ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Occasional family meals enough to boost kids' fruit and veg intake
• Our hands evolved for punching, not just dexterity
• NASA's Operation IceBridge data brings new twist to sea ice forecasting
• Pigs in southern China infected with avian flu
• Multi-tasking whales sing while feeding, not just breeding
• Inside the head of a dinosaur
• New study sheds light on dinosaur size
• Why our backs can't read braille: Scientists map sensory nerves in mouse skin
• Dinosaur: First freshwater mosasaur discovered
• Lizard tails detach at a biological 'dotted line'
• Will the world end on December 21, 2012? What we know and don't know about forecasting natural disasters
• School shootings: What we know and what we can do
• New compound reverses fatty liver disease
• Regular marijuana use by teens continues to be a concern
• Pocket test measures fifty things in a drop of blood
• Soybeans a source of valuable chemical
• Are bacteria making you hungry?
• Scientists construct first detailed map of how the brain organizes everything we see
• Transplanted neural stem cells treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in mouse model
• First use of a gene therapy shows promise against fatal childhood disease
• Protein creates paths for growing nerve cells
• Leaping toads reveal muscle-protecting mechanism
• Experiencing discrimination increases risk-taking, anger, and vigilance
• Microwave-assisted method for producing thin films
• Sustainable way to make a prized fragrance ingredient
• A new, super-nutritious puffed rice for breakfast cereals and snacks
• Toward a pill to enable celiac patients to eat foods containing gluten
• When the ice melts, the Earth spews fire
• Helping the nose know: 100-year-old question about how olfactory feedback mechanism works is answered
• Badger sleeping habits could help target TB control
• Destructive forest cockchafers: Gut microbes help beetles digest wood
• Genomic frontier -- The unexplored animal kingdom: Genomes of limpet, leech and worm put spotlight on lophotrochozoans
• Brake on nerve cell activity after seizures discovered; Gene expression initiates protective electrical response
• Scientists establish link between inflammatory process and progression of Alzheimer's disease
• Scientists debunk the IQ myth: Notion of measuring one's intelligence quotient by singular, standardized test is highly misleading
• Physicists achieve elusive 'evaporative cooling' of molecules
• Astronomy: Stars reveal the secret of aging well
• Unraveling the threads: Simplest cotton genome offers clues for fiber improvements
• High-throughput sequencing shows potentially hundreds of gene mutations related to autism
• Preventing inherited disorders in humans: New technology allows transfer of cell nuclei between human egg cells
• Malpractice study: Surgical 'never events' occur at least 4,000 times per year in U.S.
• Geo-engineering against climate change: Seeding the oceans with iron may not address carbon emissions
• Long-wavelength laser will take better 'fingerprints' of medicines than chemical analysis, research suggests
• Synthetic and biological nanoparticles combined to produce new metamaterials
• Do palm trees hold the key to immortality?
• Research predicts growth, survival of 'superorganism' ant colonies
• Invasive plant species may harm native grasslands by changing soil composition
• Drug tests in humans for methamphetamine addiction
• How airway cells regenerate after chlorine gas injury
• HIV patients in care lose more years of life to smoking than to HIV infection
• Closest single star like our sun may have habitable planet
• Robotic-assisted radical bladder surgery potentially benefits bladder cancer patients
• Paper waste used to make bricks
• Fast-acting enzymes with two fingers: Switch protein structurally and dynamically explained
• The life-saving real world results of intelligent vehicle systems
• Artificial intelligence helps sort used batteries
• Better approach to treating deadly melanoma identified
• E-waste recycling -- at whose expense?
• Muscle-loss study sheds new light on ways to prevent muscle loss, obesity and diabetes
• Genetic variation that could help predict mortality in patients suffering sepsis identified

Occasional family meals enough to boost kids' fruit and veg intake Posted: 19 Dec 2012 07:34 PM PST Eating meals together as a family, even if only once or twice a week, increases children's daily fruit and vegetable intake to near the recommended five a day, according to researchers.

Our hands evolved for punching, not just dexterity Posted: 19 Dec 2012 07:31 PM PST Men whacked punching bags for a new study that suggests human hands evolved not only for the manual dexterity needed to use tools, play a violin or paint a work of art, but so men could make fists and fight.

NASA's Operation IceBridge data brings new twist to sea ice forecasting Posted: 19 Dec 2012 02:43 PM PST Shrinking Arctic sea ice grabbed the world's attention again earlier this year with a new record low minimum. Growing economic activity in the Arctic, such as fishing, mineral exploration and shipping, is emphasizing the need for accurate predictions of how much of the Arctic will be covered by sea ice. Every June, an international research group known as the Study of Environmental Arctic Change publishes a summary of the expected September Arctic sea ice minimum known as the Sea Ice Outlook.

