السبت، 27 سبتمبر 2014

ScienceDaily: Top News

ScienceDaily: Top News


Scanning babies' fingerprints could save lives through vaccination tracking

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 11:10 AM PDT

Each year 2.5 million children die worldwide because they do not receive life-saving vaccinations at the appropriate time. Now researchers are developing a fingerprint-based recognition method to track vaccination schedules for infants and toddlers, which will increase immunization coverage and save lives.

Poor fish harvests more frequent now off California coast

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 11:10 AM PDT

In the past 600 years off the California coast, occasional episodes of diminished ocean upwelling that cause fish populations to crash have occurred naturally. The poor yearly fish harvests seen in the last 60 years aren't any worse in severity than earlier, but are happening more frequently.

Severe periodontitis: Sixth most prevalent health condition in the world

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 11:10 AM PDT

There is an enormous public health challenge posed by severe periodontitis and are a microcosm of the epidemiologic transition to non-communicable diseases occurring in many countries, experts say. In 2010, severe periodontitis was the sixth most prevalent condition in the world affecting 743 million people worldwide. Between 1990 and 2010, the global age-standardized prevalence of severe periodontitis was static at 11.2%.

Key reaction for producing 'atmosphere's detergent' observed

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 11:10 AM PDT

A rapid atmospheric reaction critical to breaking down pollution in the lab has been observed by chemists. They identify an important intermediate molecule and track its transformation to hydroxyl radicals, also demonstrating the amount of energy necessary for the reaction to take place.

COPD patients breathe easier with lung flute, study shows

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 11:07 AM PDT

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) report improved symptoms and health status when they use a hand-held respiratory device called the Lung Flute®, according to a new study.

Researchers contribute to study of trained immunity

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 08:21 AM PDT

Support for a new -- and still controversial -- understanding of the immune system has been released in a new study. Epigenetic profiling experiments identified genes involved in glucose metabolism as being critical for trained immunity. These findings have potential implications both for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases and for bolstering the immune response to pathogens in situations where the immune system is not functioning properly.

Studying nanocrystals by passing them through tiny pores

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 08:21 AM PDT

Researchers have now applied a cutting-edge technique for rapid gene sequencing toward measuring other nanoscopic structures. By passing nanoscale spheres and rods through a tiny hole in a membrane, the team was able to measure the electrical properties of those structures' surfaces. Their findings suggest new ways of using this technique, known as 'nanopore translocation,' to analyze objects at the smallest scale.

Football-size robot can skim discreetly along a ship's hull to seek hollow compartments concealing contraband

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 08:21 AM PDT

Football-size robot can skim discreetly along a ship's hull to seek hollow compartments concealing contraband.

Unexpected clue to peripheral neuropathies found

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 08:21 AM PDT

Disrupting the molecular function of a tumor suppressor causes improper formation of a protective insulating sheath on peripheral nerves -- leading to neuropathy and muscle wasting in mice similar to that in human diabetes and neurodegeneration. A new study also suggests that normal molecular function of the tumor suppressor gene Lkb1 is essential to the formation process.

Young sea stars suffer more from ocean acidification than adults

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 08:21 AM PDT

Young sea stars from the Baltic Sea suffer more from the effects of ocean acidification than adults. In a laboratory experiment, scientists showed that younger animals already eat less and grow more slowly at only slightly elevated carbon dioxide concentrations.

Strategy to reduce side effects in modern cancer therapy

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 08:21 AM PDT

A new strategy for reducing the often serious side effects of an important class of modern anticancer drugs -- tyrosine kinase inhibitors has been developed by an international team of researchers. The novel drug is supposed to restrict its activity with high selectivity to the malignant tumor.

'Multi-spectra glasses' for scanning electron microscopy

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 08:21 AM PDT

Reflection zone plates enable lighter elements in material samples will be efficiently and precisely detected using scanning electron microscopy by providing high resolution in the range of 50-1120 eV.

