ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Average U.S. temperature increases by 0.5 degrees F
• 2010 one of two warmest years on record; El Niño-Southern Oscillation and other climate patterns play major role
• Text message support for smokers doubles quit rates
• European Society of Cardiology calls for greater awareness of potential for adverse events from bleeding as a result of PCI
• Outpatient electronic prescribing systems don't cut out common mistakes, study suggests
• Drink-fueled memory blackouts among students predict future injury risk
• How safe is mist netting? First large-scale study into bird capture technique evaluates the risks
• Screening with low-dose spiral CT scanning reduces lung cancer deaths by 20 percent
• Human ancestor older than previously thought; Finding offers new insights into evolution
• Lung cancer screening trial shows screening with CT scans reduces lung cancer deaths
• Lung cancer: Study shows 20 percent reduction in mortality with low-dose CT vs chest X-ray
• Fungus farming ant genome reveals insight into adaptation of social behavior
• Study confirms CT lung cancer screens save lives; other analyses underway
• New therapy for childhood neuroblastoma proves feasible and safe, study finds
• At small scales, tug-of-war between electrons can lead to magnetism
• Money and mimicry
• Lung cancer screening program: Experts mobilize after national clinical trial shows CT scanning reduces deaths by 20 percent
• Blocking molecular target could make more cancers treatable with PARP inhibitors
• Possible way to make bladder cancer cells more susceptible to chemotherapy
• Girl's Puberty Book Project provides an international model for promoting female health in Africa
• GOES satellites see ash still spewing from Chilean volcano
• Researchers can predict future actions from human brain activity
• 'Odd couple' binary makes dual gamma-ray flares
• A role for glia in the progression of Rett syndrome
• Parent-adolescent cell phone conversations reveal a lot about the relationship
• Women get up sooner than men after a fall in soccer
• New fossils demonstrate that powerful eyes evolved in a twinkling
• New light shed on the private lives of electrons: Lasers allow scientists to observe how electrons become entangled
• Scientists use 'optogenetics' to control reward-seeking behavior
• Cancer Genome Atlas completes detailed ovarian cancer analysis
• Universe's most distant quasar found, powered by massive black hole
• HIV-inhibiting mechanism identified
• Sequence of ovarian genome identifies predominant gene mutations, points to possible treatment
• Scientists identify order of mutations that lead to cancer
• Getting enough 'sunshine vitamin' may not just be about catching rays, new blood test reveals
• Astronomers discover Universe’s most distant quasar
• Networking is not just for the 21st Century
• Green facades are the future
• Scientists develop sensitive skin for robots: Intelligent machines develop 'self-awareness'
• Researchers contribute to global plant database, expanding ecosystems research
• Men play post-op catch-up: Study shows women make more progress early on after knee replacement surgery than men
• Diabetes drug may prevent or delay development of polycystic ovary syndrome, the most common cause of infertility in women
• Report calls for cultural transformation of attitudes toward pain and its prevention and management
• Vets who survive suicide attempt have heightened mortality risk due to future suicide, disease, study finds
• Ingredients of happiness around the world
• Tripping the fluid dynamic: The physics of Jackson Pollock
• 'Sensing skin' could monitor the health of concrete infrastructure continually and inexpensively
• New smartphone app automatically tags photos: Sensors on location, surroundings, other phones nearby add context to a photo
• Genetic 'conductor' involved with new brain cell production in adults
• Culture influences people's response to climate change, psychologists find
• New rapid test tells difference between bacterial and viral infections
• New salmonella-based 'clean vaccines' aid the fight against infectious disease
• Many Americans approve of stem cell research for curing serious diseases
• Recycling: A new source of indispensible 'rare earth' materials mined mainly in China
• Moving microscopic vision into another new dimension
• Farm animal disease to increase with climate change, scientists say
• Natural gases as a therapy for heart disease?
• Studying solar wind
• Evolution of skin and ovarian cancer cells
• Hawaiian hotspot variability attributed to small-scale convection

