ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

2015 likely to be warmest on record, 2011-2015 warmest five year period

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 08:37 PM PST

The global average surface temperature in 2015 is likely to be the warmest on record and to reach the symbolic and significant milestone of 1° Celsius above the pre-industrial era. This is due to a combination of a strong El Niño and human-induced global warming.

Antibody-drug compounds and immunotherapy to treat breast cancer

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 11:37 AM PST

To more efficiently treat breast cancer, scientists have been researching molecules that selectively bind to cancer cells and deliver a substance that can kill the tumor cells, for several years. Researchers have now, for the first time, successfully combined such an antibody-drug conjugate with a therapy that stimulates the immune system to attack tumor cells. This opens the door to new therapeutic options in the treatment of breast cancer.

'Material universe' yields surprising new particle

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 10:35 AM PST

An international team of researchers has predicted the existence of a new type of particle called the type-II Weyl fermion in metallic materials. The discovery suggests a range of potential applications, from low-energy devices to efficient transistors.

Urban trees provide pollution solution

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 10:00 AM PST

Urban environments struggle with contaminated water running off, causing pollution and algal blooms. In response, cities often use natural landscapes of soil, grasses, and trees. These biofiltration systems capture and filter the runoff. Researchers measured how well tree species grew when watered with stormwater, and how well they took extra nutrients out of the stormwater.

Anticancer agent FL118 more potent than its analogs, not prone to typical channels of resistance

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 10:00 AM PST

A new synthetic form of camptothecin appears to have greater potency, longer efficacy and fewer adverse side effects than irinotecan and topotecan, report investigators.

How cells 'climb' to build fruit fly tracheas

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 10:00 AM PST

Fruit fly windpipes are much more like human blood vessels than the entryway to human lungs. To create that intricate network, fly embryonic cells must sprout "fingers" and crawl into place. Now researchers have discovered that a protein called Mipp1 is key to cells' ability to grow these fingers.

Peering into cell structures where neurodiseases emerge

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 09:51 AM PST

Atom by atom, researchers reveal the structure of CAP-Gly, a protein that binds to the latticework of microtubules in our cells. When mutations occur in CAP-Gly, neurological diseases and disorders occur, including Perry syndrome and distal spinal bulbar muscular dystrophy.

Changing season means a changing diet for bison

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 09:51 AM PST

North American bison adjust their diet seasonally in order to take full advantage of the growing season when grasses become less nutritious, a new study has discovered.

Halteres, essential for flight in all flies, are needed by some to climb walls

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 09:51 AM PST

Sensory organs called halteres may play multiple roles in how flies behave, providing clues to how brains absorb and use multiple streams of information, new research indicates.

Willingness to adopt children with special needs the focus of recent study

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 09:51 AM PST

A new study has focused on the attitudes and preferences of prospective adoptive parents in Canada. The study examined the preferences and attitudes of 5,830 AdoptOntario online registrants between May 2009 and February 2012.

Liver cell therapies closer as study reveals key to mass production

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 09:51 AM PST

Stem cell scientists have made a key find that aids the quest to produce therapies for patients with liver damage. They have developed a new technique for growing liver cells from stem cells that is cost-effective and could be adapted for mass production of clinical grade cells.

Contact with nature may mean more social cohesion, less crime

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 09:51 AM PST

In a first-of-its-kind study, an international team tested social correlates of both objective and subjective contact with nature in a systematic way, revealing complex linkages between nature, social cohesion, and a variety of other factors.

At the edge of vision: Struggling to make sense of our cluttered world

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 09:51 AM PST

Even with 20/20 vision in broad daylight on a clear day, our peripheral vision can be surprisingly poor, particularly when the scene in front of us is cluttered. Now, scientists believe they are a step closer to understanding why this is.

How cells in the developing ear 'practice' hearing

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 09:51 AM PST

Before the fluid of the middle ear drains and sound waves penetrate for the first time, the inner ear cells of newborn rodents practice for their big debut. Researchers report they have figured out the molecular chain of events that enables the cells to make 'sounds' on their own, essentially 'practicing' their ability to process sounds in the world around them.

Dietary restriction gives fruit flies a rhythm for a long life

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 09:50 AM PST

Dietary restriction enhances the expression of the circadian clock genes in the peripheral tissue of fruit flies. Researchers show that dietary restriction, induced by reducing protein in the diet, increased the amplitude of circadian clocks and enhanced the cycles of fat breakdown and fat synthesis. This improvement in fat metabolism may be a key mechanism in explaining why dietary restriction extends lifespan in several species, including the flies in this study.

