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Monday, April 1, 2013

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News


New models predict drastically greener Arctic in coming decades

Posted: 31 Mar 2013 01:56 PM PDT

New research predicts that rising temperatures will lead to a massive "greening," or increase in plant cover, in the Arctic. In a new paper, scientists reveal new models projecting that wooded areas in the Arctic could increase by as much as 50 percent over the next few decades. The researchers also show that this dramatic greening will accelerate climate warming at a rate greater than previously expected.

Researchers find immunity protein that ramps up inflammation, and agents that can block it

Posted: 31 Mar 2013 01:56 PM PDT

Scientists have discovered a new biological pathway of innate immunity that ramps up inflammation and then identified agents that can block it, leading to increased survival and improved lung function in animal models of pneumonia.

Congestion in Earth's mantle: Mineralogists explain why plate tectonics stagnates in some places

Posted: 31 Mar 2013 01:55 PM PDT

Seismic measurements show that in some regions of the Earth's mantle, plate tectonics stagnates. The causes of the 'congestion' of the subducted plate are still unknown. In a new study, mineralogists from Germany explain the phenomenon for the first time.

New clues about how amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) develops

Posted: 31 Mar 2013 01:50 PM PDT

Scientists say they have evidence from animal studies that a type of central nervous system cell other than motor neurons plays a fundamental role in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal degenerative disease. The discovery holds promise, they say, for identifying new targets for interrupting the disease's progress.

NASA's Swift sizes up comet ISON

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 09:51 AM PDT

Astronomers have used NASA's Swift satellite to check out comet C/2012 S1 (ISON), which may become one of the most dazzling in decades when it rounds the sun later this year.

Splendid Skadar Lake (Montenegro and Albania) surprises with new species of snails

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 09:51 AM PDT

The Skadar Lake system at the border of Montenegro and Albania is a well-known hotspot of freshwater biodiversity and harbors a highly diverse mollusc fauna. As in many of the Balkan lakes, the endemic species of Skadar Lake are still poorly known and continue to yield unexpected discoveries. A new freshwater snail species has recently been found.

Light may recast copper as chemical industry 'holy grail'

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:23 AM PDT

Wouldn't it be convenient if you could reverse the rusting of your car by shining a bright light on it? It turns out that this concept works for undoing oxidation on copper nanoparticles, and it could lead to an environmentally friendly production process for an important industrial chemical, engineers have discovered.

Discovery opens door to efficiently storing and reusing renewable energy

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:23 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a ground-breaking way to make new affordable and efficient catalysts for converting electricity into chemical energy. Their technology opens the door to homeowners and energy companies being able to easily store and reuse solar and wind power. Such energy is clean and renewable, but it's available only when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing.

Mindfulness from meditation associated with lower stress hormone

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:23 AM PDT

Focusing on the present rather than letting the mind drift may help to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, suggests new research from the Shamatha Project at the University of California, Davis.

Heart failure medications highly cost-effective, study finds

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:21 AM PDT

A new study shows that heart failure medications recommended by national guidelines are highly cost effective in saving lives and may also provide savings to the health care system.

Protective prion keeps yeast cells from going it alone

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:21 AM PDT

A team of scientists has added markedly to the job description of prions as agents of change, identifying a prion capable of triggering a transition in yeast from its conventional single-celled form to a cooperative, multicellular structure. This change, which appears to improve yeast's chances for survival in the face of hostile environmental conditions, is an epigenetic phenomenon -- a heritable alteration brought about without any change to the organism's underlying genome.

Mixed signals: Combinations of estrogen-mimicking chemicals strongly distort hormone action

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 09:53 AM PDT

What happens when -- as in the real world -- an individual is exposed to multiple estrogen-mimicking chemicals at the same time? Researchers have used new techniques to study exposure to low doses of multiple xenoestrogens, and they've come to some disturbing conclusions.

Children of deployed parents at higher risk for alcohol, drug use

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 09:53 AM PDT

A statewide survey of sixth-, eighth-, and 11th-grade Iowa students found that children of deployed or recently returned military parents had an increased risk for alcohol use, binge drinking, and using marijuana, compared to children in non-military families. The study also found that when parental deployment resulted in a child not living with a parent or relative, the risk of binge drinking and marijuana use was even higher.

Surgical menopause may prime brain for stroke, Alzheimer's

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 09:53 AM PDT

Removing the ovaries before menopause, appears to leave more of the brain vulnerable to stroke and increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, researchers report.