Average U.S. temperature increases by 0.5 degrees F Posted: 29 Jun 2011 05:50 PM PDT According to the 1981-2010 normals to be released by the U.S. National Climatic Data Center, temperatures across the United States were on average, approximately 0.5 degree F warmer than the 1971-2000 time period. Normals serve as a 30 year baseline average of important climate variables that are used to understand average climate conditions at any location and serve as a consistent point of reference. The new normals update the 30-year averages of climatological variables, including average temperature and precipitation for more than 7,500 locations across the United States.

2010 one of two warmest years on record; El Niño-Southern Oscillation and other climate patterns play major role Posted: 29 Jun 2011 05:47 PM PDT Worldwide, 2010 was one of the two warmest years on record, according to a new report by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The peer-reviewed report, compiled by 368 scientists from 45 countries, provides a detailed, yearly update on global climate indicators, notable climate events and other climate information from every continent.

Text message support for smokers doubles quit rates Posted: 29 Jun 2011 05:30 PM PDT Cell phones could hold the key to people giving up smoking after a program involving sending motivational and supportive text messages to smokers doubled quit rates at six months.

European Society of Cardiology calls for greater awareness of potential for adverse events from bleeding as a result of PCI Posted: 29 Jun 2011 05:30 PM PDT The European Society of Cardiology is calling for greater attention to be paid by health care staff to reducing bleeding in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), and for increased research in the field.

Outpatient electronic prescribing systems don't cut out common mistakes, study suggests Posted: 29 Jun 2011 05:30 PM PDT Outpatient electronic prescribing systems don't cut out the common mistakes made in manual systems, new research suggests.

Drink-fueled memory blackouts among students predict future injury risk Posted: 29 Jun 2011 05:30 PM PDT The higher the number of drink-fueled memory blackouts a student experiences, the greater is his/her risk of sustaining a future injury while under the influence, reveals new nresearch.

How safe is mist netting? First large-scale study into bird capture technique evaluates the risks Posted: 29 Jun 2011 05:30 PM PDT Capturing birds using mist nets in order to study behavior, movement or the demographics of a species is one of the most common research techniques in ornithology; yet until now there have been no large scale studies into the risks mist nets pose to birds. Researchers from California used a data set of over 345,000 records to evaluate the risks of mist netting.

Screening with low-dose spiral CT scanning reduces lung cancer deaths by 20 percent Posted: 29 Jun 2011 03:18 PM PDT Current or heavy smokers who were screened with low-dose spiral computed tomography (CT) scanning had a 20 percent reduction in deaths from lung cancer than did those who were screened by chest X-ray, according to results from a decade-long, large clinical trial that involved more than 53,000 people.

Human ancestor older than previously thought; Finding offers new insights into evolution Posted: 29 Jun 2011 03:18 PM PDT Modern humans never co-existed with Homo erectus -- a finding counter to previous hypotheses of human evolution -- new excavations in Indonesia and dating analyses show. The research offers new insights into the nature of human evolution, suggesting a different role for Homo erectus than had been previously thought.

Lung cancer screening trial shows screening with CT scans reduces lung cancer deaths Posted: 29 Jun 2011 03:18 PM PDT Results of the National Lung Screening Trial show a 20 percent reduction in lung cancer deaths among participants screened with CT scans versus those screened with chest X-ray. The NLST enrolled 53,000 current and former heavy smokers ages 55-74 at 33 sites across the United States.

Lung cancer: Study shows 20 percent reduction in mortality with low-dose CT vs chest X-ray Posted: 29 Jun 2011 03:18 PM PDT Scientists have found a 20 percent reduction in deaths from lung cancer among current or former heavy smokers who were screened with low-dose helical computed tomography (CT) versus those screened by chest X-ray. This finding provides a more extensive analysis of the data originally reported in November 2010 while providing additional data to the public and research community without barriers to access.

