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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News


Heart attacks in young women -- not all have chest pain

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 05:47 PM PDT

Chest pain is recognized as a symptom of heart troubles, but one out of five women aged 55 years or less having a heart attack do not experience this symptom. The research findings are the first to describe this phenomenon in young women.

On the road to fault-tolerant quantum computing: High temperature superconductivity induced in toplogical insulator

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 05:47 PM PDT

Scientists have induced high temperature superconductivity in a toplogical insulator, an important step on the road to fault-tolerant quantum computing.

Copper bracelets, magnetic wrist straps fail to help rheumatoid arthritis

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 05:42 PM PDT

Copper bracelets and magnet wrist straps have no real effect on pain, swelling, or disease progression in rheumatoid arthritis, according to new findings.

Rare gene variant linked to macular degeneration

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 05:42 PM PDT

An international team of researchers has identified a gene mutation linked to age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in Americans over age 50.

Young women with breast cancer overestimate the benefit of having second breast removed

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 05:39 PM PDT

A survey of young women with breast cancer found that many often overestimate the odds that cancer will occur in their other, healthy breast, and decide to have the healthy breast surgically removed even though most understood that removing both breasts does not extend their survival.

Lifestyle changes may lengthen telomeres, a measure of cell aging

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 05:39 PM PDT

A small pilot study shows for the first time that changes in diet, exercise, stress management and social support may result in longer telomeres, the parts of chromosomes that affect aging.

Immune system marker tied to improved bone marrow transplant outcomes

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:20 PM PDT

The risk of death following bone marrow transplantation can be reduced about 60 percent using a new technique to identify bone marrow donors who make the most potent cancer-fighting immune cells.

'Vicious cycle' shields, spreads cancer cells

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:20 PM PDT

A "vicious cycle" produces mucus that protects uterine and pancreatic cancer cells and promotes their proliferation, according to research.

Light steered in new directions: 2-D material could lead to shaped, wavy, curved, and sharply bending ways to steer light

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:20 PM PDT

For the first time, researchers have built and demonstrated the ability of two-dimensional disordered photonic band gap material, designed to be a platform to control light in unprecedented ways. The new material could lead to arbitrarily shaped, wavy, curved, and sharply bending ways to steer light.

What direction does Earth's center spin? New insights solve 300-year-old problem

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:20 PM PDT

Scientists have solved a 300-year-old riddle about which direction the center of Earth spins. Earth's inner core, made up of solid iron, 'superrotates' in an eastward direction -- meaning it spins faster than the rest of the planet -- while the outer core, comprising mainly molten iron, spins westwards at a slower pace.

How and where imagination occurs in human brains

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:20 PM PDT

Philosophers and scientists have long puzzled over where human imagination comes from. In other words, what makes humans able to create art, invent tools, think scientifically and perform other incredibly diverse behaviors? The answer, researchers conclude, lies in a widespread neural network -- the brain's "mental workspace" -- that consciously manipulates images, symbols, ideas and theories and gives humans the laser-like mental focus needed to solve complex problems and come up with new ideas.

Early-warning system to prevent fishery collapse

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:17 PM PDT

Threats from overfishing can be detected early enough to save fisheries -- and livelihoods -- with minimal adjustments in harvesting practices, a new study shows.

Sex differences in presentation of acute coronary syndrome

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:17 PM PDT

A higher proportion of women than men 55 years and younger did not have chest pain in acute coronary syndromes (ACS, such as heart attacks or unstable angina), although chest pain was the most common symptom for both sexes, according to a new study.

Economic impact of childhood food allergies estimated

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:17 PM PDT

The overall cost of childhood food allergies was estimated at nearly $25 billion annually in a study of caregivers that quantified medical, out-of-pocket, lost work productivity and other expenses, according to a new report.

Binge drinking: Five or more drinks common for high school seniors, some drink more

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:17 PM PDT

Consuming five or more alcoholic drinks in a row is common among high school seniors, with some students engaging in extreme binge drinking of as many as 15 or more drinks, according to a new study.

Scientists use 'wired microbes' to generate electricity from sewage

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:17 PM PDT

Engineers have devised a new way to generate electricity from sewage using naturally-occurring "wired microbes" as mini power plants, producing electricity as they digest plant and animal waste.

