UC BERKELEY (US) — The competition between farmers and fish for precious water is intensifying in California.A new study by biologists at the University of California, Berkeley, links higher death rates for threatened juvenile steelhead trout with low water levels in the summer and the amount of vineyard acreage upstream.
Futurity
-
Most Topular Stories
-
In wine country, trout struggle to survive
Futurity.org » University of California at Berkeley14 May 2012 | 12:45 pm -
For motivation, live to learn, not to win
Futurity.org » University of Pittsburgh14 May 2012 | 3:49 pmSTANFORD (US) — An environment that emphasizes learning for its own sake may help foster motivation, even once a person returns to a more competitive setting. Think about the ideal student. He or she focuses on learning, not grades; improvement, not appearances; competency, not competition. This person wants to understand and grow, not just prove how smart he or she is. -
Time of year matters for vitamin D risk
Futurity.org16 May 2012 | 1:32 pmU. WASHINGTON (US) — When considering a patient’s blood vitamin D levels, it may be best to consider a lower threshold for concern, as well as the time of year. The threshold amount for older patients’ vitamin D levels has become controversial as several scientific societies set different targets. But a new study at the University of Washington supports recent recommendations for a lower threshold level, considerably lower than the recommendations of other expert panels. -
Mammals may not get to cool climates in time
Futurity.org » Earth & Environment16 May 2012 | 10:44 amU. WASHINGTON (US) — Nine percent of the Western Hemisphere’s mammals—and up to 40 percent in some regions—may not be able to outpace climate change. A new study is the first to consider whether mammals will actually be able to move to those new areas suitable for mammals before they are overrun by climate change. Carrie Schloss, University of Washington research analyst in environmental and forest sciences, is lead author of the paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. -
Time of year matters for vitamin D risk
Futurity.org » Health & Medicine16 May 2012 | 1:32 pmU. WASHINGTON (US) — When considering a patient’s blood vitamin D levels, it may be best to consider a lower threshold for concern, as well as the time of year. The threshold amount for older patients’ vitamin D levels has become controversial as several scientific societies set different targets. But a new study at the University of Washington supports recent recommendations for a lower threshold level, considerably lower than the recommendations of other expert panels.
-
Futurity.org
-
Time of year matters for vitamin D risk
16 May 2012 | 1:32 pmU. WASHINGTON (US) — When considering a patient’s blood vitamin D levels, it may be best to consider a lower threshold for concern, as well as the time of year. The threshold amount for older patients’ vitamin D levels has become controversial as several scientific societies set different targets. But a new study at the University of Washington supports recent recommendations for a lower threshold level, considerably lower than the recommendations of other expert panels. -
Mammals may not get to cool climates in time
16 May 2012 | 10:44 amU. WASHINGTON (US) — Nine percent of the Western Hemisphere’s mammals—and up to 40 percent in some regions—may not be able to outpace climate change. A new study is the first to consider whether mammals will actually be able to move to those new areas suitable for mammals before they are overrun by climate change. Carrie Schloss, University of Washington research analyst in environmental and forest sciences, is lead author of the paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. -
Why parents can’t rely on video game ratings
16 May 2012 | 10:25 amIOWA STATE (US) —Not all E-rated video games are created equal. New research indicates content matters more than ratings when it comes to effects on kids. The findings come from three studies, one of which is the first experimental study on children (ages 9-14) comparing the short-term behavioral effects of playing prosocial, neutral, and violent video games. -
Top-educated women picking family track
16 May 2012 | 9:43 amU. BUFFALO (US) — More older, highly educated women are choosing to have a family, but it remains unclear whether they are having children in addition to—or instead of—careers. While it is still too early to be certain, research clearly shows fertility rising for older, highly educated women since the 1990s. (Fertility is defined as the number of children a woman has had.) Childlessness also declined by roughly 5 percentage points between 1998 and 2008. -
Images show risk of sudden heart failure
16 May 2012 | 9:32 amU. BUFFALO (US) — Doctors may have a new way to identify patients who are at the highest risk of sudden cardiac arrest, and the most likely to benefit from an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD).ICDs are used to prevent sudden cardiac arrest in patients with advanced heart disease, but many patients’ devices are never triggered. New research suggests that imaging the loss of nerve function in the heart may identify those patients at greatest risk of developing a life-threatening arrhythmia.
-
Futurity.org » Earth & Environment
-
Mammals may not get to cool climates in time
16 May 2012 | 10:44 amU. WASHINGTON (US) — Nine percent of the Western Hemisphere’s mammals—and up to 40 percent in some regions—may not be able to outpace climate change. A new study is the first to consider whether mammals will actually be able to move to those new areas suitable for mammals before they are overrun by climate change. Carrie Schloss, University of Washington research analyst in environmental and forest sciences, is lead author of the paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. -
In wine country, trout struggle to survive
14 May 2012 | 12:45 pmUC BERKELEY (US) — The competition between farmers and fish for precious water is intensifying in California.A new study by biologists at the University of California, Berkeley, links higher death rates for threatened juvenile steelhead trout with low water levels in the summer and the amount of vineyard acreage upstream. -
Natural land a welcome mat for ladybugs
14 May 2012 | 10:08 amMICHIGAN STATE (US) — Having large tracts of natural habitat around crop fields invites pest-gobbling ladybugs, which could save farmers an estimated $4.6 billion a year on insecticides.Non-crop plants provide ladybugs and other predatory insects with food and shelter, helping them to survive and thrive in areas where they are needed. In an attempt to increase benefits from predatory insects, researchers have often planted strips of flowers along the edges of crop fields. -
Jersey-sized ice basin at risk of collapse
11 May 2012 | 10:05 amU. TEXAS-AUSTIN (US) — Scientists have uncovered a sub-glacial basin about the size of New Jersey under the West Antarctic Ice Sheet by using ice-penetrating radar instruments flown on aircraft. The location, shape, and texture of the mile-deep basin suggest that this region of the ice sheet, near the Weddell Sea, is at a greater risk of collapse than previously thought. Team members at the University of Texas at Austin compared data about the newly discovered basin to data they previously collected from other parts of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) that also appear highly vulnerable,… -
‘Map of Life’ tracks animals around the globe
11 May 2012 | 10:04 amU. COLORADO/YALE (US) — The “Map of Life” online database aims to show the distribution of all living plants and animals on the planet, and is now available to the public. The demonstration version allows users to map the known global distribution of almost 25,000 species of terrestrial vertebrate animals, including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and North American freshwater fish.
-
Futurity.org » Health & Medicine
-
Time of year matters for vitamin D risk
16 May 2012 | 1:32 pmU. WASHINGTON (US) — When considering a patient’s blood vitamin D levels, it may be best to consider a lower threshold for concern, as well as the time of year. The threshold amount for older patients’ vitamin D levels has become controversial as several scientific societies set different targets. But a new study at the University of Washington supports recent recommendations for a lower threshold level, considerably lower than the recommendations of other expert panels. -
Images show risk of sudden heart failure
16 May 2012 | 9:32 amU. BUFFALO (US) — Doctors may have a new way to identify patients who are at the highest risk of sudden cardiac arrest, and the most likely to benefit from an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD).ICDs are used to prevent sudden cardiac arrest in patients with advanced heart disease, but many patients’ devices are never triggered. New research suggests that imaging the loss of nerve function in the heart may identify those patients at greatest risk of developing a life-threatening arrhythmia. -
Feeding tube may flare some ulcer risks
16 May 2012 | 9:10 amBROWN (US) — Gastric feeding tubes may do more harm than good for bedridden dementia patients, new research shows.As reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine, an analysis of thousands of nursing home patients reports that percutaneous endoscopic gastric (PEG) feeding tubes, long assumed to help bedridden dementia patients stave off or overcome pressure ulcers, may instead make the sores more likely to develop or not improve. -
Clean air improves heart health, Olympics show
15 May 2012 | 4:43 pmUSC / U. ROCHESTER (US) — Using the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a lab, researchers found evidence that even short-term reduction in air pollution exposure improves a person’s cardiovascular health. The results of the study appear this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. -
Limit off-label psych drugs to save, study says
15 May 2012 | 2:15 pmPENN STATE / YALE (US) — Reducing the non-FDA-approved use of antipsychotic drugs may be a way to save money while having little effect on patient care, according to a new study. Researchers say that 57.6 percent of patients prescribed antipsychotic medications in data from 2003 did not have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, the conditions for which the drugs were approved for use. Use of medication for treatments that is not FDA-approved is called off-label use. “Given healthcare reform and widespread crisis in state revenues, state Medicaid programs will be under pressure to serve…
-
Futurity.org » Science & Technology
-
Trait lets snakes chow down on toxic newts
14 May 2012 | 11:25 amU. VIRGINIA (US) — Six snake species on three continents have developed a similar trait to resist the poison of their highly toxic prey.Several species of newts and frogs produce the toxin, known as tetrodotoxin, that is more lethal than cyanide. -
Smartphones in tow, robots take a swim
14 May 2012 | 10:41 amUC BERKELEY (US) — Researchers recently launched a fleet of 100 smartphone-equipped robots into California’s Sacramento River to get an unprecedented look at how water flows.The Floating Sensor Network project offers a network of mobile sensors that can be deployed rapidly to provide real-time, high-resolution data in hard-to-map waterways. A recent field test, organized by engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, illustrated how the water-monitoring technology could transform the way government agencies monitor water resources. -
Faults at rest yield earthquake clues
11 May 2012 | 4:07 pmCALTECH (US) — A new computer model reveals the physics of faults—both during earthquakes and at times of “rest”—to better predict future seismic activity. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have developed the first computer model of an earthquake-producing fault segment that reproduces, in a single physical framework, the available observations of both the fault’s seismic (fast) and aseismic (slow) behavior. “Our study describes a methodology to assimilate geologic, seismologic, and geodetic data surrounding a seismic fault to form a… -
Brainless brittle stars move (sort of) like us
10 May 2012 | 3:48 pmBROWN (US) — Even without a brain, the thick-spined brittle star moves in fundamentally the same way we do.Though not bilaterally symmetrical like people and many other animals, brittle stars have come up with a mechanism to choose one of five limbs to direct movement on the seabed. -
Dunes on the move reveal Mars in flux
10 May 2012 | 1:51 pmCALTECH/JOHNS HOPKINS (US) — New technology has allowed scientists to take the first measurements of sand dunes and ripples moving across the surface of Mars. Last year, images from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured the activity on Mars’ surface—observations that challenged previously held beliefs that there was not a lot of movement on the red planet’s surface. The new method for data processing is outlined in an advance online publication of the journal Nature.
-
Futurity.org » Society & Culture
-
Top-educated women picking family track
16 May 2012 | 9:43 amU. BUFFALO (US) — More older, highly educated women are choosing to have a family, but it remains unclear whether they are having children in addition to—or instead of—careers. While it is still too early to be certain, research clearly shows fertility rising for older, highly educated women since the 1990s. (Fertility is defined as the number of children a woman has had.) Childlessness also declined by roughly 5 percentage points between 1998 and 2008. -
For tough problems, expert pairs work best
15 May 2012 | 2:20 pmU. ILLINOIS (US) — Experts produce better results when they work in pairs, rather than alone, to tackle complex problems, a new study finds.The study used expert flight instructors, student pilots (novices), and non-pilots, with 32 participants from each of the three groups. They were asked to work alone or in pairs in problem-solving tasks involving an aviation scenario. Problem solving was done with either another participant of the same level of expertise or alone and required identifying the problem in the scenario and generating a solution. -
For kids of unwed, informal child support better
15 May 2012 | 12:05 pmRUTGERS (US) — Young children of unmarried parents who live with their mother show better cognitive skills if the father provides cash support without being legally required to do so.A new study published in the Social Services Review also finds that when financial support is mandated by the courts, children will exhibit more aggressive behavior than those who don’t get any formal support at all. -
1 in 7 seniors in US face hunger threat
15 May 2012 | 11:18 amU. ILLINOIS (US) — A new study of hunger trends over a 10-year period found that 8.3 million seniors (about 14 percent) in the United States face the threat of hunger.From 2001 to 2010, the number of seniors experiencing the threat of hunger increased by 78 percent, according to the study. Since the onset of the recession in 2007 to 2010, the number of seniors experiencing the threat of hunger increased by 34 percent. -
Reputation can’t beat a face you can trust
15 May 2012 | 11:11 amU. WARWICK (UK) — Our decisions to trust people with our money are based more on how they look than how they behave, according to new research. In a paper recently published in the PLoS One journal, researchers from the University of Warwick Business School and their colleagues carried out a series of experiments to see if people made decisions to trust others based on their faces. They found people are more likely to invest money in someone whose face is generally perceived as trustworthy, even when they are given negative information about this person’s reputation.
-
Futurity.org » Brown University
-
Feeding tube may flare some ulcer risks
16 May 2012 | 9:10 amBROWN (US) — Gastric feeding tubes may do more harm than good for bedridden dementia patients, new research shows.As reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine, an analysis of thousands of nursing home patients reports that percutaneous endoscopic gastric (PEG) feeding tubes, long assumed to help bedridden dementia patients stave off or overcome pressure ulcers, may instead make the sores more likely to develop or not improve. -
Brainless brittle stars move (sort of) like us
10 May 2012 | 3:48 pmBROWN (US) — Even without a brain, the thick-spined brittle star moves in fundamentally the same way we do.Though not bilaterally symmetrical like people and many other animals, brittle stars have come up with a mechanism to choose one of five limbs to direct movement on the seabed. -
Quantum ‘nail polish’ yields laser lights
2 May 2012 | 9:35 amBROWN (US) — Engineers can now produce red, green, and blue laser light from a single type of nanoscale crystal, which could lead to more colorful digital displays. The size determines color, but all the pyramid-shaped quantum dots are made the same way of the same elements. In experiments, light amplification required much less power than previous attempts at the technology. The team’s prototypes are the first lasers of their kind. Red, green, and blue lasers have become small and cheap enough to find their way into products ranging from BluRay DVD players to fancy pens, but each color… -
Were bones ‘Tums’ for early land crawlers?
25 Apr 2012 | 9:40 amBROWN (US) — In the move from water to land 370 million years ago, early land crawlers may have used bone in their skin and scalp to shed carbon dioxide and prevent acid build-up, an approach still used by some animals today.The “dermal bones” within the skin—especially the bones covering the skull roof and forming part of the shoulder girdle of these early land animals—had a highly complex surface of ridges and furrows called “dermal sculpture.” -
With RNA edits, fly guys lose mating skill
25 Apr 2012 | 9:18 amBROWN (US) — Scientists find that “locking down” RNA’s self-editing process at two extremes creates strange behaviors in fruit flies. Because a function of RNA is to be translated as the genetic instructions for the protein-making machinery of cells, RNA editing is the body’s way of fine-tuning the proteins it produces, allowing us to adapt. The enzyme ADAR, which does this editing job in the nervous system of creatures ranging from mice to humans, even edits itself.
