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Earliest marker for autism found in young infants: Attention to others' eyes declines in 2 to 6-month-old infants later diagnosed with autism

Eye contact during early infancy may be a key to early identification of autism, according to a new study. The study reveals the earliest sign of developing autism ever observed -- a steady decline in attention to others' eyes within the first two to six months of life.

Volcanic rock probe helps unlock mysteries of how Earth formed

New insights gleaned from volcanic rock are helping scientists better understand how our planet evolved billions of years ago.

Climate change scientists must turn their attention to clean skies, experts urge

Natural aerosols, such as emissions from volcanoes or plants, may contribute more uncertainty than previously thought to estimates of how the climate might respond to greenhouse gas emissions.

New explanation for infection susceptibility in newborns: It is all about helping beneficial bacteria colonize the gut

Cells that allow helpful bacteria to safely colonize the intestines of newborn infants also suppress their immune systems to make them more vulnerable to infections, according to new research. The study could prompt a major shift in how medicine views the threat of neonatal infections -- and how researchers go about looking for new strategies to stop it, said scientists who conducted the study.

A shot in the dark: Detector on the hunt for dark matter

Physicists are using a detector to hunt for an elusive particle called an axion, a leading candidate for the makeup of cold dark matter that accounts for about one-quarter of the mass of the universe.

Monkeys use minds to move two virtual arms

Monkeys have learned to control the movement of both arms on an avatar using just their brain activity.

Discovery of HIV 'invisibility cloak' reveals new treatment opportunities

Scientists have discovered a molecular invisibility cloak that enables HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, to hide inside cells of the body without triggering the body's natural defense systems.

RNA controls splicing during gene expression, further evidence of 'RNA world' origin in modern life

RNA is the key functional component of spliceosomes, molecular machines that control how genes are expressed, report scientists. The discovery establishes that RNA, not protein, is responsible for catalyzing this fundamental biological process and enriches the hypothesis that life on earth began in a world based solely on RNA.

X-rays reveal inner structure of the Earth's ancient magma ocean

Using the world's most brilliant X-ray source, scientists have for the first time peered into molten magma at conditions of the deep Earth mantle. The analysis revealed that molten basalt changes its structure when exposed to pressure of up to 60 gigapascals.

Multitasking neurons filter and decide: How neural circuits identify information needed for decisions

Using brain recordings and a computer model, an interdisciplinary team confounds the conventional wisdom about how the brain sorts out relevant versus irrelevant sensory inputs in making choices.

Carbon nanotube jungles created to better detect molecules

Researchers have developed a new method of using nanotubes to detect molecules at extremely low concentrations enabling trace detection of biological threats, explosives and drugs.

From one collapsing star, two black holes form and fuse

Over billions of years, small black holes can slowly grow into supermassive black holes by taking on mass from their surroundings, and also by merging with other black holes. But this slow process can't explain how supermassive black holes existing in the early universe would have formed less than one billion years after the Big Bang. New findings help to test a model that solves this problem.

Bringing sun's light and energy to interior rooms: Innovative solar technology may lead to interior lighting revolution

Researchers have seen the light -- a bright, powerful light -- and it just might change the future of how building interiors are brightened. In fact, that light comes directly from the sun. And with the help of tiny, electrofluidic cells and a series of open-air "ducts," sunlight can naturally illuminate windowless work spaces deep inside office buildings and excess energy can be harnessed, stored and directed to other applications.

Threats to cloud data storage, mobile devices

As more businesses find their way into the cloud, few engage in security measures beyond those provided by the associated cloud storage firm, a new report notes. Even fewer seek heightened data protection because of concerns that usability and access to remote data would be significantly reduced.

Rare new microbe found in two spacecraft clean rooms

A rare, recently discovered microbe that survives on very little to eat has been found in two places on Earth: spacecraft clean rooms in Florida and South America. Microbiologists often do thorough surveys of bacteria and other microbes in spacecraft clean rooms. Fewer microbes live there than in almost any other environment on Earth, but the surveys are important for knowing what might hitch a ride into space. If extraterrestrial life is ever found, it would be readily checked against the census of a few hundred types of microbes detected in spacecraft clean rooms.

Russian fireball yields scientific treasure trove: Researchers obtain crucial data from meteoroid impact

A team of NASA and international scientists for the first time have gathered a detailed understanding of the effects on Earth from a small asteroid impact. The unprecedented data obtained as the result of the airburst of a meteoroid over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk on Feb. 15, 2013, has revolutionized scientists' understanding of this natural phenomenon.

