ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Homicide, suicide outpace traditional causes of death in pregnant, postpartum women
• Biologists describe key mechanism in early embryo development
• Nearby planet-forming disk holds water for thousands of oceans
• New insights into insulin resistance could lead to better drugs for diabetics
• Newly discovered reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes
• Women can self-test for HPV, easily and accurately, study suggests
• New drug strategies for Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis
• Human norovirus in groundwater remains infective after two months
• Emerging public health crisis linked to mortgage default and foreclosure
• Hawaiian honeycreepers: Family tree for most-endangered bird family in the world determined
• Space weather prediction model improves forecasting
• Significant ozone hole remains over Antarctica
• Autistic brains develop more slowly than healthy brains, researchers say
• First North American hunters 1,000 years earlier than previously thought, speared mastodon fossil shows
• West Nile virus transmission linked to land use patterns and 'super-spreaders'
• Novel therapeutic target identified to decrease triglycerides and increase 'good' cholesterol
• High to moderate levels of stress lead to higher mortality rate
• Improved living environments can reduce health problems for women and children
• U.S. government releases environmental, health, and safety research strategy for nanotechnology
• Calorie count plus points based on added sugars, sodium, and saturated and trans fats recommended as new front-of-package nutrition labeling system
• I vs. we: Individuals perform better when focused on team's effort
• New imaging agent improves detection of bladder cancer, experts say
• Culture in humans and apes has the same evolutionary roots
• Neuroscientists unlock shared brain codes between people
• Hospital patients suffer in shift shuffle
• 3-D simulations of nova explosions
• Can aromatherapy produce harmful indoor air pollutants?
• Researchers trace evolution of diversity in Hawaiian Honeycreepers
• Scientists discover way to determine when water was present on Mars and Earth
• Electrochemistry controlled with a plasma electrode
• Combination of available tests helps predict Alzheimer's disease risk
• Autistic facial characteristics identified
• Cheaper and easier isn't necessarily better in new colon cancer screening procedures
• New generation of superlattice cameras add more 'color' to night vision
• Viruses coaxed to form synthetics with microstructures akin to those of corneas, teeth and skin
• Sheep's head is not for wimps
• Leaf litter ants advance case for rainforest conservation in Borneo
• Don't panic: The animal's guide to hitchhiking
• Preeclampsia: New blood test to assess risk of imminent delivery can reduce complications for mother and child, study suggests
• Reading a book versus a screen: Different reading devices, different modes of reading?
• New role of vascular endothelial growth factor in regulating skin cancer stem cells
• Women do not get enough vitamin D during the menopause, Spanish study suggests
• Laser makes sure food is fresh
• Face-to-face with an ancient human
• Orthodontics: Fixed braces best and cheapest, research suggests
• Laser ion source will produce a new generation of semiconductors
• Inflammation is controlled differently in brain and other tissues
• Urban 'heat island' effect is a small part of global warming; white roofs don't reduce it
• Genetic variant and autoantibodies linked to having a child with autism
• More evidence that allergies may help in fighting brain tumors
• How hemp got high: Cannabis genome mapped
• The political effects of existential fear
• Heart failure hospital stays drop by 30 percent
• Number of Facebook friends linked to size of brain regions, study suggests
• How learning more about mass nesting can help conserve sea turtles
• Alternating training improves motor learning: Study suggests varying practice sessions may benefit people with motor disorders
• Visual tour of Earth's fires
• Future-Directed Therapy helps depression patients cultivate optimistic outlook
• Early HIV treatment dramatically increases survival in patients co-infected with tuberculosis, study suggests
• A new discipline emerges: The psychology of science

Homicide, suicide outpace traditional causes of death in pregnant, postpartum women Posted: 20 Oct 2011 04:18 PM PDT Violent deaths are outpacing traditional causes of maternal mortality, such as hemorrhage and preeclampsia, and conflicts with intimate partner are often a factor, researchers report.

Biologists describe key mechanism in early embryo development Posted: 20 Oct 2011 04:18 PM PDT Biologists have identified a key mechanism controlling early embryonic development that is critical in determining how structures such as appendages -- arms and legs in humans -- grow in the right place and at the right time.

Nearby planet-forming disk holds water for thousands of oceans Posted: 20 Oct 2011 02:14 PM PDT For the first time, astronomers have detected around a burgeoning solar system a sprawling cloud of water vapor that's cold enough to form comets, which could eventually deliver oceans to dry planets.

