| New light on impact of video gaming on the brain Posted: 19 May 2015 06:03 PM PDT Video gamers now spend a collective three billion hours per week in front of their screens. In fact, it is estimated that the average young person will have spent some 10,000 hours gaming by the time they are 21. The effects of intense video gaming on the brain are only beginning to be understood. New research shows that while video game players exhibit more efficient visual attention abilities, they are also much more likely to use navigation strategies that rely on the brain's reward system.  |
| Climate change could cause cold-blooded animals' thermal tolerance to shrink Posted: 19 May 2015 06:03 PM PDT Cold-blooded animals can tolerate body temperatures only a few degrees above their normal high temperatures before they overheat, which could be a problem as the planet itself warms, according to new research. As a result, the animals will see their 'thermal safety margins' shrink as global temperatures rise. Shifts in behavior or evolutionary changes might be the best hope for these animals to adapt to climate change, the researchers note.  |
| What did the first snakes look like? Posted: 19 May 2015 06:02 PM PDT The original snake ancestor was a nocturnal, stealth-hunting predator that had tiny hindlimbs with ankles and toes, according to new research. Snakes show incredible diversity, with over 3,400 living species found in a wide range of habitats, such as land, water and in trees. But little is known about where and when they evolved, and how their original ancestor looked and behaved.  |
| The dark side of the 'love hormone:' Similarities with the effects of alcohol Posted: 19 May 2015 06:02 PM PDT Significant similarities have been highlighted by researchers between the behavioral effects of oxytocin and alcohol. The research team warns that the oft-used nickname hides the darker side of oxytocin, and claim that it bears more semblances with the effects of alcohol than previously thought.  |
| Chemo before surgery benefits patients with advanced ovarian cancer Posted: 19 May 2015 06:02 PM PDT Women with advanced ovarian cancer have fewer side effects and tend to have a better quality of life if given chemotherapy before surgery, according to a study. Delaying surgery also reduced the amount of time the patient spent in the hospital after surgery.  |
| Offshore wind turbine construction could be putting seals' hearing at risk Posted: 19 May 2015 06:02 PM PDT Noise from pile driving during offshore wind turbine construction could be damaging the hearing of harbour seals around the UK, researchers have found. They say more research is needed on how noise affects marine mammals' hearing and into engineering solutions to reduce noise levels.  |
| High risk of sleep apnea in young veterans with PTSD Posted: 19 May 2015 03:22 PM PDT The probability of having a high risk of obstructive sleep apnea increased with increasing severity of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSD), a new study of young US veterans shows. The study involved 195 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who visited a Veterans' Affairs outpatient PTSD clinic for evaluation. Results show that 69.2 percent of participants had a high risk for sleep apnea, and this risk increased with PTSD symptom severity.  |
| Cubesat: Small-satellite technology to observe physical phenomena far from Earth Posted: 19 May 2015 03:22 PM PDT Although scientists are increasingly using pint-size satellites sometimes no larger than a loaf of bread to gather data from low-Earth orbit, they have yet to apply the less-expensive small-satellite technology to observe physical phenomena far from terra firma. Scientists are now advancing a CubeSat concept that would give scientists that capability.  |
| For spider monkeys, social grooming comes with a cost Posted: 19 May 2015 03:22 PM PDT Social grooming, or helping others to stay clean and free of lice and other ecto-parasites, has long been associated with hygiene and good health in wild primates. In the process of picking out ecto-parasites, however, the groomers may be picking up internal ones, a new study finds. The results of the study on critically endangered brown spider monkeys show that physical contact is associated with the spread of several common gastrointestinal parasites.  |
| Robotic device that tests multiple types of handguns and ammunition Posted: 19 May 2015 03:22 PM PDT The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) today announced the successful completion of a robotic device that tests multiple types of handguns and ammunition.  |
| Mechanical ventilation associated with long-term disability Posted: 19 May 2015 03:22 PM PDT Critically ill patients who have been mechanically ventilated for more than seven days are at greatly increased risk for functional impairment and mortality at one year following discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU), according to a new study.  |
| Music helps patients undergoing daily weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation Posted: 19 May 2015 03:21 PM PDT Patient-selected music during weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation could benefit patients by decreasing their heart rate and anxiety, according to a new study.  |
