ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Japanese spacecraft to search for clues of Earth's first life
• MRI scanners affect concentration and visuospatial awareness
• Smokers more than double their risk of burst aneurysm
• Chronic stress linked to high risk of stroke
• Bacterial cause found for skin condition rosacea
• Living against the clock; Does loss of daily rhythms cause obesity?
• Increased risk of prematurity and low birth weight in babies born after three or more abortions
• Malaria nearly eliminated in Sri Lanka despite decades of conflict
• Benzene in California groundwater occurs infrequently and is mainly from natural sources, study finds
• Mississippi River flows backwards due to Isaac
• Saturn and its largest moon reflect their true colors
• Scientist creates test, treatment for malaria-like sickness in horses
• New cancer drug is ten times more potent
• NASA sees Hurricane Isaac make double landfall in Louisiana
• 'Nano machine shop' shapes nanowires, ultrathin films
• US performs worst on potentially preventable death rates compared to France, Germany, and UK
• Rare find: Feathered dinosaur feasted on flying food
• Protein linked to increased risk of heart failure and death in older adults
• Aspirin-clopidogrel no better than aspirin alone for patients with lacunar stroke, study suggests
• Chocolate: A sweet method for stroke prevention in men?
• Flu is transmitted before symptoms appear, study in ferrets suggests
• NASA Curiosity rover begins eastbound trek on Martian surface
• California heatwaves to move toward coastal areas: Researchers reassess heatwaves against the backdrop of rising temperatures
• Hope of greater global food output, less environmental impact of agriculture
• Eyeless Australian fish have closest relatives in Madagascar
• Computer viruses could take a lesson from showy peacocks
• Walls of lunar crater may hold patchy ice
• Collagen-seeking synthetic protein could lead doctors to tumor locations
• Bonanza of black holes, hot DOGs: NASA's WISE survey uncovers millions of black holes
• For diabetics, a steady job is good for your health
• Malignant mesothelioma patients likely to benefit from drug pemetrexed identified, study suggests
• Diabetes can be controlled in patients after pancreas removal
• Scientists map first steps in flu antibody development
• New antibacterial coating for sutures could reduce infections after surgery
• Warning on deterioration of famous Swedish warship, Vasa
• Many trendy 'microgreens' are more nutritious than their mature counterparts
• New nanomaterial could help keep pilots and sensitive equipment safe from destructive lasers
• Hot spots pinpointed as earthquake trigger points: Small droplets of friction-generated melts can lead to 'megaquakes'
• Synchronized lasers measure how light changes matter: Effects of light at atomic scale probed by mixing x-ray and optical light waves
• Large methane reservoirs beneath Antarctic ice sheet, study suggests
• Single gene has major impact on gaits in horses and in mice
• Climate change stories from the abyss: Ancient climate mirrored and influenced by geochemical processes deep within ocean
• New approach needed to restore New England river herring
• Mystery surrounding death of two sisters nearly 50 years ago finally solved
• Smallest antenna can increase Wi-Fi speed 200 times
• Success in growth of regularly-ordered nanometer-scale crystalline thin film using 3-D porous material
• Driving an electron spin vortex 'skyrmion' with a microcurrent
• Activating and deactivating gold nanoparticle catalysts may lead to longer-lasting hydrogen fuel cells
• Photonics: Think thin, think vibrant
• Graphene-based materials kill bacteria two ways
• Oversized fat droplets: Too much of a good thing
• Cooler waters help diminish Isaac's punch
• Math ability requires crosstalk in the brain
• Decline in breeding chinstrap penguins in Antarctic Peninsula confirmed
• 'Anternet' discovered: Behavior of harvester ants as they forage for food mirrors protocols that control Internet traffic
• Las Cumbres Observatory spectrographs acquire target robotically
• Could a cancer drug prevent learning disabilities in some kids?
• Climate change could increase levels of avian influenza in wild birds
• Biologists create first predictive computational model of gene networks that control development of sea-urchin embryos
• Building blocks of life found around young star

Japanese spacecraft to search for clues of Earth's first life Posted: 29 Aug 2012 04:52 PM PDT In a Physics World special report on Japan, Dennis Normile reports on how the Japanese space agency JAXA plans to land a spacecraft onto an asteroid in 2018 to search for clues of how life began on Earth.

