Τρίτη 27 Αυγούστου 2013

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Chelyabinsk meteorite's rocky past: Research points to previous collision or near miss in space

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 06:56 PM PDT

Where did the Chelyabinsk meteorite come from? As a meteoroid, it either collided with another body in the solar system or came too close to the Sun before it fell to Earth, according to new research.

Scan then surgery: Best route to trauma management?

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 06:56 PM PDT

Giving severe trauma victims a computed tomography (CT) scan before managing their bleeding could boost their chances of survival, suggests a new study. The findings are at odds with current guidelines, and so contribute to the on-going debate about how best to treat patients with severe trauma injuries. Trauma is the leading cause of death in young adults in many countries.

How to survive the iciest of waters

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 06:55 PM PDT

How does the bald notothen, a small fish that lives in the freezing, icy waters of Antarctica, manage to survive? Clues are to be had from the genes it expresses. By comparing the notothen transcriptome against that of the tropical zebrafish (Danio rerio), biologists were able to highlight 58 elements thought to play essential roles in icy water survival.

Watching the production of new proteins in live cells

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:31 PM PDT

Researchers have made a significant step in understanding and imaging protein synthesis, pinpointing exactly where and when cells produce new proteins. They have developed a new technique to produce high-resolution imaging of newly synthesized proteins inside living cells.

New technique for measuring tree growth cuts down on research time

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:31 PM PDT

Tree growth is one of the most essential and widely collected woody plant traits. Yet, the traditional method to measure tree growth is awkward and time consuming. Scientists have developed a new, resourceful way to take repeated tree growth measurements that is accurate and inexpensive, as well as easier, safer, and faster to install.

Molecular switch changes liquid crystal colors

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:31 PM PDT

Researchers have developed a molecular switch that changes a liquid crystal's readout color based on a chemical input. This new development may open the way for using liquid crystals in detecting harmful gases, pathogens, explosives and other chemical substances.

Not guility: Parkinson and protein phosphorylation

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:29 PM PDT

Clues left at the scene of the crime don't always point to the guilty party, as researchers investigating Parkinson's disease have discovered. It is generally accepted that the disease is aggravated when a specific protein is phosohorylated -- that is to say chemically transformed -- by an enzyme. Now neuroscientists have been able to show that, on the contrary, this transformation tends to protect against the progression of the disease. This conclusion could change therapeutic approaches currently being developed by pharmas.

Scientists shut down reproductive ability, desire in pest insects

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:29 PM PDT

Entomologists have identified a neuropeptide named natalisin that regulates the sexual activity and reproductive ability of insects. The finding may open new possibilities for environmentally friendly pest management.

Disabling enzyme reduces tumor growth, cripples cancer cells, finds new study

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:28 PM PDT

Researchers have found that knocking out an enzyme needed to make lipids can dramatically cripple the ability of aggressive cancer cells to spread and grow tumors. The discovery points to a promising new target for treatment of aggressive cancers.

Thyroid cancer biopsy guidelines should be simplified, researchers say

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:28 PM PDT

Researchers have called for simplified guidelines on when to biopsy thyroid nodules for cancer, which they say would result in fewer unnecessary biopsies.

Sea otters promote recovery of seagrass beds

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:27 PM PDT

Scientists studying the decline and recovery of seagrass beds in one of California's largest estuaries have found that recolonization of the estuary by sea otters was a crucial factor in the seagrass comeback.

New implanted defibrillator works well without touching heart

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:26 PM PDT

A new type of defibrillator implanted under the skin can detect dangerously abnormal heart rhythms and deliver shocks to restore a normal heartbeat without wires touching the heart, according to new research.

Language can reveal the invisible, study shows

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:05 PM PDT

It is natural to imagine that the sense of sight takes in the world as it is -- simply passing on what the eyes collect from light reflected by the objects around us. But the eyes do not work alone. What we see is a function not only of incoming visual information, but also how that information is interpreted in light of other visual experiences, and may even be influenced by language.

