ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Companies pay almost $6,000 extra per year for each employee who smokes
• Mosquitoes reared in cooler temperatures have weaker immune systems
• Rare stellar alignment offers opportunity to hunt for planets
• Best ultraviolet maps of the nearest galaxies
• Fukushima-derived radioactivity in seafood poses minimal poses minimal health risk, experts say
• Dense hydrogen in a new light
• Time limits on welfare can lead to higher mortality rates
• Enzyme from wood-eating gribble could help turn waste into biofuel
• Interleukin 17F level and interferon beta response in patients with multiple sclerosis
• Vegetarian diets associated with lower risk of death
• Diet likely changed game for some hominids 3.5 million years ago
• New kind of antibiotic may be more effective at fighting tuberculosis, anthrax, and other diseases
• New biomolecular archaeological evidence points to the beginnings of viniculture in France
• Early-life risk factors account for racial and ethnic disparities in childhood obesity
• New strategy for defeating neuroblastoma
• Meeting online leads to happier, more enduring marriages
• A grassy trend in human ancestors' diets
• Higher-activity jobs tied to sleep extremes
• Solar system's Milky Way neighborhood gets more respect
• Potential new way to suppress tumor growth discovered
• Are smartphones disrupting your sleep?
• New way fish camouflage themselves in the ocean: Manipulating how light reflects off skin
• New explanation for slow earthquakes on San Andreas
• Tiger moths: Mother Nature's fortune tellers
• Manipulating memory in the hippocampus
• Women reject sexually promiscuous peers when making female friends
• American, Nepalese children disagree on social obligations with age
• Blood vessels in the eye linked with IQ, cognitive function
• Rash decision? New UK coins increase nickel skin allergy risk four fold
• No early birds getting the worms: Songbirds risk missing peak food supply
• Chimpanzees have five universal personality dimensions
• Mystery behind dormant breast tumor cells that become metastatic unlocked
• Smoking, sugar, spirits and 'sin' taxes: Higher price would help health
• PET finds increased cognitive reserve levels in highly educated pre-Alzheimer's patients
• The jewels of the ocean: Two new species and a new genus of octocorals from the Pacific
• Genetic signature of deadly brain cancer identified
• Faster method to identify Salmonella strains developed
• Path to compact, robust sources for ultrashort laser pulses
• Salt gets under your skin
• Risk of kidney disease doubled with use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics
• Fossil remains reveal new species of marine fish from 408 million years ago in Teruel, Spain
• More attractive real estate agents mean higher prices and profits
• New technique selectively dampens harmful immune responses
• Common protein known to cause autism now linked to specific behaviors
• Night work may impair glucose tolerance
• Narcolepsy study finds surprising increase in neurons that produce histamine
• Study links workplace daylight exposure to sleep, activity and quality of life
• Acceleration of ocean denitrification during deglaciation documented
• New study predicts rising irrigation costs, reduced yields for U.S. corn
• Threatened frogs palmed off as forests disappear
• Stem cell study could aid quest to combat range of diseases
• Female moths use olfactory signals to choose the best egg-laying sites
• Dogs help improve moods among teens in treatment
• 'Back to sleep' does not affect baby's ability to roll
• 'Tracking in caves': On the trail of pre-historic humans
• Cosmic rays: Galactic knee and extragalactic ankle
• Cool electron acceleration: Electron pulses from laser accelerator
• Method for recycling plastic with printed ink developed
• Allergic and autoimmune diseases linked, mouse study suggests
• Role conflict and emotional demands are 'most important' risk factors for distress in workers

Companies pay almost $6,000 extra per year for each employee who smokes Posted: 03 Jun 2013 04:29 PM PDT A new study suggests that U.S. businesses pay almost $6,000 per year extra for each employee who smokes compared to the cost to employ a person who has never smoked cigarettes. Researchers say it's the first study to take a comprehensive look at the financial burden for companies employing smokers.

Mosquitoes reared in cooler temperatures have weaker immune systems Posted: 03 Jun 2013 03:32 PM PDT Scientists have discovered mosquitoes reared in cooler temperatures have weaker immune systems, making them more susceptible to dangerous viruses and thus more likely to transmit diseases to people. The finding may have a bearing on urban epidemics resulting from viral diseases, such as West Nile fever and chikungunya fever, which are transmitted by infected mosquitoes.

