ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Moderate alcohol consumption increases attractiveness Posted: 09 Mar 2015 06:15 PM PDT Consuming alcohol (equivalent to about a glass of wine) can make the drinker appear more attractive than when sober, according to new research. However, the effect disappears when more is consumed.

Venus, if you will, as seen in radar with the Green Bank Telescope Posted: 09 Mar 2015 02:48 PM PDT Recently, by combining the highly sensitive receiving capabilities of the National Science Foundation's Green Bank Telescope and the powerful radar transmitter at the NSF's Arecibo Observatory, astronomers were able to make remarkably detailed images of the surface of Venus without ever leaving Earth.

Genetics breakthrough will boost diabetes research Posted: 09 Mar 2015 02:48 PM PDT The genes that increase the risk of Type 1 diabetes have lost their hiding place, scientists report. A research group has located and narrowed down the number of genes that play a role in the disease, according to their study. Knowing the identities and location of causative genes is a crucial development: Other researchers can use this information to better predict who might develop Type 1 diabetes and how to prevent it.

Eviction can result in depression, poorer health and higher stress Posted: 09 Mar 2015 02:48 PM PDT Eviction from a home can have multiple negative consequences for families -- including depression, poorer health and higher levels of stress -- and the side effects can persist for years, according to new research.

How rivers creep, flow to shape landscapes over time Posted: 09 Mar 2015 02:48 PM PDT Most models predict that rivers only transport sediment during conditions of high flow and, moreover, that only particles on the surface of the river bed move due to the force of the flowing water above. But using a custom laboratory apparatus, a new study shows that, even when a river is calm, sediment on and beneath the river bed slowly creeps forward.

Understanding why a material's behavior changes as it gets smaller Posted: 09 Mar 2015 02:48 PM PDT To fully understand how nanomaterials behave, one must also understand the atomic-scale deformation mechanisms that determine their structure and, therefore, their strength and function.

T cell population altered in patients with type 2 diabetes and/or obesity Posted: 09 Mar 2015 02:48 PM PDT A population of T cells known as mucosal-associated invariant T cells is altered in patients with type 2 diabetes and/or severe obesity, a new study reports. And as obesity rates rise, so does the incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D).

From brain tumors to memory: A very multifunctional protein Posted: 09 Mar 2015 02:48 PM PDT A protein called BAI1 involved in limiting the growth of brain tumors is also critical for spatial learning and memory, researchers have discovered. BAI1 is part of a regulatory network neuroscientists think is connected with autism spectrum disorders.

Benefits of adding a second, smaller rotor to wind turbines Posted: 09 Mar 2015 02:45 PM PDT Aerospace engineers are developing dual-rotor technology to improve the energy harvest of wind turbines. The idea to look for better performance by adding a second rotor to wind turbines came from a previous study. The researchers used wind tunnel tests to see how hills, valleys and the placement of turbines affected the productivity of onshore wind farms.

Scientists gather to prepare for Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Posted: 09 Mar 2015 02:45 PM PDT When the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope begins in 2022 to image the entire southern sky from a mountaintop in Chile, it will produce the widest, deepest and fastest views of the night sky ever observed – and a flood of 6 million gigabytes of data per year that are expected to provide new insights into dark matter, dark energy and other cosmic mysteries.

Tiny nanoparticles could make big impact for patients in need of cornea transplant Posted: 09 Mar 2015 02:45 PM PDT There are about 48,000 corneal transplants done each year in the U.S., compared to approximately 16,000 kidney transplants and 2,100 heart transplants. Out of the 48,000 corneal transplants done, 10 percent of them end up in rejection, largely due to poor medication compliance. This costs the health care system and puts undue strain on clinicians, patients and their families.

Ovarian Cancer: Chemotherapy and Improved Surgical Techniques Posted: 09 Mar 2015 02:45 PM PDT Epithelial ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancer in the United States and is the country's fifth most common cause of cancer mortality in women. In 2015, it is estimated that more than 21,000 new diagnoses and more than 14,000 deaths from this neoplasm will occur in the United States; less than 40 percent of women with ovarian cancer are cured.

Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS: Scientists reveal structural secrets of nature's little locomotive Posted: 09 Mar 2015 01:06 PM PDT Scientists have determined the basic structural organization of a molecular motor that hauls cargoes and performs other critical functions within cells. The complex's large size, myriad subunits and high flexibility have until now restricted structural studies to small pieces of the whole.

More study needed to clarify impact of cellulose nanocrystals on health Posted: 09 Mar 2015 01:06 PM PDT Biocompatible and biodegradable, cellulose materials are being studied for use in high-performance composites and optical films, and to deliver medicine in pills. But before a material can be commercialized, its impact on human health must be determined, experts say.

First look at hospitalized Ebola survivors' immune cells could guide vaccine design Posted: 09 Mar 2015 01:06 PM PDT Researchers have gained a first look at the immune responses in four Ebola virus disease survivors who received care at Emory University Hospital in 2014. Their findings reveal high levels of immune activation, and have implications for the current effort to develop vaccines against Ebola.

CO2 increase can intensify future droughts in tropics, study suggests Posted: 09 Mar 2015 12:55 PM PDT A new article discusses the importance of research that suggests increases in atmospheric CO2 could intensify extreme droughts in tropical and subtropical regions. "This is the first study that suggests a possible intensification of droughts in the tropic-subtropical margins in warmer climate. The finding is critical to understanding what the world will be like as the climate continues to change," the lead investigator said.

Cooperative communities emerge in transparent social networks Posted: 09 Mar 2015 12:55 PM PDT An online experiment reveals that the overall level of cooperation in a group almost doubles when the previous actions of all its members are rendered transparent. When all social connections within the group are also made transparent, the most cooperative band together to form their own community -- ostracizing the less cooperative.

Progeny of old parents have fewer offspring, sparrow study finds Posted: 09 Mar 2015 12:55 PM PDT Reproduction at old age involves risks that may impact one's own life and may impose reduced biological fitness on the offspring. Such evidence, previously obtained in humans and other taxa under laboratory conditions, has now been confirmed by researcher for the first time in free-living animals. In a long-term study on a population of house sparrows they found that offspring of older parents themselves produced fewer young. Such a transgenerational effect is important for the understanding of the evolution of longevity.

One step closer to artificial photosynthesis and 'solar fuels' Posted: 09 Mar 2015 12:55 PM PDT A new thin-film coating solves a major problem in the development of artificial photosynthetic systems that can replicate the natural process of photosynthesis to harness sunlight to generate fuels.

Centuries-old DNA helps identify origins of slave skeletons found in Caribbean Posted: 09 Mar 2015 12:55 PM PDT Researchers have extracted and sequenced tiny bits of DNA remaining in the teeth of 300-year-old skeletons in the Caribbean. From this data, they were able to determine where in Africa the individuals likely lived before they were captured and enslaved.

Amphibians, already threatened, face increased susceptibility to disease from environmental stress Posted: 09 Mar 2015 11:58 AM PDT New research supports the hypothesis that environmental stressors increase salamanders’ susceptibility to infection, based on chronic exposure to corticosterone, a stress hormone.

Biofuel proteomics: Researchers use proteomics to profile switchgrass Posted: 09 Mar 2015 11:57 AM PDT Researchers used an advanced proteomic techniques to identify 1,750 unique proteins in shoots of switchgrass, a native prairie grass viewed as one of the most promising of all the plants that could be used to produce advanced biofuels.

New class of drugs dramatically increases healthy lifespan, mouse study suggests Posted: 09 Mar 2015 11:48 AM PDT Scientists have identified a new class of drugs that in animal models dramatically slows the aging process -- alleviating symptoms of frailty, improving cardiac function and extending a healthy lifespan.

Teens, adults hazy on Washington marijuana law, study shows Posted: 09 Mar 2015 10:51 AM PDT Only 57 percent of Washington parents surveyed knew the legal age for recreational marijuana use and just 63 percent knew that homegrown marijuana is illegal under the law, a new study demonstrates.

