ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Healthy living into old age can add up to six years to your life: Keeping physically active shows strongest association with survival
• Domestic coal use linked to substantial lifetime risk of lung cancer in Xuanwei, China
• Shading Earth: Delivering solar geoengineering materials to combat global warming may be feasible and affordable
• Mystery of operon evolution probed
• Biophysicists unravel secrets of genetic switch
• 'Nanoresonators' might improve cell phone performance
• Photonic interactions measured at atomic level
• Surviving drought: Discovery may help protect crops from stressors
• Antibody prevents hepatitis C infection in animal model
• Urinary protein excretion -- even in the normal range -- raises diabetics' heart risks, study finds
• Microbes help hyenas communicate via scent
• 'Promiscuous' enzymes still prevalent in metabolism: Challenges fundamental notion of enzyme specificity and efficiency
• Moving toward regeneration
• NASA's Dawn spacecraft prepares for trek toward dwarf planet
• Monogamy and the immune system: Differences in sexual behavior impact bacteria hosted and genes that control immunity
• Plants' fungi allies may not help store climate change's extra carbon
• Human and soil bacteria swap antibiotic-resistance genes
• 'Weird chemistry' by microbe is prime source of ocean methane
• Heating by black carbon aerosol: Soot particles absorb significantly less sunlight than predicted by models
• Cancer gene family member functions key to cell adhesion and migration
• Evolution of mustards' spice: Plants developed chemical defense against bugs, specific to where they live
• Ancient Denisovan genome: Relationships between Denisovans and present-day humans revealed
• Uncoiling the cucumber's enigma: Biological mechanism for coiling, and unusual type of spring discovered
• Chemical exposure in the womb from household items may contribute to obesity
• People merge supernatural and scientific beliefs when reasoning with the unknown, study shows
• Lyme retreatment guidance may be flawed
• Studying everyday eye movements could aid in diagnosis of neurological disorders
• Early activation of immune response could lead to better vaccines
• Potential new approach for improving quality of life for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients
• Potential treatment for cognitive effects of stress-related disorders, including PTSD
• Radiation belt storm probes: Spacecraft pair to explore mysterious region where other satellites fear to tread
• Surprisingly bright superbubble in nearby nebula
• Diverse metabolic roles for PML tumor suppressor gene
• New flexible electronics technology may lead to new medical uses
• Growing strong muscles without working out? 'Hulk' protein, Grb10, controls muscle growth
• No-till farming helps capture snow and soil water
• Viruses could be the key to healthy corals
• Does wisdom really come with age? It depends on the culture
• Increased sediment and nutrients delivered to bay as Susquehanna reservoirs near sediment capacity
• Shedding new light on one of diabetes' most dangerous complications
• Bitter tastes quickly turn milk chocolate fans sour
• Millipede family added to Australian fauna
• Coral scientists use new model to find where corals are most likely to survive climate change
• Malaria: Protein impedes microcirculation of malaria-infected red blood cells
• New DNA method tracks fish and whales in seawater
• Five new species of cuckoo bees from the Cape Verde Islands
• Carbon release from collapsing coastal permafrost in Arctic Siberia
• Keep your distance: Why cells and organelles don't get stuck
• Water pipe smoking has the same respiratory effects as smoking cigarettes
• What babies eat after birth likely determines lifetime risk of metabolic mischief and obesity, rat studies suggest
• Calorie Restriction Does Not Affect Survival: Study Of Monkeys Also Suggests Some Health Benefits
• Conservation scientists call policy-makers to be scale-aware
• NASA launches radiation belt storm probes mission
• A slow-moving Isaac brings flooding to Gulf states
• Record-breaking stellar explosion helps astronomers understand far-off galaxy
• Mechanism leading from trichomoniasis to prostate cancer identified
• Ecological monitoring on bird populations in Europe re-evaluated
• Medical exemptions from school vaccination requirements across states explored
• Can blue tits can save our conker trees?
• Bacterium transforms into weapon against sleeping sickness

Healthy living into old age can add up to six years to your life: Keeping physically active shows strongest association with survival Posted: 30 Aug 2012 04:10 PM PDT Living a healthy lifestyle into old age can add five years to women's lives and six years to men's, finds a new study.

