| Designing crack-resistant metals Posted: 24 Jun 2015 03:24 PM PDT Discoveries about the causes of stress-corrosion cracking in metal alloys could help prevent failure of critical infrastructure systems such as pipelines that transport water, fossil fuels and natural gas, as well as operating systems for nuclear power generation facilities and the framework of aircraft.  |
| Analyzing ocean mixing reveals insight on climate Posted: 24 Jun 2015 03:24 PM PDT A computer model that clarifies the complex processes driving ocean mixing in the vast eddies that swirl across hundreds of miles of open ocean has been developed by researchers.  |
| Nearly half of Hispanics unaware they have high cholesterol; less than a third treated Posted: 24 Jun 2015 03:24 PM PDT About half of Hispanics were not aware that they had high cholesterol, a study has shown. Of those who were aware, less than a third were treated. Younger adults, women, the uninsured, those with lower income, and more recent immigrants were less likely to have their high cholesterol controlled.  |
| Cystic fibrosis deadlier for Hispanic than non-Hispanic patients, study finds Posted: 24 Jun 2015 01:25 PM PDT Cystic fibrosis is more deadly for Hispanic than non-Hispanic patients, a disparity that is not explained by differences in their access to health care, according to a new study.  |
| In ERs, UTIs and STIs in women misdiagnosed, even mixed up nearly half the time Posted: 24 Jun 2015 12:55 PM PDT Urinary tract and sexually transmitted infections in women are misdiagnosed by emergency departments nearly half the time, according to research. These misdiagnoses result in overuse of antibiotics, and increased antibiotic resistance, the authors say.  |
| Patient outcomes could improve by preparing nursing homes for health information exchange Posted: 24 Jun 2015 12:55 PM PDT When older adults transfer between nursing homes and hospitals, inefficient and unclear communication between the organizations can hinder patient care. Now, a team of researchers is working to improve patients' health outcomes by increasing efficient, secure communication between nursing homes and hospitals using an electronic communication system called a health information exchange.  |
| Norepinephrine aids brain in sorting complex auditory signals Posted: 24 Jun 2015 11:32 AM PDT The neuromodulator norepinephrine has an unexpected, direct action on auditory processing of complex signals, specifically bird songs in the zebra finch, new research suggests.  |
| DNA shed from head and neck tumors detected in blood, saliva Posted: 24 Jun 2015 11:32 AM PDT On the hunt for better cancer screening tests, scientists led a proof of principle study that successfully identified tumor DNA shed into the blood and saliva of 93 patients with head and neck cancer.  |
| Lovebird has clear sight during rapid turns Posted: 24 Jun 2015 11:31 AM PDT High-speed videos of lovebirds making quick in flight turns reveal how they improve sight and shorten blur by rotating their head at speeds of up to 2700 degrees per second.  |
| Got acne? Lay off the B12 Posted: 24 Jun 2015 11:31 AM PDT Vitamin B12 tweaks how genes behave in the facial bacteria of some people who normally enjoy clear skin, leading to pimples, new research suggests.  |
| Why parrots are great vocal imitators Posted: 24 Jun 2015 11:31 AM PDT Scientists have uncovered key structural differences in parrot brains that may help explain why this group of bird species can mimic speech and songs so well. These brain structures went unrecognized in studies published in the past 34 years. The results may lend insight into the neural mechanisms of human speech.  |
| Rainbow of glowing corals discovered in depths of the Red Sea Posted: 24 Jun 2015 11:31 AM PDT Glowing corals that display a surprising array of colors have been discovered in the deep water reefs of the Red Sea.  |
| First species of yeti crab from hydrothermal vent systems near Antarctica described Posted: 24 Jun 2015 11:31 AM PDT The first species of yeti crab from hydrothermal vent systems of the East Scotia Ridge in the Southern Ocean, Antarctica, has been described. This Yeti Crab is famous for its body, which is densely covered by bristles -- known as setae -- and bacteria, giving it a fur-like appearance.  |
| Observations of one billion years after Big Bang: New stage in galactic lifecycle discovered Posted: 24 Jun 2015 11:02 AM PDT Astronomers have analyzed the clouds of gas and dust from some of the earliest galaxies ever observed -- one billion years after the Big Bang.  |