-
Futurity.org » California Institute of Technology
-
Faults at rest yield earthquake clues
11 May 2012 | 4:07 pmCALTECH (US) — A new computer model reveals the physics of faults—both during earthquakes and at times of “rest”—to better predict future seismic activity. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have developed the first computer model of an earthquake-producing fault segment that reproduces, in a single physical framework, the available observations of both the fault’s seismic (fast) and aseismic (slow) behavior. “Our study describes a methodology to assimilate geologic, seismologic, and geodetic data surrounding a seismic fault to form a… -
Dunes on the move reveal Mars in flux
10 May 2012 | 1:51 pmCALTECH/JOHNS HOPKINS (US) — New technology has allowed scientists to take the first measurements of sand dunes and ripples moving across the surface of Mars. Last year, images from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured the activity on Mars’ surface—observations that challenged previously held beliefs that there was not a lot of movement on the red planet’s surface. The new method for data processing is outlined in an advance online publication of the journal Nature. -
Why we blow it when stakes are high
10 May 2012 | 7:42 amCALTECH (US) — In sports, on a game show, or just on the job, what causes people to choke when the stakes are high?A new study by researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) suggests that when there are high financial incentives to succeed, people can become so afraid of losing their potentially lucrative reward that their performance suffers. -
In the tropics, stalagmites tell climate story
4 May 2012 | 1:02 pmCALTECH (US) — Researchers are using stalagmites to reconstruct a history of the climate in the tropics throughout the late Pleistocene era.Many existing historical climate records are biased to the high latitudes—coming from polar ice cores and North Atlantic deep ocean sediments. But a main driver of climate variability today is El Niño, which is a completely tropical phenomenon. -
Exoplanets orbit in star ‘sweet spots’
3 May 2012 | 10:26 amCORNELL (US) — Three Earth-like planets have been discovered orbiting within their host stars’ habitable zone—a finding that means they could be hospitable to life.Astronomers used the Near-Infrared Triple Spectrograph (TripleSpec) at California’s Mount Palomar Observatory to measure the temperatures and metallicities of small stars called M dwarfs, first recorded by the NASA Kepler mission, which then led to observations of planets orbiting these stars.
-
Futurity.org » Cardiff University
-
Test score estimates schizophrenia risk
15 May 2012 | 11:04 amINDIANA U. (US) — Researchers have created a prototype test to predict whether a person is at a higher or lower risk of schizophrenia.The test, which is based on analysis of a specific set of genes, generates a score that indicates risk level. -
To fight cancer, hijack killer cells
10 May 2012 | 10:23 amCARDIFF U. (UK) — Taking cells that normally attack common infections and targeting cancer instead could offer the body a ready-made army against the killer disease, new research shows.As reported in the journal Nature Medicine, the study examined the potential of molecules on the surface of anti-cancer killer T cells, known as T cell receptors (TCRs) to be used to treat cancers for which few disease specific targets are available. -
South Pole Telescope hunts down dark energy
3 Apr 2012 | 10:56 amU. CHICAGO (US) — Astronomers are beginning to unravel the modern mystery of dark energy based on data from the South Pole Telescope.Recent analysis offers new support for the widely accepted explanation of dark energy, the source of the mysterious force that is responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe. -
Cloned cheek cells keep immunity in check
22 Mar 2012 | 12:33 pmCARDIFF U. (UK) — Cells created in the lab from cheek lining tissue could offer the answer to disorders of the immune system.While the body’s immune system protects against many diseases, it can also be harmful. Using white blood cells (lymphocytes), the system can attack insulin-producing cells, causing diabetes, or cause the body to reject transplanted organs. -
World’s oldest fossil forest unearthed
5 Mar 2012 | 9:37 amCARDIFF (UK) — Researchers have unearthed and investigated an entire fossil forest dating back 385 million years.The Gilboa fossil forest, in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York, is generally referred to as “the oldest fossil forest”. Yet by scientific standards it has remained mythical.
-
Futurity.org » Carnegie Mellon University
-
To put info together, work with others online
14 May 2012 | 3:08 pmCARNEGIE MELLON (US) — People spend 70 billion hours a year figuring out information from the web—but working together could save everyone time, say researchers. Without ever directly communicating with them, people who have already sifted through online information to make sense of a subject can help strangers facing similar tasks, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft Research have demonstrated. -
Touch tech makes almost any object ‘smart’
8 May 2012 | 8:53 amCARNEGIE MELLON (US) — Scientists have developed new technology that could eventually make a doorknob that knows whether to lock or unlock, admit a guest, or leave a message.Other potential applications include a smartphone that silences itself if the user holds a finger to her lips and a chair that adjusts room lighting based on recognizing if a user is reclining or leaning forward. -
With foursquare, ‘Livehoods’ redraw city limits
7 May 2012 | 2:35 pmCARNEGIE MELLON (US) — The millions of “check-ins” generated by foursquare, the location-based social network, allow researchers to create a dynamic view of a city’s workings and character. In contrast to static neighborhood boundaries and dated census figures, these “Livehoods” reflect the ever-changing patterns of city life. -
Market push may tarnish research ethics
4 May 2012 | 3:56 pmCARNEGIE MELLON (US) / MCGILL (CAN) — Current research ethics frameworks don’t flag drug trials that, while not putting patients at risk, still produce biased evidence, a new study argues.Published in Science, the study says that current research ethics focuses on protecting study participants, but fail to prevent problems that undermine the social value of the research. -
Young drivers navigate better behind vibrating wheel
2 May 2012 | 11:15 amCARNEGIE MELLON (US) — A vibrating steering wheel that combines audio, visual, and haptic technology may be an effective way to avoid missed turns while keeping the driver’s eyes on the road.Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and AT&T Labs tested the steering wheel and found that younger drivers in particular are less distracted by a navigation system’s display screen when they receive haptic feedback from the vibrating steering wheel.
-
Futurity.org » Case Western Reserve University
-
Black hole wrangle ejects rogue stars
1 May 2012 | 10:11 amVANDERBILT(US) — Astronomers have identified nearly 700 new rogue stars that appear to have been ejected from the Milky Way.It’s very difficult to knock a star out of the galaxy. In fact, the main mechanism that astronomers have come up with that can give a star the two-million-plus mile-per-hour kick it takes involves tangling with the supermassive black hole at the galaxy’s core. -
South Pole Telescope hunts down dark energy
3 Apr 2012 | 10:56 amU. CHICAGO (US) — Astronomers are beginning to unravel the modern mystery of dark energy based on data from the South Pole Telescope.Recent analysis offers new support for the widely accepted explanation of dark energy, the source of the mysterious force that is responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe. -
Spinal cord bridge restores breathing
14 Sep 2011 | 10:59 amCASE WESTERN (US) — Scientists restored breathing function in mice by bridging a spinal cord injury and regenerating lost nerve connections to the diaphragm.More testing is necessary, but researchers are hopeful their technique will quickly be used in clinical trials. -
Medevac nurses need targeted training
10 May 2011 | 8:20 amCASE WESTERN (US) — The unstructured and at times chaotic environment on board a medevac helicopter calls for more specialized training, according to a new study.Because flight nurses need to work in a cramped environment where it is often hard to reach the patient, some medications and practices of the emergency room can be in effective at best, and at worst, not possible on board, so care often relies on visual cues and patient patterns. -
Zoo primates need darkness on day shift
24 Mar 2011 | 8:47 amCASE WESTERN (US) — Zoo life can wreak havoc on nocturnal primates. Even something as innocuous as incorrect lighting negatively impacts health and reproduction.Animals in zoos often have their natural days and nights switched, so they are up and moving when patrons come to see them, not after dark when the zoo is closed.
-
Futurity.org » Cornell University
-
Lonely hearts suffer effects of aging
4 May 2012 | 3:46 pmCORNELL (US) — The social pain of loneliness produces changes in the body that mimic the aging process and increase the risk of heart disease, according to a new study. Published in Psychology and Aging, the study shows that although changes in cardiovascular functioning are part of normal aging, loneliness appears to accelerate the process, say the researchers. To investigate the effects of age and loneliness on cardiovascular health, the researchers measured cardiovascular reactivity and recovery in 91 young adults (18-30 years old) and 91 older adults (65-80 years old) who presented a… -
Middle class is doing just fine, study shows
4 May 2012 | 11:44 amCORNELL (US) — Income growth for the average American in recent decades may be more than 10 times greater than previously suggested by some economists.“When we use traditional methods to measure the income of the median American [the person whose income places him/her midway in the distribution of Americans lined up from lowest to highest by reported income] we find that it rose by as much as 37 percent between 1979 and 2007,” says Richard Burkhauser, a professor of policy analysis at Cornell University. His study is published in the March issue of the National Tax Journal. -
Exoplanets orbit in star ‘sweet spots’
3 May 2012 | 10:26 amCORNELL (US) — Three Earth-like planets have been discovered orbiting within their host stars’ habitable zone—a finding that means they could be hospitable to life.Astronomers used the Near-Infrared Triple Spectrograph (TripleSpec) at California’s Mount Palomar Observatory to measure the temperatures and metallicities of small stars called M dwarfs, first recorded by the NASA Kepler mission, which then led to observations of planets orbiting these stars. -
Sliced thin, ceramic material gets twisty
20 Apr 2012 | 12:55 pmCORNELL (US) — By letting them twist, it may be possible to create ferrocelectricity in ceramic materials called perovskites. Some materials, by their nature, do what we want them to do—notably, the ubiquitous, semiconducting silicon found in almost every electronic device. But sometimes, naturally occurring materials need a little nudge—or in the case of recent Cornell University research, a twist—to make them useful. Physicist Craig Fennie and Drexel University’s James Rondinelli have published a method for turning a class of ceramic materials called perovskites into a… -
Move over shiitake. New mushroom in town
20 Apr 2012 | 8:15 amCORNELL (US) —An exotic fungus may follow the lead of shiitake mushrooms and become a hit with farmers.Long cultivated by the Chinese for its medicinal benefits and ideally suited to growing conditions in New York forests—lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) could provide new opportunities for farmers, woodlot owners, and even backyard mushroom enthusiasts, says Ken Mudge, associate professor of horticulture at Cornell University.
-
Futurity.org » Duke University
-
For motivation, live to learn, not to win
14 May 2012 | 3:49 pmSTANFORD (US) — An environment that emphasizes learning for its own sake may help foster motivation, even once a person returns to a more competitive setting. Think about the ideal student. He or she focuses on learning, not grades; improvement, not appearances; competency, not competition. This person wants to understand and grow, not just prove how smart he or she is. -
Hospitals need to scan stroke patients faster
4 May 2012 | 10:40 amU. ROCHESTER (US) — Only 41.7 percent of stroke patients undergo brain imaging within the recommended 25 minutes of their arrival at a hospital, according to a new study. The mantra in stroke care is “time is brain.” With each passing minute more brain cells are irretrievably lost and, because of this, timely diagnosis and treatment is essential to increase the chances for recovery. The study, published this month in the journal Stroke, also finds that certain individuals, including people with diabetes, those over 75 years of age, women, those that did not arrive by ambulance,… -
Friends’ parents impact teen drinking
2 May 2012 | 9:28 amPENN STATE (US) — The parents of high school students’ friends can have as much effect on whether teens drink alcohol or use drugs as their own parents.“Among friendship groups with ‘good parents’ there’s a synergistic effect—if your parents are consistent and aware of your whereabouts, and your friends’ parents are also consistent and aware of their (children’s) whereabouts, then you are less likely to use substances,” says Michael J. Cleveland, research assistant professor at the Prevention Research Center and the Methodology Center at… -
Scar tissue gets new life as heart muscle
30 Apr 2012 | 8:15 amDUKE (US) — A new process that turns scar tissue that forms after a heart attack into heart muscle cells could eliminate the need for stem cell transplant.As reported in the journal Circulation Research, scientists used molecules called microRNAs to trigger the cardiac tissue conversion in a lab dish and, for the first time, in a living mouse, demonstrating the potential of a simpler process for tissue regeneration. -
Calcium may ease extra fluoride’s dental harm
27 Apr 2012 | 2:47 pmDUKE (US) — Increased dietary calcium may be key to addressing widespread dental health problems faced by millions of people living in a remote region of Ethiopia. As many as 8 million people living in Ethiopia’s Main Rift Valley are estimated to be at risk of dental and skeletal fluorosis as a result of their long-term exposure to high levels of naturally occurring fluoride in the region’s groundwater. Fluoride is essential for healthy tooth enamel development, but consuming too much of it can damage enamel and bones, particularly in children between the ages of 3 months and 8…
-
Futurity.org » Emory University
-
Mail mix-up may change eye disease treatment
7 May 2012 | 1:27 pmINDIANA U. (US) — Sloppy shipping of a donated human retina has inadvertently helped researchers uncover a previously undetected mechanism causing a type of macular degeneration. The discovery has led researchers to urge review of how millions of dollars are spent investigating the cause of a type of age-related macular degeneration called choroidal neovascularization. Working at Indiana University’s Biocomplexity Institute, postdoctoral researcher Abbas Shirinifard had hit a brick wall trying to develop detailed computer simulations of the behaviors and interactions of the cells and… -
Scans reveal what your dog is thinking
7 May 2012 | 9:10 amEMORY (US) — Researchers use MRI scans to explore the brain activity of alert dogs, and reveal how the minds of the oldest domesticated species respond to their owners’ hand signals. Many dog lovers speculate about how their pets feel about them, but no one has captured images of actual canine thought processes, until now. -
‘Blue’ compound stops brain tumor spread
2 Apr 2012 | 12:05 pmGEORGIA TECH / EMORY (US) — A new treatment approach appears to halt the spread of cancer cells into normal brain tissue in animal models.Researchers treated animals possessing an invasive tumor with a vesicle carrying a molecule called imipramine blue, followed by conventional doxorubicin chemotherapy. -
Wedded bliss is good for the heart
20 Mar 2012 | 8:20 amEMORY (US) — Married adults who undergo heart surgery are more than three times more likely to survive the next three months than single people who have the same surgery.While the most striking difference in outcomes occurred during the first three months, the study shows the strong protective effect of marriage continues for up to five years following coronary artery bypass surgery. -
Did depression evolve to fight infection?
19 Mar 2012 | 2:24 pmEMORY (US) — A new study proposes that the genetic variations that produce depression evolved to help our ancestors fight infection. Depression is common enough—afflicting one in ten adults in the United States—that it seems the possibility of depression must be “hard-wired” into our brains. This has led biologists to propose several theories to account for how depression, or behaviors linked to it, can somehow offer an evolutionary advantage.
