Friday, May 1, 2015

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


England set for 'substantial increase' in record-breaking warm years

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 06:20 PM PDT

The likelihood of record-breaking warm years in England is set to substantially increase as a result of the human influence on the climate, new research suggests.

Gravity data show that Antarctic ice sheet is melting increasingly faster

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 04:11 PM PDT

Researchers 'weighed' Antarctica's ice sheet using gravitational satellite data and found that during the past decade, Antarctica's massive ice sheet lost twice the amount of ice in its western portion compared with what it accumulated in the east. Their conclusion -- the southern continent's ice cap is melting ever faster.

Replacing one serving of sugary drink per day by water or unsweetened tea or coffee cuts risk of type 2 diabetes, study shows

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 04:11 PM PDT

Replacing the daily consumption of one serving of a sugary drink with either water or unsweetened tea or coffee can lower the risk of developing diabetes by between 14 percent and 25 percent, concludes new research.

Frequent aspirin use reduces risk of cervical cancer by nearly half

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 04:10 PM PDT

Long-term and frequent use of aspirin is associated with significantly decreased risk of cervical cancer, according to a study. According to the American Cancer Society, 12,900 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed and 4,100 women will die from the disease in 2015.

Keep it long: Most science writing advice flops, analysis finds

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 04:10 PM PDT

When writing the abstracts for journal articles, most scientists receive similar advice: keep it short, dry, and simple. But a new analysis of over 1 million abstracts finds that many of these tips backfire, producing abstracts cited less than their long, flowery, and jargon-filled peers.

See flower cells in 3-D: No electron microscopy required

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 02:07 PM PDT

High-resolution imaging of plant cells is important in many plant studies, and the most commonly used method is scanning electron microscopy (SEM). But SEM can have limitations, including damage to material during sample preparation and high equipment costs. Researchers have developed an optical sectioning-3-D reconstruction method using a compound fluorescence light microscope. The new method is simpler and more cost-effective than SEM.

Did dinosaur-killing asteroid trigger largest lava flows on Earth?

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 02:07 PM PDT

The theory that an asteroid impact killed off the dinosaurs 66 million years ago is well accepted, but one puzzle is why another global catastrophe -- the huge, million-year eruption of the Deccan Traps flood basalts in India -- occurred at the same time. Geologists now argue this is not a coincidence. The impact probably rang Earth like a bell, reigniting an underground magma plume and generating the largest lava flows on Earth.

Dull forest glow yields orbital tracking of photosynthesis

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 02:07 PM PDT

New research provides some crucial ground truth for a method of measuring plant photosynthesis on a global scale from orbit. The work shows that chlorophyll fluorescence, a faint glow produced by plant leaves as a byproduct of photosynthesis, is a strong proxy for photosynthetic activity in the canopy of a deciduous forest.

Listening for whales and fish in the Northwest Atlantic ocean

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 02:07 PM PDT

Scientists are using a variety of buoys and autonomous underwater vehicles to record and archive sounds from marine mammals and fish species in the western North Atlantic through a new listening network known as the US Northeast Passive Acoustic Sensing Network (NEPAN). Researchers hope NEPAN will be the first link in an extensive listening network that would extend along the entire US East Coast, and eventually to waters around the US.

Short-term debt, depressive symptoms may go hand-in-hand

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 02:07 PM PDT

Having short-term household debt -- credit cards and overdue bills -- increases depressive symptoms, research shows. The association is particularly strong among unmarried people, people reaching retirement age and those who are less well educated, according to a new study.

Study questions quality of U.S. health data

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 02:07 PM PDT

Most U.S. clinical registries that collect data on patient outcomes are substandard and lack critical features necessary to render the information they collect useful for patients, physicians and policy makers, new research suggests.

Walking an extra two minutes each hour may offset hazards of sitting too long

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 02:07 PM PDT

A new study suggests that engaging in low intensity activities such as standing may not be enough to offset the health hazards of sitting for long periods of time. On the bright side, adding two minutes of walking each hour to your routine just might do the trick.

