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Thursday, September 11, 2014

ScienceDaily: Top News

ScienceDaily: Top News


Electronics that need very little energy? Nanotechnology used to help cool electrons with no external sources

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 10:25 AM PDT

A team of researchers has discovered a way to cool electrons to -228 °C without external means and at room temperature, an advancement that could enable electronic devices to function with very little energy.

Even small stressors may be harmful to men's health, new OSU research shows

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 10:25 AM PDT

Older men who lead high-stress lives are likely to die earlier than the average for their peers, new research shows. The study looked at two types of stress: the everyday hassles of such things as commuting, job stress or arguments with family and friends; and significant life events, such as job loss or the death of a spouse.

Cyberbullying increases as students age, study finds

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 10:25 AM PDT

As students' age they are verbally and physically bullied less but cyberbullied more, non-native English speakers are not bullied more often than native English speakers and bullying increases as students' transition from elementary to middle school. Those are among the findings of a wide-ranging paper just released.

Drivers of rich bird biodiversity in Neotropics identified

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 10:25 AM PDT

New research challenges a commonly held view that explains how so many species of birds came to inhabit the Neotropics, an area rich in rain forest that extends from Mexico to the southernmost tip of South America. The study suggests that tropical bird speciation is not directly linked to geological and climate changes, as traditionally thought, but is driven by movements of birds across physical barriers that occur long after those landscapes' geological origins.

Three extinct squirrel-like species discovered

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 10:25 AM PDT

Paleontologists have described three new small squirrel-like species that place a poorly understood Mesozoic group of animals firmly in the mammal family tree. The study supports the idea that mammals -- an extremely diverse group that includes egg-laying monotremes such as the platypus, marsupials such as the opossum, and placentals like humans and whales -- originated at least 208 million years ago in the late Triassic, much earlier than some previous research suggests.

Mysterious quasar sequence explained

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 10:25 AM PDT

Quasars are supermassive black holes that live at the center of distant massive galaxies. They shine as the most luminous beacons in the sky by rapidly accelerating matter into their gravitationally inescapable centers. New work solves a quasar mystery that astronomers have been puzzling over for decades. It shows that most observed quasar phenomena can be unified with two simple quantities: how efficiently the hole is being fed, and the viewing orientation of the astronomer.

Gibbon genome sequence deepens understanding of primates rapid chromosomal rearrangements

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 10:25 AM PDT

With the completion of the sequencing and analysis of the gibbon genome, scientists now know more about why this small ape has a rapid rate of chromosomal rearrangements, providing information that broadens understanding of chromosomal biology.

Algorithms reveal forecasting power of tweets, predicts individual's behavior

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 10:24 AM PDT

Researchers used 500 million tweets to develop algorithms that not only paint a picture of everyday human dynamics, but can predict an individual's behavior hours in advance.

Missing piece found to help solve concussion puzzle

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 09:06 AM PDT

A new, 5- to 10-minute test that could be added to a clinician's concussion evaluation toolkit for a more comprehensive assessment of the injury has been developed by scientists. "For the past five to 10 years, our research has revealed that vision issues, fogginess and dizziness are symptoms associated with the worst outcomes in our patients. So we set out to create an evidence-based examination to assess these areas," researchers report.

Highest resolution ever with x-ray microscopy

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 09:06 AM PDT

Researchers used 'soft' X-rays to image structures only five nanometers in size. This resolution is the highest ever achieved with X-ray microscopy.

Where to grab space debris: Algorithm analyzes the rotation of objects in space

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 09:06 AM PDT

Objects in space tend to spin -- and spin in a way that's totally different from the way they spin on earth. Understanding how objects are spinning, where their centers of mass are, and how their mass is distributed is crucial to any number of actual or potential space missions, from cleaning up debris in the geosynchronous orbit favored by communications satellites to landing a demolition crew on a comet.

How brain can tell magnitude of errors

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 09:05 AM PDT

Researchers have made another advance in understanding how the brain detects errors caused by unexpected sensory events. This type of error detection is what allows the brain to learn from its mistakes, which is critical for improving fine motor control.

