ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• The unbearable lightness of helium may not be such a problem after all
• Obesity breakthrough: Metabolic master switch prompts fat cells to store or burn fat
• Imaging software could speed up breast cancer diagnosis
• Skydiving spiders in South American forests discovered
• Researchers identify potential sleep-related treatment targets for fibromyalgia
• Contrary to previous studies, diabetes affects diaphragm, smooth muscle cells differently
• Clamshell-shaped protein puts the 'jump' in 'jumping genes'
• Sumatran rhino is extinct in the wild in Malaysia
• Exercise to prevent, manage diabetes is more effective for college graduates
• Updated screening policies could detect more abdominal aortic aneurysms
• 'Quantum dot' technology may help light the future
• Earliest baboon found at Malapa
• Synthetic DNA vaccine against MERS induces immunity in animal study
• Vomiting device offers direct evidence that vomit aerosolizes norovirus-like particles
• When personal identity really matters
• Study reveals new insights into how asthma 'pathways' could be blocked
• How clean is your spinach?
• Seizures in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery underappreciated, dangerous
• 'Planetary pebbles' were the building blocks for the largest planets
• Genome-wide annotation of primary miRNAs reveals novel mechanisms
• Divide and rule: A tumor's strategy
• China's carbon emissions were less than previously thought, new estimates show
• New insights in pathological mechanism that causes dysfunctional synapses
• Hypertensive patients benefit from acupuncture treatments, study finds
• Forgotten sex signals
• Supercomputers listen to the heart
• Teen smokers struggle with body-related shame, guilt
• Will the pronoun I become obsolete? A biological perspective
• Computer models show significant tsunami strength for Ventura and Oxnard, California
• Female fish genitalia evolve in response to predators, interbreeding
• Drought implicated in slow death of trees in Southeast's forests
• Social media is transforming emergency communications
• Prevalence of chronic or severe pain in American adults
• Firefly protein enables visualization of roots in soil
• Algae nutrient recycling is a triple win
• Work on barren soil may bear fruit
• New research backs belief that tomatoes can be a gout trigger
• Detection of gamma rays from a newly discovered dwarf galaxy may point to dark matter
• Data mining DNA for polycystic ovary syndrome genes
• Algorithm interprets breathing difficulties to aid in medical care
• Hummingbird tongue is really a tiny pump
• Mystery of exploding stars yields to astrophysicists
• Tall, masculine men aged around 35 years old perceived to be most dominant
• Safinamide in Parkinson's disease: No hint of added benefit
• Leave the family behind: Solo travelers are not who you think
• Educational expansion created more marriages by same educational level, race
• Research reveals link between age and opinions about video games
• The amazing adaptability of brain's vision center
• Tool boosts accuracy in assessing breast cancer risk
• Hydrogen sulfide loses its electrical resistance under high pressure at minus 70 degrees Celsius
• Reducing resistance to chemotherapy in colorectal cancer by inhibition of PHD1
• No short cuts: innovation work is about presence, ordinary labor
• Mathematics as tough as steel
• Key professions losing staff due to lack of support for student mothers
• Having friends: Happiness spreads but depression doesn't
• Honey bees rapidly evolve to overcome new disease
• Toilet waste provides knowledge about diseases' global transmission routes
• Book detectives solve puzzles of yesteryear
• Building computers from DNA?
• New internet routing method allows users to avoid sending data through undesired countries

The unbearable lightness of helium may not be such a problem after all Posted: 19 Aug 2015 06:11 PM PDT Helium gas -- essential for MRI scanners, semiconductor manufacture (and according to some, party balloons) -- may not be on the verge of running out after all. Previous studies had raised concerns that we were getting close to a world shortage of helium, but a new study shows that in many areas of North America, there is the potential for undiscovered quantities of helium to be associated with natural gas fields.

Obesity breakthrough: Metabolic master switch prompts fat cells to store or burn fat Posted: 19 Aug 2015 06:11 PM PDT Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges of the 21st century. Affecting more than 500 million people worldwide, obesity costs at least $200 billion each year in the United States alone, and contributes to potentially fatal disorders such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Scientists have now revealed the mechanism underlying the genomic region most strongly associated with obesity. The findings uncover a genetic circuit that controls whether our bodies burn or store fat. Manipulating that genetic circuit may offer a new approach for obesity treatments.

