ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Neanderthal viruses found in modern humans
• Holistic cell design leads to high-performance, long cycle-life Li/S battery
• New modelling technique could bypass the need for engineering prototypes
• Peering into the future: How cities grow
• Synesthesia is more common in autism
• AIDS guidelines for children may not improve death rates but may improve treatment access
• Enhancing battery performance for portable electronics
• Paradigm shift in organic solar cell research?
• What water looks like to DNA
• Evidence of ancient human history encoded in music's complex patterns
• Natural compound mitigates effects of methamphetamine abuse
• Monkeys can point to objects they do not report seeing
• People with highly superior powers of recall also vulnerable to false memories
• Electrons in astrophysical plasma jets simulated
• Ureteral injury during robot-assisted prostate surgery
• More accurate method to date tropical glacier moraines
• UV-sensors from the oven: Nanostructure production process revolutionized
• Non-specialist health workers play important role in improving mental health in developing countries
• Asteroids' close encounters with Mars: Mars, not Earth, shakes up some near-Earth asteroids
• The fashion scout and the cop: Scanning the streets with similar methods for different targets
• Technique developed to convert thermoelectric material into high performance electricity
• New genetic risk factor discovered for severe psychiatric illness
• Fruit bat population covering central Africa carries two deadly viruses
• Origin of species: Protein imbalances doom hybrids
• Computer scientists create new 3-D technique
• Effects of LEDs on leaf lettuce: Mixture of blue and red lights recommended to enhance lettuce quality, yield
• Shadehouses with photoselective nets featured in study of growing conditions
• New technique controls dimensions of gold nanorods while manufacturing on a large scale
• Key brain signaling mechanism for rapidly acting antidepressants
• Recreating the history of life through the genome
• Pipelines carry out their own health checks
• Could saving the traditional pub be the answer to Britain's binge drinking problem?
• New study helps predict life expectancy using complete blood count risk score
• Engineers use keyboard, mouse and mobile device 'fingerprints' to protect data
• Long-lasting gene therapy benefits advanced heart failure patients
• For anxious children and teens, context counts
• Protein regulates burning of body fat
• Innovative vaccine trains immune system to fight melanoma
• Liberals aren't like the rest, or so they think
• Genome scale view of great white shark uncovers unexpected and distinctive features
• New method to diagnose sepsis is faster, cheaper
• 'Magic numbers' disappear and expand area of nuclear deformation
• New species of crustacean discovered on coast of California
• Electrified diamonds: Physicists on the trail of quantum information
• A fresh step towards quantum computing
• Faster and cheaper technique to cool electronic systems developed
• Testing smart plastics in real time
• Biologists find an evolutionary Facebook for monkeys and apes
• Coal continues to dominate global carbon emissions
• Global carbon emissions set to reach record 36 billion tons in 2013
• Chaotic physics in ferroelectrics hints at brain-like computing
• Preterm birth risk increases for pregnant women exposed to phthalates
• Drinking more milk as a teenager does not lower risk of hip fracture later
• Beta-blockers before surgery linked to lower risk of heart-related events
• Two studies on the use of breast MRI
• Rural, southern regions lack annual training in CPR

Neanderthal viruses found in modern humans Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:04 PM PST Ancient viruses from Neanderthals have been found in modern human DNA. Researchers compared genetic data from fossils of Neanderthals and another group of ancient human ancestors called Denisovans to data from modern-day cancer patients. They found evidence of Neanderthal and Denisovan viruses in the modern human DNA, suggesting that the viruses originated in our common ancestors more than half a million years ago.

Holistic cell design leads to high-performance, long cycle-life Li/S battery Posted: 19 Nov 2013 04:39 PM PST Researchers have demonstrated in the laboratory a lithium-sulfur (Li/S) battery that has more than twice the specific energy of lithium-ion batteries, and that lasts for more than 1,500 cycles of charge-discharge with minimal decay of the battery's capacity. This is the longest cycle life reported so far for any lithium-sulfur battery.