New insights into insulin resistance could lead to better drugs for diabetics Posted: 20 Oct 2011 01:41 PM PDT New research moves us closer to developing drugs that could mitigate diabetes. Diabetes afflicts an estimated 26 million Americans, while 79 million have prediabetes. In other words, one in three Americans confronts this disease. Diabetes raises the risk of heart disease and stroke by as much as fourfold, and it is the leading cause of blindness among adults 20-74. It is also the leading cause of kidney failure.

Newly discovered reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes Posted: 20 Oct 2011 01:40 PM PDT Waters polluted by the ordure of pigs, poultry, or cattle represent a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes, both known and potentially novel. These resistance genes can be spread among different bacterial species by bacteriophage, bacteria-infecting viruses, according to new research.

Women can self-test for HPV, easily and accurately, study suggests Posted: 20 Oct 2011 01:39 PM PDT A team of German researchers has shown that women can accurately test themselves for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, the most common cause of cervical cancer.

New drug strategies for Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis Posted: 20 Oct 2011 01:13 PM PDT Researchers are recommending a new strategy for developing drugs to treat cancer, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's and cardiovascular diseases.

Human norovirus in groundwater remains infective after two months Posted: 20 Oct 2011 01:13 PM PDT Researchers have discovered that norovirus in groundwater can remain infectious for at least 61 days.

Emerging public health crisis linked to mortgage default and foreclosure Posted: 20 Oct 2011 01:13 PM PDT Researchers warn of a looming health crisis in the wake of rising mortgage delinquencies and home foreclosures. The study is the first long-term survey of the impact the current housing crisis is having on older Americans. The study focused on adults over 50 and found high rates of depression among those behind in their mortgage payments and a higher likelihood of making unhealthy financial tradeoffs regarding food and needed prescription medications.

Hawaiian honeycreepers: Family tree for most-endangered bird family in the world determined Posted: 20 Oct 2011 11:51 AM PDT Using one of the largest DNA data sets for a group of birds and employing next-generation sequencing methods, Smithsonian scientists and collaborators have determined the evolutionary family tree for one of the most strikingly diverse and endangered bird families in the world, the Hawaiian honeycreepers. Not only have the researchers determined the types of finches that the honeycreeper family originally evolved from, but they have also linked the timing of that rapid evolution to the formation of the four main Hawaiian Islands.

Space weather prediction model improves forecasting Posted: 20 Oct 2011 11:51 AM PDT NOAA is now using a sophisticated forecast model that substantially improves predictions of space weather impacts on Earth. Better forecasts offer additional protection for people and the technology-based infrastructure we use daily.

Significant ozone hole remains over Antarctica Posted: 20 Oct 2011 11:51 AM PDT The Antarctic ozone hole, which yawns wide every Southern Hemisphere spring, reached its annual peak on Sept. 12, stretching 10.05 million square miles, the ninth largest on record. Above the South Pole, the ozone hole reached its deepest point of the season on Oct. 9 when total ozone readings dropped to 102 Dobson units, tied for the 10th lowest in the 26-year record.

Autistic brains develop more slowly than healthy brains, researchers say Posted: 20 Oct 2011 11:51 AM PDT Researchers have found a possible explanation for why autistic children act and think differently than their peers -- for the first time, they show that the connections between regions of the brain that are important for language and social skills grow much more slowly in boys with autism, when compared to healthy children.

First North American hunters 1,000 years earlier than previously thought, speared mastodon fossil shows Posted: 20 Oct 2011 11:50 AM PDT A new and astonishing chapter has been added to North American prehistory in regards to the first hunters and their hunt for the now extinct giant mammoth-like creatures -- the mastodons. New research has shown that the hunt for large mammals occurred at least 1,000 years before previously assumed.

West Nile virus transmission linked to land use patterns and 'super-spreaders' Posted: 20 Oct 2011 11:50 AM PDT After its initial appearance in New York in 1999, West Nile virus spread across the United States in just a few years and is now well established throughout North and South America. Researchers have found that in most places only a few key species of bird "hosts" and mosquito "vectors" are important in transmission of the virus.

Novel therapeutic target identified to decrease triglycerides and increase 'good' cholesterol Posted: 20 Oct 2011 09:24 AM PDT Researchers have shown for the first time the inhibition of both microRNA-33a and microRNA-33b with chemically modified anti-miR oligonucleotides markedly suppress triglyceride levels and cause a sustained increase in high density lipoprotein cholesterol "good" cholesterol.