| Targeting telomeres, the timekeepers of cells, could improve chemotherapy Posted: 24 Jun 2015 11:02 AM PDT Telomeres, specialized ends of our chromosomes that dictate how long cells can continue to duplicate themselves, have long been studied for their links to the aging process and cancer. In an unexpected finding, researchers show how disabling telomere protection during cell division prompts cell death.  |
| Three Ebola virus variants identified in Guinea Posted: 24 Jun 2015 11:02 AM PDT Sequencing the genome of Ebola virus strains circulating in Guinea has allowed scientists to retrace the spread of the virus and monitor its evolution in the country where the outbreak started. Characterization of the genetic variations of the virus is crucial to ensure the continued efficacy of diagnostic tools and for the development of effective treatments and vaccines.  |
| Newly found ring of teeth uncovers what common ancestor of molting animals looked like Posted: 24 Jun 2015 11:02 AM PDT A new analysis of one of the most bizarre-looking fossils ever discovered has definitively sorted its head from its tail, and turned up a previously unknown ring of teeth, which could help answer some of the questions around the early development of molting animals.  |
| Color of urine to be valid gauge for hydration in children, researcher finds Posted: 24 Jun 2015 11:01 AM PDT More than half of American children are dehydrated, and a researcher has found an easy way for children to gauge hydration using established protocols already in place for athletes. The research also shows that children can accurately self-assess hydration levels using established methods. Mild dehydration in children has been linked to reduced cognitive functioning and is associated with poorer school performance in children.  |
| Challenging negative stereotypes to narrow the achievement gap Posted: 24 Jun 2015 10:26 AM PDT A writing intervention linked to improved academic performance among girls and minorities may work by triggering a sense of belonging, helping to ease the students' anxiety, say researchers. They are the first to apply text-mining techniques to analyze the content of experimental essays showing that some students do better in school when asked to write about values important to them.  |
| Diabetic blindness: Best source of stem cells to block vision loss Posted: 24 Jun 2015 10:26 AM PDT Stem cells taken from donors are more likely to be more effective at battling diabetic retinopathy than cells taken from patients' own bodies, a new study concludes. The work is a critical step toward the goal of injecting stem cells into patients' eyes to stop or even reverse the vision loss. The findings also establish a crucial framework for evaluating stem cells to be used in potential future treatments for diabetic retinopathy.  |
| 'Behemoth' bleeding atmosphere around a warm Neptune-sized exoplanet Posted: 24 Jun 2015 10:24 AM PDT Astronomers have discovered an immense cloud of hydrogen dispersing from a warm, Neptune-sized planet orbiting a nearby star. The enormous comet-like tail of the planet is about 50 times the size of the parent star.  |
| Tiny particles in blood useful for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer Posted: 24 Jun 2015 10:24 AM PDT A protein encoded by the gene glypican-1 (GPC1) present on cancer exosomes may be used as part of a potential non-invasive diagnostic and screening tool to detect early pancreatic cancer, potentially at a stage amenable to surgical treatment, according to a new study.  |
| What's new in contact lenses? Prescribing trends reflect new lens materials, designs Posted: 24 Jun 2015 08:56 AM PDT More Americans are using soft contact lenses—especially daily disposable lenses—and taking advantage of new designs targeting vision problems that were difficult to correct with previous contact lenses, reports a new article.  |
| Geography is destiny in deaths from kidney failure, study shows Posted: 24 Jun 2015 08:56 AM PDT The notion that geography often shapes economic and political destiny has long informed the work of economists and political scholars. Now a study led by medical scientists reveals how geography also appears to affect the very survival of people with end-stage kidney disease in need of dialysis.  |
| Spintronics advance brings wafer-scale quantum devices closer to reality Posted: 24 Jun 2015 08:56 AM PDT Researchers have made a crucial step toward nuclear spintronic technologies. They have gotten nuclear spins to line themselves up in a consistent, controllable way, and they have done it using a high-performance material that is practical, convenient, and inexpensive.  |
| Unlocking fermentation secrets open door to new biofuels Posted: 24 Jun 2015 08:55 AM PDT Researchers have, for the first time, uncovered the complex interdependence and orchestration of metabolic reactions, gene regulation, and environmental cues of clostridial metabolism, providing new insights for advanced biofuel development.  |
