| Research evaluates racial differences in GI cancer biology Posted: 04 Nov 2015 12:27 PM PST Because Americans of African descent are at a higher risk for developing GI cancers than others, a group of researchers is teaming up to launch a program to assess GI cancer biology in patients. |
| Mooving manure beyond drug-resistant bacteria Posted: 04 Nov 2015 12:15 PM PST Manure management is serious business for a meat-hungry world. A single cow, depending on its size, can generate between 43 and 120 pounds of manure a day. Cow manure can be a low-cost fertilizer for farmers' crops. But manure can also host antimicrobial resistant bacteria. Researchers have been testing creative ways to target antimicrobial resistance genes in manure. |
| Supervolcanoes likely triggered externally Posted: 04 Nov 2015 12:15 PM PST Supervolcanoes, massive eruptions with potential global consequences, appear not to follow the conventional volcano mechanics of internal pressure building until the volcano blows. Instead, a new study finds, such massive magma chambers might erupt when the roof above them cracks or collapses. |
| Some 3-D printed objects are toxic Posted: 04 Nov 2015 12:15 PM PST Parts produced by some commercial 3-D printers are toxic to certain fish embryos, new research shows. These results have raised questions about how to dispose of parts and waste materials from 3-D printers. |
| Newly discovered fossil sea urchin is the oldest of its kind Posted: 04 Nov 2015 12:15 PM PST A fossil sea urchin is the oldest of its kind, pushing back a fork in the sea urchin family tree by 10 million years. |
| Urban environments boost pathogen pressure on honey bees Posted: 04 Nov 2015 12:10 PM PST Urban environments increase pathogen abundance in honey bees (Apis mellifera) and reduce honey bee survival, entomology researchers have found. The finding raises significant questions as urban areas continue to grow at the expense of rural environments, and urban beekeeping becomes more popular. |
| Sound waves levitate cells to detect stiffness changes that could signal disease Posted: 04 Nov 2015 12:10 PM PST Physicists are literally applying rocket science to the field of medical diagnostics. With a few key changes, the researchers used a noninvasive ultrasonic technique originally developed to detect microscopic flaws in solid fuel rockets to successfully detect cell stiffness changes associated with certain cancers and other diseases. The method uses sound waves to manipulate and probe cells. |
| Illegal marijuana farms continue to threaten fishers in California Posted: 04 Nov 2015 12:10 PM PST The relatively rare, forest-dwelling fisher is increasingly becoming the innocent victim of illegal marijuana farms in forested lands in California. According to a recently published study, researchers found that the annual rate of poisoning deaths of fishers (Pekania pennant) rose 233 percent compared to a study in 2012. The toxicants were discovered to be associated with illegal marijuana farms on public and tribal lands in Northern and Southern California. |
| Connections discovered between masculinity, energy drink use, and sleep problems Posted: 04 Nov 2015 12:09 PM PST Energy drinks have grown in popularity for many Americans, but there is growing concern about the health risks of consuming them in large quantities. Because men are the main consumers of energy drinks, a research team set out to study a possible link between masculinity, expectations about the benefits of consuming energy drinks, how those expectations affect energy drink use, and the impact on sleep. |
| Insulin sensitivity: One night of poor sleep could equal six months on a high-fat diet, study in dogs suggests Posted: 04 Nov 2015 10:40 AM PST New research finds that one night of sleep deprivation and six months on a high-fat diet could both impair insulin sensitivity to a similar degree, demonstrating the importance of a good night's sleep on health. This study used a canine model to examine whether sleep deprivation and a high-fat diet affect insulin sensitivity in similar ways. |
| Female birds can’t shake their colorful fathers, and other lessons from studying 6,000 species Posted: 04 Nov 2015 10:40 AM PST The evolution of male songbirds as the colorful consorts of drab female partners is more complicated than long thought, says a researcher on a team that looked at nearly 6,000 species for a massive study. |
| CK5 marks cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer Posted: 04 Nov 2015 10:32 AM PST Protein cytokeratin 5 (CK5), known to be a marker of poor prognosis in breast cancer, also marks ovarian cancers likely to be resistant to the common chemotherapy cisplatin, new research confirms. |
