ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Planning by postcode: How prepared are cities for climate change?
• Researchers optically levitate a glowing, nanoscale diamond
• New gene repair technique promises advances in regenerative medicine
• Brain's flexible hub network helps humans adapt
• Seasonal carbon dioxide range expanding as more is added to Earth's atmosphere
• 'Grammar' plays key role in activating genes
• Protein required for cell movement identified
• Tumor suppressor is needed for stem cells to mature into neurons
• ADHD and texting found to significantly impair teenage driving
• At 75, would Popeye still be able to take on Bluto?
• If you were a preemie, take heed for your heart
• Your eyes may hold clues to stroke risk
• Vitamin D supplementation does not appear to reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension
• Inducing and augmenting labor may be associated with increased risk of autism
• New twist in the graphene story: Tiny twist in bilayer graphene may solve a mystery
• Novel worm community affects methane release in ocean
• More realistic simulated cloth for more realistic video games and movies
• Protein that helps plants tolerate drought, flooding, other stresses discovered
• Young or old, song sparrows experience climate change differently from each other
• 'Molecular flashlight' illuminates brain tumors in mice
• Melting water's lubricating effect on glaciers has only 'minor' role in future sea-level rise
• Climate benefit for cutting soot, methane smaller than previous estimates
• Soil biodiversity will be crucial to future land management and response to climate change
• Neandertals made the first specialized bone tools in Europe
• Irrigation in arid regions can increase malaria risk for a decade
• Electrical signatures of consciousness in the dying brain
• Scientists develop method that ensures safe research on deadly flu viruses: Strategy turns molecules in human lung cells into viral scissors that cut H5N1 bird flu and similar bugs into pieces
• Communicating nightingales: Older males trill better
• Protein that delays cell division in bacteria may lead to identification of new antibiotics
• New insights into neuroblastoma tumor suppressor may provide clues for improved treatment
• Rules for gene-therapy vectors developed
• Microentrepreneurs may be an untapped market for product design
• New materials for bio-based hydrogen synthesis: Synthetic biology enables spontaneous protein activation
• How 'teamwork' between egg and sperm works: Little-known protein identified in vertebrate fertilization process
• Simulating flow from volcanoes and oil spills
• Competition changes how people view strangers online: On sites like eBay, strangers no longer seen as 'just like you'
• California seafloor mapping reveals hidden treasures
• Sense of smell: The nose and the brain make quite a team... in disconnection
• School lunch and TV time linked with childhood obesity
• Largest study of epilepsy patients ever conducted reveals new and surprising genetic risk factors
• New clue on the origin of Huntington's disease
• Scientists have found new evidence to show how early humans migrated into Europe
• Killer fish with teeth? Danish swimmers escape waters fearing killer fish
• A cautionary note on oxytocin as a treatment for psychiatric disorders
• Weeds threaten carbon offset programs
• Cosmology in the lab using laser-cooled ions
• Genetic mutations linked to Parkinson's disease

Planning by postcode: How prepared are cities for climate change? Posted: 12 Aug 2013 05:35 PM PDT New 'Urban Climate Change Preparedness Score' highlights huge variations in the state of readiness for climate change across the UK, and will now be used to assess the preparedness of cities around the world.

Researchers optically levitate a glowing, nanoscale diamond Posted: 12 Aug 2013 05:25 PM PDT Researchers have measured for the first time light emitted by photoluminescence from a nanodiamond levitating in free space.

New gene repair technique promises advances in regenerative medicine Posted: 12 Aug 2013 05:25 PM PDT Using human pluripotent stem cells and DNA-cutting protein from meningitis bacteria, researchers have created an efficient way to target and repair defective genes.

Brain's flexible hub network helps humans adapt Posted: 12 Aug 2013 02:04 PM PDT New research offers compelling evidence that a well-connected core brain network based in the lateral prefrontal cortex and the posterior parietal cortex -- parts of the brain most changed evolutionarily since our common ancestor with chimpanzees -- contains "flexible hubs" that coordinate the brain's responses to novel cognitive challenges.

Seasonal carbon dioxide range expanding as more is added to Earth's atmosphere Posted: 12 Aug 2013 02:03 PM PDT Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rise and fall each year as plants, through photosynthesis and respiration, take up the gas in spring and summer, and release it in fall and winter. Now the range of that cycle is expanding as more carbon dioxide is emitted from burning fossil fuels and other human activities.

'Grammar' plays key role in activating genes Posted: 12 Aug 2013 02:03 PM PDT Researchers have probed deep into the cell's genome, beyond the basic genetic code, to begin learning the "grammar" that helps determine whether or not a gene gets switched on to make the protein it encodes.

