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Wednesday, September 4, 2013

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Clay key to high-temperature supercapacitors

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:42 PM PDT

Clay, an abundant and cheap natural material, is a key ingredient in a supercapacitor that can operate at very high temperatures, according to researchers who have developed such a device.

Proteins in histone group might influence cancer development, study shows

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:42 PM PDT

Spool-like proteins called histones play a crucial role in packaging the nearly seven feet of DNA found in most human cells. It has been thought that a particular group of histone isoforms were functionally identical. This study shows that these isoforms can have distinct functions, and that they might play a role in cancer development. The results provide a new mechanism for the regulation of chromatin structure.

Breakthrough could make electronics smaller and better: Surprising low-tech tool -- Scotch tape -- was key

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:41 PM PDT

Scientists have discovered a groundbreaking technique in manufacturing nanostructures that has the potential to make electrical and optical devices smaller and better than ever before. A surprising low-tech tool of Scotch Magic tape ended up being one of the keys to the discovery.

Scientists encounter holes in tree of life, push for better data storage

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:41 PM PDT

When it comes to public access, the tree of life has holes. A new study shows about 70 percent of published genetic sequence comparisons are not publicly accessible, leaving researchers worldwide unable to get to critical data they may need to tackle a host a problems ranging from climate change to disease control.

Why parenting can never have a rule book: Children's genetics significantly affect how they are parented

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:41 PM PDT

Any parent will tell you that there is no simple recipe for raising a child. Being a parent means getting hefty doses of advice -- often unsolicited -- from others. But such advice often fails to consider a critical factor: The child. A new review of dozens of studies involving more than 14,600 pairs of twins shows that children's genetics significantly affect how they are parented.

Twitter and privacy: One-in-five tweets divulge user location

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:41 PM PDT

Hashtag #doyouknowwhoswatchingyou? A new study sampled more than 15 million tweets, showing that even Twitter users who have opted-out of location tagging may be inadvertently revealing where they are through updates on the social media channel.

Brain wiring quiets the voice inside your head

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:40 PM PDT

Researchers have developed the first diagram of the brain circuitry that enables a complex interplay between the motor system and the auditory system to occur. The research could lend insight into schizophrenia and mood disorders that arise when this circuitry goes awry and individuals hear voices other people do not hear.

Promiscuity and sperm selection improves genetic quality in birds

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:39 PM PDT

Research shows that females can maximize the genetic quality of their offspring by being promiscuous. Researchers studied red junglefowl and found that mating with different males helps females produce healthier offspring -- due to a mechanism in their reproductive tract which favors sperm from the most genetically different males. This is important for animal breeders because it shows that allowing multiple matings produces the most disease resistant and genetically healthy offspring.

Whole genome sequencing provides researchers with a better understanding of bovine TB outbreaks

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:39 PM PDT

The use of whole bacterial genome sequencing will allow scientists to inexpensively track how bovine tuberculosis is transmitted from farm to farm, according to new research.

Multi-drug pills help people stick to heart disease prevention regimens

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:38 PM PDT

People are much more likely to take preventive medicines if they're combined in one pill, an international study has found.

Sleep boosts production of brain support cells

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:38 PM PDT

Sleep increases the reproduction of the cells that go on to form the insulating material on nerve cell projections in the brain and spinal cord known as myelin, according to an animal study. The findings could one day lead scientists to new insights about sleep's role in brain repair and growth.

Stressful life events significantly raise the risk of falls in older men

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:38 PM PDT

A study of around 5,000 older men has shown that stressful life events such as death of a loved one, or serious financial problems, significantly raised the risk of falls in the year following the incident.

Uncontrolled hypertension is common, but untreated, worldwide

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:36 PM PDT

A global study has found that many patients don't know they have hypertension and, even if they do, too few are receiving adequate drug therapy for their hypertension.

