ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Tiny structure gives big boost to solar power
• New study sheds light on how Salmonella spreads in the body
• Low fat diet is key to a slimmer figure, study suggests
• Vaginal microbicide gel may offer a promising strategy for prevention and protection against HIV transmission
• How common 'cat parasite' gets into human brain and influences human behavior
• Valuable tool for predicting pain genes in people: 'Network map' of genes involved in pain perception
• New genetic disorder of balance and cognition discovered
• What happens to plant growth when you remove gravity?
• World's big trees are dying: Alarming increase in death rates among trees 100-300 years old
• What is creating gullies on giant asteroid Vesta?
• Little telescope spies gigantic galaxy clusters
• Apollo's lunar dust data being restored
• Treadmill testing can predict heart disease in women
• Silver nanocubes make super light absorbers, hold great potential for solar cells
• Migrating Great Lakes salmon carry contaminants upstream
• Seeing in color at the nanoscale: Scientists develop a new nanotech tool to probe solar-energy conversion
• Deception can be perfected: Can a repeated lie become 'a truth? '
• Unlocking the genetic mysteries behind stillbirth
• Researchers craft tool to minimize threat of endocrine disruptors in new chemicals
• How calorie restriction influences longevity: Protecting cells from damage caused by chronic disease
• Harmful greenhouse gas turned into tool for making pharmaceuticals: New technique finds use for ozone-destroying chemical waste product
• World's smallest reaction chamber
• Gene network illuminates stress, mutation and adaptation responses
• Drought in the Horn of Africa delays migrating birds
• Study of social network 'check-ins' shows we still make friends face-to-face
• Biologist treks across Southwestern China to answer the 'killer mushroom' question
• Moths wired two ways to take advantage of floral potluck
• New atomic-layer electrodeposition method yields surprising results
• His and hers: Male sex hormones control differences in mammary gland nerve growth
• Eating fewer, larger meals may prove healthier for obese women
• Fit kids finish first in the classroom
• Insect-eating bat outperforms nectar specialist as pollinator of cactus flowers
• Prenatal tests more informative using microarray technology than microscope analysis
• Statins linked to improved survival in inflammatory breast cancer
• Fingers on the pulse: Neuroscientists show ultrasound can be tweaked to stimulate different sensations
• 'Time reversal' research may open doors to future tech
• Fermi improves its vision for thunderstorm Gamma-ray flashes
• Discovery of pathway leading to depression reveals new drug targets
• New genetic pathway behind neurodevelopmental disorders discovered
• Rapid eye movements significantly delayed in people with glaucoma
• How cold will a winter be in two years? Climate models still struggle with medium-term climate forecasts
• Feeling disgust may enhance our ability to detect impurities
• Cocktail boosts immune cells in fighting cancer
• Insight into DNA reprogramming during egg and sperm cell development
• New evidence for epigenetic effects of diet on healthy aging
• Image of the Carina Nebula marks inauguration of VLT Survey Telescope
• Biochemists trap a chaperone machine in action
• Scientists identify molecules in the ear that convert sound into brain signals
• Disgust circuit: Flies sniff out and avoid spoiled food
• At high altitude, carbs are the fuel of choice
• European Romani exodus began 1,500 years ago, DNA evidence shows
• Searching for the best black hole recipe
• Protein linking exercise to bigger, stronger muscles discovered; Finding might lead to new therapies for muscle-wasting diseases
• Sungrazing comets as solar probes
• NASA investigates use of 'trailblazing' material for new sensors
• NASA's TRMM satellite provides 3-D analyzation of super-typhoon Bopha
• Arctic continues to break records in 2012: Becoming warmer, greener region with record losses of summer sea ice and late spring snow
• Molecule critical to nerve cells increases drammatically during hypertension
• Flexible silicon solar-cell fabrics may soon become possible
• Hubble sees a galaxy hit a bullseye

Tiny structure gives big boost to solar power Posted: 06 Dec 2012 05:34 PM PST Researchers have found a simple and economic way to nearly triple the efficiency of organic solar cells, the cheap and flexible plastic devices that many scientists believe could be the future of solar power.

