ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Tracking endangered leatherback sea turtles by satellite, key habitats identified

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 04:58 PM PDT

Most satellite tagging studies of leatherbacks have focused on adult females on their tropical nesting beaches, so little is known worldwide about males and subadults, the researcher point out. But now, tagging and satellite tracking in locations where leatherbacks forage has allowed the scientists to get a much richer picture of the leatherback's behavior and dispersal patterns on the open ocean.

Nearly complete 'chicken from hell,' from mysterious dinosaur group

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 04:58 PM PDT

Scientists have discovered a bizarre, bird-like dinosaur, named Anzu wyliei, that provides paleontologists with their first good look at a dinosaur group that has been shrouded in mystery for almost a century. Anzu was described from three specimens that collectively preserve almost the entire skeleton, giving scientists a remarkable opportunity to study the anatomy and evolutionary relationships of Caenagnathidae -- the long-mysterious group of theropod dinosaurs to which Anzu belongs.

Bighorn sheep went extinct on desert island in Gulf of California

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 04:58 PM PDT

Using ancient DNA analysis and other techniques, a research team led by conservation biologists has determined that bighorn sheep, so named for their massive spiral horns, became extinct on Tiburon Island, a large and mostly uninhabited island just off Sonora, Mexico, in the Gulf of California, sometime in the last millennium -- specifically between the 6th and 19th centuries.

Fossils of earliest stick insect to mimic plants discovered: Ancient stick insect species mimicked plant leaves

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 04:58 PM PDT

An ancient stick insect species may have mimicked plant leaves for defense, according to a new article. Many insects have developed defense mechanisms, including the ability to mimic the surrounding environment. Stick and leaf insects mimic plants from their environment, but scientists know little about the original of this interaction due to little or no previous stick insect fossil records showing this adaptation. The scientists discovered three specimens, one female and two males, belonging to a new fossil stick insect referred to as Cretophasmomima melanogramma, in Inner Mongolia at the Jehol locality, a site from the Cretaceous period (approximately 126 million years ago).

Noninvasive colorectal cancer screening tool shows unprecedented detection rates

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 04:57 PM PDT

Results of a clinical trial of Cologuard show unprecedented rates of precancer and cancer detection by a noninvasive test. The detection rates are similar to those reported for colonoscopy. Cologuard, is a noninvasive sDNA test for the early detection of colorectal precancer and cancer. The Cologuard test is based on a stool sample that is analyzed for DNA signatures of precancer or cancer.

New guidelines deem 13 million more Americans eligible for statins

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 04:57 PM PDT

New guidelines for using statins to treat high cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular disease are projected to result in 12.8 million more U.S. adults taking the drugs, according to a new research. The new guidelines expand the criteria for statin use to include people whose 10-year risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including stroke, is elevated based on a risk-assessment score.

Spices and herbs intervention helps adults reduce salt intake

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 01:52 PM PDT

A behavioral intervention that taught adults to use herbs and spices instead of salt led to a decrease in sodium consumption compared to people who tried to reduce sodium on their own. Adults taking part in a 20-week behavioral intervention consumed 966 mg/day less salt than their self-directed counterparts.

Program taught in American Sign Language helps deaf achieve healthier weight

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 01:52 PM PDT

Deaf adults successfully lost weight in a program using American Sign Language. The study is the first randomized trial of a weight-reduction and lifestyle-change program in deaf ASL users.

US women unfamiliar with most stroke warning signs

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 01:52 PM PDT

Many US women don't know most of the warning signs of a stroke. Hispanic women were less likely than others to know the warning signs of a stroke. Nearly all women knew that they should immediately call 9-1-1 if they suspected that they were having a stroke.

Ruling with an iron fist could make your child pack on pounds

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 01:52 PM PDT

Kids whose parents are demanding but not emotionally responsive are about one-third more likely to be obese than kids whose parents set healthy boundaries, are affectionate and discuss behavior. Researchers compared kids whose parents are generally affectionate, have reasonable discussions about behavior with their child and set healthy boundaries (authoritative) with those whose parents were strict about limits without much dialogue or affection (authoritarian).

Ancient food webs developed modern structure soon after mass extinction

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 01:48 PM PDT

Analysis of a highly detailed picture of feeding relationships among 700 species from a 48 million year old ecosystem provides the most compelling evidence to date that ancient food webs were organized much like modern food webs. The results are significant because they show that the Messel ecosystem developed a modern ecological structure, along with a modern biota, in a relatively brief 18 million year period following Earth's most recent die-off, the end-Cretaceous mass extinction, which disrupted ecosystem dynamics on a massive scale and served as a species diversity bottleneck.

