ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Tidal tugs on 'Telfon' faults drive slow-slipping earthquakes

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 03:31 PM PDT

Teasing out how slow, silent earthquakes respond to tidal forces lets researchers calculate the friction inside the fault, which could help understand when and how the more hazardous earthquakes occur.

Children’s eye injuries from nonpowder guns on the rise

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 03:30 PM PDT

Over 3000 children were treated in U.S. emergency departments in 2012 for eye injuries related to paintball guns, airsoft guns, BB guns and pellet guns, which are popular non-powder guns. A new report analyzes the trends in hospital admissions associated with different types of firearms and suggests regulations that can help prevent serious injuries.

Scientists generate landmark U.S hydropower report

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 03:29 PM PDT

For the first time, industry and policymakers have a comprehensive report detailing the U.S. hydropower fleet's 2,198 plants that provide about 7 percent of the nation's electricity.

Testosterone replacement therapy: Which is best?

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 03:27 PM PDT

Intramuscular injection of testerosterone replacement therapy confers greater health benefits and lower cardiovascular risks than transdermal administration by skin patch or gel, a new study concludes.

Locusts provide insight into brain response to stimuli, senses

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 03:27 PM PDT

By training a type of grasshopper to recognize odors, a team of biomedical engineers is learning more about the brain and how it processes information from its senses. While the results of this research focus on the sense of smell, researchers plan to use the results to determine if the brain processes signals similarly for other senses.

Studies yield mixed findings on high-dose flu vaccine for elders

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 01:38 PM PDT

Is the high-dose version of the flu vaccine more effective than the standard dose for older folks? A new study says yes, but only for the 'oldest old': those 85 or older. For those between ages 65 and 84, the standard vaccine seems to work just as well, researchers report.

Malaria parasite causes red blood cell changes, study suggests

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 01:36 PM PDT

A model of a malaria-infected red blood cell may lead to better ways to treat malaria, according to a team of engineers and molecular biologists who investigated how this parasite infection causes the red blood cells to stiffen.

Nerve cells, blood vessels in eye 'talk' to prevent disease

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 01:36 PM PDT

Nerve cells and blood vessels in the eye constantly 'talk' to each other to maintain healthy blood flow and prevent disease, scientists say. The study has implications for treating diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration--the leading causes of vision loss in adults. Since the eye is often a good model for understanding the workings of the brain, the findings also provide clues to major neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's, researchers say.

High-pitched sounds cause seizures in old cats: Certain breeds more susceptible

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 01:36 PM PDT

Sharp high-pitched sounds have been found to cause seizures in older cats. The most commonly reported triggers were the sound of crinkling tin foil, a metal spoon clanging in a ceramic feeding bowl, chinking or tapping of glass, crinkling of paper or plastic bags, tapping on a computer keyboard or clicking of a mouse, clinking of coins or keys, hammering of a nail and even the clicking of an owner's tongue.

Breakthrough in understanding Canavan disease

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 12:23 PM PDT

Investigators have settled a long-standing controversy surrounding the molecular basis of an inherited disorder that historically affected Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe but now also arises in other populations of Semitic descent, particularly families from Saudi Arabia. Canavan disease is a type of leukodystrophy that is an incurable and progressively fatal neurological condition.

Finding the body clock's molecular reset button

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 12:23 PM PDT

An international team of scientists has discovered what amounts to a molecular reset button for our internal body clock. Their findings reveal a potential target to treat a range of disorders, from sleep disturbances to other behavioral, cognitive, and metabolic abnormalities.

The monk parakeet: Tracking an invasive bird

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 11:51 AM PDT

The monk parakeets that have invaded Europe and North America over the last 40-50 years fortifying their massive communal nests atop utility poles in many urban areas appear to have originated from the same small area in South America, according to a new study.

No health drawbacks to veterans' dual use of VA, Medicare Advantage, study says

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 11:51 AM PDT

In a study that looked at a handful of quality measures for chronic disease care, veterans who used both Veterans Affairs care and a Medicare Advantage plan during 2008 or 2009 did no better or worse than those who relied strictly on VA.

Alternate theory of inhabitation of North America disproven

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 11:51 AM PDT

The most widely accepted theory of the inhabitation of North America is that humans migrated from Siberia to Alaska by means of a 'land bridge' that spanned the Bering Strait. However, in the 1990s, a small group of researchers proposed that North America was first settled by people from Europe, who moved from east to west via a glacial 'ice bridge.' Now, researchers have definitively disproven the ice bridge theory.

Strange supernova is 'missing link' in gamma-ray burst connection

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 11:10 AM PDT

Astronomers find that 'central engines' in supernova explosions can come in different strengths, and include those that produce powerful blasts of gamma rays, and weaker versions that produce no such bursts.

