ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• New tests to detect drug-resistant malaria
• Jurassic jaws: How ancient crocodiles flourished during the age of the dinosaurs
• Childbirth risks not the same for all obese women
• Bad news for prey: New research shows that predators can learn to read camouflage
• Aesthetic dentistry may not make you happier
• Enhancing zoo elephant welfare
• Innovative 'pay for performance' program improves patient outcomes
• Two common drugs may help treat deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
• Comet discovered hiding in plain sight: Near-Earth asteroid is really a comet
• Organic molecules found in Sutter's Mill meteorite, not previously found in any meteorites
• Pay for performance encouraged physicians to follow blood pressure guidelines
• Threat to privacy found in auto insurance 'pay as you drive' programs
• With horses and iPads, autistic children learn to communicate
• Edible coatings for ready-to-eat fresh fruits and vegetables
• Why are some corals flourishing in a time of global warming?
• Researchers link obesity and the body's production of fructose
• What do liberals and conservatives look for in a date?
• Scientists create new memories by directly changing the brain
• How the newest diesel engines emit very little greenhouse gas nitrous oxide
• Researchers' tweets move science forward
• New report reviews science and engineering quality at national security laboratories
• Five-fold increase in ADHD medication use in children and adolescents
• Possibility of selectively erasing unwanted memories
• Panda poop microbes could make biofuels of the future
• Progress and challenges for reinventing food packaging for sustainability
• Statins being overprescribed for kidney disease patients
• Language change: From London's 'EastEnders' to Glasgow
• Think twice, speak once: Bilinguals process both languages simultaneously
• Farmers can now get a birds-eye view of their fields -- in full HD -- thanks to new drone
• Irregular periods in young women can be cause for concern
• Older adults gauge their partner's feelings through knowing, not seeing
• New training to improve the care of people with dementia in general hospitals
• How do consumers compare prices? It depends on how powerful they feel
• Four common genetic variants associated with blood pressure in African-Americans
• State e-waste disposal bans have been largely ineffective
• Bilingual education has spillover effect
• Micro-gels from tiny ice algae play an important role in polar ocean carbon budgets
• Life deep down: A new beautiful translucent snail from the deepest cave in Croatia
• Mechanism discovered in first line of immune defense
• New magnetic semiconductor material holds promise for 'spintronics'
• Wishes benefit seriously ill children and their parents
• Extreme life forms: Life found in the sediments of an Antarctic subglacial lake for the first time
• Why are consumers more likely to participate in online gaming than gambling?
• The price of envy: How do consumers react to flattering salespeople?
• Survey of 10,000 men in Asia and the Pacific reveals why some men use violence against women and girls
• Anti-counterfeiting ink for enhancing product authenticity and traceability
• Minimally injured people sent to trauma centers cost hundreds of millions per year
• Dingo wrongly blamed for extinctions
• Three of four cases of bladder cancer display mutations in the same gene
• Oil industry and household stoves speed Arctic thaw
• Screening for minor memory changes will wrongly label many with dementia, warn experts
• Strain of MERS coronavirus engineered for use in a vaccine
• Positive emotion increases life satisfaction and creates a happy state
• MRI may predict heart attack and stroke risk in people with diabetes
• New evidence that orangutans and gorillas can match images based on biological categories
• Archaeologists have excavated well-preserved Roman soldier's chain mail
• Maya decapitated and dismembered their enemies
• Motorized microscopic matchsticks move in water with sense of direction
• Spectrometer will help astrobiologists hunt for traces of Martian life
• Cyborg astrobiologist uses phone-cam to search for signs of life

New tests to detect drug-resistant malaria Posted: 10 Sep 2013 05:55 PM PDT Researchers have developed two tests that can discern within three days whether the malaria parasites in a given patient will be resistant or susceptible to artemisinin, the key drug used to treat malaria.

Jurassic jaws: How ancient crocodiles flourished during the age of the dinosaurs Posted: 10 Sep 2013 05:55 PM PDT New research has revealed the hidden past of crocodiles, showing for the first time how these fierce reptiles evolved and survived in a dinosaur dominated world.

Childbirth risks not the same for all obese women Posted: 10 Sep 2013 05:54 PM PDT Obesity raises the chances of complications and medical interventions in childbirth. But a new study shows the risks are not the same for all obese women. For otherwise healthy women, the increase in risk with obesity may not be as great as previously suspected.