Dwindling productivity in Congress linked to vanishing cooperation

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 12:52 PM PDT

As the number of bills passed by Congress declines, fewer and fewer Congressional representatives are voting across party lines, leaving only a few key representatives as collaborative voters, according to researchers.

California's 4.8 million low-wage workers now earn less than in 1979

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 12:52 PM PDT

Over the past 35 years, California's high-wage workers have seen steady increases in their paychecks. But low-wage workers, 4.8 million strong and about one-third of the state's workforce, earned less in inflation-adjusted dollars in 2014 than they did in 1979, according to an analysis.

MarkerMiner 1.0: An easy-to-use bioinformatics platform for DNA analysis in angiosperms

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 12:52 PM PDT

Researchers have developed MarkerMiner, a new software that simplifies analysis of next-generation sequencing data in angiosperms. MarkerMiner is an automated, open-source, bioinformatics workflow that aids plant researchers in the discovery of single-copy nuclear genes. The software is easy to use, offers a multipurpose, configurable output, and is accessible to users with limited bioinformatics training or without access to computing resources.

Higher levels of inattention at age seven linked with lower final high school exam grades

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 12:52 PM PDT

New research has shown that children who display increasing levels of inattention at the age of seven are at risk of worse academic outcomes in their GCSE examinations (UK).

Internet as new frontier in collecting data on the mind

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 12:50 PM PDT

With Apple's launch of new health tracking tools for the iPhone and medical researchers' forays into Facebook to recruit clinical trial volunteers, Web and mobile apps are increasingly seen as a new source for health data. But psychologists are also looking to the Internet as a new source of information about the mind.

Engineering a better solar cell: Defects in popular perovskites pinpointed

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 12:50 PM PDT

A new study demonstrates that perovskite materials - superefficient crystal structures that have recently taken the scientific community by storm - contain flaws that can be engineered to improve solar cells and other devices even further.

Metal contamination makes gasoline production inefficient

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 12:50 PM PDT

Scientists have identified key mechanisms of the aging process of catalyst particles that are used to refine crude oil into gasoline. This advance could lead to more efficient gasoline production.

New origin theory for cells that gave rise to vertebrates

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 11:51 AM PDT

Zebras' vivid pigmentation and the fight or flight instinct. These and other features of the world's vertebrates stem from neural crest cells, but little is known about their origin. Scientists propose a new model for how neural crest cells, and thus vertebrates, arose more than 500 million years ago. They report that these cells retain the molecular underpinnings that control pluripotency -- the ability to give rise to all the cell types that make up the body.

How some beetles produce a scalding defensive spray

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 11:51 AM PDT

Bombardier beetles, which exist on every continent except Antarctica, have a pretty easy life. Virtually no other animals prey on them, because of one particularly effective defense mechanism: When disturbed or attacked, the beetles produce an internal chemical explosion in their abdomen and then expel a jet of boiling, irritating liquid toward their attackers.

Dam removal study reveals river resiliency

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 11:51 AM PDT

More than 1,000 dams have been removed across the United States because of safety concerns, sediment buildup, inefficiency or having otherwise outlived usefulness. A paper finds that rivers are resilient and respond relatively quickly after a dam is removed.

Physicists find long sought-after Efimov state in helium trimer

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 11:51 AM PDT

A quantum state predicted by the Russian theoretician Vitaly Efimov 40 years ago has been discovered by physicists in a molecule consisting of three helium atoms. The molecule is of enormous spatial extent and exists mainly in the classically forbidden tunneling region, explain the researchers.

Waking proteins up from deep sleep to study their motions

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 11:49 AM PDT

In order to carry out their functions, proteins need to move. Scientists have developed a new technique to study motions in proteins with unprecedented accuracy. The method, which is based on NMR, freezes proteins down to immobility, then slowly heats them to 'wake them up' and restart motions individually and in sequence, providing a slow-motion image of real conditions.

Tropical marine ecosystems most at threat from human impact

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 11:49 AM PDT

An international team of scientists has used the fossil record during the past 23 million years to predict which marine animals and ecosystems are at greatest risk of extinction from human impact. The researchers found those animals and ecosystems most threatened are predominantly in the tropics.

