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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Two mutations triggered an evolutionary leap 500 million years ago

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:26 PM PDT

Scientists have discovered two key mutations that sparked a hormonal revolution 500 million years ago. In a feat of "molecular time travel," the researchers resurrected and analyzed the functions of the ancestors of genes that play key roles in modern human reproduction, development, immunity and cancer.

Resilience in the wake of Superstorm Sandy

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:26 PM PDT

Researchers have released results of a major survey exploring resilience of people and neighborhoods directly affected by Superstorm Sandy. The study reveals the importance of social factors such as neighborhood bonds and social supports in coping with the storm and its aftermath.

Rotation-resistant rootworms owe their success to gut microbes

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:26 PM PDT

Researchers say they now know what allows some Western corn rootworms to survive crop rotation, a farming practice that once effectively managed the rootworm pests. The answer to the decades-long mystery of rotation-resistant rootworms lies -- in large part -- in the rootworm gut, the team reports.

Giving children non-verbal clues about words boosts vocabularies

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 12:25 PM PDT

The clues that parents give toddlers about words can make a big difference in how deep their vocabularies are when they enter school, new research shows. By using words to reference objects in the visual environment, parents can help young children learn new words, according to the research.

Helping RNA escape from cells' recycling process could make it easier to shut off disease-causing genes

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:48 AM PDT

Helping RNA escape from cells' recycling process could make it easier to shut off disease-causing genes, says a new study.

Migrating animals add new depth to how the ocean 'breathes'

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:48 AM PDT

Animals ranging from plankton to small fish consume vast amounts of what little oxygen is available in the deep ocean, and may reveal a crucial and unappreciated role that animals have in ocean chemistry on a global scale.

Turtles have fingerprints? New genetic technique reveals paternity and more

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:39 AM PDT

For 220 million years they have roamed the seas, denizens of the bustling coral reef and the vast open ocean. Each year, some emerge from the pounding surf onto moonlit beaches to lay their eggs. Throughout human history, we have revered them, used them, and worked to protect them, but we have only begun to understand these ancient, iconic creatures. Now, with all five of the sea turtle species in the U.S. threatened or endangered, knowledge is more crucial than ever.

NOAA study finds fishing tops U.S. lightning death activities

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:36 AM PDT

NOAA's National Weather Service has discovered that 64 percent of lightning deaths since 2006 occurred while people were participating in leisure activities, with fishing topping the list at 26 deaths.

Vegetation on Earth: Stunning satellite imagery depicting vegetation around the world

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:18 AM PDT

Although 75 percent of the planet is an ocean of blue, the remaining 25 percent of Earth's surface is a dynamic green. Data from the Visible-Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument on board the NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP satellite is able to detect these subtle differences in greenness, and is sending extraordinary images back to Earth giving us a clearer picture of vegetation around the world.

Five years of stereo imaging for NASA's TWINS

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:16 AM PDT

Surrounding Earth is a dynamic region called the magnetosphere. The region is governed by magnetic and electric forces, incoming energy and material from the sun, and a vast zoo of waves and processes unlike what is normally experienced in Earth-bound physics. Nestled inside this constantly changing magnetic bubble lies a donut of charged particles generally aligned with Earth's equator. Known as the ring current, its waxing and waning is a crucial part of the space weather surrounding our planet, able to induce magnetic fluctuations on the ground as well as to transmit disruptive surface charges onto spacecraft.

'Singing' rats show hope for older humans with age-related voice problems

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:14 AM PDT

New research from speech and hearing science professors shows training rats to "sing" could provide a model for voice therapy that will, in turn, help aging humans with vocal problems.

'Nerdy' mold needs breaking to recruit women into computer science

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:14 AM PDT

The 'computer nerd' is a well-known stereotype. While this stereotype is inaccurate, it still has a chilling effect on women pursuing a qualification in computer science, according to a new article. However, when this image is downplayed in the print media, women express more interest in further education in computer science.

Reading DNA, backward and forward: Biologists reveal how cells control the direction in which the genome is read

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:14 AM PDT

Biologists have discovered a mechanism that allows cells to read their own DNA in the correct direction and prevents them from copying most of the so-called "junk DNA" that makes up long stretches of our genome.

Tightrope over gorge at Grand Canyon: Nik Wallenda's 'tricks' are incredible balance and arm muscle endurance

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:13 AM PDT

Nik Wallenda, who completed a 1,400-foot tightrope walk over a river gorge near the Grand Canyon on live television is not super-human despite his successful feat, according to experts.

