ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• New musical pacifier helps premature babies get healthy
• Pancreatic cancer may be detected with simple intestinal probe
• Morphing robots and shape-shifting sculptures: Origami-inspired design merges engineering, art
• Method to strengthen proteins with polymers
• Activating genes that suppress tumors and inhibit cancer
• New discoveries about severe malaria
• Surgical removal of abdominal fat reduces skin cancer in mice
• Today's environment influences behavior generations later: Chemical exposure raises descendants' sensitivity to stress
• What baboons can teach us about social status
• Squid ink from Jurassic period identical to modern cuttlefish ink
• Totally RAD: Bioengineers create rewritable digital data storage in DNA
• Physical properties predict stem cell outcome
• Hunter-gatherers and horticulturalist lifestyle linked to lower blood pressure increases, atherosclerosis risks
• Proven friction stir welding technology brings together reliability and affordability for NASA's space launch system
• Stunning view of Lyrids and Earth at night
• Hubble spies edge-on beauty: Galaxy NGC 891
• Cassini spots tiny moon, begins to tilt orbit
• Seventy-two percent of teenagers experienced reduced hearing ability after attending concert
• Antibiotic residues, some more than FDA limits, in seafood purchased at US grocery stores, experts say
• Cell network security holes revealed, with an app to test your carrier
• Timing can affect whether women and minorities face discrimination
• Understanding Arctic Ocean's carbon cycle
• How plants chill out: Plants elongate their stems to cool their leaves
• Unique gold earring found in intriguing collection of ancient jewelry in Israel
• From lemons to lemonade: Using carbon dioxide to make carbon nitride
• Don't like blood tests? New microscope uses rainbow of light to image the flow of individual blood cells
• Marketing is more effective when targeted to personality profiles
• For bats: What sounds good doesn't always taste good
• Researchers improve fast-moving mobile networks
• Allergies? Some pollens are much more aggressive than others
• Cholesterol-lowering drugs may slow prostate growth
• Rare neurons linked to empathy and self-awareness discovered in monkey brains
• Tea could aid Olympic cheating
• Newly discovered protein makes sure brain development isn't 'botched'
• Weight struggles? Blame new neurons in your hypothalamus
• Mercury in dolphins higher downwind of power plants
• Cloak of invisibility: Engineers use plasmonics to create an invisible photodetector
• Latest Southern Ocean research shows continuing deep ocean change
• New approach to 'spell checking' gene sequences
• Dry lands getting drier, wet getting wetter: Earth's water cycle intensifying with atmospheric warming
• Growth factor in stem cells may spur recovery from multiple sclerosis
• Folic acid may reduce some childhood cancers
• Obese adolescents have heart damage
• Toxic mercury, accumulating in the Arctic, springs from a hidden source
• Stressed men are more social
• Zooming in on bacterial weapons in 3-D: Structure of bacterial injection needles deciphered at atomic resolution
• Anger in disputes is more about the climate of the marriage than the heat of the moment
• Hall effect at the speed of light: How can you demonstrate relativistic effects with your mobile phone?
• Distinct molecular subtype of prostate cancer discovered

New musical pacifier helps premature babies get healthy Posted: 21 May 2012 06:35 PM PDT The innovative PAL device uses musical lullabies to help infants quickly learn the muscle movements needed to suck, and ultimately feed.

Pancreatic cancer may be detected with simple intestinal probe Posted: 21 May 2012 06:35 PM PDT By simply shining a tiny light within the small intestine, close to that organ's junction with the pancreas, physicians have been able to detect pancreatic cancer 100 percent of the time in a small study. The light, attached to a probe, measures changes in cells and blood vessels in the small intestine produced by a growing cancer in the adjoining pancreas.

Morphing robots and shape-shifting sculptures: Origami-inspired design merges engineering, art Posted: 21 May 2012 01:41 PM PDT Researchers have shown how to create morphing robotic mechanisms and shape-shifting sculptures from a single sheet of paper in a method reminiscent of origami, the Japanese art of paper folding.

Method to strengthen proteins with polymers Posted: 21 May 2012 01:41 PM PDT Scientists have synthesized polymers to attach to proteins in order to stabilize them during shipping, storage and other activities. The study findings suggest that these polymers could be useful in stabilizing protein formulations.

Activating genes that suppress tumors and inhibit cancer Posted: 21 May 2012 01:41 PM PDT A promising new strategy for "reactivating" genes that cause cancer tumors to shrink and die has now been developed. The discovery may aid the development of an innovative anti-cancer drug that effectively targets unhealthy, cancerous tissue without damaging healthy, non-cancerous tissue and vital organs.

