ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Reshaping the solar spectrum to turn light into electricity

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 03:02 PM PDT

Solar energy could be made cheaper if solar cells could be coaxed to generate more power. A huge gain in this direction has been made by a team of chemists that has found an ingenious way to make solar energy conversion more efficient. The researchers combined inorganic semiconductor nanocrystals with organic molecules to 'upconvert' photons in the visible and near-infrared regions of the solar spectrum.

Cataclysmic event of a certain age

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 03:02 PM PDT

At the end of the Pleistocene period, approximately 12,800 years ago­ — give or take a few centuries — a cosmic impact triggered an abrupt cooling episode that earth scientists refer to as the Younger Dryas. New research has narrowed the date to a 100-year range, sometime between 12,835 and 12,735 years ago.

Experimental drug treatment for Rett syndrome suggests disorder is reversible, mouse study shows

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 03:02 PM PDT

A strikingly new approach for treating Rett syndrome has been developed by scientists, a devastating autism spectrum disorder. In their report, the researchers demonstrate that treatment with small-molecule drug candidates significantly extends lifespan in male mice that model Rett and ameliorates several behavioral symptoms in females.

Flow means 'go' for proper lymph system development

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 03:02 PM PDT

The lymph system provides a slow flow of fluid from tissues into the blood. It returns fluid and proteins that leak from blood vessels, provides passage for immune cells from the tissues to the blood, and hosts key niches for immune cells. How this system develops hasn't been well understood, but now researchers have found from that the early flow of lymph fluid is a critical factor in the development of mature lymphatic vessels.

Closing roads to save tigers

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 12:38 PM PDT

A logging company has agreed to begin dismantling abandoned logging roads currently being used by poachers to access prime Amur (Siberian) tiger habitat in the Russian Far East.

One in four patients with defibrillators experiences boost in heart function over time

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 12:38 PM PDT

A study of outcomes among 1,200 people with implanted defibrillators — devices intended to prevent sudden cardiac death from abnormal heart rhythms — shows that within a few years of implantation, one in four experienced improvements in heart function substantial enough to put them over the clinical threshold that qualified them to get a defibrillator in the first place. A report on the study reveals these patients had markedly lower risk of dying and were far less likely to suffer arrhythmia-terminating device shocks, suggesting their hearts had grown less prone to developing lethal rhythms.

Compulsory schooling laws could bolster free community college argument

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 12:37 PM PDT

Compulsory schooling laws significantly increased school attendance rates, especially among lower-class children, and also shifted the occupational distribution toward skilled and non-manual occupations, a researcher has found.

Gene therapy may improve survival of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 12:37 PM PDT

Use of gene therapy to deliver a protein that suppresses the development of female reproductive organs may improve the survival of patients with ovarian cancer that has recurred after chemotherapy, which happens 70 percent of the time and is invariably fatal.

In CRISPR advance, scientists successfully edit human T cells

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 12:37 PM PDT

Scientists have devised a new strategy to precisely modify human T cells using the genome-editing system known as CRISPR/Cas9. Because these immune-system cells play important roles in a wide range of diseases, from diabetes to AIDS to cancer, the achievement provides a versatile new tool for research on T cell function, as well as a path toward CRISPR/Cas9-based therapies for many serious health problems.

Twin discoveries, 'eerie' effect may lead to manufacturing advances

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 12:37 PM PDT

The discovery of a previously unknown type of metal deformation -- sinuous flow -- and a method to suppress it could lead to more efficient machining and other manufacturing advances by reducing the force and energy required to process metals.

Escape routes from a low-diversity trap in workforce

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 12:04 PM PDT

The benefits of a diverse workforce are well-recognized, e.g. size of talent pool, return on investment in training, enhanced creativity and problem solving. Yet, in many professions and businesses the workforce is dominated by one gender or ethnic group. Two scientists now show that much like the poverty trap, such a lack of diversity represents a lock-in situation. But they also present a way out.

Blood markers identify women at risk for postpartum depression

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 12:04 PM PDT

The hormone oxytocin, sometimes called 'the love hormone,' may be a factor in postpartum depression, when a mother has a lower than normal level. A blood marker now may help identify the risk, investigators now report.

Some stroke treatments proven to reduce health care costs

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 12:04 PM PDT

Use of mechanical thrombectomy on qualifying stroke patients could result in major savings to the healthcare economy in the United Kingdom and other western countries with a similar healthcare structure, according to a new study.

Researchers identify model to predict successful wound healing

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 11:32 AM PDT

Battlefield surgeons and civilian physicians could have a powerful new tool to help patients recover from traumatic injuries, including life-threatening wounds from explosions. Researchers have identified a model to predict the chances for successful wound healing in individual patients.

