| Sex chromosomes: Why the Y genes matter Posted: 27 May 2015 06:36 PM PDT Several genes have been lost from the Y chromosome in humans and other mammals, according to research. The study shows that essential Y genes are rescued by relocating to other chromosomes, and it identifies a potentially important genetic factor in male infertility.  |
| Study tackles evolution mystery of animal, plant warning cues for survival Posted: 27 May 2015 04:16 PM PDT Not every encounter between predator and prey results in death. A new study co-authored by a University of Tennessee, Knoxville, professor suggests that prey emit warning cues that can ultimately lead to both their survival and that of their predators. The hypothesis addresses a 150-year-old mystery of evolution on how warning signals of animals and plants arise and explains animals' instinctive avoidances of dangerous prey.  |
| Importance of clinically actionable results in genetic panel testing for cancer Posted: 27 May 2015 03:09 PM PDT While advances in technology have made multigene testing, or 'panel testing,' for genetic mutations that increase the risk of breast or other cancers an option, authors of a review say larger studies are needed in order to provide reliable risk estimates for counseling these patients.  |
| Girls receive conflicting career messages from media, new research shows Posted: 27 May 2015 03:09 PM PDT Teenage girls like and feel more similar to women in appearance-focused jobs such as models and actresses, though they find female CEOs and military pilots to be better role models, according to a new study.  |
| How longhorned beetles find Mr. Right Posted: 27 May 2015 03:09 PM PDT A longhorned beetle's sexy scent might make a female perk up her antennae. But when the males of several species all smell the same, a female cannot choose by cologne alone. For these beetles to find a mate of the right species, timing is everything, according to research.  |
| Laser-beam scanning illuminates new details in dinosaur fossils Posted: 27 May 2015 03:09 PM PDT Scientists have developed methods of using commercial-grade laser equipment to find and analyze fossils of dinosaurs. The new laser method causes fossil samples to fluoresce, revealing complex details unseen with traditional visual enhancers like ultraviolet light.  |
| African-Americans at lower socioeconomic levels have increased risk of heart disease Posted: 27 May 2015 03:09 PM PDT African-Americans, especially women and young adults at lower socioeconomic levels have an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. The findings underscore the need for increased awareness and education about prevention and early detection and treatment of cardiovascular disease in African-American women and younger adults.  |
| Chemists discover key reaction mechanism behind the highly touted sodium-oxygen battery Posted: 27 May 2015 12:12 PM PDT Chemists have discovered the key reaction that takes place in sodium-air batteries that could pave the way for development of the so-called holy grail of electrochemical energy storage.  |
| Job-sharing with nursing robots Posted: 27 May 2015 12:11 PM PDT Given the threat of a massive earthquake striking Japan, researchers have organized a cooperative project team to develop a new robot. They set about determining the factors that are most important to hospital patients in modern society, after which they set about developing the world's first medical round robot capable of job-sharing, making more time for face-to-face nursing care.  |
| Tiny parasite may contribute to declines in honey bee colonies by infecting larvae Posted: 27 May 2015 12:11 PM PDT A tiny single-celled parasite may have a greater-than expected impact on honey bee colonies, which have been undergoing mysterious declines worldwide for the past decade, researchers have discovered. Since 2006, beekeepers in North America and Europe have lost about one-third of their managed bee colonies each year due to "colony collapse disorder." While the exact cause is unknown, scientists have speculated that pesticides, pathogens, mites and certain beekeeping practices have all contributed to this decline.  |
| Solid-state photonics goes extreme ultraviolet Posted: 27 May 2015 12:10 PM PDT Using ultrashort laser pulses, scientists have demonstrated the emission of extreme ultraviolet radiation from thin dielectric films and have investigated the underlying mechanisms. The experiments pave the way towards new solid-based photonic devices. Because the motion of the electrons driven by the laser pulse probes the properties of the solid, measurements of the emitted radiation lead to a deeper understanding of the structure and the inner workings of solids.  |
| Lethal wounds on skull may indicate 430,000 year-old murder Posted: 27 May 2015 12:09 PM PDT Research into lethal wounds found on a human skull may indicate one of the first cases of murder in human history--some 430,000 years ago--and offers evidence of the earliest funerary practices in the archaeological record.  |