New study sheds light on how Salmonella spreads in the body Posted: 06 Dec 2012 05:34 PM PST Scientists have discovered a new mechanism used by bacteria to spread in the body. The mechanism offers the potential to identify targets to prevent the dissemination of the infection process.

Low fat diet is key to a slimmer figure, study suggests Posted: 06 Dec 2012 05:32 PM PST Exchanging fatty foods for lower fat alternatives will help people shift around three-and-a-half pounds -- without any other form of dieting. People taking part in trials also saw their waist-lines become slimmer, and levels of bad cholesterol decrease. The results demonstrate that weight loss can happen without actively trying to lose weight beyond simply choosing foods lower in fat.

Vaginal microbicide gel may offer a promising strategy for prevention and protection against HIV transmission Posted: 06 Dec 2012 05:32 PM PST A new study shows that a microbicide gel is highly effective in block infection by the AIDS virus in a non-human primate model. Scientists have described the gel's key ingredient, which are small peptides engineered to present a decoy to bind up the virus and prevent it from entering and infecting the cells of the body.

How common 'cat parasite' gets into human brain and influences human behavior Posted: 06 Dec 2012 05:32 PM PST A new study demonstrates for the first time how the Toxoplasma gondii parasite enters the brain to influence its host's behavior.

Valuable tool for predicting pain genes in people: 'Network map' of genes involved in pain perception Posted: 06 Dec 2012 05:32 PM PST Scientists in Australia and Austria have described a "network map" of genes involved in pain perception. The work should help identify new analgesic drugs.

New genetic disorder of balance and cognition discovered Posted: 06 Dec 2012 05:32 PM PST The family of disorders known as ataxia can impair speech, balance and coordination, and have varying levels of severity. Scientists have identified a new member of this group of conditions which is connected to 'Lincoln ataxia', so called because it was first found in the relatives of US President Abraham Lincoln.

What happens to plant growth when you remove gravity? Posted: 06 Dec 2012 05:31 PM PST It is well known that plant growth patterns are influenced by a variety of stimuli, gravity being one amongst many. On Earth plant roots exhibit characteristic behaviors called 'waving' and 'skewing', which were thought to be gravity-dependent events. However, Arabidopsis plants grown on the International Space Station (ISS) have demonstrated this theory wrong, according to a new study: root 'waving' and 'skewing' occur in spaceflight plants independently of gravity.

World's big trees are dying: Alarming increase in death rates among trees 100-300 years old Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:25 PM PST The largest living organisms on the planet, the big, old trees that harbor and sustain countless birds and other wildlife, are dying. In a new report, ecologists warns of an alarming increase in death rates among trees 100-300 years old in many of the world's forests, woodlands, savannahs, farming areas and even in cities.

What is creating gullies on giant asteroid Vesta? Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:08 PM PST In a preliminary analysis of images from NASA's Dawn mission, scientists have spotted intriguing gullies that sculpt the walls of geologically young craters on the giant asteroid Vesta. The scientists have found narrow channels of two types in images from Dawn's framing camera -- some that look like straight chutes and others that carve more sinuous trails and end in lobe-shaped deposits. The mystery, however, is what is creating them?

Little telescope spies gigantic galaxy clusters Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:00 PM PST Our solar system, with its colorful collection of planets, asteroids and comets, is a fleck in the grander cosmos. Hundreds of billions of solar systems are thought to reside in our Milky Way galaxy, which is itself just a drop in a sea of galaxies. The rarest and largest of galaxy groupings, called galaxy clusters, can be the hardest to find. That's where NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) can help. The mission's all-sky infrared maps have revealed one distant galaxy cluster and are expected to uncover thousands more.

