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• Atmosphere of Venus studied through rare transit images
• Everyday access to nature improves quality of life in older adults
• Uric acid may lessen women's disability after stroke
• MRI, near infrared spectral tomography increases specificity in breast cancer imaging
• Bacteria use DNA replication to time key decision
• Tropical peatland carbon losses from oil palm plantations may be underestimated
• 'Conjunction junction' for brain's navigation function
• Astronomers find a massive black hole that outgrew its galaxy
• Global sea levels have risen six meters or more with just slight global warming
• Graphene-based sensor is tunable and highly sensitive
• New era in robotics: 3-D-printed robot is hard at heart, soft on the outside
• Managing mining of the deep seabed
• Pandas spend less energy to afford bamboo diet
• Volcanic rocks resembling Roman concrete explain record uplift in Italian caldera
• Buzz the alarm: Climate change puts squeeze on bumblebees
• Scientists separate medical benefits of cannabis from 'unwanted' side effects
• Multiple myeloma hides in bones like a wolf in sheep's clothing
• Where does water go when it doesn’t flow? Three quarters doesn't make it to the ocean
• What makes us more likely to take the stairs?
• Kid swagger: How children react to winning and losing
• Hearing test pinpoints middle-ear problems in newborns
• DNA protection, inch by inch
• Vitamin A directs immune cells to intestines
• Traces of HIV detected in the city
• Coffee not associated with lifestyle diseases
• Human activities, shifts in local species reshaping coastal biodiversity
• Basic computing elements created in bacteria
• Diabetes complications linked to rising risk of dementia
• New technique for precise light-activated chemotherapy drugs
• With acoustic reflector, carnivorous pitcher plants advertise themselves to bats
• Severe harmful algal bloom predicted for Lake Erie in 2015: Second worst in century predicted
• Cells help viruses during cell entry
• Graphene gets competition as a semiconductor: Black arsenic-phosphorus
• New chemical reaction pathway on titanium dioxide: Tunneling out of the surface
• New advances, including light sources, allow for non-destructive techniques for examining old artifacts
• Huge new survey to shine light on dark matter
• Why organizations fight data breaches differently
• New atlas of the brain opens up alternative means for studying brain disorders
• Genomics can match plant variety to climate stresses
• Deceptive flowers: How flowers use scent, nectar to manipulate pollinators, herbivores
• Prenatal cocaine exposure linked to adolescents engaging in sex by age 15
• Researchers propose better way to invest in Sustainable Development Goals
• Ghostly shells of galaxy ESO 381-12 imaged
• Global trends show seabird populations dropped 70 percent since 1950s
• Liver disease linked to drug metabolism, research indcates
• Human color vision gives people ability to see nanoscale differences
• Neuroscientists establish brain-to-brain networks in primates, rodents
• New Horizons map of Pluto: The whale and the donut
• A 'heart' from Pluto as flyby begins
• Astronomers see black hole come to life
• Recruits show lower immunity levels to measles, mumps, rubella
• Is defeat sweeter than victory? Researchers reveal the science behind emotional eating
• It's Not What You Do, but How You Get Yourself to Exercise That Matters, study finds
• Future deployment of distributed solar hinges on electricity rate design
• Why not build houses the environmentally friendly way?
• Call for breastfeeding guidance for babies with Down's syndrome
• Helping families of war crime victims
• Volcanic eruptions slow down climate change -- temporarily
• New guidelines for treating diabetic retinal degeneration
• How to engage the population with climate change? Frame it as a public health issue

Atmosphere of Venus studied through rare transit images Posted: 09 Jul 2015 03:02 PM PDT Two of NASA's heliophysics missions can now claim planetary science on their list of scientific findings. A group of scientists used the Venus transit -- a very rare event where a planet passes between Earth and the sun, appearing to us as a dark dot steadily making its way across the sun's bright face -- to make measurements of how the Venusian atmosphere absorbs different kinds of light.