New discoveries about severe malaria Posted: 21 May 2012 01:40 PM PDT Researchers have uncovered new knowledge related to host-parasite interaction in severe malaria, concerning how malaria parasites are able to bind to cells in the brain and cause cerebral malaria -- the most lethal form of the disease.

Surgical removal of abdominal fat reduces skin cancer in mice Posted: 21 May 2012 01:40 PM PDT In animal studies, Rutgers scientists have found that surgical removal of abdominal fat from mice fed a high-fat diet reduces the risk of ultraviolet-light induced skin cancer – the most prevalent cancer in the United States with more than two million new cases each year – by up to 80 percent.

Today's environment influences behavior generations later: Chemical exposure raises descendants' sensitivity to stress Posted: 21 May 2012 01:38 PM PDT Researchers have seen an increased reaction to stress in animals whose ancestors were exposed to an environmental compound generations earlier. The findings put a new twist on the notions of nature and nurture, with broad implications for how certain behavioral tendencies might be inherited.

What baboons can teach us about social status Posted: 21 May 2012 01:38 PM PDT High-ranking male baboons recover more quickly from injuries and are less likely to become ill than other males, biologists have found.

Squid ink from Jurassic period identical to modern cuttlefish ink Posted: 21 May 2012 01:37 PM PDT Scientists have found that two ink sacs from 160-million-year-old giant squid fossils discovered 2 years ago in England contain the pigment melanin, and that it is essentially identical to the melanin found in the ink sacs of modern-day squid.

Totally RAD: Bioengineers create rewritable digital data storage in DNA Posted: 21 May 2012 01:37 PM PDT Scientists have devised a method for repeatedly encoding, storing and erasing digital data within the DNA of living cells. In practical terms, they have devised the genetic equivalent of a binary digit -- a "bit" in data parlance.

Physical properties predict stem cell outcome Posted: 21 May 2012 01:37 PM PDT Tissue engineers can use mesenchymal stem cells derived from fat to make cartilage, bone, or more fat. The best cells to use are ones that are already likely to become the desired tissue. Researchers have discovered that the mechanical properties of the stem cells can foretell what they will become, leading to a potential method of concentrating them for use in healing.

Hunter-gatherers and horticulturalist lifestyle linked to lower blood pressure increases, atherosclerosis risks Posted: 21 May 2012 01:36 PM PDT Traditional "hunter-gatherer" and "horticulturalist" populations have significantly lower age-related increases in blood pressure and less risks of atherosclerosis than "modernized" populations. Lifestyle factors of these traditional populations -- high physical activity and high fruit and vegetable diets -- may protect against normal aging phenomena, high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries. Hunter-gatherers and forager-horticulturalists who live off the land and grow what they need to survive have lower age-related increases in blood pressure and less risks of atherosclerosis

Proven friction stir welding technology brings together reliability and affordability for NASA's space launch system Posted: 21 May 2012 12:35 PM PDT NASA's next heavy-lift launch vehicle, the Space Launch System, is moving further in development faster thanks to proven advanced technologies like friction stir welding. Friction stir welding uses frictional heating combined with forging pressure to produce high-strength bonds virtually free of defects. The welding process transforms metals from a solid state into a "plastic-like" state, and uses a rotating pin tool to soften, stir and forge a bond between two metal plates to form a uniform welded joint -- a vital requirement of next-generation space hardware.

Stunning view of Lyrids and Earth at night Posted: 21 May 2012 12:33 PM PDT On the night of April 21, the 2012 Lyrid meteor shower peaked in the skies over Earth. While NASA allsky cameras were looking up at the night skies, astronaut Don Pettit aboard the International Space Station trained his camera on Earth. Video footage from that night is now revealing breathtaking images of Earth with meteors ablating -- or burning up -- in the atmosphere.

Hubble spies edge-on beauty: Galaxy NGC 891 Posted: 21 May 2012 12:31 PM PDT Visible in the constellation of Andromeda, NGC 891 is located approximately 30 million light-years away from Earth. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope turned its powerful wide field Advanced Camera for Surveys towards this spiral galaxy and took this close-up of its northern half.

Cassini spots tiny moon, begins to tilt orbit Posted: 21 May 2012 12:26 PM PDT NASA's Cassini spacecraft made its closest approach to Saturn's tiny moon Methone as part of a trajectory that will take it on a close flyby of another of Saturn's moons, Titan. The Titan flyby will put the spacecraft in an orbit around Saturn that is inclined, or tilted, relative to the plane of the planet's equator. The flyby of Methone took place on May 20 at a distance of about 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers). It was Cassini's closest flyby of the 2-mile-wide (3-kilometer-wide) moon. The best previous Cassini images were taken on June 8, 2005, at a distance of about 140,000 miles (225,000 kilometers), and they barely resolved this object.