| What your clothes may literally say about you Posted: 24 Jun 2015 08:55 AM PDT Researchers have designed a responsive hybrid material that is fueled by an oscillatory chemical reaction and can perform computations based on changes in the environment or movement, and potentially even respond to human vital signs.  |
| Reenergizing antibiotics in the war against infections Posted: 24 Jun 2015 08:54 AM PDT In principle, antibiotics suppress infections either by killing the bacteria, which is called a bactericidal effect or by merely inhibiting their growth, by what is called a bacteriostatic effect. After the treatment has been stopped, growth-inhibited bacteria, however, can re-emerge from their dormancy to start multiplying again with latent infections relapsing back into full-blown attacks. A critical differentiator that separates the effects of bactericidal and bacteriostatic antibiotics has been identified by researchers: cellular respiration.  |
| How the brightest lights in the universe 'flicker' Posted: 24 Jun 2015 08:54 AM PDT Active galactic nuclei are the brightest objects in the universe. They are not lit up permanently, but rather 'flicker' extremely slowly. This insight helps researchers better understand the influence these nuclei and black holes have on their host galaxy.  |
| Future physicians more inclined to embrace genomic medicine than practicing physicians Posted: 24 Jun 2015 08:54 AM PDT Medical students showed a greater acceptance of using approaches in genomic medicine, a key element in the practice of precision medicine, to treat patients as compared to physicians currently in practice according to a study.  |
| Study examines Cesarean section delivery, autism spectrum disorder Posted: 24 Jun 2015 08:54 AM PDT The initial results of a study suggested that children born by Cesarean section were 21 percent more likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder but that association did not hold up in further analysis of sibling pairs, implying the initial association was not causal and was more likely due to unknown genetic or environmental factors.  |
| For vitiligo patient, arthritis drug restores skin color Posted: 24 Jun 2015 08:54 AM PDT A medication for treating rheumatoid arthritis has restored skin color in a patient suffering from vitiligo, according to dermatologists. The disfiguring condition is best known as the disease that plagued late pop star Michael Jackson.  |
| Women's sport participation and gender equality: African women in the beautiful game Posted: 24 Jun 2015 08:02 AM PDT Despite a notably high percentage of women in political positions, South Africa has high rates of rape and domestic violence, suggesting poor gender equality, widespread discrimination and male dominance in (South) Africa. New research examines women's involvement in sport, specifically soccer and its impact on balance of gender power in South Africa on National, community and personal levels.  |
| Oh, to have Dr. Facebook on call Posted: 24 Jun 2015 08:01 AM PDT If it were up to Internet-savvy Americans, more of them would be emailing or sending Facebook messages to their doctors to chat about their health. That's the result of a national survey that was sent to more than 4,500 customers of a retail pharmacy. Respondents tended to be well educated, in good health, and frequent users of Facebook.  |
| Monitoring Chinese industry 4.0 technology and patents Posted: 24 Jun 2015 08:01 AM PDT Researchers have analyzed patents registered in China over the last three years for industry 4.0 technologies. The first study to be published on the topic shows that Chinese researchers have patented important inventions in the fields of wireless sensor networks, embedded systems, low-cost robots and big data, indicating that China may be leading the pack when it comes to production data in the future.  |
| Rare neurons enable mental flexibility Posted: 24 Jun 2015 08:01 AM PDT Behavioral flexibility -- the ability to change strategy when the rules change -- is controlled by specific neurons in the brain. Researchers now report that they have identified the neurons responsible for our ability to adapt to a changing environment.  |
| Low-grade brain tumor diagnosis redefined Posted: 24 Jun 2015 08:01 AM PDT A group of patients have made important contributions to an American cancer study that proposes a change in how some brain tumors are classified and ultimately treated. The study reveals that a tumor's DNA is key to determining if a lower-grade malignant brain tumor may rapidly progress to glioblastoma.  |