Pigs in southern China infected with avian flu Posted: 19 Dec 2012 02:41 PM PST Researchers report for the first time the seroprevalence of three strains of avian influenza viruses in pigs in southern China, but not the H5N1 avian influenza virus. Their research has implications for efforts to protect the public health from pandemics.

Multi-tasking whales sing while feeding, not just breeding Posted: 19 Dec 2012 02:41 PM PST Humpback whales are famed for their songs, most often heard in breeding season when males are competing to mate with females. In recent years, however, reports of whale songs occurring outside traditional breeding grounds have become more common. A new study may help explain why.

Inside the head of a dinosaur Posted: 19 Dec 2012 02:41 PM PST A new study of the brain anatomy of therizinosaurs, plant-eating dinosaurs that lived during the Cretaceous Period, has revealed interesting links with their notorious meat-eating 'cousins' Tyrannosaurus rex and Velociraptor.

New study sheds light on dinosaur size Posted: 19 Dec 2012 02:41 PM PST Dinosaurs were not only the largest animals to roam the Earth -- they also had a greater number of larger species compared to all other back-boned animals -- scientists suggest in a new article.

Why our backs can't read braille: Scientists map sensory nerves in mouse skin Posted: 19 Dec 2012 02:39 PM PST Scientists have created stunning images of the branching patterns of individual sensory nerve cells. Their report details the arrangement of these branches in skin from the backs of mice.

Dinosaur: First freshwater mosasaur discovered Posted: 19 Dec 2012 02:39 PM PST A new dinosaur species discovered in Hungary is the first known example of a mosasaur that lived in freshwater river environments similar to modern freshwater dolphins, according to new research.

Lizard tails detach at a biological 'dotted line' Posted: 19 Dec 2012 02:39 PM PST Like sheets of paper marked with perforated lines, gecko tails have unique structural marks that help them sever their tails to make a quick getaway. Though voluntarily shedding a body part in this manner is a well-known phenomenon, research reveals aspects of the process that may have applications for structural engineers making similar, quickly detachable structures.

Will the world end on December 21, 2012? What we know and don't know about forecasting natural disasters Posted: 19 Dec 2012 01:03 PM PST Based on interpretations of the ancient Maya calendar, some people are predicting the world will end on December 21, 2012, Others believe that instead of doomsday and destruction, the day will mark a new era for humanity and will be a time for celebration. Such beliefs aside, what we know with certainty is that Earth has a tremendous capacity to generate natural disasters on any day of any year. For this reason, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists continue to look for ways to better forecast a wide range of natural hazards and protect our communities.

School shootings: What we know and what we can do Posted: 19 Dec 2012 12:27 PM PST School shootings at elementary, secondary and higher education institutions have been a painful reality for American society. But can anything realistically be done to prevent these horrific crimes? A new article attempts to parse out what we have learned from past events, and what we can do about stopping the next attack.

New compound reverses fatty liver disease Posted: 19 Dec 2012 12:27 PM PST Scientists have developed the first synthetic compound that can reverse the effects of a serious metabolic condition known as fatty liver disease.

Regular marijuana use by teens continues to be a concern Posted: 19 Dec 2012 12:27 PM PST Continued high use of marijuana by the United States' eighth, 10th and 12th graders combined with a drop in perceptions of its potential harms was revealed in this year's Monitoring the Future survey, an annual survey of eighth, 10th, and 12th-graders conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan. The survey was carried out in classrooms around the country earlier this year, under a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health.

Pocket test measures fifty things in a drop of blood Posted: 19 Dec 2012 12:26 PM PST A new device about the size of a business card could allow health care providers to test for insulin and other blood proteins, cholesterol, and even signs of viral or bacterial infection all at the same time —- with one drop of blood.

Soybeans a source of valuable chemical Posted: 19 Dec 2012 11:23 AM PST The humble soybean could become an inexpensive new source of a widely used chemical for plastics, textiles, drugs, solvents and as a food additive.

Are bacteria making you hungry? Posted: 19 Dec 2012 11:23 AM PST Over the last half decade, it has become increasingly clear that the normal gastrointestinal (GI) bacteria play a variety of very important roles in the biology of human and animals. Now researchers propose yet another role for GI bacteria: that they exert some control over their hosts' appetites.