Improved survival of HIV patients facilitates heart disease research

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 11:31 AM PDT

The improved survival rate of HIV patients in sub-Saharan Africa due to effective treatment programs is increasing the ability of researchers in Africa to study the impacts of cardiovascular disease in HIV patients, according to researchers.

Some vaccines support evolution of more-virulent viruses

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 11:31 AM PDT

Scientific experiments with the herpesvirus such as the one that causes Marek's disease in poultry have confirmed, for the first time, the highly controversial theory that some vaccines could allow more-virulent versions of a virus to survive, putting unvaccinated individuals at greater risk of severe illness. The research has important implications for food-chain security and food-chain economics, as well as for other diseases that affect humans and agricultural animals.

Connection found between audience reaction, candidate debate success

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 11:08 AM PDT

Audience laughter and applause have unique effects on presidential primary debates, say a researcher in political non-verbal communication. Among other things, he found that laughter benefited secondary candidates more than front-runners in televised debates by improving their likability among viewers. Debate venue also plays a significant role in determining applause.

Consumers don't view GMO labels as negative 'warnings'

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 10:57 AM PDT

A new study released just days after the U.S. House passed a bill that would prevent states from requiring labels on genetically modified foods reveals that GMO labeling would not act as warning labels and scare consumers away from buying products with GMO ingredients.

Selective imitation shows children are flexible social learners, study finds

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 10:08 AM PDT

Children flexibly choose when to imitate and when to innovate the behavior of others, psychologists have found, demonstrating that children are precocious social learners.

It don't mean a thing if the brain ain't got that swing

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 10:08 AM PDT

Like Duke Ellington's 1931 jazz standard, the human brain improvises while its rhythm section keeps up a steady beat. But when it comes to taking on intellectually challenging tasks, groups of neurons tune in to one another for a fraction of a second and harmonize, then go back to improvising, according to new research.

In lab tests, new therapy slows spread of deadly brain tumor cells

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 10:08 AM PDT

The rapid spread of a common and deadly brain tumor has been slowed down significantly in a mouse model by cutting off the way some cancer cells communicate, according to a team of researchers.

Insulin resistance increases risk for Alzheimer's disease, study finds

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 10:08 AM PDT

A strong association between insulin resistance and memory function decline has been found by researchers who suggest that this link increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers predict material with record-setting melting point

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 10:08 AM PDT

Using powerful computer simulations, researchers have identified a material with a higher melting point than any known substance. The computations show that a material made with hafnium, nitrogen, and carbon would have a melting point of more than 4,400 kelvins (7,460 degrees Fahrenheit). That's about two-thirds the temperature at the surface of the sun, and 200 kelvins higher than the highest melting point ever recorded experimentally.

Strong link between delirium, inflammation in older patients

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 10:08 AM PDT

Delirium is an acute state of confusion that often affects older adults following surgery or serious illness. Now a study confirms that inflammation -- an immune response that develops when the body attempts to protect itself from harmful stimuli -- plays a role in the onset of delirium.

Simple procedure using a nasal balloon can help treat hearing loss in children

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 10:08 AM PDT

For children with a common middle-ear problem, a simple procedure with a nasal balloon can reduce the impact of hearing loss and avoid unnecessary and ineffective use of antibiotics, according to a randomized controlled trial.

New material opens possibilities for super-long-acting pills

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:05 AM PDT

Researchers have created a polymer gel that could allow for the development of long-acting devices that reside in the stomach, including orally delivered capsules that can release drugs over a number of days, weeks, or potentially months following a single administration.

Researchers use pigs to root out problem weeds

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:05 AM PDT

Back before chemical pesticides and herbicides, farmers had to come up with ways to kill the weeds that took over their fields. One method used "back in the day" was letting pigs loose in fields that were not being used for crops for a season and allowing the pigs to do what they do naturally: dig up the roots of weeds and fertilize the land.

Latest results from the LHC experiments

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:04 AM PDT

The LHC has already delivered over 10 thousand billion collisions to the large experiments since the start of Run 2. This has allowed the LHC collaborations to measure a full suite of detector performance parameters that demonstrate the readiness of the experiments for discovery physics and precision measurements.

Emergency transport times for stroke patients still in need of improvement

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:04 AM PDT

Despite efforts to close the time gap between symptom onset and stroke treatment -- including improvements in public education, 911 dispatch operations, pre-hospital detection and triage, hospital stroke system development, and stroke unit management -- a new American study suggests that delays in emergency transport are still prevalent and that improvements are needed to ensure patients can be treated within the optimal time window.

Device innovation is driving improvement in stroke treatment outcomes

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:04 AM PDT

Two new studies reinforce the value and progress of Intra-Arterial treatment with conclusions that the innovative new devices that facilitate this approach are reducing treatment times, improving outcomes and decreasing mortality rates.

