| 3-D printed 'building blocks' of life Posted: 03 Nov 2015 06:37 PM PST Scientists have developed a 3-D printing method capable of producing highly uniform 'blocks' of embryonic stem cells. These cells -- capable of generating all cell types in the body -- could be used as the 'Lego bricks' to build tissue constructs, larger structures of tissues, and potentially even micro-organs. |
| Radar images provide details on Halloween asteroid Posted: 03 Nov 2015 01:36 PM PST The highest-resolution radar images of asteroid 2015 TB145's safe flyby of Earth have been processed and yield new information about its surface features. |
| Kicking substance addiction in teens: Tobacco dependence should be treated with same urgency as other drugs, study says Posted: 03 Nov 2015 01:36 PM PST Substance abuse treatments that target main issues such as serious drug and alcohol addiction are not frequently being used to also wean adolescents from tobacco, a new study finds. |
| Wing structure helps female monarch butterflies outperform males in flight Posted: 03 Nov 2015 01:35 PM PST In a study comparing physical traits of female and male monarchs, researchers found that although female monarchs have smaller wings and smaller flight muscles than males, their wings are thicker and also bear less weight per square inch, making them both sturdier and more efficient in flight. |
| Brain's hippocampus is essential structure for all aspects of recognition memory, researchers find Posted: 03 Nov 2015 01:35 PM PST The hippocampus, a brain structure known to play a role in memory and spatial navigation, is essential to one's ability to recognize previously encountered events, objects, or people – a phenomenon known as recognition memory – according to new research. |
| Warmer New England waters change landscape for cod and lobsters Posted: 03 Nov 2015 12:16 PM PST An expert says a rapidly changing climate will dramatically change the living marine resources and maritime traditions of seacoast communities, like those of New England and must be accounted for by those responsible for managing the nation's marine living resources. |
| How depressive thoughts persevere, interfere with memory in people with depression Posted: 03 Nov 2015 12:11 PM PST Depressive thoughts are maintained for longer periods of time for people with depressed mood, and this extended duration may reduce the amount of information that these individuals can hold in their memory, new research demonstrates. |
| Female biased green sea turtle sex ratio in San Diego Bay Posted: 03 Nov 2015 12:11 PM PST Scientists have for the first time determined the ratio of males to females in a wild foraging group of green turtles in the Eastern Pacific, which suggests that sea turtles may be vulnerable to feminization from the temperature rises expected with climate change. |
| Wildfires may double erosion across a quarter of western US watersheds by 2050 Posted: 03 Nov 2015 12:11 PM PST In recent years, wildfires have burned trees and homes to the ground across many states in the western US, but the ground itself has not gotten away unscathed. |
| Researchers develop 3-D printing method for creating patient-specific medical devices Posted: 03 Nov 2015 12:11 PM PST An innovative 3-D printing technology has been developed that could revolutionize important biomedical equipment, enhancing treatment for everyone from premature babies to patients needing implants. |
| Fighting citrus greening with vibrating orange groves Posted: 03 Nov 2015 12:11 PM PST Asian citrus psyllids are loathed by orange farmers because they spread a pernicious foe: the bacteria Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, which cause citrus greening, which turns the trees' leaves a sickly yellow and makes the fruit bitter and stunted. There is no cure, and the infected trees usually die within a few years. To halt the spread of the disease, researchers are developing vibration traps that hijack psyllid mating calls to bring their populations under control. |
| An aggressive treatment for an aggressive cancer Posted: 03 Nov 2015 11:13 AM PST Pancreas cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers worldwide. In the United States, it accounts for only three percent of all diagnosed cancers but it causes almost seven percent of all cancer deaths. A pancreas cancer diagnosis often comes after age 50 and after the cancer has spread, making it difficult to remove surgically. A new clinical trial may help more people to undergo surgery to remove their pancreas tumors. And that may help more of them to live longer. |