Future water levels of crucial agricultural aquifer forecast

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:05 PM PDT

A study focuses on future availability of groundwater in the High Plains Aquifer. It finds that if current irrigation trends continue, 69 percent of the groundwater stored in the aquifer will be depleted in 50 years.

Even mild stress can make it difficult to control your emotions

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:05 PM PDT

Even mild stress can thwart therapeutic measures to control emotions, a team of neuroscientists has found. Their findings point to the limits of clinical techniques while also shedding new light on the barriers that must be overcome in addressing afflictions such as fear or anxiety.

Touch and movement neurons shape the brain's internal image of the body

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:05 PM PDT

The brain's tactile and motor neurons, which perceive touch and control movement, may also respond to visual cues, according to researchers.

Immune system, skin microbiome 'complement' one another

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:05 PM PDT

Researchers demonstrate for the first time that the immune system influences the skin microbiome. A new study found that the skin microbiome -- a collection of microorganisms inhabiting the human body -- is governed, at least in part, by an ancient branch of the immune system called complement.

Breakthrough in DNA editing technology

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:05 PM PDT

Scientists have found a way to apply a powerful new DNA-editing technology more broadly than ever before.

Interpretation of do-not-resuscitate order appears to vary among pediatric physicians

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:02 PM PDT

Clinicians use the do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order not only as a guide for therapeutic decisions during a cardiopulmonary arrest but also as a surrogate for broader treatment directives, according to a new study.

Extremely preterm infants and risk of developing neurodevelopmental impairment later in childhood

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:02 PM PDT

A meta-analysis of previously reported studies examined the rate of moderate to severe and severe neurodevelopmental impairment by gestational age in extremely preterm survivors followed up between ages 4 and 8 years, and determined whether there is a significant difference in impairment rates between the successive weeks of gestation of survivors.

Terminology used to describe preinvasive breast cancer may affect patients' treatment preferences

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:02 PM PDT

When ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS, a preinvasive malignancy of the breast) is described as a high-risk condition rather than cancer, more women report that they would opt for nonsurgical treatments.

Intervention appears effective to prevent weight gain among disadvantaged women

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:02 PM PDT

An intervention not focused on weight loss was effective for weight gain prevention among socioeconomically disadvantaged black women, according to a new report.

Comprehensive Parkinson's biomarker test has prognostic and diagnostic value

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:02 PM PDT

Researchers report the first biomarker results reported from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), showing that a comprehensive test of protein biomarkers in spinal fluid have prognostic and diagnostic value in early stages of Parkinson's disease.

Oxygen-generating compound shows promise for saving tissue after severe injury

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 03:02 PM PDT

The same compound in a common household clothes detergent shows promise as a treatment to preserve muscle tissue after severe injury. Researchers hope the oxygen-generating compound could one day aid in saving and repairing limbs and tissue.

New, 'robust' treatment for stroke uses genetic material from bone marrow

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 11:38 AM PDT

In the latest in a series of experiments testing the use of stem cells to treat neurological disease, researchers have shown for the first time that microscopic material in the cells offers a "robust" treatment for crippling stroke.

Researchers figure out how to 'grow' carbon nanotubes with specific atomic structures

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 11:38 AM PDT

Move over, silicon. In a breakthrough in the quest for the next generation of computers and materials, researchers have solved a longstanding challenge with carbon nanotubes: how to actually build them with specific, predictable atomic structures.

Size matters as nanocrystals go through phases

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 11:37 AM PDT

Researchers have demonstrated that as metal nanocrystals go through phase transformations, size can make a much bigger difference than scientists previously believed.

Researchers develop software tool for cancer genomics

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 11:37 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a new bioinformatics software tool designed to more easily identify genetic mutations responsible for cancers.

RNA double helix structure identified using synchrotron light

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 11:36 AM PDT

Scientists successfully crystallized a short RNA sequence, poly (rA)11, and confirmed the hypothesis of a poly (rA) double-helix.

Four or more cups of coffee a day may keep prostate cancer recurrence and progression away

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 11:36 AM PDT

Coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer recurrence and progression, according to a new study.

