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Saturday, May 3, 2014

ScienceDaily: Top Science News

ScienceDaily: Top Science News


Reducing just six risk factors could prevent 37 million deaths from chronic diseases over 15 years

Posted: 02 May 2014 05:47 PM PDT

Reducing or curbing just six modifiable risk factors—tobacco use, harmful alcohol use, salt intake, high blood pressure and blood sugar, and obesity—to globally-agreed target levels could prevent more than 37 million premature deaths over 15 years, from the four main non-communicable diseases (NCDs; cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory disease, cancers, and diabetes) according to new research.

Leaf chewing links insect diversity in modern and ancient forests

Posted: 02 May 2014 02:21 PM PDT

Observations of insects and their feeding marks on leaves in modern forests confirm indications from fossil leaf deposits that the diversity of chewing damage relates directly to diversity of the insect population that created it, according to scientists.

MERS coronavirus can be transmitted from camel to humans

Posted: 02 May 2014 05:13 AM PDT

The so-called Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus was first found in June 2012 in a patient from Saudi Arabia, who suffered from severe pneumonia. Since this time, more than 300 persons have developed an infection, of whom about a third died. The fact that the Arabian camel is the origin of the infectious disease has been confirmed recently. The transmission pathways of the viruses, however, have not been clear until now.

Crocodile tears please thirsty butterflies and bees

Posted: 01 May 2014 04:59 AM PDT

A butterfly and bee were most likely seeking scarce minerals and an extra boost of protein. On a beautiful December day in 2013, they found the precious nutrients in the tears of a spectacled caiman relaxing on the banks of the Río Puerto Viejo in northeastern Costa Rica.

Competition for ecological niches limits the formation of new species

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 11:30 AM PDT

The rate at which new species evolve is limited by competition for ecological niches. The study, which analyzes the evolutionary and genetic relationships between all 461 songbird species that live in the Himalayan mountains, suggests that as ecological niches within an environment are filled, the formation of new species slows or even stops.

Regenerative medicine approach improves muscle strength, function in leg injuries; Derived from pig bladder

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 11:30 AM PDT

Damaged leg muscles grew stronger and showed signs of regeneration in three out of five men whose old injuries were surgically implanted with extracellular matrix derived from pig bladder, according to a new study. Early findings are from a human trial of the process as well as from animal studies.

Your stress is my stress: Observing stress can trigger physical stress response

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 10:31 AM PDT

Merely observing stressful situations can trigger a physical stress response, research shows. Stress is a major health threat in today's society. It causes a range of psychological problems like burnout, depression and anxiety. Even those who lead relatively relaxed lives constantly come into contact with stressed individuals. Whether at work or on television: someone is always experiencing stress, and this stress can affect the general environment in a physiologically quantifiable way through increased concentrations of the stress hormone cortisol.

The big bad wolf was right: Among wasps, bigger eyes evolved to better see social cues

Posted: 29 Apr 2014 05:58 PM PDT

Some paper wasps have variable facial patterns recognized by their sister wasps, marking either individuals or their strength, much like a karate belt. Researchers have now shown that those wasps with variable facial patterns have developed bigger facets in their compound eyes, and thus better vision, in order to read these social cues. Social communication may also drive evolution of senses in other species.

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