ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Differences in staging and treatment likely to be behind UK's low bowel cancer survival
• Light drinking in pregnancy not linked to development problems in childhood, study suggests
• Gene study helps understand pulmonary fibrosis
• Acute stress primes brain for better cognitive and mental performance
• Memory, the adolescent brain and lying: The limits of neuroscientific evidence in the law
• NASA's Wind mission encounters 'SLAMS' waves
• Dying supergiant stars implicated in hours-long gamma-ray bursts
• Common pregnancy conditions risk future diabetes
• Scientists pinpoint brain's area for numeral recognition
• Molecular signaling in early placenta formation gives clues to causes of pregnancy complications
• 'Survival of the fittest' now applies to computers: Surprising similarities found between genetic and computer codes
• Researchers create novel optical fibers
• Genetic markers linked to the development of lymphedema in breast cancer survivors
• Aerobic exercise may protect cognitive abilities of heavy drinkers
• Migraines in childhood and adolescence associated with having colic as an infant
• Patients with surgical complications provide greater hospital profit-margins
• Routine EKG finding could signal serious heart problem
• Parents can help their children avoid alcohol pitfalls during transition from high school to college
• Plasma device could revolutionize energy generation and storage
• Small in size, big on power: New microbatteries the most powerful yet
• Strange new bursts of gamma rays point to a new way to destroy a star
• Softening steel problem expands computer model applications
• Clinical trials for cellulite treatment on the horizon
• Promising results in treating a lymphoma in young people
• Cancer metastasis: When a KISS (1) goes bad
• Peel-and-stick solar cells
• Scientists discover new materials to capture methane
• Survey shows dramatic improvement in B100 biodiesel quality
• Methods to repair kidney cells, assess kidney function on the horizon
• Love at first sniff: Male moths go by first impressions
• Survived cancer? Now look out for cardiovascular risks
• Building a better capacitor with custom nanorods
• Turning algae into clean energy and fish food; helping Africans to irrigate crops
• Layered '2-D nanocrystals' promising new semiconductor
• Catch me if you can: Two new species of moth from the Russian Far East
• Researchers devise X-ray approach to track surgical devices, minimize radiation exposure
• New material gets itself into shape
• Better skin grafting: Inspired by spiny-headed worms, scientists invent microneedle adhesive stronger than surgical staples
• For the very first time, two spacecraft will fly in formation with millimeter precision
• Cheaper natural gas-powered cars on the horizon?
• Powerpot turns heat and water into electricity
• A quarter of patients discharged from hospitals return to ERs within 30 days
• Mammogram tool improves some breast cancer detection but also increases false alarms
• Lack of consensus among health care providers in identifying sepsis poses threat to treatment
• Biodiversity crisis: The impacts of socio-economic pressures on natural floras and faunas
• Anxious about life and afraid of death? Tylenol may do the trick, study suggests
• Impact of portion size on overeating is hard to overcome
• Dramatic changes in bacteria following male circumcision
• Paper-thin skin patch collects vitals: E-health made easier and more comfortable
• Neighbors move electrons jointly: Ultrafast collective electron transfer after excitation of single electron
• Transcription factors regulating blood oxygen linked to melanoma metastases
• Standardized testing creates 'toxic environment' in schools, professor says
• College admission questions rarely identify criminal behavior
• Experiencing existential dread? Tylenol may do the trick
• Haiti cholera mutations could lead to more severe disease
• Medications used to treat rheumatoid arthritis may affect abortion rate in women
• Tobacco companies keep people smoking despite UK cigarette tax increases
• Women with HIV shown to have elevated resting energy expenditure
• Scientists transform cellulose into starch: Potential food source derived from non-food plants
• New generation soil property maps for Africa

Differences in staging and treatment likely to be behind UK's low bowel cancer survival Posted: 16 Apr 2013 06:47 PM PDT Incomplete diagnostic investigation and failure to get the best treatment are the most likely reasons why survival for bowel cancer patients is lower in the UK than in other comparable countries, according to new research.

Light drinking in pregnancy not linked to development problems in childhood, study suggests Posted: 16 Apr 2013 06:47 PM PDT Light drinking during pregnancy is not linked to adverse behavioural or cognitive outcomes in childhood, suggests a new study.

