| From Vulcan salute to papal blessing: Ulnar nerve damage caused original benediction sign Posted: 17 Sep 2015 01:02 PM PDT A study of anatomy, art, religion, and culture overturns the popular explanation for the papal hand of benediction posture. An anatomy professor says an ulnar nerve injury suffered by St. Peter, not a median nerve injury, is the underlying reason why he adapted what later became the familiar papal gesture. |
| Making 3-D objects disappear: Ultrathin invisibility cloak created Posted: 17 Sep 2015 01:02 PM PDT Researchers have devised an ultra-thin invisibility 'skin' cloak that can conform to the shape of an object and conceal it from detection with visible light. Although this cloak is only microscopic in size, the principles behind the technology should enable it to be scaled-up to conceal macroscopic items as well. |
| Adaptation to high-fat diet, cold had profound effect on Inuit, including shorter height Posted: 17 Sep 2015 01:00 PM PDT Researchers have found unique genetic mutations in the Inuit genome that make them more adapted to cold as well as a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids, with the side effect of shorter height. This is the first evidence human populations have adapted to particular diets and differ in their physiological response. While a fish oil diet may be healthful for Inuit, this may not be true for other populations. |
| Nanoelectronics could get a boost from carbon research Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:53 AM PDT Scientists have investigated a way to create linear chains of carbon atoms from laser-melted graphite. The material, called carbyne, could have a number of novel properties, including the ability to adjust the amount of electrical current traveling through a circuit, depending on the user's needs. |
| Vaccine clears some precancerous cervical lesions in clinical trial Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:53 AM PDT Scientists have used a genetically engineered vaccine to successfully eradicate high-grade precancerous cervical lesions in nearly one-half of women who received the vaccine in a clinical trial. The goal, say the scientists, was to find nonsurgical ways to treat precancerous lesions caused by HPV. |
| Training more effective teachers through alternative pathways Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:52 AM PDT Florida teachers who enter teaching through a path requiring no coursework in education have the greatest effect on student achievement, substantially larger than that of traditionally prepared teachers, study finds. |
| Network control: Letting noise lead the way Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:52 AM PDT Researchers leverage randomness in a new computational approach to keep cells healthy. Using a newly-developed computational algorithm, they showed that this randomness within and among cells, called "noise," can be manipulated to control the networks that govern the workings of living cells -- promoting cellular health and potentially alleviating diseases such as cancer. |
| How the brain can stop action on a dime Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:52 AM PDT Scientists have identified the precise nerve cells that allow the brain to make a split-second change of course, like jamming on the brakes. |
| Adolescent painkiller abuse a big problem for small towns, rural areas Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:52 AM PDT Adolescents who live in rural areas and small towns and cities are more likely to abuse prescription painkillers than adolescents who live in large urban areas, according to sociologists. |
| E. coli more virulent when accompanied by beneficial bacteria Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:52 AM PDT Scientists wonder why some people get so sick and even die after being infected by the foodborne pathogen E. coli O157:H7, while others experience much milder symptoms and recover relatively quickly. Now researchers believe they have discovered an explanation. |
| Solving the problem of Arctic sea ice thickness distribution using molecular concepts Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:52 AM PDT Scientists have now answered a 40-year-old question about Arctic ice thickness by treating the ice floes of the frozen seas like colliding molecules in a fluid or gas. |
| Research discovery leads to potential diagnostic for assessing breast cancer recurrence Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:52 AM PDT Every woman successfully treated for breast cancer lives with the knowledge that it could come back. New research may lead to a simple blood test to determine the risk of such recurrence, or the cancer invading other organs such as the lungs, bone or brain. Such a test would have profound implications for improving the future treatment of women with all types of breast cancer. |