Neuroscientists use morphed images of Hollywood celebrities to reveal how neurons make up your mind

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 08:21 AM PDT

Morphed images of celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Bob Marley, Sylvester Stallone, Uma Thurman, Nicole Kidman, Whoopi Goldberg, Bill Clinton and George Bush, and others were shown to participants in a recent study. The study found that neurons fire in line with conscious recognition of images rather than the actual images seen, thereby leading scientists to believe that neurons play a key role in the formation of memory.

Minority background, low education, and low income negatively influence HPV vaccine series completion

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 08:21 AM PDT

Only 60% of young US women who received the first dose of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine went on to complete the three-dose vaccine series, research shows. The study found that minority backgrounds, low income, and low education were associated with non-completion.

New technology may lead to prolonged power in mobile devices

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 08:20 AM PDT

Researchers have created technology that could be the first step toward wearable computers with self-contained power sources or, more immediately, a smartphone that doesn't die after a few hours of heavy use.

With few data, Arctic carbon models lack consensus

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 07:18 AM PDT

As climate change grips the Arctic, how much carbon is leaving its thawing soil and adding to Earth's greenhouse effect? The question has long been debated by scientists. A new study conducted as part of NASA's Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE) shows just how much work still needs to be done to reach a conclusion on this and other basic questions about the region where global warming is hitting hardest.

Nanocomposites toughen up

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 07:17 AM PDT

An alternative fabrication route improves the properties of aluminum-based nanocomposites with great potential for vehicles of the future.

Overcome noise problems in ultrasensitive measurements of tiny amounts of compounds

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 07:17 AM PDT

As the sensitivity of plasmonic sensors reaches new heights, so does the challenge of using tiny sample volumes. Scientists have devised an innovative way to improve sensor accuracy by exploiting the unique properties of quantum optics.

NASA rover drill pulls first taste from Mars mountain

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 07:15 AM PDT

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has collected its first taste of the layered mountain whose scientific allure drew the mission to choose this part of Mars as a landing site.

High-throughput cell-sorting method can separate 10 billion bacterial cells in 30 minutes

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 07:10 AM PDT

A new, high-throughput method for sorting cells has been developed, capable of separating 10 billion bacterial cells in 30 minutes. The finding has already proven useful for studying bacterial cells and microalgae, and could one day have direct applications for biomedical research and environmental science -- basically any field in which a large quantity of microbial samples need to be processed.

No sign of health or nutrition problems from GMO livestock feed, study finds

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 07:10 AM PDT

A new review study finds there is no evidence in earlier scientific studies indicating that genetically engineered feed crops harmed the health or productivity of livestock and poultry, and that food products from animals consuming such feeds were nutritionally the same as products from animals that ate non-GMO feeds.

Fertilizer and fuel: Nitrogen-fixing enzyme also produces hydrocarbons

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 05:58 AM PDT

Plants need nitrogen and carbon to grow. Photosynthesis allows them to take in the latter directly from the air, but they have to procure nitrogen through their roots in the form of organic molecules like ammonia or urea. Even though nitrogen gas makes up approximately 80 percent of Earth's atmosphere, the plant can only access it in a bound - or 'fixed' - form. Farmers thus use fertilizers to provide their crops with nitrogen. The only living beings that can convert nitrogen from the air into usable molecules are microorganisms - for example nodule bacteria.

Turning the Moon into a cosmic ray detector

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 05:58 AM PDT

Scientists are to turn the Moon into a giant particle detector to help understand the origin of Ultra-High-Energy (UHE) cosmic rays -- the most energetic particles in the Universe. The origin of UHE cosmic rays is one of the great mysteries in astrophysics. Nobody knows where these extremely rare cosmic rays come from or how they get their enormous energies. Physicists detect them on Earth at a rate of less than one particle per square kilometer per century.

Green light for clever algae

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 05:58 AM PDT

Phytoplankton not only constitutes the foundation of the food chain in the oceans, it also fixes carbon through photosynthesis and generates oxygen with the help of solar energy. A considerable part of phytoplankton is made up of cryptophytes, complex single-cell algae. In the course of evolution, these algae have adapted their light-harvesting mechanisms to their environment and have thus become capable of utilizing green light.

