ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Alcohol blamed for high suicide rates in Northern Ireland
• How bumblebees tackle the traveling salesman problem
• Obesity is a killer in nonsmoking women
• Mood and experience: Life comes at you
• New molecular pathway involved in wound-healing and temperature sensation
• Domed dinosaur was king of the head butt
• HIV disrupts blood-brain barrier: Cellular study suggests way virus may cause neurological deficits
• Predicting academic strength emotionally
• Sweating the small stuff: Early adversity, prior depression linked to high sensitivity to stress
• Gene flow may help plants adapt to climate change
• The smell of danger: Rats instinctively avoid compound in carnivore urine
• New gene therapy for heart failure developed
• Multiple sclerosis-like disease discovered in monkeys
• Coordinated system helps heart attack patients get treatment faster
• Stigma surrounding abortion explored
• Climate change makes some chemicals more toxic to aquatic life, study finds
• Finding could lead to reduced side effects in anti-cancer antibiotics
• Jackson Pollock, artist and physicist?
• Improved stepladder design may decrease injuries
• Silver pen has the write stuff for flexible electronics
• Inkjet printing could change the face of solar energy industry
• Can soda tax curb obesity? Surprising reason why soda tax to reduce obesity won't work
• Chemical produced in pancreas prevented and reversed diabetes in mice
• Splitsville for boron nitride nanotubes
• Insight into plant behavior could aid quest for efficient biofuels
• Neuroscientists find famous optical illusion surprisingly potent
• New procedure treats atrial fibrillation
• Body temperature of dinosaurs measured for the first time
• Cancer treatment: Patients treated with sunitinib and sorafenib respond to flu vaccine
• Bacterium engineered with DNA in which thymine is replaced by synthetic building block
• Metal particle generates new hope for hydrogen energy
• Ladybirds -- wolves in sheep's clothing
• Surgeon shows simple cotton swab slashes post-surgical wound infections
• Baseball cheaters can't hide from the laws of physics
• Tiny ring laser accurately detects and counts nanoparticles
• Single fish species serves as keystone nutrient recycler in streams in certain neotropical stream ecosystems
• Fidgeting your way to fitness
• Attachment to cellphones more about entertainment, less about communication
• Tapping titanium's colorful potential
• New device to cut dialysis risk
• Fertility rates affected by global economic crisis
• New report offers roadmap for success in K-12 STEM education
• Does grilling kill E. coli O157:H7?
• Tropical birds return to harvested rainforest areas in Brazil
• To walk or not to walk? That is the question
• LiquidText software supports active reading through fingertip manipulation of text
• Will new drugs block hepatitis C virus in its tracks?
• Model finds optimal fiber optic network connections 10,000 times more quickly
• Highest magnetic fields ever created
• Researchers image graphene electron clouds, revealing how folds can harm conductivity
• New method for imaging molecules inside cells
• P7 protein resistance mutations identified-represent drug targets for hepatitis C virus
• Gene variant increases fatty liver risk and fibrosis progression
• Effects of Asperger syndrome noticeable in babies
• Neutron star bites off more than it can chew
• Children’s hay fever relieved by cellulose powder without adverse effects, study suggests
• Exercise produces positive effects on the intervertebral discs
• Land use change influences continental water cycle
• Stepped-up vaccine series for hepatitis B is effective during pregnancy
• Long-term benefits of breast screening

Alcohol blamed for high suicide rates in Northern Ireland Posted: 28 Jun 2011 04:13 PM PDT Alcohol and drugs are fueling homicide and suicide rates in Northern Ireland, a new independent report has found, with alcohol appearing to be a key factor for the country's higher suicide rates, including among mental health patients, compared to England and Wales.

How bumblebees tackle the traveling salesman problem Posted: 28 Jun 2011 04:13 PM PDT New research reveals how bumblebees effectively plan their route between the most rewarding flowers while traveling the shortest distances.

Obesity is a killer in nonsmoking women Posted: 28 Jun 2011 04:13 PM PDT Obesity is an important contributor to premature death in women who have never smoked, especially among women in low income groups, new research finds.