Dust pillars of destruction reveal impact of cosmic wind on galaxy evolution

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:03 AM PDT

Astronomers have long known that powerful cosmic winds can sometimes blow through galaxies, sweeping out interstellar material and stopping future star formation. Now they have a clearer snapshot of how it happens.

Scientists study predator-prey behavior between sharks, turtles

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:03 AM PDT

A new collaborative study examined predator-prey interactions between tiger sharks and sea turtles off the Northwestern Atlantic Ocean. The research team used long-term satellite tagging data from large tiger sharks and adult female loggerhead sea turtles, common prey of tiger sharks, to examine their movement patterns and evaluate if turtles modify their behaviors to reduce their chances of a shark attack when turtle and shark home ranges overlapped.

At what age does hard work add a shine to lousy prizes?

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:03 AM PDT

Putting in a lot of effort to earn a reward can make unappealing prizes more attractive to kindergartners, but not to preschoolers, according to new research. The findings revealed that when six-year-olds worked hard to earn stickers that they ultimately didn't like, they were loath to give them up, whereas four-year-olds were comparatively eager to give the unappealing stickers away.

Sochi Winter Olympics 'cost billions more than estimated'

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:03 AM PDT

As the International Olympic Committee prepares to choose between Beijing and Almaty as the host of the 2022 Winter Olympics, a new report shows that the cost of last year's Games in Sochi, Russia, has been underestimated by billions of dollars.

Insight on causes of child obesity, tactics to end it

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:03 AM PDT

Encouraging more social interaction for children rather than just limiting TV time and enforcing strong nutritional policies in schools are two of the ways to decrease child obesity rates, according to researchers.

Future medicinal chemistry shines the spotlight on schistosomiasis

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:03 AM PDT

Leading experts explore current and potential new treatment options for the deadly neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis. Schistosomiasis is the world's most deadly neglected tropical disease, killing an estimated 280,000 people annually in the African region alone, and is the second most common parasitic disease after malaria.

Weight loss for a healthy liver

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:03 AM PDT

Weight loss through both lifestyle modification and bariatric surgery can significantly reduce features of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a disease characterized by fat in the liver, according to two new studies.

3D image of malaria 'conductor' aids search for antimalarial drugs

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:03 AM PDT

The first three-dimensional image capturing a critical malaria 'conductor' protein could lead to the development of a new class of antimalarial drugs. Researchers developed WEHI-842, a drug that blocks the malaria parasite protein plasmepsin V, killing the parasite. The discovery is a new step towards developing much needed new drugs for treating and preventing malaria.

Data transmission devices: Smaller, faster, cheaper

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:03 AM PDT

Transmitting large amounts of data, such as those needed to keep the internet running, requires high-performance modulators that turn electric signals into light signals. Researchers have now developed a modulator that is a hundred times smaller than conventional models.

New treatment options for a fatal leukemia

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:02 AM PDT

In industrialized countries, acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common form of cancer in children. An international research consortium has now succeeded in decoding a specific form of this leukemia, which is regarded as incurable, and in obtaining insights for new therapeutic possibilities.

'Major player' in skin cancer genes identified

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:02 AM PDT

A subgroup of genetic mutations that are present in a significant number of melanoma skin cancer cases has been defined by a multidisciplinary team of researchers. Their findings shed light on an important mutation in this deadly disease, and may lead to more targeted anti-cancer therapies.

Predictors of climate change awareness, risk perception vary around the globe

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:02 AM PDT

Using data from the largest cross-sectional survey of climate change perceptions ever conducted, researchers report the first global assessment of factors underlying climate change awareness and risk perception. They say results indicate that to be most effective, climate-related messages must be tailored to public awareness and perceptions specific to each nation.

Researchers find reasons behind increases in urban flooding

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:02 AM PDT

While rising sea levels are the main driver for increasing flood risk to American cities, storm surges caused by weather patterns that favor high precipitation exacerbates 'compound flooding' potential. With nearly 40 percent of the US population residing in coastal areas, compound flooding can have devastating impacts for low-lying, densely populated and heavily developed regions when strong storm surge and high rainfall amounts occur together.

Quantum networks: Back and forth are not equal distances

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:02 AM PDT

Quantum technology based on light (photons) has great potential for radically new information technology based on photonic circuits. Now researchers have discovered a new type of photonic channels, where back and forth are not equal distances. Such a system has been a missing component for building quantum photonic circuits on a large scale.

Life in the fast spray zone: Four new endemic tooth-frog species in West African forests

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:02 AM PDT

Up until recently there was a single known species in the only vertebrate family endemic to West Africa, the torrent tooth-frog. Based on morphological and molecular results, however, four new species are now described. Unfortunately, they might all be at a risk of extinction. Their habitat needs and small distribution range call for immediate conservation measures.