Sustainability progress should precede seafood market access, researchers urge

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 11:49 AM PDT

Fishery improvement projects -- programs designed to fast-track access to the world seafood market in exchange for promises to upgrade sustainable practices -- need to first make good on those sustainability pledges before retailers and fisheries actually do business, researchers recommend. The findings are particularly important as major retailers rush to meet the growing demand for seafood by tapping fisheries of developing countries that haven't yet achieved sustainable certification.

Worm index closely associated with a nation's human development index

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 11:49 AM PDT

With the Millennium Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2000 coming to an end in 2015, and the new Sustainable Development Goals now in the works to establish a set of targets for the future of international development, experts have developed a new tool to show why neglected tropical diseases, the most common infections of the world's poor, should be an essential component of these goals.

Scientists discover key driver of human aging: May lead to slowing or reversing aging process

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 11:18 AM PDT

A study tying the aging process to the deterioration of tightly packaged bundles of cellular DNA could lead to methods of preventing and treating age-related diseases such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, experts say.

Mysterious case of the disappearing honey bee: New clues about decline

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 11:16 AM PDT

A new study shows poor nutrition for honey bee larvae leads to compromised pollination capabilities as adult bees. This is a possible link to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

Settling an old debate: Researchers solve a lingering mystery of cancer cell biology

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 11:16 AM PDT

German biologist Theodor Boveri observed early in the last century that cancer cells often harbor multiple copies of a subcellular structure that he had previously named the centrosome. He was also the first to suggest that the extra centrosomes drive cancer. Biologists have since learned a great deal about the structure and many functions of Boveri's "special organ of cell division." But why cancer cells harbor multiple copies of this organelle—and whether they are "addicted" to having so many—has remained unanswered. So has the question of whether healthy human cells even require centrosomes to divide. Now, 101 years after Boveri aired his suspicions, a paper may have some answers.

Quantum-mechanical monopoles experimentally identified

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 11:16 AM PDT

Researchers have experimentally identified a pointlike monopole in a quantum field for the first time. The discovery gives scientists insight into the monopole magnet, an elementary particle that they believe exists but have not yet seen.

Boosting the body's natural ability to fight urinary tract infections

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 11:16 AM PDT

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common, and widespread antibiotic resistance has led to urgent calls for new ways to combat them. Researchers report that an experimental drug that stabilizes a protein called HIF-1alpha protects human bladder cells and mice against a major UTI pathogen. The drug might eventually provide a therapeutic alternative or complement to standard antibiotic treatment.

Mammals not the only animals to feed embryo during gestation

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 10:50 AM PDT

For over a century, the scientific understanding of matrotrophy of an embryo developing inside a mom's body has come from vertebrates. This process was thought to be infrequent among the other 33 or so major groups or phyla of animals. But a new major study reports that matrotrophy has evolved in at least 21 of 34 animal phyla.

Rupture along the Himalayan Front

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 10:49 AM PDT

In an article in March, geologists noted that the 700-km-long 'central seismic gap' is the most prominent segment of the Himalayan front not to have ruptured in a major earthquake during the last 200-500 years. This prolonged seismic quiescence has led to the proposition that this region, with a population of more 10 million, is overdue for a great earthquake.'

Study results promising for hepatitis C patients awaiting or completing liver transplant

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 10:49 AM PDT

Hepatitis C patients who are awaiting a liver transplant or have completed one are a difficult group to cure because hepatitis C can come back after transplant. A recent trial showed that a large number of these patients can be cured with an oral regimen of daclatasvir, sofosbuvir and ribavirin. Treatment was well tolerated with few serious side effects.

Vitamin D toxicity rare in people who take supplements, researchers report

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 10:48 AM PDT

Americans have low vitamin D levels, research shows, and as a result, vitamin D supplement use has climbed in recent years. Vitamin D has been shown to boost bone health and it may play a role in preventing diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and other illnesses. In light of the increased use of vitamin D supplements, researchers set out to learn more about the health of those with high vitamin D levels. They found that toxic levels are actually rare.

