ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Two-step mechanism of inner ear tip link regrowth
• Do parasites upset food web theory?
• Body clocks linked to osteoarthritis
• X-rays reveal new picture of 'dinobird' plumage patterns
• Long-distance cross-country skiers at increased risk of heart rhythm disturbances
• New surgical technique for Bell's palsy facial paralysis
• Video gamers really do see more: Gamers capture more information faster for visual decision-making
• Exposure to air transforms gold alloys into catalytic nanostructures
• Very high prevalence of chronic health conditions among adult survivors of childhood cancer
• Bacterium that causes gum disease packs a one-two punch to the jaw
• Cloud computing user privacy in serious need of reform, scholars say
• New details of natural anticancer mechanism uncovered
• Workers do not quit due to mandatory flu shot
• First comprehensive and prospective characterization of a genetic subtype of autism
• Marks on Martian dunes may be tracks of dry-ice sleds
• Shining a light on cool pools of gas in the galaxy
• Black hole naps amidst stellar chaos
• Is a sleeping climate giant stirring in the Arctic?
• Moon radiation findings may reduce health risks to astronauts
• Chlamydia protein has an odd structure, scientists find
• Flu vaccines aimed at younger populations could break annual transmission cycle
• New tasks become as simple as waving a hand with brain-computer interfaces
• Why fruit ripens and spoils: Thousands of plant genes activated by ethylene gas
• Caregiving dads treated disrespectfully at work, new study finds
• Exercise for stroke patients' brains
• Diabetes drug points the way to overcoming drug resistance in melanoma
• Brown tide has emerged off Long Island, NY in Moriches, Quantuck and Shinnecock Bay, but not in Great South Bay
• Pilot program to decrease emergency room wait times
• Polymer nanoreactors create uniform nanocrystals
• New research urges caution on use of peer support in chronic disease
• Females fend off gut diseases -- at least among mice
• You're so vain: Study links social media use and narcissism
• Understanding the heart's rhythm
• Wood not so green a biofuel? Logging may have greater impact on carbon emissions than previously thought
• Discovery of gene responsible for multiple intestinal atresia in newborns
• Perfect pitch may not be absolute after all
• Tillage and reduced-input rotations affect runoff from agricultural fields
• Stem cells reach standard for use in drug development
• Obesity can be predicted from infancy, researchers find
• Nanofiber sensor detects diabetes or lung cancer faster and easier
• Sudden allergies: When a summer cold is much more
• Fetal neuromaturation associated with mother's exposure to DDT and other environmental contaminants
• Neurostimulation helps children’s intractable constipation, study finds
• Plunging fish numbers linked to dam releases
• New means to communicate population risk assessments among scientists and decision-makers
• Screening fails to affect breast cancer mortality statistics, UK study finds
• Background mortality rates key to accurate reporting of vaccine safety risks
• Electric cars in action: Small and medium-sized companies sharing fleets of electric vehicles
• Potential disease-transmission sources in animals ID'd by calculating risk using social network mathematics
• Blood-sucking deer keds are spreading in Norway
• Why is my baby hospitalized? Many moms in under-developed countries don't know the answer
• Voiding disorder therapy improved sexual dysfunction
• Scientists discover new layer of the human cornea
• Graphene and semiconductor technology together: Smaller, cheaper, better
• Effective privacy protection in social networks
• Fukushima accident raised levels of radioactive strontium off the east coast of Japan by up to 100 times
• How to stop a trunk and start a tail? The leg has the key
• Less friction loss in combustion engines
• Fractal patterns spontaneously emerge during bacterial cell growth
• Iberian lynx attacks on farm animals are on the rise

Two-step mechanism of inner ear tip link regrowth Posted: 11 Jun 2013 05:46 PM PDT Scientist have found an unexpected two-step process that happens during the growth and regeneration of inner ear tip links in mice. Tip links are extracellular tethers that link stereocilia, the tiny sensory projections on inner ear hair cells that convert sound into electrical signals, and play a key role in hearing. The discovery offers a possible mechanism for potential interventions that could preserve hearing in people.