-
Futurity.org » Georgia Institute of Technology
-
Nanopowders help sniff out nuclear attacks
8 May 2012 | 10:42 amGEORGIA TECH (US) — A new prototype combines rare-earth elements and other materials at the nanoscale to improve radiation detection in the field.The technology is designed to enhance the radiation-detection devices used at ports, border crossings, airports, and elsewhere. -
In the tropics, stalagmites tell climate story
4 May 2012 | 1:02 pmCALTECH (US) — Researchers are using stalagmites to reconstruct a history of the climate in the tropics throughout the late Pleistocene era.Many existing historical climate records are biased to the high latitudes—coming from polar ice cores and North Atlantic deep ocean sediments. But a main driver of climate variability today is El Niño, which is a completely tropical phenomenon. -
In parasite battles, weakness is a boost
5 Apr 2012 | 10:01 amGEORGIA TECH (US) — When battling an epidemic of a deadly parasite, less resistance can sometimes be better than more, a new study suggests. A freshwater zooplankton species known as Daphnia dentifera endures periodic epidemics of a virulent yeast parasite that can infect more than 60 percent of the Daphnia population. During these epidemics, the Daphnia population evolves quickly, balancing infection resistance and reproduction. A new study led by Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) researchers reveals that the number of vertebrate predators in the water and the amount of food… -
‘Blue’ compound stops brain tumor spread
2 Apr 2012 | 12:05 pmGEORGIA TECH / EMORY (US) — A new treatment approach appears to halt the spread of cancer cells into normal brain tissue in animal models.Researchers treated animals possessing an invasive tumor with a vesicle carrying a molecule called imipramine blue, followed by conventional doxorubicin chemotherapy. -
Nuclear clock progress keeps on ticking
22 Mar 2012 | 10:02 amGEORGIA TECH (US) — Scientists report advances toward a clock accurate to within a tenth of a second over 14 billion years—the age of the universe. Published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the research provides the blueprint for a nuclear clock that would get its extreme accuracy from the nucleus of a single thorium ion.
-
Futurity.org » Indiana University
-
Test score estimates schizophrenia risk
15 May 2012 | 11:04 amINDIANA U. (US) — Researchers have created a prototype test to predict whether a person is at a higher or lower risk of schizophrenia.The test, which is based on analysis of a specific set of genes, generates a score that indicates risk level. -
Mail mix-up may change eye disease treatment
7 May 2012 | 1:27 pmINDIANA U. (US) — Sloppy shipping of a donated human retina has inadvertently helped researchers uncover a previously undetected mechanism causing a type of macular degeneration. The discovery has led researchers to urge review of how millions of dollars are spent investigating the cause of a type of age-related macular degeneration called choroidal neovascularization. Working at Indiana University’s Biocomplexity Institute, postdoctoral researcher Abbas Shirinifard had hit a brick wall trying to develop detailed computer simulations of the behaviors and interactions of the cells and… -
For better test results, swap topics often
27 Apr 2012 | 12:20 pmSYRACUSE U./ INDIANA U. (US) — Students of all ages might improve their test scores if the category of information changed abruptly midway through the test, according to a new study. “The simple act of testing harms memory,” says Amy Criss, assistant professor of psychology at Syracuse University. “Previous studies have shown that people are more accurate in their responses to questions at the beginning of a test than they are at the end of a test. -
Smells tied to alcohol may stir cravings
23 Apr 2012 | 1:42 pmINDIANA U. (US) — A region in the brain springs into action when cravings for alcohol are activated by cues, such as smells, according to a study with rats.The findings suggest alcohol craving and relapse may have a physical neurological basis. -
In parasite battles, weakness is a boost
5 Apr 2012 | 10:01 amGEORGIA TECH (US) — When battling an epidemic of a deadly parasite, less resistance can sometimes be better than more, a new study suggests. A freshwater zooplankton species known as Daphnia dentifera endures periodic epidemics of a virulent yeast parasite that can infect more than 60 percent of the Daphnia population. During these epidemics, the Daphnia population evolves quickly, balancing infection resistance and reproduction. A new study led by Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) researchers reveals that the number of vertebrate predators in the water and the amount of food…
-
Futurity.org » Iowa State University
-
Why parents can’t rely on video game ratings
16 May 2012 | 10:25 amIOWA STATE (US) —Not all E-rated video games are created equal. New research indicates content matters more than ratings when it comes to effects on kids. The findings come from three studies, one of which is the first experimental study on children (ages 9-14) comparing the short-term behavioral effects of playing prosocial, neutral, and violent video games. -
One plant yields 3 clues to biofuel crops
14 May 2012 | 11:50 amIOWA STATE (US) — Knowing the function of three plant proteins could help scientists raise seed oil yield in crops, a potential windfall for the bioeconomy. The analysis of gene activity by researchers at Iowa State University and determination of protein structures by scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences independently identified three related proteins that appear to be involved in fatty-acid metabolism. The researchers used thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) as the model plant. The research groups then joined forces to test this hypothesis, demonstrating a role of these… -
To compete with Wal-Mart, local stores find niche
14 May 2012 | 9:20 amIOWA STATE (US) — In the 15 years after Wal-Mart’s arrival, small towns in Iowa showed moderate increases in total retail sales, according to a new study. Control communities in the study—those without Wal-Mart stores—didn’t match the retail sales growth of the Wal-Mart host towns, but their sales also largely stabilized during the same 15-year period. The study, which will be published in a future issue of Economic Development Quarterly, looked at town with between 3,000 and 20,000 people. Ken Stone, an Iowa State University emeritus economics professor and Georgeanne Artz,… -
Customer ‘tribes’ foster brand loyalty
25 Apr 2012 | 2:43 pmMICHIGAN STATE (US) — Customers are more likely to be loyal to a brand when other customers look and act like they do, new research finds.Surprisingly, the presence and behavior of other customers is just as important to brand loyalty as customer service, says marketing expert Clay Voorhees of Michigan State University. -
Hostility on screen may lead to real aggression
6 Mar 2012 | 3:56 pmIOWA STATE (US) — Watching video clips of hostile behavior—such as gossip and emotional bullying—may prime the brain for aggression, a new study finds.“What this study shows is that relational aggression actually can cause a change in the way you think,” says Douglas Gentile, associate professor of psychology at Iowa State University who runs the Media Research Lab. “And that matters because of course, how you think can change your behavior.”
-
Futurity.org » Johns Hopkins University
-
Dunes on the move reveal Mars in flux
10 May 2012 | 1:51 pmCALTECH/JOHNS HOPKINS (US) — New technology has allowed scientists to take the first measurements of sand dunes and ripples moving across the surface of Mars. Last year, images from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured the activity on Mars’ surface—observations that challenged previously held beliefs that there was not a lot of movement on the red planet’s surface. The new method for data processing is outlined in an advance online publication of the journal Nature. -
Simple ‘thread’ test diagnoses fever
9 May 2012 | 12:42 pmJOHNS HOPKINS (US) — The knotty problem of diagnosing fevers in poor, remote areas may be unraveled by a short length of cotton thread.A health worker roaming the outback of an impoverished developing nation—often on foot—must carry the diagnostic equipment and supplies needed to care for patients who cannot get to distant hospitals, say experts from Jhpiego, a Johns Hopkins University unit working around the world for maternal and child health. -
‘Bling’ could give data storage a big boost
7 May 2012 | 9:44 amJOHNS HOPKINS (US) — Engineers have uncovered new electrical properties of a material used in computer memory by applying pressure with diamond-tipped tools.The discovery opens the door to more durable drives, discs, and computer systems that absorb more data more quickly, researchers say. -
Black hole caught snacking on a star
3 May 2012 | 10:55 amJOHNS HOPKINS (US) — Astronomers have gathered the most direct evidence yet of a supermassive black hole shredding a star that wandered too close.Supermassive black holes, weighing millions to billions times more than our sun, lurk in the centers of most galaxies. These hefty monsters lay quietly until an unsuspecting victim, such as a star, wanders close enough to get ripped apart by their powerful gravitational clutches. -
Protein propels cancer through brain
2 May 2012 | 7:54 amJOHNS HOPKINS (US) — A protein that moves chemicals in and out of cells also appears to be critical to the rapid progression of the deadliest, most common form of brain cancer.The findings, reported in the journal PLoS Biology, also suggest that an inexpensive FDA-approved drug already on the market could slow movement of cancerous glioblastoma cells and contain their spread.
-
Futurity.org » McGill University
-
Plants spring up sooner in warming climate
8 May 2012 | 10:47 amUC SANTA BARBARA (US) — Plants may be reacting to climate change more than we think, and the uncertainty could leave us ill-prepared for the future effects of global warming, say scientists. The team’s findings are published in the early online edition of the journal Nature. “This suggests that predicted ecosystem changes—including continuing advances in the start of spring across much of the globe—may be far greater than current estimates based on data from experiments,” says the paper’s first author Elizabeth Wolkovich, an ecologist at the University of British… -
Market push may tarnish research ethics
4 May 2012 | 3:56 pmCARNEGIE MELLON (US) / MCGILL (CAN) — Current research ethics frameworks don’t flag drug trials that, while not putting patients at risk, still produce biased evidence, a new study argues.Published in Science, the study says that current research ethics focuses on protecting study participants, but fail to prevent problems that undermine the social value of the research. -
Bug snags mate with antenna hooks
4 May 2012 | 12:23 pmMCGILL/ U. TORONTO (CAN) — To understand the evolution of sex differences, researchers have recreated the development of the barbed antennae male water striders use to catch mates. Sexual conflict—the battle between males and females over mating—is thought to be a particularly potent force in driving the evolution of traits that differ in males and females. -
Extinction’s toll could rival climate change
3 May 2012 | 10:07 amMCGILL (CAN) — Loss of biodiversity appears to affect ecosystems as much as climate change, pollution, and other major forms of environmental stress.A new study published in the journal Nature directly compares the effects of biological diversity loss to the anticipated effects of a host of other human-caused environmental changes—and highlights the need for stronger local, national, and international efforts to protect biodiversity and the benefits it provides. -
Neurons handle sensory data in order
24 Apr 2012 | 1:18 pmMCGILL (CAN) /JOHNS HOPKINS (US) — New research sheds light on how the brain processes what we sense, and could lead to advances for people with sensory deficiencies. In Canada alone, 600,000 people are visually impaired while almost three million suffer from partial or total hearing loss. In a paper published this week in The Journal of Neuroscience, researchers from McGill University have demonstrated for the first time that there are specific neurons that respond selectively to first and second order sensory attributes.
-
Futurity.org » Michigan State University
-
Girls take longer to heal from concussions
15 May 2012 | 4:39 pmMICHIGAN STATE (US) — Females and younger athletes take longer to recover from concussions, new research shows.The findings suggest physicians and athletic trainers should take sex and age into account when dealing with the injury. -
Teens hit peak risk for painkillers at 16
15 May 2012 | 7:53 amMICHIGAN STATE (US) — The peak risk for misusing prescription pain relievers occurs at about 16 years old—earlier than many experts thought—a new study finds.The results, based on recent nationwide surveys of nearly 120,000 U.S. adolescents, suggest prevention programs may need to be introduced earlier, in childhood and early adolescence, says James C. Anthony of Michigan State University. -
Natural land a welcome mat for ladybugs
14 May 2012 | 10:08 amMICHIGAN STATE (US) — Having large tracts of natural habitat around crop fields invites pest-gobbling ladybugs, which could save farmers an estimated $4.6 billion a year on insecticides.Non-crop plants provide ladybugs and other predatory insects with food and shelter, helping them to survive and thrive in areas where they are needed. In an attempt to increase benefits from predatory insects, researchers have often planted strips of flowers along the edges of crop fields. -
Control killer fly with satellite tracking
9 May 2012 | 11:53 amMICHIGAN STATE (US) — Scientists have developed a plan to effectively control the tsetse fly using satellite images of Kenyan landscape and by monitoring tsetse movement. The flies spread “sleeping sickness” disease among humans and animals in Africa and wipe out $4.5 billion in livestock every year. -
Fed fiber, killer cells may ward off cancer
7 May 2012 | 10:57 amMICHIGAN STATE (US) — Fiber supplements may help the body’s own killer cells fight bacterial infection and reduce inflammation, greatly decreasing the risk of colon cancer. Prebiotics are fiber supplements that serve as food for the trillions of tiny bacteria living in the gut. When taken, they can stimulate the growth of the “good” bacteria. The evolution of prebiotic supplements—as well as probiotics, which are actual bacteria ingested into the system—provide new therapeutic targets for researchers and physicians.
-
Futurity.org » Monash University
-
Low vitamin D worsens lupus severity
7 May 2012 | 3:00 pmMONASH (AUS) — People with lupus experience more severe symptoms if their vitamin D levels are low, a new study shows.The new research also finds that, due to environmental, genetic, and cultural factors which contribute to vitamin D deficiency, Australians are more susceptible to the disease. -
Cassava crop toxins threaten food security
3 May 2012 | 11:36 amMONASH (AUS) — Cassava, a staple crop of southeast Africa, contains more toxins, including cyanide, than are safe for people to eat, say researchers. Scientists found levels of toxins in excess of World Health Organization standards in the leaves and tuberous roots of cassava plants being grown in regions of Mozambique with drier climates. Tim Cavagnaro led the study, funded by AusAID, with his team from the School of Biological Sciences and Australian Centre for Biodiversity at Monash University, working in collaboration with scientists in Mozambique. -
Blocked protein acts as ‘handbrake’ for MS
2 May 2012 | 10:29 amMONASH (AUS) — Blocking a protein that contributes to nerve damage could potentially slow—or even halt—the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS).Research published in the journal Brain demonstrates the key role played by the collapsin response mediator protein 2 (CRMP-2) in the development of MS. -
To beat resistant bacteria, let them live
30 Apr 2012 | 11:18 amMONASH (AUS) — In the fight against antibiotic resistance, the next strategy may be to disarm the bacteria without actually killing them. Published in Nature Structure and Molecular Biology, research led by Monash University shows a protein complex called the Translocation and Assembly Module (TAM), forms a type of molecular pump in bacteria. The TAM allows bacteria to shuttle key disease-causing molecules from inside the bacterial cell where they are made, to the outside surface, priming the bacteria for infection. -
To find disease, method tracks proteins
23 Mar 2012 | 10:50 amU. MELBOURNE/ MONASH (AUS) — A new technique identifies and tracks diseased proteins inside cells and could assist with treatments for brain diseases and cancer. Developed by Danny Hatters and his team in the department of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, the technique uses a flow cytometer to track the protein clusters in cells at a rate of thousands per minute.
