Wednesday, April 22, 2015

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Myth of tolerant dogs and aggressive wolves refuted

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 05:55 PM PDT

The good relationship between humans and dogs was certainly influenced by domestication. For long, it was assumed that humans preferred particularly tolerant animals for breeding. Thus, cooperative and less aggressive dogs could develop. Recently, however, it was suggested that these qualities were not only specific for human-dog interactions, but characterize also dog-dog interactions.

Five years after Gulf oil spill, survey shows Gulf coast residents are still impacted

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 05:55 PM PDT

The survey shows that more than 34 percent of residents said they were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their community's economy after the DWH oil spill, while only 15.6 percent felt that way before the oil spill.

Tax-efficient mutual fund managers savvier than their peers, study shows

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 01:33 PM PDT

Tax-efficient mutual funds perform better before and after taxes, according to new research.

Sensor detects when a driver is alcohol-impaired and blocks the vehicle

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 11:31 AM PDT

As a strategy to decrease road accidents caused under the influence of alcohol, a group of young students has developed an automotive safety system that detects the alcohol blood level of a potential driver and prevents them from driving.

New super-fast MRI technique demonstrated with song 'If I Only Had a Brain'

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 10:21 AM PDT

With a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, the vocal neuromuscular movements of singing and speaking can now be captured at 100 frames per second. The sound of the voice is created in the larynx, located in the neck. When we sing or speak, the vocal folds--the two small pieces of tissue--come together and, as air passes over them, they vibrate, which produces sound. After 10 years of working as a professional singer in Chicago choruses, a researcher's passion for vocal performance stemmed into study to understand the voice and its neuromuscular system, with a particular interest in the aging voice.

New tabletop detector 'sees' single electrons

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 10:21 AM PDT

Physicists have developed a new tabletop particle detector that is able to identify single electrons in a radioactive gas.

Certain interactive tools click with web users

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 10:21 AM PDT

Before web developers add the newest bells and the latest whistles to their website designs, a team of researchers suggests they zoom in on the tools that click with the right users and for the right tasks.

Scientists identify brain circuitry responsible for anxiety in smoking cessation

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 10:21 AM PDT

In a promising breakthrough for smokers who are trying to quit, neuroscientists have identified circuitry in the brain responsible for the increased anxiety commonly experienced during withdrawal from nicotine addiction.

Likely cause of 2013-14 earthquakes: Combination of gas field fluid injection and removal

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 10:20 AM PDT

A seismology team finds that high volumes of wastewater injection combined with saltwater (brine) extraction from natural gas wells is the most likely cause of earthquakes near Azle, Texas, from late 2013 through spring 2014. The team identified two intersecting faults and developed a sophisticated 3-D model to assess changing fluid pressure within a rock formation, and the stress changes induced by both wastewater injection and gas production wells.

Surprising contributor to Rett syndrome identified

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 10:20 AM PDT

The immune system is designed to protect us from disease. But what if it was malfunctioning? Would it make a disease worse? That appears to be the case with Rett syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder, and possibly in other neurological disorders as well.

Strontium atomic clock accurate to the second -- over 15 billion years

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 10:20 AM PDT

In another advance at the far frontiers of timekeeping , the latest modification of a record-setting strontium atomic clock has achieved precision and stability levels that now mean the clock would neither gain nor lose one second in some 15 billion years -- roughly the age of the universe.

New gene therapy success in a rare disease of the immune system

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 10:20 AM PDT

The efficacy of gene therapy treatment for Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome has been demonstrated by researchers. Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome is a rare congenital immune and platelet deficiency which is X-linked and has an estimated prevalence of 1/250,000. It is caused by mutations in the gene encoding the WAS protein (WASp) expressed in hematopoietic cells. This disease, which primarily affects boys, causes bleeding, severe and recurrent infections, severe eczema and in some patients autoimmune reactions and the development of cancer.

Parent training can reduce serious behavioral problems in young children with autism

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 10:19 AM PDT

A multi-site study finds young children with autism spectrum disorder and serious behavioral problems respond positively to a 24-week structured parent training. The benefits of parent training endured for up to six months post intervention.

