ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Stronger winds may explain puzzling growth of sea ice in Antarctica, model shows
• Ability to move to a beat linked to brain's response to speech: Musical training may sharpen language processing
• Weak charge of proton determined for first time
• Researchers study ways to make stronger materials in 3-D
• Human activity affects vertical structure of atmospheric temperature
• A protein that can mean life or death for cells
• Death and disability from air pollution down 35 percent in the US
• Why kids breathe easier in summer
• Predicting who will have chronic pain
• Red grapes, blueberries may enhance immune function
• New insight into reducing racial, ethnic disparities in diabetes
• Wetlands more cost-effective in nutrient removal, but multiple payments would be of uncertain value
• Clean energy least costly to power America's electricity needs
• Speeding up cancer diagnosis during surgery
• How birds got their wings: Fossil data show scaling of limbs altered as birds originated from dinosaurs
• Energy from tides and currents: Best arrangement of tidal sails device determined
• Urban agriculture: The potential and challenges of producing food in cities
• Massive carbon credit sale announced in Madagascar
• Heavily logged forests still valuable for tropical wildlife
• New class of drug targets heart disease
• Environmental complexity promotes biodiversity
• First-time measurements in Greenland snowpack show a drop in atmospheric carbon monoxide since 1950s
• French islands under threat from rising sea levels
• Host genome controls skin microbiota and inflammation
• Pancreatic stem cells isolated from mice
• Memory problems, emotional stress result in early readmissions of heart patients
• Smartphone 'microscope' can detect a single virus, nanoparticles
• Ten-year project redraws the map of bird brains
• Mt. Zion dig reveals possible second temple period priestly mansion
• Patient-specific cure discovered for dangerous heart rhythm disorder
• Brain is hard-wired for chronic pain
• New organism discovered: Finding will help scientists understand the origins of multicellular life
• Osteoarthritis and the (not so) painful step toward a cure
• Plankton Portal uses crowd-sourcing to classify strange oceanic creatures
• Link between oil spill exposure and hematologic, hepatic toxicity
• Portable, low-cost early-warning test for osteoporosis
• Video games improve your motion perception, but only when walking backwards
• Who was eating salmon 45,000 years ago in the Caucasus? Neandertals probably not as rigid in their diet as thought
• Financial incentives motivate sedentary adults to exercise
• New marker identified for early diagnosis of lung cancer
• Why do young adults start smoking?
• Accurate computer model of RNA tetraloop
• Cost-effectiveness analysis aopplied to state breast cancer screening program
• Whole DNA sequencing reveals mutations, new gene for blinding disease
• Vaccinating cattle against E. coli could cut human cases of infection by 85 percent
• Biologists develop new method for discovering antibiotics

Stronger winds may explain puzzling growth of sea ice in Antarctica, model shows Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:19 PM PDT Much attention is paid to melting sea ice in the Arctic. But less clear is the situation on the other side of the planet. Despite warmer air and oceans, there's more sea ice in Antarctica now than in the 1970s -- a fact often pounced on by global warming skeptics. The latest numbers suggest the Antarctic sea ice may be heading toward a record high this year. The reason may lie in the winds. A new modeling study shows that stronger polar winds lead to an increase in Antarctic sea ice, even in a warming climate.

Ability to move to a beat linked to brain's response to speech: Musical training may sharpen language processing Posted: 17 Sep 2013 03:11 PM PDT People who are better able to move to a beat show more consistent brain responses to speech than those with less rhythm, according to a new study. The findings suggest that musical training could possibly sharpen the brain's response to language.

Weak charge of proton determined for first time Posted: 17 Sep 2013 12:37 PM PDT Researchers have made the first experimental determination of the weak charge of the proton. The results also include the determinations of the weak charge of the neutron, and of the up quark and down quark.

Researchers study ways to make stronger materials in 3-D Posted: 17 Sep 2013 12:37 PM PDT Using methods similar to 3-D printing, researchers are running computer simulations of processes that could lead to stronger, more durable materials for the space agency.

Human activity affects vertical structure of atmospheric temperature Posted: 17 Sep 2013 10:23 AM PDT Human influences have directly impacted the latitude/altitude pattern of atmospheric temperature. That is the conclusion of a new report. The research compares multiple satellite records of atmospheric temperature change with results from a large, multi-model archive of simulations.

