ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Where to look for life? Astronomers devise 'habitability index' to guide future search
• Packaged food purchases at non-grocery stores are up but nutritional quality is down
• Ancient alga knew how to survive on land before it left water and evolved into the first plant
• Bacteria in the world’s oceans produce millions of tons of hydrocarbons each year
• Cryptic invasions by ecological engineers conceal profound changes in nature
• Simpler way to estimate feedback between permafrost carbon, climate
• Efficiency from larger perovskite solar cells improved
• True colors: Using molecular analysis to clarify dino color claims
• Big range of behaviors for tiny graphene pores
• Happy head, happy heart: Positive emotions may promote heart-healthy behaviors
• How the brain recognizes objects
• Spay, neuter, or shot? How an injection could be the future of animal control
• Chernobyl: At site of world's worst nuclear disaster, the animals have returned
• Battling obesity in the classroom with exercise
• World's largest atom smashers produce world's smallest droplets
• Surprise: Your visual cortex is making decisions
• Phone app allows researchers to conduct concealed food safety observations
• Gut bacteria population, diversity linked to anorexia nervosa
• Flame retardant breakthrough is naturally derived, nontoxic
• Volcanic eruptions affect flow of world's major rivers
• Horse sickness shares signs of human brain disorders, study finds
• Electron tomography with 3487 images in 3.5 seconds
• Study examines incidence of serious, highly drug-resistant group of bacteria
• Patients with flu-associated pneumonia less likely to have received flu vaccine
• Sharing of genetic data empowers discovery of new disorders in children
• Illegal trade contributes to placing cacti among world's most threatened species
• The warmer the higher: Sea-level rise from Filchner-Ronne ice in Antarctica
• Crucial hurdle overcome in quantum computing
• Ethnic, racial, socioeconomic disparities in retinoblastoma in children
• Antihypertensive beta-blockers may increase cardiovascular risks in surgical patients
• Disparities in time spent seeking medical care in the United States
• Finches offer researchers a new tool with which to study Huntington's disease
• Study reveals key structure in telomerase enzyme, a target for cancer drugs
• Pinpointing gene that regulates repair, regeneration in adult lungs
• Nanoparticulate carbon black particles tiny culprits that start emphysema
• Study examines antibullying policies, bullying in 25 states
• Developing a nanoscale 'clutch'
• 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• Liquid cooling moves onto the chip for denser electronics
• Predictive model could help guide choices for breast cancer therapies
• Compulsive texting associated with poorer school performance among adolescent girls, study finds
• Three new chigger mite species discovered in Taiwan
• Gastric bypass surgery improves blood sugar handling and insulin sensitivity, study finds
• Molecular nanoribbons as electronic highways
• Observing the unobservable: Researchers measure electron orbitals of molecules in 3D
• New way to weigh a star
• Novel prosthetic heart valve developed for treatment of severe heart disorder
• The forgotten knowledge of the Mediterranean Sea during the era of National Socialism
• High-speed march through a layer of graphene
• Type 1 diabetes prevention: Insulin vaccine undergoes second trial
• Depression can lead to work disability
• Genetic polymorphism associated with lung cancer progression
• Green walls: Red card for office worker health?
• Fraudulent views of videos impact advertising industry and society widely
• Emissions targets are out of reach without a massive technological shift in Europe's basic industries
• Speeding up TB detection in Cambodia
• Stimulant medication safe, effective for children with ADHD and congenital heart disease
• Wild plants call to carnivores to get rid of pests; could crops do the same?
• Zipline-related injuries are rapidly increasing
• Brightness-equalized quantum dots improve biological imaging

Where to look for life? Astronomers devise 'habitability index' to guide future search Posted: 05 Oct 2015 03:46 PM PDT Astronomers have created a way to compare and rank exoplanets to help prioritize which of the thousands discovered warrant close inspection in the search for life beyond Earth.

Packaged food purchases at non-grocery stores are up but nutritional quality is down Posted: 05 Oct 2015 12:15 PM PDT Consumers are increasingly buying food from mass merchandisers, warehouse clubs, and convenience stores, but are selecting foods with poor nutritional profiles, according to new study.

Ancient alga knew how to survive on land before it left water and evolved into the first plant Posted: 05 Oct 2015 12:14 PM PDT A team of scientists has solved a long-running mystery about the first stages of plant life on earth.

Bacteria in the world’s oceans produce millions of tons of hydrocarbons each year Posted: 05 Oct 2015 12:14 PM PDT Scientists have calculated that millions of tons of hydrocarbons are produced annually by photosynthetic bacteria in the world's oceans.

