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UCSB study reveals that overthinking can be detrimental to human performance

Trying to explain riding a bike is difficult because it is an implicit memory. The body knows what to do, but thinking about the process can often interfere. So why is it that under certain circumstances paying full attention and trying hard can actually impede performance? A new study reveals part of the answer.

Scientists find key signal that guides brain development

Scientists have decoded an important molecular signal that guides the development of a key region of the brain known as the neocortex. The largest and most recently evolved region of the brain, the neocortex is particularly well developed in humans and is responsible for sensory processing, long-term memory, reasoning, complex muscle actions, consciousness and other functions.

New proto-mammal fossil sheds light on evolution of earliest mammals

A newly discovered fossil reveals the evolutionary adaptations of a 165-million-year-old proto-mammal, providing evidence that traits such as hair and fur originated well before the rise of the first true mammals. Biologists have now described the biological features of this ancient mammalian relative, named Megaconus mammaliaformis.

Children and magnets have a dangerous attraction, end up in the ER

Cases involving children ingesting magnets quintupled between 2002 and 2011, with ingestion of multiple magnets generally resulting in more serious outcomes, including emergency surgery.

Why kids should not be allowed on trampolines

Pediatric orthopaedic surgeon Dr.Teresa Cappello has treated more than 100 kids who have suffered broken arms, broken legs and other trampoline injuries, so she is advising parents to not let their kids use trampolines.

Quasar observed in six separate light reflections

Quasars are active black holes -- primarily from the early universe. Using a special method where you observe light that has been bent by gravity on its way through the universe, a group of physics students have observed a quasar whose light has been deflected and reflected in six separate images. This is the first time a quasar has been observed with so many light reflections.

Carbon under pressure exhibits interesting traits

High pressures and temperatures cause materials to exhibit unusual properties, some of which can be special. Understanding such new properties is important for developing new materials for desired industrial uses and also for understanding the interior of Earth, where everything is hot and squeezed.

Motional layers found in the brain: Neurobiologists discover elementary motion detectors in the fruit fly

Recognizing movement and its direction is one of the first and most important processing steps in any visual system. By this way, nearby predators or prey can be detected and even one's own movements are controlled. More than fifty years ago, a mathematical model predicted how elementary motion detectors must be structured in the brain. However, which nerve cells perform this job and how they are actually connected remained a mystery.

What's the matter? Q-glasses could be a new class of solids

There may be more kinds of stuff than we thought. Scientists have reported possible evidence for a new category of solids, things that are neither pure glasses, crystals, nor even exotic quasicrystals.

Inca children were drugged with coca and alcohol before sacrifice

Scientists have examined the bodies of three 500-year-old Inca children. This has given new, detailed knowledge about the old Ince ritual "capacocha" which also involved sacrificing humans. Now we know more precisely what happened in an Inca sacrifice, for example to what extent coca and alcohol were used as part of the Inca ritual in the months and weeks preceding a sacrifice.

Simple math sheds new light on a long-studied biological process

One of the most basic and intensively studied processes in biology —- one which has been detailed in biology textbooks for decades —- has gained a new level of understanding, thanks to the application of simple math to a problem that scientists never before thought could benefit from mathematics.

Scientists use genome sequencing to prove herbal remedy causes upper urinary tract cancers

Genomic sequencing experts have partnered with pharmacologists to reveal a striking mutational signature of upper urinary tract cancers caused by aristolochic acid, a plant compound contained in herbal remedies used for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments such as arthritis, gout and inflammation.

Making connections in the eye: Wiring diagram of retinal neurons is first step toward mapping the human brain

Using a combination of human and artificial intelligence, scientists have mapped all the wiring among 950 neurons within a tiny patch of the mouse retina.

The temperature tastes just right

Animals have evolved very sensitive temperature sensors to detect the relatively narrow margin in which they can survive. Until recently, scientists knew little about how these sensors operated. Now, scientists have discovered a previously unknown molecular temperature sensor in fruit flies responsible for sensing tastes and smells. These types of sensors are present in disease-spreading insects like mosquitoes and may help scientists better understand how insects target humans and spread disease.

Type 1 diabetes drug strikingly effective in clinical trial

An experimental drug designed to block the advance of type 1 diabetes in its earliest stages has proven strikingly effective over two years in about half of the patients who participated in the phase 2 clinical trial.

Cognitive decline with age is normal, routine, but not inevitable

Research on biochemical processes is making it clear that cognitive decline with age is a natural part of life, and scientists are tracking the problem down to highly specific components of the brain. Virtually everyone loses memory-making and cognitive abilities as they age. But of considerable interest is that it may not have to be that way.

Sudden cardiac arrest survival odds greater at fitness facilities

People experiencing sudden cardiac arrest at exercise facilities have a higher chance of survival than at other indoor locations, likely due to early CPR and access to an automated external defibrillator. The findings underscore the importance of having AEDs in places where people exert themselves and are at greater risk of sudden cardiac arrest.

