ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

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• Bright nearby double star Fomalhaut is actually a triple
• Pediatricians warn that cuts to SNAP program will harm children
• Step-forward in mission to tackle parasitic worm infections
• Data-driven machine learning effectively flags risk for post-stroke dangers
• Obesity suppresses cellular process critical to kidney health
• Warmer oceans could raise mercury levels in fish
• Aggressive fungal pathogen causes mold in fruits, vegetables
• Scientists use climate model to better understand electricity in the air
• Native tribes' traditional knowledge can help US adapt to climate change
• Naked jets of water make a better pollutant detector
• Brain stimulation affects compliance with social norms
• Physicists 'entangle' microscopic drum's beat with electrical signals
• Chemistry with sorted molecules: Reaction rate of many molecules depends on their shape
• Sieving through 'junk' DNA reveals disease-causing genetic mutations
• 3-D printing: The greener choice
• 3-D dynamic imaging of soft materials
• New small-molecule catalyst does the work of many enzymes
• Three hours is enough to help prevent mental health issues in teens
• Two new enigmatic spider species with peculiar living habits from Uruguay
• Accurate maps of streams could aid in more sustainable development of Potomac River watershed
• Improving water security with blue, green, and gray water
• Nothin' to sneeze at: New treatment for common allergies
• Great potential for faster diagnoses with new method
• Civilization is defined by 'the others'
• The order of words: Understanding differences in how children and adults learn
• The art of amplification: A desktop-size 10 terawatt laser
• New advances in the study of human mitochondrial DNA
• Diesel exhaust stops honeybees from finding the flowers they want to forage
• Scientists identify potential new drug for inherited cancer
• International study shows efficacy of new gastric cancer drug
• Light at night, melatonin and bird behavior
• Human skin wound dressings to treat cutaneous ulcers
• New MRI technique detects genetic condition that attacks the heart, brain, nerves
• Death of a spruce tree
• Certain type of fat could help humans lose weight
• 'Cupcake bans' rare, but policies may reduce overexposure to sugary treats
• Long-term cognitive impairment too common after critical illness
• Incident rates rising for post-partum depression among women, risk factor for suicide
• Early spring warming has greatest effect on breaking bud

Bright nearby double star Fomalhaut is actually a triple Posted: 03 Oct 2013 05:50 PM PDT The nearby star system Fomalhaut -- of special interest for its unusual exoplanet and dusty debris disk -- has been discovered to be not just a double star, as astronomers had thought, but one of the widest triple stars known.

Pediatricians warn that cuts to SNAP program will harm children Posted: 03 Oct 2013 05:50 PM PDT Pediatricians call the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly the Food Stamp Program), one of America's most cost-effective and successful public health programs in the country. According to the authors, not only does it make life much better for children and families, it also saves society money.

Step-forward in mission to tackle parasitic worm infections Posted: 03 Oct 2013 05:50 PM PDT Gastrointestinal parasitic infections, which are worm infections in the intestine, affect nearly one quarter of the world population and normally result in a chronic, long-lived infection associated with poor quality of life and health problems. A team of researchers has identified a pathway that seems to be important in driving the chronic infection and that could now potentially be targeted for therapy.

Data-driven machine learning effectively flags risk for post-stroke dangers Posted: 03 Oct 2013 05:49 PM PDT A team of experts in neurocritical care, engineering, and informatics have devised a new way to detect which stroke patients may be at risk of a serious adverse event following a ruptured brain aneurysm.

Obesity suppresses cellular process critical to kidney health Posted: 03 Oct 2013 05:49 PM PDT Unlike in normal-weight mice with kidney disease, a degradation process called autophagy is suppressed in obese mice with kidney disease. This suppression leads to kidney cell damage. In obese people the same with kidney disease, suppressed autophagy.

Warmer oceans could raise mercury levels in fish Posted: 03 Oct 2013 01:29 PM PDT Rising ocean surface temperatures caused by climate change could make fish accumulate more mercury, increasing the health risk to people who eat seafood, researchers report.

Aggressive fungal pathogen causes mold in fruits, vegetables Posted: 03 Oct 2013 01:29 PM PDT A research team has discovered the mechanism by which an aggressive fungal pathogen infects almost all fruits and vegetables. The team discovered a novel virulence mechanism of Botrytis cinerea, a pathogen that can infect more than 200 plant species, causing serious gray mold disease on almost all fruits and vegetables that have been around, even at times in the refrigerator, for more than a week.

Scientists use climate model to better understand electricity in the air Posted: 03 Oct 2013 01:29 PM PDT Scientists have developed a global electric circuit model by adding an additional layer to a climate model.

Native tribes' traditional knowledge can help US adapt to climate change Posted: 03 Oct 2013 01:29 PM PDT New England's Native tribes, whose sustainable ways of farming, forestry, hunting and land and water management were devastated by European colonists four centuries ago, can help modern America adapt to climate change.