| Tracking trends in youth self-harm visitation rates to Alberta's emergency rooms Posted: 19 May 2015 01:49 PM PDT New insight is being gained into the youth visiting Alberta's emergency rooms for self-harming behavior. The study examined approximately 6,000 visits of young patients from 2002 until 2011. It found youth from families who received various government subsidies, and First Nations youth, had far higher visitation rates to emergency rooms for self-harm compared to youth from families who didn't receive a subsidy.  |
| People with similar views closely mirror each other’s speech patterns Posted: 19 May 2015 01:48 PM PDT As social creatures, we tend to mimic each other's posture, laughter, and other behaviors, including how we speak. Now a new study shows that people with similar views tend to more closely mirror, or align, each other's speech patterns. In addition, people who are better at compromising align more closely.  |
| Widespread diabetes screening in India is predicted to be ineffective Posted: 19 May 2015 12:13 PM PDT Large-scale screening for diabetes in India using currently available survey- and glucometer-based screening tools is unlikely to meet effectiveness criteria, according to a modeling study. The predictions of this simulation suggest that large numbers of false positive results would waste financial resources, and that focusing on symptom-based screening and on improvements to diabetes treatment might better serve India's population.  |
| UK population is becoming overweight and obese at younger ages Posted: 19 May 2015 12:13 PM PDT Children born since the 1980s are two to three times more likely than older generations to be overweight or obese by the age of 10, according to new research. The study characterized population shifts in body mass index using data from more than 56,000 people born in Britain from 1946 to 2001.  |
| Natural sounds improve mood and productivity Posted: 19 May 2015 12:12 PM PDT Playing natural sounds such as flowing water in offices could boosts worker moods and improve cognitive abilities in addition to providing speech privacy, according to a new study.  |
| Skipping meals linked to abdominal weight gain Posted: 19 May 2015 11:15 AM PDT Skipping meals sets off a series of metabolic miscues that can result in abdominal weight gain, a new study in animals suggests. In the study, mice that ate all of their food as a single meal and fasted the rest of the day developed insulin resistance in their livers -- which scientists consider a telltale sign of prediabetes. When the liver doesn't respond to insulin signals telling it to stop producing glucose, that extra sugar in the blood is stored as fat.  |
| Diverse soil communities can help offset impacts of global warming Posted: 19 May 2015 10:28 AM PDT Small soil animals can limit the effects of climate change, a team of researchers has shown through a long-term study. In the same way that Yellowstone's wolves regulate plant diversity by controlling the number of grazing elk, the researchers found that insects, worms and other small creatures can play a similar regulatory role in soil ecosystems by feeding on the microbes that can trigger increased carbon emissions.  |
| Bloom preservation with urine chemical and acids? Posted: 19 May 2015 10:28 AM PDT If you want your cut gerberas to last longer in the vase, you could try a flower food made from acids and urea.  |
| Credit cards a valuable option for farmers' markets Posted: 19 May 2015 10:28 AM PDT Farmers' markets wanting to increase purchases by customers should consider accepting more than just cash or checks as payment, according to researchers.  |
| Potentially effective treatment for methamphetamine addiction identified Posted: 19 May 2015 10:27 AM PDT The first study in the United States of Naltrexone's effect on methamphetamine users has found that this medication, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of alcoholism, is potentially a very promising treatment for methamphetamine addiction, researchers report.  |
| Smokers don't vote: 11,626-person study shows marginalization of tobacco users Posted: 19 May 2015 10:27 AM PDT A survey of 11,626 Americans shows that, even with all else equal, smokers are 60 percent less likely to vote than nonsmokers. The study is the first to link a health-risk behavior with electoral participation, building on the work of a previous Swedish study that found an association between smoking and political mistrust.  |
| A virtual twin: Can virtual drivers resembling the user increase trust in smart cars? Posted: 19 May 2015 10:27 AM PDT Can the use of a virtual drivers programmed to resemble humans increase the level of trust and acceptance in smart cars?  |
| How will astronauts keep in shape for extended periods? Posted: 19 May 2015 10:27 AM PDT Run far or run fast? That is one of the questions NASA is trying to answer with one of its latest studies -- and the answers may help keep us in shape on Earth, as well as in space. Even with regular exercise, astronauts who spend an extended period of time in space experience muscle weakening, bone loss, and decreased cardiovascular conditioning.  |
