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Thursday, April 11, 2013

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Blame it on the rain (from Saturn's rings): More charged water particles fall than thought

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 05:23 PM PDT

A new study tracks the "rain" of charged water particles into the atmosphere of Saturn and finds there is more of it and it falls across larger areas of the planet than previously thought. The study, whose observations were funded by NASA and whose analysis was led by the University of Leicester, England, reveals that the rain influences the composition and temperature structure of parts of Saturn's upper atmosphere.

Predicting the next eye pathogen: Analysis of a novel adenovirus

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 05:19 PM PDT

Researchers used a combined genomic, bioinformatics and biological analysis to identify a unique deletion in a key protein of the viral capsid and further suggested the potential of the virus to cause severe ocular infection. The results point toward a possible approach for predicting pathogenicity for newly identified and recently emergent human pathogens.

Early warning signs of population collapse

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 05:19 PM PDT

Spatial measurements of population density could reveal when threatened natural populations are in danger of crashing.

First objective measure of pain discovered in brain scan patterns

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 05:18 PM PDT

For the first time, scientists have been able to predict how much pain people are feeling by looking at images of their brains, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder.

Scientists use nature against nature to develop an antibiotic with reduced resistance

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 05:18 PM PDT

A new broad range antibiotic has been found to kill a wide range of bacteria, including drug-resistant Staphylococcus (MRSA) bacteria that do not respond to traditional drugs, in mice. The antibiotic, Epimerox, targets weaknesses in bacteria that have long been exploited by viruses that attack them, known as phage, and promises to avoid the problem of resistance that plagues other antibiotics.

How Seattle Cancer Care Alliance implemented Washington's Death with Dignity Act

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 05:18 PM PDT

Because several states are considering similar Death with Dignity laws, and because such legislation disproportionately affects cancer patients and their families, SCCA conducted a study to describe the institution's implementation of the Washington state law and its experience with patients who chose to participate.

High levels of lead detected in rice imported from certain countries

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 05:18 PM PDT

Rice imported from certain countries contains high levels of lead that could pose health risks, particularly for infants and children, who are especially sensitive to lead's effects, and adults of Asian heritage who consume large amounts of rice, scientists say.

Discovery of a blue supergiant star born in the wild

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 04:42 PM PDT

Astronomers have discovered a blue supergiant star located far beyond our Milky Way Galaxy in the constellation Virgo. Over 55 million years ago, the star emerged in an extremely wild environment, surrounded by intensely hot plasma (a million degrees centigrade) and amidst raging cyclone winds blowing at four million kilometers per hour. Research using the Subaru Telescope, the Canada-France-Hawaii-Telescope (CFHT) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) revealed unprecedented views of the star formation process in this intergalactic context and showed the promise of future investigations of a possibly new mode of star formation, unlike that within our Milky Way.

Relationships: Team women versus distant men

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 04:28 PM PDT

Women immerse themselves in their romantic relationships, while men place their best friendships and romantic partners on an equal but distant footing.  

Dementia and driving

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 04:28 PM PDT

A new clinical pathway provides health workers with clear guidelines to help and advise dementia patients who still drive.

Reducing infant exposure to smoke

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 04:16 PM PDT

A study to investigate whether a hospital-initiated behavioral therapy program conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit can reduce secondhand smoke in homes with infants at risk for pulmonary problems has been launched by UTHealth researchers.

Lights, chemistry, action: New method for mapping brain activity

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 04:16 PM PDT

Building on their history of innovative brain-imaging techniques, scientists have developed a new way to use light and chemistry to map brain activity in fully-awake, moving animals, opening a new window to the study of brain diseases.

Brain imaging studies reveal neurobiology of eating disorders

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 04:15 PM PDT

Walter Kaye, MD, professor of psychiatry and director of the Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Program at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. and colleagues are beginning to be use advanced brain imaging technologies to study and improve eating disorder treatments.

Overactive Marker May Shorten Survival of Brain Tumor Patients

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 04:15 PM PDT

Researchers may have discovered a more accurate way to predict how long patients with the deadliest form of brain cancer will live. The newly identified mechanism is already guiding drug discovery efforts.

Goosefish capture small puffins over deep water of Northwest Atlantic

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 12:50 PM PDT

A recent study has shown that bottom-dwelling goosefish, also known as monkfish, prey on dovekies, a small Arctic seabird and the smallest member of the puffin family. To understand how this deep-water fish finds a shallow-feeding bird in offshore waters, researchers looked at when, where, and how these animals were most likely to be in the same place at the same time.