Molecule that reduces fats in blood identified

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:13 AM PDT

Researchers have found that a regulatory RNA molecule interferes with the production of lipoproteins and, in a mouse model, reduces hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis.

Messier 61 looks straight into Hubble's camera

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:13 AM PDT

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured a new image of nearby spiral galaxy Messier 61, also known as NGC 4303. The galaxy, located only 55 million light-years away from Earth, is roughly the size of the Milky Way, with a diameter of around 100,000 light-years.

Billion-pixel view of Mars comes from Curiosity rover

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 10:52 AM PDT

A billion-pixel view from the surface of Mars, from NASA's Mars rover Curiosity, offers armchair explorers a way to examine one part of the Red Planet in great detail.

Unintended consequences of emergency department information systems in U.S.

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 10:31 AM PDT

Emergency department information systems (EDIS), a significant focus of both federal legislation and US health care reform, may ultimately improve the quality of medical care delivered in hospitals, but as currently configured present numerous threats to health care quality and patient safety.

An expansive physical setting increases a person's likelihood of dishonest behavior

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 10:31 AM PDT

A new study reveals that expansive physical settings can cause individuals to feel more powerful, and in turn these feelings of power can elicit more dishonest behavior such as stealing, cheating, and even traffic violations.

Tool to detect hydrogen sulfide

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 10:31 AM PDT

Chemists have developed a selective probe that detects hydrogen sulfide (H2S) levels as low as 190 nanomolar (10 parts per billion) in biological samples. They say the technique could serve as a new tool for basic biological research and as an enhanced detection system for H2S in suspected bacterially contaminated water sources.

Ailanthus tree's status as invasive species offers lesson in human interaction

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 10:31 AM PDT

An exotic tree species that changed from prized possession to forest management nightmare serves as a lesson in the unpredictability of non-native species mixing with human interactions, according to researchers.

How fish swim: Researchers examine mechanical bases for the emergence of undulatory swimmers

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 10:31 AM PDT

How do fish swim? It is a simple question, but there is no simple answer. Researchers have now gleaned insight into the mechanical properties that allow them to perform their seemingly complex movements.

New 'biowire' technology matures human heart by mimicking fetal heartrate

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 10:31 AM PDT

A new method of maturing human heart cells that simulates the natural growth environment of heart cells while applying electrical pulses to mimic the heart rate of fetal humans has led researchers to an electrifying step forward for cardiac research.

Rare pregnancy condition programs babies to become overweight in later life

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 10:28 AM PDT

Babies born to mothers who suffer from a rare metabolic complication during pregnancy are programmed to be overweight, according to a study part-funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Brain cancer: Hunger for amino acids makes it more aggressive

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 10:28 AM PDT

An enzyme that facilitates the breakdown of specific amino acids makes brain cancers particularly aggressive. Scientists have discovered this in an attempt to find new targets for therapies against this dangerous disease.

Potential treatment strategies for multiple sclerosis

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 10:27 AM PDT

Myelin, the fatty coating that protects neurons, is destroyed in diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Researchers have been striving to determine whether oligodendrocytes, cells that produce myelin, can be stimulated to make new myelin. Using live imaging in zebrafish to track oligodendrocytes, researchers discovered that oligodendrocytes coat neurons with myelin for only five hours after they are born. If the findings hold true in humans, they could lead to new treatment strategies for multiple sclerosis.

Second largest kidney exchange in history

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 10:18 AM PDT

Earlier this month, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the National Kidney Registry, in partnership with 18 transplant centers across the country, successfully completed the second largest kidney exchange in history and the largest to be concluded in under 40 days. Dubbed Chain 221, the swap involved 56 participants (28 donors and 28 recipients). Four patients at Penn Medicine, including two long-lost grade-school friends, participated in the chain – two receiving new, healthy kidneys, and two donating their own kidneys to other recipients in the chain.

A valve inside a valve: A new heart valve can be implanted in people suffering with adult congenital heart disease without open heart surgery

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 10:17 AM PDT

A new heart valve that can be implanted inside an existing valve will help adults with congenital heart disease avoid open heart surgeries.

Pleasure response from chocolate: You can see it in the eyes

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 08:10 AM PDT

The brain's pleasure response to tasting food can be measured through the eyes using a common, low-cost ophthalmological tool, according to a new study.

