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Tuesday, April 8, 2014

ScienceDaily: Top News

ScienceDaily: Top News


Permafrost thawing could accelerate global warming

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 12:39 PM PDT

Researchers have found new evidence that permafrost thawing is releasing large quantities of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere via plants, which could accelerate warming trends. Permafrost is soil that is frozen year round and is typically located in polar regions. As the world has gotten slightly warmer, that permafrost is thawing and decomposing, which is producing increased amounts of methane.

Mortality risks of being overweight or obese are underestimated

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 11:37 AM PDT

Many obesity studies substantially underestimate the mortality risks associated with excess weight in the United States, new research indicates. Normal weight is indicated by a BMI of 18.5-24.9 kg/m2, overweight is indicated by a BMI of 25.0-29.9 kg/m2, obese class 1 is a BMI of 30.0-34.9 kg/m2 and obese class 2 is a BMI of 35.0 kg/m2 and above. Skeptics of the meta-analysis argue that the findings are likely driven by biases, especially by illness-induced weight loss.

Well-known cancer gene NRAS produces 5 variants, study finds

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 11:37 AM PDT

The NRAS gene, known to play a fundamental role in cancer development, produces five gene variants, or isoforms, rather than just one form, as thought, new research shows. The study identified four previously unknown variants that the NRAS gene produces. The finding might help improve drugs for cancers in which NRAS plays a crucial role. It also suggests that NRAS might affect additional target molecules in cells.

BOSS quasars track the expanding universe: Most precise measurement yet

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 11:37 AM PDT

Scientists have made novel measurements of the structure of the universe when it was only about 3 billion years old, using quasars collected by the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). Results include the most precise measurement of expansion since galaxies formed. BOSS, the largest component of the third Sloan Digital Sky Survey, pioneered the use of quasars to chart universal expansion and the role of dark energy.

Trees go high-tech: Process turns cellulose into energy storage devices

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 10:10 AM PDT

A fundamental chemical discovery should allow tress to soon play a major role in making high-tech energy storage devices. A method has been discovered to turn cellulose -- the most abundant organic polymer on Earth and a key component of trees –- into the building blocks for supercapacitors.

Southwestern bird and reptile distributions to shift as climate changes

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 10:10 AM PDT

Dramatic distribution losses and a few major distribution gains are forecasted for southwestern bird and reptile species as the climate changes, according to new research. Overall, the study forecasted species distribution losses -- that is, where species are able to live -- of nearly half for all but one of the 5 reptile species they examined, including for the iconic chuckwalla.

Rebar technique strengthens case for graphene: Hybrid nanotube-graphene material promises to simplify manufacturing

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 10:10 AM PDT

Carbon nanotubes become reinforcing bars that make two-dimensional graphene much easier to handle in a hybrid material. Chemists set nanotubes into graphene in a way that not only mimics how steel rebar is used in concrete but also preserves and even improves the electrical and mechanical qualities of both. The technique should make large, flexible, conductive and transparent sheets of graphene much easier to manipulate, which should be of interest to electronics manufacturers.

Personal touch signature makes mobile devices more secure

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 10:09 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a new security system that continuously monitors how a user taps and swipes a mobile device. If the movements don't match the owner's tendencies, the system recognizes the differences and can be programmed to lock the device.

Daily serving of beans, peas, chickpeas or lentils can significantly reduce bad cholesterol

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 09:27 AM PDT

Eating one serving a day of beans, peas, chickpeas or lentils can significantly reduce 'bad cholesterol' and therefore the risk of cardiovascular disease, a new study has found. North Americans on average currently eat less than half a serving a day.

Longer catch-and-release time leaves largemouth bass nests more vulnerable to predators

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 09:25 AM PDT

During spawning season, a largemouth bass male attentively guards its nest. Recent research found that catch-and-release angling could give bass predators the perfect opportunity to consume the young. In fact, the time spent away from the nest during a catch-and-release event and the subsequent exhaustion it creates for the male are critical to the survival of the embryos, particularly in lakes with high densities of brood predators.

Hope for children with previously incurable brain cancer

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 08:33 AM PDT

Potential treatment targets for a previously incurable form of pediatric brain cancer called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma has been revealed by scientists. The researchers believe that this discovery could lead to better treatment. "We're hoping that by having a better genetic characterization of these cancers we can try to better target these tumors and provide a personalized approach to treatment," one expert noted.