Do parasites upset food web theory? Posted: 11 Jun 2013 05:46 PM PDT Parasites comprise a large proportion of the diversity of species in every ecosystem, but are rarely included in analyses or models of food webs. If parasites play different roles from other predators and prey, however, their inclusion could fundamentally alter our understanding of how food webs are organized. A new article has shown that including parasites does alter the structure of food webs, but most changes occur because of an increase in diversity and complexity.

Body clocks linked to osteoarthritis Posted: 11 Jun 2013 05:45 PM PDT Scheduled exercise, regular meals and the periodic warming and cooling of joints could be used to relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis according to scientists. Their research may also help explain why older people are more prone to developing this common joint disorder.

X-rays reveal new picture of 'dinobird' plumage patterns Posted: 11 Jun 2013 05:45 PM PDT The first complete chemical analysis of feathers from Archaeopteryx, a famous fossil linking dinosaurs and birds, reveals that the feathers of this early bird were patterned – light in colour, with a dark edge and tip to the feather ­­– rather than all black, as previously thought.

Long-distance cross-country skiers at increased risk of heart rhythm disturbances Posted: 11 Jun 2013 05:45 PM PDT Cross-country skiers who take part in one of the world's most challenging ski races, the 90 km Vasaloppet in Sweden, are at increased risk of developing arrhythmia – problems with the rate or rhythm of their heart beat – according to a study of nearly 53,000 race participants.

New surgical technique for Bell's palsy facial paralysis Posted: 11 Jun 2013 05:44 PM PDT A surgeon is using electrical stimulation as part of an advanced surgical technique to treat Bell's palsy, a condition that causes paralysis on one side of a patient's face.

Video gamers really do see more: Gamers capture more information faster for visual decision-making Posted: 11 Jun 2013 01:19 PM PDT Hours spent at the video gaming console not only train a player's hands to work the buttons on the controller, they probably also train the brain to make better and faster use of visual input, according to researchers.

Exposure to air transforms gold alloys into catalytic nanostructures Posted: 11 Jun 2013 01:19 PM PDT Scientists have created promising gold-indium oxide nanoparticles through room-temperature oxidation.

Very high prevalence of chronic health conditions among adult survivors of childhood cancer Posted: 11 Jun 2013 01:18 PM PDT In an analysis that included more than 1,700 adult survivors of childhood cancer, researchers found a very high percentage of survivors with 1 or more chronic health conditions, with an estimated cumulative prevalence of any chronic health condition of 95 percent at age 45 years, according to a new study.

Bacterium that causes gum disease packs a one-two punch to the jaw Posted: 11 Jun 2013 12:44 PM PDT The newly discovered bacterium that causes gum disease delivers a one-two punch by also triggering normally protective proteins in the mouth to actually destroy more bone.

Cloud computing user privacy in serious need of reform, scholars say Posted: 11 Jun 2013 12:44 PM PDT The current "non-negotiable approach" to user privacy is in need of serious revision, especially with the increased popularity of web-based software that shares information via cloud computing, experts say.

New details of natural anticancer mechanism uncovered Posted: 11 Jun 2013 12:40 PM PDT Scientists have identified key triggers of an important cancer-blocking mechanism in cells. Termed "oncogene-induced senescence," this mechanism can block most cancer types and is commonly experienced when incipient skin cancers turn instead into slow-growing moles.

Workers do not quit due to mandatory flu shot Posted: 11 Jun 2013 12:40 PM PDT In its fourth year with 99 percent compliance, Loyola University Health System's mandatory flu shot program is the subject of a new study presented at an infectious disease conference.

First comprehensive and prospective characterization of a genetic subtype of autism Posted: 11 Jun 2013 12:40 PM PDT A new study describes the clinical presentation of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome and will help guide future research and clinical care.