How cocaine changes the brain

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 09:50 AM PST

The burst of energy and hyperactivity that comes with a cocaine high is a rather accurate reflection of what's going on in the brain of its users, finds a study. Through experiments conducted in rats exposed to cocaine, the researchers mapped out the network of circuits that cause wild firing of neurons that produce dopamine. The findings also help explain how cocaine use eventually leads to desensitization.

Massive 'development corridors' in Africa could spell environmental disaster

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 09:50 AM PST

In sub-Saharan Africa, dozens of major 'development corridors,' including roads, railroads, and pipelines, are in the works to increase agricultural production, mineral exports, and economic integration. And, if all goes according to plan, it's going to be a disaster, say researchers. They assessed the potential environmental impacts of 33 planned or existing corridors that would crisscross much of the African continent, opening up vast areas of sparsely populated land.

For pigeons, follow the leader is a matter of speed

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 09:50 AM PST

Many birds travel in flocks, sometimes migrating over thousands of miles. But how do the birds decide who will lead the way? Researchers now have some new insight based on studies in homing pigeons. For pigeons, it seems, leadership is largely a question of speed.

Mother nature may have solution for lowering cholesterol in pregnant women

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 08:33 AM PST

Researchers are studying whether plant sterols can be used as a natural alternative to drug therapy for pregnant women who have high cholesterol. While it's normal for a woman's cholesterol to spike during pregnancy, excessive lipid levels — whether from genetic or dietary reasons — can have negative health effects on the offspring, both early in life and later on as adults.

Lack of protein in rare childhood disease also has role in cancer

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 08:33 AM PST

An expert who has treated rare childhood diseases has found that a protein that is missing in one such disease is also silenced by many cancers. Looking at how the lack of the protein affects the sick children also provides a "lens" on cancer.

Opsins, proteins better known as visual sensors, play a role in the heat-seeking movement of sperm

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 08:33 AM PST

Sperm use multiple navigation systems, such as heat-seeking and chemical, new research shows. Opsins – proteins involved in the visual system – contribute to the heat-seeking movement, helping sperm sense warmth, investigators report.

Why E. coli move faster in syrup-like fluids than in water

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 08:32 AM PST

Swimming in a pool of syrup would be difficult for most people, but for bacteria like E. coli, it's easier than swimming in water. Scientists have known for decades that these cells move faster and farther in viscoelastic fluids, such as the saliva, mucus, and other bodily fluids they are likely to call home, but didn't understand why. New findings could inform disease models and treatments, or even help design microscopic swimming robots.

Nurse provides firsthand account of combating Ebola

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 08:32 AM PST

International nurse volunteers responding to the Ebola outbreak in West African encountered death on nearly every shift and worked under conditions that challenged their ingenuity in providing even basic care. That is according to one nurse's account which provides a rare glimpse of the realities clinicians and patients with Ebola faced inside one Ebola Treatment Unit.

Osteoarthritis finding sheds new light on hyaluronic acid injection controversy

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 08:32 AM PST

A discovery bioengineers is shedding new light on the controversy surrounding a common treatment for osteoarthritis that has divided the medical community over its effectiveness.

Promising drug combination for advanced prostate cancer

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 07:49 AM PST

A new drug combination may be effective in treating men with metastatic prostate cancer. Preliminary results of this new approach are encouraging and have led to an ongoing international study being conducted in 196 hospitals worldwide.

Similar proteins protect the skin of humans, turtles

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 07:49 AM PST

Genes for important skin proteins arose in a common ancestor shared by humans and turtles 310 million years ago, a genome comparison has discovered.

Optimal care for older cancer patients should target relevant health related quality of life domains according to study

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 07:48 AM PST

Researchers have identified health related quality of life components that should be considered as most relevant for achieving optimal care for older cancer patients.

Proteome analysis for detection of diabetic nephropathy: Benefit remains unclear

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 07:47 AM PST

As no study relevant for the research question was identified, the benefit or harm for patients, as well as the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy, remain unclear.

Great Barrier Reef protecting against landslides, tsunamis

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 07:47 AM PST

The world-famous Australian reef is providing an effective barrier against landslide-induced tsunamis, new research shows. An underwater landslide has been found to have occurred some 20,000 years ago, causing a tsunami. Similar submarine landslides could occur without our knowledge but the Great Barrier Reef can absorb some of that potential wave energy.