Slowdown of global warming fleeting

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 08:33 AM PDT

The recent slowdown in the warming rate of the Northern Hemisphere may be a result of internal variability of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation -- a natural phenomenon related to sea surface temperatures, according to researchers.

Social circuits that track how we like people, ideas

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 08:33 AM PDT

Whether at the office, dorm, PTA meeting, or any other social setting, we all know intuitively who the popular people are even if we can't always put our finger on why. That information is often critical to professional or social success. Yet until now, scientists have not understood how our brains recognize these popular people. In new work, researchers say that we track people's popularity largely through the brain region involved in anticipating rewards.

Rage-quitting: Feelings of failure, not violent content, foster aggression in video gamers

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 08:31 AM PDT

The disturbing imagery or violent storylines of videos games like World of Warcraft or Grand Theft Auto are often accused of fostering feelings of aggression in players. But a new study shows hostile behavior is linked to gamers' experiences of failure and frustration during play—not to a game's violent content.

Tissue testing during breast cancer lumpectomies prevents need for reoperation 96 percent of time

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 08:31 AM PDT

Unique laboratory testing during breast cancer lumpectomies to make sure surgeons remove all cancerous tissue spares patients the need for a repeat lumpectomy in roughly 96 percent of cases, a success rate much higher than the rate nationally, a study shows. During the years reviewed, 13.2 percent of breast cancer lumpectomy patients nationally had to return to the operating room within a month of their initial surgery, compared to 3.6 percent where these tests were performed.

Gene sequencing project discovers mutations tied to deadly brain tumors in young children

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 07:17 AM PDT

New mutations in pediatric brain tumors known as high-grade gliomas, which most often occur in the youngest patients, have been discovered by researchers. The discoveries stem from the most comprehensive effort yet to identify the genetic missteps driving these deadly tumors. The results provide desperately needed drug development leads, particularly for agents that target the underlying mutations. This and other studies show these mutations often differ based on patient age.

Procrastination and impulsivity genetically linked: Exploring the genetics of 'I'll do it tomorrow'

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 07:17 AM PDT

Procrastination and impulsivity are genetically linked, suggesting that the two traits stem from similar evolutionary origins, according to new research. The research indicates that the traits are related to our ability to successfully pursue and juggle goals.

Twitter use linked to infidelity and divorce

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 07:17 AM PDT

Scientists found that active Twitter users are far more likely to experience Twitter–related conflict with their romantic partners. However, new research shows that Twitter use could actually be damaging to users' romantic relationships. Scientists found that active Twitter users are far more likely to experience Twitter-related conflict with their romantic partners.

U.S. school children exposed to arsenic in well water have lower IQ scores

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 07:17 AM PDT

A study from three school districts in Maine exposed to arsenic in drinking water experienced declines in child intelligence. While earlier studies conducted by the researchers in South Asia, and Bangladesh in particular, showed that exposure to arsenic in drinking water is negatively associated with child intelligence, this is the first study to examine intelligence against individual water arsenic exposures in the U.S.

The tiniest greenhouse gas emitters: Climate feedbacks from decomposition by soil microbes less dire than previously thought

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 07:17 AM PDT

Climate feedbacks from decomposition by soil microbes are one of the biggest uncertainties facing climate modelers. A new study shows that these feedbacks may be less dire than previously thought.

Green tea extract boosts your brain power, especially the working memory, new research shows

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 07:15 AM PDT

Green tea is said to have many putative positive effects on health. Now, researchers are reporting first evidence that green tea extract enhances the cognitive functions, in particular the working memory. The findings suggest promising clinical implications for the treatment of cognitive impairments in psychiatric disorders such as dementia.

Organic solar cells more efficient with molecules face-to-face

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 07:14 AM PDT

New research reveals that energy is transferred more efficiently inside of complex, three-dimensional organic solar cells when the donor molecules align face-on, rather than edge-on, relative to the acceptor.

Cleft palate discovery in dogs to aid in understanding human birth defect

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:07 AM PDT

Discovery of a genetic mutation that causes a form of cleft palate in a retriever breed provides the first dog model for this craniofacial defect and offers a tool for better understanding cleft palate in humans. Although cleft palate is one of the most common birth defects in children, affecting approximately one in 1,500 live human births in the United States, it is not completely understood.