Seventy-two percent of teenagers experienced reduced hearing ability after attending concert Posted: 21 May 2012 12:17 PM PDT Seventy-two percent of teenagers participating in a study experienced reduced hearing ability following exposure to a pop rock performance by a popular female singer.

Antibiotic residues, some more than FDA limits, in seafood purchased at US grocery stores, experts say Posted: 21 May 2012 11:18 AM PDT Scientists have found evidence of antibiotics – one a suspected human carcinogen – in seafood imported into the United States and purchased from grocery store shelves.

Cell network security holes revealed, with an app to test your carrier Posted: 21 May 2012 10:28 AM PDT Popular firewall technology designed to boost security on cellular networks can backfire, unwittingly revealing data that could help a hacker break into Facebook and Twitter accounts, a new study shows.

Timing can affect whether women and minorities face discrimination Posted: 21 May 2012 10:28 AM PDT Timing can affect whether females and minorities experience discrimination -- says a new study. Emails were sent from fictional prospective doctoral students to 6,500 professors across 258 institutions, requesting a meeting either that day or next week. Prospective doctoral students with Caucasian male names were 26 percent more likely to be granted an appointment when requesting one for next week than those with names signaling that they were minorities or females.

Understanding Arctic Ocean's carbon cycle Posted: 21 May 2012 10:28 AM PDT Scientists have conducted a new study to measure levels of carbon at various depths in the Arctic Ocean. The study provides data that will help researchers better understand the Arctic Ocean's carbon cycle -- the pathway through which carbon enters and is used by the marine ecosystem.

How plants chill out: Plants elongate their stems to cool their leaves Posted: 21 May 2012 10:27 AM PDT Plants elongate their stems when grown at high temperature to facilitate the cooling of their leaves, according to new research. Understanding why plants alter their architecture in response to heat is important as increasing global temperatures pose a threat to future food production.

Unique gold earring found in intriguing collection of ancient jewelry in Israel Posted: 21 May 2012 08:57 AM PDT When archaeologists opened an ancient vessel found at Israel's Tel Megiddo dig, they found a surprising treasure trove of ancient jewelry -- and an earring which may have had a unique Egyptian origin.

From lemons to lemonade: Using carbon dioxide to make carbon nitride Posted: 21 May 2012 08:56 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a chemical reaction that not only eats up the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, it creates some useful compounds to boot.

Don't like blood tests? New microscope uses rainbow of light to image the flow of individual blood cells Posted: 21 May 2012 08:56 AM PDT Blood tests convey vital medical information, but the sight of a needle often causes anxiety and results take time. A new device however, can reveal much the same information as a traditional blood test in real-time, simply by shining a light through the skin. This portable optical instrument is able to provide high-resolution images of blood coursing through veins without the need for harsh fluorescent dyes.

Marketing is more effective when targeted to personality profiles Posted: 21 May 2012 08:56 AM PDT Advertisers spend time and money attempting to tailor advertising campaigns to the needs of different demographic groups. After all, the concerns of college students are going to be different from those of retired professionals. Even within a given demographic category, however, there are many individual differences that shape consumer behavior. A new study suggests that advertisements can be more effective when they are tailored to the unique personality profiles of potential consumers.

For bats: What sounds good doesn't always taste good Posted: 21 May 2012 08:56 AM PDT Bats use a combination of cues in their hunting sequence - capture, handling and consumption - to decide which prey to attack, catch and consume and which ones they are better off leaving alone or dropping mid-way through the hunt. Eavesdropping bats first listen to their prey, then they assess its size, and finally they taste it.

Researchers improve fast-moving mobile networks Posted: 21 May 2012 08:55 AM PDT Mobile ad hoc networks allow people in multiple, rapidly-moving vehicles to communicate with each other – such as in military or emergency-response situations. Researchers have now devised a method to improve the quality and efficiency of data transmission in these networks.

Allergies? Some pollens are much more aggressive than others Posted: 21 May 2012 08:55 AM PDT There are pollens -- and then there are pollens, as scientists from across Europe discovered while investigating the allergic potential of pollens from the three main triggers of hay fever in Europe: birch, grass and olive. Different people can have very different allergic reactions to a particular type of pollen.

Cholesterol-lowering drugs may slow prostate growth Posted: 21 May 2012 08:55 AM PDT Statins drugs prescribed to treat high cholesterol may also work to slow prostate growth in men who have elevated PSA levels, according to a new analysis.

Rare neurons linked to empathy and self-awareness discovered in monkey brains Posted: 21 May 2012 08:53 AM PDT Scientists have discovered brain cells in monkeys that may be linked to self-awareness and empathy in humans.

Tea could aid Olympic cheating Posted: 21 May 2012 08:53 AM PDT Researchers have found that green and white teas could hide abnormal levels of testosterone in athletes.