Scientists construct first detailed map of how the brain organizes everything we see Posted: 19 Dec 2012 11:22 AM PST Our eyes may be our window to the world, but how do we make sense of the thousands of images that flood our retinas each day? Scientists have found that the brain is wired to put in order all the categories of objects and actions that we see. They have created the first interactive map of how the brain organizes these groupings.

Transplanted neural stem cells treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in mouse model Posted: 19 Dec 2012 11:22 AM PST Transplanting neural stem cells into an ALS mouse model slows disease progression and prolongs survival. The transplanted neural stem cells changed the host environment for the better and protected endangered nerve cells. These findings demonstrate the potential neural stem cells hold for treating ALS.

First use of a gene therapy shows promise against fatal childhood disease Posted: 19 Dec 2012 11:21 AM PST There are promising results from the first-ever use of a virus-based gene therapy for a neurodegenerative/neurological disorder. The therapy was given to 19 young patients with Canavan disease, a devastating inherited childhood condition.

Protein creates paths for growing nerve cells Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:36 AM PST Working with mice, scientists have discovered that a particular protein helps nerve cells extend themselves along the spinal cord during mammalian development. Their results shed light on the subset of muscular dystrophies that result from mutations in the gene that holds the code for the protein, called dystroglycan, and also show how the nerve and muscle failings of the degenerative diseases are related.

Leaping toads reveal muscle-protecting mechanism Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:36 AM PST Most people are impressed by how a toad jumps. One biologist is more impressed by how one lands.

Experiencing discrimination increases risk-taking, anger, and vigilance Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:36 AM PST Experiencing rejection not only affects how we think and feel -- over the long-term it can also influence our physical and mental health. New research suggests that when rejection comes in the form of discrimination, people respond with a pattern of thoughts, behaviors, and physiological responses that may contribute to overall health disparities.

Microwave-assisted method for producing thin films Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:36 AM PST Scientists have demonstrated that assembly of so-called thin films is possible at low temperatures. They are working toward the assembly of thin films in a variety of materials.

Sustainable way to make a prized fragrance ingredient Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:36 AM PST Large amounts of a substitute for one of the world's most treasured fragrance ingredients -- a substance that also has potential anti-cancer activity -- could be produced with a sustainable new technology, scientists are reporting. The advance enables cultures of bacteria to produce a substitute for natural ambergris, which sells for hundreds of dollars an ounce.

A new, super-nutritious puffed rice for breakfast cereals and snacks Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:36 AM PST A new process for blowing up grains of rice produces a super-nutritious form of puffed rice, with three times more protein and a rich endowment of other nutrients that make it ideal for breakfast cereals, snack foods and nutrient bars for school lunch programs, scientists are reporting.

Toward a pill to enable celiac patients to eat foods containing gluten Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:35 AM PST Scientists are reporting an advance toward development of a pill that could become celiac disease's counterpart to the lactase pills that people with lactose intolerance can take to eat dairy products without risking digestive upsets. The approach involves an enzyme that breaks down the gluten that causes celiac symptoms.

When the ice melts, the Earth spews fire Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:35 AM PST It has long been known that volcanic activity can cause short-term variations in climate. Now, researchers have found evidence that the reverse process also occurs: Climate affects volcanic activity.

Helping the nose know: 100-year-old question about how olfactory feedback mechanism works is answered Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:34 AM PST More than 100 years after it was first identified, researchers have, for the first time, described how a feedback mechanism works in the brain's olfactory system by identifying where the signals go, and which type of neurons receive them.

Badger sleeping habits could help target TB control Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:34 AM PST Sleeping away from the family home is linked to health risks for badgers, new research has revealed. Scientists found that badgers which strayed away from the family burrow in favor of sleeping in outlying dens were more likely to carry TB.

Destructive forest cockchafers: Gut microbes help beetles digest wood Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:34 AM PST European forest cockchafers can damage huge areas of trees. They house microbes in their guts that help them to digest their woody food. Larvae and adult beetles have the same microbial species in their guts. Only a few microbes living in the gut originated from the roots or leaves the larvae or beetles were feeding on. These microbes seem to be characteristic bacterial symbionts with which the forest cockchafer has long been associated.

Genomic frontier -- The unexplored animal kingdom: Genomes of limpet, leech and worm put spotlight on lophotrochozoans Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:34 AM PST A new report unveils three of the first genomes from a vast, understudied swath of the animal kingdom that includes as many as one-quarter of Earth's marine species. By publishing the genomes of a leech, an ocean-dwelling worm and a limpet, scientists have more than doubled the number of sequenced genomes from a diverse group of animals called lophotrochozoans.