Mood and experience: Life comes at you Posted: 28 Jun 2011 02:38 PM PDT Living through weddings or divorces, job losses and children's triumphs, we sometimes feel better and sometimes feel worse. But, psychologists observe, we tend to drift back to a "set point" -- a stable resting point, or baseline, in the mind's level of contentment or unease. Research has shown that the set points for depression and anxiety are particularly stable over time. Why?

New molecular pathway involved in wound-healing and temperature sensation Posted: 28 Jun 2011 02:37 PM PDT Scientists have identified a surprising new molecular pathway in skin cells that is involved in wound-healing and sensory communication.

Domed dinosaur was king of the head butt Posted: 28 Jun 2011 02:37 PM PDT Researchers surveyed the heads of a large number of modern animals as well as one of the world's best dinosaur fossils and they found that the bony anatomy of some pachycephalosaur domes are better at protecting the brain than in any modern head butter.

HIV disrupts blood-brain barrier: Cellular study suggests way virus may cause neurological deficits Posted: 28 Jun 2011 02:37 PM PDT HIV weakens the blood-brain barrier by overtaking a small group of supporting brain cells, according to a new study. The findings may help explain why some people living with HIV experience neurological complications, despite the benefits of modern drug regimens.

Predicting academic strength emotionally Posted: 28 Jun 2011 02:30 PM PDT Authors of a new research paper suggest that teaching "emotional intelligence" alongside knowledge, cognate and transferable skills might reduce the risks that lead to the kind of global economic meltdown in which we currently find ourselves.

Sweating the small stuff: Early adversity, prior depression linked to high sensitivity to stress Posted: 28 Jun 2011 01:33 PM PDT Researchers have found that people get depressed more easily following minor life stressors in part because they have experienced early life adversity or prior depressive episodes, both of which may make people more sensitive to later life stress.

Gene flow may help plants adapt to climate change Posted: 28 Jun 2011 01:33 PM PDT The traffic of genes among populations may help living things better adapt to climate change, especially when genes flow among groups most affected by warming, according to a new study.

The smell of danger: Rats instinctively avoid compound in carnivore urine Posted: 28 Jun 2011 01:33 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a single compound found in high concentrations in the urine of carnivores that triggers an instinctual avoidance response in mice and rats. This is the first time that scientists have identified a chemical tag that would let rodents sense carnivores in general from a safe distance.

New gene therapy for heart failure developed Posted: 28 Jun 2011 01:33 PM PDT Researchers have found in a Phase II trial that a new gene therapy stabilized or improved cardiac function in people with severe heart failure. Patients receiving a high dose of the therapy, called SERCA2a, experienced substantial clinical benefit and significantly reduced cardiovascular hospitalizations, addressing a critical unmet need in this population.

Multiple sclerosis-like disease discovered in monkeys Posted: 28 Jun 2011 01:33 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a naturally occurring disease in monkeys that is very much like multiple sclerosis in humans -- a discovery that could have a major impact on efforts to understand the cause of multiple sclerosis.

Coordinated system helps heart attack patients get treatment faster Posted: 28 Jun 2011 01:33 PM PDT A new report finds a U.S. statewide coordinated care system reduced transfer times between hospitals for heart attack patients needing emergency angioplasty to open blocked heart arteries. The researchers compared how long it took to transfer patients from smaller facilities without emergency angioplasty capabilities to hospitals with them, before and after a statewide patient transfer program was instituted. EMS crews had a particularly strong impact on improving coordination of patient care.

Stigma surrounding abortion explored Posted: 28 Jun 2011 12:16 PM PDT A national health journal publishes a paper by a team of researchers that is launching a new direction for research into the social stigma surrounding abortion.

Climate change makes some chemicals more toxic to aquatic life, study finds Posted: 28 Jun 2011 12:16 PM PDT Some areas of the southern United States are suffering from the longest dry spell since 1887, and a new study shows that could prove problematic for aquatic organisms.

Finding could lead to reduced side effects in anti-cancer antibiotics Posted: 28 Jun 2011 12:16 PM PDT Most of us have had a doctor prescribe an antibiotic for a stubborn bacterial infection, or for a cut that gets infected. However, prescribing an antibiotic to fight cancer? In fact, anti-cancer antibiotics have been used since the 1950s to successfully treat several forms of cancer, but often the side effects limit the duration they can be given to a patient. Newly published results show how the anti-cancer antibiotic Geldanamycin and its derivative 17AAG work in more detail and have uncovered a possible explanation for side effects observed in clinical trials of the drug.

