ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Missing piece of pediatric cancer puzzle found
• Potential for MERS coronavirus to spread internationally
• Gene mutation in dogs offers clues for neural tube defects in humans
• Nighttime heat waves quadruple in Pacific Northwest
• New functions for autoimmune disease 'risk' gene identified
• Purple sunlight eaters: Microorganisms found in salt flats could offer new path to green hydrogen fuel
• Black bears return to Missouri indicates healthy forests
• Genetic key to conquering cholera
• Internet's backbone can readily be made more sustainable, experts say
• Stem cell discovery furthers research on cell-based therapy and cancer
• New plan of attack in cancer fight: Two-drug combination, under certain circumstances, can eliminate disease
• First global atlas of marine plankton reveals remarkable underwater world
• Calcium linked to increased risk of heart disease and death in patients with kidney disease
• If you're not looking for it, you probably won't see it
• Drinking alcohol during pregnancy affects learning and memory function in offspring?
• Is sexual addiction the real deal?
• Lizards show evolution is predictable
• How would it be to have the body of a child again? Changes in perception and behaviors demonstrated when embodying a child avatar
• New transformation of Neutrinos observed
• A warmer planetary haven around cool stars, as ice warms rather than cools
• New results from T2K conclusively show muon neutrinos transform to electron neutrinos
• Nondrinkers may have higher mortality risk than light drinkers, but reasons for abstaining make a big difference
• Antibiotic-resistant bacteria widespread in Hudson River, study finds
• Dynamical properties in antibiotic resistance enzyme investigated
• Climate change could deprive Volta Basin of water needed to boost energy and food production
• Eczema may play a key role in the development of food allergy in infants, study suggests
• Missed diagnoses and drug errors make up bulk of primary care malpractice claims
• 'Worrying' rise in alcohol deaths among young women in England and Scotland
• Desktop printing at the nano level
• Tuberculosis genomes recovered from 200-year-old Hungarian mummy
• It's not just the heat, it's the ozone: Hidden heat wave dangers exposed
• Dog hair can be used to diagnose hormonal problems in dogs
• Scientists discover new variability in iron supply to the oceans with climate implications
• More versatile approach to creating stem cells discovered
• Deadliest cancers may respond to new drug treatment strategy
• Want kids to eat healthier? Don’t tell them, show them
• All-male physics departments are not proof of bias against hiring women, analysis finds
• First atlas on oceanic plankton
• New way to study and improve catalytic reactions

Missing piece of pediatric cancer puzzle found Posted: 19 Jul 2013 05:41 PM PDT Most of the time, it takes decades of accumulating genetic errors for a tumor to develop. While this explains the general occurrence of cancer in adults, it leaves a gap in understanding of the cause of pediatric tumors.

Potential for MERS coronavirus to spread internationally Posted: 19 Jul 2013 01:22 PM PDT The life-threatening MERS coronavirus that has emerged in the Middle East could spread faster and wider during two international mass gatherings involving millions of people in the next few months, according to researchers who describe the most likely pathways of international spread based upon worldwide patterns of air travel.

Gene mutation in dogs offers clues for neural tube defects in humans Posted: 19 Jul 2013 11:00 AM PDT A gene related to neural tube defects in dogs has for the first time been identified. The gene may be an important risk factor for human neural tube defects, including anencephaly and spina bifida.

Nighttime heat waves quadruple in Pacific Northwest Posted: 19 Jul 2013 11:00 AM PDT Nighttime heat waves -- events where the nighttime low is unusually hot for at least three days in a row -- are becoming more common in western Washington and Oregon.

New functions for autoimmune disease 'risk' gene identified Posted: 19 Jul 2013 11:00 AM PDT Researchers have identified infection-fighting and inflammation-suppressing functions for a gene associated with human autoimmune disease. The discovery, centered on a gene known as PTPN22, could set into motion new treatment approaches for autoimmune diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes.

Purple sunlight eaters: Microorganisms found in salt flats could offer new path to green hydrogen fuel Posted: 19 Jul 2013 11:00 AM PDT A protein found in the membranes of ancient microorganisms that live in desert salt flats could offer a new way of using sunlight to generate environmentally friendly hydrogen fuel according to a new study.

Black bears return to Missouri indicates healthy forests Posted: 19 Jul 2013 11:00 AM PDT Thanks to a reintroduction program in Arkansas during the 50s and 60s, hundreds of bears amble through the forests of southern Missouri, according to a new study by biologists, who warn that although the bear population is still small, outdoor recreationists and homeowners should take precautions in the Ozark forest to avoid attracting bears.

Genetic key to conquering cholera Posted: 19 Jul 2013 10:59 AM PDT Researchers have long understood that genetics can play a role in how susceptible people are to contracting cholera, but a team of scientists is now uncovering evidence of genetic changes that might also help protect some people from contracting the deadly disease.

