ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Saving a penny: Stem cell therapy shows promise in repairing stress urinary incontinence
• Couch-potato kids are biggest child health problem in the U.S. , adults say
• A material to rejuvenate aging and diseased human vocal cords
• Symbiotic Nodulation in a Reduced Gravity Environment: Plant research reaps two-fold benefits
• Radiation Belt Storm Probes: Fundamental physics to benefit life on Earth, in space
• New NASA mission to take first look deep inside Mars
• Voyager at 35: Break on through to the other side
• Curiosity stretches its arm
• First evidence discovered of planet's destruction by its star
• Nanoparticles added to platelets double internal injury survival rate: Early lab study hold promise for trauma cases
• Stroke disrupts how brain controls muscle synergies
• Information overload in the era of 'big data'
• Scientists examine effects of manufactured nanoparticles on soybean crops
• Toward a portable emergency treatment for stopping life-threatening internal bleeding
• Obesity, metabolic factors linked to faster cognitive decline
• Boon to fusion: New way to predict heat layer troublemaker
• Politics and prejudice explored
• Lao skull earliest example of modern human fossil in Southeast Asia
• Cleaner fuel for cruise ships and other big vessels from ingredients in detergents, medicines
• Electrifying success in raising antioxidant levels in sweet potatoes
• Stop grilling dinner: Specific toxic byproduct of heat-processed food leads to increased body weight and diabetes, mouse study finds
• Sex and the female brain: Protein in semen acts on female brain to prompt ovulation
• Dual action polyclonal antibody may offer more effective, safer protection against osteoporosis
• Model shows dramatic global decline in ratio of workers to retired people
• Patterning defect-free nanocrystal films with nanometer resolution
• Vitamin D supplementation can decrease risk of respiratory infections in children
• Teaching a microbe to make fuel
• Coconut water is an excellent sports drink -- for light exercise
• Cloud brightening to control global warming? Geoengineers propose an experiment
• Why do the Caribbean Islands arc? Movement of Earth modeled to 3,000 km depth
• Drink made from berry wine may provide tasty drug for diabetes
• Psychologists link emotion to vividness of perception and creation of vivid memories
• Anthrax targets
• Spirituality correlates to better mental health regardless of religion, say researchers
• Powerful new chip helps diagnose disease, analyzes protein interactions
• Scientists shed light on glowing materials
• Next generation 3-D theater: Optical science makes glasses a thing of the past
• Deep Brain Stimulation to Treat Obesity?
• High-definition fiber tractography is major advance in brain imaging
• Women could play key role in correcting crisis in clean drinking water and sanitation crisis
• Fueling the future with renewable gasoline and diesel
• Genetically engineered algae for biofuel pose potential risks
• Imprisoned molecules 'quantum rattle' in their cages
• Neural interface for hand prosthesis can restore function in brain areas responsible for motor control
• Extreme weather linked to global warming, Nobel prize-winning scientist says
• New oil spill dispersant made from ingredients in peanut butter, chocolate, ice cream
• Big Bang theory challenged by big chill
• No evidence that drug used for preventing life-threatening bleeding in women during labor works
• Making sense out of the biological matrix of bipolar disorder
• Scientists report promising new direction for cognitive rehabilitation in the elderly
• Pro-anorexic bloggers interviewed
• Native American spiritual beliefs influential in spurring youth to avoid drugs and alcohol
• Missing gene may drive more than one in four breast cancers
• Why aren't there more stars?
• Savvy tots to grown-ups: 'Don't be such a crybaby'
• Molecular code cracked: Code determines recognition of RNA molecules
• Evidence that new biomimetic controlled-release capsules may help in gum disease
• Brain enzyme is double whammy for Alzheimer's disease
• New biorefinery finds treasure in Starbucks' spent coffee grounds and stale bakery goods
• Your wireless router could save lives in an emergency

Saving a penny: Stem cell therapy shows promise in repairing stress urinary incontinence Posted: 20 Aug 2012 05:50 PM PDT Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) can occur due to sneezing, coughing, exercising or even laughing and happens because the pelvic floor muscles are too weak causing leakage when the bladder is put under pressure. New research shows that a new technique, using stem cells isolated from amniotic fluid, can regenerate damaged urethral sphincter muscles and prevent pressure incontinence in mice. Although SUI is more common during and after pregnancy, and after the age of 40, one in three women will experience it at some point in their lives. Men can also be affected, especially after prostate surgery.

