| New predictor of health complications can identify high-risk preemies Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:14 AM PDT Premature infants have heightened risks of deadly diseases because their organs and immune systems are not fully developed. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a major gastrointestinal disease that causes the intestines to die, is a leading cause of death among these infants and is the most the common disease for babies born before 32 weeks. Now, researchers have found that the early and persistent presence of white blood cells during NEC, known as blood eosinophilia, is a predictor of life-threatening complications for preemies. |
| Experimental cancer drug shows therapeutic promise in mouse models of multiple sclerosis Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:06 AM PDT An experimental drug originally identified in a National Cancer Institute library of chemical compounds as a potential therapy for brain and basal cell cancers improves the symptoms of mice with a form of the debilitating neurological disorder multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new research. |
| DNA-based vaccine clears nearly half of precancerous cervical lesions in clinical trial Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:06 AM PDT Using a novel synthetic platform for creating vaccines a team of researchers has successfully eradicated precancerous cervical lesions in nearly half of the women who received an investigational vaccine in a clinical trial. |
| Doctors often overtreat with radiation in late-stage lung cancer Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:06 AM PDT Almost half of patients with advanced lung cancer receive more than the recommended number of radiation treatments to reduce their pain, according to a new study. Radiation therapy that is palliative, or not intended to cure, can reduce the pain from lung tumors and improve quality of life. But unnecessary treatments add to costs and require needless trips to the hospital -- and can lead to radiation toxicity and difficulty in swallowing. |
| Known fish species living in the Salish Sea increases in new report Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:06 AM PDT A new report documents all of the fishes that live in the Salish Sea. In total, 253 fish species have been recorded, and that's about 14 percent more than in the last count. |
| Relationship quality affects siblings' mental health, risky behaviors Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:06 AM PDT The Latino culture, more than others, places a high value on the family unit; yet, little research has examined the dynamics of Latino family relationships and how those dynamics affect children's development. Now, a researcher has found sibling relationship quality in adolescence affects Mexican-origin adolescents' and young adults' later depressive symptoms and their involvement in risky behaviors, including those with sexual risk. |
| Crystal clear: Thousand-fold fluorescence enhancement in an all-polymer thin film Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:04 AM PDT Scientists have made a remarkable breakthrough in the field of fluorescence enhancement via a discovery they believe could drive the next advances in sensor technology, energy saving and harvesting, lasers and optoelectronics. |
| Solar energy: Hydrogen for all seasons Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:04 AM PDT Chemists have developed novel porous materials called 'covalent organic frameworks,' which provide a basis for the design of polymeric photocatalysts with tunable physical, chemical and electronic properties. |
| Engines of change: Scientists recover rare earths from electric and hybrid vehicle motors Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:03 AM PDT In an effort to help develop a domestic supply of rare earth elements, researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute have developed a novel method of chemically separating these materials -- specifically neodymium, dysprosium, and praseodymium -- from the drive units and motors of discarded electric and hybrid cars. The goal is to recycle rare earths that would otherwise be lost in a sustainable and efficient manner. |
| The Danish nitrogen budget in a nutshell Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:03 AM PDT To get a clearer overall picture of the sources and sinks of nitrogen, scientists have developed a national nitrogen budget for Denmark for the years 1990 to 2010. The budget shows inputs and outputs of nitrogen at national level and the internal flows of nitrogen between the relevant sectors. |
| 'Performance cloning' techniques to boost computer chip memory systems design Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:03 AM PDT Computer engineering researchers have developed software using two new techniques to help computer chip designers improve memory systems. The techniques rely on 'performance cloning,' which can assess the behavior of software without compromising privileged data or proprietary computer code. |
