الخميس، 29 نوفمبر 2012

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Kerosene lamps identified as big source of black carbon

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:30 PM PST

Kerosene lamps, the primary source of light for more than a billion people in developing nations, churns out black carbon at levels previously overlooked in greenhouse gas estimates, according to a new study. The new findings result in a twenty-fold increase to previous estimates of black carbon emissions from kerosene-fueled lighting. The good news is that affordable, cleaner alternatives exist.

Human disturbances keep elk on high alert

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:30 PM PST

Researchers have discovered that elk are more frequently and more easily disturbed by human behavior such as ATV drivers than by their natural predators like bears and wolves.

Health-care providers can play critical role in reducing and preventing intimate partner violence

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:29 PM PST

Researchers report that health-care providers can play a critical role in helping to reduce and prevent intimate partner violence by screening and referring patients to appropriate resources.

HIV treatment reduces risk of malaria recurrence in children

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:29 PM PST

A combination of anti-HIV drugs has been found to also reduce the risk of recurrent malaria by nearly half among HIV-positive children, according to researchers.

Scientists identify depression and anxiety biomarker in youths

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:29 PM PST

Scientists have discovered a cognitive biomarker -- a biological indicator of a disease -- for young adolescents who are at high risk of developing depression and anxiety. Their findings were published Nov. 28 in the journal PLOS ONE.

More omnivore dilemmas: Seasonal diet changes can cause reproductive stress in primates

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:29 PM PST

When seasonal changes affect food availability, omnivores like blue monkeys adapt by changing their diets, but such nutritional changes may impact female reproduction, according to new research.

Skeletons in cave reveal Mediterranean secrets

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:29 PM PST

Skeletal remains in an island cave in Favignana, Italy, reveal that modern humans first settled in Sicily around the time of the last ice age and despite living on Mediterranean islands, ate little seafood.

Risk of childhood obesity can be predicted at birth

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:27 PM PST

A simple formula can predict at birth a baby's likelihood of becoming obese in childhood, according to a new study.

Moral evaluations of harm are instant and emotional

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:27 PM PST

People are able to detect, within a split second, if a hurtful action they are witnessing is intentional or accidental, new research on the brain shows. The study is the first to explain how the brain is hard-wired to recognize when another person is being intentionally harmed.

Mediation combined with art therapy can change your brain and lower anxiety

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:27 PM PST

Cancer and stress go hand-in-hand, and high stress levels can lead to poorer health outcomes in cancer patients. The combined creative art therapy with a Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program for women with breast cancer and showed changes in brain activity associated with lower stress and anxiety after the eight-week program.

Ponatinib acts against the most resistant types of chronic myeloid leukemia

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:27 PM PST

Phase I trial shows third-generation drug helps patients after other treatments fail.

Moral judgments quicker, more extreme than practical ones, but also flexible

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:27 PM PST

Judgments we make with a moral underpinning are made more quickly and are more extreme than those same judgments based on practical considerations, a new set of studies finds. However, the findings also show that judgments based on morality can be readily shifted and made with other considerations in mind.

Order of psychiatric diagnoses may influence how clinicians identify symptoms

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 01:22 PM PST

The diagnostic system used by many mental health practitioners in the United States assumes that symptoms of two disorders that occur at the same time are additive and that the order in which the disorders are presented doesn't matter. But new research suggests that order actually plays a significant role in determining how clinicians think about psychiatric disorders.

Archaeologists discover shipwrecks, ancient harbor on coast of Israel

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 01:22 PM PST

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a fleet of early-19th century ships and ancient harbor structures from the Hellenistic period at the city of Akko, one of the major ancient ports of the eastern Mediterranean. The findings shed light on a period of history that is little known and point to how and where additional remains may be found.

Combined RB and PTEN loss identifies DCIS primed for invasive breast cancer

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 01:22 PM PST

The combined loss of two tumor suppressor genes, retinoblastoma and phosphatase and tensin homolog was shown to be strongly associated with progression of DCIS to invasive breast cancer, according to a new study.

NSAID use linked to reduced hepatocellular carcinoma risk and mortality due to chronic liver disease

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 01:22 PM PST

Researchers found that aspirin use is associated with a decreased risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma and death from chronic liver disease, according to a new study.

