ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Fun and games make for better learners
• Is fleet diversity key to sustainable fisheries?
• Cell division, minus the cells
• Decoding the emergence of metastatic cancer stem cells
• Preventing cardiovascular disease in old aortas
• A matter of life and death: Cell death proteins key to fighting disease
• Improved mouse model will accelerate research on potential Ebola vaccines, treatments
• Green spaces don't ensure biodiversity in urban areas
• Lack of oxygen delayed the rise of animals on Earth
• Advance directives can benefit patients, families, health care system
• Insomnia increases risk of motor vehicle deaths, other fatal injuries
• Divide and rule: Raven politics
• New step towards eradication of H5N1 bird flu
• Efficient genetic editing developed
• Viewing cancer on the move: New device yields close-up look at metastasis
• Strange, fanged deer persists in Afghanistan
• Proton therapy shown to be less costly than some alternative radiotherapy techniques for early stage breast cancer
• Captive rhinos exposed to urban rumbles
• Computer game could help visually impaired children live independently
• Universe may face a darker future: Is dark matter swallowing up dark energy?
• Horse racing position cuts drag up to 66 per cent
• High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency across the board in neuromuscular disease
• Digital Therapist: Computer program analyzes speech, mental health
• Researchers probe link between newborn health, vitamin A
• Link seen in brain between seizures, migraines
• Unlocking the secrets of pulmonary hypertension
• Independent safety investigation needed in NHS, experts say
• Doubt cast over air pollution link between childhood leukemia, power lines
• Scientists trigger self-destruct switch in lung cancer cells
• Researchers treat canine cancer, likely to advance human health
• Removal of heart medications by dialysis may increase kidney failure patients' risk of dying prematurely
• Mediterranean diet may help protect kidney health
• People change their moral values to benefit themselves over others
• Novel tinnitus therapy helps patients cope with phantom noise
• For stroke patients, hospital bed position is delicate balancing act
• Scientists capture picture of 'microRNA' in action
• Restoring wetlands can lessen soil sinkage, greenhouse gas emissions, study finds

Fun and games make for better learners Posted: 31 Oct 2014 12:00 PM PDT Four minutes of physical activity can improve behavior in the classroom for primary school students, according to new research. A brief, high-intensity interval exercise, or a 'FUNterval,' for Grade 2 and Grade 4 students reduced off-task behaviors like fidgeting or inattentiveness in the classroom.

Is fleet diversity key to sustainable fisheries? Posted: 31 Oct 2014 10:35 AM PDT Concern about fisheries is widespread around the world. Over the past several decades, a robust discussion has taken place concerning how to manage fisheries better to benefit ecosystems and humans. Much of the discussion has focused on preserving biological diversity, a critical component of healthy ecosystems. One aspect that gets less attention is the role of fishing fleet diversity.

Cell division, minus the cells Posted: 31 Oct 2014 10:35 AM PDT Researchers have reconstituted cell division -- complete with signals that direct molecular traffic -- without the cell. Combining frog-egg extracts with lipid membranes that mimic the membrane of the cell, they built a cell-free system that recapitulates how the cleavage furrow is assembled.

Decoding the emergence of metastatic cancer stem cells Posted: 31 Oct 2014 10:35 AM PDT In the first study of its kind, researchers have mapped how information flows through the genetic circuits that cause cancer cells to become metastatic. The research reveals a common pattern in the decision-making that allows cancer cells to both migrate and form new tumors.

Preventing cardiovascular disease in old aortas Posted: 31 Oct 2014 10:34 AM PDT Researchers look for the root cause of age-related aortic stiffness — an early sign cardiovascular disease — and uncover a potential therapeutic target for reducing or preventing its development. The underlying cause of aortic stiffening is unclear. While much of the previous research pointed to the extracellular matrix (ECM) -- a group of molecules secreted by the cells that support cell attachment and communication -- as the culprit, a few studies suggest that vascular smooth muscle may play a role.

A matter of life and death: Cell death proteins key to fighting disease Posted: 31 Oct 2014 09:13 AM PDT key steps involved in programmed cell death have been uncovered by researchers, offering new targets for the treatment of diseases including lupus, cancers and neurodegenerative diseases.

Improved mouse model will accelerate research on potential Ebola vaccines, treatments Posted: 31 Oct 2014 09:12 AM PDT The first genetic strain of mice that can be infected with Ebola and display symptoms similar to those that humans experience has been developed by researchers. This work will significantly improve basic research on Ebola treatments and vaccines, which are desperately needed to curb the worldwide public health and economic toll of the disease.

Green spaces don't ensure biodiversity in urban areas Posted: 31 Oct 2014 09:12 AM PDT Green spaces in cities are great, but they don't ensure biodiversity, according to biologists. The team found insect abundance was lacking in two common urban trees, suggesting insect movement may be limited by barriers, such as roads and buildings.