Fungus farming ant genome reveals insight into adaptation of social behavior Posted: 29 Jun 2011 03:18 PM PDT The development of agriculture was a significant event in human cultural evolution, but we are not the only organisms to have adopted an agricultural way of life. Researchers have now sequenced the genome of a fungus farming leaf-cutting ant, revealing new insights into the genetics and molecular biology behind this unusual lifestyle.

Study confirms CT lung cancer screens save lives; other analyses underway Posted: 29 Jun 2011 03:18 PM PDT A new report confirms an initial announcement by the National Cancer Institute of a 20-percent reduction in lung cancer deaths in heavy smokers by using helical low-dose CT screening versus X-rays. The study provides a deeper description of that finding, but does not yet answer important questions about cost-effectiveness, health care utilization, or changes in smoking behavior. Those analyses are underway and results could be available later this year.

New therapy for childhood neuroblastoma proves feasible and safe, study finds Posted: 29 Jun 2011 02:16 PM PDT A new treatment option may soon be available for children with neuroblastoma, according to new research.

At small scales, tug-of-war between electrons can lead to magnetism Posted: 29 Jun 2011 02:12 PM PDT At the smallest scales, magnetism may not work quite the way scientists expected, according to a recent article.

Money and mimicry Posted: 29 Jun 2011 02:12 PM PDT We rely on money in our day-to-day life and it is constantly in our minds. After all, money makes the world go round, doesn't it? Now, a new study tries to better understand the psychological effect of money and how it affects our behavior, feelings and emotions.

Lung cancer screening program: Experts mobilize after national clinical trial shows CT scanning reduces deaths by 20 percent Posted: 29 Jun 2011 02:12 PM PDT Current and former heavy smokers can now be screened more effectively for lung cancer. Results from the National Lung Screening Trial revealed that detecting small lung cancers with computed tomography reduces lung cancer specific mortality by 20 percent.

Blocking molecular target could make more cancers treatable with PARP inhibitors Posted: 29 Jun 2011 02:12 PM PDT Researchers have demonstrated a molecular strategy they say could make a much larger variety of tumors treatable with PARP inhibitors, a promising new class of cancer drugs. They report that the BRCA1 repair protein is dependent on the protein CDK1. When the scientists blocked CDK1 in cancer cell lines and in a mouse model of lung cancer, BRCA1 function was disrupted, making them susceptible to being killed by a PARP inhibitor.

Possible way to make bladder cancer cells more susceptible to chemotherapy Posted: 29 Jun 2011 02:12 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a way of sensitizing muscle-invasive bladder cancer cells so that they succumb to the toxic effects of chemotherapy.

Girl's Puberty Book Project provides an international model for promoting female health in Africa Posted: 29 Jun 2011 02:12 PM PDT The onset of puberty is a critical moment for reaching girls with health messages and information, and the stakes are particularly high in countries where the HIV/AIDS epidemic rages and where threats to female reproductive health abound. Yet to date, the healthcare community in low-resource countries has tended to neglect this opportunity and instead concentrate efforts on young women who are older and of reproductive age. A multi-year project in Tanzania, the Girl's Puberty Book, addresses this gap.

GOES satellites see ash still spewing from Chilean volcano Posted: 29 Jun 2011 02:12 PM PDT The Puyehue-Cordon volcano in Chile continues to spew ash that is still disrupting travel as far as Australia and New Zealand this week.

Researchers can predict future actions from human brain activity Posted: 29 Jun 2011 02:12 PM PDT Bringing the real world into the brain scanner, researchers can now determine the action a person was planning, mere moments before that action is actually executed.

