ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Antibiotics give rise to new communities of harmful bacteria Posted: 23 Feb 2015 01:45 PM PST Most people have taken an antibiotic to treat a bacterial infection. Now researchers reveal that the way we often think about antibiotics -- as straightforward killing machines -- needs to be revised.

'DNA spellchecker' means that genes aren't all equally likely to mutate Posted: 23 Feb 2015 11:23 AM PST A study that examined 17 million mutations in the genomes of 650 cancer patients concludes that large differences in mutation rates across the human genome are caused by the DNA repair machinery. 'DNA spellchecker' is preferentially directed towards more important parts of chromosomes that contain key genes. The study illustrates how data from medical sequencing projects can answer basic questions about how cells work.

Long-term nitrogen fertilizer use disrupts plant-microbe mutualisms Posted: 23 Feb 2015 11:22 AM PST When exposed to nitrogen fertilizer over a period of years, nitrogen-fixing bacteria called rhizobia evolve to become less beneficial to legumes -- the plants they normally serve, researchers report in a new study.

Want to get drivers' attention? Use road signs showing more action Posted: 23 Feb 2015 11:22 AM PST Researchers have discovered a way to provide a little extra cushion when it comes to near-accidents. Their new study finds that people react significantly faster to warning signs that depict greater movement.

Carnivorous plant packs big wonders into tiny genome Posted: 23 Feb 2015 11:22 AM PST Great, wonderful, wacky things can come in small genomic packages. That's one lesson to be learned from the carnivorous bladderwort, a plant whose tiny genome turns out to be a jewel box full of evolutionary treasures. A new study breaks down the plant's genetic makeup, and finds a fascinating story.

Canada must ensure all orphan drugs are priced fairly to allow patient access Posted: 23 Feb 2015 11:22 AM PST In developing an orphan drug policy, Canada must ensure that all orphan drugs for rare diseases -- both old and future drugs -- should be priced fairly so that Canadians may access life-saving therapy, argue authors of a new Canadian analysis.

One year later, preoperative quit-smoking program still shows benefits Posted: 23 Feb 2015 11:09 AM PST Patients receiving a brief intervention to help them quit smoking before surgery are still more likely to be nonsmokers at one-year follow-up, reports a study.

Molecular Link between Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes Reveals Potential Therapy Posted: 23 Feb 2015 11:09 AM PST The inflammatory molecule LTB4 promotes insulin resistance, a first step in developing type 2 diabetes, researchers have discovered. What's more, the team found that genetically removing the cell receptor that responds to LTB4, or blocking it with a drug, improves insulin sensitivity in obese mice.

Vitamin D deficiency linked more closely to diabetes than obesity Posted: 23 Feb 2015 11:09 AM PST People who have low levels of vitamin D are more likely to have diabetes, regardless of how much they weigh, according to a new study. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and maintain bone and muscle health. The skin naturally produces this vitamin after exposure to sunlight. People also absorb smaller amounts of the vitamin through foods, such as milk fortified with vitamin D. More than 1 billion people worldwide are estimated to have deficient levels of vitamin D due to limited sunshine exposure.

Interventions lower diabetes risk in women who had gestational diabetes Posted: 23 Feb 2015 11:09 AM PST Women with a history of gestational diabetes face a heightened risk of developing Type 2 diabetes for years after giving birth, but intensive lifestyle intervention or a medication regimen can have a protective effect in this population, according to a new study.

Radio chip for the 'Internet of things' Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:26 AM PST A circuit that reduces power leakage when transmitters are idle could greatly extend battery life.

Your privacy online: Health information at serious risk of abuse, researchers warn Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:26 AM PST There is a significant risk to your privacy whenever you visit a health-related web page, some researchers warn. An analysis of over 80,000 such web pages shows that nine out of ten visits result in personal health information being leaked to third parties, including online advertisers and data brokers.

Threat of ocean acidification to coastal communities in US Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:26 AM PST Coastal communities in 15 states that depend on the $1 billion shelled mollusk industry (primarily oysters and clams) are at long-term economic risk from the increasing threat of ocean acidification, a new report concludes.

Sauna use associated with reduced risk of cardiac, all-cause mortality Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:26 AM PST A sauna may do more than just make you sweat. A new study suggests men who engaged in frequent sauna use had reduced risks of fatal cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality, according to a new article.