Imaging software could speed up breast cancer diagnosis Posted: 19 Aug 2015 06:11 PM PDT New software could speed up breast cancer diagnosis with 90 percent accuracy without the need for a specialist, according to research. This could improve breast cancer management, particularly in developing countries where pathologists are not routinely available.

Skydiving spiders in South American forests discovered Posted: 19 Aug 2015 02:44 PM PDT Arachnophobes fearful of spiders jumping, creeping or falling into their beds now have something new to worry about. Some spiders might also glide in through the window.

Researchers identify potential sleep-related treatment targets for fibromyalgia Posted: 19 Aug 2015 02:24 PM PDT Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic pain from no clear source. Patients with fibromyalgia frequently have sleep problems: Their deep sleep brain wave patterns are often disrupted by brain waves that correspond to wakefulness. A new study uses a novel approach to identify potential drug targets for treating fibromyalgia.

Contrary to previous studies, diabetes affects diaphragm, smooth muscle cells differently Posted: 19 Aug 2015 02:09 PM PDT Previous studies have shown that diabetes adversely affects breathing and respiratory function. However, in the past, researchers have not differentiated diaphragm muscle cells and the muscle cells of limb skeletal muscle in their studies. Now, researchers have found that diaphragm muscle cells and other skeletal muscle cells behave differently -- a finding that could influence future research on respiratory ailments associated with diabetes.

Clamshell-shaped protein puts the 'jump' in 'jumping genes' Posted: 19 Aug 2015 02:09 PM PDT Scientists report they have deciphered the structure and unusual shape of a bacterial protein that prepares segments of DNA for the insertion of so-called jumping genes. The clamshell shape, they say, has never before been seen in a protein but connects nicely with its function: that of bending a segment of DNA into a 180-degree U-turn.

Sumatran rhino is extinct in the wild in Malaysia Posted: 19 Aug 2015 02:09 PM PDT Leading scientists and experts in the field of rhino conservation state in a new paper that it is safe to consider the Sumatran rhinoceros extinct in the wild in Malaysia. The survival of the Sumatran rhino now depends on the 100 or fewer remaining individuals in the wild in Indonesia and the nine rhinos in captivity.

Exercise to prevent, manage diabetes is more effective for college graduates Posted: 19 Aug 2015 02:09 PM PDT Key prescriptions to prevent and manage diabetes -- physical activity and a healthy diet -- don't appear to be working as well for Americans who didn't graduate college, according to a new study.

Updated screening policies could detect more abdominal aortic aneurysms Posted: 19 Aug 2015 02:08 PM PDT Updating national screening policies could help detect more aortic aneurysms in older men and prevent deaths from this potentially life-threatening condition. Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm in male smokers at age 65 and then all men at age 75 could save more lives with less resources than the current United Kingdom, United States and Europe screening programs.

'Quantum dot' technology may help light the future Posted: 19 Aug 2015 11:36 AM PDT Advances in manufacturing technology for 'quantum dots' may soon lead to a new generation of LED lighting that produces a more user-friendly white light, while using less toxic materials and low-cost manufacturing processes that take advantage of simple microwave heating. It could help the nation cut its lighting bill in half.

Earliest baboon found at Malapa Posted: 19 Aug 2015 11:36 AM PDT A team of international researchers has discovered a fossil monkey specimen representing the earliest baboon ever found. Dating back more than two million years ago, the partial skull was found in South Africa's Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, the same site where the partial skeletons of the new early hominin species, Australopithecus sediba, were discovered in 2010.

Synthetic DNA vaccine against MERS induces immunity in animal study Posted: 19 Aug 2015 11:36 AM PDT A novel synthetic DNA vaccine can, for the first time, induce protective immunity against the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus in animal species. The experimental, preventive vaccine, given six weeks before exposure to the MERS virus, was found to fully protect rhesus macaques from disease.