Everyday access to nature improves quality of life in older adults Posted: 09 Jul 2015 03:02 PM PDT Natural environments are known to promote physical, mental, and spiritual healing. People can attain health benefits by spending time outside, often in remote places to 'get away from it all.' Now research shows that green and 'blue' spaces (environments with running or still water) are especially beneficial for healthy aging in seniors.

Uric acid may lessen women's disability after stroke Posted: 09 Jul 2015 03:02 PM PDT Forty-two percent of women treated with uric acid had less disability three months after a stroke compared with women given a placebo, report researchers who say that women benefit from uric acid therapy because they generally have less uric acid circulating in their bodies.

MRI, near infrared spectral tomography increases specificity in breast cancer imaging Posted: 09 Jul 2015 01:26 PM PDT Breast MRI is the most sensitive imaging technique for cancer surveillance and is recommended for screening in women with elevated risk of breast cancer. Unfortunately, breast MRI generates many "false positives," which are regions of the breast that "enhance" under imaging technology, but are not malignant. A dual breast exam using MRI and Near Infrared Spectral Tomography (NIRST) is feasible and more accurate than MRI alone, researchers report.

Bacteria use DNA replication to time key decision Posted: 09 Jul 2015 01:24 PM PDT Researchers set out to explain how B. subtilis times its sporulation decision with its cell-division cycle, a programmed series of events that cells normally follow to reproduce. What they found is that bacteria use their DNA replication cycle to time critical, once-in-a-lifetime decisions about whether to reproduce or form spores.

Tropical peatland carbon losses from oil palm plantations may be underestimated Posted: 09 Jul 2015 01:24 PM PDT Peatlands -- waterlogged, organic soils -- have developed over thousands of years as carbon storage systems. In Southeast Asia, peat swamp forests cover about 250,000 square kilometers, a land area about the size of Michigan. Draining tropical peatlands for oil palm plantations may result in nearly twice as much carbon loss as official estimates, according to a new study.

'Conjunction junction' for brain's navigation function Posted: 09 Jul 2015 01:24 PM PDT The world we and other animals navigate is complex and non-linear, quite unlike the way a proverbial crow flies. Scientists say our ability to get around its numerous indirect points depends, at minimum, on mapping our position within the environment, knowing routes that take us between locations, and an awareness of the correct actions to initiate at any given time: turn right, turn left, go straight. The retrosplenial cortex is a critical interface for mental mapping and way-finding, according to a new electrophysiological study.

Astronomers find a massive black hole that outgrew its galaxy Posted: 09 Jul 2015 11:52 AM PDT Astronomers have spotted a super-sized black hole in the early universe that grew much faster than its host galaxy. The discovery runs counter to most observations about black holes, which are massive areas of space with extraordinarily strong gravity that can pull in anything -- even light. In most cases, black holes and their host galaxies expand at the same rate.

Global sea levels have risen six meters or more with just slight global warming Posted: 09 Jul 2015 11:51 AM PDT A new review analyzing three decades of research on the historic effects of melting polar ice sheets found that global sea levels have risen at least six meters, or about 20 feet, above present levels on multiple occasions over the past three million years. What is most concerning is that amount of melting was caused by an increase of only 1-2 degrees (Celsius) in global mean temperatures.

Graphene-based sensor is tunable and highly sensitive Posted: 09 Jul 2015 11:51 AM PDT Researchers have developed a sensor made from graphene to detect molecules such as proteins and drugs. This is one of the first devices exploiting the unique electronic and optical properties of graphene for a practical application.

New era in robotics: 3-D-printed robot is hard at heart, soft on the outside Posted: 09 Jul 2015 11:51 AM PDT Engineers have created the first robot with a 3-D-printed body that transitions from a rigid core to a soft exterior. The idea of blending soft and hard materials into the robot's body came from nature.The rigid layers make for a better interface with the device's electronic brains and power sources. The soft layers make it less vulnerable to damage when it lands after jumping.