Domestic coal use linked to substantial lifetime risk of lung cancer in Xuanwei, China Posted: 30 Aug 2012 04:10 PM PDT The use of "smoky coal" for household cooking and heating is associated with a substantial increase in the lifetime risk of developing lung cancer, finds a study from China.

Shading Earth: Delivering solar geoengineering materials to combat global warming may be feasible and affordable Posted: 30 Aug 2012 04:10 PM PDT A cost analysis of the technologies needed to transport materials into the stratosphere to reduce the amount of sunlight hitting Earth and therefore reduce the effects of global climate change has shown that they are both feasible and affordable. The study has shown that the basic technology currently exists and could be assembled and implemented in a number of different forms for less than USD $5 billion a year.

Mystery of operon evolution probed Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:35 PM PDT New research suggests a possible explanation for the organization of operons, jointly controlled clusters of genes that evolved in bacterial chromosomes. Operons, which are found in the chromosomes of bacteria but not in more advanced organisms, have puzzled biologists since their discovery in the 1960s. The new study suggests operons evolved as a means of reducing "noise" in biochemical signal processing.

Biophysicists unravel secrets of genetic switch Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:33 PM PDT Biophysicists have experimentally demonstrated, for the first time, how the nonspecific binding of a protein known as the lambda repressor, or C1 protein, bends DNA and helps it close a loop that switches off virulence. Findings are the first direct and quantitative determination of non-specific binding and compaction of DNA, relevant for the understanding of DNA physiology, and the dynamic characteristics of an on-off switch for the expression of genes.

'Nanoresonators' might improve cell phone performance Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:33 PM PDT Researchers have learned how to mass produce tiny mechanical devices that could help cell phone users avoid the nuisance of dropped calls and slow downloads. The devices are designed to ease congestion over the airwaves to improve the performance of cell phones and other portable devices.

Photonic interactions measured at atomic level Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:33 PM PDT By measuring the unique properties of light on the scale of a single atom, researchers believe that they have characterized the limits of metal's ability in devices that enhance light.

Surviving drought: Discovery may help protect crops from stressors Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:31 PM PDT New findings of a key genetic mechanism in plant hormone signaling may help save crops from stress and help address human hunger.

Antibody prevents hepatitis C infection in animal model Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:31 PM PDT A monoclonal antibody tested in an animal model prevents infection by the hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Urinary protein excretion -- even in the normal range -- raises diabetics' heart risks, study finds Posted: 30 Aug 2012 02:31 PM PDT For patients with type 2 diabetes, any degree of measurable urinary protein excretion —- even in what is considered the normal range —- increases their risk of experiencing heart problems, according to a new study. More than 300 million people worldwide have type 2 diabetes.

Microbes help hyenas communicate via scent Posted: 30 Aug 2012 12:23 PM PDT Bacteria in hyenas' scent glands may be the key controllers of communication. New research shows a clear relationship between the diversity of hyena clans and the distinct microbial communities that reside in their scent glands.

'Promiscuous' enzymes still prevalent in metabolism: Challenges fundamental notion of enzyme specificity and efficiency Posted: 30 Aug 2012 12:23 PM PDT Open an undergraduate biochemistry textbook and you will learn that enzymes are highly efficient and specific in catalyzing chemical reactions in living organisms, and that they evolved to this state from their "sloppy" and "promiscuous" ancestors to allow cells to grow more efficiently. This fundamental paradigm is being challenged in a new study by bioengineers who reported in the journal Science what a few enzymologists have suspected for years: many enzymes are still pretty sloppy and promiscuous, catalyzing multiple chemical reactions in living cells, for reasons that were previously not well understood.