The LHC collides ions at new record energy

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 06:48 AM PST

After the successful restart of the Large Hadron Collider and its first months of data taking with proton collisions at a new energy frontier, the LHC is moving to a new phase, with the first lead-ion collisions of season 2 at an energy about twice as high as that of any previous collider experiment.

New 'self-healing' gel makes electronics more flexible

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 06:47 AM PST

Researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind self-healing gel that repairs and connects electronic circuits, creating opportunities to advance the development of flexible electronics, biosensors and batteries as energy storage devices.

New treatment potential for heart attack sufferers

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 06:47 AM PST

New hope in the fight against cardiovascular disease has arrived, following breakthrough research identifying a pigment in our bile which could protect us.

Comet fragments best explanation of mysterious dimming star

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:41 AM PST

Astronomers have responded to the buzz about a mysterious dimming star by studying data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. They conclude the dimming was probably caused by a family of comets passing in front of the star.

New 'party pill' test could help authorities keep up with trends in drug (ab)use

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:40 AM PST

A new test for club drugs like ketamine can detect low levels of drugs in urine and plasma, making it faster, easier and cheaper to identify them. The authors of the study say it could give authorities the boost they need to keep up with trends drug (ab)use. A new class of drugs known as "new psychoactive substances" has recently hit the clubs. Sold online or in smart shops as "legal highs," these drugs pose a problem for authorities because they're difficult to analyze and it's tricky to keep up with the speed at which trafficking shifts to new products. There is currently no standard screening test for these drugs. One widely used club drug is ketamine – traditionally an animal tranquilizer – which causes users to hallucinate.

Enhanced detection of Parkinson's

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:39 AM PST

New research by biologists could lead to improved methods of detection for early-onset Parkinson's Disease. By mapping the visual responses of fruit flies with different Parkinson's genes, the scientists built a substantial data bank of results. Using this they were able to classify unknown flies as having a Parkinson's related mutation with 85 per cent accuracy.

Why bartenders have to ignore some signals

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:39 AM PST

A robotic bartender has to do something unusual for a machine: It has to learn to ignore some data and focus on social signals. Researchers recently investigated how a robotic bartender can understand human communication and serve drinks socially appropriately.

Global growth in carbon dioxide emissions stagnates

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:39 AM PST

After a decade of rapid growth in global carbon dioxide emissions, which increased at an average annual rate of 4%, much smaller increases were registered in 2012 (0.8%), 2013 (1.5%) and 2014 (0.5%). In 2014, when the emissions growth was almost at a standstill, the world's economy continued to grow by 3%. The trend over the last three years thus sends an encouraging signal on the decoupling of carbon dioxide emissions from global economic growth. However, it is still too early to confirm a positive global trend. For instance India, with its emerging economy and large population, increased its emissions by 7.8% and became the fourth largest emitter globally.

Nanoparticles simplify DNA identification and quantification

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:39 AM PST

Researchers have been aiming to improving the speed and accuracy of current diagnostics for veterinary pathogens.

Paleolithic elephant butchering site found in Greece

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:39 AM PST

A new Lower Paleolithic elephant butchering site has been discovered in Megalopolis, Greece. The site has yielded stratified stone artifacts in association with a nearly complete skeleton of Elephas antiquus.

Lidar scanning can help identify structurally heterogeneous forest areas

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:38 AM PST

The inequality of tree sizes in a forest is an important factor affecting its structure and ecology. Forest management practices favoring natural regeneration can result in greater heterogeneity and complexity of forests, which may be desirable for some purposes, but at the same time makes forest monitoring and management more difficult. A recent study analyzed the most suitable indicators for expressing size differences among neighboring trees and developed methods to obtain these indicators using the lidar technology. In this method, forests are scanned with a laser on board a plane, penetrating the canopy and providing valuable information of their entire vertical profile.

Cooperation at the expense of society

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:38 AM PST

Cooperation is generally regarded as positive and is often in the best interests of society. However, collusion and corruption are also types of cooperation -- a secret or illegal cooperation, the purpose of which is to gain additional profit at other's expense. Women were shown to be more likely to conspire than men, even when this was not in the best interests of society, concludes a new study.