| To the rescue: Helping threatened Mediterranean sea turtles Posted: 24 Jun 2015 08:01 AM PDT With all sea turtles being currently on the list of endangered species, authors now offer a critical review of what is being done towards saving injured Mediterranean loggerhead and green turtles. They also call for further development and implementation of rescue centers, first-aid stations and awareness campaigns.  |
| Distributed technique for power 'scheduling' advances smart grid concept Posted: 24 Jun 2015 07:59 AM PDT A new technique for 'scheduling' energy in electric grids has been developed. It moves away from centralized management by tapping into the distributed computing power of energy devices. The approach advances the smart grid concept by coordinating the energy being produced and stored by both conventional and renewable sources.  |
| How our brains can form first impressions quickly Posted: 24 Jun 2015 07:59 AM PDT A study of how people can quickly spot animals by sight is helping uncover the workings of the human brain. Researchers found that one of the first parts of the brain to process visual information -- the primary visual cortex -- can control this fast response, rather than more complex parts of the brain being required.  |
| New lichen species discovered in city of Boulder Posted: 24 Jun 2015 07:59 AM PDT A scientist unexpectedly discovered two lichen species new to science in the same week while conducting research in Boulder Colorado, near the city's eastern limits. Lichens are complex life forms composed of at least two separate organisms, primarily a fungus and an alga that form a symbiotic relationship. They can live on soil, rocks, tree bark, desert sand, animal bones and rusty metal, for example.  |
| Porcupines can't jump: Camera traps in the forest canopy reveal dwarf porcupine behavior Posted: 24 Jun 2015 07:59 AM PDT A team of researchers documenting the use of natural canopy bridges over a pipeline clearing with camera traps in Peru found an unexpected animal using some of the bridges. At least 17 dwarf porcupines were photographed. Previously known only as far south as Iquitos in Northern Peru, the discovery was made some 900km away from the closest previous record.  |
| Minority students are underrepresented in special education Posted: 24 Jun 2015 07:03 AM PDT A new federally funded study finds that racial, ethnic, and language minority elementary- and middle-school students are less likely than otherwise similar white, English-speaking children to be identified as having disabilities and, as a result, are disproportionately underrepresented in special education. These findings differ from most prior education research and contrast with current federal legislation and policies.  |
| Study identifies characteristics of patients likely to have a potential living liver donor Posted: 24 Jun 2015 07:03 AM PDT Younger patients, those who are married, and those with Child-Pugh C disease—the most severe measure of liver disease—are more likely immigrants, divorced patients and those at the lowest income levels were less likely to have a potential live donor volunteer for liver donation, researchers report.With a limited supply of deceased donor organs, livers from living donors provide a much needed, life-saving option for those with end-stage liver disease. Despite evidence suggesting that the 5-year recipient survival from the time of wait listing is estimated to be 20% higher with a live donor compared with deceased donor, living donor liver transplantation accounts for only a few percent in many Western countries.  |
| Consensus paper on patient preferences for arrhythmias management published Posted: 24 Jun 2015 07:02 AM PDT A unique consensus paper on patient preferences for arrhythmias management has been published. Cardiac arrhythmias can have a big impact on quality of life. Patients with ventricular arrhythmias, for example, may be banned from sports and driving. Those with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) need to weigh the longevity they would gain with the device against the potential for a protracted death from progressive heart failure when deciding whether or not to have it switched off towards the end of life.  |
| First ESC recommendations for arrhythmias, chronic kidney disease published Posted: 24 Jun 2015 07:02 AM PDT Significant interactions occur between the heart and kidney, and even mild kidney disease is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Sudden cardiac death is the most common cause of death in dialysis patients including children, accounting for 50% of cardiac deaths and 25% of all deaths. Now experts have released recommendations for patients with cardiac arrhythmias and chronic kidney disease.  |