A protein that can mean life or death for cells Posted: 17 Sep 2013 10:23 AM PDT Scientists have discovered that the protein Mitofusin 2 plays a crucial role in correctly measuring stress levels, and also makes sure the pathways of cell repair or cell death are effective.

Death and disability from air pollution down 35 percent in the US Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:50 AM PDT Improvements in US air quality since 1990 have sparked a 35 percent reduction in deaths and disability specifically attributable to air pollution.

Why kids breathe easier in summer Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:50 AM PDT Until now, researchers believed that asthma, allergies, and respiratory infections contributed to disorders that affect children's breathing during sleep. Now a new study demonstrates that, contrary to this belief, viruses alone may be responsible for the seasonal variation seen in children.

Predicting who will have chronic pain Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:50 AM PDT Abnormalities in the structure of the brain predispose people to develop chronic pain after a lower back injury, according to new research. The findings could lead to changes in the way physicians treat patients' pain by treating it aggressively with medication early on to prevent the pain from becoming chronic. Most scientists have assumed chronic back pain stems from the injury site.

Red grapes, blueberries may enhance immune function Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:50 AM PDT In an analysis of 446 compounds for their the ability to boost the innate immune system in humans, researchers discovered just two that stood out from the crowd -- the resveratrol found in red grapes and a compound called pterostilbene from blueberries.

New insight into reducing racial, ethnic disparities in diabetes Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:50 AM PDT Despite higher rates of diabetes in black and Hispanic women, the rate at which women die of diabetes-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer is the same for all postmenopausal women, regardless of race or ethnicity, according to a new study.

Wetlands more cost-effective in nutrient removal, but multiple payments would be of uncertain value Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:48 AM PDT Removing nitrogen from the environment "the natural way" by creating a wetland is a long-term, nutrient-removal solution, more cost effective than upgrading a wastewater treatment plant, but it isn't necessarily socially beneficial to offer landowners multiple payments for the environmental services that flow from such wetlands, according to a new study.

Clean energy least costly to power America's electricity needs Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:48 AM PDT Findings show carbon pollution from power plants can be cut cost-effectively by using wind, solar and natural gas. It's less costly to get electricity from wind turbines and solar panels than coal-fired power plants when climate change costs and other health impacts are factored in, according to a new study.

Speeding up cancer diagnosis during surgery Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:48 AM PDT Experts have developed a highly accurate prototype technique which can produce a detailed 'spectroscopic fingerprint' of each tissue layer removed during surgery. This technique — which can produce detailed maps of the tissue rich in information at the molecular level — has the potential to speed up and improve the diagnosis of cancer tissue during the operation as well as reduce unnecessary surgery.

How birds got their wings: Fossil data show scaling of limbs altered as birds originated from dinosaurs Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:36 AM PDT Birds originated from a group of small, meat-eating theropod dinosaurs called maniraptorans sometime around 150 million years ago. Recent findings from around the world show that many maniraptorans were very bird-like, with feathers, hollow bones, small body sizes and high metabolic rates. But the question remains, at what point did forelimbs evolve into wings -- making it possible to fly?

Energy from tides and currents: Best arrangement of tidal sails device determined Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:36 AM PDT In the long sprint to find new sources of clean, low-cost power, slow and steady might win the race -- the slow-moving water of currents and tides, that is. Just as wind turbines tap into the energy of flowing air to generate electricity, hydrokinetic devices produce power from moving masses of water.

Urban agriculture: The potential and challenges of producing food in cities Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:36 AM PDT In light of their many benefits, urban gardens are popping up across the nation. But the challenges growers face must be understood and addressed if urban gardens are to become widespread and even profitable.

Massive carbon credit sale announced in Madagascar Posted: 17 Sep 2013 09:36 AM PDT The Government of Madagascar and the Wildlife Conservation Society have announced that 705,588 carbon credits are certified for sale from the Makira Forest REDD+ Project.

Heavily logged forests still valuable for tropical wildlife Posted: 17 Sep 2013 08:33 AM PDT New research has found rainforests that have been logged several times continue to hold substantial value for biodiversity and could have a role in conservation.

New class of drug targets heart disease Posted: 17 Sep 2013 08:33 AM PDT Researchers have created a drug that replaces key peptide linked with heart failure, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Environmental complexity promotes biodiversity Posted: 17 Sep 2013 08:33 AM PDT A new study helps explain how spatial variation in natural environments helps spur evolution and give rise to biodiversity.

