ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Testosterone makes us less cooperative and more egocentric
• Honey could be effective at treating and preventing wound infections
• Pairing masks and hand washing could drastically slow spread of a pandemic flu
• Scientists prove plausibility of new pathway to life's chemical building blocks
• Gene mutation in autism found to cause hyperconnectivity in brain's hearing center
• New species of ancient crocodile discovered
• Scientists decode brain waves to eavesdrop on what we hear
• Botany: Moonlighting enzyme works double shift 24/7
• IBEX probe glimpses interstellar neighborhood
• Golf course weeds are developing resistance to the herbicide glyphosate
• Partisans not locked in media 'echo chambers,' study finds
• NASA's THEMIS satellite sees a great electron escape
• Glimpses of the interstellar material beyond our solar system
• 'Your password is invalid': Improving website password practices
• Risk-based passenger screening could make air travel safer
• Ultra-fast photodetector and terahertz generator
• IBEX spacecraft measures 'alien' particles from outside solar system
• Volunteers clear tiger snares in China
• Severe declines in Everglades mammals linked to invasive pythons, researchers find
• New genetic subtype of lung cancer defined
• Five US urban counties lead 'Terror Hot Spots' list, but rural areas not exempt
• Perfect nanotubes shine brightest: Researchers show how length, imperfections affect carbon nanotube fluorescence
• Online news portals get credibility boost from trusted sources
• Exposure to common environmental bacteria may be source of some allergic inflammation
• Short-term memory is based on synchronized brain oscillations
• Following the shifting of tectonic plates to understand Mediterranean biodiversity
• Norovirus is the leading cause of infection outbreaks in U.S. hospitals
• Microscopy reveals 'atomic antenna' behavior in graphene
• Protein study gives fresh impetus in fight against superbugs
• Ancient DNA holds clues to climate change adaptation
• Sharp rise in use of bone growth factor for spinal fusion surgery
• 'Cool' gas may form and strengthen sunspots
• Surprise finding redraws 'map' of blood cell production
• Stimulation of brain hormone action may improve pneumonia survival
• Researchers visualize the development of Parkinson's cells
• Surprisingly high number of adults with severe learning disabilities also have autism
• Are diet soft drinks bad for you?
• Researchers identify cell-permeable peptide that inhibits hepatitis C
• Evolutionary geneticist helps to find butterfly gene, clue to age-old question
• Overweight mothers who smoke while pregnant can damage baby's heart, study finds
• The Arctic is already suffering the effects of a dangerous climate change
• Skin cells turned into neural precusors, bypassing stem-cell stage
• Mom's love good for child's brain

Testosterone makes us less cooperative and more egocentric Posted: 31 Jan 2012 06:02 PM PST Testosterone makes us overvalue our own opinions at the expense of cooperation, new research has found. Higher levels of testosterone were associated with individuals behaving egocentrically.

Honey could be effective at treating and preventing wound infections Posted: 31 Jan 2012 05:59 PM PST Manuka honey could help clear chronic wound infections and even prevent them from developing in the first place, according to a new study. The findings provide further evidence for the clinical use of manuka honey to treat bacterial infections in the face of growing antibiotic resistance.

Pairing masks and hand washing could drastically slow spread of a pandemic flu Posted: 31 Jan 2012 02:57 PM PST Masks and hand hygiene could cut the spread of flu-like symptoms up to 75 percent, a new study found.

Scientists prove plausibility of new pathway to life's chemical building blocks Posted: 31 Jan 2012 02:56 PM PST Scientists have demonstrated an alternative pathway to life-essential sugars called the glyoxylate scenario, which may push the field of pre-life chemistry past the formose reaction hurdle.

Gene mutation in autism found to cause hyperconnectivity in brain's hearing center Posted: 31 Jan 2012 02:56 PM PST New research might help explain how a gene mutation found in some autistic individuals leads to difficulties in processing auditory cues and paying spatial attention to sound.

New species of ancient crocodile discovered Posted: 31 Jan 2012 02:56 PM PST A new species of prehistoric crocodile has been discovered. The extinct creature, nicknamed "Shieldcroc" due to a thick-skinned shield on its head, is an ancestor of today's crocodiles.