Astrophysicists draw most comprehensive map of the universe

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 10:31 AM PDT

Astrophysicists have created a 3-D map of the universe that spans nearly two billion light years and is the most complete picture of our cosmic neighborhood to date.

How an RNA gene silences a whole chromosome

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 10:31 AM PDT

Researchers have discovered how an abundant class of RNA genes, called lncRNAs can regulate key genes. By studying an important lncRNA, called Xist, the scientists identified how this RNA gathers a group of proteins and ultimately prevents women from having an extra functional X-chromosome -- a condition in female embryos that leads to death in early development. These findings mark the first time that researchers have uncovered the mechanism of action for lncRNA genes.

Augmenting a gas naturally in our bodies fights RSV infection

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 10:31 AM PDT

Hydrogen sulfide, a gas produced naturally within our bodies, reduces the severity of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, a new study shows for the first time. When someone has a RSV infection, his or her body is less able to produce the protective hydrogen sulfide. The study found that a drug that triggers a steady release of this gas decreases the virus's ability to multiply and reduces inflammation of the airways.

Brain balances perception and action when caught in an illusion

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 10:31 AM PDT

Two wrongs can make a right, at least in the world of visual perception and motor functioning, according to brain scientists who tracked the eyes of students during exercises in a dark laboratory.

Researchers train computers to identify gene interactions in human tissues

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 09:48 AM PDT

Researchers have trained a computer to crunch big biomedical data in order to recognize how genes work together in human tissues. Combining genomic data from 38,000 experiments, this research group has generated functional genetic maps for 144 human tissues types and organs. This big step in the use of large genomic data sets enables great strides in functional human genetics, with important applications for treatment of disease. The findings shed light on genetic interactions that underlie human diseases, the investigators say.

Hate to diet? It's how we're wired

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 09:46 AM PDT

If you're finding it difficult to stick to a weight-loss diet, scientists say you can likely blame AGRP neurons -- hunger-sensitive cells in your brain. New experiments show these neurons are responsible for the unpleasant feelings of hunger that make snacking irresistible. The negative emotions associated with hunger can make it hard to maintain a diet and lose weight, and these neurons help explain that struggle.

Bizarre 'platypus' dinosaur: Vegetarian relative of T. rex

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 09:46 AM PDT

Although closely related to the notorious carnivore Tyrannosaurus rex, a new lineage of dinosaur discovered in Chile is proving to be an evolutionary jigsaw puzzle, as it preferred to graze upon plants. Chilesaurus boasted a proportionally small skull, hands with two fingers like Tyrannosaurus rex and feet more akin to primitive long-neck dinosaurs.

Your adolescent brain on alcohol: Changes last into adulthood

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 09:46 AM PDT

Repeated alcohol exposure during adolescence results in long-lasting changes in the region of the brain that controls learning and memory, according to a research team that used a rodent model as a surrogate for humans.

A new future for corals: Persistence and change in coral reef communities

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 09:44 AM PDT

Coral reefs, true reservoirs of biodiversity, are seriously threatened by human activities and climate change. Consequently, their extinction has often been heralded. Now, researchers are painting a less gloomy picture: the planet's reefs are not doomed to disappear. But they will be very different from the ones we presently know. A new coral fauna will emerge, coming from the species that are most resistant to temperature increases.

Parallel sequencing of DNA and RNA provides insight into secret world of cells

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 09:44 AM PDT

Researchers have developed a large-scale sequencing technique called Genome and Transcriptome Sequencing (G&T-seq) that reveals, simultaneously, the unique genome sequence of a single cell and the activity of genes within that single cell.

HIV prevention and risk behaviors follow weekly patterns

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 08:29 AM PDT

The peak time for seeking information on topics related to HIV, such as prevention and testing, is at the beginning of the week, while risky sexual behaviors tend to increase on the weekends, according to a new analysis.

Conifer study illustrates twists of evolution

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 08:29 AM PDT

An apparently advantageous mechanism of conifer pollination has nevertheless been disappearing over millions of years, a new study finds. The mechanism works well, but because it depends on three traits related only loosely, the vagaries of evolution have led to its demise in many species. It its wake, however, a diversity of new traits and functions has emerged.

Study links insomnia to impaired work performance in night shift workers

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 08:29 AM PDT

A new study of night shift workers suggests that overnight occupational and cognitive impairment is more strongly correlated to insomnia than it is to sleepiness.

A 'GPS' to navigate the brain's neuronal networks

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 08:28 AM PDT

Scientists have announced a "Neuronal Positioning System" (NPS) that maps the circuitry of the brain, similar to how a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver triangulates one's location on the planet.