Ancient shrimp-like animals had 'modern' hearts and blood vessels

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:07 AM PDT

In 520 million-year-old fossil deposits resembling an 'invertebrate version of Pompeii,' researchers have found an ancestor of modern crustaceans revealing the first-known cardiovascular system in exquisitely preserved detail. The organ system is surprisingly complex and adds to the notion that sophisticated body plans had already evolved more than half a billion years ago.

Drink milk? Women who do may delay knee osteoarthritis

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:07 AM PDT

Women who frequently consume fat-free or low-fat milk may delay the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Results show that women who ate cheese saw an increase in knee OA progression. Yogurt did not impact OA progression in men or women. OA is a common, degenerative joint disease that causes pain and swelling of joints in the hand, hips, or knee.

Movies synchronize brains: Brain activity patterns show remarkable similarities across different people

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:06 AM PDT

When we watch a movie, our brains react to it immediately in a way similar to brains of other people. Researchers have succeeded in developing a method fast enough to observe immediate changes in the function of the brain even when watching a movie.

Freshwater turtle crosses the Aegean Sea

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:06 AM PDT

Scientists have studied the widely distributed freshwater turtle, Mauremys rivulata. In spite of geographical barriers, the turtles are genetically very similar throughout their vast  distribution range. This would indicate that that animals cross hundreds of kilometers of sea.

Caffeine against Alzheimer's disease? Positive effect on tau deposits demonstrated

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:05 AM PDT

Caffeine has a positive effect on tau deposits in Alzheimer's disease, researchers have demonstrated for the first time. Tau deposits, along with beta-amyloid plaques, are among the characteristic features of Alzheimer's disease. These protein deposits disrupt the communication of the nerve cells in the brain and contribute to their degeneration. Despite intensive research there is no drug available that can prevent this detrimental process.

Risk of dengue fever epidemic in Europe

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:05 AM PDT

The risk of dengue fever beginning to spread in Europe is imminent. According to researchers, this is no longer just an issue for the scientific community but also for politicians and policy makers, who need to be prepared and develop preventive measures.

Look into the future with genetic programming

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:05 AM PDT

With predictive modeling techniques, it is possible to predict anything from clients' shopping habits and illnesses to a golfer's handicap. The only prerequisite is to have enough examples. Now a researcher has adapted the technique of genetic programming so it can be used for such purposes.

Long-fingered bat goes fishing

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:05 AM PDT

The long-fingered bat is on the verge of extinction; the recent work of biologists has been crucial in getting to know it better, in order to protect it. The long-fingered bat has now been shown to feed on fish as well as insects. What is more, it knows how to fish.

New findings to help extend high efficiency solar cells' lifetime

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:05 AM PDT

Scientists have made a surprising discovery about the degradation of solar cells that could help pave the way to creating a longer lifetime for these cells.  Key factors for creating cost-efficient solar cells to compete with conventional energy sources like fossil fuels include fabrication cost, efficiency and lifetime of the cells. 

Switching off anxiety with light: Cone opsins coupled with serotonin receptors

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:04 AM PDT

Receptors for the messenger molecule serotonin can be modified in such a way that they can be activated by light, a study shows. An imbalance in serotonin levels seems to cause anxiety and depression. The researchers have provided a new model system for investigating the mechanism underlying these dysfunctions in cell cultures as well as living organisms.

Energizing sick mitochondria with vitamin B3: Effective treatment for mitochondrial disease

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:04 AM PDT

Vitamin B3 form nicotinamide riboside can slow down the progression of mitochondrial disease, suggesting its potential as a novel therapy approach to adult-onset mitochondrial muscle diseases, new research suggests. Vitamins B have recently been turned out to be potent modifiers of energy metabolism, especially the function of mitochondria. Vitamin B3, (niacin) has been found to delay the signs of aging in animal models.

Parental obesity and autism risk in the child: Is paternal obesity a greater risk factor than maternal obesity?

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:04 AM PDT

Several studies have looked at possible links between maternal obesity during pregnancy and the risk of developmental disorders in the child. However, paternal obesity could be a greater risk factor than maternal obesity, according to a new study.