MRI scanners affect concentration and visuospatial awareness Posted: 29 Aug 2012 04:52 PM PDT Standard head movements made while exposed to one of the three electromagnetic fields produced by a heavy duty MRI scanner seem to temporarily lower concentration and visuospatial awareness, an experimental study shows.

Smokers more than double their risk of burst aneurysm Posted: 29 Aug 2012 04:52 PM PDT Smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day doubles the risk of a potentially fatal brain bleed as a result of a burst aneurysm, new research finds.

Chronic stress linked to high risk of stroke Posted: 29 Aug 2012 04:52 PM PDT Chronic stress, prompted by major life stressors and type A personality traits, is linked to a high risk of stroke, new research finds.

Bacterial cause found for skin condition rosacea Posted: 29 Aug 2012 04:51 PM PDT Scientists are closer to establishing a definitive bacterial cause for the skin condition rosacea. This will allow more targeted, effective treatments to be developed for sufferers.

Living against the clock; Does loss of daily rhythms cause obesity? Posted: 29 Aug 2012 04:51 PM PDT When Thomas Edison tested the first light bulb in 1879, he could never have imagined that his invention could one day contribute to a global obesity epidemic. Electric light allows us to work, rest and play at all hours of the day, and a new article suggests that this might have serious consequences for our health and for our waistlines.

Increased risk of prematurity and low birth weight in babies born after three or more abortions Posted: 29 Aug 2012 04:51 PM PDT One of the largest studies to look at the effect of induced abortions on a subsequent first birth has found that women who have had three or more abortions have a higher risk of some adverse birth outcomes, such as delivering a baby prematurely and with a low birth weight.

Malaria nearly eliminated in Sri Lanka despite decades of conflict Posted: 29 Aug 2012 04:51 PM PDT Despite nearly three decades of conflict, Sri Lanka has succeeded in reducing malaria cases by 99.9 percent since 1999 and is on track to eliminate the disease entirely by 2014.

Benzene in California groundwater occurs infrequently and is mainly from natural sources, study finds Posted: 29 Aug 2012 04:28 PM PDT Benzene occurs infrequently in California public supply wells and comes predominantly from naturally occurring petroleum deposits deep in the ground, according to a study by the U.S. Geological Survey. Spills associated with underground fuel storage and above ground distribution systems have long been considered the main source of benzene in groundwater. This unique study finds that contamination most often occurs in older, brackish, groundwater located near naturally occurring deep underground oil and gas deposits.

Mississippi River flows backwards due to Isaac Posted: 29 Aug 2012 04:24 PM PDT Strong winds and storm surge from Hurricane Isaac's landfall forced the Mississippi River to flow backwards for nearly 24 hours on Tuesday, Aug. 28. The USGS streamgage at Belle Chasse, Louisiana, showed the Mississippi River flowing upstream at 182,000 cubic feet per second, surging to 10 feet above than its previous height. Average flow for the Mississippi River at Belle Chase is about 125,000 cfs towards the Gulf of Mexico.

Saturn and its largest moon reflect their true colors Posted: 29 Aug 2012 04:16 PM PDT Posing for portraits for NASA's Cassini spacecraft, Saturn and its largest moon, Titan, show spectacular colors in a quartet of images being released today. One image captures the changing hues of Saturn's northern and southern hemispheres as they pass from one season to the next.

Scientist creates test, treatment for malaria-like sickness in horses Posted: 29 Aug 2012 02:21 PM PDT A therapy used in an outbreak of equine piroplasmosis at the storied King Ranch in Texas is now being evaluated as a standard US treatment protocol.