| Cancer doesn't sleep: MYC oncogene disrupts clock, metabolism in cancer cells Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:50 AM PDT Myc is a cancer-causing gene responsible for disrupting the normal 24-hour internal rhythm and metabolic pathways in cancer cells. Researchers have found that MYC protein may affect circadian rhythm and metabolism by promiscuously binding to promoter regions in key genes for maintaining these daily cycles. |
| Digital 'Rosetta Stone' decrypts how mutations rewire cancer cells Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:50 AM PDT Scientists have discovered how genetic cancer mutations systematically attack the networks controlling human cells, knowledge critical for the future development of personalized precision cancer treatments. |
| Can DNA evidence fill gaps in our history books? Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:46 AM PDT If you go back far enough, all people share a common ancestry. But some populations are more closely related than others based on events in the past that brought them together. Now, researchers have shown that it's possible to use DNA evidence as a means to reconstruct and date those significant past events. The findings suggest that evidence in our genomes can help to recover lost bits of history. |
| Ages apart: Multifaceted approach measured how brain and liver age differently Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:46 AM PDT Scientists have now measured and compared just how aging affects rats' liver and brain cells. In a new study, they were able to tease out general aging processes from those that are specific to each of these organs. |
| Apes know a good thriller when they see one Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:46 AM PDT Remember the scene in the classic movie 'Alien,' when that creepiest of creatures bursts out of John Hurt's belly as he writhes in pain? Well, according to a new study, great apes are pretty good at remembering and anticipating memorable events they've seen on-screen too -- even when they've seen the event only once. |
| Sponge cells build skeletons with pole-and-beam structure Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:46 AM PDT Sponges build their skeletons in a completely different way than other animals do, researchers have found. In fact, the building process looks a lot like the construction of human-made buildings, minus the architectural plans. |
| Blood tests reveal early signs of cardiovascular disease risk in obese African-American teens Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:46 AM PDT Obese African-American teens, particularly girls, may have immune system changes that can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Taking steps to control weight early in life may reduce inflammation and its negative effects on the cardiovascular system. Blood tests are a possible new preventive tactic to identify teens who are at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease. |
| New imaging technique detects early brain damage from hypertension Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:46 AM PDT Some people with high blood pressure also have early signs of brain damage, a new imaging technique has found. The damage is linked to difficulties in certain cognitive skills, decision-making, and the ability to regulate emotions. Researchers suggest physicians should start to consider potential brain damage as they treat patients with high blood pressure. |
| Parkinson's disease: Everyday activity more beneficial than occasional strenuous exercise Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:16 AM PDT Parkinson's patients often become sedentary because of motor symptoms such as gait, balance problems or falls. However, new research finds that non-exercise physical activity, more than occasional trips to the gym, is linked to less severe motor symptoms. |
| Extreme makeover of the heart: Matrix therapy is first FDA-approved procedure of its kind Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:16 AM PDT A cardiovascular team has successfully performed a first-in-the-world heart procedure on a 72-year-old attorney after suffering a large heart attack. In the emerging heart procedure cardiac matrix is directly injected into a damaged heart. |
| New approach found to tackle breast cancer hormone therapy resistance Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:04 AM PDT A new explanation has been found as to why women with estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer develop resistance to hormone treatment, and a potential new approach to overcome the problem. |
| Novel mechanism of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:04 AM PDT Insensitivity to insulin, also called insulin resistance, is associated with type 2 diabetes and affects several cell types and organs in the body. Now, scientists have discovered a mechanism that explains how insulin-producing cells can be insulin resistant and insulin sensitive at the same time. The findings may lead to future novel treatment strategies for type 2 diabetes, researchers say. |
