الأربعاء، 23 نوفمبر 2016

ScienceDaily: Top News

ScienceDaily: Top News

Between a rock and a hard place: Biologists unearth sandstone-excavating bees

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 04:33 PM PST

In the popular nursery story The Three Little Pigs, the prudent porker who builds his house of brick is chided by his pals, who choose much easier ways to construct their respective abodes. Only later in the cautionary tale does the reader discover the benefits of extra cost and effort in erecting shelter.

Aspartame may prevent, not promote, weight loss by blocking intestinal enzyme's activity

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 04:31 PM PST

A team of investigators has found a possible mechanism explaining why use of the sugar substitute aspartame might not promote weight loss. In their report, the researchers show how the aspartame breakdown product phenylalanine interferes with the action of an enzyme previously shown to prevent metabolic syndrome - a group of symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Mothers' early support boosts children's later math achievement

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 04:30 PM PST

Early math knowledge is as important as early literacy for children's subsequent achievement. In fact, research has shown that early math skills predict later school success better than early reading skills, and can even predict income in adulthood. Now a new longitudinal study has found that young children whose mothers supported them during play, specifically in their labeling of object quantities, had better math achievement at ages 4-½ and 5 years.

Largest study of its kind finds rare genetic variations linked to schizophrenia

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 03:23 PM PST

Genetic variations that increase schizophrenia risk are rare, making it difficult to study their role. To overcome this, scientists analyzed the genomes of more than 41,000 people in the largest study of its kind to date. Their study reveals regions of the genome where mutations increase schizophrenia risk.

New grasses neutralize toxic pollution from bombs, explosives, and munitions

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 03:23 PM PST

Engineers have developed the first transgenic grass species that can take up and destroy RDX -- a toxic compound that has been widely used in explosives since World War II and contaminates military bases across the U.S. and some offsite drinking water wells.

New clues in fight against leukemia, other B cell cancers

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 03:23 PM PST

Biochemical "cross talk" in an important pathway can be altered so that immune system cells that have turned cancerous can be eliminated, say scientists. Their findings could have future implications for treating cancer with the help of microRNAs.

Supersonic spray yields new nanomaterial for bendable, wearable electronics

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 02:48 PM PST

An ultrathin film of fused silver nanowires that is both transparent and highly conductive to electric current has been produced by a cheap and simple method devised by an international team of nanomaterials researchers.

Researchers find potential therapy for brain swelling during concussion

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 02:48 PM PST

A team of biomedical engineering researchers has identified a cause of fluid swelling of the brain, or cellular edema, that occurs during a concussion.

Alarming disparities in health outcomes could be prevented by breastfeeding

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 10:19 AM PST

Lack of paid leave and outdated maternity care are barriers to breastfeeding that disproportionately impact families of color. This is the first study to show how these disparities translate into differences in health outcomes.

Study sheds light on parasite that causes river blindness

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 10:19 AM PST

The parasite that causes river blindness infects about 37 million people in parts of Africa and Latin America, causing blindness and other major eye and skin diseases in about 5 million of them. A study now sheds light on the genetic makeup of the parasite, a step toward the goal of eradication.

Mars ice deposit holds as much water as Lake Superior

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 10:10 AM PST

Frozen beneath a region of cracked and pitted plains on Mars lies about as much water as what's in Lake Superior, largest of the Great Lakes, researchers using NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have determined.

New views of dwarf planet Ceres as Dawn moves higher

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 10:06 AM PST

The brightest area on Ceres stands out amid shadowy, cratered terrain in a dramatic new view from NASA's Dawn spacecraft, taken as it looked off to the side of the dwarf planet.

Widespread land losses from 2010 Gulf oil spill, study finds

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 10:00 AM PST

Dramatic, widespread shoreline loss is revealed in new NASA/U.S. Geological Survey annual maps of the Louisiana marshlands where the coastline was most heavily coated with oil during the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Google Glass technology may slow down response time

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:40 AM PST

Heads-up display technology -- think Google Glass -- offers lots of information to users in seconds, literally in front of their eyes. Access to information is critical in today's fast-paced world, but new research indicates that the multitasking needed to process that readily available information may slow down the brain's response time.

Ocean acidification accelerates erosion of coral reefs

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:38 AM PST

Scientists studying naturally high carbon dioxide coral reefs in Papua New Guinea found that erosion of essential habitat is accelerated in these highly acidified waters, even as coral growth continues to slow. The new research has important implications for coral reefs around the world as the ocean become more acidic as a result of global change.

Butterfly mother's food choice for offspring changes with experience

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:37 AM PST

Plants communicate with animals using a blend of signals that influence animal behavior. The balance of plant attractants and deterrents partly determine the ultimate level of damage that an animal herbivore imposes on a plant. These intricate communications between the herbivore and the plant support sustainable relationships in their mutual native homelands. However, the ease of international travel in today's connected world has led to invasive alien arthropod herbivores showing up in many novel locations containing alternative host plants.

