ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Diets low in polyunsaturated fatty acids may be a problem for youngsters
• Study establishes human model of influenza pathogenesis
• Can drinking orange juice aid in cancer prevention?
• Research points to promising treatment for macular degeneration
• Measles cases on the rise in US, experts encourage vaccine
• Software may be able to take over from hardware in managing caches
• Machine learning used to boil down the stories that wearable cameras are telling
• Vaccination does not improve outcome of melanomas patients
• Young people choose education based on parents' background
• Scientists achieve highest open-circuit voltage for quantum dot solar cells
• The '50-50' chip: Memory device of the future? Material built from aluminum and antimony shows promise for next-generation data-storage devices
• To touch the microcosmos: New haptic microscope technique allows researchers to 'feel' microworld
• A clinician's guide to managing moral distress
• 'Terminator' polymer: Self-healing polymer that spontaneously and independently repairs itself
• Unexpected interaction between ocean currents and bacteria may weaken ocean's ability to absorb carbon dioxide
• Diet during pregnancy and early life may affect children's behavior and intelligence
• Simple textiles can be used with catalysts to enable complex chemical reactions
• Surgery proving effective with epilepsy patients
• Tuna closely related to some of the strangest fish in the sea
• Dating of beads sets new timeline for early humans
• Low omega-3 could explain why some children struggle with reading
• Pinpointing when the First Dynasty of Kings ruled Egypt
• New technique in RNA interference cuts time and cost in genetic screens
• Carbon farming schemes should consider multiple cobenefits
• Model organism gone wild
• Fate of new genes cannot be predicted
• Molecular mirror images assigned: Safer drugs thanks to a new solution to a 150-year-old chemistry problem?
• Inheritance of lifespan is sex-dependent in fruit flies
• Tiny plankton could have big impact on climate: CO2-hungry microbes might short-circuit the marine foodweb
• SARS virus treatments could hold the key for treatment of MERS-CoV outbreak
• Potential new drug target for cystic fibrosis
• Electric transport with wind in its sails
• Using technology to reduce hospital admissions for COPD patients
• Algae and bacteria in sea ice are important for the carbon budgets of frozen oceans
• Insulin plays role in mediating worms' perceptions and behaviors
• Toward a truly white organic LED: Physicists develop polymer with tunable colors
• Eco-friendly bamboo garments lure consumers - if the price is right
• Revised Medicaid policy could reduce unintended pregnancies, save millions in health costs
• Medicare policy may limit minority access to weight-loss surgery
• 30 percent lower risk of dying for diabetics with bypass surgery
• Link between rates of gun ownership and homicides
• Antibiotic reduction can be achieved through low cost information campaigns
• Better verbal development during childhood linked to later drinking and intoxication
• Individuals with a dual diagnosis can benefit from 12-step programs
• Sober drinking knowledge fails 'in the moment' of intoxication
• Older drinkers may experience fewer hangovers than youngsters
• Childhood obesity may quadruple high blood pressure risk in adulthood
• High blood pressure reading in kids linked to triple risk for condition as adults
• Exposure/ritual prevention therapy boosts antidepressant treatment of OCD
• Denser seagrass beds hold more baby blue crabs
• Esteem issues determine how people put their best Facebook forward
• Toxic methylmercury-producing microbes more widespread than realized

Diets low in polyunsaturated fatty acids may be a problem for youngsters Posted: 13 Sep 2013 09:42 AM PDT In the first study to closely examine the polyunsaturated fatty acid intake among US children under the age of five, researchers have found what might be a troubling deficit in the diet of many youngsters.

Study establishes human model of influenza pathogenesis Posted: 13 Sep 2013 09:42 AM PDT A clinical study of healthy adult volunteers who consented to be infected with the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus under carefully controlled conditions has provided researchers with concrete information about the minimum dose of virus needed to produce mild-to-moderate illness.

Can drinking orange juice aid in cancer prevention? Posted: 13 Sep 2013 09:41 AM PDT Researchers review available evidence that links orange juice with cancer chemoprevention, including the putative mechanisms involved in the process, the potential toxicity of orange juice, and the available data in terms of evidence-based medicine.

