ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Brain scans used to forecast early reading difficulties

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 05:28 PM PDT

Researchers have used brain scans to predict how young children learn to read, giving clinicians a possible tool to spot children with dyslexia and other reading difficulties before they experience reading challenges.

3-D printing of rocks and fossils

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 05:28 PM PDT

Geologists are using 3-D printing to study the pores within limestone reservoir rocks. A better understanding of the pore networks within the rocks could help industry get at more oil.

UT Southwestern one of two institutions to offer innovative four-flap microsurgery approach to breast reconstruction

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 05:28 PM PDT

UT Southwestern Medical Center is one of only two places in the world that offers a new, innovative and highly successful approach to breast reconstruction after a mastectomy.

Tropical tree microbiome discovered in Panama

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 01:53 PM PDT

Despite the fact that tropical forests are the most biodiverse terrestrial ecosystems on the planet, more is known about belly-button bacteria than bacteria on trees in the tropics. Scientists working on Panama's Barro Colorado Island discovered that small leaf samples from a single tree were home to more than 400 different kinds of bacteria. The combined sample from 57 tree species contained more than 7,000 different kinds.

EEG study findings reveal how fear is processed in the brain

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 01:52 PM PDT

New research illustrates how fear arises in the brain when individuals are exposed to threatening images. This novel study is the first to separate emotion from threat by controlling for the dimension of arousal.

Researcher develops, proves effectiveness of new drug for spinal muscular atrophy

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 01:52 PM PDT

Approximately one out of every 40 individuals in the United States is a carrier of the gene responsible for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), According to recent studies. This illness is a neurodegenerative disease that causes muscles to weaken over time. Now, researchers have made a recent breakthrough with the development of a new compound found to be highly effective in animal models of the disease.

New halogenation enzyme found: Discovery to impact pharmaceutical and agricultural industries

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 01:52 PM PDT

One of the Holy Grails in chemical science has been to find the late-stage, site-specific incorporation of a halogen atom into a complex natural product by replacing an sp³ C-H bond -- one of the most inert chemical bonds known in an organic compound -- with a C-X bond, X=halogen.

New producer of crucial vitamin B12 discovered

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 01:52 PM PDT

A single group of microorganisms may be responsible for much of the world's vitamin B12 production in the oceans, with implications for the global carbon cycle and climate change, researchers have discovered. Thaumarchaeota, they say, are likely dominant vitamin B12 producers.

'Squid skin' metamaterials project yields vivid color display

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 01:52 PM PDT

The quest to create artificial 'squid skin' -- camouflaging metamaterials that can 'see' colors and automatically blend into the background -- is one step closer to reality, thanks to a breakthrough color-display technology just unveiled.

X-rays unlock a protein's SWEET side

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 01:49 PM PDT

Understanding just how sugar makes its way into the cell could lead to the design of better drugs for diabetes patients and an increase in the amount of fruits and vegetables farmers are able to grow. Researchers have recently uncovered one of these "pathways" into the cell by piecing together proteins slightly wider than the diameter of a strand of spider silk.

Certain form of baldness at age 45 linked to higher risk for aggressive prostate cancer

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 01:49 PM PDT

A new, large cohort analysis from the prospective Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, indicates that men who had moderate baldness affecting both the front and the crown of their head at age 45 were at a 40% increased risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer (usually indicates a faster growing tumor resulting in poorer prognosis relative to non-aggressive prostate cancer) later in life, compared to men with no baldness. There was no significant link between other patterns of baldness and prostate cancer risk.

Number-crunching could lead to unethical choices, says new study

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 12:39 PM PDT

Calculating the pros and cons of a potential decision is a way of decision-making. But repeated engagement with numbers-focused calculations, especially those involving money, can have unintended negative consequences.

Neuroscientists identify key role of language gene

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 12:39 PM PDT

Neuroscientists have found that a gene mutation that arose more than half a million years ago may be key to humans' unique ability to produce and understand speech.

Researchers control surface tension to manipulate liquid metals

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 12:39 PM PDT

Researchers have developed a technique for controlling the surface tension of liquid metals by applying very low voltages, opening the door to a new generation of reconfigurable electronic circuits, antennas and other technologies.

'Femme fatale' emerald ash borer decoy lures, kills males

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 12:38 PM PDT

An international team of researchers has designed decoys that mimic female emerald ash borer beetles and successfully entice male emerald ash borers to land on them in an attempt to mate, only to be electrocuted and killed by high-voltage current. "Our new decoy and electrocution process may be useful in managing what the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service claims to be the most destructive forest pest ever seen in North America," said one expert.