UV radiations: NONO helps to mend the damage

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 10:48 AM PDT

A new molecular mechanism whereby human cells protect their genome from the detrimental effect of UV radiations has been discovered by researchers. NONO is a multifunctional protein involved in melanoma development and progression, in the cellular response to UV radiations.

Compound kills various human pathogenic fungi, may improve human health

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 10:48 AM PDT

A simple chemical compound kills several major fungi that affect human health, researchers report. The compound also may have applications for fungal diseases that affect wheat and rice plants.

How aspirin fights colorectal cancer

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 09:48 AM PDT

Taking aspirin reduces a person's risk of colorectal cancer, but the molecular mechanisms involved have remained unknown until a recent discovery. discovered that aspirin might exert its chemopreventive activity against colorectal cancer, at least partially, by normalizing the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in gastrointestinal precancerous lesions. EGFR is overexpressed in about 80 percent of cases involving colorectal cancer, the third-leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States.

First global review of Arctic marine mammals

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 09:48 AM PDT

A multinational study attempted to gauge the population trends of Arctic marine mammals and changes in their habitat, identify missing scientific information, and provide recommendations for the conservation of Arctic marine mammals over the next decades.

Percentage of Texans without health insurance drops dramatically

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 09:48 AM PDT

The percentage of Texans without health insurance dropped 31 percent since enrollment began in the Affordable Care Act's Health Insurance Marketplace, according to a new report. Despite this improvement, Texas remains the state with the highest percentage of people without health insurance, and for the first time, Texas now has the largest number of uninsured residents in the country.

Busy Americans can reap health benefits by balancing protein intake throughout the day

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 09:48 AM PDT

Researchers conducted a review of the current scientific literature on protein consumption and found that a moderate increase in protein consumption at each meal, balanced throughout the day, can lead to significant improvements.

First embryonic stem cell therapy safety trial in Asian patients

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 09:41 AM PDT

A clinical trial for patients with degenerative eye diseases is the first to test the safety of an embryonic stem cell therapy for people of Asian descent. The study, which followed four individuals for a year after they were treated with embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial cells for macular degeneration, observed no serious side effects (tumor growth or other unexpected effects) related to the therapy.

Role of telomeres in plant stem cells discovered

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 09:41 AM PDT

The development of an innovative technology that enables the monitoring of telomeres at the cellular level in plants has been described in a new article. The technique allows to demonstrate, for the first time, the role played by these structures in plant development and longevity of plants.

Brain scan reveals out-of-body illusion

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 09:41 AM PDT

Neuroscientists have created an out-of-body illusion in participants placed inside a brain scanner. They then used the illusion to perceptually 'teleport' the participants to different locations in a room and show that the perceived location of the bodily self can be decoded from activity patterns in specific brain regions.

Keen sense of touch allows bats to fly with breathtaking precision

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 09:41 AM PDT

Bats fly with breathtaking precision because their wings are equipped with highly sensitive touch sensors, cells that respond to even slight changes in airflow, researchers demonstrated.

Wild bearded capuchin monkeys really know how to crack a nut

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 09:40 AM PDT

When it comes to cracking nuts, wild bearded capuchin monkeys are more skilled than anyone had given them credit for, according to researchers.

The regulating hand in ribosome formation

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 09:40 AM PDT

Biochemists have discovered a protein that regulates the hierarchical organization of ribosome development. Ribosomes are complexly structured cellular nanomachines consisting of four ribonucleic acids and approximately 80 different ribosomal proteins (r-proteins). They are responsible for synthesising protein chains.

Light -- not pain-killing drugs -- used to activate brain's opioid receptors

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 09:40 AM PDT

Neuroscientists have attached the light-sensing protein rhodopsin to opioid receptor parts to activate the receptor pathways using light from a laser fiber-optic device. They also influenced the behavior of mice using light, rather than drugs, to activate the reward response. When an opioid receptor is exposed to a pain-killing drug, it initiates activity in specific chemical pathways in the brain and spinal cord. And when the researchers shone light on the receptors that contained rhodopsin, the same cellular pathways were activated. Neurons in that part of the brain release chemicals such as dopamine that create feelings of euphoria.

