ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

NASA Webb's heart survives deep freeze test

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 06:07 PM PDT

After 116 days of being subjected to extremely frigid temperatures like that in space, the heart of the James Webb Space Telescope, the Integrated Science Instrument Module and its sensitive instruments, emerged unscathed from the thermal vacuum chamber at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

New feather findings get scientists in a flap

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 06:06 PM PDT

Scientists have revealed that feather shafts are made of a multi-layered fibrous composite material, much like carbon fiber, which allows the feather to bend and twist to cope with the stresses of flight. Since their appearance over 150 million years ago, feather shafts (rachises) have evolved to be some of the lightest, strongest and most fatigue resistant natural structures.

Special microscope captures defects in nanotubes

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 01:22 PM PDT

Chemists have devised a way to see the internal structures of electronic waves trapped in carbon nanotubes by external electrostatic charges. Carbon nanotubes have been touted as exceptional materials with unique properties that allow for extremely efficient charge and energy transport, with the potential to open the way for new, more efficient types of electronic and photovoltaic devices. However, these traps, or defects, in ultra-thin nanotubes can compromise their effectiveness.

Competition keeps health-care costs low, U.S. researchers find

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 01:22 PM PDT

Medical practices in less competitive health-care markets charge more for services, according to a study. The study, based on U.S. health-care data from 2010, provides important new information about the effects of competition on prices for office visits paid by preferred provider organizations, known more commonly as PPOs. PPOs are the most common type of health insurance plan held by privately insured people in the United States.

Smoking interferes with neurocognitive recovery during abstinence from alcohol

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 01:22 PM PDT

Researchers know that alcohol-dependent individuals (ALC) sustain neurocognitive impairment even after detoxification. A new study examines specific domains of cognitive recovery in conjunction with smoking status. Findings show that smoking status influenced the rate and level of neurocognitive recovery during eight months of abstinence in the ALC group.

Bar attendance supports heavy drinking by young adults in the US-Mexico border region

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 01:22 PM PDT

Mexico is a nearby destination where younger US residents can legally drink heavily. However, high levels of drinking on the US side are not always linked to recent travel to Mexico. New findings show that higher levels of drinking among US-Mexico border youth are closely linked to their patterns of bar attendance, but not to how they think about drinking.

Understanding drinking behaviors among women with unwanted pregnancies

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 01:22 PM PDT

Most women reduce or stop drinking alcohol upon discovery of pregnancy. A new study looks at changes in alcohol use, and factors contributing to these changes, among women with unwanted pregnancies. Findings indicate that most women with unwanted pregnancies quit or reduce alcohol consumption once they discover their pregnancies, and that some may be substituting alcohol for drugs once they discover their pregnancies.

Bogus recycling bins help identify drinking patterns among low-income seniors

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 01:21 PM PDT

Substance abuse is the fastest growing health concern for older adults. New findings show that drinking levels are high enough to be concerning and tend to spike around the times older adults receive their social security checks. These results may have prevention implications for social workers working with low-income seniors.

Diet for your DNA: Novel nutrition plan sparks debate around data protection

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 01:21 PM PDT

Personalized nutrition based on an individual's genotype - nutrigenomics - could have a major impact on reducing lifestyle-linked diseases such as obesity, heart disease and Type II diabetes, experts say. However, a study of more than 9,000 volunteers reveals that strict regulations need to be put in place before nutrigenomics becomes publicly acceptable due to people's fears around personal data protection.

Overweight women lose in the labor market, study finds

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 01:20 PM PDT

Overweight women are more likely to work in lower-paying and more physically demanding jobs, less likely to get higher-wage positions that include interaction with the public, and make less money in either case compared to average size women and all men, according to a new study.

How troubled marriage, depression history promote obesity

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 01:20 PM PDT

The double-whammy of marital hostility and a history of depression can increase the risk for obesity in adults by altering how the body processes high-fat foods, according to new research.

