Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Sustainable approach for the world's fish supply


ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Posted: 13 Jan 2015 05:43 PM PST
A global 'gold rush' has led to a significant increase of deforestation in the tropical forests of South America.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 12:40 PM PST
Researchers have grown human skeletal muscle in the laboratory that, for the first time, contracts and responds just like native tissue to external stimuli such as electrical pulses, biochemical signals and pharmaceuticals. The development should soon allow researchers to test new drugs and study diseases in functioning human muscle outside of the human body.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 12:39 PM PST
New research through visual analysis and social media gives a good indication that voters pick up on nonverbal communications as much as a candidate's rhetoric.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 11:52 AM PST
Most insects are covered with a thin layer of hydrocarbon molecules as a waterproofing barrier. Embedded in this layer are compounds the insects use as chemical signals for a wide variety of functions such as communicating species and sex. But isolating these chemicals and determining their absolute configuration and functions has been a challenge. Now a team of scientists has devised a straightforward method for purifying these compounds.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 11:52 AM PST
Just looking at somebody shivering is enough to make us feel cold, new research has found. Volunteers who watched videos of people putting their hands in cold water found their own body temperature drop significantly, investigators report.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 10:19 AM PST
Most young children are essentialists: They believe that human and animal characteristics are innate. That kind of reasoning can lead them to think that traits like native language and clothing preference are intrinsic rather than acquired. But a new study suggests that certain bilingual kids are more likely to understand that it's what one learns, rather than what one is born with, that makes up a person's psychological attributes.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 09:12 AM PST
The well-known theory that an asteroid suddenly killed the dinosaurs is based almost entirely on fossils from North America. A new study shows that dinosaurs -- and other continental vertebrates -- remained diverse in Europe up until the asteroid impact, 66 million years ago. This is strong evidence that dinosaurs and many of their contemporaries went extinct rapidly and simultaneously all across the globe.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 09:12 AM PST
An estimated 100 million Americans live with chronic pain. A new report has found a need for evidence-based, multidisciplinary approaches to pain treatment that incorporate patients' perspectives and desired outcomes while also avoiding potential harms.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 09:12 AM PST
Telling women that men desire larger women who aren't model-thin made women feel better about their own weight in a series of new studies. Results of the three Independent studies suggest a woman's body image is strongly linked to her perception of what she thinks men prefer, said a social psychologist and lead researcher on the study. On average, heterosexual women believe that heterosexual men desire ultra-thin women.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 09:11 AM PST
Two investigations on the space station help researchers seek clues to physiological problems found in astronauts by studying C. elegans -- a millimeter-long roundworm that is widely used as a model organism. This simple, tiny roundworm could lead to a cure for symptoms affecting millions of the aging and infirm population of Earth, and the astronauts orbiting it, potentially offering a solution to a major problem in an extremely small package, scientists say.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 09:10 AM PST
A new protein-protein interaction that could serve as a target for future therapies for the most common form of brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), has been identified by researchers. GBM is a devastating disease that originates from glia or their precursors within the central nervous system, and the prognosis for GBM patients is unfortunately poor, but this discovery offers new therapeutic potential.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 09:10 AM PST
Two and a half million years ago, our hominin ancestors in the African savanna crafted rocks into shards that could slice apart a dead gazelle, zebra or other game animal. Over the next 700,000 years, this butchering technology spread throughout the continent and, it turns out, came to be a major evolutionary force.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 09:09 AM PST
The key role that GLUT2 protein plays in embryonic brain development in zebrafish has now been reported by researchers. A new article proves that this molecule depletion alters the development of brain basic structures involved in glucose sensing.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 09:09 AM PST
From 2004 to 2012, the rate of investment in medical research in the U.S. declined, while there has been an increase in research investment globally, particularly in Asia, according to a study.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 09:09 AM PST
In a rural Maine county, sustained, community-wide programs targeting cardiovascular risk factors and behavior changes were associated with reductions in hospitalization and death rates over a 40 year period (1970-2010) compared with the rest of the state, with substantial improvements seen for hypertension and cholesterol control and smoking cessation, according to a study.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 09:09 AM PST
Today, we're surrounded by a variety of electronic devices that are moving increasingly closer to us -- we can attach and wear them, or even implant electronics inside our bodies. Many types of smart devices are readily available and convenient to use. The goal now is to make wearable electronics that are flexible, sustainable and powered by ambient renewable energy.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:16 AM PST
With many calling for policy reform to improve race problems in the US criminal justice system, new research suggests that the issue is less political and more behavioral. Researchers recommend increased documentation, institutional diversity, and bias training in a new paper.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:16 AM PST
For decades, scientists around the world have worked to develop a treatment for schistosomiasis, a debilitating water-born parasite. To aid this research, scientists have developed software that helps assess the impact of a drug on the parasite. The researchers recently completed the Quantal Dose Response Calculator, software that analyzes images showing the effects of potential drugs on parasites and quantifies their effectiveness.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:16 AM PST