Rare stellar alignment offers opportunity to hunt for planets Posted: 03 Jun 2013 03:32 PM PDT NASA's Hubble Space Telescope will have two opportunities in the next few years to hunt for Earth-sized planets around the red dwarf Proxima Centauri. The opportunities will occur in October 2014 and February 2016 when Proxima Centauri, the star nearest to our sun, passes in front of two other stars.

Best ultraviolet maps of the nearest galaxies Posted: 03 Jun 2013 03:32 PM PDT Astronomers have used NASA's Swift satellite to create the most detailed ultraviolet light surveys ever of the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, the two closest major galaxies.

Fukushima-derived radioactivity in seafood poses minimal poses minimal health risk, experts say Posted: 03 Jun 2013 03:31 PM PDT In 2012, biologists reported that they had detected radioactivity in Pacific bluefin tuna swimming off the California coast. The source of the radioactivity was Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi powerplants, which were damaged by the strong earthquake and subsequent tsunami on 11 March 2011 and released large quantities of radioactivity into the Pacific Ocean. The news prompted widespread media interest and speculation as to the possible risks to seafood consumers posed by the levels of radioactivity found in the tuna. New research shows the likely doses of radioactivity ingested by humans consuming the contaminated fish, even in large quantities, is comparable to, or less than, the radiological dosages associated with other commonly consumed foods, many medical treatments, air travel and other background sources.

Dense hydrogen in a new light Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:42 PM PDT Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. The way it responds under extreme pressures and temperatures is crucial to our understanding of matter and the nature of hydrogen-rich planets. New work using intense infrared radiation shines new light on this fundamental material at extreme pressures and reveals the details of a surprising new form of solid hydrogen.

Time limits on welfare can lead to higher mortality rates Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:42 PM PDT US workfare programs have been praised for improving the economic well-being of families but little is known about how these policies affected participants' health and mortality. In a study of enrollees in Florida's Family Transition Program who were given a time limit for welfare benefits, researchers found that participants had a 16 percent higher mortality rate or nine months of life expectancy lost compared to recipients of traditional welfare.

Enzyme from wood-eating gribble could help turn waste into biofuel Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:41 PM PDT Scientists have discovered a new enzyme that could prove an important step in the quest to turn waste (such as paper, scrap wood and straw) into liquid fuel. To do this they turned to the destructive power of tiny marine wood-borers called 'gribble', which have been known to destroy seaside piers.

Interleukin 17F level and interferon beta response in patients with multiple sclerosis Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:41 PM PDT A new study examines the association between IL-17F and treatment response to interferon beta-1b among patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Vegetarian diets associated with lower risk of death Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:41 PM PDT Vegetarian diets are associated with reduced death rates in a study of more than 70,000 Seventh-day Adventists with more favorable results for men than women, according to a new report.

Diet likely changed game for some hominids 3.5 million years ago Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:41 PM PDT A new look at the diets of ancient African hominids shows a "game changer" occurred about 3.5 million years ago when some members added grasses or sedges to their menus, according to a new study.

New kind of antibiotic may be more effective at fighting tuberculosis, anthrax, and other diseases Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:38 PM PDT Diseases such as tuberculosis, anthrax, and shigellosis -- a severe food-borne illness -- eventually could be treated with an entirely new and more-effective kind of antibiotic, say scientists who found 46 previously untested molecules that target and disrupt an important step in the process of protein synthesis in bacteria. These molecules render bacteria incapable of replicating.

New biomolecular archaeological evidence points to the beginnings of viniculture in France Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:38 PM PDT France is renowned the world over as a leader in the crafts of viticulture and winemaking -- but the beginnings of French viniculture have been largely unknown, until now. Imported ancient Etruscan amphoras and a limestone press platform, discovered at the ancient port site of Lattara in southern France, have provided the earliest known biomolecular archaeological evidence of winemaking -- and point to the beginnings of a Celtic or Gallic vinicultural industry in France circa 500-400 BCE.

Early-life risk factors account for racial and ethnic disparities in childhood obesity Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:37 PM PDT A new prospective study finds that the increased prevalence of obesity and overweight among black and Hispanic children can largely be explained by early-life risk factors such as rapid infant weight gain, early introduction of solid foods and a lack of exclusive breast feeding.