Drug-caused deaths among health care professionals: New insights revealed

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:36 AM PST

From 2003-2013, nearly five deaths per 1000 employed Australian health care professionals were caused by drugs, with a significant association between specific professions and drug type, an Australian-first study has found.

Scientists unveil software that revolutionizes habitat connectivity modeling

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:35 AM PST

A trio of scientists has unveiled a groundbreaking computational software called "GFlow" that makes wildlife habitat connectivity modeling vastly faster, more efficient and superior in quality and scope.

Rates, causes of emergency department visits for adverse drug events

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:32 AM PST

The prevalence of emergency department visits for adverse drug events in the United States was estimated to be 4 per 1,000 individuals in 2013 and 2014, and the most common drug classes involved were anticoagulants, antibiotics, diabetes agents, and opioid analgesics, according to a study.

Trends in infectious disease mortality in US

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:32 AM PST

Trends in infectious disease mortality in the United States from 1980 through 2014 have been released by researchers.

Young blood does not reverse aging in old mice

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:31 AM PST

Tissue health and repair dramatically decline in young mice when half of their blood is replaced with blood from old mice, research shows. The study argues against the rejuvenating properties of young blood and points to old blood, or molecules within, as driving the aging process.

First glimpse of important, abundant ocean microbe

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:30 AM PST

A rare microbe that was once thought to be insignificant has turned out to be one of the most abundant single-celled hunters in the ocean, and a team of researchers has captured the first glimpse of these elusive predators.

Road salt can change sex ratios in frog populations

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:29 AM PST

Naturally occurring chemicals found in road salts commonly used to de-ice paved surfaces can alter the sex ratios in nearby frog populations, a phenomenon that could reduce the size and viability of species populations, according to a new study.

Deep sea coral in North Atlantic faces threat from climate change

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:28 AM PST

North Atlantic coral populations -- key to supporting a variety of sea life -- are under threat from climate change, a study suggests.

Single photon converter: key component of quantum internet

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:27 AM PST

A team of physicists has constructed and tested a compact, efficient converter capable of modifying the quantum properties of individual photons. The new device should facilitate the construction of complex quantum computers, and in the future may become an important element in global quantum networks, the successors of today's Internet.

New 'electron gun' could help enable X-ray movies

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:24 AM PST

A low-power tabletop source of ultrashort electron beams could replace car-size laboratory devices, report scientists.

New dominant ant species discovered in Ethiopia shows potential for global invasion

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:23 AM PST

A team of scientists conducting a recent biodiversity survey in the ancient church forests of Ethiopia made an unexpected discovery -- a rather infamous ant species (Lepisiota canescens) displaying signs of supercolony formation. The discovery is significant for two reasons. First, supercolony formation in ants is rare, with documented cases of only around 20 species worldwide. Second, other species in the Lepisiota genus have recently made headlines as worrisome invasive species, one in South Africa's Kruger National Park and another that shut down Australia's Darwin Port for several days.

Cancer cells 'talk' to their environment, and it talks back

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:19 AM PST

A new method for measuring the mechanical force cells exert on their surroundings has now been devised, which can help scientists design better biomaterial scaffolds for tissue engineering.

Palliative care improves quality of life, lessens symptoms

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:18 AM PST

People living with serious illness who receive palliative care have better quality of life. The study is the first meta-analysis of the effect of palliative care as it relates to patients' quality of life, symptom burden and survival.

Protein, salt drive post-meal sleepiness

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:18 AM PST

Sleepiness after a large meal is something we all experience, and new research with fruit flies suggests higher protein and salt content in our food, as well as the volume consumed, can lead to longer naps.

Scientists explore environmental advantages of horticultural bioplastics

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:18 AM PST

Bioplastic may offer gardeners a more sustainable alternative to petroleum-based pots and flats, according research. Although more expensive to manufacture than conventional plastics, bioplastics someday may grow beyond a niche market, say experts.

Investigators pinpoint cause, possible treatment for rare form of sarcoma

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:18 AM PST

Researchers have discovered a potential cause and a promising new treatment for inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors, a rare soft tissue cancer that does not respond to radiation or chemotherapy.

Study sheds new insights into global warming 'hiatus'

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 09:06 AM PST

A new study of the temporary slowdown in the global average surface temperature warming trend observed between 1998 and 2013 concludes the phenomenon represented a redistribution of energy within the Earth system, with Earth's ocean absorbing the extra heat. The phenomenon was referred to by some as the "global warming hiatus."

Solar power could become cheaper, more widespread

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 08:18 AM PST

Solar cells can be made with tin instead of lead, scientists find. This breakthrough may make solar power cheaper and more commercially viable, and even usable for mobile phones, laptops and cars.