New cancer drug is ten times more potent Posted: 29 Aug 2012 02:21 PM PDT Chemists have taken an existing drug that is being developed for use in fighting certain types of cancer, added a special structure to it, and created a more potent, efficient weapon against cancer.

NASA sees Hurricane Isaac make double landfall in Louisiana Posted: 29 Aug 2012 02:21 PM PDT Hurricane Isaac made two landfalls in southeastern Louisiana. Isaac's first landfall occurred in southeastern Louisiana on Aug. 28 at 7:45 pm EDT, second landfall on Aug. 29 at 6 am EDT. NASA's TRMM satellite observed heavy rainfall in this slow moving storm, which leads to higher rainfall totals and flooding.

'Nano machine shop' shapes nanowires, ultrathin films Posted: 29 Aug 2012 02:21 PM PDT A new "nano machine shop" that shapes nanowires and ultrathin films could represent a future manufacturing method for tiny structures with potentially revolutionary properties.

US performs worst on potentially preventable death rates compared to France, Germany, and UK Posted: 29 Aug 2012 02:19 PM PDT The United States lags three other industrialized nations -- France, Germany, and the United Kingdom -- in its potentially preventable death rate, and in the pace of improvement in preventing deaths that could have been avoided with timely and effective health care, according to new research.

Rare find: Feathered dinosaur feasted on flying food Posted: 29 Aug 2012 02:19 PM PDT Researchers found evidence that a feathered, but flightless dinosaur was able to snag and consume small flying dinosaurs.

Protein linked to increased risk of heart failure and death in older adults Posted: 29 Aug 2012 02:19 PM PDT A protein known as galectin-3 can identify people at higher risk of heart failure, according to new research.

Aspirin-clopidogrel no better than aspirin alone for patients with lacunar stroke, study suggests Posted: 29 Aug 2012 02:19 PM PDT Aspirin combined with the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel is no better than aspirin alone for stroke prevention in people with a history of lacunar strokes, and the combination carries a greater risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, according to new results. Lacunar strokes occur due to chronic high blood pressure and typically produce small lesions deep within the brain.

Chocolate: A sweet method for stroke prevention in men? Posted: 29 Aug 2012 02:19 PM PDT Eating a moderate amount of chocolate each week may be associated with a lower risk of stroke in men, according to a new study.

Flu is transmitted before symptoms appear, study in ferrets suggests Posted: 29 Aug 2012 02:18 PM PDT New research examining influenza transmission in ferrets suggests that the virus can be passed on before the appearance of symptoms. If the finding applies to humans, it means that people pass on flu to others before they know they're infected, making it very difficult to contain epidemics.

NASA Curiosity rover begins eastbound trek on Martian surface Posted: 29 Aug 2012 01:57 PM PDT NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has set off from its landing vicinity on a trek to a science destination about a quarter mile (400 meters) away, where it may begin using its drill.

California heatwaves to move toward coastal areas: Researchers reassess heatwaves against the backdrop of rising temperatures Posted: 29 Aug 2012 12:12 PM PDT A new study suggests that the nature of California heatwaves is changing due to global warming. Climate researchers have detected a trend toward more humid heatwaves that are expressed very strongly in elevated nighttime temperatures, a trend consistent with climate change projections. Moreover, relative to local warming, the mid-summer heatwaves are getting stronger in generally cooler coastal areas.

Hope of greater global food output, less environmental impact of agriculture Posted: 29 Aug 2012 12:12 PM PDT Can we have enough to eat and a healthy environment, too? Yes -- if we're smart about it, suggests a new study.

Eyeless Australian fish have closest relatives in Madagascar Posted: 29 Aug 2012 12:12 PM PDT Researchers have discovered that two groups of blind cave fishes on opposite sides of the Indian Ocean are each other's closest relatives. Through comprehensive DNA analysis, the researchers determined that these eyeless fishes, one group from Madagascar and the other from similar subterranean habitats in Australia, descended from a common ancestor before being separated by continental drift nearly 100 million years ago.

