ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Magnetic anomaly deep within Earth's crust reveals Africa in North America
• Ancient volcanic explosions shed light on Mercury's origins
• New insights into quantum dynamics and quantum chaos
• Magnitude 8.2 earthquake off Chile: Thrust faulting at shallow depths near the Chilean coast
• Novel biomarker for head and neck cancer, non-small cell lung cancer identified
• Killing a name of an extinct sea cow species
• Regolith of small asteroids formed by thermal fatigue
• Americans using more energy, according to new analysis
• Most comprehensive wiring diagram of the mammalian brain to date
• A critical window into the developing human brain profiled in Nature
• 'Geologic clock' helps determine moon's age
• New general concept for treatment of cancer
• Call for circumcision gets a boost from experts
• One or two? How to decide how many species you have got
• Cell-surface receptor offers promising breakthrough for pancreatic cancer patients
• Researchers identify how zinc regulates key enzyme involved in cell death
• E-cigarettes: No smoke, no danger?
• Strain-specific Lyme disease immunity lasts for years
• The science of champagne fizz: How many bubbles are in your bubbly?
• '3-D' test could reduce reliance on animals for testing asthma and allergy medications
• Key chocolate ingredients could help prevent obesity, diabetes
• First peanut genome sequenced
• Infants are sensitive to pleasant touch
• Integrating meditation with science
• Treating tumors: Radiation able to be securely stored in nontoxic molecule, study suggests
• Europeans have three times more Neanderthal genes for lipid catabolism than Asians or Africans
• Biological evidence of positive and negative people in the world
• Tiny crystals to boost solar
• Levels of sodium intake recommended by CDC associated with harmful health outcomes
• Galactic serial killer: Galaxy engulfed several other galaxies in its violent history
• Coffee Consumption Reduces Mortality Risk from Liver Cirrhosis
• Low-cost, highly efficient OLED lighting: Europium complexes emit red light at record efficiency
• Natural variation: Warm North Atlantic Ocean promotes extreme winters in US and Europe
• Ancient nomads spread earliest domestic grains along Silk Road: Findings push back earliest known East-West interaction by 2,000 years
• Probiotics do not help infants with colic
• Amazon Studied to Predict Impact of Climate Change
• Unvaccinated infants act as 'kindling' to fuel epidemics
• 'Touched' female cockroaches reproduce faster
• Ancient stormy weather: World's oldest weather report could revise bronze age chronology
• Similarities between HIV/AIDS, opioid addiction epidemics
• The mammography dilemma: 50 years of analysis
• A protein could be key weapon in battle of the bulge
• Obesity primes colon for cancer, according to study
• Spine surgeons need to screen more patients for anxiety, depression, study suggests
• 'Chemical atlas' provides unique understanding of ocean geochemistry

Magnetic anomaly deep within Earth's crust reveals Africa in North America Posted: 02 Apr 2014 01:24 PM PDT The repeated cycles of plate tectonics that have led to collision and assembly of large supercontinents and their breakup and formation of new ocean basins have produced continents that are collages of bits and pieces of other continents. Figuring out the origin and make-up of continental crust formed and modified by these tectonic events is vital to understanding Earth's geology and is important for many applied fields, such as oil, gas, and gold exploration.

Ancient volcanic explosions shed light on Mercury's origins Posted: 02 Apr 2014 12:36 PM PDT The surface of Mercury crackled with volcanic explosions for extended periods of the planet's history, according to a new analysis. The findings are surprising considering Mercury wasn't supposed to have explosive volcanism in the first place, and they could have implications for understanding how Mercury formed.

New insights into quantum dynamics and quantum chaos Posted: 02 Apr 2014 12:36 PM PDT A team of researchers has announced analytical prediction and numerical verification of novel quantum rotor states in nanostructured superconductors.

Magnitude 8.2 earthquake off Chile: Thrust faulting at shallow depths near the Chilean coast Posted: 02 Apr 2014 11:56 AM PDT A large earthquake struck off Chile on April 1, 2014 at 23:46:46 UTC, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The magnitude 8.2 earthquake in northern Chile occurred as the result of thrust faulting at shallow depths near the Chilean coast. The location and mechanism of the earthquake are consistent with slip on the primary plate boundary interface, or megathrust, between the Nazca and South America plates.

