Saturday, July 4, 2015

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Record-breaking solar flight reaches Hawaii after 5 nights and days airborne without fuel

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 12:59 PM PDT

The longest and most difficult leg of the Round the World Solar Flight attempted since last March by Swiss explorers Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg ended successfully in Hawaii. At the controls of Solar Impulse 2, pilot André Borschberg landed safely in Hawaii after flying 117 hours and 52 minutes over the Pacific Ocean from Japan powered only by the sun.

Waiting to harvest after a rain enhances food safety

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 12:02 PM PDT

To protect consumers from foodborne illness, produce farmers should wait 24 hours after a rain or irrigating their fields to harvest crops, experts say. Rain or irrigation creates soil conditions that are more hospitable to Listeria monocytogenes, which when ingested may cause the human illness Listeriosis. Waiting to harvest crops reduces the risk of exposure to the pathogen, which could land on fresh produce.

A 'movie' of ultrafast rotating molecules at a hundred billion per second

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 12:02 PM PDT

Can you imagine how subnano-scale molecules make an ultrafast rotation at a hundred billion per second? Do the ultrafast rotating subnano-scale molecules show a wave-like nature rather than particle-like behavior? Scientists took sequential 'snapshots' of ultrafast unidirectionally rotating molecules at a hundred billion per second to see for themselves.

REM sleep critical for young brain development; medication interferes

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 12:02 PM PDT

Rapid eye movement or REM sleep actively converts waking experiences into lasting memories and abilities in young brains, reports a new study. The finding broadens the understanding of children's sleep needs and calls into question the increasing use of REM-disrupting medications such as stimulants and antidepressants.

Novel DNA repair mechanism brings new horizons

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 12:02 PM PDT

The DNA molecule is chemically unstable giving rise to DNA lesions of different nature. That is why DNA damage detection, signaling and repair, collectively known as the DNA damage response, are needed. A group of researchers has discovered a new mechanism of DNA repair, which opens up new perspectives for the treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases.

The oceans can’t take any more: Fundamental change in oceans predicted

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 10:52 AM PDT

Our oceans need an immediate and substantial reduction of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. If that doesn't happen, we could see far-reaching and largely irreversible impacts on marine ecosystems, which would especially be felt in developing countries.

Observation of 4?h hyperhydrogen by decay-pion spectroscopy of electro-produced hypernuclei

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 09:59 AM PDT

An international team has been developing a new experimental technique - the decay-pion spectroscopy of electro-produced hypernuclei since 2011. They have now used this new technique to successfully measure the mass of [4?H], which consists of one proton, two neutrons and one ? particle.

Early exposure to cat urine makes mice less likely to escape from cats

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 08:22 AM PDT

Mice that are exposed to the powerful smell of cat urine early in life do not escape from cats later in life. Researchers have discovered that mice that smell cat urine early in life, do not avoid the same odor, and therefore do not escape from their feline predators, later in life.

Supercharging stem cells to create new therapies

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 06:46 AM PDT

A new method for culturing stem cells has been developed, which sees the highly therapeutic cells grow faster and stronger. Stem cell therapy is showing promising signs for transplant patients, and the IL-17 treated stem cells should be even more effective at preventing and treating inflammation in transplant recipients -- particularly controlling rejection in transplant patients.

Greenhouse gas emissions remain primary threat to polar bears

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 05:52 AM PDT

Greenhouse gas emissions remain the primary threat to the preservation of polar bear populations worldwide. This conclusion holds true under both a reduced greenhouse gas emission scenario that stabilizes climate warming and another scenario where emissions and warming continue at the current pace, according to updated research models.

New test could predict arthritis drug failure in patients

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 04:27 AM PDT

It may be possible to predict early which rheumatoid arthritis patients will fail to respond to the biologic drugs given to treat them, a study of 311 patients has found. These findings could help better manage patients' symptoms.

'Ghost': Technology that leaps out of the screen

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 04:27 AM PDT

Exciting new technologies, which allow users to change the shape of displays with their hands, promise to revolutionize the way we interact with smartphones, laptops and computers. Imagine pulling objects and data out of the screen and playing with these in mid-air. Today we live in a world of flat-screen displays we use all day – whether it's the computer in the office, a smartphone on the train home, the TV or iPad on the couch in the evening. The world we live in is not flat, though; it's made of hills and valleys, people and objects. Imagine if we could use our fingertips to manipulate the display and drag features out of it into our 3D world.

Documenting how dementia sufferers benefit from GPS

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 04:27 AM PDT

A brand new study of 200 dementia sufferers in Norway reveals that almost all experience greater peace of mind and increased levels of physical activity using GPS devices.

