ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Citizen-science climate project adds logs from historic Arctic whaling ships
• Mystery of arsenic release into groundwater solved
• Guided ultrasound plus nanoparticle chemotherapy cures tumors in mice
• Teens know dangers of driving and cellphone use, yet do it anyway, research shows
• Nanoscale 'drawbridges' open path to color displays
• Study undercuts idea that 'Medieval Warm Period' was global
• Autoimmune epilepsy outcomes depend heavily on antibody type
• Scientists develop 'Shazam for earthquakes'
• No two faces are the same
• Certain herpes viruses can infect human neurons
• Solar water splitting: Putting an extra 'eye' on surface reactions that store sunlight as fuel
• Shape shifters: Demonstrating tunable phase shifting
• Gene pair plays crucial role in colon cancer, vet team shows
• Marine debris travels far, research shows
• Back from the 'Dead': Scientists unlock secrets of Aussie 'resurrection' grass
• Two genes linked to intellectual disability, circular skin creases on limbs
• ALMA spots monstrous baby galaxies cradled in dark matter
• Error correction strategies of cells
• Improvements in wear resistance of metallic materials by using laser
• The self-catering houseboat
• Door manufacturer benefits from simulation tools
• Electric cars: Batteries with brains
• EU: Action needed to set legal limits on trans fats in food, report suggests
• Protein import in peroxisomes: Researchers discover giant pores in the membrane of the cell organelles
• Rudeness at work is contagious, study shows
• Cut, file, shred: Type of multi-tool pocketknife processes ribosomal RNA
• Discovery contributes towards future treatment of cervical cancer
• Teaching parents about the importance of breakfast has benefits for both parent and child
• Laser scanning shows rates and patterns of surface deformation from the South Napa earthquake, California, USA
• Benefit cuts to teachers won't lead to taxpayer savings
• Brain scans explain quickness to blame
• 'Purity' of tumor samples may significantly bias genomic analyses
• Neuroscientists now can read the mind of a fly
• Ocean toxicity hampered the rapid evolution of complex life
• Genetically modified mice reveal the secret to a painless life
• Global human freshwater footprint surges
• Student discovers stellar chamaeleon that had the astronomers fooled for years
• People with dementia exposed to low quality of life through lack of activity
• Price of cancer drugs varies by up to 388% between European countries, Australia, and New Zealand
• Newborns in intensive care exposed to thirdhand smoke residue
• Global toll of injuries down by almost a third since 1990
• Where did Australian cats come from?
• Curious 'inkblot' star outed for trolling the astronomers
• A more efficient way of converting ethanol to a better alternative fuel
• Researchers make thinnest plates that can be picked up by hand
• Depressed head and neck cancer patients three-and-one-half times less likely to survive, have higher recurrence risk
• New sand fly species discovered in Brazil
• Effective policing depends on public trust, science shows
• Rhythm and blues: Fly's heart beats to the pulse of a blue laser

Citizen-science climate project adds logs from historic Arctic whaling ships Posted: 04 Dec 2015 03:38 PM PST Old Weather is a citizen-science project that is mining historic ship logs to get a unique peek at the history of Arctic climate. Now volunteers will transcribe logbooks from hundreds of whaling ships that recorded Arctic conditions in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Mystery of arsenic release into groundwater solved Posted: 04 Dec 2015 11:59 AM PST Bacteria living in shallow sediment layers of permanently flooded wetlands in Asia drive arsenic release into water by feeding on freshly deposited plant material, a new study finds.

Guided ultrasound plus nanoparticle chemotherapy cures tumors in mice Posted: 04 Dec 2015 11:59 AM PST Thermal ablation with magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) is a noninvasive technique for treating fibroids and cancer. New research shows that combining the technique with chemotherapy can allow complete destruction of tumors in mice.

Teens know dangers of driving and cellphone use, yet do it anyway, research shows Posted: 04 Dec 2015 11:59 AM PST Researchers sat down with 30 teens to better understand their perceptions of driving and distractions such as cell-phone use. Their ultimate goal is to develop an intervention to keep teens safe on the roadways.

Nanoscale 'drawbridges' open path to color displays Posted: 04 Dec 2015 11:59 AM PST A new method for building 'drawbridges' between metal nanoparticles could open new paths for electronics makers who wish to build full-color displays from opto-electric components.

Study undercuts idea that 'Medieval Warm Period' was global Posted: 04 Dec 2015 11:59 AM PST A new study questions the popular notion that 10th-century Norse people were able to colonize Greenland because of a period of unusually warm weather. Researchers say the climate was already cold when the Norse arrived -- and that climate thus probably played little role in their mysterious demise some 400 years later. On a larger scale, the study adds to building evidence that the so-called Medieval Warm Period, when Europe enjoyed clement weather, did not necessarily extend to other parts of the world.

