ScienceDaily: Top News

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• How underground rodent wards off cancer: Second mole rat species has different mechanism for resisting cancer
• Indian monsoon failure more frequent with global warming, research suggests
• Controlling vascular disease may be key to reducing prevalence of Alzheimer's disease
• Laser the size of a virus particle: Miniature laser operates at room temperature and defies the diffraction limit of light
• Therapy with bone marrow-derived stem cells does not improve short-term recovery after heart attack
• Healthy living adds fourteen years to your life, study suggests
• PTSD linked to smaller brain area regulating fear response
• Study examines smoking by inpatients during hospital stay
• Physical exercise improves gait speed, muscle strength, fitness in patients with Parkinson's disease
• Revolutionary type of gel discovered
• Superbug MRSA identified in US wastewater treatment plants
• Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators can reduce sudden death in young patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• New DNA vaccine technology poised to deliver safe and cost-effective disease protection
• Carbon buried in the soil rises again
• First gene therapy study in human salivary gland shows promise
• Warming temperatures cause aquatic animals to shrink the most
• Climate modeler identifies trigger for Earth's last big freeze
• Unexpected bottleneck identified in spread of herpes simplex virus
• Overweight patients hospitalized with pneumonia more apt to survive
• Common math standards supported with new study
• Smell you later! Chemosignals communicate human emotions
• 2001-2002 drought helped propel mountain pine beetle epidemic
• Some heart patients may respond differently to anti-platelet drugs
• High-strength material advancements may lead to new, life-saving steel
• Insect-repelling compounds discovered in folk remedy plant, Jatropha
• Cockatoo 'can make its own tools'
• Recreational cocaine use linked to conditions that cause heart attack
• Superstorm animation shows Sandy's explosive development
• Computers 'taught' to ID regulating gene sequences
• New analysis of heart rate patterns on ECGs may predict death risk from all causes
• Gravitmetric sensors for the real world
• Build your own home theater for full-blast entertainment with 'Virtual Sound Ball'
• Daily multivitamin use among men does not reduce risk of major cardiovascular events, study suggests
• Low vitamin D levels linked to longevity, surprising study shows
• World's rarest whale seen for the first time
• Crystals for efficient refrigeration: Can pump or extract heat, even on the nanoscale, for use on computer chips
• Massive volcanic eruption puts past climate and people in perspective
• Daily doses of a new probiotic reduces 'bad' and total cholesterol
• Genetically engineered tomatoes decrease plaque build-up in mice
• Air exposure between blinks affects deposits on contact lenses
• People can learn to sense with 'rat's whiskers' on fingers; May improve aids for the blind
• Hydro-fracking: Fact vs. fiction
• Taking the 'pulse' of volcanoes using satellite images
• Heart attack packs a wallop to wallet of survivors, their employers
• Electron microscopes with a twist: Vortex beams, rotating like a tornado, offer new possibilities for electron microscopy
• Vehicles, roadways 'talk' in efforts to improve traffic safety
• Therapy for stroke patients improved: More mobility due to deafferentation
• Prenatal testosterone levels influence later response to reward
• Grandfathers play a prominent role with grandchildren
• Salting roads may damage steel-reinforced concrete structures
• Malaria: Vector mosquitoes are constantly adapting
• Tiger mosquito, vector of chikungunya virus and dengue fever, is more flighty than first thought
• Amyloid-beta peptide behind Alzheimer's: Hydrogen bonds analyzed for first time
• Cystic kidney growth curbed
• After long-ago mass extinction, global warming hindered species' recovery
• Novel process represents faster and more economical route for devising countermeasures against biothreats, scientists say

How underground rodent wards off cancer: Second mole rat species has different mechanism for resisting cancer Posted: 05 Nov 2012 05:00 PM PST Biologists have determined how blind mole rats fight off cancer -- and the mechanism differs from what they discovered three years ago in another long-lived and cancer-resistant mole rat species, the naked mole rat.

Indian monsoon failure more frequent with global warming, research suggests Posted: 05 Nov 2012 05:00 PM PST Global warming could cause frequent and severe failures of the Indian summer monsoon in the next two centuries, new research suggests.