As the largest single chunk of melting snow and ice in the world, the massive ice sheet that covers about 80 percent of Greenland is recognized as the biggest potential contributor to rising sea levels due to glacial meltwater.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:16 AM PST
Scientists discover and describe three new species of the plant genus Begonia, which holds many of the world-favorite decoratives. The news species come from Brazil, where they are found dwelling on small, confined territories which makes them rare and hard to discover.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:16 AM PST
Two advances in multiferroic materials have been made by scientists, including the ability to integrate them on a silicon chip, which will allow the development of new electronic memory devices. The researchers have already created prototypes of the devices and are in the process of testing them.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:16 AM PST
Weeds would have a tough time competing against crops such as corn, grains and beans if farmers were to alter their sowing patterns, experts say. "Our results demonstrate that weed control in fields is aided by abandoning traditional seed sowing techniques. Farmers around the world generally sow their crops in rows. Our studies with wheat and corn show that tighter sowing in grid patterns supresses weed growth. This provides increased crop yields in fields prone to heavy amounts of weeds," states an author and plant ecologist.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:15 AM PST
A new article investigates the surface of titanium dioxide crystals.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:15 AM PST
Researchers have revealed that considering environmental effects such as a gravitational tidal force spread over a scale much larger than a galaxy cluster is indispensable to explain the distribution and evolution of dark matter halos around galaxies. A detailed comparison between theory and simulations made this work possible.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:15 AM PST
Today's lithium-ion batteries are good, but not good enough if our future energy system is to rely on electrical power. Chemists and materials scientists have now developed a type of glass that can be used as an electrode material in lithium-ion batteries -- likely making a vast improvement in these batteries' capacity and energy density.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:15 AM PST
College students are at higher risk for stalking than the general public, but are less likely to report the crime to police, experts have determined. Stalking, defined as a repeated course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear, is a crime in all 50 states. This crime most commonly occurs between current or former intimate partners, with the highest rates of offenses between 18 to 24 years old.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:14 AM PST
An international team of scientists has provided the first record of chafer leaf beetles (Leucothyreus suturalis) living in the nests of two different termite species in Brazil.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:14 AM PST
The 'social cost' of carbon dioxide emissions may not be $37 per ton, as estimated by a recent US government study, but $220 per ton, experts report.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:14 AM PST
A new report has demonstrated a new cell sorting technology for isolating CD4 positive T cells which may be used for HIV disease monitoring in resource-limited areas such as the developing countries in Africa.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:14 AM PST
North Pacific loggerhead turtles hatch in Japan, with many later reappearing 6,000 miles away off southern Baja California to forage. The sighting late last year of numerous young turtles far off the Southern California Coast provides new insight into their their epic migration across the Pacific Ocean.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:14 AM PST
Treating surfaces with cold atmospheric pressure plasma may reduce the risk of transmitting norovirus, a contagious virus leading to stomach pain, nausea and diarrhea, according to a new study.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:11 AM PST
When levees fail, either naturally or as an intentional breach, as was the case on the Mississippi River in 2011, an orchestrated effort is made to remove or repair flood-damaged homes and other structures. A soil scientist believes that an equivalent  effort should be coordinated to assess soil damages, including how flooding has affected soil productivity and land used for agriculture.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:11 AM PST
While it is widely known that "huffing" -  inhaling organic solvents or propellants to achieve a "high" - is extremely dangerous, new products being sold as "poppers" and distributed throughout the US,  primarily to men who have sex with men (MSM), actually contain harmful solvents and propellants and pose the same health risks as huffing.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:11 AM PST
Repressing anger about important matters makes negotiators lose focus, a new study concludes. Suppressing anger about important points could, in fact, cause them to lose the focus of discussions, says the lead of the research.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:11 AM PST
A simple method to sense DNA, as well as potential biomarker proteins of cancer or other diseases such as Alzheimer's, may soon be within reach -- thanks to new work.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:11 AM PST
Cellphone support can help people lose significantly more weight, according to a recent study. Using one of the many mobile apps with daily text messages or videos incites the user to think about dieting and eating well, researchers said.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:11 AM PST
Clinical trial patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who had high levels of vitamin D in their bloodstream prior to treatment with chemotherapy and targeted drugs, survived longer, on average, than patients with lower levels of the vitamin, researchers report.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:10 AM PST
Once more, the multifactorial and heterogeneous nature of breast cancer fascinates researchers. In a new study, researchers have focused on a specific breast cancer subtype known as luminal B breast cancer, as well as its relationship with BMI, insulin and estrogen receptor (ER) expression.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:10 AM PST
For Jewish Americans, going to synagogue makes a difference for health, according to a study of five large Jewish urban communities.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:10 AM PST
When it comes to predicting important world events, teams do a better job than individuals, and laypeople can be trained to be effective forecasters even without access to classified records, according to new research.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 08:10 AM PST
Guanacos are back -- and getting into trouble -- says a team of scientists tracking these iconic hoofed mammals across a variety of landscapes on the Chilean side of the island of Tierra del Fuego.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:06 AM PST
