الثلاثاء، 4 فبراير 2014

ScienceDaily: Top News

ScienceDaily: Top News

Fiery-red coral species discovered in the Peruvian Pacific

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 10:36 AM PST

A new coral species, Psammogorgia hookeri, has been collected by scuba divers from rocky ledges at depths to 25 meters in Peru's Paracas National Reserve.

New technique makes 'biogasoline' from plant waste

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 10:36 AM PST

Gasoline-like fuels can be made from cellulosic materials such as farm and forestry waste using a new process. The process could open up new markets for plant-based fuels, beyond existing diesel substitutes.

Mood-stabilizing drug could treat inherited liver disease, study shows

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 10:36 AM PST

Opening up a can of worms is a good way to start hunting for new drugs. In a study published, researchers demonstrate how they used a primitive worm model to show that a drug typically used to treat agitation in schizophrenia and dementia has potential as a treatment for ±-1 antitrypsin deficiency.

Macrosystems ecology: New scientific field looks at the big picture

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 09:28 AM PST

Big data is changing the field of ecology. The shift is dramatic enough to warrant the creation of an entirely new field: macrosystems ecology. "Ecologists can no longer sample and study just one or even a handful of ecosystems," said author and macrosystems ecology pioneer.

Dramatic thinning of Arctic lake ice cuts winter ice season by 24 days compared to 1950

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 09:28 AM PST

Arctic lakes have been freezing up later in the year and thawing earlier, creating a winter ice season about 24 days shorter than it was in 1950, a new study has found.

Extreme high speed planes: How safe would planes be traveling at Mach 7 and above?

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 09:27 AM PST

It's a sci-fi concept that's at the center of a 25-year exploratory project: building a hypersonic aircraft that takes off from the runway and doesn't need a rest, inspection or repair after it lands -- unlike the space shuttle -- but can zip back around the world within an hour's landing. Researchers are developing the validation metrics that could help predict the success or failure of such a model before it is even built, as test data becomes available from component, to sub-system, to the completely assembled air vehicle.

Written all over your face: Humans express four basic emotions rather than six

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 08:35 AM PST

Human beings are emotional creatures whose state of mind can usually be observed through their facial expressions. A commonly-held belief posits there are six basic emotions which are universally recognized and easily interpreted through specific facial expressions, regardless of language or culture. These are: happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise and disgust. New research suggests that in fact, there are really only four.

Satellites show 'total' California water storage at near decade low

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 08:35 AM PST

Updates to satellite data show that California's Sacramento and San Joaquin River basins are at near decade-low water storage levels.

Quasi-particle swap between graphene layers

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 08:21 AM PST

Equations used to describe parallel worlds in particle physics can help study the behavior of particles in parallel graphene layers. Scientists have used a particle physics theory to describe the behavior of particle-like entities, referred to as excitons, in two layers of graphene, a one-carbon-atom-thick honeycomb crystal.

New moisture-buffering plaster 'sucks up' water vapor

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 08:21 AM PST

Water vapor generated by cooking, taking a shower or drying damp clothes can condense on cold walls, encouraging the growth of mildew and microbes. Scientists have now developed a special wall plaster to deal with this problem. Its ability to absorb moisture from the air is significantly better than that of conventional lime plaster and even that of clay rendering.

Prototype of single ion heat engine created

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 07:10 AM PST

Scientists are working on a heat engine that consists of just a single ion. Such a nano-heat engine could be far more efficient than, for example, a car engine or a coal-fired power plant.

Greenland's fastest glacier reaches record speeds

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 07:10 AM PST

Jakobshavn Isbræ (Jakobshavn Glacier) is moving ice from the Greenland ice sheet into the ocean at a speed that appears to be the fastest ever recorded. Researchers measured the dramatic speeds of the fast-flowing glacier in 2012 and 2013.

As the temperature drops, risk of fracture rises

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 07:10 AM PST

Record-setting winter weather in the U.S. has led to lots of road condition advisories, but could there also be a slip and fall alert?

Critically endangered leatherback turtles tracked to reveal danger zones from industrial fishing

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 07:10 AM PST

One of the biggest threats to critically endangered leatherback turtles is bycatch from industrial fishing in the open oceans. Now, a team of researchers has satellite-tracked 135 leatherbacks with transmitters to determine the turtles' patterns of movement in the Pacific Ocean. Combined with fisheries data, the researchers entered the information into a computer model to predict bycatch hotspots in the Pacific.