| Diamonds may not be so rare as once thought Posted: 03 Nov 2015 11:04 AM PST Diamonds may not be as rare as once believed, but this finding won't mean deep discounts at local jewelry stores. |
| Endurance expert: Drugs could help 'lazy' people exercise Posted: 03 Nov 2015 11:04 AM PST Together with lack of time, physical exertion is one of the main perceived barriers to exercise. This is not surprising because humans evolved to be 'lazy' to conserve energy. Now, a researcher suggests that reducing perception of effort during exercise using caffeine or other psychoactive drugs could help many people stick to their fitness plans. |
| Storage advance may boost solar thermal energy potential Posted: 03 Nov 2015 11:04 AM PST Engineers have identified a new approach for the storage of concentrated solar thermal energy, to reduce its cost and make it more practical for wider use. |
| Energy-efficient reaction drives biofuel conversion technology Posted: 03 Nov 2015 11:04 AM PST A new study explains the mechanism behind a technology that converts bio-based ethanol into hydrocarbon blend-stocks for use as fossil fuel alternatives. |
| New studies question the treatment of female infertility with stem cells Posted: 03 Nov 2015 11:01 AM PST It has been claimed that a treatment for female infertility will be available by stem cell therapy. But a new study questions whether new egg cells can be produced using stem cells. |
| Rural-to-urban migration associated with negative environmental effects in Chinese cities Posted: 03 Nov 2015 11:01 AM PST A strong correlation has been found between the influx of labor migrants from rural to urban areas and negative environmental effects on those destination cities. |
| Some chemicals less damaging to ozone can degrade to long-lived greenhouse gas Posted: 03 Nov 2015 11:01 AM PST Some substitutes for ozone-damaging chemicals being phased out worldwide under international agreements are themselves potent greenhouse gases and contribute to warming. Now, a new study shows for the first time how some of those replacement chemicals can break down in the atmosphere to form a greenhouse gas that can persist for millennia, much longer than the substitute chemicals themselves. |
| The surprising trick jellyfish use to swim Posted: 03 Nov 2015 10:48 AM PST Through clever experiments and insightful math, an interdisciplinary research team has revealed a startling truth about how jellyfish and lampreys, another ancient species that undulate like eels, move through the water with unmatched efficiency. |
| Effectiveness of efavirenz-based antiretroviral therapy for HIV-infected children Posted: 03 Nov 2015 10:48 AM PST Researchers evaluated whether HIV-infected children in South Africa who had achieved viral suppression with one treatment could transition to efavirenz-based therapy without risk of viral failure. |
| Pertussis infection in children associated with small increased risk of epilepsy Posted: 03 Nov 2015 10:48 AM PST Although the absolute risk was low, researchers found an increased risk of childhood-onset epilepsy among children in Denmark who had a hospital-diagnosed pertussis infection, compared with the general population, according to a study. |
| Study examines bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics used to treat gonorrhea Posted: 03 Nov 2015 10:48 AM PST Although gonorrhea susceptibility to the antibiotic cefixime has been improving in recent years, suggesting a halt of a drift towards antibiotic resistance, data for 2014 indicates a worsening of susceptibility, according to a study. |
| Endovascular intervention compared to standard treatment for stroke Posted: 03 Nov 2015 10:48 AM PST In a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke, an endovascular intervention (such as use of a very small catheter to remove a blood clot) compared to standard medical care (administration of a clot dissolving agent) was associated with improved functional outcomes and higher rates of functional independence at 90 days, but no significant difference in symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain) or all-cause mortality, according to a study. |
| Increase seen in prescription drug use in United States Posted: 03 Nov 2015 10:48 AM PST Between 1999-2012, overall prescription drug use increased among US adults, with this increase seen for the majority of but not all drug classes, according to a study. |
| Being moody may help us adapt to change Posted: 03 Nov 2015 10:47 AM PST It's long been known that mood biases our judgments and perceptions, but this effect has usually been regarded as irrational or disadvantageous. A new theory argues that mood draws on experiences and can, in fact, help us quickly adapt to changes in our environment. |
