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Tuesday, March 11, 2014

ScienceDaily: Top Health News

ScienceDaily: Top Health News


Natural selection has altered the appearance of Europeans over the past 5,000 years

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 03:27 PM PDT

There has been much research into the factors that have influenced the human genome since the end of the last Ice Age. Anthropologists, geneticists and archaeologists have analyzed ancient DNA from skeletons and found that selection has had a significant effect on the human genome even in the past 5,000 years, resulting in sustained changes to the appearance of people.

Serious side effect: Several FDA-approved anti-cancer drugs induce stem cell tumors

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:21 PM PDT

In a surprise finding, researchers discovered that several chemotherapeutics that do stop fast growing tumors have the opposite effect on stem cells in the same animal, causing them to divide too rapidly. Not only is the finding of clinical interest, but with this study they successfully used a new non-traditional tool for assessing drugs using stem cells in the fruit fly gut, the first author says.

Outside the body our memories fail us

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:21 PM PDT

New research demonstrates for the first time that there is a close relationship between body perception and the ability to remember. For us to be able to store new memories from our lives, we need to feel that we are in our own body. According to researchers, the results could be of major importance in understanding the memory problems that psychiatric patients often exhibit.

How light affects our brain's performance: Photic memory for executive brain responses

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:20 PM PDT

It has long been known that light exerts powerful effects on the brain and on our well-being. Light is not only required for vision but is also essential for a wide range of "non-visual" functions including synchronization of our biological clock to the 24h day-night cycle. A novel photoreceptor has now been shown to be an essential component for relaying light information to a set of so-called non-visual centers in the brain. Continuous changes in light throughout the day also change us, new research suggests.

Some characteristics increase the likelihood of getting married and living together

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 11:39 AM PDT

Health economists have investigated the personal traits that influence a person's likelihood of entering into a marriage or cohabitating relationship. When it comes to romantic relationships, attributes such as health, kindness, and social status have been shown to be important qualities in choosing a partner. It may be surprising to learn, however, that certain personal traits predispose a person towards either getting married or forming a cohabitating relationship. Scoring high on attractiveness, personality, and grooming is associated with a greater probability of entering into a marital relationship for both men and women, but it does not collectively have a significant influence on entering a romantic cohabitating relationship.

U.S. cocaine use cut by half, while marijuana consumption jumps

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 11:11 AM PDT

A new study shows that the use of cocaine dropped by half across the United States from 2006 to 2010, while use of marijuana jumped by more than 30 percent during the period. Studying illegal drug use nationally from 2000 to 2010, researchers found heroin use was fairly stable throughout the decade.

Healthy eating may reduce the risk of preterm delivery

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:22 AM PDT

In a new study, participants completed a scientifically evaluated questionnaire about what they had been eating and drinking since becoming pregnant. The results show that the group of women with the 'healthiest' pregnancy diet had a roughly 15% lower risk of preterm delivery compared with those with the most unhealthy diet. The correlation remained after controlling for ten other known risk factors for preterm delivery.

Smokers' brains biased against negative images of smoking

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:22 AM PDT

What if the use of a product influenced your perception of it, making you even more susceptible to its positive aspects and altering your understanding of its drawbacks? This is precisely what happens with cigarettes in chronic smokers, according to a recent study.

Dropped your toast? Five-second food rule exists, new research suggests

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:22 AM PDT

Food picked up just a few seconds after being dropped is less likely to contain bacteria than if it is left for longer periods of time, according to new research. The findings suggest there may be some scientific basis to the '5 second rule' -- the urban myth about it being fine to eat food that has only had contact with the floor for five seconds or less. The study, undertaken by final year biology students monitored the transfer of the common bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus from a variety of indoor floor types (carpet, laminate and tiled surfaces) to toast, pasta, biscuit and a sticky sweet when contact was made from 3 to 30 seconds.

Lower IQ and poorer cardiovascular fitness in teen years increase risk of early-onset dementia

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:22 AM PDT

Men who at the age of 18 years have poorer cardiovascular fitness and/or a lower IQ more often suffer from dementia before the age of 60. This is shown in a recent study encompassing more than one million Swedish men.

