| Network governance connects people to solve collective environmental problems Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:15 PM PDT Ecological systems, and ecological problems, are not nicely contained within neat human boundaries. 'Network governance' can help big, agency- and border-spanning conservation alliances govern themselves, researchers argue in a collection of articles exploring the life cycle of networks, plumbs examples in cities and wilderness, and examines community-based conservation within larger governance networks. |
| Would changing gait pattern decrease your likelihood of running injuries? Posted: 06 Apr 2016 03:15 PM PDT Are runners less injury-prone trekking barefoot than in pricey running shoes? Maybe, according to a new literature review. Advances in running shoe technology in the last 40 years have not reduced injuries, but racing 'barefoot' in shoes with minimal cushioning could help runners change their strides and landing patterns to prevent repetitive heel pain and stress fractures. |
| Six weighty facts about gravity Posted: 06 Apr 2016 02:00 PM PDT Gravity: we barely ever think about it, at least until we slip on ice or stumble on the stairs. To many ancient thinkers, gravity wasn't even a force -- it was just the natural tendency of objects to sink toward the center of Earth, while planets were subject to other, unrelated laws. |
| Ancient Algae Offer New Hope for Hard-to-Treat Cancers Posted: 06 Apr 2016 01:57 PM PDT In one of the oldest life forms on Earth, scientists have discovered a new compound that shows potent anti-cancer activity. Researchers are pursuing the compound as a possible new therapy for brain tumors and triple negative breast cancer. |
| 1200 years of water balance data challenge climate models Posted: 06 Apr 2016 01:55 PM PDT Water availability in the Northern Hemisphere has seen much larger changes during the past twelve centuries than during twentieth century global warming, a new study reports. The team concludes that climate models overestimate wet and dry extremes as temperatures increased during the twentieth century. The new results can help to improve the ability of climate models to predict future hydroclimate changes. |
| Nanoporous material's strange 'breathing' behavior Posted: 06 Apr 2016 01:55 PM PDT High-tech sponges of the infinitely small, nanoporous materials can capture and release gaseous or liquid chemicals in a controlled way. Scientists have developed and described one of these materials, DUT-49, whose behavior is totally counterintuitive. When pressure is increased for a sample of DUT-49 to absorb more gas, the material contracts suddenly and releases its contents -- as if, when inhaling, the lungs contracted and expelled the air that they contained. This work makes it possible to envisage innovative behavior in materials science. |
| How a metabolic pathway promotes breast cancer metastasis Posted: 06 Apr 2016 01:54 PM PDT A metabolic pathway that is up-regulated in some breast cancers promotes the disease's progression by activating a signaling protein called Arf6, according to a paper. The study suggests that statin-like drugs may be effective treatments for breast cancer patients whose tumors express high levels of Arf6 signaling proteins. |
| Invasive species not best conservation tool, study shows Posted: 06 Apr 2016 01:54 PM PDT Harnessing an invasive fish species sounded like a promising conservation tool to help reverse the destruction wreaked by zebra mussels on endangered native mollusks in the Great Lakes -- except that it won't work, says an ecologist. |
| 'Honeycomb' of nanotubes could boost genetic engineering Posted: 06 Apr 2016 01:52 PM PDT Researchers have developed a new and highly efficient method for gene transfer. The technique, which involves culturing and transfecting cells with genetic material on an array of carbon nanotubes, appears to overcome the limitations of other gene editing technologies. |
| Age and mobility predict death better than one's 'molecular clock' Posted: 06 Apr 2016 01:52 PM PDT When it comes to predicting death, more rudimentary measures -- like a person's age or ability to walk or climb stairs -- are much more powerful predictors of survival than certain biomarkers. When comparing a broad set of survival indicators against telomere length -- DNA sequences that shrink with age -- the researchers found that using telomere length to predict mortality was only marginally better than a 'coin toss.' Age is, by far, the best predictor of death. |
| Stroke survivors face 'invisible impairments' to return to work Posted: 06 Apr 2016 01:52 PM PDT 'Invisible impairments' can make it difficult for stroke survivors to maintain a job, according to a new study . The findings suggest that more needs to be done to make survivors, their GPs and employers aware of the difficulties that they may face. |
| New tool tailors drug dosing for patients Posted: 06 Apr 2016 01:52 PM PDT A new computational tool successfully tested in a small pilot trial harnesses clinical data to predict the optimal drug dose for an individual. |
| Fewer than 250 mature Bawean warty pigs in existence Posted: 06 Apr 2016 01:52 PM PDT The rare Bawean warty pig mostly forages at night in community-owned forests on Bawean island, and is endangered, according to a new study. |
| Corals struggle to grow under multiple stressors Posted: 06 Apr 2016 11:04 AM PDT A new study has found that multiple stressors might be too much for corals. The findings have important implications for the resilience of coral reefs to climate change. |
| Genetic elements that drive regeneration uncovered Posted: 06 Apr 2016 11:04 AM PDT Salamanders and fish possess genes that can enable healing of damaged tissue and even regrowth of missing limbs. The key to regeneration lies not only in the genes, but in the DNA sequences that regulate expression of those genes in response to an injury. Researchers have discovered regulatory sequences that they call 'tissue regeneration enhancer elements' or TREEs, which can turn on genes in injury sites. |