Scientists decode brain waves to eavesdrop on what we hear Posted: 31 Jan 2012 02:51 PM PST Neuroscientists and surgeons have recorded electrical activity in the temporal lobe -- the seat of the auditory system -- to discover how the brain encodes sound. Their model allows them to predict what a person heard based solely on temporal lobe activity. If, as studies suggest, internal "imagined" conversations activate similar areas of the temporal lobe, it may be possible to hear the internal verbalizations of people who cannot talk because of paralysis or stroke.

Botany: Moonlighting enzyme works double shift 24/7 Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:08 PM PST A team of researchers has discovered an overachieving plant enzyme that works both the day and night shifts. The discovery shows that plants evolved a new function for this enzyme by changing merely one of its protein building blocks.

IBEX probe glimpses interstellar neighborhood Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:08 PM PST Space scientists have described the first detailed analyses of captured interstellar neutral atoms -- raw material for the formation of new stars, planets and even human beings.

Golf course weeds are developing resistance to the herbicide glyphosate Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:00 PM PST If your golf game isn't up to par, you may be able to blame it on those tufts of weeds on the course. Annual bluegrass is a problematic winter weed on many U.S. golf courses. After years of management with the herbicide glyphosate, resistant biotypes of this weed have developed, which will make keeping a clean fairway more challenging.

Partisans not locked in media 'echo chambers,' study finds Posted: 31 Jan 2012 12:00 PM PST Despite the fears of some scholars and pundits, most political partisans don't avoid news and opinion sources that contradict their own beliefs, according to a new study.

NASA's THEMIS satellite sees a great electron escape Posted: 31 Jan 2012 11:37 AM PST When scientists discovered two great swaths of radiation encircling Earth in the 1950s, it spawned over-the-top fears about "killer electrons" and space radiation effects on Earthlings. The fears were soon quieted: the radiation doesn't reach Earth, though it can affect satellites and humans moving through the belts. Nevertheless, many mysteries about the belts -- now known as the Van Allen Radiation belts -- remain to this day.

Glimpses of the interstellar material beyond our solar system Posted: 31 Jan 2012 11:01 AM PST A great magnetic bubble surrounds the solar system as it cruises through the galaxy. The sun pumps the inside of the bubble full of solar particles that stream out to the edge until they collide with the material that fills the rest of the galaxy, at a complex boundary called the heliosheath. On the other side of the boundary, electrically charged particles from the galactic wind blow by, but rebound off the heliosheath, never to enter the solar system. Neutral particles, on the other hand, are a different story. They saunter across the boundary as if it weren't there, continuing on another 7.5 billion miles for 30 years until they get caught by the sun's gravity, and sling shot around the star.

'Your password is invalid': Improving website password practices Posted: 31 Jan 2012 10:57 AM PST Internet users are increasingly asked to register with a user name and password before being able to access the content of many sites. Researchers have now identified impediments to efficient password creation and provided design strategies for enhancing the user experience.

Risk-based passenger screening could make air travel safer Posted: 31 Jan 2012 10:57 AM PST Intensive screening of all airline passengers actually makes the system less secure by overtaxing security resources, while risk-based methods increase overall security, according to new research. The researchers developed three algorithms dealing with risk uncertainty in the passenger population. Then, they ran simulations to demonstrate how their algorithms could estimate risk in the overall passenger population and how errors in this estimation procedure can be mitigated to reduce the risk to the overall system.

Ultra-fast photodetector and terahertz generator Posted: 31 Jan 2012 10:57 AM PST Photodetectors made from graphene can process and conduct light signals as well as electric signals extremely fast. Within picoseconds the optical stimulation of graphene generates a photocurrent. Until now, none of the available methods were fast enough to measure these processes in graphene. Scientists have now developed a method to measure the temporal dynamics of this photo current. Furthermore they discovered that graphene can emit terahertz radiation.