Retracing the roots of fungal symbioses Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:25 AM PST In the roots of host plants, mycorrhizal fungi exchange the sugars plants produce for nutrients they absorb from the soil. To understand the basis for fungal symbiotic relationships with plants, researchers and longtime collaborators reported the first broad, comparative phylogenomic analysis of mycorrhizal fungi. The results help researchers understand how the mutualistic association provides host plants with beneficial traits for environmental adaptation.

HIV transmission at each step of care continuum in the United States Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:25 AM PST Individuals infected but undiagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and those individuals diagnosed with HIV but not yet in medical care accounted for more than 90 percent of the estimated 45,000 HIV transmissions in 2009, according to an article.

Simulating superconducting materials with ultracold atoms Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:25 AM PST Physicists have used ultracold lithium atoms to create a state of matter that may help solve some of the mysteries of high-temperature superconductivity.

How brain waves guide memory formation Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:25 AM PST Two brain regions that are key to learning -- the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex -- use two different brain-wave frequencies to communicate as the brain learns to associate unrelated objects, researchers have discovered.

Immunization rates improve with centralized reminder system Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:25 AM PST Childhood immunization rates would improve with a centralized notification system that reminded families when immunizations were due, according to a new study. The study found that a centralized notification system run in collaboration with public health departments and physician practices was more effective and cost-effective than a practice-based notification system, which few practices implemented.

How a wound closes Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:25 AM PST Researchers decode the molecular mechanism of collective cell migration important for wound healing in a new article.

Brain activity shows infants are hardwired to link images, sounds as they learn to speak Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:25 AM PST We are biologically predisposed to link images and sounds to create language, new research examining electrical brain activity in infants suggests. These findings reveal that sound symbolism allows 11-month-old infants to spontaneously bind the speech sound and the visual referent, and this spontaneous binding may provide infants an insight that spoken words refers to objects you can see in the world, an author explains.

Discovery of genetic fingerprint of aggressive colon tumors Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:25 AM PST About 40–50% of all colorectal patients relapse in the form of metastasis. In the last three years, several molecular classifications have been proposed to identify colorectal cancer patients at risk of relapse. Scientists now explain why these classifications work and reveal, in fact, that they can be simplified and improved by looking exclusively at the genes that are expressed in the tissue around the tumor, known as the stroma or tumor microenvironment.

Study shows how the brain can trigger a deep sleep Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:24 AM PST Switching on one area of the brain chemically can trigger a deep sleep, scientists have found. The new study, which explored how sedatives work in the brain's neural pathways, could lead to better remedies for insomnia and more effective anesthetic drugs.

Magnetic nanoparticles could stop blood clot-caused strokes Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:24 AM PST By loading magnetic nanoparticles with drugs and dressing them in biochemical camouflage, researchers say they can destroy blood clots 100 to 1,000 times faster than a commonly used clot-busting technique.

La Niña-like conditions associated with 2,500-year-long shutdown of coral reef growth Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:23 AM PST La Niña-like conditions in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Panamá were closely associated with an abrupt shutdown in coral reef growth that lasted 2,500 years, scientists have found. The study suggests that future changes in climate similar to those in the study could cause coral reefs to collapse in the future.

Time when Southwest was wet and Northwest was dry aids efforts to predict future rainfall patterns Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:23 AM PST The first comprehensive map of the topsy-turvy climate in the western U.S, 21,000 years ago has been developed by researchers. They focus on when the Southwest was wet and the Northwest was dry, testing it to improve the global climate models that have been developed to predict how precipitation patterns will change in the future.

Epigenome orchestrates embryonic development Posted: 23 Feb 2015 09:23 AM PST Studying zebrafish embryos, researchers have shown that the epigenome plays a significant part in guiding development in the first 24 hours after fertilization. The research may deepen understanding of congenital defects and miscarriage.

Scientists bring oxygen back to dead fjord Posted: 23 Feb 2015 07:42 AM PST More and more of the world's waters are seriously lacking oxygen. Could we use pumps to bring oxygen and thus higher life back into these waters? A Danish/Swedish research team says yes. They installed pumps in a Swedish fjord that showed a strong oxygen deficit and now they report that all the right oxygen-loving organisms have come back to the fjord.

3D printed guides can help restore function in damaged nerves Posted: 23 Feb 2015 07:41 AM PST Scientists have succeeded in using a 3-D printed guide to help nerves damaged in traumatic incidents repair themselves. The team used the device to repair nerve damage in animal models and say the method could help treat many types of traumatic injury.

