ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• NASA's New Horizons discovers frozen plains in the heart of Pluto's 'heart'
• Marine plankton brighten clouds over Southern Ocean
• Researchers test bioartificial liver device to treat acute liver failure
• Dairy products boost effectiveness of probiotics
• Cholesterol metabolism in immune cells linked to HIV progression
• Lymphomas tied to metabolic disruption
• International report confirms: 2014 was Earth’s warmest year on record
• Study delves into regulators' decision-making in bank closures
• Siting wind farms more quickly, cheaply
• Centuries-old shipwreck discovered off North Carolina coast
• Basketmakers' tradition of storing black ash logs in water effective in killing emerald ash borer
• Why hemp and marijuana are different
• Researchers, clients turn to video to treat stuttering
• The perfect lens: Bringing back the magic in metamaterials
• Study in mice may identify new ways to treat immune thrombocytopenia
• Metal foams capable of shielding X-rays, gamma rays, neutron radiation
• Nanowires give 'solar fuel cell' efficiency a tenfold boost
• A fish too deep for science: New goby fish discovered
• What are the causes and effects of increased gaming in adolescent girls and boys?
• Can cholesterol-lowering drugs help treat acute Ebola cases?
• Moderate hormone suppression may be enough in thyroid cancer, 30-year study shows
• Volcanic popcorn is key to insulating wallpaper
• Unique material created for the next generation solar cells
• Intestinal parasites are common cause of diarrhea in cats: Giardia may be transmitted to humans
• RNA springs
• Scientists reveal 'woodquakes'
• Grandparents' affection piling on the pounds in Chinese children
• Physicians testified for tobacco companies against plaintiffs with head, neck cancers, study finds
• Toddlers who chill in front of TV are at later risk of being victimized by classmates
• Carbon dioxide pools discovered in Aegean Sea
• Emissions have declined, but sulfur dioxide air pollutant still a concern for asthmatics
• A light-triggered cleanable, recyclable chip makes fabrication feasible for all
• Drug-encapsulating nanoparticle with bright bio-labels measures how anticancer chemotherapy formulations enter cells
• Engineered structures that can alter the speed of light could benefit optical communication systems
• Repeat infection with malaria parasites might make mosquitoes more dangerous
• Cure for flesh-eating skin disease one step closer
• Brain training may help avoid civilian casualties
• New findings hint toward reversing hearing loss
• Syntactic foam sandwich fills hunger for lightweight yet strong materials

NASA's New Horizons discovers frozen plains in the heart of Pluto's 'heart' Posted: 17 Jul 2015 02:46 PM PDT In the latest data from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, a new close-up image of Pluto reveals a vast, craterless plain that appears to be no more than 100 million years old, and is possibly still being shaped by geologic processes. This frozen region is north of Pluto's icy mountains, in the center-left of the heart feature, informally named "Tombaugh Regio" (Tombaugh Region) after Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto in 1930.

Marine plankton brighten clouds over Southern Ocean Posted: 17 Jul 2015 12:36 PM PDT Summertime plankton blooms in the Southern Ocean play a significant role in generating brighter clouds overhead.

Researchers test bioartificial liver device to treat acute liver failure Posted: 17 Jul 2015 11:24 AM PDT Researchers have developed and are testing an alternative to liver transplantation called the Spheroid Reservoir Bioartificial Liver that can support healing and regeneration of the injured liver, and improve outcomes and reduce mortality rates for patients with acute liver failure.

Dairy products boost effectiveness of probiotics Posted: 17 Jul 2015 11:24 AM PDT The success of probiotics for boosting human health may depend partly upon the food, beverage, or other material carrying the probiotics, according to research.

Cholesterol metabolism in immune cells linked to HIV progression Posted: 17 Jul 2015 11:24 AM PDT Lower levels of cholesterol in certain immune cells -- a result of enhanced cholesterol metabolism within those cells -- may help explain why some HIV-infected people are able to naturally control disease progression, according to research. The findings provide a basis for potential development of new approaches to control HIV infection by regulating cellular cholesterol metabolism.

Lymphomas tied to metabolic disruption Posted: 17 Jul 2015 11:24 AM PDT Direct links between disrupted metabolism and an often fatal type of lymphoma have been uncovered by researchers.