Novel biomarker for head and neck cancer, non-small cell lung cancer identified Posted: 02 Apr 2014 11:03 AM PDT A new biomarker linked to better outcomes of patients with head and neck cancers and non-small cell lung cancer has been identified by researchers. The work could help scientists develop new diagnostics and therapies and help physicians determine the best long-term treatments for patients with these cancers.

Killing a name of an extinct sea cow species Posted: 02 Apr 2014 10:40 AM PDT Sirenians, or sea cows, are a particular group of mammals that superficially resembles whales in having, amongst other features, a streamlined-body and horizontal tail fluke. Though belonging to the so-called marine mammals, such as whales and seals, sea cows are members of a group having a single origin that includes their closest living relatives, the proboscideans (or elephants in the broader sense).

Regolith of small asteroids formed by thermal fatigue Posted: 02 Apr 2014 10:39 AM PDT The centimeter-sized fragments and smaller particles that make up the regolith -- the layer of loose, unconsolidated rock and dust -- of small asteroids is formed by temperature cycling that breaks down rock in a process called thermal fatigue, according to a new article.

Americans using more energy, according to new analysis Posted: 02 Apr 2014 10:39 AM PDT Americans used more renewable, fossil and even nuclear energy in 2013, according to the most recent energy flow charts. Wind energy continued to grow strongly, increasing 18 percent from 1.36 quadrillion BTUs, or quads, in 2012 to 1.6 quads in 2013. New wind farms continue to come on line with bigger, more efficient turbines. Most new wind turbines can generate 2 to 2.5 megawatts of power.

Most comprehensive wiring diagram of the mammalian brain to date Posted: 02 Apr 2014 10:39 AM PDT Researchers have published the first comprehensive, large-scale data set on how the brain of a mammal is wired, providing a groundbreaking data resource and fresh insights into how the nervous system processes information. Their landmark paper describes the publicly available Allen Mouse Brain Connectivity Atlas and demonstrates the exciting knowledge that can be gleaned from this valuable resource.

A critical window into the developing human brain profiled in Nature Posted: 02 Apr 2014 10:39 AM PDT Researchers have generated a high-resolution blueprint for how to build a human brain, with a detailed map of where different genes are turned on and off during mid-pregnancy at unprecedented anatomical resolution. This is the first major report using data from the BrainSpan Atlas of the Developing Human Brain.

'Geologic clock' helps determine moon's age Posted: 02 Apr 2014 10:39 AM PDT Planetary scientists have determined that the moon formed nearly 100 million years after the start of the solar system, according to a new article. This conclusion is based on measurements from the interior of the Earth combined with computer simulations of the protoplanetary disk from which the Earth and other terrestrial planets formed.

New general concept for treatment of cancer Posted: 02 Apr 2014 10:39 AM PDT A team of researchers from five Swedish universities has identified a new way of treating cancer. The concept is based on inhibiting a specific enzyme called MTH1, which cancer cells, unlike normal cells, require for survival. Without this enzyme, oxidized nucleotides are incorporated into DNA, resulting in lethal DNA double-strand breaks in cancer cells.

Call for circumcision gets a boost from experts Posted: 02 Apr 2014 10:38 AM PDT In the United States the rate of circumcision in men has increased to 81% over the past decade. In an important new study, authors have shown that the benefits of infant male circumcision to health exceed the risks by over 100 to 1. Over their lifetime half of uncircumcised males will contract an adverse medical condition caused by their foreskin, the researchers suggest.

One or two? How to decide how many species you have got Posted: 02 Apr 2014 09:16 AM PDT It is often difficult to decide whether two animals belong to the same or two distinct species. This can be especially challenging for animals which externally look very similar. In a recent study, scientists use genetic data and calls analysis to test if treefrogs from West and Central Africa belong to different or the same species.

Cell-surface receptor offers promising breakthrough for pancreatic cancer patients Posted: 02 Apr 2014 09:14 AM PDT Findings of a new study provide a direct proof for a new therapy and provide hope for the people with pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer rates in the U.S. have been rising over the past decade, and the disease takes a very heavy toll. The American Cancer Society estimates that in the last year alone about 45,220 people were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, while 38,460 died of the illness.