Computer viruses could take a lesson from showy peacocks Posted: 29 Aug 2012 12:12 PM PDT Computer viruses are constantly replicating throughout computer networks and wreaking havoc. But what if they had to find mates in order to reproduce? Researchers have now created the digital equivalent of spring break to see how mate attraction played out through computer programs.

Walls of lunar crater may hold patchy ice Posted: 29 Aug 2012 12:11 PM PDT Scientists have estimated the maximum amount of ice likely to be found inside a permanently shadowed lunar crater located near the moon's south pole. As much as 5 to 10 percent of material, by weight, could be patchy ice, according to astronomers.

Collagen-seeking synthetic protein could lead doctors to tumor locations Posted: 29 Aug 2012 12:11 PM PDT A new synthetic protein can pinpoint cancer and other diseases in the body by finding nearby damaged collagen.

Bonanza of black holes, hot DOGs: NASA's WISE survey uncovers millions of black holes Posted: 29 Aug 2012 11:45 AM PDT NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission has led to a bonanza of newfound supermassive black holes and extreme galaxies called hot DOGs, or dust-obscured galaxies. Images from the telescope have revealed millions of dusty black hole candidates across the universe and about 1,000 even dustier objects thought to be among the brightest galaxies ever found. These powerful galaxies, which burn brightly with infrared light, are nicknamed hot DOGs.

For diabetics, a steady job is good for your health Posted: 29 Aug 2012 11:18 AM PDT If you're diabetic or prone to diabetes, having a steady job appears to be good for your health, and not just because of the insurance coverage.

Malignant mesothelioma patients likely to benefit from drug pemetrexed identified, study suggests Posted: 29 Aug 2012 11:18 AM PDT Previous studies have hypothesized that low levels of the enzyme thymidylate synthase (TS) likely mark patients who will benefit from the drug pemetrexed – but results have been inconclusive at best and at times contradictory. A new study provides an explanation why: Only in combination with high levels of a second enzyme, FPGS, does low TS predict response to pemetrexed in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Diabetes can be controlled in patients after pancreas removal Posted: 29 Aug 2012 11:18 AM PDT Removing the entire pancreas in patients with cancer or precancerous cysts in part of the organ does not result in unmanageable diabetes -- as many physicians previously believed, new research has found.

Scientists map first steps in flu antibody development Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:17 AM PDT Scientists have identified how a kind of immature immune cell responds to a part of influenza virus and have traced the path those cells take to generate antibodies that can neutralize a wide range of influenza virus strains.

New antibacterial coating for sutures could reduce infections after surgery Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:16 AM PDT Responding to an urgent need for better antibacterial coatings on surgical sutures, scientists are reporting the discovery of a new coating that is almost 1,000 times more effective than the most widely used commercial coating.

Warning on deterioration of famous Swedish warship, Vasa Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:16 AM PDT The famous warship, Vasa, displayed in a museum that gets 1.2 million visitors every year and ranks as one of Sweden's most popular tourist attractions, is deteriorating despite ongoing preservation efforts, scientists are reporting.

Many trendy 'microgreens' are more nutritious than their mature counterparts Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:16 AM PDT The first scientific analysis of nutrient levels in edible microgreens has found that many of those trendy seedlings of green vegetables and herbs have more vitamins and healthful nutrients than their fully grown counterparts.

New nanomaterial could help keep pilots and sensitive equipment safe from destructive lasers Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:16 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new material using nanotechnology, which could help keep pilots and sensitive equipment safe from destructive lasers.

Hot spots pinpointed as earthquake trigger points: Small droplets of friction-generated melts can lead to 'megaquakes' Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:16 AM PDT Scientists have come a step closer to deciphering some of the basic mysteries and mechanisms behind earthquakes and how average-sized earthquakes may evolve into massive earthquakes. Scientists describe new information gleaned from laboratory experiments mimicking earthquake processes. The researchers discovered how fault zones weaken in select locations shortly after a fault reaches an earthquake tipping point.