Gene study helps understand pulmonary fibrosis Posted: 16 Apr 2013 06:46 PM PDT A study of the genomes of more than 1,500 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis found multiple genetic associations with the disease. One variant in a gene called TOLLIP was linked to an increase in the risk of death. This finding suggests that an abnormal immune response to infectious agents or environmental injury may be central to the disease.

Acute stress primes brain for better cognitive and mental performance Posted: 16 Apr 2013 05:45 PM PDT Chronic stress is known to cause major health problems, yet acute stress can be good for you. A new study shows why. Stress generates new nerve cells in the brain that, two weeks later, help you learn better. Thus, unlike chronic stress, acute stress primes the brain for improved cognitive and mental performance.

Memory, the adolescent brain and lying: The limits of neuroscientific evidence in the law Posted: 16 Apr 2013 03:00 PM PDT Brain scans are increasingly able to reveal whether you believe you remember some person or event in your life. In a new study, researchers used fMRI brain scans to detect whether a person recognized scenes from their own lives, as captured in some 45,000 images by digital cameras. The study is seeking to test the capabilities and limits of brain-based technology for detecting memories, a technique being considered for use in legal settings.

NASA's Wind mission encounters 'SLAMS' waves Posted: 16 Apr 2013 03:00 PM PDT To tease out what happens at that boundary of the magnetosphere and to better understand how radiation and energy from the sun can cross it and move closer to Earth, NASA launches spacecraft into this region to observe the changing conditions. From 1998 to 2002, NASA's Wind spacecraft traveled through this foreshock region in front of Earth 17 times, providing new information about the physics there.

Dying supergiant stars implicated in hours-long gamma-ray bursts Posted: 16 Apr 2013 03:00 PM PDT Three unusually long-lasting stellar explosions discovered by NASA's Swift satellite represent a previously unrecognized class of gamma-ray bursts. Two international teams of astronomers studying these events conclude that they likely arose from the catastrophic death of supergiant stars hundreds of times larger than the sun.

Common pregnancy conditions risk future diabetes Posted: 16 Apr 2013 03:00 PM PDT Two common conditions in pregnancy may be risk factors for future diabetes according to a Canadian study of over one million women.

Scientists pinpoint brain's area for numeral recognition Posted: 16 Apr 2013 03:00 PM PDT Scientists have determined the precise anatomical coordinates of a brain "hot spot," measuring only about one-fifth of an inch across, that is preferentially activated when people view the ordinary numerals we learn early on in elementary school, like "6" or "38."

Molecular signaling in early placenta formation gives clues to causes of pregnancy complications Posted: 16 Apr 2013 03:00 PM PDT Understanding the molecular control of placenta formation, the organ which enables fetal growth, is critical in diagnosing and treating related pregnancy complications. Scientists have now revealed a molecular feedback loop that governs the earliest steps of placenta formation in mice, which is known to mimic placenta formation in humans.

'Survival of the fittest' now applies to computers: Surprising similarities found between genetic and computer codes Posted: 16 Apr 2013 02:16 PM PDT "Survival of the fittest" originally referred to natural selection in biological systems, but new research shows that this evolutionary theory also applies to technological systems.

Researchers create novel optical fibers Posted: 16 Apr 2013 02:16 PM PDT Researchers have found a novel way to propagate multiple beams of light in a single strand of optical fiber. The discovery could increase the amount of information fiber optic cables can carry.

Genetic markers linked to the development of lymphedema in breast cancer survivors Posted: 16 Apr 2013 02:16 PM PDT A new study has found a clear association between certain genes and the development of lymphedema, a painful and chronic condition that often occurs after breast cancer surgery and some other cancer treatments.

Aerobic exercise may protect cognitive abilities of heavy drinkers Posted: 16 Apr 2013 01:18 PM PDT Aerobic exercise may help prevent and perhaps even reverse some of the brain damage associated with heavy alcohol consumption, according to a new study.

Migraines in childhood and adolescence associated with having colic as an infant Posted: 16 Apr 2013 01:18 PM PDT In a study including children and adolescents six to 18 years of age, those who have experienced migraine headaches were more likely to have had colic as an infant, according to a new study.