Scientists disprove theory that reconstructed boron surface is metallic

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 11:53 AM PDT

Scientific inquiry is a hit and miss proposition, subject to constant checking and rechecking. Recently, a new class of materials was discovered called topological insulators—nonmetallic materials with a metallic surface capable of conducting electrons. The effect, based on relativity theory, exists only in special materials -— those with heavy elements —- and has the potential to revolutionize electronics.

Immersed in violence: How 3-D gaming affects video game players

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 11:53 AM PDT

Playing violent video games in 3-D makes everything seem more real – and that may have troubling consequences for players, a new study reveals. Researchers found that people who played violent video games in 3-D showed more evidence of anger afterward than did people who played using traditional 2-D systems -- even those with large screens.

Genome editing technique advanced by researchers

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 11:17 AM PDT

Customized genome editing -- the ability to edit desired DNA sequences to add, delete, activate or suppress specific genes -- has major potential for application in medicine, biotechnology, food and agriculture. Now researchers examine six key molecular elements that help drive this genome editing system, which is known as CRISPR-Cas.

Large variation in Cesarean rates across US hospitals

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 11:17 AM PDT

Cesarean delivery is the most common inpatient surgery in the United States. US cesarean rates increased from 20.7% in 1996 to 32.9% in 2009 but have since stabilized, with 1.3 million American women having had a cesarean delivery in 2011. Rates of cesarean delivery vary across hospitals, and understanding reasons for the variation could help shed light on practices related to cesarean delivery.

Most published medical research is false; Here's how to improve

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 11:17 AM PDT

In 2005, in a landmark paper viewed well over a million times, John Ioannidis explained in PLOS Medicine why most published research findings are false. To coincide with PLOS Medicine's 10th anniversary he responds to the challenge of this situation by suggesting how the research enterprise could be improved.

In disease outbreak management, flexibility can save lives, money

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 11:17 AM PDT

A new, more flexible, approach for responding to and managing disease outbreaks has been developed that could save many lives and millions of dollars. The approach, called 'adaptive management,' allows decision-makers to use knowledge gained during an outbreak to update ongoing interventions with the goal of containing outbreaks more quickly, efficiently, and effectively.

Let there be light: Evolution of complex bioluminescent traits may be predictable

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:50 AM PDT

A longstanding question among scientists is whether evolution is predictable. A team of researchers from University of California Santa Barbara may have found a preliminary answer. The genetic underpinnings of complex traits in cephalopods may in fact be predictable because they evolved in the same way in two distinct species of squid.

Novel approach for treating non-cardiac chest pain suggested

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:50 AM PDT

Chest pain doesn't necessarily come from the heart. An estimated 200,000 Americans each year experience non-cardiac chest pain. New research suggests a novel approach to treating non-cardiac chest pain due to esophageal hypersensitivity. The treatment involves a drug called dronabinol, a cannabinoid receptor activator that has traditionally been used to treat nausea and vomiting in HIV patients and for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Could I squeeze by you? Scientists model molecular movement within narrow channels of mesoporous nanoparticles

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:50 AM PDT

Scientists have developed deeper understanding of the ideal design for mesoporous nanoparticles used in catalytic reactions, such as hydrocarbon conversion to biofuels. The research will help determine the optimal diameter of channels within the nanoparticles to maximize catalytic output.

Cosmic rays threaten future deep-space astronaut missions

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:50 AM PDT

Crewed missions to Mars remain an essential goal for NASA, but scientists are only now beginning to understand and characterize the radiation hazards that could make such ventures risky, concludes a new article.

Impressions shaped by facial appearance foster biased decisions

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:50 AM PDT

Research in recent years has shown that people associate specific facial traits with an individual's personality. People consistently associate trustworthiness, competence, dominance, and friendliness with specific facial traits. According to a new article, people rely on these subtle facial traits to make important decisions, from voting for a political candidate to convicting a suspect for a crime. The authors present its real-world consequences and discuss potential ways of overcoming it.

Preservation technique for marginal livers prevents biliary stricture

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:49 AM PDT

A preservation technique known as sequential subnormothermic ex vivo liver perfusion (SNEVLP) prevents ischemic type biliary stricture following liver transplantation using grafts from donations after cardiac death (DCD). These findings indicate that the preservation of DCD grafts using SNEVLP versus cold storage reduces bile duct and endothelial cell injury post transplantation.