New modelling technique could bypass the need for engineering prototypes Posted: 19 Nov 2013 04:39 PM PST A new modelling technique has been developed that could eliminate the need to build costly prototypes, which are used to test engineering structures such as airplanes.

Peering into the future: How cities grow Posted: 19 Nov 2013 04:39 PM PST How cities will grow in the future depends on fundamental laws, which have now been uncovered.

Synesthesia is more common in autism Posted: 19 Nov 2013 04:39 PM PST People with autism are more likely to also have synaesthesia, suggests new research in the journal Molecular Autism.

AIDS guidelines for children may not improve death rates but may improve treatment access Posted: 19 Nov 2013 04:36 PM PST Recent changes to World Health Organization guidelines for starting anti-AIDS drugs (antiretroviral therapy—ART) in young children are unlikely to improve death rates but may increase the numbers of children receiving ART by simplifying access to treatment, according to a new study.

Enhancing battery performance for portable electronics Posted: 19 Nov 2013 12:30 PM PST The ever-increasing market for portable electronic devices has resulted in an equally heavy demand for rechargeable batteries, lithium-ion (Li-ion) being among the most popular. Scientists and engineers are seeking ways to improve the power density, durability and overall performance of Lithium-ion batteries, and in a recent paper researchers report an advance in Li-ion battery technology that they describe as a major breakthrough.

Paradigm shift in organic solar cell research? Posted: 19 Nov 2013 12:30 PM PST A new study overturns a widely held explanation for how organic photovoltaics turn sunlight into electricity.

What water looks like to DNA Posted: 19 Nov 2013 12:28 PM PST Biochemists and mathematicians have developed a sophisticated geometric model to predict how a biological molecule will interact with water molecules, computing the results up to 20 times faster than other existing approaches. This new approach may help researchers find new drugs to treat human diseases.

Evidence of ancient human history encoded in music's complex patterns Posted: 19 Nov 2013 12:28 PM PST Just as fragments of ancient pottery and bones offer valuable information about human history, music can also reveal clues about the past, according to new research.

Natural compound mitigates effects of methamphetamine abuse Posted: 19 Nov 2013 10:14 AM PST Researchers have found that resveratrol may also block the effects of the highly addictive drug, methamphetamine.

Monkeys can point to objects they do not report seeing Posted: 19 Nov 2013 10:14 AM PST Are monkeys, like humans, able to ascertain where objects are located without much more than a sideways glance? Quite likely, says the lead author of a new study. The study finds that monkeys are able to localize stimuli they do not perceive.

People with highly superior powers of recall also vulnerable to false memories Posted: 19 Nov 2013 10:14 AM PST People who can accurately remember details of their daily lives going back decades are as susceptible as everyone else to forming fake memories, psychologists and neurobiologists have found.

Electrons in astrophysical plasma jets simulated Posted: 19 Nov 2013 10:13 AM PST Physicists have been able to simulate the motion of billions of electrons within astrophysical plasma jets and calculate the light they emit with the help of a high-performance computer.

Ureteral injury during robot-assisted prostate surgery Posted: 19 Nov 2013 10:13 AM PST There may be warning signs to help surgeons avoid damaging part of the urinary system during robot-assisted surgical removal of prostate cancer, ultimately preventing the expense of additional surgery, according to researchers. Although rare, they found instances when the ureter -- tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder -- were cut and required repair. In each case, they identified patient characteristics that may forewarn such damage.

More accurate method to date tropical glacier moraines Posted: 19 Nov 2013 10:12 AM PST Scientists have found a more accurate method to determine the ages of boulders deposited by tropical glaciers, findings that will likely influence previous research of how climate change has impacted ice masses around the equator.