Harnessing the sun's energy with tiny particles

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 01:15 PM PDT

Engineers are using a falling particle receiver to more efficiently convert the sun's energy to electricity in large-scale, concentrating solar power plants.

New target for melanoma treatment

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 11:32 AM PDT

The PDK1 gene, known to regulate many cell functions such as metabolism and survival, is now identified as a key regulator in melanoma development and metastasis, offering new opportunities to interfere with cancer progression.

Extremely potent, improved derivatives of successful anticancer drug created

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 11:05 AM PDT

Scientists have found a way to make dramatic improvements to the cancer cell-killing power of vinblastine, one of the most successful chemotherapy drugs of the past few decades. The team's modified versions of vinblastine showed 10 to 200 times greater potency than the clinical drug.

TV drug ads: The whole truth?

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 11:04 AM PDT

Consumers should be wary when watching those advertisements for pharmaceuticals on the nightly TV news, as six out of 10 claims could potentially mislead the viewer, say researchers.

Wide-faced men make others act selfishly

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 11:04 AM PDT

Researchers have previously shown that men with wider faces are more aggressive, less trustworthy and more prone to engaging in deception. Now they have shown, in a series of four studies, that individuals behave more selfishly when interacting with men with wider faces and this selfish behavior elicits selfish behavior in others.

Invention jet prints nanostructures with self-assembling material

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 11:04 AM PDT

Engineers have developed a new approach to the fabrication of nanostructures for the semiconductor and magnetic storage industries. This approach combines advanced ink-jet printing technology with self-assembling block copolymers.

Flame cultivation promising as weed control method for cranberry

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 11:01 AM PDT

Cranberries are important agricultural commodities in states such as Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Washington, and Oregon. But cranberry-growing operations are challenged by weeds, which compete for precious resources and often decrease fruit yields and revenues. Producers currently rely on weed management strategies such as flooding and sanding cranberry beds, hand-weeding, or applications of pre- and postemergence herbicides. Recent interest in reducing chemical inputs into cranberry growing systems has led researchers to evaluate alternative methods such as flame cultivation as a potential nonchemical weed control option.

Novel biomarker identified for diabetes risk

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 10:11 AM PDT

Researchers have identified a biomarker that can predict diabetes risk up to 10 years before onset of the disease.

Risk of birth defects among women who take antihistamines in pregnancy

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 10:11 AM PDT

Antihistamines are a group of medications that are used to treat various conditions, including allergies and nausea and vomiting. Some antihistamines require a prescription, but most are available over-the-counter, and both prescription and OTC antihistamines are often used by women during pregnancy. Until recently, little information was available to women and their health care providers on the possible risks and relative safety of these medications in pregnancy, particularly when it came to specific birth defects.

Women can lower their risk for gynecologic cancers

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 10:10 AM PDT

From losing weight to knowing their family history, there are several things women can do to lower their risk of developing certain types of cancer, and improve their chances for survival if they do develop one of them.

World's most vulnerable areas to climate change mapped

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 10:10 AM PDT

Using data from the world's ecosystems and predictions of how climate change will impact them, scientists have produced a roadmap that ID's the world's most and least vulnerable areas in the Age of Climate Change.

Gut microbes closely linked to proper immune function, other health issues

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 09:22 AM PDT

A new understanding of the essential role of gut microbes in the immune system may hold the key to dealing with some of the more significant health problems facing people in the world today, researchers say in a new analysis.

Non-traditional mathematics curriculum results in higher standardized test scores

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 09:21 AM PDT

Researchers have found high school students in the United States achieve higher scores on a standardized mathematics test if they study from a curriculum known as integrated mathematics.

Birth of Earth's continents: New research points to crust stacking, rather than upwelling of hot material

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 09:21 AM PDT

New research provides strong evidence against continent formation above a hot mantle plume, similar to an environment that presently exists beneath the Hawaiian Islands.

Space weather may be to blame for some satellite failures

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 09:21 AM PDT

A new study finds that high-energy electrons in space may be to blame for some satellite failures.

Cold sore linked to mutation in gene

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 09:20 AM PDT

Why some people are troubled by cold sores while others are not has finally been explained by scientists. Cold sores affect around one in five people but, until now, no one has been sure why some are more prone to the virus that causes them.

