Sunday, October 25, 2015

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Capacitor breakthrough

Posted: 24 Oct 2015 06:25 AM PDT

In the movie 'Back to the Future,' Doc Brown and Marty McFly landed in the future in their DeLorean, with time travel made possible by a 'flux capacitor.' Today, capacitors are key components of portable electronics to electric cars, providing fast delivery of energy but poor storage capacity. Researchers now report a new approach to increasing storage ability.

Researchers catch Comet Lovejoy giving away alcohol

Posted: 24 Oct 2015 06:25 AM PDT

Comet Lovejoy lived up to its name by releasing large amounts of alcohol as well as a type of sugar into space, according to new observations by an international team.

Concrete innovation makes Seattle skyscraper stable

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 02:52 PM PDT

An engineer's solution for streamlining the construction of skyscrapers is having a skyscraper moment in one of the most seismically active regions of the country. All coupling beams in the 1.5 million-square-foot Lincoln Square Expansion --which includes luxury condos, a hotel, dining, retail and office space in two 450-foot towers in the heart of Seattle suburb Bellevue, Washington -- are made of fiber-reinforced concrete using a unique design.

Deadly fish virus still present in Wisconsin lake

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 02:52 PM PDT

In May 2007, hundreds of freshwater drum — also known as sheepshead — turned up dead in Lake Winnebago and nearby Little Lake Butte des Morts, both inland lakes near Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The fish were splotched with red and their eyes were swollen and bulging. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) launched a quick response and, working with the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (WVDL), quickly learned that a deadly virus was responsible: viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus, or VHSv.

Cooling the air with sunlight

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 02:50 PM PDT

A firm has developed an evaporative cooler that has an integrated photovoltaic system isolated from the electrical network, which enables to refresh an area of ??approximately 200 square meters.

Sensing small molecules may revolutionize drug design

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 02:49 PM PDT

Scientists have described a new method for examining small molecules and their communication with membrane proteins. The research will allow scientists and clinicians to study these interactions at an astonishingly minute scale with unprecedented precision.

Blocking enzymes in hair follicles promotes hair growth

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 02:49 PM PDT

Inhibiting a family of enzymes inside hair follicles that are suspended in a resting state restores hair growth, a new study has found. In experiments with mouse and human hair follicles, researchers found that drugs that inhibit the Janus kinase (JAK) family of enzymes promote rapid and robust hair growth when directly applied to the skin.

Researchers hack off-the-shelf 3-D printer towards rebuilding the heart

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 02:49 PM PDT

Researchers have used a new 3-D bioprinting method to bioprint models of hearts, arteries, bones and brains out of biological materials. The work could one day lead to a world in which transplants are no longer necessary to repair damaged organs.

Scalable quantum computer design

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 02:49 PM PDT

Theoretical physicists have proposed a scalable quantum computer architecture. The new model overcomes fundamental limitations of programmability in current approaches that aim at solving real-world general optimization problems by exploiting quantum mechanics.

Cyberattacks studied through the lens of EEG and eye tracking

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 11:54 AM PDT

Researchers tested users' abilities to detect malware and phishing attacks while measuring the neurophysiological behavior underlying these tasks.

Failing to account for climate change in mining land reclamation may cost billions

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 11:51 AM PDT

Researchers are warning that plans to reclaim mined land risk failure and could cost industry and government billions in future cleanup costs if they do not take into account the affects of climate change.

DNAresearch reveals new function of histones

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 11:51 AM PDT

Researchers have located a previously unknown function in the so-called histones, which allows for an improved understanding of how cells protect and repair DNA damages. This knowledge may eventually result in better treatments for diseases such as cancer.

Bacteriophage treatment decontaminates infant formula

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 11:51 AM PDT

A phage showed strong anti-microbial activity against a type of food-borne bacterium that often kills infants after infecting them via infant formula. Phages are viruses that infect only bacteria.

Canadian researchers find geothermal heat pumps most feasible in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 09:19 AM PDT

Researchers have recently conducted a survey of four Canadian cities to determine the economic feasibility of installing geothermal heating systems in homes in Montreal, Halifax, Vancouver and Toronto.

A new algorithm to predict the dynamic language of proteins

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 09:18 AM PDT

Researchers have developed the first computational method based on evolutionary principles to predict the changes in shape that proteins experience to carry out their functions. This method is a step forward in the study of protein dynamics, of great importance for the design of drugs and the investigation of genetic diseases such as cancer.

Halloysite: Finally a promising natural nanomaterial?

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 09:18 AM PDT

Halloysite is a natural biocompatible nanomaterial available in thousands of tons at low price, which makes it a good candidate for nanoarchitectural composites. In vitro and in vivo studies on biological cells and worms indicate the safety of halloysite, and furthermore, it can store and release molecules in a controllable manner, making these tiny containers attractive for applications in drug delivery, antimicrobial materials, self-healing polymeric composites, and regenerative medicine.