UV-sensors from the oven: Nanostructure production process revolutionized Posted: 19 Nov 2013 10:11 AM PST Placed in fire detectors and water treatment units UV-sensors can save lives; also in many areas of industry and environment the demand for these devices is rising steadily. Scientists have been able to "bake" nanostructures within seconds, in order to fabricate very fast UV-sensors. This new technique totally diminishes the need to use sophisticated equipments and toxic chemicals.

Non-specialist health workers play important role in improving mental health in developing countries Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:31 AM PST Non-specialist health workers are beneficial in providing treatment for people with mental, neurological and substance-abuse problems in developing countries -- where there is often a lack of mental health professionals.

Asteroids' close encounters with Mars: Mars, not Earth, shakes up some near-Earth asteroids Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:28 AM PST For nearly as long as astronomers have been able to observe asteroids, a question has gone unanswered: Why do the surfaces of most asteroids appear redder than meteorites -- the remnants of asteroids that have crashed to Earth?

The fashion scout and the cop: Scanning the streets with similar methods for different targets Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:28 AM PST University of Cincinnati research compares practices used by fashion industry casting directors to the New York City Police Department's controversial stop-and-frisk program.

Technique developed to convert thermoelectric material into high performance electricity Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:28 AM PST Physicists have developed a novel technique of tailoring thermoelectric properties of n-type bismuth telluride for high thermoelectric performance.

New genetic risk factor discovered for severe psychiatric illness Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:28 AM PST Investigators have discovered a new genetic risk factor for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder called NDST3.

Fruit bat population covering central Africa carries two deadly viruses Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:28 AM PST A population of fruit bats which is found across much of continental Africa is widely infected with two deadly viruses that could spread to humans, new research reveals.

Origin of species: Protein imbalances doom hybrids Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:25 AM PST Why do crosses between closely related species fail to produce fertile hybrids? A new study shows that differences in the levels - not necessarily the sequences - of certain key proteins are crucial in mediating reproductive isolation. Two individuals are defined as belonging to the same biological species, if matings between them give rise to viable and fertile offspring. Crosses between closely related, but already distinct, species produce hybrid offspring that are either inviable or sterile, and thus cannot give rise to a self-propagating hybrid lineage.

Computer scientists create new 3-D technique Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:24 AM PST Computer scientists are using a famous mathematician's theory to make 3-D images that are more accurate approximations of the shapes of the original objects.

Effects of LEDs on leaf lettuce: Mixture of blue and red lights recommended to enhance lettuce quality, yield Posted: 19 Nov 2013 07:11 AM PST Scientists determined the effects of blue and red LED ratios on leaf shape, plant growth, and the accumulation of antioxidant phenolic compounds of a red leaf lettuce and a green leaf lettuce cultivar. They determined that red LED light promoted growth and that blue LED light was good for phenolics accumulation rather than growth, thus concluding that a combination of red and blue light is essential for cultivation of leafy vegetables like lettuce.

Shadehouses with photoselective nets featured in study of growing conditions Posted: 19 Nov 2013 07:10 AM PST Researchers monitored environmental data inside shadehouses with full covering of red, blue, pearl, and black nets in central Florida over 12 months. The report documents the different environmental modifications inside the structures, which will help predict or interpret specific plant responses, including photosynthetically active radiation and air temperatures.

New technique controls dimensions of gold nanorods while manufacturing on a large scale Posted: 19 Nov 2013 07:10 AM PST Researchers have developed a technique for efficiently producing nanoscale gold rods in large quantities while simultaneously controlling the dimensions of the nanorods and their optical properties. The optical properties of gold nanorods make them desirable for use in biomedical applications ranging from imaging technologies to cancer treatment.

Key brain signaling mechanism for rapidly acting antidepressants Posted: 19 Nov 2013 07:10 AM PST Two years ago, mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR, a signaling protein, was identified as a key mediator of the antidepressant effects of ketamine, the first rapidly acting antidepressant medication to be identified.