How plankton gets jet lagged: Hormone that govern sleep and jet lag in humans also drives mass migration of plankton

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 05:56 AM PDT

A hormone that governs sleep and jet lag in humans may also drive the mass migration of plankton in the ocean, scientists have found. The molecule in question, melatonin, is essential to maintain our daily rhythm, and scientists have now discovered that it governs the nightly migration of a plankton species from the surface to deeper waters. The findings indicate that melatonin's role in controlling daily rhythms probably evolved early in the history of animals, and hold hints to how our sleep patterns may have evolved.

Conflictive animations support the development of programming skills

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 05:56 AM PDT

Traditional educational tools present information to students in a conventional way: what they present is true and students are expected to learn what is presented. Educators have now developed a tool that tricks students during their learning process. They use "conflictive animations" to teach computer programming, which is a very challenging topic for students due to its abstract nature.

Experts call for widening the debate on climate change

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 05:56 AM PDT

Environmental scientists are being urged to broaden the advice they give on global climate change, say experts who are also frustrated that decision makers are not taking enough action.

Computational model: Ebola could infect more than 1.4 million people by end of January 2015

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 05:55 AM PDT

The Ebola epidemic could claim hundreds of thousands of lives and infect more than 1.4 million people by the end of January, according to a statistical forecast released this week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC forecast supports the drastically higher projections released earlier by a group of scientists, including epidemiologists with the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, who modeled the Ebola spread as part of a National Institutes of Health-sponsored project called Midas, short for Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study.

Graphene looks promising as a flexible, low-cost touchscreen solution

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 05:55 AM PDT

New research suggests that graphene-treated nanowires could soon replace current touchscreen technology, significantly reducing production costs and allowing for more affordable, flexible displays.

Power outage? Robots to the rescue

Posted: 25 Sep 2014 03:25 PM PDT

Big disasters almost always result in big power failures. Not only do they take down the TV and fridge, they also wreak havoc with key infrastructure like cell towers. That can delay search and rescue operations at a time when minutes count. Engineers have now developed a tabletop model of robotic first responders that can bring power to places that need it the most -- like communications towers.

On the road to artificial photosynthesis: Study reveals key catalytic factors in carbon dioxide reduction

Posted: 25 Sep 2014 12:08 PM PDT

The excessive atmospheric carbon dioxide that is driving global climate change could be harnessed into a renewable energy technology that would be a win for both the environment and the economy. That is the lure of artificial photosynthesis in which the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide is used to produce clean, green and sustainable fuels. However, finding a catalyst for reducing carbon dioxide that is highly selective and efficient has proven to be a huge scientific challenge. New experimental results have revealed the critical influence of the electronic and geometric effects in the carbon dioxide reduction reaction and might help make the problem easier to tackle.

Longstanding bottleneck in crystal structure prediction solved

Posted: 25 Sep 2014 12:08 PM PDT

The various patterns that atoms of a solid material can adopt, called crystal structures, can have a huge impact on its properties. Being able to accurately predict the most stable crystal structure for a material has been a longstanding challenge for scientists. Researchers calculated the lattice energy of benzene, a simple yet important molecule in pharmaceutical and energy research, to sub-kilojoule per mole accuracy -- a level of certainty that allows polymorphism to be resolved.

New discovery could pave way for spin-based computing: Novel oxide-based magnetism follows electrical commands

Posted: 25 Sep 2014 12:08 PM PDT

Electricity and magnetism rule our digital world. Semiconductors process electrical information, while magnetic materials enable long-term data storage. A research team has now discovered a way to fuse these two distinct properties in a single material, paving the way for new ultrahigh density storage and computing architectures.

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News

ScienceDaily: Health & Medicine News


Antibacterial resistance a cause for major concern, cystic fibrosis experts say

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 05:58 AM PDT

In a new paper, world-leading cystic fibrosis experts have called for greater research to address the major concern of antibacterial resistance.

