الخميس، 14 نوفمبر 2013

ScienceDaily: Top News

ScienceDaily: Top News

Expert assessment: Ocean acidification may increase 170 percent this century

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:38 PM PST

In a major new international report, experts conclude that the acidity of the world's ocean may increase by around 170 percent by the end of the century bringing significant economic losses. People who rely on the ocean's ecosystem services -- often in developing countries -- are especially vulnerable.

Fossil of new big cat species discovered: Oldest ever found

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:26 PM PST

Scientists have discovered the oldest big cat fossil ever found -- which fills in a significant gap in the fossil record.

Scorpions use strongest defense mechanisms when under attack

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:26 PM PST

Scorpions tend to use their strongest defense mechanisms when they are being attacked.

Queen bee's honesty is the best policy for reproduction signals

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:25 PM PST

Queen bees convey honest signals to worker bees about their reproductive status and quality, according to an international team of researchers, who say their findings may help to explain why honey bee populations are declining.

Buried leaves reveal precolonial eastern U.S. forests and guide stream restoration

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:25 PM PST

Sediment behind milldams in Pennsylvania preserved leaves deposited just before European contact that provide a glimpse of the ancient forests, according to a team of geoscientists, who note that neither the forests nor the streams were what they are today.

The big fish that got away… (it was let go)

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:24 PM PST

It's not every day that fishermen catch the world's largest fish species in their nets, but this is what recently happened in Indonesia's Karimunjawa National Park, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Gut microbes in healthy kids carry antibiotic resistance genes

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 03:24 PM PST

Friendly microbes in the intestinal tracts of healthy American children have numerous antibiotic resistance genes that could be passed to harmful microbes, according to a pilot study.

Deletion of any single gene provokes mutations elsewhere in the genome

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 01:25 PM PST

Researchers report that the deletion of any single gene in yeast cells puts pressure on the organism's genome to compensate, leading to a mutation in another gene. Their discovery, which is likely applicable to human genetics because of the way DNA is conserved across species, could have significant consequences for the way genetic analysis is done in cancer and other areas of research.

Your brain sees things you don't

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 01:25 PM PST

A study indicates that our brains perceive objects in everyday life of which we may never be aware. The finding challenges currently accepted models about how the brain processes visual information.

Impulsivity, rewards and ritalin: Monkey study shows tighter link

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 01:23 PM PST

Even as the rate of diagnosis has reached 11 percent among American children aged 4 to 17, neuroscientists are still trying to understand attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). One classic symptom is impulsivity — the tendency to act before thinking.

Nature's glowing slime: Scientists peek into hidden sea worm's light

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 12:26 PM PST

Scientists are unraveling the mechanisms behind a little-known marine worm that produces a dazzling bioluminescent display in the form of puffs of blue light released into seawater. Found around the world in muddy environments, from shallow bays to deeper canyons, the light produced by the "parchment tube worm" is secreted as a slimy bioluminescent mucus.

Warming since 1950s partly caused by El Niño

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 12:25 PM PST

A natural shift to stronger warm El Niño events in the Pacific Ocean might be responsible for a substantial portion of the global warming recorded during the past 50 years, according to new research.

Study uses neutron scattering, supercomputing to demystify forces at play in biofuel production

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 12:25 PM PST

Researchers studying more effective ways to convert woody plant matter into biofuels have identified fundamental forces that change plant structures during pretreatment processes used in the production of bioenergy.

Stingray movement could inspire the next generation of submarines

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 12:25 PM PST

Stingrays swim through water with such ease that researchers are studying how their movements could be used to design more agile and fuel-efficient unmanned underwater vehicles.

New treatment discovered to cure MRSA infection

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:41 AM PST

Recent work promises to overcome one of the leading public health threats of our time. In a groundbreaking study, the team presents a novel approach to treat and eliminate methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a potent bacterium whose resistance to antibiotics has kept it one step ahead of researchers. That is, until now.

