ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Amateur astronomers spot one in a billion star
• New Horizons close-up of Charon's 'mountain in a moat'
• Low chance of obese people recovering normal body weight
• ‘Eco-towers’ will fight climate change
• Oceans slowed global temperature rise, until now
• A most singular nano-imaging technique
• Weyl points, first predicted in 1929, observed for the first time
• Cell division speeds up as part of antibody selection
• Plant defense hormones help sculpt root microbiome
• After 85-year search, massless particle with promise for next-generation electronics found
• Polar bears threatened: Experience limited energy savings in summer
• Electrical signals could help repair injured spinal cords, expert suggests
• Brain-based algorithms make for better networks
• Trapped light orbits within an intriguing material
• Futuristic brain probe allows for wireless control of neurons
• Bilinguals of two spoken languages have more gray matter than monolinguals
• Born an addict: Clues from umbilical cords
• Massive study: Birth order has no meaningful effect on personality or IQ
• Neuroscientists decipher brain's noisy code
• Sun's activity controls Greenland temperatures
• Sitting time not associated with poorer diets in US adults
• No bones about it: Cannabis may be used to treat fractures
• How birds learn foreign languages
• Magnetic pulses to the brain deliver long-lasting relief for tinnitus patients
• The mosquito smells, before it sees, a bloody feast
• Jurassic saw fastest mammal evolution
• Exercising 300 minutes per week better for reducing total fat in postmenopausal women
• Orchestrating hair cell regeneration: A supporting player's close-up
• Miniature brains made from patient skin cells reveal insights into autism
• The emerging science of human screams
• Surprise: Subtle distractors may divert action more than overt ones
• Despite new information, Pluto will remain a dwarf planet, cosmologist says
• Are marine ecosystems headed toward a new productivity regime?
• Brakes and hairs from a maiden: The Pteridaceae fern family diversity in Togo
• Food safety expert explains food labels and their regulations
• Club membership in teens linked to lower mortality in older age
• Body temperature may trigger sudden cardiac death
• Non-invasive brain stimulation technique could transform learning
• Air pollution from wildfires may ignite heart hazards
• Researchers discover surprising link between chronic stress, preterm birth
• Feathered cousin of famous movie star dino unearthed in China
• Natural contaminants, arsenic and uranium, in one-fifth of California's groundwater
• Better DNA hair analysis for catching criminals
• Does salt cause thirst? It's really not all that certain
• It's official: Workplace rudeness is contagious
• Agriculture's next frontier? Growing plants in space
• Taxing the dose of calories in sugary drinks could help reduce obesity
• Potential target pathway may pave way for new therapeutic approaches for fragile X syndrome, autism
• Eating habits most important in weight gain in children
• Potential treatment for Parkinson's disease discovered
• On the way to breaking the terahertz barrier for graphene nanoelectronics
• New family of Macrolepidoptera discovered
• Gene causing appearance of premature aging found
• New resource makes gene-editing technology even more user-friendly
• Can protein 14-3-3 sigma prevent or kill breast cancer tumors?
• Observing brain network dynamics to diagnose Alzheimer's disease
• Model for robots with bacteria-controlled brains

Amateur astronomers spot one in a billion star Posted: 16 Jul 2015 05:54 PM PDT The Gaia satellite has discovered a unique binary system where one star is 'eating' the other, but neither star has any hydrogen, the most common element in the Universe. The system could be an important tool for understanding how binary stars might explode at the end of their lives.

New Horizons close-up of Charon's 'mountain in a moat' Posted: 16 Jul 2015 04:06 PM PDT A new image of an area on Pluto's largest moon Charon has a captivating feature -- a depression with a peak in the middle.

Low chance of obese people recovering normal body weight Posted: 16 Jul 2015 03:09 PM PDT The chance of an obese person attaining normal body weight is 1 in 210 for men and 1 in 124 for women, increasing to 1 in 1,290 for men and 1 in 677 for women with severe obesity, according to a new study. The findings suggest that current weight management programs focused on dieting and exercise are not effective in tackling obesity at population level.

‘Eco-towers’ will fight climate change Posted: 16 Jul 2015 01:08 PM PDT A new generation of green skyscrapers could help alleviate worldwide climate change, writes an urban planner.

