ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Carbon storage recovers faster than plant biodiversity in re-growing tropical forests
• Effects of chronic stress can be traced to your genes
• Stressed-out trees boost sugary rewards to ant defenders
• Interactive computer program helps patients talk with physician about depression
• Breakthrough could lead to new treatment for heart attack
• Gene is linked to deadly runaway fungal infection
• Early bird catches the worm - for dinner
• Spider's super-thin ribbons key to silk tech
• Staying alive in the high and dry
• Intestinal bacteria linked to rheumatoid arthritis
• Clay may have been birthplace of life on Earth, new study suggests
• New aluminum alloy stores hydrogen: Versatile, lightweight material opens the door to fuel cells of the future
• The next big thing in the energy sector: Photovoltaic generated DC electricity
• Scientists use light to uncover the cause of sickle cell disease
• Galaxy growth examined like rings of a tree
• Understanding what makes a thin film solar cell efficient
• New cancer targeting technique to improve cancer drugs
• Holograms offer hope in fight against malaria
• Drug combination therapy causes cancer cells to 'eat themselves'
• Play promotes emotional healing in children battling serious illnesses
• Machines learn to detect breast cancer
• How pigeons may smell their way home
• A single-atom light switch: New switch is powerful tool for quantum information and quantum communication
• Centuries-old elephant imposter unmasked
• Emissions pricing revenues could overcompensate profit losses of fossil fuel owners
• Motion of the ocean: Predicting the big swells
• Gambling addicts present brain function abnormalities that affect their decision-making capacity
• Hurricane Sandy's impact measured by millions of Flickr pictures
• Knife-wielding robot trains for grocery checkout job using new coactive learning technique
• Higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke in 'food desert'
• Microbes in the gut help determine risk of tumors
• Bad boys: Research predicts whether boys will grow out of it or not
• Astronomy: White dwarfs hide information on dark forces
• Global map provides new insights into land use
• Visual representations improved by reducing noise in the brain
• Hypersensitivity to pain produced by early life stress worsened by later stress exposure
• New ligament discovered‬ in the human knee
• The leviton, a silent electron wave
• iPhone app offers individual hearing support
• Oldest ice core: Finding a 1.5 million-year record of Earth's climate
• Endometriosis risk linked to two pesticides
• Non-celiac wheat sensitivity: Is it an allergy?

Carbon storage recovers faster than plant biodiversity in re-growing tropical forests Posted: 05 Nov 2013 04:46 PM PST A new study of re-growing tropical forests has concluded that plant biodiversity takes longer to recover than carbon storage following major disturbances such as clearance for farming.

Effects of chronic stress can be traced to your genes Posted: 05 Nov 2013 02:13 PM PST New research suggests that if you're working for a really bad boss over a long period of time, that experience may play out at the level of gene expression in your immune system.

Stressed-out trees boost sugary rewards to ant defenders Posted: 05 Nov 2013 02:13 PM PST When water is scarce, Ecuador laurel trees ramp up their investment in a syrupy treat that sends resident ant defenders into overdrive, protecting the trees from defoliation by leaf-munching pests.

Interactive computer program helps patients talk with physician about depression Posted: 05 Nov 2013 01:22 PM PST Patients who used an interactive computer program about depression while waiting to see their primary-care doctor were nearly twice as likely to ask about the condition and significantly more likely to receive a recommendation for antidepressant drugs or a mental-health referral from their physician, according to a new study.

Breakthrough could lead to new treatment for heart attack Posted: 05 Nov 2013 01:05 PM PST The stop and start of blood flow to the heart during and after a heart attack causes severe damage to heart cells, reducing their capacity to function and potentially causing their death. But a recent study suggests that it is possible to limit the extent of that damage using a drug. The findings have significant potential for translation into heart attack patients in a clinical setting.