Uncertainty over the benefits of feeding birds in winter

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 08:10 AM PDT

Scientists have found that feeding wild blue tits in winter resulted in less successful breeding during the following spring.

Targeted viral therapy destroys breast cancer stem cells in preclinical experiments

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 08:10 AM PDT

A promising new treatment for breast cancer has been shown in cell culture and in animal models to selectively kill cancer stem cells at the original tumor site and in distant metastases with no toxic effects on healthy cells, including normal stem cells. Cancer stem cells are critical to a cancer's ability to recur following conventional chemotherapies and radiation therapy because they can quickly multiply and establish new tumors that are often therapy resistant.

Excited, but cold: Scientists unveil the secret of a reaction for prebiotic synthesis of organic matter

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 07:42 AM PDT

How is it that a complex organism evolves from a pile of dead matter? How can lifeless materials become organic molecules that are the bricks of animals and plants? Scientists have been trying to answer these questions for ages. Researchers have now disclosed the secret of a reaction that has to do with the synthesis of complex organic matter before the origin of life.

U-shaped curve revealed for association between fish consumption and atrial fibrillation

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 07:42 AM PDT

Moderation seems to be key when it comes to eating fish to prevent atrial fibrillation (AF) according to a new study.

Tick-caused bobcat fever can be deadly to domestic cats

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 07:38 AM PDT

Veterinarians are warning pet owners to watch out for ticks carrying a disease that could kill cats.

Biological arithmetic: Plants do sums to get through the night

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 06:35 AM PDT

Using fundamental processes instead of brain cells, plants measure the time until dawn and divide that by their stored starch levels. Researchers say that this ability in plants represents the first concrete example in a fundamental biological process of such a sophisticated arithmetic calculation.

Promising new device detects disease with drop of blood

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 06:35 AM PDT

Scientists are creating a prototype lab-on-a-chip that would someday enable a physician to detect disease or virus from just one drop of liquid, including blood.

In multiple sclerosis animal study, absence of gene leads to earlier, more severe disease

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 06:34 AM PDT

Scientists are reporting that they have identified the likely genetic mechanism that causes some patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) to quickly progress to a debilitating stage of the disease while other patients progress much more slowly.

Finding Murray's magic: Ability to manage goals makes an athlete successful

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 04:58 AM PDT

Research suggests that it is Andy Murray's ability to manage his goals, as well as his skill, determination and motivation that makes him such a successful athlete. Murray dropped out of the French Open after a back injury this year, missing out on his goal of playing in four grand slam finals in a row. But this decision has allowed him to recuperate in time for Wimbledon this month. According to new research, athletes who recognize early when a goal is unattainable and switch their focus to other objectives are the most successful at achieving their main career goals.

Surprise species at risk from climate change

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 04:58 AM PDT

Most species at greatest risk from climate change are not currently conservation priorities, according to a new study that has introduced a pioneering method to assess the vulnerability of species to climate change.

Mystery of the gigantic storm on Saturn

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 04:57 AM PDT

We now understand the nature of the giant storms on Saturn. Through the analysis of images as well as the computer models of the storms and the examination of the clouds therein, astronomers have managed to explain the behavior of these storms for the very first time.

Robo-pets may contribute to quality of life for those with dementia

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 04:57 AM PDT

Robotic animals can help to improve the quality of life for people with dementia, according to new research.

Precise thickness measurement of soft materials by means of contact stylus instruments

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 04:57 AM PDT

In microsystems, metallic components are increasingly replaced by components made of inexpensive polymers. As polymers yield when they are subjected to pressure, the layer thicknesses cannot be measured with sufficient accuracy by means of conventional contact stylus instruments. But precision is of decisive importance in microsystem technology. Now, industrial enterprises which measure the thickness of soft polymer layers on hard substrates will be able to correct their measurement results by means of a formula.

When AIDS viruses are transmitted despite treatment

Posted: 24 Jun 2013 04:57 AM PDT

While antiretroviral drugs offer an efficient means of preventing the replication of HIV in the blood, shedding of HIV may occur in semen, so that other persons can become infected during unprotected sexual intercourse. This occurs in particular if the male genital tract also has other viral infections.

Powerful gene-editing tool appears to cause off-target mutations in human cells

Posted: 23 Jun 2013 11:51 AM PDT

Scientists have found a significant limitation to the use of CRISPR-Cas RGNs, production of unwanted DNA mutations at sites other than the desired target, which indicates a need to improve the specificity of the nucleases.

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