Marks on Martian dunes may be tracks of dry-ice sleds Posted: 11 Jun 2013 11:51 AM PDT NASA research indicates hunks of frozen carbon dioxide -- dry ice -- may glide down some Martian sand dunes on cushions of gas similar to miniature hovercraft, plowing furrows as they go. Researchers deduced this process could explain one enigmatic class of gullies seen on Martian sand dunes by examining images from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and performing experiments on sand dunes in Utah and California.

Shining a light on cool pools of gas in the galaxy Posted: 11 Jun 2013 11:48 AM PDT Newly formed stars shine brightly, practically crying out, "Hey, look at me!" But not everything in our Milky Way galaxy is easy to see. The bulk of material between the stars in the galaxy -- the cool hydrogen gas from which stars spring -- is nearly impossible to find.

Black hole naps amidst stellar chaos Posted: 11 Jun 2013 11:45 AM PDT Nearly a decade ago, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory caught signs of what appeared to be a black hole snacking on gas at the middle of the nearby Sculptor galaxy. Now, NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), which sees higher-energy X-ray light, has taken a peek and found the black hole asleep.

Is a sleeping climate giant stirring in the Arctic? Posted: 11 Jun 2013 11:43 AM PDT Permafrost zones occupy nearly a quarter of the exposed land area of the Northern Hemisphere. NASA's Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment is probing deep into the frozen lands above the Arctic Circle in Alaska to measure emissions of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane from thawing permafrost -- signals that may hold a key to Earth's climate future.

Moon radiation findings may reduce health risks to astronauts Posted: 11 Jun 2013 11:43 AM PDT Space scientists report that data gathered by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter show lighter materials like plastics provide effective shielding against the radiation hazards faced by astronauts during extended space travel. The finding could help reduce health risks to humans on future missions into deep space.

Chlamydia protein has an odd structure, scientists find Posted: 11 Jun 2013 11:43 AM PDT Discovery of the structure of a protein secreted by the chlamydia bug may lead to novel therapies for the common sexually transmitted disease, which infects more than a million Americans annually.

Flu vaccines aimed at younger populations could break annual transmission cycle Posted: 11 Jun 2013 11:43 AM PDT The value of vaccinating more children and young adults for influenza is being seriously underestimated. A new report suggests heavier emphasis on vaccinating those groups might save thousands of lives every year.

New tasks become as simple as waving a hand with brain-computer interfaces Posted: 11 Jun 2013 11:33 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated that when humans use brain-computer interfaces, the brain behaves much like it does when completing simple motor skills such as kicking a ball, typing or waving a hand. Learning to control a robotic arm or a prosthetic limb could become second nature for people who are paralyzed.

Why fruit ripens and spoils: Thousands of plant genes activated by ethylene gas Posted: 11 Jun 2013 11:33 AM PDT It's common wisdom that one rotten apple in a barrel spoils all the other apples, and that an apple ripens a green banana if they are put together in a paper bag. Ways to ripen, or spoil, fruit have been known for thousands of years -- as the Bible can attest -- but now the genes underlying these phenomena of nature have been revealed. Scientists have now traced the thousands of genes in a plant that are activated once ethylene, a gas that acts as a plant growth hormone, is released.

Caregiving dads treated disrespectfully at work, new study finds Posted: 11 Jun 2013 10:09 AM PDT If policy-makers want to do something about falling birth rates, they may want to take a look at improving how people are treated at work when they step outside of traditional family roles at home. New studies show that middle-class men who take on non-traditional caregiving roles are treated worse at work than men who stick closer to traditional gender norms in the family. Women without children and mothers with non-traditional caregiving arrangements are treated worst of all.