Scientists use islands to gauge rainfall's effect on landscapes

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 12:49 PM PDT

Researchers have used volcanic islands to measure how rainfall sets the pace of landscape formation.

Biofilm helps Salmonella survive hostile conditions

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 12:49 PM PDT

Scientists have provided new evidence that biofilms — bacteria that adhere to surfaces and build protective coatings — are at work in the survival of the human pathogen Salmonella.

Researchers engineer 'protein switch' to dissect role of cancer's key players

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 12:49 PM PDT

Researchers have "rationally rewired" some of the cell's smallest components to create proteins that can be switched on or off by command. These "protein switches" can be used to interrogate the inner workings of each cell, helping scientists uncover the molecular mechanisms of human health and disease.

'Sustainable fishing' certification too lenient and discretionary

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 12:49 PM PDT

The certification of seafood as "sustainable" by the nonprofit Marine Stewardship Council is too lenient and discretionary, a study by a consortium of researchers has found.

Naturally-occurring substance proves effective against deadly skin cancer in test tube and mice studies

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 12:46 PM PDT

For the first time, scientists have demonstrated the mechanism of action of gossypin, a naturally-occurring substance found in fruits and vegetables, as a treatment for melanoma, which causes the majority of deaths from skin cancer.

Distracted driving: Habits of San Diego drivers revealed

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 12:46 PM PDT

There were approximately 3,300 deaths and 400,000 injuries nationwide in the US in 2011 due to collisions involving distracted driving. With April being national distracted driving awareness month, a team of researchers released survey results that reveal the habits of San Diego County drivers who use their cell phone while behind the wheel.

Ancient Roman man hidden beneath famous painting at the Louvre

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 12:46 PM PDT

In the latest achievement in efforts to see what may lie underneath the surface of great works of art, scientists today described the first use of an imaging technology like that used in airport whole-body security scanners to detect the face of an ancient Roman man hidden below the surface of a wall painting in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Safety reflector technology from footwear getting new life in detecting bioterror threats

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 12:46 PM PDT

Tiny versions of the reflectors on sneakers and bicycle fenders that help ensure the safety of runners and bikers at night are moving toward another role in detecting bioterrorism threats and diagnosing everyday infectious diseases, scientists have said.

Metabolic fingerprinting: Using proteomics to identify proteins in gymnosperm pollination drops

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 11:15 AM PDT

Proteomics is a powerful technique for examining the structure and function of the proteome. Proteomics can uncover the relationship between DNA, RNA, and the production of proteins -- enabling the comparison of the genome to the proteome. For organisms that have not yet been sequenced, proteomics facilitates the discovery and identification of proteins. A new study demonstrates the suitability of proteomics in determining the composition of gymnosperm pollination drops.

Single best practice to prevent DVT reduces hospital costs by more than $1.5 million annually

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 11:15 AM PDT

Researchers report success in using a concept called "value-based analysis," which simultaneously measures quality and cost and addresses inefficiencies in care. The researchers applied a value-based analysis approach to implementing a single best practice for preventing deep vein thrombosis in surgical patients and were able to reduce hospital costs in excess of $1.5 million per year.

Subconscious mental categories help brain sort through everyday experiences

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 11:15 AM PDT

Researchers found that the brain breaks experiences into the "events," or related groups that help us mentally organize the day's many situations, using subconscious mental categories it creates. These categories are based on how the brain considers people, objects and actions are related in terms of how they tend to — or tend not to — pop up near one another at specific times.

In sales, confidence and charisma may not seal the deal

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 11:15 AM PDT

Think of a stereotypical salesperson and you're likely to conjure up someone who's extraverted, gregarious, and assertive. But a new study reveals that "ambiverts," people who are neither introverted nor extraverted but who fall somewhere in between, tend to be the most effective salespeople.

New way to clear cholesterol from the blood

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 11:15 AM PDT

Researchers have identified a new potential therapeutic target for lowering cholesterol that could be an alternative or complementary therapy to statins.

Great white sharks scavenging on dead whales

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 11:15 AM PDT

Biologists have explored the behaviors of Great white sharks scavenging on dead whales in South Africa. The team documented as many as 40 different sharks scavenging on a carcass over the course of a single day, revealing unique social interactions among sharks.

Signature of circulating breast tumor cells that spread to the brain found

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 11:15 AM PDT

Some breast tumor circulating cells in the bloodstream are marked by a constellation of biomarkers that identify them as those destined to seed the brain with a deadly spread of cancer, said researchers.