Cryptic invasions by ecological engineers conceal profound changes in nature Posted: 05 Oct 2015 10:29 AM PDT A new study reveals that the salt marsh plant Spartina alterniflora, which grows on more than 9,000 km of the Atlantic coastline of South America, is not native to the area and was in fact introduced 200 years ago.

Simpler way to estimate feedback between permafrost carbon, climate Posted: 05 Oct 2015 10:28 AM PDT A simple model of permafrost carbon based on direct observations has been developed by a team of scientists. Their approach could help climate scientists evaluate how well permafrost dynamics are represented in Earth system models used to predict climate change.

Efficiency from larger perovskite solar cells improved Posted: 05 Oct 2015 10:28 AM PDT Perovskite solar cells are cheaper to make than traditional silicon cells and their electricity conversion efficiency is improving rapidly. To be commercially viable, perovskite cells need to scale up from lab size. Researchers report a method for making perovskite cells larger while maintaining efficiency.

True colors: Using molecular analysis to clarify dino color claims Posted: 05 Oct 2015 10:27 AM PDT How do we know that the melanosomes found in the fossils are actually melanosomes and not something else, like leftover impressions from the microbes (some of which also make melanin) that coated the feather during its decay and preservation?

Big range of behaviors for tiny graphene pores Posted: 05 Oct 2015 10:27 AM PDT Researchers have created tiny pores in single sheets of graphene that have an array of preferences and characteristics similar to those of ion channels in living cells.

Happy head, happy heart: Positive emotions may promote heart-healthy behaviors Posted: 05 Oct 2015 10:26 AM PDT People with heart disease may benefit from maintaining positive emotions, according to health researchers. The researchers assessed psychological well-being of participants at baseline and again at a five-year follow-up by asking the participants to rate the extent that they had felt 10 specified positive emotions, including "interested," "proud," "enthusiastic" and "inspired." Physical activity, sleep quality, medication adherence and alcohol and cigarette use were also measured at baseline and again five years later.

How the brain recognizes objects Posted: 05 Oct 2015 10:26 AM PDT Using data from both humans and nonhuman primates, neuroscientists have found that neuron firing patterns in the IT cortex correlate strongly with success in object-recognition tasks.

Spay, neuter, or shot? How an injection could be the future of animal control Posted: 05 Oct 2015 10:25 AM PDT A single shot into the muscle is enough to stop egg and sperm production in mice, report scientists. The injection delivers packaged DNA into muscle cells, causing them to produce neutralizing antibodies against male and female reproductive hormones. All mice that received the shot were unable to sire offspring after about two months, with no side effects.

Chernobyl: At site of world's worst nuclear disaster, the animals have returned Posted: 05 Oct 2015 10:25 AM PDT In 1986, after a fire and explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant released radioactive particles into the air, thousands of people left the area, never to return. Now, researchers have found that the Chernobyl site looks less like a disaster zone and more like a nature preserve, teeming with elk, roe deer, red deer, wild boar, and wolves.

Battling obesity in the classroom with exercise Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:17 AM PDT There's another burst of seat-bouncing, giggling and shouting in a simulated classroom. Through a new study, researchers hope to find ways to redesign classrooms and develop a curriculum to add in two-minute exercise breaks throughout the day -- "a prescription for physical activity" -- and incorporate the additional fitness as seamlessly as possible for teachers.

World's largest atom smashers produce world's smallest droplets Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:14 AM PDT A series of experiments has created the tiniest drops of quark-gluon plasma ever made, scientists report.

Surprise: Your visual cortex is making decisions Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:14 AM PDT The part of the brain responsible for seeing is more powerful than previously believed. In fact, the visual cortex can essentially make decisions just like the brain's traditional 'higher level' areas, finds a new study.

Phone app allows researchers to conduct concealed food safety observations Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:14 AM PDT Smartphones are so ubiquitous, and text messaging and social media activities so common in public places, that no one questions what anyone does with their phone. That pervasiveness allows a phone application to be used in direct, concealed observations without alerting the people being observed.

Gut bacteria population, diversity linked to anorexia nervosa Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:13 AM PDT Studying the 'gut-brain axis,' researchers find evidence of an association between the gut microbiota and the eating disorder anorexia nervosa.

Flame retardant breakthrough is naturally derived, nontoxic Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:13 AM PDT A new flame retardant has been created to replace commercial additives that are often toxic and can accumulate over time in the environment and living animals, including humans.

