ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Galapagos hawks hand down lice like family heirlooms
• History of fire and drought shapes the ecology of California, past and future
• Link between vitamin D, dementia risk confirmed
• Fipronil, imidacloprid reduce honeybee mitochondrial activity
• Tornado strength, frequency, linked to climate change
• Gene-editing technique offers new way to model cancer
• Young loggerhead turtles not going with the flow
• Photon hunting in the twilight zone: Visual features of bioluminescent sharks
• Hubble finds supernova star system linked to potential 'zombie star'
• Most kids with blunt torso trauma can skip the pelvic X-ray
• Mercury in the global ocean: three times more mercury in upper ocean since the Industrial Revolution
• Ion duet offers tunable module for quantum simulator
• Molecular competition drives adult stem cells to specialize, study shows
• Geography matters: Model predicts how local 'shocks' influence U.S. economy
• Discovery about wound healing key to understanding cell movement
• New hand-held device uses lasers, sound waves for deeper melanoma imaging
• Older adults have 'morning brains': Noticeable differences in brain function across the day
• Lucky heather plant earns its name in carbon study
• Dementia risk quadrupled in people with mild cognitive impairment
• Tortoises master touchscreen technology
• Biomotor discovered in many bacteria and viruses
• Talking 'bout regeneration: How do some animals regrow missing parts?
• Discovery yields master regulator of toxin production in staph infections
• Wildlife corridors sometimes help invasive species spread
• New material structures bend like microscopic hair
• Job insecurity in academia harms the mental wellbeing of non-tenure track faculty
• Arctic mammals can metabolize some pesticides, limits human exposure
• Risks to penguin populations analyzed
• Curing rheumatoid arthritis in mice: Antibody-based delivery of IL4
• A synopsis of the carabid beetle tribe Lachnophorini reveals remarkable 24 new species
• Climate change could drive rise in debilitating disease
• Trapped: Cell-invading piece of virus captured in lab by scientists
• Preparing for a changing climate: Ecologists unwrap the science in the National Climate Change Assessment
• Exposure to inflammatory bowel disease drugs could increase leukemia risk
• Burrowing animals may have been key to stabilizing Earth's oxygen
• Crime Victims' Institute tracks the state of stalking in Texas
• Many cancer survivors smoke years after diagnosis
• Correct seat belt use saves children's lives
• Victims of war: How Gaza conflict will traumatize a generation of adolescents
• Loss of sensation in the feet of diabetes patients linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke
• Better to give than to receive: Personality affects knowledge exchange
• Sensors that improve rail transport safety
• Aggressive behaviour increases adolescent drinking, depression doesn't
• New prosthetic arm controlled by neural messages
• Rosetta: 100 kilometres to 'touchdown'
• Triangulum galaxy snapped by VST
• A breath reveals a hidden image in anti-counterfeit drug labels
• Rosetta spacecraft arrives at comet destination
• Could your brain be reprogrammed to work better?
• Novel process for creation of fuel and chemical compounds
• Finding may aid recovery from spinal cord injury
• Common tuberculosis vaccine can be used to prevent infection as well as disease
• Alteplase given promptly after stroke reduces long-term disability, even in older people, those with severe stroke
• Aspirin: Scientists believe cancer prevention benefits outweigh harms

Galapagos hawks hand down lice like family heirlooms Posted: 06 Aug 2014 02:38 PM PDT Studying Galápagos hawks and their lice, biologists provide some of the first field evidence for co-divergence between parasites and hosts as a major driver of biodiversity. As the birds diversify into distinct populations on each island, their parasites diversify with them. The findings help explain the rapid rate of parasite evolution.

History of fire and drought shapes the ecology of California, past and future Posted: 06 Aug 2014 02:38 PM PDT Ecologists have researched the history of wildfire across California, and have compared and contrasted historical versus contemporary and forested versus non-forested patterns of wildfire incidence.

Link between vitamin D, dementia risk confirmed Posted: 06 Aug 2014 01:16 PM PDT Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a substantially increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in older people, according to the most robust study of its kind ever conducted. An international team found that study participants who were severely vitamin D deficient were more than twice as likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Fipronil, imidacloprid reduce honeybee mitochondrial activity Posted: 06 Aug 2014 12:40 PM PDT Scientists are urgently trying to determine the causes of colony collapse disorder and the alarming population declines of honeybees. The effects of fipronil and imidacloprid on honeybees has been addressed by a new study. While damage at sublethal levels may not be evident, low level exposure inhibits the ability to forage and return to the hive, which could result in declining bee populations.