Controlling vascular disease may be key to reducing prevalence of Alzheimer's disease Posted: 05 Nov 2012 04:59 PM PST International Experts Review the Latest Thinking in a Special Issue of Journal of Alzheimer's Disease

Laser the size of a virus particle: Miniature laser operates at room temperature and defies the diffraction limit of light Posted: 05 Nov 2012 02:23 PM PST A research team has found a way to manufacture single laser devices that are the size of a virus particle and that operate at room temperature. These plasmonic nanolasers could be readily integrated into silicon-based photonic devices, all-optical circuits and nanoscale biosensors.

Therapy with bone marrow-derived stem cells does not improve short-term recovery after heart attack Posted: 05 Nov 2012 01:14 PM PST Administering to patients stem cells derived from their own bone marrow either three or seven days after a heart attack is safe but does not improve heart function six months later, according to a clinical trial.

Healthy living adds fourteen years to your life, study suggests Posted: 05 Nov 2012 01:13 PM PST If you have optimal heart health in middle age, you may live up to 14 years longer, free of cardiovascular disease, than your peers who have two or more cardiovascular disease risk factors, according to a new study.

PTSD linked to smaller brain area regulating fear response Posted: 05 Nov 2012 01:13 PM PST Recent combat veterans who are diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder have significantly smaller volume in an area of the brain critical for regulating fear and anxiety responses, according to new research.

Study examines smoking by inpatients during hospital stay Posted: 05 Nov 2012 01:13 PM PST A study of smokers admitted to a large urban teaching hospital in Massachusetts found that 18.4 percent reported smoking during their hospitalization.

Physical exercise improves gait speed, muscle strength, fitness in patients with Parkinson's disease Posted: 05 Nov 2012 01:13 PM PST Physical exercise, including treadmill, stretching and resistance exercises, appears to improve gait speed, muscle strength and fitness for patients with Parkinson's disease.

Revolutionary type of gel discovered Posted: 05 Nov 2012 01:12 PM PST Controlling and modifying at will the transparency, electrical properties, and stiffness of a gel are among the promises of new research by scientists in Switzerland. Their discovery marks an important step for materials used in healthcare, high-tech, and the cosmetics industry.

Superbug MRSA identified in US wastewater treatment plants Posted: 05 Nov 2012 12:13 PM PST The "superbug" methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is prevalent at several U.S. wastewater treatment plants, according to new research. MRSA is well known for causing difficult-to-treat and potentially fatal bacterial infections in hospital patients, but is also increasingly infecting otherwise healthy people in community settings. This study is the first to document an environmental source of MRSA in the United States.

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators can reduce sudden death in young patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Posted: 05 Nov 2012 12:13 PM PST A multicenter registry has demonstrated that the use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators to combat sudden cardiac death in high-risk pediatric patients suffering from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

New DNA vaccine technology poised to deliver safe and cost-effective disease protection Posted: 05 Nov 2012 12:13 PM PST Scientists have taken a dramatic step forward in vaccine research, revealing the design of a universal platform for delivering highly potent DNA vaccines, by employing a cleverly re-engineered bacterium to speed delivery to host cells in the vaccine recipient.

Carbon buried in the soil rises again Posted: 05 Nov 2012 12:13 PM PST A team of researchers estimated that roughly half of the carbon buried in soil by erosion will be re-released into the atmosphere within about 500 years, and possibly faster due to climate change.

First gene therapy study in human salivary gland shows promise Posted: 05 Nov 2012 12:13 PM PST This finding comes from the first-ever Phase I clinical study of gene therapy in a human salivary gland. Its results show that the transferred gene, Aquaporin-1, has great potential to help head and neck cancer survivors who battle with chronic dry mouth. Aquaporin-1 encodes a protein that naturally forms pore-like water channels in the membranes of cells to help move fluid, such as occurs when salivary gland cells secrete saliva into the mouth.

Warming temperatures cause aquatic animals to shrink the most Posted: 05 Nov 2012 12:13 PM PST Warmer temperatures cause greater reduction in the adult sizes of aquatic animals than in land-dwellers in a new study.