Volcanic eruptions affect flow of world's major rivers Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:11 AM PDT Major volcanic eruptions can have a significant effect on the flow of the biggest rivers around the world, research shows. In the first study of its kind, scientists sought to better understand how big volcanic eruptions, which can trigger a shortage of rainfall in many regions of the world, can impact on rivers. Their findings could help scientists predict how water availability in regions throughout the world might be affected by future eruptions.

Horse sickness shares signs of human brain disorders, study finds Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:11 AM PDT Horses with a rare nerve condition have similar signs of disease as people with conditions such as Alzheimer's, a new study has found. The findings shed new light on the causes of the rare but predominately fatal horse condition and could help to develop new tools for diagnosing the illness.

Electron tomography with 3487 images in 3.5 seconds Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:11 AM PDT Scientists have used a transmission electron microscope to record almost 3500 images in 3.5 seconds for the reconstruction of a 3D electron tomogram. Previously, 10 to 60 minutes and a ten-fold greater electron dose were required to record such image sequences. The new capability is particularly suitable for examining cells, bacteria, viruses and dynamic processes, such as chemical reactions and electronic switching phenomena.

Study examines incidence of serious, highly drug-resistant group of bacteria Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:10 AM PDT The overall incidence in 2012-2013 was relatively low of a serious, highly drug-resistant group of bacteria (Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae that are an important cause for health-care associated infections, according to a study. Most CRE cases were associated with prior hospitalizations and discharge to long-term care settings.

Patients with flu-associated pneumonia less likely to have received flu vaccine Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:10 AM PDT Among children and adults hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia, those with influenza-associated pneumonia, compared with those with pneumonia not associated with influenza, had lower odds of having received an influenza vaccination, according to a study.

Sharing of genetic data empowers discovery of new disorders in children Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:10 AM PDT Four new genetic disorders have been identified by the team behind the Deciphering Developmental Disorders (DDD) Study, one of the world's largest nationwide rare disease genome-wide sequencing initiatives. They developed a novel computational approach to identify genetic variants that cause disease in young children, contrasting the DNA of children with severe developmental disorders of unknown genetic cause, with the DNA from individuals without overt developmental disorders. It was only possible because of data sharing.

Illegal trade contributes to placing cacti among world's most threatened species Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:10 AM PDT Thirty-one percent of cactus species are threatened with extinction, according to the first comprehensive, global assessment of the species group. This places cacti among the most threatened taxonomic groups assessed on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species -- more threatened than mammals and birds.

The warmer the higher: Sea-level rise from Filchner-Ronne ice in Antarctica Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:10 AM PDT The more ice is melted of the Antarctic Filchner-Ronne shelf, the more ice flows into the ocean, and the more the region contributes to global sea-level rise. Unlike some some other parts of Antarctica, this region is not characterized by instabilities which, once triggered, can lead to persistent ice discharge into the ocean even without a further increase of warming. So for the Filchner-Ronne ice, this is a tiny bit of good news.

Crucial hurdle overcome in quantum computing Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:10 AM PDT A team of engineers has built a quantum logic gate in silicon for the first time, making calculations between two qubits of information possible -- and thereby clearing the final hurdle to making silicon quantum computers a reality.

Ethnic, racial, socioeconomic disparities in retinoblastoma in children Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:09 AM PDT Ethnic, racial and socioeconomic disparities appear to exist among children with retinoblastoma, a once uniformly fatal but now treatable eye cancer, and those disparities are associated with greater risks for advanced disease and undergoing enucleation (removal of the eye), according to an article.

Antihypertensive beta-blockers may increase cardiovascular risks in surgical patients Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:09 AM PDT A two-drug antihypertensive treatment that included a beta-blocker was associated with increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events and death in a study of patients who underwent noncardiac surgery, according to an article.

Disparities in time spent seeking medical care in the United States Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:09 AM PDT Racial/ethnic minorities and unemployed individuals had a longer total time burden (time spent traveling to, waiting for and receiving ambulatory medical care) in a nationally representative study, although patients' face-to-face time with physicians tended not to vary, according to a new article.

Finches offer researchers a new tool with which to study Huntington's disease Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:09 AM PDT The most common lab animals, rats and mice, can't tell scientists much about speech disorders. However, a new study shows how songbirds, specifically zebra finches, may be able to aid research on neurodegenerative disorders that affect speech and vocalization.

Study reveals key structure in telomerase enzyme, a target for cancer drugs Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:09 AM PDT Researchers have determined the structure of a key part of the enzyme telomerase, which is active in most cancers and enables cancer cells to proliferate indefinitely. The new findings reveal how the enzyme carries out a crucial function involved in protecting the ends of chromosomes.