-
Futurity.org » New York University
-
Erotic wall art dates back 37,000 years
14 May 2012 | 4:05 pmNYU (US) — A 1.5 metric ton block of engraved limestone constitutes the earliest evidence of wall art, report anthropologists working in southern France.Their research, published in the most recent edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows the piece to be approximately 37,000 years old and offers rich evidence of the role art played in the daily lives of Early Aurignacian humans. -
In 1812, winning the war meant making babies
10 May 2012 | 3:22 pmNYU (US) — Media coverage of the War of 1812 emphasized “good feelings,” and even pushed American families toward a patriotic baby boom, according to a historian’s new book. The War of 1812 was the first constitutionally declared war in the history of the United States and the first war to be fought in a modern democracy, but it was also a conflict fueled by family-oriented appeals, says Nicole Eustace, associate professor of history at New York University. -
Biologists poke holes in ‘tiger stripe’ theory
27 Apr 2012 | 2:07 pmNYU (US) — Findings about mechanisms that control how proteins are expressed in different regions of embryos have biologists reconsidering a long-held theory.The morphogen theory posits that proteins controlling traits are arranged as gradients, with different amounts of proteins activating genes to create specified physical features. -
When art touches a nerve, brain lights up
18 Apr 2012 | 9:03 amNYU (US) — The brain network activated during an intense response to art overlaps with the brain network associated with inward contemplation and self-assessment. A study from researchers at New York University sheds new light on the nature of the aesthetic experience, which appears to integrate sensory and emotional reactions in a manner linked with their personal relevance. We all have strong aesthetic reactions to works of art, even though the images that move us vary across individuals. Moreover, we are moved by particular images for very different reasons. Nonetheless, the ability to… -
To read DNA, try molecular ‘Braille’
30 Mar 2012 | 9:17 amNYU (US) — Researchers have developed a way to detect sequence differences in individual DNA molecules by taking nanoscopic pictures of the molecules themselves. Using the approach they call “Direct Molecular Recognition,” the New York University and University of California, Los Angeles researchers used nanoparticles to turn the DNA molecules into a form of molecular “Braille” that can be read in the scale of nanometers, or one billionth of a meter, using high-speed Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The work is reported in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.
-
Futurity.org » Northwestern University
-
Sports stats show why lefties are rare
26 Apr 2012 | 10:57 amNORTHWESTERN (US) — Left-handed people are relatively rare because of the balance between cooperation and competition in human evolution, according to a new study of sports data. Representing only 10 percent of the general human population, left-handers have been viewed with suspicion and persecuted across history. The word “sinister” even derives from “left or left-hand.” Researchers at Northwestern University now report that a high degree of cooperation, not something odd or sinister, plays a key role in the rarity of left-handedness. -
New blood test detects teen depression
20 Apr 2012 | 11:26 amNORTHWESTERN (US) — A new blood test diagnoses major depression in teens—an approach that offers an objective diagnosis by measuring a specific set of genetic markers. The current method of diagnosing depression is subjective. It relies on the patient’s ability to recount his or her symptoms and the physician’s ability and training to interpret them. Diagnosing teens is an urgent concern because they are highly vulnerable to depression and difficult to accurately diagnose due to normal mood changes during this age period. -
Brain signals move hand, but not via spine
20 Apr 2012 | 9:40 amNORTHWESTERN (US) — A new device delivers messages from the brain directly to muscles—bypassing the spinal cord—to enable voluntary and complex movement of a paralyzed hand. The device could eventually be tested on, and perhaps aid, paralyzed patients. “We are eavesdropping on the natural electrical signals from the brain that tell the arm and hand how to move, and sending those signals directly to the muscles,” says Lee E. Miller, professor in neuroscience at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the lead investigator of the study, which was published in… -
To control a network, find the pattern
19 Apr 2012 | 1:31 pmNORTHWESTERN (US) — A new article discusses how networks governing processes in nature and society are becoming increasingly amenable to modeling, forecast, and control. The article, by a Northwestern University complex networks expert, establishes relationships between seemingly disparate topics such as the friendship paradox—by which our friends have on average more friends than we do—and why carbon can result in a hard diamond or the softer material graphite. “Many broadly significant scientific questions, ranging from self-organization and information flow to systemic robustness,… -
Gold nanostars hitch a ride to attack cancer
6 Apr 2012 | 1:24 pmNORTHWESTERN (US) — A simple but specialized nanoparticle delivers drugs directly to a cancer cell’s nucleus—offering new possibilities for effective, targeted therapies.“Our drug-loaded gold nanostars are tiny hitchhikers,” says Teri W. Odom, professor of chemistry and of materials science and engineering at Northwestern University, who led the study of human cervical and ovarian cancer cells.
-
Futurity.org » Penn State
-
Limit off-label psych drugs to save, study says
15 May 2012 | 2:15 pmPENN STATE / YALE (US) — Reducing the non-FDA-approved use of antipsychotic drugs may be a way to save money while having little effect on patient care, according to a new study. Researchers say that 57.6 percent of patients prescribed antipsychotic medications in data from 2003 did not have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, the conditions for which the drugs were approved for use. Use of medication for treatments that is not FDA-approved is called off-label use. “Given healthcare reform and widespread crisis in state revenues, state Medicaid programs will be under pressure to serve… -
Americans exercise more, but not enough
9 May 2012 | 11:01 amPENN STATE / U. MARYLAND (US) — Americans exercise almost three times more than they did 40 years ago, but still far less than the recommended four hours a week.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults aged 18 to 64 exercise moderately for 2.5 hours per week and engage in a vigorous activity, such as running and muscle strengthening, for an hour and fifteen minutes per week. The current average time Americans spend on exercise is two hours a week. -
‘Hot spot’ languages are in danger, too
8 May 2012 | 12:24 pmPENN STATE (US) — Biodiversity hot spots are some of the most linguistically diverse regions on the planet, accounting for 70 percent of all languages on Earth.Hot spots are considered the most rich biologically and the most threatened locations. High biodiversity wilderness areas are those that are biologically rich but less threatened. -
A better way to diagnose malnutrition
4 May 2012 | 9:06 amPENN STATE (US) — A new systematic assessment that describes malnutrition in the context of starvation, chronic disease, and/or acute disease or injury will help with diagnosis and treatment, nutritionists say.Up to 50 percent of patients in hospitals and nursing facilities are estimated to be malnourished and although it is widespread, confusion exists in the clinical community on how to best make a diagnosis. Malnourished patients are frequently not identified as such, and those not affected are sometimes thought to be malnourished. -
Parasite ‘castrates’ zombie-ant fungus
3 May 2012 | 3:41 pmPENN STATE (US) — Ant colonies attacked by the zombie-ant fungus can survive with the help of a second parasite that keeps the infectious spores in check.The research, led by Penn State‘s David Hughes, reveals how the colony is able to survive infestations by the zombie-ant fungus, which invades an ant’s brain and causes it to march to its death at a mass grave near the ant colony, where the fungus spores erupt out of the ant’s head. “In a case where biology is stranger than fiction, the parasite of the zombie-ant fungus is itself a fungus—a hyperparasitic fungus…
-
Futurity.org » Princeton University
-
Is the search for ET pie-in-the-sky fantasy?
26 Apr 2012 | 11:33 amPRINCETON (US) — The expectation that life has or will develop on other planets as on Earth may be based more on optimism than scientific evidence, a new study suggests.Researchers analyzed what is known about the likelihood of life on other planets in an effort to separate the facts from the mere expectation that life exists outside of Earth. Using a Bayesian analysis—which weighs how much of a scientific conclusion stems from actual data and how much comes from the prior assumptions of the scientist—they sought to determine the probability of extraterrestrial life once the influence… -
Cosmic effect pinpoints velocity in space
23 Mar 2012 | 8:47 amPRINCETON (US) — A cosmic effect could help measure the velocity of objects in the distant universe, and clarify the nature of dark energy and dark matter. A large research team from two major astronomy surveys reports in a paper submitted to the journal Physical Review Letters that scientists detected the movement of distant galaxy clusters via the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (kSZ) effect, which has never before been seen. -
Brain’s quick memories drive our choices
19 Mar 2012 | 12:28 pmPRINCETON (US) — Researchers have used a virtual reality and brain imaging system to study how the brain forms short-term memories for decision-making. By following the brain activity of mice as they navigated a virtual reality maze, the researchers found that populations of neurons fire in distinctive sequences when the brain is holding a memory. Previous research centered on the idea that populations of neurons fire together with similar patterns to each other during the memory period. -
Droplet size is key to liquids’ actions
28 Feb 2012 | 3:54 pmPRINCETON (US) — New understanding of how liquid spreads along flexible fibers could have applications from hairspray to bird rescue after oil spills.Under a microscope, a tiny droplet slides between two fine hairs like a roller coaster on a set of rails until it suddenly spreads along them, a droplet no more. That instant of change, like the popping of soap bubble, comes so suddenly that it seems almost magical. Describing that moment, and mapping out how droplets stretch into tiny columns, is a key to understanding how liquids affect fibrous materials from air filters to human hair. And… -
Universal vaccine could put brakes on flu
27 Feb 2012 | 11:30 amPRINCETON (US) — A universal vaccine could for the first time effectively prevent wide-scale spread of influenza by shutting down the virus’ ability to spread and mutate.Universal, or cross-protective, vaccines—so named for their effectiveness against several flu strains—are being developed in various labs worldwide and some are already in clinical trials.
-
Futurity.org » Purdue University
-
Early on, asteroids gave Earth a beating
26 Apr 2012 | 2:44 pmPURDUE (US) — Tiny spherules embedded in layers of rock are giving researchers precise information about asteroid impacts going back to Earth’s early history from 3.5 billion to 35 million years ago.The spherules were created when asteroids crashed into the Earth, vaporizing rock that expanded into space as a giant vapor plume. Small droplets of molten and vaporized rock in the plume condensed and solidified, falling back to Earth as a thin layer. -
Corn cost rising, unless crop heads north
24 Apr 2012 | 8:51 amSTANFORD/PURDUE (US) — Within 30 years, the U.S. corn belt could be forced to move to the Canadian border to escape devastating heat waves brought on by rising global temperatures. If farmers don’t move their corn north, the more frequent heat waves could lead to bigger swings in corn prices, or price volatility, which cause spikes in food prices, farmers’ incomes, and the price livestock farmers and ethanol producers pay for corn. -
Can red wine help fight obesity?
5 Apr 2012 | 9:13 amPURDUE (US) — A compound found in red wine, grapes, and other fruits is able to block cellular processes that allow fat cells to develop, opening a door to a potential method to control obesity.While similar in structure to resveratrol—the compound thought to combat cancer, heart disease, and neurodegenerative diseases—piceatannol might be an important weapon against obesity. Resveratrol is converted to piceatannol in humans after it is consumed. -
‘Super-Earth’ life sticks close to home
21 Mar 2012 | 9:58 amPURDUE (US) — While scientists believe conditions suitable for life might exist on the so-called “super-Earth” it’s unlikely to be transferred to other planets within that solar system.“One of the big scientific questions is how did life get started and how did it spread through the universe,” says Jay Melosh, distinguished professor of earth and atmospheric sciences at Purdue University. “That question used to be limited to just the Earth, but we now know in our solar system there is a lot of exchange that takes place, and it’s quite possible life… -
Laser images show early changes in breast cells
8 Mar 2012 | 4:12 pmPURDUE (US) — A new imaging technology reveals subtle changes in breast tissue and may help determine a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.The researchers, using a special “3-D culture” that mimics living mammary gland tissue, also showed that a fatty acid found in some foods influences this early precancerous stage.
-
Futurity.org » Rice University
-
Belly lift device helps obese patients breathe
9 May 2012 | 11:10 amRICE (US) — A new prototype device lifts weight from the abdomens of obese patients who might otherwise have trouble breathing during surgery. The respiratory assist device built by engineering students at Rice University uses suction cups attached to a horizontal beam and tied into a vacuum pump to gently lift the abdomens of patients who are on their backs and under light sedation. -
Under-skin device powers tiny heart pump
4 May 2012 | 9:45 amRICE (US) — A wireless device that sits a centimeter under the skin may one day give heart patients a life-saving charge.A team of seniors at Rice University designed and built a transcutaneous energy-transfer (TET) unit to power a minimally invasive ventricular assist device (VAD) being created by a Houston company. -
To make boron sheets, focus on the holes
23 Apr 2012 | 4:06 pmRICE (US) — Thinking of boron as Swiss cheese—in which the holes are as defining as the cheese itself—helped scientists figure out what atom-thin sheets of it might look like. Those sheets, when rolled into a hollow tube, or nanotube, could have a distinct advantage over carbon nanotubes; boron nanotubes are always metallic, while the carbon atoms in a nanotubes can be arranged to form either metallic or semiconducting nanotubes. This variation in atomic arrangement—known as chirality—is one of the major hurdles to carbon nanotube processing and development. -
At charter schools, more black teens drop out
23 Apr 2012 | 3:12 pmU. TEXAS-AUSTIN (US) — Despite being promoted as a viable alternative, charter schools in Texas have a higher attrition rate for black students than comparable urban public schools.New research shows that, although many privately operated charter schools claim that 90 percent or more of their students go on to college and many, such as the Houston-based KIPP chain of schools, spend 30-60 percent more per pupil than comparable urban school districts, more black students drop out and leave charter schools. -
Low-cost solar cells from nanotube ‘forests’
17 Apr 2012 | 3:01 pmRICE (US) — By replacing platinum with carbon nanotubes, researchers hope to make efficient solar cells at a fraction of the current cost for silicon-based solar cells.Single-wall nanotube arrays, grown in a process invented at Rice University, are both much more electroactive and potentially cheaper than platinum, a common catalyst in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC), says Jun Lou, a materials scientist at Rice.
-
Futurity.org » Rutgers
-
For kids of unwed, informal child support better
15 May 2012 | 12:05 pmRUTGERS (US) — Young children of unmarried parents who live with their mother show better cognitive skills if the father provides cash support without being legally required to do so.A new study published in the Social Services Review also finds that when financial support is mandated by the courts, children will exhibit more aggressive behavior than those who don’t get any formal support at all. -
Bacteria fight ‘dirty’ to disarm antibiotic
9 May 2012 | 1:11 pmU. ILLINOIS (US) — Researchers have discovered how bacteria use a previously unknown means to defeat a potent antibiotic.The bacteria modify a common “housekeeping” enzyme in a way that enables the enzyme to recognize and disarm the antibiotic. The findings are reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. -
Ice ‘fingerprints’ predict sea level rise
30 Apr 2012 | 9:41 amU. TORONTO (CAN) — Geophysicists have found a way to identify the sea level fingerprint left by a particular ice sheet—allowing better estimates of its impact on global sea level. As the Earth’s climate warms, a melting ice sheet produces a distinct and highly non-uniform pattern of sea-level change, with sea level falling close to the melting ice sheet and rising progressively farther away. The pattern for each ice sheet is unique and is known as its sea level fingerprint. “Our findings provide a new method to distinguish sea-level fingerprints in historical records of sea… -
Vitamin E pills fail to deliver cancer benefits
23 Apr 2012 | 11:56 amRUTGERS (US) — Two forms of vitamin E found in nuts and vegetable oils may protect against cancer, while the type most commonly used in supplements has no benefit, research shows.Scientists at Rutgers and and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey believe that two forms of vitamin E—gamma and delta-tocopherols—found in nuts and in soybean, canola, and corn oils do prevent colon, lung, breast, and prostate cancers. -
Protein’s wrong turn tied to childhood disease
3 Apr 2012 | 10:06 amRUTGERS (US) — Scientists may have found a way to prevent and possibly reverse the most debilitating symptoms of a rare childhood disease.The progressive condition leaves children with slurred speech, unable to walk, and in a wheelchair before they reach adolescence.