Battle in the gut: Immune cells help 'good bacteria' triumph over 'bad bacteria'

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 10:19 AM PDT

The body's immune system may be the keeper of a healthy gut microbiota, report scientists. They found that a binding protein on white blood cells could affect whether or not mice produced a balanced gut microbiota. Without the protein, harmful bacteria were more easily able to infect. Why this happens is unclear, but it may be that the immune system has a way to sense the presence of invading intestinal bacteria.

Childhood cancer survivors more likely to claim social security support as adults

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 10:17 AM PDT

Childhood cancer survivors are five times more likely to have enrolled in a Social Security disability assistance program than other citizens, a new American study concludes. "The long-term impact of cancer can affect other issues besides health outcomes," said the lead author on the study. "We need to do a better job of helping people function throughout their lives, not just when they're finishing their cancer therapy."

Most cancer patients want tumor profiling, even if it reveals other genetic risks

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 10:17 AM PDT

Most cancer patients would opt for tumor profiling even if the test revealed that they or their families were at risk for other genetic diseases, according to a study. The study showed that despite the risk for receiving information about other potentially serious health problems, 59% of the cancer patients would agree to tumor profiling if offered by their physician. In a scenario where tumor profiling was already ordered, 79% of patients stated they wanted to know all of the information obtained.

Re-engineering lupus into a cancer killer

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 10:17 AM PDT

Researchers have devised a way to re-engineer lupus antibodies to turn them into potential cancer killers. Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when the immune system attacks its own organs, tissues, or joints.

Electrons move like light in three-dimensional solid

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 10:17 AM PDT

A stable bulk material shows the same physics found in graphene, which illuminated the interactions of electron's orbital motion and its intrinsic magnetic orientation. The new material will be a test ground for theories on how electron interactions in solids shape exotic electron behavior.

What happens when multiple sclerosis patients stop taking their medication?

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 08:16 AM PDT

We know a lot about what happens when therapy is started with MS patients, but we know very little about what happens when therapy is stopped. A new international, multi-site study found that almost 40 percent of patients had some disease activity return when they stopped taking their medication.

Messenger RNA-associated protein drives multiple paths in T-cell development

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 08:12 AM PDT

A lab studies how splicing occurs in T cells and how it is regulated by multiple proteins. This study describes a cascade of events that may explain changes in gene expression that occur during the development of the human immune system.

Whiteboards of the future: New electronic paper could make inexpensive electronic displays

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 08:12 AM PDT

A simple structure of bi-colored balls made of tough, inexpensive materials is well suited for large handwriting-enabled e-paper displays.

Printing silicon on paper, with lasers

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 08:12 AM PDT

In seeking to develop the next generation of micro-electronic transistors, researchers have long sought to find the next best thing to replace silicon. To this end, a wealth of recent research into fully flexible electronic circuitry has focused on various organic and metal-oxide ink materials, which often lack all the favorable electronic properties of silicon but offer superior "printability." Recently, a group of researchers has pioneered a method that allows silicon itself, in the polycrystalline form used in circuitry, to be produced directly on a substrate from liquid silicon ink with a single laser pulse -- potentially ousting its pale usurpers.

Incidence of serious diabetes complication may be increasing among youth in U. S.

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 08:12 AM PDT

The incidence of a potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis, in youth in Colorado at the time of diagnosis of type 1 diabetes increased by 55 percent between 1998 and 2012, suggesting a growing number of youth may experience delays in diagnosis and treatment, according to a new study.

Oral insulin shows potential for preventing type 1 diabetes in high-risk children

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 08:12 AM PDT

In a pilot study that included children at high risk for type 1 diabetes, daily high-dose oral insulin, compared with placebo, resulted in an immune response to insulin without hypoglycemia, findings that support the need for a phase 3 trial to determine whether oral insulin can prevent islet autoimmunity and diabetes in high-risk children, according to a new study.