Oceans slowed global temperature rise, until now Posted: 16 Jul 2015 01:06 PM PDT A new study of ocean temperature measurements shows that in recent years, extra heat from greenhouse gases has been trapped in the subsurface waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans, thus accounting for the slowdown in the global surface temperature increase observed during the past decade, researchers say.

A most singular nano-imaging technique Posted: 16 Jul 2015 01:06 PM PDT 'SINGLE' is a new imaging technique that provides the first atomic-scale 3-D structures of individual nanoparticles in solution. This is an important step for improving the design of colloidal nanoparticles for catalysis and energy research applications.

Weyl points, first predicted in 1929, observed for the first time Posted: 16 Jul 2015 01:06 PM PDT Part of a 1929 prediction by physicist Hermann Weyl -- of a kind of massless particle that features a singular point in its energy spectrum called the "Weyl point" -- has finally been confirmed by direct observation for the first time, says an international team of physicists. The finding could lead to new kinds of high-power single-mode lasers and other optical devices, the team says.

Cell division speeds up as part of antibody selection Posted: 16 Jul 2015 01:05 PM PDT In response to an infection, the immune system refines its defensive proteins, called antibodies, to better target an invader. New research has revealed two mechanisms that favor the selection of B cells capable of producing antibodies with the highest affinity for that invader.

Plant defense hormones help sculpt root microbiome Posted: 16 Jul 2015 01:03 PM PDT According to new research, the defense hormone salicylic acid helps select which bacteria live both inside and on the surface of a plant's roots, keeping some bacteria out and actively recruiting others.

After 85-year search, massless particle with promise for next-generation electronics found Posted: 16 Jul 2015 01:03 PM PDT Scientists have discovered Weyl fermions, elusive massless particles theorized 85 years ago that could give rise to faster and more efficient electronics because of their unusual ability to behave as matter and antimatter inside a crystal.

Polar bears threatened: Experience limited energy savings in summer Posted: 16 Jul 2015 01:03 PM PDT Some earlier research suggested that polar bears could, at least partially, compensate for longer summer food deprivation by entering a state of lowered activity and reduced metabolic rate similar to winter hibernation -- a so-called 'walking hibernation.' But new research shows that the summer activity and body temperature of bears on shore and on ice were typical of fasting, non-hibernating mammals, with little indication of 'walking hibernation.'

Electrical signals could help repair injured spinal cords, expert suggests Posted: 16 Jul 2015 11:19 AM PDT Wichita State University's Li Yao is taking a special approach to the study of spinal cord injuries through research that uses an electrical signal to repair tissue damage.

Brain-based algorithms make for better networks Posted: 16 Jul 2015 11:19 AM PDT Researchers have, for the first time, determined the rate at which the developing brain eliminates unneeded connections between neurons during early childhood. Though engineers use a dramatically different approach to build distributed networks of computers and sensors, the research team of computer scientists discovered that their newfound insights could be used to improve the robustness and efficiency of distributed computational networks

Trapped light orbits within an intriguing material Posted: 16 Jul 2015 11:16 AM PDT Hexagonal boron nitride bends electromagnetic energy in unusual and potentially useful ways. Physicists recently found that nanoscale granules of the material can store light. Now they have shown that the trapped light, polariton rays, propagate along paths at fixed angles with respect to the atomic structure of the material and at certain 'magic' frequencies form simple closed orbits. The insight could guide the development of applications such as nanoresonators, hyperlenses or infrared photon sources.

Futuristic brain probe allows for wireless control of neurons Posted: 16 Jul 2015 10:50 AM PDT A study showed that scientists can wirelessly determine the path a mouse walks with a press of a button. Researchers created a remote controlled, next-generation tissue implant that allows neuroscientists to inject drugs and shine lights on neurons deep inside the brains of mice.

Bilinguals of two spoken languages have more gray matter than monolinguals Posted: 16 Jul 2015 10:50 AM PDT A new study suggests people who speak two languages have more gray matter in the executive control region of the brain.

Born an addict: Clues from umbilical cords Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:47 AM PDT Every baby born that enters this world, arrives with an umbilical cord in tow. For those babies born addicted to drugs, that umbilical cord is now a key connection -- a hard to hide clue -- for identifying what drugs are coursing through a newborn's veins. The drug(s) detected will help physicians determine the best treatment and what withdrawal symptoms to expect.

