ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

When exercise is unhealthy for the heart: How heart problems and sudden cardiac death occur with endurance exercise

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 02:03 PM PST

Endurance exercise accelerates the development of heart problems in individuals with a particular genetic mutation, a new study finds. In mice with a mutated version of desmoplakin, a protein that maintains the heart wall, exercise made the heart walls come apart sooner. The findings offer insight into how to best manage exercise in individuals with the mutation.

Carbon content of temperate forests overestimated, study suggests

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 02:02 PM PST

Digital measurements of millions of trees indicate that previous studies likely overestimate the amount of carbon stored by temperate US forests, according to a new study.

Volcanic rocks hold clues to Earth's interior

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 02:02 PM PST

Earth's deep interior transport system explains volcanic island lava complexities, report scientists. Studies of rocks found on certain volcanic islands, known as ocean island basalts, have revealed that although these erupted rocks originate from Earth's interior, they are not the same chemically.

Mars once had a moderately dense atmosphere

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 02:02 PM PST

Scientists suggest that 3.8 billion years ago, Mars might have had only a moderately dense atmosphere. The scientists have identified a photochemical process that could have helped such an early atmosphere evolve into the current thin one without creating the problem of 'missing' carbon and in a way that is consistent with existing carbon isotopic measurements.

The myth about l-trypophan in turkey

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 11:38 AM PST

Turkey itself doesn't make you sleepy after a Thanksgiving meal. What makes you sleepy is eating very large quantities of turkey, stuffing, potatoes and pie. Turkey does contain tryptophan, but so do yogurt, eggs, fish, cheese and other meats.

Want honesty? Make it the easiest choice, suggests research

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 11:36 AM PST

We're more likely to do the right thing in situations of moral conflict when it requires little to no effort, new research confirms. If income information is automatically entered into our tax return, we may be less likely to alter it to something that is incorrect once it's there. However, the passive response can promote cheating, too.

Algae could be a new green power source

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 11:36 AM PST

To limit climate change, experts say that we need to reach carbon neutrality by the end of this century at the latest. To achieve that goal, our dependence on fossil fuels must be reversed. But what energy source will take its place? Researchers report that they just might have the answer: algae.

Winter season reverses outcome of fruit fly reproduction

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 11:36 AM PST

Male fruit flies could find their chances of fathering offspring radically reduced if they are last in the queue to mate with promiscuous females before winter arrives, according to new research.

Army ants' 'living' bridges span collective intelligence, 'swarm' robotics

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 11:35 AM PST

Researchers report for the first time that the 'living' bridges army ants of the species Eciton hamatum build with their bodies are more sophisticated than scientists knew. The ants automatically assemble with a level of collective intelligence that could provide new insights into animal behavior and even help in the development of intuitive robots that can cooperate as a group.

Chemical design made easier

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 11:35 AM PST

A metal-free process has been developed for the rapid synthesis of elusive small-molecule catalysts that promise to speed the making of novel chemicals, including drugs.

Mars to lose its largest moon, Phobos, but gain a ring

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 11:35 AM PST

Mars' largest moon -- one of only two in our solar system moving inward towards its planet -- will eventually be torn apart by tidal forces and distributed in a ring around the planet, a study of the cohesiveness of Phobos has concluded. This would take about 10-20 million years, and the ring will persist for up to 100 million years before the dust falls into Mars' atmosphere and burns up as 'moon' showers.

Fat cells originating from bone marrow found in humans

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 11:35 AM PST

Fat cells produced by stem cells from the bone marrow may be linked to chronic illnesses like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and some cancers, researchers report.

People who rely on their intuition are, at times, less likely to cheat

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 11:35 AM PST

In psychological studies, intuition, or 'gut instinct,' is the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. Now, a new study has determined that individuals who are prone to trust their instincts may at times be less likely to commit immoral acts. Findings indicate that people who tend to rely on their intuition are less likely to cheat after reflecting on past experiences during which they behaved immorally.

Investigational drug may prevent life-threatening muscle loss in advanced cancers

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 11:33 AM PST

New data describes how an experimental drug can stop life-threatening muscle wasting (cachexia) associated with advanced cancers and restore muscle health. The experimental agent, known as AR-42 while in testing, was tested in preclinical studies.

Decarbonizing tourism: Would you pay US$11 for a carbon-free holiday?

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 11:33 AM PST

The damaging effects of carbon dioxide emissions from tourism could eventually be eliminated if travelers paid just US$11 per trip, according to a new study. Global tourism is largely dependent on fossil fuel energy, and emits more carbon dioxide than than all but five countries of the world. Recent estimates conclude that tourism, including transport, accommodation, and leisure activities contributed close to 5 percent of total human-made emissions of carbon dioxide worldwide.