Scientists create tiny bendy power supply for even smaller portable electronics

Scientists have created a powerful micro-supercapacitor, just nanometers thick and less than half a centimeter across, that could help electronics companies develop mobile phones and cameras that are smaller, lighter and thinner than ever before.

Synthetic polymers enable cheap, efficient, durable alkaline fuel cells

A new cost-effective polymer membrane can decrease the cost of alkaline batteries and fuel cells by allowing the replacement of expensive platinum catalysts without sacrificing important aspects of performance.

Climate change threatens US estuaries

The USA's 28 National Estuarine Research Reserves are experiencing the negative effects of human and climate-related stressors. A national study points to three East Coast reserves as the most sensitive to climate change.

Micro-machines for the human body: Researchers adapt microscopic technology for bionic body parts and other medical devices

Tiny sensors and motors tell your smartphone screen to rotate and your camera to focus. But now researchers have found a way to print biocompatible components for these micro-machines, making them ideal for use in medical devices like bionic arms.

Breast cancer surgery linked to swollen arm syndrome

Breast cancer survivors who have extensive surgery are four times more likely to develop the debilitating disorder arm lymphoedema.

New role for Tamoxifen in saving high-risk breast cancer patients

New research has revealed women with a strong genetic predisposition to breast cancer who take the cancer prevention tablet Tamoxifen after their first tumor have a substantially reduced risk of developing a new breast cancer.

An extra hour of TV beyond recommendations diminishes toddlers' kindergarten chances

Every hourly increase in daily television watching at 29 months of age is associated with diminished vocabulary and math skills, classroom engagement (which is largely determined by attention skills), victimization by classmates, and physical prowess at kindergarten.

Dogs yawn more often in response to owners' yawns than strangers

Dogs yawn contagiously when they see a person yawning, and respond more frequently to their owner's yawns than to a stranger's, according to new research.

Eavesdropping plants prepare to be attacked

In a world full of hungry predators, prey animals must be constantly vigilant to avoid getting eaten. But plants face a particular challenge when it comes to defending themselves.

Freezing sperm taken directly from testicles is effective option for infertile couples

Frozen sperm taken by biopsy from testicles in men with no sperm in their semen is as effective as fresh sperm taken by biopsy in helping couples conceive through in vitro fertilization, according to a recent study.

Dementia risk tied to blood sugar level, even with no diabetes

Diabetes is a risk factor for dementia. But now a study has found that higher blood sugar levels are associated with higher dementia risk, even among people who do not have diabetes.

Chocolate may help keep brain healthy

Drinking two cups of hot chocolate a day may help older people keep their brains healthy and their thinking skills sharp, according to a new study.

A 'rocking' receptor: Crucial brain-signaling molecule requires coordinated motion to turn on

Full activation of a protein ensemble essential for communication between nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord requires the rocking motion of some of the ensemble's segments. The ensemble is known to be defective in neurological disorders like epilepsy and Parkinson's so this insight has important implications.

New high-tech laser method allows DNA to be inserted 'gently' into living cells

Many methods exist for inserting DNA into a cell, but they tend to be clumsy and destructive, imprecise or damaging to other cells in the process. Now scientists have developed the most precise method ever used to "transfect" DNA into cells. Using a laser and optical tweezers, the team's approach is a breakthrough in precision and control at the single-cell level.

Monarch butterflies migration path tracked by generations for first time

For the first time, researchers have mapped that migration pattern of monarch butterflies across the continent over an entire breeding season. That information might help conserve a creature increasingly threatened by loss of habitat and food sources.

A complex story behind genes, environment, diabetes and obesity

While it is well known that there is a strong genetic basis to both diabetes and obesity, and that they are linked, researchers say that there are many rare genetic variants involved, which will pose a significant challenge in the quest to develop effective therapies. The study shows that many different defects in overweight or obesity genes are involved, most of which are very rare.

Study suggests pattern in lung cancer pathology may predict cancer recurrence after surgery

A new study by thoracic surgeons and pathologists shows that a specific pattern found in the tumor pathology of some lung cancer patients is a strong predictor of recurrence. Knowing that this feature exists in a tumor's pathology could be an important factor doctors use to guide cancer treatment decisions.

Family members of children with cancer may also be at risk

When a child is diagnosed with cancer, one of the first questions the parents ask is "Will my other children get cancer?" A new study suggests the answer to that question depends on whether a family history of cancer exists.

Key protein that modulates organismal aging identified

Scientists have identified a key factor that regulates the autophagy process, a kind of cleansing mechanism for cells in which waste material and cellular debris is gobbled up to protect cells from damage, and in turn, modulates aging.

Maya pyramid decorated with rare polychrome-painted stucco frieze

A Maya pyramid beautifully decorated with a rare polychrome-painted stucco frieze was unearthed in July 2013 at the site of Holmul, a Classic Maya city in northeastern Peten region of Guatemala. The find came as an archaeological team excavated in a tunnel left open by looters. The stucco relief stands along the exterior of a multi-roomed rectangular building, measuring 8m in length and 2m in height. Much of the building still remains encased under the rubble of a later 20m-high structure. The carving is painted in red, with details in blue, green and yellow.