| Short, intense exercise bursts can reduce heart risk to teens Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:03 AM PDT Adolescents who perform just eight to ten minutes of high-intensity interval exercise three times a week could be significantly reducing their risk of developing heart conditions, new research has concluded. Even apparently healthy teenagers showed significant improvements in markers which are indicators of cardiovascular health. |
| Pan-European Species-directories Infrastructure: Basis for handling big taxonomic data Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:01 AM PDT Looked down on with scepticism by many taxonomists, handling big data efficiently is a challenge that can only be met with thorough and multi-layered efforts from scientists and technological developers alike. Projects like PESI, the Pan-European Species-directories Infrastructure, prove that harmonised taxonomic reference systems and high-quality data sets are possible through dynamic, expertly created and managed online tools. |
| Antipsychotics increase risk of death in people with Parkinson's disease psychosis Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:01 AM PDT Antipsychotic drugs may increase the risk of death in people with Parkinson's disease psychosis (PDP), according to a new study. PDP affects more than 50 per cent of people with Parkinson's at some point in their condition and antipsychotic drugs are often used to treat this psychosis, yet there is little evidence to support their use. |
| Gulf Stream ring water intrudes onto continental shelf like 'Pinocchio's nose' Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:01 AM PDT Ocean robots installed off the coast of Massachusetts have helped scientists understand a previously unknown process by which warm Gulf Stream water and colder waters of the continental shelf exchange. The process occurs when offshore waters, originating in the tropics, intrude onto the Mid-Atlantic Bight shelf and meet the waters originating in regions near the Arctic. This process can greatly affect shelf circulation, biogeochemistry and fisheries. |
| Cognitive-behavioral prevention program for teens at-risk of depression shows benefit Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:01 AM PDT A cognitive-behavioral prevention program for depression among at-risk youth showed benefit more than 6 years after the implementation of the intervention, according to a new article. |
| Placebo power: Depressed people who respond to fake drugs get the most help from real ones Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:01 AM PDT When it comes to treating depression, how well a person responds to a fake medicine may determine how well they'll respond to a real one, new research finds. Those who can muster their brain's own chemical forces against depression, it appears, have a head start in overcoming its symptoms with help from a medication. But those whose brain chemistry doesn't react as much to a fake medicine, or placebo, struggle even after getting active drug. |
| Psoriasis, risk of depression in the US population Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:01 AM PDT The chronic inflammatory skin condition psoriasis was associated with the risk of major depression, although the risk was unrelated to the severity of the disorder, according to a new article. |
| Training for patients with melanoma and their partners on skin examinations Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:01 AM PDT Training on skin self-examination to aid early detection could be extra beneficial for patients with melanoma and their partners who report having low relationship quality because it gives them activities to do together, according to a new article. |
| Survival rate of combat casualties improves following implementation of golden hour policy Posted: 30 Sep 2015 11:01 AM PDT A mandate in 2009 that prehospital helicopter transport of critically injured combat casualties occur in 60 minutes or less (golden hour policy) has resulted in a reduction in time between critical injury and definitive care for combat casualties in Afghanistan and an improvement in survival, according to a new study. |
| Children with autism benefit from theatre-based program Posted: 30 Sep 2015 08:07 AM PDT Children with autism who participated in a 10-week, 40-hour, theatre-based program showed significant differences in social ability compared to a group of children with autism who did not participate, according to a study. |
| New electrode gives micro-supercapacitor macro storage capacity Posted: 30 Sep 2015 08:05 AM PDT Micro-supercapacitors are a promising alternative to micro-batteries because of their high power and long lifetime. They have been in development for about a decade but until now they have stored considerably less energy than micro-batteries, which has limited their application. Now researchers have developed an electrode material that means electrochemical capacitors produce results similar to batteries, yet retain their particular advantages. |
| Pauses can make or break a conversation Posted: 30 Sep 2015 08:05 AM PDT Long pauses can make speech difficult to understand, but short pauses can be highly beneficial, according to linguistics research. |
| Why do people with schizophrenia misinterpret social cues? Posted: 30 Sep 2015 08:04 AM PDT A new study sheds light on why people with schizophrenia misinterpret social cues in others, often leading to unpleasant paranoid and persecutory thoughts. The study could help develop psychological interventions to assist people with schizophrenia to interpret social cues, which might also improve their symptoms. |