Protein required for cell movement identified Posted: 12 Aug 2013 02:03 PM PDT Researchers have now illuminated a crucial step in the process of cell movement. The protein they examined, Exo70, induces a reshaping of the cell's plasma membrane, a necessary step in how a cell migrates from one location to another.

Tumor suppressor is needed for stem cells to mature into neurons Posted: 12 Aug 2013 02:03 PM PDT The previously proposed tumor suppressor CHD5 is essential for making nervous system stem cells mature into neurons, according to a new study. The finding provides valuable information about how neurons mature and shows why the loss of CHD5 can make tumors of the nerve system more malignant.

ADHD and texting found to significantly impair teenage driving Posted: 12 Aug 2013 02:02 PM PDT ADHD and texting both significantly impair driving performance among teenagers, according to a new study. Researchers used a driving simulator to test the driving performance of 16- and 17-year-old drivers; approximately half of the study's 61 participants had been diagnosed with ADHD, the other half had not.

At 75, would Popeye still be able to take on Bluto? Posted: 12 Aug 2013 02:02 PM PDT If Popeye were to age naturally like the rest of us, he would need more than just big muscles to stay independent during his senior years. When it comes to muscles and aging, the important thing is quality, not quantity, as shown by the findings of a new study.

If you were a preemie, take heed for your heart Posted: 12 Aug 2013 02:02 PM PDT Being born prematurely may be linked to important changes in how your heart forms and works as an adult.

Your eyes may hold clues to stroke risk Posted: 12 Aug 2013 02:02 PM PDT Photographing the retina may help detect which high blood pressure patients are more likely to have a stroke. Retinal imaging may be an inexpensive and non-invasive way to assess risk.

Vitamin D supplementation does not appear to reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension Posted: 12 Aug 2013 01:59 PM PDT Vitamin D supplementation does not appear to improve blood pressure or markers of vascular health in older patients with isolated systolic hypertension (a common type of high blood pressure), according to a new study.

Inducing and augmenting labor may be associated with increased risk of autism Posted: 12 Aug 2013 01:59 PM PDT Pregnant women whose labors are induced or augmented may have an increased risk of bearing children with autism, especially if the baby is male, according to a large, retrospective analysis.

New twist in the graphene story: Tiny twist in bilayer graphene may solve a mystery Posted: 12 Aug 2013 12:51 PM PDT Researchers have discovered that in the making of bilayer graphene, a tiny structural twist arises that can lead to surprisingly strong changes in the material's electronic properties.

Novel worm community affects methane release in ocean Posted: 12 Aug 2013 12:51 PM PDT Scientists have discovered a super-charged methane seep in the ocean off New Zealand that has created its own unique food web, resulting in much more methane escaping from the ocean floor into the water column. It will not make it into the atmosphere, where it could exacerbate global warming. However, the discovery does highlight scientists' limited understanding of the global methane cycle -- and specifically the biological interactions that create the stability of the ocean system.

More realistic simulated cloth for more realistic video games and movies Posted: 12 Aug 2013 12:51 PM PDT Computer scientists have developed a new model to simulate with unprecedented accuracy on the computer the way cloth and light interact. The new model can be used in animated movies and in video games to make cloth look more realistic. Existing models are either too simplistic and produce unrealistic results; or too complex and costly for practical use.

Protein that helps plants tolerate drought, flooding, other stresses discovered Posted: 12 Aug 2013 12:49 PM PDT Researchers have uncovered a protein that plays a vital role in how plant roots use water and nutrients, a key step in improving the production and quality of crops and biofuels.

Young or old, song sparrows experience climate change differently from each other Posted: 12 Aug 2013 12:44 PM PDT What's good for adults is not always best for the young, and vice versa. At least that is the case with song sparrows and how they experience the effects of climate change, according to recent studies.

'Molecular flashlight' illuminates brain tumors in mice Posted: 12 Aug 2013 12:44 PM PDT In a breakthrough that could have wide-ranging applications in molecular medicine, researchers have created a bioengineered peptide that enables imaging of medulloblastomas, among the most devastating of malignant childhood brain tumors, in lab mice.

Melting water's lubricating effect on glaciers has only 'minor' role in future sea-level rise Posted: 12 Aug 2013 12:44 PM PDT Concerns that melting water would speed up the decline of Greenland's ice sheet have been allayed by new research which shows the lubricating effect of water beneath glaciers will not significantly add to sea-level rise.