Treatment for osteoporosis, bone cancer, employed for the first time in dental filling procedures

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:49 AM PDT

Researchers have demonstrated how the use of zoledronic acid, in combination with bioactive ion-releasing resin-based restorative materials used as dental adhesive, reduces the degradation of dentin collagen and promotes remineralisation at the resin-dentine interface.

Significant rise in e-cigarette use among youth in Poland

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:48 AM PDT

Use of electronic cigarettes among students in Poland has increased dramatically, rising more than threefold in just the last three years, research finds. Electronic cigarettes are battery-operated products that heat a liquid solution that vaporizes nicotine and other additives, which are then inhaled by the user.

Research highlights extent, effects of school violence in U.S.

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:48 AM PDT

Six percent of U.S. children and youth missed a day of school over the course of a year because they were the victim of violence or abuse at school. "This study really highlights the way school violence can interfere with learning," says the lead author. "Too many kids are missing school because they do not feel safe."

Resetting the circadian clock: Shift workers might want to skip high-iron foods at night

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:48 AM PDT

Workers punching in for the graveyard shift may be better off not eating high-iron foods at night so they don't disrupt the circadian clock in their livers. "Iron is like the dial that sets the timing of the clock," the lead researcher says. "Discovering a factor, such as iron, that sets the circadian rhythm of the liver may have broad implications for people who do shift work."

Super stable garnet ceramics may be ideal for high-energy lithium batteries

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:01 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered exceptional properties in a garnet material that could enable development of higher-energy battery designs.

Less-numerate investors swayed by corporate report presentation effects

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 10:01 AM PDT

Less-numerate investors are more susceptible to style and presentation effects in corporate social responsibility reports, according to new research.

Predicting the predator threatening a squirrel by analyzing its sounds and tail movements

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 09:59 AM PDT

Biologists found the could quite accurately predict what type of predator was threatening a squirrel by analyzing its sounds and tail movements.

Two vessels from WWII convoy battle off North Carolina discovered: German U-boat 576 and freighter Bluefields found within 240 yards

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 09:59 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered two significant vessels from World War II's Battle of the Atlantic. The German U-boat 576 and the freighter Bluefields were found approximately 30 miles off the coast of North Carolina. Lost for more than 70 years, the discovery of the two vessels, in an area known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, is a rare window into a historic military battle and the underwater battlefield landscape of WWII.

Survey shows what Americans fear most

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 09:59 AM PDT

The Chapman Survey on American Fears included 1,500 participants from across the nation and all walks of life. The research team leading this effort pared the information down into four basic categories: personal fears, crime, natural disasters and fear factors.

Ancient Europeans intolerant to lactose for 5,000 years after they adopted agriculture

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 09:59 AM PDT

By analyzing DNA from petrous bones of ancient Europeans, scientists have identified these peoples remained intolerant to lactose (natural sugar in the milk of mammals) for 5,000 years after they adopted agricultural practices. The scientific team examined nuclear ancient DNA extracted from thirteen individuals from burials from archaeological sites in the Great Hungarian Plain. The skeletons sampled date from 5,700 BC (Early Neolithic) to 800 BC (Iron Age).

Fight against Alzheimer's disease: New research on walnuts

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 09:57 AM PDT

An new animal study reveals potential brain-health benefits of a walnut-enriched diet. Researchers suggest that a diet including walnuts may have a beneficial effect in reducing the risk, delaying the onset, slowing the progression of, or preventing Alzheimer's disease.

Animal therapy reduces anxiety, loneliness symptoms in college students

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 09:56 AM PDT

Animal-assisted therapy can reduce symptoms of anxiety and loneliness among college students, according to researchers who provided animal-assisted therapy to 55 students in a group setting at a small arts college. They found a 60 percent decrease in self-reported anxiety and loneliness symptoms following animal-assisted therapy, in which a registered therapy dog was under the supervision of a licensed mental health practitioner.