Residual hydraulic fracturing water not a risk to groundwater

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 09:05 AM PDT

Hydraulic fracturing -- fracking or hydrofracturing -- raises many concerns about potential environmental impacts, especially water contamination. Currently, data show that the majority of water injected into wells stays underground, triggering fears that it might find its way into groundwater. New research by a team of scientists should help allay those fears.

Advancing understanding of graphene's friction properties

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 09:05 AM PDT

On the macroscale, adding fluorine atoms to carbon-based materials makes for water-repellant, non-stick surfaces, such as Teflon. However, on the nanoscale, adding fluorine to graphene had been reported to vastly increase the friction experienced when sliding against the material. Through a combination of physical experiments and atomistic simulations, scientists have discovered the mechanism behind this surprising finding, which could help researchers better design and control the surface properties of new materials.

Healthcare workers wash hands more often when in presence of peers

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 09:04 AM PDT

Nationally, hand hygiene adherence by healthcare workers remains staggeringly low despite its critical importance in infection control. A new study found that healthcare workers' adherence to hand hygiene is better when other workers are nearby.

Ancient swamp creature had lips like Mick Jagger

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 09:04 AM PDT

A swamp-dwelling, plant-munching creature that lived 19 million years ago in Africa has been named after Rolling Stones lead singer Sir Mick Jagger, because of its big, sensitive lips and snout. The name of the animal, Jaggermeryx naida, translates to 'Jagger's water nymph.'

First clinical trial on HER-2-negative breast cancer with nintedanib shows promising results

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 09:04 AM PDT

The experimental drug nintedanib, combined with standard chemotherapy with paclitaxel, causes a total remission of tumors in 50 percent of patients suffering from early HER-2-negative breast cancer, the most common type of breast cancer.

How skin falls apart: Pathology of autoimmune skin disease revealed at the nanoscale

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 09:04 AM PDT

Researchers studying a rare, blistering disease have discovered new details of how autoantibodies destroy healthy cells in skin. The research has the potential to help clinicians identify who may be at risk for developing Pemphigus vulgaris (PV), an autoimmune skin disorder, by distinguishing pathogenic (disease-causing) autoimmune antibodies from other nonpathogenic autoimmune antibodies.

Researchers unlock genetic code of cancer-causing liver fluke parasite

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 07:29 AM PDT

The genetic code of the liver fluke parasite, Opisthorchis viverrini, has been cracked by an international team of researchers using a unique DNA analysis technique. Opisthorchis viverrini is a trematode that infects millions in Asia, and is a significant risk factor for Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) or bile duct cancer.

Non-dominant hand vital to the evolution of the thumb

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 07:29 AM PDT

New research from biological anthropologists at the University of Kent has shown that the use of the non-dominant hand was likely to have played a vital role in the evolution of modern human hand morphology: the production of stone tools requires the thumb on the non-dominant hand to be significantly stronger and more robust than the fingers.

Working during depression can offer health benefits to employees

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 07:29 AM PDT

Attending work while suffering a depressive illness could help employees better manage their depression more than taking a sickness absence from work, a new study has found. The study is the first to estimate the long-term costs and health outcomes of depression-related absence as compared to individuals who continue to work among employees with depression.

Blocking single receptor could halt rheumatoid arthritis

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 07:28 AM PDT

Researchers have shown for the first time how the activation of a receptor provokes the inflammation and bone degradation of rheumatoid arthritis -- and that activation of this one receptor, found on cells in the fluid of arthritic joints, is all that is required.

Bright clumps in Saturn ring now mysteriously scarce

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 07:20 AM PDT

Compared to the age of the solar system -- about four-and-a-half billion years -- a couple of decades are next to nothing. Some planetary locales change little over many millions of years, so for scientists who study the planets, any object that evolves on such a short interval makes for a tempting target for study. And so it is with the ever-changing rings of Saturn.

Appetite and mortality: The two are closely connected in the eldery

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 06:32 AM PDT

A simple question about appetite can provide insights into old people's general health that may help reduce their risk of dying. A team has now investigated the connection between appetite and mortality in great depth.

First 500 GHz photon switch built

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 06:32 AM PDT

The work took nearly four years to complete and it opens a fundamentally new direction in photonics -- with far-reaching potential consequences for the control of photons in optical fiber channels.