Moving toward regeneration Posted: 30 Aug 2012 12:23 PM PDT Scientists have shown how pluripotent stem cells mobilize in wounded planarian worms, to better understand stem cell behavior in regeneration and disease.

NASA's Dawn spacecraft prepares for trek toward dwarf planet Posted: 30 Aug 2012 11:18 AM PDT NASA's Dawn spacecraft is on track to become the first probe to orbit and study two distant solar system destinations, to help scientists answer questions about the formation of our solar system. The spacecraft is scheduled to leave the giant asteroid Vesta on Sept. 4 PDT (Sept. 5 EDT) to start its two-and-a-half-year journey to the dwarf planet Ceres.

Monogamy and the immune system: Differences in sexual behavior impact bacteria hosted and genes that control immunity Posted: 30 Aug 2012 11:14 AM PDT Researchers examined the differences between two species of mice -- one monogamous and one promiscuous -- on a microscopic and molecular level. They discovered that the lifestyles of the two mice had a direct impact on the bacterial communities that reside within the female reproductive tract. These differences correlate with enhanced diversifying selection on genes related to immunity against bacterial diseases.

Plants' fungi allies may not help store climate change's extra carbon Posted: 30 Aug 2012 11:13 AM PDT Fungi found in plants may not be the answer to mitigating climate change by storing additional carbon in soils as some previously thought, according to plant biologists.

Human and soil bacteria swap antibiotic-resistance genes Posted: 30 Aug 2012 11:13 AM PDT Soil bacteria and bacteria that cause human diseases have recently swapped at least seven antibiotic-resistance genes, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report Aug. 31 in Science.

'Weird chemistry' by microbe is prime source of ocean methane Posted: 30 Aug 2012 11:13 AM PDT Up to four percent of the methane on Earth comes from the ocean's oxygen-rich waters, but scientists have been unable to identify the source of this potent greenhouse gas. Now researchers report that they have found the culprit: A bit of "weird chemistry" practiced by the most abundant microbes on the planet.

Heating by black carbon aerosol: Soot particles absorb significantly less sunlight than predicted by models Posted: 30 Aug 2012 11:13 AM PDT Black carbon, in the form of soot particles, has been ranked just behind carbon dioxide for its role in warming regional and global climates. But a new study finds airborne black carbon absorbs significantly less sunlight than scientists had predicted, leading an international team of researchers to reconsider the impact of soot on atmospheric warming.

Cancer gene family member functions key to cell adhesion and migration Posted: 30 Aug 2012 11:13 AM PDT Scientists have used sophisticated technologies to identify and describe the protein interactions that distinguish each member of the WTX family. They found that unlike WTX and FAM123C, FAM123A interacts with a specific set of proteins that regulates cell adhesion and migration, processes essential to normal cell functioning and which, when mutated, contribute to human diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer's.

Evolution of mustards' spice: Plants developed chemical defense against bugs, specific to where they live Posted: 30 Aug 2012 11:13 AM PDT The tangy taste a mustard plant develops to discourage insect predators can be the difference between life and death for the plants. A new study has used this trait and its regional variations to conquer the difficult task of measuring the evolution of complex traits in a natural environment.

Ancient Denisovan genome: Relationships between Denisovans and present-day humans revealed Posted: 30 Aug 2012 11:12 AM PDT Researchers have described the Denisovan genome, illuminating the relationships between Denisovans and present-day humans.

Uncoiling the cucumber's enigma: Biological mechanism for coiling, and unusual type of spring discovered Posted: 30 Aug 2012 11:12 AM PDT In the creeping plant's tendrils, researchers discover a biological mechanism for coiling and stumble upon an unusual type of spring.