Gene is linked to deadly runaway fungal infection Posted: 05 Nov 2013 12:32 PM PST For most people, a fungal infection like athlete's foot means a simple trip to the drugstore and a reminder to bring shower shoes to the gym. But in very rare cases, fungal infections can spread below the skin's surface and onto the lymph nodes, bones, digestive tract or even the brain. Researchers have now discovered a genetic deficiency that allows the fungus to spread in this way, which explains why treatments sometimes do not work.

Early bird catches the worm - for dinner Posted: 05 Nov 2013 12:27 PM PST Birds, such as great and blue tits, scout for food in the morning but only return to eat it in late afternoon to maximize their chances of evading predators in the day without starving to death overnight.

Spider's super-thin ribbons key to silk tech Posted: 05 Nov 2013 12:26 PM PST The silk of a spider feared for its venomous bite could be the key to creating new super-sticky films and wafer-thin electronics and sensors for medical implants that are highly compatible with the human body.

Staying alive in the high and dry Posted: 05 Nov 2013 12:16 PM PST New research published this week sheds light on how desert plants gain nutrients they desperately need -- even in the driest circumstances.

Intestinal bacteria linked to rheumatoid arthritis Posted: 05 Nov 2013 10:20 AM PST Researchers have linked a species of intestinal bacteria known as Prevotella copri to the onset of rheumatoid arthritis, the first demonstration in humans that the chronic inflammatory joint disease may be mediated in part by specific intestinal bacteria. The new findings add to the growing evidence that the trillions of microbes in our body play an important role in regulating our health.

Clay may have been birthplace of life on Earth, new study suggests Posted: 05 Nov 2013 10:20 AM PST Clay -- a seemingly infertile blend of minerals -- might have been the birthplace of life on Earth. Or at least of the complex biochemicals that make life possible, biological engineers report.

New aluminum alloy stores hydrogen: Versatile, lightweight material opens the door to fuel cells of the future Posted: 05 Nov 2013 09:14 AM PST We use aluminum to make planes lightweight, store sodas in recyclable containers, keep the walls of our homes energy efficient and ensure that the Thanksgiving turkey is cooked to perfection. Now there may soon be a new application for the versatile metal: hydrogen storage for fuel cells.

The next big thing in the energy sector: Photovoltaic generated DC electricity Posted: 05 Nov 2013 09:14 AM PST A viable solution for sustainable energy transmission is the onsite generation of electricity using the photovoltaic method of converting solar energy directly into electrical energy.

Scientists use light to uncover the cause of sickle cell disease Posted: 05 Nov 2013 09:14 AM PST In sickle cell disease, hemoglobin -- the oxygen-carrying component of blood -- forms fibers that stiffen red blood cells and cause life-threatening symptoms. Using light-scattering techniques to study the detailed thermodynamics of this process, researchers have determined the strength of the forces that hold these fibers intact. The information could be used to design therapies that interfere with the sickling process.

Galaxy growth examined like rings of a tree Posted: 05 Nov 2013 08:38 AM PST Galaxies outlive trees by billions of years, making their growth impossible to see. But like biologists reading tree rings, astronomers can read the rings in a galaxy's disk to unravel its past. Using data from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX), scientists have acquired more evidence for the "inside-out" theory of galaxy growth, showing that bursts of star formation in central regions were followed one to two billion years later by star birth in the outer fringes.

Understanding what makes a thin film solar cell efficient Posted: 05 Nov 2013 08:26 AM PST Scientists have developed a new technique for manufacturing high-efficiency, flexible, thin film solar cells from CIGS (copper indium gallium di-selenide) semiconductors. This has enabled them to achieve an efficiency of 20.4 percent for the conversion of sunlight into electrical energy. As the solar cells are deposited onto plastic foils, they could be produced on an industrial scale using cost-effective roll-to-roll manufacturing.

New cancer targeting technique to improve cancer drugs Posted: 05 Nov 2013 08:25 AM PST Cancer drugs work because they're toxic, but that's also why they afflict healthy cells, producing side effects that can compromise their efficacy. Researchers may have found a way to get the drugs to selectively target only the cancer cells.