Earth's radiation belt: Van Allen probes reveal zebra stripes in space

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 12:32 PM PDT

Scientists have discovered a new, persistent structure in one of two radiation belts surrounding Earth. NASA's twin Van Allen Probes spacecraft have shown that high-energy electrons in the inner radiation belt display a persistent pattern that resembles slanted zebra stripes. Surprisingly, this structure is produced by the slow rotation of Earth, previously considered incapable of affecting the motion of radiation belt particles, which have velocities approaching the speed of light.

Sometimes less is more for hungry dogs

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 12:31 PM PDT

Hungry dogs would be expected to choose alternatives leading to more food rather than less food. But just as with humans and monkeys, they sometimes show a 'less is more' effect. Thus conclude scientists who tested the principle by feeding baby carrots and string cheese to 10 dogs of various breeds.

Titanium clubs can cause golf course fires

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 11:39 AM PDT

Titanium alloy golf clubs can cause dangerous wildfires, according to scientists. When a club coated with the lightweight metal is swung and strikes a rock, it creates sparks that can heat to more than 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit for long enough to ignite dry foliage, according to new findings.

Goldilocks principle: Earth's continued habitability due to geologic cycles that act as climate control

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 11:39 AM PDT

Scientists have shown how geologic process regulates the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Researchers have documented evidence suggesting that part of the reason that Earth has become neither sweltering like Venus nor frigid like Mars lies with a built-in atmospheric carbon dioxide regulator -- the geologic cycles that churn up the planet's rocky surface.

The scientific legacy of colonialism in Africa

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 10:35 AM PDT

Colonial legacy has a significant impact on scientific productivity across the continent of Africa, according to a study. African nations with a British colonial legacy are the most productive having superior enrollment levels in higher education.

Radiation damage at the root of Chernobyl's ecosystems

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 09:48 AM PDT

Radiological damage to microbes near the site of the Chernobyl disaster has slowed the decomposition of fallen leaves and other plant matter in the area, according to a new study. The resulting buildup of dry, loose detritus is a wildfire hazard that poses the threat of spreading radioactivity from the Chernobyl area.

Forest corridors help plants disperse their seeds, study shows

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 09:48 AM PDT

A forest, a supercomputer and some glow-in-the-dark yarn have helped a team of field ecologists conclude that woodland corridors connecting patches of endangered plants not only increase seed dispersal from one patch to another, but also create wind conditions that can spread the seeds for much longer distances. An environmental engineer leveraged Ohio Supercomputer Center systems to simulate a forest and the winds that flow through it.

Increased risk of relapse omitting radiotherapy in early PET scan negative Hodgkin lymphoma

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 09:48 AM PDT

Interim analysis of a trial indicates an increased risk of early relapse when omitting radiotherapy in early PET scan negative patients with stage I/II Hodgkin's lymphoma. Early outcome, however, was excellent in both arms, and the final analysis should reveal whether these initial findings are maintained over time.

Study describes first maps of neural activity in behaving zebrafish

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 09:48 AM PDT

In a new study, neuroscientists describe the first activity maps at the resolution of single cells and throughout the entire brain of behaving zebrafish.

Low doses of antianxiety drugs rebalance autistic brain, study shows

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 09:48 AM PDT

New research in mice suggests that autism is characterized by reduced activity of inhibitory neurons and increased activity of excitatory neurons in the brain, but balance can be restored with low doses of a well-known class of drugs currently used in much higher doses to treat anxiety and epileptic seizures. The findings point to a new therapeutic approach to managing autism.

Inflammation mobilizes tumor cells, study shows

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 09:45 AM PDT

A novel feedback mechanism that provides a mechanistic link between chronic inflammation and carcinogenesis has been discovered by researchers. Malignant tumors pose a major threat to survival largely because they shed mobile cells that can form secondary tumors in other tissues. A growing body of evidence suggests that inflammatory reactions promote such cellular transformation.

Potential New Therapeutic Target for Controlling High Blood Sugar

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 09:45 AM PDT

A new potential therapeutic target for controlling high blood sugar has been discovered by scientists, a finding that could help the estimated 25 million Americans with type 2 diabetes. Researchers showed that lipid molecules called phosphatidic acids enhance glucose production in the liver. These findings suggest that inhibiting or reducing production of phosphatidic acids may do the opposite.

Catching the early spread of breast cancer

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 09:45 AM PDT

When cancer spreads, it becomes even more deadly. It moves with stealth and can go undetected for months or years. But a new technology that uses "nano-flares" has the potential to catch these tumor cells early. Scientist present the latest advances in nano-flare technology as it applies to the detection of metastatic breast cancer cells.

