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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News


Cost gap for Western renewables could narrow by 2025

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 05:45 PM PDT

A new study indicates that by 2025 wind and solar power electricity generation could become cost-competitive without federal subsidies, if new renewable energy development occurs in the most productive locations.

Report proposes microbiology's grand challenge to help feed the world

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 05:45 PM PDT

A greater focus on the role of microbiology in agriculture combined with new technologies can help mitigate potential food shortages associated with world population increases according to a new report.

Investigational oral regimen for hepatitis C shows promise

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 05:44 PM PDT

In a study of an all-oral drug regimen, a majority of volunteers with liver damage due to hepatitis C virus infection were cured following a six-month course of therapy that combined an experimental drug, sofosbuvir, with the licensed antiviral drug ribavirin. The results showed that the regimen was highly effective in clearing the virus and well tolerated in a group of patients who historically have had unfavorable prognoses.

Size of personal space is affected by anxiety

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 05:43 PM PDT

The space surrounding the body (known by scientists as 'peripersonal space'), which has previously been thought of as having a gradual boundary, has been given physical limits by new research into the relationship between anxiety and personal space.

The extraordinary evolution of reticuloendotheliosis viruses

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 05:43 PM PDT

A new study reveals that reticuloendotheliosis viruses, which originated in mammals, spread to birds as a result of medical intervention.

New approach to celiac testing identifies more at risk

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 05:40 PM PDT

Researchers have developed a new approach to detecting celiac disease, revealing this immune disorder is far more common than previously recognized.

Harmful particles in Icelandic volcanic ash fell first, says new research

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 05:40 PM PDT

The type of particles which are most harmful to jet engines were the first to fall out of the Eyjafjallajökull ash plume following the volcano's eruption in 2010, experts say.

Conspiracy theories may put children's health at risk

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 05:40 PM PDT

A belief in conspiracy theories may influence parents' intentions to have their children vaccinated against diseases such as measles.

Three subtypes of gastric cancer suggest different treatment approaches

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 05:40 PM PDT

Stomach cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide, actually falls into three broad subtypes that respond differently to currently available therapies, according to researchers.

Genetic variant associated with coronary heart disease in type 2 diabetes

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 05:39 PM PDT

Scientists have identified a previously unknown genetic variant associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease in type 2 diabetic patients. This discovery has the potential to lead to the development of new treatments for in diabetic patients.

Biomaterial, pharmacy researchers develop polymer to help oral medications reach bloodstream

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 05:39 PM PDT

Research on new polymer additives that enhance the ability of orally administered drugs will result in greater effectiveness and fewer side effects, researchers say.

NASA'S Mars Curiosity debuts autonomous navigation

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 03:40 PM PDT

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has used autonomous navigation for the first time, a capability that lets the rover decide for itself how to drive safely on Mars. This latest addition to Curiosity's array of capabilities will help the rover cover the remaining ground en route to Mount Sharp, where geological layers hold information about environmental changes on ancient Mars. The capability uses software that engineers adapted to this larger and more complex vehicle from a similar capability used by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, which is also currently active on Mars.

Why are some cells more cancer prone?

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 01:05 PM PDT

Cells in the body wear down over time and die. In many organs, like the small intestine, adult stem cells play a vital role in maintaining function by replacing old cells with new ones. Learning about the nature of tissue stem cells can help scientists understand exactly how our organs are built, and why some organs generate cancer frequently, but others only rarely.

Submarine canyons a source of marine invertebrate diversity, abundance

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 01:05 PM PDT

Submarine canyons play an important role in maintaining high levels of biodiversity of small invertebrates in the seafloor sediments of the main and northwestern Hawaiian Islands, according to new research. What's more, scientists have used this data to draw new connections between the levels of faunal diversity and the heterogeneity of submarine canyon landscapes at various spatial scales.

Fractions gain traction with real-life models

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 01:05 PM PDT

For children to understand math, teachers must constantly make the connection between abstract numbers and real world examples, new research shows.

Patent shows promise for improved method of carbon capture

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 01:02 PM PDT

New research shows a new method for capturing greenhouse gases is potentially cheaper and more energy efficient than current solvents.

Winter depression not as common as many think

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 10:50 AM PDT

New research suggests that getting depressed when it's cold and dreary outside may not be as common as is often believed.

Quantum inverted pendulum: Control scheme dynamically maintains unstable quantum system

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 10:50 AM PDT

Researchers have demonstrated a way to maintain an unstable quantum system by applying bursts of microwave radiation. The technique is comparable to methods used for controlling an inverted pendulum in classical physics.

Study relies on twins and their parents to understand height-IQ connection

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 10:50 AM PDT

The fact that taller people also tend to be slightly smarter is due in roughly equal parts to two phenomena -- the same genes affect both traits and taller people are more likely than average to mate with smarter people and vice versa -- according to a new study.