| Diagnosing cancer with lumninescent bacteria: Engineered probiotics detect tumors in liver Posted: 27 May 2015 12:09 PM PDT Engineers have devised a new way to detect cancer that has spread to the liver, by enlisting help from probiotics -- beneficial bacteria similar to those found in yogurt. Using a harmless strain of E. coli that colonizes the liver, the researchers programmed the bacteria to produce a luminescent signal that can be detected with a simple urine test.  |
| 'Do' is better than 'don't' when it comes to eating better Posted: 27 May 2015 11:21 AM PDT Tell your child or spouse what they can eat and not what they can't, experts advise. Telling your child to eat an apple so they stay healthy will work better than telling them not to eat the cookie because it will make them fat. A new discovery shows that 'Don't' messages don't work for most of us.  |
| Tumor surroundings are shown to affect progression of different cancer subtypes Posted: 27 May 2015 11:21 AM PDT Our environment can have a major impact on how we develop, and it turns out it's no different for cancer cells. A team of researchers reports that two different mouse models of breast cancer progressed differently based on characteristics of the tumor microenvironment -- the area of tissue in which the tumor is embedded.  |
| New algorithm lets autonomous robots divvy up assembly tasks on the fly Posted: 27 May 2015 11:21 AM PDT Today's industrial robots are remarkably efficient -- as long as they're in a controlled environment where everything is exactly where they expect it to be.  |
| Ending Medicaid dental benefit is costly, experts say Posted: 27 May 2015 11:20 AM PDT A study finds states gain little when dropping adult dental coverage. Researchers say adults in California made 1,800 more hospital visits annually for dental care after losing the benefit. California spent $2.9 million each year, 68 percent more before eliminating the benefit.  |
| America's research funding squeeze imperils patient care, say top medical school deans Posted: 27 May 2015 11:18 AM PDT Constraints in federal funding, compounded by declining clinical revenue, jeopardize more than America's research enterprise, experts say. These twin pressures have created a "hostile working environment" that erodes time to conduct research, "discourages innovative high-risk science" and threatens to drive established and early-career scientists out of the field. And this, they add, in turn undermines patient care.  |
| Congressional action needed to optimize regulation of genomic tests Posted: 27 May 2015 10:40 AM PDT Latest generation genomic testing offers a chance for improvements in patient care, disease prevention and healthcare cost-effectiveness. A new report recommends that Congress incentivize development of massive data systems that doctors and regulators will need to make these tests safe and effective for patients. Existing regulatory oversight should be bolstered with ongoing postmarket data collection to study tests after they are in use and resolve lingering questions about health impacts of as-yet-poorly-understood genetic variants, experts argue.  |
| Scientists one step closer to mimicking gamma-ray bursts Posted: 27 May 2015 10:40 AM PDT Using ever more energetic lasers, researchers have produced a record high number of electron-positron pairs, opening exciting opportunities to study extreme astrophysical processes, such as black holes and gamma-ray bursts.  |
| Brain signals contain the code for your next move Posted: 27 May 2015 10:40 AM PDT Is it possible to tap into the signalling in the brain to figure out what you will choose to do next? Researchers can now say yes, and have published a description of how this happens.  |
| Study could explain why ovarian cancer treatments fail Posted: 27 May 2015 10:40 AM PDT Ovarian cancer cells can lock into survival mode and avoid being destroyed by chemotherapy, an international study reports. The research used whole genome sequencing to analyse tumor DNA samples from 91 patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC).  |
| New human ancestor species from Ethiopia lived alongside Lucy's species Posted: 27 May 2015 10:40 AM PDT A new relative joins 'Lucy' on the human family tree. Scientists have discovered a 3.3 to 3.5 million-year-old new human ancestor species. Upper and lower jaw fossils recovered from the Woranso-Mille area of the Afar region of Ethiopia have been assigned to the new species Australopithecus deyiremeda. This hominin lived alongside the famous 'Lucy's' species, Australopithecus afarensis.  |
| Invisible helpers of the sea: Marine bacteria boost growth of tiny ocean algae Posted: 27 May 2015 10:40 AM PDT A common diatom grows faster in the presence of bacteria that release a growth hormone known to benefit plants on land. The authors of a new report showed that these bacteria exchange material with the diatoms while in turn producing auxin, a well-known hormone made by microbes living around the roots of land plants.  |
| Researchers identify origin of chromosomal oddity in some cancer cells Posted: 27 May 2015 10:40 AM PDT Surveys of the genomic terrain of cancer have turned up a curious phenomenon in some tumor cells: a massive rearrangement of DNA in one or a few chromosomes, thought to be produced during a single cell cycle. In a new study, scientists demonstrate how this sudden, isolated shuffling of genetic material -- known as chromothripsis -- can occur.  |
