Tuesday, May 17, 2016

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Better corn in our future: Meaningful part of maize genome identified

Posted: 16 May 2016 06:27 PM PDT

Using a new genetic mapping technique researchers have shown that a small percentage of the entire maize genome is responsible for almost half of a plant's trait diversity.

Do germs cause type 1 diabetes?

Posted: 16 May 2016 06:26 PM PDT

Germs could play a role in the development of type 1 diabetes by triggering the body's immune system to destroy the cells that produce insulin, new research suggests.

Untreated sleep apnea may be related to melanoma aggressiveness

Posted: 16 May 2016 03:14 PM PDT

Untreated severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with increased aggressiveness of malignant cutaneous melanoma, according to the first multicenter prospective study on the relationship between sleep-disordered breathing (apnea or hypopnea) and cancer.

Lead pollution reveals the ancient history of Naples

Posted: 16 May 2016 03:13 PM PDT

Almost two thousand years after the eruption of Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum, certain periods of the history of Naples have just been reconstructed. Until now, historians and archaeologists had wondered about the impact of this volcanic eruption on the Aqua Augusta aqueduct which supplied Naples and neighboring cities with water. Recent geochemical analyses have made it possible to directly link the lead in the water pipes of the period with that trapped in the sediments of the old port of Naples.

New implantable VAD for severe heart failure in kids shows encouraging results in sheep

Posted: 16 May 2016 03:13 PM PDT

First-Ever Implantable VAD for Small Children May Be a Breakthrough for the Management of Pediatric Heart Failure, According to Presentation at 96th AATS Annual Meeting

Increasing survival in soft tissue sarcoma patients with lung metastases undergoing resection

Posted: 16 May 2016 03:13 PM PDT

Up to 50% of patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) develop lung metastases. Effective systemic therapies for metastatic STS are currently limited; when possible, surgical removal of the lung metastases (known as pulmonary metastasectomy, PM) is the preferred treatment. However, guidelines for the performance of PM for STS do not exist and decisions to operate are often made on an individual basis.

Cancer risk perception could lead to adverse health outcomes among women

Posted: 16 May 2016 03:12 PM PDT

According to recent studies, the US has a disadvantage in women's life expectancy compared to peer countries despite high rates of health screenings. Researchers have examined the perceptions of risk among females and found that minority and less educated women believe that breast cancer, rather than heart disease, is the more common killer. They recommend health care providers incorporate healthier lifestyle strategies for heart disease with messages for improved breast health.

Children, youth take longer to fully recover from concussion

Posted: 16 May 2016 03:12 PM PDT

The findings indicate that those in the age group of eight and 16 are not only vulnerable to concussions, but because their brain is still developing, they are neurologically more fragile than adults for performing tasks that require cognitive motor integration following a concussion.

Biodiversity protects fish from climate change

Posted: 16 May 2016 03:12 PM PDT

Fish provide protein to billions of people and are an especially critical food source in the developing world. Today marine biologists confirmed a key factor that could help them thrive through the coming decades: biodiversity. Communities with more fish species are more productive and more resilient to rising temperatures and temperature swings, according to a new study.

New packaging advances veggie freshness

Posted: 16 May 2016 03:12 PM PDT

New advances in packaging can help produce stay fresh longer. A research team focused on onions, one of the highest-volume vegetables sold worldwide. The team's results show that improvements can enhance the safety and improve the quality of the ubiquitous vegetable.

Slips of the lip stay all in the family: Dogs included, but not the cat

Posted: 16 May 2016 03:12 PM PDT

It's happened to many of us: While looking at someone you know very well, you blurt out the wrong name. The name you blurt is not just any old name, though, says new research from Duke University that finds 'misnaming' follows predictable patterns.

Minimally invasive tendon repair technique supports knee movement sooner after surgery

Posted: 16 May 2016 03:12 PM PDT

Researchers have found that suture anchors, a less-invasive tendon repair technique, responded better to strength-testing after the surgery, supporting more movement in the knee earlier in the recovery process.

Teamwork enables bacterial survival

Posted: 16 May 2016 03:12 PM PDT

Researchers have found that two strains of E. coli bacteria, each resistant to one antibiotic, can protect each other in an environment where both drugs are present.

Scientists create novel 'liquid wire' material inspired by spiders' capture silk

Posted: 16 May 2016 03:10 PM PDT

Why doesn't a spider's web sag in the wind or catapult flies back out like a trampoline? The answer, according to scientists, lies in the physics behind a 'hybrid' material produced by spiders for their webs.