Brake on nerve cell activity after seizures discovered; Gene expression initiates protective electrical response Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:33 AM PST Selected genes get switched on during and after a seizure, sending signals to reduce uncontrolled firing of nerve cells. A medication that amplifies this response could prevent recurrent seizures and onset of epilepsy.

Scientists establish link between inflammatory process and progression of Alzheimer's disease Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:33 AM PST Researchers have shown that a well-known inflammatory process plays an important role in Alzheimer's disease. This process, which results in the mature production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine called interleukin-1 beta and is involved in the body's defense against infection, has also been established as a clinical target for rheumatoid arthritis. The finding points to the possibility that drugs that disrupt IL-1B may also prove beneficial for patients with Alzheimer's.

Scientists debunk the IQ myth: Notion of measuring one's intelligence quotient by singular, standardized test is highly misleading Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:33 AM PST After conducting the largest online intelligence study on record, scientists concluded that the notion of measuring one's intelligence quotient or IQ by a singular, standardized test is highly misleading.

Physicists achieve elusive 'evaporative cooling' of molecules Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:33 AM PST Achieving a goal considered nearly impossible, physicists have chilled a gas of molecules to very low temperatures by adapting the familiar process by which a hot cup of coffee cools. Evaporative cooling has long been used to cool atoms to extraordinarily low temperatures. The process was used in 1995 to create the Bose-Einstein condensate. The latest demonstration marks the first time evaporative cooling has been achieved with molecules.

Astronomy: Stars reveal the secret of aging well Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:33 AM PST Some people are in great shape at the age of 90, while others are decrepit before they're 50. We know that how fast people age is only loosely linked to how old they actually are -- and may have more to do with their lifestyle. A new study reveals that the same is true of star clusters.

Unraveling the threads: Simplest cotton genome offers clues for fiber improvements Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:33 AM PST An international consortium has published a high-quality draft assembly of the simplest cotton genome. In the study, researchers traced the evolution of cotton and fiber development over millions of years. Additionally, bioenergy researchers hope to learn more about cellulose biosynthesis from the genome as each cotton strand is made of several cellulose coils, a target biomass for next-generation biofuels.

High-throughput sequencing shows potentially hundreds of gene mutations related to autism Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:27 AM PST Genomic technology has revolutionized gene discovery and disease understanding in autism, according to a new article. The paper highlights the impact of a genomic technology called high-throughput sequencing (HTS) in discovering numerous new genes that are associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Preventing inherited disorders in humans: New technology allows transfer of cell nuclei between human egg cells Posted: 19 Dec 2012 10:27 AM PST Scientists have developed a technique that may prevent the inheritance of mitochondrial diseases in children.

Malpractice study: Surgical 'never events' occur at least 4,000 times per year in U.S. Posted: 19 Dec 2012 08:13 AM PST After a cautious and rigorous analysis of national malpractice claims, patient safety researchers estimate that a surgeon in the United States leaves a foreign object such as a sponge or a towel inside a patient's body after an operation 39 times a week, performs the wrong procedure on a patient 20 times a week and operates on the wrong body site 20 times a week.

Geo-engineering against climate change: Seeding the oceans with iron may not address carbon emissions Posted: 19 Dec 2012 07:12 AM PST Plans for seeding the oceans with iron fail to take into account several factors that could scupper those plans, according to experts.

Long-wavelength laser will take better 'fingerprints' of medicines than chemical analysis, research suggests Posted: 19 Dec 2012 07:12 AM PST A laser capable of working in the terahertz range – that of long-wavelength light from the far infrared to 1 millimeter – takes a better 'fingerprint' of, say, a drug under investigation, than a traditional chemical analysis. Scientists have combined a free electron source with photonic crystals which has resulted in great flexibility within a compact laser.

Synthetic and biological nanoparticles combined to produce new metamaterials Posted: 19 Dec 2012 07:12 AM PST Scientists have succeeded in organizing virus particles, protein cages and nanoparticles into crystalline materials. These nanomaterials are important for applications in sensing, optics, electronics and drug delivery.

Do palm trees hold the key to immortality? Posted: 19 Dec 2012 06:28 AM PST For centuries, humans have been exploring, researching, and discovering how to stave off life-threatening diseases, increase life spans, and obtain immortality. Biologists, doctors, spiritual gurus, and even explorers have pursued these quests. Yet the key to longevity may not lie in a miraculous essence of water, but rather in the structure and function of cells within a plant -- and not a mysterious, rare plant, but a quite commonplace, even ordinary, one: the palm.