Tornado strength, frequency, linked to climate change Posted: 06 Aug 2014 12:40 PM PDT New research shows that climate change may be playing a key role in the strength and frequency of tornadoes hitting the United States.

Gene-editing technique offers new way to model cancer Posted: 06 Aug 2014 11:22 AM PDT A new gene-editing technique allows scientists to more rapidly study the role of mutations in tumor development. "The sequencing of human tumors has revealed hundreds of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in different combinations. The flexibility of this technology, as delivery gets better in the future, will give you a way to pretty rapidly test those combinations," explained an author of the paper.

Young loggerhead turtles not going with the flow Posted: 06 Aug 2014 11:22 AM PDT Juvenile loggerhead turtles swim into oncoming ocean currents, instead of passively drifting with them. After loggerhead turtle hatchlings leave nesting beaches, they live in the ocean for 7-12 years before migrating to coastal habitats.

Photon hunting in the twilight zone: Visual features of bioluminescent sharks Posted: 06 Aug 2014 11:22 AM PDT The eyes of deep-sea bioluminescent sharks have a higher rod density when compared to non-bioluminescent sharks, according to a new study. This adaptation is one of many these sharks use to produce and perceive bioluminescent light in order to communicate, find prey, and camouflage themselves against predators.

Hubble finds supernova star system linked to potential 'zombie star' Posted: 06 Aug 2014 11:21 AM PDT Astronomers have spotted a star system that could have left behind a "zombie star" after an unusually weak supernova explosion. A supernova typically obliterates the exploding white dwarf, or dying star. On this occasion, scientists believe this faint supernova may have left behind a surviving portion of the dwarf star -- a sort of zombie star.

Most kids with blunt torso trauma can skip the pelvic X-ray Posted: 06 Aug 2014 10:45 AM PDT Pelvic x-rays ordered as a matter of course for children who have suffered blunt force trauma do not accurately identify all cases of pelvic fractures or dislocations and are usually unnecessary for patients for whom abdominal/pelvic CT scanning is otherwise planned. A study casts doubt on a practice that has been recommended by the Advanced Trauma Life Support Program, considered the gold standard for trauma patients.

Mercury in the global ocean: three times more mercury in upper ocean since the Industrial Revolution Posted: 06 Aug 2014 10:45 AM PDT Mercury is a naturally occurring element as well as a by-product of such distinctly human enterprises as burning coal and making cement. Estimates of 'bioavailable' mercury -- forms of the element that can be taken up by animals and humans -- play an important role in everything from drafting an international treaty designed to protect humans and the environment from mercury emissions, to establishing public policies behind warnings about seafood consumption.

Ion duet offers tunable module for quantum simulator Posted: 06 Aug 2014 10:45 AM PDT Physicists have demonstrated a pas de deux of atomic ions that combines the fine choreography of dance with precise individual control. The ion duet is a component for a flexible quantum simulator that could be scaled up in size and configured to model quantum systems of a complexity that overwhelms traditional computer simulations.

Molecular competition drives adult stem cells to specialize, study shows Posted: 06 Aug 2014 10:44 AM PDT Adult organisms ranging from fruit flies to humans harbor adult stem cells, some of which renew themselves through cell division while others differentiate into the specialized cells needed to replace worn-out or damaged organs and tissues. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that control the balance between self-renewal and differentiation in adult stem cells is an important foundation for developing therapies to regenerate diseased, injured or aged tissue.

Geography matters: Model predicts how local 'shocks' influence U.S. economy Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:57 AM PDT Hurricanes. Foreclosures. Factory shutdowns. How do these local industry 'shocks' influence the country as a whole? A new model measures the power of industry dips and boosts nationwide. Overall, they find that geography plays a huge role in determining how these fluctuations are felt across the country.

Discovery about wound healing key to understanding cell movement Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:57 AM PDT Research by a civil engineer is helping shed light on the way wounds heal and may someday have implications for understanding how cancer spreads, as well as why certain birth defects occur.

New hand-held device uses lasers, sound waves for deeper melanoma imaging Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:51 AM PDT Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, causing more than 75 percent of skin-cancer deaths. The thicker the melanoma tumor, the more likely it will spread and the deadlier it becomes. Now, a team of researchers has developed a new hand-held device that uses lasers and sound waves that may change the way doctors treat and diagnose melanoma. The tool is ready for commercialization and clinical trials.

Older adults have 'morning brains': Noticeable differences in brain function across the day Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:51 AM PDT Older adults who are tested at their optimal time of day (the morning), not only perform better on demanding cognitive tasks but also activate the same brain networks responsible for paying attention and suppressing distraction as younger adults, according to researchers.