Research points to promising treatment for macular degeneration Posted: 13 Sep 2013 09:39 AM PDT In the hunt for a better treatment for macular degeneration, studies using mice and a class of drugs known as MDM2 inhibitors proved highly effective at regressing the abnormal blood vessels responsible for the vision loss associated with the disease.

Measles cases on the rise in US, experts encourage vaccine Posted: 13 Sep 2013 09:39 AM PDT Believed to be eradicated from the United States in 2000, measles have been brought into the country and can infect those who are not vaccinated.

Software may be able to take over from hardware in managing caches Posted: 13 Sep 2013 08:40 AM PDT It may be time to let software, rather than hardware, manage the high-speed on-chip memory banks known as "caches."

Machine learning used to boil down the stories that wearable cameras are telling Posted: 13 Sep 2013 08:40 AM PDT Computers will someday soon automatically provide short video digests of a day in your life, your family vacation or an eight-hour police patrol, say computer scientists. Researchers are working to develop tools to help make sense of the vast quantities of video that are going to be produced by wearable camera technology like Google Glass and Looxcie.

Vaccination does not improve outcome of melanomas patients Posted: 13 Sep 2013 08:40 AM PDT Results of a study show that vaccination with GM2/KLH-QS-21 does not benefit patients with stage II melanoma.

Young people choose education based on parents' background Posted: 13 Sep 2013 08:40 AM PDT Even though Danish students have equal access to education, their choice of studies is still influenced by social class. Young people from working class backgrounds are motivated by studies with a clear job profile and high income, while prestige and studies with a strong identity appeal to young people of parents with university degrees when choosing which studies to pursue.

Scientists achieve highest open-circuit voltage for quantum dot solar cells Posted: 13 Sep 2013 08:40 AM PDT Using colloidal lead sulfide nanocrystal quantum dot substances, researchers have achieved the highest recorded open-circuit voltages for quantum dot solar cells to date.

The '50-50' chip: Memory device of the future? Material built from aluminum and antimony shows promise for next-generation data-storage devices Posted: 13 Sep 2013 08:33 AM PDT A new, environmentally-friendly electronic alloy consisting of 50 aluminum atoms bound to 50 atoms of antimony may be promising for building next-generation "phase-change" memory devices, which may be the data-storage technology of the future.

To touch the microcosmos: New haptic microscope technique allows researchers to 'feel' microworld Posted: 13 Sep 2013 08:33 AM PDT What if you could reach through a microscope to touch and feel the microscopic structures under the lens? In a breakthrough that may usher in a new era in the exploration of the worlds that are a million times smaller than human beings, researchers have unveiled a new technique that allows microscope users to manipulate samples using a technology known as "haptic optical tweezers."

A clinician's guide to managing moral distress Posted: 13 Sep 2013 07:18 AM PDT A nurse-bioethicist discloses rising concerns about the toll of "moral distress" among nurses and physicians caring for seriously and terminally ill people in the era of health care reform.

'Terminator' polymer: Self-healing polymer that spontaneously and independently repairs itself Posted: 13 Sep 2013 07:18 AM PDT Scientists have reported the first self-healing polymer that spontaneously and independently repairs itself without any intervention. The researchers have dubbed the material a "Terminator" polymer in tribute to the shape-shifting, molten T-100 terminator robot from the Terminator 2 film.

Unexpected interaction between ocean currents and bacteria may weaken ocean's ability to absorb carbon dioxide Posted: 13 Sep 2013 07:18 AM PDT For the first time, researchers have successfully demonstrated an interaction between ocean currents and bacteria: The unexpected interaction leads to the production of vast amounts of nitrogen gas in the Pacific Ocean. This takes place in one of the largest oxygen free water masses in the world -- and these zones are expanding. This can ultimately weaken the ocean's ability to absorb CO2.

Diet during pregnancy and early life may affect children's behavior and intelligence Posted: 13 Sep 2013 07:18 AM PDT The statement "you are what you eat" is significant for the development of optimum mental performance in children as evidence is accumulating to show that nutrition pre-birth and in early life "programs" long term health, well being, brain development and mental performance and that certain nutrients are important to this process.

