ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Obesity in dads may be associated with offspring's increased risk of disease
• Green tea and red wine extracts interrupt Alzheimer's disease pathway in cells
• Number of multiple births affected by congenital anomalies has doubled since the 1980s
• Tourists face health risks from contact with captive sea turtles
• Insect drives robot to track down smells
• Native Americans at greater risk of suicide after alcohol intoxication
• Plants cut the mustard for basic discoveries in metabolism
• Steroids help reverse rapid bone loss tied to rib fractures
• Alcohol mixed with diet drinks may increase intoxication more than alcohol and regular drinks
• Childhood emotional abuse dramatically strong among male alcohol-dependent individuals
• Both heavy and incompatible drinking can increase the chances of divorce
• NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft eyes comet ISON
• WISE space telescope feels the heat from Orion's sword
• Does probability come from quantum physics?
• New modeling approach transforms imaging technologies
• Can breakfast make kids smarter?
• Study finds potential to match tumors with known cancer drugs
• Baby boomers in worse health than their parents
• Work-life balance needed for recovery from job stress
• Water purification on the cheap: System cleans 'produced water' from natural gas wells
• Protein that allows safe recycling of iron from old red blood cells identified
• Vitamin D, omega-3 may help clear amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer's
• Some omega-3 oils better than others for protection against liver disease
• Tendency to fear is strong political influence
• Light-emitting nano triangles may have applications in optical technology
• Samoan obesity epidemic starts at birth
• Giving transplanted cells a nanotech checkup
• Mitochondrial mutations: When the cell's two genomes collide
• Old age offers no protection from obesity's death grip
• Hubble catches the moment the lights went out
• A spiral galaxy with a secret
• Twenty-one minutes to marital satisfaction: Minimal intervention can preserve marital quality over time
• Newly discovered plant structure may lead to improved biofuel processing
• Trigger turns muscle stem cells into brown fat: Discovery identifies potential obesity treatment
• Using single quantum dots to probe nanowires
• Gene may help predict best chemotherapy treatment for pancreatic cancer patients
• Popular drug-carrying nanoparticles get trapped in bloodstream
• Next-gen e-readers: Improved 'peacock' technology could lock in color for high-res displays
• Evidence moles can smell in stereo
• Overall eating patterns are most important for healthful eating
• Dinosaur footprints at NASA Goddard take another step
• Fault lines in views on climate change revealed: Divided by cause, united by effect
• New 'retention model' explains enigmatic ribbon at edge of solar system
• Researchers spot attention deficits in babies who later develop autism
• Stroke damage in mice overcome by training that 'rewires' brain centers
• New molecular inhibitors hit difficult cancer target
• Cargo container research to improve buildings' ability to withstand tsunamis
• Olive oil component alleviates intestinal ischemia and reperfusion
• Can you predict how a disease will spread in a population?
• Caring for dogs to reduce spread of parasite eggs harmful to humans
• RNA promotes metastasis in lung cancer
• Growth arrest in prostate cancer
• Chest pain prior to a heart attack can protect the heart
• Mammogram every two years has same benefit as yearly mammogram for older women, study finds
• Control a virtual spacecraft by thought alone
• Exposure to pesticides in food, air and water increases risk of type 2 diabetes, study finds
• Klondike, puppy born from a frozen embryo, fetches good news for endangered animals
• Finding -- and fighting -- the fat that fuels cancer: Research examines role of certain fat cells in tumorigenesis
• Blowing hot and cold: U.S. belief in climate change shifts with weather
• Electronic nicotine delivery systems could help reduce smoking, survey suggests

Obesity in dads may be associated with offspring's increased risk of disease Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:02 PM PST A father's obesity is one factor that may influence his children's health and potentially raise their risk for diseases like cancer, according to new research. The study is the first in humans to show that paternal obesity may alter a genetic mechanism in the next generation, suggesting that a father's lifestyle factors may be transmitted to his children.

Green tea and red wine extracts interrupt Alzheimer's disease pathway in cells Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:02 PM PST Natural chemicals found in green tea and red wine may disrupt a key step of the Alzheimer's disease pathway, according to new research.

Number of multiple births affected by congenital anomalies has doubled since the 1980s Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:02 PM PST The number of congenital anomalies, or birth defects arising from multiple births has almost doubled since the 1980s, suggests a new study.