Chemical exposure in the womb from household items may contribute to obesity Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:53 AM PDT Pregnant women who are highly exposed to common environmental chemicals -- polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) -- have babies that are smaller at birth and larger at 20 months of age, according to a new study. PFCs are used in the production of fluoropolymers and are found widely in protective coatings of packaging products, clothes, furniture and non-stick cookware. They are persistent compounds found abundantly in the environment and human exposure is common. PFCs have been detected in human sera, breast milk and cord blood.

People merge supernatural and scientific beliefs when reasoning with the unknown, study shows Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:53 AM PDT A new psychology study finds adults are more likely than children to find supernatural explanations for existential questions.

Lyme retreatment guidance may be flawed Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:53 AM PDT A new statistical review calls into question studies that have been taken as proof that antibiotic retreatment for chronic Lyme disease is futile. That misunderstanding has led to medical guidance that discourages retreatment and insurance coverage for it. Instead, the authors of the review suggest, the proper reading of the studies and their data is that they prove nothing.

Studying everyday eye movements could aid in diagnosis of neurological disorders Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:53 AM PDT Researchers have devised a method for detecting certain neurological disorders through the study of eye movements.

Early activation of immune response could lead to better vaccines Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:51 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a new "first response" mechanism that the immune system uses to respond to infection. The findings challenge the current understanding of immunity and could lead to new strategies for boosting effectiveness of all vaccines.

Potential new approach for improving quality of life for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:51 AM PDT Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease or ALS, is a devastating, rapidly advancing disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. But researchers have identified a new target for slowing the deterioration of physical function for which the disease is so well known.

Potential treatment for cognitive effects of stress-related disorders, including PTSD Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:51 AM PDT Researchers have identified a potential medical treatment for the cognitive effects of stress-related disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study, conducted in a PTSD mouse model, shows that an experimental drug called S107, one of a new class of small-molecule compounds called Rycals, prevented learning and memory deficits associated with stress-related disorders.

Radiation belt storm probes: Spacecraft pair to explore mysterious region where other satellites fear to tread Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:05 AM PDT Spacecraft pair will explore the mysterious region where other satellites fear to tread.

Surprisingly bright superbubble in nearby nebula Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:04 AM PDT A new composite image shows a superbubble in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a small satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, located about 160,000 light years from Earth. Many new stars, some of them very massive, are forming in the star cluster NGC 1929, which is embedded in the nebula N44.

Diverse metabolic roles for PML tumor suppressor gene Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:04 AM PDT Two articles shed new light on the genetic mechanisms underlying cellular energy and metabolism and, at the same time, highlight both the challenges and opportunities of genetic approaches to cancer treatment.

New flexible electronics technology may lead to new medical uses Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:04 AM PDT Researchers have developed technology that opens new possibilities for health care and medical applications of electronic devices.

Growing strong muscles without working out? 'Hulk' protein, Grb10, controls muscle growth Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:04 AM PDT Scientists may soon help people grow strong muscles without needing to hit the weight room. Researchers discovered that by blocking the function of the protein Grb10 in mice in the womb, they developed as more muscular than their normal counterparts. This presents important implications for a range of conditions that are worsened by, or cause muscle wasting, such as injury, muscular dystrophy, and Type 2 diabetes.

No-till farming helps capture snow and soil water Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:04 AM PDT A smooth blanket of snow in the winter can help boost dryland crop productivity in the summer, and no-till management is one way to ensure that blanket coverage, according to new research.

Viruses could be the key to healthy corals Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:04 AM PDT Scientists have developed a treatment for the white plague disease that infects coral based on a medication developed to treat bacterial infections in humans. The therapy ceased the progression of infection in diseased corals and prevented the infection from spreading to surrounding healthy corals as well.

Does wisdom really come with age? It depends on the culture Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:04 AM PDT It's certainly comforting to think that aging benefits the mind, if not the body. But do we really get wiser with age? Research suggests that having wisdom means includes being good at resolving conflict, but conflict is not handled the same way across cultures. A new study examines how the resolution of conflict and, by extension, wisdom differ between Japanese and American cultures.