Screening questions fail to identify teens at risk for hearing loss

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 09:56 AM PDT

Subjective screening questions do not reliably identify teenagers who are at risk for hearing loss, according to researchers. Their study results suggest that objective hearing tests should be refined for this age group to replace screening questions.

Seven ways to feel full without overeating

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 09:56 AM PDT

Not feeling full after or between meals can result in overeating. Eating certain nutrients and foods may help curb appetite and keep one feeling fuller longer, according to an expert.

Rising above the risk: America's first tsunami refuge

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:53 AM PDT

Washington's coast is so close to the seismically active Cascadia Subduction Zone that if a megathrust earthquake were to occur, a tsunami would hit the Washington shoreline in just 25 minutes. One coastal community is preparing for such a disaster by starting construction on the nation's first tsunami evacuation refuge, large enough to shelter more than 1,000 people who are within 20-minute walking distance.

Kung fu stegosaur: Lethal fighters when necessary

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:49 AM PDT

Stegosaurs might be portrayed as lumbering plant eaters, but they were lethal fighters when necessary, according to paleontologists who have uncovered new evidence of a casualty of stegosaurian combat. The evidence is a fatal stab wound in the pubis bone of a predatory allosaur. The wound -- in the conical shape of a stegosaur tail spike -- would have required great dexterity to inflict and shows clear signs of having cut short the allosaur's life.

Blood biomarker may detect lung cancer

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:14 AM PDT

A new study shows that patients with stage I to stage III non-small cell lung cancer have different metabolite profiles in their blood than those of patients who are at risk but do not have lung cancer.

CPAP use for sleep apnea does not negatively impact sexual quality of life

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:14 AM PDT

Patients who use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device to treat obstructive sleep apnea often believe that it makes them less sexually attractive, according to researchers. New research shows they need not worry.

Dramatic decline in mortality rates for acute respiratory distress syndrome

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:14 AM PDT

The largest study to date of mortality trends in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome shows that the rate of mortality dropped significantly over a 16-year period. Advances in critical care medicine are seen as a direct cause of the decline.

Getting the salt out: Electrodialysis can provide cost-effective treatment of salty water from fracked wells

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:14 AM PDT

The boom in oil and gas produced through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is seen as a boon for meeting U.S. energy needs. But one byproduct of the process is millions of gallons of water that's much saltier than seawater, after leaching salts from rocks deep below the surface. Now researchers say they have found an economical solution for removing the salt from this water.

Beyond LOL cats, social networks could become trove of biodiversity data

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:14 AM PDT

Social networks can be a viable source for photo-vouchered biodiversity records, especially those that clarify which species exist in what places within developing nations, one expert suggests.

Immune proteins moonlight to regulate brain-cell connections

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:14 AM PDT

When it comes to the brain, 'more is better' seems like an obvious assumption. But in the case of synapses, which are the connections between brain cells, too many or too few can both disrupt brain function. Researchers recently found an immune-system protein that moonlights in the nervous system to help regulate the number of synapses, and could play an unexpected role in conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, type 2 diabetes and autism.

Detecting cancer earlier is goal of new medical imaging technology

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:14 AM PDT

A new medical imaging method could help physicians detect cancer and other diseases earlier than before, speeding treatment and reducing the need for invasive, time-consuming biopsies. The potentially lifesaving technique uses nanotechnology and shortwave infrared light to reveal small cancerous tumors and cardiovascular lesions deep inside the body.

Extremely high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:14 AM PDT

For the first time, researchers have succeeded to detect a single hydrogen atom using magnetic resonance imaging, which signifies a huge increase in the technology's spatial resolution. In the future, single-atom MRI could be used to shed new light on protein structures.

New analysis methodology may revolutionize breast cancer therapy

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:13 AM PDT

Stroma cells are derived from connective tissue and may critically influence tumor growth. This knowledge is not new. However, a team of researchers has developed a novel methodology for investigation. Using modern mass spectrometry, tumor-promoting activities from breast fibroblasts were directly determined from needle biopsy samples.