Couch-potato kids are biggest child health problem in the U.S. , adults say Posted: 20 Aug 2012 05:49 PM PDT Adults across the U.S. rate not getting enough exercise as the top health concern for children in 2012, according to a new poll on children's health.

A material to rejuvenate aging and diseased human vocal cords Posted: 20 Aug 2012 05:49 PM PDT A new made-in-the-lab material designed to rejuvenate the human voice, restoring the flexibility that vocal cords lose with age and disease, is emerging from a collaboration between scientists and physicians, a scientist heading the development team said.

Symbiotic Nodulation in a Reduced Gravity Environment: Plant research reaps two-fold benefits Posted: 20 Aug 2012 05:27 PM PDT What can we learn from sending codependent bacteria and plants into space? Quite a bit, it would appear. An experiment with the tongue-twisting name Symbiotic Nodulation in a Reduced Gravity Environment, or SyNRGE for short, could yield benefits on Earth as well as space.

Radiation Belt Storm Probes: Fundamental physics to benefit life on Earth, in space Posted: 20 Aug 2012 05:24 PM PDT Encircling Earth's equator are two concentric, wide rings of high-intensity particles known as the Van Allen radiation belts. This dynamic region changes in response to the sun, with the potential to affect GPS satellites, satellite television and more. NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) mission aims to study this ever-changing environment in greater detail than ever before.

New NASA mission to take first look deep inside Mars Posted: 20 Aug 2012 05:22 PM PDT NASA has selected a new mission, set to launch in 2016, that will take the first look into the deep interior of Mars to see why the Red Planet evolved so differently from Earth as one of our solar system's rocky planets. The new mission, named InSight, will place instruments on the Martian surface to investigate whether the core of Mars is solid or liquid like Earth's, and why Mars' crust is not divided into tectonic plates that drift like Earth's. Detailed knowledge of the interior of Mars in comparison to Earth will help scientists understand better how terrestrial planets form and evolve.

Voyager at 35: Break on through to the other side Posted: 20 Aug 2012 05:20 PM PDT Thirty-five years ago Aug. 20, NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft, the first Voyager spacecraft to launch, departed on a journey that would make it the only spacecraft to visit Uranus and Neptune and the longest-operating NASA spacecraft ever. Voyager 2 and its twin, Voyager 1, that launched 16 days later on Sept. 5, 1977, are still going strong, hurtling away from our sun. Mission managers are eagerly anticipating the day when they break on through to the other side -- the space between stars.

Curiosity stretches its arm Posted: 20 Aug 2012 05:14 PM PDT NASA's Mars rover Curiosity flexed its robotic arm Aug. 20, 2012 for the first time since before launch in November 2011. The 7-foot-long (2.1-meter-long) arm maneuvers a turret of tools including a camera, a drill, a spectrometer, a scoop and mechanisms for sieving and portioning samples of powdered rock and soil.

First evidence discovered of planet's destruction by its star Posted: 20 Aug 2012 02:07 PM PDT The first evidence of a planet's destruction by its aging star has been discovered by an international team of astronomers. A similar fate may await the Earth and other inner planets in our solar system, when the sun expands all the way out to Earth's orbit some five-billion years from now.

Nanoparticles added to platelets double internal injury survival rate: Early lab study hold promise for trauma cases Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:11 PM PDT Naonparticles tailored to latch onto blood platelets rapidly create healthy clots and nearly double the survival rate in the vital first hour after injury lab research shows.