Managing mining of the deep seabed Posted: 09 Jul 2015 11:51 AM PDT A regulatory framework for mining in the deep-sea floor is currently under consideration. In a new paper, researchers from leading institutions around the world propose a strategy for balancing commercial extraction of deep-sea resources with protection of diverse seabed habitats.

Pandas spend less energy to afford bamboo diet Posted: 09 Jul 2015 11:48 AM PDT A suite of energy-saving traits, including underactive thyroid glands, allows giant panda bears to survive almost exclusively on bamboo, according to a new study.

Volcanic rocks resembling Roman concrete explain record uplift in Italian caldera Posted: 09 Jul 2015 11:48 AM PDT Fiber-reinforced rocks discovered at the site of Italy's dormant Campi Flegrei volcano are similar to a wonder-material used by the ancients to construct enduring structures such as the Pantheon, and may lead to improved construction materials.

Buzz the alarm: Climate change puts squeeze on bumblebees Posted: 09 Jul 2015 11:48 AM PDT In the most comprehensive study ever conducted of the impacts of climate change on critical pollinators, scientists have discovered that global warming is rapidly shrinking the area where bumblebees are found in both North America and Europe.

Scientists separate medical benefits of cannabis from 'unwanted' side effects Posted: 09 Jul 2015 11:48 AM PDT Scientists have found a way to separate medical benefits of cannabis from its unwanted side effects. The research was carried out in mice, but it is hoped that the breakthrough will pave the way for safe cannabis-based therapies that do not cause alterations in mood, perception or memory. Last year the team discovered how the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, known as THC, reduces tumor growth in cancer patients.

Multiple myeloma hides in bones like a wolf in sheep's clothing Posted: 09 Jul 2015 11:13 AM PDT Multiple myeloma uses a trick akin to a wolf in sheep's clothing to grow in and spread to new bone sites. By overexpressing Runx2, a gene that normally is a master regulator of bone formation, the cells of this largely incurable cancer produce proteins that mimic the normal bone-resident cells.

Where does water go when it doesn’t flow? Three quarters doesn't make it to the ocean Posted: 09 Jul 2015 11:13 AM PDT More than a quarter of the rain and snow that falls on continents reaches the oceans as runoff. Now a new study helps show where the rest goes.

What makes us more likely to take the stairs? Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:27 AM PDT Can pedestrians be convinced to make healthy choices when an escalator seems so much faster and more convenient than a staircase? Yes: you just have to make sure that the stairs are far, far away from the escalator -- 100 percent farther away, in fact.

Kid swagger: How children react to winning and losing Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:27 AM PDT Children start to recognize 'achievement pride' at age 4 and 5. This is a great age for parents to help them set and achieve goals.It's also an important developmental stage for learning to identify and process emotions.

Hearing test pinpoints middle-ear problems in newborns Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:26 AM PDT Screening method can reduce false-positive hearing results, reducing need for extensive followup tests, family stress, researchers say. In their study, audiologists used high-frequency tympanometry to test middle-ear function in 31 infants between the ages of one week and six months.

DNA protection, inch by inch Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:26 AM PDT DNA within reproductive cells is protected through a clever system of find and destroy; new research lifts the veil on how this is done. A team of scientists has discovered how the cells produce tiny pieces of RNA -- called piRNA -- that identify and silence 'jumping genes' or transposons: genes that are able to change their position within the genome and therefore alter or disrupt the genetic code.

Vitamin A directs immune cells to intestines Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:26 AM PDT A key set of immune cells that protect the body from infection would be lost without directions provided by vitamin A, according to a recent study. A team of researchers found retinoic acid is necessary for two of the three types of innate immune cells that reside in the intestine to find their proper place.

Traces of HIV detected in the city Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:26 AM PDT Since the treatment has become available, HIV is often described as 'undetectable' and the risk of transmission has been drastically reduced. However, the epidemic is still quite present in the lives of many gay and bisexual men ... and in public spaces.

Coffee not associated with lifestyle diseases Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:24 AM PDT Danish researchers are the first in the world to have used our genes to investigate the impact of coffee on the body. The new study shows that coffee neither increases nor decreases the risk of lifestyle diseases.