Vomiting device offers direct evidence that vomit aerosolizes norovirus-like particles Posted: 19 Aug 2015 11:36 AM PDT Using a vomiting device of their creation, researchers are reporting the first direct evidence that vomiting can aerosolize virus particles similar to human norovirus. Future directions for the work include assessing how long virus particles can remain airborne, and how far they may be able to travel in the air.

When personal identity really matters Posted: 19 Aug 2015 11:11 AM PDT When self-identification matters most – in connecting bone marrow donors to patients – the format of the questions may determine how well the answers actually correspond to their genes, scientists report.

Study reveals new insights into how asthma 'pathways' could be blocked Posted: 19 Aug 2015 11:11 AM PDT New insights have been gained into how asthma may be caused, by identifying three distinct groups of asthma patients characterized by the activity of different genes in an individual's airways.

How clean is your spinach? Posted: 19 Aug 2015 11:10 AM PDT Ever wonder what that the words triple-washed or pre-washed on a bag of baby spinach mean? Not much according to engineers. They discovered that small peaks and valleys in baby spinach leaves could be a key reason why there have been numerous bacterial outbreaks involving leafy green vegetables.

Seizures in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery underappreciated, dangerous Posted: 19 Aug 2015 10:49 AM PDT With mounting concerns about postoperative seizures, doctors placed 161 neonates who had undergone cardiac surgery on continuous EEG monitoring. They found that 8% of the neonates experienced EEG seizures and 85% of these were unrecognized clinically. Many of the seizures were severe, and the seizure group faced a higher risk of death, according to the investigators' report.

'Planetary pebbles' were the building blocks for the largest planets Posted: 19 Aug 2015 10:48 AM PDT Researchers have unraveled the mystery of how Jupiter and Saturn likely formed. This discovery changes our view of how all planets might have formed.

Genome-wide annotation of primary miRNAs reveals novel mechanisms Posted: 19 Aug 2015 10:48 AM PDT MicroRNAs are short noncoding RNAs that play critical roles in regulating gene expression in normal physiology and disease. Despite having tightly controlled expression levels, little is known about how miRNAs themselves are regulated because their genes are poorly defined. In a recent study, researchers devised a strategy for genome-wide annotation of primary miRNA transcripts, providing extensive new annotations in human and mouse, and shedding light on mechanisms of regulation of microRNA gene expression.

Divide and rule: A tumor's strategy Posted: 19 Aug 2015 10:29 AM PDT Researchers have discovered how aggressive cells can invade healthy tissue during the earliest stage of tumor development. This opens up new ways of attacking cancer at its root, they say.

China's carbon emissions were less than previously thought, new estimates show Posted: 19 Aug 2015 10:29 AM PDT China's carbon emissions have been substantially over estimated by international agencies for more than 10 years, according to research. A research team re-evaluated emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and cement production from 1950-2013. They used independently assessed activity data on the amounts of fuels burned and new measurements of emissions factors -- the amount of carbon oxidised per unit of fuel consumed -- for Chinese coal.

New insights in pathological mechanism that causes dysfunctional synapses Posted: 19 Aug 2015 09:08 AM PDT Genetic analysis of human patients has shown that mutations in genes involved in synaptic communication can drive neuropsychiatric and neurological diseases such as autism spectrum disorder and Alzheimer's disease. Through a global analysis of the synaptic machinery, researchers have revealed for the first time a new pathway that governs the proper sorting of many essential synaptic proteins in neurons. Disruption of this sorting pathway in neuropsychiatric and neurological diseases severely hampers the efficient communication between neurons.

Hypertensive patients benefit from acupuncture treatments, study finds Posted: 19 Aug 2015 09:07 AM PDT Patients with hypertension treated with acupuncture experienced drops in their blood pressure that lasted up to a month and a half, researchers have found. This work is the first to scientifically confirm that this ancient Chinese practice is beneficial in treating mild to moderate hypertension, and it indicates that regular use could help people control their blood pressure and lessen their risk of stroke and heart disease.

Forgotten sex signals Posted: 19 Aug 2015 09:07 AM PDT Animal sex signals, communications between partners indicating health, the capacity to produce healthy offspring and more, were thought to be beneficial and passed down from generation to generation. However, a new study suggests these signals can actually adaptively disappear in descendants.