Jackson Pollock, artist and physicist? Posted: 28 Jun 2011 12:16 PM PDT A quantitative analysis of Pollock's streams, drips, and coils, by a mathematician reveals that the artist Jackson Pollock had to be slow -- he had to be deliberate -- to exploit fluid dynamics in the way that he did.

Improved stepladder design may decrease injuries Posted: 28 Jun 2011 12:16 PM PDT Stepladders, a household product used by thousands of people every day, are a surprisingly common cause of injury. In 2009, more than 187,000 Americans visited the hospital after sustaining stepladder injuries, many of which resulted from a fall. A recent human factors/ergonomics study explores how improved design and user behavior can decrease the likelihood of future accidents.

Silver pen has the write stuff for flexible electronics Posted: 28 Jun 2011 12:16 PM PDT The pen may have bested the sword long ago, but now it's challenging wires and soldering irons. Engineers have developed a silver-inked rollerball pen capable of writing electrical circuits and interconnects on paper, wood and other surfaces. The pen is writing whole new chapters in low-cost, flexible and disposable electronics.

Inkjet printing could change the face of solar energy industry Posted: 28 Jun 2011 10:30 AM PDT Inkjet printers, a low-cost technology that in recent decades has revolutionized home and small office printing, may soon offer similar benefits for the future of solar energy. Engineers have discovered a way for the first time to create successful solar devices with inkjet printing, in work that reduces raw material waste by 90 percent and will significantly lower the cost of producing solar energy cells with some very promising compounds.

Can soda tax curb obesity? Surprising reason why soda tax to reduce obesity won't work Posted: 28 Jun 2011 10:30 AM PDT To many, a tax on soda is a no-brainer in advancing the nation's war on obesity. Advocates point to a number of recent studies in that conclude that sugary drinks have a lot to do with why Americans are getting fatter. But obese people tend to drink diet sodas, and therefore taxing soft drinks with added sugar or other sweeteners is not a good weapon in combating obesity, according to a new study.

Chemical produced in pancreas prevented and reversed diabetes in mice Posted: 28 Jun 2011 10:26 AM PDT A chemical produced by the same cells that make insulin in the pancreas prevented and even reversed Type 1 diabetes in mice.

Splitsville for boron nitride nanotubes Posted: 28 Jun 2011 10:26 AM PDT Researchers have developed a technique for mass-producing defect-free boron nitride nanoribbons (BNNRs) of uniform length and thickness. BNNRs are predicted to display magnetic and electronic properties that hold enormous potential for future devices.

Insight into plant behavior could aid quest for efficient biofuels Posted: 28 Jun 2011 10:26 AM PDT Tiny seawater algae could hold the key to crops as a source of fuel and plants that can adapt to changing climates.

Neuroscientists find famous optical illusion surprisingly potent Posted: 28 Jun 2011 10:26 AM PDT Scientists have figured out the brain mechanism that makes an optical illusion first reported thousands of years ago by Aristotle work. The illusion, known as "motion aftereffect" in scientific circles, causes us to see movement where none exists.

New procedure treats atrial fibrillation Posted: 28 Jun 2011 10:25 AM PDT Doctors are now performing a new procedure to treat atrial fibrillation, a common irregular heartbeat. The "hybrid" procedure combines minimally invasive surgical techniques with the latest advances in catheter ablation. The two-pronged approach gives doctors access to both the inside and outside of the heart at the same time, helping to more completely block the erratic electrical signals that cause atrial fibrillation.

Body temperature of dinosaurs measured for the first time Posted: 28 Jun 2011 10:25 AM PDT When dinosaurs were first discovered in the mid-19th century, paleontologists thought they were plodding beasts that relied on their environment to keep warm, like modern-day reptiles.

Cancer treatment: Patients treated with sunitinib and sorafenib respond to flu vaccine Posted: 28 Jun 2011 10:25 AM PDT Patients treated with sunitinib and sorafenib responded to the flu vaccine, which suggests the agents do not damage the immune system as much as previously feared, according to a new study.