| Robots can automatically recover from damage in minutes Posted: 27 May 2015 10:40 AM PDT Robots will one day provide tremendous benefits to society, such as in search and rescue missions and putting out forest fires -- but not until they can learn to keep working if they become damaged. A new article shows how to make robots automatically recover from injury in less than two minutes.  |
| Scientists identify key to preventing secondary cancers Posted: 27 May 2015 10:39 AM PDT Breast cancer is a disease that commonly spreads to other areas of the body; the most common site for the disease to spread is the bone. Leading scientists have identified a possible key to preventing secondary cancers in breast cancer patients, after discovering an enzyme that enhances the spread of the disease. They also report that an existing class of drugs for osteoporosis could stop the spread of the disease.  |
| Spiraling laser pulses could change the nature of graphene Posted: 27 May 2015 10:39 AM PDT A new study predicts that researchers could use spiraling pulses of laser light to change the nature of graphene, turning it from a metal into an insulator and giving it other peculiar properties that might be used to encode information.  |
| Global climate on verge of multi-decadal change Posted: 27 May 2015 10:39 AM PDT The global climate is on the verge of broad-scale change that could last for a number of decades a new study implies. The change to the new set of climatic conditions is associated with a cooling of the Atlantic, and is likely to bring drier summers in Britain and Ireland, accelerated sea-level rise along the northeast coast of the United States, and drought in the developing countries of the Sahel region.  |
| Shock Collision Inside Black Hole Jet Posted: 27 May 2015 10:39 AM PDT Astronomers have discovered for the first time a rear-end collision between two high-speed knots of ejected matter from a supermassive black hole. This discovery was made while piecing together a time-lapse movie of a plasma jet blasted from a supermassive black hole inside galaxy 3C 264, located 260 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo.  |
| Using debt to maintain status quo leaves families on rocky road to recovery Posted: 27 May 2015 09:47 AM PDT Economically vulnerable families are increasingly willing to take on debt to maintain a basic standard of living -- a situation that can put them into a deep financial hole, according to a new study.  |
| Potential proteins identified to target in osteosarcoma treatment Posted: 27 May 2015 09:47 AM PDT The genes and pathways that, when altered, can cause osteosarcoma have been identified by researchers using new models. The information could be used to better target treatments for the often-deadly type of cancer.  |
| Differences in RORA levels in brain may contribute to autism sex bias Posted: 27 May 2015 09:47 AM PDT An important sex-dependent difference in the level of RORA protein in brain tissues of males and females has been found by scientists. Specifically, females without autism have a slightly higher level of RORA in the frontal cortex of the brain than males without autism, while the levels of the protein are comparably lower in the brain of both males and females with autism.  |
| Effective season extension technologies identified for strawberry production Posted: 27 May 2015 09:47 AM PDT A study assessed economic returns to three season extension methods for strawberry production in the Intermountain West; high tunnels only, high tunnels in conjunction with low tunnels and targeted in-ground supplemental heating. High tunnels provided net returns of $1,943.57 or $15,548.56 per hectare. Low tunnels added within the high tunnels resulted in a positive increase in net returns for one cultivar. Supplemental in-ground heating increased net returns by up to 50 percent for both cultivars.  |
| Medical, magnetic millirobots offer hope for less-invasive surgeries Posted: 27 May 2015 09:47 AM PDT Seeking to advance minimally invasive medical treatments, researchers have proposed using tiny robots, driven by magnetic potential energy from magnetic resonance imaging scanners. The potential technology could be used to treat hydrocephalus and other conditions, allowing surgeons to avoid current treatments that require cutting through the skull to implant pressure-relieving shunts, the researchers say.  |
| Millennials: The least religious generation Posted: 27 May 2015 09:47 AM PDT In what may be the largest study ever conducted on changes in Americans' religious involvement, researchers have found that millennials are the least religious generation of the last six decades, and possibly in the nation's history.  |
| Hallucinations and delusions more common than thought Posted: 27 May 2015 09:47 AM PDT Scientists have found that hearing voices and seeing things (that others cannot) impacts about 5 percent of the general population at some point in their lives.  |