| Antimatter not so different after all Posted: 04 Nov 2015 10:32 AM PST Researchers share the first measurements of the attractive force between antiprotons. The discovery gives physicists new ways to look at the forces that bind matter and antimatter. |
| Researchers discover size gene for salmon Posted: 04 Nov 2015 10:32 AM PST The size of returning Atlantic salmon is largely dependent on the number of years that the salmon remains at sea before returning to spawn in the river. The genetic basis of this trait has not been previously known, making the management of the impact of fishing difficult. In many Atlantic salmon populations, the sea-age at maturity, i.e. the number of years at sea, has been declining. |
| 'Odometer neurons' encode distance traveled, elapsed time Posted: 04 Nov 2015 10:32 AM PST Animals navigate by calculating their current position based on how long and how far they have traveled and a new study on treadmill-running rats reveals how: neurons called grid cells integrate information about time and distance to support memory and spatial navigation, even in the absence of visual landmarks. The findings challenge currently held views of the role of grid cells in the brain. |
| Can scientists agree on a definition of curiosity? Posted: 04 Nov 2015 10:32 AM PST Philosopher Thomas Hobbes called it 'the lust of the mind.' Former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt said it was 'the most useful gift.' And, yes, we all know what killed the cat. But ask a group of scientists to define curiosity and you'll get a rousing debate. No more, argue researchers in a review of curiosity science. They propose it's time for researchers to organize and focus on curiosity's function, evolution, mechanism, and development. |
| No one should die alone: The gift of being there for patients Posted: 04 Nov 2015 10:14 AM PST The Not Alone Transition Companion program has been launched in an American hospital to provide critically ill or dying patients with a companion when family members or friends are not available. |
| Preventing dental implant infections Posted: 04 Nov 2015 10:00 AM PST Millions of dental implants are inserted every year, and often they need to be replaced due to issues such as tissue infections caused by bacteria. In the future, these infections will be prevented thanks to a new plasma implant coating that kills pathogens using silver ions, say scientists. |
| Researchers want to turn acid-loving microbes into safe drug-carriers Posted: 04 Nov 2015 09:46 AM PST Usually the microbe S. islandicus is found in hot and acidic volcanic springs, but now the microbe has also found its way to science labs. Here researchers have for the first time showed that the exotic microbe is capable of delivering drugs to the human body. |
| Math anxiety doesn't equal poor math performance Posted: 04 Nov 2015 09:46 AM PST Experiencing math anxiety -- nervousness and discomfort in relation to math -- impairs math performance for some students, but new research shows that it's linked with improved performance for others, at least to a degree. |
| Evidence-based practice model can help hospitals deliver best care, cut costs Posted: 04 Nov 2015 09:46 AM PST Amid continued pressures to minimize errors and cut costs, hospitals are continuing to scramble to find solutions to problems plaguing health systems nationwide. A possible solution to many of those issues can be found in hospital evidence-based practice centers (EPCs), says a new study suggesting EPCs can effectively inform decision-making in medical settings. |
| Novel 'crumpling' of hybrid nanostructures increases SERS sensitivity Posted: 04 Nov 2015 09:10 AM PST By 'crumpling' to increase the surface area of graphene-gold nanostructures, researchers have improved the sensitivity of these materials, opening the door to novel opportunities in electronics and optical sensing applications. |
| New discoveries on a bug with bifocals Posted: 04 Nov 2015 09:10 AM PST Researchers announce findings from the first-of-its-kind analysis on an invertebrate sight system. The research focused on eye growth during the larval stages of the Sunburst Diving Beetle - which lives in creeks and streams around Arizona and the western United States. |
| Resistance exercise during pregnancy has perceived positive effects Posted: 04 Nov 2015 09:10 AM PST Resistance exercise during pregnancy has perceived positive effects. Swimming, walking and other mild physical activities, along with avoidance of resistance exercise, are often recommended for pregnant women. But new research has found that resistance exercise can relieve symptoms related to pregnancy and improve sense of control. |
| System automatically converts 2D video to 3D Posted: 04 Nov 2015 09:10 AM PST By exploiting the graphics-rendering software that powers sports video games, researchers have developed a system that automatically converts 2-D video of soccer games into 3-D. |
