ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Prenatal whole genome sequencing: Just because we can, should we?
• Of mice and melodies: Research on language gene seeks to uncover the origins of the singing mouse
• Research shows gene defect's role in autism-like behavior
• Daily aspirin usage linked to lower cancer mortality
• NASA Curiosity Mars rover installing smarts for driving
• Quantum cryptography theory has a demonstrated security defect
• Influence of heating techniques on red palm oil carotene levels
• Study of fruit fly chromosomes improves understanding of evolution and fertility
• USDA: Ongoing drought causes significant crop yield declines
• NOAA raises hurricane season prediction despite expected El Niño
• 50-year decline found in some Los Angeles vehicle-related pollutants
• New view of body's infection response
• Spending more on trauma care doesn't translate to higher survival rates, study suggests
• Why do organisms build tissues they seemingly never use?
• Stabilizing shell effects in heaviest elements directly measured
• Rooting out rumors, epidemics, and crime -- with math
• Earthquake risk in Europe detailed
• Mission discovers record depth for Lophelia coral on Gulf of Mexico energy platforms
• Summer storm spins over Arctic
• Project Morpheus vehicle experiences hardware component failure
• NASA Global Hawk pilots face challenges flying hurricane missions
• Weekend hospital stays prove more deadly than other times for older people with head trauma
• 'Selfish' DNA in animal mitochondria offers possible tool to study aging
• 'Theranostic' imaging offers means of killing prostate cancer cells
• New regulatory mechanism discovered in cell system for eliminating unneeded proteins
• Good news: Migraines hurt your head but not your brain
• Autonomous robotic plane dodges obstacles when flying indoors
• How much nitrogen is fixed in the ocean?
• Thinking about giving, not receiving, motivates people to help others
• Physicists explore properties of electrons in revolutionary material
• New approach of resistant tuberculosis
• Wireless power for the price of a penny?
• The power to heal at the tips of your fingers
• North American freshwater fishes race to extinction: Rate of loss of species exceeds that of terrestrial animals
• Populations survive despite many deleterious mutations: Evolutionary model of Muller's ratchet explored
• Security risk: Sensitive data can be harvested from a PC even if it is in standby mode, experts say

Prenatal whole genome sequencing: Just because we can, should we? Posted: 10 Aug 2012 04:37 PM PDT With whole genome sequencing quickly becoming more affordable and accessible, we need to pay more attention to the massive amount of information it will deliver to parents -- and the fact that we don't yet understand what most of it means, concludes a new article.

Of mice and melodies: Research on language gene seeks to uncover the origins of the singing mouse Posted: 10 Aug 2012 04:37 PM PDT Singing mice are unique rodents that use song to communicate. An important underlying gene that is thought to influence the singing behavior is a transcription factor called FOXP2, sometimes called the 'language gene' because it has been linked to speech disorders in humans. This information could help researchers find areas of the human FOXP2 gene that are associated with autism.

Research shows gene defect's role in autism-like behavior Posted: 10 Aug 2012 04:37 PM PDT Scientists have discovered how a defective gene causes brain changes that lead to the atypical social behavior characteristic of autism. The research offers a potential target for drugs to treat the condition.

Daily aspirin usage linked to lower cancer mortality Posted: 10 Aug 2012 04:37 PM PDT A new study provides additional support for a potential benefit of daily aspirin use for cancer mortality, but the authors say important questions remain about the size of the potential benefit.

NASA Curiosity Mars rover installing smarts for driving Posted: 10 Aug 2012 02:20 PM PDT NASA's Mars rover Curiosity will spend its first weekend on Mars transitioning to software better suited for tasks ahead, such as driving and using its strong robotic arm. The rover's "brain transplant," which will occur during a series of steps Aug. 10 through Aug. 13, will install a new version of software on both of the rover's redundant main computers. This software for Mars surface operations was uploaded to the rover's memory during the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft's flight from Earth.

Quantum cryptography theory has a demonstrated security defect Posted: 10 Aug 2012 11:49 AM PDT Researchers have just demonstrated the incompleteness and limit of the security theory in quantum key distribution. The present theory cannot guarantee unconditional security.

Influence of heating techniques on red palm oil carotene levels Posted: 10 Aug 2012 11:49 AM PDT Researchers have studied carotene and antibacterial effects of microwave heated and conventional heated red palm oil (RPO). They discovered that conventional heating reduced its carotene levels but microwave heating retained a higher carotene content.

Study of fruit fly chromosomes improves understanding of evolution and fertility Posted: 10 Aug 2012 11:47 AM PDT New research explores the evolution of sperm structure and function, through an analysis of Drosophila genes and gene products. The research has important implications for the study of human infertility as well.

USDA: Ongoing drought causes significant crop yield declines Posted: 10 Aug 2012 11:06 AM PDT Corn production will drop 13 percent to a six-year low, the U.S. Agriculture Department said Aug. 10, confirming what many farmers already knew -- they are having a very bad year.

