ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Childhood trauma linked to adult smoking for girls
• Obese kids as bright as thinner peers
• Love thy neighbor, unless they are The Weakest Link
• Controlling your computer with your eyes
• Messy experiment cleans up cornstarch and water mystery
• First ever videos of snow leopard mother and cubs in dens recorded in Mongolia
• Early human ancestor, Australopithecus sediba, fossils discovered in rock
• Large, medically important class of proteins starts to yield its secrets
• Antarctica at risk from human activities
• Vaccines backfire: Veterinary vaccines found to combine into new infectious viruses
• Discovery of chemical that affects biological clock offers new way to treat diabetes
• Attacking biofilms that cause chronic infections
• Solar system ice: Source of Earth's water
• The challenges facing the vulnerable Antarctic
• Questions raised about iris recognition systems
• Hockey: Researchers hit back at early bodycheck theory
• Solar storm protection
• Men's involvement at home: Sports 1, housework, 0
• As old as Clovis sites, but not Clovis: Paisley Caves, Oregon yields Western Stemmed points, more human DNA
• Highest resolution ever for human protein
• Study: Wolverines need refrigerators
• Nose landing gear tested for Dream Chaser spacecraft
• Plasmonic chains act like polymers
• Tamarisk biocontrol efforts get evolutionary boost
• Does becoming a doctor pay off for women?
• Disentangling information from photons
• Stimulant marketed as 'natural' in sports supplement actually of synthetic origin, study suggests
• Highly conductive and elastic conductors created using silver nanowires
• Male sex ornaments are fishing lures, literally
• Finished heart switches stem cells off
• Saliva and pupil size differences in autism show system in overdrive
• Sake, soy sauce, and the taming of the microbes
• Newly isolated 'beige fat' cells could help fight obesity
• Physicists invent 'spintronic' LED
• Controlling inflammatory and immune responses
• Why hypertension increases damage to eyes of diabetic patients
• Sailing with nerves of glass
• Platinum is wrong stuff for fuel cells because it wastes energy, expert says
• Keeping electric vehicle batteries cool
• Blue-fluorescent molecular nanocapsules created by simple mixing 'green-environmentally friendly' metal ions and bent organic blocks
• Helping family is key for social birds
• Why the human body cannot fight HIV infection
• Multiple sclerosis: New marker could improve diagnosis
• Coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific Ocean naturally tougher than Caribbean reefs
• Peering into the heart of a supernova: How to detect a rapidly spinning stellar core
• Mutations in autism susceptibility gene increase risk in boys
• Researchers work to create hypoallergenic wines and sequence the genome of Chardonnay
• Viruses may be causing coral bleaching and decline around the world
• Nocebo effect, not placebo effect: Induced illness studied
• Fossil egg links dinosaurs to modern birds
• Inexperienced video gamers show Macbeth effect
• Potential new weapon against crop pests discovered
• Psychologists discover links between angry thoughts and displaced aggression in male gang affiliates
• Galaxy-exploring camera to be used in the operating room
• Concussions affect college players at high rates too
• White rot fungus boosts ethanol production from corn stalks, cobs and leaves

Childhood trauma linked to adult smoking for girls Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:46 PM PDT Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can stay with us for life. New research explains how these events can be tied up with adult smoking patterns, especially for women, and suggests that treatment and strategies to stop smoking need to take into account the psychological effects of childhood trauma.

Obese kids as bright as thinner peers Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:46 PM PDT Obesity is not to blame for poor educational performance, according to early findings from new research. In a study that combines statistical methods with genetic information, researchers dispel the false idea that being overweight has damaging educational consequences.

Love thy neighbor, unless they are The Weakest Link Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:46 PM PDT A study of voting patterns on The Weakest Link TV quiz show has provided new evidence that the adage "love thy neighbor" may be hard-wired into the human brain. Psychologists who examined the behavior of contestants on the BBC show found players were statistically less inclined to vote off the person stood next to them and more likely to target competitors stood further away.