Lucky heather plant earns its name in carbon study Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:49 AM PDT Researchers have found that heather has an important role to play in keeping carbon locked in the earth. The findings show that the type of plants growing on the surface of our peaty moorlands can change how quickly dead plant material is broken down, influencing the speed with which carbon from dead plant matter is released back into the air we breathe.

Dementia risk quadrupled in people with mild cognitive impairment Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:49 AM PDT In a long-term, large-scale population-based study of individuals aged 55 years or older in the general population, researchers found that those diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) had a four-fold increased risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared to cognitively healthy individuals. Several risk factors including older age, positive APOE-ɛ4 status, low total cholesterol levels, and stroke, as well as specific MRI findings were associated with an increased risk of developing MCI.

Tortoises master touchscreen technology Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:49 AM PDT Tortoises have learned how to use touchscreens as part of a study which aimed to teach the animals navigational techniques. The brain structure of reptiles is very different to that of mammals, which use the hippocampus for spatial navigation.

Biomotor discovered in many bacteria and viruses Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:48 AM PDT Nano-biotechnologists have reported the discovery of a new, third class of biomotor, unique in that it uses a "revolution without rotation" mechanism. These revolution biomotors are widespread among many bacteria and viruses.

Talking 'bout regeneration: How do some animals regrow missing parts? Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:48 AM PDT By studying the genetic mechanisms that enable regeneration in our distant evolutionary cousins, scientists hope to one day uncover potentially latent healing abilities that may lie hidden in our own genome. Four professors are undertaking the basic scientific research needed to begin to answer these and other questions. Each of them approaches the problem from a different angle, focusing on different aspects of regeneration, and using different vertebrate models.

Discovery yields master regulator of toxin production in staph infections Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:48 AM PDT An enzyme that regulates production of the toxins that contribute to potentially life-threatening Staphylococcus aureus infections has been discovered by researchers. The enzyme allows Staphylococcus aureus to use fatty acids acquired from the infected individual to make the membrane that bacteria need to grow and flourish. The results provide a promising focus for efforts to develop a much-needed new class of antibiotics to combat staph and other Gram-positive infections.

Wildlife corridors sometimes help invasive species spread Posted: 06 Aug 2014 09:48 AM PDT When the ants come marching in, having miles of linked habitats may not be such a good idea after all. In a classic example of the law of unintended consequences, new research suggests that wildlife corridors – strips of natural land created to reconnect habitats separated by agriculture or human activities -- can sometimes encourage the spread of invasive species such as one type of fire ant.

New material structures bend like microscopic hair Posted: 06 Aug 2014 07:28 AM PDT Engineers have fabricated a new elastic material coated with microscopic, hairlike structures that tilt in response to a magnetic field.

Job insecurity in academia harms the mental wellbeing of non-tenure track faculty Posted: 06 Aug 2014 07:28 AM PDT Non-tenure-track academics experience stress, anxiety, and depression due to their insecure job situation, according to the first survey of its kind.

Arctic mammals can metabolize some pesticides, limits human exposure Posted: 06 Aug 2014 07:28 AM PDT Fortunately, you are not always what you eat -- at least in Canada's Arctic. New research reveals that arctic mammals such as caribou can metabolize some current-use pesticides ingested in vegetation. This limits exposures in animals that consume the caribou -- including humans.

Risks to penguin populations analyzed Posted: 06 Aug 2014 07:28 AM PDT A major study of all penguin populations suggests the birds are at continuing risk from habitat degradation. Scientists recommend the adoption of measures to mitigate against a range of effects including; food scarcity (where fisheries compete for the same resources), being caught in fishing nets, oil pollution and climate change.

Curing rheumatoid arthritis in mice: Antibody-based delivery of IL4 Posted: 06 Aug 2014 07:28 AM PDT With a new therapeutic product, researchers have managed to cure arthritis in mice for the first time. The scientists are now planning to test the efficacy of the drug in humans. Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that causes painful inflammation of several joints in the body. The joint capsule becomes swollen, and the disease can also destroy cartilage and bone as it progresses. Rheumatoid arthritis affects 0.5% to 1% of the world's population.

A synopsis of the carabid beetle tribe Lachnophorini reveals remarkable 24 new species Posted: 06 Aug 2014 07:28 AM PDT A synopsis of the carabid beetle tribe Lachnophorini reveals a remarkable 24 new species. This research is the beginning of series of steps towards the provision of taxonomic relationships of carabid beetles. For the near future the path forward to be followed will lead to an attempt, using morphological and molecular attributes to provide a firm basis for firm classification.