International report confirms: 2014 was Earth’s warmest year on record Posted: 17 Jul 2015 11:14 AM PDT In 2014, the most essential indicators of Earth's changing climate continued to reflect trends of a warming planet, with several markers such as rising land and ocean temperature, sea levels and greenhouse gases -- setting new records. These key findings and others can be found in the State of the Climate in 2014 report released online by the American Meteorological Society (AMS).

Study delves into regulators' decision-making in bank closures Posted: 17 Jul 2015 10:10 AM PDT Commercial bank regulators consider much more than monetary cost when determining whether to close a troubled bank, a new report states. According to the study, regulators show a desire to defer costs into the future and appear to resist closing very large and very small banks. The study also found political influence affected their decisions.

Siting wind farms more quickly, cheaply Posted: 17 Jul 2015 10:10 AM PDT A new statistical technique that yields better wind-speed predictions than existing techniques do -- even when it uses only three months' worth of data -- has been revealed by researchers. That could save power companies time and money, particularly in the evaluation of sites for offshore wind farms, where maintaining measurement stations is particularly costly.

Centuries-old shipwreck discovered off North Carolina coast Posted: 17 Jul 2015 10:10 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a centuries-old shipwreck off the coast of North Carolina. Artifacts around the wreck, including bricks, bottles and navigation gear, appear to date it to the late 18th or early 19th century. Scientists were on an expedition using sonar scanning technology and the submersible vessel Alvin when they spotted the wreckage.

Basketmakers' tradition of storing black ash logs in water effective in killing emerald ash borer Posted: 17 Jul 2015 10:10 AM PDT Working with artisans from the Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Potawatomi Indians of Michigan near Gun Lake, Mich., American scientists tested the traditional practice of storing black ash logs submerged in rivers and found that submerging logs for 18 weeks during winter or 14 weeks in spring killed EAB and also retained the wood's quality for basketmaking.

Why hemp and marijuana are different Posted: 17 Jul 2015 10:10 AM PDT Genetic differences between hemp and marijuana determine whether Cannabis plants have the potential for psychoactivity, a new study shows. The market for hemp seed and fiber in the U.S. surpassed $600 million last year alone. But despite the plant's surging popularity as an ingredient in food, personal care products, clothing and even construction, commercial hemp cultivation is prohibited by the federal government. Currently, all hemp products are imported to the U.S.

Researchers, clients turn to video to treat stuttering Posted: 17 Jul 2015 10:10 AM PDT Researchers investigate using self-modelling videos to help clients maintain fluency after treatment. For the study, participant videos were recorded post-treatment when their fluency skills--breathing techniques, how to start their voice, or move forward in speech--were at their peak. Participants were required to watch their videos at least twice a week. And the more they viewed, the better the results were, with a decrease in syllables stuttered and participants reporting their own perceptions that VSM helps in personal and professional situations.

The perfect lens: Bringing back the magic in metamaterials Posted: 17 Jul 2015 09:03 AM PDT A research team has found a way to solve one of the biggest challenges in making metamaterials. Their optical work is a big step towards creating a 'perfect lens'.

Study in mice may identify new ways to treat immune thrombocytopenia Posted: 17 Jul 2015 09:03 AM PDT A study in mice may identify new ways to treat immune thrombocytopenia. Immune thrombocytopenia, or ITP, is an autoimmune disease whereby the immune system sends antibodies to attack and destroy the body's platelets--blood cells responsible for controlling bleeding.

Metal foams capable of shielding X-rays, gamma rays, neutron radiation Posted: 17 Jul 2015 09:03 AM PDT Research shows lightweight composite metal foams are effective at blocking X-rays, gamma rays and neutron radiation, and are capable of absorbing the energy of high impact collisions. The finding means metal foams hold promise for use in nuclear safety, space exploration and medical technology applications.

Nanowires give 'solar fuel cell' efficiency a tenfold boost Posted: 17 Jul 2015 07:49 AM PDT Researchers have developed a very promising prototype of a new solar celll. The material gallium phosphide enables their solar cell to produce the clean fuel hydrogen gas from liquid water. Processing the gallium phosphide in the form of very small nanowires is novel and helps to boost the yield by a factor of ten. And does so using ten thousand times less precious material.