| A look into why the horrifying is so very intriguing Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:00 AM PDT It's an age-old question that's also very timely as we approach the season of haunted houses, scary movies and encounters with Halloween zombies and ghouls stopping by to beg for candy. Why is horror so popular? Why does something strange or even repulsive still make us want to look? An English professor digs into the underlying themes of the popular TV show, "American Horror Story: Freak Show" to explore these questions. |
| Personalized heart models for surgical planning Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:00 AM PDT A system that can take MRI scans of a patient's heart and, in a matter of hours, convert them into a tangible, physical model that surgeons can use to plan surgery has been developed to decrease the risks patients face when they go under the knife. |
| When Fed locks up funds, small businesses suffer Posted: 17 Sep 2015 10:00 AM PDT When the Federal Reserve raises interest rates to slow down a speeding economy -- effectively raising the price of money -- banks often sell down their stockpile of securities to keep the financial assembly lines going. That's much like a widget-building company might rely on a warehouse of raw materials when prices rise.But according to newly published research, federal accounting rules can padlock those warehouses, particularly hurting small banks and their customers. |
| High proportion of advanced breast cancers in sub-Saharan Africa Posted: 17 Sep 2015 09:52 AM PDT In one of the first studies of its kind, a new report finds a large majority of breast cancers in Cote d'Ivoire and Republic of Congo are detected only after they've become advanced. Although breast cancer is far less common in Cote d'Ivoire and Republic of Congo than in high-income countries, breast cancer is the leading cancer among females in sub-Saharan Africa, estimated to constitute one in three female cancers in these two countries in 2012. |
| Finding strength in diversity Posted: 17 Sep 2015 09:52 AM PDT Altered or new environmental conditions, such as those brought about by climate change, impose challenges on living organisms. This can drive species to extinction if they fail to adapt or adjust their geographic distribution. Individual differences play a key role here, and it seems that less is not always more. A new study demonstrates that a higher degree of among individual variation is beneficial to populations and species. |
| Study of leukemias in children living close to heavily used roads Posted: 17 Sep 2015 09:52 AM PDT The risk of acute leukemia in children living close to heavily used roads has been the focus of recent study. The results of the study show that the incidence of new cases of myeloblastic leukemia (418 of 2,760 cases of leukemia) was 30 percent higher in children in the population whose residence was located within 150 m of heavily used roads, and had a combined length of over 260 m within this radius. |
| Lack of attention has made stripe rust a threat to the world's wheat, report shows Posted: 17 Sep 2015 09:52 AM PDT Inconsistent funding for research into the pests and diseases that threaten key crops leaves global food supplies vulnerable, according to a new report. |
| Silk and ceramics offer hope for long-term repair of joint injuries Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:05 AM PDT Driven by the need to develop more effective therapies requiring less recovery time for common joint conditions such as osteoarthritis, an international team of researchers has developed an integrated two-part scaffold for implantation into damaged joints -- with cartilage scaffold made from silk, and bone scaffold made from ceramics. This combination of materials allows stem cells to successfully populate the graft and differentiate into cartilage and bone cells. The cells fill the damaged areas to reconstitute the original structure of the joint, after which the scaffold biodegrades, leaving the smooth surface required for a pain-free, functioning interface. |
| A fast cell sorter shrinks to cell phone size Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:05 AM PDT A new lab-on-a-chip cell sorting device based on acoustic waves has been developed by researchers. In a new article, investigators describe an acoustic cell sorter capable of the kind of high sorting throughput necessary to compete with commercial fluorescence activated cell sorters. |
| Biomarker may predict which HER2-negative breast cancer patients will benefit from targeted therapy Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:05 AM PDT Brief exposure to a targeted therapy can tell doctors which HER2-negative patients will respond -- and which should switch to another kind of treatment -- new research suggests. |
