ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• Scientists confirm original tetrahedral model of molecular structure of water
• Combining synthetic, natural toxins could disarm cancer, drug-resistant bacteria
• Unchecked antibiotic use in animals may affect global human health
• Gene today, gone tomorrow: Genes for autism and schizophrenia only active in developing brains
• Sunlight stimulates release of climate-warming gas from melting Arctic permafrost
• Lack of energy an enemy to antibiotic-resistant microbes
• Security risks of extreme weather and climate change
• Visualizing biological networks in 4-D: Unique microscope captures motion of DNA structures
• Tree die-off triggered by hotter temperatures
• Artificial atoms allow for magnetic resonance on individual cells: Technique for MRIs on molecular scale
• Cell circuits remember their history: Engineers design new synthetic biology circuits that combine memory and logic
• Asian needle ants displacing other aggressive invaders
• Stem cell breakthrough could lead to new bone repair therapies on nanoscale surfaces
• Dogs may understand human point of view

Scientists confirm original tetrahedral model of molecular structure of water Posted: 11 Feb 2013 05:20 PM PST Researchers have confirmed the original model of the molecular structure of water and have thus made it possible to resolve a long-standing scientific controversy about the structure of liquid water. The tetrahedral model was first postulated nearly 100 years ago and it assumes that every water molecule forms a so-called hydrogen bond with four adjacent molecules. This concept was almost toppled in 2004 when an international research group announced that it had experimentally established that water molecules form bonds only with two other molecules.

Combining synthetic, natural toxins could disarm cancer, drug-resistant bacteria Posted: 11 Feb 2013 01:24 PM PST Scientists are suggesting a new "combinatorial approach" to fight both drug-resistant bacteria and cancer. Scientists propose using drug cocktails that contain both synthetic drug molecules and their nature-made counterparts. The synthetic drugs have a corkscrew-shaped "counterclockwise" twist not found in nature. The team suggests combining them with clockwise-shaped toxins for maximum effect.

Unchecked antibiotic use in animals may affect global human health Posted: 11 Feb 2013 01:22 PM PST The increasing production and use of antibiotics, about half of which is used in animal production, is mirrored by the growing number of antibiotic resistance genes, or ARGs, effectively reducing antibiotics' ability to fend off diseases -- in animals and humans.

Gene today, gone tomorrow: Genes for autism and schizophrenia only active in developing brains Posted: 11 Feb 2013 01:22 PM PST Genes linked to autism and schizophrenia are only switched on during the early stages of brain development, according to a new study in mice. This new study adds to the evidence that autism and schizophrenia are neurodevelopmental disorders, a term describing conditions that originate during early brain development.

Sunlight stimulates release of climate-warming gas from melting Arctic permafrost Posted: 11 Feb 2013 01:21 PM PST Ancient carbon trapped in Arctic permafrost is extremely sensitive to sunlight and, if exposed to the surface when long-frozen soils melt and collapse, can release climate-warming carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere much faster than previously thought.

Lack of energy an enemy to antibiotic-resistant microbes Posted: 11 Feb 2013 12:07 PM PST Researchers "cured" a strain of bacteria of its ability to resist an antibiotic in an experiment that has implications for a long-standing public health crisis.

Security risks of extreme weather and climate change Posted: 11 Feb 2013 10:50 AM PST A new study, conducted specifically to explore the forces driving extreme weather events and their implications for national security planning over the next decade, finds that the early ramifications of climate extremes resulting from climate change are already upon us and will continue to be felt over the next decade, directly impacting US national security interests.

Visualizing biological networks in 4-D: Unique microscope captures motion of DNA structures Posted: 11 Feb 2013 10:50 AM PST Every great structure depends on specific mechanical properties to remain strong and reliable. Rigidity is of particular importance for maintaining the robust functionality of everything from colossal edifices to the tiniest of nanoscale structures. In biological nanostructures, like DNA networks, it has been difficult to measure this stiffness, which is essential to their properties and functions. But scientists now have developed techniques for visualizing the behavior of biological nanostructures in both space and time.

Tree die-off triggered by hotter temperatures Posted: 11 Feb 2013 10:50 AM PST Scientists have determined that the recent widespread die-off of Colorado trembling aspen trees is a direct result of decreased precipitation exacerbated by high summer temperatures. The die-off, triggered by the drought from 2000-2003, is estimated to have affected up to 17 percent of Colorado aspen forests.

Artificial atoms allow for magnetic resonance on individual cells: Technique for MRIs on molecular scale Posted: 11 Feb 2013 10:50 AM PST Researchers have developed a technique similar to the MRI but has higher resolution and sensitivity, which has the ability to scan individual cells.

Cell circuits remember their history: Engineers design new synthetic biology circuits that combine memory and logic Posted: 11 Feb 2013 07:40 AM PST Engineers have created genetic circuits in bacterial cells that not only perform logic functions, but also remember the results, which are encoded in the cell's DNA and passed on for dozens of generations.

Asian needle ants displacing other aggressive invaders Posted: 11 Feb 2013 07:23 AM PST Researchers have found that one of the most aggressive invasive ant species in the United States -- the Argentine ant -- appears to have met its match in the Asian needle ant. Specifically, the researchers have found that the Asian needle ant is successfully displacing Argentine ants in an urban environment, indicating that the Asian needle ant -- with its venomous sting -- may be the next invasive species to see a population boom.

Stem cell breakthrough could lead to new bone repair therapies on nanoscale surfaces Posted: 11 Feb 2013 06:08 AM PST Scientists have created a new method to generate bone cells which could lead to revolutionary bone repair therapies for people with bone fractures or those who need hip replacement surgery due to osteoporosis and osteoarthritis The researchers cultured human embryonic stem cells on to the surface of plastic materials and assessed their ability to change Scientists were able to use the nanotopographical patterns on the biomedical plastic to manipulate human embryonic stem cells towards bone cells. This was done without any chemical enhancement.

Dogs may understand human point of view Posted: 11 Feb 2013 06:08 AM PST Domestic dogs are much more likely to steal food when they think nobody can see them, suggesting for the first time that dogs are capable of understanding a human's point of view.

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