| Invisibility cloak might enhance efficiency of solar cells Posted: 30 Sep 2015 08:04 AM PDT Success of the energy turnaround will depend decisively on the extended use of renewable energy sources. However, their efficiency partly is much smaller than that of conventional energy sources. The efficiency of commercially available photovoltaic cells, for instance, is about 20 percent. Scientists of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have now published an unconventional approach to increasing the efficiency of the panels. Optical invisibility cloaks guide sunlight around objects that cast shadows on the solar panel. |
| Asteroids found to be the moon's main 'water supply' Posted: 30 Sep 2015 08:04 AM PDT Water reserves found on the moon are the result of asteroids acting as 'delivery vehicles' and not of falling comets as was previously thought. Using computer simulation, scientists have discovered that a large asteroid can deliver more water to the lunar surface than the cumulative fall of comets over a billion year period. |
| Light does not have to be a (rapid) killer of chemical molecules Posted: 30 Sep 2015 08:04 AM PDT Chemical molecules strongly interacting with light generally disintegrate very rapidly. In new research, the main mechanism conducive to this destruction has been determined. This knowledge makes it possible to enhance the photostability of molecules several times over, which is of significance not only for the measurement methods used in laboratory studies, but also for manufacturers of everyday objects, especially those made of colored polymers. |
| A step toward clothing that guards against chemical warfare agents Posted: 30 Sep 2015 08:04 AM PDT Recent reports of chemical weapons attacks in the Middle East underscore the urgent need for new ways to guard against their toxic effects. Toward that end, scientists report a new hydrogel coating that neutralizes both mustard gas and nerve agent VX. It could someday be applied to materials such as clothing and paint. |
| Human visual cortex holds neurons that selectively respond to intermediate colors Posted: 30 Sep 2015 08:04 AM PDT Researchers have found the presence of neurons in the human brain which can each selectively respond to an intermediate color; not just neurons of red, green, yellow and blue. |
| Math and me: Children who identify with math get higher scores Posted: 30 Sep 2015 08:04 AM PDT How strongly children identify with math (their math 'self-concept') can be used to predict how high they will score on a standardized test of math achievement, according to a new study. |
| Dawn team shares new maps and insights about Ceres Posted: 30 Sep 2015 07:45 AM PDT Mysteries and insights about Ceres are being discussed this week at the European Planetary Science Conference in Nantes, France. NASA's Dawn spacecraft is providing scientists with tantalizing views and other data about the intriguing dwarf planet that they continue to analyze. |
| Online breast cancer risk calculator developed Posted: 30 Sep 2015 06:26 AM PDT A biostatistician played a key role in the development of an online tool that combines both breast density and biopsy results to allow physicians to calculate a woman's breast cancer risk. It's the only risk assessment tool that includes BI-RADS breast density, which is used in clinical practice. |
| Mars: New hypothesis on the origin of the megafloods Posted: 30 Sep 2015 06:26 AM PDT A recent study puts forward a new explanation for the Martian megafloods: enormous discharges of subterranean water that dug out the biggest flood channels in the solar system over 3 billion years ago. |
| Why 'respect' for sporting greats provides fast-track up coaching ladder Posted: 30 Sep 2015 06:25 AM PDT A study of senior decision-makers in some of England and Wales' top professional football and rugby union clubs suggests that former top-class players are being fast-tracked up the coaching ladder because of a belief in the boardroom that they are best placed to gain the immediate respect of players. |
| New water-tracing technology to help protect groundwater Posted: 30 Sep 2015 06:25 AM PDT New water-tracing technology has been used in the Sydney Basin for the first time to determine how groundwater moves in the different layers of rock below the surface. The study provides a baseline against which any future impacts on groundwater from mining operations, groundwater abstraction or climate change can be assessed. The research has global relevance because this new technology provides a quick and cheap alternative to having to install numerous boreholes for groundwater monitoring. |
| Sniffing out cancer with improved 'electronic nose' sensors Posted: 30 Sep 2015 06:25 AM PDT Scientists have been exploring new ways to 'smell' signs of cancer by analyzing what's in patients' breath. In a new study, one team now reports new progress toward this goal. The researchers have developed a small array of flexible sensors, which accurately detect compounds in breath samples that are specific to ovarian cancer. |