Stress is known to interfere with reproduction, but a new study shows that the effects of chronic stress on fertility persist long after the stress is gone. This is because a hormone that suppresses fertility, GnIH, remains high even after stress hormone levels return to normal. In rats, they successfully blocked the hormone gene and restored normal reproductive behavior, suggesting therapeutic potential for stressed humans and animals in captive breeding programs.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:06 AM PST
Robotic systems that are able to teach themselves have been developed by researchers. Specifically, these robots are able to learn the intricate grasping and manipulation movements required for cooking by watching online cooking videos. The key breakthrough is that the robots can 'think' for themselves, determining the best combination of observed motions that will allow them to efficiently accomplish a given task.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:05 AM PST
New insight has been gained into the mechanism behind a protein dopamine transporter that could help in the development of future medical treatment against cocaine addiction.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:05 AM PST
Many schools have reported that fruits and vegetables are feeding trash cans rather than students. A new study shows that one simple no-cost change, holding recess before lunchtime, can increase fruit and vegetable consumption by 54 percent.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:05 AM PST
Scientists have discovered a new type of laser material based on an inorganic molecule -- a complex of boron and hydrogen and no carbon atoms -- that emits laser light in solution.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:05 AM PST
Researchers sifted through multiple datasets and historical records to produce more accurate and comprehensive measurements for 25 species including the Blue Whale, Giant Squid, and Great White Shark.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:05 AM PST
The ancient physician/alchemist, Paracelsus, said: 'The dose makes the poison.' According to a new study, even oxygen may fall prey to the above adage. While essential to human life, aspects of oxygen metabolism may promote cancer. Capitalizing on the inverse relationship of oxygen concentration with elevation, researchers found lower rates of lung cancer at higher elevations, a trend that did not extend to non-respiratory cancers, suggesting that carcinogen exposure occurs via inhalation.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:04 AM PST
The thickness of cortical brain tissue progressively reduces as individuals develop psychosis, according to researchers of a large, multi-site study of young adults at clinical high risk. Onset of psychosis typically occurs during the transition from adolescence to early adulthood, a period of time when the brain is also maturing, they note.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:04 AM PST
Genetically modified crops with an increased vitamin and/or mineral content have large potential to improve public health, but their availability for consumers is still hampered, as a result of the negative public opinion. Research has demonstrated that these crops have a promising market potential.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:04 AM PST
Most image and video search engines list their results two-dimensionally. Researchers have now discovered that the search performance is more satisfying, if the results are displayed using a 3-D interface.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:04 AM PST
Whether for oneself or for others, fairness is preferred by people, but the brain network changes depending on who is actually benefiting. "In previous studies," explains the lead investigator, "we found the same tendency to reject unfair offers regardless of whether the decision involved the subjects themselves or a third party. Brain imaging, however, suggested that the brain was working differently in the two situations."
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:04 AM PST
Hoophoes cover their eggs with a secretion produced by themselves, loaded with mutualistic bacteria, which is then retained by a specialized structure in the eggshell that increases successful hatching. So far this sort of behavior has only been detected in this species of birds, and it is a mechanism to protect their eggs from infections by pathogens.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:04 AM PST
Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that chronic periodontitis, an inflammatory gum disease which provokes gradual teeth loss, is closely related to the severity of acute myocardial infarction, commonly known as heart attack.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:04 AM PST
China's booming aquaculture industry is increasingly dependent on fishmeal made from wild-caught fish, a practice that depletes wild fish stocks. A new study offers a more sustainable path by proposing recycling the waste by-products from seafood processing plants as feed for farm-raised fish..
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:03 AM PST
Bile duct cancers are amongst the most aggressive tumor-related diseases and, so far, the medical treatment options available have been limited. Clinical oncologists have now demonstrated that the substance nab-paclitaxel, a biochemically modified ingredient that occurs in the bark of the Pacific yew tree, could be highly effective against bile duct cancers.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:03 AM PST
After studying over 200 young children, researchers have concluded that daytime naps of 30 minutes or more help infants to retain and remember new behaviors, adding that bedtime stories are invaluable for a child's development. Interestingly, the babies showed that they learn best when they are sleepy: "Until now people have presumed that the best time for infants to learn is when they are wide-awake, rather than when they are starting to feel tired, but our results show that activities occurring just before infants have a nap can be particularly valuable and well-remembered," researchers noted.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:03 AM PST
Fitness applications (apps) use behavior change techniques (BCTs) to help users modify their physical activities, but which apps and which techniques are most effective? In a new study, researchers evaluated 100 top-ranked physical activity apps and analyzed which BCTs are being used in these apps. They determined that at present BCTs have been only narrowly implemented in physical activity apps.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:03 AM PST
Women aged 60-70 who are satisfied with their lives have a higher bone density and they suffer from osteoporosis less frequently than their unsatisfied peers, according to a recent study. Osteoporosis is a common disease, which easily leads to bone fracture, and hip fractures in particular can have serious consequences. Bone density gets lower as people age; however, for women, the menopause constitutes a significant risk factor.
Posted: 13 Jan 2015 06:01 AM PST
Children of melanoma survivors are not adhering optimally to sun protection recommendations, researchers have discovered in a groundbreaking new study. This is concerning as sunburns are a major risk factor for melanoma, and children of survivors are at increased risk for developing the disease as adults.
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