Researchers identify how zinc regulates key enzyme involved in cell death Posted: 02 Apr 2014 08:16 AM PDT The molecular details of how zinc, an essential trace element of human metabolism, interacts with the enzyme caspase-3, which is central to apoptosis or cell death, have been elucidated in a new study led by researchers. Dysregulation of apoptosis is implicated in cancer and neurodegenerative disease. Zinc is known to affect the process by inhibiting the activity of caspases, which are important drug targets for the treatment of the above conditions.

E-cigarettes: No smoke, no danger? Posted: 02 Apr 2014 08:15 AM PDT Smokers turn to e-cigarettes to ease nicotine withdrawal, or to avoid harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke. But many use e-cigarettes in public spaces and regular cigarettes everywhere else. Quitting half-way won't help. And researchers do not know that smokeless vapor is safe. E-cigarettes create an inhalable nicotine vapor by heating a liquid nicotine solution. While there are many different e-cigarette devices on the market, the basic parts of a typical device include a battery, a cartridge with nicotine (and possibly flavoring), and a heater that vaporizes the nicotine to be inhaled.

Strain-specific Lyme disease immunity lasts for years Posted: 02 Apr 2014 08:00 AM PDT Lyme disease, if not treated promptly with antibiotics, can become a lingering problem for those infected. But a new study led by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania has some brighter news: Once infected with a particular strain of the disease-causing bacteria, humans appear to develop immunity against that strain that can last six to nine years.

The science of champagne fizz: How many bubbles are in your bubbly? Posted: 02 Apr 2014 08:00 AM PDT The importance of fizz, more technically known as effervescence, in sparkling wines and champagnes is not to be underestimated -- it contributes to the complete sensory experience of a glass, or flute, of fine bubbly. A scientist has now closely examined the factors that affect these bubbles, and he has come up with an estimate of just how many are in each glass.

'3-D' test could reduce reliance on animals for testing asthma and allergy medications Posted: 02 Apr 2014 08:00 AM PDT To determine whether new medicines are safe and effective for humans, researchers must first test them in animals, which is costly and time-consuming, as well as ethically challenging. Scientists now report that they've developed a simple, '3-D' laboratory method to test asthma and allergy medications that mimics what happens in the body, which could help reduce the need for animal testing.

Key chocolate ingredients could help prevent obesity, diabetes Posted: 02 Apr 2014 08:00 AM PDT Improved thinking. Decreased appetite. Lowered blood pressure. The potential health benefits of dark chocolate keep piling up, and scientists are now homing in on what ingredients in chocolate might help prevent obesity, as well as type-2 diabetes. They found that one particular type of antioxidant in cocoa prevented laboratory mice from gaining excess weight and lowered their blood sugar levels.

First peanut genome sequenced Posted: 02 Apr 2014 07:59 AM PDT The International Peanut Genome Initiative -- a group of multinational crop geneticists who have been working in tandem for the last several years -- has successfully sequenced the peanut's genome. The new peanut genome sequence will be available to researchers and plant breeders across the globe to aid in the breeding of more productive and more resilient peanut varieties.

Infants are sensitive to pleasant touch Posted: 02 Apr 2014 07:57 AM PDT Infants show unique physiological and behavioral responses to pleasant touch, which may help to cement the bonds between child and parent and promote early social and physiological development, according to research. According to the researchers, the findings "support the notion that pleasant touch plays a vital role in human social interactions by demonstrating that the sensitivity to pleasant touch emerges early in human development."

Integrating meditation with science Posted: 02 Apr 2014 07:57 AM PDT Mindfulness meditation produces personal experiences that are not readily interpretable by scientists who want to study its psychiatric benefits in the brain. Researchers have now been able to integrate mindfulness experience with hard neuroscience data to advance more rigorous study.

Treating tumors: Radiation able to be securely stored in nontoxic molecule, study suggests Posted: 02 Apr 2014 07:56 AM PDT Researchers discovered that microscopic "bubbles" are safe and effective storage lockers for harmful isotopes that emit ionizing radiation for treating tumors. The findings can benefit patient health and advance radiation therapy used to treat cancer and other diseases.