Immune-disorder treatment in mice holds potential for multiple sclerosis patients

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 11:33 AM PST

A simple, rapid way to treat an immune-related disorder in mice has been identified by researchers, an approach that could eventually help multiple sclerosis patients after further research.

Cataract surgery lessens patients' dizziness

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 11:33 AM PST

Older people with visual impairment can report feeling dizzy and falling. A new study found that after routine cataract surgery, the improved vision led to patients experiencing significantly less dizziness, although they did not experience fewer falls.

Gut microbes signal to the brain when they're full

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 11:33 AM PST

Don't have room for dessert? The bacteria in your gut may be telling you something. Twenty minutes after a meal, gut microbes produce proteins that can suppress food intake in animals, reports a study. The researchers also show how these proteins injected into mice and rats act on the brain reducing appetite, suggesting that gut bacteria may help control when and how much we eat.

A flounder's disappearing act explained

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 09:26 AM PST

Simply oscillating its fins is all a flounder, a flat fish, needs to do to resuspend sand and quickly disappear beneath it to hide. By discovering the physics at play, researchers are hoping to provide a new flounder-inspired solution to a common technological challenge: the resuspension of granular material within a fluid.

The hottest white dwarf in the Galaxy

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 09:25 AM PST

Astronomers have identified a dying star and intergalactic gas entering the Milky Way.

'Sport shoppers' bargain hunt simply for the thrill of it, new research finds

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 09:20 AM PST

A new type of shopper -- the 'sport shopper' -- has been identified by researchers, for whom shopping is akin to athletic competition. They describe the sport shopper as someone who can afford to purchase items at full price, but instead bargain hunts for the thrill of out-smarting the retail system -- versus bargain shoppers who look for deals out of necessity.

Big data reveals glorious animation of bottom water

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 09:20 AM PST

A remarkably detailed animation of the movement of the densest and coldest water in the world around Antarctica has been produced using data generated on Australia's most powerful supercomputer, Raijin.

Sharing economy can help financial struggles

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 09:20 AM PST

The power of the sharing economy in shaking up traditional industries can be harnessed to help financially struggling consumers, according to new research.

'Connector hubs' are the champions of brain coordination

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 09:20 AM PST

Swinging a bat at a 90-mph fastball requires keen visual, cognitive and motor skills. But how do diverse brain networks coordinate well enough to hit the ball? A new study suggests the human brain's aptitude and versatility can be credited in large part to 'connector hubs,' which filter and route information.

How Earth's Pacific plates collapsed

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 09:20 AM PST

Scientists drilling into the ocean floor have, for the first time, found out what happens when one tectonic plate first gets pushed under another. The international expedition drilled into the Pacific ocean floor and found distinctive rocks formed when the Pacific tectonic plate changed direction and began to plunge under the Philippine Sea Plate about 50 million years ago.

Biologists induce flatworms to grow heads and brains of other species

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 08:30 AM PST

Biologists have succeeded in inducing one species of flatworm to grow heads and brains characteristic of another species of flatworm without altering genomic sequence. The work reveals physiological circuits as a new kind of epigenetics -- information existing outside of genomic sequence -- that determines large-scale anatomy.

Leatherback sea turtles choose nest sites carefully, study finds

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 08:30 AM PST

The enormous, solitary leatherback sea turtle spends most of its long life at sea. After hatching and dispersing across the world's oceans, only the female leatherbacks return to their natal beaches to lay clutches of eggs in the sand. A new study offers fresh insights into their nesting choices and will help efforts to prevent the extinction of this globally endangered giant of the sea, researchers said.

Use of antivirals in retrovirus-infected cats

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 08:28 AM PST

A number of antiviral drugs are licensed and widely used for the treatment of specific viral infections in humans. Potential new agents are also being investigated that it is hoped will overcome limitations of the current options, which include a narrow antiviral spectrum, ineffectiveness against latent virus infections, development of drug-resistance and toxic side effects.

Canuckosaur! First Canadian 'dinosaur' becomes Dimetrodon borealis

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 08:28 AM PST

A 'dinosaur' fossil originally discovered on Prince Edward Island, Canada, has been shown to have steak knife-like teeth, and researchers have changed its name to Dimetrodon borealis -- marking the first occurrence of a Dimetrodon fossil in Canada.

Inkjet hologram printing now possible

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 08:28 AM PST

Vivid holographic images and text can now be produced by means of an ordinary inkjet printer. This new method is expected to significantly reduce the cost and time needed to create the so-called rainbow holograms, commonly used for security purposes -- to protect valuable items, such as credit cards and paper currency, from piracy and falsification.

