الجمعة، 10 يناير 2014

ScienceDaily: Top News

ScienceDaily: Top News

Novel biomarker approach suggests new avenues to improve schizophrenia disease management

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 03:04 PM PST

Environmental effects of events such as oxygen deprivation and infections may be preserved as markers in blood that are associated to schizophrenia, according to an international study.

Some motor proteins cooperate better than others

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 03:03 PM PST

A study analyzes how teams of molecular motor proteins cooperate as they move cargoes around living cells.

War elephant myths debunked by DNA

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 03:03 PM PST

Through DNA analysis, researchers have disproved decades of rumors and hearsay surrounding the ancient Battle of Raphia, the only known battle between Asian and African elephants.

Innovative motion evaluation tool saves patients with back pain X-ray radiation exposure

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 03:03 PM PST

Those who have undergone extensive back surgery and need repeated X-rays to monitor their progress may soon have access to a new technology that skips the X-rays and repeated radiation exposure, opting instead for an innovative, noninvasive, non-X-ray device that evaluates spinal movement, according to a paper.

Study dispels theories of Y chromosome's demise: Stripped-down chromosome retains key genes for fertility

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 02:57 PM PST

Population geneticists compared the Y chromosomes of eight African and eight European men to understand why the chromosome is so puny. They attribute the size to strong natural selection to remove harmful genes -- so-called purifying selection -- but find essential roles for the remaining genes, dispelling the common notion that the Y's genes are mostly unimportant and that the chromosome is destined to dwindle and disappear.

Battery development may extend range of electric cars

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 02:55 PM PST

Electric cars could travel farther on a single charge and more renewable energy could be saved for a rainy day if lithium-sulfur batteries can last longer. Scientists have now developed a novel anode that could quadruple the lifespan of these promising batteries.

Discovery may aid vaccine design for common form of malaria

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 02:54 PM PST

A form of malaria common outside of Africa attacks red blood cells by clamping down on the cells with a pair of proteins, new research has revealed. The study provides details that will advance design of vaccines and drug treatments for the strain, Plasmodium vivax.

Research demonstrates 'guided missile' strategy to kill hidden HIV

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 02:54 PM PST

Researchers have deployed a potential new weapon against HIV – a combination therapy that targets HIV-infected cells that standard therapies cannot kill.

Spinal cord findings could help explain origins of limb control

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 11:38 AM PST

Researchers have found that the spinal cord circuits that produce body bending in swimming fish are more complicated than previously thought. In a study of zebrafish, they report that differential control of an animal's musculature -- the basic template for controlling more complex limbs, such as in humans -- is already in place in the spinal networks of simple fish. The data could help clarify how vertebrates made the transition from water to land.

Marine tubeworms need nudge to transition from larvae state

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 11:38 AM PST

Biofouling is the process by which barnacles, muscles, oysters, and tubeworms accumulate on the bottom of boats and other surfaces. Researchers have discovered a biological trigger behind the buildup. Biofouling begins when floating marine larvae come into contact with a biofilm formed by a microbe. Now researchers have isolated the genetic underpinnings of this novel form of bacterium-animal interaction.

Ahoy! First ocean vesicles spotted

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 11:38 AM PST

Scientists discover extracellular vesicles produced by ocean microbes.

Capturing a hard-wired variability: What makes some identical twins noticeably different?

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 11:37 AM PST

A new study has uncovered a phenomenon that alters prevailing views of how the genome is expressed to make and sustain the life of mammals. The article helps explain why genetically identical animals are sometimes so different in their biology and appearance, and why some inherited disorders caused by a shared set of aberrant genes can be of such variable severity in different people.

Loss of large carnivores poses global conservation problem

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 11:37 AM PST

In ecosystems around the world, the decline of large predators such as lions, dingoes, wolves, otters, and bears is changing the face of landscapes from the tropics to the Arctic -- but an analysis of 31 carnivore species shows for the first time how threats such as habitat loss, persecution by humans and loss of prey combine to create global hotspots of carnivore decline.

New clues to how bacteria evade antibiotics

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 11:37 AM PST

Scientists have made an important advance in understanding how a subset of bacterial cells escape being killed by many antibiotics.

Free code to help build better batteries

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 11:37 AM PST

Lithium-ion batteries, such as those used in electric vehicles, are in high demand, with a global market value expected to reach $33.1 billion in 2019. But their high price and short life need to be addressed before they can be used in more consumer, energy and medical products. Scientists are working to solve this problem buy developing optimal charging profiles for the batteries.

Inappropriate antibiotic use in emergency rooms not decreasing in adults

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 10:26 AM PST

An analysis of emergency room visits over a 10-year period finds that while inappropriate antibiotic use is decreasing in pediatric settings, it continues to remain a problem in adults, according to research.

Unravelling the web of a cosmic creeply-crawly

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 10:26 AM PST

This new Hubble image is the best-ever view of a cosmic creepy-crawly known as the Tarantula Nebula, a region full of star clusters, glowing gas, and dark dust. Astronomers are exploring and mapping this nebula as part of the Hubble Tarantula Treasury Project, in a bid to try to understand its starry anatomy.

Iconic Australasian trees found as fossils in South America

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 10:26 AM PST

Today in Australia they call it Kauri, in Asia they call it Dammar, and in South America it does not exist at all unless planted there. But 52 million years ago the giant coniferous evergreen tree known to botanists as Agathis thrived in the Patagonian region of Argentina, according to an international team of paleobotanists, who have found numerous fossilized remains there.

