ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Foraging baboons are picky punters: Baboon foraging choices depend on their habitat and social status
• Neural implant recovers ability to make decisions, monkey study shows
• How deadly Marburg virus silences immune system: Breakthrough findings point to targets for drugs and vaccines
• Looking at you: Face genes identified; Five genes have been found to determine human facial shapes
• Surviving without ice: Arctic crustaceans use currents, deep-water migration to survive sea ice melts
• Stress breaks loops that hold short-term memory together
• Nanoengineers can print 3-D microstructures in mere seconds
• Home sweet lab: Computerized house to generate as much energy as it uses
• 'Mini' stroke can cause major disability, may warrant clot-busters
• Warmer temperatures make new USDA plant zone map obsolete
• Kids with food allergies can fall through the cracks
• Long menopause allows killer whales to care for adult sons
• How early social deprivation impairs long-term cognitive function
• Genes render some rice species sterile: System of three genes prevents hybrid rice from reproducing, new study shows
• Do it yourself and save: Making equipment for the lab, in the lab
• How fast can ice sheets respond to climate change?
• Researchers look to alien soils for heat shield
• Boiling water without bubbles: Researchers engineer special surface, allowing water to boil without producing bubbles
• Chemists develop nose-like array to 'smell' cancer
• Snakes minus birds equals more spiders for Guam: Ecologists look for effects of bird loss caused by invasive brown treesnake
• Exercise may protect against future emotional stress, study shows
• Scientists use sound waves to levitate liquids, improve pharmaceuticals
• Study of giant viruses shakes up tree of life
• Laser-powered 'needle' promises pain-free injections
• Lack of oxygen in cancer cells leads to growth and metastasis
• Immune system compensates for 'leaky gut' in inflammatory bowel disease susceptibility
• Geneticists verify cholesterol-cancer link
• Missing pieces of DNA structure is a red flag for deadly skin cancer
• Scientists map the genomic blueprint of the heart
• Natural killer T-cells in fat tissue guard against obesity, study finds
• Fruit flies reveal new evolutionary link for studying human health: How they control body temperature through circadian rhythm
• Two studies could lead to new personalized therapies for lung cancer patients
• Cloned receptor paves way for new breast and prostate cancer treatment
• Under-twisted DNA origami delivers cancer drugs to tumors
• Devastating red alga discovered creeping north to maine
• Tracking stem cell reprogramming: Biologists reveal genes key to development of pluripotency, in single cells
• In lung cancer, smokers have 10 times more genetic damage than never-smokers
• Neural stem cells regenerate axons in severe spinal cord injury; functional recovery in rats
• Study explains decrease in insulin-producing beta cells in diabetes
• Computer program can identify rough sketches
• Cell death mystery yields new suspect for cancer drug development
• Migratory moths profit from their journey
• Increased dietary fructose linked to elevated uric acid levels and lower liver energy stores
• Chemist develops new synthesis of most useful, yet expensive, antimalarial drug
• World's hottest temperature cools a bit
• Popularity versus similarity: A balance that predicts network growth
• Shine and Rise: Light-activated reversal of anesthesia
• Low ghrelin: Reducing appetite at the cost of increased stress?
• Gestational exposure to urban air pollution linked to vitamin D deficiency in newborns
• Brighter future for carbon dots

Foraging baboons are picky punters: Baboon foraging choices depend on their habitat and social status Posted: 13 Sep 2012 05:39 PM PDT Baboons choose which tree to find food in and who to take foraging, just like humans decide where to shop and who to go shopping with.

Neural implant recovers ability to make decisions, monkey study shows Posted: 13 Sep 2012 05:36 PM PDT Researchers have taken a key step towards recovering specific brain functions in sufferers of brain disease and injuries by successfully restoring the decision-making processes in monkeys. By placing a neural device onto the front part of the monkeys' brains, the researchers were able to recover, and even improve, the monkeys' ability to make decisions when their normal cognitive functioning was disrupted.

How deadly Marburg virus silences immune system: Breakthrough findings point to targets for drugs and vaccines Posted: 13 Sep 2012 02:33 PM PDT Scientists have determined the structure of a critical protein from the Marburg virus, a close cousin of Ebola virus. These viruses cause similar diseases and are some of the deadliest pathogens on the planet, each killing up to 90 percent of those infected.