| National survey of Americans' health app use shows technology's promise and weakness Posted: 03 Nov 2015 08:29 AM PST Like the treadmills and stationary bikes that become rec room coatracks, fitness and other health-related smartphone apps are acquired in large numbers by Americans, but over time, many are left unused by those who download them. |
| Only one in five U.S. pancreatic cancer patients get this key blood test at diagnosis Posted: 03 Nov 2015 08:29 AM PST Only one in five U.S. pancreatic cancer patients receive a widely available, inexpensive blood test at diagnosis that can help predict whether they are likely to have a better or worse outcome than average and guide treatment accordingly, a new study shows. |
| Researcher develops a painter's palette of winter-hardy hibiscus colors Posted: 03 Nov 2015 08:24 AM PST Like an artist using the paint on a palette, one researcher is mixing pollen to create a flowering masterpiece in the form of tropically colored winter-hardy hibiscus. Three years after the breeding team created the first blue-flowering winter-hardy hibiscus, they have come up with a new salmon-colored garden jewel. |
| Righting a wrong? Right side of brain can compensate for post-stroke loss of speech Posted: 03 Nov 2015 08:24 AM PST After a debate that has lasted more than 130 years, researchers have found that loss of speech from a stroke in the left hemisphere of the brain can be recovered on the back, right side of the brain. This contradicts recent notions that the right hemisphere interferes with recovery. |
| Ancient Salvadoran village buried by ash freezes daily life in time Posted: 03 Nov 2015 08:24 AM PST A continuing look at a Maya village in El Salvador frozen in time by a blanket of volcanic ash 1,400 years ago shows the farming families who lived there went about their daily lives with virtually no strong-arming by the elite royalty lording over the valley. |
| Study suggests potential connection between low blood sugar and cardiovascular problems Posted: 03 Nov 2015 08:23 AM PST Studies have shown an association between strict control of blood sugar and increased mortality. They have also suggested that a consequence of this control is low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which may have adverse effects on the heart. In a new study, researchers examined the effects of hypoglycemia on cardiovascular autonomic control. They found that in their experimental model of hypoglycemia, there was a clear change in the body's responses to cardiovascular stress. |
| Standing and exercise linked to lower odds of obesity Posted: 03 Nov 2015 08:23 AM PST While sedentary behavior (such as watching TV and commuting time) has been linked to negative health effects, it is unclear whether more time spent standing has protective health benefits. New research shows that standing for at least one-quarter of the day has been linked to lower odds of obesity. |
| Link between small mammals and evolution of hepatitis A virus to humans discovered Posted: 03 Nov 2015 08:23 AM PST Researchers have found a link between the origin of hepatitis A virus (HAV) and small mammals. With the emergence of Ebola virus from bats and hantaviruses from rodents, investigators say identifying the other species infected with HAV provides novel insight into the evolution of HAV and how it spread to humans. |
| Researchers create transplantation model for 3-D printed constructs Posted: 03 Nov 2015 08:23 AM PST Using sugar, silicone and a 3-D printer, a team of bioengineers have created an implant with an intricate network of blood vessels that points toward a future of growing replacement tissues and organs for transplantation. |
| Blood stem cell self-renewal dependent on surroundings Posted: 03 Nov 2015 08:23 AM PST Stem cells have two important capabilities: they can develop into a wide range of cell types and simultaneously renew themselves, creating fresh stem cells. Using a model of the blood forming (hematopoietic) system, researchers have now been able to precisely determine, which signaling pathways play an essential role in the self-renewal of blood stem cells. A particularly decisive role in this process is the interactive communication with surrounding tissue cells in the bone marrow. |
| New research demands rethink on Darwin's theory of 'fecundity selection' Posted: 03 Nov 2015 07:03 AM PST A key concept in Darwin's theory of evolution which suggests nature favors larger females that can produce greater numbers of off-spring must be redefined according to scientists behind ground-breaking new research. |