| Researchers visualize brain's serotonin pump, provide blueprint for new, more effective SSRIs Posted: 06 Apr 2016 11:03 AM PDT Researchers have uncovered remarkably detailed 3-D views of one of the most important transporters in the brain -- the serotonin transporter. Their study provides fresh insight into how citalopram and paroxetine, two of the most widely prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, interact with and inhibit serotonin transport. |
| Much longer survival for heart transplants across species Posted: 06 Apr 2016 11:03 AM PDT A new immune-suppressing therapy has led to the longest survival yet for a cross-species heart transplant, according to new research. The study involved transplanting pig hearts into baboons. |
| How deep does life go? Study describes microbial neighborhood beneath ocean floor Posted: 06 Apr 2016 11:03 AM PDT A new study offers the first description of an active microbial community buried in cold oceanic crust at North Pond, an isolated sediment pond on the western flank of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. |
| Researchers identify potent antibodies against HIV Posted: 06 Apr 2016 11:03 AM PDT Researchers have isolated antibodies with a loop-like structure that binds tightly to HIV and disables it -- even in people who have never been infected by the virus. Using computer modeling, they re-engineered and optimized the antibodies' neutralizing capacity. |
| Advance may make quantum computing more practical Posted: 06 Apr 2016 11:03 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new approach to preserving superposition in a class of quantum devices built from synthetic diamonds. The work could ultimately prove an important step toward reliable quantum computers. |
| Plastic proteins: Synthetic material mimics essential characteristics of natural proteins Posted: 06 Apr 2016 11:03 AM PDT Researchers hoping to design new materials for energy uses have developed a system to make synthetic polymers -- some would say plastics -- with the versatility of nature's own polymers, the ubiquitous proteins. Based on an inexpensive industrial chemical, these synthetic polymers might one day be used to create materials with functions as limitless as proteins, which are involved in every facet of life. |
| How halogen atoms compete to grow 'winning' perovskites Posted: 06 Apr 2016 10:36 AM PDT Researchers have found a potential path to further improve solar cell efficiency by understanding the competition among halogen atoms during the synthesis of sunlight-absorbing crystals. |
| Becoming crystal clear Posted: 06 Apr 2016 10:36 AM PDT Using state-of-the-art theoretical methods, researchers have identified a specific type of defect in the atomic structure of a light-emitting diode (LED) that results in less efficient performance. The characterization of these point defects could result in the fabrication of even more efficient, longer lasting LED lighting. |
| Large variations in precipitation over the past millennium Posted: 06 Apr 2016 10:36 AM PDT According to a new study, the Northern Hemisphere has experienced considerably larger variations in precipitation during the past twelve centuries than in the twentieth century. Researchers from Sweden, Germany, and Switzerland have found that climate models overestimated the increase in wet and dry extremes as temperatures increased during the twentieth century. The new results will enable us to improve the accuracy of climate models and to better predict future precipitation changes. |
| Brain guardians remove dying neurons Posted: 06 Apr 2016 10:36 AM PDT In a new study, scientists show how immune receptors clear dead and dysfunctional brain cells and how they might be targets for treating neurodegenerative diseases |
| Earth's soils could play key role in locking away greenhouse gases Posted: 06 Apr 2016 10:36 AM PDT The world's soils could store an extra eight billion tonnes of greenhouse gases, helping to limit the impacts of climate change, research suggests. |
| Supernovae showered Earth with radioactive debris Posted: 06 Apr 2016 10:36 AM PDT An international team of scientists has found evidence of a series of massive supernova explosions near our solar system, which showered the Earth with radioactive debris.The scientists found radioactive iron-60 in sediment and crust samples taken from the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The iron-60 was concentrated in a period between 3.2 and 1.7 million years ago, which is relatively recent in astronomical terms. |
| Supermassive black holes may be lurking everywhere in the universe Posted: 06 Apr 2016 10:36 AM PDT One of the largest supermassive black holes on record has been discovered in an unexpected place: a relatively sparse region of the local universe where massive galaxies -- the typical home of these huge black holes -- are few and far between. According new research, there could be many more such black holes -- quiescent quasars -- hiding in the universe's deserts. This one may be or once was a binary black hole. |
| Sentinel-3A feels the heat Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:52 AM PDT Despite only being in orbit a matter of weeks, Sentinel-3A has already delivered some impressive first images. With the thermal-infrared channels now turned on, the satellite completes its set of firsts with a view of ocean features off the coast of Namibia. |
| New database gives scientists hope for helping coral reefs Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:50 AM PDT With the future of coral reefs threatened now more than ever, researchers have announced the release of a new global database that enables scientists and managers to more quickly and effectively help corals survive their many challenges. |