Lack of oxygen delayed the rise of animals on Earth Posted: 31 Oct 2014 09:12 AM PDT Scientists have long speculated as to why animal species didn't flourish sooner, once sufficient oxygen covered the Earth's surface. Animals began to prosper at the end of the Proterozoic period -- but what about the billion-year stretch before that, when most researchers think there also was plenty of oxygen? Yale University researcher Noah Planavsky and his colleagues found that oxygen levels during the 'boring billion' period were only 0.1 percent of what they are today.

Advance directives can benefit patients, families, health care system Posted: 31 Oct 2014 09:12 AM PDT Nearly one out of four older Americans say that either they or a family member have experienced excessive or unwanted medical treatment, according to a report, which goes on to show that Americans strongly support holding doctors accountable when they fail to honor patients' end-of-life health care wishes.

Insomnia increases risk of motor vehicle deaths, other fatal injuries Posted: 31 Oct 2014 09:12 AM PDT Insomnia is a major contributor to deaths caused by motor vehicle crashes and other unintentional fatal injuries, a new study shows. The results underscore the importance of the 'Sleep Well, Be Well' campaign of the National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project.

Divide and rule: Raven politics Posted: 31 Oct 2014 09:09 AM PDT Mythology has attributed many supernatural features to ravens. Studies on the cognitive abilities of ravens have indeed revealed that they are exceptionally intelligent. Ravens live in complex social groups and they can gain power by building social bonds that function as alliances. Cognitive biologists have now revealed that ravens use a 'divide and rule' strategy in dealing with the bonds of conspecifics: Socially well integrated ravens prevent others from building new alliances by breaking up their bonding attempts.

New step towards eradication of H5N1 bird flu Posted: 31 Oct 2014 09:08 AM PDT A new test has been developed that can distinguish between birds that have been vaccinated against the H5N1 strain of avian influenza virus or 'bird flu' with those that have been naturally infected.

Efficient genetic editing developed Posted: 31 Oct 2014 09:08 AM PDT A team of researchers has developed a system that uses commercially-available molecules called cationic lipids -- long, greasy molecules that carry a positive charge -- to efficiently deliver genome-editing proteins into cells, and have even demonstrated that the technology can be used to perform genome editing in living animals.

Viewing cancer on the move: New device yields close-up look at metastasis Posted: 31 Oct 2014 09:04 AM PDT Rngineers have invented a lab device to give cancer researchers an unprecedented microscopic look at metastasis, the complex way that tumor cells spread through the body, causing more than 90 percent of cancer-related deaths.

Strange, fanged deer persists in Afghanistan Posted: 31 Oct 2014 09:04 AM PDT More than 60 years after its last confirmed sighting, a strange deer with vampire-like fangs still persists in the rugged forested slopes of northeast Afghanistan according to a research team that confirmed the species presence during recent surveys.

Proton therapy shown to be less costly than some alternative radiotherapy techniques for early stage breast cancer Posted: 31 Oct 2014 09:04 AM PDT In terms of duration of treatment and cost, patients with early stage breast cancer may benefit from accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) with proton therapy versus whole breast irradiation (WBI), according to new research.

Captive rhinos exposed to urban rumbles Posted: 31 Oct 2014 09:04 AM PDT The soundtrack to a wild rhinoceros's life is wind passing through the savannah grass, birds chirping and distant animals moving across the plains. But a rhinoceros in a zoo listens to children screaming, cars passing and the persistent hum of urban life. A group of researchers believes that this discrepancy in soundscape may be contributing to rhinos' difficulties thriving and reproducing in captivity.

Computer game could help visually impaired children live independently Posted: 31 Oct 2014 05:20 AM PDT A new computer game is being test that researchers hope could hold the key to helping visually-impaired children lead independent lives. Developed by a team of neuroscientists and video game designers, the Eyelander game features exploding volcanoes, a travelling avatar and animated landscapes. The idea is to improve the functional vision of children who have sight issues due to a brain injury rather than damage to the eye itself.

Universe may face a darker future: Is dark matter swallowing up dark energy? Posted: 31 Oct 2014 05:20 AM PDT New research offers a novel insight into the nature of dark matter and dark energy and what the future of our Universe might be. Scientists have found hints that dark matter, the cosmic scaffolding on which our Universe is built, is being slowly erased, swallowed up by dark energy.

Horse racing position cuts drag up to 66 per cent Posted: 31 Oct 2014 05:20 AM PDT Researchers have revealed precisely how much different slipstreaming tactics reduce drag on a horse during a race.

High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency across the board in neuromuscular disease Posted: 31 Oct 2014 05:19 AM PDT More credence has been added to a growing awareness of the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in neuromuscular disease by newly presented research. Vitamin D supplementation has been suggested to improve function in frail elderly patients at risk for falls, as well as individuals with myasthenia gravis and Parkinson's. The impact of vitamin D deficiency and supplementation on function in other neurologic conditions has yet to be explored.

Digital Therapist: Computer program analyzes speech, mental health Posted: 31 Oct 2014 05:19 AM PDT A program that analyzes your speech and uses it to gain information about your mental health could soon be feasible, thanks in part to new research showing that certain vocal features change as patients' feelings of depression worsen.