| What makes cancer cells spread? New device offers clues Posted: 19 May 2015 10:27 AM PDT Cancer becomes deadly when it spreads, or metastasizes. Why do some cancer cells break away from a tumor and travel to distant parts of the body? A team of oncologists and engineers teamed up to help understand this crucial question.  |
| Health, social inequities drives HIV in young men who have sex with other men Posted: 19 May 2015 10:27 AM PDT Researchers sought to identify the factors associated with incident HIV infection among a cohort of racially/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse young, gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. Socioeconomic status is key driver of HIV seroconversion, they concluded.  |
| Printing 3-D graphene structures for tissue engineering Posted: 19 May 2015 10:26 AM PDT Ever since single-layer graphene burst onto the science scene in 2004, the possibilities for the promising material have seemed nearly endless. With its high electrical conductivity, ability to store energy, and ultra-strong and lightweight structure, graphene has potential for many applications in electronics, energy, the environment, and even medicine. Now a new ink formulation has been created that allows for the 3-D printing of large, robust graphene structures with unique mechanical and biological properties.  |
| Key component in protein that causes cystic fibrosis identified Posted: 19 May 2015 10:26 AM PDT Nearly 70,000 people worldwide are living with cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease. There currently is no cure for the condition, but researchers have now identified a key component in the protein that causes the disease. It is a finding that may lay the foundation for the development of new medications and improved therapies.  |
| Real and 3-D printed shells ability to withstand pressure Posted: 19 May 2015 10:26 AM PDT Engineers analyzed seashells to see how their shapes contribute to their remarkable strength. By modeling the average mollusk's mobile habitat, they are learning how shells stand up to extraordinary pressures at the bottom of the sea. The goal is to learn what drove these tough exoskeletons to evolve as they did and to see how their mechanical principles may be adapted for use in human-scale structures like vehicles and even buildings.  |
| New form of interleukin-2 could be fine-tuned to fight disease Posted: 19 May 2015 10:26 AM PDT Scientists are reporting development of a new way to modify interleukin-2 (IL-2), a substance known as a cytokine that plays key roles in regulating immune system responses, in order to fine-tune its actions. Harnessing the action of IL-2 in a controllable fashion is of clinical interest with potential benefit in a range of situations, including transplantation and autoimmune disease.  |
| Body's 'serial killers' captured on film destroying cancer cells Posted: 19 May 2015 10:26 AM PDT A dramatic video has captured the behavior of cytotoxic T cells -- the body's 'serial killers' -- as they hunt down and eliminate cancer cells before moving on to their next target.  |
| Research boosts evidence for a new class of treatments to help preserve vision Posted: 19 May 2015 09:23 AM PDT A substantial percentage of patients with diabetic macular edema do not have high levels of the VEGF protein in the fluid inside their eyes but do have high levels of a protein called PKal (plasma kallikrein) and associated molecules that are key players in an inflammatory molecular pathway involved in the disease, research concludes. This finding, the researchers say, could lead to a new class of treatments to help preserve vision in these patients.  |
| Genes may influence leadership in the workplace Posted: 19 May 2015 09:23 AM PDT A researcher has found that the dopamine transporter gene DAT1 can have both positive and negative effects on leadership in the workplace. The researchers found that people who had the 10-repeat allele in the dopamine transporter were most likely to engage in adolescent mild rule-breaking behavior, which is positively associated with leadership. Such mild rule-breaking behavior may include actions such as skipping class, but it is not serious deviant behavior such as shooting.  |
| Multiple sclerosis: Scientists identify cause of movement, balance problems Posted: 19 May 2015 09:22 AM PDT New research into the causes of the excessive inflammation that drives multiple sclerosis has identified a faulty 'brake' within immune cells, a brake that should be controlling the inflammation. This points to a potential target for developing new therapies to treat multiple sclerosis and could have important implications for other autoimmune diseases, such as the colon disease colitis and the chronic skin condition atopic dermatitis.  |
| Hemodialysis recommended for acute salicylate poisoning Posted: 19 May 2015 09:22 AM PDT The best remedy for severe salicylate poisoning is hemodialysis, according to a comprehensive systematic review of the medical literature. Salicylate is an active ingredient in aspirin as well as hundreds of over-the-counter medications, and contributes to approximately 20,000 accidental or intentional poisonings and nearly 30 deaths reported to US Poison Control Centers every year.  |