No association found between MMR vaccine and autism, even among children at higher risk

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 08:12 AM PDT

In a study that included approximately 95,000 children with older siblings, receipt of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine was not associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), regardless of whether older siblings had ASD, findings that indicate no harmful association between receipt of MMR vaccine and ASD even among children already at higher risk for ASD, according to a new study.

NASA's ATLAS thermal testing: You're hot, then you're cold

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:57 AM PDT

Once in orbit, the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 will go from basking in the heat of the sun to freezing in Earth's shadow every 90 minutes. And every second in that orbit, it will need to take thousands of precise measurements of the height of the surface below.

Disproven: Rafts on the cell membrane

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:57 AM PDT

Proteins and lipids have been assumed to move through cell membranes as 'nano rafts'. This 'raft hypothesis' has now been disproved by scientists. "We should not think of the cell membrane as a static, solid surface," says one author of the study. "The membrane, the outermost layer of the cell, is fluid. Its molecules -- lipids and proteins -- are constantly in motion."

Global warming more moderate than worst-case models, empirical data suggest

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:56 AM PDT

A study based on 1,000 years of temperature records suggests global warming is not progressing as fast as it would under the most severe emissions scenarios outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Natural decade-to-decade variability in surface temperatures can account for some much-discussed recent changes in the rate of warming. Empirical data, rather than climate models, were used to estimate this variability.

Advancing development of Ebola vaccine trials

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:56 AM PDT

As the current Ebola outbreak wanes, scientists have to make the most of every opportunity to prepare for future outbreaks. One such opportunity involves the identification of a safe and effective Ebola vaccine. Texas supercomputers have aided researchers in modelling which types of clinical trials will provide the best information, according to experts.

When genes are expressed in reverse: regulatory mechanism of antisense DNA discovered

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:56 AM PDT

Researchers have uncovered new clues to help understand the functions of antisense DNA and its alterations in cancer. Antisense transcripts are DNA sequences that 'rebel,' DNA that are activated in reverse: from right to left. Very little of the function of these is known, but new work provides new clues and mechanisms to understand their functions and their alterations in cancer.

Online discussion forums good for well-being, study shows

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:56 AM PDT

A new study has found that internet discussion forums have positive links to well-being and are even associated with increased community engagement offline, contrary to a common perception of them being outdated and prone to trolling.

Why some neurons 'outsource' their cell body

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:53 AM PDT

Nerve cells come in very different shapes. Researchers now reveal why, in insects, the cell body is usually located at the end of a separate extension. Using mathematical models, they show that this increases the strength of electrical signal transmission at no additional energetic cost.

Caring for blindness: A new protein in sight?

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:53 AM PDT

Blocking another protein, Slit2, prevents the pathological blood vessel development that causes blindness diseases, a team of Inserm researchers has demonstrated in an animal model. Vasoproliferative ocular diseases are the main cause of blindness in the industrialized countries, the researchers note.

Type 2 diabetes: Understanding regulation of sugar levels for better treatment

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:53 AM PDT

A new mechanism that controls glucagon secretion in humans has been described by researchers, making it possible to elucidate this phenomenon and suggesting a modification of this new type of treatment.

Fishing impacts on the Great Barrier Reef

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:53 AM PDT

Fishing is having a significant impact on the make-up of fish populations of the Great Barrier Reef, new research shows. Removing predatory fish such as coral trout and snapper, through fishing, causes significant changes to the make-up of the reef's fish populations, they say.

Amazon rainforest losses impact on climate change, study shows

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:53 AM PDT

Human activity has removed more than one-tenth of trees and plants from the Amazon rainforest since the 1960s, a study shows. Widespread removal of trees has contributed to a rise in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, increasing the potential impact of climate change, researchers say.

Ability to identify 'killer' bees a boon to the honeybee industry

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:53 AM PDT

A genetic test that can prevent the entry of 'killer' bees into Australia and their spread around the world has been created by researchers. "A number of countries have export conditions aimed at preventing any possible introduction of killer bees. Now our test will provide them with certainty and allow the safe import of bees without this biosecurity risk," a researcher said.