| How bioceramics could help fight gum disease Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:49 AM PDT The surface of silicon nitride has a lethal effect on the bacteria that commonly cause periodontitis. Now scientists are examining why this happens. Their findings could help inform future efforts to treat the disease. |
| So long lithium, hello bacteria batteries? Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:49 AM PDT As renewable energy sources grow, so does the demand for new ways to store the resulting energy at low-cost and in environmentally friendly ways. Now scientists report a first-of-its-kind development toward that goal: a rechargeable battery driven by bacteria. |
| Genvoya in HIV: Positive effects predominate in some adults, negative effects in others Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:49 AM PDT Regarding the use of Genvoya in HIV, there is a hint of a minor added benefit for pretreated women, and a hint of lesser benefit for treatment-naive adults. |
| Insect eyes enable drones to fly independently Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:49 AM PDT After studying how insects navigate through dense vegetation, researchers have come up with a system that can be applied to flying robots. By adapting the system to drones, they can be made to adjust their speed to their surroundings and fly on their own -- completely without human intervention and control. |
| Paper-based test could help prevent food poisoning Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:49 AM PDT Food poisoning is a stomach-churning, miserable condition that sends thousands of Americans to hospital emergency rooms every year. Now scientists report a simple, paper-based test that could help detect pathogens hitchhiking on food before they reach store shelves, restaurants and, most importantly, our stomachs. |
| Travels with my smart phone Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:49 AM PDT The more we rely on our smart phones being connected to the Internet, the greater the anxiety we feel if we lose that connection when traveling, according to new research. |
| New spectroscopy of 10 Be hypernucleus redefines the reference data of Lambda hypernuclei Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:47 AM PDT A team of international researchers has successfully measured precise binding energy of a (_?^10)Be hypernucleus made of four protons (p), five neutrons (n) and a Lambda (?) particle, at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab), USA. |
| Warming climate puts Europe at risk for seasonal outbreaks of dengue fever Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:47 AM PDT Increasing temperatures will enlarge Europe's seasonal window for the potential spread of mosquito-borne viral disease, expanding the geographic areas at risk for a dengue epidemic to include much of Europe, say researchers. |
| Dragons out of the dark: Six new species of dragon millipedes discovered in Chinese caves Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:47 AM PDT Six new species of Chinese dragon millipedes, including species living exclusively in caves, are described as a result of an international cooperation. These cave species have unusually long legs and antennae, with one of them resembling a stick insect, only with a lot more legs. Others appear ghostly white and semi-transparent. |
| Outdoor light has role in reducing short-sightedness in kids Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:47 AM PDT Increasing exposure to outdoor light is the key to reducing the myopia (short-sightedness) epidemic in children, according to ground-breaking research by Australian optometrists. Children need to spend more than an hour and preferably at least two hours a day outside to help prevent myopia from developing and progressing, say experts. |
| Optical approach offers faster, less expensive method for carbon dating Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:47 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated a new compact spectroscopic instrument that offers a highly sensitive optical method for detecting radiocarbon dioxide concentration, which can be used to carbon date fossils and archaeological artifacts. |
| Quality time rather than study time improves teens' educational aspirations Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:46 AM PDT Teenagers who spend quality time with their parents are more likely to want to further their studies, according to a study. Researchers found that adolescents who take part in cultural activities with their mother and father were more likely to aspire to continue their studies post-16 than those who didn't. This is compared to even those who attended homework clubs or participated in extra-curricular activities. |
| Scientists help test innovative device to improve efficiency of tokamaks Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:46 AM PDT A successful test of liquid lithium limiter on China's EAST tokamak is described in a new article. The device has circulated the protective liquid metal within the walls of China's Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) and kept the plasma from cooling down and halting fusion reactions. |
| Engineers develop a pill for long-term drug release Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:46 AM PDT A new type of pill that, once swallowed, can attach to the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and slowly release its contents has been designed by engineers. |
| For parents of autistic children, more social support means better health Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:46 AM PDT About one in 68 children in the United States has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Their parents consistently report greater stress levels, caregiving burden and depression than parents of typically developing children. Chronic caregiving stress has also been associated with poorer physical health -- more pain, more disruptions from physical-health problems and lower overall health-related quality of life. One powerful way to reduce their stress: social support. |