Apollo's lunar dust data being restored Posted: 06 Dec 2012 12:36 PM PST Forty years after the last Apollo spacecraft launched, the science from those missions continues to shape our view of the moon. In one of the latest developments, readings from the Apollo 14 and 15 dust detectors have been restored by scientists with the National Space Science Data Center at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

Treadmill testing can predict heart disease in women Posted: 06 Dec 2012 12:36 PM PST Although there is a widespread belief among physicians that the exercise treadmill test is not reliable in evaluating the heart health of women, researchers have found that the test can accurately predict coronary artery disease in women over the age of 65.

Silver nanocubes make super light absorbers, hold great potential for solar cells Posted: 06 Dec 2012 12:36 PM PST Microscopic metallic cubes could unleash the enormous potential of metamaterials to absorb light, leading to more efficient and cost-effective large-area absorbers for sensors or solar cells, researchers have found.

Migrating Great Lakes salmon carry contaminants upstream Posted: 06 Dec 2012 12:36 PM PST Salmon, as they travel upstream to spawn and die, carry industrial pollutants into Great Lakes streams and tributaries.

Seeing in color at the nanoscale: Scientists develop a new nanotech tool to probe solar-energy conversion Posted: 06 Dec 2012 12:36 PM PST If nanoscience were television, we'd be in the 1950s. Although scientists can make and manipulate nanoscale objects with increasingly awesome control, they are limited to black-and-white imagery for examining those objects. But that may all change with the introduction of a new microscopy tool that delivers exquisite chemical details with a resolution once thought impossible.

Deception can be perfected: Can a repeated lie become 'a truth? ' Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:20 AM PST With a little practice, one could learn to tell a lie that may be indistinguishable from the truth. New research shows that lying is more malleable than previously thought, and with a certain amount of training and instruction, the art of deception can be perfected. Researchers found instruction alone significantly reduced reaction times associated with participants' deceptive responses. This research could have implications for law enforcement and the administering of lie detector tests.

Unlocking the genetic mysteries behind stillbirth Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:20 AM PST A new test for analyzing the chromosomes of stillborn babies, known as microarray analysis, has now proven 40 percent more effective in pinpointing potential genetic causes of death than the old karyotype testing procedure.

Researchers craft tool to minimize threat of endocrine disruptors in new chemicals Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:20 AM PST Researchers have developed a safety testing system to help chemists design inherently safer chemicals and processes.

How calorie restriction influences longevity: Protecting cells from damage caused by chronic disease Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:20 AM PST Scientists have identified a novel mechanism by which a type of low-carb, low-calorie diet -- called a "ketogenic diet" -- could delay the effects of aging. This fundamental discovery reveals how such a diet could slow the aging process and may one day allow scientists to better treat or prevent age-related diseases, including heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and many forms of cancer.

Harmful greenhouse gas turned into tool for making pharmaceuticals: New technique finds use for ozone-destroying chemical waste product Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:20 AM PST Chemists have developed a way to transform a hitherto useless ozone-destroying greenhouse gas that is the byproduct of Teflon manufacture and transform it into reagents for producing pharmaceuticals.

World's smallest reaction chamber Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:20 AM PST The world's smallest reaction chamber, with a mixing volume measured in femtolitres (million billionths of a litre), can be used to study the kind of speedy, nanoscale biochemical reactions that take place inside individual cells. By combining two electrospray emitters, not only can such reactions occur but the resulting products can be determined by mass spectrometry.

Gene network illuminates stress, mutation and adaptation responses Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:20 AM PST Scientists have studied the puzzling response of bacteria to stress and the mutations that result. Now they can put together the pieces of that puzzle, describing most of the members of an elaborate gene network that functions in causing mutations during repair of double-stranded breaks in the DNA of stressed cells.

Drought in the Horn of Africa delays migrating birds Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:20 AM PST The catastrophic drought last year in the Horn of Africa affected millions of people but also caused the extremely late arrival into northern Europe of several migratory songbird species, a new study shows. Details of the migration route was revealed by data collected from small back-packs fitted on birds showing that the delay resulted from an extended stay in the Horn of Africa.