| Grieving Before Conception May Be a Risk Factor for Infant Mortality Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:05 AM PDT An elevated infant death rate may be linked to mourning experienced by women in the months before they become pregnant, reports a new study. |
| Omega-3s are vital for a healthy ocean Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:01 AM PDT The importance of omega-3 fatty acids for the health of the ocean has been revealed by a new study. This research shows that 'ocean-fleas' play a vital role in maintaining a healthy ocean depend on omega-3's to survive. These 2 mm long creatures, called copepods, are distant relatives of crabs and lobsters and rank amongst the most abundant animals on our planet. They get omega-3's from eating microscopic plants in the sea that absorb carbon from the atmosphere. This carbon then gets transported into the deep sea by sinking copepod poo, stopping it returning to the atmosphere. |
| Patients with type 2 diabetes should be prioritized for obesity surgery Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:01 AM PDT When considering overall costs of healthcare, obese patients with type 2 diabetes, especially those with recent disease onset, should be prioritized for obesity surgery over those without type 2 diabetes, experts say, since many patients see a reversal of diabetes after surgery and thus need fewer expensive diabetes medications or treatment for complications in future. |
| 'AIDS on steroids': Comparing the spread of Ebola, AIDS in Africa Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:01 AM PDT Just weeks after Sierra Leone discharged its last patient, a new study reflects on the lessons learnt from the recent outbreak of Ebola, comparing it with that of AIDS in Africa in the early 1980s. The authors conclude that both Ebola and AIDS spread rapidly due to the slow international response and the failure of various public-health systems to deal with the root causes of the epidemics. |
| Small rural owl fearlessly colonizes the city Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:01 AM PDT Think of the city and images of traffic, pollution, noise and crowds spring to mind. The metropolis doesn't seem to be the most ideal habitat for any animals other than humans. However, Spanish and Argentinean scientists have demonstrated that some species, such as the burrowing owl, have spent decades closing in on the city from the country without suffering from stress. |
| Economic prosperity can't break chains of child labor Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:00 AM PDT Unequal access to education ensures hundreds of millions of children remain trapped in child labour despite dramatic falls in worldwide poverty levels, according to new research. |
| Surgical probe seeks out where cancer ends and healthy tissue begins Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:00 AM PDT A new surgical tool that uses light to make sure surgeons removing cancerous tumors 'got it all' was found to correlate well with traditional pathologists' diagnoses in a clinical study, showing that the tool could soon enable reliable, real-time guidance for surgeons. |
| Pre-reptile may be earliest known to walk upright on all fours Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:00 AM PDT Wandering an arid region of the ancient supercontinent of Pangea about 260-million years ago, the pre-reptile Bunostegos akokanensis is the oldest known creature to have walked upright on all fours, according to a newly published study. |
| Engineers unlock remarkable 3-D vision from ordinary digital camera technology Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:00 AM PDT A team of engineers has discovered how to harness the image stabilization and focus modules of a modern, digital camera to unlock new 3-D imaging capabilities. |
| Global warming 'hiatus' never happened, scientists say Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:00 AM PDT The evidence for a recent pause in the rate of global warming lacks a sound statistical basis, a new study reveals. The finding highlights the importance of using appropriate statistical techniques and should go a long way toward restoring confidence in climate model projections. |
| Ocean’s wildlife populations down by half Posted: 17 Sep 2015 06:50 AM PDT A new report reveals an alarming decline in marine biodiversity over the last few decades. According to the report, populations of marine vertebrates have declined by 49% between 1970 and 2012, with some fish species declining by almost 75%. |
| Physical activity, sadness, and suicidality in bullied U.S. adolescents Posted: 17 Sep 2015 06:14 AM PDT Across the U.S., nearly 20% of students report being bullied on school property. Bullying is associated with academic struggle, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and self-harm. Exercise has been widely reported to have robust positive effects on mental health including reduction in depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, and now research suggests that exercise for 4 or more days per week is associated with an approximate 23% reduction in both suicidal ideation and attempt in bullied adolescents in the United States. |