Supercomputers listen to the heart Posted: 19 Aug 2015 09:07 AM PDT New supercomputer models have come closer than ever to capturing the behavior of normal human heart valves and their replacements, according to recent studies. The studies focused on how heart valve tissue responds to realistic blood flow. The new models can help doctors make more durable repair and replacement of heart valves.

Teen smokers struggle with body-related shame, guilt Posted: 19 Aug 2015 09:07 AM PDT Are teen smokers who pick up the habit doing so because they have a negative self-image? Does the typical teenaged smoker try to balance out this unhealthy habit with more exercise? And if so, then why would an adolescent smoke, yet still participate in recommended levels of physical activity? A recent study sought to answer these questions.

Will the pronoun I become obsolete? A biological perspective Posted: 19 Aug 2015 09:06 AM PDT Plants and animals, including humans, are not autonomous individuals but are holobionts: biomolecular networks that consist of visible hosts plus millions of invisible microbes, recent microbiological research has shown.

Computer models show significant tsunami strength for Ventura and Oxnard, California Posted: 19 Aug 2015 09:06 AM PDT Ventura and Oxnard in California could be vulnerable to the effects of a local earthquake-generated tsunami, according to computer models used by seismologists. According to their 3-D models, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake on faults located offshore Ventura would result in many parts of the regional coastline being inundated a few kilometers inland by a tsunami wave. Further, a southward moving tsunami would rotate and focus on the Ventura/Oxnard area.

Female fish genitalia evolve in response to predators, interbreeding Posted: 19 Aug 2015 09:06 AM PDT Female fish in the Bahamas have developed ways of showing males that 'No means no.' The study shows that females have evolved differently shaped genitalia to deter unwanted advances from males of different populations. This "lock and key" theory suggests that females can better choose advances from wanted males by shaping their genitalia to promote copulation with desired males of their own population or species.

Drought implicated in slow death of trees in Southeast's forests Posted: 19 Aug 2015 09:05 AM PDT Damage suffered by trees during a drought can reduce their long-term survival for up to a decade after the drought ends, a new study of tree mortality in southeastern forests finds. By identifying the symptoms that mark a tree for later death and the species that are at highest risk, the study's findings may give managers and scientists a way to recognize and reverse drought-induced declines before it's too late.

Social media is transforming emergency communications Posted: 19 Aug 2015 09:05 AM PDT Emergency organizations have only started using social media mainly as a response to the presence of the public in them. in the case of an emergency (a terror attack, hurricane or an earthquake), communication infrastructure may be overloaded and collapse as numerous people attempt to access information. The public can be exposed to large quantities of information without being aware of its validity or risk of misinformation. For these reasons, emergency communications are having to react.

Prevalence of chronic or severe pain in American adults Posted: 19 Aug 2015 08:11 AM PDT Nearly 50 million American adults have significant chronic pain or severe pain, according to a new study. The findings also showed that half of individuals with the most severe pain still rated their overall health as good or better, and there were associations between pain severity and race, ethnicity, language preference, gender, and age. Women, older individuals, and non-Hispanics were more likely to report any pain, but Asians less likely.

Firefly protein enables visualization of roots in soil Posted: 19 Aug 2015 08:10 AM PDT Plants form a vast network of below-ground roots that search soil forneeded resources. Excavation of root systems reveals special resource-finding environmental adaptations but is laborious, time-consuming, and does not provide information on how growing roots behave. A new imaging tool allows researchers to study the dynamic growth of root systems in soil, and to uncover the molecular signaling pathways that control such growth.

Algae nutrient recycling is a triple win Posted: 19 Aug 2015 07:37 AM PDT A method to recycle phosphate and nitrogen, critical nutrients for algae cultivation, has been developed by a team of scientists, who describe this method as a triple win – saves money in algae cultivation for biofuels, limits competition with agriculture for a nonrenewable resource, and keeps phosphates out of the environment.

Work on barren soil may bear fruit Posted: 19 Aug 2015 07:37 AM PDT Scientists have made significant progress in determining what causes soil acidification -- a discovery that could assist in turning back the clock on degraded croplands.