Controlling your computer with your eyes Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:46 PM PDT Millions of people suffering from multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injuries or amputees could soon interact with their computers and surroundings using just their eyes, thanks to a new device that costs less than £40. Composed from off-the-shelf materials, the new device can work out exactly where a person is looking by tracking their eye movements, allowing them to control a cursor on a screen just like a normal computer mouse.

Messy experiment cleans up cornstarch and water mystery Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:45 PM PDT Most people buy cornstarch to make custard or gravy, but two scientists have used it to solve a longstanding physics problem with a substance known to generations of Dr. Seuss readers as "Oobleck," and to scientists as a non-Newtonian liquid.

First ever videos of snow leopard mother and cubs in dens recorded in Mongolia Posted: 12 Jul 2012 01:27 PM PDT For the first time, the den sites of two female snow leopards and their cubs have been located in Mongolia's Tost Mountains, with the first known videos taken of a mother and cubs, located and recorded.

Early human ancestor, Australopithecus sediba, fossils discovered in rock Posted: 12 Jul 2012 01:27 PM PDT A large rock containing significant parts of a skeleton of an early human ancestor has just been discovered. The skeleton is believed to be the remains of "Karabo," the type skeleton of Australopithecus sediba, discovered at the Malapa site in the Cradle of Humankind in 2009.

Large, medically important class of proteins starts to yield its secrets Posted: 12 Jul 2012 01:27 PM PDT New research illuminates a large and medically important family of proteins called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).

Antarctica at risk from human activities Posted: 12 Jul 2012 12:31 PM PDT The continent of Antarctica is at risk from human activities and other forces, and environmental management is needed to protect the planet's last great wilderness area, say experts.

Vaccines backfire: Veterinary vaccines found to combine into new infectious viruses Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:47 AM PDT Two different vaccine viruses -- used simultaneously to control the same condition in chickens -- have combined to produce new infectious viruses. The research found that when two different ILT vaccine strains were used in the same populations, they combined into two new strains (a process known as recombination), resulting in disease outbreaks.

Discovery of chemical that affects biological clock offers new way to treat diabetes Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:47 AM PDT Biologists have discovered a chemical that offers a completely new and promising direction for the development of drugs to treat metabolic disorders such as Type 2 diabetes. Their discovery initially came as a surprise because the chemical they isolated does not directly control glucose production in the liver, but instead affects the activity of a key protein that regulates the internal mechanisms of our daily night and day activities, which scientists call our circadian rhythm or biological clock.

Attacking biofilms that cause chronic infections Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:47 AM PDT Using super-resolution microscopy and continuous fluorescent imaging, scientists have for the first time revealed the structure of bacterial biofilms, which are responsible for the tenacious nature of bacterial diseases such as cholera, chronic sinusitis and lung infections in CF patients. The picture of bacterial apartment buildings provides new targets for the development of drugs that can tear down these structures and expose them to antibiotics.

Solar system ice: Source of Earth's water Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:47 AM PDT Scientists have long believed that comets and, or a type of very primitive meteorite were the sources of early Earth's volatile elements. Understanding where these volatiles came from is crucial for determining the origins of both water and life. New research focuses on ice that was distributed throughout much of the early Solar System. The team's findings contradict prevailing theories and suggest that meteorites are the most-likely sources of the Earth's water.

The challenges facing the vulnerable Antarctic Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:47 AM PDT A century ago, the South Pole was one of Earth's last frontiers, but now the Antarctic is under threat from human activity.

Questions raised about iris recognition systems Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:19 AM PDT Since the early days of iris recognition technologies, it has been assumed that the iris was a "stable" biometric over a person's lifetime -- "one enrollment for life." However, new research has found that iris biometric enrollment is susceptible to an aging process that causes recognition performance to degrade slowly over time.

Hockey: Researchers hit back at early bodycheck theory Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:19 AM PDT A new study shows no evidence to back up the popular theory that teaching kids to body check earlier prevents injuries later.