| Endless oscillations, destined never to relax: A theoretical study on quantum systems Posted: 27 May 2015 09:46 AM PDT According to classical physics, the universe tends to equilibrium but the same does not apply to quantum systems, which are destined to shift constantly between different configurations without ever finding peace. A theoretical study illustrates this dramatic difference and explains that in order to be described correctly one-dimensional quantum systems should be thought of as being defined on discrete points in space.  |
| America: Who's making sure the power stays on? Posted: 27 May 2015 09:44 AM PDT Electricity systems in the United States are so haphazardly regulated for reliability, it's nearly impossible for customers to know their true risk of losing service in a major storm, experts say.  |
| Researchers discover surprisingly wide variation across species in genetic systems that influence aging Posted: 27 May 2015 09:43 AM PDT A new study focusing on insulin signaling uncovered surprising genetic diversity across reptiles, birds and mammals. Scientists previously assumed the process remained much the same throughout the animal kingdom, but the new research shows that the genetic pathways in reptiles evolved to include protein forms not observed in mammals.  |
| Pinpointing natural cancer drug's true origins brings sustainable production a step closer Posted: 27 May 2015 09:43 AM PDT For decades, scientists have known that ET-743, a compound extracted from a marine invertebrate called a mangrove tunicate, can kill cancer cells. The drug has been approved for use in patients in Europe and is in clinical trials in the U.S. By analyzing the genome of the tunicate along with the microbes that live inside it using advanced sequencing techniques, researchers have been able to isolate the genetic blueprint of the ET-743's producer--which turns out to be a type of bacteria.  |
| Telemedicine exams result in antibiotics as often as regular exams, study finds Posted: 27 May 2015 08:31 AM PDT Telemedicine is growing rapidly, yet there is relatively little research about the quality of such services. A new study finds that patients treated for an acute respiratory infection by a doctor on a telephone or live video are as likely to be prescribed an antibiotic as patients who are treated by a physician face-to-face. The report is the first to assess quality of direct-to-consumer telemedicine as compared to in-person care for common acute respiratory infections.  |
| DNA: Expanding code of life with new 'letters' Posted: 27 May 2015 08:31 AM PDT The DNA encoding all life on Earth is made of four building blocks called nucleotides, commonly known as 'letters,' that line up in pairs and twist into a double helix. Now, two groups of scientists are reporting for the first time that two new nucleotides can do the same thing -- raising the possibility that entirely new proteins could be created for medical uses.  |
| Tablets can help elderly cross the 'digital divide' Posted: 27 May 2015 08:30 AM PDT One way to help the elderly cross what's known as the 'digital divide' is the use of tablets, those smaller, lighter, easy-to-use computers that seem to be taking the place of laptops.  |
| Heart: Electronic stent to provide feedback and therapy, then dissolve Posted: 27 May 2015 08:30 AM PDT Every year, an estimated half-million Americans undergo surgery to have a stent prop open a coronary artery narrowed by plaque. But sometimes the mesh tubes get clogged. Scientists have now developed a new kind of multi-tasking stent that could minimize the risks associated with the procedure. It can sense blood flow and temperature, store and transmit the information for analysis and can be absorbed by the body after it finishes its job.  |
| Zebrafish model gives new insight on autism spectrum disorder Posted: 27 May 2015 08:30 AM PDT Researchers are utilizing animal models to understand how dysfunction of either of two genes associated with autism spectrum disorder, SYNGAP1 and SHANK 3, contributes to risk in ASD. The new findings pinpoint the actual place and time where these genes exert influence in brain development and function.  |
| New online tool to predict genetic resistance to tuberculosis drugs Posted: 27 May 2015 08:30 AM PDT A new TB-Profiler tool analyses and interprets genome sequence data to predict resistance to 11 drugs used for the treatment of TB. This rapid tool means that sequence data can now be used without delay, so that finding which drugs to use for a patient with TB can be sped up by days or even weeks, increasing the likelihood of a cure.  |
| Perfume researchers lend their noses to design less odorous latrines Posted: 27 May 2015 08:29 AM PDT About 2.5 billion people worldwide don't have access to sanitary toilets. Latrines are an option for many of those people, but these facilities' overwhelming odors can deter users, who then defecate outdoors instead. To improve this situation, fragrance scientists paired experts' noses and analytical instruments to determine the odor profiles of latrines with the aim of countering the offensive stench.  |