Autoimmune epilepsy outcomes depend heavily on antibody type Posted: 04 Dec 2015 11:59 AM PST Immune dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a cause of drug-resistant epilepsy but how or why the immune system attacks nerve cells -- and the consequences on seizure control -- are not well understood. Two studies explore how different types of autoimmune response elicit markedly different responses in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Scientists develop 'Shazam for earthquakes' Posted: 04 Dec 2015 11:59 AM PST A new algorithm designed to find matching seismic signals in large earthquake databases could find previously missed microquakes.

No two faces are the same Posted: 04 Dec 2015 10:55 AM PST Researchers have been studying a likely congenital dysfunction that is characterized by the inability to recognize familiar faces. The study's findings are crucial, not just for our understanding of face recognition, but also because they allow us to understand the processes behind the recognition of any visually presented object.

Certain herpes viruses can infect human neurons Posted: 04 Dec 2015 09:14 AM PST Epstein-Barr virus and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus can infect and replicate in cultured and primary neurons, report scientists.

Solar water splitting: Putting an extra 'eye' on surface reactions that store sunlight as fuel Posted: 04 Dec 2015 09:14 AM PST Water-splitting cells absorb sunlight and produce fuel. Creating such cells means pairing a material to absorb sunlight and generate electrons with the one that uses those electrons to produce fuel. Scientists introduced a novel way to study the flow of electrons where the materials meet.

Shape shifters: Demonstrating tunable phase shifting Posted: 04 Dec 2015 09:14 AM PST Scientists devised a new approach that balances attractions between particles and promises to become a useful tool to create designer materials that can repair damage.

Gene pair plays crucial role in colon cancer, vet team shows Posted: 04 Dec 2015 09:11 AM PST Two related genes in the Musashi family are required for colon cancer to develop, researchers have discovered, adding that they may be useful targets for effective treatment.

Marine debris travels far, research shows Posted: 04 Dec 2015 08:14 AM PST Local wind and tide data was fed into a computer model to determine where sea-borne debris would come ashore. Results show that the debris can travel long distances.

Back from the 'Dead': Scientists unlock secrets of Aussie 'resurrection' grass Posted: 04 Dec 2015 08:13 AM PST The native grass, Tripogon loliiformis, has been the focus of recent researchbecause of its amazing ability to survive extreme environmental stresses. The researchers have proved sugar manipulation and the controlled sacrifice of cells are keys to the native grass's survival.

Two genes linked to intellectual disability, circular skin creases on limbs Posted: 04 Dec 2015 08:13 AM PST Clinical geneticists have identified two genes that cause the rare congenital syndrome known as circumferential skin creases Kunze type. With less than a dozen cases reported worldwide, the syndrome is extremely rare.

ALMA spots monstrous baby galaxies cradled in dark matter Posted: 04 Dec 2015 08:13 AM PST Astronomers discovered a nest of monstrous baby galaxies 11.5 billion light-years away using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The young galaxies seem to reside at the junction of gigantic filaments in a web of dark matter. These findings are important for understanding how monstrous galaxies like these are formed and how they evolve in to huge elliptical galaxies.

Error correction strategies of cells Posted: 04 Dec 2015 08:13 AM PST Error correction of cells have been reviewed by researchers who have investigatred the importance of crosstalk and its effects, and propose an alternative model that suppresses erroneous initiation.

Improvements in wear resistance of metallic materials by using laser Posted: 04 Dec 2015 06:45 AM PST The beneficial effects of a new technique that extends the useful life of stainless steels, aluminum alloys and titanium has been demonstrated by researchers. Due to changes in surface properties, this technique is especially suitable and competitive for future material processing of the aeronautics, nuclear, automotive and biomedical industry.

The self-catering houseboat Posted: 04 Dec 2015 06:45 AM PST A life away from traffic noise and exhaust fumes – more and more people are drawn to water. Energy self-sufficient floating homes not only fulfill the criterion for this new lifestyle, they can also boost economy.

Door manufacturer benefits from simulation tools Posted: 04 Dec 2015 06:45 AM PST Building burglary-resistent doors with thermal insulation is a challenge for manufacturers. Their complex structure provides holes for the flow of air. With scientific simulation methods, researchers have designed an insulating construction on the computer – without expensive prototypes having to be built.

Electric cars: Batteries with brains Posted: 04 Dec 2015 06:45 AM PST The battery is the heart of the electric car. Researchers have developed an energy storage device which is significantly more cost-effective over the entire life cycle in comparison with previous models. If one of the more than one hundred battery cells is defective, it can be replaced easily. Until now, the entire battery had to be replaced.

