ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Fetuses yawn in the womb, according to new research
• Parrots imitate individuals when addressing them
• Emperor penguins budget time for short rests on ice during chick-rearing season
• Call that a ball? Dogs learn to associate words with objects differently than humans do
• 9.2-million-year-old rhino skull preserved by instant 'cooking to death' in volcanic ash
• Eating right key to survival of whales and dolphins
• New strain of bird virus sweeps across Britain
• Cartilage made easy with novel hybrid printer
• Bornean Elephant: Genomics helps with conservation
• Spacecraft monitoring Martian dust storm
• Step forward in regenerating and repairing damaged nerve cells
• Gateway enzyme for chemicals from catnip to cancer drug discovered
• Computer-navigated total knee replacement provides no advantage over traditional surgical procedure, study suggests
• Architecture of rod sensory cilium disrupted by mutation
• New structures self-assemble in synchronized dance
• Simple, inexpensive way to improve healing after massive bone loss
• Need a lot of sleep? An antidote for hypersomnia
• Neural interaction in silence: Neurophysiologists study widespread networks of neurons responsible for memory
• Dwarf planet Makemake lacks atmosphere: Distant frigid world reveals its secrets for first time
• Key events early in process of cellular aging defined
• Autism-like behaviors reversed in mice: New hope for understanding autism
• First report of state-level COPD prevalence in U.S.
• Unexpected microbes fighting harmful greenhouse gas
• Pathway identified in human lymphoma points way to new blood cancer treatments
• Brainy babies: Research explores infants' skills and abilities
• Aging: Scientists further unravel telomere biology
• Ocean currents play a role in predicting extent of Arctic sea ice
• New evidence on dinosaurs' role in evolution of bird flight
• Rhythmic brain waves: Fluctuations in electrical activity may allow brain to form thoughts and memories
• Novel mechanism through which normal stromal cells become cancer-promoting stromal cells identified
• Inhaled nitric oxide improves outcomes in mice resuscitated with stored blood
• Handaxes of 1.7 million years ago: 'Trust rather than lust' behind fine details
• Diabetes drug improves memory, study suggests

Fetuses yawn in the womb, according to new research Posted: 21 Nov 2012 06:03 PM PST We know that unborn babies hiccup, swallow and stretch in the womb but new observational research concludes that they also yawn.

Parrots imitate individuals when addressing them Posted: 21 Nov 2012 06:02 PM PST Whether living with pirates or in the wild, parrots have exceptional abilities to mimic the sounds they hear. One species, the orange-fronted conure, may have evolved this ability in order to communicate with specific individuals in other flocks, according to new research.

Emperor penguins budget time for short rests on ice during chick-rearing season Posted: 21 Nov 2012 06:02 PM PST For the first time, researchers tracking the behavior of emperor penguins near the sea have identified the importance of sea ice for the penguins' feeding habits. The research describes emperor penguin foraging behavior through the birds' chick-rearing season.

Call that a ball? Dogs learn to associate words with objects differently than humans do Posted: 21 Nov 2012 06:02 PM PST Dogs learning to associate words with objects form these associations in different ways than humans do, according to new research.

9.2-million-year-old rhino skull preserved by instant 'cooking to death' in volcanic ash Posted: 21 Nov 2012 06:02 PM PST Less than two percent of the earth's fossils are preserved in volcanic rock, but researchers have identified a new one: the skull of a rhino that perished in a volcanic eruption 9.2 million years ago.

Eating right key to survival of whales and dolphins Posted: 21 Nov 2012 06:02 PM PST In the marine world, high-energy prey make for high-energy predators. And to survive, such marine predators need to sustain the right kind of high-energy diet. Not just any prey will do, suggests a new study.

New strain of bird virus sweeps across Britain Posted: 21 Nov 2012 06:02 PM PST Scientists report on the impact avian pox is having on great tit populations.

Cartilage made easy with novel hybrid printer Posted: 21 Nov 2012 06:01 PM PST The printing of three-dimensional tissue has taken a major step forward with the creation of a novel hybrid printer that simplifies the process of creating implantable cartilage.