Naked jets of water make a better pollutant detector Posted: 03 Oct 2013 01:29 PM PDT When you shine UV through water polluted with certain organic chemicals and bacteria, the contaminants measurably absorb the UV light and then re-emit it as visible light. Many of today's more advanced devices for testing water are built to make use of this fluorescent property of pollutants; but the walls of the channels through which the water travels in these devices can produce background noise that makes it difficult to get a clear reading.

Brain stimulation affects compliance with social norms Posted: 03 Oct 2013 12:51 PM PDT Neuroeconomists have identified a specific brain region that controls compliance with social norms. They discovered that norm compliance is independent of knowledge about the norm and can be increased by means of brain stimulation.

Physicists 'entangle' microscopic drum's beat with electrical signals Posted: 03 Oct 2013 11:26 AM PDT Extending evidence of quantum behavior farther into the large-scale world of everyday life, physicists have "entangled" -- linked the properties of -- a microscopic mechanical drum with electrical signals.

Chemistry with sorted molecules: Reaction rate of many molecules depends on their shape Posted: 03 Oct 2013 11:26 AM PDT Most molecules occur in several shapes, which may behave very differently. Using a sorting machine for molecules, chemists can now for the first time directly measure the various reaction rates of different forms of the same compound.

Sieving through 'junk' DNA reveals disease-causing genetic mutations Posted: 03 Oct 2013 11:23 AM PDT Scientists have revealed nearly 100 genetic variants implicated in the development of cancers such as breast cancer and prostate cancer. The new method designed by the team identified these variants in the under-explored regions of DNA that do not code for proteins, but instead influence activity of other genes. As even more whole genome sequences become available, this approach can be applied to find any potential disease-causing variant in the non-coding regions of the genome.

3-D printing: The greener choice Posted: 03 Oct 2013 10:23 AM PDT A life cycle impact analyses on three products, an orange juicer, a children's building block and a water spout, showed that making the items on a basic 3-D printer took from 41 percent to 64 percent less energy than making them in an overseas factory and shipping them to the US.

3-D dynamic imaging of soft materials Posted: 03 Oct 2013 10:22 AM PDT Through a combination of transmission electron microscopy and ta unique graphene liquid cell, researchers have recorded the three-dimensional motion of DNA connected to gold nanocrystals, the first reported use of TEM for 3D dynamic imaging of soft materials.

New small-molecule catalyst does the work of many enzymes Posted: 03 Oct 2013 10:22 AM PDT Researchers report that they have created a human-made catalyst that is an "enzyme mimic." Unlike most enzymes, which act on a single target, the new catalyst can alter the chemical profiles of numerous types of small molecules. The catalyst -- and others like it -- will greatly speed the process of drug discovery, the researchers say. Their findings appear in the Journal of the American Chemistry Society.

Three hours is enough to help prevent mental health issues in teens Posted: 03 Oct 2013 08:31 AM PDT The incidence of mental health issues amongst 509 British youth was reduced by 25 to 33% over the 24 months following two 90-minute group therapy sessions. Almost one-in-four American 8 to 15 year olds has experienced a mental health disorder over the past year. We know that these disorders are associated with a plethora of negative consequences. This study shows that teacher delivered interventions that target specific risk factors for mental health problems can be immensely effective at reducing the incidence of depression, anxiety and conduct disorders in the long term.

Two new enigmatic spider species with peculiar living habits from Uruguay Posted: 03 Oct 2013 08:12 AM PDT Scientists describe two new spider species from the Nemesiidae family. The representatives of this family live in silk lined burrows covered by a flap-like door that they build for their protection and as an ambush cover when hunting.

Accurate maps of streams could aid in more sustainable development of Potomac River watershed Posted: 03 Oct 2013 08:12 AM PDT Where a stream ends is clear, but where it begins can be more difficult to discern. Researchers have now developed a new method to solve this problem, resulting in a new map of the Potomac River watershed stream network that significantly improves the information needed for assessing the impact of urbanization on aquatic ecosystems.

Improving water security with blue, green, and gray water Posted: 03 Oct 2013 08:11 AM PDT With limited water and an increasing number of people depending on it, water security is tenuous. But integrated water management plans using "blue," "green," and "gray" water can increase water security.

Nothin' to sneeze at: New treatment for common allergies Posted: 03 Oct 2013 08:11 AM PDT Researchers have successfully tested treatments for people with allergies to grasses and to dust mites. The treatments are from a new class of therapy, known as 'synthetic peptide immuno-regulatory epitopes', or SPIREs. Positive results, first with a cat allergy therapy and now with house dust mite and grass allergy treatments, suggest that this approach may be used for many common allergies.

Great potential for faster diagnoses with new method Posted: 03 Oct 2013 08:02 AM PDT The more accurately we can diagnose a disease, the greater the chance that the patient will survive. That is why many researchers are working to improve the quality of the diagnostic process. Researchers have discovered a method that will make the process faster, cheaper and more accurate. This is possible, because they are combining advanced tools used in physics for research in biology at nanoscale, two scientific disciplines usually very distant from each other.