Bad news for prey: New research shows that predators can learn to read camouflage Posted: 10 Sep 2013 05:54 PM PDT Camouflaged creatures can perform remarkable disappearing acts but new research shows that predators can learn to read camouflage. The study, which used human subjects as predators searching for hidden moths in computer games, found that the subjects could learn to find some types of camouflaged prey faster than others.

Aesthetic dentistry may not make you happier Posted: 10 Sep 2013 05:53 PM PDT Dentists need the support of health psychologists to enhance patients' satisfaction with their appearance before they embark on aesthetic dental procedures.

Enhancing zoo elephant welfare Posted: 10 Sep 2013 05:52 PM PDT A new study revealed that analyzing the daily lives of zoo elephants – ranging from when and how they are fed to how they spend their time both at night and during the day – provides new, scientifically based information that zoos can use to improve the welfare of their elephants.

Innovative 'pay for performance' program improves patient outcomes Posted: 10 Sep 2013 02:14 PM PDT Paying doctors for how they perform specific medical procedures and examinations yields better health outcomes than the traditional "fee for service" model, where everyone gets paid a set amount regardless of quality or patient outcomes, according to new research.

Two common drugs may help treat deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Posted: 10 Sep 2013 02:14 PM PDT Treatment with two common drugs reduced viral replication and lung damage when given to monkeys infected with the virus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. The condition is a deadly pneumonia that has killed more than 100 people, primarily in the Middle East. The new findings show that a combination of interferon-alpha 2b and ribavirin, drugs routinely used to treat hepatitis C, may be effective against this emerging disease.

Comet discovered hiding in plain sight: Near-Earth asteroid is really a comet Posted: 10 Sep 2013 02:14 PM PDT For 30 years, a large near-Earth asteroid wandered its lone, intrepid path, passing before the scrutinizing eyes of scientists while keeping something to itself: (3552) Don Quixote, whose journey stretches to the orbit of Jupiter, now appears to be a comet.

Organic molecules found in Sutter's Mill meteorite, not previously found in any meteorites Posted: 10 Sep 2013 02:14 PM PDT An important discovery has been made concerning the possible inventory of molecules available to the early Earth. Scientists found that the Sutter's Mill meteorite, which exploded in a blazing fireball over California last year, contains organic molecules not previously found in any meteorites. These findings suggest a far greater availability of extraterrestrial organic molecules than previously thought possible, an inventory that could indeed have been important in molecular evolution and life itself.

Pay for performance encouraged physicians to follow blood pressure guidelines Posted: 10 Sep 2013 01:54 PM PDT In a multi-year study involving researchers found that modest monetary incentives to individual physicians resulted in a significant 8.36 percent increase in patients whose blood pressure was brought down to desired levels or who received an appropriate medical response when it was found that their blood pressure was uncontrolled.

Threat to privacy found in auto insurance 'pay as you drive' programs Posted: 10 Sep 2013 01:53 PM PDT Auto insurance 'pay as you drive' programs can be used to correctly infer one's destination, researchers find.

With horses and iPads, autistic children learn to communicate Posted: 10 Sep 2013 01:53 PM PDT Researches are helping autistic children communicate by combining equine therapy and assistive technology through a program called Strides©.

Edible coatings for ready-to-eat fresh fruits and vegetables Posted: 10 Sep 2013 01:50 PM PDT The scientist who turned fresh-cut apple slices into a popular convenience food, available ready-to-eat in grocery stores, school cafeterias and fast-food restaurants, today described advances in keeping other foods fresh, flavorful, and safe for longer periods of time through the use of invisible, colorless, odorless, tasteless coatings.

Why are some corals flourishing in a time of global warming? Posted: 10 Sep 2013 01:50 PM PDT As Earth's temperature climbs, stony corals are in decline. Less discussed, however, is the plight of gorgonian corals — softer, flexible, tree-like species. Divers have noted that gorgonians seem to be proliferating in parts of the Caribbean, and a new study will look to quantify this phenomenon.

Researchers link obesity and the body's production of fructose Posted: 10 Sep 2013 11:23 AM PDT A new study reports that fatty liver and insulin resistance may result from fructose produced in the liver from non-fructose containing carbohydrates.

What do liberals and conservatives look for in a date? Posted: 10 Sep 2013 11:23 AM PDT Liberals and conservatives are looking for the same thing when they join online dating websites, according to new research. The study shows that both liberals and conservatives are looking for a partner who is like themselves.

