ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Galaxies are the ultimate recyclers, NASA's Hubble confirms
• Training in 'concrete thinking' can be self-help treatment for depression, study suggests
• What bacteria don't know can hurt them
• How Legionnaires' bacteria proliferate, cause disease
• Soybean adoption came early by many cultures, archaeologists say
• World's lightest material is a metal 100 times lighter than styrofoam
• How heart attack can lead to heart rupture
• Ozone from rock fracture could serve as earthquake early warning
• Molecules on branched-polymer surfaces can capture rare tumor cells in blood
• Birth of black hole: Longstanding mysteries about object called Cygnus X-1 unravelled
• Smart swarms of bacteria inspire robotics: Adaptable decision-making found in bacteria communities
• Bleak future for Bay area tidal marshes?
• Targeting bacterial gas defenses allow for increased efficacy of numerous antibiotics
• Research cracks puzzle of enzyme critical to food supply
• Microfabrication breakthrough could set piezoelectric material applications in motion
• Date and rate of Earth's most extreme extinction pinpointed: Results stem from largest ever examination of fossil marine species
• New way to form extracellular vesicles
• Environmental conditions and predators affect Atlantic salmon survival in the Gulf of Maine
• Squid mystery in Mexican waters unraveled by biologist and a class of students
• Separating signal and noise in climate warming
• Massive volcanoes, meteorite impacts delivered one-two death punch to dinosaurs
• Nanoparticles used as additives in diesel fuels can travel from lungs to liver
• The buzz around beer: Why do flies like beer?
• Satellite images help species conservation
• Unraveling how a mutation can lead to psychiatric illness
• New class of antimalarial compounds discovered
• Vultures dying at alarming rate
• World's most difficult chemical experiment: The struggle to discover the secret of super-heavy elements
• Racing to be the first to create the world's heaviest element
• How the fly flies
• Discovery may help fight late-stage ovarian cancer
• Toward more cost-effective production of biofuels from plant lignocellulosic biomass
• The fat-burning zone: News on burning fat

Galaxies are the ultimate recyclers, NASA's Hubble confirms Posted: 17 Nov 2011 05:29 PM PST New observations by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope are expanding astronomers' understanding of the ways in which galaxies continuously recycle immense volumes of hydrogen gas and heavy elements. This process allows galaxies to build successive generations of stars stretching over billions of years.

Training in 'concrete thinking' can be self-help treatment for depression, study suggests Posted: 17 Nov 2011 05:29 PM PST Research provides the first evidence that depression can be treated by only targeting an individual's style of thinking through repeated mental exercises in an approach called cognitive bias modification. The study suggests an innovative psychological treatment called 'concreteness training' can reduce depression in just two months and could work as a self-help therapy for depression in primary care.

What bacteria don't know can hurt them Posted: 17 Nov 2011 01:37 PM PST Bacteria enter a self-protective mode when they sense nutrients are low. Starving bacteria resist killing by nearly every antibiotic, even ones they have never been exposed to before. By keeping bacteria that have congregated into a biofilm from warning each other of nutrient shortages, scientists increased the infection-fighting effectiveness of currently available antibiotics.

How Legionnaires' bacteria proliferate, cause disease Posted: 17 Nov 2011 01:37 PM PST Scientist have determined for the first time how the bacterium that causes Legionnaires' disease manipulates our cells to generate the amino acids it needs to grow and cause infection and inflammation in the lungs.

Soybean adoption came early by many cultures, archaeologists say Posted: 17 Nov 2011 12:46 PM PST Human domestication of soybeans is thought to have first occurred in central China some 3,000 years ago, but archaeologists now suggest that cultures in even earlier times and in other locations adopted the legume.

World's lightest material is a metal 100 times lighter than styrofoam Posted: 17 Nov 2011 12:46 PM PST Engineers have developed the world's lightest material -- with a density of 0.9 mg/cc -- about 100 times lighter than Styrofoam.

How heart attack can lead to heart rupture Posted: 17 Nov 2011 12:46 PM PST A new study pinpoints a single protein as the key player in the biochemical cascade that leads to cardiac rupture. The findings suggest that blocking the action of this protein, known as CaM kinase, may help prevent cardiac rupture and reduce the risk of death.

Ozone from rock fracture could serve as earthquake early warning Posted: 17 Nov 2011 12:46 PM PST New research suggests that ozone gas emitted from fracturing rocks could serve as an indicator of impending earthquakes.