A fish too deep for science: New goby fish discovered Posted: 17 Jul 2015 07:49 AM PDT Scientists have described a new goby fish species that lives deeper than its closest relatives and had gone unnoticed up until now. It has been discovered between 70 and 80 m in the southern Caribbean.

What are the causes and effects of increased gaming in adolescent girls and boys? Posted: 17 Jul 2015 07:14 AM PDT Technological innovations, multiple genres, online gaming and mobile apps have led gaming to become big business. Call of Duty Black Ops sold 1.4 million copies and registered 2.6 million Xbox Live players on launch day. Adolescents increasingly use gaming for a significant part of their leisure time. New research examines World Health Organization data on adolescent well-being collected from over 4,000 children aged 11-15 to determine why some adolescents gaming habits are escalating. The author reflects on gender, age, policy, parental influences and outcomes for adolescents.

Can cholesterol-lowering drugs help treat acute Ebola cases? Posted: 17 Jul 2015 07:14 AM PDT In the course of basic research in membrane biochemistry scientists have gained new insight into the cytotoxic effect of the Ebola virus. Employing biochemical and cell biological methods they have shed light on the molecular relationships between the Ebola glycoprotein and its role in mediating cytotoxicity. Researchers discovered that the virus glycoprotein interacts with cellular cholesterol, thus prompting the use of certain cholesterol-lowering agents in their investigations. The researchers report they succeeded in suppressing cellular damage in cell cultures.

Moderate hormone suppression may be enough in thyroid cancer, 30-year study shows Posted: 17 Jul 2015 07:14 AM PDT Moderate suppression of thyroid-stimulating hormone, which drives thyroid cancer, may be as beneficial as more extreme hormone suppression, a study of long-term thyroid cancer outcomes shows. Extreme TSH suppression is associated with increased side effects including osteoporosis and heart rhythm irregularities.

Volcanic popcorn is key to insulating wallpaper Posted: 17 Jul 2015 06:21 AM PDT A humble soil additive used by millions of amateur and professional gardeners alike is set to slash the cost of the most effective form of insulation for buildings.

Unique material created for the next generation solar cells Posted: 17 Jul 2015 06:21 AM PDT Researchers have developed material which offers much cheaper alternative to the one which is currently being used in hybrid solar cells. The efficiency of the semi-conductors created by the team of chemists has been confirmed.

Intestinal parasites are common cause of diarrhea in cats: Giardia may be transmitted to humans Posted: 17 Jul 2015 06:21 AM PDT Diarrhea in cats can have several causes, with infections from single-cell intestinal parasites being a common explanation. Researchers studied nearly 300 cats in order to assess the presence and prevalence of parasitic species in Austria. The most common causative agents were Giardia. One species of Giardia that was found may also be transmissible to humans.

RNA springs Posted: 17 Jul 2015 06:21 AM PDT A group of scientists proposes a quick alternative for predicting the internal dynamics of RNA molecules (how the different parts move in relation to each other). This simple solution, which uses beads and springs, provides similar results to other, more complex and expensive techniques for analyzing molecules that are currently in use.

Scientists reveal 'woodquakes' Posted: 17 Jul 2015 06:21 AM PDT The structural properties of brittle materials like rock or ceramic, such as cracking under stress, have long been studied in detail, providing insight into avalanches, earthquakes and landslides. Wood and its response to stress or strain has been less known at a fundamental  level – until now.

Grandparents' affection piling on the pounds in Chinese children Posted: 17 Jul 2015 06:19 AM PDT Affection from grandparents towards their grandchildren may play a major role in contributing to the childhood obesity pandemic in China, new research reveals. Chinese children who are mainly cared for by their grandparents are more than twice as likely to be overweight or obese, compared with those who are mainly looked after by their parents or other adults. Children who are mainly cared for by a grandparent also consume unhealthy snacks and drinks more frequently.

Physicians testified for tobacco companies against plaintiffs with head, neck cancers, study finds Posted: 17 Jul 2015 06:19 AM PDT Despite scientific evidence to the contrary, a small group of otolaryngologists have repeatedly testified, on behalf of the tobacco industry, that heavy smoking did not cause the cancer in cases of dying patients suing for damages, according to a study by a Stanford University School of Medicine researcher.