Scientists create new memories by directly changing the brain Posted: 10 Sep 2013 11:23 AM PDT By studying how memories are made, neurobiologists created new, specific memories by direct manipulation of the brain, which could prove key to understanding and potentially resolving learning and memory disorders.

How the newest diesel engines emit very little greenhouse gas nitrous oxide Posted: 10 Sep 2013 11:23 AM PDT The newest catalytic converters in diesel engines blast away a pollutant from combustion with the help of ammonia. Common in European cars, the engines exhaust harmless nitrogen and water. How they do this hasn't been entirely clear. Now, new research shows that the catalyst attacks its target pollutant in an unusual way, providing insight into how to make the best catalytic converters.

Researchers' tweets move science forward Posted: 10 Sep 2013 11:23 AM PDT A scientist describes the advantages of tweeting during the development of scientific publications.

New report reviews science and engineering quality at national security laboratories Posted: 10 Sep 2013 11:16 AM PDT The science and engineering capabilities that underpin the nuclear weapons stockpile stewardship and nonproliferation missions at the nation's three national security laboratories are "healthy and vibrant," says a new report.

Five-fold increase in ADHD medication use in children and adolescents Posted: 10 Sep 2013 11:15 AM PDT Use of stimulant medications to treat Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents has increased significantly over the past several years. This trend toward increased use of prescription stimulants extends beyond ADHD to other types of neuropsychiatric disorders in children and teens as well, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), according to a new study

Possibility of selectively erasing unwanted memories Posted: 10 Sep 2013 11:09 AM PDT For the first time, scientists have been able to erase dangerous drug-associated memories in mice and rats without affecting other more benign memories. The surprising discovery points to a clear and workable method to disrupt unwanted memories while leaving the rest intact.

Panda poop microbes could make biofuels of the future Posted: 10 Sep 2013 11:09 AM PDT Unlikely as it may sound, giant pandas Ya Ya and Le Le in the Memphis Zoo are making contributions toward shifting production of biofuels away from corn and other food crops and toward corn cobs, stalks and other non-food plant material.

Progress and challenges for reinventing food packaging for sustainability Posted: 10 Sep 2013 11:09 AM PDT Nature has provided the food industry with the perfect packages to imitate in the drive to embrace a new genre of sustainable packaging material, according to new research.

Statins being overprescribed for kidney disease patients Posted: 10 Sep 2013 09:15 AM PDT A new analysis concludes that large numbers of patients in advanced stages of kidney disease are inappropriately being prescribed statins to lower their cholesterol -- drugs that offer them no benefit and may increase other health risks such as diabetes, dementia or muscle pain.

Language change: From London's 'EastEnders' to Glasgow Posted: 10 Sep 2013 09:15 AM PDT A recent study provides the first empirical evidence to show that active and engaged television viewing can help to accelerate language change.

Think twice, speak once: Bilinguals process both languages simultaneously Posted: 10 Sep 2013 09:15 AM PDT Bilingual speakers can switch languages seamlessly, likely developing a higher level of mental flexibility than monolinguals, according linguistic researchers.

Farmers can now get a birds-eye view of their fields -- in full HD -- thanks to new drone Posted: 10 Sep 2013 09:15 AM PDT Farmers can now get a birds-eye view of their fields -- in full HD -- thanks to Michigan State University landing its first drone.

Irregular periods in young women can be cause for concern Posted: 10 Sep 2013 09:14 AM PDT While irregular periods are common among teenage girls, an underlying hormonal disorder may be to blame if this problem persists. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is an endocrine disorder that is characterized by an excess of androgens or male hormones in the body. The imbalance of hormones interferes with the growth and release of eggs from the ovaries, which can prevent ovulation and menstruation.

Older adults gauge their partner's feelings through knowing, not seeing Posted: 10 Sep 2013 08:30 AM PDT Compared to younger adults, older people are less adept at reading emotion in their spouse's face. But when their spouse isn't present, older and younger adults are equally able to discern their significant others' moods, according to new research.

New training to improve the care of people with dementia in general hospitals Posted: 10 Sep 2013 08:28 AM PDT People living with dementia in the UK can occupy approximately 25% of general hospital beds. However, nurses and other hospital staff do not always feel confident and skilled in the provision of care to this group. A new training programme has been designed to address this issue and increase staff knowledge, confidence and skills in the delivery of care to people with dementia in general hospitals.

How do consumers compare prices? It depends on how powerful they feel Posted: 10 Sep 2013 08:28 AM PDT Your reaction to the price on a bottle of wine or another product is partly a response to how powerful you feel, according to a new study.