Stroke disrupts how brain controls muscle synergies Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:11 PM PDT After a stroke, muscle synergies are activated in altered ways.

Information overload in the era of 'big data' Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:10 PM PDT The ability of botanists and other scientists to generate data quickly and cheaply is surpassing their ability to access and analyze it. Scientists facing too much information rely on computers to search large data sets for patterns that are beyond the capability of humans to recognize. New tools called ontologies provide the rules computers need to transform information into knowledge, by attaching meaning to data, thereby making those data more retrievable and understandable.

Scientists examine effects of manufactured nanoparticles on soybean crops Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:10 PM PDT Sunscreens, lotions, and cosmetics contain tiny metal nanoparticles that wash down the drain at the end of the day, or are discharged after manufacturing. Those nanoparticles eventually end up in agricultural soil, which is a cause for concern, according to a group of environmental scientists that recently carried out the first major study of soybeans grown in soil contaminated by two manufactured nanomaterials.

Toward a portable emergency treatment for stopping life-threatening internal bleeding Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:08 PM PDT Progress is being made toward a new emergency treatment for internal bleeding - counterpart to the tourniquets, pressure bandages and Quick Clot products that keep people from bleeding to death from external wounds.

Obesity, metabolic factors linked to faster cognitive decline Posted: 20 Aug 2012 01:08 PM PDT People who are obese and also have high blood pressure and other risk factors called metabolic abnormalities may experience a faster decline in their cognitive skills over time than others, according to a new study.

Boon to fusion: New way to predict heat layer troublemaker Posted: 20 Aug 2012 12:22 PM PDT Researchers at a recent worldwide conference on fusion power have confirmed the surprising accuracy of a new model for predicting the size of a key barrier to fusion.

Politics and prejudice explored Posted: 20 Aug 2012 12:22 PM PDT New research from psychological science explores factors operating in political attitudes that could explain why political ideology and prejudice are often linked.

Lao skull earliest example of modern human fossil in Southeast Asia Posted: 20 Aug 2012 12:22 PM PDT An ancient skull recovered from a cave in the Annamite mountains in northern Laos is the oldest modern human fossil found in Southeast Asia, researchers report. The discovery pushes back the clock on modern human migration through the region by as much as 20,000 years, and indicates that ancient wanderers out of Africa left the coast and inhabited diverse habitats much earlier than previously appreciated.

Cleaner fuel for cruise ships and other big vessels from ingredients in detergents, medicines Posted: 20 Aug 2012 12:21 PM PDT Scientists have developed a new fuel mixture to ease the major air pollution and cost problems facing cruise ships, oil tankers and container ships. These vessels tend to burn the cheapest and most highly polluting form of diesel fuel.

Electrifying success in raising antioxidant levels in sweet potatoes Posted: 20 Aug 2012 12:21 PM PDT Already ranked by some as number one in nutrition among vegetables, the traditional sweet potato can be nutritionally supercharged with a simple, inexpensive electric current treatment that increases its content of healthful polyphenols or antioxidants by 60 percent, scientists have said. This is believed to be the first electrical enhancement of sweet potatoes, a dietary staple since prehistoric times.

Stop grilling dinner: Specific toxic byproduct of heat-processed food leads to increased body weight and diabetes, mouse study finds Posted: 20 Aug 2012 12:21 PM PDT Researchers have identified a common compound in the modern diet that could play a major role in the development of abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. The research team recommends that clinical guidelines be revised to eliminate foods cooked using dry heat and replace them with methods that use lower heat or lots of moisture (water) as in stewing, poaching or steaming. Examples from the AGE-less diet include stewed beef, chicken and fish instead of grilled meats.

Sex and the female brain: Protein in semen acts on female brain to prompt ovulation Posted: 20 Aug 2012 12:21 PM PDT Scientists have discovered that a protein in semen acts on the female brain to prompt ovulation, and is the same molecule that regulates the growth, maintenance, and survival of nerve cells.