New strategy for defeating neuroblastoma Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:37 PM PDT Researchers have found a promising strategy for defeating neuroblastoma -- a malignant form of cancer in children -- that focuses on the so-called MYCN protein. A specific chemical molecule helps to break down MYCN, which either kills the cancer cell or makes it mature into a harmless neuron.

Meeting online leads to happier, more enduring marriages Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:37 PM PDT More than a third of marriages between 2005 and 2012 began online, according to new research which also found that online couples have happier, longer marriages.

A grassy trend in human ancestors' diets Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:37 PM PDT Most apes eat leaves and fruits from trees and shrubs. New studies show that human ancestors expanded their menu 3.5 million years ago, adding tropical grasses and sedges to an ape-like diet and setting the stage for our modern diet of grains, grasses, and meat and dairy from grazing animals.

Higher-activity jobs tied to sleep extremes Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:36 PM PDT Certain high-activity careers lead to both lower and higher sleep duration, potentially creating or exacerbating health problems.

Solar system's Milky Way neighborhood gets more respect Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:36 PM PDT Our Solar System's Milky Way neighborhood just went upscale. We reside between two major spiral arms of our home galaxy, in a structure called the Local Arm. New research indicates that the Local Arm, previously thought to be only a small spur, instead is much more like the adjacent major arms, and is likely a significant branch of one of them.

Potential new way to suppress tumor growth discovered Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:36 PM PDT Researchers have identified a new mechanism that appears to suppress tumor growth, opening the possibility of developing a new class of anti-cancer drugs.

Are smartphones disrupting your sleep? Posted: 03 Jun 2013 01:36 PM PDT Smartphones and tablets can make for sleep-disrupting bedfellows. One cause is believed to be the bright light-emitting diodes that allow the use of mobile devices in dimly lit rooms; the light exposure can interfere with melatonin, a hormone that helps control the natural sleep-wake cycle. But there may be a way to check your mobile device in bed and still get a good night's sleep. A new study suggests dimming the smartphone or tablet brightness settings and holding the device at least 14 inches from your face while using it will reduce its potential to interfere with melatonin and impede sleep.

New way fish camouflage themselves in the ocean: Manipulating how light reflects off skin Posted: 03 Jun 2013 11:23 AM PDT Researchers found that lookdown fish camouflage themselves through a complex manipulation of polarized light after it strikes the fish skin. In laboratory studies, they showed that this kind of camouflage outperforms by up to 80 percent the "mirror" strategy that was previously thought to be state-of-the-art in fish camouflage.

New explanation for slow earthquakes on San Andreas Posted: 03 Jun 2013 11:23 AM PDT New Zealand's geologic hazards agency reported this week an ongoing, "silent" earthquake that began in January is still going strong. Though it is releasing the energy equivalent of a 7.0 earthquake, New Zealanders can't feel it because its energy is being released over a long period of time, therefore slow, rather than a few short seconds.

Tiger moths: Mother Nature's fortune tellers Posted: 03 Jun 2013 11:23 AM PDT A new study shows Bertholdia trigona, a species of tiger moth found in the Arizona desert, can tell if an echo-locating bat is going to attack it well before the predator swoops in for the kill – making the intuitive, tiny-winged insect a master of self-preservation.

Manipulating memory in the hippocampus Posted: 03 Jun 2013 11:23 AM PDT Scientists have discovered that manipulating the levels of the protein tomosyn in a part of the brain associated with learning and memory may aid in the development of therapeutic procedures for epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Women reject sexually promiscuous peers when making female friends Posted: 03 Jun 2013 11:22 AM PDT College-aged women judge promiscuous female peers more negatively than more chaste women and view them as unsuitable for friendship, according to psychologists.

American, Nepalese children disagree on social obligations with age Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:56 AM PDT As preschoolers age, American kids are more prone to acknowledge one's freedom to act against social obligations compared to Nepalese children, who are less willing to say that people can and will violate social codes, finds a cross-cultural study. The findings, researchers said, suggest that culture is a significant influence on children's concepts of choice regarding social norms.

Blood vessels in the eye linked with IQ, cognitive function Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT The width of blood vessels in the retina, located at the back of the eye, may indicate brain health years before the onset of dementia and other deficits, according to a new study.