Pinpointing gene that regulates repair, regeneration in adult lungs Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:09 AM PDT The whimsically named sonic hedgehog gene, best known for controlling embryonic development, also maintains the normal physiological state and repair process of an adult healthy lung, if damaged, according to new research.

Nanoparticulate carbon black particles tiny culprits that start emphysema Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:09 AM PDT When pathologists perform autopsies on smokers who died with severe emphysema, they find that lungs are black in appearance. Until recently, researchers and physicians could only guess at the composition of the material that gave the black color to the lungs of smokers. In two papers, researchers identify that black material as mostly insoluble nanoparticulate carbon black, tiny specks that result from the incomplete combustion of organic material, such as tobacco.

Study examines antibullying policies, bullying in 25 states Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:08 AM PDT Students who lived in states with an antibullying law that includes at least one US Department of Education-recommended legislative component had lower odds of reporting bullying and cyberbullying compared with students in states whose laws had no such provisions, according to an article.

Developing a nanoscale 'clutch' Posted: 05 Oct 2015 09:07 AM PDT A model microscopic system to demonstrate the transmission of torque in the presence of thermal fluctuations -- necessary for the creation of a tiny 'clutch' operating at the nanoscale -- has been assembled by an international collaboration.

2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Posted: 05 Oct 2015 08:28 AM PDT The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has decided to award the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with one half jointly to William C. Campbell and Satoshi ?mura for their discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites and the other half to Youyou Tu for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against malaria.

Liquid cooling moves onto the chip for denser electronics Posted: 05 Oct 2015 07:03 AM PDT Using microfluidic passages cut directly into the backsides of production field-programmable gate array devices, researchers are putting liquid cooling right where it's needed the most -- a few hundred microns away from where the transistors are operating.

Predictive model could help guide choices for breast cancer therapies Posted: 05 Oct 2015 06:57 AM PDT Biomedical engineers have demonstrated a proof-of-principle technique that could give women and their oncologists more personalized information to help them choose options for treating breast cancer.

Compulsive texting associated with poorer school performance among adolescent girls, study finds Posted: 05 Oct 2015 06:57 AM PDT Teenage girls who compulsively text are more likely than their male counterparts to do worse academically, according to research.

Three new chigger mite species discovered in Taiwan Posted: 05 Oct 2015 06:57 AM PDT Three new species of trombiculid mites, also known as 'chiggers,' have been discovered in Taiwan, according to a new paper. Chiggers are tiny mites that feed on skin in the larval stage. They feed by excreting a chemical that dissolves the skin into liquid form, which they then ingest.

Gastric bypass surgery improves blood sugar handling and insulin sensitivity, study finds Posted: 05 Oct 2015 05:26 AM PDT Gastric bypass surgery can lead to remission of type 2 diabetes along with weight loss. A new study examines why, finding that insulin sensitivity of the body's main glucose (sugar) storage sites improve after gastric bypass surgery.

Molecular nanoribbons as electronic highways Posted: 05 Oct 2015 05:25 AM PDT Physicists have developed a method to synthesize a unique and novel type of material which resembles a graphene nanoribbon but in molecular form. This material could be important for the further development of organic solar cells.

Observing the unobservable: Researchers measure electron orbitals of molecules in 3D Posted: 05 Oct 2015 05:25 AM PDT Many of you will remember them from your physics lessons at school: often represented as colourful clouds or balloons, electron orbitals provide information on the whereabouts of the electrons in atoms and molecules. Scientists have now succeeded in experimentally recording these structures in all three dimensions. They achieved this by further developing a method they had already applied two years ago to make these orbitals visible in two dimensions.

New way to weigh a star Posted: 05 Oct 2015 05:25 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new method for measuring the mass of pulsars - highly magnetized rotating neutron stars formed from the remains of massive stars after they explode into supernovae. Until now, scientists have determined the mass of stars, planets and moons by studying their motion in relation to others nearby, using the gravitational pull between the two as the basis for their calculations. However, in the case of young pulsars, mathematicians have now found a new way to measure their mass, even if a star exists on its own in space.

Novel prosthetic heart valve developed for treatment of severe heart disorder Posted: 05 Oct 2015 05:25 AM PDT A novel prosthetic heart valve has been developed, known as VeloX, which can be implanted through a small incision for the treatment of a serious heart valve disorder called mitral regurgitation. This is a condition in which the mitral valve on the left side of the heart does not close properly. The device is particularly beneficial to patients who are of high surgical risk or are unsuitable for existing clinical interventions.