Computational model: Ebola could infect more than 1.4 million people by end of January 2015

Posted: 26 Sep 2014 05:55 AM PDT

The Ebola epidemic could claim hundreds of thousands of lives and infect more than 1.4 million people by the end of January, according to a statistical forecast released this week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC forecast supports the drastically higher projections released earlier by a group of scientists, including epidemiologists with the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, who modeled the Ebola spread as part of a National Institutes of Health-sponsored project called Midas, short for Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study.

Mechanized human hands: System designed to improve hand function lost to nerve damage

Posted: 25 Sep 2014 02:26 PM PDT

Engineers have developed and successfully demonstrated the value of a simple pulley mechanism to improve hand function after surgery. The device, tested in cadaver hands, is one of the first instruments ever created that could improve the transmission of mechanical forces and movement while implanted inside the body.

Agonizing rabies deaths can be stopped worldwide

Posted: 25 Sep 2014 11:12 AM PDT

Ridding the world of rabies in humans is cost-effective and achievable through mass dog vaccination programs, an international team of researchers says. A rabies vaccine has long existed. Even so, the disease kills an estimated 69,000 people worldwide -- that's 189 each day. Forty percent of them are children, mostly in Africa and Asia. The disease is spread primarily through the saliva of infected dogs. Once a person develops symptoms, the chance that he or she will die is nearly 100-percent.

Stem cell transplant does not cure SHIV/AIDS after irradiation of infected rhesus macaques

Posted: 25 Sep 2014 11:12 AM PDT

A new primate model has been developed to test treatments that might cure HIV/AIDS and suggests answers to questions raised by the 'Berlin patient,' the only human thought to have been cured so far.

Researchers engineer 'Cas9' animal models to study disease, inform drug discovery

Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:28 AM PDT

A new mouse model to simplify application of the CRISPR-Cas9 system for in vivo genome editing experiments. The researchers successfully used the new 'Cas9 mouse' model to edit multiple genes in a variety of cell types, and to model lung adenocarcinoma, one of the most lethal human cancers.

Yoga, meditation may help train brain to help people control computers with their mind

Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:25 AM PDT

People who practice yoga and meditation long term can learn to control a computer with their minds faster and better than people with little or no yoga or meditation experience, new research by biomedical engineers shows. The research could have major implications for treatments of people who are paralyzed or have neurodegenerative diseases.

Brain chemical potential new hope in controlling Tourette Syndrome tics

Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:23 AM PDT

A chemical in the brain plays a vital role in controlling the involuntary movements and vocal tics associated with Tourette Syndrome, a new study has shown. The research could offer a potential new target for the development of more effective treatments to suppress these unwanted symptoms.

How physical exercise protects the brain from stress-induced depression

Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:13 AM PDT

Physical exercise has many beneficial effects on human health, including the protection from stress-induced depression. However, until now the mechanisms that mediate this protective effect have been unknown. In a new study in mice, researchers show that exercise training induces changes in skeletal muscle that can purge the blood of a substance that accumulates during stress, and is harmful to the brain.

Coping techniques help patients with COPD improve mentally, physically

Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:07 AM PDT

Coaching patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to manage stress, practice relaxation and participate in light exercise can boost a patient's quality of life and can even improve physical symptoms, researchers report.

Surprising diversity of antibody family provides clues for HIV vaccine design

Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:05 AM PDT

Scientists have described how a single family of antibodies that broadly neutralizes different strains of HIV has evolved remarkably diverse structures to attack a vulnerable site on the virus. The findings provide clues for the design of a future HIV vaccine.

New protein players found in key disease-related metabolic pathway

Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:05 AM PDT

Cells rely on the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway—which senses the availability of nutrients—to coordinate their growth with existing environmental conditions. Now researchers have identified a family of proteins that negatively regulate the branch upstream of mTORC1 that senses amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.

Modified vitamin D shows promise as treatment for pancreatic cancer

Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:05 AM PDT

A vitamin D-derivative makes tumors vulnerable to chemotherapy, a new study shows. By attacking a wound repair mechanism called fibrosis, the findings may also have implications for other tough-to-treat tumors, such as lung, kidney and liver cancer, researchers report.

