ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines -- for Sunday, October 23, 2011

ScienceDaily Top Science Headlines

for Sunday, October 23, 2011

Welcome to another edition of ScienceDaily's email newsletter. You can change your subscription options or unsubscribe at any time.

Brain scans support findings that IQ can rise or fall significantly during adolescence (October 22, 2011) -- IQ, the standard measure of intelligence, can increase or fall significantly during our teenage years, according to new research, and these changes are associated with changes to the structure of our brains. The findings may have implications for testing and streaming of children during their school years. ... > full story

First Ebola-like virus native to Europe discovered (October 22, 2011) -- Researchers have discovered a new Ebola-like virus -- Lloviu virus -- in bats from northern Spain. Lloviu virus is the first known filovirus native to Europe. Filoviruses, which include well-known viruses like Ebola and Marburg, are among the deadliest pathogens in humans and non-human primates, and are generally found in East Africa and the Philippines. The findings thus expand the natural geographical distribution of filoviruses. ... > full story

West Nile virus transmission linked to land use patterns and 'super-spreaders' (October 22, 2011) -- After its initial appearance in New York in 1999, West Nile virus spread across the United States in just a few years and is now well established throughout North and South America. Researchers have found that in most places only a few key species of bird "hosts" and mosquito "vectors" are important in transmission of the virus. ... > full story

Preventing cancer development inside the cell cycle (October 22, 2011) -- Researchers have identified a cell cycle-regulated mechanism behind the transformation of normal cells into cancerous cells. The study results suggest that inhibition of the CK1 enzyme may be a new therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer cells formed as a result of a malfunction in the cell's mTOR signaling pathway. ... > full story

Fluoride shuttle increases storage capacity: Researchers develop new concept for rechargeable batteries (October 22, 2011) -- Researchers have developed a new concept for rechargeable batteries. Based on a fluoride shuttle -- the transfer of fluoride anions between the electrodes -- it promises to enhance the storage capacity reached by lithium-ion batteries by several factors. Operational safety is also increased, as it can be done without lithium. ... > full story

Simple lifestyle changes can add a decade or more healthy years to the average lifespan, Canadian study shows (October 22, 2011) -- Health prevention strategies to help people achieve their optimal health potential could add a decade or more of healthy years to the average lifespan and save the economy billions of dollars as a result of reduced cardiovascular disease. ... > full story

Burden of osteoporotic fractures increases dramatically in the Middle East and Africa (October 22, 2011) -- Osteoporosis is a serious and growing problem throughout the Middle East and parts of Africa, according to new research. Gathering data from 17 countries in the region as well as Turkey, "The Middle East & Africa Regional Audit" is a landmark report examining epidemiology, costs and burden in individual countries as well as collectively across the region. ... > full story

Cooling the warming debate: Major new analysis confirms that global warming is real (October 21, 2011) -- Global warming is real, according to a major new study. Despite issues raised by climate change skeptics, the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature study finds reliable evidence of a rise in the average world land temperature of approximately 1 degree Celsius since the mid-1950s. ... > full story

Blood-pressure-lowering drug after stroke aids recovery, study suggests (October 21, 2011) -- A commonly prescribed blood pressure-lowering medication appears to kick start recovery in the unaffected brain hemisphere after a stroke by boosting blood vessel growth, a new study has found. ... > full story

Biologists describe key mechanism in early embryo development (October 21, 2011) -- Biologists have identified a key mechanism controlling early embryonic development that is critical in determining how structures such as appendages -- arms and legs in humans -- grow in the right place and at the right time. ... > full story

Are acid-suppressing drugs prescribed too often in infants? (October 21, 2011) -- Frequent spitting up, irritability, and unexplained crying in infants can be very distressing to parents. Pediatricians often prescribe acid-suppressing drugs for these symptoms in an effort to treat infants for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); however, GERD is an uncommon cause of these symptoms in otherwise thriving infants. Experts now caution against the over-diagnosis of GERD and over-prescription of acid-suppressing drugs in infants. ... > full story

SideBySide projection system enables projected interaction between mobile devices (October 21, 2011) -- Researchers have devised a system called SideBySide that enables animated images from two separate handheld projectors to interact with each other on the same surface. The system, suitable for games, education and a variety of other applications, is self-contained in special handheld devices. No external cameras or other sensors are required, which enables people to use the projectors to interact with each other anywhere and at anytime. ... > full story