The forgotten knowledge of the Mediterranean Sea during the era of National Socialism Posted: 05 Oct 2015 05:07 AM PDT "An astounding knowledge gap" is how one historian refers to the missing knowledge regarding the Mediterranean region in the years 1933 to 1945. German reports about that region hardly ever include this period. He has now reconstructed the population's level of knowledge regarding the Mediterranean region during the time of National Socialism.

High-speed march through a layer of graphene Posted: 05 Oct 2015 05:07 AM PDT Scientists have made simulations of the processes that happen when a layer of carbon atoms is irradiated with strong laser light.

Type 1 diabetes prevention: Insulin vaccine undergoes second trial Posted: 05 Oct 2015 05:07 AM PDT A vaccination against type 1 diabetes may soon be available to young children: the Pre-POINTearly vaccination study will involve children between the ages of six months and two years from across Germany who have a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes. In the preceding Pre-POINT study a positive immune response was triggered in children aged between two and seven years with the aid of powdered insulin. The follow-up Pre-POINTearly study will now test whether this effect can be confirmed by giving very young children oral insulin, and whether type 1 diabetes can be prevented in the long term.

Depression can lead to work disability Posted: 05 Oct 2015 05:07 AM PDT In Norway, men suffering from depression are three times more likely to become work disabled than non-sufferers. This risk is only twice as great for women. Now researchers have carried out a study that digs deeper into this issue.

Genetic polymorphism associated with lung cancer progression Posted: 05 Oct 2015 05:06 AM PDT Genetic polymorphisms associated with cancer progression lead to variations in gene expression and may serve as prognostic markers for lung cancer, researchers show. They found that in patients with lung cancer, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) may regulate gene and protein expression and be associated with poor prognosis. To establish this genetic polymorphism as a useful clinical prognostic marker and to further clarify its molecular mechanism, large-scale clinicopathological studies of lung cancer and/or other types of cancer are required for additional insights.

Green walls: Red card for office worker health? Posted: 05 Oct 2015 05:06 AM PDT Living 'green' walls may have adverse health effects on office workers living in hot, polluted climates, new research suggests. Investigating levels of air pollutants in modern office buildings, researchers conducted a modelling study focusing on ultrafine particles (UFPs). Such particles are a health concern as they can carry potentially toxic species into the lungs.

Fraudulent views of videos impact advertising industry and society widely Posted: 05 Oct 2015 05:06 AM PDT Researchers have reached striking results in their recently published paper Understanding the detection of fake view fraud in Video Content Portals. For the first time, it has been demonstrated that video portals are very vulnerable to fraud by fake views from robots (bots).

Emissions targets are out of reach without a massive technological shift in Europe's basic industries Posted: 05 Oct 2015 05:06 AM PDT The targets for lower emissions of carbon dioxide from Europe's basic industries are out of reach, without urgent introduction of innovative carbon dioxide mitigation technologies, say researchers who draw this conclusion after several years of research into carbon-intensive industry in Europe.

Speeding up TB detection in Cambodia Posted: 05 Oct 2015 05:06 AM PDT Tuberculosis (TB) is still a major health problem in Cambodia. New research in the slums of Phnom Penh, where tuberculosis (TB) wreaks havoc, has helped to develop a more effective approach to actively detect TB cases by using new diagnostic tools and strong involvement by the local community. The new approach allowed health workers to detect TB cases more quickly, which reduces the risk of further transmission of the disease.

Stimulant medication safe, effective for children with ADHD and congenital heart disease Posted: 05 Oct 2015 05:01 AM PDT Children with congenital heart disease and ADHD can take stimulant medications without fear of significant cardiovascular side effects, a new study concludes.

Wild plants call to carnivores to get rid of pests; could crops do the same? Posted: 05 Oct 2015 05:01 AM PDT Rose gardeners have a lot to say about aphids. Some may advise insecticides as a way to manage an infestation, but others will swear by live ladybugs. The latter is more environmental friendly, and once the ladybugs run out of food, they move on. While this strategy may work in someone's backyard, it's not an option on a large farm and a new paper argues how to scale up.

Zipline-related injuries are rapidly increasing Posted: 05 Oct 2015 05:01 AM PDT The popularity of ziplining has skyrocketed rapidly in recent years. The increase in popularity has also increased the number of injuries related to ziplining. A new study found that an estimated 16,850 non-fatal zipline-related injuries were treated in US emergency departments from 1997 through 2012.

Brightness-equalized quantum dots improve biological imaging Posted: 05 Oct 2015 05:01 AM PDT A new class of light-emitting quantum dots (QDs) with tunable and equalized fluorescence brightness across a broad range of colors has been introduced by scientists. This results in more accurate measurements of molecules in diseased tissue and improved quantitative imaging capabilities, they say.

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