New study reconstructs mega-earthquakes timeline in Indian Ocean

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 06:32 AM PDT

A new study on the frequency of past giant earthquakes in the Indian Ocean region shows that Sri Lanka, and much of the Indian Ocean, is affected by large tsunamis at highly variable intervals, from a few hundred to more than 1,000 years. The findings suggest that the accumulation of stress in the region could generate as large, or even larger tsunamis than the one that resulted from the 2004 magnitude-9.2 Sumatra earthquake.

Female baboons with male companions live longer

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 06:32 AM PDT

Numerous studies have linked social interaction to improved health and survival in humans, and new research confirms that the same is true for baboons. A long-term study of more than 200 wild female baboons finds that the most sociable females live two to three years longer than their socially isolated counterparts. Socializing with males gave females an even bigger longevity boost than socializing with other females, the researchers found.

Air pollution harmful to young brains, study finds

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 06:32 AM PDT

Pollution in many cities threatens the brain development in children. Findings from a recent study reveal that children living in megacities are at increased risk for brain inflammation and neurodegenerative changes, including Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.

US cityscapes show consistent patterns of 'urban evolution'

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 06:32 AM PDT

Scientists studying urban ecosystems say US urban landscapes are remarkably similar geologically and biochemically, share certain traits that can function as markers for urbanization, and evolve along similar pathways. The authors propose the concept of 'urban evolution.'

Back pain killing your sex life? Study reveals best positions to save your spine

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 06:32 AM PDT

Contrary to popular belief, spooning is not always the best sex position for those with a bad back, according to new research. For the first time ever, scientists have successfully documented the way the spine moves during sex and discovered exactly why certain positions are better than others when it comes to avoiding back pain.

Sloths are no slouches when it comes to evolution

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:38 AM PDT

Today's sloths might be known as slow, small animals, but their ancestors developed large body sizes at an amazing rate, according to an evolutionary reconstruction. The fast rate of change suggests that factors such as environmental conditions, or competition with other species must have strongly favored the bigger sloths, before they died out.

Olaparib tablet safe in pretreated ovarian cancer patients

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:38 AM PDT

An oral tablet form of a PARP inhibitor, olaparib, given in combination with chemotherapy, was safe in heavily pretreated ovarian cancer patients, and patients with BRCA mutations may have a better response compared with those without a BRCA mutation, according to phase Ib clinical trial data.

Geomagnetic storm mystery solved: How magnetic energy turns into particle energy

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:38 AM PDT

Magnetic reconnection can trigger geomagnetic storms that disrupt cell phone service, damage satellites and black out power grids. But how reconnection, in which the magnetic field lines in plasma snap apart and violently reconnect, transforms magnetic energy into explosive particle energy remains a major unsolved problem in plasma astrophysics.

Molecular self-assembly controls graphene-edge configuration

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:38 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered a new bottom-up fabrication method that produces defect-free graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with periodic zigzag-edge regions. This method, which controls GNR growth direction and length distribution, is a stepping stone towards future graphene-device fabrication by self-assembly.

Mothers' responses to babies' crying: Benefiting from and getting over childhood experiences

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:38 AM PDT

A study of 259 first-time mothers has found that mothers whose childhood experiences with caregivers were positive, and those who came to terms with negative experiences, respond more sensitively to their own babies' cries. Mothers in the study came from a wide range of racial and socio-economic backgrounds, and were followed from pregnancy until their babies were 6 months old.

Parents' separation found to boost children's behavior problems, but only in high-income families

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:38 AM PDT

A study examining a national sample of nearly 4,000 children has found that parents' separation increases children's behavior problems, but only in high income families. The study also found that moving from a single-parent family into a stepparent family improved children's behavior. It goes on to compare the effects of parents' separation, remarriage, or repartnering on children's behavior problems given the child's age.

Gray matter myelin loss strongly related to MS disability, MRI shows

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:38 AM PDT

People with multiple sclerosis lose myelin in the gray matter of their brains and the loss is closely correlated with the severity of the disease, according to a new magnetic resonance imaging study. Researchers said the findings could have important applications in clinical trials and treatment monitoring.