Patients with surgical complications provide greater hospital profit-margins Posted: 16 Apr 2013 01:18 PM PDT Privately insured surgical patients with a complication provided hospitals with a 330 percent higher profit margin than those without a complication, report researchers. Medicare patients with a complication produced a 190 percent higher margin. For hospitals, reducing surgical complications may mean reduced financial performance.

Routine EKG finding could signal serious heart problem Posted: 16 Apr 2013 01:18 PM PDT A common test that records the heart's electrical activity could predict potentially serious cardiovascular illness, according to a new study.

Parents can help their children avoid alcohol pitfalls during transition from high school to college Posted: 16 Apr 2013 01:18 PM PDT The transition from high school to college is a particularly vulnerable time for alcohol experimentation. A new study looks at which student characteristics may enhance parent-based interventions. Results indicate that teens who perceive their friends as more approving of alcohol consumption also seem to be more influenced by communication with their parents about drinking.

Plasma device could revolutionize energy generation and storage Posted: 16 Apr 2013 12:19 PM PDT Engineers have developed a method of creating and controlling plasma that could revolutionize American energy generation and storage.

Small in size, big on power: New microbatteries the most powerful yet Posted: 16 Apr 2013 12:19 PM PDT The most powerful batteries on the planet are only a few millimeters in size, yet they pack such a punch that a driver could use a cellphone powered by these batteries to jump-start a dead car battery -- and then recharge the phone in the blink of an eye. The new microbatteries out-power even the best supercapacitors and could drive new applications in radio communications and compact electronics.

Strange new bursts of gamma rays point to a new way to destroy a star Posted: 16 Apr 2013 11:47 AM PDT Scientists have pinpointed a new type of exceptionally powerful and long-lived cosmic explosion, prompting a theory that they arise in the violent death throes of a supergiant star.

Softening steel problem expands computer model applications Posted: 16 Apr 2013 11:46 AM PDT A new computer model has allowed the rapid design of an annealing process to soften stainless steel.

Clinical trials for cellulite treatment on the horizon Posted: 16 Apr 2013 11:46 AM PDT Projected to start in the second half of 2013, researchers plan to begin phase IIa placebo-controlled clinical trials using a drug treatment method developed here to treat cellulite. The treatment method uses clostridial collagenase histolyticum ("CCH"), an injectable form of the enzyme collagenase.

Promising results in treating a lymphoma in young people Posted: 16 Apr 2013 11:46 AM PDT Patients with a type of cancer known as primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma who received infusions of chemotherapy, but who did not have radiation therapy to an area of the thorax known as the mediastinum, had excellent outcomes, according to clinical trial results. Until now, most standard treatment approaches for patients with this type of lymphoma have included radiation therapy to the mediastinum. However, mediastinal radiation is associated with substantial long-term toxic side effects.

Cancer metastasis: When a KISS (1) goes bad Posted: 16 Apr 2013 10:28 AM PDT KISS 1 is a metastasis-suppressor gene which helps to prevent the spread of cancers, including melanoma, pancreatic and ovarian cancers to name a few. But new research shows that kisspeptins -- peptide products of KISS1, actually make some breast cancers worse, with a higher tumor grade and metastatic potential.

Peel-and-stick solar cells Posted: 16 Apr 2013 10:28 AM PDT It may be possible soon to charge cell phones, change the tint on windows, or power small toys with peel-and-stick versions of solar cells, thanks to new research.

Scientists discover new materials to capture methane Posted: 16 Apr 2013 10:28 AM PDT Scientists have discovered new materials to capture methane, the second highest concentration greenhouse gas emitted into the atmosphere.

Survey shows dramatic improvement in B100 biodiesel quality Posted: 16 Apr 2013 10:28 AM PDT The latest national survey of 100 percent biodiesel "blend stock" samples found that 95% of the samples from 2011-12 met ASTM International fuel quality specifications. The ASTM standards serve as guidelines for industry and are designed to ensure quality at the pump for consumers -- along with reliable operation of the nation's vehicles powered by biodiesel blends.

Methods to repair kidney cells, assess kidney function on the horizon Posted: 16 Apr 2013 09:17 AM PDT Researchers may have found a way to block kidney-destroying inflammation and help damaged kidney cells recover. In a related study, they report progress on a non-invasive method to assess how much kidney function has survived a serious bout of inflammation or a chronic problem like high blood pressure.