Concussions: 'Hidden injury' in sports

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 12:38 PM PDT

Two new studies shed light on the most common form of head injury seen in athletes. They suggest that concussions continue to be a 'hidden injury' in sports, even in the face significant increased public awareness.

Combining Epilepsy Drug, Morphine Can Result in Less Pain, Lower Opioid Doses

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 12:36 PM PDT

Adding a common epilepsy drug to a morphine regimen can result in better pain control, fewer side effects and reduced morphine dosage, according to research. The result could bring significant relief to many patients with neuropathic pain, a difficult-to-treat condition often felt in the arms and legs and associated with nerve tissue damage.

Elusive quantum transformations found near absolute zero

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 12:36 PM PDT

To isolate quantum fluctuations that define the properties of a metallic material, scientists probed it at temperatures colder than interstellar space. The research provides new methods to identify and understand promising new materials, including superconductors.

Slow to mature, quick to distract: ADHD brain study finds slower development of key connections

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 12:36 PM PDT

A peek inside the brains of more than 750 children and teens reveals a key difference in brain architecture between those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and those without. Kids and teens with ADHD, a new study finds, lag behind others of the same age in how quickly their brains form connections within, and between, key brain networks.

Decoding virus-host interactions in the oxygen-starved ocean

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 11:09 AM PDT

In certain coastal areas, severe reductions in oxygen levels in the water destroy food web structure. Over the past 50 years, such oxygen minimum zones have expanded due to climate change and increased waste run-off. Researchers studied how viral infection influences a microbial community in one such OMZ.

In wake of uproar over Facebook’s emotional manipulation study, bioethics scholars say new rules are 'moral imperative'

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 11:09 AM PDT

Using the recent debate over the Facebook-Cornell "emotional contagion" study as a starting point, an international team of research ethics scholars begin mapping the ethics terrain of large-scale social computing research in a new article.

Early Earth less 'Hellish' than previously thought

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 11:09 AM PDT

Conditions on Earth during its first 500 million years may have been cool enough to form oceans of water instead of being too hot for life to form. This alternate view of Earth's first geologic eon, called the Hadean, has gained substantial new support from the first detailed comparison of zircon crystals that formed more than 4 billion years ago with those formed contemporaneously in Iceland, which has been proposed as a possible geological analog for early Earth.

Novel method for working with nanotubes

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 10:29 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a novel method for controllably constructing precise inter-nanotube junctions and a variety of nanocarbon structures in carbon nanotube arrays. The researchers were able to tailor the physical properties of nanotube networks for use in applications from electronic devices to carbon nanotube-reinforced composite materials found in cars and sports equipment.

Long-term effects of childhood asthma influenced by socioeconomic status

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 10:29 AM PDT

Asthma is associated with attention and behavioral issues in children, yet little existing research examines how socioeconomic status may influence the ultimate effects of these difficulties. Now, a researcher has found that the overall outcomes for children with asthma are influenced by socioeconomic inequalities.

Report urges individualized, cholesterol-targeted approach to heart disease, stroke

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 10:29 AM PDT

A recent guideline for using statins to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease has wavered too far from the simple cholesterol goals that have saved thousands of lives in the past decade, and doesn't adequately treat patients as individuals, experts say.

Small algae with great potential

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 10:29 AM PDT

The single most important calcifying algae of the world's oceans is able to simultaneously adapt to rising water temperatures and ocean acidification through evolution. A unique long-term experiment with the species Emiliania huxleyi shows that the evolutionary potential of the algae is much greater than previously thought. In their laboratory evolution experiment, the scientists have shown for the first time that evolutionary adaptations to multiple stress factors do not necessarily interfere with each other.

Strategic self-sabotage? MRSA inhibits its own growth

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 10:29 AM PDT

A bacterial mystery has finally been uncovered. Against all logic, the most predominant strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in North American produces an enzyme that degrades skin secretions into compounds that are toxic to itself.

Care coordination can decrease health-care use by frequent users

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 10:29 AM PDT

Better coordination of patient care between health care providers, encouraging patients to self-manage their health and other strategies can reduce use of the health care system by seniors and people with chronic conditions, according to research.

When rulers can't understand the ruled: Study finds significant gaps between Washington insiders, general Americans

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 10:28 AM PDT

A significant gap has been found in demographics, experience and partisanship between Washington insiders and the Americans they govern. "The elements of difference we have identified between the rulers and the ruled give us some reason to suspect that the two groups may not perceive the political world in the same way," the researchers write. "Taken together, these elements could well create a substantial cognitive and perceptual gulf between official and quasi-official Washington on the one hand and the American public on the other."