Dual action polyclonal antibody may offer more effective, safer protection against osteoporosis Posted: 20 Aug 2012 12:20 PM PDT A new study suggests that a polyclonal antibody that blocks follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in mice without ovaries might offer a more effective way to prevent or arrest osteoporosis than currently available treatments.

Model shows dramatic global decline in ratio of workers to retired people Posted: 20 Aug 2012 12:20 PM PDT A new statistical model predicts that by 2100 the number of people older than 85 worldwide will increase more than previously estimated, and there will be fewer working-age adults to support them than previously expected.

Patterning defect-free nanocrystal films with nanometer resolution Posted: 20 Aug 2012 11:39 AM PDT A new process could enable better LED displays, solar cells and biosensors -- and foster basic physics research.

Vitamin D supplementation can decrease risk of respiratory infections in children Posted: 20 Aug 2012 11:39 AM PDT A study conducted in Mongolian schoolchildren found that vitamin D supplementation decreased the risk of respiratory infections among those who had low blood levels of vitamin D at the start of the study.

Teaching a microbe to make fuel Posted: 20 Aug 2012 11:39 AM PDT A genetically modified organism could turn carbon dioxide or waste products into a gasoline-compatible transportation fuel.

Coconut water is an excellent sports drink -- for light exercise Posted: 20 Aug 2012 11:39 AM PDT Coconut water (Coconut liquid endosperm) is widely consumed in many countries as a refreshing beverage but its unique chemical composition of electrolytes and nutrients can make it a good natural substitute of sports drink.

Cloud brightening to control global warming? Geoengineers propose an experiment Posted: 20 Aug 2012 10:23 AM PDT A scientist has proposed an experiment to test cloud brightening, a geoengineering concept that alters clouds in an effort to counter global warming. His proposed experiment is part of a larger paper detailing the latest thinking on cloud brightening.

Why do the Caribbean Islands arc? Movement of Earth modeled to 3,000 km depth Posted: 20 Aug 2012 10:23 AM PDT The Caribbean islands have been pushed east over the last 50 million years, driven by the movement of the Earth's viscous mantle against the more rooted South American continent, reveals new research.

Drink made from berry wine may provide tasty drug for diabetes Posted: 20 Aug 2012 10:23 AM PDT In evaluating the bioactive compounds of Illinois blueberry and blackberry wines, scientists have found compounds that inhibit enzymes responsible for carbohydrate absorption and assimilation. And that could mean a tasty way to help people with diabetes decrease their blood sugar.

Psychologists link emotion to vividness of perception and creation of vivid memories Posted: 20 Aug 2012 10:23 AM PDT Have you ever wondered why you can remember things from long ago as if they happened yesterday, yet sometimes can't recall what you ate for dinner last night? According to a new study, it's because how much something means to you actually influences how you see it as well as how vividly you can recall it later.

Anthrax targets Posted: 20 Aug 2012 10:23 AM PDT A trawl of the genome of the deadly bacterium Bacillus anthracis has revealed a clutch of targets for new drugs to combat an epidemic of anthrax or a biological weapons attack. The targets are all proteins that are found in the bacteria but not in humans and are involved in diverse bacterial processes such as metabolism, cell wall synthesis and bacterial persistence. The discovery of a range of targets might bode well for creating a drug cocktail that could preclude the emergence of drug resistance.

Spirituality correlates to better mental health regardless of religion, say researchers Posted: 20 Aug 2012 10:23 AM PDT Despite differences in rituals and beliefs among the world's major religions, spirituality often enhances health regardless of a person's faith, according to researchers. The researchers believe that health care providers could take advantage of this correlation between health – particularly mental health – and spirituality by tailoring treatments and rehabilitation programs to accommodate an individual's spiritual inclinations.