NASA's Spitzer telescope celebrates 10 years in space

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 10:02 AM PDT

Ten years after a Delta II rocket launched NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, lighting up the night sky over Cape Canaveral, Fla., the fourth of the agency's four Great Observatories continues to illuminate the dark side of the cosmos with its infrared eyes.

New minimally invasive technique for melanoma

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 09:31 AM PDT

Surgical oncologists are now using laparoscopic procedure to remove lymph nodes, cutting chance of infection and reducing recovery time in half.

Earlier peak for Spain's glaciers

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 09:31 AM PDT

Over much of the planet, glaciers were at their greatest extent roughly 20,000 years ago. But according to geologists, that wasn't true in at least one part of southern Europe. Due to local effects of temperature and precipitation, the local glacial maximum occurred considerably earlier, around 26,000 years ago.

Why do haters have to hate? Newly identified personality trait holds clues

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 09:31 AM PDT

New research has uncovered the reason why some people seem to dislike everything while others seem to like everything. Apparently, it's all part of our individual personality -- a dimension that researchers have coined "dispositional attitude."

New approach to remedying childhood visual disorders

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 09:31 AM PDT

By discovering the role of key neurons that mediate an important part of vision development, neurobiologists have revealed a new approach to correcting visual disorders in children who suffer from early cataracts or amblyopia, also known as lazy eye.

How some inspectors are able to uphold factory labor rules

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 09:31 AM PDT

While factory labor rules are notoriously hard to enforce, a new study shows how some inspectors are able to uphold workplace standards.

Skin cell defect is surprising allergy trigger: Skin and food allergies can be result of skin cell 'glue' deficiency

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 09:31 AM PDT

A structural defect in skin cells can contribute to allergy development, including skin and food allergies, traditionally thought primarily to be a dysfunction of the immune system.

Development of a therapeutic algorithm for optimal nosebleed management

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 09:31 AM PDT

Approximately 60 percent of people experience epistaxis, commonly known as nosebleed, at least once in their lifetime. Of those who experience nosebleed, six percent require medical treatment. A new study explores which nosebleed treatment options demonstrate the best outcomes.

Insight into the origin of the genetic code

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 09:31 AM PDT

An analysis of enzymes that load amino acids onto transfer RNAs -- an operation at the heart of protein translation -- offers new insights into the evolutionary origins of the modern genetic code, researchers report.

Video games do not make vulnerable teens more violent

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 09:31 AM PDT

Do violent video games such as "Mortal Kombat," "Halo" and "Grand Theft Auto" trigger teenagers with symptoms of depression or attention deficit disorder to become aggressive bullies or delinquents? No, according to new research.

Patients leaving hospital against medical advice more likely to be readmitted or die

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 09:31 AM PDT

People who leave hospital against their doctors' orders are more likely to be readmitted to hospital or die, according to a new study.

Physicist disentangles 'Schrodinger's cat' debate

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 09:30 AM PDT

A physicist that the answer to the long-running debate of quantum measurement lies in the phenomenon of nonlocality.

Midwest air quality alert may mean first sick day for kids heading back to school

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 09:30 AM PDT

The Midwest is experiencing dangerous levels of mold in the air as the first dangerous air alert is called for the 2013 allergy reporting season. Gottlieb Allergy Count, the official allergy count for the Midwest, reports the mold count today is 53,000, a high for 2013, and well over the 50,000 threshold that signals a dangerous air quality warning.

Women at increasing risk of kidney stones, related ER visits

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 08:33 AM PDT

The risk of women developing kidney stones is rising, as is the number of cases being seen in US emergency departments, while the rate of hospitalization for the disorder has remained stable.

Rethinking investment risk

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 08:33 AM PDT

Does financial innovation inherently lead to greater risk in markets? An economist takes a new look at the problem and says it does.

New function for a well-known immune messenger molecule

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 08:33 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered a new function of the well-known messenger protein interleukin-7: It facilitates the drainage of lymph fluid from tissues. In the future, the scientists plan to investigate whether this molecule could be used to prevent or treat lymphedema.