Mapping bats could help stop Ebola's spread

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:35 AM PDT

In the fight against Ebola, mapping fruit bat habitats could be one important step, says a geoinformatics researcher. Like the Black Death that ravaged medieval Europe, the Ebola virus' progress through remote areas of West Africa is enabled by lack of understanding about the disease, including its causes and transmission.

Living liver donors ambivalent with donation

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:35 AM PDT

Living donors are important to increasing the number of viable grafts for liver transplantation. A new study has found that ambivalence is common among donor candidates. However, providing social support may help minimize the donors' concerns regarding donation.

Bird wetlands in need of restoration, maintenance, protection

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:35 AM PDT

The construction and restoration of wetlands can improve the living conditions of bird populations. According to a recent study, grazing is the single most important maintenance method for wetlands, due to its diversifying impact. The poor condition of wetlands has led to the decline of wetland bird populations around the world, experts say.

Pain tolerance levels between men, women are similar

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:33 AM PDT

Resilience, a person's ability to overcome adverse circumstances, is the main quality associated with pain tolerance among patients and their adjustment to chronic pain. This is the result of a new study that shows that the effect of gender on this ability is not as significant as originally thought.

First graphene-based flexible display produced

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:33 AM PDT

A flexible display incorporating graphene in its pixels' electronics has been successfully demonstrated, the first time graphene has been used in a transistor-based flexible device.

Male–male bonds as a key to the evolution of complex social systems

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:33 AM PDT

A new study shows tolerance and cooperative ties between male Guinea baboons. Contests, threats, at best ignore one another: The relationships between male mammals are usually described in this or a similar way. The situation is quite different in humans where strong partnerships and close ties between unrelated men are widespread. Ranging from the joint construction of a hut up to the decisions of Executive Board members, there are countless examples that friendships among men bring decisive advantages and are a core ingredient of the complexity of human societies.

New method to detect prize particle for future quantum computing

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:33 AM PDT

Scientists have uncovered a new method to detect Majorana particles, a key element for a next-generation quantum computing platform. Quantum computing relies on the laws of quantum mechanics to process vast amounts of information and calculations simultaneously, with far more power than current computers. However, development of quantum computers has been limited as researchers have struggled to find a reliable way to increase the power of these systems, a power measured in Q-Bits.

This star cluster is not what it seems: Messier 54 shows lithium problem also applies outside our galaxy

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:33 AM PDT

A new image from the VLT Survey Telescope at ESO's Paranal Observatory in northern Chile shows a vast collection of stars, the globular cluster Messier 54. This cluster looks very similar to many others but it has a secret. Messier 54 doesn't belong to the Milky Way, but is part of a small satellite galaxy, the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy. This unusual parentage has now allowed astronomers to use the Very Large Telescope (VLT) to test whether there are also unexpectedly low levels of the element lithium in stars outside the Milky Way.

Combining antibodies, iron nanoparticles and magnets steers stem cells to injured organs

Posted: 10 Sep 2014 05:29 AM PDT

Researchers infused antibody-studded iron nanoparticles into the bloodstream to treat heart attack damage. The combined nanoparticle enabled precise localization of the body's own stem cells to the injured heart muscle. The study addresses a central challenge in stem cell therapeutics: how to achieve targeted interactions between stem cells and injured cells.

Less effective DNA repair process takes over as mice age

Posted: 09 Sep 2014 04:22 PM PDT

One reason for increasing DNA damage in older vertebrates has been uncovered by researchers: the primary repair process begins to fail with increasing age and is replaced by one that is less accurate.

New digital map reveals stunning hidden archaeology of Stonehenge

Posted: 09 Sep 2014 04:21 PM PDT

A host of previously unknown archaeological monuments have been discovered around Stonehenge as part of an unprecedented digital mapping project that will transform our knowledge of this iconic landscape -- including remarkable new findings on the world's largest 'super henge,' Durrington Walls.

Brain structure could predict risky behavior

Posted: 09 Sep 2014 04:21 PM PDT

Some people avoid risks at all costs, while others will put their wealth, health, and safety at risk without a thought. Researchers have found that the volume of the parietal cortex in the brain could predict where people fall on the risk-taking spectrum.