Bornean Elephant: Genomics helps with conservation Posted: 21 Nov 2012 06:01 PM PST Studying the genetic variability of endangered species is becoming increasingly necessary for species conservation and monitoring. But, endangered species are difficult to observe and sample, and typically harbour very limited genetic diversity. Until now, the process of finding genetic markers was time consuming and quite expensive. Scientists have now contributed to change the odds when looking for diversity. Taking advantage of cutting edge DNA sequencing methodology they were able to identify the genetic markers for the Bornean elephant, an endangered species, using blood from very few animals.

Spacecraft monitoring Martian dust storm Posted: 21 Nov 2012 03:01 PM PST A Martian dust storm that NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been tracking since last week has also produced atmospheric changes detectable by rovers on Mars.

Step forward in regenerating and repairing damaged nerve cells Posted: 21 Nov 2012 11:56 AM PST Researchers recently uncovered a nerve cell's internal clock, used during embryonic development. This breakthrough could lead to the development of new tools to repair and regenerate nerve cells following injuries to the central nervous system.

Gateway enzyme for chemicals from catnip to cancer drug discovered Posted: 21 Nov 2012 11:56 AM PST Scientists have discovered an enzyme used in nature to make powerful chemicals from catnip to a cancer drug, vinblastine. The discovery opens up the prospect of producing these chemicals cheaply and efficiently.

Computer-navigated total knee replacement provides no advantage over traditional surgical procedure, study suggests Posted: 21 Nov 2012 11:56 AM PST For many years, the use of computer-assisted navigation has been touted as improving the positioning, sizing and alignment of replacement knee joints, resulting in greater durability of joints and overall improvement in patient movement. But new research suggests there is no difference in knee function, pain, mobility and activity level between computer-assisted navigation and traditional surgery.

Architecture of rod sensory cilium disrupted by mutation Posted: 21 Nov 2012 11:56 AM PST Using a new technique called cryo-electron tomography, scientists have created a three-dimensional map that gives a better understanding of how the architecture of the rod sensory cilium (part of one type of photoreceptor in the eye) is changed by genetic mutation and how that affects its ability to transport proteins as part of the light-sensing process.

New structures self-assemble in synchronized dance Posted: 21 Nov 2012 11:56 AM PST With self-assembly guiding the steps and synchronization providing the rhythm, a new class of materials forms dynamic, moving structures in an intricate dance. Researchers have demonstrated tiny spheres that synchronize their movements as they self-assemble into a spinning microtube. Such in-motion structures, a blending of mathematics and materials science, could open a new class of technologies with applications in medicine, chemistry and engineering.

Simple, inexpensive way to improve healing after massive bone loss Posted: 21 Nov 2012 11:56 AM PST Researchers have identified a new approach to treating massive bone fractures, a major clinical problem faced by orthopedic surgeons, including on the battlefield.

Need a lot of sleep? An antidote for hypersomnia Posted: 21 Nov 2012 11:56 AM PST Researchers have discovered that dozens of adults with an elevated need for sleep have a substance in their cerebrospinal fluid that acts like a sleeping pill. Some members of this patient population appear to have a distinct, disabling sleep disorder called "primary hypersomnia," which is separate from better-known conditions such as sleep apnea or narcolepsy.

Neural interaction in silence: Neurophysiologists study widespread networks of neurons responsible for memory Posted: 21 Nov 2012 11:55 AM PST While in deep dreamless sleep, our hippocampus sends messages to our cortex and changes its plasticity, possibly transferring recently acquired knowledge to long-term memory. But how exactly is this done? Scientists have now developed a novel multimodal methodology called "neural event-triggered functional magnetic resonance imaging" and presented the very first results obtained using it in experiments with both anesthetized and awake, behaving monkeys.

Dwarf planet Makemake lacks atmosphere: Distant frigid world reveals its secrets for first time Posted: 21 Nov 2012 11:55 AM PST Dwarf planet Makemake is about two thirds of the size of Pluto, and travels around the Sun in a distant path that lies beyond that of Pluto but closer to the Sun than Eris, the most massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System. Previous observations of chilly Makemake have shown it to be similar to its fellow dwarf planets, leading some astronomers to expect its atmosphere, if present, to be similar to that of Pluto. However, the new study now shows that, like Eris, Makemake is not surrounded by a significant atmosphere.