Love at first sniff: Male moths go by first impressions Posted: 16 Apr 2013 09:17 AM PDT Entomologists now have an explanation for why we see so many hybrid moths in nature. The team closely examined the behavior and the olfactory circuitry of male moths and found an answer in female-produced pheromones.

Survived cancer? Now look out for cardiovascular risks Posted: 16 Apr 2013 09:17 AM PDT New research finds that CVD risk factors may be overlooked during survivorship care.

Building a better capacitor with custom nanorods Posted: 16 Apr 2013 09:17 AM PDT A new process for growing forests of manganese dioxide nanorods may lead to the next generation of high-performance capacitors.

Turning algae into clean energy and fish food; helping Africans to irrigate crops Posted: 16 Apr 2013 09:17 AM PDT Two student teams working hard to move their "green" ideas off the drawing board and into the real world will showcase their progress.

Layered '2-D nanocrystals' promising new semiconductor Posted: 16 Apr 2013 08:44 AM PDT Researchers are developing a new type of semiconductor technology for future computers and electronics based on "two-dimensional nanocrystals" layered in sheets less than a nanometer thick that could replace today's transistors.

Catch me if you can: Two new species of moth from the Russian Far East Posted: 16 Apr 2013 08:44 AM PDT Showing a range of peculiar habits and difficult to be discovered and collected, Ypsolophid moths present an exciting catch for scientists. Russian entomologists have discovered and described two species of these engaging moths, coming from the southernmost areas of the Russian Far East.

Researchers devise X-ray approach to track surgical devices, minimize radiation exposure Posted: 16 Apr 2013 08:44 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new tool to help surgeons use X-rays to track devices used in "minimally invasive" surgical procedures while also limiting the patient's exposure to radiation from the X-rays.

New material gets itself into shape Posted: 16 Apr 2013 08:43 AM PDT Inspired by plant components that respond to external stimuli, material scientists have devised a new method for producing composite materials from a variety of materials that adopt a pre-programmed shape autonomously.

Better skin grafting: Inspired by spiny-headed worms, scientists invent microneedle adhesive stronger than surgical staples Posted: 16 Apr 2013 08:43 AM PDT A parasitic worm may hold the answer to keeping skin grafts firmly in place over wounds.

For the very first time, two spacecraft will fly in formation with millimeter precision Posted: 16 Apr 2013 08:42 AM PDT A new project aims to demonstrate that two satellites can move as one single object with sub-millimeter precision. This configuration will enable the creation of enormous space telescopes with the lens and detector hundreds of meters apart.

Cheaper natural gas-powered cars on the horizon? Posted: 16 Apr 2013 08:41 AM PDT When it comes to American consumers' vehicular preferences, a chemist says the choice often boils down to simple economics more so than availability, environment or altruism.

Powerpot turns heat and water into electricity Posted: 16 Apr 2013 08:41 AM PDT Students have invented a portable cook pot that doubles as a thermoelectric generator, and are now marketing it.

A quarter of patients discharged from hospitals return to ERs within 30 days Posted: 16 Apr 2013 07:23 AM PDT Nearly one quarter of patients may return to the emergency department within 30 days of being discharged from a hospitalization, according to researchers.

Mammogram tool improves some breast cancer detection but also increases false alarms Posted: 16 Apr 2013 07:23 AM PDT A costly and widely used mammography add-on increases detection of noninvasive and early-stage invasive breast cancer but also makes more mistakes than mammography alone, researchers have found.

Lack of consensus among health care providers in identifying sepsis poses threat to treatment Posted: 16 Apr 2013 07:23 AM PDT Though the toll of sepsis is known to be enormous -- costing the US health care system $24.3 billion each year, and is the nation's third-leading killer -- the true magnitude of incidence of and death from the illness remains unknown. There is substantial variability in these numbers, depending on the method used to identify the condition in patients treated at hospital across the United States, according to a new study.

Biodiversity crisis: The impacts of socio-economic pressures on natural floras and faunas Posted: 16 Apr 2013 07:23 AM PDT A new study on extinction risk has shown that proportions of plant and animal species being classified as threatened on national Red Lists are more closely related to socioeconomic pressure levels from the beginning than from the end of the 20th century.