Preschoolers who stutter do just fine emotionally and socially, study finds

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 08:33 AM PDT

Stuttering may be more common than previously thought, but preschool stutterers fair better than first thought, a new study has found.

Worldwide ban on flame retardant

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 07:57 AM PDT

The flame retardant HBCD may no longer be produced or used. This was decided by representatives from over 160 countries in late May at a UN conference on chemicals in Geneva. HBCD was formerly used as a flame retardant for plastics, electronics and textiles, and especially for insulation panels in buildings.

Through four years' training, college football players gain strength and size

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 07:52 AM PDT

From freshman through senior year, college football players achieve significant increases in strength and size, reports a study.

Insight into marine life's ability to adapt to climate change

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 07:01 AM PDT

A study into marine life around an underwater volcanic vent in the Mediterranean, might hold the key to understanding how some species will be able to survive in increasingly acidic sea water should anthropogenic climate change continue.

Carbon-sequestering ocean plants may cope with climate changes over the long run

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 07:01 AM PDT

A year-long experiment on tiny ocean organisms called coccolithophores suggests that the single-celled algae may still be able to grow their calcified shells even as oceans grow warmer and more acidic in Earth's near future. The study stands in contrast to earlier studies suggesting that coccolithophores would fail to build strong shells in acidic waters.

Shopping in high heels could curb overspending

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 07:00 AM PDT

When shopping for a big ticket item, such as a television, there is a checklist of things you should always do: Read reviews, compare prices and wear high heels. A new study finds that consumers experiencing a heightened sense of balance are more likely to weigh the options and go with a product that falls in the middle of the high-end, low-end scale.

Sweaty palms and racing heart may benefit some negotiators

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 07:00 AM PDT

The idea of having to negotiate over the price of a new car sends many into the cold sweats, but new research suggests that sweaty palms and a racing heart may actually help some people in getting a good deal.

Pediatric readmission rates aren't indicator of hospital performance, study shows

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 07:00 AM PDT

Readmission rates of adult patients to the same hospital within 30 days are an area of national focus and a potential indicator of clinical failure and unnecessary expenditures. However, a new study shows that hospital readmissions rates for children are not necessarily meaningful measures of the quality of their care.

Changing river chemistry affects Eastern US water supplies

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 07:00 AM PDT

Human activity is changing the basic chemistry of large rivers in the Eastern US, with potentially major consequences for urban water supplies and aquatic ecosystems, a new study has found.

Healthcare professionals need to look out for fabricated illness in children

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 07:00 AM PDT

While it's rare for a parent to fabricate an illness in their child, a researcher says physicians and other health professionals need to be on the alert for this form of child abuse.

Climate change: Ocean acidification amplifies global warming

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 06:58 AM PDT

Scientists have demonstrated that ocean acidification may amplify global warming through the biogenic production of the marine sulfur component dimethylsulphide (DMS). Ocean acidification has the potential to speed up global warming considerably, according to new research.

Researchers design and build the world's smallest autopilot for micro aircraft

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 06:58 AM PDT

Researchers have designed, built and tested the world's smallest open source autopilot for small unmanned aircraft. A smaller – and lighter – autopilot allows these small flying robots to fly longer, fit into narrower spaces or carry more payloads, such as cameras. That makes them more suitable to be used in for example rescue operations.

'Shapeshifting' computer program will open up drug discovery for tricky disease targets

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 06:58 AM PDT

Combination of technologies could reduce the number of early trial compounds from millions to hundreds, potentially shaving years off the discovery-development program. 

First report of real-time manipulation and control of nuclear spin noise

Posted: 26 Aug 2013 06:58 AM PDT

Physicists have demonstrated a new method for polarizing nuclear spins in extremely small samples. By monitoring and controlling spin fluctuations, the method may provide a route for enhancing the resolution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on the nanometer-scale, allowing researchers to make 3D images of smaller objects than ever before.

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