Lignin-feasting microbe holds promise for biofuels

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:36 AM PST

Researchers have identified a rain forest microbe that feasts on the lignin in plant leaf litter, making it a potential ally for the cost-effective production of advanced biofuels.

Feral cats avoid urban coyotes, are surprisingly healthy

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:36 AM PST

Cats that live outdoors in the city do their darnedest to steer clear of urban coyotes, a new study says. The cats cause less damage to wildlife in urban green spaces, such as city parks and nature preserves, because of that dodging.

Study shows decrease in sepsis mortality rates

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:35 AM PST

A recent study shows a significant decrease in severe sepsis mortality rates over the past 20 years. Looking at data from patients with severe sepsis enrolled in clinical trials, researchers found that in-hospital mortality rates decreased from 47 percent between 1991 and 1995 to 29 percent between 2006 and 2009, a time period when no new pharmacological treatments were developed for severe sepsis.

Fantastic phonons: Blocking sound, channeling heat with 'unprecedented precision'

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:32 AM PST

The phonon, like the photon or electron, is a physical particle that travels like waves, representing mechanical vibration. Phonons transmit everyday sound and heat. Recent progress in phononics has led to the development of new ideas and devices that are using phononic properties to control sound and heat, according to a new review.

Novel gene therapy works to reverse heart failure

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 11:31 AM PST

Researchers have successfully tested a powerful gene therapy, delivered directly into the heart, to reverse heart failure in large animal models.

Fatty acid produced by gut bacteria boosts the immune system

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:22 AM PST

New research sheds light on the role of gut bacteria on the maturation of the immune system and provides evidence supporting the use of butyrate as therapy for inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn's disease.

Astronomers reveal contents of mysterious black hole jets

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:22 AM PST

An international team of astronomers has answered a long-standing question about the enigmatic jets emitted by black holes. Jets are narrow beams of matter spat out at high speed from near a central object, like a black hole. Although they have been observed for decades, astronomers are still not sure what they are made of, or what powers them.

Newly discovered protist suggests evolutionary answers, questions

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:21 AM PST

From Massachusetts to Mississippi, a unicellular protist is hinting at answers about the evolution of multicellularity while raising a whole new set of questions.

Improving detection of radioactive material in nuclear waste water

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:01 AM PST

As the Fukushima crisis continues to remind the world of the potential dangers of nuclear disposal and unforeseen accidents, scientists are reporting progress toward a new way to detect the radioactive materials uranium and plutonium in waste water.

Generation length for mammals: An essential reference point for conservation studies

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:01 AM PST

Life history traits are the basic ecological descriptors of a species. These include physical traits, such as body mass and physiological traits, such as reproductive rate. A recent article provides the first comprehensive attempt to complete a database of generation lengths for all extant mammals. This database represents an essential reference point for ecological and conservation-related studies that need pragmatic information on species generation length.

Menstrual cycle influences concussion outcomes

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:00 AM PST

Researchers found that women injured during the two weeks leading up to their period (the premenstrual phase) had a slower recovery and poorer health one month after injury compared to women injured during the two weeks directly after their period or women taking birth control pills. If confirmed in subsequent research, the findings could alter the treatment and prognosis of women who suffer head injuries from sports, falls, car accidents or combat.

Island biodiversity in danger of total submersion with climate change

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:00 AM PST

Island ecosystems constitute the most biodiverse regions in the world, holding a large number of endemic flora and fauna. Islands are also under direct threat of predicted sea level rises, with gloomy prognoses predicting large areas submerged, whole islands sinking and up to 11 percent islands inundated. A new study looks at three scenarios to estimate the risks posed by global change to island ecosystems.

Squeeze and you shall measure: Squeezed coherent states shown to be optimal for gravitational wave

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:00 AM PST

Extremely precise measurements of distances are key in all techniques used to detect gravitational waves. To increase this precision, physicists have started using quantum effects linked with photons. Physicists now show that it is not necessary to use quantum light states more refined than the squeezed coherent states available currently.