Genetic risk for hyperinflammatory disorder from viral infection identified

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 08:28 AM PST

A group of people with fatal H1N1 flu died after their viral infections triggered a deadly hyperinflammatory disorder in susceptible individuals with gene mutations linked to the overactive immune response, according to a study. Researchers suggest people with other types of infections and identical gene mutations also may be prone to the disorder, known as reactive HLH (rHLH), or hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.

Complex humor is no laughing matter

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 08:21 AM PST

Since the earliest times, laughter and humor have performed important functions in human interaction. Jokes give us control over laughter and are therefore a way to elicit these positive effects intentionally. In order to comprehend why some jokes are perceived as funny and others are not, researchers investigated the cognitive mechanism underlying laughter and humor.

Scientists 'see' detailed make-up of deadly toxin for the first time

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 08:21 AM PST

An exciting advance provides hope for developing novel potential method of treating pneumococcal diseases such as bacterial pneumonia, meningitis and septicaemia. A team of researchers uses a technique called X-ray crystallography to see the individual atoms of the toxin. World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that more than 1.6 million people every year die from pneumococcal infections, including more than 800,000 children under 5 years old.

Cheesy products: Some online-purchased cheeses are of low quality

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 08:21 AM PST

Online shopping is booming. Scientists examined the microbiological safety, packaging and labeling of a variety of raw milk cheeses sold online. Of 108 cheeses from seven different European countries, only 19 fulfilled all European guideline requirements. More than half of the products were not cooled properly during delivery, and two products were contaminated with the major food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes.

Stored fat fights against the body's attempts to lose weight

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 08:21 AM PST

The fatter we are, the more our body appears to produce a protein that inhibits our ability to burn fat, suggests new research. The findings may have implications for the treatment of obesity and other metabolic diseases.

Storing solar energy underground for a cloudy day

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 08:21 AM PST

A common criticism of a total transition to wind, water and solar power is that the US electrical grid can't affordably store enough standby electricity to keep the system stable. Now a researcher proposes an underground solution to that problem.

Republicans prefer politicians with deep voices

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 08:21 AM PST

Masculine features are important assets for conservative politicians, while it is more important for their liberal counterparts to have gentle features, according to two recent scientific articles. This suggests that physical features have a larger impact on voter preferences than previously thought and that different physical features appeal to different voter segments.

Mental health risk for new dads

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 08:21 AM PST

Anxiety around the arrival of a new baby is just as common as postnatal depression, and the risks for men are nearly as high as for women, researchers have found. A mental health researcher reviewed 43 separate studies and found anxiety before and after a child arrives is just as prevalent as depression, affecting around 1 in 10 men, around half the rate for women.

Lactate for brain energy

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:22 AM PST

Nerve cells cover their high energy demand with glucose and lactate, scientists confirm. They show for the first time in the intact mouse brain evidence for an exchange of lactate between different brain cells. With this study they were able to confirm a 20-year old hypothesis.

3D amplifies emotions evoked by facial expressions

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:22 AM PST

New research findings have implications for emotion research, entertainment industry and 3D displays, say investigators. They found that 2D photographs of facial expressions fail to evoke emotions as strongly as live faces, possibly due to the low fidelity of the pictorial presentation.

'Traditional authority' linked to rates of deforestation in Africa

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:22 AM PST

New analysis reveals a strong correlation between precolonial institutions in Africa and current levels of deforestation. Researchers suggest that many of these structures still operate at a local level, controlling and exploiting natural resources under the radar of the state, and that such legacies of governance pose a major challenge for implementing conservation policies.

Final year individual bonuses are counter-productive

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:22 AM PST

Rewarding teamwork or group efforts enhances business performance, say researchers. The work has found that it makes better business sense to reward team performance rather than provide individual bonuses -- and that group rewards generate the top-performing individuals.

Cooking with chloraminated water and salt could create toxic molecules

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:19 AM PST

Several new molecules have been discovered by researchers, who suggest ways to avoid their formation. They have found that cooking with chloraminated water could put potentially harmful toxins in your food. The study reveals several molecules that are almost completely new to researchers, created by cooking with chloraminated tap water and iodized table salt.

Infants under 12 months most at risk of physical abuse

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:19 AM PST

Infants under the age of 12 months are most at risk of serious physical abuse, reveals a large study of severely injured children. Compared with children whose injuries had been accidental, the injuries of abused children were more severe and tended to involve the head/brain.

Electric mobility contributes decisively to climate protection

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:19 AM PST

The transportation sector has the capacity to nearly halve its carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 and, hence, to contribute far more than previously thought to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Realizing this would require further efficiency improvement and, especially, promotion of public transport in cities, alongside with a large-scale shift to electric cars, concludes a recent study.

