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Make it yourself with a 3-D printer and save big time

A new study shows that families can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars by making their own household items with a 3-D printer.

Cell phones could increase cancer risk

A new study finds a strong link between heavy cell phone users and higher oxidative stress to all aspects of a human cell, including DNA. Uniquely based on examinations of the saliva of cell phone users, the research provides evidence of a connection between cell phone use and cancer risk.

Large Gulf dead zone, but smaller than predicted

Scientists have found a large Gulf of Mexico oxygen-free or hypoxic 'dead' zone, but not as large as had been predicted. Measuring 5,840 square miles, an area the size of Connecticut, the 2013 Gulf dead zone indicates nutrients from the Mississippi River watershed, which drains 40 percent of the lower 48 states, are continuing to affect the nation's commercial and recreational marine resources in the Gulf.

Novel material for cooling of electronic devices discovered

As microelectronic devices become smaller, faster and more powerful, thermal management becomes a critical challenge. This research provides new insight into the nature of thermal transport at a quantitative level.

Early exposure to insecticides gives amphibians higher tolerance later

Amphibians exposed to insecticides early in life -- even those not yet hatched -- have a higher tolerance to those same insecticides later in life, according to a recent study.

Impaired visual signals might contribute to schizophrenia symptoms

By observing the eye movements of schizophrenia patients while playing a simple video game, a researcher has discovered a potential explanation for some of their symptoms, including difficulty with everyday tasks.

Molecular robots can help researchers build more targeted therapeutics

Many drugs such as agents for cancer or autoimmune diseases have nasty side effects because while they kill disease-causing cells, they also affect healthy cells. Now a new study has demonstrated a technique for developing more targeted drugs, by using molecular "robots" to hone in on more specific populations of cells.

Hope for tigers lives in Sumatra

Recent findings from a camera trap survey in Sumatra, Indonesia, have uncovered a burgeoning tiger stronghold on an island that typically makes headlines for its rampant loss of forests and wildlife.

PTSD after traumatic events: Which teens are at risk?

Researchers have identified risk factors for children exposed to trauma in developing PTSD from analyzing 6,483 teen–parent pairs from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, a survey of the prevalence and correlates of mental disorders in the United States. 61 percent of the teens (ages 13 to 17) had been exposed to at least one potentially traumatic event in their lifetime. Nineteen percent had experienced three or more such events.

Premature aging of immune cells in joints of kids with chronic arthritis

The joints of children with the most common form of chronic inflammatory arthritis contain immune cells that resemble those of 90-year-olds, according to a new study. The findings suggest that innovative treatment approaches could aim to prevent premature aging of immune cells.

Of bears and berries: Return of wolves aids grizzly bears in Yellowstone

A new study suggests that the return of wolves to Yellowstone National Park is beginning to bring back a key part of the diet of grizzly bears that has been missing for much of the past century -- berries that help bears put on fat before going into hibernation. The berries could aid bear survival and reproduction.

Cells move as concentration shifts

Sheets of biological cells move along the organs they cover by altering the external concentrations of specific molecules. What do wound healing, cancer metastasis, and bacteria colonies have in common? They all involve the collective displacement of biological cells. New research sheds some new light on the physical mechanisms provoking the displacement of a sheet of cell, known as an epithelium. It typically covers our organs including the stomach and intestine, as well as our epidermis. In a new article scientists explain the importance of understanding the displacement of the epithelium as a means of influencing the biological process involved in healing.

Best of both worlds: Solar hydrogen production breakthrough

Using a simple solar cell and a photo anode made of a metal oxide, scientists have successfully stored nearly five percent of solar energy chemically in the form of hydrogen. This is a major feat as the design of the solar cell is much simpler than that of the high-efficiency triple-junction cells based on amorphous silicon or expensive III-V semiconductors that are traditionally used for this purpose.

X chromosomes: Undoing a hairpin doubles gene activity

Male fruit flies have one X chromosome per cell, females have two. So genes on the male X must work twice as hard to produce the same amount of protein as its female counterparts. Scientists have found a new switch involved in making this possible.

NASA's Chandra sees eclipsing planet in X-rays for first time

For the first time since exoplanets, or planets around stars other than the sun, were discovered almost 20 years ago, X-ray observations have detected an exoplanet passing in front of its parent star. An advantageous alignment of a planet and its parent star in the system HD 189733, which is 63 light-years from Earth, enabled NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Space Agency's XMM Newton Observatory to observe a dip in X-ray intensity as the planet transited the star.

Evolution of monogamy in humans the result of infanticide risk

The threat of infants being killed by unrelated males is the key driver of monogamy in humans and other primates.

Natural affinities --unrecognized until now – may have set stage for life to ignite

The chemical components crucial to the start of life on Earth may have primed and protected each other in never-before-realized ways, according to new research. It could mean a simpler scenario for how that first spark of life came about on the planet.