High to moderate levels of stress lead to higher mortality rate Posted: 20 Oct 2011 09:24 AM PDT A new study concludes that men who experience persistently moderate or high levels of stressful life events over a number of years have a 50 percent higher mortality rate. In general, the researchers found only a few protective factors against these higher levels of stress -- people who self-reported that they had good health tended to live longer and married men also fared better. Moderate drinkers also lived longer than non-drinkers.

Improved living environments can reduce health problems for women and children Posted: 20 Oct 2011 09:24 AM PDT Low-income women with children who moved from high-poverty to lower-poverty neighborhoods experienced notable long-term improvements in aspects of their health; namely, reductions in diabetes and extreme obesity, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Chicago and partner institutions.

U.S. government releases environmental, health, and safety research strategy for nanotechnology Posted: 20 Oct 2011 09:24 AM PDT The U.S. government has just released a national strategy for ensuring that environmental, health, and safety research needs are fully identified and addressed in the fast-growing field of nanotechnology.

Calorie count plus points based on added sugars, sodium, and saturated and trans fats recommended as new front-of-package nutrition labeling system Posted: 20 Oct 2011 09:23 AM PDT Federal agencies should develop a new nutrition rating system with symbols to display on the front of food and beverage packaging that graphically convey calorie counts by serving size and a "point" value showing whether the saturated and trans fats, sodium, and added sugars in the products are below threshold levels. This new front-of-package system should apply to all foods and beverages and replace any other symbols currently being used on the front of packaging, added the committee that wrote the report.

I vs. we: Individuals perform better when focused on team's effort Posted: 20 Oct 2011 09:23 AM PDT Individuals perform better and are more confident when they practice motivational tactics focused not on them but on the team they belong to, according to researchers. The findings reveal that simply changing "I" to "we" in self-talk motivational statements has a significant impact on an individual's -- and thus a group's -- performance.

New imaging agent improves detection of bladder cancer, experts say Posted: 20 Oct 2011 09:23 AM PDT A select number of medical centers in the U.S. are offering a newly approved optical imaging agent for the detection of papillary cancer of the bladder in patients with known or suspected bladder cancer.

Culture in humans and apes has the same evolutionary roots Posted: 20 Oct 2011 09:23 AM PDT Culture is not a trait that is unique to humans. By studying orangutan populations, researchers have demonstrated that great apes also have the ability to learn socially and pass them down through a great many generations.

Neuroscientists unlock shared brain codes between people Posted: 20 Oct 2011 09:23 AM PDT Scientists have found that different individuals' brains use the same, common neural code to recognize complex visual images. Researchers have developed a new method called hyperalignment to create this common code and the parameters that transform an individual's brain activity patterns into the code.

Hospital patients suffer in shift shuffle Posted: 20 Oct 2011 09:22 AM PDT Shorter hours for residents and multiple patient care handovers result in poorer continuity of care.

3-D simulations of nova explosions Posted: 20 Oct 2011 09:22 AM PDT A new study has shown how mixing of elements occurs during a nova explosion, thus solving an enigma that has puzzled stellar astrophysicists for over half a century.

Can aromatherapy produce harmful indoor air pollutants? Posted: 20 Oct 2011 09:22 AM PDT Spas that offer massage therapy using fragrant essential oils, called aromatherapy, may have elevated levels of potentially harmful indoor air pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ultrafine particles, according to a new article.

Researchers trace evolution of diversity in Hawaiian Honeycreepers Posted: 20 Oct 2011 09:21 AM PDT Scientists have determined the evolutionary family tree for one of the most strikingly diverse and endangered bird families in the world, the Hawaiian honeycreepers.

Scientists discover way to determine when water was present on Mars and Earth Posted: 20 Oct 2011 07:59 AM PDT The discovery of the mineral jarosite in rocks analyzed by the Mars Rover, Opportunity, on the Martian surface had special meaning for a team of scientists who study the mineral here on Earth. Jarosite can only form in the presence of water.

Electrochemistry controlled with a plasma electrode Posted: 20 Oct 2011 07:59 AM PDT Engineers have made an electrochemical cell that uses a plasma for an electrode, instead of solid pieces of metal. The technology may open new pathways for battery and fuel cell design and manufacturing, making hydrogen fuel and synthesizing nanomaterials and polymers.