| Portable device can quickly test for sickness-causing toxins in shellfish Posted: 30 Sep 2015 06:25 AM PDT Mussels, oysters, scallops and clams might be ingredients for fine cuisine, but they can also be a recipe for diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP). That's a gastrointestinal illness people can get if those tasty morsels contain marine toxins. Now, researchers are reporting the development of a portable, inexpensive device that can quickly and easily screen freshly caught shellfish for these substances. |
| Competing mice reveal genetic defects Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:45 AM PDT A sensitive new toxicity test detected impaired reproduction in mice caused by genetic mutations that had seemed harmless when studied by developmental techniques. |
| Lung disease may increase risk of insulin resistance, diabetes, mouse study suggests Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:45 AM PDT Numerous studies have identified obesity and poor diet as risk factors for insulin resistance and diabetes. Now, a new study adds another risk factor to the list: inflammatory lung disease. |
| New way of retaining quantum memories stored in light Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:44 AM PDT Chinese scientists uncover a novel way of stopping light in a state that stores information encoded in photons, opening the door to applications in quantum information processing. |
| Measuring X-rays created by lightning strikes on an aircraft in-flight Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:44 AM PDT Scientists have recorded measurements of X-rays of energies up to 10 MeV caused by electrons accelerated in the intense electric fields inside a thundercloud. |
| New portable device counts leukocytes through the skin Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:44 AM PDT A novel way to count white blood cells without a blood test, simply by applying a small device on the fingertip, is being developed by a team of young bioengineers. The technology, that combines an optical sensor with algorithms, has already three prototypes on the go and is specially designed to be used on chemotherapy patients, who could know their immune system levels in real time. |
| More obesity among the less educated in rich countries Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:44 AM PDT In rich countries, obesity is more common among the lower educated, whilst in poor countries, obesity is more common among the higher educated, confirms new research. Previous studies have shown that the number of people with obesity increases with the gross domestic product (GDP) of a country. Previous research has also indicated that education can be an important factor in this context. The aim of this new study was to explore the assumption from previous studies that obesity is linked to GDP and education, and to include new data from several different countries. |
| Mechanism of explosions and plasma jets associated with sunspot formation revealed Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:44 AM PDT Sunspots are planet-sized conglomerates of bundles of intense magnetic field lines on the surface of the Sun. They are known to cause explosions (solar flares) which can directly impact our technological infrastructure. What astrophysical mechanisms are responsible for the formation of sunspots and how do they drive explosive events are important questions in our quest to understand the Sun's activity and its magnetic effect on Earth. |
| Scientists produce status check on quantum teleportation Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:43 AM PDT In a new paper, scientists reviewed the theoretical ideas around quantum teleportation focusing on the main experimental approaches and their attendant advantages and disadvantages. None of the technologies alone provide a perfect solution, so the scientists concluded that a hybridization of the various protocols and underlying structures would offer the most fruitful approach. |
| Researchers show that genetic background regulates tumor differences Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:43 AM PDT Researchers have identified both similarities and differences between a single tumor type in multiple dogs breeds; a finding they believe parallels the situation in the cancer of human patients. |
| The most stable source of light in the world Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:43 AM PDT In order to be able to detect planets comparable to Earth, the CHEOPS satellite, which will be sent into orbit at the end of 2017, must be able to measure the luminosity of a star with inimitable accuracy. In order to test CHEOPS detectors researchers need a stable source of light. However there was no instrument capable of producing a light source with sufficient stability to be used as a reference -- until today. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, has just filed for a European patent. |
| Stress causes infants to resort to habits Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:43 AM PDT Under stress, people are inclined to resort to habits, rather than trying out new things. In a new article, psychologists report that this is true not only for adults, but also for infants. |