Parkinson's disease protein gums up garbage disposal system in cells

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 09:52 AM PDT

With a new neuron model system of Parkinson's disease pathologies, researchers have demonstrated that these aberrant clumps in cells resist degradation as well as impair the function of the macroautophagy system, one of the major garbage disposal systems within the cell.

ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

ScienceDaily: Top Environment News


New models predict drastically greener Arctic in coming decades

Posted: 31 Mar 2013 01:56 PM PDT

New research predicts that rising temperatures will lead to a massive "greening," or increase in plant cover, in the Arctic. In a new paper, scientists reveal new models projecting that wooded areas in the Arctic could increase by as much as 50 percent over the next few decades. The researchers also show that this dramatic greening will accelerate climate warming at a rate greater than previously expected.

Congestion in Earth's mantle: Mineralogists explain why plate tectonics stagnates in some places

Posted: 31 Mar 2013 01:55 PM PDT

Seismic measurements show that in some regions of the Earth's mantle, plate tectonics stagnates. The causes of the 'congestion' of the subducted plate are still unknown. In a new study, mineralogists from Germany explain the phenomenon for the first time.

Splendid Skadar Lake (Montenegro and Albania) surprises with new species of snails

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 09:51 AM PDT

The Skadar Lake system at the border of Montenegro and Albania is a well-known hotspot of freshwater biodiversity and harbors a highly diverse mollusc fauna. As in many of the Balkan lakes, the endemic species of Skadar Lake are still poorly known and continue to yield unexpected discoveries. A new freshwater snail species has recently been found.

Protective prion keeps yeast cells from going it alone

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:21 AM PDT

A team of scientists has added markedly to the job description of prions as agents of change, identifying a prion capable of triggering a transition in yeast from its conventional single-celled form to a cooperative, multicellular structure. This change, which appears to improve yeast's chances for survival in the face of hostile environmental conditions, is an epigenetic phenomenon -- a heritable alteration brought about without any change to the organism's underlying genome.

In solving social dilemmas, vervet monkeys get by with a little patience

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 09:50 AM PDT

People could learn a lot from vervet monkeys. When vervets need to work together, they don't tell each other what to do or punish uncooperative behavior. But according to new evidence, they do get by, with a little patience.

Caffeine-'addicted' bacteria: Finding may lead to new decontamination methods, new medicines

Posted: 27 Mar 2013 10:35 AM PDT

Some people may joke about living on caffeine, but scientists now have genetically engineered E. coli bacteria to do that -- literally. Their report describes bacteria being "addicted" to caffeine in a way that promises practical uses ranging from decontamination of wastewater to bioproduction of medications for asthma.

Climate change likely to worsen threat of diarrheal disease in Botswana

Posted: 26 Mar 2013 09:16 AM PDT

Climate drives a large part of diarrheal disease in Sub-Saharan Africa and makes communities vulnerable to climate change, according to new research.

ScienceDaily: Top News

ScienceDaily: Top News


New models predict drastically greener Arctic in coming decades

Posted: 31 Mar 2013 01:56 PM PDT

New research predicts that rising temperatures will lead to a massive "greening," or increase in plant cover, in the Arctic. In a new paper, scientists reveal new models projecting that wooded areas in the Arctic could increase by as much as 50 percent over the next few decades. The researchers also show that this dramatic greening will accelerate climate warming at a rate greater than previously expected.

Researchers find immunity protein that ramps up inflammation, and agents that can block it

Posted: 31 Mar 2013 01:56 PM PDT

Scientists have discovered a new biological pathway of innate immunity that ramps up inflammation and then identified agents that can block it, leading to increased survival and improved lung function in animal models of pneumonia.

Congestion in Earth's mantle: Mineralogists explain why plate tectonics stagnates in some places

Posted: 31 Mar 2013 01:55 PM PDT

Seismic measurements show that in some regions of the Earth's mantle, plate tectonics stagnates. The causes of the 'congestion' of the subducted plate are still unknown. In a new study, mineralogists from Germany explain the phenomenon for the first time.

New clues about how amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) develops

Posted: 31 Mar 2013 01:50 PM PDT

Scientists say they have evidence from animal studies that a type of central nervous system cell other than motor neurons plays a fundamental role in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal degenerative disease. The discovery holds promise, they say, for identifying new targets for interrupting the disease's progress.

NASA's Swift sizes up comet ISON

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 09:51 AM PDT

Astronomers have used NASA's Swift satellite to check out comet C/2012 S1 (ISON), which may become one of the most dazzling in decades when it rounds the sun later this year.