Best value for top quark's mass: Tevatron and LHC scientists announces first joint result

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 08:53 AM PDT

Scientists working on the world's leading particle collider experiments have joined forces, combined their data and produced the first joint result from Fermilab's Tevatron and CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC), past and current holders of the record for most powerful particle collider on Earth. Scientists from the four experiments involved -- ATLAS, CDF, CMS and DZero -- announced their joint findings on the mass of the top quark today at the Rencontres de Moriond international physics conference in Italy.

Multidisciplinary research team proposes new model for clinical trials

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 08:49 AM PDT

Experts across academia, industry and government propose a new method for health care providers to get the right treatments to the right patients at the right time. This new approach recommends a seamless transition from controlled experiments to real-world comparative effectiveness trials. This continuum will improve the accuracy of treatment selection and better determine how those treatments work on different groups of people.

Neuroscience 'used and abused' in child rearing policy

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 08:48 AM PDT

Influential policy-informing 'evidence' that children's brains are irreversibly 'sculpted' by parental care is based on questionable evidence. The study highlights that mothers, in particular, are told that if they are stressed while pregnant or suffer postnatal depression, they will harm their baby's brain. 'Telling parents that acts of love are important because they are 'brain-building' inevitably raises the question of how much cuddling, talking and singing is enough?' the authors state.

New technique makes LEDs brighter, more resilient

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 08:48 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a new processing technique that makes light emitting diodes brighter and more resilient by coating the semiconductor material gallium nitride with a layer of phosphorus-derived acid.

Magnetic behavior discovery could advance nuclear fusion

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 08:46 AM PDT

Inspired by the space physics behind solar flares and the aurora, a team of researchers has uncovered a new kind of magnetic behavior that could help make nuclear fusion reactions easier to start.

Hox Genes Responsible for Firefly Lantern Development

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 08:46 AM PDT

Perhaps no single evolutionary novelty in the animal kingdom has fascinated scientists more than the lantern of the firefly. Yet to this day, nothing has been known about the genetic foundation for the formation and evolution of this luminescent structure. But now, new work offers for the first time a characterization of the developmental genetic basis of this spectacular morphological novelty -- the firefly's photic organ -- and the means by which this beetle successfully uses ancient and highly conserved regulatory genes to form its lantern.

Pocket diagnosis: App turns any smartphone into a portable medical diagnostic device

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 07:36 AM PDT

A new app that turns any smartphone into a portable medical diagnostic device could help in the fight against diseases including HIV, tuberculosis and malaria in the developing world. "This app can substitute for laboratory equipment, saving money to clinics and research institutions," said the developer of the app.

Global attack needed to catch credit thieves

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 07:36 AM PDT

Stopping massive data breaches like the one that hit Target will require a more sophisticated, collaborative approach by law enforcement agencies around the world, a security expert argues.

Genetic test could improve colon cancer screening

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 07:36 AM PDT

A non-invasive test that includes detection of the genetic abnormalities related to cancer could significantly improve the effectiveness of colon cancer screening, according to research. The results from this study could impact screening rates, which remain frustratingly low in the U.S. despite the evidence of their effectiveness.

Strategies for teaching common core to teens with autism show promise

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 07:35 AM PDT

Academic performance in high school plays an important role in opportunities for a college education and employment. New recommendations provide strategies for educating adolescents with autism under a Common Core curriculum. "We know that when students with autism receive appropriate instruction and supports, many of them are capable of learning academic content that is aligned with state standards," one of the authors noted. "And better academic performance often leads to a more successful outcome after high school."

Comeback of an abandoned antibiotic: Trimethoprim

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 07:35 AM PDT

In less-developed countries, inexpensive and well-tolerated antibiotics for therapy of streptococcal infections are often not available. Scientists have discovered that trimethoprim may provide an option. Contrary to a long-held belief, the bacteria are not generally resistant to this agent. In their latest publication the scientists demonstrated three pathways for the development of resistance -- meaning that streptococci can easily become resistant to the antibiotic and pass on this trait quickly.

Thermal conductance can be controlled like waves using nanostructures

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 07:34 AM PDT

Thermal conduction is a familiar everyday phenomenon. In a hot sauna, for instance, you can sit comfortably on a wooden bench that has a temperature of 100C (212F), but if you touch a metallic nail with the same temperature, you will hurt yourself. The difference of these two experiences is due to the fact that some materials, such as metals, conduct heat well, whereas some other materials, such as wood, do not. It is therefore commonly thought that thermal conductance is simply a materials parameter. Now, researchers have demonstrated for the first time that it is possible to change the thermal conductance of a material by tuning the wave-like properties of heat flow, by orders of magnitude, using nanostructuring.