-
Futurity.org » Stanford University
-
For motivation, live to learn, not to win
14 May 2012 | 3:49 pmSTANFORD (US) — An environment that emphasizes learning for its own sake may help foster motivation, even once a person returns to a more competitive setting. Think about the ideal student. He or she focuses on learning, not grades; improvement, not appearances; competency, not competition. This person wants to understand and grow, not just prove how smart he or she is. -
Poll: Less support for U.S. climate policy
10 May 2012 | 10:00 amSTANFORD (US) — Political rhetoric and cooler-than-average weather may be the reason support for government action on global warming has dropped in the last two years, a new survey shows.The survey shows that public support for a range of U.S. government policies intended to reduce future climate change remains high but dropped by an average of 5 percentage points per year between 2010 and 2012. Economics do not appear to have played a role. In a 2010 Stanford survey, more than three-quarters of respondents expressed support for mandating more efficient and less polluting cars, appliances,… -
‘Tough love’ for energy reform so far
3 May 2012 | 11:09 amSTANFORD (US) — To meaningfully affect energy security or the environment, America’s approach to clean energy needs reform, according to two writers. The debate over how to fundamentally change the world’s massive energy system comes amid taxpayers’ $500 million tab for the bankruptcy of the California-based solar company Solyndra, the global recession, government budget cuts, and plunging US prices for natural gas. Making the change cost-effectively will be crucial, write Jeffrey Ball and Kassia Yanosek, both based at Stanford University’s Steyer-Taylor Center for… -
Metal bits boost nanowire surface area
1 May 2012 | 10:15 amSTANFORD (US) — A new method increases the surface area of nanowires by “decorating” them with sinuous chains of metal oxide or noble metal nanoparticles. Though science has known for some time that such ornamentation can greatly increase the surface area and alter the surface chemistry of nanowires, engineers at Stanford University have found a more effective method of decorating them that is simpler and faster than previous techniques. -
In Hawaii, 40-square-miles and many tough choices
25 Apr 2012 | 10:51 amSTANFORD (US) — After a two-year effort, researchers and Hawaii’s largest landholder have mapped the ecological future of a large chunk of Oahu.In the end, the environmental value of the land—not just the commercial value—was considered.
-
Futurity.org » Syracuse University
-
For better test results, swap topics often
27 Apr 2012 | 12:20 pmSYRACUSE U./ INDIANA U. (US) — Students of all ages might improve their test scores if the category of information changed abruptly midway through the test, according to a new study. “The simple act of testing harms memory,” says Amy Criss, assistant professor of psychology at Syracuse University. “Previous studies have shown that people are more accurate in their responses to questions at the beginning of a test than they are at the end of a test. -
Invasive plants boast autumn advantage
27 Apr 2012 | 8:50 amSYRACUSE U. (US) — Invasive plants have a critical advantage—their leaves continue to function in the fall, long after their native cousins have hunkered down for the winter. The findings, based on deciduous forests in the Eastern United States, are counter to conventional wisdom, which held that plants living under the forest leafy canopy obtain most of their food via photosynthesis in the spring and early summer before the canopy blocks the amount of sunlight getting to the shrubs. “It’s a classic case of scientific serendipity,” says study author Jason Fridley, assistant… -
Clues to climate from rare cold-water mineral
23 Mar 2012 | 10:45 amSYRACUSE U. (US) — Geochemists are using a rare mineral that forms in cold waters to unlock clues about past climate hidden in the fossil record.Composed of calcium carbonate and water, ikaite crystals can be found off the coasts of Antarctica and Greenland. -
Comparing health issues may help or hurt
8 Feb 2012 | 8:57 amPENN STATE (US) — Comparing yourself to others with the same health problem can affect your physical and emotional health, say researchers.“If you’ve ever looked at another person and thought, ‘Well, at least I’m doing better than he is,’ or ‘Wow, I wish I could be doing as well as she is,’ you’re not alone,” says Josh Smyth, professor of biobehavioral health and of medicine at Penn State University. -
Chew hormone gum, lose weight?
23 Nov 2011 | 1:12 pmSYRACUSE (US) — Fighting weight gain may one day be as easy as chewing a stick of gum after meals, according to new research.Syracuse University chemist Robert Doyle and colleagues have demonstrated, for the first time, that a critical hormone that helps people feel “full” after eating can be delivered into the bloodstream orally. Findings are published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.
-
Futurity.org » University at Buffalo
-
Top-educated women picking family track
16 May 2012 | 9:43 amU. BUFFALO (US) — More older, highly educated women are choosing to have a family, but it remains unclear whether they are having children in addition to—or instead of—careers. While it is still too early to be certain, research clearly shows fertility rising for older, highly educated women since the 1990s. (Fertility is defined as the number of children a woman has had.) Childlessness also declined by roughly 5 percentage points between 1998 and 2008. -
Images show risk of sudden heart failure
16 May 2012 | 9:32 amU. BUFFALO (US) — Doctors may have a new way to identify patients who are at the highest risk of sudden cardiac arrest, and the most likely to benefit from an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD).ICDs are used to prevent sudden cardiac arrest in patients with advanced heart disease, but many patients’ devices are never triggered. New research suggests that imaging the loss of nerve function in the heart may identify those patients at greatest risk of developing a life-threatening arrhythmia. -
Cocaine alters brain to magnify reward
11 May 2012 | 11:04 amU. BUFFALO (US) — Chronic exposure to cocaine can result in structural changes in the brain that produce greater sensitivity to the drug’s rewarding effects.Over time, cocaine use reduces the expression of a protein known to regulate brain plasticity, according to new, in vivo research on the molecular basis of cocaine addiction. The finding, published in Nature Neuroscience, suggests a potential new target for development of a treatment for cocaine addiction. -
Obese drivers more likely to forgo seatbelt
27 Apr 2012 | 9:29 amU. BUFFALO (US) — Obese drivers are far less likely to wear seatbelts than drivers of normal weight, which puts them at greater risk of severe injury or death in a car accident.A new study finds that normal weight drivers are 67 percent more likely to wear a seatbelt than morbidly obese drivers. Drivers were considered overweight or obese if they had a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more, according to the World Health Organization definition of obesity, with 25-30 defined as overweight, 30-35 slightly obese, 35-40 moderately obese and 40 morbidly obese. -
To get kids active, let them choose
20 Apr 2012 | 10:36 amU. BUFFALO (US) — When given the chance to choose from a variety of toys, girls increased their physically active play time by nearly 200 percent, according to a new pair of studies.“We wanted to see if providing children with choices or autonomy—the ability for the individual to decide how he or she wanted to be physically active—increased their intrinsic motivation to be physically active,” says James Roemmich, associate professor of pediatrics at the University at Buffalo’s School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
-
Futurity.org » University of California at Berkeley
-
In wine country, trout struggle to survive
14 May 2012 | 12:45 pmUC BERKELEY (US) — The competition between farmers and fish for precious water is intensifying in California.A new study by biologists at the University of California, Berkeley, links higher death rates for threatened juvenile steelhead trout with low water levels in the summer and the amount of vineyard acreage upstream. -
Smartphones in tow, robots take a swim
14 May 2012 | 10:41 amUC BERKELEY (US) — Researchers recently launched a fleet of 100 smartphone-equipped robots into California’s Sacramento River to get an unprecedented look at how water flows.The Floating Sensor Network project offers a network of mobile sensors that can be deployed rapidly to provide real-time, high-resolution data in hard-to-map waterways. A recent field test, organized by engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, illustrated how the water-monitoring technology could transform the way government agencies monitor water resources. -
Compassion may motivate faithful less
1 May 2012 | 1:16 pmUC BERKELEY (US) — The highly religious are less motivated by compassion when helping a stranger than are atheists, agnostics, and less religious people, according to new research. In three experiments, social scientists found that compassion consistently drove less religious people to be more generous. For highly religious people, however, compassion was largely unrelated to how generous they were, according to the findings, which are published in the most recent online issue of the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science. -
‘Text therapy’ may ease isolation
13 Apr 2012 | 10:03 amUC BERKELEY (US) — As part of cognitive behavioral therapy, receiving text messages can make people feel less isolated. Text messaging often gets a bad rap for contributing to poor spelling and high-risk behavior such as reckless driving. But Adrian Aguilera, a social welfare professor at the University of California, Berkeley, has found an upside to texting, especially for people who feel stressed out, isolated, and alone. Aguilera, a clinical psychologist who treats many low-income Latinos for depression and other mental disorders, says his patients report feeling more connected and… -
‘Math Fever’ game is prep for epidemics
10 Apr 2012 | 8:21 amU. FLORIDA / UC BERKELEY (US) — What seems like a macabre game of tag is actually an innovative tool for understanding how infectious diseases move through a population.University of Florida biologist Juliet Pulliam is among an international team of scientists who teach a workshop annually in South Africa that helps epidemiologists improve mathematical models they use to study outbreaks of diseases like cholera, AIDS, and malaria. Pulliam and colleague Steve Bellan from the University of California Berkeley created the game in 2010 as a teaching aid for the workshop. The exercise has proven…
-
Futurity.org » University of California at Davis
-
‘Spin’ molecules may delay Alzheimer’s
9 May 2012 | 9:56 amUC DAVIS (US) — New compounds have been found that disrupt the formation of amyloid—the clumps of protein in the brain thought to be important in causing the characteristic mental decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease.The so-called “spin-labeled fluorene compounds” are an important new target for diagnosis and treatment of the disease, researchers say. -
Flash-heat breast milk to lower HIV risk
8 May 2012 | 2:38 pmUC DAVIS (US) — Mothers in sub-Saharan Africa could successfully follow a protocol for flash-heating breast milk to reduce transmission of HIV to their infants, a new study reports.Flash-heating breast milk is recommended by the World Health Organization for HIV-infected mothers during times of increased transmission risk. The technique involves expressing breast milk into a glass jar that is placed in a small pot of water and heated until the water boils. -
To battle HIV, stem cells step in for fight
8 May 2012 | 8:45 amUC DAVIS (US) — Anti-HIV stem cell transplants may soon be tested in human clinical trails, based on successful results in mice. In a paper published in the May issue of the Journal of Virology, the University of California, Davis HIV team demonstrated both the safety and efficacy of transplanting anti-HIV stem cells into mice that represent models of infected patients. The technique, which involves replacing the immune system with stem cells engineered with a triple combination of HIV-resistant genes, proved capable of replicating a normally functioning human immune system by protecting… -
Survey: Black women lack support after breast cancer
3 May 2012 | 2:26 pmUC DAVIS (US) — A recent survey finds nearly one-fourth of African-American breast cancer survivors were not satisfied with the information they received about treatment options from their doctors.However, a majority (90 percent) of participants reported that they were satisfied with their treatment, according to interviews with 137 African-American women who survived breast cancer. The study, published in Advances in Breast Cancer Research, was conducted by researchers at the University of California, Davis. -
Will bin Laden’s tapes reshape his legacy?
3 May 2012 | 12:47 pmUC DAVIS (US) — Audio tapes taken from Osama bin Laden’s residence in 2001 suggest his role as the leader of al-Qaida has been misread, one analyst argues.Flagg Miller, an associate professor of religious studies at the University of California, Davis, has been listening to bin Laden and his associates since 2003, translating a collection of more than 1,500 tapes acquired by CNN in 2001 from bin Laden’s residence in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
-
Futurity.org » University of California at Santa Barbara
-
Plants spring up sooner in warming climate
8 May 2012 | 10:47 amUC SANTA BARBARA (US) — Plants may be reacting to climate change more than we think, and the uncertainty could leave us ill-prepared for the future effects of global warming, say scientists. The team’s findings are published in the early online edition of the journal Nature. “This suggests that predicted ecosystem changes—including continuing advances in the start of spring across much of the globe—may be far greater than current estimates based on data from experiments,” says the paper’s first author Elizabeth Wolkovich, an ecologist at the University of British… -
Modest moves are sexier, say female cowbirds
4 May 2012 | 9:00 amUC SANTA BARBARA (US) — Female cowbirds find more modest displays from males more attractive than flamboyant wing flapping and feather puffing, say researchers. While sexual selection theory predicts that females should find the more flamboyant displays the most sexually attractive, the opposite holds true for brown-headed cowbirds, a small songbird common in North America, according to University of California, Santa Barbara researchers Adrian O’Loghlen and Stephen Rothstein. Their findings are published May 2 in the journal PLoS ONE. -
Reborn beaches are tsunami’s silver lining
3 May 2012 | 1:53 pmUC SANTA BARBARA (US) — A devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit south central Chile in 2010 triggered a reappearance of long-forgotten habitats and a resurgence of species unseen for years along the country’s sandy beaches.Researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Marine Science Institute (MSI) and Universidad Austral de Chile were able to document the before-and-after ecological results of these cataclysmic occurrences. -
To better allocate aid, forecast famine
2 May 2012 | 1:38 pmUC SANTA BARBARA (US) — Using climate and vegetation data, researchers say it may be possible to predict rainfall deficits in East Africa that could lead to food shortages. With these predictions, food aid and other humanitarian efforts could be put together sooner and executed better, say University of California, Santa Barbara geographers Chris Funk, Greg Husak, and Joel Michaelsen, who are part of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET). “We’ve been looking at climate in East Africa and trying to relate that back to… -
Friction may drag down protein folding
24 Apr 2012 | 3:24 pmUC SANTA BARBARA (US) —Internal friction may play a more significant role in protein folding than previously thought.An international team of researchers has reported a new understanding of this little-known process that happens in virtually every cell of the body. Protein folding is the process by which not-yet folded chains of amino acids assume their specific shapes and take on specific functions.
-
Futurity.org » University of Chicago
-
Beehive remedy may slow prostate cancer
4 May 2012 | 9:12 amU. CHICAGO (US) — An over-the-counter remedy derived from honeybee hives stalls the growth of prostate cancer cells in mice.Caffeic acid phenethyl ester, or CAPE, is a compound isolated from honeybee hive propolis, the resin used by bees to patch up holes in hives. -
Foreign language thoughts boost risk-taking
25 Apr 2012 | 3:21 pmU. CHICAGO (US) — When people consider a problem in a foreign language, they are more likely to take favorable risks and make more rational decisions—a finding that could have implications for business in a global economy.“We know from previous research that because people are naturally loss-averse, they often forgo attractive opportunities,” says Boaz Keysar, professor of psychology at the University of Chicago and a leading expert on communication. -
For many, faith in God rises with age
18 Apr 2012 | 10:54 amU. CHICAGO (US) — Belief in God increases with age, even in countries that are largely atheist, according to new research.International surveys about the depth of people’s belief in God show vast differences among nations, ranging from 94 percent of people in the Philippines who say they always believed in God, to only 13 percent of people in the former East Germany. -
Deaf kids learn with gesture-sign misses
6 Apr 2012 | 9:42 amU. CHICAGO (US) — Gesture-sign mismatches made while explaining a math problem suggest a deaf child is experiencing a teachable moment, a finding that could help their instructors become better teachers.Through a series of experiments with 40 deaf children, ages nine through 12, all of whom were fluent in American Sign Language, researchers were able to distinguish between ASL signs and gestures that look like the gestures hearing children produce when explaining the same math problems. -
South Pole Telescope hunts down dark energy
3 Apr 2012 | 10:56 amU. CHICAGO (US) — Astronomers are beginning to unravel the modern mystery of dark energy based on data from the South Pole Telescope.Recent analysis offers new support for the widely accepted explanation of dark energy, the source of the mysterious force that is responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe.