IBEX spacecraft measures 'alien' particles from outside solar system Posted: 31 Jan 2012 10:57 AM PST Using data from NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer spacecraft, an international team of researchers has measured neutral "alien" particles entering our solar system from interstellar space. A suite of studies provides a first look at the constituents of the interstellar medium, the matter between star systems, and how they interact with our heliosphere.

Volunteers clear tiger snares in China Posted: 31 Jan 2012 10:54 AM PST Volunteers working in northeast China have cleared 162 illegal wire snares in an ongoing effort to protect the nation's remaining population of critically endangered Amur (Siberian) tigers.

Severe declines in Everglades mammals linked to invasive pythons, researchers find Posted: 31 Jan 2012 10:52 AM PST New research links precipitous declines in formerly common mammals in Everglades National Park to the presence of invasive Burmese pythons.

New genetic subtype of lung cancer defined Posted: 31 Jan 2012 09:25 AM PST Investigators have defined the role of a recently identified gene abnormality – rearrangements in the ROS1 gene – in a deadly form of lung cancer. ROS1-rearranged tumors represent one to two percent of non-small-cell lung cancers, the leading cause of cancer death in the US. The researchers also show that ROS1-driven tumors can be treated with crizotinib and describe the remarkable response of one patient to crizotinib treatment.

Five US urban counties lead 'Terror Hot Spots' list, but rural areas not exempt Posted: 31 Jan 2012 09:24 AM PST Five urban counties lead the list of US terror "hot spots" - Manhattan, LA, Miami-Dade, San Francisco and Washington, DC - though smaller, more rural areas have emerged as hot spots in their own right in recent years with an increase in domestic terror there, says new research. The researchers identified 65 of the nation's 3,143 counties as "hot spots" of terrorism.

Perfect nanotubes shine brightest: Researchers show how length, imperfections affect carbon nanotube fluorescence Posted: 31 Jan 2012 09:24 AM PST A painstaking study has brought a wealth of new information about single-walled carbon nanotubes through analysis of their fluorescence. The researchers found that the brightest nanotubes of the same length show consistent fluorescence intensity, and the longer the tube, the brighter.

Online news portals get credibility boost from trusted sources Posted: 31 Jan 2012 09:18 AM PST People who read news on the web tend to trust the gate even if there is no gatekeeper, according to researchers.

Exposure to common environmental bacteria may be source of some allergic inflammation Posted: 31 Jan 2012 09:18 AM PST Could some cases of asthma actually be caused by an allergic reaction to a common environmental bacteria? New research findings suggests that this idea may not be as far-fetched as it seems.

Short-term memory is based on synchronized brain oscillations Posted: 31 Jan 2012 09:14 AM PST Holding information within one's memory for a short while is a seemingly simple and everyday task. We use our short-term memory when remembering a new telephone number if there is nothing to write at hand, or to find the beautiful dress inside the store that we were just admiring in the shopping window. Yet, despite the apparent simplicity of these actions, short-term memory is a complex cognitive act that entails the participation of multiple brain regions. However, whether and how different brain regions cooperate during memory has remained elusive. Researchers in Germany have now come closer to answering this question. They discovered that oscillations between different brain regions are crucial in visually remembering things over a short period of time.

Following the shifting of tectonic plates to understand Mediterranean biodiversity Posted: 31 Jan 2012 09:14 AM PST Around 30 millions years ago, the Western Mediterranean basin opened as a result of the tectonic collision of the African and Eurasian plates. This geologic event was the starting point for the diversification of an endemic group of Western Mediterranean spiders, as has been demonstrated by a new study.

Norovirus is the leading cause of infection outbreaks in U.S. hospitals Posted: 31 Jan 2012 09:14 AM PST Norovirus, a pathogen that often causes food poisoning and gastroenteritis, was responsible for 18.2 percent of all infection outbreaks and 65 percent of ward closures in U.S. hospitals during a two-year period.

Microscopy reveals 'atomic antenna' behavior in graphene Posted: 31 Jan 2012 09:12 AM PST Atomic-level defects in graphene could be a path forward to smaller and faster electronic devices. With unique properties and potential applications in areas from electronics to biodevices, graphene, which consists of a single sheet of carbon atoms, has been hailed as a rising star in the materials world. Now, a new study suggests that point defects, composed of silicon atoms that replace individual carbon atoms in graphene, could aid attempts to transfer data on an atomic scale by coupling light with electrons.