Massive study: Birth order has no meaningful effect on personality or IQ Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:44 AM PDT For those who believe that birth order influences traits like personality and intelligence, a study of 377,000 high school students offers some good news: Yes, the study found, first-borns do have higher IQs and consistently different personality traits than those born later in the family chronology. However, researchers say, the differences between first-borns and 'later-borns' are so small that they have no practical relevance to people's lives.

Neuroscientists decipher brain's noisy code Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:44 AM PDT By comparing and analyzing the signals of individual neurons in animals undergoing behavioral tests, neuroscientists have deciphered the code that the brain uses to make the most of its inherently 'noisy' neuronal circuits.

Sun's activity controls Greenland temperatures Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:44 AM PDT The sun's activity could be affecting a key ocean circulation mechanism that plays an important role in regulating Greenland's climate, according to a new study. The phenomenon could be partially responsible for cool temperatures the island experienced in the late 20th century and potentially lead to increased melting of the Greenland ice sheet in the coming decades, the new research suggests.

Sitting time not associated with poorer diets in US adults Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:44 AM PDT Previously identified associations between TV viewing and a less healthful diet may stem from exposure to advertisements of high calorie foods and 'distracted eating' rather than the activity of sitting itself.

No bones about it: Cannabis may be used to treat fractures Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:43 AM PDT A new study explores another promising new medical application for marijuana. According to the research, the administration of the non-psychotropic component significantly helps heal bone fractures.

How birds learn foreign languages Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:41 AM PDT Biologists have succeeded in teaching wild birds to understand a new language. After only two days of training, fairy wrens learned to flee when they heard an alarm call that was foreign to them, showing that birds can learn to eavesdrop on the calls of other species.

Magnetic pulses to the brain deliver long-lasting relief for tinnitus patients Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:41 AM PDT In the largest US clinical trial of its kind researchers found that transcranial magnetic stimulation significantly improved tinnitus symptoms for more than half of study participants.

The mosquito smells, before it sees, a bloody feast Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:41 AM PDT The itchy marks left by the punctured bite of a mosquito are more than pesky, unwelcomed mementos of a day at the lake. These aggravating bites can also be conduits for hitchhiking pathogens to worm their way into our bodies. Mosquitoes spread malaria, dengue, yellow fever and West Nile virus, among others. As the bloodsucking insects evolve to resist our best pesticides, mosquito control may shift more to understanding how the mosquitoes find a tasty -- and unsuspecting -- human host. A team of biologists has now cracked the cues mosquitoes use to find human hosts.

Jurassic saw fastest mammal evolution Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:38 AM PDT Mammals were evolving up to 10 times faster in the middle of the Jurassic than they were at the end of the period, coinciding with an explosion of new adaptations, new research shows.

Exercising 300 minutes per week better for reducing total fat in postmenopausal women Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:38 AM PDT Postmenopausal women who exercised 300 minutes per week were better at reducing total fat and other adiposity measures, especially obese women, during a one-year clinical trial, a noteworthy finding because body fat has been associated with increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, according to a recent article.

Orchestrating hair cell regeneration: A supporting player's close-up Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:38 AM PDT A new study zeros in on an important component in fish: the support cells that surround centrally located hair cells in each garlic-shaped sensory organ, or neuromast.

Miniature brains made from patient skin cells reveal insights into autism Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:38 AM PDT Understanding diseases like autism and schizophrenia that affect development of the brain has been challenging due to both the complexity of the diseases and the difficulty of studying developmental processes in human tissues. Researchers have now made steps toward overcoming these challenges by converting skin cells from autism patients into stem cells and growing them into tiny brains in a dish, revealing unexpected mechanisms of the disease.

The emerging science of human screams Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:38 AM PDT Our noisy world is no match for a screaming infant. An airplane could be flying by as a house party rages on downstairs while a literal cat fight takes place outside, and still a wailing baby will win your attention. One possible explanation is that human screams possess a unique acoustic property found to activate not just the auditory brain but also the brain's fear circuitry.

Surprise: Subtle distractors may divert action more than overt ones Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:38 AM PDT What's more distracting, something overt or something subtle? We all know the right answer when it comes to perception, but in a new study, the less salient of two distractors had the greater power to affect an action.

Despite new information, Pluto will remain a dwarf planet, cosmologist says Posted: 16 Jul 2015 08:22 AM PDT Back in 1930, it was an easy answer -- Pluto was a planet because we couldn't see anything else brighter at a similar distance away from us, says a cosmologist. Then, in the 1990s, astronomers began detecting more and more planet-like objects around Pluto and the questions started -- was Pluto a planet or not?