Phytoplankton, reducing greenhouse gases or amplifying Arctic warming?

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:53 AM PDT

Scientists have presented the geophysical impact of phytoplankton that triggers positive feedback in the Arctic warming when the warming-induced melting of sea ice stimulates phytoplankton growth.

Traffic emissions may pollute one in three Canadian homes

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:53 AM PDT

Air pollution could be spreading up to three times farther than thought, contributing to varying levels of air quality across cities, a trio of recently published studies from a team of engineers has found. One in three Canadians, and half of all Torontonians, lives within 250 meters of at least one major roadway. Poor air quality from traffic pollution is associated with a number of health issues.

Trial shows benefit of 'BRCA-targeting' drug in prostate cancer

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:53 AM PDT

Men with prostate cancer benefit from treatment with the pioneering drug olaparib -- the first cancer drug to target inherited mutations -- according to the results of a major trial.

Cannabis consumers show greater susceptibility to false memories

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:49 AM PDT

Consumers of cannabis are more prone to experiencing false memories. One of the known consequences of consuming this drug is the memory problems it can cause. Chronic consumers show more difficulties than the general population in retaining new information and recovering memories. The new study also reveals that the chronic use of cannabis causes distortions in memory, making it easier for imaginary or false memories to appear.

Technology could let women skip annual mammograms

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:44 AM PDT

Developing technology is on track to predict if and when breast cancer will appear. "We're creating a breast cancer risk analysis system," said an electrical engineer on the study. "It will be able to inform doctors about the patient's risk of developing cancer within a few years."

One in three young adults with autism disconnected from work and school

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:44 AM PDT

Scientists have delved into critical questions about life outcomes beyond clinical interventions for young people with autism spectrum disorder. New results show a wide range of experiences and outcomes of youth on the autism spectrum between high school and their early 20s, including new safety and risk indicators for young adults with autism. The report describes the indicators now available and serves as a call to action to fill the remaining large gaps in knowledge.

New study unravels why common blood pressure medicine can fail

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:44 AM PDT

Every year, more than 120 million prescriptions are written worldwide for thiazide drugs, a group of salt-lowering medicines used to treat high blood pressure. These drugs are often very effective. But in some patients, they don't work. The reasons for this have remained a mystery. Now, a new study has revealed a key mechanism for this failure.

Connecting three atomic layers puts semiconducting science on its edge

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 07:44 AM PDT

A new semiconducting material that is only three atomic layers thick exhibits electronic properties beyond traditional semiconductors. Two nano-engineered configurations of the material have shown an enhanced response to light, possibly leading to new modes of solar energy conversion and associated devices.

How to approach your boss about a treadmill desk

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 05:49 AM PDT

People walking on treadmill desks perform cognitive tasks nearly as well as those at sitting desks, new research finds. An exercise science professor and a neuroscientist report their findings after putting treadmill desks to the test. The duo compared the cognitive performance of healthy adults sitting at a desk to those using treadmill desks while carrying out the same tasks.

Babies feel pain 'like adults': Most babies not given pain meds for surgery

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 05:48 AM PDT

The brains of babies 'light up' in a very similar way to adults when exposed to the same painful stimulus, a pioneering brain scanning study has discovered. It suggests that babies experience pain much like adults. As recently as the 1980s it was common practice for babies to be given neuromuscular blocks but no pain relief medication during surgery. In 2014 a review of neonatal pain management practice in intensive care highlighted that although such infants experience an average of 11 painful procedures per day 60% of babies do not receive any kind of pain medication.

Extending climate predictability beyond El Niño

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 05:48 AM PDT

Tropical Pacific climate variations and their global weather impacts may be predicted much further in advance than previously thought, according to research by an international team of climate scientists. The source of this predictability lies in the tight interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere and among the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Indian Oceans. Such long-term tropical climate forecasts are useful to the public and policy makers, researchers say.

Making biotechnology interactive with games, remote-control labs

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 05:48 AM PDT

What if you could interact with cells like fish in an aquarium? Build your own micro-aquarium for cells? Even perform remote-control experiments in robotic biolabs in the cloud? A research team shows how.