Rash decision? New UK coins increase nickel skin allergy risk four fold Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT In a bid to save £10 million a year the British Treasury is replacing copper–nickel five and ten pence coins with new nickel-plated steel versions. However, while no UK health assessment has taken place, scientists in Sweden have analyzed the allergy risk.

No early birds getting the worms: Songbirds risk missing peak food supply Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT A mismatch between the departure schedules of songbirds and higher spring temperatures at their breeding sites means they are arriving 'late' for the advanced spring and likely missing out on peak food they need to be productive breeders.

Chimpanzees have five universal personality dimensions Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT While psychologists have long debated the core personality dimensions that define humanity, primate researchers have been working to uncover the defining personality traits for humankind's closest living relative, the chimpanzee. New research provides strong support for the universal existence of five personality dimensions in chimpanzees: reactivity/undependability, dominance, openness, extraversion and agreeableness with a possible sixth factor, methodical, needing further investigation.

Mystery behind dormant breast tumor cells that become metastatic unlocked Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT Researchers have identified the microenvironment surrounding microvasculature as a niche where dormant cancer cells may reside, and the sprouting of microvasculature blood vessels as the event that transforms dormant cancer cells into metastatic tumors.

Smoking, sugar, spirits and 'sin' taxes: Higher price would help health Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT Go ye and sin no more -- or pay for it, when it comes to junk food, smoking and consuming alcohol. That's the message from two physicians who say raising "sin" taxes on tobacco and alcoholic beverages and imposing them on sugary drinks and fatty foods would lead many people to cut back, improving public health.

PET finds increased cognitive reserve levels in highly educated pre-Alzheimer's patients Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT Highly educated individuals with mild cognitive impairment that later progressed to Alzheimer's disease cope better with the disease than individuals with a lower level of education in the same situation, according to a new study. In the study, neural reserve and neural compensation were both shown to play a role in determining cognitive reserve, as evidenced by positron emission tomography.

The jewels of the ocean: Two new species and a new genus of octocorals from the Pacific Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:55 AM PDT Two new beautiful species of octocorals and a new genus have been described from the well explored west coast of North America. Despite the 3,400 known species nowadays, these colorful marine jewels continue to surprise with new discoveries which calls for a detailed exploration of the remarkable biodiversity of octocorals.

Genetic signature of deadly brain cancer identified Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:53 AM PDT A multi-institutional team of researchers have pinpointed the genetic traits of the cells that give rise to gliomas -- the most common form of malignant brain cancer. The findings provide scientists with rich new potential set of targets to treat the disease.

Faster method to identify Salmonella strains developed Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:53 AM PDT A new approach may be able to reduce by more than half the time it takes health officials to identify Salmonella strains, according to researchers.

Path to compact, robust sources for ultrashort laser pulses Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:53 AM PDT Laser researchers are challenging a basic assumption of engineering: "You can't have it all." They have shown that for applications in biomedical optics, material processing, and communications, a new approach could deliver desired capabilities with no problematic tradeoffs: In compact, inexpensive, efficient and long-lived lasers that produce ultrashort, high-energy light pulses. They present experimental results with pulses as short as 60 picoseconds and predict that this technique will allow practical subpicosecond devices.

Salt gets under your skin Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:53 AM PDT It's time to expand the models for blood pressure regulation, according to clinical pharmacologist. Scientists have identified a new cast of cells and molecules that function in the skin to control sodium balance and blood pressure.

Risk of kidney disease doubled with use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:53 AM PDT The risk of acute kidney disease is doubled for people taking oral fluoroquinolone antibiotics, according to a new study.

Fossil remains reveal new species of marine fish from 408 million years ago in Teruel, Spain Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:34 AM PDT Researchers have studied the fossilized remains of scales and bones found in Teruel, Spain, and the south of Zaragoza, ascertaining that they belong to a new fish species called Machaeracanthus goujeti that lived in that area of the peninsula during the Devonian period. The fossils are part of the collection housed in the Palaeontology Museum of Zaragoza.

More attractive real estate agents mean higher prices and profits Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:33 AM PDT A recent study of physical attractiveness and how it impacts real estate brokers' pay and productivity shows that the more attractive the real estate agent, the higher the listing price of the home for sale.

