Τετάρτη 26 Φεβρουαρίου 2014

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

First discovery of dinosaur fossils in Malaysia

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:47 PM PST

Scientists have found dinosaur fossil teeth in the rural interiors of Pahang -- the first known discovery of dinosaur remains in Malaysia.

Pinwheel 'living' crystals and the origin of life

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 02:17 PM PST

Simply making nanoparticles spin coaxes them to arrange themselves into what researchers call 'living rotating crystals' that could serve as a nanopump. They may also, incidentally, shed light on the origin of life itself. The researchers refer to the crystals as 'living' because they, in a sense, take on a life of their own from very simple rules.

Microbes on floating ocean plastics: Uncovering the secret world of the 'Plastisphere'

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 02:16 PM PST

Scientists are revealing how microbes living on floating pieces of plastic marine debris affect the ocean ecosystem, and the potential harm they pose to invertebrates, humans and other animals.

Body shape index as new predictor of mortality

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 02:16 PM PST

Scientists have developed a new method to quantify the risk specifically associated with abdominal obesity. A follow-up study, published Feb. 20 by the online journal PLOS ONE, supports their contention that the technique, known as 'A Body Shape Index,' is a more effective predictor of mortality than body mass index, the most common measure used to define obesity.

A paper diagnostic for cancer: Low-cost urine test amplifies signals from growing tumors to detect disease

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 02:14 PM PST

A low-cost urine test amplifies signals from growing tumors to detect disease. Cancer rates in developing nations have climbed sharply in recent years, and now account for 70 percent of cancer mortality worldwide. Early detection has been proven to improve outcomes, but screening approaches such as mammograms and colonoscopy, used in the developed world, are too costly to be implemented in settings with little medical infrastructure. To address this gap, engineers have developed a simple, cheap, paper test that could improve diagnosis rates and help people get treated earlier. The diagnostic, which works much like a pregnancy test, could reveal within minutes, based on a urine sample, whether a person has cancer. This approach has helped detect infectious diseases, and the new technology allows noncommunicable diseases to be detected using the same strategy.

Marine algae can sense the rainbow

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 02:14 PM PST

Several types of aquatic algae can detect orange, green and blue light, according to new research. Land plants have receptors to detect light on the red and far red of the spectrum, which are the common wavelengths in the air. These plants sense the light to move and grow as their environment changes, for example when another plant shades them from the sun. But in the ocean, the water absorbs red wavelengths, instead reflecting colors such as blue and green. Scientists have now sequenced about 20 different marine algae and found they were capable of detecting not only red light, but also many other colors.

Guideline: People with irregular heartbeat should take blood thinners to prevent stroke, experts say

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 02:11 PM PST

An updated guideline recommends that people with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeat, take oral anticoagulants, a type of blood thinner pill, to prevent stroke.

Cancer patients turning to mass media, non-experts for info

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 11:04 AM PST

The increasing use of expensive medical imaging procedures in the US like positron emission tomography scans is being driven, in part, by patient decisions made after obtaining information from lay media and non-experts, and not from health care providers. The study sought to understand what drives cancer patients to seek such inappropriate procedures, to help inform interventions or policies to stem their overuse. The authors theorized that exposure to cancer-related information may play a role. They suggested that the potential benefit of new medical technologies receives substantial attention in the lay media and may promote positive attitudes toward the role of imaging technology such as PET.

Scientists complete the top quark puzzle

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 11:04 AM PST

Researchers on the two main Tevatron experiments, CDF and DZero, have discovered the final predicted way of producing top quarks. Scientists have observed one of the rarest methods of producing the elementary particle -- creating a single top quark through the weak nuclear force, in what is called the "s-channel."

New ideas change your brain cells, research shows

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 10:31 AM PST

An important molecular change has been discovered that occurs in the brain when we learn and remember. The research shows that learning stimulates our brain cells in a manner that causes a small fatty acid to attach to delta-catenin, a protein in the brain. This biochemical modification is essential in producing the changes in brain cell connectivity associated with learning, the study finds. Findings may provide an explanation for some mental disabilities, the researchers say.

Personalized medicine best way to treat cancer, study argues

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 10:31 AM PST

Assessing the route to cancer on a case-by-case basis might make more sense than basing a patient's cancer treatment on commonly disrupted genes and pathways, a new study indicates. "This paper argues for the importance of personalized medicine, where we treat each person by looking for the etiology of the disease in patients individually," said the lead author. "The findings have ramifications on how we might best optimize cancer treatments as we enter the era of targeted gene therapy."