Looking at you: Face genes identified; Five genes have been found to determine human facial shapes Posted: 13 Sep 2012 02:33 PM PDT Five genes have been found to determine human facial shapes, researchers report.

Surviving without ice: Arctic crustaceans use currents, deep-water migration to survive sea ice melts Posted: 13 Sep 2012 02:30 PM PDT With sea ice in the Arctic melting to record lows in summer months, marine animals living there face dramatic changes to their environment. Yet some crustaceans, previously thought to spend their entire lives on the underside of sea ice, were recently discovered to migrate deep underwater and follow ocean currents back to colder areas when ice disappears.

Stress breaks loops that hold short-term memory together Posted: 13 Sep 2012 02:30 PM PDT Stress has long been pegged as the enemy of attention, disrupting focus and doing substantial damage to working memory -- the short-term juggling of information that allows us to do all the little things that make us productive. By watching individual neurons at work, a group of psychologists has revealed just how stress can addle the mind, as well as how neurons in the brain's prefrontal cortex help "remember" information in the first place.

Nanoengineers can print 3-D microstructures in mere seconds Posted: 13 Sep 2012 01:27 PM PDT A novel technology can fabricate, in mere seconds, microscale three dimensional (3-D) structures out of soft, biocompatible hydrogels. The technology could lead to the ability to print biological tissues for regenerative medicine. Chen is able to print tissues that mimic nature's fine-grained details, including blood vessels, which are essential for distributing nutrients and oxygen throughout the body.

Home sweet lab: Computerized house to generate as much energy as it uses Posted: 13 Sep 2012 01:27 PM PDT The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has unveiled a new laboratory designed to demonstrate that a typical-looking suburban home for a family of four can generate as much energy as it uses in a year.

'Mini' stroke can cause major disability, may warrant clot-busters Posted: 13 Sep 2012 01:24 PM PDT A transient ischemic attack, TIA or a "mini stroke," can lead to serious disability, but is frequently deemed by doctors too mild to treat, according to a new study.

Warmer temperatures make new USDA plant zone map obsolete Posted: 13 Sep 2012 12:11 PM PDT Gardeners and landscapers may want to rethink their fall tree plantings. Warming temperatures have already made the US Department of Agriculture's new cold-weather planting guidelines obsolete, according to Dr. Nir Krakauer, assistant professor of civil engineering in The City College of New York. He developed a new method to map cold-weather zones and overhauled the USDA's latest plant zone map.

Kids with food allergies can fall through the cracks Posted: 13 Sep 2012 11:14 AM PDT More can be done to properly manage the care of American children with food allergies, especially when it comes to diagnostic testing and recognizing non-visual symptoms of severe allergic reactions, according to a new study.

Long menopause allows killer whales to care for adult sons Posted: 13 Sep 2012 11:14 AM PDT Scientists have found the answer to why female killer whales have the longest menopause of any non-human species -- to care for their adult sons. The research shows that, for a male over 30, the death of his mother means an almost 14-fold-increase in the likelihood of his death within the following year.

How early social deprivation impairs long-term cognitive function Posted: 13 Sep 2012 11:14 AM PDT Children who suffer severe neglect have cognitive impairments as adults. A new study shows for the first time how functional impairments arise: Social isolation during early life prevents brain's white matter cells from maturing and producing myelin, the fatty "insulation" on nerve fibers, for transmitting long-distance messages in the brain. The study also identifies a molecular pathway involved, showing it is disrupted by social isolation.

Genes render some rice species sterile: System of three genes prevents hybrid rice from reproducing, new study shows Posted: 13 Sep 2012 11:14 AM PDT Researchers have identified a set of three genes that are responsible for hybrid sterility in rice, or the inability of many hybrid rice species to pass their genes on to the next generation. These findings inform a model that suggests how such hybrid sterility is maintained across rice species, and they may lead to the genetic improvement of rice as a food stock.

Do it yourself and save: Making equipment for the lab, in the lab Posted: 13 Sep 2012 11:11 AM PDT The open-source revolution is driving down the cost of doing science by letting researchers to make their own lab equipment.