Powerful new chip helps diagnose disease, analyzes protein interactions Posted: 20 Aug 2012 10:23 AM PDT Researchers have synthesized a grid-like array of short pieces of a disease-associated protein on silicon chips normally used in computer microprocessors.

Scientists shed light on glowing materials Posted: 20 Aug 2012 09:11 AM PDT Researchers have succeeded in mapping how light behaves in complex photonic materials inspired by nature, like iridescent butterfly wings. Scientists have broken the limit of light resolution at the nanoscale and delivered a fundamental insight into how light and matter interact, which could lead to the development of enhanced bio-sensors for healthcare and more efficient solar cells and displays.

Next generation 3-D theater: Optical science makes glasses a thing of the past Posted: 20 Aug 2012 09:11 AM PDT Even with current digital technology, the latest Hollywood blockbusters still rely on clunky glasses to achieve a convincing 3-D effect. New optics research offers the prospect of glasses-free, 3-D display technology for commercial theaters. Their new technique uses space more efficiently and is cheaper than current 3-D projection technology.

Deep Brain Stimulation to Treat Obesity? Posted: 20 Aug 2012 09:10 AM PDT Scientific advances in understanding the "addiction circuitry" of the brain may lead to effective treatment for obesity using deep brain stimulation (DBS), according to a review article.

High-definition fiber tractography is major advance in brain imaging Posted: 20 Aug 2012 09:10 AM PDT A technique called high-definition fiber tractography (HDFT) provides a powerful new tool for tracing the course of nerve fiber connections within the brain—with the potential to improve the accuracy of neurosurgical planning and to advance scientific understanding of the brain's structural and functional networks.

Women could play key role in correcting crisis in clean drinking water and sanitation crisis Posted: 20 Aug 2012 09:10 AM PDT People in ancient Rome 2,000 years ago had better access to clean water and sanitation that keeps disease-causing human excrement out of contact with people than many residents of the 21st century, according to experts.

Fueling the future with renewable gasoline and diesel Posted: 20 Aug 2012 09:10 AM PDT A new process for converting municipal waste, algae, corn stalks and similar material to gasoline, diesel and jet fuel is showing the same promise in larger plants as it did in laboratory-scale devices, the developers have reported.

Genetically engineered algae for biofuel pose potential risks Posted: 20 Aug 2012 09:10 AM PDT Algae are high on the genetic engineering agenda as a potential source for biofuel, and they should be subjected to independent studies of any environmental risks that could be linked to cultivating algae for this purpose, two prominent researchers say.

Imprisoned molecules 'quantum rattle' in their cages Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:41 AM PDT Scientists have discovered that a space inside a special type of carbon molecule can be used to imprison other smaller molecules such as hydrogen or water.

Neural interface for hand prosthesis can restore function in brain areas responsible for motor control Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:40 AM PDT Amputation disrupts not only the peripheral nervous system but also central structures of the brain. While the brain is able to adapt and compensate for injury in certain conditions, in amputees the traumatic event prevents adaptive cortical changes. A group of scientists reports adaptive plastic changes in an amputee's brain following implantation of multielectrode arrays inside peripheral nerves.

Extreme weather linked to global warming, Nobel prize-winning scientist says Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:40 AM PDT New scientific analysis strengthens the view that record-breaking summer heat, crop-withering drought and other extreme weather events in recent years do, indeed, result from human activity and global warming, Nobel Laureate Mario J. Molina has said.

New oil spill dispersant made from ingredients in peanut butter, chocolate, ice cream Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:40 AM PDT With concerns about the possible health and environmental effects of oil dispersants in the Deepwater Horizon disaster still fresh in mind, scientists have developed a new dispersant made from edible ingredients that both breaks up oil slicks and keeps oil from sticking to the feathers of birds.

Big Bang theory challenged by big chill Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:09 AM PDT The start of the Universe should be modeled not as a Big Bang but more like water freezing into ice, according to a team of theoretical physicists.