Increased sediment and nutrients delivered to bay as Susquehanna reservoirs near sediment capacity Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:00 AM PDT Reservoirs near the mouth of the Susquehanna River just above Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, U.S. are nearly at capacity in their ability to trap sediment. As a result, large storms are already delivering increasingly more suspended sediment and nutrients to the Bay, which may negatively impact restoration efforts.

Shedding new light on one of diabetes' most dangerous complications Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:00 AM PDT For many diabetics, monitoring their condition involves much more than adhering to a routine of glucose sensing and insulin injections. It also entails carefully monitoring the ongoing toll this disease takes on their body. An innovative new optical diagnostic tool may soon make it easier to diagnose and monitor one of the most serious complications of diabetes, peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

Bitter tastes quickly turn milk chocolate fans sour Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:00 AM PDT Dark chocolate lovers can handle a wider range of bitter tastes before rejection compared to milk chocolate fans, according to food scientists.

Millipede family added to Australian fauna Posted: 30 Aug 2012 10:00 AM PDT An entire group of millipedes previously unknown in Australia has been discovered by a specialist – on museum shelves. Hundreds of tiny specimens of the widespread tropical family Pyrgodesmidae have been found among bulk samples in two museums, showing that native pyrgodesmids are not only widespread in Australia's tropical and subtropical forests, but are also abundant and diverse. The study has been published in the open access journal ZooKeys.

Coral scientists use new model to find where corals are most likely to survive climate change Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:54 AM PDT Marine conservationists have identified heat-tolerant coral species living in locations with continuous background temperature variability as those having the best chance of surviving climate change, according to a new simplified method for measuring coral reef resilience.

Malaria: Protein impedes microcirculation of malaria-infected red blood cells Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:54 AM PDT A certain protein significantly reduces the malaria-infected cells' ability to squeeze through tiny channels compared to healthy cells.

New DNA method tracks fish and whales in seawater Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:54 AM PDT Future monitoring of marine biodiversity and resources may use DNA traces in seawater samples to keep track of fish and whales in the oceans. A half liter of seawater can contain evidence of local fish and whale faunas and combat traditional fishing methods.

Five new species of cuckoo bees from the Cape Verde Islands Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:54 AM PDT Researchers have documented a remarkable diversity of cuckoo bees in the Cape Verde Islands. All five discovered species are entirely new to science and highlight the unique biota of this isolated archipelago.

Carbon release from collapsing coastal permafrost in Arctic Siberia Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:53 AM PDT A new study shows that an ancient and large carbon pool held in a less-studied form of permafrost ("Yedoma") is thaw-released along the approximately 7000-kilometer desolate coast of northernmost Siberian Arctic.

Keep your distance: Why cells and organelles don't get stuck Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:28 AM PDT Biomembranes enclose biological cells like a skin. They also surround organelles that carry out important functions in metabolism and cell division. Scientists have long known in principle how biomembranes are built up, and also that water molecules play a role in maintaining the optimal distance between neighboring membranes -- otherwise they could not fulfill their vital functions. Now, with the help of computer simulations, scientists have discovered two different mechanisms that prevent neighboring membrane surfaces from sticking together.

Water pipe smoking has the same respiratory effects as smoking cigarettes Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:28 AM PDT Water pipe smoking, such as hookah or bong smoking, affects lung function and respiratory symptoms as much as cigarette smoking, new research shows.

What babies eat after birth likely determines lifetime risk of metabolic mischief and obesity, rat studies suggest Posted: 30 Aug 2012 07:27 AM PDT Rats born to mothers fed high-fat diets but who get normal levels of fat in their diets right after birth avoid obesity and its related disorders as adults, according to new research. Meanwhile, rat babies exposed to a normal-fat diet in the womb but nursed by rat mothers on high-fat diets become obese by the time they are weaned.