Study of social network 'check-ins' shows we still make friends face-to-face Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:13 AM PST Even in the age of social media, the closer you live to another persons, the more likely you are to be friends with them, according to a study that drew on data from a location-based social network provider.

Biologist treks across Southwestern China to answer the 'killer mushroom' question Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:13 AM PST The findings shattered a myth started by a 2010 article in the journal Science, claiming the Trogia venenata mushroom contained high concentrations of the metal barium, causing high blood pressure, cardiac arrests and sudden deaths in southwestern China over the past 30 years.

Moths wired two ways to take advantage of floral potluck Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:13 AM PST Moths are able to enjoy a pollinator's buffet of flowers -- in spite of being among the insect world's picky eaters -- because of two distinct "channels" in their brains, scientists have discovered.

New atomic-layer electrodeposition method yields surprising results Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:13 AM PST A new method for creating very thin layers of materials at the atomic scale could "unlock an important new technology" for creating nanomaterials, according to nanomaterials experts.

His and hers: Male sex hormones control differences in mammary gland nerve growth Posted: 06 Dec 2012 11:13 AM PST Scientists have found a surprising mechanism that gives male sex hormones like testosterone control over the gender-specific absence or presence of mammary gland nerves that sense the amount of milk available in breast milk ducts.

Eating fewer, larger meals may prove healthier for obese women Posted: 06 Dec 2012 10:18 AM PST Media articles and nutritionists alike have perpetuated the idea that for healthy metabolisms individuals should consume small meals multiple times a day. However, new research suggests all-day snacking might not be as beneficial as previously thought, especially for obese women.

Fit kids finish first in the classroom Posted: 06 Dec 2012 10:18 AM PST Fit kids aren't only first picked for kickball. New research shows middle school students in the best physical shape outscore their classmates on standardized tests and take home better report cards.

Insect-eating bat outperforms nectar specialist as pollinator of cactus flowers Posted: 06 Dec 2012 10:18 AM PST In a surprising result, scientists have found that the insect-eating pallid bat is a more effective pollinator of cardon cactus flowers than a nectar-feeding specialist, the lesser long-nosed bat.

Prenatal tests more informative using microarray technology than microscope analysis Posted: 06 Dec 2012 10:16 AM PST A new method for detecting abnormalities in unborn children is providing physicians with more information to analyze the results than conventional, microscopic testing.

Statins linked to improved survival in inflammatory breast cancer Posted: 06 Dec 2012 10:16 AM PST Researchers found statins, the commonly used drug to lower cholesterol, improved progression-free survival in patients with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC).

Fingers on the pulse: Neuroscientists show ultrasound can be tweaked to stimulate different sensations Posted: 06 Dec 2012 10:15 AM PST Scientists have shown with fMRI and EEG that ultrasound applied to the periphery, such as fingertips, can stimulate sensory pathways to the brain. The discovery has bearing on diagnosing and treating neuropathy, which affects millions.

'Time reversal' research may open doors to future tech Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:43 AM PST Imagine a cell phone charger that recharges your phone remotely without even knowing where it is; a device that targets and destroys tumors, wherever they are in the body; or a security field that can disable electronics, even a listening device hiding in a prosthetic toe, without knowing where it is. While these applications remain only dreams, researchers have come up with a sci-fi seeming technology that one day could make them real. Using a "time-reversal" technique, the team has discovered how to transmit power, sound or images to a "nonlinear object" without knowing the object's exact location or affecting objects around it.

Fermi improves its vision for thunderstorm Gamma-ray flashes Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:24 AM PST Thanks to improved data analysis techniques and a new operating mode, the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor aboard NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is now 10 times better at catching the brief outbursts of high-energy light mysteriously produced above thunderstorms.