Painting robot lends surgeons a hand in the operating room

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 07:09 AM PST

A robotic painting arm has been developed that could one day lend doctors a hand in practicing complex, robot-assisted surgeries without having to step foot in an operating room.

'Envy-free' algorithm developed for settling disputes from divorce to inheritance

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 07:09 AM PST

Whether it's season tickets to Green Bay Packers' games or silver place settings, divorce and inheritance have bred protracted disputes over the assignment of belongings. But, now, a trio of researchers has found a method for resolving such conflicts in an envy-free way.

Big chill to understand quark-gluon plasma of early universe

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 07:09 AM PST

Run 14 at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) will feature a dramatic improvement in machine performance enabling detailed studies of the quark-gluon plasma of the early universe and its transition to the matter we see in the universe today.

Greenhouse 'time machine' sheds light on corn domestication

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 06:38 AM PST

A grass called teosinte is thought to be the ancestor of corn, but it doesn't look much like corn at all. Scientists were surprised to find that teosinte planted in growth chambers under climate conditions that simulate the environment 10,000 to 12,000 years ago looks more like corn. This may help to explain why early farmers chose to cultivate teosinte and lends support to the idea that teosinte was domesticated to become one of the most important staple crops in the world.

Capturing ultrasharp images of multiple cell components at once

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 06:38 AM PST

A new microscopy method could enable scientists to generate snapshots of dozens of different biomolecules at once in a single human cell. Such images could shed light on complex cellular pathways and potentially lead to new ways to diagnose disease, track its prognosis, or monitor the effectiveness of therapies at a cellular level.

Two papers unraveled the mystery of sex determination and benthic adaptation of the flatfish

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 06:38 AM PST

Researchers have successfully decoded the first genome of a flatfish -- half-smooth tongue sole, providing insights into ZW sex chromosome evolution and adaptation to a benthic lifestyle.

'Blueprint for action' issued to combat shortages of life-saving drugs

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 06:38 AM PST

A group of prominent healthcare experts including bioethicists, pharmacists, policymakers and cancer specialists have proposed concrete steps for preventing and managing a nightmare scenario that is becoming all too common: shortages of life-saving drugs.

Researchers develop first single-molecule LED

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 06:35 AM PST

The ultimate challenge in the race to miniaturize light emitting diodes (LED) has now been met: Scientists have developed the first ever single-molecule LED. The device is formed from a single polythiophene wire placed between the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope and a gold surface. It emits light only when the current passes in a certain direction.

Common colds during pregnancy may lead to childhood asthma

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 06:34 AM PST

Women that are pregnant may want to take extra precaution around those that are sniffling and sneezing this winter. According to a new study published today, the more common colds and viral infections a woman has during pregnancy, the higher the risk her baby will have asthma.

For infants, stress may be caught, not taught

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 05:46 AM PST

New research shows that babies not only pick up on their mother's stress, they also show corresponding physiological changes.

Beneficial insects, nematodes not harmed by genetically modified, insect-resistant crops

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 05:46 AM PST

Two new studies show that genetically modified Bt crops have no negative effects on two beneficial insect predators or on a beneficial, entomopathogenic nematode.

First African study on biodiversity in genetically modified maize finds insects abundant

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 05:46 AM PST

A new study from South Africa shows that the biodiversity of insects and related arthropods in genetically modified crop fields is essentially the same as that among conventional crops.

Liver tumors found in mice exposed to BPA

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 05:45 AM PST

In one of the first studies to show a significant association between BPA and cancer development, researchers have found liver tumors in mice exposed to the chemical via their mothers during gestation and nursing.

Women 35 and older are at decreased risk to have anatomically abnormal child, study suggests

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 05:45 AM PST

In a new study, researchers report that women ages 35 and older are at a decreased risk of having a child with a major congenital malformation, after excluding chromosomal abnormalities.

White silk wrappings key to female spider's heart

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 05:40 AM PST

South American spider females pick their mates according to how well the nuptial gift is wrapped. It's not only what's inside the nuptial gift that a potential suitor brings to a female Paratrechalea ornata spider that counts. It's the whole package, white silk wrappings and all, that can give one male spider the edge over another.

Rat islands 'a laboratory of future evolution': Rats predicted to fill in Earth's emptying ecospace

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 05:40 AM PST

New research predicts that rats will continue to grow and fill a 'significant chunk' of Earth's emptying ecospace. Their global influence is likely to grow in the future as larger mammals continue to become extinct.