Second gene modifies effect of mutation in a dog model of ALS

Posted: 16 May 2016 03:10 PM PDT

Canine Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) is a neurodegenerative disease in dogs with similarities to ALS in humans. Scientists have discovered a modifier gene that affects the risk of developing DM in Pembroke Welsh Corgis (PWC).

Trojan horses for hospital bugs

Posted: 16 May 2016 03:10 PM PDT

Staphylococcus aureus usually is a formidable bacterial pathogen. Sometimes, however, weakened forms are found in the blood of patients. Researchers have now identified one mutation responsible for that phenomenon.

Risk factors identified for readmission to hospital following esophagectomy

Posted: 16 May 2016 03:10 PM PDT

Researchers have identified risk factors for unplanned readmissions following esophageal resection. The results of their new study provide complete follow-up data for all patients undergoing esophagectomy at a high volume center over a one-year period in order to identify risk factors associated with unplanned readmissions.

Curtailing global warming with bioengineering? Iron fertilization won't work in much of Pacific

Posted: 16 May 2016 03:10 PM PDT

Over the past half-million years, the equatorial Pacific Ocean has seen five spikes in the amount of iron-laden dust blown in from the continents. In theory, those bursts should have turbo-charged the growth of the ocean's carbon-capturing algae -- algae need iron to grow -- but a new study shows that the excess iron had little to no effect.

Mom's voice activates many different regions in children's brains, study shows

Posted: 16 May 2016 03:10 PM PDT

A far wider swath of brain areas is activated when children hear their mothers than when they hear other voices, and this brain response predicts a child's social communication ability, a new study finds.

New answer to why Earth's atmosphere became oxygenated

Posted: 16 May 2016 12:19 PM PDT

Earth scientists are offering a new answer to the long-standing question of how our planet acquired its oxygenated atmosphere. Based on a new model that draws from research in diverse fields including petrology, geodynamics, volcanology and geochemistry, the team's findings suggest that the rise of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere was an inevitable consequence of the formation of continents in the presence of life and plate tectonics.

New cancer immunotherapy approach combines tumor fighting power with fewer side effects, study shows

Posted: 16 May 2016 12:19 PM PDT

Basic research into the dual nature of certain immune system cells has set the stage for a new approach to cancer immunotherapy that avoids some of the shortcomings associated with other methods, scientists report in a new study.

The 'Echoverse': New way to think about brand-consumer interactions

Posted: 16 May 2016 12:16 PM PDT

Most studies of the interactions between companies and consumers look at one piece of the puzzle: Advertising or social media or news coverage or 'consumer sentiment' as measured in surveys. A new study examines how messages about brands across various channels interact in a complex set of feedback loops the authors call the 'echoverse.' And the study offers advice for managers on navigating this new complex media world.

Converting cells to burn fat, not store it

Posted: 16 May 2016 12:16 PM PDT

Researchers have uncovered a new molecular pathway for stimulating the body to burn fat -- a discovery that could help fight obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Methionine could be key to improving pregnancy rate in dairy cattle

Posted: 16 May 2016 12:16 PM PDT

Adding methionine to the diets of Holstein cows during the prepartum and postpartum periods may impact the preimplantation embryo in a way that enhances its capacity for survival, research indicates.

Monthly resident handoff of patients may increase risk of dying

Posted: 16 May 2016 12:16 PM PDT

Transitions in care that occur when medical residents leave a clinical rotation and turn their patients' care over to another resident is associated with increased mortality, according to new research.

ICUs strained by increased volume and a near doubling of opioid-related deaths

Posted: 16 May 2016 12:16 PM PDT

ICU admissions related to opioid overdoses are steadily increasing, and opioid overdose-related ICU deaths have nearly doubled since 2009. New research shows the strain America's opioid crisis is putting on ICUs and the critical care teams who care for these patients and calls attention to efforts needed to meet the demands of this expanding population.

Technique improves efficacy of fuel cells

Posted: 16 May 2016 10:58 AM PDT

Fuel cells, which generate electricity from chemical reactions without harmful emissions, have the potential to power everything from cars to portable electronics, and could be cleaner and more efficient than combustion engines.

Cooling cows efficiently with water spray

Posted: 16 May 2016 10:58 AM PDT

Dairies use intermittent sprinkler systems to cool cows in warm weather, but little experimental work has been done to determine how much water is needed to achieve beneficial effects. A group of dairy scientists to examine the effects of using low-flow sprinkler systems that cut water use for this purpose by nearly 75 percent.

Metals released by burning fuel oil may damage children's developing lungs

Posted: 16 May 2016 10:58 AM PDT

A new study investigating the health impact of the chemical components of air pollution is reporting that two metals, nickel and vanadium (Ni and V), may be damaging to the developing lungs of children.