Discovery of pathway leading to depression reveals new drug targets Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:23 AM PST Scientists have identified the key molecular pathway leading to depression, revealing potential new targets for drug discovery, according to research. The study reveals for the first time that the 'Hedgehog pathway' regulates how stress hormones, usually elevated during depression, reduce the number of brain cells.

New genetic pathway behind neurodevelopmental disorders discovered Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:23 AM PST Researchers have discovered a new genetic process that could one day provide a novel target for the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as intellectual disability and autism.

Rapid eye movements significantly delayed in people with glaucoma Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:23 AM PST Rapid eye movements are significantly delayed in patients with glaucoma, even those in the early stages of the disease, research has found.

How cold will a winter be in two years? Climate models still struggle with medium-term climate forecasts Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:23 AM PST How well are the most important climate models able to predict the weather conditions for the coming year or even the next decade? Scientists have evaluated 23 climate models. Their conclusion: there is still a long way to go before reliable regional predictions can be made on seasonal to decadal time scales.

Feeling disgust may enhance our ability to detect impurities Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:23 AM PST From an evolutionary standpoint, experiencing the intense, visceral sense of revulsion that comes with disgust presumably helps us to avoid contaminants that can make us sick or even kill us. But new research suggests that disgust not only helps us to avoid impurities, it may also make us better able to see them.

Cocktail boosts immune cells in fighting cancer Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:23 AM PST Natural killer cells, as part of the body´s immune system, can effectively fight cancer. Unfortunately, they quickly lose their aggressiveness and hence are unable to reject solid tumors. Scientists have now discovered a cocktail consisting of three different immune mediators that leaves NK killer cells active over a long period of time. In mice, cocktail-boosted NK cells let tumors shrink. The cocktail -was able to persistently activate human NK cells, too.

Insight into DNA reprogramming during egg and sperm cell development Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:23 AM PST Scientists have gained a new understanding of when and how the DNA in developing egg and sperm cells is 'reset', in preparation for making a new embryo.

New evidence for epigenetic effects of diet on healthy aging Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:22 AM PST New research in human volunteers has shown that molecular changes to our genes, known as epigenetic marks, are driven mainly by aging but are also affected by what we eat. The study showed that whilst age had the biggest effects on these molecular changes, selenium and vitamin D status reduced their accumulation, and high blood folate and obesity increased them. These findings support the idea that healthy aging is affected by what we eat.

Image of the Carina Nebula marks inauguration of VLT Survey Telescope Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:19 AM PST A spectacular new image of the star-forming Carina Nebula has been captured by the VLT Survey Telescope at the European Southern Observatory's Paranal Observatory and released on the occasion of the inauguration of the telescope in Naples today. The picture was taken with the help of Sebastián Piñera, President of Chile, during his visit to the observatory on June 5, 2012.

Biochemists trap a chaperone machine in action Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:19 AM PST Molecular chaperones have emerged as exciting new potential drug targets, because scientists want to learn how to stop cancer cells, for example, from using chaperones to enable their uncontrolled growth. Now biochemists have deciphered key steps in the mechanism of the Hsp70 molecular machine by "trapping" this chaperone in action, providing a dynamic snapshot of its mechanism.

Scientists identify molecules in the ear that convert sound into brain signals Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:19 AM PST Scientists have identified a critical component of the ear-to-brain conversion -- a protein called TMHS. This protein is a component of the so-called mechanotransduction channels in the ear, which convert the signals from mechanical sound waves into electrical impulses transmitted to the nervous system.

Disgust circuit: Flies sniff out and avoid spoiled food Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:19 AM PST The ability to detect rotten food is so crucial for survival that even flies have a dedicated neural circuit to do just that, according to a new study. The brain circuit allows flies to avoid feeding and laying eggs on fruit covered in toxic molds and bacteria and represents a unique, specialized system for detecting a repulsive odor.

At high altitude, carbs are the fuel of choice Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:19 AM PST Mice living in the high-altitude, oxygen-starved environment of the Andean mountains survive those harsh conditions by fueling their muscles with carbohydrates. The findings provide the first compelling evidence of a clear difference in energy metabolism between high- and low-altitude native mammals.