KRAS and BRAF mutation screening in metastatic colorectal cancer costly in relation to benefits

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 01:21 PM PST

Researchers report that screening for KRAS and BRAF mutations can reduce the cost of anti-EGFR treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer but with a very small reduction in overall survival according to a new study.

Drug may offer new approach to treating insomnia

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 01:21 PM PST

A new drug may bring help for people with insomnia, according to a new study.

Researcher tests powerful new tool to advance ecology, conservation

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 01:20 PM PST

A new study shows ecologists may have been missing crucial information from animal bones for more than 150 years.

Online tool creates catch-up immunization schedules

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 01:20 PM PST

A new online tool takes the guesswork out of developing individualized catch-up immunization schedules by allowing parents and health care providers to easily create a schedule that ensures missed vaccines and future vaccines are administered according to approved guidelines.

Women 16-49 at risk of multiple pollutants, which could harm brain development of fetuses and babies

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 11:39 AM PST

In a new analysis of thousands of US women of childbearing age, researchers found that most exceeded the median blood level for two or more of three environmental pollutants that could harm brain development of fetuses and babies: lead, mercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls.

New method of manufacturing smallest structures in electronics: Discovery could revolutionize semiconductors

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 11:39 AM PST

A completely new method of manufacturing the smallest structures in electronics could make their manufacture thousands of times quicker, allowing for cheaper semiconductors. Instead of starting from a silicon wafer or other substrate, as is usual today, researchers have made it possible for the structures to grow from freely suspended nanoparticles of gold in a flowing gas.

Implantable silk optics multi-task in body: Dissolvable micro-mirrors enhance imaging, administer heat, deliver and monitor drugs

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 11:39 AM PST

Researchers have demonstrated silk-based implantable optics that offer significant improvement in tissue imaging while simultaneously enabling photo thermal therapy, administering drugs and monitoring drug delivery. The devices also lend themselves to a variety of other biomedical functions. Biodegradable and biocompatible, these tiny mirror-like devices dissolve harmlessly at predetermined rates and require no surgery to remove them.

Experts recommend closer scrutiny of radiation exposure from CT scans

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 11:35 AM PST

Amid increasing fear of overexposure to radiation from CT scans, a panel of experts has recommended more research on the health effects of medical imaging and ways to reduce unnecessary CT tests, as well as industry standardization of CT machines.

Double duty: Immune system regulator found to protect brain from effects of stroke

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 11:35 AM PST

A small molecule known to regulate white blood cells has a surprising second role in protecting brain cells from the deleterious effects of stroke, researchers report. The molecule, microRNA-223, affects how cells respond to the temporary loss of blood supply brought on by stroke -- and thus the cells' likelihood of suffering permanent damage.

Analysis of conflicting fish oil studies finds that omega-3 fatty acids still matter

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 11:35 AM PST

A new analysis helps to sort through conflicting findings from literally hundreds of studies on use of omega-3 fatty acids for heart disease. It concludes that they still matter; they do work; and that modern therapies for cardiovascular disease help to mask the benefits omega-3 consumption might otherwise provide.

Scientists sequence the wheat genome in breakthrough for global food security

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 11:35 AM PST

An international team of scientists has completed a "shotgun sequencing" of the wheat genome. The achievement is expected to increase wheat yields, help feed the world and speed up development of wheat varieties with enhanced nutritional value.

Mathematics used to identify contamination in water distribution networks

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 11:35 AM PST

New research considers the identification of contaminants in a water distribution network as an optimal control problem within a networked system.

New light shed on virus associated with developmental delays and deafness

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 11:35 AM PST

A new study reveals that primitive human stem cells are resistant to human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), one of the leading prenatal causes of congenital intellectual disability, deafness and deformities worldwide. Researchers found that as stem cells and other primitive cells mature into neurons, they become more susceptible to HCMV, which could allow them to find effective treatments for the virus and to prevent its potentially devastating consequences.

Common drug reverses common effect of becker muscular dystrophy

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 11:26 AM PST

Researchers have found in an initial clinical trial that a drug typically prescribed for erectile dysfunction or pulmonary hypertension restores blood flow to oxygen-starved muscles in patients with a type of muscular dystrophy that affects males, typically starting in childhood or adolescence.