New research backs belief that tomatoes can be a gout trigger Posted: 19 Aug 2015 07:36 AM PDT People who maintain that eating tomatoes can cause their gout to flare up are likely to welcome new research that has, for the first time, found a biological basis for this belief.

Detection of gamma rays from a newly discovered dwarf galaxy may point to dark matter Posted: 19 Aug 2015 07:36 AM PDT A newly discovered dwarf galaxy orbiting our own Milky Way has offered up a surprise -- it appears to be radiating gamma rays, according to an analysis by physicists. The exact source of this high-energy light is uncertain at this point, but it just might be a signal of dark matter lurking at the galaxy's center.

Data mining DNA for polycystic ovary syndrome genes Posted: 19 Aug 2015 07:36 AM PDT A new genome-wide association study of polycystic ovary syndrome -- the first of its kind to focus on women of European ancestry -- has provided important new insights into the underlying biology of the disorder.

Algorithm interprets breathing difficulties to aid in medical care Posted: 19 Aug 2015 07:36 AM PDT Researchers have developed an efficient algorithm that can interpret the wheezing of patients with breathing difficulties to give medical providers information about what's happening in the lungs. The work is part of a larger, ongoing project to develop wearable smart medical sensors for monitoring, collecting and interpreting personal health data.

Hummingbird tongue is really a tiny pump Posted: 19 Aug 2015 07:36 AM PDT Biologists have long believed that hummingbirds pick up floral nectar in the same way fluid rises in a capillary tube. However, researchers have now demonstrated that this long-held theory is wrong. Instead, they say, the tongue itself acts as a tiny pump.

Mystery of exploding stars yields to astrophysicists Posted: 19 Aug 2015 07:36 AM PDT By combining theory and observation, astrophysicists may have solved one of the ultimate mysteries about stars: what causes Type 1a supernovae, stellar explosions that can outshine whole galaxies. Several of the researchers behind the discovery discuss why understanding the mechanics of these cosmic blasts is so important.

Tall, masculine men aged around 35 years old perceived to be most dominant Posted: 19 Aug 2015 07:36 AM PDT Simple increases in a man's height and age automatically makes them appear more dominant, a new study suggests. Researchers used computer graphic manipulations to make subtle alterations to images of men's faces. Participants in the study were asked their opinions on the men, based on how tall, masculine and old they appeared to be.

Safinamide in Parkinson's disease: No hint of added benefit Posted: 19 Aug 2015 07:36 AM PDT Regarding Safinamide in Parkinson's disease, reviewers state that since since relevant study data were not considered, analyses in the dossier were incomplete regarding serious side effects in the comparator therapy, long-term data and other aspects.

Leave the family behind: Solo travelers are not who you think Posted: 19 Aug 2015 07:35 AM PDT Solo travelers don't go alone because they have to, they do it because they want to, a new study has found. An investigator has said that solo travellers were choosing freedom, uncompromised fun and meeting new people over the desire to have a companion to share their experiences.

Educational expansion created more marriages by same educational level, race Posted: 19 Aug 2015 07:35 AM PDT Compulsory schooling laws instituted in the late 1800s and early 1900s caused more people in Northern states to marry people at their same education level and race, possibly contributing to economic inequality, according to a new study.

Research reveals link between age and opinions about video games Posted: 19 Aug 2015 06:26 AM PDT A new study analyzes the opinions of 109 clinicians asking them whether video games are a problem for society. The older the clinician, the more likely they are to think playing video games leads to violent behavior, investigators report.

The amazing adaptability of brain's vision center Posted: 19 Aug 2015 05:42 AM PDT By early childhood, the sight regions of a blind person's brain respond to sound, especially spoken language, a neuroscientist has found. Working with individuals who are blind offers cognitive researchers an opportunity to discover how nature and nurture, or a person's genes and their experience, sculpt brain function, the researcher says.

Tool boosts accuracy in assessing breast cancer risk Posted: 19 Aug 2015 05:42 AM PDT A national risk model that gauges a woman's chance of developing breast cancer has been refined to give a more accurate assessment. In 2014, more than 232,000 women in the United States were diagnosed with breast cancer. Approximately 40,000 women die of the disease each year.