| Healthier indoor climate for heavy industry Posted: 03 Nov 2015 07:03 AM PST A dust extraction unit that exploits the laws of nature has made the indoor climate on the 'shop-floor' of the Thamshavn smelter in Norway 75 percent cleaner. |
| 'Magic' plant discovery could lead to growing food in space Posted: 03 Nov 2015 07:02 AM PST A plant geneticist has discovered the gene in the ancient Australian native tobacco plant Nicotiana benthamiana, known as Pitjuri to Australian indigenous Aboriginals tribes. The discovery was made while tracing the history of the Pitjuri plant, which for decades has been used by geneticists as a model plant upon which to test viruses and vaccines. |
| The complexity of modeling Posted: 03 Nov 2015 07:02 AM PST In recent years, advances in materials synthesis techniques have enabled scientists to produce increasingly complex functional materials with enhanced or novel macroscopic properties. |
| Military sexual trauma: Prevalent and under-treated Posted: 03 Nov 2015 07:02 AM PST Rates of military sexual trauma among men who served in the military may be as much as 15 times higher than has been previously reported, largely because of barriers associated with stigma, beliefs in myths about male rape, and feelings of helplessness, according to a collection of new articles. |
| Living alone can dent healthy diets Posted: 03 Nov 2015 06:09 AM PST People who live alone are more likely to have unhealthy diets lacking key foods, research has found. The study reported inadequate cooking skills, no partner to go shopping with, the increasing cost of food and a lack of motivation to cook were among the reasons people living alone had different eating practices. |
| Cow-calf grazing practices could determine, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions Posted: 03 Nov 2015 06:09 AM PST Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the Southern Great Plains could require a change of grazing management by traditional cow-calf producers, according to a new study. |
| Rotting oaks lead to hazardous voids in Indiana's Mount Baldy sand dune Posted: 03 Nov 2015 06:09 AM PST Mount Baldy, a sand dune in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, may appear to be no more than an innocent pile of sand grains speckled with vegetation, but the rolling slopes hide narrow, deep holes, which are evidence of entombed oak trees. |
| Saving Green: Computer Program Saves Nurseries Water, Plants and Money Posted: 03 Nov 2015 06:07 AM PST A web-based irrigation system saved 21 percent in water use without reducing growth of container-grown landscape plants, a new study shows. |
| Cancer-associated mutations are common in patients with unexplained low blood counts Posted: 03 Nov 2015 06:07 AM PST Patients with unexplained low blood counts and abnormally mutated cells who do not fit the diagnostic criteria for recognized blood cancers should be described as having clonal cytopenias of undetermined significance (CCUS), suggest researchers in a recent paper. The researchers found the condition surprisingly common in older patients with low blood counts. |
| Restoration project recreates variation in the Vindel River, Sweden Posted: 03 Nov 2015 06:05 AM PST Vindel River LIFE is aimed at restoring tributaries in northern Sweden that were affected by a century-long timber-floating era. The project spanned over nearly six years and came to an end on 31 October 2015. |
| Storms fuel blooms of marine plants Posted: 03 Nov 2015 06:05 AM PST Autumn storms help the ocean absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide and stimulate marine life by 'stirring-up' the nutrients that feed blooms of tiny marine plants. These microscopic marine plants, or phytoplankton, play a key role in moving carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the deep ocean, as well as forming the base of the marine food-web. To fuel their growth they absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide and nutrients from the top hundred meters of the ocean. This depletes the upper ocean of nutrients. Understanding the processes of replenishment has preoccupied oceanographers for generations, partly because of suggestions that global environmental change might suppress it. |
| New study reveals how specialized cells help each other survive during times of stress Posted: 03 Nov 2015 06:05 AM PST For the first time, researchers show how one set of specialized cells survives under stress by manipulating the behavior of key immune system cells. |