Tourists face health risks from contact with captive sea turtles Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:02 PM PST Tourists coming into contact with sea turtles at holiday attractions face a risk of health problems, according to new research.

Insect drives robot to track down smells Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:01 PM PST A small, two-wheeled robot has been driven by a male silkmoth to track down the sex pheromone usually given off by a female mate. The robot has been used to characterize the silkmoth's tracking behaviors and it is hoped that these can be applied to other autonomous robots so they can track down smells, and the subsequent sources, of environmental spills and leaks when fitted with highly sensitive sensors.

Native Americans at greater risk of suicide after alcohol intoxication Posted: 05 Feb 2013 02:37 PM PST Native Americans are at much greater risk of suicide after acute alcohol intoxication, according to a new study.

Plants cut the mustard for basic discoveries in metabolism Posted: 05 Feb 2013 02:36 PM PST You might think you have nothing in common with mustard except hotdogs. Yet based on research in a plant from the mustard family, scientists have discovered a possible explanation for how organisms, including humans, directly regulate chemical reactions that quickly adjust the growth of organs. These findings overturn conventional views of how different body parts coordinate their growth, shedding light on the development of more productive plants and new therapies for metabolic diseases.

Steroids help reverse rapid bone loss tied to rib fractures Posted: 05 Feb 2013 02:36 PM PST A series of studies found that steroid drugs, known for inducing bone loss with prolonged use, actually help suppress a molecule that's key to the rapid bone loss process.

Alcohol mixed with diet drinks may increase intoxication more than alcohol and regular drinks Posted: 05 Feb 2013 01:25 PM PST A person's breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) after drinking is influenced by factors such as food. New findings show that mixing alcohol with a diet soft drink can result in a higher BrAC than mixing alcohol with a regular or sugar-sweetened drink. Individuals were unaware of these differences, which may pose safety risks such as drinking and driving.

Childhood emotional abuse dramatically strong among male alcohol-dependent individuals Posted: 05 Feb 2013 01:25 PM PST Alcohol dependent (AD) individuals have reduced central serotonergic neurotransmission. Childhood maltreatment can also have a negative impact on central serotonergic neurotransmission. A new study has found that self-reported childhood emotional abuse is associated with a 90-percent reduction in central serotonergic neurotransmission in male AD individuals.

Both heavy and incompatible drinking can increase the chances of divorce Posted: 05 Feb 2013 01:25 PM PST High levels of drinking have repeatedly been shown to predict divorce. A Norwegian study has examined the impact of both level of drinking and compatibility of drinking on divorce. Results indicate that: one, the more people drink, the higher the risk of divorce; and two, risk of divorce is lowered if the spouses drink approximately the same amount of alcohol.

NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft eyes comet ISON Posted: 05 Feb 2013 01:04 PM PST NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft has acquired its first images of comet C/2012 S1 (ISON). The images were taken by the spacecraft's Medium-Resolution Imager over a 36-hour period on Jan. 17 and 18, 2013, from a distance of 493 million miles (793 million kilometers). Many scientists anticipate a bright future for comet ISON; the spaceborne conglomeration of dust and ice may put on quite a show as it passes through the inner solar system this fall.

WISE space telescope feels the heat from Orion's sword Posted: 05 Feb 2013 12:22 PM PST The tangle of clouds and stars that lie in Orion's sword is showcased in a new, expansive view from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE.

Does probability come from quantum physics? Posted: 05 Feb 2013 12:14 PM PST Ever since Erwin Schrodinger put his unfortunate cat in a box, his fellow physicists have been using quantum theory to explain and understand the nature of waves and particles. But a new article makes the case that these quantum fluctuations actually are responsible for the probability of all actions, with far-reaching implications for theories of the universe.

New modeling approach transforms imaging technologies Posted: 05 Feb 2013 11:34 AM PST Researchers are improving the performance of technologies ranging from medical CT scanners to digital cameras using a system of models to extract specific information from huge collections of data and then reconstructing images like a jigsaw puzzle. The new approach is called model-based iterative reconstruction, or MBIR.

Can breakfast make kids smarter? Posted: 05 Feb 2013 11:33 AM PST New research has found that children who regularly have breakfast on a near-daily basis had significantly higher full scale, verbal, and performance IQ test scores.