Climate change could drive rise in debilitating disease Posted: 06 Aug 2014 07:27 AM PDT A disease prevalent in developing countries could be spread by the changes in rainfall patterns according to a new study. Buruli ulcer affects thousands of people every year, mainly in developing countries, and in the worst cases can cause fatality or permanent disability. The devastating bacterial infection starts with an area of swelling that becomes ulcerated, causing painful open wounds and necrosis of the skin. It is unknown how the water-borne disease is transmitted.

Trapped: Cell-invading piece of virus captured in lab by scientists Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:51 AM PDT Scientists try to stay a step ahead of HIV in order to combat drug resistance and to develop better treatments. When a person is infected with HIV, there is an initial burst of virus production. This is when integrase inserts the virus DNA into many human cells, including CD4 T-immune cells, brain cells and other lymph cells. HIV is particularly devastating to the immune system's T-cells, which protect the body from infection.

Preparing for a changing climate: Ecologists unwrap the science in the National Climate Change Assessment Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:51 AM PDT Scientists have considered the likely effects of climate change on ten regions: Northeast, Southeast and Caribbean, Midwest, Great Plains, Northwest, Southwest, Alaska, Hawai'i and U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands, Coasts, and Oceans and Marine Resources.

Exposure to inflammatory bowel disease drugs could increase leukemia risk Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:51 AM PDT Immunosuppressive drugs called thiopurines have been found to increase the risk of myeloid disorders, such as acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare bone marrow disorder, seven-fold among inflammatory bowel disease patients. IBD can negatively impact an individual's life and result in a significant amount of medical bills. Treatments for IBD vary, including: nutrition, emotional support, medical therapy and surgery.

Burrowing animals may have been key to stabilizing Earth's oxygen Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:51 AM PDT Evolution of the first burrowing animals may have played a major role in stabilizing the Earth's oxygen reservoir, researchers hypothesize. The first burrowing animals significantly increased the extent to which oxygenated waters came into contact with ocean sediments. Exposure to oxygenated conditions caused the bacteria that inhabit such sediments to store phosphate in their cells. This caused an increase in phosphorus burial in sediments that had been mixed up by burrowing animals. This in turn triggered decreases in marine phosphate concentrations, productivity, organic carbon burial and ultimately oxygen.

Crime Victims' Institute tracks the state of stalking in Texas Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:51 AM PDT According to a 2010 survey by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 1.4 million women in Texas experience stalking during their lifetimes. Despite recent laws adopted in the state to protect stalking victims, little information is available about the crime or policies and procedures to aid the criminal justice system, according to a new report.

Many cancer survivors smoke years after diagnosis Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:51 AM PDT Nearly one in 10 cancer survivors reports smoking many years after a diagnosis, according to a new study. Survivors were more likely to smoke if they were younger, had less education and income, or drank more alcohol. About 40 percent of smokers said they planned to quit within the next month, but this intention was lower among survivors who were married, older, or smoked more.

Correct seat belt use saves children's lives Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:48 AM PDT 9 out of 10 children are seriously or fatally injured in traffic accidents because they are incorrectly restrained or because of loose objects in cars. Correct use of safety equipment will save more lives, according to a new study.

Victims of war: How Gaza conflict will traumatize a generation of adolescents Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:48 AM PDT A new study has examined adolescent victims of conflict in the Gaza strip and has found that exposure to war-torn environments has a lasting and damaging effect on the psychology of young people. The study investigated types of traumatic events experienced by Palestinian adolescents exposed to war in Gaza in relation to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and coping strategies and has found that a substantial number of adolescents in these situations develop a range of long-lasting emotional and behavior problems.

Loss of sensation in the feet of diabetes patients linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:48 AM PDT Loss of sensation in the feet, a result of diabetes, may be a predictor of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and strokes, researchers say. Diabetes, which affects 3.7million people in the UK, can cause damage to a person's blood vessels and nerves, especially if their blood sugar is poorly controlled, leading to poor circulation and loss of sensation in the feet, known as peripheral neuropathy.

Better to give than to receive: Personality affects knowledge exchange Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:48 AM PDT Personality plays an important role in knowledge exchange. Givers share more important knowledge than takers, according to a recent study. Working professionals were classified as givers, matchers and takers based on a personality measure. The researchers examined how these three interaction styles affected resource and information sharing. The main finding: Givers not only share more resources and more information, but they also share mainly the important information. Takers keep everything for themselves.

Sensors that improve rail transport safety Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:48 AM PDT A new kind of human-machine communication is to make it possible to detect damage to rail vehicles before it's too late. The technology also leads to an improvement in the servicing of trains, providing it only when needed. The technology relies on a cloud-supported, wireless network of sensors.