| Empathetic teachers enhance children's motivation for learning Posted: 03 Nov 2015 03:47 AM PST Empathetic teachers enhance children's motivation and academic skills, such as reading, writing and arithmetic skills. A positive atmosphere created by the teacher also safeguards and increases children's motivation for learning, according to a Finnish study. |
| New genetic risk marker for late-life depression Posted: 03 Nov 2015 03:47 AM PST One of the most powerful predictors in neuropsychiatry is the epsilon 4 (?4) allele of the apolipoprotein gene (APOE). Individuals who carry this ?4 variant of APOE are at increased risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, early age of Alzheimer's disease onset, and more rapid progression of Alzheimer's disease symptoms. APOE ?4 has also been associated with atherosclerosis as well as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. A new study suggests that even when controlling for the risk for Alzheimer's disease, the APOE ?4 allele also conveys an increased risk for late-life depression. |
| Muscle loss linked to falls, fractures in elderly Posted: 03 Nov 2015 03:47 AM PST Older people with an age-related loss of muscle mass and strength may be at greater risk of falling and bone fractures, according to new research. A study into sarcopenia -- where muscles lose form and function with age -- found that those with the condition reported higher numbers of falls in the last year and a higher prevalence of fractures. |
| Past earthquakes play a role in future landslides, research suggests Posted: 03 Nov 2015 03:47 AM PST The likelihood of an area experiencing a potentially devastating landslide could be influenced by its previous exposure to earthquakes many decades earlier, say scientists. |
| Helping hand in the operation room Posted: 03 Nov 2015 03:47 AM PST In the future, surgical assistants could be relieved by surgeons, to devote their time instead to their own patients. This is expected to be made possible by a device which has been developed by researchers from the project group for automation in medicine and biotechnology. |
| Simulating technical textiles perfectly Posted: 03 Nov 2015 03:47 AM PST Technical textiles have unique requirements to meet. Compression bandages, for example, should put pressure on the human tissue, therefore the stretchability of the material has to be right. Materials for protective jackets need to have a certain bending stiffness: If something hits them, the material should protect the wearer and not yield. Textiles for car seats have to be durable, especially at the edges. Manufacturers of these products have two determining factors with which they can define the properties: the yarns, as well as the structure via which the individual yarns are interconnected – such as special weave patterns or mesh variations. |
| Uptake mechanisms of cytostatics discovered Posted: 03 Nov 2015 03:47 AM PST How does a cytostatic like cisplatin or carboplatin actually get into the cell? Scientists have now succeeded in showing that the volume-regulated anion channel VRAC is 50 % responsible for active substance uptake. If one of the VRAC subunits LRRC8A or LRRC8D is down-regulated, cells take up considerably less of the anti-cancer drug. In addition to this finding, programmed cell death or apoptosis is also significantly disturbed when LRRC8A is missing. The researchers have thus identified a potential cause for therapy resistance, they suggest. |
| Preschoolers working memory forecasts teenage dropout risk Posted: 03 Nov 2015 03:46 AM PST Preschoolers who score lower on a working memory task are likely to score higher on a dropout risk scale at the age of 13, researchers have revealed. |
| The solution to faster computing? Sing to your data Posted: 03 Nov 2015 03:46 AM PST A team of engineers may have found the answer to faster computing using minimal power: sound. The research has shown that certain types of sound waves can move data quickly, using minimal power. |
| New test for ancient DNA authenticity throws doubt on Stone Age wheat trade Posted: 03 Nov 2015 03:46 AM PST A new method reliably tests whether DNA shows ancient or modern patterns of biochemical change. This has recently cast doubt on the authenticity of what was thought to be evidence of a Stone Age wheat trade. |
| Early hospitalization key to survival for Ebola victims Posted: 03 Nov 2015 03:45 AM PST Scientists looked at data from nearly 1,000 cases over 38 years in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has experienced more Ebola outbreaks than any other country since the virus was discovered in 1976. |