EU: Action needed to set legal limits on trans fats in food, report suggests Posted: 04 Dec 2015 06:45 AM PST On 3 December, the European Commission adopted a report on trans fats (TFA) in food and in the overall diet of Europeans. It suggests that setting a legal limit for industrial TFA content would be the most effective measure in terms of public health, consumer protection and compatibility with the single market. However, the implementation of such a limit would require further investigation.

Protein import in peroxisomes: Researchers discover giant pores in the membrane of the cell organelles Posted: 04 Dec 2015 06:43 AM PST Researchers have discovered a second giant pore for the transport of folded proteins in certain cell organelles, i.e. peroxisomes. Five years ago, the group already described the first giant pore.

Rudeness at work is contagious, study shows Posted: 04 Dec 2015 06:43 AM PST Workplace incivility should be treated with the utmost seriousness. This is the finding of three psychologists who surveyed nearly 6,000 people on the social climate in the workplace. Their studies show that being subjected to rudeness is a major reason for dissatisfaction at work and that unpleasant behavior spreads if nothing is done about it.

Cut, file, shred: Type of multi-tool pocketknife processes ribosomal RNA Posted: 04 Dec 2015 06:43 AM PST A tool in ribosome manufacture has been identified by researchers. A complex of four proteins that, much like a multi-tool pocketknife, serves as a knife, a file and a pair of scissors in the manufacture of ribosomes. The complex helps eliminate the residual ribonucleic acid (RNA) that are produced during the manufacturing of the ribsome and must be removed to complete the process, scientists report.

Discovery contributes towards future treatment of cervical cancer Posted: 04 Dec 2015 06:43 AM PST Future treatment of cervical cancer has been advanced by a new discovery, reports a team of scientists. Oncoviruses (cancer-causing viruses) are said to account for about 12% of new cancer cases annually. Cervical cancer, which is the cancer of the cervix, accounts for about 8% of all cancer cases worldwide and is the fourth most common cause of cancer and deaths from cancer in women.

Teaching parents about the importance of breakfast has benefits for both parent and child Posted: 04 Dec 2015 06:43 AM PST Both in-person and online education are effective in reducing breakfast-skipping and improving nutrition in children, according to a new study.

Laser scanning shows rates and patterns of surface deformation from the South Napa earthquake, California, USA Posted: 04 Dec 2015 06:43 AM PST Scientists used 3D laser scanning to make repeat measurements of an area affected by the 2014 magnitude 6.0 South Napa earthquake in order to define in great detail the surface deformation that occurred both during and after the earthquake. The recent revolution in 3D laser measurement technology (LiDAR) allows scientists to collect detailed information about the shape of the land surface and the objects that sit upon it with unprecedented accuracy.

Benefit cuts to teachers won't lead to taxpayer savings Posted: 04 Dec 2015 06:00 AM PST Cutting benefits for teachers or other public-sector workers may not save taxpayers as much as one might think, according to a new American study.

Brain scans explain quickness to blame Posted: 04 Dec 2015 06:00 AM PST New research helps explain the paradox of why we are quick to blame people but slow to credit them for their actions. We constantly read others' intentions in what they do, especially political candidates. The new study is the first to employ neuroscience research tools to help explain the mechanisms behind our contradictions in moral judgment.

'Purity' of tumor samples may significantly bias genomic analyses Posted: 04 Dec 2015 06:00 AM PST The proportion of normal cells, especially immune cells, intermixed with cancerous cells in a given tissue sample may significantly skew the results of genetic analyses and other tests performed both by researchers and by physicians selecting precision therapies, shows a recent study.

Neuroscientists now can read the mind of a fly Posted: 04 Dec 2015 06:00 AM PST Neuroscientists now can read the mind of a fly. In a study focused on three of the fruit fly's sensory systems, the researchers developed a new tool that uses fluorescent molecules of different colors to tag neurons in the brain to see which connections, or synapses, were active during a sensory experience that happened hours earlier. Mapping the pattern of individual neural connections could provide insights into the computational processes that underlie the workings of the human brain.

Ocean toxicity hampered the rapid evolution of complex life Posted: 04 Dec 2015 06:00 AM PST By examining rocks at the bottom of ancient oceans, an international group of researchers has revealed that arsenic concentrations in the oceans have varied greatly over time. But also that in the very early oceans, arsenic co-varied with the rise of atmospheric oxygen and coincided with the coming and going of global glaciations, researchers say.