| Business leaders should re-think how they treat team members, research suggests Posted: 04 Nov 2015 09:08 AM PST Business leaders who oversee teams need to find a middle ground in how they treat team members -- or risk hurting team performance -- new findings from an international team of researchers suggest. Specifically, the researchers found that treating some team members much better than others can adversely affect performance -- as can treating all team members the same way. |
| How plant cell compartments 'chat' with each other Posted: 04 Nov 2015 09:08 AM PST Scientists have discovered a basis of communication in plant cells: The 'MICU' protein controls the calcium ion concentration in the cellular power stations. Using these chemical signatures, the plants regulate, for instance, the formation of organs and react to water stress. The results may be used in the future to optimize agricultural crops. |
| Formation of new blood vessels may explain intractable symptoms of Parkinson's disease Posted: 04 Nov 2015 09:08 AM PST Unwanted formation of blood vessels (angiogenesis) in the brain is likely to be the cause of intractable walking and balance difficulties for people who suffer from Parkinson's disease. This conclusion is supported by new research. |
| Mammography screening: Only one in three women is well-informed, German study shows Posted: 04 Nov 2015 09:07 AM PST Only one in three women participating in Germany's mammography screening program is well-informed about it: the higher the level of education, the greater the chance of women making an informed decision. |
| 'JEDI' technology awakens new understanding of how immune system works Posted: 04 Nov 2015 09:07 AM PST When it comes to fending off disease and helping prevent people from falling ill, the body's immune system -- armed with T-cells that help eliminate cancer cells, virus-infected cells and more -- is second to none. But exactly how the immune system works remains, in many ways, a mystery. Now, a team of scientists has developed the Just EGFP Death-Inducing T-cell, or JEDI T-cells, which enable the visualization of T-cell antigens, allowing researchers to study T-cell interactions with different cell types, model disease states, and finally determine the functions of otherwise poorly characterized cell populations. |
| Scarlet fever making a comeback Posted: 04 Nov 2015 09:07 AM PST An international study has tracked the re-emergence of a childhood disease which had largely disappeared over the past 100 years. Researchers have used genome sequencing techniques to investigate a rise in the incidence of scarlet fever-causing bacteria and an increasing resistance to antibiotics. |
| Entomologists report on benefits of neonicotinoid seed treatments on rice Posted: 04 Nov 2015 09:07 AM PST Rice seeds that are pre-treated with neonicotinoid pesticides yield better than untreated crops and suffer less damage from rice water weevil, the most widely distributed and destructive early-season insect pest of rice in the United States, new research shows. However, the economic benefits of investing in pre-treated seed depend on the level of insect pressure. |
| Study identifies patients most likely to have joint pain reduction after bariatric surgery Posted: 04 Nov 2015 09:07 AM PST In the three years following bariatric surgery, the majority of patients experience an improvement in pain and walking ability. A new study went on to identify key patient characteristics that can indicate which people are the most and the least likely to see improvement, a finding that could allow clinicians to identify patients who may require additional interventions to improve outcomes. |
| Consistent source of care is key factor in limiting kids' repeat visits to the hospital Posted: 04 Nov 2015 06:53 AM PST Researchers looked at the five components of a primary care medical home and found that one factor -- having a usual source of care -- was the most reliable predictor of whether a child would be readmitted to a hospital or emergency room within a month after being discharged. |
| Racial anxiety may alter time perception for some white Americans, research finds Posted: 04 Nov 2015 06:50 AM PST Time may appear to slow down for white Americans who feel threatened by an approaching black person, raising questions about the pervasive effects of racial bias or anxiety in the United States, according to research. |
| DNA in blood can track cancer development, response in real time Posted: 04 Nov 2015 06:50 AM PST Tumor DNA shed into the bloodstream can be used to track cancers in real time as they evolve and respond to treatment, scientists have shown for the first time. |