Delay in age of walking can herald muscular dystrophy in boys with cognitive delays

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 09:08 AM PDT

The timing of a toddler's first steps is an important developmental milestone, but a slight delay in walking is typically not a cause of concern by itself. Now a duo of researchers has found that when walking and cognitive delays occur in concert, the combination could comprise the earliest of signals heralding a rare but devastating disorder known as Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Habitual Facebook users: Suckers for social media scams?

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 09:08 AM PDT

A new study finds that habitual use of Facebook makes individuals susceptible to social media phishing attacks by criminals, likely because they automatically respond to requests without considering how they are connected with those sending the requests, how long they have known them, or who else is connected with them.

Like my body odor, like my politics: People are attracted to the body odor of others with similar political beliefs

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 09:08 AM PDT

A new study reveals that people find the smell of others with similar political opinions to be attractive, suggesting that one of the reasons why so many spouses share similar political views is because they were initially and subconsciously attracted to each other's body odor.

Cost-share programs encourage most to mitigate wildfire danger

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 09:08 AM PDT

Most homeowners are willing to take part in cost-sharing that helps pay for wildfire risk mitigation on their properties, but some of those with the highest wildfire risk are the least likely to participate in those programs, according to a study.

If hippopotamuses can't swim, how can some be living on islands?

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 09:07 AM PDT

There is no published account where hippopotamuses are demonstrably shown swimming or floating at the surface of any body of water. But if they can't swim, how did they reach and colonize islands?

When casualties increased, war coverage became more negative

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 09:07 AM PDT

As the number of U.S. casualties rose in Afghanistan, reporters filed more stories about the conflict and those articles grew increasingly negative about both the war effort and the military, according to a researcher.

Caregivers of family members newly diagnosed with mental illness at risk for anxiety

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 09:07 AM PDT

Researchers who studied the emotional distress of caring for a family member diagnosed with a mental illness, found anxiety is high for the primary caregiver at the initial diagnosis or early in the course of the illness, and decreases over time.

A thin line lies between fantasy and reality in people with psychopathic traits

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:45 AM PDT

New research indicates that people with psychopathic traits have a preference for nonromantic sexual fantasies with anonymous and uncommitted partners. The study's investigators noted that psychopathic sexual behavior is likely due to a preference for sexual activity outside a loving, committed relationship rather than only an inability to form such relationships.

Largest ever study of awareness during general anesthesia identifies risk factors and consequences

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:45 AM PDT

Accidental awareness is one of the most feared complications of general anesthesia for both patients and anesthetists. Patients report this failure of general anesthesia in approximately 1 in every 19,000 cases, according to a new report. Known as accidental awareness during general anesthesia, it occurs when general anesthesia is intended but the patient remains conscious. This incidence of patient reports of awareness is much lower than previous estimates of awareness, which were as high as 1 in 600.

How a change in slope affects lava flows

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:45 AM PDT

As soon as lava flows from a volcano, exposure to air and wind causes it to start to cool and harden. Rather than hardening evenly, the energy exchange tends to take place primarily at the surface.

Run, cheetah, run: New algorithm enables cheetah robot to run and jump, untethered, across grass

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:45 AM PDT

Speed and agility are hallmarks of the cheetah: The big predator is the fastest land animal on Earth, able to accelerate to 60 mph in just a few seconds. As it ramps up to top speed, a cheetah pumps its legs in tandem, bounding until it reaches a full gallop.

Tigers, pandas and people: Recipe for conservation insight

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:45 AM PDT

The first big revelation in conservation sciences was that studying the people on the scene as well as nature conservation was crucial. Now, as this science matures, researchers are showing that it's useful to compare apples and oranges. Or, more accurately, tigers and pandas. Scientists show that useful insights and ways of scrutinizing wildlife and their habitat can be found in unlikely places.

Protein secrets of Ebola virus

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:44 AM PDT

The current Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, which has claimed more than 2000 lives, has highlighted the need for a deeper understanding of the molecular biology of the virus that could be critical in the development of vaccines or antiviral drugs to treat or prevent Ebola hemorrhagic fever.

Zebrafish genes linked to human respiratory diseases

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:44 AM PDT

Hundreds of novel genes in the zebrafish have been identified that could be functionally identical to the human genes required for forming motile cilia, hair-like structures on the surface of airway cells. These are required for removing dust and pathogens from the human airway. The study showed that the loss of these genes is linked to development of defective motile cilia, which could be the cause of some respiratory diseases.

Creation of the Vuoksi River preceded a significant cultural shift

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:44 AM PDT

The creation of the Vuoksi River and the subsequent rapid decrease in the water level of Lake Saimaa approximately 6,000 years ago revealed thousands of square kilometers of new, fertile land in eastern Finland. Researchers have studied the role that the decrease in water levels has played in the interaction between nature and humans.