Most species-rich coral reefs are not necessarily protected

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 08:18 AM PST

Coral reefs throughout the world are under threat. After studying the reefs in Malaysia, a researcher concluded that there is room for improvement in coral reef conservation.

Right timing is crucial in life

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 06:27 AM PST

Humans, as well as many other organisms, possess internal clocks. The exact timing, however, can differ between individuals – for instance, some people are early risers whereas others are "night owls". Now scientists have investigated what underlies such timing variations or "chronotypes".

Why we rely on inaccurate information

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 05:07 AM PST

Even when people know better, they often rely on inaccurate or misleading information to make future decisions. But why are we so easily influenced by false statements?

Teenagers drink a bathtub of sugary drinks a year

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 05:05 AM PST

Teenagers, aged between 11 and 18, drink almost a bathtub full of sugary drinks on average a year, according to new calculations.

Better surveillance, more cohesive policies needed against Rift Valley fever outbreaks

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 05:04 AM PST

Research on the mosquito-borne Rift Valley fever in east Africa and the Arabian Peninsula shows that current surveillance systems are unable to detect the virus in livestock before it spreads to humans. A coherent policy is needed to combat the viral disease, which has the potential to spread to previously unaffected areas, according to research.

Ants and epiphytes: A longstanding relationship

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 05:00 AM PST

The first farmers on the Fijian archipelago were ants: For millions of years, an ant species on the islands has nurtured epiphytes, which provide them with nesting sites. Moreover, the interaction is vital for the survival of both partners.

Learn lessons from European climate monitoring to make Paris Agreement a success, warn scientists

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 05:00 AM PST

Scientists have warned that high hopes for the success of the Paris Agreement could be dashed if lessons aren't learned from the challenges and experiences of climate monitoring in Europe.The long term success of the Agreement depends on the availability of well-designed and functioning monitoring and review mechanisms, according to a study.

Know your flow

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 05:00 AM PST

Liquids are an important part of our everyday lives. Fluids such as water are Newtonian, and their viscous behavior is well understood. However, many common fluids are viscoelastic. These fluids, such as those commonly found in cosmetics, soaps and paints, possess a combination of viscous, liquid-like and elastic, solid-like properties and we know surprisingly little about how they flow.

Fly larvae clean bee-eater's nest

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 04:59 AM PST

Bird nests are home not only to the bird parents and their offspring but also to other inhabitants, such as insect larvae, which take advantage of the favorable climatic conditions and abundant supply of food in the nests. So far, there has been no research into the possible benefit for birds from this living arrangement. A team of researchers has now shown that fly larvae in nests of European bee-eaters help clean the nest by foraging on feces and uneaten food. This "waste removal" has a positive effect on offspring development and benefits the nest ecosystem.

New method makes peritoneal dialysis more tolerable

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 04:59 AM PST

The addition of a new type of fluid for use in peritoneal dialysis makes it easier to tolerate and protects the cells in the abdominal cavity. This could make the peritoneum more resilient to harmful effects, report investigators.

Sex, gender, or both in medical research

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 04:59 AM PST

Only a minority of medical studies take sex and gender into account when analyzing and reporting research result, report experts.

Spray printed crystals to move forward organic electronic applications

Posted: 22 Nov 2016 04:59 AM PST

New technology could revolutionize printed electronics by enabling high quality semiconducting molecular crystals to be directly spray-deposited on any surface.

Regular walking regimen can improve heart health

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 05:41 PM PST

Heart disease, the leading cause of death in America, can be combated by implementing a simple walking regimen. Researchers found that moderately intensive walking improves cardiovascular risk factors in the short term.

New topical immunotherapy effective against early skin cancer

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 05:41 PM PST

A combination of two topical drugs that have been in use for years triggers a robust immune response against precancerous skin lesions, according to a new study. The research shows that the therapy activates the immune system's T cells, which then attack the abnormal skin cells.

Key protein that binds to LDL cholesterol identified

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 02:56 PM PST

A protein that plays an important role in the buildup of LDL cholesterol in blood vessels has been identified by researchers. The finding could lead to an additional strategy to block LDL accumulation, which could help prevent or slow the clogging of arteries that leads to heart disease, the researchers said.

Genetic explanation for cancer's higher incidence in males than females

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 02:53 PM PST

Scientists offer a genetic explanation for the age-old conundrum of why cancer is more common in males than females. Females, it turns out, carry an extra copy of certain protective genes in their cells -- an additional line of defense against the cells growing out of control.

New treatment for allergic response targets mast cells

Posted: 21 Nov 2016 02:48 PM PST

A new method that stops allergic reactions by removing a key receptor from mast cells and basophils has now been developed by researchers. Their work has implications for the treatment of skin allergies and asthma.
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