Europeans have three times more Neanderthal genes for lipid catabolism than Asians or Africans Posted: 02 Apr 2014 07:00 AM PDT Contemporary Europeans have as many as three times more Neanderthal variants in genes involved in lipid catabolism than Asians and Africans. Although Neanderthals are extinct, fragments of their genomes persist in modern humans. These shared regions are unevenly distributed across the genome and some regions are particularly enriched with Neanderthal variants.

Biological evidence of positive and negative people in the world Posted: 02 Apr 2014 07:00 AM PDT The ability to stay positive when times get tough -- and, conversely, of being negative -- may be hardwired in the brain, finds new research. The study focused on women because they are twice as likely as men to suffer from anxiety related problems and previously reported sex differences in brain structure and function could have obscured the results.

Tiny crystals to boost solar Posted: 02 Apr 2014 07:00 AM PDT A new approach to studying solar panel absorber materials has been developed. The technique could accelerate the development of non-toxic and readily available alternatives to current absorbers in thin film based solar cells.

Levels of sodium intake recommended by CDC associated with harmful health outcomes Posted: 02 Apr 2014 06:58 AM PDT Current levels of sodium intake recommended by the CDC have been discovered as unhealthy, according to a new study. concluded that 2,645 -- 4,945 mg of sodium per day, a range of intake within which the vast majority of Americans fall, actually results in more favorable health outcomes than the CDC's current recommendation of less than 2300mg/day for healthy individuals under 50 years old, and less than 1500 mg/day for most over 50 years.

Galactic serial killer: Galaxy engulfed several other galaxies in its violent history Posted: 02 Apr 2014 06:58 AM PDT A new image shows two contrasting galaxies: NGC 1316, and its smaller neighbor NGC 1317. These two are quite close to each other in space, but they have very different histories. The small spiral NGC 1317 has led an uneventful life, but NGC 1316 has engulfed several other galaxies in its violent history and shows the battle scars.

Coffee Consumption Reduces Mortality Risk from Liver Cirrhosis Posted: 02 Apr 2014 06:56 AM PDT Consuming two or more cups of coffee each day reduces the risk of death from liver cirrhosis by 66%, specifically cirrhosis caused by non-viral hepatitis, new research reveals. Findings show that tea, fruit juice, and soft drink consumption are not linked to cirrhosis mortality risk. As with previous studies, heavy alcohol use was found to increase risk of death from cirrhosis.

Low-cost, highly efficient OLED lighting: Europium complexes emit red light at record efficiency Posted: 02 Apr 2014 06:54 AM PDT Researchers worldwide continue search for better luminescent materials for OLED manufacturing. Two new compounds with europium complexes display in their class record high luminescence efficiencies in red, and their properties enable faster, low cost manufacturing of thin OLED films.

Natural variation: Warm North Atlantic Ocean promotes extreme winters in US and Europe Posted: 01 Apr 2014 06:04 PM PDT The extreme cold weather observed across Europe and the east coast of the US in recent winters could be partly down to natural, long-term variations in sea surface temperatures, according to a new study. Researchers have shown that a phenomenon known as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) -- a natural pattern of variation in North Atlantic sea surface temperatures that switches between a positive and negative phase every 60-70 years -- can affect an atmospheric circulation pattern, known as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), that influences the temperature and precipitation over the Northern Hemisphere in winter.

Ancient nomads spread earliest domestic grains along Silk Road: Findings push back earliest known East-West interaction by 2,000 years Posted: 01 Apr 2014 06:04 PM PDT Charred grains of barley, millet and wheat deposited nearly 5,000 years ago at campsites in the high plains of Kazakhstan show that nomadic sheepherders played a surprisingly important role in the early spread of domesticated crops throughout a mountainous east-west corridor along the historic Silk Road, suggests new research.

Probiotics do not help infants with colic Posted: 01 Apr 2014 06:04 PM PDT Giving probiotics to infants with colic does not appear to have any benefit, according to a large trial. Infant colic (excessive crying of unknown cause) affects up to 20% of infants and is a major burden to families and health services. Although it spontaneously resolves three to four months after birth, its cause remains elusive and no single effective treatment exists.

Amazon Studied to Predict Impact of Climate Change Posted: 01 Apr 2014 06:02 PM PDT Extreme weather events in the Amazon Basin are giving scientists an opportunity to predict the impacts of climate change and deforestation on ecological processes and ecosystem services of the Amazon River wetlands. "The research fills an important gap in our understanding of the vulnerability of tropical river-forest systems to changes in climate and land cover," said the project's leader.