-
Futurity.org » University of Colorado at Boulder
-
‘Map of Life’ tracks animals around the globe
11 May 2012 | 10:04 amU. COLORADO/YALE (US) — The “Map of Life” online database aims to show the distribution of all living plants and animals on the planet, and is now available to the public. The demonstration version allows users to map the known global distribution of almost 25,000 species of terrestrial vertebrate animals, including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and North American freshwater fish. -
Compassion may motivate faithful less
1 May 2012 | 1:16 pmUC BERKELEY (US) — The highly religious are less motivated by compassion when helping a stranger than are atheists, agnostics, and less religious people, according to new research. In three experiments, social scientists found that compassion consistently drove less religious people to be more generous. For highly religious people, however, compassion was largely unrelated to how generous they were, according to the findings, which are published in the most recent online issue of the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science. -
Climate threat worst at seasonal icy spots
19 Apr 2012 | 11:20 amU. COLORADO- BOULDER (US) — Ecosystems dependent on seasonal snow and ice are the most sensitive to climate changes, according to studies that account for climate change’s “human dimension.”The six papers appear in the April issue of the journal BioScience. The papers are tied to data gathered at 26 sites in North America, Puerto Rico, the island of Moorea near Tahiti, and Antarctica, which are known as Long-Term Ecological Research, or LTER, sites and are funded by the National Science Foundation. University of Colorado-Boulder‘s Niwot Ridge site, one of the five… -
Greenland ice slip ‘n’ slides into ocean
16 Apr 2012 | 2:38 pmU. COLORADO-BOULDER (US) — A new study reports that the Greenland Ice Sheet may be sliding into the ocean faster due to massive releases of meltwater from surface lakes. Such lake drainages may affect sea-level rise, with implications for coastal communities, according to the researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder-based Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES). “This is the first evidence that Greenland’s ‘supraglacial’ lakes have responded to recent increases in surface meltwater production by draining more frequently, as opposed to growing… -
Permafrost thaw warmed prehistoric Earth
6 Apr 2012 | 1:36 pmU. SHEFFIELD (UK) — Carbon trapped in frozen Polar Region soil likely caused prehistoric global warming, not methane gas in ocean-floor sediments, as previously thought. As reported in Nature, scientists analyzing prehistoric global warming say thawing permafrost released massive amounts of carbon stored in frozen soil of Polar Regions, exacerbating climate change through increasing global temperatures and ocean acidification. Although the amounts of carbon involved in the ancient soil-thaw scenarios was likely much greater than today, the implications of this ground-breaking study are that…
-
Futurity.org » University of Florida
-
Combo therapy reverses diabetes in mice
11 May 2012 | 9:57 amU. FLORIDA (US) — A combination therapy that reverses established Type 1 diabetes in mice sets the stages for development of a new human therapy.“If our therapy is successfully translated to humans, patients will be able to have a life without Type 1 diabetes—that’s the exciting part,” says Defu Zeng, senior author of the study and an associate professor of hematology and hematopoietic cell transplantation at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California. -
Mastodons, humans were Florida neighbors
7 May 2012 | 9:12 amU. FLORIDA (US) — During the last ice age 13,000 years ago, modern humans in North America lived alongside large, now extinct mammals, including mammoths, mastodons, and giant sloths.A new study published online in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology addresses the century-long debate about whether human and mammal remains found at Vero Beach in the early 1900s date to the same time period. -
‘Math Fever’ game is prep for epidemics
10 Apr 2012 | 8:21 amU. FLORIDA / UC BERKELEY (US) — What seems like a macabre game of tag is actually an innovative tool for understanding how infectious diseases move through a population.University of Florida biologist Juliet Pulliam is among an international team of scientists who teach a workshop annually in South Africa that helps epidemiologists improve mathematical models they use to study outbreaks of diseases like cholera, AIDS, and malaria. Pulliam and colleague Steve Bellan from the University of California Berkeley created the game in 2010 as a teaching aid for the workshop. The exercise has proven… -
Toxic proteins inside 32 million Americans
5 Mar 2012 | 1:03 pmU. FLORIDA (US) — More than 32 million American adults and children harbor potentially toxic proteins that can attack body tissues and lead to autoimmune diseases.A recent University of Florida study offers the first accurate estimate of the frequency of the proteins, called autoantibodies, the researchers say. The findings appear online and in an upcoming print edition of the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism. -
As climate warmed, early horses shrank
27 Feb 2012 | 9:46 amU. FLORIDA (US) — Past climate warming resulted in tiny horses, a finding that suggests mammals shrink when temperatures rise.In a study appearing in the journal Science, researchers led by scientists from the University of Florida and the University of Nebraska found a correlation between temperature and body size in mammals by following the evolution of the earliest horses about 56 million years ago: As temperatures increased, their body size decreased.
-
Futurity.org » University of Illinois
-
For tough problems, expert pairs work best
15 May 2012 | 2:20 pmU. ILLINOIS (US) — Experts produce better results when they work in pairs, rather than alone, to tackle complex problems, a new study finds.The study used expert flight instructors, student pilots (novices), and non-pilots, with 32 participants from each of the three groups. They were asked to work alone or in pairs in problem-solving tasks involving an aviation scenario. Problem solving was done with either another participant of the same level of expertise or alone and required identifying the problem in the scenario and generating a solution. -
1 in 7 seniors in US face hunger threat
15 May 2012 | 11:18 amU. ILLINOIS (US) — A new study of hunger trends over a 10-year period found that 8.3 million seniors (about 14 percent) in the United States face the threat of hunger.From 2001 to 2010, the number of seniors experiencing the threat of hunger increased by 78 percent, according to the study. Since the onset of the recession in 2007 to 2010, the number of seniors experiencing the threat of hunger increased by 34 percent. -
Breast milk compound may build baby’s immunity
15 May 2012 | 10:01 amU. ILLINOIS (US) — A key component of breast milk promotes good bacteria in growing babies’ digestive tracts, but is absent from infant formula, researchers say. Human milk oligosaccharides, or HMO, produce short-chain fatty acids that feed a beneficial microbial population in the infant gut. Not only that, the bacterial composition adjusts as the baby grows older and his or her needs change. Even though HMO are a major component of human milk, present in higher concentration than protein, many of their actions in the infant are not well understood. Furthermore, they’re virtually… -
Bacteria fight ‘dirty’ to disarm antibiotic
9 May 2012 | 1:11 pmU. ILLINOIS (US) — Researchers have discovered how bacteria use a previously unknown means to defeat a potent antibiotic.The bacteria modify a common “housekeeping” enzyme in a way that enables the enzyme to recognize and disarm the antibiotic. The findings are reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. -
Bird robot sticks landing to perch on palm
8 May 2012 | 2:59 pmU. ILLINOIS (US) — Researchers have duplicated the control functions that let birds successfully perform a soft landing—in this case, perching on a human hand. “We believe we have the first demonstration of autonomous/robotic flight of a bird-like micro aerial vehicle (MAV) perching on a human hand,” states Soon-Jo Chung, an assistant professor in the aerospace engineering department at the University of Illinois.
-
Futurity.org » University of Leeds
-
Could bacteria build better computers?
8 May 2012 | 11:12 amU. LEEDS (UK) — Bacteria that make magnets and wires may someday help build environmentally friendly computers with larger hard drives and faster connections. Researchers at the University of Leeds have used a bacterium that “eats” iron to create a surface of magnets, similar to those found in traditional hard drives, and wiring. As the bacterium ingests the iron it creates tiny magnets within itself. The team has also begun to understand how the proteins inside these bacteria collect, shape, and position these “nanomagnets” inside their cells. As reported in the… -
With virtual slides, check out tissue in 3-D
23 Apr 2012 | 9:19 amU. LEEDS (UK) — Using “virtual” microscope slides, computing experts and medical researchers have developed a fast, easy-to-use way of studying tissue samples in 3-D. The digital scanning system produces high-resolution, multicolored images that can be rotated and examined from any angle. -
Cosmetic surgery ads divided by class
13 Apr 2012 | 2:22 pmU. LEEDS (UK) — A new study finds evidence of English class division in online advertising for Czech, Spanish, and Thai cosmetic surgery clinics. A team of researchers from the University of Leeds and additional institutions in the UK and Australia carried out an analysis of cosmetic surgery websites and found that the sites’ marketing ploys “seem to betray class preferences.” -
Volcanic ‘plumbing’ may predict quakes
13 Apr 2012 | 12:02 pmU. ROCHESTER (US) / U. LEEDS (UK) — The “plumbing systems” that lie under volcanoes may bring scientists closer to predicting large scale eruptions and plate ruptures.Researchers are studying the location and behavior of magma chambers on the Earth’s mid-ocean ridge system—a vast chain of volcanoes along which the Earth forms new crust. They worked in the tropical region of Afar, Ethiopia and the subarctic country of Iceland—the only places where mid-ocean ridges appear above sea level. -
Greener, cleaner way to make plaster
11 Apr 2012 | 11:18 amU. LEEDS (UK) — The way gypsum crystals naturally form may offer clues on how to significantly reduce cost and energy in the production of plaster, widely used in building construction, fireproofing, and artwork.Gypsum is a naturally occurring mineral which is often used in industrial processes and which in nature, if left alone for thousands of years, can grow into huge translucent crystals more than 10 meters tall, such as those in the Cave of Crystals in Mexico. Nevertheless, the formation of gypsum has until now been largely unexplored.
-
Futurity.org » University of Maryland
-
Push to send patients home can backfire
14 May 2012 | 12:59 pmU. MARYLAND (US) — Revenue-driven surgery and poor planning can send patients home too soon following surgery, resulting in higher rates of readmission, new research shows.A pair of studies published in the journal Health Care Management Science highlights a correlation between readmission rates and how full a hospital is at the time of a patient’s discharge. Better planning and other logistical solutions could help avoid the problems, researchers say. -
Americans exercise more, but not enough
9 May 2012 | 11:01 amPENN STATE / U. MARYLAND (US) — Americans exercise almost three times more than they did 40 years ago, but still far less than the recommended four hours a week.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults aged 18 to 64 exercise moderately for 2.5 hours per week and engage in a vigorous activity, such as running and muscle strengthening, for an hour and fifteen minutes per week. The current average time Americans spend on exercise is two hours a week. -
Plants spring up sooner in warming climate
8 May 2012 | 10:47 amUC SANTA BARBARA (US) — Plants may be reacting to climate change more than we think, and the uncertainty could leave us ill-prepared for the future effects of global warming, say scientists. The team’s findings are published in the early online edition of the journal Nature. “This suggests that predicted ecosystem changes—including continuing advances in the start of spring across much of the globe—may be far greater than current estimates based on data from experiments,” says the paper’s first author Elizabeth Wolkovich, an ecologist at the University of British… -
For trauma victims, costly choppers save lives
19 Apr 2012 | 1:33 pmJOHNS HOPKINS / U. MARYLAND (US) — Patients with traumatic injuries fare better when airlifted by helicopter compared to patients transported by ambulance.According to a new study, airlifted patients by comparison are 16 percent more likely to survive. -
Microbes flipped early Earth from haze to sun
26 Mar 2012 | 8:42 amU. MARYLAND (US) — Early Earth’s atmosphere flipped back and forth between sun and haze, which would have had major effects on the climate. The research, from scientists at the University of Maryland, Newcastle University, and NASA, is published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
-
Futurity.org » University of Melbourne
-
First drug reaction may predict epilepsy seizures
14 May 2012 | 9:50 amU. MELBOURNE (AUS) — How well people newly diagnosed with epilepsy respond to their first drug treatment may signal their likelihood of having continued uncontrolled seizures.As reported in the journal Neurology, researchers now believe a pattern emerges in the early stages. -
Birds evolve faster with feather variety
10 May 2012 | 11:38 amU. MELBOURNE (AUS) — Having a variety of plumage types within a population allows birds to evolve into new species more quickly than if all the birds look alike.The link between having more than one color variation (color polymorphism) like the red, black, or yellow headed Gouldian finches, and the faster evolution of new species was predicted in the 1950s by scientists such as Julian Huxley, but the new study, published in the journal Nature, is the first to confirm the theory. -
To beat resistant bacteria, let them live
30 Apr 2012 | 11:18 amMONASH (AUS) — In the fight against antibiotic resistance, the next strategy may be to disarm the bacteria without actually killing them. Published in Nature Structure and Molecular Biology, research led by Monash University shows a protein complex called the Translocation and Assembly Module (TAM), forms a type of molecular pump in bacteria. The TAM allows bacteria to shuttle key disease-causing molecules from inside the bacterial cell where they are made, to the outside surface, priming the bacteria for infection. -
Genomes of two champion bulls sequenced
27 Apr 2012 | 9:44 amUC DAVIS (US) — Research on the genomes of two genetically superior bulls—with more than 60,000 descendants in six generations—may provide for faster and less costly methods to breed elite cattle.The genomes of the bulls, Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief and his son Walkway Chief Mark, show how portions of their DNA that control important traits such as disease resistance or milk production have spread throughout the contemporary Holstein breed, the world’s highest-producing dairy animal. -
For Tasmanian tiger, genetic fate loomed
23 Apr 2012 | 10:29 amU. MELBOURNE (AUS) — The Tasmanian tiger had the same or even less genetic diversity than its close relative, the Tasmanian devil.The findings, published in the journal PLoS One, offer insights into the genetic health of the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) before it was exterminated by hunting.