Internet's backbone can readily be made more sustainable, experts say Posted: 19 Jul 2013 10:59 AM PDT The US Department of Energy has announced that it wants to establish minimum energy efficiency standards for all computers and servers sold in the United States. A new study shows that large server farms can, in fact, cut electricity use and greenhouse gas emissions sharply with off-the-shelf equipment and proven energy management practices.

Stem cell discovery furthers research on cell-based therapy and cancer Posted: 19 Jul 2013 10:57 AM PDT Stem-cell researchers have found a key role for a protein called BMI1 that may help scientists direct the development of tissues to replace damaged organs in the human body.

New plan of attack in cancer fight: Two-drug combination, under certain circumstances, can eliminate disease Posted: 19 Jul 2013 08:21 AM PDT New research shows that, under certain conditions, using two drugs in a "targeted therapy" -- a treatment approach designed to interrupt cancer's ability to grow and spread -- nearly all cancers could be effectively cured.

First global atlas of marine plankton reveals remarkable underwater world Posted: 19 Jul 2013 08:21 AM PDT Under the microscope, they look like they could be from another planet, but these microscopic organisms inhabit the depths of our oceans in nearly infinite numbers. To begin to identify where, when, and how much oceanic plankton can be found around the globe, international researchers have compiled the first ever global atlas cataloguing marine plankton.

Calcium linked to increased risk of heart disease and death in patients with kidney disease Posted: 19 Jul 2013 08:21 AM PDT Kidney patients who take calcium supplements to lower their phosphorus levels may be at a 22 percent higher risk of death than those who take other non-calcium based treatments, according to a new study.

If you're not looking for it, you probably won't see it Posted: 19 Jul 2013 08:21 AM PDT In a new study, researchers have found that even expert searchers, operating in their domain of expertise, are vulnerable to inattentional blindness.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy affects learning and memory function in offspring? Posted: 19 Jul 2013 07:49 AM PDT Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy has detrimental effects on fetal central nervous system development. Maternal alcohol consumption prior to and during pregnancy significantly affects cognitive functions in offspring, which may be related to changes in cyclin-dependent kinase 5 because it is associated with modulation of synaptic plasticity and impaired learning and memory.

Is sexual addiction the real deal? Posted: 19 Jul 2013 07:49 AM PDT Controversy exists over whether what some mental health experts call hypersexuality, or sexual addiction, is a mental disorder at all. Now researchers have measured how the brain responded in people who admitted having problems regulating their viewing of sex pictures, and found their brain responses were not predicted by any of the indicators that were proposed for a diagnosis of hypersexuality.

Lizards show evolution is predictable Posted: 19 Jul 2013 07:49 AM PDT If you could hit the reset button on evolution and start over, would essentially the same species appear? Yes, according to a study of Caribbean lizards.

How would it be to have the body of a child again? Changes in perception and behaviors demonstrated when embodying a child avatar Posted: 19 Jul 2013 07:36 AM PDT New research suggests that a correlate of a body-ownership illusion is that the virtual type of body carries with it a set of temporary changes in perception and behaviors that are appropriate to that type of body.

New transformation of Neutrinos observed Posted: 19 Jul 2013 07:35 AM PDT After first indications it has now been firmly established that there is a new type transformation among neutrinos – the elusive elementary particles, which are so important for the understanding of the Universe.

A warmer planetary haven around cool stars, as ice warms rather than cools Posted: 19 Jul 2013 07:31 AM PDT In a bit of cosmic irony, planets orbiting cooler stars may be more likely to remain ice-free than planets around hotter stars. This is due to the interaction of a star's light with ice and snow on the planet's surface.

New results from T2K conclusively show muon neutrinos transform to electron neutrinos Posted: 19 Jul 2013 07:31 AM PDT Scientists have announced the definitive observation of muon neutrino to electron neutrino transformation. In 2011, the collaboration announced the first indication of this process, a new type of neutrino oscillation, then; now with 3.5 times more data this transformation is firmly established. The probability that random statistical fluctuations alone would produce the observed excess of electron neutrinos is less than one in a trillion.

Nondrinkers may have higher mortality risk than light drinkers, but reasons for abstaining make a big difference Posted: 19 Jul 2013 05:52 AM PDT As a class, people who don't drink at all have a higher mortality risk than light drinkers. But nondrinkers are a diverse bunch, and the reasons people have for abstaining affects their individual mortality risk, in some cases lowering it on par with the risk for light drinkers, according to a new study. Scientists calculated the mortality risk for each subgroup compared with the mortality risk for light drinkers, and they found that the risks varied markedly.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria widespread in Hudson River, study finds Posted: 19 Jul 2013 05:52 AM PDT The risk of catching some nasty germ in the Hudson River just started looking nastier. Disease-causing microbes have long been found swimming there, but now researchers have documented antibiotic-resistant strains in specific spots, from the Tappan Zee Bridge to lower Manhattan.

Dynamical properties in antibiotic resistance enzyme investigated Posted: 19 Jul 2013 05:52 AM PDT Using biophysical modeling and bioinformatics analysis, researchers show significant evolution in the structural characteristics and physiochemical properties of the antibiotic-destroying enzyme beta-lactamase across bacterial families, but also find that these evolutionary characteristics do not appear to be specifically related to different versions of antibiotic resistance. The results are far from reassuring, since they show that new antibiotic resistance is relatively easy for bacteria to evolve.