Bacteria network for food Posted: 23 Feb 2015 07:41 AM PST It is well-known that bacteria can support each others' growth and exchange nutrients. Scientists however, have now discovered a new way of how bacteria can achieve this nutritional exchange. They found that some bacteria can form nanotubular structures between single cells that enable a direct exchange of nutrients.

Study sheds light on a 'guardian' protein of brain function Posted: 23 Feb 2015 07:41 AM PST The critical role of CHIP was reported by researchers. Their report has spurred efforts to develop CHIP-enhancing drugs to help speed recovery from strokes and following neurosurgery, and prevent development of neurodegenerative disorders.

Same patient mortality rates for experienced and new surgeons, study shows Posted: 23 Feb 2015 07:41 AM PST There is no statistical difference between the patient mortality rates of new and experienced surgeons a study using a newly developed statistical methodology and conducted by a research team comprised of medical doctors and statisticians has found.

Flawed method puts tiger rise in doubt, calls for new approach Posted: 23 Feb 2015 07:41 AM PST Flaws in a method commonly used in censuses of tigers and other rare wildlife put the accuracy of such surveys in doubt, a new study suggests. The study exposes, for the first time, inherent shortcomings in the 'index-calibration' method that means it can produce inaccurate results. Amongst recent studies thought to be based on this method is India's national tiger survey (January 2015) which claimed a surprising but welcome 30 percent rise in tiger numbers in just four years.

Stretch and relax: Losing one electron switches magnetism on in dichromium Posted: 23 Feb 2015 07:41 AM PST Scientists have provided the first direct experimental insight into the secret quantum life of dichromium. Whereas in its normal state the 12 valence electrons form a strong multiple bond between the two chromium atoms, removing only one electron changes the situation dramatically: 10 electrons localize and align their spins, thus resulting in ferromagnetic behavior of the dichromium-kation. The bonding is done by one electron only, resulting in a much weaker bond.

Wisdom teeth stem cells can transform into cells that could treat corneal scarring Posted: 23 Feb 2015 07:41 AM PST Stem cells from the dental pulp of wisdom teeth can be coaxed to become cells of the eye's cornea and could one day be used to repair corneal scarring due to infection or injury, according to researchers. The findings indicate they also could become a new source of corneal transplant tissue made from the patient's own cells.

Customized DNA rings aid early cancer detection in mice, study finds Posted: 23 Feb 2015 07:41 AM PST Investigators administered a customized genetic construct consisting of tiny rings of DNA, called DNA minicircles, to mice. The scientists then showed that mice with tumors produced a substance that tumor-free mice didn't make. The substance was easily detected 48 hours later by a simple blood test.

Standard operation procedure to effectively detect dietetically absorbed plant miRNAs Posted: 23 Feb 2015 06:18 AM PST Researchers systematically characterized the kinetics of plant microRNAs in human plasma after healthy volunteers drank watermelon juice or ate fruits. The group also addressed some critical technical problems, such as the lack of a standard method for RNA extraction and the lack of proper internal controls that may cause inconsistent results in measuring exogenous plant miRNAs.

'Walking Football' phenomenon has great health benefits Posted: 23 Feb 2015 06:18 AM PST 'Walking football' could have a multitude of health benefits, researchers say, after studying the sport. The new sporting craze of 'Walking Football' may enable people to continue playing football into their 60s and 70s while reaping a multitude of health benefits, according to the researchers.

Availabililty of rare metals for manufacturing: Are we (in)dependent of rare metals? Posted: 23 Feb 2015 06:18 AM PST Numerous metallic elements are regarded as "critical": on one hand, they play an ever more important role in so-called future technologies and on the other, there is a high risk of supply bottlenecks. Small and medium-sized companies are also affected by this, and they are often not sure which of these materials they are dependent on.

Genetic pathways linked to CF disease severity pinned down Posted: 23 Feb 2015 06:18 AM PST Mutation of one gene is all it takes to get cystic fibrosis, but disease severity depends on many other genes and proteins. For the first time, researchers identified genetic pathways that play major roles in why one person with CF might have severe symptoms while another person might not.

Fever alarm armband: A wearable, printable, temperature sensor Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:43 AM PST Researchers have developed a 'fever alarm armband,' a flexible, self-powered wearable device that sounds an alarm in case of high body temperature. The flexible organic components developed for this device are well-suited to wearable devices that continuously monitor vital signs including temperature and heart rate for applications in healthcare settings.