A bird? A plane? Or both? Bio-inspired unmanned aircraft capable of soaring like birds

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:03 AM PDT

Researchers are developing a bio-inspired unmanned aircraft capable of soaring like birds, boosting energy efficiency and endurance. The research team is aiming to be the first in the world to demonstrate an autonomous unmanned aircraft that can mimic birds by using updrafts around buildings to stay airborne.

Startlingly new functional details of common anti-diabetic drugs discovered

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:03 AM PDT

Scientists thought they basically knew how the most common drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes worked, but a new study reveals unexpected new aspects of the process. These findings could eventually lead to more potent anti-diabetic drugs with fewer serious side effects.

Over a lifetime, childhood obesity costs $19,000 per child

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:02 AM PDT

Childhood obesity comes with an estimated price tag of $19,000 per child when comparing lifetime medical costs to those of a normal weight child, according to an analysis. When multiplied by the number of obese 10-year-olds in the United States, lifetime medical costs for this age alone reach roughly $14 billion.

New mechanism for unleashing immune system against cancer discovered

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:02 AM PDT

A major discovery brings a new drug target to the increasingly exciting landscape of cancer immunotherapy. The study is particularly noteworthy because it reveals a new way to block the function of CTLA-4, an immune inhibitory checkpoint receptor already generating huge interest in the pharmaceutical and research communities due to its potential in fighting cancer. An antibody that blocks CTLA-4 is already in use for advanced melanoma.

Circumcision could prevent prostate cancer ... if it’s performed after age 35, study shows

Posted: 07 Apr 2014 06:02 AM PDT

Men circumcised after the age of 35 were 45% less at risk of later developing prostate cancer than uncircumcised men. Prostate cancer is rare amongst Jewish or Muslim men, the majority of whom are circumcised. While the specific causes of this cancer remain unknown, three risk factors have been identified: aging, a family history of this cancer, and Black African ethnic origins.

Scaffolding protein promotes growth, metastases of epithelial ovarian cancer

Posted: 06 Apr 2014 06:44 PM PDT

A scaffolding protein responsible for regulating signaling pathways in the cell promotes the growth and spread of epithelial ovarian cancer, research has determined. The researchers note that even though this study looked at the ovarian cancer in mice, some of the genes that turned up in the gene expression analysis can be further evaluated in human cell lines and tumors. "We want to make sure we're studying something that's not only important in mice but can also give us clues about human cancers."

Increased risk of developing lung cancer after radiotherapy for breast cancer

Posted: 06 Apr 2014 06:44 PM PDT

Women who have radiotherapy for breast cancer have a small but significantly increased risk of subsequently developing a primary lung tumor, and now research has shown that this risk increases with the amount of radiation absorbed by the tissue.

One in three intensive care survivors develop depression that typically manifests as physical symptoms

Posted: 06 Apr 2014 06:44 PM PDT

A third of intensive care patients develop depression that typically manifests as physical, or somatic, symptoms such as weakness, appetite change, and fatigue, rather than psychological symptoms, according to one of the largest studies to investigate the mental health and functional outcomes of survivors of critical care.

Groundbreaking optical device could enhance optical information processing, computers

Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:24 PM PDT

At St. Paul's Cathedral in London, a section of the dome called the Whispering Gallery makes a whisper audible from the other side of the dome as a result of the way sound waves travel around the curved surface. Researchers have used the same phenomenon to build an optical device that may lead to new and more powerful computers that run faster and cooler.

Blood test could detect solid cancers

Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:24 PM PDT

A blood sample could one day be enough to diagnose many types of solid cancers, or to monitor the amount of cancer in a patient's body and responses to treatment. Now, researchers have devised a way to quickly bring the technique to the clinic. Their approach, which should be broadly applicable to many types of cancers, is highly sensitive and specific. With it they were able to accurately identify about 50 percent of people in the study with stage-1 lung cancer and all patients whose cancers were more advanced.

Smoking visibility mapped for the first time

Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:24 PM PDT

The visibility of smoking in city streets has for the first time anywhere been mapped by scientists. The methods developed through this research will help policymakers demonstrate the visibility of smoking in different areas, and provide scientific evidence for local authorities to advance smokefree outdoor policies.