Simple textiles can be used with catalysts to enable complex chemical reactions Posted: 13 Sep 2013 07:15 AM PDT In future, it will be much easier to produce some active pharmaceutical substances and chemical compounds than was the case to date. Chemists have immobilized various catalysts on nylon in a very simple way. Catalysts mediate between the reagents in a chemical reaction and control the process leading to the desired end product. When textile material is used as a support for the chemical auxiliaries, the reaction can proceed on a large surface thereby increasing its efficiency. One of the catalysts that the researchers used in this way plays an important role in the synthesis of a pharmaceutical agent which could only be used previously in dissolved form, making the production process very complicated and expensive. Immobilising this catalyst on fabric simplifies production considerably. This process may be expected to yield similar advantages for other chemical processes.

Surgery proving effective with epilepsy patients Posted: 13 Sep 2013 07:14 AM PDT Neurosurgeons have found MRI-guided laser ablation to be an effective therapy for certain epilepsy patients.

Tuna closely related to some of the strangest fish in the sea Posted: 13 Sep 2013 06:39 AM PDT Some of the strangest fish in the sea are closely related to dinner table favorites the tunas and mackerels, an international team of scientists has found.

Dating of beads sets new timeline for early humans Posted: 13 Sep 2013 06:33 AM PDT Scientists have new dating evidence indicating when the earliest fully modern humans arrived in the Near East, the region known as the Middle East. They have obtained the radiocarbon dates of marine shell beads found at Ksar Akil, a key archaeological site in Lebanon, which allowed them to calculate that the oldest human fossil from the same sequence of archaeological layers is 42,400-41,700 years old. This is significant because the age of the earliest fossils, directly and indirectly dated, of modern humans found in Europe is roughly similar. This latest discovery throws up intriguing new possibilities about the routes taken by the earliest modern humans out of Africa.

Low omega-3 could explain why some children struggle with reading Posted: 13 Sep 2013 06:24 AM PDT A new study has shown that a representative sample of UK schoolchildren aged seven to nine years had low levels of key omega-3 fatty acids in their blood. Furthermore, the study found that children's blood levels of the long-chain omega-3 DHA (the form found in most abundance in the brain) 'significantly predicted' how well they were able to concentrate and learn.

Pinpointing when the First Dynasty of Kings ruled Egypt Posted: 13 Sep 2013 06:16 AM PDT For the first time, a team of scientists and archaeologists has been able to set a robust timeline for the first eight dynastic rulers of Egypt. Until now there have been no verifiable chronological records for this period or the process leading up to the formation of the Egyptian state. The chronology of Early Egypt between 4500 and 2800 BC has been reset by building mathematical models that combine new radiocarbon dates with established archaeological evidence.

New technique in RNA interference cuts time and cost in genetic screens Posted: 13 Sep 2013 06:06 AM PDT There is a new contender in the field of gene discovery, and it's giving knockout mice a run for their money. Researchers have shown that a new technique using RNA interference is able to find genes that cause epidermal tumor growth in months rather than the decades it may take using traditional methods employing specially bred, genetically altered mice.

Carbon farming schemes should consider multiple cobenefits Posted: 13 Sep 2013 05:58 AM PDT Carbon farming schemes will have harmful effects, such as impairing ecosystem services, reducing biodiversity, and reducing food supply, unless resulting revegetation decisions take into account the full range of cobenefits and disbenefits expected from various types of planting. In particular, the views of local inhabitants as well as landowners should be considered in order to maximize the probability of long-term success.

Model organism gone wild Posted: 13 Sep 2013 05:58 AM PDT Some wild clones of social amoebas farm the bacteria they eat, but this is a losing strategy if nonfarming amoebas can steal the farmers' crops. To make the strategy work, the farmers also carry bacteria that secrete chemicals that poison free riders. The work suggest farming is complex evolutionary adaptation that requires additional strategies, such as recruiting third parties, to effectively defend and privatize the crops.

Fate of new genes cannot be predicted Posted: 13 Sep 2013 05:58 AM PDT New versions of genes, called alleles, can appear by mutation in populations. Even when these new alleles turn the individuals carrying them more fit to survive and reproduce, the most likely outcome is that they will get lost from the populations. The theory on this topic is 90 years old and has become the cornerstone of modern population genetics, with studies on adaptation to novel environments and conservation of species being based on it. However, until now there were no explicit experimental tests of this theory.