Four common genetic variants associated with blood pressure in African-Americans Posted: 10 Sep 2013 08:28 AM PDT A landmark study has discovered four novel gene variations associated with blood pressure in African Americans. Compared to Americans of European-ancestry, African-Americans' increased hypertension prevalence contributes to a greater risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, and end-stage renal disease.

State e-waste disposal bans have been largely ineffective Posted: 10 Sep 2013 08:28 AM PDT One of the first analyses of laws banning disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) in landfills has found that state e-waste recycling bans have been mostly ineffective, although California's Cell Phone Recycling Act had a positive impact. However, e-waste recycling rates remain "dismally low," and many demographic groups remain unaware of their alternatives, according to a new study.

Bilingual education has spillover effect Posted: 10 Sep 2013 07:50 AM PDT Bilingual education programs have a substantial spillover effect on the students they're not designed for. Elementary students who speak English as their home language and were enrolled in schools with bilingual education programs performed much better on state math and reading tests than native English-speaking students at schools without bilingual education programs.

Micro-gels from tiny ice algae play an important role in polar ocean carbon budgets Posted: 10 Sep 2013 07:49 AM PDT Secretion of polysaccharides from the micro community living within the sea ice stick organism together and forms greater particles introducing a rapid transport of carbon to the seafloor. New research now makes it possible to forecast the importance for the global carbon budget of this transport.

Life deep down: A new beautiful translucent snail from the deepest cave in Croatia Posted: 10 Sep 2013 07:49 AM PDT An expedition in the deepest cave system in Croatia, Lukina Jama–Trojama, discovered a beautiful new species of a tiny translucent snail. The newly discovered species belongs to the evolutionary intriguing genus Zospeum, where representatives are exclusively known from the underground. The animal was found at the remarkable depth of 980 m.

Mechanism discovered in first line of immune defense Posted: 10 Sep 2013 07:49 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a new defense mechanism that the immune system utilizes to combat infections. The discovery of how a novel protein unexpectedly activates an immune response shows how this mechanism can also be used to get rid of tumor cells.

New magnetic semiconductor material holds promise for 'spintronics' Posted: 10 Sep 2013 07:49 AM PDT Researchers have created a new compound that can be integrated into silicon chips and is a dilute magnetic semiconductor -- meaning that it could be used to make "spintronic" devices, which rely on magnetic force to operate, rather than electrical currents.

Wishes benefit seriously ill children and their parents Posted: 10 Sep 2013 07:49 AM PDT New research has shown that schemes that grant children with a life threatening illness a special wish have a positive impact on their and their family's wellbeing.

Extreme life forms: Life found in the sediments of an Antarctic subglacial lake for the first time Posted: 10 Sep 2013 07:49 AM PDT Evidence of diverse life forms dating back nearly a hundred thousand years has been found in subglacial lake sediments by scientists. The possibility that extreme life forms might exist in the cold and dark lakes hidden kilometers beneath the Antarctic ice sheet has fascinated scientists for decades.

Why are consumers more likely to participate in online gaming than gambling? Posted: 10 Sep 2013 07:48 AM PDT Consumers are more likely to participate in online betting if it's called "gaming" rather than "gambling," according to a new study.

The price of envy: How do consumers react to flattering salespeople? Posted: 10 Sep 2013 07:48 AM PDT Consumers have negative reactions to flattery by salespeople, even if they think the compliments are sincere, according to a new study. But disliking a salesperson doesn't mean a customer won't buy from the store.

Survey of 10,000 men in Asia and the Pacific reveals why some men use violence against women and girls Posted: 10 Sep 2013 07:45 AM PDT A UN study of 10,000 men in Asia and the Pacific found that overall nearly half of those men interviewed reported using physical and/or sexual violence against a female partner, ranging from 26 percent to 80 percent across the sites studied.

Anti-counterfeiting ink for enhancing product authenticity and traceability Posted: 10 Sep 2013 07:45 AM PDT In a bid to enhance product authenticity and traceability, researchers have developed an innovative anti-erasing ink for use in various kinds of fast-moving consumer goods such as food, drink and drug packaging.

Minimally injured people sent to trauma centers cost hundreds of millions per year Posted: 10 Sep 2013 06:54 AM PDT During a three-year period in seven metropolitan areas in the western United States, the emergency medical services system sent more than 85,000 injured patients to major trauma hospitals who didn't need to go there -- costing the health care system more than $130 million per year.