Use of cognitive enhancers discouraged in some patients

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 09:20 AM PDT

Cognitive enhancers -- drugs taken to enhance concentration, memory, alertness and moods -- do not improve cognition or function in people with mild cognitive impairment in the long term, according to a new study by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital.

Hospital study finds connection between dementia, delirium and declining health

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 08:10 AM PDT

More than half of all patients with pre-existing dementia will experience delirium while hospitalized. Failing to detect and treat their delirium early leads to a faster decline of both their physical and mental health, according to health researchers.

New model should expedite development of temperature-stable nano-alloys

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 08:10 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a new theoretical model that will speed the development of new nanomaterial alloys that retain their advantageous properties at elevated temperatures.

Environmentally friendly cement is stronger than ordinary cement

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 08:10 AM PDT

Cement made with waste ash from sugar production is stronger than ordinary cement. The research shows that the ash helps to bind water in the cement so that it is stronger, can withstand higher pressure and crumbles less. At the same time, energy is saved and pollution from cement production is reduced.

Feeling small: Fingers can detect nano-scale wrinkles even on a seemingly smooth surface

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 08:08 AM PDT

In a ground-breaking study, Swedish scientists have shown that people can detect nano-scale wrinkles while running their fingers upon a seemingly smooth surface. The findings could lead such advances as touch screens for the visually impaired and other products.

Doing research in the pub

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 08:08 AM PDT

A research team has analysed how the body language of the potential customer helps the bartenders to identify who would like to place an order and who does not. The team found that real-life observations were at odds with the widespread belief that customers wave for signalling that they would like to order a drink.

White blood cell levels tied to meal time

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:36 AM PDT

A new link between meal times and daily changes in the immune system has been identified, and has led them to question assumptions about the roles of specific immune cells in infection and allergy.

Weather affects crop yield, especially hot days

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:36 AM PDT

A study has determined the relationship between long-term weather and yield of 11 horticultural crops and one field crop in Wisconsin. The number of hot days during the growing season was determined to be the most important factor among the weather conditions examined. Results revealed the importance of the amount and frequency of seasonal precipitation, showed the negative effects of extreme temperatures on vegetable crop yields, and emphasized the importance of breeding vegetables for heat tolerance.

Specific sugar molecule causes growth of cancer cells

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:36 AM PDT

The process of glycosylation, where sugar molecules are attached to proteins, has long been of interest to scientists, particularly because certain sugar molecules are present in very high numbers in cancer cells. It now turns out that these sugar molecules are not only present but actually aid the growth of the malignant cells. In the long term this discovery is an important step towards a cure that can stop the growth of cancer cells.

Potential treatment for a specific kind of pancreatic cancer

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:35 AM PDT

Researchers have identified a potentially treatable subtype of pancreatic cancer, which accounts for about 2 percent of new cases. This subtype expresses high levels of the HER2 gene. HER2-amplified breast and gastric cancers are currently treated with Herceptin.

Diet is associated with risk of depression

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:35 AM PDT

A healthy diet may reduce the risk of severe depression, according to a prospective follow-up study of more than 2,000 men. In addition, weight loss in the context of a lifestyle intervention was associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms.

Automated telephone calls improve blood pressure control

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:35 AM PDT

Patients who received automated telephone calls inviting them to get their blood pressure checked at a walk-in clinic were more likely to have controlled hypertension than patients who did not receive calls, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published today in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension.

Score system to predict likelihood of diabetes remission after weight-loss surgery

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:33 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a simple scoring system, based on four readily available preoperative patient characteristics, that can predict which candidates for gastric bypass surgery are likely to achieve type 2 diabetes remission within 5 years. A predictive model is likely to help patients and clinicians better manage the disease and could even save lives.

Exposure to pig farms and manure fertilizers associated with MRSA infections

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:33 AM PDT

Researchers have for the first time found an association between living in proximity to high-density livestock production and community-acquired infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as MRSA.

Obese stomachs tell us diets are doomed to fail

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:33 AM PDT

The way the stomach detects and tells our brains how full we are becomes damaged in obese people but does not return to normal once they lose weight, according to new research.