| New method to predict the workload for online services Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:43 AM PDT How can overloads on the Internet be prevented? Cloud computing means that more server space can be rented from large computing resources. Now a researcher has developed algorithms for automatic addition and removal of server resources for a web service based on demand. |
| Parenting in the animal world: Turning off the infanticide instinct Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:43 AM PDT Many bachelor mammals, including lions, mountain gorillas, monkeys, and mice, attack and kill the offspring of other males--a form of infanticide--yet display parental behavior once they themselves become fathers. Now, scientists in Japan have discovered two small brain regions that control which of these very opposite behaviors a male mouse will exhibit. The experiments show how activity patterns in two forebrain regions determine whether males have the urge to act paternally towards mouse pups or to attack them. |
| New method reveals real-time death risk of Korean MERS outbreak Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:32 AM PDT Researchers have developed a real-time statistical method to estimate death risk (i.e., the probability of death given infection) and identify risk factors of death during an infectious disease outbreak. |
| High-volume facilities better for nursing hip fractures Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:32 AM PDT The volume of hip fracture cases seen at a skilled nursing facility in the prior 12 months is a good predictor of whether a facility can successfully discharge patients back home within 30 days, a new study concludes. That information could help families trying to decide where to seek care for an elderly loved one. |
| Surface of the oceans affects climate more than thought Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:32 AM PDT The oceans seem to produce significantly more isoprene, and consequently affect stronger the climate than previously thought. This emerges from a new study of samples of the surface film in the laboratory. The results underline the global significance of the chemical processes at the border between ocean and atmosphere. |
| Are American schools making inequality worse? Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:32 AM PDT Schooling plays a surprisingly large role in short-changing the nation's most economically disadvantaged students of critical math skills, according to a a new study. Findings from the study indicate that unequal access to rigorous mathematics content is widening the gap in performance on a prominent international math literacy test between low- and high-income students, not only in the United States but in countries worldwide. |
| Earthquake rupture halted by seamounts Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:31 AM PDT Experts expected for some time that one of the next mega earthquakes occurs off northern Chile. But when the earth did tremble around the northern Chilean city of Iquique in 2014, the strength and areal extent of shaking was much smaller than anticipated. Geologists now publish a possible explanation. |
| Study lays groundwork for blood test to aid in the detection and monitoring of myeloma Posted: 30 Sep 2015 04:31 AM PDT Only 5 percent of myeloma cases are stage I when diagnosed. One reason may be the lack of good routine screening tests to identify patients who will progress to myeloma. A new study has found that abnormal levels of microRNAs (miRNAs) detected in the bone marrow of multiple myeloma patients may also be detectable in peripheral blood, and their measurement may be a way to both mark myeloma onset and track its progression from earlier asymptomatic stages. |
| Risk factors for prostate cancer Posted: 29 Sep 2015 08:01 PM PDT New research suggests that age, race and family history are the biggest risk factors for a man to develop prostate cancer, although high blood pressure, high cholesterol, vitamin D deficiency, inflammation of prostate, and vasectomy also add to the risk. In contrast, obesity, alcohol abuse, and smoking show a negative association with the disease. |
| Primary care doctors are ill-prepared to deal with growing demand for cancer care Posted: 29 Sep 2015 08:00 PM PDT Leading primary care professionals and cancer experts warn that primary care doctors will not be able to cope with the rising demand for cancer care in high-income countries -- predicted to double within the next 15 years. |
| Use of explosive weapons in Syria has disproportionately lethal effects on women and children Posted: 29 Sep 2015 08:00 PM PDT Using explosive weapons in populated areas in Syria has disproportionately lethal effects on women and children and should be urgently prohibited, say a team of international experts. |
| Many nonprofit academic leaders and professors serve on for-profit health-care company boards Posted: 29 Sep 2015 08:00 PM PDT Nearly one in 10 US for-profit health care company board positions are held by individuals with an academic affiliation, a potential conflict-of-interest not explicitly addressed by national guidelines, a new review reveals for the first time. The analysis found that academically affiliated board members were compensated an average of $193,000 in 2013 for their board memberships. |