Study finds potential to match tumors with known cancer drugs Posted: 05 Feb 2013 11:33 AM PST Researchers have found a new way to match potential cancer treatments with an individual tumor: assess the landscape of kinases and find a kinase inhibitor that goes after the highest-expressing kinases in that tumor.

Baby boomers in worse health than their parents Posted: 05 Feb 2013 11:33 AM PST Despite having a reputation of being the healthiest and most active generation, baby boomers are actually in worse overall health than their parents, according to a new study.

Work-life balance needed for recovery from job stress Posted: 05 Feb 2013 11:33 AM PST Detaching from work -- mentally, physically and electronically -- is the key to recovery from job stress during nonwork hours, according to an expert.

Water purification on the cheap: System cleans 'produced water' from natural gas wells Posted: 05 Feb 2013 10:17 AM PST A new system cleans 'produced water' from natural gas wells, and could lead to improved desalination plants for developing countries.

Protein that allows safe recycling of iron from old red blood cells identified Posted: 05 Feb 2013 10:17 AM PST Scientists have long hypothesized that our bodies must have a special protein 'container' for transporting heme -- the form of iron found in living things -- during the breakdown and recycling of old red cells and other types of heme metabolism. Now researchers have identified this long-sought heme-iron transporter and shown that it is the same HRG1 protein found in a common microscopic worm.

Vitamin D, omega-3 may help clear amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer's Posted: 05 Feb 2013 10:16 AM PST A team of academic researchers has pinpointed how vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids may enhance the immune system's ability to clear the brain of amyloid plaques, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. In a small pilot study, the scientists identified key genes and signaling networks regulated by vitamin D3 and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) that may help control inflammation and improve plaque clearance.

Some omega-3 oils better than others for protection against liver disease Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Research has found that one particular omega-3 fatty acid has a powerful effect in preventing liver inflammation and fibrosis -- common problems that are steadily rising along with the number of Americans who are overweight.

Tendency to fear is strong political influence Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Fear can play a role in influencing political attitudes on hot-button issues like immigration, according to new research. The study shows that individuals who are genetically predisposed to fear tend to have more negative out-group opinions, which play out politically as support for policies like anti-immigration and segregation.

Light-emitting nano triangles may have applications in optical technology Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST For the first time, scientists have created single layers of a naturally occurring rare mineral called tungstenite, which they have used to produce a sheet of stacked sulfur and tungsten atoms with unusual photoluminescent properties and with potential for use in optical technologies such as light detectors and lasers.

Samoan obesity epidemic starts at birth Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Born slightly heavy on average, a sample of hundreds of infants in American Samoa continued to gain weight quickly after birth, achieving high rates of obesity within 15 months. Breastfeeding slowed weight gain in boys. Findings may presage infant obesity in other populations where obesity is increasing population wide.

Giving transplanted cells a nanotech checkup Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Researchers have devised a way to detect whether cells previously transplanted into a living animal are alive or dead, an innovation they say is likely to speed the development of cell replacement therapies for conditions such as liver failure and type 1 diabetes. The study used nanoscale pH sensors and MRI machines to tell if liver cells injected into mice survived over time.

Mitochondrial mutations: When the cell's two genomes collide Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Plant and animal cells contain two genomes: One in the nucleus and one in the mitochondria. When mutations occur in each, they can become incompatible, leading to disease. To increase understanding of such illnesses, scientists have traced one example in fruit flies down to the individual errant nucleotides and the mechanism by which the flies become sick.

Old age offers no protection from obesity's death grip Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Obesity kills, giving rise to a host of fatal diseases. But when it comes to seniors, a slew of research has reported an "obesity paradox" that says, at age 65 and older, an elevated BMI won't shorten your lifespan, and may even extend it. A new study takes another look at the numbers, finding the earlier research flawed. The paradox was a mirage: As obese Americans grow older, in fact, their risk of death climbs.

Hubble catches the moment the lights went out Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST The further away you look, the further back in time you see. Astronomers use this fact to study the evolution of the Universe by looking at nearby and more distant galaxies and comparing their features. Hubble is particularly well suited for this type of work because of its extremely high resolution and its position above the blurring effects of Earth's atmosphere. This has allowed it to detect many of the most distant galaxies known, as well as making detailed images of faraway objects.