Left uncontrolled, weeds would cost billions in economic losses every year

Posted: 16 May 2016 10:07 AM PDT

If weeds were allowed to grow with no control measures, about half of corn and soybean crops across the United States and Canada would be lost, costing growers about $43 billion annually, says a team of researchers.

How does water move through soil?

Posted: 16 May 2016 10:07 AM PDT

In the basic water cycle, water falls on the land in some type of precipitation (rain or snow). It either is soaked into the ground or runs off into a body of water – storm water or natural. Eventually, it returns to the atmosphere. But the story about water movement in soil is complex. Soil scientists call this topic "soil hydrology." Experts now explain how soil texture, soil structure, and gravity influence water movement.

Promise of nearly a year of life on targeted drug not reality for all liver cancer patients, study finds

Posted: 16 May 2016 10:07 AM PDT

The median survival for a group of Medicare patients on the drug sorafenib was three months, which was significantly lower than the median survival of nearly 11 months for patients treated with the drug during a phase III clinical trial, report researchers.

Healthy eating gets no boost after corner store interventions, study finds

Posted: 16 May 2016 09:59 AM PDT

While many government, community and private interventions look at local corner and convenience stores as prime areas to stoke healthy eating, a new study found that even two years after such an intervention took place, attitudes and purchasing habits didn't change.

Improving natural killer cancer therapy

Posted: 16 May 2016 09:59 AM PDT

Researchers have discovered a potential way to 'tune up' the immune system's ability to kill cancer cells. In a new paper, they describe their discovery in mice of a tolerance mechanism that restrains the activity of natural killer (NK) cells, and a potential way to overcome it.

Theorists smooth the way to modeling quantum friction

Posted: 16 May 2016 09:59 AM PDT

Theoretical chemists have pioneered a strategy for modeling quantum friction, or how a particle's environment drags on it, a vexing problem that has frustrated scientists for more than a century.

Inaccurate coding of patient data may explain 'weekend effect'

Posted: 16 May 2016 09:59 AM PDT

Studies that use UK hospital coding data to examine 'weekend effects' for acute conditions, such as stroke, may be undermined by inaccurate coding, suggests new research.

Animal training techniques teach robots new tricks

Posted: 16 May 2016 09:59 AM PDT

Researchers are using ideas from animal training to help non-expert users teach robots how to do desired tasks.

Freight train: Myo1c provides cellular transport for protein crucial to kidney filtration

Posted: 16 May 2016 09:59 AM PDT

Researchers used small-angle X-ray scattering to determine the full structure of the motor protein Myo1c and its complex with Neph1, a protein crucial for kidney filtration. Their findings suggest that Myo1c uses the actin cytoskeleton as a 'track' for Neph1 transport -- a finding with translational relevance for glomerular diseases such as diabetic nephropathy, as movement of Neph1 to and from the surface membrane triggers the injury/recovery response.

Self-healing, flexible electronic material restores functions after many breaks

Posted: 16 May 2016 09:53 AM PDT

Electronic materials have been a major stumbling block for the advance of flexible electronics because existing materials do not function well after breaking and healing. A new electronic material created by an international team, however, can heal all its functions automatically even after breaking multiple times. This material could improve the durability of wearable electronics.

Scientists genetically engineered world's first Zika virus infectious cDNA clone

Posted: 16 May 2016 09:53 AM PDT

A multidisciplinary team is the first in the world to genetically engineer a clone of the Zika virus strain, a development that could expedite many aspects of Zika research, including vaccine and therapeutics development. Cloning the virus unlocks scientists' ability to more quickly develop countermeasures and explore whether or how the Zika virus has evolved to spread more quickly and cause more severe diseases in people.

Hunting for hidden life on worlds orbiting old, red stars

Posted: 16 May 2016 09:53 AM PDT

Astronomers have modeled the locations of the habitable zones for aging stars and how long planets can stay in it.

Canada's plans to legalize marijuana contravene UN's international conventions, say experts

Posted: 16 May 2016 09:53 AM PDT

The Canadian government's plan to legalize marijuana contravenes its current legal obligations to the United Nation's international drug-control conventions, states a new expert commentary.

HIV vaccine design should adapt as HIV mutates

Posted: 16 May 2016 08:57 AM PDT

Researchers have demonstrated that HIV has evolved to be pre-adapted to the immune response, worsening clinical outcomes in newly infected patients.

How differences in male, female brains emerge

Posted: 16 May 2016 08:54 AM PDT

Nematode worms may not be from Mars or Venus, but they do have sex-specific circuits in their brains that cause the males and females to act differently. According to new research, scientists have determined how these sexually dimorphic (occurring in either males or females) connections arise in the worm nervous system.