Dingo wrongly blamed for extinctions Posted: 10 Sep 2013 06:54 AM PDT Dingoes have been unjustly blamed for the extinctions on the Australian mainland of the Tasmanian tiger (or thylacine) and the Tasmanian devil, a study has found.

Three of four cases of bladder cancer display mutations in the same gene Posted: 10 Sep 2013 06:54 AM PDT Mutations in a specific gene has been found consistently in regulatory elements at early development stages of urinary bladder tumors, suggesting the analysis of this gene in urine samples may be a diagnostic marker for this type of tumor.

Oil industry and household stoves speed Arctic thaw Posted: 10 Sep 2013 06:54 AM PDT Gas flaring by the oil industry and smoke from residential burning contributes more black carbon pollution to Arctic than previously thought -- potentially speeding the melting of Arctic sea ice and contributing to the fast rate of warming in the region.

Screening for minor memory changes will wrongly label many with dementia, warn experts Posted: 10 Sep 2013 06:54 AM PDT A political drive, led by the UK and US, to screen older people for minor memory changes (often called mild cognitive impairment or pre-dementia) is leading to unnecessary investigation and potentially harmful treatment for what is arguably an inevitable consequence of aging, warn experts.

Strain of MERS coronavirus engineered for use in a vaccine Posted: 10 Sep 2013 06:54 AM PDT Scientists have developed a strain of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus that could be used as a vaccine against the disease.

Positive emotion increases life satisfaction and creates a happy state Posted: 10 Sep 2013 06:52 AM PDT By combining the experience of self-reported positive and negative emotions among 1,400 US-residents, researchers created four affective profiles which they then used to discern differences in happiness, depression, life satisfaction and happiness-increasing strategies. The differences between these profiles suggested that promoting positive emotions can positively influence a depressive-to-happy state, as well as increasing life satisfaction.

MRI may predict heart attack and stroke risk in people with diabetes Posted: 10 Sep 2013 06:52 AM PDT Whole-body MRI may serve as a valuable noninvasive tool for assessing the risk of heart attack and stroke in diabetic patients, according to a new study.

New evidence that orangutans and gorillas can match images based on biological categories Posted: 10 Sep 2013 06:52 AM PDT The ability to form a general concept that connects what we know about the members of a category allows humans to respond appropriately when they encounter a novel member of that category. At an early age, children form categories to, for example, differentiate animals from inanimate objects and to differentiate dogs from cats. New research shows that other apes may form similar categories to represent different types of animals.

Archaeologists have excavated well-preserved Roman soldier's chain mail Posted: 10 Sep 2013 06:49 AM PDT Archaeologists made a spectacular discovery in their excavations of a Roman-Germanic battlefield at the Harzhorn in Lower Saxony. While exploring the area near Kalefeld in the Northeim district north of Göttingen, the researchers found the chain mail of a Roman soldier from the Third Century AD. It was the first time that such a well-preserved piece of body armor was excavated on a Roman-Germanic battlefield. This piece of equipment, worn on the body, made it possible to reconstruct an individual story in the battle.

Maya decapitated and dismembered their enemies Posted: 10 Sep 2013 06:49 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a mass grave in an artificial cave in the historical Maya city of Uxul (Mexico). Marks on the bones indicate that the individuals buried in the cave were decapitated and dismembered around 1,400 years ago. The scientists assume that the victims were either prisoners of war or nobles from Uxul itself.

Motorized microscopic matchsticks move in water with sense of direction Posted: 10 Sep 2013 06:49 AM PDT Chemists, physicists and computer scientists have come together to devise a new powerful and very versatile way of controlling the speed and direction of motion of microscopic structures in water using what they have dubbed chemically 'motorized microscopic matchsticks'.

Spectrometer will help astrobiologists hunt for traces of Martian life Posted: 10 Sep 2013 06:49 AM PDT An instrument similar to those used on Earth by art detectives and to sense explosives at airports will be taken into space for the first time by ExoMars, the European Space Agency's mission to Mars in 2018. This Raman spectrometer will help space scientists hunt for traces of Martian life.

Cyborg astrobiologist uses phone-cam to search for signs of life Posted: 10 Sep 2013 06:49 AM PDT A novel, hybrid part-human, part-machine visual system that uses a simple mobile phone camera has been developed to search for evidence of past or present life in planetary analogue sites on Earth.

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