Synchronized lasers measure how light changes matter: Effects of light at atomic scale probed by mixing x-ray and optical light waves Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:16 AM PDT How matter responds to light lies at the core of vision, photosynthesis, solar cells, and many other fields of scientific and practical import. But until now, it hasn't been possible to see just how light does it. Now, scientists have demonstrated for the first time that x-ray and optical wave mixing reveals both structure and evolving charge states on the atomic scale.

Large methane reservoirs beneath Antarctic ice sheet, study suggests Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:16 AM PDT The Antarctic Ice Sheet could be an overlooked but important source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, according to a new report.

Single gene has major impact on gaits in horses and in mice Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:15 AM PDT A mutation in a single gene in horses that is critical for the ability to perform ambling gaits, for pacing and that has a major effect on performance in harness racing, new research shows. Experiments on this gene in mice have led to fundamental new knowledge about the neural circuits that control leg movements. The study is a breakthrough for our understanding of spinal cord neuronal circuitry and its control of locomotion in vertebrates.

Climate change stories from the abyss: Ancient climate mirrored and influenced by geochemical processes deep within ocean Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:15 AM PDT Scientists have shed new light on the world's history of climate change. The Pacific Ocean has remained the largest of all oceans on the planet for many million years. Scientists have now recovered 6.3 kilometers of sediment cores from water depths between 4.3 and 5.1 km and drilled 6.3 km of sediment cores at eight locations. The cores offered an excellent archive of Earth's history and showed how global climate development during the past 55 million years is mirrored and influenced by geochemical processes deep within the ocean.

New approach needed to restore New England river herring Posted: 29 Aug 2012 10:15 AM PDT Despite recent evidence that populations of river herring are dangerously low, ecologists say removing dams and adding fishways can still revive alewife and blueback herring numbers in New England and help to restore a long-neglected natural link between marine and freshwater ecosystems.

Mystery surrounding death of two sisters nearly 50 years ago finally solved Posted: 29 Aug 2012 09:49 AM PDT Researchers have identified the genetic cause of a rare and fatal bone disease by studying frozen skin cells that were taken from a child with the condition almost fifty years ago. Their study details how the MT1-MMP gene leads to the disease known as Winchester syndrome.

Smallest antenna can increase Wi-Fi speed 200 times Posted: 29 Aug 2012 08:22 AM PDT Researchers have developed the first compact high performance silicon-based cavity-backed slot (CBS) antenna that operates at 135 GHz.

Success in growth of regularly-ordered nanometer-scale crystalline thin film using 3-D porous material Posted: 29 Aug 2012 08:22 AM PDT Japanese scientists have succeeded in fabricating a crystalline thin film with a film thickness of nanometer order, in which molecules of a 3-dimensionally strong porous coordination polymer (PCP) are oriented in a designated direction, and demonstrated that this thin film has a reversible gas adsorption/desorption reaction function.

Driving an electron spin vortex 'skyrmion' with a microcurrent Posted: 29 Aug 2012 08:22 AM PDT Scientists have succeeded in forming a skyrmion crystal, in which electron spin is aligned in a vortex shape, in a microdevice using the helimagnet FeGe, and driving the skyrmion crystal with an ultra-low current density less than 1/100,000 that of the current necessary to drive magnetic domain walls in ferromagnets.

Activating and deactivating gold nanoparticle catalysts may lead to longer-lasting hydrogen fuel cells Posted: 29 Aug 2012 08:22 AM PDT The latest advance in imaging technology helps optimize catalysts for use in onboard fuel processing. A*STAR researchers have identified the subtle, atomic-scale structural transformations that can activate and de-activate gold nanoparticle catalysts, a finding that may lead to longer-lasting hydrogen fuel cells.

Photonics: Think thin, think vibrant Posted: 29 Aug 2012 08:22 AM PDT Flat panel displays and many digital devices require thin, efficient and low-cost light-emitters for applications. The pixels that make up the different colors on the display are typically wired to complex electronic circuits, but now researchers have developed a display technology that requires a much simpler architecture for operation.