Protein study gives fresh impetus in fight against superbugs Posted: 31 Jan 2012 07:25 AM PST Scientists have shed new light on the way superbugs such as MRSA are able to become resistant to treatment with antibiotics.

Ancient DNA holds clues to climate change adaptation Posted: 31 Jan 2012 07:25 AM PST Thirty-thousand-year-old bison bones discovered in permafrost at a Canadian goldmine are helping scientists unravel the mystery about how animals adapt to rapid environmental change.

Sharp rise in use of bone growth factor for spinal fusion surgery Posted: 31 Jan 2012 07:16 AM PST The use of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) for spinal fusion surgery has risen sharply over the past decade, increasing costs with no evidence of improved outcomes, reports a new study.

'Cool' gas may form and strengthen sunspots Posted: 31 Jan 2012 06:31 AM PST Hydrogen molecules may act as a kind of energy sink that strengthens the magnetic grip that causes sunspots, according to scientists using a new infrared instrument on an old telescope.

Surprise finding redraws 'map' of blood cell production Posted: 31 Jan 2012 06:31 AM PST A study of the cells that respond to crises in the blood system has yielded a few surprises, redrawing the 'map' of how blood cells are made in the body. The finding could have wide-ranging implications for understanding blood diseases such as myeloproliferative disorders as well as used to develop new ways of controlling how blood and clotting cells are produced.

Stimulation of brain hormone action may improve pneumonia survival Posted: 31 Jan 2012 06:30 AM PST An international research team may have found a way to block a second wave of death that can result from pneumonia treatment.

Researchers visualize the development of Parkinson's cells Posted: 31 Jan 2012 06:30 AM PST In the US alone, at least 500,000 people suffer from Parkinson's disease, a neurological disorder that affects a person's ability to control his or her movement. New technology lets researchers observe the development of the brain cells responsible for the disease.

Surprisingly high number of adults with severe learning disabilities also have autism Posted: 31 Jan 2012 06:28 AM PST New research on autism in adults has shown that adults with a more severe learning disability have a greater likelihood of having autism. This group, mostly living in private households, was previously 'invisible' in estimates of autism.

Are diet soft drinks bad for you? Posted: 31 Jan 2012 06:27 AM PST A new study finds a potential link between daily consumption of diet soft drinks and the risk of vascular events.

Researchers identify cell-permeable peptide that inhibits hepatitis C Posted: 31 Jan 2012 06:24 AM PST Researchers have identified a cell-permeable peptide that inhibits a hepatitis C virus protein and blocks viral replication, which can lead to liver cancer and cirrhosis.

Evolutionary geneticist helps to find butterfly gene, clue to age-old question Posted: 31 Jan 2012 06:24 AM PST An evolutionary geneticist helped discover the gene in passion vine butterflies that keeps predators from eating them. The gene is responsible for red patterns on the butterflies' wings.

Overweight mothers who smoke while pregnant can damage baby's heart, study finds Posted: 30 Jan 2012 03:45 PM PST Mothers-to-be who are both overweight and smoke during their pregnancy risk damaging their baby's developing heart, according to new research.

The Arctic is already suffering the effects of a dangerous climate change Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:19 PM PST Two decades after the United Nations established the Framework Convention on Climate Change in order to "prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system", the Arctic shows the first signs of a dangerous climate change.

Skin cells turned into neural precusors, bypassing stem-cell stage Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:19 PM PST Mouse skin cells can be converted directly into cells that become the three main parts of the nervous system, according to researchers. The finding is an extension of a previous study by the same group showing that mouse and human skin cells can be directly converted into functional neurons.

Mom's love good for child's brain Posted: 30 Jan 2012 02:01 PM PST School-age children whose mothers nurtured them early in life have brains with a larger hippocampus, a key structure important to learning, memory and response to stress. The new research, by child psychiatrists and neuroscientists, is the first to show that changes in this critical region of children's brain anatomy are linked to a mother's nurturing.

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