Scientists pair blood test and gene sequencing to detect cancer

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 11:26 AM PST

Scientists have combined the ability to detect cancer DNA in the blood with genome sequencing technology in a test that could be used to screen for cancers, monitor cancer patients for recurrence and find residual cancer left after surgery.

Major breakthrough in deciphering bread wheat's genetic code

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 11:21 AM PST

Scientists have unlocked key components of the genetic code of one of the world's most important crops. The first analysis of the complex and exceptionally large bread wheat genome is a major breakthrough in breeding wheat varieties that are more productive and better able to cope with disease, drought and other stresses that cause crop losses.

Bread wheat's large and complex genome is revealed

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 10:23 AM PST

An international team of scientists has completed the first comprehensive analysis of the bread wheat genome. The study opens up a valuable data resource to learn more about this important crop and improve wheat agriculture through gene discovery.

Researchers increase understanding of genetic risk factor for type 1 diabetes

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 10:23 AM PST

Researchers have demonstrated how a genetic variant associated with type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases influences susceptibility to autoimmunity.

UK, German and US scientists decipher complex genetic code to create new tools for breeders and researchers across the world

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 10:23 AM PST

Scientists have unlocked key components of the genetic code of one of the world's most important crops. The first analysis of the complex and exceptionally large bread wheat genome is a major breakthrough in breeding wheat varieties that are more productive and better able to cope with disease, drought and other stresses that cause crop losses.

Autumn sets in rapidly on Saturn's giant moon

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 10:23 AM PST

As leaves fall and winter approaches in Earth's Northern Hemisphere, a change of seasons is also rapidly becoming noticeable in the southern hemisphere of Saturn's giant moon, Titan.

Algae held captive and genes stolen in crime of evolution

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 10:23 AM PST

Microscopic animals held algae captive and stole their genes for energy production, thereby evolving into a new and more powerful species many millions of years ago reveals a new study.

New practices reduce surgical site infections after colorectal surgery

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 10:23 AM PST

Surgeons have reduced surgical site infections by more than 60 percent for patients who undergo colorectal procedures by introducing evidence-based protocols that are easy to follow and relatively low in cost.

Astronomers measure most massive, most unusual black hole

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 10:23 AM PST

Astronomers have measured what may be the most massive black hole yet -- 17 billion suns -- in galaxy NGC 1277. The black hole makes up 14 percent of its galaxy's mass, rather than the usual 0.1 percent. This galaxy and others in the study could change theories of how black holes and galaxies form and evolve.

Scientists decipher genetic code of wheat

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 10:23 AM PST

Scientists have deciphered the genetic code of wheat to help crop breeders increase yield and produce varieties that are better suited to a changing environment.

Researchers team up to sequence the complex wheat genome

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 10:23 AM PST

Intent on developing wheat varieties with higher yields and enhanced nutritional content to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding global population, researchers have teamed up in an attempt to sequence the wheat genome.

Human genetic variation recent, varies among populations

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 10:22 AM PST

Nearly three-quarters of mutations in genes that code for proteins -- the workhorses of the cell -- occurred within the past 5,000 to 10,000 years, fairly recently in evolutionary terms, said genomic and genetic experts.

Chemists invent powerful toolkit, accelerating creation of potential new drugs

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 10:22 AM PST

Scientists have invented a set of chemical tools that is radically simplifying the creation of potential new drug compounds.

Tiny algae shed light on photosynthesis as a dynamic property

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 10:22 AM PST

Many of the world's most important photosynthetic eukaryotes such as plants got their light-harnessing organelles (chloroplasts) indirectly from other organisms through endosymbiosis. In some instances, this resulted in algae with multiple, distinct genomes, some in residual organelles (nucleomorphs). To better understand why nucleomorphs persist after endosymbiosis, scientists sequenced and analyzed two tiny algae.

Giant black hole could upset galaxy evolution models

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 10:21 AM PST

Astronomers have discovered a black hole that could shake the foundations of current models of galaxy evolution. At 17 billion times the mass of the Sun, its mass is much greater than current models predict – in particular since the surrounding galaxy is comparatively small. This could be the most massive black hole found to date.

New approach to support future climate projections

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 10:21 AM PST

Scientists have developed a new approach for evaluating past climate sensitivity data to help improve comparison with estimates of long-term climate projections developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The sensitivity of global temperature to changes in the Earth's radiation balance (climate sensitivity) is a key factor for understanding past natural climate changes as well as potential future climate change.