Past performance plays minor role in CEO selection

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:19 AM PST

An individual's past performance plays a minor role in headhunters' decisions concerning which candidates to put forward for CEO positions in major non-financial firms, according to new research from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Taking care of old oil wells

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:19 AM PST

Thousands of old offshore oil wells will have to be plugged to prevent them leaking, an expensive exercise. Researchers are now proposing a solution that may offer some relief for what is a major headache.

Corn snake genome sequenced for the first time

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:19 AM PST

Among the 5,000 existing species of mammals, more than 100 have their genome sequenced, whereas the genomes of only 9 species of reptiles (among 10,000 species) are available to the scientific community. This is the reason why a team of researchers has produced a large database including, among others, the newly-sequenced genome of the corn snake, a species increasingly used to understand the evolution of reptiles. Within the same laboratory, the researchers have discovered the exact mutation that causes albinism in that species.

Understanding the fruit fly's nose

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:19 AM PST

New work on the fruit fly's sense of smell uses an interdisciplinary approach to learn how chemical signals control the behavior of insects. Understanding molecular mechanisms of the insect's sense of smell may give researchers clues on how to interfere and manipulate odour-evoked behaviours in the wild.

Climate study finds evidence of global shift in the 1980s

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:15 AM PST

Planet Earth experienced a global climate shift in the late 1980s on an unprecedented scale, fueled by anthropogenic warming and a volcanic eruption, according to new research. Scientists say that a major step change, or 'regime shift,' in Earth's biophysical systems, from the upper atmosphere to the depths of the ocean and from the Arctic to Antarctica, was centered around 1987, and was sparked by the El Chichón volcanic eruption in Mexico five years earlier.

Liquid acoustics half way to the earth's core

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:15 AM PST

Scientists have succeeded in measuring the speed of sound in mixtures of liquid iron and carbon in extreme conditions, allowing limits to be set on the composition of the Earth's core.

No substantive evidence for 'pause' in global warming

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:15 AM PST

There is no substantive evidence for a 'pause' or 'hiatus' in global warming and the use of those terms is therefore inaccurate, new research has found.

Increase in infant deaths attributed to crib bumpers, study suggests

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:15 AM PST

The number of infant deaths and injuries attributed to crib bumpers has spiked significantly in recent years, prompting researchers to call for a nationwide ban on the bedding accessory. The findings stem from an analysis by longtime experts on the topic.

Food odors activate impulse area of the brain in obese children

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:15 AM PST

The area of the brain associated with impulsivity and the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder is activated in obese children when introduced to food smells, according to new research.

Atom-sized craters make a catalyst much more active

Posted: 23 Nov 2015 06:03 PM PST

Bombarding and stretching an important industrial catalyst opens up tiny holes on its surface where atoms can attach and react, greatly increasing its activity as a promoter of chemical reactions, according to a new study.

Scientists create genetically modified malaria-blocking mosquitoes

Posted: 23 Nov 2015 06:02 PM PST

Using a groundbreaking gene editing technique, scientists have created a strain of mosquitoes capable of rapidly introducing malaria-blocking genes into a mosquito population through its progeny, ultimately eliminating the insects' ability to transmit the disease to humans. This new model represents a notable advance in the effort to establish an antimalarial mosquito population, which with further development could help eradicate a disease that sickens millions worldwide each year.

Make mine a double-shot, zero-G espresso

Posted: 23 Nov 2015 05:59 PM PST

Last year Italy sent an espresso machine up to the ISS, and this inspired a team of researchers to study the related strange fluids phenomena in low gravity, such as espresso crema formation and containment of potentially hazardous drinks within a spacecraft. To do this, the researchers designed a cup that exploits surface tension as opposed to gravity.

Dinosaur extinction theory: New research may draw 'curtain of fire' on theories

Posted: 23 Nov 2015 05:57 PM PST

The role volcanic activity played in mass extinction events in Earth's early history is likely to have been much less severe than previously thought, according to a study.

Bioart: An introduction

Posted: 23 Nov 2015 05:36 PM PST

Bioart ranges from bacterial manipulation to glowing rabbits, cellular sculptures, and -- in the case of artist Nina Sellars -- documentation of an ear prosthetic that was implanted onto fellow artist Stelarc's arm. In the pursuit of creating art, practitioners have generated tools and techniques that have aided researchers, while sometimes crossing into controversy, such as by releasing invasive species into the environment, blurring the lines between art and biology, and challenging scientific thinking.

Loss of mastodons aided domestication of pumpkins, squash

Posted: 23 Nov 2015 05:28 PM PST

If Pleistocene megafauna -- mastodons, mammoths, giant sloths and others -- had not become extinct, humans might not be eating pumpkin pie and squash for the holidays, according to an international team of anthropologists.