Solar storm protection Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:19 AM PDT Massive explosions on the sun unleash radiation that could kill astronauts in space. Now, researchers have developed a warning system capable of forecasting the radiation from these violent solar storms nearly three hours (166 minutes) in advance, giving astronauts, as well as air crews flying over Earth's polar regions, time to take protective action.

Men's involvement at home: Sports 1, housework, 0 Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:19 AM PDT Pressure to be more involved in their children's lives has many middle class men turning to sports as a way to nurture their kids. This softening of gender roles might be seen on the field, but researchers found it doesn't change traditional behavior at home – where household chores and other parenting responsibilities are still seen as mom's job.

As old as Clovis sites, but not Clovis: Paisley Caves, Oregon yields Western Stemmed points, more human DNA Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:19 AM PDT Western Stemmed projectile points dating to at least 13,200 calendar years ago have been uncovered in Oregon's Paisley Caves. Researchers report the discovery and provide substantial new documentation that confirms the human DNA pulled earlier from dried feces in the caves also dates to the same time period.

Highest resolution ever for human protein Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:18 AM PDT Never has a crystal structure of a human protein molecule in a cell wall been so crystal clear. Researchers have achieved the most detailed crystal structure ever of a target protein for medicines.

Study: Wolverines need refrigerators Posted: 12 Jul 2012 11:15 AM PDT The distribution of wolverines in the wild relates to the species' ability to store and "refrigerate" their food supply through tough times. The cold caches play a particularly important role in wolverine reproductive success, as they provide a source of nutrition for lactating females while they are nursing young.

Nose landing gear tested for Dream Chaser spacecraft Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:39 AM PDT NASA partner Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has completed a successful test of the nose landing gear for its full-scale Dream Chaser engineering flight test vehicle. The completed test and an upcoming flight test are part of SNC's Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) agreement with NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

Plasmonic chains act like polymers Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:17 AM PDT New research that seeks to establish points of reference between plasmonic particles and polymers might lead to smaller computer chips, better antennae and improvements in optical computing. Materials scientists take advantage of strong interactions between chemicals to form polymers that self-assemble into patterns and are the basis of things people use every day. Anything made of plastic is a good example.

Tamarisk biocontrol efforts get evolutionary boost Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:17 AM PDT Scientists trying to control the invasive tamarisk plant have been getting a boost from evolution, in the form of a rapidly evolving beetle that has been changing its life cycle to more efficiently consume the noxious weed.

Does becoming a doctor pay off for women? Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:17 AM PDT Women who go to medical school just for the financial rewards of being a doctor could be making a mistake, according to a new study.

Disentangling information from photons Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:17 AM PDT Theoretical physicists have found a new method of reliably assessing the information contained in photon pairs used for applications in cryptography and quantum computing. The findings are so robust that they enable access to the information even when the measurements on photon pairs are imperfect.

Stimulant marketed as 'natural' in sports supplement actually of synthetic origin, study suggests Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:17 AM PDT A new study found that DMAA, a stimulant often found in many nutritional and sports supplements, does not originate from natural substances and is actually composed of synthetic compounds.

Highly conductive and elastic conductors created using silver nanowires Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:17 AM PDT Researchers have developed highly conductive and elastic conductors made from silver nanoscale wires. These elastic conductors could be used to develop stretchable electronic devices. Stretchable circuitry would be able to do many things that its rigid counterpart cannot. For example, an electronic "skin" could help robots pick up delicate objects without breaking them, and stretchable displays and antennas could make cell phones and other electronic devices stretch and compress without affecting their performance.

Male sex ornaments are fishing lures, literally Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:17 AM PDT Talk about a bait-and-switch. Male representatives of the tropical fish known as swordtail characins have flag-like sex ornaments that catch mates just like the bait on a fishing rod would.

Finished heart switches stem cells off Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:16 AM PDT Transcription factor Ajuba regulates stem cell activity in the heart during embryonic development. It is not unusual for babies to be born with congenital heart defects. This is because the development of the heart in the embryo is a process which is not only extremely complex, but also error-prone. Scientists have now identified a key molecule that plays a central role in regulating the function of stem cells in the heart. As a result, not only could congenital heart defects be avoided in future, but new ways of stimulating the regeneration of damaged hearts in adults may be opened up.