Hydrogen sulfide loses its electrical resistance under high pressure at minus 70 degrees Celsius Posted: 19 Aug 2015 05:41 AM PDT Hydrogen sulfide becomes superconductive at minus 70 degree Celsius -- when the substance is placed under a pressure of 1.5 million bar -- researchers have observed. This corresponds to half of the pressure of Earth's core. With their high-pressure experiments the researchers have thus not only set a new record for superconductivity, their findings have also highlighted a potential new way to transport current at room temperature with no loss.

Reducing resistance to chemotherapy in colorectal cancer by inhibition of PHD1 Posted: 19 Aug 2015 05:41 AM PDT Blocking the PHD1 oxygen sensor hinders the activation of p53, a transcription factor that aids colorectal cancer (CRC) cells in repairing themselves and thus resisting chemotherapy, scientists have demonstrated. Chemotherapy resistance remains a major clinical issue in the treatment of CRC. These findings indicate that PHD1 inhibition may have valuable therapeutic potential.

No short cuts: innovation work is about presence, ordinary labor Posted: 19 Aug 2015 05:41 AM PDT Successful innovation work requires that workers and leaders are present and involved in everyday practices. Innovation work is a mundane and 'messy' business in which people have to understand how the material and physical nature of creating new knowledge is linked to place and time as well as the fact that it is filled with unavoidable contradictions and conflicts. Only by being present and involved is it possible to understand 'what's really happening' and make a contribution, says the author of a new report.

Mathematics as tough as steel Posted: 19 Aug 2015 05:41 AM PDT Steel is one of the main building blocks of modern society. This is because of all the metallic materials, steel - which is mainly iron – is the most advantageous to produce from both an economic and environmental point of view. Also, steel is extremely versatile: there are thousands of steels with properties suited to all kinds of applications. For these reasons, steel is used more than all other metals together. Because so much steel is used globally, by learning to make and use steels in a more optimal way, we can help make considerable improvements to the use of the planet's raw materials and energy, and greenhouse gas production. By combining mathematics and materials science, we can help this happen.

Key professions losing staff due to lack of support for student mothers Posted: 19 Aug 2015 05:36 AM PDT Key professions such as nursing, teaching and social work are losing thousands of potential recruits as student mothers drop out of higher education due to a lack of support from universities, research suggests.

Having friends: Happiness spreads but depression doesn't Posted: 19 Aug 2015 05:36 AM PDT Having friends who suffer from depression doesn't affect the mental health of others, according to research led by the University of Warwick.

Honey bees rapidly evolve to overcome new disease Posted: 19 Aug 2015 05:36 AM PDT An international research team has some good news for the struggling honeybee, and the millions of people who depend on them to pollinate crops and other plants. These valuable pollinators have faced widespread colony losses over the past decade, largely due to the spread of a predatory mite called Varroa destructor. But the bees might not be in as dire a state as it seems, according to research.

Toilet waste provides knowledge about diseases' global transmission routes Posted: 19 Aug 2015 05:36 AM PDT Analysis and genome sequencing of disease-causing microorganisms and antimicrobial resistance bacteria in toilet waste from international aircraft could be a first step towards global surveillance of infectious diseases and identification of how they are transmitted between countries.

Book detectives solve puzzles of yesteryear Posted: 19 Aug 2015 05:36 AM PDT Fragile pieces of parchment can be difficult to study because of their age, rarity and susceptibility to contamination. Researchers are developing new high-tech tools to unlock the secrets hidden in old parchment.

Building computers from DNA? Posted: 19 Aug 2015 05:34 AM PDT New research could one day help build computers from DNA. Scientists have found a way to 'switch' the structure of DNA using copper salts and EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) -- an agent commonly found in shampoo and other household products. The applications for this discovery include nanotechnology -- where DNA is used to make tiny machines, and in DNA-based computing -- where computers are built from DNA rather than silicon.

New internet routing method allows users to avoid sending data through undesired countries Posted: 19 Aug 2015 05:34 AM PDT Computer scientists have developed a method for providing concrete proof to Internet users that their information did not cross through specified, undesired geographic areas. Called Alibi Routing, the system is immediately deployable and does not require knowledge of -- or modifications to -- the Internet's routing hardware or policies.

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