Unvaccinated infants act as 'kindling' to fuel epidemics Posted: 01 Apr 2014 06:02 PM PDT Nearly 4 million children under 5 die from vaccine-preventable diseases worldwide each year, and two doctoral ecology students are working to change that. By taking into account seasonal fluctuations in birth rates, massive vaccination campaigns in the developing world could inoculate more unprotected infants and significantly reduce the number of deaths from diseases like measles, according to the researchers.

'Touched' female cockroaches reproduce faster Posted: 01 Apr 2014 06:02 PM PDT To speed up reproduction, there's no substitute for the tender touch of a live roach. That's the takeaway from a study examining whether artificial antennae can mimic a cockroach antenna's capacity to hasten reproduction in cockroach females.

Ancient stormy weather: World's oldest weather report could revise bronze age chronology Posted: 01 Apr 2014 02:29 PM PDT An inscription on a 3,500-year-old stone block from Egypt may be one of the world's oldest weather reports —- and could provide new evidence about the chronology of events in the ancient Middle East. A new translation of a 40-line inscription on the 6-foot-tall calcite block called the Tempest Stela describes rain, darkness and "the sky being in storm without cessation, louder than the cries of the masses."

Similarities between HIV/AIDS, opioid addiction epidemics Posted: 01 Apr 2014 01:22 PM PDT There are important parallels between the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the current epidemic of opioid addiction -- ones that could trigger a significant shift in opioid addiction prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Researchers detail how the HIV/AIDS epidemic spurred a public health approach centered on human rights, which included biomedical breakthroughs and life-saving treatment. Fast forward 30 years and the response to HIV/AIDS has attracted an unprecedented commitment of resources and international aid. Researchers assert that a parallel response is needed in response to the epidemic of addiction.

The mammography dilemma: 50 years of analysis Posted: 01 Apr 2014 01:21 PM PDT A comprehensive review of 50 year's worth of international studies assessing the benefits and harms of mammography screening suggests that the benefits of the screening are often overestimated, while harms are underestimated. The authors report that the best estimate of the reduction in mortality from breast cancer due to annual screening for women overall is about 19 percent. For women in their 40s, the reduction in risk was about 15 percent, and for women in their 60s, about 32 percent. But how much a woman benefits depends on her underlying risk of breast cancer.

A protein could be key weapon in battle of the bulge Posted: 01 Apr 2014 01:19 PM PDT Elevated levels of the neuroprotein GDNF may help fight the weight gain and health problems associated with a high-fat diet, new research finds. More than one-third of people in the US are obese. Obesity and its related health problems -- including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, insulin resistance, and belly fat -- affect so many, yet effective treatments to date are very few.

Obesity primes colon for cancer, according to study Posted: 01 Apr 2014 09:23 AM PDT Obesity, rather than diet, causes changes in the colon that may lead to colorectal cancer, according to results from a study in mice. The finding bolsters the recommendation that calorie control and frequent exercise are not only key to a healthy lifestyle, but a strategy to lower the risk for colon cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States.

Spine surgeons need to screen more patients for anxiety, depression, study suggests Posted: 01 Apr 2014 08:21 AM PDT Only 10 percent of orthopaedic surgeons and neurosurgeons follow professional guidelines recommending routine psychological screenings of patients prior to major surgery for severe back and leg pain, a study shows. The oversight, researchers say, may pose a serious risk to patients' surgical recovery. Previous reports have tied bouts of depression to longer recuperations, delayed returns to work, more postsurgical complications and failures to comply with medication schedules after patients leave the hospital.

'Chemical atlas' provides unique understanding of ocean geochemistry Posted: 01 Apr 2014 08:20 AM PDT An international project has produced a 'chemical atlas' providing unprecedented insight into the distributions of key elements, isotopes and other substances in the world's oceans. The atlas, which includes 3D maps and rotating images, provides a wealth of information including the distribution of micronutrients. They are important for the growth of marine phytoplankton and determine how much planet-warming carbon dioxide the ocean can soak up through biology, plus they can indicate areas of lead contamination from cars burning petrol laced with the toxic metal.

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