Bacterium engineered with DNA in which thymine is replaced by synthetic building block Posted: 28 Jun 2011 10:24 AM PDT The genetic information of all living cells is stored in the DNA composed of the four canonical bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G) and thymine (T). An international team of researchers has now succeeded in generating a bacterium possessing a DNA in which thymine is replaced by the synthetic building block 5-Chlorouracil (c), a substance toxic for other organisms.

Metal particle generates new hope for hydrogen energy Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:31 AM PDT Tiny metallic particles produced by Australian chemistry researchers are bringing new hope for the production of cheap, efficient and clean hydrogen energy.

Ladybirds -- wolves in sheep's clothing Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:31 AM PDT Australian research has revealed that the tremendous diversity of ladybird beetle species is linked to their ability to produce larvae which, with impunity, poach members of "herds" of tiny, soft-bodied scale insects from under the noses of the aggressive ants that tend them.

Surgeon shows simple cotton swab slashes post-surgical wound infections Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:31 AM PDT A simple item found in almost every medicine cabinet -- a cotton swab -- may be a key tool in the fight against post-surgical wound infections.

Baseball cheaters can't hide from the laws of physics Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:31 AM PDT Some baseball superstitions are accepted as cold, hard truth. But in the world of physics, the most accepted verities are subject to experimentation. A corked bat hits the ball further? Not in Lloyd Smith's lab. Baseballs today are livelier than in the past? See above. A humidor can curb home run production? Yes, but only because Smith has fired the balls through a cannon and measured their bounciness as they hit a bat.

Tiny ring laser accurately detects and counts nanoparticles Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:31 AM PDT A ring-shaped laser no bigger than a pinprick can accurately detect and count individual viruses, the particles that jumpstart cloud formation or those that contaminate the air we breathe. A particle disturbs the light circulating in the ring, splitting the lasing frequency. This split is a measure of the particle's size.

Single fish species serves as keystone nutrient recycler in streams in certain neotropical stream ecosystems Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:31 AM PDT Researchers have found that certain neotropical stream ecosystems rely almost entirely on a single fish species known as the banded tetra for the critical nutrient phosphorus. In a new paper, they explain why this particular species plays such a crucial role -- and why these stream systems are vulnerable as a result.

Fidgeting your way to fitness Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:31 AM PDT Walking to the photocopier and fidgeting at your desk are contributing more to your cardiorespiratory fitness than you might think.

Attachment to cellphones more about entertainment, less about communication Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:31 AM PDT That panicked feeling we get when the family pet goes missing is the same when we misplace our mobile phone, says a marketing professor. Moreover, those feelings of loss and hopelessness without our digital companion are natural.

Tapping titanium's colorful potential Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:28 AM PDT A new, cost-effective process for coloring titanium can be used in manufacturing products from sporting equipment to color-coded nuclear waste containers.

New device to cut dialysis risk Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:28 AM PDT A graduate student team has invented a device to reduce the risk of infection, clotting and narrowing of the blood vessels in patients who need blood-cleansing dialysis because of kidney failure.

Fertility rates affected by global economic crisis Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:28 AM PDT The global economic recession of 2008-09 has been followed by a decline in fertility rates in Europe and the United Sates, bringing to an end the first concerted rise in fertility rates across the developed world since the 1960s.

New report offers roadmap for success in K-12 STEM education Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:27 AM PDT From educators to leaders in industry, there is broad agreement that US schools have a crucial challenge in improving teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) among students from kindergarten through high school. A background in STEM is not only essential to many current and future careers; it is also a means for citizens to understand and participate in an increasingly complex world -- from understanding the challenges of environmental sustainability to addressing the need for alternative sources of energy.

Does grilling kill E. coli O157:H7? Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:27 AM PDT Top sirloin steaks have been getting a grilling in food safety studies. Microbiologists are conducting experiments to help make sure that neither the food-borne pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7 nor any of its pathogenic relatives will ruin the pleasure of eating this popular entree.

Tropical birds return to harvested rainforest areas in Brazil Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:27 AM PDT Bird species in rainforest fragments in Brazil that were isolated by deforestation disappeared then reappeared over a quarter-century, according to new research.

To walk or not to walk? That is the question Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:27 AM PDT Canadians aren't the only people concerned with weather, eh? A new study observed pedestrians in nine cities around the world and found people are less likely to walk when temperatures dip below zero, when there's too much rain or too much snow.