Newly discovered protein makes sure brain development isn't 'botched' Posted: 21 May 2012 08:53 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a protein that appears to play an important regulatory role in deciding whether stem cells differentiate into the cells that make up the brain, as well as countless other tissues. This finding could eventually shed light on developmental disorders as well as a variety of conditions that involve the generation of new neurons into adulthood, including depression, stroke, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Weight struggles? Blame new neurons in your hypothalamus Posted: 21 May 2012 08:53 AM PDT New nerve cells formed in a select part of the brain could hold considerable sway over how much you eat and consequently weigh, new animal research suggests.

Mercury in dolphins higher downwind of power plants Posted: 21 May 2012 08:51 AM PDT A small pilot study found higher levels of toxic mercury in dolphins downwind of power plants than in captive dolphins.

Cloak of invisibility: Engineers use plasmonics to create an invisible photodetector Posted: 21 May 2012 07:46 AM PDT Engineers have for the first time used "plasmonic cloaking" to create a device that can see without being seen -- an invisible machine that detects light. It is the first example of what the researchers describe as a new class of devices that controls the flow of light at the nanoscale to produce both optical and electronic functions.

Latest Southern Ocean research shows continuing deep ocean change Posted: 21 May 2012 07:46 AM PDT There has been a massive reduction in the amount of Antarctic bottom water found off the coast of Antarctica, new research shows.

New approach to 'spell checking' gene sequences Posted: 21 May 2012 07:46 AM PDT Scientists have found a better way to 'spell check' gene sequences.

Dry lands getting drier, wet getting wetter: Earth's water cycle intensifying with atmospheric warming Posted: 21 May 2012 07:46 AM PDT A clear change in salinity has been detected in the world's oceans, signaling shifts and an acceleration in the global rainfall and evaporation cycle. The patterns are not uniform, with regional variations agreeing with the 'rich get richer' mechanism, where wet regions get wetter and dry regions drier.

Growth factor in stem cells may spur recovery from multiple sclerosis Posted: 21 May 2012 07:46 AM PDT A substance in human mesenchymal stem cells that promotes growth appears to spur restoration of nerves and their function in rodent models of multiple sclerosis, researchers have found.

Folic acid may reduce some childhood cancers Posted: 21 May 2012 07:42 AM PDT Folic acid fortification of foods may reduce the incidence of the most common type of kidney cancer and a type of brain tumors in children, finds a new study. Incidence reductions were found for Wilms' tumor, a type of kidney cancer, and primitive neuroectodermal tumors, a type of brain cancer.

Obese adolescents have heart damage Posted: 21 May 2012 07:42 AM PDT Obese adolescents with no symptoms of heart disease already have heart damage, according to new research.

Toxic mercury, accumulating in the Arctic, springs from a hidden source Posted: 21 May 2012 07:41 AM PDT Environmental scientists have discovered that the Arctic accumulation of mercury, a toxic element, is caused by both atmospheric forces and the flow of circumpolar rivers that carry the element north into the Arctic Ocean. While the atmospheric source was previously recognized, it now appears that twice as much mercury actually comes from the rivers. The revelation implies that concentrations of the toxin may further increase as climate change continues to modify the region's hydrological cycle and release mercury from warming Arctic soils.

Stressed men are more social Posted: 21 May 2012 07:40 AM PDT Researchers have refuted the common belief that stress always causes aggressive behavior.

Zooming in on bacterial weapons in 3-D: Structure of bacterial injection needles deciphered at atomic resolution Posted: 21 May 2012 07:38 AM PDT The plague, bacterial dysentery, and cholera have one thing in common: These dangerous diseases are caused by bacteria which infect their host using a sophisticated injection apparatus. Through needle-like structures, they release molecular agents into their host cell, thereby evading the immune response. Researchers have now elucidated the structure of such a needle at atomic resolution. Their findings might contribute to drug tailoring and the development of strategies which specifically prevent the infection process.

Anger in disputes is more about the climate of the marriage than the heat of the moment Posted: 21 May 2012 07:35 AM PDT How good are married couples at recognizing each other's emotions during conflicts? In general, pretty good, according to a new study. But if your partner is angry, that might tell more about the overall climate of your marriage than about what your partner is feeling at the moment of the dispute.

Hall effect at the speed of light: How can you demonstrate relativistic effects with your mobile phone? Posted: 21 May 2012 07:29 AM PDT The relativistic Hall effect describing objects rotating at speeds comparable with the speed of light has now been reported.

Distinct molecular subtype of prostate cancer discovered Posted: 20 May 2012 10:39 AM PDT A collaborative expedition into the deep genetics of prostate cancer has uncovered a distinct subtype of the disease, one that appears to account for up to 15 percent of all cases, say researchers.

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