Combination of available tests helps predict Alzheimer's disease risk Posted: 20 Oct 2011 07:59 AM PDT A team of physicians and scientists have described using a combination of broadly available medical tests to produce a much improved predictive picture of the likelihood of impending AD in patients with mild cognitive impairment -- an intermediate stage between the expected cognitive decline of normal aging and the more pronounced decline of dementia.

Autistic facial characteristics identified Posted: 20 Oct 2011 07:59 AM PDT Researchers have found distinct differences between the facial characteristics of children with autism compared to those of typically developing children. This knowledge could help researchers understand the origins of autism.

Cheaper and easier isn't necessarily better in new colon cancer screening procedures Posted: 20 Oct 2011 07:59 AM PDT The growing use of fecal immunochemical testing for colorectal cancer, "misses opportunities for cancer prevention," experts say.

New generation of superlattice cameras add more 'color' to night vision Posted: 20 Oct 2011 07:59 AM PDT Recent breakthroughs have enabled scientists to build cameras that can see more than one optical waveband or "color" in the dark.

Viruses coaxed to form synthetics with microstructures akin to those of corneas, teeth and skin Posted: 20 Oct 2011 07:59 AM PDT Using a simple, single-step process, engineers and scientists have recently developed a technique to direct benign, filamentous viruses called M13 phages to serve as structural building blocks for materials with a wide range of properties.

Sheep's head is not for wimps Posted: 20 Oct 2011 07:59 AM PDT Sheep's head is not for wimps. Until now very few of us have been tempted by this traditional Norwegian dish. But some people say it is delicious!

Leaf litter ants advance case for rainforest conservation in Borneo Posted: 20 Oct 2011 07:57 AM PDT Studies of ant populations in Borneo reveal an unexpected resilience to areas of rainforest degraded by repeated intensive logging, a finding which conservationists hope will lead governments to conserve these areas rather than allow them to be cleared and used for cash crop plantations.

Don't panic: The animal's guide to hitchhiking Posted: 20 Oct 2011 07:57 AM PDT New research suggests that hitchhiking, once believed to be the exclusive domain of beat poets and wanderers, is in fact an activity that daring members of the animal kingdom engage in. And it may lead to a serious ecological problem.

Preeclampsia: New blood test to assess risk of imminent delivery can reduce complications for mother and child, study suggests Posted: 20 Oct 2011 06:43 AM PDT A blood test can help to assess whether a pregnant woman who suffers from pregnancy-induced hypertension, so-called preeclampsia, is at risk for an imminent delivery. This knowledge can be used to determine the due date as well as avoid complications for mother and child.

Reading a book versus a screen: Different reading devices, different modes of reading? Posted: 20 Oct 2011 06:43 AM PDT A book or a screen – which of these two offers more reading comfort? There are no disadvantages to reading from electronic reading devices compared with reading printed texts, according to a new study.

New role of vascular endothelial growth factor in regulating skin cancer stem cells Posted: 20 Oct 2011 06:43 AM PDT One of the key questions in cancer is the identification of the mechanisms that regulate cancer stem cells and tumor growth. Researchers have now identified a new role for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in regulating skin cancer stem cells.

Women do not get enough vitamin D during the menopause, Spanish study suggests Posted: 20 Oct 2011 05:48 AM PDT A healthy diet is especially important during the menopause - a period in which the risk of suffering from health problems increases. Various studies analyze the diet of peri- and postmenopausal women in Spain alongside the troubles that come with this transition. The results show that all of those groups studied have a deficient intake of vitamin D.

Laser makes sure food is fresh Posted: 20 Oct 2011 05:48 AM PDT Minced meat, bread, fruit juice and many other foods are packaged in a protective gas which extends their shelf life. There is currently no good method to check whether the packaging has the correct gas content. However, researchers have now developed a new laser instrument which could solve the problem. The first product is expected to be ready for market launch later in the autumn.

Face-to-face with an ancient human Posted: 20 Oct 2011 05:48 AM PDT A reconstruction based on the skull of Norway's best-preserved Stone Age skeleton makes it possible to study the features of a boy who lived outside Stavanger 7,500 years ago.

Orthodontics: Fixed braces best and cheapest, research suggests Posted: 20 Oct 2011 05:48 AM PDT Society could save millions of crowns each year if more children were fitted with fixed braces. This is shown in unique studies performed by dentist and orthodontic specialist. Approximately ten percent of eight- and nine-year-olds in have so-called crossbite, Swedish research shows. This means that the children's upper and lower jaws are different in width and do not line up against each other when they bite their jaws together. If this problem is not corrected, the children can experience pain in the jaw, facial muscles, and jaw joints. Their face can also become asymmetrical.