No evidence of residential property value impacts near US wind turbines

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 10:50 AM PDT

After analyzing more than 50,000 home sales near 63 wind facilities in 27 counties across nine US states, researchers were unable to uncover any impacts to nearby home property values.

Snapping turtles finding refuge in urban areas while habitats are being polluted

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 10:50 AM PDT

Snapping turtles are surviving in urban areas as their natural habitats are being polluted or developed for construction projects. One solution is for people to stop using so many chemicals that are eventually dumped into the waterways, a scientist said.

New 3-D Earth model more accurately pinpoints source of earthquakes, explosions

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 10:47 AM PDT

Scientists have developed a 3-D model of the Earth's mantle and crust called SALSA3D, or Sandia-Los Alamos 3D. The purpose of this model is more accurately locate all types of explosions.

Botox not just for wrinkles

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 10:47 AM PDT

Botox is best known as a cosmetic treatment for frown lines, but the drug also effectively treats the after effects of Bell's palsy and other serious facial nerve problems.

New surgical tool may help sleep apnea sufferers

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 10:47 AM PDT

A researcher's innovative use of a new tool may make surgery a more viable option for sufferers of obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).

Mystery in blot clotting disorder solved

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 10:47 AM PDT

Fifteen years ago, a hematologist came an expert with a puzzle: Multiple generations of an East Texas family suffered from a moderately severe bleeding disorder, but it wasn't hemophilia.

Low inflammation may explain healthy metabolic status in some obese people

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 10:47 AM PDT

Reduced levels of inflammation may explain how some obese people are able to remain metabolically healthy, according to a recent study.

Early diabetes interventions may also reduce heart disease risk

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 10:47 AM PDT

Two treatments that slow the development of diabetes also may protect people from heart disease, according to a recent study.

Evaluating medical research: New treatments better than standard ones just over half the time

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 09:29 AM PDT

Scientists report that on average new treatments work better than existing ones just over half the time. And, from an ethical and scientific perspective, that's evidence that the randomized controlled trial system is working, they say.

Apoptosis triggers replication of common viruses

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 09:29 AM PDT

Researchers have found that an alternate, "escape" replication process triggered by apoptosis -- the process of cell death or "cell suicide" -- appears to be common in human herpesviruses. The findings have implications for better understanding of viruses and of disease conditions and treatments, like chemotherapy, that stimulate apoptosis.

Generational shift in attitudes among young soccer players towards gay teammates

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 09:29 AM PDT

Young soccer players on the verge of becoming professionals are now much more likely to be supportive of gay teammates than a decade ago, according to new research.

Supervolcanic ash can turn to lava miles from eruption

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 09:28 AM PDT

Scientists have determined that ash can turn back into lava miles away from a supervolcano eruption due to reheating by a process called "viscous heating."

Molecular process behind form of non-syndromic deafness identified

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 09:28 AM PDT

Researchers identify an underlying molecular process that causes a genetic form of non-syndromic deafness in a new study that also suggests affected families may be at risk of damage to other organs.

Tumor suppressor may actually fuel aggressive leukemia

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 09:28 AM PDT

New research suggests that blocking a protein normally credited with suppressing leukemia may be a promising therapeutic strategy for an aggressive form of the disease called acute myeloid leukemia. The protein scientists targeted is a transcription factor known as RUNX1, which also plays an important role in helping regulate the normal development of blood cells.

Scientists prevent preterm birth caused by gene-environment interactions in mice

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 09:28 AM PDT

New research provides evidence that gene-environment interactions are a major contributor to preterm birth and that using a combinatory treatment strategy can prevent preterm delivery in a mouse model. Scientists say their study provides important new insights into a major global health problem -- one that remains stubbornly persistent in the United States.

Promising therapeutic target for hard-to-treat brain tumor

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 09:27 AM PDT

Researchers say they have found a specific protein in nearly 100 percent of high-grade meningiomas — the most common form of brain tumor — suggesting a new target for therapies for a cancer that does not respond to current chemotherapy.

Researcher controls colleague's motions in first human brain-to-brain interface

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 09:27 AM PDT

Researchers have performed what they believe is the first noninvasive human-to-human brain interface, with one researcher able to send a brain signal via the Internet to control the hand motions of a fellow researcher.

Hodgkin lymphoma treatment linked to possible risk of stomach cancer

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 09:27 AM PDT

Hodgkin lymphoma survivors who received certain radiation and chemotherapy regimens were at increased risk of subsequently developing stomach cancer, according to a new study.

New energy model offers transparency to let others replicate findings

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 08:31 AM PDT

Computer models are used to inform policy decisions about energy, but existing models are generally "black boxes" that don't show how they work, making it impossible for anyone to replicate their findings. Researchers have developed a new open-source model and are sharing the data they put into it, to allow anyone to check their work -- an important advance given the environmental and economic impact of energy policy decisions.

How quickly can a bacterium grow? E. coli can replicate close to thermodynamic limits of efficiency

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 08:30 AM PDT

All living things must obey the laws of physics -- including the second law of thermodynamics, which states that the universe's disorder, or entropy, can only grow. Highly ordered cells and organisms appear to contradict this principle, but they actually do conform because they generate heat that increases the universe's overall entropy.