New catalyst to create chemical building blocks from biomass Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:43 AM PST Researchers have developed a novel selective catalyst that allows the creation of several basic chemicals from biomass instead of petroleum. This discovery may lead to the use of plant biomass as a basic feedstock for the chemical industry.

Certain factors influence whether cancer patients involve family members in treatment decisions Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:43 AM PST Family members often play an important role in providing care for patients with cancer, but which patients are more or less likely to involve family members in decisions regarding their care is not well known.

Baby formula poses higher arsenic risk to newborns than breast milk, study shows Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:43 AM PST In the first US study of urinary arsenic in babies, researchers found that formula-fed infants had higher arsenic levels than breast-fed infants, and that breast milk itself contained very low arsenic concentrations.

Smoking for 75 minutes in a car could render you unconscious, study suggests Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:42 AM PST A student study suggests that smoking 15 cigarettes for over an hour in a closed car could cause loss of consciousness. This is not a medical study. It is based on a series of theoretical calculations using applied physics.

Frequency combs in molecular fingerprint region Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:42 AM PST Silicon nanowire optical waveguides dramatically broaden mid-infrared frequency comb spectra, scientists report. Frequency combs are commercially available in the visible and near-infrared spectral ranges. The mid-infrared spectral region (2-20?m), however, is still emerging. Many applications in spectroscopy, material science, security and industry process control, or chemical, biological and medical sensing would straightforwardly take advantage of mid-infrared photonics devices of higher performance.

Quantum many-body systems on the way back to equilibrium Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:42 AM PST Advances in experimental and theoretical physics enable a deeper understanding of the dynamics and properties of quantum many-body systems.

Acute use of cannabinoids depresses motor neuron activity Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:42 AM PST A new study could explain the acute lack of coordination and difficulty speaking and breathing experienced by some people who habitually use cannabis.

Yellow Sugarcane Aphid Detected in Continental Europe Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:42 AM PST Yellow sugarcane aphid has been discovered in Tarragona and Girona (NE Spain), which probably arrived from Northern Africa, researchers report. The yellow sugarcane aphid feeds on plants from the grass family. To date it is unknown to what extent the aphid could represent a threat to European crops of this kind, such as rice and corn. Therefore the authors of a new report recommend to create a European distribution map of this species and to evaluate its potential pest behavior.

Community-led marine reserve produces benefits for fisheries, conservation Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:41 AM PST The first and only fully protected marine reserve in Scotland is continuing to provide benefits for fisheries and conservation, according to new research. Backing from the local community has been crucial to the success of Lamlash Bay marine reserve after its creation off the Isle of Arran in 2008, following a decade-long campaign by the local Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST).

Recycling of nutrients may be the key to saving Earth Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:40 AM PST Leakages of nutrients necessary for food production – especially nitrogen and phosphorus – cause severe eutrophication to the Earth's aquatic ecosystems and promote climate change. However, this threat also hides an opportunity. An enhancement of the nutrient economy creates new business models and enables developing recycling technology into an export.

New assistive equipment to maximize human sensorimotor function Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:40 AM PST A prototype for wearable equipment to support human motion has now been developed. This wearable equipment, called the Sensorimotor Enhancing Suit (SEnS), enhances sensorimotor functions by reducing the muscle load of the upper limbs. SEnS is inexpensive because it is made of flexible fabrics using regular cloth and does not include any electronic devices. SEnS assists human sensorimotor functions and improves the quality of life of not only elderly individuals but also healthy people who work under extreme conditions.

New products from bark to replace fossil compounds: Adhesives and insulating foams from softwood bark tannins Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:40 AM PST Scientists have developed tannin extraction from softwood bark. At least 130 kg of crude tannin powder can be produced from one ton of dry wood bark, still leaving 87% of the original bark mass available for incineration. In Finland, tannin could replace, in particular, fossil-based phenols in adhesives used in the wood products industry.

Help is Just a Call Away for Mothers with Postnatal Depression Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:40 AM PST New research reveals that telephone-based peer support may help reduce postnatal depression, also known as postpartum depression, in new mothers. Researchers also found that social support from peers may be effective for maternal depression up to two years after delivery. At the start of the study all mothers were moderately depressed, but this dropped after telephone peer support to 8.1% (3/37) depressed at midpoint, rising to 11.8% (4/34) at the end of the study, suggesting some relapse.

Experimenting preteens may have different brain processes Posted: 23 Feb 2015 05:39 AM PST Preteens who experiment or explore new things may have brain processes that work differently than those of preteens who do not, according to a new study.