'Odd couple' binary makes dual gamma-ray flares Posted: 29 Jun 2011 02:12 PM PDT In December 2010, a pair of mismatched stars in the southern constellation Crux whisked past each other at a distance closer than Venus orbits the sun. The system possesses a so-far unique blend of a hot and massive star with a compact fast-spinning pulsar. The pair's closest encounters occur every 3.4 years and each is marked by a sharp increase in gamma rays, the most extreme form of light.

A role for glia in the progression of Rett syndrome Posted: 29 Jun 2011 02:12 PM PDT New research shows that glia play a key role in preventing the progression of the most prominent Rett Syndrome symptoms displayed by mouse models of the disease: lethality, irregular breathing and apneas, hypoactivity and decreased dendritic complexity.

Parent-adolescent cell phone conversations reveal a lot about the relationship Posted: 29 Jun 2011 02:11 PM PDT The nature of cell phone communication between a parent and adolescent child can affect the quality of their relationship, and much depends on who initiates the call and the purpose and tone of the conversation, according to a new study.

Women get up sooner than men after a fall in soccer Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:25 AM PDT When women play football (soccer), the individual interruptions, for instance for substitutions or to cheer a goal, are a lot shorter than when men play. In particular after injuries men remain on the ground significantly longer. This is what sports scientists discovered after analyzing 56 soccer games and evaluating the place, time and duration of every single interruption of the game. In soccer, men stage themselves much more than women, the scientists conclude.

New fossils demonstrate that powerful eyes evolved in a twinkling Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:25 AM PDT Palaeontologists have uncovered half-a-billion-year-old fossils demonstrating that primitive animals had excellent vision. Scientists found exquisite fossils, which look like squashed eyes from a recently swatted fly.

New light shed on the private lives of electrons: Lasers allow scientists to observe how electrons become entangled Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:25 AM PDT Scientists have used lasers to peek into the complex relationship between a single electron and its environment, a breakthrough that could aid the development of quantum computers.

Scientists use 'optogenetics' to control reward-seeking behavior Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:25 AM PDT The findings suggest that therapeutics targeting the path between two critical brain regions, the amygdala and the nucleus accumbens, represent potential treatments for addiction and other neuropsychiatric diseases.

Cancer Genome Atlas completes detailed ovarian cancer analysis Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:25 AM PDT An analysis of genomic changes in ovarian cancer has provided the most comprehensive and integrated view of cancer genes for any cancer type to date. Serous adenocarcinoma is the most prevalent form of ovarian cancer, accounting for about 85 percent of all ovarian cancer deaths. Researchers completed whole-exome sequencing, which examines the protein-coding regions of the genome, on an unprecedented 316 tumors. They also completed other genomic characterizations on these tumors and another 173 specimens.

Universe's most distant quasar found, powered by massive black hole Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:25 AM PDT A team of European astronomers has used European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and a host of other telescopes to discover and study the most distant quasar found to date. This brilliant beacon, powered by a black hole with a mass two billion times that of the Sun, is by far the brightest object yet discovered in the early Universe.

HIV-inhibiting mechanism identified Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:25 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a long-sought cellular factor that works to inhibit HIV infection of myeloid cells, a subset of white blood cells that display antigens and hence are important for the body's immune response against viruses and other pathogens. The factor, a protein called SAMHD1, is part of the nucleic acid sensing machinery within the body's own immune system.

Sequence of ovarian genome identifies predominant gene mutations, points to possible treatment Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:25 AM PDT The genome of the most common form of ovarian cancer is characterized by a few common gene mutations but also surprisingly frequent structural changes in the genome itself, said members of the Cancer Genome Atlas that sequenced and analyzed more than 300 such tumors. The study was the first to achieve an overview of this type of ovarian cancer.

Scientists identify order of mutations that lead to cancer Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:25 AM PDT Scientists have begun to reveal the order of the genetic aberrations in individual cancers in a finding they say is key to early diagnosis and personalized medicine.