Massive storm pulls water and ammonia ices from Saturn's depths

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:36 PM PDT

Once every 30 years or so, or roughly one Saturnian year, a monster storm rips across the northern hemisphere of the ringed planet. In 2010, the most recent and only the sixth giant storm on Saturn observed by humans began stirring. It quickly grew to superstorm proportions, reaching 15,000 kilometers (more than 9,300 miles) in width and visible to amateur astronomers on Earth as a great white spot dancing across the surface of the planet.

Disrupted heartbeat restored with regenerative intervention

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 12:18 PM PDT

Researchers have found a way to resynchronize cardiac motion following a heart attack using stem cells. Scientists implanted engineered stem cells, also known as induced pluripotent stem cells, into damaged regions of mouse hearts following a heart attack.

Iranian telegraph operator, first to propose earthquake early warning system

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 12:18 PM PDT

In 1909, an Iranian telegraph operator living in the remote desert town of Kerman noticed an unusual movement of the magnetic needle of his telegraph instrument. While other telegraph operators during the late 1800s and early 1900s noticed the phenomenon, the Iranian telegraph operator proposed an earthquake early warning system.

The 'weakest link' in the aging proteome

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 12:18 PM PDT

Proteins are the chief actors in cells, carrying out the duties specified by information encoded in our genes. Most proteins live only two days or less, ensuring that those damaged by inevitable chemical modifications are replaced with new functional copies.

'We may be able to watch dark energy turn on': Unprecedented sky survey

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 12:17 PM PDT

Moonless nights outside the Cerro Tololo astronomical observatory in Chile are so dark that when you look down, you can't see your feet. "You can't see your hands," said a physicist. "But you can hold them up to the sky and see a hand-shaped hole with no stars in it. It's really incredible."

Computer model will help design flexible touchscreens

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 11:13 AM PDT

New research has shown a new a way to design transparent conductors using metal nanowires that could enable less expensive -- and flexible -- touchscreens.

Anterior cruciate ligament injuries may be prevented by different landing strategy

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 11:13 AM PDT

Women are two to eight times more likely than men to suffer a debilitating tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee and a new study suggests that a combination of body type and landing techniques may be to blame.

Robotic surgery complications underreported

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 11:12 AM PDT

Despite widespread adoption by hospitals of surgical robot technology over the past decade, a "slapdash" system of reporting complications paints an unclear picture of its safety.

Birds choose sweet-smelling mates

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:36 AM PDT

For most animals, scent is the instant messenger of choice for quickly exchanging personal profiles. Scientists, however, have long dismissed birds as odor-eschewing Luddites that don't take advantage of scent-based communications. Scientists have now demonstrated that birds do indeed communicate via scents, and that odor reliably predicts their reproductive success.

Brain study uncovers vital clue in bid to beat epilepsy

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:35 AM PDT

People with epilepsy could be helped by new research into the way a key molecule controls brain activity during a seizure.

Blood pressure drug tends to slow coronary disease

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:35 AM PDT

Patients with clogged and hardened arteries who already have their blood pressure under control may benefit from an additional blood pressure-lowering medication, according to new research.

Blind mole-rats are resistant to chemically induced cancers

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:35 AM PDT

Like naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus gaber), blind mole-rats (of the genus Spalax) live underground in low-oxygen environments, are long-lived and resistant to cancer. A new study demonstrates just how cancer-resistant Spalax are, and suggests that the adaptations that help these rodents survive in low-oxygen environments also play a role in their longevity and cancer resistance.

Facebook use by organizations during crises helps public image

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:35 AM PDT

Researchers have found that posting public relations information on Facebook during a time of crisis can improve the overall image of the organization that is experiencing the crisis.

An easier way to control genes

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:35 AM PDT

Researchers have shown that they can turn genes on or off inside yeast and human cells by controlling when DNA is copied into messenger RNA -- an advance that could allow scientists to better understand the function of those genes.

Women happier when they gain weight, even though they are not as healthy, study suggests

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:35 AM PDT

Body weight has a great influence on our quality of life. While physical health deteriorates when weight is gained, mental well-being seems to improve, especially in women. These results offer valuable information for preventive strategies in the fight against obesity.