Summer sun good for psoriasis sufferers says Gottlieb dermatologist

Sun exposure is usually discouraged due to harmful rays causing skin cancer and premature aging, but for the 7.5 million Americans suffering from psoriasis, the sun is a natural medication.

Tracking Twitter may enhance monitoring of food safety at restaurants

A new system could tell you how likely it is for you to become ill if you visit a particular restaurant by "listening" to the tweets from other restaurant patrons.

'Digging up' 4-billion-year-old fossil protein structures to reveal how they evolved

Very little is known about how and when over the course of evolution 3-D protein structures arose. In a new study, researchers resurrected four-billion-year-old Precambrian proteins in the laboratory and gained novel insights into protein evolution by analyzing their X-ray crystal structures. This method has revealed a remarkable degree of structural similarity among proteins since life first evolved on this planet, and represents a powerful and novel approach to explore the evolution of protein structures.

Hubble finds source of Magellanic Stream: Astronomers explore origin of gas ribbon wrapped around our galaxy

Astronomers have solved a 40-year mystery on the origin of the Magellanic Stream, a long ribbon of gas stretching nearly halfway around our Milky Way galaxy. New Hubble observations reveal that most of this stream was stripped from the Small Magellanic Cloud some 2 billion years ago, with a smaller portion originating more recently from its larger neighbor.

Belief in precognition increases sense of control over life

People given scientific evidence supporting our ability to predict the future feel a greater sense of control over their lives, according to new research.

Our brains can (unconsciously) save us from temptation

Inhibitory self control -- not picking up a cigarette, not having a second drink, not spending when we should be saving -- can operate without our awareness or intention.

Way to fight therapy resistant leukemia by blocking DNA repair

New research suggests blocking part of a DNA repair complex that helps some types of leukemia resist treatment can increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy and enhance survival. Scientists report that their experimental combination treatment strategy -- using a small molecular inhibitor along with chemotherapy -- was particularly effective at stopping a stubborn leukemia called T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Ozone hole might slightly warm planet

Now a new computer-modeling study suggests that the ozone hole might actually have a slight warming influence, but because of its effect on winds, not temperatures. The new research suggests that shifting wind patterns caused by the ozone hole push clouds farther toward the South Pole, reducing the amount of radiation the clouds reflect and possibly causing a bit of warming rather than cooling.

Increase in woodpecker populations linked to feasting on emerald ash borer

Entomologists have documented how an emerald ash borer invasion fueled a population boom for four species of birds in the Detroit area.

Angry opponents seem bigger to tied up men

A physical handicap like being tied down makes men over-estimate an opponent's size and under-estimate their own, according to new research.

Study shows who survives Burkitt lymphoma

Treatment advances have helped improve survival of Burkitt lymphoma, a highly aggressive cancer, but not among the elderly, patients at a late stage, or black people. A new study uses those findings to develop a risk score that will help doctors, patients, families and researchers better understand prognosis.

Terahertz technology fights fashion fraud

Scientists have demonstrated how a technique called terahertz time-domain spectroscopy could be used to help spot fakes and combat textile counterfeiting.

Cesareans weaken gut microbiota and increase risk of allergies

Children who came into the world by Cesarean section are more often affected by allergies than those born in the natural way. The reason for this may be that they have a less diverse gut microbiota, according to a new study.

Cellphone use may not cause more car crashes

A new study uses data from a major cellphone provider and accident reports to contradict previous findings that connected cellphone use to increased crash risk. The findings also raise doubts about the traditional cost-benefit analyses used by states that have, or are, implementing cellphone-driving bans as a way to promote safety.

Scientists watch live brain cell circuits spark and fire

Scientists used fruit flies to show for the first time that a new class of genetically engineered proteins can be used to watch nerve cell electrical activity in live brains. These proteins may be a promising new tool for mapping brain cell activity in multiple animals and for studying how neurological disorders disrupt normal nerve cell signaling.

Pass the salt: Common condiment could enable new high-tech industry

Chemists have identified a compound that could significantly reduce the cost and potentially enable the mass commercial production of silicon nanostructures -- materials that have huge potential in everything from electronics to biomedicine and energy storage. This extraordinary compound is called table salt.

Gene regulator is key to healthy retinal development and good vision in adulthood

Scientists are developing a clearer picture of how visual systems develop in mammals. The findings offer important clues to the origin of retinal disorders later in life.

Molecules form 2-D patterns never before observed: Nanoscience experiments produce elusive 5-vertex tilings

Tessellation patterns that have fascinated mathematicians since Kepler worked out their systematics 400 years ago -- and that more recently have caught the eye of artists and crystallographers -- can now be seen in the laboratory. They first took shape on a surface more perfectly two-dimensional than any sheet of paper, a single layer of atoms and molecules atop an atomically smooth substrate. Physicists coaxed these so-called Kepler tilings "onto the page" through guided self-assembly of nanostructures.

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Thursday, August 8, 2013

FeedaMail: ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

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