Laser ion source will produce a new generation of semiconductors Posted: 20 Oct 2011 05:48 AM PDT For ion implantation, that is 'hammering' ions into the surface layer of the material, conventional ion accelerators are commonly used. Laser ion sources are much simpler, cheaper and more universal. However, they emit wide energy ions usually accompanied by some admixtures. Scientists have now produced a unique laser ion source has been built which is equipped with a special system for accelerating ions to a chosen energy and for eliminating admixtures.

Inflammation is controlled differently in brain and other tissues Posted: 20 Oct 2011 05:48 AM PDT Scientists have identified a new metabolic pathway for controlling brain inflammation, suggesting strategies for treating it.

Urban 'heat island' effect is a small part of global warming; white roofs don't reduce it Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:58 PM PDT Heat emanating from cities -- called the "urban heat island" effect -- is not a significant contributor to global warming, researchers have found. They also concluded that if all the roofs in urban areas were painted white, it would increase, not decrease, global warming.

Genetic variant and autoantibodies linked to having a child with autism Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:58 PM PDT A new study has found that pregnant women with a particular gene variation are more likely to produce autoantibodies to the brains of their developing fetuses and that the children of these mothers are at greater risk of later being diagnosed with autism.

More evidence that allergies may help in fighting brain tumors Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:57 PM PDT Subjects with somewhat elevated levels of antibodies produced to fight allergens were less likely to go on to develop brain tumors, according to a new study. The study adds to evidence from prior studies, but some questions still remain.

How hemp got high: Cannabis genome mapped Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:57 PM PDT Researchers have sequenced the genome of Cannabis sativa, the plant that produces both industrial hemp and marijuana, and in the process revealed the genetic changes that led to the plant's drug-producing properties.

The political effects of existential fear Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:57 PM PDT Why did the approval ratings of President George W. Bush -- who was perceived as indecisive before September 11, 2001 -- soar over 90 percent after the terrorist attacks? Because Americans were acutely aware of their own deaths.

Heart failure hospital stays drop by 30 percent Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:57 PM PDT Being hospitalized for heart failure was about 30 percent less likely in 2008 than in 1998, according to a new study. The team also found that the rate of hospitalization for black men dropped at a lower rate, and that one-year mortality rates declined slightly during this period, but remained high.

Number of Facebook friends linked to size of brain regions, study suggests Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:56 PM PDT Scientists have found a direct link between the number of "Facebook friends" a person has and the size of particular brain regions. In a new study researchers also showed that the more Facebook friends a person has, the more "real-world" friends they are likely to have.

How learning more about mass nesting can help conserve sea turtles Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:56 PM PDT Ecologists are a step closer to understanding one of nature's most extraordinary sights -- the "arribada" or synchronized mass nesting of female olive ridley sea turtles. The new study is the first to combine three different approaches -- genetics, demography and behavior, and the results should help conserve these vulnerable marine creatures.

Alternating training improves motor learning: Study suggests varying practice sessions may benefit people with motor disorders Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:56 PM PDT Learning from one's mistakes may be better than practicing to perfection, according to new research. A study found that forcing people to switch from a normal walking pattern to an unusual one -- and back again -- made them better able to adjust to the unusual pattern the following day. The findings may help improve therapy for people relearning how to walk following stroke or other injury.

Visual tour of Earth's fires Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:56 PM PDT NASA has released a series of new satellite data visualizations that show tens of millions of fires detected worldwide from space since 2002.

Future-Directed Therapy helps depression patients cultivate optimistic outlook Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:54 PM PDT Patients with major depression do better by learning to create a more positive outlook about the future, rather than by focusing on negative thoughts about their past experiences, researchers say after developing a new treatment that helps patients do this.

Early HIV treatment dramatically increases survival in patients co-infected with tuberculosis, study suggests Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:54 PM PDT Timing is everything when treating patients with both HIV and tuberculosis. Starting HIV therapy in such patients within two weeks of TB treatment, rather than two months as is the current practice, increases survival by 33 percent, according to a large-scale clinical trial.

A new discipline emerges: The psychology of science Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:54 PM PDT You've heard of the history of science, the philosophy of science, maybe even the sociology of science. But how about the psychology of science?

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