Graphene-based materials kill bacteria two ways Posted: 29 Aug 2012 08:22 AM PDT Graphene-based materials kill bacteria through one of two possible mechanisms. Researchers have now compared the antibacterial activity of graphite, graphite oxide, graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide using the model bacterium Escherichia coli.

Oversized fat droplets: Too much of a good thing Posted: 29 Aug 2012 08:17 AM PDT As the national waistline expands, so do pools of intra-cellular fat known as lipid droplets. Although most of us wish our lipid droplets would vanish, they represent a cellular paradox: on the one hand droplets play beneficial roles by corralling fat into non-toxic organelles. On the other, oversized lipid droplets are associated with obesity and its associated health hazards.

Cooler waters help diminish Isaac's punch Posted: 29 Aug 2012 08:16 AM PDT Seven years after the powerful Category 3 Hurricane Katrina caused widespread devastation along the Gulf Coast, a Category 1 Hurricane Isaac, with maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour (70 knots), made landfall Aug. 28 in southeast Louisiana. And one of the reasons why Isaac is not Katrina is the path it took across the Gulf of Mexico and the temperature of the ocean below, which helps to fuel hurricanes.

Math ability requires crosstalk in the brain Posted: 29 Aug 2012 07:35 AM PDT Scientists have found that the strength of communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain predicts performance on basic arithmetic problems. The findings shed light on the neural basis of human math abilities and suggest a possible route to aiding those who suffer from dyscalculia-- an inability to understand and manipulate numbers.

Decline in breeding chinstrap penguins in Antarctic Peninsula confirmed Posted: 29 Aug 2012 07:34 AM PDT Significant declines were found in breeding chinstrap penguins in the vastly warming Antarctic Peninsula, where it's warming faster than, or as fast as, any other place on Earth.

'Anternet' discovered: Behavior of harvester ants as they forage for food mirrors protocols that control Internet traffic Posted: 29 Aug 2012 06:42 AM PDT An ant biologist and a computer scientist has revealed that the behavior of harvester ants as they forage for food mirrors the protocols that control traffic on the Internet.

Las Cumbres Observatory spectrographs acquire target robotically Posted: 29 Aug 2012 06:42 AM PDT Two identical FLOYDS spectrographs, installed in recent weeks at telescopes 6,000 miles apart, robotically acquired a supernovae target this week. Due to the level of precision required and the difficulty involved, few if any, other ground-based spectrographs have ever achieved this milestone.

Could a cancer drug prevent learning disabilities in some kids? Posted: 29 Aug 2012 06:38 AM PDT A drug originally developed to stop cancerous tumors may hold the potential to prevent abnormal brain cell growth and learning disabilities in some children, if they can be diagnosed early enough, a new animal study suggests.

Climate change could increase levels of avian influenza in wild birds Posted: 29 Aug 2012 06:38 AM PDT Rising sea levels, melting glaciers, more intense rainstorms and more frequent heat waves are among the planetary woes that may come to mind when climate change is mentioned. Now, researchers say an increased risk of avian influenza transmission in wild birds can be added to the list.

Biologists create first predictive computational model of gene networks that control development of sea-urchin embryos Posted: 29 Aug 2012 06:21 AM PDT As an animal develops from an embryo, its cells take diverse paths, eventually forming different body parts -- muscles, bones, heart. In order for each cell to know what to do during development, it follows a genetic blueprint, which consists of complex webs of interacting genes called gene regulatory networks. Biologists have spent the last decade or so detailing how these gene networks control development in sea-urchin embryos. Now, for the first time, they have built a computational model of one of these networks.

Building blocks of life found around young star Posted: 29 Aug 2012 03:48 AM PDT A team of astronomers has spotted sugar molecules in the gas surrounding a young Sun-like star. This is the first time sugar been found in space around such a star, and the discovery shows that the building blocks of life are in the right place, at the right time, to be included in planets forming around the star.

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