Postmastectomy pain most troubling problem for breast cancer survivors

More than 40 percent of 200,000 U.S. women diagnosed with breast cancer every year undergo surgery. Though treatment advances have significantly reduced mortality from breast cancer, a study published reports that persistent postmastectomy pain is rated by survivors as their most troubling symptom.

Motives assessed for opioid misuse among adolescents

Misuse of prescription opioids among adolescents and young adults has generated significant media coverage, but less attention has been given to differentiating the underlying motives for opioid misuse. Research shows that pain relief, not getting high, was the most prevalent motive for medical misuse of opioids among adolescents. This factor alone motivated 4 in 5 adolescents who misused their prescribed pain medications.

Cyber bullying more difficult for teenagers to process psychologically than in-person bullying

Expert adolescent psychologist discusses the psychological ways in which teens experience online bullying versus face-to-face conflict.

Customizing treatments for deadly prostate cancer with tumor genomics

A new study is using genomic sequencing to develop customized treatments for men with castration-resistant prostate cancer, a progressive and incurable stage of prostate cancer, which no longer responds to hormone therapies that stop or slow testosterone production.

Just a few years of early musical training benefits the brain later in life

Older adults who took music lessons as children but haven't actively played an instrument in decades have a faster brain response to a speech sound than individuals who never played an instrument. The finding suggests early musical training has a lasting, positive effect on how the brain processes sound.

Movin' on out

Recent research shows that individuals in their early 20s -- also known as millennials -- undergo a brand-new life stage not experienced by previous generations: emerging adulthood. A new study examines how moving out on one's own is a critical element in the transition to adulthood.

Speaking a second language may delay different dementias

In the largest study on the topic to date, research shows that speaking a second language may delay the onset of three types of dementias.

Mothers' relationships can influence adolescent children's relationships

Researchers have found that mothers' relationships can influence adolescent children's relationships with their friends, particularly the negative and antagonistic aspects.

Addicts may be seeking relief from emotional lows more than euphoric highs

Researchers are challenging the commonly held view that drug addiction occurs because users are always going after the high. Based on new animal studies, they say the initial positive feelings of intoxication are short lived -- quickly replaced by negative emotional responses which may be more important in understanding substance abuse.

Infected butterflies lead geneticists up the garden path

For animal species that cannot be distinguished using their external characteristics, genetic techniques such as DNA barcoding can help to identify cryptic species. An international team of researchers has now demonstrated how a bacterial infection can mimic cryptic speciation in butterflies. To avoid false results in the future, scientists recommend more in-depth genetic studies.

Mending ruptures in client-therapist relationship has positive benefits

In order for prolonged exposure therapy, an evidence-based psychotherapy for post traumatic stress disorder, to reach its full potential, any misperceptions or ruptures in trust and communication between therapist and client need fixing.

'Please feed me': The power of putting a human face on social causes

Companies often put a personal face on products in an attempt to reach a deeper connection with consumers. New research suggests the same idea can be applied to social causes: Putting a human face on the campaign for a social cause actually increases support for it.

Reforms urgently needed to streamline road to Alzheimer's

As the burden of Alzheimer's disease escalates worldwide, efforts to develop effective treatments are failing to keep pace because of the high costs and risks associated with developing Alzheimer's drugs. Reforming Alzheimer's drug development, so it is more streamlined and efficient, would bring down costs and speed progress toward approval of drugs that slow or stop the disease.

Breastfeeding possible deterrent to autism

The emergence of autism in young children appears to result from dysmyelination of brain neurons, related to inadequate supply of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) in the newborn. The deciency of IGF in affected infants may be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors yet to be determined. If this hypothesis is correct, breastfeeding in particular could increase IGF levels, thereby compensating for an inborn deciency of the growth factor.

Earliest record of copulating insects discovered

Scientists have found the oldest fossil depicting copulating insects in northeastern China.

Buffet dish sequences may prompt healthier choices

Most people are unaware that food order biases what ends up on their plates: the first food in line is taken the most and biases what else is taken. This influence is so strong that in one study researchers found that two-thirds of an individual's plate is filled with the first three items they encounter, thus food order can be leveraged to encourage selection and intake of healthier foods.

Clear association between ACE inhibitors, acute kidney injury

New research shows clear association between ACE inhibitors -- drugs used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease -- and acute kidney injury. These and similar drugs are the second most prescribed on the National Health Services in England.

Annual car crash deaths in England, Wales have fallen 40 percent in 50 years

The annual number of car crash deaths in England and Wales has plunged by 41 percent over the past 50 years, despite the increase in drivers on the road.

Drilling for hydrocarbons can impact aquatic life

The degradation of drilling sumps associated with hydrocarbon extraction can negatively affect aquatic ecosystems.