Getting enough 'sunshine vitamin' may not just be about catching rays, new blood test reveals Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:24 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new highly-accurate blood test which can detect how much a patient's diet could be responsible for a lack of the so-called 'sunshine vitamin'. Vitamin D deficiencies can weaken the immune system and increase the risk of cancer and osteoporosis. For the first time, the different forms of vitamin D the body absorbs from diet and sunlight, known as vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 respectively, can be individually distinguished from closely related compounds.

Astronomers discover Universe’s most distant quasar Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:24 AM PDT A team of astronomers has discovered the most distant quasar to date -- a development that could help further our understanding of a universe still in its infancy following the Big Bang.

Networking is not just for the 21st Century Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:45 AM PDT Renaissance specialists in the UK have discovered that the art of social networking pre-dates the Twitter and Facebook generations by more than 400 years.

Green facades are the future Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:44 AM PDT Green facades and roofs are a current trend in building. Recent research in the Netherlands focused specifically on facades and sees considerable benefits in creating vertical vegetation. Among other things, the plants help to absorb hazardous fine dust particles from the air.

Scientists develop sensitive skin for robots: Intelligent machines develop 'self-awareness' Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:30 AM PDT Robots will soon be able to feel heat or gentle touching on their surfaces. Researchers in Germany are now producing small hexagonal plates which when joined together form a sensitive skin for "machines with brains." This will not only help robots to better navigate in their environments, it will also enable robot 'self-perception'. A single robotic arm has already been partially equipped with sensors and proves that the concept works.

Researchers contribute to global plant database, expanding ecosystems research Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:30 AM PDT A new database of plants' traits will help scientists around the world learn more about how climate change is affecting ecosystems. The availability of plant trait data in the unified global database promises to support a paradigm shift in Earth system sciences.

Men play post-op catch-up: Study shows women make more progress early on after knee replacement surgery than men Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:30 AM PDT Although women generally have worse knee function and more severe symptoms before undergoing surgery for knee replacement than men, they recover faster after the operation. Men take longer to recover but, after a year, they catch up with women and there are no differences in surgery outcomes at that time, according to new findings.

Diabetes drug may prevent or delay development of polycystic ovary syndrome, the most common cause of infertility in women Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:30 AM PDT A recent study found that early, prolonged treatment with the diabetes drug metformin may prevent or delay the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in adolescence. PCOS affects 7 to 10 percent of women of childbearing age and is the most common cause of infertility, affecting an estimated 5 to 6 million women in the United States, according to The Hormone Foundation.

Report calls for cultural transformation of attitudes toward pain and its prevention and management Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:30 AM PDT Every year, at least 116 million adult Americans experience chronic pain, a condition that costs the nation between $560 billion and $635 billion annually, says a new report from the U.S. Institute of Medicine. Much of this pain is preventable or could be better managed, added the committee that wrote the report.

Vets who survive suicide attempt have heightened mortality risk due to future suicide, disease, study finds Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:30 AM PDT After weathering the stresses of military life and the terrors of combat, soldiers find themselves overwhelmed by the transition back into civilian life. Many have already survived one suicide attempt, but never received the extra help and support they needed, with tragic results. A team of researchers found that veterans who are repeat suicide attempters suffer significantly greater mortality rates due to suicide compared to both military and civilian peers.

Ingredients of happiness around the world Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:30 AM PDT In a new study, researchers put Maslow's "hierarchy of needs" to the test with data from 123 countries representing every major region of the world.

Tripping the fluid dynamic: The physics of Jackson Pollock Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:30 AM PDT The abstract expressionist paintings of Jackson Pollock reveal that the American artist was an intuitive master of the laws that govern the flow of liquids under gravity, according to a multidisciplinary team of researchers.

'Sensing skin' could monitor the health of concrete infrastructure continually and inexpensively Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:28 AM PDT Civil engineers and physicists have designed a new method for the electronic, continual monitoring of concrete infrastructure. The researchers say a flexible skin-like fabric with electrical properties could be adhered to areas of structures where cracks are likely to appear, such as the underside of a bridge, and detect cracks when they occur. Installing this "sensing skin" would be as simple as gluing it to a structure's surface.