Ground breaking research identifies promising drugs for treating Parkinson's

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:35 AM PDT

New drugs, which may have the potential to stop faulty brain cells dying and slow down the progression of Parkinson's, have been identified by scientists in a pioneering study which is the first of its kind.

Atom-based analogues to electronic devices

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:34 AM PDT

Scientists have pushed back the boundaries of atom-based transport, creating a current by characterizing the many-body effects in the transport of the atoms along a periodic lattice. Scientists adopted a new analytical approach before comparing it to approximate numerical simulations.

Life without insulin is possible, study suggests

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:33 AM PDT

Several millions of people around the world suffer from insulin deficiencies. Insulin is a hormone, secreted by the beta cells in the pancreas, which plays a major role in the regulation of energy substrates such as glucose. This insufficiency, primarily caused by diabetes (types 1 and 2), has lethal consequences if it is not treated. As of now, only daily insulin injections allow certain patients to survive.

Hormone may help fight obesity and reduce cholesterol

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:33 AM PDT

Research has shown that giving obese rodents a recently identified circulating protein called fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) helps improve their metabolism. Now investigators reveal that a variant of FGF21 has similar effects in obese people with Type 2 diabetes.

Making plants' inner qualities visible

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:31 AM PDT

Not only psychologists would be happy to be able to look inside their patients' heads – a plant's "inner qualities" also supply plant researchers with valuable information. A special camera analyzes the constituents of grapevines, corn and other plants.

New evidence to aid search for charge 'stripes' in superconductors

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:30 AM PDT

Scientists have used an indirect method to detect fluctuating "stripes" of charge density in a material closely related to a superconductor. The research identifies a key signature to look for in superconductors as scientists seek ways to better understand and engineer these materials for future energy-saving applications.

IT monitoring effective in deterring fraud by restaurant employees

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:30 AM PDT

For many firms, losing significant revenue and profit to employee theft has been a cost of doing business. But a new study finds that information technology monitoring is strikingly effective in reducing theft and fraud, especially in the restaurant industry.

Save my limbs

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:30 AM PDT

Retrograde access gives surgeons the ability to go through the foot to open up blocked arteries and save the limbs of people whose only other option is amputation.

Study examines ways to restore immunity to chronic hepatitis C infection

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:30 AM PDT

The hepatitis C virus hijacks the body's immune system, leaving T cells unable to function. A new study suggests that blocking a protein that helps the virus thrive could restore immune function, allowing the body to fight infection.

Lessons from the worm: How the elderly can live an active life

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:30 AM PDT

When the tiny roundworm C. elegans reaches middle age —- at about 2 weeks old -— it can't quite move like it did in the bloom of youth. But rather than imposing an exercise regimen to rebuild the worm's body-wall muscles, researchers can bring the wriggle back by stimulating the animal's neurons. And, they say, pharmaceuticals might have a similar effect in mammals.

Aging really is 'in your head:' Scientists answer hotly debated questions about how calorie restriction delays aging process

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 09:30 AM PDT

Among scientists, the role of proteins called sirtuins in enhancing longevity has been hotly debated, driven by contradictory results from many different scientists. But new research may settle the dispute. Researchers have identified the mechanism by which a specific sirtuin protein called Sirt1 operates in the brain to bring about a significant delay in aging and an increase in longevity. Both have been associated with a low-calorie diet.

Action-inaction balance in cultural values more common in East Asian countries

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:33 AM PDT

Researchers looked at the difference between action and inaction depending on what country you are in.

2013 bedroom poll explores sleep differences among six countries

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:33 AM PDT

The 2013 International Bedroom Poll, compares sleep times, attitudes, habits and bedtime routines of those in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan between the ages of 25 and 55 years old.

Scientists edge closer towards first pancreatitis treatment

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:33 AM PDT

20,000 people are admitted to UK hospitals annually with pancreatitis. One in five of these cases are severe, resulting in around 1000 deaths annually. Research has found that a calcium inhibiting compound offers unique and effective protection in isolated cells against the disease.