Recreating the history of life through the genome Posted: 19 Nov 2013 07:10 AM PST One of the most important processes in the life of cells is genome replication. In most organisms genome replication follows a set plan, in which certain regions of the genome replicate before others; alterations in the late replication phases had previously been related to cancer and aging. Now, scientists have, for the first time related this process to evolution of life.

Pipelines carry out their own health checks Posted: 19 Nov 2013 07:09 AM PST Long pipelines crammed with electronics are being tested in the waters of Orkanger harbor in Norway. They are the first in the world able to report their technical condition to personnel onshore.

Could saving the traditional pub be the answer to Britain's binge drinking problem? Posted: 19 Nov 2013 07:09 AM PST A research study finds evidence for the traditional pub as a site for restrained and responsible social interaction for young adults. The UK government wants further controls to restrict high street bars but on the other hand is concerned about the decline in the number of traditional public houses or pubs. A recent article discusses whether the English Planning System should distinguish between pubs for the 'public good' and licensed premises associated with 'social ills'?

New study helps predict life expectancy using complete blood count risk score Posted: 19 Nov 2013 07:09 AM PST For years, doctors have been divided on how effective annual testing and screenings are for apparently healthy individuals. New research, however, shows that a simple blood test may predict who is at highest risk to develop heart problems – and how long these people may have to live.

Engineers use keyboard, mouse and mobile device 'fingerprints' to protect data Posted: 19 Nov 2013 07:09 AM PST Engineers are working to protect computer networks and data by using unique keyboard, computer mouse and mobile device "fingerprints."

Long-lasting gene therapy benefits advanced heart failure patients Posted: 19 Nov 2013 07:09 AM PST Researchers have reported the long-term benefits of a single dose of their gene therapy AAV1/SERCA2a in advanced heart failure patients.

For anxious children and teens, context counts Posted: 19 Nov 2013 06:33 AM PST Researchers have shown that teenagers with anxiety disorders show increased activity in a specific part of the brain, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), when they are interpreting a neutral situation negatively. Ultimately, the mPFC may serve as a biomarker for illness.

Protein regulates burning of body fat Posted: 19 Nov 2013 06:33 AM PST Body fat contains a small number of brown adipose cells -- special fat cells that generate heat without muscle activity. They do this using a protein known as UCP1 that enables babies or hibernating animals to keep warm without shivering. A research team has found that a specific chemical compound can activate UCP1 under certain conditions, and that could also trigger fat burning.

Innovative vaccine trains immune system to fight melanoma Posted: 19 Nov 2013 06:33 AM PST Melanoma patients are now being enrolled in the first clinical trial in the Midwest of an experimental vaccine that trains a patient's immune system to fight the deadly cancer.

Liberals aren't like the rest, or so they think Posted: 19 Nov 2013 05:29 AM PST Liberals tend to underestimate the amount of actual agreement among those who share their ideology, while conservatives tend to overestimate intra-group agreement, according to new research.

Genome scale view of great white shark uncovers unexpected and distinctive features Posted: 19 Nov 2013 05:29 AM PST A new study undertakes the first large-scale exploration of the great white shark's genetic repertoire, and comes up with unexpected findings.

New method to diagnose sepsis is faster, cheaper Posted: 19 Nov 2013 05:29 AM PST A new method could cut hours off the time it takes to diagnose blood infections while also eliminating the need for complicated manual processing and expensive equipment, according to a new report. The method combines a selective lysis step in which blood cells in the sample are destroyed, a centrifugation step to collect any bacteria or fungi in the sample, and a fluorescence step that analyzes the particular fingerprint of any pathogens present in the sample.

'Magic numbers' disappear and expand area of nuclear deformation Posted: 19 Nov 2013 05:28 AM PST Scientists have demonstrated that the magic numbers 20 and 28 disappear from all neutron-rich magnesium isotopes, thereby establishing a new, larger area of nuclear deformation in the nuclear chart.

New species of crustacean discovered on coast of California Posted: 19 Nov 2013 05:28 AM PST A recent study describes a new species of marine crustacean found on the coast of California.