Study of fruit fly 'brain in a jar' reveals mechanics of jet lag Posted: 09 Mar 2015 10:51 AM PDT Long the stuff of science fiction, the disembodied 'brain in a jar' is providing science fact for researchers, who by studying the whole brains of fruit flies are discovering the inner mechanisms of jet lag.

New angle on x-ray measurements Posted: 09 Mar 2015 10:51 AM PDT Criminal justice, cosmology and computer manufacturing may not look to have much in common, but these and many other disparate fields all depend on sensitive measurement of X-rays. Scientists have developed a new method to reduce uncertainty in X-ray wavelength measurement that could provide improvements awaited for decades. Accurate measurement of X-ray wavelength depends critically on the ability to measure angles very accurately and with very little margin for error.

After 60 million years apart, two fern genera form hybrid in the mountains of France Posted: 09 Mar 2015 10:51 AM PDT A fern discovered in the French Pyrenees is a recently formed intergeneric hybrid between parental lineages that diverged from each other approximately 60 million years ago, scientists say.

Amid chaos of Libya, newly unearthed fossils give clues to our own evolution Posted: 09 Mar 2015 10:51 AM PDT A discovery of mammal fossils uncovered in the Zallah Oasis in the Sirt Basin of central Libya date back to the early Oligocene, between about 30 and 31 million years ago. Working in the Zallah Oasis in Libya's Sirt Basin -- an area that has "sporadically" produced fossil vertebrates since the 1960s -- the team discovered a highly diverse and unique group of fossil mammals dating to the Oligocene, the final epoch of the Paleogene period, a time marked by a broad diversity of animals that would seem strange to us today, but also development of species critical to human evolution.

Quantum sensor's advantages survive entanglement breakdown Posted: 09 Mar 2015 10:50 AM PDT The extraordinary promise of quantum information processing -- solving problems that classical computers can't, perfectly secure communication -- depends on a phenomenon called "entanglement," in which the physical states of different quantum particles become interrelated. But entanglement is very fragile, and the difficulty of preserving it is a major obstacle to developing practical quantum information systems.

Ultrathin polymer insulators key to low-power soft electronics Posted: 09 Mar 2015 10:50 AM PDT Researchers have developed a high-performance ultrathin polymeric insulator for field-effect transistors. The researchers used vaporized monomers to form polymeric films grown conformally on various surfaces including plastics to produce a versatile insulator that meets a wide range of requirements for next-generation electronic devices.

Earth's climate is starting to change faster, new research shows Posted: 09 Mar 2015 10:46 AM PDT Earth is now entering a period of changing climate that will likely be faster than what's occurred naturally over the last thousand years, according to a new article, committing people to live through and adapt to a warming world.

Blood-based genetic biomarkers identify young boys with autism Posted: 09 Mar 2015 10:46 AM PDT An international team of scientists reports finding a highly accurate blood-based measure that could lead to development of a clinical test for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk in males as young as one to two years old. The test could be done in community pediatric settings.

Online health information -- keep it simple! Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:42 AM PDT Australian health websites are too difficult for many people to read, a team of researchers suggest. And limited availability of 'easy-to-read' health materials suggests that many Australians may not be benefiting from the convenience of the internet, they say.

Ancient fossils reveal diversity in the body structure of human ancestors Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:42 AM PDT Recently released research on human evolution has revealed that species of early human ancestors had significant differences in facial features. Now, scientists have found that these early human species also differed throughout other parts of their skeletons and had distinct body forms. The research team found 1.9 million-year-old pelvis and femur fossils of an early human ancestor in Kenya, revealing greater diversity in the human family tree than scientists previously thought.

Vaccinate against measles, experts say Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:42 AM PDT An article has examined reasons people are hesitant to vaccinate. "Active vaccine refusal is a significant issue and leaves a large group of children at unnecessary risk of measles infection and associated complications such as pneumonia, otitis media, encephalitis and death," said co-author of the new study.

African-American cancer patients' depression symptoms under-recognized, study finds Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:41 AM PDT A researcher who has long examined quality-of-life issues in cancer patients wondered whether depression in African-American cancer patients has been under-recognized for treatment. Accurately assessing depression in cancer patients is difficult in general because the physical symptoms of cancer and depression -- low energy, lack of sleep and loss of appetite -- are so similar.