New technique selectively dampens harmful immune responses Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:33 AM PDT Current immune suppressants have major drawbacks, but medical researchers have now demonstrated a new technique that may lead to a better way to selectively repress unwanted immune reactions without disabling the immune system as a whole.

Common protein known to cause autism now linked to specific behaviors Posted: 03 Jun 2013 10:33 AM PDT Researchers find abnormal brain networks in Fragile X syndrome, a genetic malady that is the most common inherited cause of autism and intellectual disability.

Night work may impair glucose tolerance Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:41 AM PDT A new study suggests that night work may impair glucose tolerance, supporting a causal role of night work in the increased risk of type 2 diabetes among shift workers.

Narcolepsy study finds surprising increase in neurons that produce histamine Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:41 AM PDT A new study provides surprising evidence that people with narcolepsy have an increased number of neurons that produce histamine, suggesting that histamine signaling may be a novel therapeutic target for this potentially disabling sleep disorder.

Study links workplace daylight exposure to sleep, activity and quality of life Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:40 AM PDT A new study demonstrates a strong relationship between workplace daylight exposure and office workers' sleep, activity and quality of life.

Acceleration of ocean denitrification during deglaciation documented Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:39 AM PDT As ice sheets melted during the deglaciation of the last ice age and global oceans warmed, oceanic oxygen levels decreased and "denitrification" accelerated by 30 to 120 percent, a new international study shows, creating oxygen-poor marine regions and throwing the oceanic nitrogen cycle off balance.

New study predicts rising irrigation costs, reduced yields for U.S. corn Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:39 AM PDT Simulations predict that in 40 years, yields for corn grown for ethanol will shrink even as climate change increases the need for irrigation, according to a new study.

Threatened frogs palmed off as forests disappear Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:39 AM PDT The study describes how forests converted to palm oil plantations are causing threatened forest dwelling frogs to vanish, resulting in an overall loss of habitat that is important for the conservation of threatened frog species in the region.

Stem cell study could aid quest to combat range of diseases Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:36 AM PDT Scientists have taken a vital step forward in understanding how cells from skin tissue can be reprogrammed to become stem cells.

Female moths use olfactory signals to choose the best egg-laying sites Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:36 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that the ability of Manduca sexta moths to recognize changes in the profile of volatile compounds released by plants being attacked by Manduca caterpillars allows them to lay their eggs on plants that are less likely to be attacked by insects and other predators, and to avoid competing against other caterpillars of the same species for resources.

Dogs help improve moods among teens in treatment Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:36 AM PDT Researchers have come up with a new, mood-boosting therapy for teenagers in drug and alcohol treatment: Shelter dogs. Dog-interaction activities have been found to improve mood among teenagers living in residential treatment centers.

'Back to sleep' does not affect baby's ability to roll Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:36 AM PDT New research shows little change in babies' ability to roll from their tummy to back and vice versa 20 years after 'back to sleep' campaign.

'Tracking in caves': On the trail of pre-historic humans Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:33 AM PDT In remote caves of the Pyrenees, lie precious remnants of the Ice Age undisturbed: foot and hand prints of prehistoric hunters. The tracks have remained untouched for millennia and are in excellent condition.

Cosmic rays: Galactic knee and extragalactic ankle Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:33 AM PDT A new experiment has yielded the important result that a characteristic bend in the energy spectrum of high-energy cosmic rays, also called "knee", is located at different energies for light and heavy primary particles. Astronomers have found that these cosmic radiation particles are accelerated in galaxies other than the Milky Way.

Cool electron acceleration: Electron pulses from laser accelerator Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:33 AM PDT Physicists have produced electron pulses from a laser accelerator whose individual particles all have nearly the same tuneable energy.

Method for recycling plastic with printed ink developed Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:33 AM PDT Researchers have developed a procedure that removes printed ink on plastic films used in flexible packaging getting a product free from ink and suitable for recycling.

Allergic and autoimmune diseases linked, mouse study suggests Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:32 AM PDT Scientists have discovered that a gene called BACH2 may play a central role in the development of diverse allergic and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, asthma, Crohn's disease, celiac disease, and type-1 diabetes.

Role conflict and emotional demands are 'most important' risk factors for distress in workers Posted: 03 Jun 2013 08:32 AM PDT Employees who face high emotional demand and conflicting roles are more likely to report psychological distress—placing them at higher risk of mental health disorders and reduced productivity, reports a new study.

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