Molecular mirror images assigned: Safer drugs thanks to a new solution to a 150-year-old chemistry problem? Posted: 13 Sep 2013 05:58 AM PDT Just like gloves, molecules come in so-called left-handed and right-handed versions. Until now, however, it could be determined only with great difficulty whether a certain molecule is right-handed or left-handed. Scientists now report a new solution to this 150-year old problem. In medicine, this would be a big step forward because, for example, the unwanted side effects of drugs could be avoided.

Inheritance of lifespan is sex-dependent in fruit flies Posted: 13 Sep 2013 05:57 AM PDT Like mother, like daughter; like father, like son. Evolutionary biologists have now shown that this proverb also applies to inheriting a long life -- at least for fruit flies (Drosophila). Descendants of these insects mostly inherit their lifespan from their own sex: male descendants will very probably live about as long as their fathers; female descendants, about as long as their mothers.

Tiny plankton could have big impact on climate: CO2-hungry microbes might short-circuit the marine foodweb Posted: 13 Sep 2013 05:57 AM PDT As the climate changes and oceans' acidity increases, tiny plankton seem set to succeed. Marine scientists have found that the smallest plankton groups thrive under elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. This could cause an imbalance in the food web as well as decrease ocean CO2 uptake, an important regulator of global climate.

SARS virus treatments could hold the key for treatment of MERS-CoV outbreak Posted: 13 Sep 2013 05:57 AM PDT A new type of coronavirus, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, MERS-CoV, was first found a year ago in a patient who died. It took several months before it was discovered that a new virus had emerged. New cases have been reported from across the Middle Easst and Europe, and approximately 50% of patients have died from it. The new virus is closely related to the SARS coronavirus, and itt is therefore likely that treatments that worked on the SARS corona virus will also work at the MERS corona virus.

Potential new drug target for cystic fibrosis Posted: 13 Sep 2013 05:57 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a promising potential drug target for cystic fibrosis. Their work uncovers a large set of genes not previously linked to the disease, demonstrating how a new screening technique can help identify new drug targets.

Electric transport with wind in its sails Posted: 13 Sep 2013 05:57 AM PDT Researchers are aiming to remove the electric car market's biggest problem – the fear of not reaching the next charging station. Simpler charging is on its way, and the cost-effectiveness of electric goods vehicles and electric buses is being tested on Norwegian roads.

Using technology to reduce hospital admissions for COPD patients Posted: 13 Sep 2013 05:57 AM PDT Patients with COPD can use tablet computers to report their daily condition, allowing hospitals to pick up early symptoms, take action and thereby reduce admissions.

Algae and bacteria in sea ice are important for the carbon budgets of frozen oceans Posted: 13 Sep 2013 05:57 AM PDT Underneath the pristine snow cover of the Arctic and Antarctic pack ice, there is a community of microscopic algae and bacteria that thrive within the ice itself. These ice-organisms are adapted to growing on the ice surfaces and within a labyrinth of channels and pores that permeate the ice floes. Their presence may affect how carbon travels to the ocean floor and even the weather.

Insulin plays role in mediating worms' perceptions and behaviors Posted: 13 Sep 2013 05:54 AM PDT In the past few years, as imaging tools and techniques have improved, scientists have been working tirelessly to build a detailed map of neural connections in the human brain - with the ultimate hope of understanding how the mind works.

Toward a truly white organic LED: Physicists develop polymer with tunable colors Posted: 13 Sep 2013 05:54 AM PDT By inserting platinum atoms into an organic semiconductor, physicists were able to "tune" the plastic-like polymer to emit light of different colors – a step toward more efficient, less expensive and truly white organic LEDs for light bulbs of the future.

Eco-friendly bamboo garments lure consumers - if the price is right Posted: 13 Sep 2013 05:54 AM PDT Consumers who plan to buy eco-friendly bamboo apparel are attracted if the price is right, but their next consideration is the product's novelty, according to a new study by Baylor University researchers.

Revised Medicaid policy could reduce unintended pregnancies, save millions in health costs Posted: 12 Sep 2013 05:33 PM PDT A revised Medicaid sterilization policy that removes logistical barriers, including a mandatory 30-day waiting period, could potentially honor women's reproductive decisions, reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and save $215 million in public health costs each year. These findings support growing evidence for the need to revisit a national policy that disproportionately affects low-income and minority women at high risk for unintended pregnancies.