Ultrasound examinations can identify patients at risk of stroke

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:38 AM PST

Ultrasound, a non-invasive technique commonly used to study the presence of atherosclerosis disease in blood vessels, can be used to identify patients at increased risk of future stroke who could benefit from surgery. Since surgical treatment to prevent stroke is only considered beneficial to some, ultrasound can prove useful in preventing unnecessary surgical intervention, new research shows.

Smart chip tells you how healthy your battery is

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:38 AM PST

A smart chip that can tell you how healthy is your battery and if it is safe for use, has been developed by researchers.

Next-generation fuel cells are ready for low-emission electricity production

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:38 AM PST

A new-generation, long-life fuel cell system is under development, offering efficiency higher than that of competing technologies. The project will result in new, energy-efficient and commercially viable applications, say experts.

Silence of the genes: New insights into genomic imprinting

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:38 AM PST

Scientists are closer to understanding the mechanisms underlying the phenomenon of genomic imprinting. In this intriguing event, one copy of a gene is 'turned off', or silenced, depending on whether it was derived from the mother or the father. The research team has identified a segment of DNA that is essential in the imprinting process for the closely linked Igf2/H19 genes, two of the first imprinted genes to be discovered. If these genes are incorrectly imprinted, it can lead to the overgrowth (Beckwith--Wiedemann) or dwarfism (Silver Russell) syndromes, and also has a role in some kidney and liver cancers.

Combination therapy can prevent cytostatic resistance

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:38 AM PST

Researchers have found a new way of preventing resistance to cytostatics used in the treatment of cancers such as medulloblastoma, the most common form of malignant brain tumor in children. The promising results of this experimental study are based on a combination of the drug temozolomid and other extant drugs that inhibit an enzyme instrumental in DNA repair in cancer cells.

New diet provides hope for treating patients with drug resistant epilepsy

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:38 AM PST

A specific diet can be used to help treat patients with uncontrolled epilepsy, a new study indicates. The findings reveal how the ketogenic diet acts to block seizures in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Breast cancer clinic attributes increased uptake of double mastectomies to Angelina Jolie effect

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:35 AM PST

An increased uptake of preventative double mastectomies has been seen since May 2013, when Angelina Jolie announced that she had undergone the procedure.

Angler education can benefit sharks

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:35 AM PST

Fisher education can help protect vulnerable shark populations, a new study has found. The research showed that recreational anglers were more supportive of shark management and conservation if they had prior knowledge of shark conservation.

Drowned starlings puzzle scientists

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:35 AM PST

Drowning has emerged as a mysterious cause of death among groups of young common starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), according to research by a team of scientists.

Aging star's weight loss secret revealed

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:35 AM PST

A team of astronomers has captured the most detailed images ever of the hypergiant star VY Canis Majoris. These observations show how the unexpectedly large size of the particles of dust surrounding the star enable it to lose an enormous amount of mass as it begins to die. This process, understood now for the first time, is necessary to prepare such gigantic stars to meet explosive demises as supernovae.

Breast MRI after mammography may identify additional aggressive cancers

Posted: 25 Nov 2015 05:35 AM PST

Additional breast cancers found with MRI are sometimes larger and potentially more aggressive than those found on mammography, according to a new study. Researchers said that in some cases MRI findings of additional cancers not seen on mammography may necessitate a change in treatment.

Can a bonobo keep the beat?

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:43 PM PST

Spontaneous and synchronized drumming tempo has been assessed in a female bonobo who self-selected to participate by regularly approaching a human drummer in a designated research area within a bonobo zoo enclosure.

Umbilical cells help eye's neurons connect

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:43 PM PST

Cells isolated from the human umbilical cord have been shown to produce molecules that help retinal neurons from the eyes of rats grow, connect and survive. The findings implicate one family of molecules in particular -- thrombospondins - that may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of degenerative eye diseases.

Betrayals of trust: Human nature's dark side may have helped us spread across the world

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 05:43 PM PST

New research suggests that betrayals of trust were the missing link in understanding the rapid spread of our own species around the world. Moral disputes motivated by broken trust and a sense of betrayal became more frequent and motivated early humans to put distance between them and their rivals.

Native Americans have decreased access to kidney transplants

Posted: 24 Nov 2015 12:54 PM PST

Native Americans have decreased access to kidney transplants and are more likely to die while waiting for a kidney than whites according to new research. Long-term survival outcomes in Native Americans who did receive a kidney transplant were worse than whites, according to a new study.