ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Lessons from cockroaches could inform robotics
• Forecast is for more snow in polar regions, less for the rest of us
• The lifetime journeys of manure-based microbes
• Stash of stem cells found in a human parasite
• Effectiveness of magnetic device for treatment of reflux disease demonstrated
• Underlying mechanisms behind chronic inflammation-associated diseases revealed
• Rocket attacks on Israeli city increase miscarriage likelihood, study finds
• Genomic detectives crack the case of the missing heritability
• Has evolution given humans unique brain structures?
• Watching molecules grow into microtubes
• New more effective treatment option for breast cancer patients approved by FDA
• Vibrant mix of marine life found at extreme ocean depths
• Fruit flies force their young to drink alcohol for their own good
• Tiny tweezers and their big influence on bustling proteins: Scientists investigate molecular 'clothespins'
• Parents talking about their own drug use to children could be detrimental
• Small groups of brain cells store concepts for memory formation -- from Luke Skywalker to your grandmother
• Circulation changes in a warmer ocean
• Light from silicon nanocrystal LEDs: Scientists develop multicolor LEDs without heavy metals
• Formation of nanoparticles can now be studied molecule-by-molecule
• World premiere of muscle and nerve controlled arm prosthesis
• Endocrine disorder is most common cause of elevated calcium levels
• Neuroscientist sheds light on cause for 'chemo brain'
• Titanium dioxide nanoreactor: Synthesis to produce nanoparticles at room temperature in a polymer network
• Omega-3s inhibit breast cancer tumor growth, study finds
• IQ loss linked to schizophrenia genes, study finds

Lessons from cockroaches could inform robotics Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:32 AM PST Running cockroaches start to recover from being shoved sideways before their dawdling nervous system kicks in to tell their legs what to do, researchers have found. These new insights on how biological systems stabilize could one day help engineers design steadier robots and improve doctors' understanding of human gait abnormalities.

Forecast is for more snow in polar regions, less for the rest of us Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:32 AM PST A new cli­mate model pre­dicts an increase in snow­fall for Earth's polar regions and high­est alti­tudes, but an over­all drop in snow­fall for the globe, as car­bon diox­ide lev­els rise over the next century.

The lifetime journeys of manure-based microbes Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:32 AM PST Studies at the U.S. Department of Agriculture are shedding some light on the microbes that dwell in cattle manure -- what they are, where they thrive, where they struggle, and where they can end up.

Stash of stem cells found in a human parasite Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:31 AM PST Researchers have now found stem cells inside the parasite that cause schistosomiasis, one of the most common parasitic infections in the world. These stem cells can regenerate worn-down organs, which may help explain how they can live for years or even decades inside their host.

Effectiveness of magnetic device for treatment of reflux disease demonstrated Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:31 AM PST A study published February 21st in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) provides clinical evidence of the safety and effectiveness of a new magnetic medical device to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Santiago Horgan, MD, professor of surgery at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and study co-author, was the first surgeon in the United States to implant the FDA-approved device.

Underlying mechanisms behind chronic inflammation-associated diseases revealed Posted: 22 Feb 2013 11:31 AM PST Inflammatory response plays a major role in both health protection and disease generation. While the symptoms of disease-related inflammatory response have been know, scientists have not understood the mechanisms that underlie it. In new research, scientists mapped the complex interactions of proteins that control inflammation at the molecular level.

Rocket attacks on Israeli city increase miscarriage likelihood, study finds Posted: 22 Feb 2013 09:10 AM PST Rocket attacks in Sderot, Israel significantly increase the likelihood of miscarriages, according to a new study. The study compared 1,341 pregnancies of women (exposed group) who resided in Sderot, an area exposed to frequent rocket fire, with 2,143 pregnancies of women who lived in Kiryat Gat (unexposed group), which is out of range of missiles.

Genomic detectives crack the case of the missing heritability Posted: 22 Feb 2013 09:10 AM PST Despite years of research, the genetic factors behind many human diseases and characteristics remain unknown, and has been called the "missing heritability" problem. A new study, however, suggests that heritability in humans may be hidden due only to the limitations of modern research tools, but could be discovered if scientists know where (and how) to look.

Has evolution given humans unique brain structures? Posted: 22 Feb 2013 09:07 AM PST Humans have at least two functional networks in their cerebral cortex not found in rhesus monkeys. This means that new brain networks were likely added in the course of evolution from primate ancestor to human.

Watching molecules grow into microtubes Posted: 22 Feb 2013 09:07 AM PST Sometimes the best discoveries come by accident. A team of researchers unexpectedly found the mechanism by which tiny single molecules spontaneously grow into centimeter-long microtubes by leaving a dish for a different experiment in the refrigerator.

New more effective treatment option for breast cancer patients approved by FDA Posted: 22 Feb 2013 09:07 AM PST Patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer, now have a new, effective and less toxic therapeutic option. On Feb., 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the new treatment drug, Kadcyla (trastuzumab emtansine), also known as TDM-1, which combines Traztuzumab, also called Herceptin, with the powerful chemotherapy drug emtansine.

