ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Does knowing high-status people help or hurt?
• Largest dinosaur population growth study ever shows how Maiasaura lived and died
• To breathe or to eat: Blue whales forage efficiently to maintain massive body size
• Cell division: Physical forces involved in creating the mitotic spindle probed
• High opioid use in older people with COPD raises safety concerns
• Reducing aeromedical transport for traumas saved money and lives
• Irrigation of cutaneous abscesses may not be necessary
• Can exercise be replaced with a pill?
• Stand-up solution: Sit-stand desk users sit less, burn more calories
• Drug used to treat cancer appears to sharpen memory
• First-aid for defective mucus
• Researchers design 'biological flashlight' using light-producing ability of shrimp
• High-fructose diet slows recovery from brain injury
• Mimicry helps sheep solve a dilemma
• Exercise is good for everyone, but some struggle more than others
• Panel identifies most-effective methods for protecting western snowy plovers from raptors
• Three new species of fruit flies identified
• Fusion reactors 'economically viable' say experts
• Researchers identify cause of inherited form of extreme nearsightedness
• Novel technology to produce microalgae biomass as feedstock for biofuel, food, feed and more
• Micro photosynthetic power cells may be the green energy source for the next generation
• Pneumothorax treatment gets less painful
• Pre-purification system allows heightened purity of a metal binding compound
• New method will enable most accurate neutron measurement yet
• From nuclear research to surgery technology
• New biodegradable materials could replace plastic bags
• Signals from empty space
• Fruit fly research reveals genetic mechanisms of dietary sugar sensing
• Studying cardiac arrhythmias in nematodes
• Discovering the brain’s memory switch
• Cancer test predicts treatment outcome
• Breaking time-reversal symmetry in high-temperature superconductors
• Tallness linked to increased risk of premature death for patients on dialysis
• Organics energize solar cell research
• Scientists create an all-organic UV on-chip spectrometer
• Chore or stress reliever: Study suggests that washing dishes decreases stress

Does knowing high-status people help or hurt? Posted: 02 Oct 2015 04:18 PM PDT How happy you are may have something to do with who you know -- and where you come from. A sociology professor, set out to discover whether knowing high-status people helped or harmed mental health, using depressive symptoms as a proxy.

Largest dinosaur population growth study ever shows how Maiasaura lived and died Posted: 02 Oct 2015 04:17 PM PDT Research into a vast bone bed in western Montana has yielded the most complete life history of any dinosaur known.

To breathe or to eat: Blue whales forage efficiently to maintain massive body size Posted: 02 Oct 2015 11:48 AM PDT As the largest animals to have ever lived on Earth, blue whales maintain their enormous body size through efficient foraging strategies that optimize the energy they gain from the krill they eat, while also conserving oxygen when diving and holding their breath, a new study has found.

Cell division: Physical forces involved in creating the mitotic spindle probed Posted: 02 Oct 2015 10:31 AM PDT Scientists have gained new insight into the formation of the spindle, which is the molecular machine that divides up genetic material prior to cell division. Their work focuses on the motor protein, kinesin-5, which helps to organize the spindle's filaments.

High opioid use in older people with COPD raises safety concerns Posted: 02 Oct 2015 10:31 AM PDT Researchers are raising safety concerns about high rates of new opioid use among older adults with COPD, according to a study. Opioids, such as codeine, oxycodone and morphine might be prescribed more frequently among older adults with COPD to treat chronic muscle pain, breathlessness and insomnia. Common side effects of opioids include falls and fractures, confusion, memory impairment, fatigue, constipation, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Reducing aeromedical transport for traumas saved money and lives Posted: 02 Oct 2015 10:31 AM PDT Changes to the trauma triage protocol in Maryland resulted in decreased use of helicopter transport for trauma patients and improved patient outcomes, saving lives and money. The results of a 11-year study of the impact of statewide field triage changes to Maryland's helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) have now been released.

Irrigation of cutaneous abscesses may not be necessary Posted: 02 Oct 2015 10:31 AM PDT A procedure commonly performed in emergency departments on cutaneous abscesses may not have any impact on the need for further interventions and therefore may not be necessary, according to a study.

Can exercise be replaced with a pill? Posted: 02 Oct 2015 10:31 AM PDT Everyone knows that exercise improves health and with this knowledge in hand, scientists may be better equipped to develop 'exercise pills' that could mimic at least some of the beneficial effects of physical exercise on the body. But a review of current development efforts, ponders whether such pills will achieve their potential therapeutic impact, at least in the near future.