Exercise for stroke patients' brains Posted: 11 Jun 2013 10:09 AM PDT Researchers found that while the typical brain responded to the visual stimulus with activity in cortical motor regions that are generally activated when we watch others perform actions, in the stroke-affected brain, activity was strongest in these regions of the damaged hemisphere, and strongest when stroke patients viewed actions they would have the most difficulty performing.

Diabetes drug points the way to overcoming drug resistance in melanoma Posted: 11 Jun 2013 10:09 AM PDT Despite the success of melanoma-targeting drugs, tumors inevitably become drug resistant and return, more aggressive than before. Researchers now describe how they increase the effectiveness of anti-melanoma drugs by combining anticancer therapies with diabetes drugs. Their studies, conducted in cell and animal models of melanoma, demonstrate that the combined therapy could destroy a subset of drug-resistant cells within a tumor.

Brown tide has emerged off Long Island, NY in Moriches, Quantuck and Shinnecock Bay, but not in Great South Bay Posted: 11 Jun 2013 10:09 AM PDT A brown tide has emerged within some, but not all, of Long Island's south shore estuaries. Monitoring has revealed that a brown tide has developed in eastern Moriches Bay, Quantuck Bay, and western Shinnecock Bay.

Pilot program to decrease emergency room wait times Posted: 11 Jun 2013 10:09 AM PDT Emergency department overcrowding has been a major issue nationally for 20 years and continues to increase in severity. To address this issue, a pilot study has been launched at UC San Diego Health System's ED to use telemedicine as a way to help address crowding and decrease patient wait times. The study is the first of its kind in California to use cameras to bring on-call doctors who are outside of the hospital to the patient in need.

Polymer nanoreactors create uniform nanocrystals Posted: 11 Jun 2013 10:09 AM PDT Using star-shaped block co-polymer structures as tiny reaction vessels, researchers have developed an improved technique for producing nanocrystals with consistent sizes, compositions and architectures – including metallic, ferroelectric, magnetic, semiconductor and luminescent nanocrystals.

New research urges caution on use of peer support in chronic disease Posted: 11 Jun 2013 09:21 AM PDT Health organizations need to give careful consideration to schemes which encourage people with chronic diseases to seek support from peers, to avoid the potential negative effects, new research shows.

Females fend off gut diseases -- at least among mice Posted: 11 Jun 2013 09:21 AM PDT At least among mice, females have innate protection from certain digestive conditions, according to a new study. While it's tricky to draw conclusions for human health, the findings could eventually help scientists better understand and treat the millions of people suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases.

You're so vain: Study links social media use and narcissism Posted: 11 Jun 2013 09:21 AM PDT Facebook is a mirror and Twitter is a megaphone, according to a new study exploring how social media reflect and amplify the culture's growing levels of narcissism.

Understanding the heart's rhythm Posted: 11 Jun 2013 09:21 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a previously unidentified potassium channel in cardiac cells that regulate the human heartbeat. This could be a significant step towards developing "biological pacemakers" to replace today's mechanical pacemakers, the researcher says.

Wood not so green a biofuel? Logging may have greater impact on carbon emissions than previously thought Posted: 11 Jun 2013 09:21 AM PDT Using wood for energy is considered cleaner than fossil fuels, but a new study finds that logging may release large amounts of carbon stored in deep forest soils.

Discovery of gene responsible for multiple intestinal atresia in newborns Posted: 11 Jun 2013 09:21 AM PDT Physicians have conducted a study that has led to the discovery of a gene that causes multiple intestinal atresia, a rare and life-threatening hereditary disorder that affects newborns. In addition to exploring novel therapeutic treatments for children with the disease, the discovery of the gene TTC7A will make it possible to develop a prenatal diagnostic test and a screening test for parents who are carriers.

Perfect pitch may not be absolute after all Posted: 11 Jun 2013 09:20 AM PDT People who think they have perfect pitch may not be as in tune as they think, according to a new study in which people failed to notice a gradual change in pitch while listening to music. When tested afterward, people said notes that were in tune at the beginning sounded out of tune.