Scientists urge policymakers to plant more trees to save Britain's rivers from climate change

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 07:58 AM PDT

New research has prompted scientists to call on policymakers to plant more trees alongside upland rivers and streams, in an effort to save their habitats from the future harm of climate change.

Questioning simple groundwater models on the Liverpool Plains, NSW, Australia

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 05:45 AM PDT

Millions of years go missing: New research identifies a gap in sediments and questions simple groundwater models on the Liverpool Plains, NSW, Australia.

Alzheimer risk impairs 'satnav' function of the brain

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 05:45 AM PDT

Young adults with genetically increased Alzheimer's risk have altered activation patterns in a brain region that is crucial for spatial navigation.

Optical scanner shows potential for real-time 3-D breast cancer screening

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 05:41 AM PDT

Scientists have developed a hand-held optical scanner with the potential to offer breast cancer imaging in real time. The device uses a near-infrared laser diode source to produce an image of the breast tissues.

Manipulating wrinkles could lead to graphene semiconductors

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 05:41 AM PDT

Scientists have used the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope to manipulate the formation of wrinkles in graphene, opening the way to the construction of graphene semiconductors not through chemical means--by adding other elements -- but by manipulating the carbon structure itself in a form of 'graphene engineering.'

Children in foster care three times more likely to have ADHD diagnosis

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 05:37 AM PDT

Researchers already knew that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder was the most common behavioral health diagnosis among children enrolled in Medicaid. A new study found that children in foster care were three times more likely than others to have an ADHD diagnosis.

Most parents form vaccination preferences before becoming pregnant

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 05:37 AM PDT

Efforts to educate parents about the importance of vaccinations for their children might be more effective if they begin prior to pregnancy, according to findings of a new study.

Lack of adequate food is ongoing health risk to US children

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 05:37 AM PDT

For the first time, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is recommending that pediatricians screen all children for food insecurity. In a new policy statement identifying the short and long-term adverse health impacts of food insecurity, the AAP also recommends that pediatricians become familiar with and refer families to needed community resources, and advocate for federal and local policies that support access to adequate, nutritious food.

Iinjuries from nonpowder guns severe among children

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 05:37 AM PDT

Researchers have shown that nonpowder firearms such as airsoft, BB, and paintball guns should not be viewed as toys, but rather powerful weapons causing increasingly severe and sometimes life-threatening injuries in pediatric patients.

A longer look at treatments for leg length discrepancies

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 05:37 AM PDT

When balancing treatment options for a child with a significant difference in leg length, doctors typically advise families about the risks and benefits of surgeries to either shorten or elongate one of the limbs. New research suggests they may also want to consider how the child's ultimate height will affect his or her income as an adult.

Health food stores recommend teens try performance supplement not recommended under 18

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 05:37 AM PDT

Posing as a 15-year-old athlete wanting to bulk up during strength training, a researcher asked more than 200 health food stores whether he should take a sports performance supplement containing creatine. Despite recommendations against using creatine under age 18 by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Sports Medicine, more than two-thirds of the stores' sales attendants told him to give it a try.

More than one in five anaphylactic reactions occur in students with no known allergies

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 05:37 AM PDT

More than 1 in 10 schools in the United States responding to a survey reported at least one severe allergic reaction during the 2013-14 school year, and 22 percent of those events occurred in individuals with no previously known allergies.

New rule that limits tackling during football practices knocks down concussions

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 05:37 AM PDT

New research shows that limiting the amount of full-contact tackling during high school football practices can have a big impact on reducing the number of concussions among players.

Job opportunities, after-school activities, cleaner city top urban teens' priorities

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 05:37 AM PDT

When researchers in New Haven, Conn., asked teens to identify solutions to reduce violence in their community, the adolescents had clear recommendations: better employment opportunities, more after-school activities and a cleaner city environment.

Basketball, soccer, lacrosse lead to most ACL injuries among high school female athletes

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 05:37 AM PDT

A new study finds the overall rate of anterior cruciate ligament injuries among high school athletes is significantly higher among females, who are especially likely to experience ACL tears while playing basketball, soccer and lacrosse.

Research suggests canine companionship helps calm children undergoing cancer treatment

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 05:32 AM PDT

Although survival rates for children diagnosed with cancer have increased dramatically over the past 40 years, hard evidence of proven psychosocial benefits to improve quality of life among patients and families during treatment has remained elusive.

Hands-only CPR in high school class pumps up likelihood of bystander response to cardiac arrest

Posted: 23 Oct 2015 05:32 AM PDT

Freshmen at eight Florida high schools who learned how to provide circulatory support to someone in sudden cardiac arrest using chest compressions without mouth-to-mouth ventilations said they would be significantly more comfortable performing the skill in a real-life situation when their training included a hands-on component, according to a new study.