Volcanoes contribute to recent global warming 'hiatus'

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 10:31 AM PST

Volcanic eruptions in the early part of the 21st century have cooled the planet, according to a new study. This cooling partly offset the warming produced by greenhouse gases.

Preventing suicide should start in general medical setting

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:42 AM PST

The mental health conditions of most people who commit suicide remain undiagnosed, even though most visit a primary care provider or medical specialist in the year before they die. To help prevent suicides, health care providers should therefore become more attuned to their patients' mental health states and possible suicide ideations. Results of the study indicate that mental health and suicide risk may need to be assessed more thoroughly, especially in general medical settings, the author state.

Did you hear the one about the doctor? Using Facebook to eavesdrop on the collective conversation of current societal issues

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:42 AM PST

Researchers studied jokes made about doctors posted on Facebook in a new review that demonstrates the potential of using social networking sites for research on health and medicine. "Social networking sites, such as Facebook, have become immensely popular in recent years and present a unique opportunity for researchers to eavesdrop on the collective conversation of current societal issues," said the lead author. Results showed that jokes in which the doctor (or the healthcare system) was the butt of the joke tended to be more successful, although the association was not statistically significant. Interestingly, the joke in the study that received the greatest number of Facebook likes was a "doctor, lawyer, priest joke" in which the lawyer was the butt of the joke.

In the eye of a chicken, a new state of matter comes into view

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:42 AM PST

Along with eggs, soup and rubber toys, the list of the chicken's most lasting legacies may eventually include advanced materials, according to scientists. The researchers report that the unusual arrangement of cells in a chicken's eye constitutes the first known biological occurrence of a potentially new state of matter known as 'disordered hyperuniformity,' which has been shown to have unique physical properties.

Higher risks among perinatal women with bipolar disorder

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:42 AM PST

Women with bipolar disorder often struggle with the illness during and after pregnancy. A new study finds that they were significantly more likely to face important psychiatric and childrearing challenges compared to women who were seeking treatment for other psychiatric disorders. The findings indicate the importance of properly identifying the disorder and developing specific treatments for women during and after pregnancy, the lead author states.

Toxic injection with elastic band: Discovering how bacteria get toxins into cells

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:42 AM PST

Bacteria have developed many different ways of smuggling their toxic cargo into cells. A new study has helped scientists discover how Tc toxins inject bacterial toxins. The discovery has wide-reaching potential impact, from health solutions to farming and other industry.

Fast, effective mechanism to combat an aggressive cancer

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:41 AM PST

A new strategy to tackle an aggressive subtype of ovarian cancer using a new nanoscale drug-delivery system designed to target specific cancer cells has been developed. A research team has devised a cluster of nanoparticles called gagomers, made of fats and coated with a kind of polysugar. When filled with chemotherapy drugs, these clusters accumulate in tumors, producing dramatically therapeutic benefits. The objective of the research is two-fold: to provide a specific target for anti-cancer drugs, and to reduce the toxic side effects of anti-cancer therapies.

Novel assay developed for detecting ALK rearrangement in lung cancer

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:41 AM PST

A novel technique for detecting ALK rearrangements in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) has been developed that is more sensitive and easier to perform than currently available techniques. The technique can help enhance the routine practice of diagnostic ALK testing on NSCLCs, which is crucial for identifying patients with advanced NSCLC who are most likely to benefit from targeted therapy with an ALK inhibitor.

Significant discrepancies between FISH, IHC results for ALK testing

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:41 AM PST

Routine testing with both fluorescent in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry may enhance the detection of ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer, new research suggests. Accurate determination of ALK-positive tumors is necessary to identify patients with advanced NSCLC who are most likely to benefit from targeted therapy with an ALK inhibitor. The study also demonstrated that systematic testing of NSCLC by both FISH and IHC is feasible in routine practice.

New biological scaffold offers promising foundation for engineered tissues

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:38 AM PST

Engineered tissues like the ones used to create artificial skin need a scaffold for cells to grow on. Now a team of researchers has coaxed cells called fibroblasts into creating a scaffold that mimics the body's own internal matrix, and in early tests, cells seem happy to set up residence, and had the added advantage of provoking a very low immune response.