Tillage and reduced-input rotations affect runoff from agricultural fields Posted: 11 Jun 2013 09:20 AM PDT A new study provides information about runoff under different management practices and can help farmers choose the practice that is best for them.

Stem cells reach standard for use in drug development Posted: 11 Jun 2013 08:17 AM PDT Drug development for a range of conditions could be improved with stem cell technology that helps doctors predict the safety and the effectiveness of potential treatments. Researchers in the UK have been able to generate cells in the laboratory that reach the gold standard required by the pharmaceutical industry to test drug safety.

Obesity can be predicted from infancy, researchers find Posted: 11 Jun 2013 08:17 AM PDT Infants as young as two months old already exhibit growth patterns that can predict the child's weight by age 5, according to researchers.

Nanofiber sensor detects diabetes or lung cancer faster and easier Posted: 11 Jun 2013 08:17 AM PDT Researchers in South Korea have recently developed a highly sensitive exhaled breath sensor by using hierarchical tin dioxide fibers that are assembled from wrinkled thin tin dioxide nanotubes.

Sudden allergies: When a summer cold is much more Posted: 11 Jun 2013 08:15 AM PDT With temperatures in the 80s, the last thing anyone wants is a runny nose and constant sneezing to put a damper on vacation plans and outdoor festivals. While many blame their symptoms on a summer cold, it could be something much more. Summer allergies can strike at any age, mimicking a cold.

Fetal neuromaturation associated with mother's exposure to DDT and other environmental contaminants Posted: 11 Jun 2013 08:15 AM PDT A has for the first time found that a mother's higher exposure to some common environmental contaminants was associated with more frequent and vigorous fetal motor activity. Some chemicals were also associated with fewer changes in fetal heart rate, which normally parallel fetal movements.

Neurostimulation helps children’s intractable constipation, study finds Posted: 11 Jun 2013 08:15 AM PDT Home treatment with a simple, battery-operated system that applies four sticky electrode patches to the mid-section allowed a group of children with the most difficult-to-treat, possibly congenital, constipation to reduce soiling and improve elimination, according to new research.

Plunging fish numbers linked to dam releases Posted: 11 Jun 2013 07:23 AM PDT An Australian study has thrown cold water on the notion that large dam releases compensate for the effects of interrupting natural water flows.

New means to communicate population risk assessments among scientists and decision-makers Posted: 11 Jun 2013 07:22 AM PDT Population viability analyses (PVAs) are commonly used to assess extinction risks for species. Despite their many advantages and usefulness, many people find them hard to design, apply and communicate. In a new review, a team of researchers suggests that our capacity to learn from PVAs may be greatly improved using a common standard. The "DAC-PVA" protocol has hence been designed for supporting the effective Design, Application, and Communication of PVAs.

Screening fails to affect breast cancer mortality statistics, UK study finds Posted: 11 Jun 2013 07:21 AM PDT New research from the UK analysing breast cancer mortality data spanning almost 40 years concludes that breast cancer screening does not yet show an effect on mortality statistics. The research analyzed mortality trends before and after the introduction of the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme in 1988.

Background mortality rates key to accurate reporting of vaccine safety risks Posted: 11 Jun 2013 07:20 AM PDT In a study using the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), investigators analyzed four years of data and determined that background mortality rates (rates of death irrespective of cause) are crucial in interpreting the numbers of deaths following vaccination. The VSD mortality rate following immunization is lower than the general US population mortality rate, and the causes of death are similar. These background rates can be used in communications to the public about vaccine safety risks.

Electric cars in action: Small and medium-sized companies sharing fleets of electric vehicles Posted: 11 Jun 2013 07:20 AM PDT Imagine a number of different companies sharing a single fleet of electric vehicles. Researchers in Germany are busy working out just how to make this vision a reality. The Shared E-Fleet research project aims not only to work up suitable IT solutions, but also to design the smart energy management and profitable business models that are called for.