Splendid Skadar Lake (Montenegro and Albania) surprises with new species of snails

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 09:51 AM PDT

The Skadar Lake system at the border of Montenegro and Albania is a well-known hotspot of freshwater biodiversity and harbors a highly diverse mollusc fauna. As in many of the Balkan lakes, the endemic species of Skadar Lake are still poorly known and continue to yield unexpected discoveries. A new freshwater snail species has recently been found.

Light may recast copper as chemical industry 'holy grail'

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:23 AM PDT

Wouldn't it be convenient if you could reverse the rusting of your car by shining a bright light on it? It turns out that this concept works for undoing oxidation on copper nanoparticles, and it could lead to an environmentally friendly production process for an important industrial chemical, engineers have discovered.

Discovery opens door to efficiently storing and reusing renewable energy

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:23 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a ground-breaking way to make new affordable and efficient catalysts for converting electricity into chemical energy. Their technology opens the door to homeowners and energy companies being able to easily store and reuse solar and wind power. Such energy is clean and renewable, but it's available only when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing.

Mindfulness from meditation associated with lower stress hormone

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:23 AM PDT

Focusing on the present rather than letting the mind drift may help to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, suggests new research from the Shamatha Project at the University of California, Davis.

Heart failure medications highly cost-effective, study finds

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:21 AM PDT

A new study shows that heart failure medications recommended by national guidelines are highly cost effective in saving lives and may also provide savings to the health care system.

Protective prion keeps yeast cells from going it alone

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:21 AM PDT

A team of scientists has added markedly to the job description of prions as agents of change, identifying a prion capable of triggering a transition in yeast from its conventional single-celled form to a cooperative, multicellular structure. This change, which appears to improve yeast's chances for survival in the face of hostile environmental conditions, is an epigenetic phenomenon -- a heritable alteration brought about without any change to the organism's underlying genome.

Mixed signals: Combinations of estrogen-mimicking chemicals strongly distort hormone action

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 09:53 AM PDT

What happens when -- as in the real world -- an individual is exposed to multiple estrogen-mimicking chemicals at the same time? Researchers have used new techniques to study exposure to low doses of multiple xenoestrogens, and they've come to some disturbing conclusions.

Children of deployed parents at higher risk for alcohol, drug use

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 09:53 AM PDT

A statewide survey of sixth-, eighth-, and 11th-grade Iowa students found that children of deployed or recently returned military parents had an increased risk for alcohol use, binge drinking, and using marijuana, compared to children in non-military families. The study also found that when parental deployment resulted in a child not living with a parent or relative, the risk of binge drinking and marijuana use was even higher.

Surgical menopause may prime brain for stroke, Alzheimer's

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 09:53 AM PDT

Removing the ovaries before menopause, appears to leave more of the brain vulnerable to stroke and increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, researchers report.

Parkinson's disease protein gums up garbage disposal system in cells

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 09:52 AM PDT

With a new neuron model system of Parkinson's disease pathologies, researchers have demonstrated that these aberrant clumps in cells resist degradation as well as impair the function of the macroautophagy system, one of the major garbage disposal systems within the cell.

ScienceDaily: Top Science News

ScienceDaily: Top Science News


New models predict drastically greener Arctic in coming decades

Posted: 31 Mar 2013 01:56 PM PDT

New research predicts that rising temperatures will lead to a massive "greening," or increase in plant cover, in the Arctic. In a new paper, scientists reveal new models projecting that wooded areas in the Arctic could increase by as much as 50 percent over the next few decades. The researchers also show that this dramatic greening will accelerate climate warming at a rate greater than previously expected.

Light may recast copper as chemical industry 'holy grail'

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:23 AM PDT

Wouldn't it be convenient if you could reverse the rusting of your car by shining a bright light on it? It turns out that this concept works for undoing oxidation on copper nanoparticles, and it could lead to an environmentally friendly production process for an important industrial chemical, engineers have discovered.

You are what you eat -- even the littlest bites: Dietary influences tied to changes in gene expression

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 09:51 AM PDT

Sometimes you just can't resist a tiny piece of chocolate cake. Even the most health-conscious eaters find themselves indulging in junk foods from time to time. New research raises the striking possibility that even small amounts of these occasional indulgences may produce significant changes in gene expression that could negatively impact physiology and health.

New test for skin sensitization without using animals

Posted: 27 Mar 2013 10:37 AM PDT

In an advance in efforts to reduce the use of animals in testing new cosmetic and other product ingredients for skin allergies, scientists are describing a new, highly accurate non-animal test for these skin-sensitizers.