ScienceDaily: Living Well News

ScienceDaily: Living Well News


Some characteristics increase the likelihood of getting married and living together

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 11:39 AM PDT

Health economists have investigated the personal traits that influence a person's likelihood of entering into a marriage or cohabitating relationship. When it comes to romantic relationships, attributes such as health, kindness, and social status have been shown to be important qualities in choosing a partner. It may be surprising to learn, however, that certain personal traits predispose a person towards either getting married or forming a cohabitating relationship. Scoring high on attractiveness, personality, and grooming is associated with a greater probability of entering into a marital relationship for both men and women, but it does not collectively have a significant influence on entering a romantic cohabitating relationship.

Healthy eating may reduce the risk of preterm delivery

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:22 AM PDT

In a new study, participants completed a scientifically evaluated questionnaire about what they had been eating and drinking since becoming pregnant. The results show that the group of women with the 'healthiest' pregnancy diet had a roughly 15% lower risk of preterm delivery compared with those with the most unhealthy diet. The correlation remained after controlling for ten other known risk factors for preterm delivery.

Dropped your toast? Five-second food rule exists, new research suggests

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:22 AM PDT

Food picked up just a few seconds after being dropped is less likely to contain bacteria than if it is left for longer periods of time, according to new research. The findings suggest there may be some scientific basis to the '5 second rule' -- the urban myth about it being fine to eat food that has only had contact with the floor for five seconds or less. The study, undertaken by final year biology students monitored the transfer of the common bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus from a variety of indoor floor types (carpet, laminate and tiled surfaces) to toast, pasta, biscuit and a sticky sweet when contact was made from 3 to 30 seconds.

A lower ratio between index, ring fingers is associated with higher risk of developing severe osteoarthritis in the knee, says study

Posted: 04 Mar 2014 06:54 PM PST

The lower the ratio between a person's index finger (2D) and their ring finger (4D), the higher their risk of developing severe osteoarthritis in their knees, requiring a total knee replacement, new research shows. Anthropological studies have suggested that there are consistent sex differences in the ratio of the lengths of the index and ring fingers (expressed as 2D:4D), with men showing a lower average 2D:4D than women. The aim of this new study was to determine whether 2D:4D was associated with the risk of severe knee or hip OA requiring total joint replacement in a large cohort study.

ScienceDaily: Top Science News

ScienceDaily: Top Science News


Mongol Empire rode wave of mild climate, but warming now may be tipping region into unparalleled drought

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:21 PM PDT

Researchers studying the rings of ancient trees in mountainous central Mongolia think they may have gotten at the mystery of how small bands of nomadic Mongol horsemen united to conquer much of the world within a span of decades, 800 years ago. The rise of the great leader Genghis Khan and the start of the largest contiguous empire in human history was propelled by a temporary run of nice weather.

Volcanoes helped species survive ice ages

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:21 PM PDT

Researchers have found evidence that the steam and heat from volcanoes and heated rocks allowed many species of plants and animals to survive past ice ages, helping scientists understand how species respond to climate change.

Outside the body our memories fail us

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:21 PM PDT

New research demonstrates for the first time that there is a close relationship between body perception and the ability to remember.

How light affects our brain's performance: Photic memory for executive brain responses

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:20 PM PDT

It has long been known that light exerts powerful effects on the brain and on our well-being. Light is not only required for vision but is also essential for a wide range of "non-visual" functions including  synchronization of our biological clock to the 24h day-night cycle. Light also conveys a powerful stimulating signal for human alertness and cognition and has been routinely employed to improve performance, counter the negative impact of sleepiness or "winter blues". A novel photoreceptor has now been shown to be an essential component for relaying light information to a set of so-called non-visual centers in the brain. Continuous changes in light throughout the day also change us, new research suggests.

A shocking diet: Researchers describe microbe that 'eats' electricity

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 11:40 AM PDT

Researchers have shown that the commonly found bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris can use natural conductivity to pull electrons from minerals located remotely in soil and sediment while remaining at the surface, where they absorb the sunlight needed to produce energy.