Stand-up solution: Sit-stand desk users sit less, burn more calories Posted: 02 Oct 2015 08:35 AM PDT Employees with sit-stand desks stood 60 minutes more a day at work compared with their co-workers with sitting desks, and they continued to do so long after their newfangled desks lost their novelty, a new study concludes.

Drug used to treat cancer appears to sharpen memory Posted: 02 Oct 2015 08:35 AM PDT A drug now being used to treat cancer might make it easier to learn a language, sharpen memory and help those with dementia and Alzheimer's disease by rewiring the brain and keeping neurons alive. New research found that a drug -- RGFP966 -- administered to rats made them more attuned to what they were hearing, able to retain and remember more information, and develop new connections that allowed these memories to be transmitted between brain cells.

First-aid for defective mucus Posted: 02 Oct 2015 08:35 AM PDT Proper lubrication is crucial to keep not only machines but also humans functioning smoothly. The mucus membranes in our mouths, eyes, stomachs and genital area help keep friction to a minimum and also protect us against environmental hazards such as chemicals and pathogens. Researchers are investigating exactly how these mechanisms work.

Researchers design 'biological flashlight' using light-producing ability of shrimp Posted: 02 Oct 2015 07:35 AM PDT Researchers describe the design and engineering of the new bioluminescent imaging tool called the "LumiFluor" in a new report. Using the natural light-producing ability of deep-sea shrimp, the team of scientists developed the new imaging tool to help cancer researchers better track tumor development and treatment responses.

High-fructose diet slows recovery from brain injury Posted: 02 Oct 2015 07:35 AM PDT A diet high in processed fructose sabotages rat brains' ability to heal after head trauma, neuroscientists report. Revealing a link between nutrition and brain health, the finding offers implications for the 5.3 million Americans living with a traumatic brain injury, or TBI.

Mimicry helps sheep solve a dilemma Posted: 02 Oct 2015 07:33 AM PDT Imitation behaviors play a key role in many collective phenomena seen in animals. An analysis of the collective movements of grazing sheep has revealed that sheep alternate slow dispersion phases with very fast regrouping, in which they imitate the behavior of their neighbors. This study shows that the intensity with which the sheep mimic one another plays a crucial role in the ability of a herd to maximize the grazing area explored while minimizing the time needed to regroup when faced with potential dangers.

Exercise is good for everyone, but some struggle more than others Posted: 02 Oct 2015 07:33 AM PDT People with increased risk of type 2 diabetes need to exercise more than others to achieve the same results, according to new research.

Panel identifies most-effective methods for protecting western snowy plovers from raptors Posted: 02 Oct 2015 07:33 AM PDT Wildlife managers now have a technical report that can help them address raptors in their existing western snowy plover predation management plans. The report explores the effectiveness and feasibility of more than two dozen humane raptor control measures that can aid western snowy plover recovery.

Three new species of fruit flies identified Posted: 02 Oct 2015 07:33 AM PDT Researchers recently described three new species of Acanthiophilus, a genus of fruit flies that infest plants of the tribe Cardueae (thistles) within the family Asteraceae. Members of this genus live in Africa, the Canary Islands, Europe, and Asia.

Fusion reactors 'economically viable' say experts Posted: 02 Oct 2015 07:33 AM PDT Fusion reactors could become an economically viable means of generating electricity within a few decades, and policy makers should start planning to build them as a replacement for conventional nuclear power stations, according to new research.

Researchers identify cause of inherited form of extreme nearsightedness Posted: 02 Oct 2015 07:33 AM PDT 'Why, Grandma, what big eyes you have!' Though similar in appearance, the hidden cause of those big eyes Little Red Riding Hood notices in Grimms' fairy tale has nothing to do with the hidden cause of enlarged eyeballs in buphthalmia, a genetic mechanism causing this devastating eye disease which has now been uncovered by researchers. Patients afflicted are severely myopic, or nearsighted.

Novel technology to produce microalgae biomass as feedstock for biofuel, food, feed and more Posted: 02 Oct 2015 07:32 AM PDT Novel and scalable technology and production process has been developed combining algal biomass cultivation, harvesting and concentration as well as extraction and fractionation of fatty acids from biomass. This results in ability to offer high quality feedstock for various industries in a highly competitive price.

Micro photosynthetic power cells may be the green energy source for the next generation Posted: 02 Oct 2015 07:32 AM PDT A novel micro-technology, which captures the electrical power generated by the photosynthesis and respiration of blue-green algae, has been created by scientists.

Pneumothorax treatment gets less painful Posted: 02 Oct 2015 07:32 AM PDT A less painful treatment strategy for Pneumothorax treatment has been created by scientists. By analyzing the partial pressure of oxygen and carbon dioxide in thoracic cavity gas during Pneumothorax Treatment, physicians can understand the real conditions of the pneumothorax and then update to a less painful treatment method.