Medicare policy may limit minority access to weight-loss surgery Posted: 12 Sep 2013 05:33 PM PDT New research indicates a decline in the number of minority patients with Medicare receiving bariatric surgery after the Medicare Center of Excellence Policy was implemented.

30 percent lower risk of dying for diabetics with bypass surgery Posted: 12 Sep 2013 05:33 PM PDT People with diabetes have a 30 percent less chance of dying if they undergo coronary artery bypass surgery rather than opening the artery through angioplasty and inserting a stent, a new study has found.

Link between rates of gun ownership and homicides Posted: 12 Sep 2013 05:33 PM PDT US states with higher estimated rates of gun ownership experience a higher number of firearms-related homicides.

Antibiotic reduction can be achieved through low cost information campaigns Posted: 12 Sep 2013 05:32 PM PDT A local low-cost information campaign mainly targeted at citizens and involving doctors and pharmacists can significantly decrease total antibiotic prescribing.

Better verbal development during childhood linked to later drinking and intoxication Posted: 12 Sep 2013 05:32 PM PDT Previous research has found contradictory linkages among cognition, verbal skills, and later alcohol use. A new study has found that better verbal development during childhood predicts more frequent drinking and intoxication during adolescence and young adulthood. Study authors speculate this verbal/alcohol association may be partially due to peer associations.

Individuals with a dual diagnosis can benefit from 12-step programs Posted: 12 Sep 2013 05:32 PM PDT Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous can play an important role in addiction recovery. Findings of a study examining the suitability of 12-step organizations for young adults with co-occurring substance use and psychiatric disorders indicate that young adults with two diagnoses show similar benefits compared with those diagnosed only with a substance use disorder.

Sober drinking knowledge fails 'in the moment' of intoxication Posted: 12 Sep 2013 05:32 PM PDT Approximately one-third of all fatal crashes each year in the US involve an alcohol-impaired driver. New research compares individuals' perceived dangerousness of driving after drinking while intoxicated with those perceptions while sober. Results show that sober knowledge does not necessarily translate into responsible judgment while intoxicated.

Older drinkers may experience fewer hangovers than youngsters Posted: 12 Sep 2013 05:32 PM PDT While hangovers may be a source of humor, their effects can be debilitating, costly, and even dangerous. A new study of hangovers across the lifespan has found that the tendency to experience hangovers decreases as age increases. Study authors speculate that older adults who binge drink do so to a lesser intensity than younger adults.

Childhood obesity may quadruple high blood pressure risk in adulthood Posted: 12 Sep 2013 05:30 PM PDT Studies show that excess weight in childhood increases the risk of high blood pressure as an adult.

High blood pressure reading in kids linked to triple risk for condition as adults Posted: 12 Sep 2013 05:30 PM PDT Kids with at least one high blood pressure reading are about three times more likely to develop the condition as adults.

Exposure/ritual prevention therapy boosts antidepressant treatment of OCD Posted: 12 Sep 2013 12:58 PM PDT Scientists have demonstrated that a form of behavioral therapy can augment antidepressant treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) better than an antipsychotic. The researchers recommend that this specific form of cognitive behavior therapy -- exposure and ritual prevention -- be offered to OCD patients who don't respond adequately to treatment with an antidepressant alone, which is often the case. Current guidelines favor augmentation with antipsychotics.

Denser seagrass beds hold more baby blue crabs Posted: 12 Sep 2013 12:58 PM PDT A new study in Chesapeake Bay shows that it's not just the presence of a seagrass bed that matters to young crabs, but also its quality -- with denser beds holding exponentially more crabs per square meter than more open beds where plants are separated by small patches of mud or sand.

Esteem issues determine how people put their best Facebook forward Posted: 12 Sep 2013 12:57 PM PDT How social media users create and monitor their online personae may hint at their feelings of self-esteem and self-determination, according to an international team of researchers.

Toxic methylmercury-producing microbes more widespread than realized Posted: 12 Sep 2013 12:55 PM PDT Microbes that live in rice paddies, northern peat bogs and other previously unexpected environments are among the bacteria that can generate highly toxic methylmercury, researchers have learned.

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