A spiral galaxy with a secret Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope -- with a little help from an amateur astronomer -- has produced one of the best views yet of nearby spiral galaxy Messier 106. Located a little over 20 million light-years away, practically a neighbor by cosmic standards, Messier 106 is one of the brightest and nearest spiral galaxies to our own.

Twenty-one minutes to marital satisfaction: Minimal intervention can preserve marital quality over time Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:37 AM PST Marital satisfaction -- so critical to health and happiness -- generally declines over time. A brief writing intervention that helps spouses adopt a more objective outlook on marital conflict could be the answer. New research shows that this writing intervention, implemented through just three, seven-minute writing exercises administered online, prevents couples from losing that loving feeling.

Newly discovered plant structure may lead to improved biofuel processing Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:36 AM PST When a botanist approached his colleagues with some unusual data he had collected, they initially seemed convinced that his experiment had become contaminated; what he was seeing simply didn't make any sense.

Trigger turns muscle stem cells into brown fat: Discovery identifies potential obesity treatment Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:36 AM PST Scientists in Canada have discovered a trigger that turns muscle stem cells into brown fat, a form of good fat that could play a critical role in the fight against obesity.

Using single quantum dots to probe nanowires Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:36 AM PST Plasmonic antennas will help image and detect bio-particles. This new research helps establish this approach.

Gene may help predict best chemotherapy treatment for pancreatic cancer patients Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:34 AM PST Researchers have identified a gene that may better predict survival for pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. The scientists conducted a study that better defines the role of ribonucleotide reductase M1 (RRM1). The RRM1 gene encodes the regulatory subunit of ribonucleotide reductase, the molecular target of gemcitabine, a commonly used chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer.

Popular drug-carrying nanoparticles get trapped in bloodstream Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:30 AM PST Many medically minded researchers are in hot pursuit of designs that will allow drug-carrying nanoparticles to navigate tissues and the interiors of cells, but engineers have discovered that these particles have another hurdle to overcome: escaping the bloodstream.

Next-gen e-readers: Improved 'peacock' technology could lock in color for high-res displays Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:30 AM PST Iridescence, or sheen that shifts color depending on your viewing angle, is pretty in peacock feathers. But it's been a nuisance for engineers trying to mimic the birds' unique color mechanism to make high-resolution, reflective, color display screens. Now, researchers have found a way to lock in so-called structural color, which is made with texture rather than chemicals.

Evidence moles can smell in stereo Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:30 AM PST Neuroscientists have performed a series of tests that shows definitively that the common mole uses stereo sniffing to locate its prey.

Overall eating patterns are most important for healthful eating Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:30 AM PST The overall pattern of food that a person eats is more important to a healthy diet than focusing on single foods or individual nutrients, according to a new position paper.

Dinosaur footprints at NASA Goddard take another step Posted: 05 Feb 2013 09:29 AM PST A grouping of 110 to 112 million-year-old dinosaur footprints pressed into mud from the Cretaceous Period have now been safely moved from their original setting on the grounds of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Until further scientific study is possible, the footprints, now wrapped in protective material, will be stored on the Goddard campus.

Fault lines in views on climate change revealed: Divided by cause, united by effect Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST Climate change is a hotly debated issue, but a new study shows geoscientists and engineers also become embroiled in the issue -- and for some, it can get surprisingly personal. Younger, female engineers employed in government seemed to support the Kyoto Protocol, whereas their older, male counterparts -- largely employed by oil and gas companies -- tended to take a fatalistic response to climate change, labeling nature as the culprit.

New 'retention model' explains enigmatic ribbon at edge of solar system Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST Since its Oct. 2008 launch, NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer has provided images of the invisible interactions between our home in the galaxy and interstellar space. Particles emanating from this boundary produce a striking, narrow ribbon, which had yet to be explained despite more than a dozen possible theories. In a new "retention model," researchers suggest that charged particles trapped in this region create the ribbon as they escape as neutral atoms.

Researchers spot attention deficits in babies who later develop autism Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST Researchers are able to detect deficits in social attention in infants as young as six months of age who later develop Autism Spectrum Disorders. The results showed that these infants paid less attention to people and their activities than typically developing babies.

Stroke damage in mice overcome by training that 'rewires' brain centers Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST Researchers have found that mice can recover from physically debilitating strokes that damage the primary motor cortex, the region of the brain that controls most movement in the body, if the rodents are quickly subjected to physical conditioning that rapidly "rewires" a different part of the brain to take over lost function.