Biomedical bleeding affects horseshoe crab behavior

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:38 AM PST

Collecting and bleeding horseshoe crabs for biomedical purposes causes short-term changes in their behavior and physiology that could exacerbate the crabs' population decline in parts of the East Coast. Authors of a new report examined this issue as well as possible solutions to its problems. Each year, the U.S. biomedical industry harvests the blue blood from almost half a million living horseshoe crabs for use in pharmaceuticals -- most notably, a product called Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL), used to ensure vaccines and medical equipment are free of bacterial contamination. This lifesaving product can only be made from horseshoe crab blood.

Sugarcane converted to cold-tolerant, oil-producing crop

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 08:02 AM PST

A multi-institutional team reports that it can increase sugarcane's geographic range, boost its photosynthetic rate by 30 percent and turn it into an oil-producing crop for biodiesel production.

World first: hyperpolarization technique makes visible changes in metabolism while they are taking place

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 08:02 AM PST

A new scanning technique can see changes in metabolism that have until now remained invisible, while they are taking place. The research is a world-first and stems from a study of the correlation between oxygen level and the development of kidney disease in rats with and without diabetes. Though advanced hyperpolarization technique has initially been utilized to document metabolic changes in the kidneys, it will be possible to use it to gain a greater insight into the development of diseases in all of the body's organs.

New technology detects cellular memory, aids in understanding of how diseases such as cancer arise

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 08:01 AM PST

In 2009, a new technology was developed that could elucidate the mystery behind cellular memory. Building on this technology, researchers have now identified 100 new molecular players that ensure cellular knowledge of own identity at cell division. This is crucial for fetal development, to maintain body functions throughout life and prevent disease. Understanding the fundamental principles of how chromatin is faithfully duplicated is essential to understand how our organism is developed and maintained, and also how diseases such as cancer arise. If cells lose their chromatin memory, they can potentially develop into cancer cells and form tumors. Such a loss of what is also called 'epigenetic' memory is now known to be involved in almost all cancer types.

Researchers 'design for failure' with model material

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 08:01 AM PST

Researchers have devised a method to study stress at the macro and micro scales at the same time, using a model system in which microscopic particles stand in for molecules. This method has allowed the researchers to demonstrate an unusual hybrid behavior in their model material: a reversible rearrangement of its particles that nevertheless has the characteristics of plastic deformation on the macroscale.

Gauging what it takes to heal a disaster-ravaged forest: Case study in China

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 08:01 AM PST

Recovering from natural disasters usually means rebuilding infrastructure and reassembling human lives. Yet ecologically sensitive areas need to heal, too, and scientists are pioneering new methods to assess nature's recovery and guide human intervention. A new study focused on the epicenter of China's devastating Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, a globally important valuable biodiversity hotspot and home to the beloved and endangered giant pandas. Not only did the quake devastate villages and roads, but the earth split open and swallowed sections of the forests and bamboo groves that shelter and feed pandas and other endangered wildlife. The study indicated that forest restoration after natural disasters should not only consider the forest itself, but also take into account the animals inhabiting the ecosystem and human livelihoods.

Light used to quickly, easily measure blood's clotting properties

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

Defective blood coagulation is one of the leading causes of preventable death in patients who have suffered trauma or undergone surgery. Now, a new optical device requires only a few drops of blood and a few minutes to measure the key coagulation parameters that can guide medical decisions, like how much blood to transfuse or what doses of anticoagulant drugs to administer. The new device has the potential to provide rapid test results for patients in operating suites, emergency departments, and intensive care units, or for any patient with a coagulation disorder.

Abdominal fat accumulation prevented by unsaturated fat

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST

New research shows that saturated fat builds more fat and less muscle than polyunsaturated fat. This is the first study on humans to show that the fat composition of food not only influences cholesterol levels in the blood and the risk of cardiovascular disease but also determines where the fat will be stored in the body. Gaining weight on excess calories from polyunsaturated fat appears to cause more gain in muscle mass, and less body fat than overeating a similar amount of saturated fat.

Tip to dieters: Beware of friends and late night cravings

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 07:59 AM PST

There's more to dieting than just sheer willpower and self-control. The presence of friends, late night cravings or the temptation of alcohol can often simply be too strong to resist. Research in the UK monitored the social and environmental factors that make people, who are following weight management programs, cheat. Eighty people who were either part of a weight-loss group or were dieting on their own participated in the one-week study. They were given mobile phones on which they kept an electronic diary of all the temptations that came their way, and the situations during which they gave in to these temptations. This helped the researchers to make a complete real-time record, known as 'ecological momentary assessment,' of participants' dietary temptations and lapses.