NOAA raises hurricane season prediction despite expected El Niño Posted: 10 Aug 2012 10:45 AM PDT This year's Atlantic hurricane season got off to a busy start, with 6 named storms to date, and may have a busy second half, according to the updated hurricane season outlook issued Aug. 9, 2012 by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service. The updated outlook still indicates a 50 percent chance of a near-normal season, but increases the chance of an above-normal season to 35 percent and decreases the chance of a below-normal season to only 15 percent from the initial outlook issued in May.

50-year decline found in some Los Angeles vehicle-related pollutants Posted: 10 Aug 2012 10:41 AM PDT In California's Los Angeles Basin, levels of some vehicle-related air pollutants have decreased by about 98 percent since the 1960s, even as area residents now burn three times as much gasoline and diesel fuel. Between 2002 and 2010 alone, the concentration of air pollutants called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) dropped by half, according to a new study by NOAA scientists and colleagues.

New view of body's infection response Posted: 10 Aug 2012 10:32 AM PDT A new 3-D view of the body's response to infection – and the ability to identify proteins involved in the response – could point to novel biomarkers and therapeutic agents for infectious diseases. Scientists in multiple disciplines combined magnetic resonance imaging and imaging mass spectrometry to visualize the inflammatory response to bacterial infection in mice. The techniques offer opportunities for discovering proteins not previously implicated in the inflammatory response.

Spending more on trauma care doesn't translate to higher survival rates, study suggests Posted: 10 Aug 2012 10:31 AM PDT A large-scale national review of U.S. patient records reveals that although survival rates are the same, the cost of treating trauma patients in the western United States is 33 percent higher than the bill for treating similarly injured patients in the Northeast. Overall, treatment costs were lower in the Northeast than anywhere in the United States.

Why do organisms build tissues they seemingly never use? Posted: 10 Aug 2012 10:31 AM PDT Why, after millions of years of evolution, do organisms build structures that seemingly serve no purpose? A new study investigates the evolutionary reasons why organisms go through developmental stages that appear unnecessary.

Stabilizing shell effects in heaviest elements directly measured Posted: 10 Aug 2012 10:31 AM PDT An international research team has succeeded in directly measuring the strength of shell effects in very heavy elements. The results provide information on the nuclear structure of superheavy elements, thus promising to enable drastically improved predictions concerning the location and extension of the island of stability of superheavy elements.

Rooting out rumors, epidemics, and crime -- with math Posted: 10 Aug 2012 10:31 AM PDT Scientists have developed an algorithm that can identify the source of an epidemic or information circulating within a network, a method that could also be used to help with criminal investigations.

Earthquake risk in Europe detailed Posted: 10 Aug 2012 10:31 AM PDT For the first time, scientists have succeeded in setting up a harmonized catalog of earthquakes for Europe and the Mediterranean for the last thousand years. This catalog consists of about 45000 earthquakes.

Mission discovers record depth for Lophelia coral on Gulf of Mexico energy platforms Posted: 10 Aug 2012 10:06 AM PDT A team of federal and university scientists on a 10-day expedition in the Gulf of Mexico has discovered Lophelia coral growing deeper than previously seen anywhere in the Gulf. Newly available information on Lophelia's growth rate and conditions will inform future environmental review and decision-making for the protection of deep-water coral habitats.

Summer storm spins over Arctic Posted: 10 Aug 2012 09:59 AM PDT An unusually strong storm formed off the coast of Alaska on August 5 and tracked into the center of the Arctic Ocean, where it slowly dissipated over the next several days. Arctic storms such as this one can have a large impact on the sea ice, causing it to melt rapidly through many mechanisms, such as tearing off large swaths of ice and pushing them to warmer sites, churning the ice and making it slushier, or lifting warmer waters from the depths of the Arctic Ocean.

Project Morpheus vehicle experiences hardware component failure Posted: 10 Aug 2012 09:49 AM PDT NASA's prototype Morpheus lander crashed in a test flight on Thursday (Aug. 9, 2012), at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The vehicle lifted off the ground and then experienced a hardware component failure. This failure prevented the vehicle from maintaining stable flight. No one was injured, and the resulting fire was extinguished by Kennedy Space Center fire personnel.

NASA Global Hawk pilots face challenges flying hurricane missions Posted: 10 Aug 2012 08:31 AM PDT NASA's Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel, or HS3, mission will be a complex one for the pilots flying NASA's Global Hawk aircraft from the ground. The mission, set to begin this month, will be the first deployment for the unmanned aircraft away from their regular base of operations at the Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. In addition the pilots will be operating the aircraft from two locations on opposite coasts.