| Low-field synchronized transcranial magnetic stimulation effective for major depressive disorder Posted: 24 Jun 2015 07:02 AM PDT The results of a study assessing safety and efficacy of sTMS therapy with the NEST device in adult patients with Major Depressive Disorder have been published.  |
| 3-D plasmonic antenna capable of focusing light into few nanometers Posted: 24 Jun 2015 07:00 AM PDT Researchers have developed a 3D gap-plasmon antenna which can focus light into a few nanometers wide space.  |
| Nanostructure design enables pixels to produce two different colors depending on polarization of incident light Posted: 24 Jun 2015 07:00 AM PDT Through precise structural control researchers have encoded a single pixel with two distinct colors and have used this capability to generate a three-dimensional stereoscopic image.  |
| Girls at higher risk for overuse injuries in high school sports Posted: 24 Jun 2015 06:07 AM PDT When it comes to overuse injuries in high school sports, girls are at a much higher risk than boys, a new study shows. Overuse injuries include stress fractures, tendonitis and joint pain, and occur when athletes are required to perform the same motion repeatedly.  |
| Atlas of older brains could help diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease Posted: 24 Jun 2015 06:06 AM PDT A digital map of the aging brain could aid the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders in older people, a study suggests. The atlas created using images from MRI scans of older people could aid diagnosis by comparing the patients' scans with a detailed map of the healthy aging brain.  |
| Forgotten fossil indicates earlier origin of teeth Posted: 24 Jun 2015 06:06 AM PDT A tiny tooth plate of the 410 million year old fossil fish Romundina stellina indicates that teeth evolved earlier in the tree of life than recently thought. Jaws and teeth have been important innovations in the evolution of vertebrate animals. More than 98% of vertebrate animals have jaws.  |
| Eavesdropping on the body: New device tracks chemical signals within cells Posted: 24 Jun 2015 06:06 AM PDT A new device that more quickly and accurately 'listens in' on the chemical messages that tell our cells how to multiply has been invested by scientists. The tool improves our understanding of how cancerous growth begins, and could identify new targets for cancer medications.  |
| Inflaming the drive for suicide: Analysis reveals link between suicide, inflammation Posted: 24 Jun 2015 05:01 AM PDT One American dies from suicide every 12.8 minutes, making suicide the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. There is consensus that if we could better predict who was at risk for suicide, then we could more effectively intervene to reduce this terrible burden on individuals, families and public health.  |
| Novel microscope for nanosystems Posted: 24 Jun 2015 05:00 AM PDT Scientists can image the optical properties of individual nanoparticles with a novel microscope.  |
| Using lasers to see the shape of molecules Posted: 24 Jun 2015 05:00 AM PDT Scientists have created a new technique for resolving the orbits of multiple molecular orbitals, a previously impossible feat.  |
| Artifical neuron mimicks function of human cells Posted: 24 Jun 2015 05:00 AM PDT Scientists have managed to build a fully functional neuron by using organic bioelectronics. This artificial neuron contain no 'living' parts, but is capable of mimicking the function of a human nerve cell and communicate in the same way as our own neurons do.  |
| Unemployed are in poorer health than they say they are Posted: 24 Jun 2015 05:00 AM PDT In an international context, Norway stands as an egalitarian country with only small class and income disparities, in which everyone basically has equal access to universal health care. Yet research on self-reported health and mortality data has shown that Norway has social inequalities on par with many other countries in Western Europe.  |
| New colon cancer culprit found in gut microbiome Posted: 24 Jun 2015 04:10 AM PDT Changes in the gut bacteria of colon cancer patients indicate that some virulent bacteria could be linked to the progression of the disease, according to research. The findings could eventually be used to identify a virulence signature in these cancers and help doctors predict how bacterial changes in patients' guts could affect their prognosis.  |
| Childhood adversities, including witnessing parental domestic violence, linked to later migraines Posted: 24 Jun 2015 04:10 AM PDT Adults who were exposed to childhood adversity, including witnessing parental domestic violence, childhood physical and sexual abuse have higher odds of experiencing migraine headaches in adulthood, according to a new study.  |