New molecular inhibitors hit difficult cancer target Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST Early laboratory tests are the first to successfully use an experimental molecular therapy to block a hard-to-target part of a protein complex linked to several types of invasive cancer. Scientists report the rational design of a small-molecule inhibitor they call Y16. In laboratory tests, the inhibitor helped stop the spread of cultured human breast cancer cells, especially when it was used with another compound known as Rhosin/G04.

Cargo container research to improve buildings' ability to withstand tsunamis Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST A research team has determined just what the impact of cargo containers could be and will present findings at an international conference in June. The goal is to supply structural engineers with information to design buildings in areas vulnerable to tsunamis.

Olive oil component alleviates intestinal ischemia and reperfusion Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST Here's another reason why you should include olive oil in your diet: A new research report suggests that at least one compound in olive oil significantly reduces intestinal ischemia (restricted blood supply) and the resulting reperfusion injury (tissue damage caused when blood supply returns).

Can you predict how a disease will spread in a population? Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST New research has laid the foundation for a new generation of zoonotic disease spreading models, which could allow for more targeted prevention strategies.

Caring for dogs to reduce spread of parasite eggs harmful to humans Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST New research has shown that dogs act as a major source of the parasite egg, Toxocara, which can potentially contaminate the public environment and infect humans.

RNA promotes metastasis in lung cancer Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:21 AM PST MALAT1, an RNA molecule, is a marker for progression of lung cancer. Researchers have now found out that MALAT1 activates metastasis-promoting genes in cancer cells. In mice, blocking of MALAT1 reduced the number and size of lung cancer metastases.

Growth arrest in prostate cancer Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:20 AM PST A previously poorly investigated signalling pathway is crucial for the growth and proliferation of prostate cancer cells. An international research team discovered this when studying the enzyme "soluble adenylyl cyclase" that produces the second messenger molecule cAMP. When the scientists inhibited the enzyme, the cancer cell proliferation was suppressed.

Chest pain prior to a heart attack can protect the heart Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:20 AM PST Patients who experience chest pain in the 24 hours preceding a heart attack, also called preinfarction angina, have smaller heart attacks and improved cardiac function in the contemporary cardiac stenting era, researchers found.

Mammogram every two years has same benefit as yearly mammogram for older women, study finds Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:20 AM PST Among older women, getting a mammogram every two years was just as beneficial as getting a mammogram annually, and led to significantly fewer false positive results, according to a new study.

Control a virtual spacecraft by thought alone Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:17 AM PST Scientists have been working with NASA on a project where they controlled a virtual spacecraft by thought alone. Using BCI (brain-computer interface) technology, they found that combining the brain power of two people could be more accurate in steering a spacecraft than one person. BCIs convert signals generated from the brain into control commands for various applications, including virtual reality and hands-free control.

Exposure to pesticides in food, air and water increases risk of type 2 diabetes, study finds Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:14 AM PST A study led by researchers in Spain reveals that there is a direct relationship between the presence of persistent organic pollutants in the body and the development of type 2 diabetes, regardless of the patient's age, gender or body mass index.

Klondike, puppy born from a frozen embryo, fetches good news for endangered animals Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:11 AM PST Meet Klondike, the western hemisphere's first puppy born from a frozen embryo. He's a beagle-Labrador retriever mix, and although neither of those breeds are endangered, Klondike's very existence is exciting news for endangered canids, like the red wolf.

Finding -- and fighting -- the fat that fuels cancer: Research examines role of certain fat cells in tumorigenesis Posted: 05 Feb 2013 07:11 AM PST UT Southwestern research examines role of certain fat cells in tumorigenesis.

Blowing hot and cold: U.S. belief in climate change shifts with weather Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:30 AM PST A study of American attitudes toward climate change finds that local weather -- temperature, in particular -- is a major influence on public and media opinions on the reality of global warming.

Electronic nicotine delivery systems could help reduce smoking, survey suggests Posted: 05 Feb 2013 05:30 AM PST Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), or e-cigarettes, debuted in China in 2003 and have since become available globally, particularly through the Internet. While they resemble traditional tobacco cigarettes, they produce fewer toxins in the vapor for the smoker. Still, these novel products have unknown long-term health and addiction consequences, are of varying nicotine content and delivery, and may appeal to nonusers and youth. ENDS have been banned by health authorities in Canada and Australia.

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