Genetically modified mice reveal the secret to a painless life Posted: 04 Dec 2015 06:00 AM PST People born with a rare genetic mutation are unable to feel pain, but previous attempts to recreate this effect with drugs have had surprisingly little success. Using mice modified to carry the same mutation, researchers have now discovered the recipe for painlessness.

Global human freshwater footprint surges Posted: 03 Dec 2015 09:02 PM PST Dams and irrigation raise the global human consumption of freshwater to a much higher level than previously thought, according to new research.

Student discovers stellar chamaeleon that had the astronomers fooled for years Posted: 03 Dec 2015 09:02 PM PST It is the brightest infrared star in the Northern sky, but a student has found that astronomers have been mistakenly interpreting the dust in the environment of a famous star that lies 450 light years from Earth.

People with dementia exposed to low quality of life through lack of activity Posted: 03 Dec 2015 09:02 PM PST People with dementia living in long-term care often show low levels of activity participation, which negatively impacts their quality of life, say researchers.

Price of cancer drugs varies by up to 388% between European countries, Australia, and New Zealand Posted: 03 Dec 2015 09:02 PM PST The price of new cancer drugs varies widely (from 28% to 388%) between high-income countries in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, new research has found. The UK and Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Spain, and Portugal pay the lowest average unit manufacturer prices for a group of 31 originator cancer drugs (new drugs under patent), whereas Sweden, Switzerland, and Germany pay the highest prices, say authors of a new report.

Newborns in intensive care exposed to thirdhand smoke residue Posted: 03 Dec 2015 09:02 PM PST Despite hospitals operating a smoke free policy, newborns in intensive care may still be exposed to thirdhand smoke residue from their smoker parents, suggests a small study.

Global toll of injuries down by almost a third since 1990 Posted: 03 Dec 2015 09:02 PM PST The global toll taken by injuries on daily life has fallen by almost a third in the past quarter of a century, reveals research, suggesting that the world is becoming a safer place to live in.

Where did Australian cats come from? Posted: 03 Dec 2015 09:02 PM PST Cats in Australia are most likely descended from those brought by European settlers, researchers conclude. Feral cats found on the islands surrounding Australia may represent founding populations from Europe, introduced in the 19th century, they say. Identifying the timing of the founding of these cat populations increases our knowledge of the effects this invasive species had when introduced to Australia.

Curious 'inkblot' star outed for trolling the astronomers Posted: 03 Dec 2015 05:36 PM PST New images of an intriguing red giant star, known as CW Leo, have turned the usual astronomy narrative on its head, with scrutiny focussed not only on the stars but also on the astronomers who study them. In just a couple of years, the 400 light year distant CW Leo has changed its appearance completely, meaning a whole set of carefully constructed models have been abandoned.

A more efficient way of converting ethanol to a better alternative fuel Posted: 03 Dec 2015 05:36 PM PST A research team has developed a series of reactions that results in the selective conversion of ethanol to butanol, without producing unwanted byproducts.

Researchers make thinnest plates that can be picked up by hand Posted: 03 Dec 2015 05:36 PM PST Despite being thousands of times thinner than a sheet of paper and hundreds of times thinner than household cling wrap or aluminum foil, newly developed corrugated plates of aluminum oxide spring back to their original shape after being bent and twisted.

Depressed head and neck cancer patients three-and-one-half times less likely to survive, have higher recurrence risk Posted: 03 Dec 2015 05:36 PM PST Depression is a significant predictor of five-year survival and recurrence in head and neck cancer patients, according to a new study. There is also increasing evidence for modest associations between elevated symptoms of depression and increased mortality risk in lung, breast, ovarian and kidney cancer.

New sand fly species discovered in Brazil Posted: 03 Dec 2015 05:36 PM PST Researchers in Brazil examined sand fly specimens in museum collections. After detailed analyses of three different flies in the genus Psathyromyia, they found that the specimens were originally misidentified and that they were actually an undescribed species.

Effective policing depends on public trust, science shows Posted: 03 Dec 2015 05:35 PM PST Public trust and confidence in the police have remained flat for several decades despite a declining crime rate in the US, a problem that has become especially salient in the wake of recent police shootings of unarmed black men. A comprehensive new report shows that policing practices focused on respectful treatment and transparent decision making are likely to be more effective than traditional punishment-based strategies in building public trust and encouraging cooperation with the police.

Rhythm and blues: Fly's heart beats to the pulse of a blue laser Posted: 03 Dec 2015 01:03 PM PST It's called optogenetics and it refers to the use of light to regulate cells. In this case, researchers engineered fruit flies that carry light-sensitive proteins in their hearts. When hit by a blue laser, the proteins open channels that cause a flow of ions or charged particles that cause the heart to beat.

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