Benefits of cognitive pain relief methods

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 11:13 AM PDT

Those who accept their pain condition are best able to tolerate pain, while distraction can be the way to lower pain intensity, according to new research.

Genetic alteration predicts pain recovery after sexual assault

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 11:13 AM PDT

One in five U.S. women are sexually assaulted in their lifetimes and more than half experience severe pain during the week following an attack. A study showed that presence of a genetic variant could significantly reduce pain severity associated with assault.

Scientists develop first photonic topological insulators to provide protection for transport of light

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 11:13 AM PDT

Researchers have developed and successfully demonstrated a photonic Floquet topological insulator, a new device used to protect the transport of light through a unique, lattice of 'waveguides.' This could play a key role in the photonics industry.

Rx target for HPV, Hep C and related cancers revealed

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 10:15 AM PDT

New discoveries for the first time reveal the inner workings of a master regulator that controls functions as diverse as the ability of nerve cells to "rewire" themselves in response to external stimuli and the mechanism by which certain viruses hijack normal cellular processes to facilitate their replication that can ultimately lead to cancer.

Faster than silicon: Redesigned material could lead to lighter, faster electronics

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 10:15 AM PDT

The same material that formed the first primitive transistors more than 60 years ago can be modified in a new way to advance future electronics, according to a new study. Chemists have developed the technology for making a one-atom-thick sheet of germanium, and found that it conducts electrons more than ten times faster than silicon and five times faster than conventional germanium.

Research enables fishermen to harvest lucrative shellfish on Georges Bank

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 10:14 AM PDT

New scientific understanding of toxic algal blooms on Georges Bank, along with an at-sea and dockside testing protocol, has allowed fishermen to harvest ocean quahogs and surf clams in these offshore waters for the first time in more than two decades. The Georges Bank surf clam and ocean quahog fishery has an estimated annual value of $10-15 million.

One in five seniors on risky meds; more in US South

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 10:13 AM PDT

A study of more than six million seniors in Medicare Advantage plans in 2009 found that 21 percent received a prescription for at least one potentially harmful "high risk medication." Nearly 5 percent received at least two. Questionable prescriptions are more common in the South and among people who live in poor areas.

Alcohol use, anxiety predict Facebook use by college students

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 10:13 AM PDT

Anxiety and alcohol use significantly predict emotional connectedness to Facebook, a new study suggests. According to one of the researchers, alcohol use is generally viewed as normative, or socially acceptable, among college students, so increased alcohol use may cause an increase in emotional connectedness to Facebook. Researchers also found that marijuana use predicted the opposite: a lack of emotional connectedness with Facebook.

Young children have grammar and chimpanzees don't

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 10:13 AM PDT

A new study has shown that children as young as two understand basic grammar rules when they first learn to speak and are not simply imitating adults. The study also applied the same statistical analysis on data from one of the most famous animal language-acquisition experiments -- Project Nim -- and showed that Nim Chimpsky, a chimpanzee who was taught sign language over the course of many years, never grasped rules like those in a two-year-old's grammar.

X-rays reveal coexisting structures in glass

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 10:12 AM PDT

Despite the long and rich history and widespread use of glass, surprisingly little is known about the interplay between the mechanical properties of glasses and their inner structures. For the first time, researchers have monitored subtle structural changes in a glass made from microscopic silica spheres, which they exposed to shear stress.

Surprising ability of blood stem cells to respond to emergencies

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 10:12 AM PDT

Scientists have revealed an unexpected role for hematopoietic stem cells: They do not merely ensure the continuous renewal of our blood cells; in emergencies they are capable of producing white blood cells "on demand" that help the body deal with inflammation or infection. This property could be used to protect against infections in patients undergoing bone marrow transplants, while their immune system reconstitutes itself.

Transparent brain using hydrogel process

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 10:12 AM PDT

Combining neuroscience and chemical engineering, researchers have developed a process that renders a mouse brain transparent.

Neurodegenerative disease advance: Study details how brain enzyme interacts with drug-like lead compound for Huntington's

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 10:12 AM PDT

A significant breakthrough has been made towards developing an effective treatment for neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Researchers have detailed how an enzyme in the brain interacts with a promising drug-like lead compound for Huntington's disease to inhibit its activity. Their findings demonstrate that it can be developed as an effective treatment for neurodegenerative diseases.