Holograms offer hope in fight against malaria Posted: 05 Nov 2013 07:36 AM PST Scientists have developed a 3D filming technique that could help inform research to stem the spread of malaria.

Drug combination therapy causes cancer cells to 'eat themselves' Posted: 05 Nov 2013 07:36 AM PST Results from a recent preclinical study have shown that a new drug combination therapy effectively killed colon, liver, lung, kidney, breast and brain cancer cells while having little effect on noncancerous cells. The results lay the foundation for researchers to plan a future phase 1 clinical trial to test the safety of the therapy in a small group of patients.

Play promotes emotional healing in children battling serious illnesses Posted: 05 Nov 2013 07:36 AM PST Playing out medical experiences can help chronically ill children, as well as their siblings, express fears and foster hope for recovery.

Machines learn to detect breast cancer Posted: 05 Nov 2013 07:36 AM PST Software that can recognize patterns in data is commonly used by scientists and economics. Now, researchers in the US have applied similar algorithms to help them more accurately diagnose breast cancer.

How pigeons may smell their way home Posted: 05 Nov 2013 07:35 AM PST Homing pigeons are extraordinary navigators, but how they manage to find their way back to their lofts is still debated. To navigate, birds require a 'map' (to tell them home is south, for example) and a 'compass' (to tell them where south is), with the sun and the Earth's magnetic field being the preferred compass systems. A new paper provides evidence that the information pigeons use as a map is in fact available in the atmosphere: odors and winds allow them to find their way home.

A single-atom light switch: New switch is powerful tool for quantum information and quantum communication Posted: 05 Nov 2013 07:35 AM PST With just a single atom, light can be switched between two fiber optic cables. Such a switch enables quantum phenomena to be used for information and communication technology.

Centuries-old elephant imposter unmasked Posted: 05 Nov 2013 06:32 AM PST Through state-of-the-art ancient DNA and protein research and an extensive investigation of historical literature, researchers have determined a 300-year-old type specimen for Asian elephants is actually an African elephant.

Emissions pricing revenues could overcompensate profit losses of fossil fuel owners Posted: 05 Nov 2013 06:32 AM PST Revenues from global carbon emission pricing could exceed the losses fossil fuel owners suffer from this policy. Stabilizing global warming at around 2 degrees Celsius by cutting greenhouse-gas emissions from fossil fuels would mean to leave much of coal, gas and oil unused underground.

Motion of the ocean: Predicting the big swells Posted: 05 Nov 2013 06:32 AM PST New research will help you every morning with the surf report. It is estimated that 75 per cent of waves across the world are not actually generated by local winds. Instead, they are driven by distant storms which propagate as swell.

Gambling addicts present brain function abnormalities that affect their decision-making capacity Posted: 05 Nov 2013 06:31 AM PST Researchers have analyzed similarities and differences in psychological profile and brain function when comparing cocaine addicts and gambling addicts. The study reveals that gambling addicts present brain function abnormalities affecting their decision-making capacity.

Hurricane Sandy's impact measured by millions of Flickr pictures Posted: 05 Nov 2013 06:31 AM PST A new study has discovered a striking connection between the number of pictures of Hurricane Sandy posted on Flickr and the atmospheric pressure in New Jersey as the hurricane crashed through the US state in 2012.

Knife-wielding robot trains for grocery checkout job using new coactive learning technique Posted: 05 Nov 2013 05:15 AM PST Engineers have taught a robot to work in a mock-supermarket checkout line, modifying a Baxter robot from Rethink Robotics in Boston to "coactively learn" from humans and make adjustments while an action is in progress.

Higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke in 'food desert' Posted: 05 Nov 2013 05:15 AM PST A study has examined the health impact of developing a grocery store in a low-income urban neighborhood on the east side of Indianapolis. Researchers from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and the Marion County Public Health Department found that residents of the community have much higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke than in other areas of Marion County.