Saliva and pupil size differences in autism show system in overdrive Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:15 AM PDT Researchers have found potential biomarkers of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) that include pupil size and a salivary enzyme. These findings have the potential to significantly impact screening and detection of ASD, as they can be non-invasively measured in infancy, and may hold key to neural pathology of the disorder within the autonomic nervous system.

Sake, soy sauce, and the taming of the microbes Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:15 AM PDT Study maps the genetic changes involved in the domestication of Aspergillus oryzae, one of the fungi used to make sake, soy sauce and miso.

Newly isolated 'beige fat' cells could help fight obesity Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:15 AM PDT Scientists have isolated a new type of energy-burning fat cell in adult humans which they say may have therapeutic potential for treating obesity.

Physicists invent 'spintronic' LED Posted: 12 Jul 2012 10:15 AM PDT University of Utah physicists invented a new "spintronic" organic light-emitting diode that promises to be brighter, cheaper and more environmentally friendly than the kinds of LEDs now used in television and computer displays, lighting, traffic lights and numerous electronic devices.

Controlling inflammatory and immune responses Posted: 12 Jul 2012 08:17 AM PDT Researchers recently defined the interaction between two essential proteins that control inflammation.

Why hypertension increases damage to eyes of diabetic patients Posted: 12 Jul 2012 08:17 AM PDT Hypertension frequently coexists in patients with diabetes. A new study shows why the co-morbid conditions can result in impaired vision.

Sailing with nerves of glass Posted: 12 Jul 2012 08:17 AM PDT In the world of racing, tiny details can be the difference between victory and defeat. It is no wonder, then, that manufacturers of racing yachts are always on the lookout for new technologies to optimize boats and sails. An ingenious new sensor technology now helps them to extend the boundaries of what is possible.

Platinum is wrong stuff for fuel cells because it wastes energy, expert says Posted: 12 Jul 2012 08:17 AM PDT Fuel cells are inefficient because the catalyst most commonly used to convert chemical energy to electricity is made of the wrong material, a researcher argues. During the oxygen reduction reaction, intermediate molecules bond too tightly or too loosely to platinum, slowing the reaction and causing a drop in voltage.

Keeping electric vehicle batteries cool Posted: 12 Jul 2012 08:17 AM PDT Heat can damage the batteries of electric vehicles – even just driving fast on the freeway in summer temperatures can overheat the battery. An innovative new coolant conducts heat away from the battery three times more effectively than water, keeping the battery temperature within an acceptable range even in extreme driving situations.

Blue-fluorescent molecular nanocapsules created by simple mixing 'green-environmentally friendly' metal ions and bent organic blocks Posted: 12 Jul 2012 08:16 AM PDT New fluorescent molecular nanocapsules have potential applications as sensors, displays, and drug delivery systems (DDS).

Helping family is key for social birds Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:15 AM PDT Social birds that forgo breeding to help to raise the offspring of other group members are far more likely to care for their own close relatives than for more distant kin, a new study has found. The study, which looked at a highly social species from outback Australia, the chestnut-crowned babbler, also found that these birds work much harder to care for their brothers and sisters than the young of less-related group members.

Why the human body cannot fight HIV infection Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:15 AM PDT Researchers have made a discovery that sheds light on why the human body is unable to adequately fight off HIV infection. The researchers discovered that the viral protein vpu, which is created by HIV during infection, directly interferes with the immune response protein IRF3 to dampen the ability of the immune system to protect against virus infection.

Multiple sclerosis: New marker could improve diagnosis Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:15 AM PDT Diagnosing multiple sclerosis is a challenge even for experienced neurologists. This autoimmune disease has many symptoms and rarely presents a uniform clinical picture. New findings on the immune response involved in MS could help improve the diagnosis of this illness. Scientists analyzing the blood of MS patients have discovered antibodies that attack a specific potassium channel in the cell membrane.

Coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific Ocean naturally tougher than Caribbean reefs Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:15 AM PDT Coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Great Barrier Reef, recover faster from major stresses than their Caribbean counterparts, leading marine scientists say.

Peering into the heart of a supernova: How to detect a rapidly spinning stellar core Posted: 12 Jul 2012 07:15 AM PDT Using computer simulations, researchers have determined that if the interior of a dying star is spinning rapidly just before it explodes in a magnificent supernova, two different types of signals emanating from that stellar core will oscillate together at the same frequency. This could be a piece of "smoking-gun evidence" that would lead to a better understanding of supernovae.

Mutations in autism susceptibility gene increase risk in boys Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:26 AM PDT Researchers have identified five rare mutations in a single gene that appear to increase the chances that a boy will develop an autism spectrum disorder. Mutations in the AFF2 gene, and other genes like it on the X chromosome, may explain why autism spectrum disorders affect four times as many boys as girls.

Researchers work to create hypoallergenic wines and sequence the genome of Chardonnay Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:26 AM PDT Have you ever gotten a headache or a rash from a single glass of wine? Has one glass of Merlot or Shiraz resulted in a painful hangover? If yes, you may be one of the 30 percent of people who are allergic to (or intolerant of) compounds that are in some of the world's most popular wines.

Viruses may be causing coral bleaching and decline around the world Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:26 AM PDT Scientists have discovered two viruses that appear to infect the single-celled microalgae that reside in corals and are important for coral growth and health, and they say the viruses could play a role in the serious decline of coral ecosystems around the world.

Nocebo effect, not placebo effect: Induced illness studied Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:25 AM PDT Negative suggestion can induce symptoms of illness. Nocebo effects are the adverse events that occur during sham treatment and/or as a result of negative expectations. While the positive counterpart —- the placebo effect -— has been intensively studied in recent years, the scientific literature contains few studies on nocebo phenomena. Researchers now present the underlying neurobiological mechanisms and highlight the relevance of the nocebo effect in everyday clinical practice.

Fossil egg links dinosaurs to modern birds Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:24 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a series of dinosaur eggs with a unique characteristic: they are oval in shape. The discovery supports the theory that birds and non-avian theropods, dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period, could have a common ancestor.

Inexperienced video gamers show Macbeth effect Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:24 AM PDT Current research found that when study participants were asked to select gift products after they had played a violent video game, inexperienced players selected more hygienic products, such as shower gel, toothpaste and deodorant, compared to those who played violent video games more often. Inexperienced players also felt higher moral distress from playing violent games.

Potential new weapon against crop pests discovered Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:24 AM PDT Scientists have made a discovery that could provide a new means to control insect crop pests around the globe.

Psychologists discover links between angry thoughts and displaced aggression in male gang affiliates Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:24 AM PDT Research conducted among pupils in three London schools has shown that male street gang affiliates who engage in angry rumination (i.e. think continuously about provoking or negative events and situations) have the greatest tendency towards displaced aggression against innocent others.

Galaxy-exploring camera to be used in the operating room Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:22 AM PDT Neurosurgeons are adapting an ultraviolet camera to possibly bring planet-exploring technology into the operating room. If the system works when focused on brain tissue, it could give surgeons a real-time view of changes invisible to the naked eye and unapparent even with magnification of current medical imaging technologies.

Concussions affect college players at high rates too Posted: 12 Jul 2012 06:22 AM PDT As interest in concussion rates and prevention strategies at all levels continues to grow, one population that appears to have increasing head injury rates is collegiate football players. New research shows that the concussion rate in three college football programs has doubled in recent years.

White rot fungus boosts ethanol production from corn stalks, cobs and leaves Posted: 11 Jul 2012 06:02 PM PDT Scientists are reporting new evidence that a white rot fungus shows promise in the search for a way to use waste corn stalks, cobs and leaves -- rather than corn itself -- to produce ethanol to extend supplies of gasoline. Their study is on using the fungus to break down the tough cellulose and related material in this so-called "corn stover" to free up sugars for ethanol fermentation.

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