Admission rates increasing for newborns of all weights in NICUs

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:02 AM PDT

Admission rates are increasing for newborns of all weights at neonatal intensive care units in the United States, raising questions about possible overuse of this highly specialized and expensive care in some newborns, according to an article.

Some adverse drug events not reported by manufacturers to FDA by 15-day mark

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 09:02 AM PDT

About 10 percent of serious and unexpected adverse events are not reported by drug manufacturers to the US Food and Drug Administration under the 15-day timeframe set out in federal regulations, according to a new article.

Universities not yet as international as they think, research reveals

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 08:04 AM PDT

Universities' internationalization rankings have limited significance according to new research. This is because the way internationalization is measured only takes into account the quantity of foreign students at each institution and not the extent to which they network with their counterparts from the UK. Thus, there is a strong emphasis on structural aspects of internationalization and less on social ones, say authors of a new report.

Possible path toward first anti-MERS drugs

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 08:03 AM PDT

If you haven't heard of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, thank geography, NGOs, and government agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization (WHO) for keeping the new disease in check. In camels, which act as a reservoir for the causative coronavirus, the illness causes a runny nose; in humans, it causes a cough, fever, and, in 36 percent of cases, death, according to the WHO.

Researchers identify protein in mice that helps prepare for healthy egg-sperm union

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 08:03 AM PDT

A protein that plays a vital role in healthy egg-sperm union has been identified in mice. The protein RGS2 can delay an egg's development into an embryo in order to allow time for sperm to arrive and merge with the egg in a healthy fertilization process. The embryo cannot survive without the male chromosomes, the scientists report.

Home births lead to higher infant mortality, at least for mothers living in poorer areas, experts say

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 08:03 AM PDT

Home births lead to higher infant mortality than hospital births, at least for mothers living in poorer areas. This is the conclusion of a new study that examines 356,412 low-risk Dutch women who delivered between 2000 and 2008 and who were allowed to choose between a home and a hospital birth.

Rapid Ebola test could play key role in efforts to end lingering outbreak

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 07:48 AM PDT

New research has expanded on the studies that led to a fingerprick Ebola test becoming the first and only rapid diagnostic for this disease to receive approval from the World Health Organization (WHO). This test could prove vital to breaking Ebola's grip on West Africa by identifying suspected Ebola cases within minutes, and enabling healthcare workers to isolate and treat these patients much faster than is currently possible.

Neural efficiency hypothesis confirmed

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 07:47 AM PDT

One of the big questions intelligence researchers grapple with is just how differences in intelligence are reflected in the human brain. Researchers have succeeded in studying further details relating to suspected functional differences in the brains of intelligent people. Among their findings: the authors suggest that it is impossible to "exercise" working memory. This has been a controversial issue among scientists in recent years because of contradictory findings in different studies.

Sausage or broccoli on your pizza? How decision frames influence people's food orders

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 07:46 AM PDT

How people decide to customize their food orders has implications for food retailers and the consumers themselves. A new study seeks to explain the way people decide to customize their food orders and the implications for retailers and customers alike.

Increased protein turnover contributes to development of pulmonary fibrosis

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 07:46 AM PDT

A new mechanism that contributes to the development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis has been identified by researchers. They showed that the pathological changes of lung tissue are accompanied by an increase in protein turnover by the central protein degradation machinery of the cell -- the proteasome.

Twin volcanic chains above a single hotspot with distinct roots

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 07:46 AM PDT

Many processes inside the earth are still enigmatic. One of the open questions is how neighboring chains of volcanoes, supplied by the same volcanic hotspot, can emit material of distinct geochemical composition over tens of millions of years?

Diabetes - TB link found in Australia

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 07:00 AM PDT

Despite massive improvements in sanitation and antibiotic coverage over the last century, TB still remains the leading bacterial cause of death worldwide. A 20-year study has now found a strong link between diabetes and tuberculosis in tropical Australia.

Trigger found for defense to rice disease

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 07:00 AM PDT

Biologists have discovered how the rice plant's immune system is triggered by disease, in a discovery that could boost crop yields and lead to more disease-resistant types of rice.

Hiding in plain sight: New insect species discovered in South East Queensland, Australia

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 07:00 AM PDT

A previously unknown species of insect living has been discovered living within reach of Australian suburbia. A researcher investigated the insect responsible for bush coconuts in South East Queensland, stating that until recently there were only two known species of the insect Cystococcus that lived inside these galls.

Babies' brains show that social skills linked to second language learning

Posted: 27 Jul 2015 07:00 AM PDT

Babies learn language best by interacting with people rather than passively through a video or audio recording. But it's been unclear what aspects of social interactions make them so important for learning. New findings demonstrate for the first time that an early social behavior called gaze shifting is linked to infants' ability to learn new language sounds.