ScienceDaily: Top Science News

Connection between childhood adversity, psychiatric disorders seen at cellular level Posted: 20 Jan 2015 11:28 AM PST An association between biological changes on the cellular level and both childhood adversity and psychiatric disorders has been identified by researchers. These changes in the form of telomere shortening and alterations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), are important in the aging process.

Warming climate likely will change the composition of northern forests, study shows Posted: 20 Jan 2015 11:28 AM PST Visitors to northern forests in coming decades probably will see a very different set of trees as the climate warms, a new study shows. The study used a unique long-term outdoor experiment to examine the effects of climate change on trees in the boreal forest along the U.S.-Canadian border.

Researchers prevent type I diabetes in mouse model Posted: 20 Jan 2015 08:12 AM PST A new approach developed by scientists stops the destruction of beta cells and preserves insulin production. Type I diabetes is a chronic autoimmune disease that occurs when the body's immune system destroys insulin producing pancreatic beta cells, resulting in insulin deficiency and hyperglycemia. Researchers focused on blocking the autoimmune process that destroys beta cells and leads to diabetes, with the aim of developing therapies that can prevent the illness from developing rather than treating its symptoms.

Laser-generated surface structures create extremely water-repellent, self-cleaning metals Posted: 20 Jan 2015 08:12 AM PST Scientists have used lasers to transform metals into extremely water repellent, or super-hydrophobic, materials without the need for temporary coatings.

Silk-weaving ant study sees new behavior Posted: 20 Jan 2015 07:25 AM PST A professor's study of silk-weaving ants is promising to change our understanding of how all creatures work together. The study on the behaviour of the ants found the insects could evolve and abandon and then re-evolve the practice of building nests from silk, with different species adapting it in different ways once it was re-adopted.

Ocean floor dust gives new insight into supernovae Posted: 20 Jan 2015 07:25 AM PST Extraterrestrial dust from the depths of the ocean could change the way we understand supernovae. Scientists have found the amount of plutonium in the dust is much lower than expected.

Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol is linked to reduced risk of heart failure, large study finds Posted: 20 Jan 2015 05:59 AM PST Evidence already exists for the beneficial effects of drinking moderate amounts of alcohol on the risk of developing a number of heart conditions; however, the role it plays in the risk of developing heart failure has been under-researched with conflicting results. Now, a large study of nearly 15,000 men and women shows that drinking up to seven drinks a week in early to middle age is associated with a 20% lower risk of men developing heart failure in the future when compared to people who did not drink at all, and a more modest 16% reduced risk for women.

Atoms can be in two places at the same time Posted: 20 Jan 2015 05:59 AM PST Can a penalty kick simultaneously score a goal and miss? For very small objects, at least, this is possible: according to the predictions of quantum mechanics, microscopic objects can take different paths at the same time.  The world of macroscopic objects follows other rules: the football always moves in a definite direction. But is this always correct? Physicists have constructed an experiment designed to possibly falsify this thesis. Their first experiment shows that Caesium atoms can indeed take two paths at the same time.

A contractile gel that stores light energy Posted: 20 Jan 2015 05:58 AM PST Living systems have the ability to produce collective molecular motions that have an effect at the macroscale, such as a muscle that contracts via the concerted action of protein motors. In order to reproduce this phenomenon, scientists have made a polymer gel that is able to contract through the action of artificial molecular motors. When activated by light, these nanoscale motors twist the polymer chains in the gel, which as a result contracts by several centimeters. Another advantage is that the new material is able to store the light energy absorbed.