Lower education levels linked to unhealthy diets

People with lower levels of education may eat larger amounts of unhealthy, calorically dense food than those with a higher education level, possibly because they are more physically active.

Crime associated with higher mortality rates in Norwegian national study

People with criminal records die younger than those without, shows a comprehensive national study for Norway.

Presence of human settlements has negative impact on tiger connectivity

Human settlements and roads place greater barriers on tiger dispersal than distance.

Stress makes snails forgetful

New research on pond snails has revealed that high levels of stress can block memory processes. Researchers trained snails and found that when they were exposed to multiple stressful events they were unable remember what they had learned.

Floods didn't provide nitrogen 'fix' for earliest crops in frigid north

Floods didn't make floodplains fertile during the dawn of human agriculture in the Earth's far north because the waters were virtually devoid of nitrogen. Instead, the hardy Norsemen and early inhabitants of Russia and Canada can thank cyanobacteria in the floodplains themselves for the abundant grasses that fed game and cattle, a process that continues today.

Researchers and clinicians unite to answer what will it take to achieve an AIDS-free world?

Since the onset of the AIDS pandemic more than three decades ago, researchers from the lab and physicians in the clinic have been working toward one shared goal: an AIDS-free world. This week leading researchers and clinicians discussed recent findings that could bring hope to the estimated 35 million people world-wide who live with HIV.

Children who have autism far more likely to have tummy troubles

Children with autism experience gastrointestinal upsets such as constipation, diarrhea and sensitivity to foods six-to-eight times more often than do children who are developing typically, and those symptoms are related to behavioral problems, including social withdrawal, irritability and repetitive behaviors.

Early childhood educators hold key to children's communication skills

Researchers have completed a new examination of peer-reviewed science that reveals how early childhood educators can ignite the growth of language and communication skills in infants and toddlers. Their conclusion: it takes more than baby talk.

In dual-career couples, mothers still do the most child care

Even in couples most likely to believe in sharing parenting responsibilities, mothers still bear significantly more of the child care load, a new study reveals.

More secure app-store for Android

Apps often read the data from mobile user devices unnoticed by users. This represents a large security risk, especially for companies. A new App-Store filters out problematic Android applications automatically with the help of detection software.

Saddling up against the threat to our National Parks

An Australian research team has investigated the threat horse riding poses to the ecology of national parks around the world. And it seems there's a growing problem in horse dung.

Natural products discovery group asks for public's help with citizen science program

A research group has taken an unconventional approach to finding new compounds with therapeutic relevance by launching a crowdsourcing initiative with citizen scientists from around the country. Researchers team with the public to sample soils from all across the United States for the purpose of identifying new microorganisms that produce drug-like compounds.

New light on dark energy, cosmic speed-up: Big Bang afterglow shows Earth has no special place in expanding universe

Astronomers have ruled out a controversial theory that the accelerating expansion of the universe is an illusion. While the findings don't explain the cosmic speed-up, they eliminate one provocative possibility that our planet, solar system and galaxy are at the center of the universe and that there is no dark energy.

'Diabetic flies' can speed up disease-fighting research

In a finding that has the potential to significantly speed up diabetes research, scientists have discovered that fruit flies respond to insulin at the cellular level much like humans do, making these common, easily bred insects good subjects for laboratory experiments in new treatments for diabetes.

Clotting protein hardens aging hearts

A researcher has found through studies of pigs' heart valves that age plays a critical role in the valves' progressive hardening, and the problem may be due to the infiltration of a protein known as von Willebrand factor. Tissues from pig valves are commonly used to make human heart-valve replacements.

Getting to grips with seizure prediction

A device that could predict when a person with epilepsy might next have a seizure is one step closer to reality thanks to the development of software by researchers in the USA.

Hearing through sight: Brain plasticity and why cochlear implants work better for some people than others

Cochlear implants allow adults who have become profoundly deaf to recover the ability to understand speech. However, recovery differs between individuals. Activating the visual regions of the brain has proved essential to the satisfactory recovery of hearing, according to a new study.

Ants, like humans, can change their priorities

For the first time, researchers have discovered that at least in ants, animals can change their decision-making strategies based on experience. They can also use that experience to weigh different options.

Bio patch that can regrow bone

Researchers have created an implantable bio patch that regrows bone in a living body, using existing cells. The team created a scaffold seeded with plasmids containing the genetic information for producing bone. The plasmids are absorbed by bone cells already in the body, spurring new growth. Potential applications extend to dentistry.