How fast can ice sheets respond to climate change? Posted: 13 Sep 2012 11:11 AM PDT A new Arctic study is helping to unravel an important mystery surrounding climate change: How quickly glaciers can melt and grow in response to shifts in temperature. According to the new research, glaciers on Canada's Baffin Island expanded rapidly during a brief cold snap about 8,200 years ago. The discovery adds to a growing body of evidence showing that ice sheets reacted rapidly in the past to cooling or warming, raising concerns that they could do so again as Earth heats up.

Researchers look to alien soils for heat shield Posted: 13 Sep 2012 11:04 AM PDT An important test is coming up next week to see whether a heat shield made from the soil of the moon, Mars or an asteroid will stand up to the searing demands of a plunge through Earth's atmosphere. At stake is the possibility that future spacecraft could leave Earth without carrying a heavy heat shield and instead make one on the surface of another world and ride it home safely. The weight savings opens new possibilities ranging from using smaller rockets to carrying many more supplies on an exploration mission.

Boiling water without bubbles: Researchers engineer special surface, allowing water to boil without producing bubbles Posted: 13 Sep 2012 10:29 AM PDT Every cook knows that boiling water bubbles, right? New research turns that notion on its head. Scientists have shown how a specially engineered coated surface can create a stable vapor cushion between the surface and a hot liquid and eliminate the bubbles that are created during boiling.

Chemists develop nose-like array to 'smell' cancer Posted: 13 Sep 2012 10:23 AM PDT In the fight against cancer, knowing the enemy's identity is crucial for diagnosis and treatment, especially in metastatic cancers that spread between organs and tissues. Now chemists have developed a rapid, sensitive way to detect microscopic levels of many metastatic cell types in living tissue.

Snakes minus birds equals more spiders for Guam: Ecologists look for effects of bird loss caused by invasive brown treesnake Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:36 AM PDT Ecologists have found as many as 40 times more spiders in Guam's remote jungle than are found on nearby islands. The booming spider population is likely due to the destruction of the island's forest birds, including those that eat insects, by the invasive brown treesnake. The large-scale cross-island comparison uncovered a larger effect of birds on spiders than had been predicted from small-scale experiments.

Exercise may protect against future emotional stress, study shows Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:36 AM PDT Moderate exercise may help people cope with anxiety and stress for an extended period of time post-workout, according to a study by kinesiology researchers.

Scientists use sound waves to levitate liquids, improve pharmaceuticals Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:35 AM PDT Scientists have been using an "acoustic levitator" to find new ways to achieve containerless drug processing.

Study of giant viruses shakes up tree of life Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:35 AM PDT A new study of giant viruses supports the idea that viruses are ancient living organisms and not inanimate molecular remnants run amok, as some scientists have argued. The study reshapes the universal family tree, adding a fourth major branch to the three that most scientists agree represent the fundamental domains of life.

Laser-powered 'needle' promises pain-free injections Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:35 AM PDT From flu shots to immunizations, needle injections are among the least popular staples of medical care. A new laser-based system that blasts microscopic jets of drugs into the skin could soon make getting a shot as painless as being hit with a puff of air. The system uses a laser to propel a tiny, precise stream of medicine with just the right amount of force.

Lack of oxygen in cancer cells leads to growth and metastasis Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:35 AM PDT The proteins HIF-1a and CD24 have both been implicated in the aggressive characteristics of hypoxic cancers. A new study shows that HIF-1a drives CD24 overexpression, and that CD24 then drives aggressive tumor features.

Immune system compensates for 'leaky gut' in inflammatory bowel disease susceptibility Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:35 AM PDT New research could clarify how inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), conditions that include ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, are triggered and develop. Scientists have shown how the immune system can compensate for a 'leaky gut' and prevent disease in mice that are susceptible to intestinal inflammation. These findings could explain why some individuals who are susceptible to developing IBD do or do not get the disease.

Geneticists verify cholesterol-cancer link Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:32 AM PDT Scientists have discovered new genetic evidence linking cholesterol and cancer, raising the possibility that cholesterol medications could be useful in the future for cancer prevention or to augment existing cancer treatment. The data support several recent population-based studies that suggest individuals who take cholesterol-lowering drugs may have a reduced risk of cancer, and, conversely that individuals with the highest levels of cholesterol seem to have an elevated risk of cancer.