New effective treatment for high blood pressure? Removing tiny organ

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:33 AM PDT

Removing one of the tiniest organs in the body has shown to provide effective treatment for high blood pressure. The discovery could revolutionize treatment of the world's biggest silent killer.

Scientists fish for new epilepsy model and reel in potential drug

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:32 AM PDT

According to new research on epilepsy, zebrafish have certainly earned their stripes. Results of a new study suggest that zebrafish carrying a specific mutation may help researchers discover treatments for Dravet syndrome, a severe form of pediatric epilepsy that results in drug-resistant seizures and developmental delays.

New therapeutic approach to fight cancer: Inhibiting cancer cells' energy metabolism

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:30 AM PDT

Resting cancer cells can be selectively destroyed by inhibiting their energy metabolism, according to a new study.

Solar cell performance improves with ion-conducting polymer

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:30 AM PDT

Researchers have found a way to make dye-sensitized solar cells more energy-efficient and longer-lasting.

Soccer matches and concerts from any angle you choose

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:30 AM PDT

In future, soccer and music fans will be able to choose the camera angle when watching live matches and concerts on TV, or even enjoy a 360-degree view of proceedings: all thanks to a new panorama camera that is small, robust, and easy to operate.

Can you predict complications with back surgery? Preoperative factors increase risk

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:29 AM PDT

For older adults undergoing surgery for spinal stenosis, some simple indicators of poor preoperative health predict a high risk of major medical complications.

Medicaid pays for nearly half of all births in the United States

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:29 AM PDT

Medicaid paid for nearly half of the 3.8 million births in the United States in 2010 — an amount that has been rising over time.

Young people now at higher risk for stroke

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:29 AM PDT

Fifteen percent of the most common type of strokes occur in adolescents and young adults, and more young people are showing risk factors for such strokes.

'Negative working conditions score' linked to depressive symptoms

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:29 AM PDT

The sum total of adverse working conditions explains a substantial portion of the risk of depression in working-age adults, suggests a new study.

Bringing coral reefs back from the brink

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 07:21 AM PDT

Shocks caused by climate and seasonal change could be used to aid recovery of some of the world's badly-degraded coral reefs, scientists have proposed. Marine scientists suggest that it may be possible to restore living coral cover to a badly-degraded reef system -- though not easy.

Case study reveals genetic discrimination in life insurance

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 07:21 AM PDT

A case study has revealed an example of life insurance companies discriminating due to genetic test results for cancer pre-disposition.

Cracking bacteria's secrets may lead to new treatments

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 07:21 AM PDT

Scientists have found another chink in bacteria's armor, mapping for the first time the structure of a protein that plays an important role helping infection gain a foothold in the body.

Added benefit of lisdexamfetamine is not proven

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 07:21 AM PDT

A short-term study on the new ADHD drug lisdexamfetamine was unsuitable for several reasons, mainly because the treatment was not conducted as part of a comprehensive treatment program, and no added benefit of the drug can be derived.

Oldest land-living animal from Gondwana found

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 07:21 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered the oldest known land-living animal from Gondwana in a remote part of the Eastern Cape. It is a 350-million-year-old fossilized scorpion.

Mouse groups reveal complex relationships: Mice living together exhibited a social structure based on multiple-level interactions

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 07:20 AM PDT

In mouse groups, scientists find an inverse link between environmental and social complexity.

Language and tool-making skills evolved at the same time

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 07:20 AM PDT

The same brain activity is used for language production and making complex tools, supporting the theory that they evolved at the same time.

Canine remote control, using your smart phone? Hands-free dog walking for the digital age

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 07:20 AM PDT

That "best friend" can get a bit tiresome, all that rolling over, shaking paws, long walks and eating every crumb of food off the floor. But, what if there were a way to command your dog with a remote control, or even via your smart phone...or even without hands?

Effectiveness of community-based cardiac rehabilitation studied

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 07:19 AM PDT

Over 200 patients who completed the Singapore Heart Foundation's Heart Wellness Programme demonstrated improvements in cardiac risk factors.

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