Climate benefit for cutting soot, methane smaller than previous estimates Posted: 12 Aug 2013 12:44 PM PDT Cutting the amount of short-lived, climate-warming emissions such as soot and methane in our skies won't limit global warming as much as previous studies have suggested, a new study shows.

Soil biodiversity will be crucial to future land management and response to climate change Posted: 12 Aug 2013 12:42 PM PDT Maintaining healthy soil biodiversity can play an important role in optimizing land management programs to reap benefits from the living soil. The findings extend the understanding about the factors that regulate soil biodiversity.

Neandertals made the first specialized bone tools in Europe Posted: 12 Aug 2013 12:42 PM PDT Modern humans replaced Neandertals in Europe about 40,000 years ago, but the Neandertals' capabilities are still greatly debated. Some argue that before they were replaced, Neandertals had cultural capabilities similar to modern humans, while others argue that these similarities only appear once modern humans came into contact with Neandertals.

Irrigation in arid regions can increase malaria risk for a decade Posted: 12 Aug 2013 12:35 PM PDT New irrigation systems in arid regions benefit farmers but can increase the local malaria risk for more than a decade — which is longer than previously believed — despite intensive and costly use of insecticides, a new study in northwest India concludes.

Electrical signatures of consciousness in the dying brain Posted: 12 Aug 2013 12:35 PM PDT About 20 percent of cardiac arrest survivors report having a near death experience with visions and perceptions, but are the experiences real? A new study suggests the dying brain is capable of well-organized electrical activity during the early stages of clinical death. The study provides the first scientific framework for the near-death experience.

Scientists develop method that ensures safe research on deadly flu viruses: Strategy turns molecules in human lung cells into viral scissors that cut H5N1 bird flu and similar bugs into pieces Posted: 12 Aug 2013 09:53 AM PDT The strategy will enable healthy molecules in human lung cells to latch on to these viruses and cut the bugs up before they have a chance to infect the human host.

Communicating nightingales: Older males trill better Posted: 12 Aug 2013 09:53 AM PDT Older male nightingales perform faster and more demanding trills than their younger rivals. With up to 100 trill elements a second, nightingales belong to the fastest singers.

Protein that delays cell division in bacteria may lead to identification of new antibiotics Posted: 12 Aug 2013 09:53 AM PDT Bacteria adjust to wide fluctuations in food supply by controlling how big they get and how often they divide. Scientists have just worked out the control system E. coli use to delay division so they can bulk up when food suddenly becomes abundant. What can be delayed can also be stopped, so the control system may provide an opportunity to design a new class of antibiotics.

New insights into neuroblastoma tumor suppressor may provide clues for improved treatment Posted: 12 Aug 2013 09:15 AM PDT Loss of a gene required for stem cells in the brain to turn into neurons may underlie the most severe forms of neuroblastoma, a deadly childhood cancer of the nervous system, according to a new study. The findings also provide clues about how to improve the treatment of this often-incurable tumor.

Rules for gene-therapy vectors developed Posted: 12 Aug 2013 09:15 AM PDT Researchers are making strides toward a set of rules to custom-design viral vectors for gene therapy. They have adapted a computer algorithm to find the parts of two distantly related adeno-associated viruses that could be recombined into new and useful viruses for gene therapy. They intend to determine the rules by which custom viruses can easily be designed for therapies.

Microentrepreneurs may be an untapped market for product design Posted: 12 Aug 2013 09:14 AM PDT Designing products for the developing world can be a hit-or-miss endeavor: While there may be a dire need for products addressing problems, such as access to clean water, sanitation and electricity, designing a product that consumers will actually buy is a complicated process. More often than not, such products -- even those that are distributed at no charge -- go unused due to poor quality, unreliability or differences in cultural expectations.

New materials for bio-based hydrogen synthesis: Synthetic biology enables spontaneous protein activation Posted: 12 Aug 2013 09:13 AM PDT Researchers have discovered an efficient process for hydrogen biocatalysis. They developed semi-synthetic hydrogenases, hydrogen-generating enzymes, by adding the protein's biological precursor to a chemically synthesized inactive iron complex. From these two components, the biological catalyst formed spontaneously in a test tube.

How 'teamwork' between egg and sperm works: Little-known protein identified in vertebrate fertilization process Posted: 12 Aug 2013 09:13 AM PDT Researchers have decoded a previously unknown molecular mechanism in the fertilization process of vertebrates. The team of scientists have identified a specific protein in frog egg extracts that the male basal bodies need, but that is produced only by the reproductive cells of the female. This "teamwork" between the egg and sperm is what makes embryo development possible.