Vulnerability to future phosphorus shortage: Key ingredient to modern farming

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 05:38 AM PST

The world was given a shock when global phosphorus prices were raised by 800% in 2008. At a stroke, it became clear how dependent we are on phosphorus for our food supply. Phosphorus is an ingredient in artificial fertilizers and is indispensable in modern farming.

Your brain is fine-tuning its wiring throughout your life

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 05:38 AM PST

The white matter microstructure, the communication pathways of the brain, continues to develop/mature as one ages. Studies link age-related differences in white matter microstructure to specific cognitive abilities in childhood and adulthood.

Beliefs about HPV vaccine do not lead to initiation of sex or risky sexual behavior among teen girls, young women, study shows

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 05:36 AM PST

A new study may alleviate concerns that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine leads to either the initiation of sex or unsafe sexual behaviors among teenage girls and young women.

Making frozen smoke: Commercializing aerogel fabrication process

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 05:36 AM PST

One day, "frozen smoke" could improve some of our favorite machines, including cars. "When you hold aerogel it feels like nothing -- like frozen smoke. It's about 95 to 97 percent air," said a mechanical engineering.

Split decision: Stem cell signal linked with cancer growth

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 10:23 AM PST

Researchers have identified a protein critical to hematopoietic stem cell function and blood formation. The finding has potential as a new target for treating leukemia because cancer stem cells rely upon the same protein to regulate and sustain their growth.

Researchers discover how brain regions work together, or alone

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 10:23 AM PST

Various regions of the brain often work independently. But what happens when two regions must cooperate to accomplish a task? What mechanism allows them to communicate in order to cooperate, yet avoid interfering with one another when they work alone? Scientists reveal a previously unknown process that helps two brain regions cooperate when joint action is required.

Quicker, cheaper way to detect staph in the body

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 10:23 AM PST

Watch out, infection. Researchers have crated a probe that can identify staph bacteria before symptoms appear. The probe is noninvasive and is expected to be cheaper and faster than current diagnostic techniques.

Red alert: Body kills 'spontaneous' blood cancers on a daily basis

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 10:23 AM PST

Immune cells undergo 'spontaneous' changes on a daily basis that could lead to cancers if not for the diligent surveillance of our immune system, scientists have found.

Making your brain social: Identifying brain connections that lead to social behavior

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 10:22 AM PST

Scientists have identified, for the first time, a way in which the decreased functional connectivity seen in the brain of many people with autism can come about: it can be caused by cells called microglia failing to trim connections between neurons, researchers demonstrate in a study published.

Nature can, selectively, buffer human-caused global warming, say scientists

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 08:10 AM PST

Can naturally occurring processes selectively buffer the full brunt of global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions resulting from human activities? Yes, says a group of researchers in a new study.

DNA of peanut-allergic kids changes with immune therapy, study finds

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 12:02 PM PST

Treating a peanut allergy with oral immunotherapy changes the DNA of the patient's immune cells, according to a new study. The DNA change could serve as the basis for a simple blood test to monitor the long-term effectiveness of the allergy therapy.

Report outlines progress, challenges in childhood cancer

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 10:07 AM PST

A new report from the American Cancer Society outlines progress made and challenges that remain in fighting childhood cancer.

New weapon fights drug-resistant tumors hiding in bone marrow

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 10:05 AM PST

Biologists identify a drug that can help wipe out reservoirs of cancer cells in bone marrow.

Divorce rate cut in half for newlyweds who discussed five relationship movies

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 10:05 AM PST

Discussing five movies about relationships over a month could cut the three-year divorce rate for newlyweds in half, researchers report. The study, involving 174 couples, is the first long-term investigation to compare different types of early marriage intervention program

Quantum dots provide complete control of photons

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 07:12 AM PST

By emitting photons from a quantum dot at the top of a micropyramid, researchers are creating a polarized light source for such things as energy-saving computer screens and wiretap-proof communications.

Secrets of potato blight evolution could help farmers fight back

Posted: 31 Jan 2014 05:35 AM PST

Scientists have discovered vital clues as to how the pathogen responsible for the Irish potato famine adapted to spread between different plant species by looking in unprecedented detail at how Phytophthora infestans, a pathogen that continues to blight potatoes and tomatoes today, evolved to target other plants. The findings will enable scientists to develop more resistant crops in future.
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