Researchers probe link between newborn health, vitamin A Posted: 30 Oct 2014 06:38 PM PDT The impact vitamin A has on newborns is virtually unknown, but nutrition researchers have published two papers that may provide a framework for future investigations of the vitamin and neonatal health.

Link seen in brain between seizures, migraines Posted: 30 Oct 2014 06:38 PM PDT Seizures and migraines have always been considered separate physiological events in the brain, but now a team of engineers and neuroscientists looking at the brain from a physics viewpoint discovered a link between these and related phenomena.

Unlocking the secrets of pulmonary hypertension Posted: 30 Oct 2014 06:38 PM PDT A protein that plays a critical role in metabolism, the process by which the cell generates energy from foods, is important for the development of pulmonary hypertension, a deadly disease. Pulmonary hypertension is caused by the narrowing of the blood vessels in the lung, due to excessive growth of cells in the blood vessel wall. The cells grow in number until they obstruct the vessels, causing the heart to struggle pushing blood through the lungs to the point where the heart fails and the patient dies.

Independent safety investigation needed in NHS, experts say Posted: 30 Oct 2014 06:37 PM PDT The NHS should follow the lead of aviation and other safety-critical industries and establish an independent safety investigation agency, according to a paper. Safety-critical industries such as aviation, shipping and the railways all face the risk of major failures causing tragic loss of life. Each of these industries is served by an independent and permanently staffed organization that is explicitly charged with investigating serious safety risks and major failures. A similar agency is needed for the NHS, say the authors.

Doubt cast over air pollution link between childhood leukemia, power lines Posted: 30 Oct 2014 06:37 PM PDT Researchers from the UK have called into question a theory suggesting that a previously reported risk of leukemia among children born close to overhead power lines could be caused by an alteration to surrounding air pollution.

Scientists trigger self-destruct switch in lung cancer cells Posted: 30 Oct 2014 06:37 PM PDT Scientists have found a drug combination that can trigger the self-destruct process in lung cancer cells - paving the way for new treatments, according to research. "There's an urgent need to save more lives from lung cancer and we hope these findings will one day lead to effective new treatments to help lung cancer patients and potentially those with other cancer types too," authors noted.

Researchers treat canine cancer, likely to advance human health Posted: 30 Oct 2014 06:37 PM PDT A research team is working to better understand cancer in dogs, and the work also could advance knowledge of human cancer. Their investigation began with only a tiny blood platelet, but quickly they discovered opportunities for growth and expanding the breadth of the research. "As veterinarians, we are focused on treating cancer in dogs and we get the bonus of also helping advance treatment of human cancers," one researcher observed.

Removal of heart medications by dialysis may increase kidney failure patients' risk of dying prematurely Posted: 30 Oct 2014 06:36 PM PDT Among kidney failure patients on dialysis, beta blockers that are easily removed from the circulation through dialysis were linked with a higher risk of premature death than beta blockers that are not easily removed through dialysis, researchers report.

Mediterranean diet may help protect kidney health Posted: 30 Oct 2014 06:36 PM PDT Every one-point increase in a Mediterranean diet score was associated with a 17% decreased likelihood of developing chronic kidney disease, a study concludes. Dietary patterns that closely resembled the Mediterranean diet were linked with a 50% reduced risk of developing chronic kidney disease and a 42% reduced risk of experiencing rapid kidney function decline, the researchers add.

People change their moral values to benefit themselves over others Posted: 30 Oct 2014 01:30 PM PDT People are quick to change their moral values depending on which rule means more cash for them instead of others, a study shows. The researchers conclude that the "Pursuit of self-interest is tempered by the constraints of coordination. People seek not only to benefit themselves but also to persuade other people that they are morally right in doing so."

Novel tinnitus therapy helps patients cope with phantom noise Posted: 30 Oct 2014 01:30 PM PDT Patients with tinnitus hear phantom noise and are sometimes so bothered by the perceived ringing in their ears, they have difficulty concentrating. A new therapy does not lessen perception of the noise but appears to help patients cope better with it in their daily lives, according to new research.

For stroke patients, hospital bed position is delicate balancing act Posted: 30 Oct 2014 12:06 PM PDT During the first 24 hours after a stroke, attention to detail -- such as hospital bed positioning -- is critical to patient outcomes. Most strokes are caused by blood clots that block blood flow to the brain. Sitting upright can harm the patient because it decreases blood flow and oxygen to the brain just when the brain needs more blood.

Scientists capture picture of 'microRNA' in action Posted: 30 Oct 2014 11:19 AM PDT Biologists have described the atomic-level workings of "microRNA" molecules, which control the expression of genes in all animals and plants. The findings add greatly to the understanding of a fundamental system of regulation in biology.

Restoring wetlands can lessen soil sinkage, greenhouse gas emissions, study finds Posted: 30 Oct 2014 10:34 AM PDT Restoring wetlands can help reduce or reverse soil subsidence and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to research in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The study is one of the first to continually measure the fluctuations of both carbon and methane as they cycle through wetlands.

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