2-D semiconductor comes clean: Performance dramatically improved

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 08:26 AM PDT

Scientists have dramatically improved the performance of graphene by encapsulating it in boron nitride. They've now shown they can similarly improve the performance of another 2D material, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2. Their findings provide a demonstration of how to study all 2D materials and hold great promise for a broad range of applications including high-performance electronics, detection and emission of light, and chemical/bio-sensing.

Origin of life: Chemistry of seabed's hot vents could explain emergence of life

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 07:16 AM PDT

Hot vents on the seabed could have spontaneously produced the organic molecules necessary for life, according to new research. The study shows how the surfaces of mineral particles inside hydrothermal vents have similar chemical properties to enzymes, the biological molecules that govern chemical reactions in living organisms. This means that vents are able to create simple carbon-based molecules, such as methanol and formic acid, out of the dissolved CO2 in the water.

Is the universe a hologram?

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 07:16 AM PDT

The 'holographic principle,' the idea that a universe with gravity can be described by a quantum field theory in fewer dimensions, has been used for years as a mathematical tool in strange curved spaces. New results suggest that the holographic principle also holds in flat spaces. Our own universe could in fact be two dimensional and only appear three dimensional -- just like a hologram.

Mass and shape of single molecules revealed

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 07:16 AM PDT

Scientists have developed a revolutionary new technology that can image and weigh single molecules and instantly identify a single virus or bacteria particle.

Potential new treatment for multiple sclerosis

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 07:16 AM PDT

Scientists have discovered a way to prevent the development of multiple sclerosis in mice. Using a drug that blocks the production of a certain type of immune cell linked to inflammation and autoimmunity, the researchers successfully protected against the onset of MS in an animal model of the disease. The scientists say the next step is to test this strategy using other autoimmune disorders.

Oil or fat? Saturated fatty acids might directly damage your heart

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 07:15 AM PDT

Olive oil is universally considered a much healthier alternative to meat fat. Plant-derived oils (such as olive oil, canola oil, and vegetable oil) largely consist of unsaturated fatty acids, whereas animal fat is richer in the saturated ones. After a typical meal, carbohydrates are the primary source of energy production by the heart. Under fasting conditions, however, free fatty acids become the major energy producer. Saturated fat in a diet is known to be detrimental to heart health, but its impact on the cardiac muscle has been studied only recently.

Bumblebees use nicotine to fight off parasites

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 07:15 AM PDT

Bumblebees that have been infected by parasites seek out flowers with nicotine in the nectar, likely to fight off the infection, new research has found. The nicotine appears to slow the progression of disease in infected bees but has harmful effects when consumed by healthy bees.

New insights into ionic liquids

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 07:15 AM PDT

To directly observe chemical processes in unusual, new materials is a scientific dream, made possible by modern microscopy methods: researchers have, for the first time, captured video images of the attachment of molecules in an ionic liquid onto a submerged electrode. The images from the nanoscale world provide detailed information on the way in which chemical components reorganize when a voltage is applied. New findings based on this information may lead to improved batteries and more energy efficient coating technology or solar engineering.

Computer cooling system could save U. S. $6. 3 billion in electricity a year

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 07:13 AM PDT

A patented passive cooling system for computer processors could save U.S. consumers more than 6.3 billion dollars per year in energy costs.

Electrical power converter allows grid to easily accept power from renewable energy

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 07:13 AM PDT

Engineering researchers have invented a novel electrical power converter system that simultaneously accepts power from a variety of energy sources and converts it for use in the electrical grid system.

New magnetic phase confirms theoretical predictions related to unconventional superconductivity

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 07:13 AM PDT

The emergence of a new magnetic phase with a square lattice before the onset of superconductivity is revealed in some iron arsenide compounds, confirming theoretical predictions of the effects of doping on magnetic interactions between the iron atoms and their relationship to high temperature superconductivity. Understanding the origin of thermodynamic phases is vital in developing a unified theory for the elusive microscopic mechanism underlying high-temperature superconductivity.

Artificial spin ice: A new playground to better understand magnetism

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 07:11 AM PDT

For the first time, nanomagnet islands or arrays were arranged into an exotic structure (called "shakti") that does not directly relate to any known natural material. The "shakti" artificial spin ice configuration was fabricated and reproduced experimentally. The arrays are theoretical predictions of multiple ground states that are characteristic of frustrated magnetic materials. The results open the door to experiments on other artificial spin-ice lattices, predicted to host interesting phenomena.

3-D image of live embryo turning itself inside out

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:28 AM PDT

Researchers have captured the first 3-D video of a living algal embryo turning itself inside out, from a sphere to a mushroom shape and back again. The results could help unravel the mechanical processes at work during a similar process in animals, which has been called the 'most important time in your life.'