Molecules on branched-polymer surfaces can capture rare tumor cells in blood Posted: 17 Nov 2011 11:40 AM PST The removal of rare tumor cells circulating in the blood might be possible with the use of biomolecules bound to dendrimers, highly branched synthetic polymers, which could efficiently sift and capture the diseased cells, according to new research.

Birth of black hole: Longstanding mysteries about object called Cygnus X-1 unravelled Posted: 17 Nov 2011 11:40 AM PST A precise distance measurement by the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) allowed astronomers to accurately calculate the mass and spin of a famous black hole, thus providing a complete description of the object.

Smart swarms of bacteria inspire robotics: Adaptable decision-making found in bacteria communities Posted: 17 Nov 2011 11:40 AM PST Scientists have now discovered how bacteria collectively gather information to learn about their environment and find an optimal path to growth. This research will allow scientists to design a new generation of "smart robots" that can form intelligent swarms and aid in the development of medical micro-robots used to treat diseases in the human body.

Bleak future for Bay area tidal marshes? Posted: 17 Nov 2011 11:40 AM PST A new study projects a bleak future for San Francisco Bay's tidal marshes under high sea-level rise scenarios. In the worst case scenario 93 percent of San Francisco Bay's tidal marsh could be lost in the next 50-100 years [with 5.4 feet or 1.65 meters of sea-level rise, low sediment and no significant restoration]. However, restoration currently underway could keep marshes intact as sea-levels rise.

Targeting bacterial gas defenses allow for increased efficacy of numerous antibiotics Posted: 17 Nov 2011 11:40 AM PST Although scientists have known for centuries that many bacteria produce hydrogen sulfide (H2S) it was thought to be simply a toxic by-product of cellular activity. Now, researchers have discovered H2S in fact plays a major role in protecting bacteria from the effects of numerous different antibiotics.

Research cracks puzzle of enzyme critical to food supply Posted: 17 Nov 2011 11:40 AM PST Researchers used the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to identify a key atom inside the part of the nitrogenase enzyme where atmospheric nitrogen is converted into a form that living things can use.

Microfabrication breakthrough could set piezoelectric material applications in motion Posted: 17 Nov 2011 11:39 AM PST Integrating a complex, single-crystal material with "giant" piezoelectric properties onto silicon, engineers and physicists can fabricate low-voltage, near-nanoscale electromechanical devices that could lead to improvements in high-resolution 3-D imaging, signal processing, communications, energy harvesting, sensing, and actuators for nanopositioning devices, among others.

Date and rate of Earth's most extreme extinction pinpointed: Results stem from largest ever examination of fossil marine species Posted: 17 Nov 2011 11:39 AM PST Through the analysis of various types of dating techniques on well-preserved sedimentary sections from South China to Tibet, researchers determined that the mass extinction peaked about 252.28 million years ago and lasted less than 200,000 years, with most of the extinction lasting about 20,000 years. The conclusion of this study says extinctions of most marine and terrestrial life took place at the same time.

New way to form extracellular vesicles Posted: 17 Nov 2011 11:12 AM PST Researchers have discovered a protein called TAT-5 that affects the production of extracellular vesicles, small sacs of membrane released from the surface of cells, capable of sending signals to other cells.

Environmental conditions and predators affect Atlantic salmon survival in the Gulf of Maine Posted: 17 Nov 2011 11:12 AM PST Atlantic salmon face new challenges in the Gulf of Maine, where changing spring wind patterns, warming ocean temperatures and new predators along migration routes are affecting their survival. Maine is now the only state in the region with wild Atlantic salmon populations. While increasing numbers of smolts are entering the ocean via the Gulf of Maine, few are returning, raising questions as to where these fish are going and what is happening to them at sea.

Squid mystery in Mexican waters unraveled by biologist and a class of students Posted: 17 Nov 2011 11:12 AM PST Marine biologists are studying Humboldt squid in Mexico's Sea of Cortez, where the creatures have been spawning at a much younger age and a far smaller size than normal. El Niño is apparently to blame.

Separating signal and noise in climate warming Posted: 17 Nov 2011 11:12 AM PST In order to separate human-caused global warming from the "noise" of purely natural climate fluctuations, temperature records must be at least 17 years long, according to climate scientists. To address criticism of the reliability of thermometer records of surface warming, scientists analyzed satellite measurements of the temperature of the lower troposphere and saw a clear signal of human-induced warming of the planet.