First-time measurements in Greenland snowpack show a drop in atmospheric carbon monoxide since 1950s Posted: 17 Sep 2013 08:33 AM PDT A first-ever study of air trapped in the deep snowpack of Greenland shows that atmospheric levels of carbon monoxide (CO) in the 1950s were actually slightly higher than what we have today, not lower as has been predicted by computer models. And improved combustion technology has been linked to the lower CO levels.

French islands under threat from rising sea levels Posted: 17 Sep 2013 08:30 AM PDT By the year 2100, global warming will have caused sea levels to rise by 1 to 3 meters. This will strongly affect islands, their flora, fauna and inhabitants. Scientists have studied the impact of rising sea levels on 1,269 French islands throughout the world. Their model shows that between 5% and 12% of these islands could be totally submerged in the future. On a worldwide scale, they predict that about 300 endemic island species are at risk of extinction, while the habitat of thousands of others will be drastically reduced.

Host genome controls skin microbiota and inflammation Posted: 17 Sep 2013 08:30 AM PDT Numerous studies have linked gut microbiota with various diseases such as obesity or diabetes. Little is known, however, on how gut and skin microbiota composition is controlled. In a recent study, researchers show that composition of skin microbiota is controlled by the host genome and that skin bacteria may have a greater influence on inflammatory diseases than previously thought. Their landmark findings will open the door to identify gene variants controlling skin microbiota and to define their link to various diseases such as skin inflammatory disorders.

Pancreatic stem cells isolated from mice Posted: 17 Sep 2013 08:30 AM PDT Scientists have succeeded in growing stem cells that have the ability to develop into two different types of cells that make up a healthy pancreas. The research team has isolated and grown stem cells from the pancreases of mice using a 3-D culture system previously developed by the scientists. The results could eventually lead to ways to repair damaged insulin-producing beta cells or pancreatic duct cells.

Memory problems, emotional stress result in early readmissions of heart patients Posted: 17 Sep 2013 08:29 AM PDT Heart patients' mental state and thinking abilities may help predict whether costly and potentially dangerous early hospital readmission will follow their release after treatment, according to the results of a significant new study.

Smartphone 'microscope' can detect a single virus, nanoparticles Posted: 17 Sep 2013 06:39 AM PDT Your smartphone now can see what the naked eye cannot: A single virus and bits of material less than one-thousandth of the width of a human hair. An engineer has created a portable smartphone attachment to enable sophisticated field testing of fluid and solid samples for detection of viruses and bacteria without need for bulky and expensive microscopes and lab equipment. The device weighs less than half a pound.

Ten-year project redraws the map of bird brains Posted: 17 Sep 2013 06:39 AM PDT Pursuing their interests in using the brains of birds as a model for the human brain, neuroscientists have just completed a mapping of the bird brain based on a 10-year exploration of the tiny cerebrums of eight species of birds.

Mt. Zion dig reveals possible second temple period priestly mansion Posted: 17 Sep 2013 06:39 AM PDT An archaeological dig at Jerusalem's Mount Zion has revealed the lower levels of what appears to be a first-century mansion, perhaps priestly, unusually well-preserved because of the historical vagaries of the city's rebirth following its 70 C.E. destruction by the Romans. The dig is revealing domestic details in the lives of Jesus's enemies, the city's elite classes, including luxury architectural elements and possible commercial interests.

Patient-specific cure discovered for dangerous heart rhythm disorder Posted: 17 Sep 2013 06:39 AM PDT A research team has successfully and completely reversed the effects of the hERG (human ether-a-go-go-related gene) mutation in long QT syndrome 2 in patient-specific heart cells, scoring a world's first. This novel experiment paves the way for the better understanding on how drugs affect cell and intra-cell disordered function and allows safe testing of new compounds on patients' own cells, without the risk of side effects to the patients themselves.

Brain is hard-wired for chronic pain Posted: 17 Sep 2013 06:39 AM PDT Researchers used brain scans to show that the structure of the brain may predict whether a person will suffer chronic low back pain. The results support the growing idea that the brain plays a critical role in chronic pain, a concept that may lead to changes in the way doctors treat patients.