Birds appear to lack important anti-inflammatory protein

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:33 AM PDT

Bird diseases can have a vast impact on humans, so understanding their immune systems can be a benefit for people. An important element in the immune system of many animals is the protein TTP, which plays an anti-inflammatory role, yet researchers have been unable to find it in birds. New research suggests birds are an anomaly.

Time is in the eye of the beholder: Time perception in animals depends on their pace of life

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:20 AM PDT

Scientists have shown that animals' ability to perceive time is linked to their pace of life. The rate at which time is perceived varies across animals. For example, flies owe their skill at avoiding rolled up newspapers to their ability to observe motion on finer timescales than our own eyes can achieve, allowing them to avoid the newspaper in a similar fashion to the "bullet time" sequence in the popular film The Matrix. In contrast, one species of tiger beetle runs faster than its eyes can keep up, essentially becoming blind and requiring it to stop periodically to re-evaluate its prey's position. Even in humans, athletes in various sports have also been shown to quicken their eyes' ability to track moving balls during games.

Marine species distribution changes reflect local climate conditions

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 06:12 AM PDT

Climate change has resulted in shifts in where and at what depths many marine species are found. These shifts have not been uniform, and sometimes have occurred at different rates and in different ways than expected. Researchers from the US and Canada suggest that climate velocity -- the rate and direction that climate shifts in a particular region or landscape -- explains observed shifts in distribution far better than biological or species characteristics.

Climate change to shift Kenya's breadbaskets

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 06:12 AM PDT

Kenyan farmers and agriculture officials need to prepare for a possible geographic shift in maize production as climate change threatens to make some areas of the country much less productive for cultivation while simultaneously making others more maize-friendly.

Diminishing fear vicariously by watching others

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 06:12 AM PDT

Phobias -- whether it's fear of spiders, clowns, or small spaces -- are common and can be difficult to treat. New research suggests that watching someone else safely interact with the supposedly harmful object can help to extinguish these conditioned fear responses, and prevent them from resurfacing later on.

Projected climate change in West Africa not likely to worsen malaria situation

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 06:12 AM PDT

A new model of malaria transmission combined with global forecasts for temperature and rainfall results in improved predictions of malaria with climate change.

Arachnophobic entomologists: When two more legs make a big difference

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 06:12 AM PDT

For some entomologists, an apparent paradox exists: despite choosing a career working with insects, they exhibit negative feelings toward spiders which range from mild disgust to extreme arachnophobia.

Superconductivity to meet humanity's greatest challenges

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 06:11 AM PDT

The stage is now set for superconductivity to branch out and meet some of the biggest challenges facing humanity today. A new article explains how superconducting technologies can move out of laboratories and hospitals and address wider issues such as water purification, earthquake monitoring and the reduction of greenhouse gases.

Snake robot on Mars?

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 06:10 AM PDT

The ESA wants its operations on other planets to have greater mobility and manoeuvrability. Researchers are looking into whether snake robots could be the answer.

New tech embeds mass customized hidden data in credit cards and plastics during manufacture

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 06:08 AM PDT

Bank card and other plastic product manufacturers will have access to a powerful new technology that will help the fight against counterfeiting of their products and which can provide an additional security feature for credit cards, thanks to new technology.  The technology will allow manufacturers to rapidly embed individual, unique and hidden individual pieces of data in each item made in large production runs of plastic products or credit cards as they are being created by injection molding.

Graphene photodetector integrated into silicon chip

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 06:08 AM PDT

Today, most information is transmitted by light -- for example, in optical fibers. Computer chips, however, work electronically. Somewhere between the optical data highway and the electronic chips, photons have to be converted into electrons using light-detectors. Scientists have now managed to combine a graphene photodetector with a standard silicon chip. It can transform light of all important frequencies used in telecommunications into electrical signals.

Magnetic jet shows how stars begin their final transformation

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 06:08 AM PDT

Astronomers have for the first time found a jet of high-energy particles emanating from a dying star. The discovery is a crucial step in explaining how some of the most beautiful objects in space are formed -- and what happens when stars like the sun reach the end of their lives.

Driven to clean: Nesting instinct among pregnant women has an evolutionary backstory

Posted: 16 Sep 2013 06:04 AM PDT

The overwhelming urge that drives many pregnant women to clean, organize and get life in order -— otherwise known as nesting —- is not irrational, but an adaptive behavior stemming from humans' evolutionary past.

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