Human activities, shifts in local species reshaping coastal biodiversity Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:24 AM PDT While human activities have caused extinctions across the globe, your favorite beach or diving site may actually be home to as many, or more, species then it was a few decades ago. That's the conclusion of a synthesis of 50 years of marine biodiversity data.

Basic computing elements created in bacteria Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:24 AM PDT Researchers unveil a series of sensors, memory switches, and circuits that can be encoded in the common human gut bacterium. These basic computing elements will allow the bacteria to sense, memorize, and respond to signals in the gut, with future applications that might include the early detection and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease or colon cancer, they say.

Diabetes complications linked to rising risk of dementia Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:24 AM PDT People who have diabetes and experience high rates of complications are more likely to develop dementia as they age than people who have fewer diabetic complications, according to a new study.

New technique for precise light-activated chemotherapy drugs Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:24 AM PDT A new technique that uses light to activate chemotherapy drugs in specific cells shows promise as a way to improve the effectiveness of cancer therapies while preventing severe side effects, according to a study. The approach could be used to treat a range of tumors with unprecedented precision by making existing cancer drugs sensitive to light -- an approach that requires less time and effort compared with traditional drug discovery programs.

With acoustic reflector, carnivorous pitcher plants advertise themselves to bats Posted: 09 Jul 2015 10:24 AM PDT In Borneo, some insectivorous bats have developed a rather intriguing relationship with carnivorous pitcher plants. The plants offer the bats a relatively cool place to roost, free of parasites and competition from other bats. In return, the bats keep the plants well fertilized with their droppings. Now, researchers show that the plants rely on special structures to reflect the bats' ultrasonic calls back to them.

Severe harmful algal bloom predicted for Lake Erie in 2015: Second worst in century predicted Posted: 09 Jul 2015 08:34 AM PDT NOAA is predicting 2015 western Lake Erie harmful algal bloom season will be among the most severe in recent years and could become the second worst behind the record-setting 2011 bloom.The bloom will be expected to measure 8.7 on the severity index with a range from 8.1 to potentially as high as 9.5. This is more severe than 2014's 6.5, and may equal or exceed 2013, which had the second worse bloom this century.

Cells help viruses during cell entry Posted: 09 Jul 2015 08:34 AM PDT Adenoviruses cause numerous diseases, such as eye or respiratory infections, and they are widely used in gene therapy. Researchers have now discovered how these viruses penetrate the cells, a key step for infection and gene delivery. The cell unwillingly supports virus entry and infection by providing lipids that are normally used to repair damaged membranes.

Graphene gets competition as a semiconductor: Black arsenic-phosphorus Posted: 09 Jul 2015 08:32 AM PDT Graphene, the only one atom thick carbon network, achieved overnight fame with the 2010 Nobel Prize. But now comes competition: such layers can also be formed by black phosphorus. Chemists have now developed a semiconducting material in which individual phosphorus atoms are replaced by arsenic. In a collaborative international effort, American colleagues have built the first field-effect transistors from the new material.

New chemical reaction pathway on titanium dioxide: Tunneling out of the surface Posted: 09 Jul 2015 08:31 AM PDT A new chemical reaction pathway on titanium dioxide has been discovered. The reaction mechanism involves the application of an electric field that narrows the width of the reaction barrier, thereby allowing hydrogen atoms to tunnel away from the surface. This opens the way for the manipulation of the atomic-scale transport channels of hydrogen, which could be important in hydrogen storage.

New advances, including light sources, allow for non-destructive techniques for examining old artifacts Posted: 09 Jul 2015 07:37 AM PDT Every day, some scientists are faced with a tough decision to make... Should they grind up bits and pieces of precious artifacts to find out more about them until there is sometimes nothing left, or leave it in its secure museum case, its secrets locked as tight as the case?