Vaccination: No-refrigeration, spray vaccine could curb diseases in remote areas

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 07:33 AM PDT

A new kind of single-dose vaccine that comes in a nasal spray and doesn't require refrigeration could dramatically alter the public health landscape -- get more people vaccinated around the world and address the looming threats of emerging and re-emerging diseases.

Ancient DNA shows moa were fine until humans arrived

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 06:44 AM PDT

A study strengthens the case for human involvement in the disappearance of New Zealand's iconic megaherbivore, the moa -- a distant relative of the Australian Emu. All nine species of New Zealand moa, the largest weighing up to 250 kilograms, became extinct shortly after Polynesians arrived in the country in the late 13th century.

GPS also helps analyze global water resources

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 06:44 AM PDT

WaterGAP is a hydrological model used to model water shortage, groundwater depletion, and floods and droughts over the land area of the globe. The Frankfurt hydrologist Professor Petra Döll has examined how good a fit this model provides, using GPS observations and data from the GRACE satellite, which measures the gravitational field of the Earth. The study indicates that WaterGAP needs to be modified.

Gut bacteria can cause life-threatening infections in preterm babies

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 06:42 AM PDT

Babies born prematurely are surviving in increasing numbers. But many withstand complications of early birth only to suffer late-onset sepsis -- life-threatening bloodstream infections that strike after infants reach 72 hours of age. The causes of late-onset sepsis have not been clear. But now, researchers have discovered that preterm babies' guts harbor infectious microbes that can cause late-onset sepsis.

Student deciphers 1,800-year-old letter from Egyptian soldier

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 06:42 AM PDT

A newly deciphered 1,800-year-old letter from an Egyptian solider serving in a Roman legion in Europe to his family back home shows striking similarities to what some soldiers may be feeling here and now.

New pathway connected to type 2 diabetes

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 06:42 AM PDT

A cellular pathway that is responsible for keeping blood sugar levels low, has been found, and may prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. Following a meal, beta cells found in islets of the pancreas secrete insulin that helps to store food energy for future use. The inability of islet beta cells to produce enough insulin leads to diabetes. Unlike other research that has focused on how to replicate beta cells, this study focused on how to make pre-existing beta cells more functional, or better at secreting insulin.

Diversity in UK gardens aiding fight to save threatened bumblebees, study suggests

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 06:42 AM PDT

The global diversity of plants being cultivated by Britain's gardeners is playing a key role in the fight to save the nation's threatened bumblebees, new research has revealed. "Urban gardens are increasingly recognized for their potential to maintain or even enhance biodiversity," Dr Hanley said. "In particular, the presence of large densities and varieties of flowering plants supports a number of pollinating insects whose range and abundance has declined as a consequence of agricultural intensification and habitat loss. By growing a variety of plants from around the world, gardeners ensure that a range of food sources is available for many different pollinators," an author notes.

Rewrite the textbooks on water's surface tension: Air-water interface is negatively charged by the adsorption of hydroxide ions

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 06:42 AM PDT

Researchers in Australia are confident their new research results will make significant differences to the calculations of surface tension of water used by the next generation of atmospheric scientists, biophysicists and engineers of technology like inkjet printers. These latest investigations have clinched a long-standing controversy amongst the physical Chemistry community; the air-water interface is negatively charged by the adsorption of hydroxide ions.

Eel expedition 2014 has arrived in The Sargasso Sea

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 06:39 AM PDT

The research vessel Dana is currently in the Sargasso Sea on an intensive research expedition to the European eel's spawning grounds subsequently following the eel larvae's drift back to Europe. The Sargasso Sea is a large oceanic area between Bermuda and the West Indies. There are 19 species of eel in the world. Two of them spawn in the Sargasso Sea: The American and The European Eel.

New biotechnology product to make waterproof paper using natural enzymes

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 06:39 AM PDT

A new aqueous compound to functionalize or modify the properties of paper and any other cellulosic material has been patented. The compound uses natural enzymes instead of the traditional chemical reagents, is biodegradable, and involves no environmental impact. Most important, it is easily applicable in the production process and requires no additional investment.

A diet to make you fat or fit? The role of 'sumo stew' in shaping a sumo wrestler

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 06:39 AM PDT

A recent study explores the meanings of 'fat' and obesity in sumo and Japanese culture and the part that chanko, or 'sumo stew', plays in this.