Organizing programmed nanoparticles into highly complex nanostructures

A new principle for the self-assembly of patterned nanoparticles may have important implications for nanotechnology and future technologies.

Burning biomass pellets instead of wood or plants could lower mercury emissions

For millions of homes, plants, wood and other types of "biomass" serve as an essential source of fuel, especially in developing countries, but their mercury content has raised flags among environmentalists and researchers. Scientists are now reporting that among dozens of sources of biomass, processed pellets burned under realistic conditions in China emit relatively low levels of the potentially harmful substance.

Educational video games can boost motivation to learn

Math video games can enhance students' motivation to learn, but it may depend on how students play, researchers have found in a study of middle-schoolers.

'Tearless' onions could help in fight against cardiovascular disease, weight gain

Onions, a key ingredient in recipes around the globe, come in a tearless version that scientists are now reporting could pack health benefits like its close relative, garlic, which is renowned for protecting against heart disease. They published their laboratory analysis, which suggests a similar heart-friendly role for the tearless onions, as well as a possible role in managing weight gain.

School violence lowers test scores, not grades

A new study finds that while violent crime has a negative impact on standardized test scores, it doesn't have the same effect on grades.

Hospitals with neurology residency programs more likely to administer life-saving stroke drugs

Stroke patients treated at hospitals with neurology residency programs are significantly more likely to get life-saving clot-busting drugs than those seen at other teaching or non-teaching hospitals, new research suggests.

Changes to fisheries legislation have removed habitat protection for most fish species in Canada

Federal government changes to Canada's fisheries legislation "have eviscerated" the ability to protect habitat for most of the country's fish species, scientists say in a new study.

Calcium, vitamin D improve bone density in patients taking antiepileptic drugs

A recent prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial reports that calcium and vitamin D supplementation improves bone density in a group of male veterans with epilepsy who were treated chronically with antiepileptic drugs. These results suggest that risedronate, a bisphosphonate, may help to prevent new vertebral fractures when taken with calcium and vitamin D supplementation.

Researchers help make pediatric eye cancer easier to detect

Can parents use digital cameras and smart phones to potentially screen their children for the most common form of pediatric eye cancer? Researchers believe so.

Brain may play key role in blood sugar metabolism, development of diabetes

New research suggests that the development of diabetes Type 2 requires a failure of both the islet-cell system in the pancreas and a brain-centered system for regulating blood sugar levels. Boosting insulin levels alone will lower glucose levels, but only addresses half the problem. Restoring normal glucose regulation requires addressing failures of the brain-centered system as well. Approaches that target both systems could actually cause diabetes to go into remission.

'Freakish' asteroid discovered, resembles rotating lawn sprinkler

Astronomers report the discovery of a never-before-seen "weird and freakish object" in the asteroid belt that resembles a rotating lawn sprinkler.

Special camera detects tumors

Cancer patients have the highest probability of recovering if tumors are completely removed. However, tiny clusters of cancer cells are often difficult for surgeons to recognize and remove. A camera makes hidden tumors visible during an operation.

Popular 'door-in-the-face' persuasion strategy can sometimes backfire

Personality research shows outright requests, rather than the door-in-the-face strategy may be more effective for fundraisers.

New test can diagnose emerging strains of canine parvovirus

Veterinary scientists have developed a diagnostic test that can detect emerging strains of canine parvovirus, a severe --- and potentially fatal -- virus that affects dogs.

Hormone levels in women using contraception affect nerve activity involved in vessel constriction

Latest research provides new insight into mechanisms through which lower hormone levels may make the body more susceptible to damage caused by stress and the chronic elevation of the fight or flight response. A pattern consistent with these findings is observed in postmenopausal women.

Obesity may limit overall function two years after shoulder replacement surgery

Patients with obesity undergo a disproportionately higher number of elective orthopaedic surgeries in the US. Obesity has been linked to higher costs, complications, infections and revisions in total knee and total hip replacement surgeries.

For obese teen girls, aerobic exercise may trump resistance training in health benefits

New findings suggest that for teen girls, aerobic exercise might be superior to resistance exercise for cutting health risks associated with obesity.

One worm, two mouths

Depending on the environment in which the worm grows, the larva of the roundworm Pristionchus pacificus develops into either a wide-mouthed predator or a narrow-mouthed bacteria eater. A team of researchers has now discovered a developmental biological switch that determines the worm's mouth form.

Muscle built in diseased mice: Human muscle cells created in a dish

Skeletal muscle has proved to be very difficult to grow in patients with muscular dystrophy and other disorders that degrade and weaken muscle. Researchers now report boosting muscle mass and reversing disease in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, using a "cocktail" of three compounds identified through a new rapid culture system. Adding the same compounds to stem cells derived from patients' skin cells, they then successfully grew human muscle cells in a dish.