No evidence that drug used for preventing life-threatening bleeding in women during labor works Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:09 AM PDT There is insufficient evidence for the effectiveness of a drug that is being used increasingly to prevent life-threatening bleeding in women after giving birth in community settings in low income countries, according to a new review.

Making sense out of the biological matrix of bipolar disorder Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:09 AM PDT The more that we understand the brain, the more complex it becomes. The same can be said about the genetics and neurobiology of psychiatric disorders. Researchers have now utilized an integrative approach to probe the biology of bipolar disorder.

Scientists report promising new direction for cognitive rehabilitation in the elderly Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:08 AM PDT Research has found that declines in temporal information processing (TIP), the rate at which auditory information is processed, underlies the progressive loss of function across multiple cognitive systems in the elderly, including new learning, memory, perception, attention, thinking, motor control, problem solving, and concept formation. In a new study, scientists have found that elderly subjects who underwent temporal training improved not only the rate at which they processed auditory information, but also in other cognitive areas.

Pro-anorexic bloggers interviewed Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:08 AM PDT A new research study suggests there may be benefits to the controversial activities of "pro-ana" bloggers, the online community for people with eating disorders. Most of the 33 bloggers from seven countries interviewed for the study said their writing activities provide a way to express themselves without judgment, which the authors believe can be crucial to their treatment.

Native American spiritual beliefs influential in spurring youth to avoid drugs and alcohol Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:08 AM PDT New research indicates that urban Native American youth who follow the traditional spiritual beliefs are less likely to use drugs and alcohol.

Missing gene may drive more than one in four breast cancers Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:07 AM PDT More than one out of every four cases of breast cancer is associated with a specific, missing gene – a finding that could have significant implications for chemotherapy treatments, according a recent study.

Why aren't there more stars? Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:07 AM PDT Astronomers may have found the answer to a universal question: Why aren't there more stars?

Savvy tots to grown-ups: 'Don't be such a crybaby' Posted: 20 Aug 2012 08:07 AM PDT Children as young as three apparently can tell the difference between whining and when someone has good reason to be upset, and they will respond with sympathy usually only when it is truly deserved, according to new research.

Molecular code cracked: Code determines recognition of RNA molecules Posted: 20 Aug 2012 06:37 AM PDT Scientists have cracked a molecular code that may open the way to destroying or correcting defective gene products, such as those that cause genetic disorders in humans.

Evidence that new biomimetic controlled-release capsules may help in gum disease Posted: 20 Aug 2012 06:37 AM PDT Scientists are trying to open a new front in the battle against gum disease, the leading cause of tooth loss in adults and sometimes termed the most serious oral health problem of the 21st century. They have developed a new treatment approach.

Brain enzyme is double whammy for Alzheimer's disease Posted: 20 Aug 2012 06:37 AM PDT The underlying causes of Alzheimer's disease are not fully understood, but a good deal of evidence points to the accumulation of β-amyloid, a protein that's toxic to nerve cells. β-amyloid -- a toxic protein known to accumulate in the brains of most Alzheimer's disease patients -- is formed by several enzymes, including BACE1. Researchers have now found that BACE1 does more than just help produce β-amyloid -- it also regulates another cellular process that contributes to memory loss. This is important information for drug makers looking to target BACE1 to prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease.

New biorefinery finds treasure in Starbucks' spent coffee grounds and stale bakery goods Posted: 20 Aug 2012 06:37 AM PDT With 1.3 billion tons of food trashed, dumped in landfills and otherwise wasted around the world every year, scientists have described development and successful laboratory testing of a new "biorefinery" intended to change food waste into a key ingredient for making plastics, laundry detergents and scores of other everyday products.

Your wireless router could save lives in an emergency Posted: 20 Aug 2012 06:36 AM PDT An emergency communications system that could automatically piggyback on domestic wireless routers connected in urban locations could help first responders stay in touch even if cell phone towers and networks are down.

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