| Sandwich system found effective in organic apple orchards Posted: 27 May 2015 08:29 AM PDT Scientists investigated four orchard floor management systems in an organic apple orchard and evaluated weed management, soil nutrient content, soil physical conditions, apple yield, quality, and storability for each. A sandwich system used during the whole year eliminated vegetative cover competition, increased soil respiration, improved leaf and fruit calcium content, and resulted in moderate leaf and fruit nitrogen content and tree growth reduction, while producing good-quality apples with high storability, they report.  |
| Theory of everything? How spacetime is built by quantum entanglement Posted: 27 May 2015 08:29 AM PDT Physicists and mathematicians have made a significant step toward unifying general relativity and quantum mechanics by explaining how spacetime emerges from quantum entanglement in a more fundamental theory.  |
| How should Norway legalize egg donation? Posted: 27 May 2015 08:28 AM PDT More than 5 million children in Europe have been born as a result of assisted reproductive technologies, yet many European countries have regulations that restrict different aspects of these technologies. The result is that European women travel elsewhere to get services that are not currently available in their home countries. Now, the Norwegian Biotechnology Council is recommending that egg donation be made legal in Norway.  |
| Common cancer drug increases collagen in melanoma Posted: 27 May 2015 08:28 AM PDT Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, and investigators are uncertain how its presence affects the behavior of melanoma cells. The goal of their study was to understand how the drug affects collagen synthesis by the tumor cells.  |
| Quantum magnetic ordering: Moving out of equilibrium Posted: 27 May 2015 08:27 AM PDT Physicists have taken an interest in quantum magnetic ordering, which is believed to be intimately related to high-temperature superconductivity and also has significance in other massively connected quantum systems. Recently, a group studied the magnetic and motional dynamics of atoms in a specially designed laser-based lattice that looks like a checkerboard.  |
| Study identifies brain regions activated when pain intensity doesn't match expectation Posted: 27 May 2015 08:27 AM PDT Picture yourself in a medical office, anxiously awaiting your annual flu shot. The nurse casually states, "This won't hurt a bit." But when the needle pierces your skin it hurts, and it hurts a lot. Your expectations have been violated, and not in a good way.  |
| Any dose of alcohol combined with cannabis significantly increases levels of THC in blood Posted: 27 May 2015 08:27 AM PDT Cannabis plus alcohol is one of the most frequently detected drug combinations in car accidents, yet the interaction of these two compounds is still poorly understood. A study shows for the first time that the simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis produces significantly higher blood concentrations of cannabis's main psychoactive constituent, THC, as well as THC's primary active metabolite than cannabis use alone.  |
| State regulations for indoor tanning could lead to a national regulatory framework Posted: 27 May 2015 08:27 AM PDT A national regulatory framework designed to prevent and limit indoor tanning is needed to alleviate the cancer burden and reduce the billions in financial costs from preventable skin cancer, say two public health experts.  |
| Protein scaffold created by researchers Posted: 27 May 2015 07:31 AM PDT Right before a cell starts to divide to give birth to a daughter cell, its biochemical machinery unwinds the chromosomes and copies the millions of protein sequences comprising the cell's DNA, which is packaged along the length of the each chromosomal strand. These copied sequences also need to be put back together before the two cells are pulled apart. Mistakes can lead to genetic defects or cancerous mutations in future cell generations. Researchers have now charted a protein that scaffolds the chromosome along its length to help perpetuate life.  |
| Physicists solve quantum tunneling mystery Posted: 27 May 2015 07:31 AM PDT Scientists studying ultrafast physics have solved a mystery of quantum mechanics, and found that quantum tunneling is an instantaneous process.  |
| Experiment confirms quantum theory weirdness Posted: 27 May 2015 07:31 AM PDT The bizarre nature of reality as laid out by quantum theory has survived another test, with scientists performing a famous experiment and proving that reality does not exist until it is measured. Physicists have conducted John Wheeler's delayed-choice thought experiment, which involves a moving object that is given the choice to act like a particle or a wave. The group reversed Wheeler's original experiment, and used helium atoms scattered by light.  |
| Strength-based parenting improves children's resilience and stress levels Posted: 27 May 2015 07:31 AM PDT Children are more likely to use their strengths to effectively cope with minor stress in their life if they have parents who adopt a strength-based approach to parenting. Strength-based parenting is an approach where parents deliberately identify and cultivate positive states, processes and qualities in their children, the researchers explain.  |