Research predicts growth, survival of 'superorganism' ant colonies Posted: 19 Dec 2012 06:28 AM PST Smaller ant colonies tend to live faster, die younger and burn up more energy than their larger counterparts, as do the individual ants that make up those colonies, according to new research that views the colonies as "superorganisms" in which social insects function much like the cells of a body.

Invasive plant species may harm native grasslands by changing soil composition Posted: 19 Dec 2012 06:28 AM PST The future landscape of the American Midwest could look a lot like the past—covered in native grasslands rather than agricultural crops. This is not a return to the past, however, but a future that could depend on grasslands for biofuels, grazing systems, carbon sequestration, and other ecosystem services. A major threat to this ecosystem is an old one—weeds and their influence on the soil.

Drug tests in humans for methamphetamine addiction Posted: 19 Dec 2012 06:27 AM PST Scientists have successfully completed dosing in the first human safety study of a medication to help methamphetamine users fight their addictions.

How airway cells regenerate after chlorine gas injury Posted: 19 Dec 2012 05:42 AM PST Scientists have uncovered new clues in understanding how epithelial cells -- the cells that line the trachea, bronchi and other airways that carry air in and out of the lung -- repair themselves after chlorine gas exposure.

HIV patients in care lose more years of life to smoking than to HIV infection Posted: 19 Dec 2012 05:42 AM PST Among HIV patients receiving well-organized care with free access to antiretroviral therapy, those who smoke lose more years of life to smoking than to HIV, according to a new study. The findings highlight the importance of smoking cessation efforts in the long-term, integrated care of patients infected with HIV.

Closest single star like our sun may have habitable planet Posted: 19 Dec 2012 05:41 AM PST An international team of astronomers has discovered that Tau Ceti, one of the closest and most Sun-like stars, may host five planets -- with one in the star's habitable zone.

Robotic-assisted radical bladder surgery potentially benefits bladder cancer patients Posted: 19 Dec 2012 05:41 AM PST About 30 percent of the more than 70,000 bladder cancer cases expected in 2012 are muscle invasive. In such cases, radical cystectomy is the preferred treatment. In a pilot trial, a team of investigators assessed the efficacy of open radical cystectomy (ORC) vs. robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical cystectomy (RARC). While there were no significant differences in treatment outcomes, RARC resulted in decreased estimated blood loss and shorter hospital stay compared to ORC.

Paper waste used to make bricks Posted: 19 Dec 2012 05:40 AM PST Researchers have mixed waste from the paper industry with ceramic material used in the construction industry. The result is a brick that has low thermal conductivity meaning it acts as a good insulator. However, its mechanical resistance still requires improvement.

Fast-acting enzymes with two fingers: Switch protein structurally and dynamically explained Posted: 19 Dec 2012 05:40 AM PST Researchers have uncovered the mechanism that switches off the cell transport regulating proteins. They were able to resolve in detail how the central switch protein Rab is down-regulated with two "protein fingers" by its interaction partners.

The life-saving real world results of intelligent vehicle systems Posted: 19 Dec 2012 05:40 AM PST Smart automotive technologies that help drivers avoid collisions, navigate and improve fuel efficiency should make roads safer, ease congestion and reduce pollution. But just how beneficial are they? Potentially very, according to vehicle manufacturers, researchers and automotive suppliers.

Artificial intelligence helps sort used batteries Posted: 19 Dec 2012 05:40 AM PST A new type of machine sorts used batteries by means of artificial intelligence (AI). One machine is now being used in the UK, sorting one-third of the country's recycled batteries.

Better approach to treating deadly melanoma identified Posted: 19 Dec 2012 05:28 AM PST Scientists have identified a protein that appears to hold the key to creating more effective drug treatments for melanoma, one of the deadliest cancers.

E-waste recycling -- at whose expense? Posted: 19 Dec 2012 05:28 AM PST Computers, tablets and mobile phones are all popular consumer products. The lifespan of these devices is usually short, between two to four years. One researcher visited Pakistan to see how these common electronic devices are dismantled and recycled. She investigated the harsh living conditions of people working with e-waste.

Muscle-loss study sheds new light on ways to prevent muscle loss, obesity and diabetes Posted: 19 Dec 2012 05:28 AM PST A research study has yielded important breakthroughs on how the body loses muscle, paving the way for new treatments for aging, obesity and diabetes.

Genetic variation that could help predict mortality in patients suffering sepsis identified Posted: 19 Dec 2012 05:20 AM PST A new study offers evidence that variations in what is called the NFKB gene could play an important role in helping to determine the survival rate of patients who acquire sepsis.

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