Climate modeler identifies trigger for Earth's last big freeze Posted: 05 Nov 2012 12:13 PM PST For more than 30 years, climate scientists have debated whether flood waters from melting of the enormous Laurentide Ice Sheet, which ushered in the last major cold episode on Earth about 12,900 years ago, flowed northwest into the Arctic first, or east via the Gulf of St. Lawrence, to weaken ocean thermohaline circulation and have a frigid effect on global climate. Now, using new, high-resolution global ocean circulation models, researchers report the first conclusive evidence that this flood must have flowed north into the Arctic first down the Mackenzie River valley.

Unexpected bottleneck identified in spread of herpes simplex virus Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:04 AM PST New research suggests that just one or two individual herpes virus particles attack a skin cell in the first stage of an outbreak, resulting in a bottleneck in which the infection may be vulnerable to medical treatment.

Overweight patients hospitalized with pneumonia more apt to survive Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:04 AM PST Medical researchers studied the records of nearly 1000 patients who were admitted to hospital with pneumonia and noted those who were obese were more apt to survive compared to those who were of normal weight.

Common math standards supported with new study Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:04 AM PST A new study analyzing the previous math standards of each U.S. state provides strong support for adoption of common standards, which US students desperately need to keep pace with their counterparts around the globe, a scholar argues.

Smell you later! Chemosignals communicate human emotions Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:04 AM PST Many animal species transmit information via chemical signals, but the extent to which these chemosignals play a role in human communication is unclear. Researchers have investigated whether we humans might actually be able to communicate our emotional states to each other through chemical signals.

2001-2002 drought helped propel mountain pine beetle epidemic Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:04 AM PST A new study shows for the first time that episodes of reduced precipitation in the southern Rocky Mountains, especially during the 2001-02 drought, greatly accelerated development of the mountain pine beetle epidemic.

Some heart patients may respond differently to anti-platelet drugs Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:02 AM PST The cause of heart attacks or strokes among some patients treated with anti-platelet drugs may be different than for patients who have undergone surgical procedures to restore blood flow, according to researchers at Duke Medicine.

High-strength material advancements may lead to new, life-saving steel Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:02 AM PST Engineers have been working to create advanced materials with high-yield strength, fracture toughness and ductility. Their efforts have led to the development of a new material consisting of bainitic steels and austempered ductile iron that has all these characteristics, ultimately resisting fatigue that can cause fractures in materials often with catastrophic consequences.

Insect-repelling compounds discovered in folk remedy plant, Jatropha Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:02 AM PST A tip about a folk remedy plant used in India and Africa to ward off bugs has led to the discovery of insect-repelling compounds. Scientists have identified components of Jatropha curcas seed oil that are responsible for mosquito repellency.

Cockatoo 'can make its own tools' Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:02 AM PST A cockatoo from a species not known to use tools in the wild has been observed spontaneously making and using tools for reaching food and other objects.

Recreational cocaine use linked to conditions that cause heart attack Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:02 AM PST Recreational cocaine users may have higher blood pressure, stiffer arteries and thicker heart muscle walls than non-users -- all of which can cause a heart attack. The Australian study is the first to document some of these cardiovascular abnormalities in seemingly healthy cocaine users long after the immediate effects of cocaine have worn off.

Superstorm animation shows Sandy's explosive development Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:01 AM PST A computer animation shows the explosive development of Hurricane Sandy, the superstorm and its unusual track.

Computers 'taught' to ID regulating gene sequences Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:01 AM PST Researchers have succeeded in teaching computers how to identify commonalities in DNA sequences known to regulate gene activity, and to then use those commonalities to predict other regulatory regions throughout the genome. The tool is expected to help scientists better understand disease risk and cell development.

New analysis of heart rate patterns on ECGs may predict death risk from all causes Posted: 05 Nov 2012 11:00 AM PST Cardiologists suggest that electrocardiograms (ECGs), which are widely used tests to assess the heart's electrical activity, may have a greater and more profound future role in predicting the risk of death from any cause, not just heart problems.

Gravitmetric sensors for the real world Posted: 05 Nov 2012 10:04 AM PST Researchers have developed gravimetric sensors which are not affected by temperature.