Graphene gets a 'cousin' in the shape of germanene

Posted: 09 Sep 2014 04:21 PM PDT

Scientists have successfully synthesized the 2-D material germanene. Dubbed a 'cousin of graphene', the material, which is made up of just a single layer of germanium atoms, is expected to exhibit impressive electrical and optical properties and could be widely integrated across the electronics industry in the future.

Long-term use of pills for anxiety and sleep problems may be linked to Alzheimer's

Posted: 09 Sep 2014 04:20 PM PDT

Taking benzodiazepines -- widely prescribed drugs to treat anxiety and insomnia -- is associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, particularly for long-term users, suggests a new study.

Re-analysis of clinical trial data can change conclusions in one-third of studies

Posted: 09 Sep 2014 04:20 PM PDT

As many as one-third of previously published randomized clinical trials could be re-analyzed in ways that modify the conclusions of how many or what types of patients need to be treated, according to a new study.

New species of extinct dolphin sheds light on river dolphin history

Posted: 09 Sep 2014 04:20 PM PDT

Researchers described a new fossil dolphin species from the Miocene -- dating to more than 16 million years ago -- of the Pisco Basin, a desert on the coast of Peru. It belongs to a rare extinct family of marine dolphins, the squalodelphinids, which are related to the endangered Ganges and Indus river dolphins living today.

High blood pressure ER visits jumped 25 percent in 2006-11

Posted: 09 Sep 2014 04:20 PM PDT

Emergency room visits for high blood pressure with no known underlying cause, increased by 25 percent in 2006-11. Although more people came to the ER for high blood pressure, the percentage admitted and those who died in the hospital decreased.

Statins may protect against microvascular complications of diabetes

Posted: 09 Sep 2014 04:20 PM PDT

The development of common diabetes complications that can lead to blindness and amputations could be reduced by taking statins, indicates new research. Results showed that people who used statins were less likely to be diagnosed with diabetic neuropathy, less likely to develop diabetic retinopathy, and had a reduced risk of gangrene compared to those who had not received statins.

Frequent cannabis use in adolescence linked with reduced educational attainment, other problems in young adults

Posted: 09 Sep 2014 04:20 PM PDT

Individuals who are daily users of cannabis before age 17 are over 60% less likely to complete high school or obtain a degree compared to those who have never used the drug, new research shows. The large meta-analysis also indicates that daily users of cannabis during adolescence are seven times more likely to attempt suicide, have an 18 times greater chance of cannabis dependence, and are eight times as likely to use other illicit drugs in later life.

Economic study confirms growth in autism

Posted: 09 Sep 2014 04:18 PM PDT

Autism cases aren't up just because mental health professionals are overdiagnosing the disorder. A study by two researchers using market theory shows the disorder really is more prevalent.

Multiple sclerosis researchers find role for working memory in cognitive reserve

Posted: 09 Sep 2014 01:23 PM PDT

Working memory may be an underlying mechanism of cognitive reserve in multiple sclerosis, research shows. This finding informs the relationships between working memory, intellectual enrichment and long-term memory in this population.

Experts create multiuser, multiantenna scheme to make most of UHF band

Posted: 09 Sep 2014 01:23 PM PDT

Researchers have found a way to make the most of the unused UHF TV spectrum by serving up fat streams of data over wireless hotspots that could stretch for miles.

Two-dimensional electron liquids: Looking for novel forms of superconductivity

Posted: 09 Sep 2014 01:23 PM PDT

Truly two-dimensional objects are rare. Even a thin piece of paper is trillions of atoms thick. When physicists do succeed in producing 2D systems, quantum interactions can lead to new phenomena and Nobel prizes. Two examples: graphene -- single-atom-thick sheets of carbon atoms -- has unique mechanical, electrical, and optical properties; and two-dimensional electron gases (2DEG) -- planar collections of electrons supported at the interface between certain semiconductors such as gallium arsenide -- allow the observation of such emergent behaviors as the quantum Hall effect and the spin Hall effect. Using an overlying bath of ionic liquid, a piece of superconductor -- divided by an insulating strip -- supports narrow tunnels which permit currents to flow between.

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