Monkeys 'understand' rules underlying language musicality

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 10:00 AM PST

Many of us have mixed feelings when remembering painful lessons in German or Latin grammar in school. Languages feature a large number of complex rules and patterns: using them correctly makes the difference between something which "sounds good," and something which does not. However, cognitive biologists have shown that sensitivity to very simple structural and melodic patterns does not require much learning, or even being human: South American squirrel monkeys can do it, too.

New way to dissolve semiconductors holds promise for electronics industry

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 09:58 AM PST

Semiconductors, the foundation of modern electronics used in flat-screen TVs and fighter jets, could become even more versatile as researchers make headway on a novel, inexpensive way to turn them into thin films. The new report is on a new liquid that can quickly dissolve nine types of key semiconductors.

Building a better tokamak by blowing giant plasma bubbles: How magnetic reconnection -- the force behind solar flares -- could initiate fusion in a tokamak reactor

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 09:58 AM PST

New simulations shed light on the mechanisms at work in magnetic bubbles inside tokomak fusion machines, clarifying what happens at various stages in the ultrafast phenomenon.

Better batteries through biology? Modified viruses boost battery performance

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 09:58 AM PST

Researchers find a way to boost lithium-air battery performance, with the help of modified viruses.

Natural disasters of the past can help solve future problems

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 07:57 AM PST

Nobody can predict the future, of course -- but we can learn from the past. The past could teach us a lot about how natural disasters influence society at many different levels.

Healing powers of cells

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 07:57 AM PST

How do cells spread to cover and close a wound? A team of researchers publishes new insights into epithelial cell spreading.

Social networks make us smarter

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 07:57 AM PST

The secret to why some cultures thrive and others disappear may lie in our social networks and our ability to imitate, rather than our individual smarts, according to a new study.

Human stem cells used to reveal mechanisms of beta-cell failure in diabetes

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 07:20 AM PST

Scientists have used stem cells created from the skin of patients with a rare form of diabetes — Wolfram syndrome — to elucidate an important biochemical pathway for beta-cell failure in diabetes.

New links between social status, brain activity

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:25 AM PST

New studies released today reveal links between social status and specific brain structures and activity, particularly in the context of social stress.

Using airport screening technology to visualize waves in fusion plasma

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:25 AM PST

A new, quasi-optical radar technique images millimeter-wave radiation reflected from fusion plasmas in 2D, time-resolved images. This novel application lets researchers image waves in fusion plasmas in startling detail, and provides vital information to devise strategies to avoid instabilities which can reduce fusion power output.

Don't hold the anchovies: Study shows Peruvian fish worth more as food than feed

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:25 AM PST

The true potential of Peruvian anchovy lies not in fishmeal but as food for people and as part of the ocean food web, according to Canadian and Peruvian researchers.

'Missing heat' discovery prompts new estimate of global warming: Arctic warming fast

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:22 AM PST

Scientists say they have found "missing heat" in Earth's climate system, casting doubt on suggestions that global warming has slowed or stopped over the past decade. The new research shows that the Arctic is warming at about eight times the pace of the rest of the planet.

Carbon dioxide’s new-found signalling role could be applied to blood flow, birth and deafness

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:22 AM PST

New research reveals exactly how the body measures carbon dioxide and suggests that far from being a metabolic waste product, it could play a key role as a biological signalling molecule.

HOPE Act passes: May help reduce U. S. organ shortage

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:21 AM PST

The HOPE Act could allow individuals with HIV to receive organ transplants from donors with HIV, and may help reduce the country's current organ shortage.

Nanotechnology researchers prove two-step method for potential pancreatic cancer treatment

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 06:21 AM PST

A new nanotechnology for drug delivery that could greatly improve the treatment of deadly pancreatic cancer has been proven to work in mice.

Researchers predict risk of valvular heart disease

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 05:03 AM PST

Researchers have identified a clear link between narrowed heart valves and a special lipoprotein in the blood. In the long term, the research may well help to prevent valvular heart disease.