Stretchy mesh heater for sore muscles

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 04:27 AM PDT

If you suffer from chronic muscle pain a doctor will likely recommend for you to apply heat to the injury.  But how do you effectively wrap that heat around a joint? Now scientists have come up with an ingenious way of creating therapeutic heat in a light, flexible design. 

New lithium ion battery is safer, tougher, and more powerful

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 04:27 AM PDT

Lithium ion batteries are a huge technological advancement from lead acid batteries which have existed since the late 1850's.  Thanks to their low weight, high energy density and slower loss of charge when not in use, these have become the preferred choice for consumer electronics.  Lithium-ion cells with cobalt cathodes hold twice the energy of a nickel-based battery and four-times that of lead acid.  Despite being a superior consumer battery, lithium-ion batteries still have some drawbacks.  Current manufacturing technology is reaching the theoretical energy density limit for lithium ion batteries and overheating leading to thermal runaway i.e. "venting with flame" is a serious concern.

Millions of children's lives saved through low-cost investments

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 04:26 AM PDT

More than 34 million children's lives have been saved since 2000 because of investments in child health programs at a cost of as little as $4,205 per child, according to a new analysis. From 2000 to 2014, low- and middle-income country governments spent $133 billion on child health. Donors spent $73.6 billion. The governments saved about 20 million children, and the donors saved an additional 14 million children.

Romeo and Juliet roles for banded mongooses

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 04:26 AM PDT

Female banded mongooses risk their lives to mate with rivals during pack 'warfare' and both males and females have also learned to discriminate between relatives and non-relatives to avoid inbreeding even when mating within their own social group.

First trial of gene therapy for cystic fibrosis to show beneficial effect on lung function

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 04:26 AM PDT

For the first time gene therapy for cystic fibrosis has shown a significant benefit in lung function compared with placebo, in a phase 2 randomized trial. The technique replaces the defective gene response for cystic fibrosis by using inhaled molecules of DNA to deliver a normal working copy of the gene to lung cells.

Bioprinted 'play dough' capable of cell and protein transfer

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 04:26 AM PDT

Scientists have developed a new technique allowing the bioprinting at ambient temperatures of a strong paste similar to 'play dough' capable of incorporating protein-releasing microspheres. The scientists demonstrated that the bioprinted material, in the form of a micro-particle paste capable of being injected via a syringe, could sustain stresses and strains similar to cancellous bone -- the 'spongy' bone tissue typically found at the end of long bones.

Seafaring spiders depend on their 'sails' and 'anchors'

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 04:26 AM PDT

Spiders travel across water like ships, using their legs as sails and their silk as an anchor, according to new research. The study helps explain how spiders are able to migrate across vast distances and why they are quick to colonize new areas.

Stopping Candida in its tracks

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 04:26 AM PDT

Scientists are one step closer to understanding how a normally harmless fungus changes to become a deadly infectious agent.

Global warming may threaten shellfish industries

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 04:26 AM PDT

Fans of mussels may soon find themselves out of luck according to research which suggests that global warming may threaten shellfish industries.

'Invisible' protein structure explains the power of enzymes

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 04:26 AM PDT

A research group has managed to capture and describe a protein structure that, until now, has been impossible to study. The discovery lays the base for developing designed enzymes as catalysts to new chemical reactions for instance in biotechnological applications.

Old World monkey had tiny, complex brain

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 04:26 AM PDT

The brain hidden inside the oldest known Old World monkey skull has been visualized for the first time. The ancient monkey, known as Victoriapithecus, first made headlines in 1997 when its 15 million-year-old skull was discovered on an island in Kenya's Lake Victoria. Now, X-ray imaging reveals that the creature's brain was tiny but surprisingly wrinkled and complex. The findings suggest that brain complexity can evolve before brain size in the primate family tree.

Studies confirm regorafenib benefit in pre-treated metastatic colorectal cancer

Posted: 03 Jul 2015 04:26 AM PDT

The phase IIIb CONSIGN study has confirmed the benefit of regorafenib in patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), researchers. The safety profile and progression free survival were similar to phase III trial results.

World’s highest magnetic field (1,020MHz) NMR

Posted: 02 Jul 2015 03:40 PM PDT

Scientists have successfully developed the NMR system equipped with world's highest magnetic field, 1,020 MHz.

Prion trials and tribulations: Finding the right tools and experimental models

Posted: 02 Jul 2015 12:12 PM PDT

Prions are fascinating, enigmatic, and might teach us not only about rare prion diseases like Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, mad cow disease, or scrapie, but also about other more common neurodgenerative diseases. Two studies report progress with novel tools and paradigms to study prion disease.

New technology using silver may hold key to electronics advances

Posted: 02 Jul 2015 10:15 AM PDT

Engineers have invented a way to fabricate silver, a highly conductive metal, for printed electronics that are produced at room temperature. There may be broad applications in microelectronics, sensors, energy devices, low emissivity coatings and even transparent displays.

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