| The life and death of beta cells Posted: 19 May 2015 09:21 AM PDT Researchers studying microRNA -- tiny strands of ribonucleic acid -- in beta cells have found a type that plays a key role in cell death under stress. MicroRNAs have been regulating cell processes for aeons, as evidenced by phylogeny. Humans have around 21,000 genes, of which 700 to 1,000 code for microRNAs -- and 300 of these genes are present in all higher life forms, from worms to humans.  |
| Fresh milk, off the grid Posted: 19 May 2015 09:21 AM PDT Milk preservation depends upon refrigeration and boiling, but in developing countries these methods are costly and often impractical due to the sporadic availability of continuous electricity. New research now finds that short pulsed electric fields can be used to kill milk-contaminating bacteria. This process can prevent bacteria proliferation in stored milk, potentially increasing its shelf life.  |
| Chameleon proteins make individual cells visible Posted: 19 May 2015 09:21 AM PDT Researchers discovered a new mechanism of how fluorescent proteins can change color. It enables the microscopic visualization of individual cells in their three-dimensional environment in living organisms.  |
| Atmospheric release of BPA may reach nearby waterways Posted: 19 May 2015 09:21 AM PDT Existing research has determined that harmful concentrations of Bisphenol-A (BPA) have been deposited directly into rivers and streams by municipal or industrial wastewater. Now, researchers have assessed Missouri water quality near industrial sites permitted to release BPA into the air. Scientists now believe that atmospheric releases may create a concern for contamination of local surface water leading to human and wildlife exposure.  |
| Most European men descend from a handful of Bronze Age forefathers Posted: 19 May 2015 09:19 AM PDT Researchers determined DNA sequences from the Y chromosomes of 334 men belonging to 17 populations from Europe and the Middle East. The study shows that almost two out of three (64%) modern European men belong to just three young paternal lineage. Geneticists have discovered that most European men descend from just a handful of Bronze Age forefathers, due to a 'population explosion' several thousand years ago.  |
| Cancer drugs may hold key to treating Down syndrome and other brain disorders Posted: 19 May 2015 09:18 AM PDT A class of FDA-approved cancer drugs may be able to prevent problems with brain cell development associated with disorders including Down syndrome and Fragile X syndrome, researchers have found.  |
| 'Redesigned' antibodies may control HIV Posted: 19 May 2015 09:18 AM PDT With the help of a computer program called "Rosetta," researchers have "redesigned" an antibody that has increased potency and can neutralize more strains of the AIDS-causing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) than can any known natural antibody.  |
| Tunable liquid metal antennas Posted: 19 May 2015 09:18 AM PDT Researchers have held tremendous interest in liquid metal electronics for many years, but a significant and unfortunate drawback slowing the advance of such devices is that they tend to require external pumps that can't be easily integrated into electronic systems. So researchers set out to create a reconfigurable liquid metal antenna controlled by voltage only.  |
| Researchers determine best anesthesia option for infants Posted: 19 May 2015 09:15 AM PDT Experts have long examined the effects of anesthesia on infants and toddlers, and many believe infants who undergo general anesthesia in their first year of life may be at higher risk of developmental and learning issues. New work suggests that infants undergoing some types of surgery could have better recovery if they receive regional anesthesia rather than general anesthesia.  |
| Smoking a significant predictor of lung cancer recurrence in survivors Posted: 19 May 2015 09:15 AM PDT A new study has shown that many lung cancer survivors are at high risk for developing another lung cancer or having their cancer return after completing treatment. The study specifically looked at lung cancer survivors from three different institutions who had shown no further evidence of having the disease after completing the required treatment for lung cancer.  |
| COPD is more prevalent in poor and rural areas of the U. S. Posted: 19 May 2015 09:15 AM PDT Living in a rural area and being poor are risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to new research.  |
| Anti-smoking commercials burn out over time Posted: 19 May 2015 08:09 AM PDT The massive, federally funded anti-smoking campaign in the United States 'Tips From Former Smokers' -- 'Tips' for short -- fizzled more than it popped. That's the conclusion behind new research on this public health issue.  |
| Australian researcher helps with Ebola vaccine trials Posted: 19 May 2015 08:09 AM PDT An Australian researcher has helped identify the kind of human trial that is most effective for testing Ebola vaccines. Safe and effective vaccines could help end the ongoing Ebola virus disease epidemic in parts of West Africa and stop future outbreaks of the virus, researchers say.  |