Vibrant mix of marine life found at extreme ocean depths Posted: 22 Feb 2013 07:30 AM PST The first scientific examinations of data recorded during a record-setting expedition have yielded new insights about the diversity of creatures that live and thrive in the cold, dark, and highly pressurized habitats of the world's deepest points and their vastly unexplored ecosystems.

Fruit flies force their young to drink alcohol for their own good Posted: 22 Feb 2013 07:29 AM PST When fruit flies sense parasitic wasps in their environment, they lay their eggs in an alcohol-soaked environment, essentially forcing their larvae to consume booze as a drug to combat the deadly wasps. The finding adds to the evidence that using toxins in the environment to medicate offspring may be common across the animal kingdom.

Tiny tweezers and their big influence on bustling proteins: Scientists investigate molecular 'clothespins' Posted: 22 Feb 2013 07:26 AM PST Tiny molecular tweezers have a remarkable impact on bustling proteins: Scientists have found that molecular tweezers can be used to regulate protein-protein interactions by selectively trapping certain residues of the protein -- and stick like a clothespin.

Parents talking about their own drug use to children could be detrimental Posted: 22 Feb 2013 05:31 AM PST Parents know that one day they will have to talk to their children about drug use. The hardest part is to decide whether or not talking about ones own drug use will be useful in communicating an antidrug message. Recent research found that children whose parents did not disclose drug use, but delivered a strong antidrug message, were more likely to exhibit antidrug attitudes.

Small groups of brain cells store concepts for memory formation -- from Luke Skywalker to your grandmother Posted: 22 Feb 2013 05:30 AM PST Concepts in our minds -- from Luke Skywalker to our grandmother -- are represented by their own distinct group of neurons, according to new research.

Circulation changes in a warmer ocean Posted: 22 Feb 2013 05:30 AM PST In a new study, scientists suggest that the pattern of ocean circulation was radically altered in the past when climates were warmer.

Light from silicon nanocrystal LEDs: Scientists develop multicolor LEDs without heavy metals Posted: 22 Feb 2013 04:57 AM PST Silicon nanocrystals have a size of a few nanometers and possess a high luminous potential. Scientists have now succeeded in manufacturing silicon-based light-emitting diodes (SiLEDs). They are free of heavy metals and can emit light in various colors.

Formation of nanoparticles can now be studied molecule-by-molecule Posted: 22 Feb 2013 04:57 AM PST Atmospheric aerosol particles affect our climate by slowing down the global warming, research suggests. Scientists have succeeded in developing measurement techniques that allow detection of aerosol nucleation starting from the formation of clusters from vapor molecules, and the growth of these clusters into aerosol particles.

World premiere of muscle and nerve controlled arm prosthesis Posted: 22 Feb 2013 04:57 AM PST Electrodes have been permanently implanted in nerves and muscles of an amputee to directly control an arm prosthesis, for the first time. The result allows natural control of an advanced robotic prosthesis, similarly to the motions of a natural limb.

Endocrine disorder is most common cause of elevated calcium levels Posted: 21 Feb 2013 11:10 AM PST Researchers have found that unusually high calcium levels in the blood can almost always be traced to primary hyperparathyroidism, an undertreated, underreported condition that affects mainly women and the elderly. The condition, which results from overactive parathyroid glands and includes symptoms of bone loss, depression and fatigue that may go undetected for years, is most often seen in African American women over the age of 50, the researchers discovered.

Neuroscientist sheds light on cause for 'chemo brain' Posted: 21 Feb 2013 08:59 AM PST It's not unusual for cancer patients being treated with chemotherapy to complain about not being able to think clearly, connect thoughts or concentrate on daily tasks. The complaint -- often referred to as chemo-brain -- is common. The scientific cause, however, has been difficult to pinpoint. New research offers clues for this fog-like condition, medically known as chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment.

Titanium dioxide nanoreactor: Synthesis to produce nanoparticles at room temperature in a polymer network Posted: 21 Feb 2013 08:57 AM PST Tiny particles of titanium dioxide are found as key ingredients in wall paints, sunscreens, and toothpaste; they act as reflectors of light or as abrasives. However with decreasing particle size and a corresponding change in their surface-to-volume ratio, their properties change so that crystalline titanium dioxide nanoparticles acquire catalytic ability: Activated by the UV component in sunlight, they break down toxins or catalyze other relevant reactions. Now, chemists have developed a synthesis to produce nanoparticles at room temperature in a polymer network.

Omega-3s inhibit breast cancer tumor growth, study finds Posted: 21 Feb 2013 07:43 AM PST A lifelong diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can inhibit growth of breast cancer tumors by 30 percent, according to new research from the University of Guelph. The study, published recently in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, is believed to be the first to provide unequivocal evidence that omega-3s reduce cancer risk.

IQ loss linked to schizophrenia genes, study finds Posted: 21 Feb 2013 07:43 AM PST People who are at greater genetic risk of schizophrenia are more likely to see a fall in IQ as they age, even if they do not develop the condition, according to new research.

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