Scientists build thinnest-possible LEDs to be stronger, more energy efficient

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 11:10 AM PDT

Scientists have built the thinnest-known LED that can be used as a source of light energy in electronics. The LED is based off of two-dimensional, flexible semiconductors, making it possible to stack or use in much smaller and more diverse applications than current technology allows.

Two-dimensional material shows promise for optoelectronics: LEDs, photovoltaic cells, and light detectors

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 08:17 AM PDT

Team creates LEDs, photovoltaic cells, and light detectors using novel one-molecule-thick material. Researchers have used a novel material that's just a few atoms thick to create devices that can harness or emit light. This proof-of-concept could lead to ultrathin, lightweight, and flexible photovoltaic cells, light emitting diodes (LEDs), and other optoelectronic devices, they say.

Aerosols from human activities tend to weaken hurricanes and cyclones

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:17 AM PDT

Aerosols in the atmosphere produced from human activities do indeed directly affect a hurricane or tropical cyclone, but not in a way many scientists had previously believed. In fact, they tend to weaken such storms, according to a new study.

'Death stars' in Orion blast planets before they even form

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:16 AM PDT

Astronomers have studied the often deadly relationship between highly luminous O-type stars and nearby protostars in the Orion Nebula. Their data reveal that protostars within 0.1 light-years (about 600 billion miles) of an O-type star are doomed to have their cocoons of dust and gas stripped away in just a few millions years, much faster than planets are able to form.

Weirdness in cosmic web of the universe: Faint strings of galaxies in 'empty' space arranged in way never before seen

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 06:06 AM PDT

Australian astronomers have shown galaxies in the vast empty regions of the universe are actually aligned into delicate strings, according to new research. Using data from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey, the astronomers found that the small number of galaxies inside these voids are arranged in a new way never seen before.

Spread of antibiotic resistance understood by unravelling bacterial secretion system

Posted: 09 Mar 2014 12:05 PM PDT

The system that allows the sharing of genetic material between bacteria -- and therefore the spread of antibiotic resistance -- has been uncovered by a team of scientists. Understanding the structure of the secretion system will help scientists uncover the mechanism by which it moves substances across the inner and outer membranes. It could eventually help scientists develop new tools for the genetic modification of human cells, as the bacteria could act as a carrier for genetic material, which could then be secreted into cells.

Blood test identifies those at-risk for cognitive decline, Alzheimer's within three years

Posted: 09 Mar 2014 12:05 PM PDT

A blood test that can predict with greater than 90 percent accuracy if a healthy person will develop mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease within three years has been discovered and validated.

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News


Light pollution impairs rainforest regeneration: Seed-dispersing bats avoid feeding in light polluted areas

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 06:06 PM PDT

Increasing light pollution in tropical habitats could be hampering regeneration of rainforests because of its impact on nocturnal seed-dispersers. These new findings show that seed-dispersing bats avoid feeding in light-polluted areas.

Outside the body our memories fail us

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:21 PM PDT

New research demonstrates for the first time that there is a close relationship between body perception and the ability to remember. For us to be able to store new memories from our lives, we need to feel that we are in our own body. According to researchers, the results could be of major importance in understanding the memory problems that psychiatric patients often exhibit.

A shocking diet: Researchers describe microbe that 'eats' electricity

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 11:40 AM PDT

Researchers have shown that the commonly found bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris can use natural conductivity to pull electrons from minerals located remotely in soil and sediment while remaining at the surface, where they absorb the sunlight needed to produce energy.

Computer system simulates the behavior of tax evaders

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 08:17 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a computer model which, in different situations, simulates the behavior of taxpayers when faced with the possibility of committing tax evasion. The simulator analyzes the factors motivating tax evasion and allows to determine which measures are effective in reducing it, such as an improvement in tax inspections by increasing their frequency and efficacy.