New smartphone app automatically tags photos: Sensors on location, surroundings, other phones nearby add context to a photo Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:28 AM PDT So much for tagging photographs with names, locations and activities yourself -- a new cell phone application can take care of that for you. The system works by taking advantage of the multiple sensors on a mobile phone, as well as those of other mobile phones in the vicinity.

Genetic 'conductor' involved with new brain cell production in adults Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:28 AM PDT A team of researchers has discovered more about how a gene connected to the production of new brain cells in adults does its job. Their findings could pave the way to new therapies for brain injury or disease.

Culture influences people's response to climate change, psychologists find Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:27 AM PDT How people choose to consume resources and use contraception influences their responses to climate change, according to a team of psychologists.

New rapid test tells difference between bacterial and viral infections Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:27 AM PDT Scientists are reporting development and successful testing of a rapid and accurate test to tell the difference between bacterial and viral infections. Those common afflictions often have similar symptoms but vastly different treatments -- antibiotics work for bacterial infections but not for viruses.

New salmonella-based 'clean vaccines' aid the fight against infectious disease Posted: 29 Jun 2011 09:27 AM PDT Researchers have developed a technique to make recombinant attenuated salmonella vaccines safer and more effective. The group demonstrated that a modified strain of salmonella showed a five-fold reduction in virulence in mice, while preserving strong immunogenic properties.

Many Americans approve of stem cell research for curing serious diseases Posted: 29 Jun 2011 07:21 AM PDT While research using human embryonic stem cells has roused political controversy for almost two decades, little has been done to scientifically assess American attitudes on the subject. New research provides decision-makers with a much clearer picture of how their constituents truly feel about the subject.

Recycling: A new source of indispensible 'rare earth' materials mined mainly in China Posted: 29 Jun 2011 07:21 AM PDT That axiom of sustainability -- "recycle and reuse" -- could help ease concerns about a reliable supply of substances, indispensable for a modern technological society, that are produced almost exclusively in the Peoples' Republic of China. That's the conclusion of a study on these so-called "rare earth" elements.

Moving microscopic vision into another new dimension Posted: 29 Jun 2011 07:21 AM PDT Scientists who pioneered a revolutionary 3-D microscope technique are now describing an extension of that technology into a new dimension that promises sweeping applications in medicine, biological research, and development of new electronic devices.

Farm animal disease to increase with climate change, scientists say Posted: 29 Jun 2011 07:21 AM PDT Scientists have shown that recent climate change could have caused a serious infectious disease in farm animals to spread through Europe.

Natural gases as a therapy for heart disease? Posted: 29 Jun 2011 07:21 AM PDT An understanding of the interaction between hydrogen sulphide (the 'rotten eggs' gas) and nitric oxide, both naturally occurring in the body, could lead to the development of new therapies and interventions to treat heart failure. Researchers have analyzed the complex "cross talk" between hydrogen sulfide and nitric oxide, both gasses that occur naturally in the body, and found that the interaction may offer potential strategies in the management of heart failure.

Studying solar wind Posted: 29 Jun 2011 07:21 AM PDT Scientists have measured oxygen isotopes in solar wind, captured by NASA's Genesis mission, to infer the isotopic composition of the sun, and, by inference, the solar system as a whole.

Evolution of skin and ovarian cancer cells Posted: 29 Jun 2011 07:21 AM PDT Scientists have developed a way to uncover the evolution of human cancer cells, determining the order in which mutations emerge in them as they wend their way from a normal, healthy state into invasive, malignant masses.

Hawaiian hotspot variability attributed to small-scale convection Posted: 29 Jun 2011 06:16 AM PDT Small scale convection at the base of the Pacific plate has been simulated in a model of mantle plume dynamics, enabling researchers to explain the complex set of observations at the Hawaiian hotspot, according to a new study.

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