Missing pieces of DNA structure is a red flag for deadly skin cancer Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:32 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a new biomarker for melanoma. The findings offer novel opportunities for skin cancer diagnostics, treatment and prevention.

Scientists map the genomic blueprint of the heart Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:32 AM PDT Scientists have revealed the precise order and timing of hundreds of genetic "switches" required to construct a fully functional heart from embryonic heart cells -- providing new clues into the genetic basis for some forms of congenital heart disease.

Natural killer T-cells in fat tissue guard against obesity, study finds Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:32 AM PDT Invariant natural killer T-cells (iNKT) are a unique subset of immune cells that are known to influence inflammatory responses. Now, a scientific team has found that iNKT cells play a protective role in guarding against obesity and the metabolic syndrome.

Fruit flies reveal new evolutionary link for studying human health: How they control body temperature through circadian rhythm Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:32 AM PDT New research reveals that fruit flies and mammals may share a surprising evolutionary link in how they control body temperature through circadian rhythm, unlocking new ways to study the insects as models of human development and disease. The study reports that similar to people, Drosophila fruit flies have a genetically driven internal clock. This circadian clock prompts the insects to seek out warmer or cooler external temperatures.

Two studies could lead to new personalized therapies for lung cancer patients Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:32 AM PDT Lung cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and is associated with very low survival rates. Two new genome-sequencing studies have uncovered novel genes involved in the deadly disease, as well as striking differences in mutations found in patients with and without a history of smoking. The findings could pave the way for personalized therapies that boost survival rates.

Cloned receptor paves way for new breast and prostate cancer treatment Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:29 AM PDT Researchers have cloned a T-cell receptor that binds to an antigen associated with prostate cancer and breast cancer. T cells that have been genetically equipped with this T-cell receptor have the ability to specifically kill prostate and breast cancer cells.

Under-twisted DNA origami delivers cancer drugs to tumors Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:29 AM PDT Scientists in Sweden describe in a new study how so-called DNA origami can enhance the effect of certain cytostatics used in the treatment of cancer. With the aid of modern nanotechnology, scientists can target drugs direct to the tumor while leaving surrounding healthy tissue untouched.

Devastating red alga discovered creeping north to maine Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:28 AM PDT The shores of Appledore Island, Maine -- just six miles from the New Hampshire coast -- are being invaded by an aggressive red algae that can foul popular tourist beaches and damage vital local fisheries, according to researchers.

Tracking stem cell reprogramming: Biologists reveal genes key to development of pluripotency, in single cells Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:28 AM PDT Several years ago, biologists discovered that regular body cells can be reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells -- cells with the ability to become any other type of cell. Such cells hold great promise for treating many human diseases. These induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are usually created by genetically modifying cells to overexpress four genes that make them revert to an immature, embryonic state. However, the procedure works in only a small percentage of cells. Now, new genetic markers identified by researchers at MIT and the Whitehead Institute could help make that process more efficient, allowing scientists to predict which treated cells will successfully become pluripotent.

In lung cancer, smokers have 10 times more genetic damage than never-smokers Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:28 AM PDT Lung cancer patients with a history of smoking have 10 times more genetic mutations in their tumors than those with the disease who have never smoked, according to a new study.

Neural stem cells regenerate axons in severe spinal cord injury; functional recovery in rats Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:28 AM PDT A a new study, researchers were able to regenerate "an astonishing degree" of axonal growth at the site of severe spinal cord injury in rats. Their research revealed that early stage neurons have the ability to survive and extend axons to form new, functional neuronal relays across an injury site in the adult central nervous system (CNS).

Study explains decrease in insulin-producing beta cells in diabetes Posted: 13 Sep 2012 09:28 AM PDT Scientists generally think that reduced insulin production by the pancreas, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes, is due to the death of the organ's beta cells. However, a new study shows that beta cells do not die but instead revert to a more fundamental, undifferentiated cell type. The findings suggest that strategies to prevent beta cells from de-differentiating, or to coax them to re-differentiate, might improve glucose balance in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Computer program can identify rough sketches Posted: 13 Sep 2012 07:50 AM PDT Computer scientists have developed a new program that can recognize rough sketches in real time, something that up to now had been very difficult for computers to do. To make the program work, the researchers used 20,000 real sketches to teach the program how humans actually sketch objects.