Calorie Restriction Does Not Affect Survival: Study Of Monkeys Also Suggests Some Health Benefits Posted: 30 Aug 2012 05:51 AM PDT Scientists have found that calorie restriction -- a diet composed of approximately 30 percent fewer calories but with the same nutrients of a standard diet -- does not extend years of life or reduce age-related deaths in a 23-year study of rhesus monkeys. However, calorie restriction did extend certain aspects of health.

Conservation scientists call policy-makers to be scale-aware Posted: 30 Aug 2012 05:33 AM PDT Conservation is concerned with the preservation of biological diversity at all levels, from genes to species, communities and ecosystems.  Yet conserving this biological richness is made difficult because it varies in complex ways at different scales of space and time. The problem of scale emerges as a critical new theme in conservation practice.

NASA launches radiation belt storm probes mission Posted: 30 Aug 2012 04:50 AM PDT NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP), the first twin-spacecraft mission designed to explore our planet's radiation belts, launched into the predawn skies at 4:05 a.m. EDT Thursday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The two satellites, each weighing just less than 1,500 pounds, comprise the first dual-spacecraft mission specifically created to investigate this hazardous regions of near-Earth space, known as the radiation belts. These two belts, named for their discoverer, James Van Allen, encircle the planet and are filled with highly charged particles. The belts are affected by solar storms and coronal mass ejections and sometimes swell dramatically. When this occurs, they can pose dangers to communications, GPS satellites and human spaceflight.

A slow-moving Isaac brings flooding to Gulf states Posted: 30 Aug 2012 04:46 AM PDT Isaac -- once a Category 1 hurricane and now a strong tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour (60 knots) -- continues to create havoc across the Gulf Coast, from eastern Texas to Florida. While "only" reaching Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale upon landfall on Aug. 28, Isaac is a slow mover, crawling along at only about six miles (10 kilometers) per hour. This slow movement is forecast to continue over the next 24 to 36 hours, bringing a prolonged threat of flooding to the northern Gulf Coast and south-central United States.

Record-breaking stellar explosion helps astronomers understand far-off galaxy Posted: 30 Aug 2012 03:58 AM PDT Astronomers took advantage of the most distant supernova of its type to probe a galaxy some 9.5 billion light years away. The light from the exploding star, allowed astronomers to confirm that the gas environment between the stars in the distant galaxy is "reassuringly normal."

Mechanism leading from trichomoniasis to prostate cancer identified Posted: 30 Aug 2012 03:58 AM PDT Researchers have identified a way in which men can develop prostate cancer after contracting trichomoniasis, a curable but often overlooked sexually transmitted disease. Previous studies have teased out a casual, epidemiological correlation between the two diseases, but this latest study suggests a more tangible biological mechanism.

Ecological monitoring on bird populations in Europe re-evaluated Posted: 30 Aug 2012 03:58 AM PDT A new article has examined Europe's long experience in monitoring the populations of birds. Scientists calculated that nearly 28,000 persons have been involved in bird monitoring during last few years, investing on average some 80,000 person days per year. Several recommendations for improving bird monitoring are proposed.

Medical exemptions from school vaccination requirements across states explored Posted: 30 Aug 2012 03:58 AM PDT In states where medical exemptions from vaccination requirements for kindergarten students are easier to get, exemption rates are higher, potentially compromising herd immunity and posing a threat to children and others who truly should not be immunized because of underlying conditions, according to a new study.

Can blue tits can save our conker trees? Posted: 30 Aug 2012 03:57 AM PDT Blue tits, a familiar garden bird in the U.K., could be the salvation of our imperiled conker trees (horse-chestnut trees), which are under severe attack by a tiny non-native moth that has spread from continental Europe.

Bacterium transforms into weapon against sleeping sickness Posted: 30 Aug 2012 03:57 AM PDT Scientists have opened a new front against the cause of sleeping sickness. This parasite is transmitted between humans by tsetse flies. The researchers learned a bacterium living in those flies how to produce antibodies against the parasite. Application in the field is still a long way of, but the technique shows quite some promise.

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