Revealing secrets of exploding clusters

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 07:59 AM PST

The investigation of cluster explosion dynamics under intense extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) pulses has so far been limited to large scale facilities like free-electron lasers. In a recent publication, it was shown that the research on clusters is now also possible with intense XUV pulses obtained in a laboratory-scale environment with a newly developed light source that makes use of the high-order harmonic generation process. For the first time, the formation of high-lying Rydberg atoms by electron-ion recombination during the cluster expansion initially triggered by an intense XUV pulse was identified, giving new insight into the cluster dissociation process. 

Detailed measurements in living cells challenges classic model for gene regulation

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 06:21 AM PST

In all living organisms, genes are regulated by proteins called transcription factors. The established model states that a gene is switched off as long as a repressing transcription factor is bound to the DNA. For the first time ever, researchers have been able to study the process in living cells, showing that it may be more complex than previously thought. It is at present unclear how the finding generalizes to other genes and organisms, but the fact that the researchers find interesting deviations in the first system they look at implies that it is not unlikely that it is important in many cases.

New process uses recyclable catalyst to create porous materials

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:17 AM PST

Chemists have discovered a new way of making monomodal mesoporous metal oxides that allows for greater manufacturing controls and has significantly broader applications than the longtime industry standard.

New research helps explain how social understanding is performed by the brain

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:17 AM PST

An important question has been answered about how social understanding is performed in the brain. The findings may help us to attain a better understanding of why people with autism and schizophrenia have difficulties with social interaction. Using magnetic stimulation to temporarily disrupt normal processing of the areas of the human brain involved in the production of actions of human participants, it is demonstrated that these areas are also involved in the understanding of actions. The study is the first to demonstrate a clear causal effect, whereas earlier studies primarily have looked at correlations, which are difficult to interpret.

Computerized checklist reduces type of hospital infection, study finds

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:16 AM PST

A computerized safety checklist that automatically pulls information from patients' electronic medical records was associated with a threefold drop in rates of one serious type of hospital-acquired infection, according to a study. The study targeted bloodstream infections that begin in central lines -- catheters inserted into major veins. The automated checklist, and a dashboard-style interface used to interact with it, made it fast and easy for caregivers to follow national guidelines for keeping patients' central lines infection-free.

Age-21 drinking laws save lives, study confirms

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:16 AM PST

Although some advocates want to lower the legal drinking age from 21, research continues to show that the law saves lives. Researchers found that studies done since 2006 -- when a new debate over age-21 laws flared up -- have continued to demonstrate that the mandates work. The laws, studies show, are associated with lower rates of drunk-driving crashes among young people. And it seems they also curb other hazards of heavy drinking -- including suicide, dating violence and unprotected sex.

Equal and equal is unequal: Choosing marriage partner contributes to income inequality, study finds

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:11 AM PST

Changes in society in choosing a marriage partner contribute to income inequality across households, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed the interaction of marriage partner choices and the distribution of income across households. Positive assortative mating, or in other words, the tendency of choosing a partner with the same level of education or income, has increased so significantly over the past five decades in the U.S., that it has a considerable effect on the national income distribution.

Creating animated characters outdoors

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:11 AM PST

So far, film studios have had to put in huge amounts of effort to set monsters, superheroes, fairies or other virtual characters into real feature film scenes. Within the so-called motion capturing process, real actors wear skintight suits with markers on them. These suits reflect infrared light that is emitted and captured by special cameras. Subsequent to this, the movements of the actors are rendered with the aid of software into animated characters. Now, researchers in Germany have developed a method that works without markers. It immediately transfers actors' movements to the virtual characters in near real-time.

Pointing is infants' first communicative gesture

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:11 AM PST

Researchers have studied the acquisition and development of language in babies on the basis of the temporary coordination of gestures and speech. The results are the first in showing how and when they acquire the pattern of coordination between the two elements which allows them to communicate very early on.

Gender-quota boardrooms come at high price

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:11 AM PST

Boardroom gender quotas seem to be a success story. According to a new PhD study however, affected companies pay a high price for the gender quota law. As the first country in the world to do so, Norway adopted a law that requires public limited companies to ensure at least 40 per cent representation of both men and women on the company board. To make sure this law is obeyed, a death sentence, i.e. liquidation, may be imposed on companies that do not comply. The boardroom gender-quota law appears to be a huge success, and it has also garnered considerable attention internationally.