Weekend hospital stays prove more deadly than other times for older people with head trauma Posted: 10 Aug 2012 08:29 AM PDT A review of more than 38,000 patient records finds that older adults who sustain substantial head trauma over a weekend are significantly more likely to die from their injuries than those similarly hurt and hospitalized Monday through Friday, even if their injuries are less severe and they have fewer other illnesses than their weekday counterparts.

'Selfish' DNA in animal mitochondria offers possible tool to study aging Posted: 10 Aug 2012 08:29 AM PDT Researchers have discovered, for the first time in any animal species, a type of "selfish" mitochondrial DNA that is actually hurting the organism and lessening its chance to survive – and bears a strong similarity to some damage done to human cells as they age. It could provide an important new model to study human aging.

'Theranostic' imaging offers means of killing prostate cancer cells Posted: 10 Aug 2012 08:29 AM PDT Experimenting with human prostate cancer cells and mice, cancer imaging experts say they have developed a method for finding and killing malignant cells while sparing healthy ones.

New regulatory mechanism discovered in cell system for eliminating unneeded proteins Posted: 10 Aug 2012 08:29 AM PDT A faulty gene linked to a rare blood vessel disorder has led investigators to discover a mechanism involved in determining the fate of possibly thousands of proteins working inside cells.

Good news: Migraines hurt your head but not your brain Posted: 10 Aug 2012 08:28 AM PDT Migraines currently affect about 20 percent of the female population, and while these headaches are common, there are many unanswered questions surrounding this complex disease. Previous studies have linked this disorder to an increased risk of stroke and structural brain lesions, but it has remained unclear whether migraines had other negative consequences such as dementia or cognitive decline. According to new research migraines are not associated with cognitive decline.

Autonomous robotic plane dodges obstacles when flying indoors Posted: 10 Aug 2012 08:28 AM PDT New algorithms allow an autonomous robotic plane to dodge obstacles in a subterranean parking garage, without the use of GPS.

How much nitrogen is fixed in the ocean? Posted: 10 Aug 2012 08:28 AM PDT In order to predict how the Earth's climate develops scientists have to know which gases and trace elements are naturally bound and released by the ocean and in which quantities. For nitrogen, an essential element for the production of biomass, there are many unanswered questions. Scientists have now published a research study showing that widely applied methods are part of the problem.

Thinking about giving, not receiving, motivates people to help others Posted: 10 Aug 2012 08:28 AM PDT We're often told to 'count our blessings' and be grateful for what we have. And research shows that doing so makes us happier. But will it actually change our behavior towards others? A new study suggests that thinking about what we've given, rather than what we've received, may lead us to be more helpful toward others.

Physicists explore properties of electrons in revolutionary material Posted: 10 Aug 2012 08:28 AM PDT Scientists have found a new way to examine certain properties of electrons in graphene – a very thin material that may hold the key to new technologies in computing and other fields.

New approach of resistant tuberculosis Posted: 10 Aug 2012 08:27 AM PDT Scientists have breathed new life into a forgotten technique and so succeeded in detecting resistant tuberculosis in circumstances where so far this was hardly feasible. Tuberculosis bacilli that have become resistant against our major antibiotics are a serious threat to world health.

Wireless power for the price of a penny? Posted: 10 Aug 2012 05:37 AM PDT The newspaper-style printing of electronic equipment has led to a cost-effective device that could change the way we interact with everyday objects.

The power to heal at the tips of your fingers Posted: 10 Aug 2012 05:37 AM PDT The intricate properties of the fingertips have been mimicked and recreated using semiconductor devices in what researchers hope will lead to the development of advanced surgical gloves.

North American freshwater fishes race to extinction: Rate of loss of species exceeds that of terrestrial animals Posted: 10 Aug 2012 05:37 AM PDT The rate of extinction of freshwater fishes in North America is estimated to be 877 times the historical background rate. Thirty-nine species have gone extinct since the end of the 19th Century. Between 53 and 86 species are likely to have gone extinct by 2050, according to new estimates.

Populations survive despite many deleterious mutations: Evolutionary model of Muller's ratchet explored Posted: 10 Aug 2012 05:36 AM PDT From protozoans to mammals, evolution has created more and more complex structures and better-adapted organisms. This is all the more astonishing as most genetic mutations are deleterious. Especially in small asexual populations that do not recombine their genes, unfavourable mutations can accumulate. This process is known as Muller's ratchet in evolutionary biology. The ratchet, proposed by the American geneticist Hermann Joseph Muller, predicts that the genome deteriorates irreversibly, leaving populations on a one-way street to extinction.

Security risk: Sensitive data can be harvested from a PC even if it is in standby mode, experts say Posted: 10 Aug 2012 05:36 AM PDT When you switch off your computer any passwords you used to login to web pages, your bank or other financial account evaporate into the digital ether, right? Not so fast! Researchers in Greece have discovered a security loophole that exploits the way computer memory works and could be used to harvest passwords and other sensitive data from a PC even if it is in standby mode.

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