| Aboriginal 'memories' of Australia's coastline go back more than 7,000 years Posted: 17 Sep 2015 06:14 AM PDT Aboriginal society has preserved memories of Australia's coastline dating back more than 7,000 years. |
| New import pathway into the cell's powerhouses Posted: 17 Sep 2015 06:13 AM PDT Researchers have used artificial membranes to show how a particular protein reaches the mitochondria. Mitochondria serve as the powerhouses of the cell, converting the energy stored in foods into a form cells can use. When this important task fails, it can result in numerous diseases, particularly those affecting organs with a high energy consumption like the brain or the heart. The research team has discovered a new import pathway proteins use to reach the mitochondria. |
| Melting Arctic sea ice accelerates methane emissions Posted: 17 Sep 2015 06:13 AM PDT Methane emissions from Arctic tundra increase when sea ice melts, according to a new study. This connection has been suspected before, but has lacked strong evidence until now. |
| Do estrogen levels affect the willingness to share? Posted: 17 Sep 2015 06:13 AM PDT Fluctuating hormone levels change a woman's social behaviour over the course of the menstrual cycle. Mood swings and irritability before the period as well as a greater interest in sex during ovulation are well known. Now psychologists have discovered that the willingness to share one's own resources with strangers also fluctuates with hormone levels. Women exhibit a higher willingness to cooperate during and shortly after menstruation -- this is the result of two online studies involving over 400 German and US American women. |
| Being Sigmund Freud ... and giving oneself excellent advice because of it Posted: 17 Sep 2015 06:13 AM PDT The illusion of being in another body affects not only our perception (as is already known) but also our way of thinking. Thanks to virtual reality, some subjects embodied Sigmund Freud and proved better at giving themselves psychological advice compared to when they were simply themselves. |
| COPD sufferers prescribed most sedatives Posted: 17 Sep 2015 06:12 AM PDT Norwegian COPD sufferers are prescribed even more sedatives than psychiatric patients, new research reveals. The researchers behind the study believe that this is problematic because the drugs in question are addictive and inhibit lung function. |
| Laser ablation boosts terahertz emission Posted: 17 Sep 2015 06:12 AM PDT From almost instantaneous wireless transfer of huge amounts of data and easy detection of explosives, weapons, or harmful gases, to safe 3-D medical imaging and new advances in spectroscopy --- technologies based on terahertz (THz) radiation, the electro-magnetic band with wavelengths from 0.1 to 1 mm, can transform science fiction into reality. However, scientists and engineers still do not have cheap and efficient solutions for mass production of THz-based devices. |
| Archaeologists discover 'Roman Village' in Gernsheim Posted: 17 Sep 2015 06:12 AM PDT During their first Gernsheim dig last year, archaeologists suspected that a small Roman settlement must have also existed there in the Hessian Ried. Now they have discovered clear relics of a Roman village, built in part on the foundations of the fort after the soldiers left. This probably occurred around 120 AD. At the time the cohort (about 500 soldiers) was transferred from the Rhine to the Limes, and a period of peace lasting until about 260 AD began for the Roman village (which was part of the Roman province of Germania Superior) with the "Pax Romana". |
| Harmful alcohol use increases health risks in all countries Posted: 16 Sep 2015 06:56 PM PDT Data support the call to increase global awareness of the harmful use of alcohol and the need to further identify and target the modifiable determinants of harmful alcohol use. Authors of a new study also identified differences between countries of different levels of prosperity. |
| Fruit and vegetables aren't only good for a healthy body; they protect your mind too Posted: 16 Sep 2015 06:55 PM PDT Eating a Mediterranean diet or other healthy dietary pattern, comprising of fruit, vegetables, legumes, and nuts and low in processed meats, is associated with preventing the onset of depression, according to research. A large study of 15,093 people suggests depression could be linked with nutrient deficits. |
| Birds that eat at feeders are more likely to get sick, spread disease Posted: 16 Sep 2015 03:51 PM PDT The authors monitored the social and foraging behaviors of wild flocks of house finches, a common backyard songbird, and the spread of a naturally-occurring bird disease called Mycoplasmal conjunctivitis, which is similar to "pink eye" in humans but cannot be contracted by humans. |