Microbes in the gut help determine risk of tumors Posted: 05 Nov 2013 05:15 AM PST Transferring the gut microbes from a mouse with colon tumors to germ-free mice makes those mice prone to getting tumors as well, according to the results of a study. The work has implications for human health because it indicates the risk of colorectal cancer may well have a microbial component.

Bad boys: Research predicts whether boys will grow out of it or not Posted: 05 Nov 2013 05:15 AM PST Using the hi-tech tools of a new field called neurogenetics and a few simple questions for parents, a researcher is beginning to understand which boys are simply being boys and which may be headed for trouble.

Astronomy: White dwarfs hide information on dark forces Posted: 05 Nov 2013 05:14 AM PST Researchers have ruled out a multitude of possible parameters for dark photons - a type of dark matter and energy - with the help of white dwarfs. In some aspects, the shining of these dying stars gives more information on dark forces than is provided by Earth-based laboratories.

Global map provides new insights into land use Posted: 05 Nov 2013 05:14 AM PST In order to assess the global impacts of land use on the environment and help provide appropriate countermeasures, a group of researchers has created a new world map of land use systems. Based on various indicators of land-use intensity, climate, environmental and socio-economic conditions, they identified twelve global patterns called land system archetypes.

Visual representations improved by reducing noise in the brain Posted: 05 Nov 2013 05:13 AM PST Neuroscientists have revealed how the activity of neurons in an important area of the rhesus macaque's brain becomes less variable when they represent important visual information during an eye movement task. This reduction in variability can improve the perceptual strength of attended or relevant aspects in a visual scene, and is enhanced when the animals are more motivated to perform the task.

Hypersensitivity to pain produced by early life stress worsened by later stress exposure Posted: 05 Nov 2013 05:13 AM PST Childhood neglect and abuse, whether physical or psychological, confers a lifetime vulnerability to stress, anxiety, and mood problems. Such early-life stress is also suspected to contribute to the development of chronic pain in adulthood. In fact, there is growing concern that chronic pain syndromes may be a complication of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, this link is particularly challenging to study because many stressful events that produce PTSD also produce physical trauma.

New ligament discovered‬ in the human knee Posted: 05 Nov 2013 05:13 AM PST Two knee surgeons have discovered a previously unknown ligament in the human knee. This ligament appears to play an important role in patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears.

The leviton, a silent electron wave Posted: 05 Nov 2013 05:12 AM PST Physicists have succeeded in injecting a few electrons into a conductor without causing any disturbance to it. This result has been achieved by generating ultra-short electrical pulses with a Lorentzian distribution in the time domain. The quantum electron wave obtained in this way has been named a leviton.

iPhone app offers individual hearing support Posted: 05 Nov 2013 05:12 AM PST Transmission losses and background noise can considerably impair speech intelligibility when making calls on a cell phone – particularly for people who suffer from hearing loss. Hearing research scientists have now developed an app for the iPhone that improves speech intelligibility for internet phone calls made using Voice over IP technology. In addition to allowing adjustment of loudness and sound settings to meet individual preferences, the app is also able to compensate for hearing loss.

Oldest ice core: Finding a 1.5 million-year record of Earth's climate Posted: 05 Nov 2013 05:12 AM PST How far into the past can ice-core records go? Scientists have now identified regions in Antarctica they say could store information about Earth's climate and greenhouse gases extending as far back as 1.5 million years, almost twice as old as the oldest ice core drilled to date.

Endometriosis risk linked to two pesticides Posted: 05 Nov 2013 05:11 AM PST A study has found that two organochlorine pesticides are associated with an increased risk of endometriosis, a condition that affects up to 10 percent of reproductive-age women.

Non-celiac wheat sensitivity: Is it an allergy? Posted: 05 Nov 2013 05:11 AM PST Patients with non-celiac wheat sensitivity and other food sensitivities showed clinical, laboratory and histological characteristics suggesting they may be suffering from a non-IgE-mediated food allergy, according to new research.

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