European hunter-gatherers owned pigs as early as 4600 BC

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 08:30 AM PDT

European hunter-gatherers acquired domesticated pigs from nearby farmers as early as 4600 BC, according to new evidence. The international team of scientists showed there was interaction between the hunter-gatherer and farming communities and a 'sharing' of animals and knowledge. The interaction between the two groups eventually led to the hunter-gatherers incorporating farming and breeding of livestock into their culture, say the scientists.

Genetic treasure hunting in sorghum may benefit crop improvement

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 08:30 AM PDT

Agricultural researchers have discovered that sorghum, a drought-tolerant African crop, holds vastly more genetic variation than previously reported. This study provides an invaluable resource for the genetic improvement of sorghum and other grass species.

Humans experiencing increased exposure to aluminium and its predicted to get worse

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 08:21 AM PDT

Aluminium - the most abundant metal and third most abundant element of the Earth's crust - has no known biological function and is a recognized environmental toxin. Human exposure to aluminium is implicated in a number of chronic diseases, including bone disease, auto-immune conditions, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Earthquakes and tectonics: First direct observation of subducting continental crust during the collision of two continents

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 08:21 AM PDT

Earthquake damage to buildings is mainly due to the existing shear waves which transfer their energy during an earthquake to the houses. These shear waves are significantly influenced by the underground and the topography of the surrounding area. Detailed knowledge of the landform and the near-surface underground structure is, therefore, an important prerequisite for a local seismic hazard assessment and for the evaluation of the ground-effect, which can strongly modify and increase local ground motion.

Stem cells may do best with a little help from their friends

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 08:19 AM PDT

Like volunteers handing out cups of energy drinks to marathon runners, specially engineered "helper cells" transplanted along with stem cells can dole out growth factors to increase the stem cells' endurance, at least briefly, researchers report. Their study is believed to be the first to test the helper-cell tactic, which they hope will someday help to overcome a major barrier to successful stem cell transplants.

How pufferfish meditate magnesium to survive

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 08:17 AM PDT

The gene mechanism responsible for altering magnesium ion secretion in fish has been uncovered.

Floe by floe, the ice surrenders its secrets

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 06:16 AM PDT

Bowhead and minke whale sightings, extensive ice floe measurements and the successful retrieval of important moored instruments are among the successes of a multinational team of ice engineering researchers and marine biologists.

Existence of new element confirmed

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 06:16 AM PDT

An international team of researchers has confirmed the existence of what is considered a new element with atomic number 115. The experiment was conducted at the GSI research facility in Germany. The results confirm earlier measurements performed by research groups in Russia.

Alga stressed by the light

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 06:16 AM PDT

During the summers of 2010 and 2011, biologists analyzed samples of algae populations from five zones and measured the amount of light present in and the temperature of each zone over the summer. The research group observed that the algae that displayed the most signs of stress were from the zones exposed to the most solar radiation.

Long-term memory stored in the cortex

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 06:16 AM PDT

'Where' and 'how' memories are encoded in a nervous system is one of the most challenging questions in biological research. The formation and recall of associative memories is essential for an independent life. The hippocampus has long been considered a centre in the brain for the long-term storage of spatial associations. Now, researchers have provided the first experimental evidence that a specific form of memory associations is encoded in the cerebral cortex and is not localized in the hippocampus as described in most neuroscience textbooks. The new study is a game changer since it strongly suggests that the motor cortical circuits itself, and not the hippocampus, is used as memory storage.

Drug blocks light sensors in eye that may trigger migraine attacks

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 06:14 AM PDT

For many migraine sufferers, bright lights are a surefire way to exacerbate their headaches. And for some night-shift workers, just a stroll through a brightly lit parking lot during the morning commute home can be enough to throw off their body's daily rhythms and make daytime sleep nearly impossible. But a new molecule that selectively blocks specialized light-sensitive receptors in the eyes could help both these groups of people, without affecting normal vision.

Perception of marijuana as a 'safe drug' is scientifically inaccurate, finds review of teen brain studies

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 06:14 AM PDT

The nature of the teenage brain makes users of cannabis amongst this population particularly at risk of developing addictive behaviors and suffering other long-term negative effects, according to researchers who reviewed over 120 studies.

Novel approach to gene regulation can activate multiple genes simultaneously

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 06:13 AM PDT

By creating a powerful new gene regulation system called CRISPR-on, researchers now have the ability to increase the expression of multiple genes simultaneously and precisely manipulate each gene's expression level. The system is effective in both mouse and human cells as well as in mouse embryos.

Scientists detect magmatic water on moon's surface

Posted: 27 Aug 2013 06:13 AM PDT

Scientists have detected magmatic water — water that originates from deep within the Moon's interior — on the surface of the Moon. These findings represent the first such remote detection of this type of lunar water.

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