Simulating flow from volcanoes and oil spills Posted: 12 Aug 2013 09:11 AM PDT Some time around 37,000 BCE a massive volcano erupted in the Campanian region of Italy, blanketing much of Europe with ash, stunting plant growth and possibly dooming the Neanderthals. While our prehistoric relatives had no way to know the ash cloud was coming, a recent study provides a new tool that may have predicted what path volcanic debris would take.

Competition changes how people view strangers online: On sites like eBay, strangers no longer seen as 'just like you' Posted: 12 Aug 2013 09:11 AM PDT An anonymous stranger you encounter on websites like Yelp or Amazon may seem to be just like you, and a potential friend. But a stranger on a site like eBay is a whole different story.

California seafloor mapping reveals hidden treasures Posted: 12 Aug 2013 07:34 AM PDT Science and technology have peeled back a veil of water just offshore of California, revealing the hidden seafloor in unprecedented detail.

Sense of smell: The nose and the brain make quite a team... in disconnection Posted: 12 Aug 2013 07:30 AM PDT Scientists have just shown that the representation of an odor evolves after the first breath, and that an olfactory retentivity persists at the central level.

School lunch and TV time linked with childhood obesity Posted: 12 Aug 2013 07:30 AM PDT Among middle-school children, the behaviors most often linked with obesity are school lunch consumption and two hours or more of daily TV viewing.

Largest study of epilepsy patients ever conducted reveals new and surprising genetic risk factors Posted: 12 Aug 2013 07:30 AM PDT Neurologists and epilepsy researchers have discovered 329 random genetic mutations associated with two of the most severe forms of epilepsy, according to a new article.

New clue on the origin of Huntington's disease Posted: 12 Aug 2013 07:27 AM PDT The synapses in the brain act as key communication points between approximately one hundred billion neurons. They form a complex network connecting various centres in the brain through electrical impulses. New research suggests that it is precisely here, in the synapses, that Huntington's disease might begin.

Scientists have found new evidence to show how early humans migrated into Europe Posted: 12 Aug 2013 07:27 AM PDT Humans originated in Africa.  But what route did they take as they began to disperse around the world 60,000 years ago?  A professor has played a key role in finding the answer to one of the most fundamental questions in the history of humankind.

Killer fish with teeth? Danish swimmers escape waters fearing killer fish Posted: 12 Aug 2013 07:27 AM PDT The capture in the Danish/Swedish strait of Oresund of a fish some 20 centimeters in size and with long sharp teeth has caused Danish swimmers to leave the water fearing an invasion of meat-eating killer fish, Piranhas. There is, however, no cause for panic, say experts. The fish, though exotic, is a Pacu, not a piranha. Nonetheless, they caution male swimmers to protect their privates when swimming in the sound.

A cautionary note on oxytocin as a treatment for psychiatric disorders Posted: 12 Aug 2013 07:27 AM PDT The hormone oxytocin is known for its widespread effects on social and reproductive processes, and recent data from intranasal administration in humans has produced hope for its use as a therapeutic in autism, schizophrenia, and other disorders. However, this leap to human use is happening without previous animal studies of long-term oxytocin administration, and without knowledge of the neurobiological mechanisms involved in the behavioral findings. A new study indicates that the promising short-term effects often observed after a single dose of oxytocin may not translate to positive effects after long-term administration.

Weeds threaten carbon offset programs Posted: 12 Aug 2013 07:26 AM PDT Researchers have identified gamba grass and other invasive weeds as a potential threat to landholder involvement in environmental offset programs such as the Carbon Farming Initiative. Strategic savanna burning is one way to reduce Australia's carbon emissions and create new markets in northern Australia, but the increased fuel load and emissions from weed infestations could make it unfeasible.

Cosmology in the lab using laser-cooled ions Posted: 12 Aug 2013 07:25 AM PDT Scientists would love to know which forces created our universe some 14 billion years ago. How could -- due to a breaking of symmetry -- matter, and thus stars and galaxies, be created from an originally symmetrical universe in which the same conditions prevailed everywhere shortly after the Big Bang? Now, the Big Bang is an experiment that cannot be repeated. But the principle of symmetry and its disturbance can definitely be investigated under controlled laboratory conditions.

Genetic mutations linked to Parkinson's disease Posted: 11 Aug 2013 12:06 PM PDT Researchers have discovered how genetic mutations linked to Parkinson's disease might play a key role in the death of brain cells, potentially paving the way for the development of more effective drug treatments.

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