Are marine ecosystems headed toward a new productivity regime? Posted: 16 Jul 2015 08:10 AM PDT Phytoplankton have been projected to produce less organic material as the oceans' temperatures rise -- with carry-on effects for higher levels of the food web. Based on new climate model simulations, a team of scientists suggests now that this assumption might be misleading. According to the researchers, ocean productivity might be pushed into a completely new regime in the more distant future.

Brakes and hairs from a maiden: The Pteridaceae fern family diversity in Togo Posted: 16 Jul 2015 08:09 AM PDT A revision of the Pteridaceae fern family from Togo was performed with recent field data and herbaria specimens from Lome and Paris. The study provides the first local scientific information on Togolese ferns. It confirms the presence of the Pteris similis species and brings the family's diversity up to 17 species.

Food safety expert explains food labels and their regulations Posted: 16 Jul 2015 07:16 AM PDT A food safety specialist explains some terms on food labels that are federally regulated and which lack a clear definition.

Club membership in teens linked to lower mortality in older age Posted: 16 Jul 2015 07:16 AM PDT Did you belong to community, sports, or other clubs in your teens? If so, you might be more likely to survive into your late seventies, suggests a new study.

Body temperature may trigger sudden cardiac death Posted: 16 Jul 2015 07:15 AM PDT When studying the proteins that underlie electrical signaling in the heart, and subjecting those proteins to conditions that are similar to the stress of exercise, researchers have found that in some cases, temperature can cause changes that trigger arrhythmia.

Non-invasive brain stimulation technique could transform learning Posted: 16 Jul 2015 07:15 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a new technique to enhance brain excitability that could improve physical performance in healthy individuals such as athletes and musicians.

Air pollution from wildfires may ignite heart hazards Posted: 16 Jul 2015 07:15 AM PDT Air pollution from wildfires may increase risk of cardiac arrests, and other sudden acute heart problems, researchers have found. Researchers noted that while breathing wildfire smoke was linked to respiratory problems such as asthma -- evidence of an association between wildfire smoke exposure and heart problems has been inconsistent.

Researchers discover surprising link between chronic stress, preterm birth Posted: 16 Jul 2015 07:15 AM PDT Excessive stress can result in preterm birth, which has been show to affect a person's health throughout their life, surprising new research shows. The World Health Organization estimates 15 million babies are born preterm each year. It is the leading cause of death for children under the age of five, and babies who survive are at much higher risk of developing a number of health conditions including chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease and metabolic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes.

Feathered cousin of famous movie star dino unearthed in China Posted: 16 Jul 2015 07:15 AM PDT A newly identified species of feathered dinosaur is the largest ever discovered to have a well-preserved set of bird-like wings, research suggests. Palaeontologists working in China unearthed the fossil remains of the winged dinosaur -- a close cousin of Velociraptor, which was made famous by the Jurassic Park films.

Natural contaminants, arsenic and uranium, in one-fifth of California's groundwater Posted: 16 Jul 2015 06:48 AM PDT Natural contaminants are more prevalent than human-made contaminants in California groundwater used for public supply, is the conclusion of a decade-long study by U.S. Geological Survey scientists. The study evaluated the quality of nearly all of the groundwater used for public supply in California and is the most comprehensive assessment of groundwater in any state to date. Groundwater provides about one-third of California's drinking supply in a typical year, but more during drought conditions.

Better DNA hair analysis for catching criminals Posted: 16 Jul 2015 06:20 AM PDT A simple, lower-cost new method for DNA profiling of human hairs should improve opportunities to link criminals to serious crimes, researchers report. They have modified existing laboratory methods and been able to produce accurate DNA profiles from trace amounts at a much higher success rate.

Does salt cause thirst? It's really not all that certain Posted: 16 Jul 2015 06:20 AM PDT Conventional wisdom contends that the consumption of salt makes us thirsty and therefore leads to increased drinking to restore the balance of minerals in the body. However, no correlation was found between salt intake and an increased sense of thirst or more drinking of water, researchers report at the conclusion of their study.

It's official: Workplace rudeness is contagious Posted: 16 Jul 2015 06:20 AM PDT Rudeness in the workplace isn't just unpleasant: it's also contagious. Encountering rude behavior at work makes people more likely to perceive rudeness in later interactions, a study shows. That perception makes them more likely to be impolite in return, spreading rudeness like a virus.