Common back problems may be caused by evolution of human locomotion

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:28 AM PDT

A common spinal disease could be the result of some people's vertebrae, the bones that make up the spine, sharing similarities in shape to a non-human primate. The research suggests that the relatively quick evolution of the ability to walk on two legs may have had a substantial impact on modern human health.

Bats use both sides of brain to listen -- just like humans

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:28 AM PDT

Researchers have shown that, like humans, mustached bats use the left and right sides of their brains to process different aspects of sounds. Aside from humans, no other animal that has been studied, not even monkeys or apes, has proved to use such hemispheric specialization for sound processing -- meaning that the left brain is better at processing fast sounds, and the right processing slow ones.

New Zealand stoats provide an ark for genetic diversity

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:28 AM PDT

British stoats suffered a dramatic loss in genetic diversity in the 20th century but extinct British genes were preserved in the stoat population of New Zealand, a new study has found. The research reveals that stoats, which were introduced to New Zealand, have greater genetic diversity there, than in their native Britain. The results are unusual because introducing a species to a new area is usually associated with a loss in its genetic diversity.

Bullying leads to depression and suicidal thoughts in teens

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:28 AM PDT

High school students subjected to bullying and other forms of harassment are more likely to report being seriously depressed, consider suicide and carry weapons to school, according to findings from a trio of studies.

Health insurance coverage among cancer patients varies greatly by demographics and cancer type

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:28 AM PDT

Among patients with cancer, rates of health insurance coverage vary by patient demographics and by cancer type, a new analysis has found. The researchers found that younger, non-white, unmarried patients residing in counties with higher levels of poverty and in rural areas were less likely to have insurance. Moreover, males were less likely to have insurance than females, and people residing in Southern states were less likely to have insurance than people residing in other areas of the country. Also, there was large variation in insurance rates by cancer type, with the highest uninsured rates in testicular, stomach, and cervical cancers, and the lowest uninsured rates in thyroid, prostate, and breast cancers.

Detection of critical heart disease before birth lags among poor

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:27 AM PDT

While prenatal ultrasounds are doing a good job of identifying critical congenital heart disease, those living in poor or rural communities are less likely to find out their baby has heart disease before birth than those in more affluent or urban communities.

Outsmarting smartphones: Technology reduces distracted driving among teens

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:27 AM PDT

Technology can bolster efforts by parents, lawmakers and insurance companies to reduce distracted driving among novice teen drivers, according to a new study.

Could smell hold the key to limiting or ending pesticide use?

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:26 AM PDT

Could smell hold the key to ending pesticide use? Sscientists may have uncovered a natural way of avoiding the use of pesticides and help save plants from attack by recreating a natural insect repellent. They have, for the first time, created tiny molecules which mirror a natural occurring smell known to repel insects.

Two thirds of the world's population have no access to safe, affordable surgery

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:26 AM PDT

Millions of people are dying from common, easily treatable conditions like appendicitis, fractures, or obstructed labor because they do not have access to, or can't afford, proper surgical care, according to a major new report. The new estimates suggest that number of people worldwide who are unable to access basic surgery and anaesthesia is more than twice as high as previously thought.

New proton therapy technique brings hope of more effective treatment for tumors without causing collateral damage

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:26 AM PDT

Researchers have succeeded in making a model of breathing movement that allows for the precise measurement of narrow beams to a dummy tumor in the lung by simulating the motion and physical properties of the chest anatomy in a model, thereby taking a large step towards maximizing the targeting of treatment in mobile organs.

Prostate cancer patients who receive permanent radiotherapy implants twice as likely to be free of cancer after five years

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:26 AM PDT

Results from a randomised controlled trial to compare the use of permanent radioactive implants (brachytherapy) with dose-escalated external beam radiotherapy in patients with prostate cancer show that the men who received brachytherapy were twice as likely to be cancer-free five years later.

Scientists plan to fight insect pests by turning their own hormones against them

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:25 AM PDT

The economic cost of agricultural pests is extremely difficult to estimate, but biological threats such as insects and disease account for around 40% of all crop losses globally. The rising need for food worldwide necessitates ever more effective methods in the fight against agricultural pests. By 2017, the world is expected to spend more than 65 billion USD annually on pesticides. At the same time, there is a pressing need to develop "greener" pesticides that target damaging insects while sparing beneficial ones.

Electric solar wind sail could make bidirectional human Mars flights economically feasible

Posted: 27 Apr 2015 05:25 AM PDT

The E-sail is a novel propellantless technology that was invented in Finland in 2006. The E-sail utilizes long, charged tethers to convert natural solar wind momentum flux into spacecraft thrust.