Caffeine-'addicted' bacteria: Finding may lead to new decontamination methods, new medicines

Posted: 27 Mar 2013 10:35 AM PDT

Some people may joke about living on caffeine, but scientists now have genetically engineered E. coli bacteria to do that -- literally. Their report describes bacteria being "addicted" to caffeine in a way that promises practical uses ranging from decontamination of wastewater to bioproduction of medications for asthma.

MRI shows brain abnormalities in migraine patients

Posted: 26 Mar 2013 07:15 AM PDT

A new study suggests that migraines are related to brain abnormalities present at birth and others that develop over time.

ScienceDaily: Living Well News

ScienceDaily: Living Well News


Mindfulness from meditation associated with lower stress hormone

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:23 AM PDT

Focusing on the present rather than letting the mind drift may help to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, suggests new research from the Shamatha Project at the University of California, Davis.

Children of deployed parents at higher risk for alcohol, drug use

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 09:53 AM PDT

A statewide survey of sixth-, eighth-, and 11th-grade Iowa students found that children of deployed or recently returned military parents had an increased risk for alcohol use, binge drinking, and using marijuana, compared to children in non-military families. The study also found that when parental deployment resulted in a child not living with a parent or relative, the risk of binge drinking and marijuana use was even higher.

You are what you eat -- even the littlest bites: Dietary influences tied to changes in gene expression

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 09:51 AM PDT

Sometimes you just can't resist a tiny piece of chocolate cake. Even the most health-conscious eaters find themselves indulging in junk foods from time to time. New research raises the striking possibility that even small amounts of these occasional indulgences may produce significant changes in gene expression that could negatively impact physiology and health.

New test for skin sensitization without using animals

Posted: 27 Mar 2013 10:37 AM PDT

In an advance in efforts to reduce the use of animals in testing new cosmetic and other product ingredients for skin allergies, scientists are describing a new, highly accurate non-animal test for these skin-sensitizers.

Hot flashes? Active days bring better nights

Posted: 27 Mar 2013 10:35 AM PDT

Getting a good night's sleep isn't always easy for women at menopause. Exercise may help, but women can have a tough time carving out leisure time for it. The good news from a new study is that higher levels of routine daily physical activity may be the more important key to a better night's sleep for many women who have hot flashes or night sweats.

Men benefit more than women from having authority on the job, study finds

Posted: 26 Mar 2013 08:23 AM PDT

Having more authority in the workplace comes with many rewards -- including greater forms of job control and higher earnings. However, according to new research, the benefits are not evenly distributed for women and men.

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News


In solving social dilemmas, vervet monkeys get by with a little patience

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 09:50 AM PDT

People could learn a lot from vervet monkeys. When vervets need to work together, they don't tell each other what to do or punish uncooperative behavior. But according to new evidence, they do get by, with a little patience.

Caffeine-'addicted' bacteria: Finding may lead to new decontamination methods, new medicines

Posted: 27 Mar 2013 10:35 AM PDT

Some people may joke about living on caffeine, but scientists now have genetically engineered E. coli bacteria to do that -- literally. Their report describes bacteria being "addicted" to caffeine in a way that promises practical uses ranging from decontamination of wastewater to bioproduction of medications for asthma.

ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

ScienceDaily: Top Technology News


NASA's Swift sizes up comet ISON

Posted: 29 Mar 2013 09:51 AM PDT

Astronomers have used NASA's Swift satellite to check out comet C/2012 S1 (ISON), which may become one of the most dazzling in decades when it rounds the sun later this year.

Light may recast copper as chemical industry 'holy grail'

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:23 AM PDT

Wouldn't it be convenient if you could reverse the rusting of your car by shining a bright light on it? It turns out that this concept works for undoing oxidation on copper nanoparticles, and it could lead to an environmentally friendly production process for an important industrial chemical, engineers have discovered.

Discovery opens door to efficiently storing and reusing renewable energy

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:23 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a ground-breaking way to make new affordable and efficient catalysts for converting electricity into chemical energy. Their technology opens the door to homeowners and energy companies being able to easily store and reuse solar and wind power. Such energy is clean and renewable, but it's available only when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing.

Clays can expand under pressure

Posted: 27 Mar 2013 06:25 AM PDT

It was always believed that water is "squeezed" out of the clay structure under pressure but physicists in Sweden together with German colleagues show that this appear to be not always true if excess of liquid water is available around.