Cell death mystery yields new suspect for cancer drug development Posted: 13 Sep 2012 07:50 AM PDT A mysterious form of cell death, coded in proteins and enzymes, led to a discovery by researchers uncovering a prime suspect for new cancer drug development.

Migratory moths profit from their journey Posted: 13 Sep 2012 07:50 AM PDT It isn't only birds that move south as autumn approaches. Some insects also live their lives on the same principle. A new study of migratory insects has just been published that shows that a considerably higher number of insects survive and migrate back south in the autumn than was previously believed.

Increased dietary fructose linked to elevated uric acid levels and lower liver energy stores Posted: 13 Sep 2012 07:41 AM PDT Obese patients with type 2 diabetes who consume higher amounts of fructose display reduced levels of liver adenosine triphosphate (ATP) -- a compound involved in the energy transfer between cells. The findings indicate that elevated uric acid levels (hyperuricemia) are associated with more severe hepatic ATP depletion in response to fructose intake.

Chemist develops new synthesis of most useful, yet expensive, antimalarial drug Posted: 13 Sep 2012 07:40 AM PDT In 2010 malaria caused an estimated 665,000 deaths, mostly among African children. Now, chemists have developed a new synthesis for the world's most useful antimalarial drug, artemisinin, giving hope that fully synthetic artemisinin might help reduce the cost of the live-saving drug in the future.

World's hottest temperature cools a bit Posted: 13 Sep 2012 06:21 AM PDT If you think this summer was hot, it's nothing compared to the summer of 1913, when the hottest temperature ever recorded was a searing 134 F in Death Valley, Calif. But while that reading was made 99 years ago, it is only being recognized today by the World Meteorological Organization as the most extreme temperature ever recorded. That's because an international team of meteorologists recently finished an in-depth investigation of what had been the world-record temperature extreme of 58 degrees Celsius (136.4 F), recorded on Sept. 13, 1922, in El Azizia, Libya. The group found that there were enough questions surrounding the measurement and how it was made that it was probably inaccurate, overturning the record 90 years to the day it was recorded.

Popularity versus similarity: A balance that predicts network growth Posted: 13 Sep 2012 06:19 AM PDT Do you know who Michael Jackson or George Washington was? You most likely do: they are what we call "household names" because these individuals were so ubiquitous. But what about Giuseppe Tartini or John Bachar? That's much less likely, unless you are a fan of Italian baroque music or free solo climbing. In that case, you would have heard of Bachar just as likely as Washington. The latter was popular, while the former was not as popular but had interests similar to yours. A new paper explores the concept of popularity versus similarity, and if one more than the other fuels the growth of a variety of networks, whether it is the Internet, a social network of trust between people, or a biological network.

Shine and Rise: Light-activated reversal of anesthesia Posted: 13 Sep 2012 05:46 AM PDT In a new study, a light-sensitive moiety has been added to propofol, a commonly used anesthetic, allowing its narcotic effect to be controlled by light. The compound also offers a possible route to the treatment of certain eye diseases.

Low ghrelin: Reducing appetite at the cost of increased stress? Posted: 13 Sep 2012 05:46 AM PDT Ghrelin is a hormone released by the lining of the stomach that promotes feeding behavior. Decreasing ghrelin levels could potentially help combat obesity -- in fact, a vaccine that lowers ghrelin levels in order to reduce appetite is being studied as a treatment for obesity. However, many people eat as a way to relieve stress. If low ghrelin levels increase stress, its effectiveness as a treatment for obesity may be reduced. In a new study, researchers show that mice with no ghrelin are more anxious after stress, but that administration of endogenous ghrelin prevents the over-anxious response.

Gestational exposure to urban air pollution linked to vitamin D deficiency in newborns Posted: 13 Sep 2012 05:39 AM PDT Gestational exposure to ambient urban air pollution, especially during late pregnancy, may contribute to lower vitamin D levels in offspring, according to a recent study.

Brighter future for carbon dots Posted: 13 Sep 2012 05:34 AM PDT Researchers have produced water-soluble carbon dots that selectively emit light across the entire visible range without any surface coating. The properties of these new C-dots make them ideal for a variety of bioimaging applications and for medical diagnostics.

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