Acid mine drainage reduces radioactivity in fracking waste

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 10:26 AM PST

Blending fracking wastewater with acid mine drainage causes most of the naturally radioactive metals in the fracking water to precipitate into a solid for disposal. The practice also could help reduce the depletion of local freshwater resources by giving drillers a source of usable recycled water for the hydraulic fracturing process.

Astronomers discover new planet in Pisces constellation

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 10:25 AM PST

Astronomers have discovered a new giant planet located in a star system within the Pisces constellation. The planet, perhaps twice the mass of Jupiter, could help researchers learn more about how extrasolar planets are formed.

Genetic testing to produce more offspring

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 10:24 AM PST

A small anomaly with massive consequences: Researchers have discovered a genetic defect that makes breeding bulls infertile. To verify the mutation, researchers used the very latest gene sequencing techniques. Tests can now determine whether an animal is suitable for breeding or not.

New pathway for neuron repair discovered

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 10:24 AM PST

A brand-new pathway for neuron repair has been discovered that could have implications for faster and improved healing after nerve damage. The research demonstrates, for the first time, that dendrites, the component of nerve cells that receive information from the brain, have the capacity to regrow after an injury.

Rewiring stem cells: New technique may revolutionize understanding of how genes function

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 10:23 AM PST

A new technique for determining what causes stem cells to convert into other cell types could revolutionize our understanding of how genes function.

Fusion instabilities lessened by unexpected effect

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 10:21 AM PST

Introduction of relatively weak magnetic fields into Sandia's Z machine unexpectedly lessened plasma instabilities that have sunk previous fusion efforts.

Hubble views stellar genesis in the Southern Pinwheel

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 09:49 AM PST

The vibrant magentas and blues in this Hubble image of the barred spiral galaxy M83 reveal that the galaxy is ablaze with star formation. The galactic panorama unveils a tapestry of the drama of stellar birth and death. The galaxy, also known as the Southern Pinwheel, lies 15 million light-years away in the constellation Hydra.

Surprising new class of 'hypervelocity stars' discovered escaping the galaxy

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 09:49 AM PST

Astronomers have discovered a surprising new class of "hypervelocity stars" – solitary stars moving fast enough to escape the gravitational grasp of the Milky Way galaxy.

Ultra-thin flexible transparent electronics can wrap around a hair

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 07:36 AM PST

Researchers are developing electronic components that are thinner and more flexible than before. They can even be wrapped around a single hair without damaging the electronics. This opens up new possibilities for ultra-thin, transparent sensors that are literally easy on the eye.

Cancer drug protects against diabetes

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 07:36 AM PST

New research shows that low doses of a cancer drug protect against the development of type 1 diabetes in mice. At the same time, the medicine protects the insulin-producing cells from being destroyed.

Successful test in humans of nasal vaccine against pertussis

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 07:36 AM PST

The CHILD-INNOVAC European research program has enabled the development of an innovative vaccine that can be administered intranasally, to combat pertussis, which has shown a resurgence in developed countries in recent years.

Unfit, lean people are better protected against heart attacks than fit, obese people

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 07:36 AM PST

A research team has shown that physical fitness in your teens can reduce the risk of heart attack later in life, while men who are fit and obese in their teens run a higher risk of having a heart attack than unfit, lean men.

Many men start testosterone therapy without clear medical need

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 07:17 AM PST

Although testosterone use has sharply increased among older men in the past decade, many patients appear to have normal testosterone levels and do not meet the clinical guidelines for treatment, according to new research.

Maternal stress hormones, maternal smoking increase daughter's risk of nicotine dependence, study shows

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 06:19 AM PST

Smoking during pregnancy is linked to numerous negative outcomes, including low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome, and increased risk for attention deficit disorder, conduct disorder, and nicotine use in offspring. Despite this extensive literature, it is estimated that 13%-30% of women in the United States continue to smoke while pregnant. Now, a new 40-year longitudinal study provides strong evidence that prenatal exposure to maternal stress hormones predicts nicotine dependence later in life -- but only for daughters.

Marine bacteria to fight tough infections

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 09:43 PM PST

Aggressive infections are a growing health problem all over the world. The development of resistant bacteria is rampant and, in the United States, resistant staphylococci cause more deaths than AIDS on an annual basis. Researchers are studying a new form of treatment based on marine bacteria.

Bed bugs grow faster in groups

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 09:41 PM PST

Researchers found that bed bug nymphs developed 2.2 days faster than solitary nymphs -- a significant 7.3 percent difference. This study is the first ever to document the effects of aggregation on bed bug development.

Simple test can indicate cervical cancer

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 09:38 PM PST

Researchers have confirmed that using the heat profile from a person's blood, called a plasma thermogram, can serve as an indicator for the presence or absence of cervical cancer, including the stage of cancer.

Oceanographer examines pollutants in Antarctic seal milk

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 02:05 PM PST

An oceanographer is analyzing the milk from Antarctic fur seals to determine the type and quantity of pollutants the seals are accumulating and passing on to their pups.

Epilepsy drug taken in pregnancy found safe in preschool child development

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 02:05 PM PST

A new study finds that the epilepsy drug levetiracetam appears not to be associated with thinking, movement and language problems for preschool children born to mothers who took the drug during pregnancy, although the drug valproate was associated with some difficulties in preschoolers.

Magneto-optical nonreciprocal devices in silicon photonics

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 02:05 PM PST

In a paper published, researchers demonstrated the first optical isolator on silicon waveguide platforms.

Amount, types of fat we eat affect health, risk of disease

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 12:40 PM PST

Healthy adults should consume between 20 percent and 35 percent of their calories from dietary fat, increase their consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, and limit their intake of saturated and trans fats, according to an updated position paper from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
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