LiquidText software supports active reading through fingertip manipulation of text Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:26 AM PDT Researchers have developed innovative software for active reading, an activity that involves highlighting, outlining and taking notes on a document. Taking advantage of touch-screen tablet computers, LiquidText enables active readers to interact with documents using finger motions. LiquidText can significantly enhance the experiences of active readers, a group that includes students, lawyers, managers, corporate strategists and researchers.

Will new drugs block hepatitis C virus in its tracks? Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:23 AM PDT Targeted multi-drug treatments for hepatitis C patients that could stop the virus in its tracks have come a step closer, thanks to new research.

Model finds optimal fiber optic network connections 10,000 times more quickly Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:23 AM PDT Designing fiber optic networks involves finding the most efficient way to connect phones and computers that are in different places -- a costly and time-consuming process. Now researchers have developed a model that can find optimal connections 10,000 times more quickly, using less computing power to solve the problem.

Highest magnetic fields ever created Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:23 AM PDT On June 22, 2011, scientists at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf set a new world record for magnetic fields with 91.4 teslas. To reach this record, the researchers developed a coil weighing about 200 kilograms in which electric current create the giant magnetic field -- for a period of a few milliseconds. The coil survived the experiment unscathed.

Researchers image graphene electron clouds, revealing how folds can harm conductivity Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:23 AM PDT Chemists have used synchrotron light sources to observe the electron clouds on the surface of graphene, producing a series of images that reveal how folds and ripples in the remarkable material can harm its conductivity.

New method for imaging molecules inside cells Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:18 AM PDT Using a new sample holder, researchers have further developed a new method for imaging individual cells. This makes it possible to produce snapshots that not only show the outline of the cell's contours but also the various molecules inside or on the surface of the cell, and exactly where they are located, something which is impossible with a normal microscope.

P7 protein resistance mutations identified-represent drug targets for hepatitis C virus Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:18 AM PDT Researchers have identified specific resistance mutations for two classes of p7 inhibitor, which may explain their lack of effectiveness in clinical trials combined with current standard of care. Study results support the role of p7 inhibitor combinations as potential components of future HCV-specific therapies.

Gene variant increases fatty liver risk and fibrosis progression Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:18 AM PDT New research confirms that a variant on the patatin-like phospholipase-3 (PNPLA3) gene increases risk of steatosis and fibrosis progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). The PNPLA3 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs 738409 may represent an important genetic predictor and potential therapeutic target in chronic HCV liver damage.

Effects of Asperger syndrome noticeable in babies Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:18 AM PDT People with Asperger syndrome have problems with social interaction and attentiveness, and are also sensitive to noise and light. Several of these characteristics were evident to parents during their child's first two years.

Neutron star bites off more than it can chew Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:18 AM PDT The European Space Agency's XMM-Newton space observatory has watched a faint star flare up at X-ray wavelengths to almost 10 000 times its normal brightness. Astronomers believe the outburst was caused by the star trying to eat a giant clump of matter.

Children’s hay fever relieved by cellulose powder without adverse effects, study suggests Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:18 AM PDT A cellulose powder has been used increasingly for many years against allergic rhinitis. Still, there has been a shortage of scientific evidence for its efficacy in seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever), particularly in children. Now, however, scientists have shown that the cellulose powder reduces symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis in children. Researchers did not find any adverse effects.

Exercise produces positive effects on the intervertebral discs Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:18 AM PDT Physical exercise has a positive effect on the formation of cells in the intervertebral discs.

Land use change influences continental water cycle Posted: 28 Jun 2011 08:18 AM PDT Forests, and tropical forests in particular, play an important role in the global water cycle. Scientists have recently shown that evaporation from the Amazon forest is for more than 50% responsible for the rainfall in Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Brazil, where it feeds crops and rivers. Similarly in Africa, the Congo forest exports tons of water through the atmosphere to the West-African countries.

Stepped-up vaccine series for hepatitis B is effective during pregnancy Posted: 28 Jun 2011 06:52 AM PDT Maternal-fetal specialists have confirmed a potential new protocol to protect pregnant women who are at risk for hepatitis B, a health problem that affects 2 billion people worldwide.

Long-term benefits of breast screening Posted: 28 Jun 2011 06:52 AM PDT Results from the longest running breast screening trial show that screening with mammography reduces the number of deaths from breast cancer.

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