Vital step in stem cell growth revealed

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 09:40 AM PDT

Stem cells, which have the potential to turn into any kind of cell, offer the tantalizing possibility of generating new tissues for organ replacements, stroke victims and patients of many other diseases. Now, scientist have uncovered details about stem cell growth that could help improve regenerative therapies.

New tool can switch behavior -- such as voracious eating -- 'on' and 'off'

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 09:40 AM PDT

Researchers have perfected a noninvasive "chemogenetic" technique that allows them to switch off a specific behavior in mice -- such as voracious eating -- and then switch it back on. The method works by targeting two different cell surface receptors.

Spinal cord axon injury location determines neuron's regenerative fate

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 09:39 AM PDT

A previously unappreciated phenomenon has been reported in which the location of injury to a neuron's communication wire in the spinal cord -- the axon -- determines whether the neuron simply stabilizes or attempts to regenerate. The study demonstrates how advances in live-imaging techniques are revealing new insights into the body's ability to respond to spinal cord injuries.

Protein 'brake' in metabolic reprogramming restrains senescent cells from becoming cancerous

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 09:39 AM PDT

In recent years, research has shown that cancerous cells have a different metabolism -- essential chemical and nutritional changes needed for supporting the unlimited growth observed in cancer-- than normal cells. Now, scientists have identified a way that cells can reprogram their metabolism to overcome a tumor-suppressing mechanism known as senescence, solidifying the notion that altered metabolism is a hallmark of cancer progression.

Observing the solar eclipse over the Arctic

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 08:36 AM PDT

Scientists braved Arctic weather to successfully observe the total solar eclipse of March 20 from Longyearbyen on the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago east of northern Greenland.

Swine farming a risk factor for drug-resistant staph infections, study finds

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 08:35 AM PDT

Swine farmers are six times more likely to be carriers of staph bacteria, including the MRSA strain, than others, new research shows. S. aureus is a type of bacteria commonly found on the skin as well as in the noses and throats of people and animals. About 30 percent of the U.S. population carries these bacteria, which can cause a range of skin and soft tissue infections. Although most infections are minor, S. aureus can sometimes cause serious infections.

New mechanism controlling cell response to DNA damage discovered

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 08:35 AM PDT

DNA can be damaged by different environmental insults, such as ultraviolet light, ionizing radiation, oxidative stress or certain drugs. If the DNA is not repaired, cells may begin growing uncontrollably, leading to the development of cancer. Therefore, cells must maintain an intricate regulatory network to ensure that their DNA remains intact. Researchers have discovered a novel mechanism that controls a cell's response to DNA damage.

No Hogwarts invitation required: Invisibility cloaks move into the real-life classroom

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 08:35 AM PDT

Scientists have developed a portable invisibility cloak that can be taken into classrooms and used for demonstrations. It can't hide a human, but it can make small objects disappear from sight without specialized equipment.

Noroviruses spread several meters by air: Viruses responsible for 50 percent of gastroenteritis

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 08:35 AM PDT

Noroviruses, a group of viruses responsible for over 50 percent of global gastroenteritis cases, can spread by air up to several meters from an infected person according to a new study. The discovery suggests that measures applied in hospitals during gastroenteritis outbreaks may be insufficient to effectively contain this kind of infection.

Compact synchrotron makes tumors visible

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 08:35 AM PDT

Soft tissue disorders like tumors are very difficult to recognize using normal X-ray machines, as there is hardly any distinction between healthy tissue and tumors. Researchers have now developed a technology using a compact synchrotron source that measures not only X-ray absorption, but also phase shifts and scattering. Tissue that is hardly recognizable using traditional X-ray machines is now visible.

Screening for bacteriuria in pregnant women: Benefit unclear

Posted: 30 Apr 2015 08:35 AM PDT

It remains unclear whether screening for asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnant women causes more benefit or harm. The results of studies from the 1960s are not applicable to the current situation, reviewers say.