Massive volcanoes, meteorite impacts delivered one-two death punch to dinosaurs Posted: 17 Nov 2011 11:12 AM PST A cosmic one-two punch of colossal volcanic eruptions and meteorite strikes likely caused the mass-extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous period that is famous for killing the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, according to two reports that reject the prevailing theory that the extinction was caused by a single large meteorite.

Nanoparticles used as additives in diesel fuels can travel from lungs to liver Posted: 17 Nov 2011 11:11 AM PST Recent studies have demonstrated that nanoparticles of cerium oxide -- common diesel fuel additives used to increase the fuel efficiency of automobile engines -- can travel from the lungs to the liver and that this process is associated with liver damage.

The buzz around beer: Why do flies like beer? Posted: 17 Nov 2011 11:06 AM PST Ever wondered why flies are attracted to beer? Entomologists have, and offer an explanation. They report that flies sense glycerol that yeasts make during fermentation. Specifically, they found that Gr64e, a receptor associated with neurons located in the fly's mouth-parts, is instrumental in signaling a good taste for beer. Once a fly has settled on beer, Gr64e detects glycerol and transmits this information to the fly's neurons, thus influencing the fly's behavior.

Satellite images help species conservation Posted: 17 Nov 2011 11:06 AM PST Organisms living on small islands are particularly threatened by extinction. However, data are often lacking to objectively assess these threats. Researchers have used satellite imagery to assess the conservation status of endangered reptiles and amphibians of the Comoro archipelago in the Western Indian Ocean. The researchers used their results to point out which species are most threatened and to define priorities for future protected areas.

Unraveling how a mutation can lead to psychiatric illness Posted: 17 Nov 2011 11:04 AM PST A new study demonstrates how DISC1 variants impair signaling pathways and disrupt brain development.

New class of antimalarial compounds discovered Posted: 17 Nov 2011 10:57 AM PST Scientists have discovered a family of chemical compounds that could lead to a new generation of antimalarial drugs capable of not only alleviating symptoms but also preventing the deadly disease.

Vultures dying at alarming rate Posted: 17 Nov 2011 10:57 AM PST Vultures in South Asia were on the brink of extinction until Lindsay Oaks and Richard Watson, from The Peregrine Fund in the US, undertook observational and forensic studies to find out why the number of birds was falling so rapidly. They discovered the vultures were being poisoned by residues of an anti-inflammatory drug (diclofenac) used in cattle and other livestock, whose carcasses they feed on.

World's most difficult chemical experiment: The struggle to discover the secret of super-heavy elements Posted: 17 Nov 2011 05:13 AM PST In order to find the chemical properties of super-heavy elements, chemists must conduct one of the world's most demanding chemical experiments in a matter of seconds.

Racing to be the first to create the world's heaviest element Posted: 17 Nov 2011 05:13 AM PST All heavy elements are created in gigantic supernova explosions. Now scientists are competing to create the world's heaviest element in a laboratory. Production time: less than one atom per month. Lifetime: a few modest microseconds.

How the fly flies Posted: 17 Nov 2011 05:13 AM PST Flies are real flight artists, although they only have small wings compared to their body size. Scientists have recently identified the genetic switch that regulates the formation of flight muscles.

Discovery may help fight late-stage ovarian cancer Posted: 16 Nov 2011 07:45 AM PST A potential breakthrough in treating late-stage ovarian cancer has come from researchers who have discovered a peptide that shrinks advanced tumors and improves survival rates for this deadly but often undetected disease.

Toward more cost-effective production of biofuels from plant lignocellulosic biomass Posted: 16 Nov 2011 07:43 AM PST Lignocellulosic biomass contains bound acetate, which is released upon processing and is an inhibitor of microbial fermentation of sugars into bioethanol. A new study identifies a gene responsible for O-acetylation of a hemicellulose component of lignocellulosic biomass in the model plant Arabidopsis. Mutation of the gene eliminates acetylation of this hemicellulose, providing a new avenue for reducing acetylation in plant feedstocks and thereby lowering the cost of biofuel production.

The fat-burning zone: News on burning fat Posted: 16 Nov 2011 07:38 AM PST Obesity-related diseases are an increasing health problem. Researchers have now uncovered a central component of fat metabolism.

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