Development and clinical approval of biodegradeble magnesium alloy for medical devices

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 05:03 AM PST

This biodegradable and bioabsorbable metal decomposes from 6 months to 2 years after being transplanted into human body and hence, medical devices made with these materials are expected to reshape the landscape in the field of fracture treatment, as it reminders second operation to take out the device after patient recovery obsolete.

No hot flashes? Then don't count on hormones to improve quality of life

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 05:03 AM PST

Hormones at menopause can help with sleep, memory, and more, but only when a woman also has hot flashes, find researchers.

Redesigned protein opens door for safer gene therapy‬

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 05:02 AM PST

A fusion protein combining proteins active in HIV and Moloney murine leukaemia virus (MLV) replication may lead to safer, more effective retroviral gene therapy.

Speedy analysis of steel fiber reinforced concrete

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 05:02 AM PST

Steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) is a practical construction material that is quick and easy to use. But monitoring SFRC quality is difficult, and this has kept industry acceptance low. A new method offers a quick way to examine its composition.

Largest lake in Britain and Ireland has lost three quarters of winter water birds

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 05:01 AM PST

The largest lake in Britain and Ireland, Lough Neagh, has lost more than three quarters of its overwintering water birds.

Solar cells utilize thermal radiation

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 05:01 AM PST

Thermal radiation from the sun is largely lost on most silicon solar cells. Up-converters transform the infrared radiation into usable light, however. Researchers have now for the first time successfully adapted this effect for use in generating power.

Young stars paint spectacular stellar landscape

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 05:01 AM PST

Most stars do not form alone, but with many siblings that are created at about the same time from a single cloud of gas and dust. NGC 3572, in the southern constellation of Carina (The Keel), is one of these clusters. It contains many hot young blue-white stars that shine brightly and generate powerful stellar winds that tend to gradually disperse the remaining gas and dust from their surroundings. The glowing gas clouds and accompanying cluster of stars are the subjects of a new picture from the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile.

Significantly higher risk of mortality at non-accredited bariatric surgery centers

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 05:00 AM PST

Bariatric surgery is significantly safer when performed at an accredited center, according to new research.

Risk of heart attack, stroke among diabetes patients significantly lower after gastric bypass

Posted: 13 Nov 2013 05:00 AM PST

New research shows most patients with diabetes and obesity who undergo gastric bypass not only experience remission of their diabetes and lose significant weight, but they also reduce their risk of having a heart attack by 40 percent and their risk for suffering a stroke by 42 percent, over a 10-year time horizon.

Researcher finds potential new use for old drugs

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 05:08 PM PST

A class of drugs used to treat parasitic infections such as malaria may also be useful in treating cancers and immune-related diseases, a new study has found. Researchers discovered that simple modifications to the drug furamidine have a major impact on its ability to affect specific human proteins involved in the on-off switches of certain genes.

Riding an electron wave into the future of microchip fabrication

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 05:08 PM PST

Advanced plasma-based etching is a key enabler of Moore's Law that observes that the number of transistors on integrated circuits doubles nearly every two years. It is the plasma's ability to reproduce fine patterns on silicon that makes this scaling possible and has made plasma sources ubiquitous in microchip manufacturing.

Our relationship with food: What drives us to eat, suffer eating disorders?

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 05:06 PM PST

A growing body of evidence shows the impact of diet on brain function, and identifies patterns of brain activity associated with eating disorders such as binge eating and purging.

When sex goes to their heads: Sea slugs have a two-pronged strategy

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 05:04 PM PST

Slugs may ensure mating success with a shot to beloved's forehead, say evolutionary biologists.

Structure of bacterial nanowire protein hints at secrets of conduction

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 05:04 PM PST

Tiny electrical wires protrude from some bacteria and contribute to rock and dirt formation. Researchers studying the protein that makes up one such wire have determined the protein's structure. The finding is important to such diverse fields as producing energy, recycling Earth's carbon and miniaturizing computers.
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