Electrified diamonds: Physicists on the trail of quantum information Posted: 19 Nov 2013 05:28 AM PST With the help of tiny diamond crystals, physicists have discovered new possibilities of quantum information: The scientists discovered at specific circumstances electric currents that made it possible to identify defects in the carbon lattice of single diamonds measuring only a few nanometers.

A fresh step towards quantum computing Posted: 19 Nov 2013 05:27 AM PST Scientists have developed a method to manipulate magnetism in atoms. This research makes it possible to drive forward the exploration of new methods of information storage and computation on an atomic scale.

Faster and cheaper technique to cool electronic systems developed Posted: 19 Nov 2013 05:27 AM PST A novel cooling system will pave the way for cheaper and more effective thermal control systems. The innovative technique can potentially achieve up to 50 per cent more effectiveness in cooling in electronic systems compared to current cooling systems.

Testing smart plastics in real time Posted: 19 Nov 2013 05:27 AM PST Nano additives can make plastics scratch and flame proof, or give them antibacterial properties. For this to work, the particle distribution within the plastic compound must be absolutely correct. A new device is now able to test the distribution in real time.

Biologists find an evolutionary Facebook for monkeys and apes Posted: 18 Nov 2013 04:32 PM PST Why do the faces of primates contain so many different colors, including black, blue, red, orange and white, mixed in all kinds of combinations, and often striking patterns? Biologists report on the faces of 139 African and Asian primate species that have been diversifying over some 25 million years.

Coal continues to dominate global carbon emissions Posted: 18 Nov 2013 04:31 PM PST Despite explosive growth in renewable energy consumption, continued strong growth in coal consumption has further consolidated coal as the dominate source of carbon dioxide emissions.

Global carbon emissions set to reach record 36 billion tons in 2013 Posted: 18 Nov 2013 04:31 PM PST Global emissions of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels are set to rise again in 2013, reaching a record high of 36 billion tons - according to new figures from the Global Carbon Project. The biggest contributors to fossil fuel emissions in 2012 were China (27 per cent), the United States (14 per cent), the European Union (10 per cent), and India (6 per cent). The projected rise for 2013 comes after a similar rise of 2.2 per cent in 2012.

Chaotic physics in ferroelectrics hints at brain-like computing Posted: 18 Nov 2013 04:30 PM PST Unexpected behavior in ferroelectric materials supports a new approach to information storage and processing. After studying patterns of domain formation under varying conditions, the researchers realized the complex behavior could be explained through chaos theory.

Preterm birth risk increases for pregnant women exposed to phthalates Posted: 18 Nov 2013 01:29 PM PST The odds of preterm delivery appear to increase for pregnant women exposed to phthalates, chemicals people are exposed to through contaminated food and water and in a variety of products including lotions, perfumes and deodorants, according to a study.

Drinking more milk as a teenager does not lower risk of hip fracture later Posted: 18 Nov 2013 01:29 PM PST Drinking more milk as a teenager apparently does not lower the risk of hip fracture as an older adult and instead appears to increase that risk for men, according to a study.

Beta-blockers before surgery linked to lower risk of heart-related events Posted: 18 Nov 2013 01:28 PM PST Giving beta-blocker medication to patients with heart disease undergoing noncardiac surgery appears to be associated with a lower risk of death and major adverse cardiovascular events 30 days after surgery in patients with heart failure or a recent myocardial infarction (MI, heart attack), according to a study.

Two studies on the use of breast MRI Posted: 18 Nov 2013 01:28 PM PST The overall use of breast magnetic resonance imaging has increased, with the procedure most commonly used for diagnostic evaluations and screenings, according to a study.

Rural, southern regions lack annual training in CPR Posted: 18 Nov 2013 01:25 PM PST Annual rates of CPR training in the United States are low and vary widely across the country, but the communities most in need of training are the least likely to be trained, according to a new study.

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