Scents and sustainability: Renewable sources for artificial scents and flavors

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:23 AM PDT

Fresh banana, a waft of flowers, blueberry: the scents in some labs are a little sweeter than most. Researchers are engineering bacteria to make esters -- molecules widely used as scents and flavorings, and also as basic feedstock for chemical processes from paints to fuels.

Smokers' brains biased against negative images of smoking

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:22 AM PDT

What if the use of a product influenced your perception of it, making you even more susceptible to its positive aspects and altering your understanding of its drawbacks? This is precisely what happens with cigarettes in chronic smokers, according to a recent study.

Dropped your toast? Five-second food rule exists, new research suggests

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:22 AM PDT

Food picked up just a few seconds after being dropped is less likely to contain bacteria than if it is left for longer periods of time, according to new research. The findings suggest there may be some scientific basis to the '5 second rule' -- the urban myth about it being fine to eat food that has only had contact with the floor for five seconds or less. The study, undertaken by final year biology students monitored the transfer of the common bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus from a variety of indoor floor types (carpet, laminate and tiled surfaces) to toast, pasta, biscuit and a sticky sweet when contact was made from 3 to 30 seconds.

Weirdness in cosmic web of the universe: Faint strings of galaxies in 'empty' space arranged in way never before seen

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 06:06 AM PDT

Australian astronomers have shown galaxies in the vast empty regions of the universe are actually aligned into delicate strings, according to new research. Using data from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey, the astronomers found that the small number of galaxies inside these voids are arranged in a new way never seen before.

The dark side of fair play: Why would evolution let spite stick around?

Posted: 07 Mar 2014 01:59 PM PST

We often think of playing fair as an altru­istic behavior. We're sac­ri­ficing our own poten­tial gain to give others what they deserve. What could be more self­less than that? But new research sug­gests another, darker origin behind the kindly act of fairness. An expert in the evolution of spite has investigated possible explanations for fair behavior that hadn't been considered before.

Blue paint on Japanese bullet trains can inhibit bacterial growth

Posted: 07 Mar 2014 01:58 PM PST

Using an artificial protein that contains metal, researchers were able to inhibit the growth of a pathogenic bacterium prevalent in hospitals which cause diseases to humans and has a high resistance to antibiotics.

ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

ScienceDaily: Top Technology News


Small biomass power plants could help rural economies, stabilize national power grid

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 01:15 PM PDT

Researchers have found that creating a bioenergy grid with these small plants could benefit people in rural areas of the country as well as provide relief to an overworked national power grid.

Turing's theory of chemical morphogenesis validated 60 years after his death

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:21 PM PDT

Sixty years after Alan Turing's death, researchers have provided the first experimental evidence that validates Turing's theory of chemical morphogenesis in cell-like structures. This research could impact not only the study of biological development, and how similar patterns form in nature, but materials science as well. Turing's model could help grow soft robots with certain patterns and shapes.

A shocking diet: Researchers describe microbe that 'eats' electricity

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 11:40 AM PDT

Researchers have shown that the commonly found bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris can use natural conductivity to pull electrons from minerals located remotely in soil and sediment while remaining at the surface, where they absorb the sunlight needed to produce energy.

West Virginia spill activates engineers to determine effects of chemicals

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 11:39 AM PDT

Engineers sprung into action when more than 10,000 gallons of a chemical mixture leaked from a storage tank near Charleston, W.Va., and entered a river upstream of a water-treatment plant in January.

Scientists build thinnest-possible LEDs to be stronger, more energy efficient

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 11:10 AM PDT

Scientists have built the thinnest-known LED that can be used as a source of light energy in electronics. The LED is based off of two-dimensional, flexible semiconductors, making it possible to stack or use in much smaller and more diverse applications than current technology allows.

Two-dimensional material shows promise for optoelectronics: LEDs, photovoltaic cells, and light detectors

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 08:17 AM PDT

Team creates LEDs, photovoltaic cells, and light detectors using novel one-molecule-thick material. Researchers have used a novel material that's just a few atoms thick to create devices that can harness or emit light. This proof-of-concept could lead to ultrathin, lightweight, and flexible photovoltaic cells, light emitting diodes (LEDs), and other optoelectronic devices, they say.