| Teenage exposure to pesticides may lead to abnormal sperm, new study says Posted: 04 Nov 2015 06:50 AM PST Adolescent exposure to environmental pollutants known as organochlorines may lead to defective sperm, according to a new study. The research is the first to look for associations between exposure to these chemicals in the teenage years and abnormalities in sperm that are associated with fertility problems later in life. |
| Chemotherapy-induced hearing loss affects neurocognition in pediatric brain tumor survivors Posted: 04 Nov 2015 03:07 AM PST Platinum-based chemotherapy may not only impact hearing, but that the hearing loss may then contribute to long-term neurocognitive deficits, report neuroscientists in a new report. |
| Minuscule, flexible compound lenses magnify large fields of view Posted: 04 Nov 2015 03:07 AM PST Drawing inspiration from an insect's multi-faceted eye, University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers have created miniature lenses with vast range of vision. Their new approach created the first-ever flexible Fresnel zone plate microlenses with a wide field of view -- a development that could allow everything from surgical scopes to security cameras to capture a broader perspective at a fraction of the size required by conventional lenses. |
| Country-to-country aid for health varies dramatically Posted: 04 Nov 2015 03:07 AM PST An analysis of country-to-country aid for health over a 20-year period suggests wide variations among donor countries' giving that do not always reflect recipient countries' health needs. |
| Health campaigns that tap teen culture curtail risky adolescent behavior Posted: 04 Nov 2015 03:07 AM PST Health campaigns that target teens based their social groups and subcultures, such as hip hop, preppy or alternative, can be an effective tool in dissuading adolescents from engaging in risky behaviors such as smoking and drinking, suggests a survey of the literature and a case study. |
| Nearly one in five oral penicillin doses given to children in NHS hospitals may be too high or too low Posted: 03 Nov 2015 06:42 PM PST Many children may be getting an inappropriate dose of antibiotics as doctors use guidelines that just use age not weight when choosing the dose of drugs, say researchers. |
| New computational approach to predicting adverse drug reactions with higher confidence Posted: 03 Nov 2015 06:38 PM PST A new integrated computational method helps predicting adverse drug reaction -- which are often lethal -- more reliably than with traditional computing methods. This improved ability to foresee the possible adverse effects of drugs may entail saving many lives in the future. |
| Depression, weight gain in pregnancy linked to sitting down Posted: 03 Nov 2015 06:37 PM PST A link between depression in pregnancy and long periods of sitting down has been identified by researchers. The study found those suffering from symptoms of depression during pregnancy are more likely to sit down for long periods of time in the second trimester. The academics also found this puts them at risk of greater weight gain and contracting gestational diabetes. |
| The better to eat you with? How dinosaurs' jaws influenced diet Posted: 03 Nov 2015 06:37 PM PST Just how bad was T. rex's bite? New research has found that the feeding style and dietary preferences of dinosaurs was closely linked to how wide they could open their jaws. |
| Guidelines first to focus on children with pulmonary hypertension Posted: 03 Nov 2015 06:36 PM PST The first guidelines developed for children with pulmonary hypertension are the result of a collaboration between heart and lung experts and their review of 600 studies. The causes and treatment of pulmonary hypertension in children is often different than in adults. |
| Scientists find potential target for dry age-related macular degeneration Posted: 03 Nov 2015 01:35 PM PST Scientists have good news for patients who suffer from currently untreatable dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD). In a new study, researchers identified a potential target for future therapies to slow the progression of the blinding condition. The findings indicate that treatments currently used for other conditions could also work for dry AMD. |
| Professors study legal, social complexities of an augmented reality future Posted: 03 Nov 2015 12:16 PM PST Those designing coming augmented reality systems should make them adaptable to change, resistant to hacking and responsive to the needs of diverse users, according to a report. |
| Researchers work to solve infrastructure challenges through new engineering research center Posted: 03 Nov 2015 12:16 PM PST In August, four universities were included in a new National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center to develop advances in geotechnical engineering that will provide solutions to some of the world's biggest infrastructure development and environmental challenges. |