Build your own home theater for full-blast entertainment with 'Virtual Sound Ball' Posted: 05 Nov 2012 10:04 AM PST Scientists have developed audio rendering systems, "Virtual Sound Ball" and "Spatial Equalizer" that will considerably improve the current 3-D audio effects technology.

Daily multivitamin use among men does not reduce risk of major cardiovascular events, study suggests Posted: 05 Nov 2012 10:04 AM PST In a randomized study that included nearly 15,000 male physicians who were middle-aged or older, daily multivitamin use for more than 10 years of treatment and follow-up did not result in a reduction of major cardiovascular events, heart attack, stroke, or death from cardiovascular disease.

Low vitamin D levels linked to longevity, surprising study shows Posted: 05 Nov 2012 10:03 AM PST Low levels of vitamin D may be associated with longevity, according to a study involving middle-aged children of people in their 90s.

World's rarest whale seen for the first time Posted: 05 Nov 2012 10:03 AM PST A whale that is almost unknown to science has been seen for the first time after two individuals -- a mother and her male calf -- were stranded and died on a New Zealand beach. A new report offers the first complete description of the spade-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon traversii), a species previously known only from a few bones.

Crystals for efficient refrigeration: Can pump or extract heat, even on the nanoscale, for use on computer chips Posted: 05 Nov 2012 08:46 AM PST Researchers have discovered a new efficient way to pump heat using crystals. The crystals can pump or extract heat, even on the nanoscale, so they could be used on computer chips to prevent overheating or even meltdown, which is currently a major limit to higher computer speeds.

Massive volcanic eruption puts past climate and people in perspective Posted: 05 Nov 2012 08:46 AM PST The largest volcanic eruption on Earth in the past millions of years took place in Indonesia 74,000 years ago and researchers can now link the colossal eruption with the global climate and the effects on early humans.

Daily doses of a new probiotic reduces 'bad' and total cholesterol Posted: 05 Nov 2012 08:46 AM PST A new probiotic lowered LDL "bad" cholesterol and total cholesterol in patients with high cholesterol. The probiotic reduced molecules known as cholesterol ester saturated fatty acids, which have been tied to dangerous plaque buildup in the arteries.

Genetically engineered tomatoes decrease plaque build-up in mice Posted: 05 Nov 2012 08:46 AM PST For the first time, researchers have genetically engineered tomato plants to produce a peptide that mimics the actions of good cholesterol when eaten. Mice that ate the freeze-dried, ground tomatoes had less inflammation and reduced plaque build-up in their arteries.

Air exposure between blinks affects deposits on contact lenses Posted: 05 Nov 2012 08:45 AM PST Modern contact lens materials are prone to drying when exposed to air, which contributes to the buildup of deposits on contact lenses, according to a new study.

People can learn to sense with 'rat's whiskers' on fingers; May improve aids for the blind Posted: 05 Nov 2012 07:09 AM PST A new experiment in which volunteers learned to sense objects' locations using just "rat whiskers" may help improve aids for the blind.

Hydro-fracking: Fact vs. fiction Posted: 05 Nov 2012 07:09 AM PST In communities across the US, people are hearing more and more about a controversial oil and gas extraction technique called hydraulic fracturing – aka, hydro-fracking. Controversies pivot on some basic questions: Can hydro-fracking contaminate domestic wells? Does it cause earthquakes? How can we know? What can be done about these things if they are true?

Taking the 'pulse' of volcanoes using satellite images Posted: 05 Nov 2012 07:09 AM PST A new study uses satellite data to investigate deformation prior to the eruption of active volcanoes in Indonesia's west Sunda arc.

Heart attack packs a wallop to wallet of survivors, their employers Posted: 05 Nov 2012 07:09 AM PST Heart attack and other forms of acute coronary syndrome are costly to patients and their employers. The economic burden to workers and their employers mounts from lost time, income and productivity.

Electron microscopes with a twist: Vortex beams, rotating like a tornado, offer new possibilities for electron microscopy Posted: 05 Nov 2012 07:08 AM PST Vortex beams, rotating like a tornado, offer completely new possibilities for electron microscopy.  A method of producing extremely intense vortex beams has been discovered.