Climate change could deprive Volta Basin of water needed to boost energy and food production Posted: 19 Jul 2013 05:51 AM PDT A new study finds that so much water may be lost in the Volta River Basin due to climate change that planned hydroelectric projects to boost energy and food production may only tread water in keeping up with actual demand. Some 24 million people in Ghana, Burkina Faso and four other neighboring countries depend on the Volta River and its tributaries as their principal source of water.

Eczema may play a key role in the development of food allergy in infants, study suggests Posted: 19 Jul 2013 05:51 AM PDT A breakdown of the skin barrier and inflammation in the skin that occurs in eczema could play a key role in triggering food sensitivity in babies, a new study reveals.

Missed diagnoses and drug errors make up bulk of primary care malpractice claims Posted: 19 Jul 2013 05:51 AM PDT Missed diagnoses -- particularly of cancer, heart attack, and meningitis -- and drug errors make up the bulk of malpractice claims brought against doctors in primary care, finds a new analysis.

'Worrying' rise in alcohol deaths among young women in England and Scotland Posted: 19 Jul 2013 05:51 AM PDT There has been a "worrying" increase in alcohol related deaths among young women in England and Scotland, since the middle of the last decade, finds new research.

Desktop printing at the nano level Posted: 19 Jul 2013 05:51 AM PDT A new low-cost, high-resolution tool is primed to revolutionize how nanotechnology is produced from the desktop, according to a new study.

Tuberculosis genomes recovered from 200-year-old Hungarian mummy Posted: 19 Jul 2013 05:39 AM PDT Researchers have recovered tuberculosis (TB) genomes from the lung tissue of a 215-year old mummy using a technique known as metagenomics.

It's not just the heat, it's the ozone: Hidden heat wave dangers exposed Posted: 19 Jul 2013 05:39 AM PDT During heat waves – when ozone production rises as plants' ozone absorption is curtailed -- more pollution is left in the air. This resulted in the loss of an estimated 460 lives in the UK in the hot summer of 2006.

Dog hair can be used to diagnose hormonal problems in dogs Posted: 19 Jul 2013 05:39 AM PDT A surprisingly large number of dogs suffer from hyperadrenocorticism.  The symptoms are caused by excessive amounts of hormones – glucocorticoids – in the body.  Unfortunately, though, diagnosis of the disease is complicated by the fact that glucocorticoid levels naturally fluctuate and most methods for measuring the concentration of the hormones in the blood provide only a snapshot of the current situation.  Recent research has shown that glucocorticoids accumulate in the animals' hair and that analysis of a dog's hair can provide quick and reliable preliminary diagnosis.

Scientists discover new variability in iron supply to the oceans with climate implications Posted: 19 Jul 2013 05:39 AM PDT The supply of dissolved iron to oceans around continental shelves has been found to be more variable by region than previously believed – with implications for future climate prediction.

More versatile approach to creating stem cells discovered Posted: 19 Jul 2013 05:36 AM PDT Stem cells are key to the promise of regenerative medicine: the repair or replacement of injured tissues with custom grown substitutes. Essential to this process are induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which can be created from a patient's own tissues, thus eliminating the risk of immune rejection. However, Shinya Yamanaka's formula for iPSCs, for which he was awarded last year's Nobel Prize, uses a strict recipe that allows for limited variations in human cells, restricting their full potential for clinical application.

Deadliest cancers may respond to new drug treatment strategy Posted: 19 Jul 2013 05:36 AM PDT Researchers have found a way to knock down cancers caused by a tumor-driving protein called "myc," paving the way for patients with myc-driven cancers to enroll in clinical trials for experimental treatments.

Want kids to eat healthier? Don’t tell them, show them Posted: 19 Jul 2013 05:36 AM PDT If given the choice between eating a salad or a burger and fries most kids would likely pick the less healthful option. But instead of telling kids to eat better researchers found the trick may be to convince them visually.

All-male physics departments are not proof of bias against hiring women, analysis finds Posted: 19 Jul 2013 05:36 AM PDT Many U.S. universities have no women among their physics faculty; when people talk about gender equity in physics, this is often cited as evidence of a hiring bias. A new analysis challenges this, finding the existence of all-male departments is not necessarily evidence of a hiring bias.

First atlas on oceanic plankton Posted: 18 Jul 2013 11:28 AM PDT Scientists have recorded the times, places and concentrations of oceanic plankton occurrences worldwide. Their data has been collected in a global atlas that covers organisms from bacteria to krill.

New way to study and improve catalytic reactions Posted: 18 Jul 2013 11:28 AM PDT Scientists have shown a way to precisely design the active elements of a certain class of catalysts, showing which parameters are most critical for improving performance. This highly controlled process could be a new paradigm for fine-tuning catalysts used in everything from making new materials to environmental remediation.

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