Agriculture's next frontier? Growing plants in space Posted: 16 Jul 2015 06:20 AM PDT Space may not be the final frontier for researchers who want to grow plants there. Because, who knows, we may one day try to live on Mars, and to survive, we'll have to grow our own food. Thus far, experiments by the two pioneering scientists have proven so successful that, earlier this month, NASA recognized their research with one of its three awards in the category of the Most Compelling Results.

Taxing the dose of calories in sugary drinks could help reduce obesity Posted: 16 Jul 2015 06:17 AM PDT A tax on sugary drinks that depends on the number of calories or amount of sugar per liter could help fight obesity, suggests new research. While a few countries are already trialing a tax on sugary drinks, taxing the dose would encourage drinks companies to offer low-calorie alternatives Worldwide, an estimated 1.9 billion adults are overweight, and of these 600 million are obese. Obesity increases the risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes; in the US alone, obesity-related healthcare costs around $200 billion a year. Due to their high sugar content and low nutritional value, there is growing concern that sugary drinks are a significant contributor to obesity.

Potential target pathway may pave way for new therapeutic approaches for fragile X syndrome, autism Posted: 16 Jul 2015 06:17 AM PDT The protein APP plays a significant role in the development of fragile X syndrome (FXS) at young stages, a new study suggests. Researchers identified an unexpected biological pathway as a promising target to ameliorate deficits associated with FXS and autism.

Eating habits most important in weight gain in children Posted: 16 Jul 2015 06:17 AM PDT Some children gain weight faster than others. What make some children gain weight faster than others? Eating habits seem to have far more to say than physical activity, new research suggests.

Potential treatment for Parkinson's disease discovered Posted: 16 Jul 2015 06:17 AM PDT Scientists have found that existing anti-malaria drugs could be a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that causes a person to lose control of motor movements, such as the ability to move his or her hands, arms, and legs.

On the way to breaking the terahertz barrier for graphene nanoelectronics Posted: 16 Jul 2015 06:17 AM PDT A team of scientists discovered that electrical conduction in graphene on the picosecond timescale -- a picosecond being one thousandth of one billionth of a second -- is governed by the same basic laws that describe the thermal properties of gases. This much simpler thermodynamic approach to the electrical conduction in graphene will allow scientists and engineers not only to better understand but also to improve the performance of graphene-based nanoelectronic devices.

New family of Macrolepidoptera discovered Posted: 16 Jul 2015 06:17 AM PDT After a long time puzzling over the moth Pseudobiston pinratanai, scientists have now described the new moth family Pseudobistonidae. The first specimen of the moth Pseudobiston pinratanai was captured in 1989 in northern Thailand.

Gene causing appearance of premature aging found Posted: 16 Jul 2015 06:15 AM PDT A genetic mutation associated with the appearance of premature aging and severe loss of body fat in children has been identified by scientists. They found that the appearance of premature aging, a neonatal form of Progeroid syndrome, in a 3-year-old girl was caused by a mutation in the gene CAV1.

New resource makes gene-editing technology even more user-friendly Posted: 16 Jul 2015 06:15 AM PDT A new user-friendly resource to accompany the powerful gene editing tool called CRISPR/Cas9, which has been widely adopted to make precise, targeted changes in DNA, has been developed by researchers. This breakthrough has the potential to facilitate new discoveries in gene therapies and basic genetics research.

Can protein 14-3-3 sigma prevent or kill breast cancer tumors? Posted: 16 Jul 2015 06:15 AM PDT Every parent knows the maxim 'feed a cold, starve a fever.' In cancer, however, exactly how to feed or starve a tumor has not been easy to determine. A new study has shown that a simple molecule called 14-3-3 sigma could be one answer for explaining cancer metabolism, the chemical process by which a tumor forms, grows or dies.

Observing brain network dynamics to diagnose Alzheimer's disease Posted: 16 Jul 2015 06:15 AM PDT By analyzing blood flow in the brain, a team of researchers was able to observe the interactions between different regions in the brain in real time. Their new imaging technique could help with the early detection of Alzheimer's disease.

Model for robots with bacteria-controlled brains Posted: 16 Jul 2015 06:15 AM PDT A scientist used a mathematical model to demonstrate that bacteria can control the behavior of an inanimate device like a robot.

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