Researchers patent a nanofluid that improves heat conductivity

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:12 AM PDT

Researchers have developed and patented a nanofluid improving thermal conductivity at temperatures up to 400°C without assuming an increase in costs or a remodeling of the infrastructure. This progress has important applications in sectors such as chemical, petrochemical and energy, thus becoming a useful technology in all industrial applications using heat transfer systems such as solar power plants, nuclear power plants, combined-cycle power plants and heating, among other.

Backpack physics: Smaller hikers carry heavier loads

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:12 AM PDT

Hikers are generally advised that the weight of the packs they carry should correspond to their own size, with smaller individuals carrying lighter loads. Although petite backpackers might appreciate the excuse to hand off heavier gear to the larger members of the group, it turns out that they may not need the help.

Exploring x-ray phase tomography with synchrotron radiation

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:12 AM PDT

X-ray phase tomography is an imaging technique that uses penetrating X-rays to create volumetric views through "slices" or sections of soft biological tissues, such as tumors, and it offers strongly enhanced contrast compared to conventional CT scans. Yet scientists still do not know which X-ray phase tomography methods are best suited to yield optimized results for a wide variety of conditions.

Not just skin cancer: Triplet threat from the sun

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:12 AM PDT

The most obvious effects of too much sun exposure are cosmetic, like wrinkled and rough skin. Some damage, however, goes deeper—ultraviolet light can damage DNA and cause proteins in the body to break down into smaller, sometimes harmful pieces that may also damage DNA, increasing the risk of skin cancer and cataracts. Understanding the specific pathways by which this degradation occurs is an important step in developing protective mechanisms against it.

Big black holes can block new stars

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:07 AM PDT

Massive black holes spewing out radio-frequency-emitting particles at near-light speed can block formation of new stars in aging galaxies, a study has found.

Memory decline among menopausal women could be next research frontier for hypnotic relaxation therapy

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:07 AM PDT

Memory decline — a frequent complaint of menopausal women — potentially could be lessened by hypnotic relaxation therapy, say researchers who already have done studies showing that such therapy eases hot flashes, improves sleep and reduces stress in menopausal women.

Misreporting diet information could impact nutrition recommendations for Hispanics

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:16 AM PDT

Faulty self-reporting of the food we eat can lead to incorrect conclusions about whether we are meeting dietary recommendations for certain essential nutrients, say researchers. A new study is the first to examine how accounting for the problem of misreporting affects nutrient intake estimates in the Hispanic community. Nearly one in three US residents is projected to be Hispanic in 2060.

BOFFFFs (big, old, fat, fertile, female fish) sustain fisheries

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:16 AM PDT

A new compilation of research from around the world now shows that big, old, fat, fertile, female fish -- known as BOFFFFs to scientists -- are essential for ensuring that fishery stocks remain sustainable.

Hungry or not, kids will eat treats

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:16 AM PDT

Even though they are not hungry, children as young as three will find high-energy treats too tempting to refuse, new research has confirmed. In a study of three and four year olds, 100 per cent of children opted for a sweet or savory snack despite eating a filling healthy lunch only 15 minutes prior.

A global surge of great earthquakes from 2004-2014 and implications for Cascadia

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:16 AM PDT

The last ten years have been a remarkable time for great earthquakes. Since December 2004 there have been no less than 18 quakes of Mw8.0 or greater -- a rate of more than twice that seen from 1900 to mid-2004. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost and massive damage has resulted from these great earthquakes.

Child's poor decision-making skills can predict later behavior problems, research shows

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:16 AM PDT

Children who show poor decision-making skills at age 10 or 11 may be more likely to experience interpersonal and behavioral difficulties that have the potential to lead to high-risk health behavior in their teen years, according to a new study.

Physicists solve longstanding puzzle of how moths find distant mates

Posted: 21 Oct 2014 07:16 AM PDT

Physicists have come up with a mathematical explanation for moths' remarkable ability to find mates in the dark hundreds of meters away. The researchers said the results could also be applied widely in agriculture or robotics. By controlling the behaviors of insects exposed to pheromones, they said, researchers could limit the ability of invasive or disease-carrying pests to mate.