Civilization is defined by 'the others' Posted: 03 Oct 2013 06:54 AM PDT What does it mean to be a civilized person? A civilized nation? How are these notions changing over time? And from one country to another?

The order of words: Understanding differences in how children and adults learn Posted: 03 Oct 2013 06:30 AM PDT There are words that convey a meaning, like verbs, nouns or adjectives, and others, like articles or conjunctions that sustain them, providing a structure for the sentence. A few years ago some scientists showed that the order of the two categories of words within a sentence is important for language acquisition in infants already in their first year of life. Today new study shows that adults also have similar preferences. A phenomenon that may help understanding the differences between how children and adults learn.

The art of amplification: A desktop-size 10 terawatt laser Posted: 03 Oct 2013 06:30 AM PDT  A compact new generation optical amplifier has been constructed. The apparatus is extremely efficient and small enough to fit on a desktop and is able to generate over 10 terawatt light pulses.

New advances in the study of human mitochondrial DNA Posted: 03 Oct 2013 06:30 AM PDT A study concerning the evolution of mitochondrial DNA has allowed researchers to determine the frequency and pattern of heteroplasmy in the complete mitochondrial genome using a representative sample of the European population. This phenomenon, which indicates the presence of different mitochondrial DNA types in a cell or an individual, can be found in more than half of the population. The data indicates that many of the newly arising mutations found never reach fixation at the population level due to the effect of evolutionary mechanisms such as genetic drift or selection. The study may open a new perspective on medical, evolutionary and forensic research.

Diesel exhaust stops honeybees from finding the flowers they want to forage Posted: 03 Oct 2013 06:30 AM PDT Exposure to common air pollutants found in diesel exhaust pollution can affect the ability of honeybees to recognise floral odours. Honeybees use floral odours to help locate, identify and recognise the flowers from which they forage. Now it appears that diesel exhaust fumes change the profile of flora odour, and that these changes may affect honeybees' foraging efficiency and, ultimately, could affect pollination and thus global food security.

Scientists identify potential new drug for inherited cancer Posted: 03 Oct 2013 06:25 AM PDT Scientists have identified a new drug candidate for an inherited form of cancer with no known cure.

International study shows efficacy of new gastric cancer drug Posted: 02 Oct 2013 06:22 PM PDT The phase III study of a new drug to treat gastric cancer shows that an antibody ramucirumab inhibits the action of various proteins involved in tumour growth, prolonging survival of patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Light at night, melatonin and bird behavior Posted: 02 Oct 2013 06:22 PM PDT Low light levels, similar to those found in urban areas at night, can have a significant effect on melatonin production in birds at night. This suggests that melatonin could be mediating changes in bird behaviour at night. Researchers suggest that altered melatonin production may cause birds to interpret increased light during the night as shorter nights.

Human skin wound dressings to treat cutaneous ulcers Posted: 02 Oct 2013 03:56 PM PDT Researchers have shown that it is possible to treat venous ulcers unresponsive to conventional treatment with wound dressings made from human skin grown in vitro. A study demonstrates how this approach was successfully used to treat venous lower-extremity ulcers in patients who had been chronically suffering from such wounds.

New MRI technique detects genetic condition that attacks the heart, brain, nerves Posted: 02 Oct 2013 03:56 PM PDT A genetic condition that attacks multiple organs and usually results in fatal heart problems can be detected using a new MRI technique. The discovery of this new diagnostic tool has resulted in updated clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Fabry disease in Canada.

Death of a spruce tree Posted: 02 Oct 2013 03:55 PM PDT Examining a long-lived forest, researchers have measured mortality of Black Spruce trees in the northern forests of North America, and have found the dead trees aren't being replaced by new ones. The result suggests trees might be storing more carbon than currently estimated.

Certain type of fat could help humans lose weight Posted: 02 Oct 2013 03:52 PM PDT After studying genetically modified mice, the discovery of a fat that could help people lose weight could lead to supplements and a diet regime that will increase metabolism and decrease muscle fatigue in humans.

'Cupcake bans' rare, but policies may reduce overexposure to sugary treats Posted: 02 Oct 2013 03:52 PM PDT School district policies and state laws discouraging sugary foods and beverages at classroom parties can affect school practices.

Long-term cognitive impairment too common after critical illness Posted: 02 Oct 2013 03:52 PM PDT Patients treated in intensive care units across the globe are entering their medical care with no evidence of cognitive impairment but oftentimes leaving with deficits similar to those seen in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) or mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) that persists for at least a year.

Incident rates rising for post-partum depression among women, risk factor for suicide Posted: 02 Oct 2013 10:14 AM PDT The annual incidence rates for diagnoses of post-partum depression during the 12-months post-delivery period among active component service women who gave birth for the first time increased from 2007 to 2012, according to a new study.

Early spring warming has greatest effect on breaking bud Posted: 02 Oct 2013 09:55 AM PDT A statistical analysis of how plants are responding to climate change has found that unseasonal warming during the late-winter/early-spring period has more effect on the plant's timing than at any other time of the year.

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