Potential disease-transmission sources in animals ID'd by calculating risk using social network mathematics Posted: 11 Jun 2013 07:20 AM PDT Scientists have successfully identified animal species that can transmit more diseases to humans by using mathematical tools similar to those applied to the study of social networks like Facebook or Twitter. Their research describes how parasite-primate interactions transmit diseases like malaria, yellow fever or AIDS to humans. Their findings could make an important contribution to predicting the animal species most likely to cause future pandemics.

Blood-sucking deer keds are spreading in Norway Posted: 11 Jun 2013 07:20 AM PDT A high moose population density and mild autumn weather result in a higher prevalence of deer keds (louse fly parasite). A great deal of pine forest in the habitat of the moose has the same effect. These are the results of new research into how deer keds are spreading in Southeast Norway.

Why is my baby hospitalized? Many moms in under-developed countries don't know the answer Posted: 11 Jun 2013 07:18 AM PDT Communication gap between moms and providers in low-income countries about why sick newborns are hospitalized puts babies at higher health risks.

Voiding disorder therapy improved sexual dysfunction Posted: 11 Jun 2013 07:18 AM PDT A prospective study of 23 women aged 21 to 71 showed pelvic neuromodulation for bladder disorders also increased five of six sexual function scores in a validated questionnaire administered pre- and post-treatment.

Scientists discover new layer of the human cornea Posted: 11 Jun 2013 05:42 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a previously undetected layer in the cornea, the clear window at the front of the human eye. The breakthrough could help surgeons to dramatically improve outcomes for patients undergoing corneal grafts and transplants.

Graphene and semiconductor technology together: Smaller, cheaper, better Posted: 11 Jun 2013 05:42 AM PDT Mobile phones that bend, self-powered nanodevices, new and improved solar cell technology and windows that generate electricity are but a few of the potential products from the union of semiconductors and graphene.

Effective privacy protection in social networks Posted: 11 Jun 2013 05:42 AM PDT Researchers are working on new methods to help them gain a better understanding of the usage habits of participants in social networks. The results will be incorporated in the development of userfriendly tools for privacy protection.

Fukushima accident raised levels of radioactive strontium off the east coast of Japan by up to 100 times Posted: 11 Jun 2013 05:42 AM PDT Researchers in Spain have studied the spread of radioactive strontium in the coastal waters of eastern Japan during the three months following the Fukushima nuclear accident, which happened in March 2011. The samples analysed show the impact of the direct release of radioactive materials into the Pacific Ocean, and indicate that the amount of strontium-90 discharged into the sea during those three months was between 90 and 900 Tbq (terabecquerels), raising levels by up to two orders of magnitude. The highest concentrations were found to the north of the Kuroshio current, which acts as a barrier preventing radioactive material from being carried to lower latitudes.

How to stop a trunk and start a tail? The leg has the key Posted: 11 Jun 2013 05:42 AM PDT A new study reveals the mechanisms behind trunk to tail transition in vertebrates.

Less friction loss in combustion engines Posted: 11 Jun 2013 05:42 AM PDT Researchers have developed a method that can reduce engine friction and wear even during production of engine components. Special coatings can help to reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

Fractal patterns spontaneously emerge during bacterial cell growth Posted: 11 Jun 2013 05:41 AM PDT Despite bacterial colonies always forming circular shapes as they grow, their cells form internal divisions which are highly asymmetrical and branched. These fractal (self-similar) patterns are due to the physical forces and local instabilities that are a natural part of bacterial cell growth, a new study reveals. The research has important implications for the emerging field of synthetic biology.

Iberian lynx attacks on farm animals are on the rise Posted: 11 Jun 2013 05:41 AM PDT Scientists in Spain have spent six years studying the hunting behavior of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), registering a total of 40 attacks with 716 farm animals killed. Their results indicate that, although the resulting economic losses are not high, this behavior is on the rise.

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