Key events early in process of cellular aging defined Posted: 21 Nov 2012 11:54 AM PST Scientists have now defined key events that take place early in the process of cellular aging. Together the discoveries, made through a series of experiments in yeast, bring unprecedented clarity to the complex cascade of events that comprise the aging process and pave the way to understanding how genetics and environmental factors like diet interact to influence lifespan, aging and age-related diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.

Autism-like behaviors reversed in mice: New hope for understanding autism Posted: 21 Nov 2012 11:54 AM PST Researchers have uncovered a crucial link between protein synthesis and autism spectrum disorder. The study also reveals that autism-like behaviors can be rectified in adult mice with compounds inhibiting protein synthesis, or with gene-therapy targeting neuroligins.

First report of state-level COPD prevalence in U.S. Posted: 21 Nov 2012 10:09 AM PST The age-adjusted prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease varies considerably within the United States, from less than four percent of the population in Washington and Minnesota to more than nine percent in Alabama and Kentucky.

Unexpected microbes fighting harmful greenhouse gas Posted: 21 Nov 2012 10:09 AM PST The environment has a more formidable opponent than carbon dioxide. Another greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide, is 300 times more potent and also destroys the ozone layer each time it is released into the atmosphere through agricultural practices, sewage treatment and fossil fuel combustion.

Pathway identified in human lymphoma points way to new blood cancer treatments Posted: 21 Nov 2012 10:09 AM PST Research, shows for the first time that the "unfolded protein response" is active in patients with human lymphomas and mice genetically bred to develop lymphomas. Importantly, when the UPR is inactivated, lymphoma cells readily undergo cell death.

Brainy babies: Research explores infants' skills and abilities Posted: 21 Nov 2012 10:09 AM PST Infants seem to develop at an astoundingly rapid pace, learning new things and acquiring new skills every day. And research suggests that the abilities that infants demonstrate early on can shape the development of skills later in life, in childhood and beyond.

Aging: Scientists further unravel telomere biology Posted: 21 Nov 2012 10:09 AM PST Researchers have resolved the structure of that allows a telomere-related protein, Cdc13, to form dimers in yeast. Mutations in this region of Cdc13 put the kibosh on the ability of telomerase and other proteins to maintain telomeres.

Ocean currents play a role in predicting extent of Arctic sea ice Posted: 21 Nov 2012 10:08 AM PST Researchers have developed a new method to accurately simulate the seasonal extent of Arctic sea ice and the ocean circulation beneath.

New evidence on dinosaurs' role in evolution of bird flight Posted: 21 Nov 2012 10:08 AM PST A new study looking at the structure of feathers in bird-like dinosaurs has shed light on one of nature's most remarkable inventions -- how flight might have evolved.

Rhythmic brain waves: Fluctuations in electrical activity may allow brain to form thoughts and memories Posted: 21 Nov 2012 10:08 AM PST A new study sheds light on how neural ensembles form thoughts and support the flexibility to change one's mind.

Novel mechanism through which normal stromal cells become cancer-promoting stromal cells identified Posted: 21 Nov 2012 07:44 AM PST New understanding of molecular changes that convert harmless cells surrounding ovarian cancer cells into cells that promote tumor growth and metastasis provides potential new therapeutic targets for this deadly disease, according to new research.

Inhaled nitric oxide improves outcomes in mice resuscitated with stored blood Posted: 21 Nov 2012 06:26 AM PST Inhaled nitric oxide reduced the adverse effects of transfusing stored blood in mice, according to a new study.

Handaxes of 1.7 million years ago: 'Trust rather than lust' behind fine details Posted: 21 Nov 2012 04:57 AM PST Trust rather than lust is at the heart of the attention to detail and finely made form of handaxes from around 1.7 million years ago, according to a researcher.

Diabetes drug improves memory, study suggests Posted: 20 Nov 2012 04:49 PM PST An FDA-approved drug initially used to treat insulin resistance in diabetics has shown promise as a way to improve cognitive performance in some people with Alzheimer's disease.

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