ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• Functional brain imaging reliably predicts which vegetative patients have potential to recover consciousness
• New study outlines 'water world' theory of life's origins
• Brain changes associated with casual marijuana use in young adults: More 'joints' equal more damage
• Astronomers: 'Tilt-a-worlds' could harbor life
• SSRI use during pregnancy linked to autism and developmental delays in boys
• Lifestyle determines gut microbes: Study with modern hunter-gatherers tells tale of bacteria co-evolution
• Gut capacity limits bird's ability to adapt to rapid climate change
• Tiger beetle's chase highlights mechanical law
• New method of screening children for autism spectrum disorders works at 9 months old
• Targeting cancer with a triple threat: New nanoparticles can deliver three drugs at once
• Regenerated esophagus transplanted in rats
• Hair from infants gives clues about life in womb
• Moth study suggests hidden climate change impacts

Functional brain imaging reliably predicts which vegetative patients have potential to recover consciousness Posted: 15 Apr 2014 05:37 PM PDT A functional brain imaging technique known as positron emission tomography is a promising tool for determining which severely brain damaged individuals in vegetative states have the potential to recover consciousness, according to new research.

New study outlines 'water world' theory of life's origins Posted: 15 Apr 2014 04:57 PM PDT Life took root more than four billion years ago on our nascent Earth, a wetter and harsher place than now, bathed in sizzling ultraviolet rays. What started out as simple cells ultimately transformed into slime molds, frogs, elephants, humans and the rest of our planet's living kingdoms. How did it all begin?

Brain changes associated with casual marijuana use in young adults: More 'joints' equal more damage Posted: 15 Apr 2014 03:11 PM PDT The size and shape of two brain regions involved in emotion and motivation may differ in young adults who smoke marijuana at least once a week, according to a new study. The findings suggest that recreational marijuana use may lead to previously unidentified brain changes, and highlight the importance of research aimed at understanding the long-term effects of low to moderate marijuana use on the brain.

Astronomers: 'Tilt-a-worlds' could harbor life Posted: 15 Apr 2014 12:37 PM PDT A fluctuating tilt in a planet's orbit does not preclude the possibility of life, according to new research. In fact, sometimes it may help. That's because such "tilt-a-worlds," as astronomers sometimes call them -- turned from their orbital plane by the influence of companion planets -- are less likely than fixed-spin planets to freeze over, as heat from their host star is more evenly distributed.

SSRI use during pregnancy linked to autism and developmental delays in boys Posted: 15 Apr 2014 12:37 PM PDT In a study of nearly 1,000 mother-child pairs, researchers found that prenatal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a frequently prescribed treatment for depression, anxiety and other disorders, was associated with autism spectrum disorder and developmental delays in boys.

Lifestyle determines gut microbes: Study with modern hunter-gatherers tells tale of bacteria co-evolution Posted: 15 Apr 2014 10:39 AM PDT The intestinal bacteria of present-day hunter-gatherers has for the first time been deciphered by an international team of researchers. Bacterial populations have co-evolved with humans over millions of years, and have the potential to help us adapt to new environments and foods. Studies of the Hadza offer an especially rare opportunity for scientists to learn how humans survive by hunting and gathering, in the same environment and using similar foods as our ancestors did.

Gut capacity limits bird's ability to adapt to rapid climate change Posted: 15 Apr 2014 10:38 AM PDT An ornithologist has found that the capacity of a bird's gut to change with environmental conditions is a primary limiting factor in their ability to adapt to the rapidly changing climate. And he believes that most other animals are also limited in a similar way.

Tiger beetle's chase highlights mechanical law Posted: 15 Apr 2014 10:38 AM PDT If an insect drew a line as it chased its next meal, the resulting pattern would be a tangled mess. But there's method to that mess: It turns out the tiger beetle, known for its speed and agility, does an optimal reorientation dance as it chases its prey at blinding speeds.

New method of screening children for autism spectrum disorders works at 9 months old Posted: 15 Apr 2014 09:55 AM PDT Researchers have identified head circumference and head tilting reflex as two reliable biomarkers in the identification of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children that are between 9 and 12 months of age. ASD is identifiable as early as two years old, although most children are not identified until after the age of four. While a number of studies have reported that parents of children with ASD notice developmental problems in children before their first birthday, there has yet to be a screening tool to identify those children.

Targeting cancer with a triple threat: New nanoparticles can deliver three drugs at once Posted: 15 Apr 2014 09:55 AM PDT Chemists have designed nanoparticles that can deliver three cancer drugs at a time. Such particles could be designed to carry even more drugs, allowing researchers to develop new treatment regimens that could better kill cancer cells while avoiding the side effects of traditional chemotherapy. "We think it's the first example of a nanoparticle that carries a precise ratio of three drugs and can release those drugs in response to three distinct triggering mechanisms," says the lead researcher and author.

Regenerated esophagus transplanted in rats Posted: 15 Apr 2014 08:23 AM PDT Tissue engineering has been used to construct natural esophagi, which in combination with bone marrow stem cells have been safely and effectively transplanted in rats. The study shows that the transplanted organs remain patent and display regeneration of nerves, muscles, epithelial cells and blood vessels.

Hair from infants gives clues about life in womb Posted: 15 Apr 2014 08:13 AM PDT Like rings of a tree, hair can reveal a lot of information about the past. And, as a team of researchers show in a study of rhesus monkeys, it can also reveal the womb environment in which an infant formed. It's the first time researchers have used infant hair to examine the hormonal environment to which the fetus was exposed during development and it promises to yield a wealth of new information. The findings have significant implications for several fields, from neonatology to psychology, social science to neurology.

Moth study suggests hidden climate change impacts Posted: 15 Apr 2014 05:39 AM PDT A 32-year study of subarctic forest moths in Finnish Lapland suggests that scientists may be underestimating the impacts of climate change on animals and plants because much of the harm is hidden from view. Researchers used advanced statistical techniques to examine the roles of different ecological forces affecting the moth populations and found that warmer temperatures and increased precipitation reduced the rates of population growth.

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