Researchers regrow hair, cartilage, bone, soft tissues: Enhancing cell metabolism was an unexpected key to tissue repair

Young animals are known to repair their tissues effortlessly, but can this capacity be recaptured in adults? A new study suggests that it can. By reactivating a dormant gene called Lin28a, which is active in embryonic stem cells, researchers were able to regrow hair and repair cartilage, bone, skin and other soft tissues in a mouse model.

Amazon deforestation could mean droughts for western U.S.

Total deforestation of the Amazon could mean 20 percent less rain for the coastal Northwest and a 50 percent reduction in the Sierra Nevada snowpack, resulting in water and food shortages, and a greater risk of forest fires, new research shows.

Scientists identify clue to regrowing nerve cells

Researchers have identified a chain reaction that triggers the regrowth of some damaged nerve cell branches, a discovery that one day may help improve treatments for nerve injuries that can cause loss of sensation or paralysis.

Build-a-nanoparticle

Nanoparticles, which range from 1-100 nanometers in size, are roughly the same size as biomolecules such as proteins, antibodies, and membrane receptors. Because of this size similarity, nanoparticles can mimic biomolecules and therefore have a huge potential for application in the biomedical field. Scientists have now designed and created multicomponent nanoparticles with specific shapes and structures.

Common genetic pathway could be conduit to pediatric tumor treatment

Investigators have found a known genetic pathway to be active in many difficult-to-treat pediatric brain tumors called low-grade gliomas, potentially offering a new target for the treatment of these cancers.

Parenting improves with coaching via cell phone

First randomized trial shows that texts and calls from parent coaches to young, at-risk mothers improved their parenting skills as their well-being and that of their children.

Collaborative efforts help mental health patients quit smoking

To combat reliance on tobacco in mental health populations, experts agree that mental health services and government-sponsored tobacco control programs must work together to improve education and access to smoking cessation programs.

Hope builds for drug that might shut down variety of cancers

The most frequently mutated gene across all types of cancers is a gene called p53. Unfortunately it has been difficult to directly target this gene with drugs. Now a multi-institutional research team has identified a family of enzymes they say is crucial for the growth of cancers that have genetic aberrations in p53.

Unique sighting of lava solves mystery

Scientists have made the first ever observations of how a rare type of lava continues moving almost a year after a volcanic eruption.

The Tao of pee: The science behind urination

Although we don't often think about it, fluid dynamics touches almost every aspect of our lives, from a billowing breeze that buffets a flag, to swirling river currents that shape canyons to the surging blood that sustains our lives. One of the basest of bodily functions -- urination -- is governed primarily by the equations of fluid motion.

Most nations lack means to assess biodiversity, key ecosystem services and their value

Most of the world's nations -- unanimously committed to protecting biodiversity -- nevertheless cannot measure and assess their genetic and biological resources, nor the value of key ecosystem services nature provides to them, international experts from 72 countries warned today.

Crown of Venezuelan paramos: A new species from the daisy family, Coespeletia palustris

An exciting new species from the daisy family has just been discovered. Two expeditions in the paramos high up in the Venezuelan Andes were crowned by the discovery of the beautiful and extraordinary, Coespeletia palustris.

Inkblots improve security of online passwords

Computer scientists have developed a new password system that incorporates inkblots to provide an extra measure of protection when, as so often occurs, lists of passwords get stolen from websites. This new type of password, dubbed a GOTCHA (Generating panOptic Turing Tests to Tell Computers and Humans Apart), would be suitable for protecting high-value accounts, such as bank accounts, medical records and other sensitive information.

Why stem cells need to stick with their friends

Scientists have identified a core set of functionally relevant factors that regulates embryonic stem cells' ability for self-renewal.

Defining allergy fact from fiction

From gluten allergy and hypoallergenic pets, to avoiding the flu shot because of an egg allergy, there are a lot of common myths and misconceptions about allergies. Many might be shocking due to a great deal of false information in the media and on the Internet. And some of the misconceptions can be damaging to your health.

Three 'hands on' nutrition classes enough to impact health behaviors in lower income women

The knowledge and skills required to change poor nutrition and health behavior choices are often unavailable to those living with financial limitations. Competing demands on time and resources may pose obstacles to their achieving better diets. However, two researchers recently completed a study that looked at the effects that three educational sessions might have on knowledge and behaviors of 118 low-income women of ethnically diverse backgrounds.

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Thursday, November 7, 2013

FeedaMail: ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

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