-
Futurity.org » University of Michigan
-
Cell as target for tough-to-treat asthma
8 May 2012 | 12:06 pmU. MICHIGAN (US) — A type of newly discovered cell in mice appears to be crucial to causing asthma symptoms—even in the presence of inhaler steroid medications.The research, published in Nature Medicine, also shows that people with asthma have a very similar cell type in their blood at higher levels than people without the condition. -
Hungry sea urchins force prey to adapt
17 Apr 2012 | 10:26 amU. MICHIGAN (US) — In one unusual predator-prey showdown, sea urchins have forced evolutionary adaptations upon crinoids, which include the sea lily.Over a nearly 200-million-year span, sea urchins have been in control, even driving the formerly stationary, or sessile, sea lilies to develop the ability to escape by creeping along the ocean floor. -
South Pole Telescope hunts down dark energy
3 Apr 2012 | 10:56 amU. CHICAGO (US) — Astronomers are beginning to unravel the modern mystery of dark energy based on data from the South Pole Telescope.Recent analysis offers new support for the widely accepted explanation of dark energy, the source of the mysterious force that is responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe. -
To nab wasted heat, solid mimics liquid
26 Mar 2012 | 9:27 amCALTECH / U. MICHIGAN (US) — A new, liquid-like compound has the potential to be even more efficient than traditional thermoelectrics. Thermoelectric materials have been used to power spacecraft ranging from Apollo to the Curiosity rover now headed for Mars. Recently, however, scientists and engineers have been turning to these materials to use wasted heat—released from automobiles or industrial machinery, for instance—as an efficient energy source. They have also proposed using these materials to create more efficient heating systems in electric cars or even as new ways to exploit… -
Test strip colors indicate nerve gas threat
13 Mar 2012 | 10:18 amU. MICHIGAN (US) — A new litmus-like test can protect soldiers by turning from blue to pink within 30 seconds of exposure to trace amounts of nerve gas. Nerve gases are colorless, odorless, tasteless, and deadly. While today’s soldiers carry masks and other protective gear, they don’t have reliable ways of knowing when they need them in time. That could change, thanks to the new litmus-like paper sensor made at the University of Michigan.
-
Futurity.org » University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
-
No protocol ready for Deepwater oil spill
23 Apr 2012 | 9:52 amUC SANTA BARBARA / UNC-CHAPEL HILL (US) — Scientists have created the first complete conceptual model for understanding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and any similar disasters in the future. On the second anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform blowout, a national panel of researchers is providing new insight into what happened in the disaster, as well as a guide for how to deal with such events in the future, and why existing tools were inadequate to predict what lay before them. The study, produced by the Gulf Oil Spill Ecotox Working Group at University of California, Santa… -
Teens’ takes on lifespan predict earnings
12 Apr 2012 | 12:46 pmUNC-CHAPEL HILL (US) — Adolescents’ expectations of an early death can predict their economic futures more than a decade later, according to a new study. Individuals who did not expect to live to age 35 had lower levels of educational attainment and lower personal earnings as young adults when compared to individuals who expected to live longer, report the researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill‘s Gillings School of Global Public Health. Even after controlling for characteristics such as violence involvement, drug use, parental education, and neighborhood… -
Is diet soda healthy? Depends on what you eat
2 Apr 2012 | 1:35 pmUNC-CHAPEL HILL (US) — New research sheds light on how zero-calorie sodas may affect health, especially in the context of a person’s overall dietary habits.A number of studies have implicated drinking diet beverages as a cause of cardiovascular disease. Others have suggested such drinks may be a viable tactic for people who are trying to lose or control weight. -
Coral reefs need global fix, survey says
30 Mar 2012 | 11:01 amUNC-CHAPEL HILL (US) — Saving coral reefs from rising temperatures will require more than fishing bans in protected areas, a new study shows. Special conservation zones known as marine protected areas provide many direct benefits to fisheries and coral reefs. However, such zones appear to offer limited help to corals in their battle against global warming, the study shows. -
Hallucinogen plant targets pain receptor
22 Mar 2012 | 1:45 pmUNC-CHAPEL HILL (US) — The discovery of how the hallucinogen Salvia affects the brain could lead to new avenues for treating drug addiction, chronic pain, and depression.At the molecular level, drugs like salvinorin A (the active ingredient of the hallucinogenic plant Salvia divinorum) work by activating specific proteins, known as receptors, in the brain and body. Salvinorin A, the most potent naturally occurring hallucinogen, is unusual in that it interacts with only one receptor in the human brain—the kappa opioid receptor (KOR). Scientists know of four distinct types of opioid…
-
Futurity.org » University of Oregon
-
New ads may benefit past sponsors
7 May 2012 | 9:51 amMICHIGAN STATE (US) — Companies should spend money on sponsorships cautiously, as their return on investment is often difficult to measure and could even benefit the competition. In a paper recently published in the Journal of Advertising, researchers found that the average consumer may not have a clear memory for the current sponsor of an event, especially if this sponsor is taking over from another. Anna McAlister, an assistant professor of advertising, public relations, and retailing at Michigan State University, says her team of researchers found that in more cases than not a consumer… -
When new parents bicker, kids suffer later
4 Apr 2012 | 10:55 amU. OREGON (US) — The level of aggression between partners around the time a baby is born affects how the mother will parent three years later, research shows.The study is part of a longitudinal study involving more than 400 mothers in high-risk family environments, based mostly on risk for child-welfare involvement and socioeconomic status. The mothers were initially recruited at a San Diego, Calif., hospital when their children were born in 1996-97. -
Don’t ignore behavior in climate debate
22 Mar 2012 | 10:40 amU. OREGON (US) — Focusing on technology alone won’t help the world move away from fossil fuel-based energy sources, according to a new study.The paper, published in Nature Climate Change, argues for a global shift in political and economic policies to embrace the idea that continued growth in energy consumption is not sustainable. -
Solar power from silver ‘fractal trees’
14 Mar 2012 | 10:54 amUC DAVIS (US) — Microscopic “fractal trees” grown from silver could be the basis of a new type of solar cell, chemists say.Fractals are patterns that repeat over multiple length scales. In this case, branches of silver 1-50th the width of a human hair are themselves branched, and smaller branches grow on those branches, forming a treelike pattern. -
Rare and hunted, drill monkeys face new threat
29 Feb 2012 | 1:51 pmU. OREGON (US) — Mitochondrial DNA offers a glimpse into how climate warming may again threaten populations of endangered wild drills.New research shows that wild drills (Mandrillus leucophaeus) may see a dramatic population decline if the forest dries out and vegetation becomes sparser amid warming temperatures.
-
Futurity.org » University of Pittsburgh
-
For motivation, live to learn, not to win
14 May 2012 | 3:49 pmSTANFORD (US) — An environment that emphasizes learning for its own sake may help foster motivation, even once a person returns to a more competitive setting. Think about the ideal student. He or she focuses on learning, not grades; improvement, not appearances; competency, not competition. This person wants to understand and grow, not just prove how smart he or she is. -
Viral skin cancer treatment targets protein
14 May 2012 | 11:14 amU. PITTSBURGH (US) — In the fight against a rare viral skin cancer, researchers have identified a possible molecular target for treatment. Four years after they discovered the viral origins of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) and the School of Medicine have now identified a molecule activated by this virus that, in animal studies, could be targeted to selectively kill the tumor cells. The treatment will soon be tested in patients. MCC, a skin cancer that is more common among seniors and those with weakened immune systems, was… -
Test predicts prostate cancer relapse
11 May 2012 | 11:40 amU. PITTSBURGH (US) — The detection of certain gene abnormalities in the blood or tumor tissue of prostate cancer patients can predict the likelihood of relapse, say researchers. The findings, published online in The American Journal of Pathology, show that the test also can indicate how aggressive or mild the relapse will be. Currently, prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, blood levels are tested to monitor the status of prostate tumors, said senior investigator Jian-Hua Luo, associate professor in the department of pathology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. -
For some guts, bile is the bad guy, not acid
24 Apr 2012 | 3:17 pmU. ROCHESTER (US) — Acid reflux drugs do the trick for some people, but others may require the reduction of bile—an approach that may prevent a rare form of cancer. For many people with gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, acid reflux drugs are the answer to their woes, curbing the chronic heartburn and regurgitation of food or sour liquid characteristic of the disorder. A new study published in the Annals of Surgery shows that bile—a digestive fluid that leaks backwards from the stomach into the esophagus along with acid in patients with GERD—plays a critical and previously… -
Chance derails brain’s short-term memory
5 Apr 2012 | 3:40 pmU. PITTSBURGH (US) — Mathematicians are using computational models to better understand how the structure of neural variability relates to short-term memory and decision-making. In a paper published online April 2 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the University of Pittsburgh team examines how fluctuations in brain activity can impact the dynamics of cognitive tasks. Previous recordings of neural activity during simple cognitive tasks show a tremendous amount of trial-to-trial variability. For example, when a person was instructed to hold the same stimulus in…
-
Futurity.org » University of Rochester
-
Clean air improves heart health, Olympics show
15 May 2012 | 4:43 pmUSC / U. ROCHESTER (US) — Using the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a lab, researchers found evidence that even short-term reduction in air pollution exposure improves a person’s cardiovascular health. The results of the study appear this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. -
Hospitals need to scan stroke patients faster
4 May 2012 | 10:40 amU. ROCHESTER (US) — Only 41.7 percent of stroke patients undergo brain imaging within the recommended 25 minutes of their arrival at a hospital, according to a new study. The mantra in stroke care is “time is brain.” With each passing minute more brain cells are irretrievably lost and, because of this, timely diagnosis and treatment is essential to increase the chances for recovery. The study, published this month in the journal Stroke, also finds that certain individuals, including people with diabetes, those over 75 years of age, women, those that did not arrive by ambulance,… -
Obesity in pregnancy doesn’t stunt baby’s growth
27 Apr 2012 | 2:50 pmU. ROCHESTER (US) — Obesity during pregnancy doesn’t increase the risk of poor growth of an unborn baby, according to a new study that finds the incidence of fetal growth restriction is actually lower in these women.Researchers conducted the study because a wealth of data shows that obese women are at greater risk of fetal death or stillbirth, but it is unclear why. They wanted to determine if fetal growth restriction—which increases the likelihood of stillbirth—might play a role. -
For better care, train doctors to be mindful
26 Apr 2012 | 3:03 pmU. ROCHESTER (US) — Training physicians in mindfulness meditation and communication skills can improve the quality of primary care for both practitioners and their patients.University of Rochester researchers, reporting findings in the journal Academic Medicine, also recommend promoting a sense of community among physicians and providing time to physicians for personal growth. -
For some guts, bile is the bad guy, not acid
24 Apr 2012 | 3:17 pmU. ROCHESTER (US) — Acid reflux drugs do the trick for some people, but others may require the reduction of bile—an approach that may prevent a rare form of cancer. For many people with gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, acid reflux drugs are the answer to their woes, curbing the chronic heartburn and regurgitation of food or sour liquid characteristic of the disorder. A new study published in the Annals of Surgery shows that bile—a digestive fluid that leaks backwards from the stomach into the esophagus along with acid in patients with GERD—plays a critical and previously…
-
Futurity.org » University of Sheffield
-
Despite advances, humans still evolving
1 May 2012 | 8:46 amU. SHEFFIELD (UK) — Humans continue to evolve and significant natural and sexual selection is still taking place in our species in the modern world, new research shows. Despite advancements in medicine and technology, as well as an increased prevalence of monogamy, research reveals humans are continuing to evolve just like other species. Scientists in an international collaboration, which includes the University of Sheffield, analyzed church records of about 6,000 Finnish people born between 1760-1849 to determine whether the demographic, cultural, and technological changes of the… -
Atomic structure paves way for obesity drugs
30 Apr 2012 | 8:16 amU. SHEFFIELD (UK) — Scientists have defined the structure of a key part of the human obesity receptor—an essential factor in the regulation of body fat.The findings, reported in the journal Structure, could advance efforts to generate drugs that can both block and stimulate the receptor for the obesity hormone leptin—potentially offering new treatments for the complications of obesity and anorexia. -
Control faulty gene to protect weak bones
19 Apr 2012 | 11:06 amU. SHEFFIELD (UK) — Women with a defective gene have lower bone mass and lose nearly 10 times more bone than women with a correct copy, a new study shows.Scientists have discovered new ways to help detect and treat the debilitating brittle bone disease osteoporosis, a devastating condition that affects half of all women and a fifth of men over 50 in the UK. -
Permafrost thaw warmed prehistoric Earth
6 Apr 2012 | 1:36 pmU. SHEFFIELD (UK) — Carbon trapped in frozen Polar Region soil likely caused prehistoric global warming, not methane gas in ocean-floor sediments, as previously thought. As reported in Nature, scientists analyzing prehistoric global warming say thawing permafrost released massive amounts of carbon stored in frozen soil of Polar Regions, exacerbating climate change through increasing global temperatures and ocean acidification. Although the amounts of carbon involved in the ancient soil-thaw scenarios was likely much greater than today, the implications of this ground-breaking study are that… -
Ultra high-res images with no-lens microscope
9 Mar 2012 | 9:49 amU. SHEFFIELD (UK) — A new electron microscope that works without a lens may create the highest resolution images ever seen.Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which looks through an object to see atomic features within it, has been constrained for over 70 years by the relatively poor lenses that are used to form the image.
-
Futurity.org » University of Southampton
-
Block fat enzymes to free blood flow
27 Apr 2012 | 12:10 pmU. SOUTHAMPTON (UK) — The discovery of a process that controls the arteries’ ability to regulate blood pressure could lead to new treatments for cardiovascular disease.Arteries are able to control blood pressure by relaxing and constricting. In healthy people, the ability of arteries to relax or constrict is kept in balance. -
In UK, alcohol could kill 210,000 in 20 years
7 Mar 2012 | 12:47 pmU. SOUTHAMPTON (UK) — Failure to reform alcohol laws in the UK may result in 210,000 avoidable deaths in the next 20 years, new research shows.The government should move from the voluntary “responsibility deal” with alcohol retailers, which encourages them to reduce alcohol consumption, to imposing lawful measures on the drinks industry, such as banning special offers or instituting a minimum price per unit of alcohol, says Nick Sheron, head of clinical hepatology at the University of Southampton. -
Vitamin B6 may beat malaria pathogen
2 Feb 2012 | 2:13 pmU. SOUTHAMPTON (UK) — New research on vitamin B6 could lead to drugs that target the pathogen that causes malaria.The University of Southampton research will enable scientists to learn more about the nature of the enzymes required for vitamin biosynthesis by the malaria-causing pathogen Plasmodium. -
Carbon dioxide: The global heat dial?
7 Dec 2011 | 8:00 amPURDUE / YALE (US) — A drop in carbon dioxide appears to be the driving force that led to the Antarctic ice sheet’s formation, according to a recent study of molecules from ancient algae found in deep-sea core samples.The key role of the greenhouse gas in one of the biggest climate events in Earth’s history supports carbon dioxide’s importance in past climate change and implicates it as a significant force in present and future climate. -
Aspirin cuts some cancer risk 60 percent
17 Nov 2011 | 6:21 amU. SOUTHAMPTON (UK) — Taking a regular dose of aspirin reduces the long-term risk of cancer by around 60 percent in people with a family history of the disease.Evidence of the benefits of aspirin has been accumulating for more than 20 years, but new results published in The Lancet are the first from a randomized controlled trial.