Boosting older adults' vision through training Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:41 AM PDT Just a weeks' worth of training can improve vision in older adults, according to new research. The findings show that training boosted older adults' sensitivity to contrast and also their ability to see things clearly at close distances.

Societally-engaged adults see their lives as redemption stories Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:41 AM PDT Middle-aged Americans who show high levels of societal involvement and mental health are especially likely to construe their lives as stories of personal redemption, according to new research. And this redemption narrative was also stronger for adults who showed greater overall mental health and well-being.

Carina Nebula survey reveals details of star formation Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:41 AM PDT A new survey of one of the most active, star-forming regions in the galactic neighborhood is helping astronomers better understand the processes that may have contributed to the formation of the sun 4.5 billion years ago.

Vegetarian diet linked to lower risk of colorectal cancers Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:41 AM PDT Eating a vegetarian diet was associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancers compared with nonvegetarians in a study of Seventh-Day Adventist men and women, according to a new article.

Tsunami on demand: Nanoscale rogue waves research sheds light on power to harness catastrophic events Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:41 AM PDT A new study features a nano-optical chip that makes possible generating and controlling nanoscale rogue waves. The innovative chip was developed by an international team of physicists and is expected to have significant applications for energy research and environmental safety.

Electrons in slow motion Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:41 AM PDT At the origin of the properties of high-temperature superconductors lies a phenomenon that is too fast to be observed experimentally with conventional methods. Scientists have applied a sophisticated experimental technique, something like a moviola film-editing system, to slow down and analyze the structure of the process, thereby improving knowledge of these materials and bringing their technological applications a step closer.

Fifteen new breast cancer genetic risk 'hot-spots' revealed Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:41 AM PDT Another 15 genetic ‘hot-spots’ that can increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer have been discovered by researchers. This new discovery means that a total of more than 90 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with breast cancer have now been revealed through research.

How blood group O protects against malaria Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:41 AM PDT It has long been known that people with blood type O are protected from dying of severe malaria. Now a team of Scandinavian scientists explains the mechanisms behind the protection that blood type O provides, and suggest that the selective pressure imposed by malaria may contribute to the variable global distribution of ABO blood groups in the human population.

Preterm babies continue to receive inhaled nitric oxide despite guidance discouraging its use, study says Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:39 AM PDT Inhaled Nitric Oxide (iNO) is a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration that is commonly used in term and near-term neonates who have severe respiratory failure caused by pulmonary hypertension. Over the last decade there have been multiple large studies trying to determine a clinical use for iNO in preterm neonates, but despite evidence of short-term benefit, this drug has not been shown to improve long-term outcomes in preemies. Still, the drug is commonly being used in this population, experts say.

Youth suicide rate in rural areas is nearly double the rate in cities Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:39 AM PDT The adolescent and young-adult suicide rate in the United States was almost twice as high in rural settings than in urban areas between 1996 and 2010, and new research suggests that the gap appears to be widening.

Strawberry fields forever — a Texas possibility Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:39 AM PDT Having fresh, local strawberries within reach across Texas is getting closer to reality, though growers and researchers alike say producing the popular fresh fruit is a new field altogether. “Our goal was to add 5 percent to the acreage and we’ve done that,” said one researcher. “There are a lot of interested people. We have revitalized the Texas strawberry industry and gotten people thinking."

Most information in drug development is lost, experts say Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:39 AM PDT Lots of potentially useful medical information is getting lost. Researchers discovered this when they looked into the lack of reporting of information from “stalled drug” trials in cancer, cardiovascular and neurological diseases.

Two-step treatment improved function, decreased pain severity in veterans Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:39 AM PDT A stepped-care strategy improved function and decreased pain severity, producing at least a 30 percent improvement in pain-related disability, investigators report. Although U.S. military veterans who have returned from Iraq or Afghanistan are more likely to suffer chronic pain than veterans of any other conflict in American history, little headway has been made in helping them manage the often debilitating effects of chronic pain, authors say.