Huge new survey to shine light on dark matter Posted: 09 Jul 2015 07:36 AM PDT The first results have been released from a major new dark matter survey of the southern skies using ESO's VLT Survey Telescope (VST) at the Paranal Observatory in Chile. The VST KiDS survey will allow astronomers to make precise measurements of dark matter, the structure of galaxy halos, and the evolution of galaxies and clusters. The first KiDS results show how the characteristics of the observed galaxies are determined by the invisible vast clumps of dark matter surrounding them.

Why organizations fight data breaches differently Posted: 09 Jul 2015 07:31 AM PDT In the wake of recent high-profile security breaches at retail stores such as Target and Neiman Marcus, a new study determines why differences exist in the level of information security control resources among organizations.

New atlas of the brain opens up alternative means for studying brain disorders Posted: 09 Jul 2015 07:30 AM PDT A new study has shed some light on the brain's organization and functions.

Genomics can match plant variety to climate stresses Posted: 09 Jul 2015 07:30 AM PDT A new study on the genomic signatures of adaptation in crop plants can help predict how crop varieties respond to stress from their environments. It is the first study to document that these genomic signatures of adaptation can help identify plants that will do well under certain stresses, such drought or toxic soils.

Deceptive flowers: How flowers use scent, nectar to manipulate pollinators, herbivores Posted: 09 Jul 2015 07:30 AM PDT When plants advertise for pollinators they frequently also attract herbivores. Scientists have demonstrated in field trials that the flowers of the coyote tobacco Nicotiana attenuata are able to solve this dilemma. The researchers showed that when flowers produce both scent and nectar and are visited by three different pollinators, their outcrossing increases. Moreover, both floral traits influenced oviposition by the hawkmoth Manduca sexta.

Prenatal cocaine exposure linked to adolescents engaging in sex by age 15 Posted: 09 Jul 2015 07:30 AM PDT Since 1994, researchers have studied mothers -- some who used cocaine while pregnant and others who did not -- to understand how the drug affected their children's cognitive and social development . Their latest findings suggest a link between prenatal cocaine exposure and an adolescent's likelihood to have sexual intercourse before age 15.

Researchers propose better way to invest in Sustainable Development Goals Posted: 09 Jul 2015 07:28 AM PDT What information is needed to make better development decisions? Which set of interventions will maximize a nation's capacity to meet the new sustainable development goals and how will we measure progress?

Ghostly shells of galaxy ESO 381-12 imaged Posted: 09 Jul 2015 07:28 AM PDT The ghostly shells of galaxy ESO 381-12 are captured in a new image, set against a backdrop of distant galaxies. The strikingly uneven structure and the clusters of stars that orbit around the galaxy suggest that ESO 381-12 may have been part of a dramatic collision sometime in its relatively recent past.

Global trends show seabird populations dropped 70 percent since 1950s Posted: 09 Jul 2015 07:28 AM PDT The world's monitored seabird populations have dropped 70 percent since the 1950s, a stark indication that marine ecosystems are not doing well, new research indicates.

Liver disease linked to drug metabolism, research indcates Posted: 09 Jul 2015 07:28 AM PDT Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an increasingly common but often undiagnosed liver disease, could have significant medical implications for people with type 2 diabetes, researchers have discovered.

Human color vision gives people ability to see nanoscale differences Posted: 09 Jul 2015 07:28 AM PDT Researchers have harnessed the human eye's color-sensing strengths to give the eye the ability to distinguish between objects that differ in thickness by no more than a few nanometers, about the width of a single virus.

Neuroscientists establish brain-to-brain networks in primates, rodents Posted: 09 Jul 2015 07:28 AM PDT Neuroscientists have introduced a new paradigm for brain-machine interfaces that investigates the physiological properties and adaptability of brain circuits, and how the brains of two or more animals can work together to complete simple tasks. These brain networks, or Brainets, were developed in rodents and primates.

New Horizons map of Pluto: The whale and the donut Posted: 09 Jul 2015 07:18 AM PDT This is the latest map of Pluto created from images taken from June 27 to July 3 by the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) on New Horizons, combined with lower-resolution color data from the spacecraft's Ralph instrument. The center of the map corresponds to the side of Pluto that will be seen close-up during New Horizons' July 14 flyby.