'Chill-coma' recovery: Cold cricket case could defrost mysteries of changing climate

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 09:25 AM PST

Biologists have discovered that insects recover from chill-coma by getting water and salt back where it belongs. These findings not only identify the very mechanisms that drive insect movement at low temperatures but will lead to a better understanding of agriculture management, biodiversity and climate change.

College students more eager for marriage than their parents are

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 09:21 AM PST

A national study found that U.S. college students think 25 years old is the "right age" to get married, while a majority of parents feel 25 is still a little too soon. So it's no coincidence that when Justin Bieber said he'd like to wed by 25, Oprah Winfrey urged him to wait longer in an interview aired Sunday.

Cell phone addiction similar to compulsive buying and credit card misuse, experts say

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 09:20 AM PST

Cell phone and instant messaging addictions are driven by materialism and impulsiveness and can be compared to consumption pathologies like compulsive buying and credit card misuse, according to a new study.

Scientists uncover a novel cooperative effort to stop cancer spread

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 09:20 AM PST

Scientists have uncovered a group of what have been considered relatively minor regulators in the body that band together to suppress the spread of cancer from its primary site.

How climate change could affect entire forest ecosystems

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 09:20 AM PST

The fog comes in, and a drop of water forms on a pine needle, rolls down the needle, and falls to the forest floor. The process is repeated over and over, on each pine needle of every tree in a forest of Bishop pines on Santa Cruz Island, off the coast of Santa Barbara. That fog drip helps the entire forest ecosystem stay alive.

Changes in nerve cells may contribute to the development of mental illness

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 09:20 AM PST

Reduced production of myelin, a type of protective nerve fiber that is lost in diseases like multiple sclerosis, may also play a role in the development of mental illness, according to new research.

Tight times may influence how we perceive others

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 09:20 AM PST

From the playground to the office, a key aspect of our social lives involves figuring out who "belongs" and who doesn't. Scientists theorize that these prevalent in-group biases may give us a competitive advantage against others, especially when important resources are limited. New research explores whether resource scarcity might actually lead us to change our definition of who belongs to our social group, influencing how we perceive others' race.

Federal technology transfer in the United States

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 09:20 AM PST

With new treatments for disease, test suites that safeguard computers, and even expertise to rescue miners trapped thousands of feet underground, federal laboratories have a wealth of technologies and know-how that can give US companies a competitive edge and improve quality of life.

Record-setting X-ray jet: X-rays from supermassive black hole 12.4 billion light years from Earth

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 09:15 AM PST

A jet of X-rays from a supermassive black hole 12.4 billion light years from Earth has been detected. This is the most distant X-ray jet ever observed and gives astronomers a glimpse into the explosive activity associated with the growth of supermassive black holes in the early universe.

First success of targeted therapy in most common genetic subtype of non-small cell lung cancer

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 09:15 AM PST

Chemotherapy and a new, targeted therapy work better in combination than chemotherapy alone in treating patients with the most common genetic subtype of lung cancer, new research suggests.

Scientists sniff out the substances behind the aroma in the 'king of fruits'

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 08:22 AM PST

The latest effort to decipher the unique aroma signature of the durian -- revered as the "king of fruits" in southeast Asia but reviled elsewhere as the world's foulest smelling food -- has uncovered several new substances that contribute to the fragrance.

Hagfish slime as a model for tomorrow's natural fabrics

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 08:22 AM PST

Nylon, Kevlar and other synthetic fabrics: Step aside. If new scientific research pans out, people may be sporting shirts, blouses and other garments made from fibers modeled after those in the icky, super-strong slime from a creature called the hagfish.

Mix masters: Scientists image the molecular structure of polymer blends

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 08:21 AM PST

Using an enhanced form of 'chemical microscopy', researchers have shown that they can peer into the structure of blended polymers, resolving details of the molecular arrangement at sub-micrometer levels. The capability has important implications for the design of industrially important polymers like the polyethylene blends used to repair aging waterlines.

Researchers synthesize new kind of silk fiber, and use music to fine-tune material's properties

Posted: 28 Nov 2012 08:21 AM PST

Researchers have synthesized a new kind of silk fiber -- and find that music can help fine-tune the material's properties.

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