ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Biologists describe key mechanism in early embryo development
• Nearby planet-forming disk holds water for thousands of oceans
• 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
• Emerging public health crisis linked to mortgage default and foreclosure
• Hawaiian honeycreepers: Family tree for most-endangered bird family in the world determined
• 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
• Calorie count plus points based on added sugars, sodium, and saturated and trans fats recommended as new front-of-package nutrition labeling system
• Culture in humans and apes has the same evolutionary roots
• Neuroscientists unlock shared brain codes between people
• 3-D simulations of nova explosions
• Can aromatherapy produce harmful indoor air pollutants?
• 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
• 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
• New role of vascular endothelial growth factor in regulating skin cancer stem cells
• Face-to-face with an ancient human
• 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
• 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
• Future-Directed Therapy helps depression patients cultivate optimistic outlook
• Early HIV treatment dramatically increases survival in patients co-infected with tuberculosis, study suggests
• Physicians use therapeutic cooling to treat cardiac arrest patients
• SideBySide projection system enables projected interaction between mobile devices
• TapSense: Touchscreen technology distinguishes taps by parts of finger
• Home washing machines: Source of potentially harmful ocean 'microplastic' pollution
• One clock with two times: When quantum mechanics meets general relativity
• New bacteria toxins against resistant insect pests
• The eyes have it: Computer-inspired creativity
• New benchtop polymer characterization method developed
• Astronomers explain blue stragglers: How do mysterious stars stay so young?
• Pre-term babies' exposure to steroids associated with impaired brain growth
• Propensity for longer life span inherited non-genetically over generations, study shows
• Brain scans support findings that IQ can rise or fall significantly during adolescence
• VISTA finds new globular star clusters and sees right through the heart of the Milky Way
• Bed bug insecticide resistance mechanisms identified
• Are acid-suppressing drugs prescribed too often in infants?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Physicians use therapeutic cooling to treat cardiac arrest patients Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:50 PM PDT Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in the United States, and just 7 percent of victims survive that initial collapse. In addition, fewer than half of the small percentage of people whose hearts are restarted survive to leave the hospital, because they often suffer irreversible brain damage. New research provides guidance to physicians using therapeutic cooling to treat sudden cardiac arrest patients.

SideBySide projection system enables projected interaction between mobile devices Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:50 PM PDT Researchers have devised a system called SideBySide that enables animated images from two separate handheld projectors to interact with each other on the same surface. The system, suitable for games, education and a variety of other applications, is self-contained in special handheld devices. No external cameras or other sensors are required, which enables people to use the projectors to interact with each other anywhere and at anytime.

TapSense: Touchscreen technology distinguishes taps by parts of finger Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:48 PM PDT Smartphone and tablet computer owners have become adept at using finger taps, flicks and drags to control their touchscreens. But researchers have found that this interaction can be enhanced by taking greater advantage of the finger's anatomy and dexterity. By attaching a microphone to a touchscreen, the scientists have shown they can tell the difference between the tap of a fingertip, the pad of the finger, a fingernail and a knuckle. This technology, called TapSense, enables richer touchscreen interactions.

Home washing machines: Source of potentially harmful ocean 'microplastic' pollution Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:48 PM PDT Scientists are reporting that household washing machines seem to be a major source of so-called "microplastic" pollution -- bits of polyester and acrylic smaller than the head of a pin -- that they now have detected on ocean shorelines worldwide.

One clock with two times: When quantum mechanics meets general relativity Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:47 PM PDT General relativity, the joint theory of gravity, space and time gives predictions that become clearly evident on a cosmic scale of stars and galaxies. Quantum effects are fragile and observed on small scales like single particles and atoms. To test the interplay between them is very hard. Now theoretical physicists propose an experiment to overlap of the two theories.

New bacteria toxins against resistant insect pests Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:47 PM PDT Scientists have developed Bt toxins for the management of Bt resistance in European corn borer and other crop pests.

The eyes have it: Computer-inspired creativity Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:47 PM PDT Constraints on creativity imposed by computer-aided design tools are being overcome, thanks to a novel system that incorporates eye-tracking technology.

New benchtop polymer characterization method developed Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:44 PM PDT Researchers have developed a new and highly efficient way to characterize the structure of polymers at the nanoscale -- effectively designing a routine analytical tool that could be used by industries that rely on polymer science to innovate new products, from drug delivery gels to renewable bio-materials.

Astronomers explain blue stragglers: How do mysterious stars stay so young? Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:44 PM PDT Mysterious "blue stragglers" are old stars that appear younger than they should be: they burn hot and blue. Several theories have attempted to explain why they don't show their age, but, until now, scientists have lacked the crucial observations with which to test each hypothesis. Armed with such observational data, astronomers now report that a mechanism known as mass transfer explains the origins of the blue stragglers.

Pre-term babies' exposure to steroids associated with impaired brain growth Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:43 PM PDT Premature infants exposed after birth to drugs known as glucocorticoids are at increased risk for having impaired growth of the cerebellum, according to new findings. The cerebellum is a region of the brain associated with balance, motor learning, language and behavior.

Propensity for longer life span inherited non-genetically over generations, study shows Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:43 PM PDT We know that our environment -- what we eat, the toxic compounds we are exposed to -- can positively or negatively impact our life span. But could it also affect the longevity of our descendants, who may live under very different conditions? Recent research suggests this could be the case.

Brain scans support findings that IQ can rise or fall significantly during adolescence Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:43 PM PDT IQ, the standard measure of intelligence, can increase or fall significantly during our teenage years, according to new research, and these changes are associated with changes to the structure of our brains. The findings may have implications for testing and streaming of children during their school years.

VISTA finds new globular star clusters and sees right through the heart of the Milky Way Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:41 PM PDT Two newly discovered globular clusters have been added to the total of just 158 known globular clusters in our Milky Way. They were found in new images from ESO's VISTA survey telescope as part of the Via Lactea survey. This survey has also turned up the first star cluster that is far beyond the center of the Milky Way and whose light has had to travel right through the dust and gas in the heart of our galaxy to get to us.

Bed bug insecticide resistance mechanisms identified Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:41 PM PDT Bed bugs, largely absent in the US since the 1950s, have returned with a hungry vengeance in the last decade in all 50 states. These insects have developed resistance to pyrethroids, one of the very few classes of insecticide used for their control. Researchers have discovered some of the genetic mechanisms for the bed bug's resistance to two of the most popular pyrethroids.

Are acid-suppressing drugs prescribed too often in infants? Posted: 19 Oct 2011 11:41 PM PDT Frequent spitting up, irritability, and unexplained crying in infants can be very distressing to parents. Pediatricians often prescribe acid-suppressing drugs for these symptoms in an effort to treat infants for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); however, GERD is an uncommon cause of these symptoms in otherwise thriving infants. Experts now caution against the over-diagnosis of GERD and over-prescription of acid-suppressing drugs in infants.

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