Aggressive behaviour increases adolescent drinking, depression doesn't Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:47 AM PDT Adolescents who behave aggressively are more likely to drink alcohol and in larger quantities than their peers, according to a recent study completed in Finland. Depression and anxiety, on the other hand, were not linked to increased alcohol use. The study investigated the association between psychosocial problems and alcohol use among 4074 Finnish 13- to 18-year-old adolescents.

New prosthetic arm controlled by neural messages Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:47 AM PDT A new prosthetic system aims to identify the memory of movement in the amputee's brain in order to manipulate the device. Controlling a prosthetic arm by just imagining a motion may now be possible.

Rosetta: 100 kilometres to 'touchdown' Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:47 AM PDT The Rosetta spacecraft is approaching just 100 kilometres from its target comet, "Chury", today. After a ten-year journey, the Bernese instrument, ROSINA, will soon "smell" the first molecules of the comet's gas tail.

Triangulum galaxy snapped by VST Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:47 AM PDT The VLT Survey Telescope (VST) at ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile has captured a beautifully detailed image of the galaxy Messier 33. This nearby spiral, the second closest large galaxy to our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is packed with bright star clusters, and clouds of gas and dust. The new picture is amongst the most detailed wide-field views of this object ever taken and shows the many glowing red gas clouds in the spiral arms with particular clarity.

A breath reveals a hidden image in anti-counterfeit drug labels Posted: 06 Aug 2014 06:39 AM PDT An outline of Marilyn Monroe's iconic face appeared on the clear, plastic film when a researcher fogs it with her breath. Scientists have developed a new high-tech label for fighting drug counterfeiting. While the researchers don't envision movie stars on medicine bottles, but they used Monroe's image to prove their concept.

Rosetta spacecraft arrives at comet destination Posted: 06 Aug 2014 04:12 AM PDT After a decade-long journey chasing its target, ESA's Rosetta has today become the first spacecraft to rendezvous with a comet, opening a new chapter in Solar System exploration. Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and Rosetta now lie 405 million kilometres from Earth, about half way between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars, rushing towards the inner Solar System at nearly 55,000 kilometres per hour.

Could your brain be reprogrammed to work better? Posted: 05 Aug 2014 11:53 PM PDT Scientists from Australia and France have shown that electromagnetic stimulation can alter brain organization, which may make your brain work better. In a new study, the researchers demonstrated that weak sequential electromagnetic pulses (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation -- or rTMS) on mice can shift abnormal neural connections to more normal locations.

Novel process for creation of fuel and chemical compounds Posted: 05 Aug 2014 07:13 PM PDT Scientists have identified the genes and enzymes that create a promising compound -- the 19 carbon furan-containing fatty acid (19Fu-FA). The compound has a variety of potential uses as a biological alternative for compounds currently derived from fossil fuels.

Finding may aid recovery from spinal cord injury Posted: 05 Aug 2014 07:12 PM PDT Researchers have achieved the first conclusive non-invasive measurement of neural signaling in the spinal cords of healthy human volunteers. Their technique may aid efforts to help patients recover from spinal cord injuries and other disorders affecting spinal cord function, including multiple sclerosis.

Common tuberculosis vaccine can be used to prevent infection as well as disease Posted: 05 Aug 2014 07:12 PM PDT The vaccine used to protect against tuberculosis disease, bacillus calmette-guerin or BCG, also protects against tuberculosis infection, mycobacterium, as well as protecting against progression from infection to disease, finds new research. The BCG vaccine has been subject to numerous trials and studies over several decades, which have shown that it has a 60-80% protective efficacy against severe forms of tuberculosis (TB) in children. But to date there has been a lack of evidence on whether the vaccine is effective against TB infection.

Alteplase given promptly after stroke reduces long-term disability, even in older people, those with severe stroke Posted: 05 Aug 2014 07:11 PM PDT Many more stroke patients could benefit from thrombolytic treatment (the use of drugs to break up or dissolve blood clots), but it needs to be administered as quickly as possible after the first signs of illness, according to new findings from the largest meta-analysis to date investigating the clot-busting drug alteplase. The study involved more than 6700 stroke patients.

Aspirin: Scientists believe cancer prevention benefits outweigh harms Posted: 05 Aug 2014 07:11 PM PDT Taking aspirin can significantly reduce the risk of developing – and dying from – the major cancers of the digestive tract, i.e. bowel, stomach and oesophageal cancer, researchers report. For the first time, scientists have reviewed all the available evidence from many studies and clinical trials assessing both the benefits and harms of preventive use of aspirin.

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