How the ends of chromosomes are maintained for cancer cell immortality

Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:05 AM PDT

Maintaining telomeres is a requisite feature of cells that are able to continuously divide and also a hallmark of human cancer. Telomeres are much like the plastic cap on the ends of shoelaces -- they keep the ends of DNA from fraying. In a new study, researchers describe a mechanism for how cancer cells take over one of the processes for telomere maintenance to gain an infinite lifespan.

Severe childhood epilepsies: Large international study pinpoints synapse genes with major roles

Posted: 25 Sep 2014 10:05 AM PDT

An international research team has identified gene mutations causing severe, difficult-to-treat forms of childhood epilepsy. Many of the mutations disrupt functioning in the synapse, the junction at which nerve cells intercommunicate.

Study supports camels as primary source of MERS-CoV transmission

Posted: 24 Sep 2014 06:20 PM PDT

Scientists have provided experimental evidence supporting dromedary camels as the primary reservoir, or carrier, of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. The study involved three healthy camels exposed through the eyes, nose and throat to MERS-CoV isolated from a patient. Each camel developed a mild upper respiratory tract infection consistent with what scientists have observed throughout the Middle East.

Increased risk of venous thromboembolism among NSAIDs users, study shows

Posted: 24 Sep 2014 06:20 PM PDT

There is a statistically significant increased risk of venous thromboembolism -- a condition which includes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism -- among users of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, a study concludes. NSAIDs are one of the most commonly used medications around the world, and they are already well-known for their potential adverse effects.

Skirt size increase linked to 33 percent greater postmenopausal breast cancer risk

Posted: 24 Sep 2014 06:20 PM PDT

Going up a skirt size over a period of 10 years between your mid 20s and mid 50s is linked to a 33 percent greater risk of developing breast cancer after menopause, finds a large observational study.

Working long hours linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes in people doing low socioeconomic status jobs

Posted: 24 Sep 2014 06:19 PM PDT

People working for more than 55 hours per week doing manual work or other low socioeconomic status jobs have a 30% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to the largest study in this field so far.

Plant extract as possible Lupus treatment? Findings give new hope

Posted: 24 Sep 2014 01:05 PM PDT

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system turns against itself, attacking a person's healthy tissue, cells and organs. New findings by a biomedical engineer and his team raise hope for a new class of drugs to treat lupus that may not include the long list of adverse risks and side effects often associated with current treatments for this disease.

Better information about prenatal testing leads to fewer tests

Posted: 24 Sep 2014 01:04 PM PDT

When pregnant women are educated about their choices on prenatal genetic testing, the number of tests actually drops, even when the tests are offered with no out-of-pocket costs, a clinical trial has found. The findings underscore the need for clear information on all prenatal testing options and their possible outcomes, including the option of no testing, before pregnant women decide whether or not to have genetic testing, the authors said.

Despite what you've heard, kids with egg allergies should get the flu shot, experts say

Posted: 24 Sep 2014 10:46 AM PDT

If you have a child with egg allergies, you may have been told they shouldn't get the shot because of a possible reaction to the trace amounts of egg in the vaccine. Not true, say experts. Recent research has shown that administration of the flu vaccine is safe for kids with egg allergies.

How a single, genetic change causes retinal tumors in young children

Posted: 24 Sep 2014 10:46 AM PDT

Retinoblastoma is a childhood retinal tumor usually affecting children one to two years of age. Although rare, it is the most common malignant tumor of the eye in children. Left untreated, retinoblastoma can be fatal or result in blindness. It has also played a special role in understanding cancer, because retinoblastomas have been found to develop in response to the mutation of a single gene -- the RB1 gene -- demonstrating that some cells are only a step away from developing into a life-threatening malignancy.

Stop taking patients in cardiac arrest to hospital, says expert

Posted: 24 Sep 2014 08:37 AM PDT

It's time to stop taking patients in cardiac arrest to hospital and let ambulance crews deliver the best possible care at the scene, argues a senior UK doctor. But a senior US doctor warns that avoiding ambulance transport could result in unacceptable deaths.