Study reveals new ways deadly squirrelpox is transmitted to red squirrels

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:11 AM PST

Native red squirrels have declined throughout Britain and Ireland for the last century due to a combination of habitat loss and the introduction of the North American eastern grey squirrel. But more recently its few remaining populations have been devastated by an insidious pox virus passed to them by the alien invaders. A new study has found the situation may be worse than previously thought, as the disease appears to have multiple modes of potential transmission.

Peer-to-peer nursing aggression threatens patient care, outcomes

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:11 AM PST

Horizontal violence between nurses at the same level of authority is jeopardizing patient outcomes, research has revealed. A relationship between horizontal violence and ineffective communication, as well as between horizontal violence and poor patient outcome or near misses, was demonstrated. Peer-to-peer abuse has been widely documented in fast-paced healthcare environments in other countries.

Practice-based learning improves end of life care confidence in community nurses

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:10 AM PST

District and community nurses who completed a practice-based educational pathway reported greater confidence in delivering palliative and end of life care to patients. Nurses working in these roles said communication was their main area of concern in relation to end of life care but this increased significantly during the project, due to interaction with colleagues experienced in this area.

Cancer patients want more written information on side effects

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:10 AM PST

Patients who undergo radiotherapy for pelvic cancers want to be better informed about side effects before treatment, research has revealed. Half of patients who took part in a UK survey reported unmet information needs on a range of issues, including rehabilitation, ways to access supportive services and how to cope with the treatment's sexual consequences.

Exercise in older patients improves long-term health, wellbeing

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:10 AM PST

Nurses can increase independence and quality of life as well as reduce social isolation in older patients by promoting exercise. A 12-week community fitness program for the over 60s was found to motivate and encourage individuals to continue with regular physical activity after they completed the intervention.

Stimulation glove for stroke patients helps improve tactile perception, motor function

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:10 AM PST

A glove that uses weak electrical pulses to stimulate the nerve fibers that connect the hands with the brain has been developed and been used to help recovery of patients who have suffered a stroke by using passive stimulation that improves sense of touch and motor skills. If applied regularly, this passive stimulation results in an improvement of both tactile perception and motor function.

Culture influences young people's self-esteem: Fulfillment of value priorities of other individuals important to youth

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:10 AM PST

Regardless of our personal values, we base most of our self-esteem on the fulfillment of the dominant values of our culture, reveals a global survey. The results of the study reflect the responses of more than 5,000 teenagers and young adults in 19 countries. They show that the young respondents base their self-esteem not on their own personal values - which seem to have little or no influence on their self-regard - but on the fulfillment of the value priorities of other individuals in their cultural environments.

Astronomers spot record-breaking lunar impact

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:10 AM PST

A meteorite with the mass of a small car crashed into the Moon last September, according to Spanish astronomers. The impact, the biggest seen to date, produced a bright flash and would have been easy to spot from Earth.

New tumor suppressor gene will facilitate detection of people susceptible to skin cancer

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:10 AM PST

The human genome contains approximately 20,000 protein coding genes which are responsible for the formation, development and functioning of the human body. A similar number of genes exists in the mouse genome. In this pool only some genes -- called tumor suppressors -- can initiate the production of proteins having anti-cancer properties. One of the mouse genes displays strong suppressive properties against the development of non-melanoma skin cancers, which was proven by a team of Polish and Australian researchers. The experimental results are a promising step towards more effective prophylactic tests and new methods of treatment of this type of tumors in human patients.

Secondary thyroid cancer more deadly than primary malignancy in young individuals

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:10 AM PST

A new analysis has found that adolescents and young adults who develop thyroid cancer as a secondary cancer have a significantly greater risk of dying than those with primary thyroid cancer. The findings stress the importance of screening young cancer survivors to detect early signs of a potentially life-threatening thyroid malignancy. Thyroid cancer is one of the five most common malignancies in adolescent and young adult patients (ages 15 to 39 years). It can develop as an initial cancer or rarely after treatment for a previous cancer.

Long-held secret of bowel movement now understood, leads to improved nutrient absorption

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 05:08 AM PST

A research team has found a segmentation motion occurs when not one but two sets of pacemakers interact with each other to create a specific rhythm. Then they work together with nerves and muscle to generate the movement that allows for nutrient absorption inside the human digestive system. The discovery is important as it gives direction for development of drugs or nutrients which will combat disorders when people have diarrhea, constipation, bloating or malabsorption of nutrients from food.
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