Vehicles, roadways 'talk' in efforts to improve traffic safety Posted: 05 Nov 2012 06:26 AM PST One day, your auto and the roadway will be in constant communication and able to suggest route changes to avoid accidents, construction, and congestion; coordinate your vehicle with signal lights, other vehicles, and lane markers; and let you know where you can park. Right now, a fleet of instrumented vehicles are testing these systems on two instrumented test beds -- one in Northern Virginia and one in Southwestern Virginia.

Therapy for stroke patients improved: More mobility due to deafferentation Posted: 05 Nov 2012 05:16 AM PST Painkilling drugs that make many therapies possible are a blessing for patients. Thanks to modern anesthetics, not only can surgical operations be conducted without causing pain, they are also used for various diagnostic procedures. Anesthetics can be very useful in therapies for stroke patients, as psychologists and physicians in Germany are now able to demonstrate.

Prenatal testosterone levels influence later response to reward Posted: 05 Nov 2012 05:16 AM PST Testosterone levels early in fetal development influence later sensitivity of brain regions related to reward processing and affect an individual's susceptibility to engage in behavior, that in extremes, are related to several neuropsychiatric conditions that asymmetrically affect one sex more than the other. Although present at low levels in females, testosterone is one of the primary sex hormones that exerts substantial influence over the emergence of differences between males and females. In adults and adolescents, heightened testosterone has been shown to reduce fear, lower sensitivity to punishment, increase risk-tasking, and enhance attention to threat. These effects interact substantially with context to affect social behavior.

Grandfathers play a prominent role with grandchildren Posted: 05 Nov 2012 05:16 AM PST Europeans spend much time with their grandchildren. And past 70, the grandfather takes the lead.

Salting roads may damage steel-reinforced concrete structures Posted: 05 Nov 2012 05:15 AM PST Swedish scientists have studied models to help road and bridge maintenance engineers work out how much damage salting the roads in winter might cause to steel-reinforced concrete structures.

Malaria: Vector mosquitoes are constantly adapting Posted: 05 Nov 2012 05:15 AM PST Mosquitoes that carry malaria are constantly adapting. Some develop resistance. Others alter their behavior. Mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles, the vectors of malaria, always find a way to foil human attempts to protect themselves from this disease. Researchers have revealed their great capacity for adaptation, which weakens the strategies to combating their presence.

Tiger mosquito, vector of chikungunya virus and dengue fever, is more flighty than first thought Posted: 05 Nov 2012 05:15 AM PST Female tiger mosquitoes, vectors of the chikungunya virus and of dengue fever, had been thought to mate only once during their short few weeks of life. They are apparently much less faithful than imagined, however. Scientists have discovered that they may in fact mate with several males during their short lives. What is more, the same clutch of eggs can be engendered by different fathers. For their part, the males can mate with over 10 different females.

Amyloid-beta peptide behind Alzheimer's: Hydrogen bonds analyzed for first time Posted: 05 Nov 2012 05:14 AM PST Using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, researchers have managed to analyze hydrogen bonds in tiny fibrils of Amyloid-beta peptide , which is considered a probable cause of Alzheimer's disease.

Cystic kidney growth curbed Posted: 05 Nov 2012 05:14 AM PST Autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is one of the most common genetic disorders, affecting one in every 1,000 people and responsible for up to ten percent of patients on dialysis worldwide. The disease is characterized by the development of cysts that lead to progressive kidney failure and necessitate dialysis or a kidney transplant in most patients aged around fifty. Moreover, the persistent cyst growth causes high blood pressure and painful complications. Although we have known about the disease for over a century and its genetic basis for almost 20 years, there was no effective treatment until now.

After long-ago mass extinction, global warming hindered species' recovery Posted: 05 Nov 2012 05:12 AM PST Researchers have discovered why plants and animals had a hard time recovering from the largest mass extinction in Earth's history 250 million years ago. The reason: global warming.

Novel process represents faster and more economical route for devising countermeasures against biothreats, scientists say Posted: 05 Nov 2012 05:12 AM PST Scientists have developed a faster, less expensive route to screen suitable tests for bioterror threats and accelerate the application of countermeasures.

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