Patients grapple with high cost of arthritis medications

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 05:48 AM PDT

The first American investigation of Medicare coverage of biologic disease modifying drugs (DMARDs) found that in starting a single biologic DMARD, patients face more than $2,700 in copayments each year before receiving relief from catastrophic coverage.

Labels on front of food packaging can enable healthier choices, new research finds

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 05:48 AM PDT

Front of package nutrition labels can enable consumers to make healthier food choices, a team of researchers has found. "Front of package food labeling is an important tool in helping consumers to make healthier choices and to encourage the industry to provide healthier foods," said the study's leader.

Sex difference in competitiveness even among the fastest runners

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 05:48 AM PDT

Sex differences in some behaviors are well established, but it's unclear whether differences still occur within highly selective sub-populations, such as expert financial decision makers or elite athletes. Researchers assessed the competitiveness of over 1,100 collegiate distance runners and tested whether the already-known sex difference in competitiveness narrowed when considering the fastest runners. They found the difference between genders was just as large among the fastest as it was among the slowest runners.

Genetic variance explains poor response to common asthma medications

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 05:48 AM PDT

Researchers have identified a biological basis for asthmatic children who do not respond well to corticosteroid treatment -- currently the most effective treatment for chronic asthma and acute asthma attack. The study also identifies a genetic pathway that could open the possibility of new therapies for difficult-to-treat patients.

Maternal stress increases development of fetal neuroblastoma in animal model

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 05:47 AM PDT

While genetics play a substantial role in development of neuroblastoma, scientists say that something else is in play that elevates the risk: stress. Researchers have shown in mice genetically predisposed to develop neuroblastoma that maternal stress can push onset of the cancer.

Regular consumption of yogurt does not improve health

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 05:45 AM PDT

Dietary recommendations support the consumption of dairy products as part of a healthy diet. However, after a Spanish study involving more than 4,000 people analyzed the relationship between the regular intake of yogurt and health-related quality of life, it declared that there was no link with the improvement of the physical and mental parameters analyzed.

Psychologists explain why we are so apathetic about the UK general election

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 05:45 AM PDT

If you are not feeling enthused by the general election, you are not alone. A new article quotes research finding that, in the UK, 31 per cent of people trust the government and only 20 per cent trust political parties. The article interviews several psychologists and other academics about possible reasons for this disillusion with politics.

Coffee protects against breast cancer recurrence, detailed findings confirm

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 05:45 AM PDT

Coffee helps to protect against breast cancer, a number of research studies have shown. A new study is added to that research, confirming that coffee inhibits the growth of tumors and reduces the risk of recurrence in women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and treated with the drug tamoxifen.

Zip me up! Zooming into wound healing

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 05:45 AM PDT

Scientists explain skin fusion at a molecular level, and pinpoint the specific molecules that do the job. "In order to visualize this orchestra of healing, a very high-resolution picture of the process is needed. For this purpose we have recorded an enormous amount of data that surpasses all previous studies of this kind," says one researcher.

Astronomers find new details about star formation in ancient galaxy protoclusters

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 05:44 AM PDT

Ongoing studies of distant galaxy protoclusters using the Multi-Object Infrared Camera and Spectrograph (MOIRCS) instrument on the Subaru Telescope is giving astronomers a closer look at the characteristics of star-forming regions in galaxies in the early universe. A team of astronomers is tracking velocity structures and gaseous metallicities in galaxies in two protoclusters located in the direction of the constellation Serpens. These appear around the radio galaxies PKS 1138-262 and USS 1558-003. The clusters appear as they would have looked 11 billion years ago, and the team concluded that they are in the process of cluster formation that has led to present-day galaxy clusters.

Bubbles dilemma solved after more than twenty years

Posted: 21 Apr 2015 05:44 AM PDT

It was a question that has kept physicists and chemists busy for more than twenty years. Why can tiny bubbles in a liquid supersaturated with gas remain stable for weeks, while according to theoretical expectation they should disappear in a fraction of a second? Now researchers have found the answer.