Poll: Many parents keep prescription opioids at home

Posted: 16 May 2016 08:54 AM PDT

Nearly half of parents whose child had leftover pain medication from a surgery or illness say they kept the prescription opioids at home.

New method of producing random numbers could improve cybersecurity

Posted: 16 May 2016 08:54 AM PDT

A new method for producing truly random numbers could be used to encrypt data, make electronic voting more secure, conduct statistically significant polls and more accurately simulate complex systems such as Earth's climate.

Obese or anorexic individuals react differently to taste, study says

Posted: 16 May 2016 08:54 AM PDT

Women suffering from anorexia nervosa and those who are obese respond differently to taste, a finding that could lead to new treatments for the eating disorders, report investigators.

E.coli 'anchors' provide novel way to hijack superbugs

Posted: 16 May 2016 08:54 AM PDT

Scientists may have found a way to stop deadly bacteria from infecting patients. The discovery could lead to a whole new way of treating antibiotic-resistant 'superbugs'. The researchers have uncovered what may be an Achilles heel on the bacteria cell membrane that could act as a potential novel drug target.

Polluted dust can impact ocean life thousands of miles away

Posted: 16 May 2016 08:53 AM PDT

As climatologists closely monitor the impact of human activity on the world's oceans, researchers have found yet another worrying trend impacting the health of the Pacific Ocean.

Physical activity associated with lower risk for many cancers

Posted: 16 May 2016 08:53 AM PDT

Higher levels of leisure-time physical activity were associated with lower risks for 13 types of cancers, according to a new study.

New stem cell pathway indicates route to much higher yields in maize, staple crops

Posted: 16 May 2016 08:53 AM PDT

Biologists have made an important discovery that helps explain how plants regulate the proliferation of their stem cells. The discovery has near-term implications for increasing the yield of maize and many other staple crops, perhaps by as much as 50 percent.

Frequent religious service attendance linked with decreased mortality risk among women

Posted: 16 May 2016 08:52 AM PDT

Women who attended religious services more than once per week were more than 30 percent less likely to die during a 16-year-follow-up than women who never attended, according to a new study. Frequent attendees also had significantly lower risk both from cardiovascular- and cancer-related mortality.

Neurosurgeon and electrical engineer walk into a lab...

Posted: 16 May 2016 08:06 AM PDT

An interdisciplinary team is developing unique technologies to sense and stimulate individual cells of the brain without invasive electrodes.

Tiny organisms have huge effect on world’s atmosphere

Posted: 16 May 2016 08:05 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered how a tiny yet abundant ocean organism helps regulate Earth's climate. They showed that these tiny, hugely abundant bacteria could make the environmentally important gas, dimethyl sulfide.

Implantation of rapid deployment aortic valve found to be durable, safe, and effective

Posted: 16 May 2016 08:05 AM PDT

EDWARDS INTUITY valve system shortens duration of interrupted blood flow and heart stoppage during surgery, according to new research.

Geologists identify sources of methane, greenhouse gas, in Ohio, Colorado and Texas

Posted: 16 May 2016 08:04 AM PDT

Methane comes from various sources, like landfills, bacterial processes in water, cattle and fracking. In testing methane sources at three national sites, geologists found no evidence fracking affected methane concentrations in groundwater in Ohio. At sites in Colorado and Texas, methane sources were founded to be mixed, divided between fracking, cattle and/or landfills.

Farms a major source of air pollution, study finds

Posted: 16 May 2016 08:04 AM PDT

Emissions from farms outweigh all other human sources of fine-particulate air pollution in much of the United States, Europe, Russia and China, according to new research. The culprit: fumes from nitrogen-rich fertilizers and animal waste combine in the air with combustion emissions to form solid particles, which constitute a major source of disease and death, according to the new study.

Animal welfare initiatives improves feather cover of cage-free laying hens, new study shows

Posted: 16 May 2016 08:04 AM PDT

Recognized welfare outcome assessments within farm assurance schemes have shown a reduction in feather loss and improvement in the welfare of UK cage-free laying hens, according to the findings of a new study.

Robot's in-hand eye maps surroundings, determines hand's location

Posted: 16 May 2016 08:04 AM PDT

Before a robot arm can reach into a tight space or pick up a delicate object, the robot needs to know precisely where its hand is. Researchers have shown that a camera attached to the robot's hand can rapidly create a 3-D model of its environment and also locate the hand within that 3-D world.

Stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer survival rates improved when care includes four specific quality measures

Posted: 16 May 2016 07:33 AM PDT

Only 13% of eligible patients studied benefited from all four quality measures and there is a wide disparity of implementation across the patients analyzed, according to a recent presentation.