European Romani exodus began 1,500 years ago, DNA evidence shows Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:19 AM PST Despite their modern-day diversity of language, lifestyle, and religion, Europe's widespread Romani population shares a common, if complex, past. It all began in northwestern India about 1,500 years ago, according to a new study that offers the first genome-wide perspective on Romani origins and demographic history.

Searching for the best black hole recipe Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:17 AM PST In this holiday season of home cooking and carefully-honed recipes, some astronomers are asking: what is the best mix of ingredients for stars to make the largest number of plump black holes? They are tackling this problem by studying the number of black holes in galaxies with different compositions. One of these galaxies is the ring galaxy NGC 922 that was formed by the collision between two galaxies.

Protein linking exercise to bigger, stronger muscles discovered; Finding might lead to new therapies for muscle-wasting diseases Posted: 06 Dec 2012 09:17 AM PST Scientists have isolated a previously unknown protein in muscles that spurs their growth and increased power following resistance exercise. They suggest that artificially raising the protein's levels might someday help prevent muscle loss caused by cancer, prolonged inactivity in hospital patients, and aging.

Sungrazing comets as solar probes Posted: 06 Dec 2012 07:50 AM PST To observe how winds move high in Earth's atmosphere, scientists sometimes release clouds of barium as tracers to track how the material corkscrews, blows around, and changes composition in response to high altitude winds -- but scientists have no similar technique to study the turbulent atmosphere of the sun. So researchers were excited in December 2011, when Comet Lovejoy swept right through the sun's corona with its long tail streaming behind it.

NASA investigates use of 'trailblazing' material for new sensors Posted: 06 Dec 2012 07:45 AM PST Tiny sensors -- made of a potentially trailblazing material just one atom thick and heralded as the "next best thing" since the invention of silicon -- are now being developed to detect trace elements in Earth's upper atmosphere and structural flaws in spacecraft.

NASA's TRMM satellite provides 3-D analyzation of super-typhoon Bopha Posted: 06 Dec 2012 07:42 AM PST NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite observed the eyewall of Super-typhoon Bopha in 3-D shortly before noon on Monday, Dec. 3, 2012 (Philippines local time). At that time, Bopha was at category 3 and had begun rapidly intensifying to category 5 prior to landfall in the pre-dawn hours the next morning. Bopha made landfall in the Philippines, on the island of Mindanao.

Arctic continues to break records in 2012: Becoming warmer, greener region with record losses of summer sea ice and late spring snow Posted: 06 Dec 2012 07:39 AM PST The Arctic region continued to break records in 2012 -- among them the loss of summer sea ice, spring snow cover, and melting of the Greenland ice sheet. This was true even though air temperatures in the Arctic were unremarkable relative to the last decade, according to a new report.

Molecule critical to nerve cells increases drammatically during hypertension Posted: 06 Dec 2012 06:47 AM PST Researchers have made an important connection between a molecule critical to nerve cells and high blood pressure. Production of the molecule Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor appears to increase dramatically in blood pressure-sensing nerve cells during hypertension. The study may someday have implications for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure, which affects about one in three adults in the United States.

Flexible silicon solar-cell fabrics may soon become possible Posted: 06 Dec 2012 06:47 AM PST For the first time, a silicon-based optical fiber with solar-cell capabilities has been developed that is capable of being scaled up to many meters in length. The research opens the door to the possibility of weaving together solar-cell silicon wires to create flexible, curved, or twisted solar fabrics.

Hubble sees a galaxy hit a bullseye Posted: 06 Dec 2012 06:45 AM PST In Hubble's image, NGC 922 clearly reveals itself not to be a normal spiral galaxy. The spiral arms are disrupted, a stream of stars extends out towards the top of the image, and a bright ring of nebulae encircles the core. New observations reveal more chaos in the form of ultraluminous X-ray sources dotted around the galaxy.

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