'Genomic landscape' of childhood adrenocortical tumors mapped for the first time Posted: 09 Mar 2015 09:39 AM PDT In an advance that could lead to better identification of malignant pediatric adrenocortical tumors, and ultimately to better treatment, researchers have mapped the “genomic landscape” of these rare childhood tumors. Their genomic mapping has revealed unprecedented details, not only of the aberrant genetic and chromosomal changes that drive the cancer, but the sequence of those changes that trigger it.

Secrets of surfaces' wrinkling, folding, creasing and delaminating are unraveled Posted: 09 Mar 2015 08:09 AM PDT The process of wrinkle formation is familiar to anyone who has ever sat in a bathtub a little too long. But exactly why layered materials sometimes form one kind of wrinkly pattern or another -- or even other variations, such as creases, folds, or delaminated buckles -- has now been explained at a fundamental level.

Supplemental feeding for endangered avian species Posted: 09 Mar 2015 08:09 AM PDT Reproductive benefits and hidden costs of supplemental feeding for endangered avian species have been explored in a new study. The research examined the successful recovery of the once critically endangered Mauritius parakeet using more than twenty years of data spanning several generations.

PET/MR can effectively diagnose cause of unclear foot pain Posted: 09 Mar 2015 08:09 AM PDT A single scan could diagnose the cause of foot pain better and with less radiation exposure to the patient than other methods, according to a study. Imaging with 18F-fluoride positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging, compared to 18F-fluoride positron emission tomography/computed topography, provides more diagnostic information with higher diagnostic certainty.

Quick, easy, early diagnosis with rare earth ions Posted: 09 Mar 2015 08:08 AM PDT Lack of oxygen in cells is an indicator of diseases as serious as cerebral haemorrhages, stroke and cancer. Regrettably measuring real-time oxygen concentration in living tissue is difficult with current technologies. Now a chemist has invented a compound which measures oxygen in cells and other biological material with high precision. The compound is based on rare earths emitting colored light that vary in color with the amount of oxygen present in the sample. Because emissions are in the visible range of the spectrum, it will be possible to measure oxygen using the optical microscopes already present in most hospitals.

Patented process builds better semiconductors, improves electronic devices Posted: 09 Mar 2015 08:07 AM PDT Through a surprise research discovery, a chemical engineer has developed a building better technique for semiconductors. The research may help improve electronic devices and could benefit the power electronics industry and manufacturers of semiconductor devices.

Love, love me do: Male beetles that have more sex are more insecure, study shows Posted: 09 Mar 2015 07:28 AM PDT Males that mate more often are more insecure about their social status than those mating less, according to new research on the behavior of burying beetles. The study provides new evidence that the social sensitivity of male behaviour is linked to how often male beetles mate.

Ledipasvir plus sofosbuvir: Hint of added benefit in certain patients Posted: 09 Mar 2015 07:28 AM PDT Reviewers report that in genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C, data from a historical comparison showed an advantage in virologic response. For further patient groups, suitable data were lacking, they say.

Quantum mechanic frequency filter for atomic clocks Posted: 09 Mar 2015 07:28 AM PDT In an atomic clock, electrons jumping from one orbit to another decides the clock's frequency. To get the electrons to jump, researchers shine light on the atoms using stabilized laser light. It is however challenging to get the laser light frequency ultra precise -- there will always be a little 'noise.' Now researchers have developed a method that reduces the noise so that it is up to 100 times quieter.

Vildagliptin for type 2 diabetes: No suitable data for combination with sulfonylurea Posted: 09 Mar 2015 07:28 AM PDT New study data, on the basis of which the drug manufacturer applied for a new dossier assessment, were found by reviewers to be unsuitable: they not only compared two drugs, but also two therapeutic strategies.

New test uses human stem cells to identify dangerous side effects of drugs Posted: 09 Mar 2015 07:25 AM PDT A test that uses combinations of cells from a single donor’s blood to predict whether a new drug will cause a severe immune reaction in humans has been developed by researchers. The test could avert disasters like the 2006 trial of the drug TGN1412, which led to six healthy young men being admitted to intensive care with multiple organ failure. The volunteers receiving TGN1412 experienced a catastrophic inflammatory reaction called a cytokine storm.