Anxious about life and afraid of death? Tylenol may do the trick, study suggests Posted: 16 Apr 2013 07:23 AM PDT Researchers have found a new potential use for the over-the-counter pain drug Tylenol. Typically known to relieve physical pain, the study suggests the drug may also reduce the psychological effects of fear and anxiety over the human condition, or existential dread.

Impact of portion size on overeating is hard to overcome Posted: 16 Apr 2013 07:23 AM PDT People given large servings of food eat more than those given smaller servings, even after they have been taught about the impact of portion size on consumption, research shows. Learning how to engage in mindful -- rather than mindless -- eating also did not decrease food intake by a significant amount in those given large servings. The study highlights the need to find new ways to reduce the effect of portion size.

Dramatic changes in bacteria following male circumcision Posted: 16 Apr 2013 07:23 AM PDT Male circumcision reduces the abundance of bacteria living on the penis and might help explain why circumcision offers men some protection against HIV, according to a new study.

Paper-thin skin patch collects vitals: E-health made easier and more comfortable Posted: 16 Apr 2013 07:22 AM PDT The future of health care could be found in a tiny, paper-thin skin patch that collects vital information. The Bio-patch sensor is inexpensive, versatile and, best of all, comfortable to wear.

Neighbors move electrons jointly: Ultrafast collective electron transfer after excitation of single electron Posted: 16 Apr 2013 07:22 AM PDT Applying femtosecond x-ray methods, researchers have observed an extremely fast, collective electron transfer of ~100 molecular ions after excitation of a single electron in a crystal of transition metal complexes.

Transcription factors regulating blood oxygen linked to melanoma metastases Posted: 16 Apr 2013 07:21 AM PDT Researchers have discovered that transcription factors regulating the levels of oxygen in the blood also play a role in the spread of the skin cancer melanoma.

Standardized testing creates 'toxic environment' in schools, professor says Posted: 16 Apr 2013 07:21 AM PDT Standardized testing has facilitated "an incredibly toxic environment in our schools and in our discourse about education, ultimately turning schools from learning centers to testing factories," according to a professor. That emphasis on standardized testing has corrupted the focus on learning, turning school-aged children into "experimental pawns," he says.

College admission questions rarely identify criminal behavior Posted: 16 Apr 2013 05:54 AM PDT A new study shows that neither criminal background checks nor pre-admission screening questions accurately predict students likely to commit crime on college campuses.

Experiencing existential dread? Tylenol may do the trick Posted: 16 Apr 2013 05:54 AM PDT Thinking about death can cause us to feel a sort of existential angst that isn't attributable to a specific source. Now, new research suggests that acetaminophen, an over-the-counter pain medication, may help to reduce this existential pain.

Haiti cholera mutations could lead to more severe disease Posted: 16 Apr 2013 05:54 AM PDT The cholera strain that transferred to Haiti in 2010 has multiple toxin gene mutations that may account for the severity of disease and is evolving to be more like an 1800s version of cholera.

Medications used to treat rheumatoid arthritis may affect abortion rate in women Posted: 16 Apr 2013 05:54 AM PDT A new study reveals that women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who were on methotrexate, a drug commonly used to reduce inflammation caused by RA, had lower rates of induced abortions compared to women with RA who were not exposed to the medication.

Tobacco companies keep people smoking despite UK cigarette tax increases Posted: 16 Apr 2013 05:54 AM PDT The tobacco industry keeps the price of its cheapest cigarettes virtually static despite annual increases in tobacco taxes, circumventing the United Kingdom's public health policy to reduce smoking through higher prices.

Women with HIV shown to have elevated resting energy expenditure Posted: 16 Apr 2013 05:53 AM PDT Studies have shown that about 10 percent of men infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have an elevated resting energy expenditure (REE). Their bodies use more kilocalories for basic functions including circulation, body temperature, and breathing. Most studies have been conducted in men and those with solely women have had small sample sizes.

Scientists transform cellulose into starch: Potential food source derived from non-food plants Posted: 16 Apr 2013 05:53 AM PDT A team of researchers has succeeded in transforming cellulose into starch, a process that has the potential to provide a previously untapped nutrient source from plants not traditionally though of as food crops.

New generation soil property maps for Africa Posted: 16 Apr 2013 05:53 AM PDT A new type of soil property maps for Africa has been launched by ISRIC − World Soil Information in Wageningen, Netherlands. The maps are freely accessible.

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