Pre-purification system allows heightened purity of a metal binding compound Posted: 02 Oct 2015 07:32 AM PDT The use of an aqueous two phase system allowed the pre-purification of a complex natural product called yersiniabactin, which has an innate ability to bind iron. This research is part of a larger plan to efficiently produce and purify this compound for numerous applications associated with metal removal and retrieval.

New method will enable most accurate neutron measurement yet Posted: 02 Oct 2015 05:24 AM PDT Our universe consists of significantly more matter than existing theories are able to explain. This is one of the great puzzles of modern science. One way to clarify this discrepancy is via the neutron's so-called electric dipole moment. In an international collaboration, researchers have now devised a new method which will help determine this dipole moment more accurately than ever before.

From nuclear research to surgery technology Posted: 02 Oct 2015 05:23 AM PDT A JRC invention initially stemming from its research in the nuclear sector will soon be used by hospitals for minimally-invasive robotic surgery. TELELAP ALF-X is an advanced multi-port robotic system that will empower surgeons with new technologies such as eye-tracking and haptics, allowing them eye-control of the camera and touch sensation during surgery. Hospitals will be able use the most advanced technology while running at low operational costs, as the system can use current surgical instruments.

New biodegradable materials could replace plastic bags Posted: 02 Oct 2015 05:23 AM PDT As England gets set to start paying for plastic bags, researchers are making inroads into developing alternative biodegradable materials that could potentially replace fossil fuel derived polyethylene single-use carrier bags in the future.

Signals from empty space Posted: 02 Oct 2015 05:23 AM PDT What are the properties of the vacuum, the absolute nothingness? So far, physicists have assumed that it is impossible to directly access the characteristics of the ground state of empty space. Now, a team of physicists has succeeded in doing just that. They demonstrated a first direct observation of the so-called vacuum fluctuations by using short light pulses while employing highly precise optical measurement techniques.

Fruit fly research reveals genetic mechanisms of dietary sugar sensing Posted: 02 Oct 2015 05:23 AM PDT A sugar sensing regulatory network, which is composed of several genes, has been identified by researchers. Deregulation of this sugar sensing network leads to severely disturbed energy metabolism. The new insight gained in this study may also benefit research into human metabolic diseases such as diabetes.

Studying cardiac arrhythmias in nematodes Posted: 02 Oct 2015 05:23 AM PDT A simple model using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been developed that can be used to test substances for treating genetically-mediated cardiac arrhythmias. They used the nematode feeding apparatus for this purpose, a rhythmically active muscle pump that resembles the muscle cells in the mammalian heart. This could be an important step on the road to personalized treatment.

Discovering the brain’s memory switch Posted: 02 Oct 2015 05:23 AM PDT Scientists have recorded evidence of the brain turning off its memory inhibitor to make new memories.

Cancer test predicts treatment outcome Posted: 02 Oct 2015 05:22 AM PDT Researchers have announced a new tool in the fight against cancer, with the development of a world-first test that will direct treatment choices for patients with some forms of blood cancer.

Breaking time-reversal symmetry in high-temperature superconductors Posted: 02 Oct 2015 05:17 AM PDT Researchers have arrived at how what is known as time-reversal symmetry can break in one class of superconducting material.

Tallness linked to increased risk of premature death for patients on dialysis Posted: 01 Oct 2015 05:50 PM PDT Tallness has been associated with higher premature mortality risk and shorter life spans in patients on dialysis. The association was observed in white, Asian, and American Indian/Alaskan native patients, but not in black patients. The overall paradoxical relationship between height and premature death was not explained by concurrent illness, socioeconomic status, or differences in care.

Organics energize solar cell research Posted: 01 Oct 2015 05:50 PM PDT Scientists are using a new supercomputer to advance next-generation solar energy technologies by probing the functional interfaces found in organic and hybrid solar cells.

Scientists create an all-organic UV on-chip spectrometer Posted: 01 Oct 2015 05:50 PM PDT Researchers have developed a near ultra-violet and all-organic light emitting diode (OLED) that can be used as an on-chip photosensor.

Chore or stress reliever: Study suggests that washing dishes decreases stress Posted: 01 Oct 2015 01:58 PM PDT Mindfully washing dishes calms the mind and decreases stress, a new study shows. The study looked at whether washing dishes could be used as an informal contemplative practice that promotes a positive state of mindfulness -- a meditative method of focusing attention on the emotions and thoughts of the present moment.

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