New way to predict hurricane strength, destruction

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:42 AM PDT

A new study demonstrates a different way of projecting a hurricane's strength and intensity that could give the public a better idea of a storm's potential for destruction.

This is your brain on snacks: Brain stimulation affects craving, consumption

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:42 AM PDT

Magnetic stimulation of a brain area involved in "executive function" affects cravings for and consumption of calorie-dense snack foods, reports a study. After stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), young women experience increased cravings for high-calorie snacks -- and eat more of those foods when given the opportunity, according to the researchers.

Good home care by nurses prevents hospital, nursing home admissions

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:42 AM PDT

In the largest study of its kind, an investigation shows that home health agencies providing organizational support to their nurses get better outcomes. The best outcomes for patients, including fewest hospitalizations and transfers to nursing homes, are achieved by home health agencies that provide supportive work environments, enabling nurses to focus on patient care.

Prostate cancer patients who receive hypofractionated radiation therapy report consistent quality of life before and after treatment

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:42 AM PDT

Prostate cancer patients who received hypofractionated (HPFX) radiation therapy (RT) reported that their quality of life, as well as bladder and bowel function were at similar levels before and after RT, according to new research.

For racially diverse patients with disabilities, increased barriers to health care

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 08:42 AM PDT

It's well established that Americans with disabilities and those in underserved racial/ethnic groups face significant disparities in access to health care. Now, researchers are beginning to examine the unique patterns of health care inequalities experienced by racially and ethnically diverse patients with disabilities.

Everyday discrimination impacts mental health

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 07:21 AM PDT

Researchers have determined that African Americans and Caribbean blacks who experience discrimination of multiple types are at substantially greater risk for a variety of mental disorders including anxiety, depression and substance abuse.

Scientists come closer to the industrial synthesis of a material harder than diamond

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 07:21 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a new method for the synthesis of an ultrahard material that exceeds diamond in hardness. The material is an ultrahard fullerite, a polymer composed of fullerenes, or spherical molecules made of carbon atoms.

Nurses need education on advance health care directives

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 07:21 AM PDT

An educational program for nurses can help address knowledge gaps related to advance health care directives -- thus helping to ensure that patients' wishes for care at the end of life are known and respected, report researchers.

The science behind swimming: From whales to larvae, common principles at work in swimming

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 07:21 AM PDT

Using simple hydrodynamics, a team of researchers was able to show that a handful of principles govern how virtually every animal -- from the tiniest fish to birds to gigantic whales propel themselves though the water.

Skin cancer risks higher for soldiers serving abroad

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 07:19 AM PDT

Soldiers deployed to tropical and sunny climates are coming home with increased risk factors for a threat far from the battlefield: skin cancer. "This study demonstrates room for improvement for skin cancer prevention and early detection in the military population, including possible screening of higher-risk personnel," a researcher said.

Genetics reveals patients susceptible to drug-induced pancreatitis

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 06:58 AM PDT

It has long been recognized that about four per cent of patients who are prescribed particular drugs for IBD go on to develop pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas, which can be fatal. Now researchers have found that 17 percent of patients who have two copies of a particular genetic marker are likely to go on to develop pancreatitis if they are prescribed thiopurine drugs.

Rolling 'neat' nanotube fibers: Acid-free approach leads to strong conductive carbon threads

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 06:58 AM PDT

The very idea of fibers made of carbon nanotubes is neat, but scientists are making them neat -- literally. The single-walled carbon nanotubes in new fibers line up like a fistful of uncooked spaghetti through a new process.

Young women involve parent in abortion when anticipating support

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 06:58 AM PDT

Pregnant teens will turn to parents and adults who are engaged in their lives and who will offer support, regardless of her pregnancy decision. Young women will avoid talking with parents who are less involved or may try to prevent them from seeking care, a study concludes.

Fracking: Gas leaks from faulty wells linked to contamination in some groundwater

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 06:58 AM PDT

A study has pinpointed the likely source of most natural gas contamination in drinking-water wells associated with hydraulic fracturing, and it's not the source many people may have feared.

Improved survival shown in early-stage Hodgkin's disease patients who receive radiation therapy

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 06:56 AM PDT

Patients with stage I and II Hodgkin's Disease who receive consolidated radiation therapy (RT) have a higher 10-year survival rate of 84 percent, compared to 76 percent for patients who did not receive RT; and, the data also shows a decrease in utilization of RT, according to new research.

Five radiation oncology treatments to question

Posted: 15 Sep 2014 06:56 AM PDT

The American Society for Radiation Oncology has released its second list of five radiation oncology-specific treatments that are commonly ordered but may not always be appropriate.