| Stuttering linked to rhythm perception deficiency Posted: 19 May 2015 07:59 AM PDT Stuttering may be more than a speech problem. For the first time, researchers have found that children who stutter have difficulty perceiving a beat in music-like rhythms, which could account for their halting speech patterns.  |
| Horizontal gene transfer in E. coli Posted: 19 May 2015 07:59 AM PDT Escherichia coli O104 is an emergent disease-causing bacterium various strains of which are becoming increasingly well known and troublesome. The pathogen causes bloody diarrhea as well as and potentially fatal kidney damage, hemolytic uremic syndrome. Infection is usually through inadvertent ingestion of contaminated and incompletely cooked food or other materials, such as animals feces.  |
| Differences in tumor cell metabolism affect growth, invasion and response, say researchers Posted: 19 May 2015 07:58 AM PDT Cells within a tumor are not the same; they may have different genetic mutations and different characteristics during growth and throughout treatment. These differences make treating tumors extremely difficult and often lead to tumor recurrence dominated by more aggressive tumor cells. Researchers are now using mathematical modeling to characterize these differences within a tumor and hope that the results of their latest study will lead to better therapeutic treatments.  |
| Stress levels linked to risk of liver disease death, study shows Posted: 19 May 2015 07:58 AM PDT Suffering from anxiety or depression could carry an increased risk of death from liver disease, a study suggests. The study is the first to identify a possible link between high levels of psychological distress and deaths resulting from a variety of liver diseases.  |
| Critically endangered gibbon: New action plan to save world's rarest primate Posted: 19 May 2015 07:57 AM PDT An international team of more than 100 scientists, policy makers and community representatives have published a new report outlining the vital steps needed to save the Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus) from extinction. With only 25 individuals remaining in less than 20 square kilometers of forest in China's Hainan Island, the Critically Endangered Hainan gibbon is one of the rarest animals in the world.  |
| Apremilast in plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis: No added benefit can be derived Posted: 19 May 2015 07:57 AM PDT Reviewers report that the dossiers submitted regarding the use of Apremilast for psoriasis contained neither data from studies of direct comparisons nor indirect comparisons. The manufacturer itself also did not claim an added benefit for its new drug, they conclude.  |
| HIV reservoirs remain obstacles to cure Posted: 19 May 2015 07:57 AM PDT Antiretroviral therapy has proven lifesaving for people infected with HIV; however, the medications are a lifelong necessity for most HIV-infected individuals and present practical, logistical, economic and health-related challenges. A primary research goal is to find an HIV cure that either clears the virus from an infected person's body or enables HIV-infected individuals to suppress virus levels and replication to extremely low levels without the need for daily ART.  |
| Heart surgery? TAVI, safe and effective as surgical valves at 2 years in lower risk patients Posted: 19 May 2015 07:57 AM PDT Two year outcomes in a study comparing transcatheter to surgical bioprosthetic aortic valve implantation, shows that the less invasive procedure is safe and effective, and comparable to the gold standard, surgical valve replacement, in patients whose operational risk was lower than that of patients studied in the pivotal randomized trials for these newer devices.  |
| Giant panda gut bacteria can't efficiently digest bamboo Posted: 19 May 2015 07:57 AM PDT It's no wonder that giant pandas are always chewing and eating, say Chinese researchers: their gut bacteria are not the type for efficiently digesting bamboo. The bamboo-eating giant panda actually harbors a carnivore-like gut microbiota predominated by bacteria such as Escherichia/Shigella and Streptococcus, according to new research. Giant pandas evolved from bears that ate both plants and meat, researchers said, and started eating bamboo exclusively about two million years ago.  |
| Computer-assisted sedation reduces patient recovery time by almost 20 percent Posted: 19 May 2015 07:57 AM PDT Use of computer-assisted propofol sedation for routine upper endoscopy and colonoscopy reduced recovery room time by almost 20 percent, according to a new study. The study showed the process yielded a better recovery experience than the commonly used combination of midazolam and fentanyl.  |
| Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde: Telomere and telomerase in stem cells Posted: 19 May 2015 07:55 AM PDT When a human cell divides, its' daughter cells should each receive an identical copy of the mother cell's genome. Occasionally mistakes occur during this process generating mutations that can give rise to cancer. To avoid detrimental outcome for the organism, cells with mutations that generate deviations from normal chromosomal number are eliminated by cellular protection mechanisms. Researchers have now identified a crucial role of telomeres, the end structures of chromosomes, for sensing cells with a wrong chromosome number, referred to as aneuploidy.  |