Lied-to children more likely to cheat, lie

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 06:38 AM PDT

A new experiment is the first to show a connection between adult dishonesty and children's behavior, with kids who have been lied to more likely to cheat and then to lie to cover up the transgression. Research has documented that the majority of parents admit to lying to their children even as they maintain that honesty is an important value. "The actions of parents suggest that they do not believe that the lies they tell their children will impact the child's own honesty. The current study casts doubt on that belief," the authors say. The study has implications not only for parenting but also for teaching scenarios and for forensic situations, said Carver: "All sorts of grown-ups may have to re-examine what they say to kids. Even a 'little white lie' might have consequences."

Understanding binge eating, obesity connection

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 06:37 AM PDT

A new method for evaluating the treatment of obesity-related food behavior has been uncovered by researchers. "We present alternative ways of exploring attitudes to food by using indirect, objective measures -- such as measuring the amount of energy exerted to obtain or view different foods, as well as determining brain responses during the anticipation and consumption of desirable foods," said the lab's principal investigator.

NASA historic Earth images still hold research value

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 06:07 AM PDT

NASA's Seasat satellite became history long ago, but it left a legacy of images of Earth's ocean, volcanoes, forests and other features that were made by the first synthetic aperture radar ever mounted on a satellite. Potential research uses for the recently released 35-year-old images are outlined in a new paper.

Planting cotton early may mean less stink bug damage

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 05:55 AM PDT

Planting cotton early in the planting window will allow growers to escape peak stink bug pressure and thereby possibly eliminate or minimally reduce the number of sprays required to manage them, research shows. Results of the study showed that the rate of boll damage generally increased more rapidly through the bloom cycle for planting dates in June compared with May.

Fast synthesis could boost drug development

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 05:55 AM PDT

Small protein fragments, also called peptides, are promising as drugs because they can be designed for very specific functions inside living cells. Insulin and the HIV drug Fuzeon are some of the earliest successful examples, and peptide drugs are expected to become a $25 billion market by 2018. However, a major bottleneck has prevented peptide drugs from reaching their full potential: Manufacturing the peptides takes several weeks, making it difficult to obtain large quantities, and to rapidly test their effectiveness. Chemists have now devised a new way to manufacture peptide drugs, which hold promise for treating many diseases.

Youth, wealth and education found to be risk factors for violent radicalization

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 05:55 AM PDT

New research has found youth, wealth, and being in full-time education to be risk factors associated with violent radicalization. Contrary to popular views, religious practice, health and social inequalities, discrimination, and political engagement showed no links.

The power of poison: Study examines pesticide poisoning of Africa's wildlife

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 05:55 AM PDT

Poisons are silent, effective and cheap, making the especially dangerous in Africa where they are used for both pest control and illegal poaching. However, as a new study reveals, they also kill unintended wildlife.

Football displays fractal dynamics: Real-time dynamics in a football game subject to self-similarity characteristics

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 05:54 AM PDT

Football fascinates millions of fans, almost all of them unaware that the game is subject to the laws of physics. Despite their seemingly arbitrary decisions, players obey certain rules, as they constantly adjust their positions in relation to their teammates, opponents, the ball and the goal.

Drinking alcohol several times a week increases risk of stroke mortality

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 05:54 AM PDT

Consuming alcohol more frequently than twice a week increases the risk of stroke mortality in men, according to a study. The results show that the effects of alcohol are not limited to the amount consumed, but also the frequency of drinking matters. Other significant risk factors for stroke include elevated blood pressure, coronary artery disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, smoking, overweight, asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis, and elevated cholesterol levels.

Omnivorous species are more resistant to fire effects

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 05:54 AM PDT

A new study demonstrates that omnivorous species are the most resistant to fire. The study analyzes changes in composition and abundance in 274 species after the fire that happened in August 2003 in Sant Llorenç del Munt i l'Obac Natural Park. It was developed within the monitoring of fauna recolonization developed in the burnt area after the fire.

Gender diversity promotes radical innovation, study finds

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 05:54 AM PDT

New research shows that gender diversity within research teams fosters novel solutions leading to radical innovation, in the company and in the market. According to the study, forming mixed teams of men and women in a technological context is also a critical element in increasing competitiveness.

Businesses welcome local currency and feel confident about future growth, UK survey shows

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 05:54 AM PDT

A study by Kingston Business School students in the UK has found a majority of local businesses would welcome the option of trying out a local currency, and that most are confident about their trading prospects for the next three years.

A majority prefers letting computers decide

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 05:54 AM PDT

When individuals engage in risky business transactions with each other, they may end up being disappointed. This is why they'd rather leave the decision on how to divvy up jointly-owned monies to a computer than to their business partner. This subconscious strategy seems to help them avoid the negative emotions associated with any breaches of trust, according to a new study.