer's and Huntington's are often associated with aging, but the biological link between the two is less certain. Researchers are seeking insight into this connection by studying very small RNA molecules in the common fruit fly.

Crossover sound: Unambiguous evidence for coherent phonons in superlattices Posted: 05 Feb 2014 11:37 AM PST The first "unambiguous demonstration" of the atomic-scale sound waves known as phonons crossing over from particle-like to wave-like behavior in superlattices opens the door to improved thermoelectrics and possibly even phonon lasers.

New analysis of endometriosis could help diagnoses, treatments Posted: 05 Feb 2014 11:37 AM PST Researchers find that new analysis of endometriosis patients could help scientists develop better treatments and more revealing diagnoses.

Inducing climate-smart global supply networks Posted: 05 Feb 2014 10:32 AM PST Extreme weather events like super-typhoon Haiyan and hurricane Sandy can have major negative impacts on the world economy. So far, however, the effects on global production and consumption webs are missing from most assessments. This is a serious deficit, argues one expert: "World markets as well as local economies are highly interlinked and rely on global supply chains -- adaptation therefore requires a global perspective, not just a local one."

Water supply availability 'to dominate U.S. natural resource management' Posted: 05 Feb 2014 09:54 AM PST Water supply is the most pressing environmental issue facing the United States, according to a survey of policy makers and scientists have revealed.

Approach helps identify new biofuel sources that don't require farmland Posted: 05 Feb 2014 08:34 AM PST While the debate over using crops for fuel continues, scientists are now reporting a new, fast approach to develop biofuel in a way that doesn't require removing valuable farmland from the food production chain. Their work examining the fuel-producing potential of Streptomyces, a soil bacterium known for making antibiotics could help researchers identify other microbes that could be novel potential fuel sources.

Non-traditional risk factors illuminate racial disparities in type 2 diabetes Posted: 05 Feb 2014 08:33 AM PST Two surprising risk factors – diminished lung function and low serum potassium levels - appear to have nearly the same impact as obesity in explaining why African-Americans are disproportionately prone to developing type 2 diabetes, researchers report.

Fewer than half of women attend recommended doctors visits after childbirth Posted: 05 Feb 2014 07:36 AM PST Medical associations widely recommend that women visit their obstetricians and primary care doctors shortly after giving birth, but slightly fewer than half make or keep those postpartum appointments, according to a study.

Detection of Down Syndrome during pregnancy improves for younger women Posted: 05 Feb 2014 07:35 AM PST New figures from the National Down Syndrome Cytogenetic Register in England, reveal the proportion of Down Syndrome cases diagnosed antenatally has increased in younger women. Furthermore, Down Syndrome diagnoses are occurring earlier in pregnancy for women of all ages.

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