A 'heart' from Pluto as flyby begins Posted: 09 Jul 2015 07:13 AM PDT After a more than nine-year, three-billion-mile journey to Pluto, it's show time for NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, as the flyby sequence of science observations is officially underway.

Astronomers see black hole come to life Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:34 AM PDT Radio astronomers are watching a previously dormant black hole wake up in a dramatic display as material falls on to it for the first time for perhaps millions of years.

Recruits show lower immunity levels to measles, mumps, rubella Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:33 AM PDT The percentage of U.S. Air Force recruits with detectable immunity to measles, mumps and rubella was lower than found in previous nationwide samples and may be low enough for outbreaks to occur, according to a study.

Is defeat sweeter than victory? Researchers reveal the science behind emotional eating Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:33 AM PDT Research by food scientists reveals how a person's emotional state -- particularly in the competitive, wide world of sports -- affects the perception of taste. In particular, people in negative emotional states tend to crave sweets more than those in a positive frame of mind.

It's Not What You Do, but How You Get Yourself to Exercise That Matters, study finds Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:33 AM PDT Developing any habit starts with a routine. The trick is making exercise a habit that is hard to break. A new study shows that may be easier to accomplish by focusing on cues that make going to the gym automatic.

Future deployment of distributed solar hinges on electricity rate design Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:33 AM PDT Future distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment levels are highly sensitive to retail electricity rate design, according to a newly released report. The study also explores the feedback effects between retail electricity rates and PV deployment, and suggests that increased solar deployment can lead to changes in PV compensation levels that either accelerate or dampen further deployment.

Why not build houses the environmentally friendly way? Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:30 AM PDT Green buildings are indeed healthy buildings, say researchers who conducted the first comprehensive review of studies that focused on green buildings and summarized the health benefits for the people who work and live in them. The green building movement has taken off in the past 10 years. By definition, the design of green buildings minimizes impact on the environment by reducing the use of energy and water. Environmental disturbance is also limited during the building process and by the choice of the building site.

Call for breastfeeding guidance for babies with Down's syndrome Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:30 AM PDT Despite compelling evidence about the benefits of breastfeeding, little is known about the breastfeeding experiences of mothers of infants with Down's syndrome. In the UK, clinical commissioning groups and practitioners have a vital role in empowering and enabling these women to access help and support as soon as the child is born, states a new report.

Helping families of war crime victims Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:30 AM PDT A team of forensic anthropologists has been working with the Forensic Anthropology Foundation of Guatemala to carry out two exhumations of graves containing victims extra judicially executed by the army during the military dictatorship in the 1980s. Their findings will add to evidence being collected by the country's state prosecutor to bring perpetrators of war crimes to justice. Once this process is complete, it is hoped that remains of victims can be given back to families for funerals to be held.

Volcanic eruptions slow down climate change -- temporarily Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:30 AM PDT Although global concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has continuously increased over the past decade, the mean global surface temperature has not followed the same path. Scientists have now found an explanation for this slowing down in global warming: the incoming solar radiation in the years 2008-2011 was twice as much reflected by volcanic aerosol particles in the lowest part of the stratosphere than previously thought.

New guidelines for treating diabetic retinal degeneration Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:29 AM PDT Diabetes is frequently associated with serious retinal disorders. Along with age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinal degeneration is one of the most common causes of blindness. Now new up-to-date treatment and diagnostic guidelines have been published to help treat the condition.

How to engage the population with climate change? Frame it as a public health issue Posted: 09 Jul 2015 06:29 AM PDT Recent research examines the powerful influence of mass media portrayal of climate change and subsequent public identification with the issue. Climate change is often reported as an environmental issue, this depiction arguably lacks personal relevance to individuals. Reportage of climate change in a public health frame is a more powerful presentation for motivating public engagement and action against climate change, a new study suggests.

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