Toddlers who chill in front of TV are at later risk of being victimized by classmates Posted: 17 Jul 2015 06:19 AM PDT For young children, the number of hours spent watching TV at the age of 29 months correlates to the likelihood he'll be bullied in sixth grade.

Carbon dioxide pools discovered in Aegean Sea Posted: 16 Jul 2015 03:09 PM PDT The location of the second largest volcanic eruption in human history, the waters off Greece's Santorini are the site of newly discovered opalescent pools forming at 250 meters depth. The interconnected series of meandering, iridescent white pools contain high concentrations of carbon dioxide and may hold answers to questions related to deep-sea carbon storage as well as provide a means of monitoring the volcano for future eruptions.

Emissions have declined, but sulfur dioxide air pollutant still a concern for asthmatics Posted: 16 Jul 2015 03:09 PM PDT Emissions of the air pollutant sulfur dioxide have been dramatically decreased during the past 30 years but for some people even a little inhaled sulfur dioxide may still be too much.

A light-triggered cleanable, recyclable chip makes fabrication feasible for all Posted: 16 Jul 2015 01:11 PM PDT Throw away the detergent and forgo the elbow grease: pesky proteins can now be removed from surfaces by simply exposing them to light, thanks to a reusable titania template.

Drug-encapsulating nanoparticle with bright bio-labels measures how anticancer chemotherapy formulations enter cells Posted: 16 Jul 2015 01:11 PM PDT Polymer nanoparticles that release medicine at controlled rates inside cells have the potential to enhance the efficacy of many clinical drugs. Researchers have now developed an eye-catching way to evaluate the performance of different polymer drug-delivery formulations using luminescent quantum dots as imaging labels.

Engineered structures that can alter the speed of light could benefit optical communication systems Posted: 16 Jul 2015 01:11 PM PDT A method for designing materials capable of slowing the propagation of light over a broad range of wavelengths has been developed. The speed of light in a vacuum is always constant -- a fundamental concept made famous by Albert Einstein. But light propagates more slowly when it enters a different medium, such as glass. The degree to which the speed is reduced is given by a material's dielectric constant -- a higher dielectric constant indicates slower propagation. Rather than rely on a limited source of natural substances, scientists have started to design optical materials with a broader range of beneficial properties including 'slow' light.

Repeat infection with malaria parasites might make mosquitoes more dangerous Posted: 16 Jul 2015 01:03 PM PDT In malaria-endemic regions, humans are often infected repeatedly with the Plasmodium parasite. Little is known about possible co-infection and its consequences in the Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit the disease. A new study reports that not only can individual mosquitoes accumulate infections from multiple blood feeds, but also that an existing malaria infection makes mosquitoes more susceptible to a second infection, and that infections reach higher densities when another strain is already present.

Cure for flesh-eating skin disease one step closer Posted: 16 Jul 2015 01:03 PM PDT Scientists have made an important breakthrough in the fight against the flesh-eating tropical skin disease Buruli ulcer, by their discovery that the bacteria causes a blood clot in patients' skin, similar to those that cause deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The new findings mean that, like DVT, the clots may respond to anticoagulant medicines, heal more quickly and with fewer side effects than with antibiotics alone.

Brain training may help avoid civilian casualties Posted: 16 Jul 2015 10:51 AM PDT A new study finds that accidental civilian shooting casualties arise from problems with attention -- an "itchy brain," the authors say -- rather than an "itchy trigger finger." The findings imply that the tendency to squeeze the trigger in error can not only be predicted with cognitive tests but can also be overcome with response-inhibition training.

New findings hint toward reversing hearing loss Posted: 16 Jul 2015 10:51 AM PDT Studying mice, scientists have identified two signaling molecules that are required for the proper development of a part of the inner ear called the cochlea. Without both signals, the embryo does not produce enough of the cells that eventually make up the adult cochlea, resulting in a shortened cochlear duct and impaired hearing.

Syntactic foam sandwich fills hunger for lightweight yet strong materials Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:44 AM PDT A team of researchers has developed the first composite material that sandwiches a layer of lightweight metal matrix syntactic foam between two carbon fabric layers, offering extreme light weight, flexibility, and the ability to withstand deformation and absorb energy. The material holds significant potential for automobiles, trains, ships, and other applications requiring lightweight structural components that retain their strength even when bent or compressed.

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