New organism discovered: Finding will help scientists understand the origins of multicellular life Posted: 17 Sep 2013 06:38 AM PDT Researchers have discovered and characterized a new organism that will help scientists understand the molecular mechanisms and ancestral genetic toolkit that enabled animals and fungi to evolve into diverse, multicellular life forms.

Osteoarthritis and the (not so) painful step toward a cure Posted: 17 Sep 2013 06:38 AM PDT A novel technique for imaging muscle function while in motion has been developed. Research in this area could uncover the root of musculoskeletal disorders, such as the development of osteoarthritis following ACL surgery.

Plankton Portal uses crowd-sourcing to classify strange oceanic creatures Posted: 17 Sep 2013 06:03 AM PDT Today, an online citizen-science project "Plankton Portal" launches. Plankton Portal allows you to explore the open ocean from the comfort of your own home. Dive hundreds of feet deep, and observe the unperturbed ocean and the myriad animals that inhabit the earth's last frontier.

Link between oil spill exposure and hematologic, hepatic toxicity Posted: 17 Sep 2013 06:03 AM PDT A new study reports that workers exposed to crude oil and dispersants used during the Gulf oil spill cleanup display significantly altered blood profiles, liver enzymes, and somatic symptoms compared to an unexposed control group. Investigators found that platelet counts were significantly decreased in the exposed group, while both hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were notably increased. Their findings suggest that oil spill cleanup workers are at risk for developing hepatic or blood-related disorders.

Portable, low-cost early-warning test for osteoporosis Posted: 17 Sep 2013 06:02 AM PDT A handheld device for diagnosing the early signs of osteoporosis could be available for clinical use within five years.

Video games improve your motion perception, but only when walking backwards Posted: 17 Sep 2013 06:01 AM PDT Psychologists examined whether action video game players had superior motion perception. They discovered that playing first-person action games can enhance your perception of movement – but only when you're walking backwards.

Who was eating salmon 45,000 years ago in the Caucasus? Neandertals probably not as rigid in their diet as thought Posted: 17 Sep 2013 06:01 AM PDT Why did anatomically modern humans replace Neandertals in Europe around 40,000 years ago? One hypothesis suggests that Neandertals were rigid in their dietary choice, targeting large herbivorous mammals, such as horse, bison and mammoths, while modern humans also exploited a wider diversity of dietary resources, including fish. This dietary flexibility of modern humans would have been a big advantage when competing with Neandertals and led to their final success. But new research does not support this hypothesis.

Financial incentives motivate sedentary adults to exercise Posted: 17 Sep 2013 05:56 AM PDT A review study finds that financial incentives – as modest as $5 per week – can increase the amount of exercise people do.

New marker identified for early diagnosis of lung cancer Posted: 17 Sep 2013 05:56 AM PDT A protein called isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH1) is present at high levels in lung cancers and can be detected in the blood, making it a noninvasive diagnostic marker for lung cancers.

Why do young adults start smoking? Posted: 17 Sep 2013 05:56 AM PDT The risk of becoming a smoker among young adults who have never smoked is high: 14% will become smokers between the ages of 18 and 24, and three factors predict this behaviour.

Accurate computer model of RNA tetraloop Posted: 16 Sep 2013 05:39 PM PDT A computational model accurately simulates the complex twists of a short sequence of RNA as it folds into a critical hairpin structure known as a "tetraloop."

Cost-effectiveness analysis aopplied to state breast cancer screening program Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:20 PM PDT When public health budgets are constrained, mammography screening should begin later and occur less frequently, a cost-effectiveness analysis program concludes.

Whole DNA sequencing reveals mutations, new gene for blinding disease Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:20 PM PDT Researchers have tested DNA with the use of whole genome sequencing, a technique that takes into account all variants from both the coding and noncoding regions of the human genome. With this approach the authors report a number of unique RP mutations, a previously undescribed disease gene called NEK2 that involves the retinal photoreceptors, and structural DNA rearrangements originating in introns.

Vaccinating cattle against E. coli could cut human cases of infection by 85 percent Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:20 PM PDT Vaccinating cattle against the E. coli O157 bacterium could cut the number of human cases of the disease by 85 percent, according to scientists.

Biologists develop new method for discovering antibiotics Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:20 PM PDT Biologists have developed a revolutionary new method for identifying and characterizing antibiotics, an advance that could lead to the discovery of new antibiotics to treat antibiotic resistant bacteria.

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