World's oldest dinosaur embryo bonebed yields organic remains

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 10:12 AM PDT

A 190-million-year-old dinosaur bonebed near the city of Lufeng, in Yunnan, China has revealed for the first time how dinosaur embryos grew and developed in their eggs.

Pottery reveals Ice Age hunter-gatherers’ taste for fish

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 10:11 AM PDT

Hunter-gatherers living in glacial conditions produced pots for cooking fish, according to the findings of a pioneering new study which reports the earliest direct evidence for the use of ceramic vessels. Scientists carried out chemical analysis of food residues in pottery up to 15,000 years old from the late glacial period, the oldest pottery so far investigated.

Liquid on liquid goes solid

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 10:11 AM PDT

Not all liquids are mixable. Researchers have investigated chemical processes with atomic resolution at the interface between two such liquids and have made an exciting discovery. They observed the formation of an ordered crystal of exactly five atomic layers between the two liquids, which acts as a foundation for growing even bigger crystals.

Team unravels central mystery of Alzheimer's

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 10:11 AM PDT

Scientists have shed light on one of the major toxic mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease. The discoveries could lead to a much better understanding of the Alzheimer's process and how to prevent it.

Smart solutions to a worsening water crisis

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 08:41 AM PDT

Innovative policies and new technologies that reduce water waste are helping countries across the Middle East and North Africa deal with chronic water shortages.

Plasmonics: A flexible bridge between two worlds

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 08:41 AM PDT

A novel material shows its credentials to facilitate the integration of photonic and electronic components in practical devices.

Nanotechnology: Color printing reaches new highs

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 08:41 AM PDT

Color printing at the highest resolution possible is enabled by the use of arrays of metal-coated nanostructures.

Data storage: Shingled tracks stack up

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 08:41 AM PDT

Simply changing the pattern by which data is recorded may lead to increased hard drive capacities.

Adaptable leaders may have best brains for the job

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 08:21 AM PDT

Effective leaders' brains may be physically "wired" to lead, offering the promise of more precise identification and training, according to new studies.

GUMBOS technology promises new drugs, electronic devices

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 08:21 AM PDT

Mention a breakthrough involving "gumbo" technology in New Orleans, and people think of a new twist on The Local Dish, the stew that's the quintessence of southern Louisiana cooking. But a recent scientific presentation focuses on what may be an advance in developing GUMBOS-based materials with far-reaching medical, electronic and other uses.

Fighting disease from within the mosquito: New techniques to help halt the spread of disease

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 07:39 AM PDT

Scientists have revealed a new technique to introduce disease-blocking bacteria into mosquitoes, with promising results that may halt the spread of diseases such as dengue, yellow fever and potentially malaria.

Understanding the life of lithium ion batteries in electric vehicles

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 07:39 AM PDT

Scientists have now answered a question that worries millions of owners and potential owners of electric and hybrid vehicles using lithium-ion batteries: How long before the battery pack dies, leaving a sticker-shock bill for a fresh pack or a car ready for the junk heap? Their answer may surprise skeptics.

Arsenic contamination in food and water supplies

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 07:39 AM PDT

After virtually eliminating arsenic as a useful tool for homicide, science now faces challenges in doing the same for natural sources of this fabled old "inheritance powder" that contaminates water supplies and food, threatening more than 35 million people worldwide.

Overcoming a major barrier to medical and other uses of 'microrockets' and 'micromotors'

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 07:39 AM PDT

An advance in micromotor technology akin to the invention of cars that fuel themselves from the pavement or air is opening the door to new medical and industrial uses for these tiny devices, scientists say. Their update on development of the motors -- so small that thousands would fit inside this "o" -- was part of a recent conference presentation.

Clinging to crevices, E. coli thrive

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 07:33 AM PDT

New research helps to explain how waterborne bacteria can colonize rough surfaces —- even those that have been designed to resist water. 

Cardiopoietic 'smart' stem cells show promise in heart failure patients

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 07:33 AM PDT

Therapy with cardiopoietic (cardiogenically-instructed) or "smart" stem cells can improve heart health for people suffering from heart failure. This is the first application in patients of lineage-guided stem cells for targeted regeneration of a failing organ, paving the way to development of next generation regenerative medicine solutions.

Genome mapping of koalas is promising start for understanding how koalas respond to infectious diseases

Posted: 10 Apr 2013 06:43 AM PDT

The "holy grail" for understanding how and why koalas respond to infectious diseases has been uncovered in a world-first genome mapping project.

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