| Brain responses found to originate from previously unknown source Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:46 AM PDT Scientists have made an important discovery about the human auditory system and how to study it, findings that could lead to better testing and diagnosis of hearing-related disorders. The researchers detected frequency-following responses (FFR) coming from a part of the brain not previously known to emit them. FFRs are neural signals generated in the brain when people hear sounds. |
| Saturated fats 'jet lag' body clocks, triggering metabolic disorders, study shows Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:46 AM PDT New research parses out why saturated fats are 'bad' -- and suggests that it may all be in the timing. The findings show that consumption of saturated fats (specifically palmitate) at certain times may 'jet lag' internal body clocks, triggering metabolic disorders. |
| Nanopillars on drone fly larvae allow them to avoid bacterial contamination Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:43 AM PDT Rat-tailed maggots are known to live in stagnant, fetid water that is rich in bacteria, fungi, and algae. However, they are able to avoid infection by these microorganisms due to nanopillars on their cuticles. |
| Children's interactions more complex than predicted Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:43 AM PDT While sharing toys and fighting with each other, kindergarten children helped researchers understand the patterns and qualities of interactions in social groups. The results were much more complex than the scientists originally predicted. |
| How network effects hurt economies Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:43 AM PDT Economic problems may often have smaller points of origin and then spread as part of a network effect, a newly published study suggests. |
| Existing state laws collectively require a 50 percent increase in US renewable electricity Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:43 AM PDT State renewables portfolio standards, known as RPS policies, have contributed to more than half of all renewable electricity growth in the United States since 2000. Most state RPS requirements will continue to rise through at least 2020, if not beyond, and collectively these policies will require substantial further growth in US renewable electricity supplies. |
| Scientists improve perovskite solar-cell absorbers by giving them a squeeze Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:43 AM PDT Solar cells made of perovskites have shown great promise in recent years. Now scientists have found that applying pressure can change the properties of these inexpensive materials and how they respond to light. |
| Statement on use of antenatal corticosteroids in late preterm birth period Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:43 AM PDT A statement on the use of antenatal corticosteroids during the late preterm birth period for women at risk of preterm birth has been released by experts. |
| Cause of Maryland food poisoning outbreak traced to Asia Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:43 AM PDT Vibrio parahaemolyticus caused an outbreak of food poisoning in Maryland in 2010. The pathogen strain sequenced from patients proved to be the same strain as one of those found in raw oysters from local restaurants, strong evidence that the oysters were the source of the illness. That particular strain of V. parahaemolyticus was not local, but was traced to Asia, report investigators. |
| Mediterranean loggerhead turtles dying in waters off the Middle East, North Africa Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:39 AM PDT Conservation biologists have found that many adult loggerhead turtles are migrating to areas of the Mediterranean where they are dying, trapped in fishing nets used by small scale fishing operations in Cyprus, the Middle East and North Africa. |
| Yeast against the machine: Bakers' yeast could improve diagnosis Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:39 AM PDT It's easier than ever to sequence our DNA, but doctors still can't exactly tell from our genomes which diseases might befall us. Now a research team is setting out to change this by going to basics -- to our billion-year-old cousin, baker's yeast. It turns out our billion-year-old cousin can reveal -- more reliably than leading algorithms -- whether a genetic mutation is actually harmful. |
| Learning in the absence of external feedback Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:39 AM PDT Rewards act as external factors that influence and reinforce learning processes. Researchers have now been able to show that the brain can produce its own learning signals in cases where no such external feedback is available. A report on the mechanisms underlying these self-generated feedback signals has been published, and shows clear parallels between the neurobiological processes involved in learning based on external and self-generated feedback. |
| Natural history museum professionals, biodiversity scientists identify needs Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:39 AM PDT Today, the Biodiversity Collections Network released a report that includes overarching recommendations for how the biodiversity sciences community can improve communication within the community and with key decision-makers. |
| Results of world's first study on new treatment for heroin addiction Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:39 AM PDT The results of the ground-breaking SALOME research show that chronic heroin addiction now has another effective treatment tool -- hyrdomorphone, a licensed pain medication. |
| Is there association between MC1R and melanoma risk after controlling for sun? Posted: 06 Apr 2016 09:39 AM PDT There is a well-described association between UV radiation exposure from the sun and the development of melanoma. The development of melanoma independent of sun exposure has only recently been described in mice. |