Arid areas absorb unexpected amounts of atmospheric carbon

Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:24 PM PDT

Researchers have found that arid areas, among the biggest ecosystems on the planet, take up an unexpectedly large amount of carbon as levels of carbon dioxide increase in the atmosphere. The findings give scientists a better handle on the earth's carbon budget -- how much carbon remains in the atmosphere as CO2, contributing to global warming, and how much gets stored in the land or ocean in other carbon-containing forms.

Food quality will suffer with rising carbon dioxide, field study shows

Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:24 PM PDT

Climate change is hitting home -- in the pantry, this time. A field study of wheat demonstrates how the nutritional quality of food crops can be diminished when elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide interfere with a plant's ability to process nitrate into proteins. "Several explanations for this decline have been put forward, but this is the first study to demonstrate that elevated carbon dioxide inhibits the conversion of nitrate into protein in a field-grown crop," the lead researcher said.

Potential drug targets in deadly pediatric brain tumors

Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:24 PM PDT

Researchers studying a rare, always fatal brain tumor in children have found several molecular alterations that drive the cancer, according to a new study. The findings identify potential new targets for drug treatments. The new research could help physicians choose targeted agents with a better chance of combating pediatric high-grade astrocytomas.

Amino acid fingerprints revealed in new study

Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:24 PM PDT

A major step has been taken toward the sequencing of proteins, demonstrating the accurate identification of amino acids, by briefly pinning each in a narrow junction between a pair of flanking electrodes and measuring a characteristic chain of current spikes passing through successive amino acid molecules.

Key cells in touch sensation identified: Skin cells use new molecule to send touch information to the brain

Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:22 PM PDT

Biologists have solved an age-old mystery of touch: how cells just beneath the skin surface enable us to feel fine details and textures. Touch is the last frontier of sensory neuroscience. The cells and molecules that initiate vision -- rod and cone cells and light-sensitive receptors -- have been known since the early 20th century, and the senses of smell, taste, and hearing are increasingly understood. But almost nothing is known about the cells and molecules responsible for initiating our sense of touch.

Self-assembled silver superlattices create molecular machines with hydrogen-bond 'hinges' and moving 'gears'

Posted: 06 Apr 2014 01:22 PM PDT

A combined computational and experimental study of self-assembled silver-based structures known as superlattices has revealed an unusual and unexpected behavior: arrays of gear-like molecular-scale machines that rotate in unison when pressure is applied to them.

Ankle fractures could be significant risk factor for subsequent fracture

Posted: 05 Apr 2014 07:50 AM PDT

Prevalent ankle fractures in postmenopausal women should be considered as osteoporotic fractures and taken into account in fracture-risk assessment, new research concludes. After vertebral fractures, ankle fractures are among the most common fractures in adults. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between bone microstructure in women at the age of 65 and prevalent ankle fracture.

Visualizing a safe place reduces procedural pain

Posted: 05 Apr 2014 07:50 AM PDT

Visualizing a safe place reduces operative pain, according to research. Nurses guided patients into a trance and found it helped patients cope with pain and anxiety during ablation of atrial fibrillation. "When the patient expresses pain, the nurse helps the patient visualize an alternative scenario to the invasive procedure. For example, if the patient says 'my chest is burning', the nurse may say 'imagine that it's a cold day and there is ice on your chest.'" a researcher explained

Poor sleep doubles hospitalizations in heart failure patients

Posted: 05 Apr 2014 07:50 AM PDT

Poor sleep doubles hospitalizations in heart failure, according to new research. The researchers found that 215 patients (43%) had sleep problems at discharge from the initial hospitalization and nearly one-third (30%) had continued sleep problems at 12 months. Patients with continued sleep problems were two times more likely to be hospitalized during the follow up period than those without any sleep problems. Risk was double for all-cause hospitalizations and for cardiovascular hospitalizations.

3-D structure for malaria parasite genome constructed

Posted: 04 Apr 2014 07:19 PM PDT

A 3-D model of the human malaria parasite genome at three different stages in the parasite's life cycle has been generated -- the first time such 3-D architecture has been generated during the progression of the life cycle of a parasite. The team found that genes that need to be highly expressed in the parasite tend to cluster in the same area of the cell nucleus.

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