Synthetic biologists shine light on genetic circuit analysis

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 08:17 AM PDT

In a significant advance for the growing field of synthetic biology, bioengineers have created a toolkit of genes and hardware that uses colored lights and engineered bacteria to bring both mathematical predictability and cut-and-paste simplicity to the world of genetic circuit design.

Computer system simulates the behavior of tax evaders

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 08:17 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a computer model which, in different situations, simulates the behavior of taxpayers when faced with the possibility of committing tax evasion. The simulator analyzes the factors motivating tax evasion and allows to determine which measures are effective in reducing it, such as an improvement in tax inspections by increasing their frequency and efficacy.

Alaska the Last Frontier ... not for long

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:22 AM PDT

Alaska, the last great frontier, is being threatened by many proposals to mine an estimated 5.5 trillion tons of coal. Scientists comment on the struggle to keep Alaska untouched.

Microwave radar monitors sliding slopes: Geodesists research in the Alps

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:22 AM PDT

The "Steinlehnen" slope in Northern Tyrol (Austria) started to move in 2003. Rockfalls threatened people, streets and buildings. Meanwhile, peace has returned; although the slope is merely "creeping", Steinlehnen has become an interesting research object for scientists in recent years.

Biomolecular tweezers facilitate study of mechanical force effects on cells and proteins

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:16 AM PDT

A new type of biomolecular tweezers could help researchers study how mechanical forces affect the biochemical activity of cells and proteins. The devices use opposing magnetic and electrophoretic forces to precisely stretch the cells and molecules.

'Death stars' in Orion blast planets before they even form

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:16 AM PDT

Astronomers have studied the often deadly relationship between highly luminous O-type stars and nearby protostars in the Orion Nebula. Their data reveal that protostars within 0.1 light-years (about 600 billion miles) of an O-type star are doomed to have their cocoons of dust and gas stripped away in just a few millions years, much faster than planets are able to form.

Mapping behavior of charges in correlated spin-orbit coupled materials: Electronic disruption prods Mott insulator's conversion to metallic state

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 06:09 AM PDT

Physicists have mapped the inner atomic workings of a compound within the mysterious class of materials known as spin-orbit Mott insulators. The findings confirm the properties that theorists predict could lead to discoveries in superconductivity, the topological phases of matter and new forms of magnetism.

'Super bacteria' clean up after oil spills

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 06:06 AM PDT

Researchers have achieved surprising results by exploiting nature's own ability to clean up after oil spills. Scientists know that marine bacteria can assist in cleaning up after oil spills. What is surprising is that given the right kind of encouragement, they can be even more effective.

Weirdness in cosmic web of the universe: Faint strings of galaxies in 'empty' space arranged in way never before seen

Posted: 10 Mar 2014 06:06 AM PDT

Australian astronomers have shown galaxies in the vast empty regions of the universe are actually aligned into delicate strings, according to new research. Using data from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey, the astronomers found that the small number of galaxies inside these voids are arranged in a new way never seen before.

Research on 3-D scaffolds sets new bar in lung regeneration

Posted: 07 Mar 2014 01:59 PM PST

For the estimated 12.7 million people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, the third leading cause of death in the U.S., innovative research efforts in the field of tissue regeneration hold promise. In end-stage lung disease, transplantation is sometimes the only viable therapeutic option, but organ availability is limited and rejection presents an additional challenge. New research focuses on lung tissue bioengineering, which involves the use of a scaffold -- or framework -- of lungs from human cadavers to engineer new lungs for patients with end-stage disease.

The dark side of fair play: Why would evolution let spite stick around?

Posted: 07 Mar 2014 01:59 PM PST

We often think of playing fair as an altru­istic behavior. We're sac­ri­ficing our own poten­tial gain to give others what they deserve. What could be more self­less than that? But new research sug­gests another, darker origin behind the kindly act of fairness. An expert in the evolution of spite has investigated possible explanations for fair behavior that hadn't been considered before.