-
Futurity.org » University of Southern California
-
Clean air improves heart health, Olympics show
15 May 2012 | 4:43 pmUSC / U. ROCHESTER (US) — Using the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a lab, researchers found evidence that even short-term reduction in air pollution exposure improves a person’s cardiovascular health. The results of the study appear this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. -
Solar nanocrystals float in printable ink
26 Apr 2012 | 9:34 amUSC (US) — Scientists have developed a potential pathway to cheap, stable solar cells made from nanocrystals so small they can be painted onto clear surfaces as liquid ink. The solar nanocrystals are about four nanometers in size—meaning you could fit more than 250,000,000,000 on the head of a pin—and float them in a liquid solution, so “like you print a newspaper, you can print solar cells,” says Richard L. Brutchey, assistant professor of chemistry at University of Southern California. Brutchey and postdoctoral researcher David H. Webber developed a new surface coating for the… -
Soil ‘cocktail’ suggests life on Mars
11 Apr 2012 | 9:32 amUSC (US) — Mathematical analysis of soil from Mars indicates there may be life on the planet. In 1976, the National Aeronautical Space Agency launched the Viking program, sending space probes to Mars to determine whether there was life on the red planet. Thirty-six years later the debate about life on Mars is not over. -
Quantum computer built inside diamond
9 Apr 2012 | 7:42 amUSC (US) — Researchers have built a quantum computer in a diamond, the first of its kind to include protection against harmful noise called “decoherence.” The demonstration showed the viability of solid-state quantum computers, which—unlike earlier gas- and liquid-state systems—may represent the future of quantum computing because they can easily be scaled up in size. Current quantum computers typically are very small and, though impressive, cannot yet compete with the speed of larger, traditional computers. The multinational team included University of Southern California… -
RNA discovery offers clue in autism puzzle
5 Apr 2012 | 9:15 amUSC (US) — Scientists have discovered the first gene associated with autism that has genome-wide significance—findings that could lead to new treatments. The discovery, detailed in the April 4 edition of the journal Science Translational Medicine, may allow researchers to study the causes of autism and develop new treatments for the disorder more effectively. “Our study shows that a highly-significant genetic signal for autism pointed to a new gene, MSNP1AS,” says Daniel B. Campbell, the study’s senior author and assistant professor of psychiatry and the behavioral sciences at…
-
Futurity.org » University of Texas at Austin
-
Jersey-sized ice basin at risk of collapse
11 May 2012 | 10:05 amU. TEXAS-AUSTIN (US) — Scientists have uncovered a sub-glacial basin about the size of New Jersey under the West Antarctic Ice Sheet by using ice-penetrating radar instruments flown on aircraft. The location, shape, and texture of the mile-deep basin suggest that this region of the ice sheet, near the Weddell Sea, is at a greater risk of collapse than previously thought. Team members at the University of Texas at Austin compared data about the newly discovered basin to data they previously collected from other parts of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) that also appear highly vulnerable,… -
Plants spring up sooner in warming climate
8 May 2012 | 10:47 amUC SANTA BARBARA (US) — Plants may be reacting to climate change more than we think, and the uncertainty could leave us ill-prepared for the future effects of global warming, say scientists. The team’s findings are published in the early online edition of the journal Nature. “This suggests that predicted ecosystem changes—including continuing advances in the start of spring across much of the globe—may be far greater than current estimates based on data from experiments,” says the paper’s first author Elizabeth Wolkovich, an ecologist at the University of British… -
Mastodons, humans were Florida neighbors
7 May 2012 | 9:12 amU. FLORIDA (US) — During the last ice age 13,000 years ago, modern humans in North America lived alongside large, now extinct mammals, including mammoths, mastodons, and giant sloths.A new study published online in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology addresses the century-long debate about whether human and mammal remains found at Vero Beach in the early 1900s date to the same time period. -
Faster beasts evolve with larger eyeballs
3 May 2012 | 12:41 pmU. TEXAS-AUSTIN (US) — After body size, a mammal’s running speed is the most important influence on the size of its eyes. Species with larger eyes usually have higher visual acuity, says Chris Kirk, associate professor in the department of anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin. But what are the ecological factors that cause some mammals to develop larger eyes than others? -
At charter schools, more black teens drop out
23 Apr 2012 | 3:12 pmU. TEXAS-AUSTIN (US) — Despite being promoted as a viable alternative, charter schools in Texas have a higher attrition rate for black students than comparable urban public schools.New research shows that, although many privately operated charter schools claim that 90 percent or more of their students go on to college and many, such as the Houston-based KIPP chain of schools, spend 30-60 percent more per pupil than comparable urban school districts, more black students drop out and leave charter schools.
-
Futurity.org » University of Toronto
-
Bug snags mate with antenna hooks
4 May 2012 | 12:23 pmMCGILL/ U. TORONTO (CAN) — To understand the evolution of sex differences, researchers have recreated the development of the barbed antennae male water striders use to catch mates. Sexual conflict—the battle between males and females over mating—is thought to be a particularly potent force in driving the evolution of traits that differ in males and females. -
‘Moneyball’ twist: What’s a hockey player worth?
2 May 2012 | 3:58 pmU. TORONTO (CAN) — What Billy Beane and Paul DePodesta did for baseball, an engineering duo hopes to do for hockey.Portrayed in the movie Moneyball, Beane and DePodesta found success by bringing careful statistical analysis to bear on assembling the Oakland A’s roster. -
No-fuss device delivers entangled photons
2 May 2012 | 3:14 pmU. TORONTO (CAN) — A new device could move supercomputing out of the lab by making it faster and easier to produce a special class of photons.Advanced computing technologies—such as ultra-secure communication systems and optical quantum computers—use light to quickly relay information. To enable these technologies to work, a photon, the smallest unit of energy, has to be tightly coupled with another photon. These are known as entangled photon pairs. -
Blocked protein acts as ‘handbrake’ for MS
2 May 2012 | 10:29 amMONASH (AUS) — Blocking a protein that contributes to nerve damage could potentially slow—or even halt—the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS).Research published in the journal Brain demonstrates the key role played by the collapsin response mediator protein 2 (CRMP-2) in the development of MS. -
Childhood abuse raises adult suicide risk
30 Apr 2012 | 9:47 amU. TORONTO (CAN) — Adults who were physically abused during childhood are more likely than their non-abused peers to have suicidal thoughts, new research shows. According to a new study, published online in the journal Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, approximately one-third of adults who were physically abused in childhood have seriously considered taking their own life—a rate that is five times higher than adults who were not physically abused in childhood.
-
Futurity.org » University of Warwick
-
Reputation can’t beat a face you can trust
15 May 2012 | 11:11 amU. WARWICK (UK) — Our decisions to trust people with our money are based more on how they look than how they behave, according to new research. In a paper recently published in the PLoS One journal, researchers from the University of Warwick Business School and their colleagues carried out a series of experiments to see if people made decisions to trust others based on their faces. They found people are more likely to invest money in someone whose face is generally perceived as trustworthy, even when they are given negative information about this person’s reputation. -
Test may predict new mom depression
10 May 2012 | 1:56 pmU. WARWICK (UK) — The discovery of specific genetic variants may lead to the development of a blood test to identify women at the most risk for developing postnatal depression.About one in seven new mothers suffer from the condition, which normally starts around two weeks after childbirth. -
Say your online prayers for ‘me’
9 May 2012 | 9:32 amU. WARWICK (UK) — People who pray online compared to those who pray in church are much more likely to pray for themselves rather than someone they know.A study analyzing prayers submitted to the Church of England’s Say One For Me website (now renamed Pray One For Me) found that 34 percent of people had prayed online for help with their own personal issues, compared to just 3 percent or 4 percent of traditional handwritten prayers left in churches. -
Stars gobble up Earth-like exoplanets
4 May 2012 | 9:47 amU. WARWICK (UK) — Astrophysicists have pinpointed four white dwarfs surrounded by dust from shattered planetary bodies that once bore striking similarities to the composition of the Earth.The most frequently occurring elements in the dust around these four white dwarfs were oxygen, magnesium, iron, and silicon—the four elements that make up roughly 93 percent of the Earth—the researchers found, based on data from the Hubble Space Telescope. -
Checkpoint protein is key to cancer drugs
23 Apr 2012 | 8:59 amU. WARWICK (UK) — The operation of a built-in “security check” guarantees that cells divide with the correct number of chromosomes, a finding that could lead to the development of more effective cancer drugs.Most cells in the body contain 23 pairs of chromosomes that encode individual genetic identities. The process of chromosome segregation is monitored by a system called the spindle checkpoint that ensures daughter cells receive the correct number of chromosomes.
-
Futurity.org » University of Washington
-
Time of year matters for vitamin D risk
16 May 2012 | 1:32 pmU. WASHINGTON (US) — When considering a patient’s blood vitamin D levels, it may be best to consider a lower threshold for concern, as well as the time of year. The threshold amount for older patients’ vitamin D levels has become controversial as several scientific societies set different targets. But a new study at the University of Washington supports recent recommendations for a lower threshold level, considerably lower than the recommendations of other expert panels. -
Mammals may not get to cool climates in time
16 May 2012 | 10:44 amU. WASHINGTON (US) — Nine percent of the Western Hemisphere’s mammals—and up to 40 percent in some regions—may not be able to outpace climate change. A new study is the first to consider whether mammals will actually be able to move to those new areas suitable for mammals before they are overrun by climate change. Carrie Schloss, University of Washington research analyst in environmental and forest sciences, is lead author of the paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. -
Mail mix-up may change eye disease treatment
7 May 2012 | 1:27 pmINDIANA U. (US) — Sloppy shipping of a donated human retina has inadvertently helped researchers uncover a previously undetected mechanism causing a type of macular degeneration. The discovery has led researchers to urge review of how millions of dollars are spent investigating the cause of a type of age-related macular degeneration called choroidal neovascularization. Working at Indiana University’s Biocomplexity Institute, postdoctoral researcher Abbas Shirinifard had hit a brick wall trying to develop detailed computer simulations of the behaviors and interactions of the cells and… -
Low-cost test may screen for autism
30 Apr 2012 | 2:55 pmU. WASHINGTON (US) — It may be possible to predict a child’s risk of developing autism by examining metabolic byproducts found in urine.Autism is difficult to diagnose because of a lack of specific biological markers and a variability of symptoms, ranging from mild in some individuals to severely disabling in others. -
Wind-churned plastics litter deep ocean
30 Apr 2012 | 1:48 pmU. WASHINGTON (US) — By skimming only the surface, decades of research into how much plastic litters the ocean may vastly underestimate the true amount of debris in some cases, new findings show.While working on a research sailboat gliding over glassy seas in the Pacific Ocean, oceanographer Giora Proskurowski, a researcher at the University of Washington, noticed something new: The water was littered with confetti-size pieces of plastic debris, until the moment the wind picked up and most of the particles disappeared.
-
Futurity.org » Vanderbilt University
-
Less urge to work with brain wired to slack
10 May 2012 | 9:15 amVANDERBILT (US) — When it comes to working hard to earn money, people vary from slackers to go-getters—a difference that may arise from brain chemistry. The new brain imaging study has found an individual’s willingness to work hard to earn money is strongly influenced by the chemistry in three specific areas of the brain. In addition to shedding new light on how the brain works, the research could have important implications for the treatment of attention-deficit disorder, depression, schizophrenia, and other forms of mental illness characterized by decreased motivation. -
Quantum dots shine brighter with acid
9 May 2012 | 1:40 pmVANDERBILT (US) — Researchers have successfully boosted the fluorescent efficiency of white-light quantum dots from an original level of three percent to as high as 45 percent. With the age of the incandescent light bulb fading rapidly, the holy grail of the lighting industry is to develop a highly efficient form of solid-state lighting that produces high-quality white light. White-light quantum dots are one of the few alternative technologies that produce pure white light. These are ultra-small fluorescent beads of cadmium selenide that can convert the blue light produced by an LED into a… -
Black hole wrangle ejects rogue stars
1 May 2012 | 10:11 amVANDERBILT(US) — Astronomers have identified nearly 700 new rogue stars that appear to have been ejected from the Milky Way.It’s very difficult to knock a star out of the galaxy. In fact, the main mechanism that astronomers have come up with that can give a star the two-million-plus mile-per-hour kick it takes involves tangling with the supermassive black hole at the galaxy’s core. -
To adapt, diversity is mammals’ best defense
24 Apr 2012 | 10:33 amVANDERBILT (US) — Diversity helped mammals in North America survive climate change in “deep time”—a period of 56 million years.During the period that began with the Eocene and ended 12,000 years ago with the terminal Pleistocene extinction, mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, giant sloths, and most other “megafauna” on the continent disappeared. -
Brain ‘cascade’ in third party punishment
19 Apr 2012 | 10:31 amVANDERBILT (US) — Scientists have proposed the first neurobiological model for third-party punishment, a key component of human society and cooperation. The willingness of people to punish others who lie, cheat, steal, or violate other social norms even when they weren’t harmed and don’t stand to benefit personally, is a distinctly human behavior. There is scant evidence that other animals, even other primates, behave in this “I punish you because you harmed him” fashion. Although this behavior—called third-party punishment—has long been institutionalized in human legal…
-
Futurity.org » Yale University
-
Limit off-label psych drugs to save, study says
15 May 2012 | 2:15 pmPENN STATE / YALE (US) — Reducing the non-FDA-approved use of antipsychotic drugs may be a way to save money while having little effect on patient care, according to a new study. Researchers say that 57.6 percent of patients prescribed antipsychotic medications in data from 2003 did not have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, the conditions for which the drugs were approved for use. Use of medication for treatments that is not FDA-approved is called off-label use. “Given healthcare reform and widespread crisis in state revenues, state Medicaid programs will be under pressure to serve… -
‘Map of Life’ tracks animals around the globe
11 May 2012 | 10:04 amU. COLORADO/YALE (US) — The “Map of Life” online database aims to show the distribution of all living plants and animals on the planet, and is now available to the public. The demonstration version allows users to map the known global distribution of almost 25,000 species of terrestrial vertebrate animals, including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and North American freshwater fish. -
Lonely hearts suffer effects of aging
4 May 2012 | 3:46 pmCORNELL (US) — The social pain of loneliness produces changes in the body that mimic the aging process and increase the risk of heart disease, according to a new study. Published in Psychology and Aging, the study shows that although changes in cardiovascular functioning are part of normal aging, loneliness appears to accelerate the process, say the researchers. To investigate the effects of age and loneliness on cardiovascular health, the researchers measured cardiovascular reactivity and recovery in 91 young adults (18-30 years old) and 91 older adults (65-80 years old) who presented a… -
Blocked protein acts as ‘handbrake’ for MS
2 May 2012 | 10:29 amMONASH (AUS) — Blocking a protein that contributes to nerve damage could potentially slow—or even halt—the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS).Research published in the journal Brain demonstrates the key role played by the collapsin response mediator protein 2 (CRMP-2) in the development of MS. -
Hay fever may be immunity in overdrive
26 Apr 2012 | 11:11 amYALE (US) — Seasonal allergies may be a sign that the immune system is doing what nature intended it to do—offering protection against environmental toxins that are far more harmful than pollen.The body’s defense arsenal consists of different types of immune responses to deal with various classes of pathogens. Type 1 immunity—which battles viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa—relies primarily on directly killing pathogens or infected host cells.