Human cells respond in healthy, unhealthy ways to different kinds of happiness

Human bodies recognize at the molecular level that not all happiness is created equal, responding in ways that can help or hinder physical health, according to new research.

Pulsating star sheds light on exoplanet

Astronomers have devised a way to measure the internal properties of stars —- a method that offers more accurate assessments of their orbiting planets.

Experimental quest to test Einstein's speed limit

Special relativity states that the speed of light is the same in all frames of reference and that nothing can exceed that limit. UC Berkeley physicists used a novel experimental system -- the unusual electron orbitals of dysprosium -- to test whether the maximum speed of electrons follows this rule. The answer is yes, to tighter limits than ever before. They plan another experiment a thousand times more sensitive, approaching the realm where theory may break down.

Monogamy evolved as a mating strategy: New research indicates that social monogamy evolved as a result of competition

Social monogamy, where one breeding female and one breeding male are closely associated with each other over several breeding seasons, appears to have evolved as a mating strategy, new research reveals. It was previously suspected that social monogamy resulted from a need for extra parental care by the father.

Hot flashes? Thank evolution

A study of mortality and fertility patterns among seven species of wild apes and monkeys and their relatives, compared with similar data from hunter-gatherer humans, shows that menopause sets humans apart from other primates.

Mini-monsters of the forest floor

A biologist has identified 33 new species of predatory ants in Central America and the Caribbean, and named about a third of the tiny but monstrous-looking insects after ancient Mayan lords and demons.

Computer scientists develop 'mathematical jigsaw puzzles' to encrypt software

Computer science experts have designed a system to encrypt software so that it only allows someone to use a program as intended while preventing any deciphering of the code behind it. This is known in computer science as "software obfuscation," and it is the first time it has been accomplished.

Could sleeping stem cells hold key to treatment of aggressive blood cancer?

Scientists studying an aggressive form of leukemia have discovered that rather than displacing healthy stem cells in the bone marrow as previously believed, the cancer is putting them to sleep to prevent them forming new blood cells.

New modular vaccine design combines best of existing vaccine technologies

Researchers have developed a new method of vaccine design -- Multiple Antigen Presentation System. It could speed new vaccine development for range of globally serious pathogens, infectious agents. Method permits rapid construction of new vaccines that bring together benefits of whole-cell and acellular or defined subunit vaccination and activate multiple arms of the immune system simultaneously against one or more pathogens, generating robust immune protection with lower risk of adverse effects.

Aberrant splicing saps the strength of 'slow' muscle fibers

In people with myotonic dystrophy, the second most common form of muscular dystrophy, type 1 fibers do not work well, wasting away as the genetic disorder takes over. Researchers have shown how an aberrant alternative splicing program changes the form of an enzyme involved in the fundamental metabolism of these muscle cells, leaving them unable to sustain exercise.

Social amoebae travel with a posse

Some social amoebae farm the bacteria they eat. Now scientists have taken a closer look at one lineage, or clone, of D. discoideum farmer. This farmer carries not one but two strains of bacteria. One strain is the "seed corn" for a crop of edible bacteria, and the other strain is a weapon that produces defensive chemicals. The edible bacteria, the scientists found, evolved from the toxic one.

'Cowcatcher' enzyme fixes single-strand DNA

Single-stranded DNA repair is a critical process whose mechanism has never been determined. Now, researchers have figured out how this process works, focusing on an enzyme associated with the replication complex that detects DNA damage, stops replication and repairs the damage.

How does hydrogen metallize?

Hydrogen is deceptively simple. It has only a single electron per atom, but it powers the sun and forms the majority of the observed universe. As such, it is naturally exposed to the entire range of pressures and temperatures available in the whole cosmos. But researchers still struggle to understand even basic aspects of its various forms under high-pressure conditions. New work makes significant additions to our understanding of this vital element's high-pressure behavior.

Therapy may curb kidney deterioration in patients with rare disorder

Researchers have overcome a biological hurdle to find improved treatments for patients with methylmalonic acidemia. Using genetically engineered mice created for their studies, the team identified a set of biomarkers of kidney damage -- a hallmark of the disorder -- and demonstrated that antioxidant therapy protected kidney function in the mice.

Evolution of diverse sex-determining mechanisms in mammals

Researchers have found that a genetic process among the many species of rodents could have significant implications regarding our assumptions about sex determination and the pace of evolution.

Capturing black hole spin could further understanding of galaxy growth

Astronomers have found a new way of measuring the spin in supermassive black holes, which could lead to better understanding about how they drive the growth of galaxies.

Study looks beyond averages to track variability in a bacterial population

As a result of the variable nature of gene expression, genetically identical cells inhabiting the same environment can vary significantly in their numbers of key enzymes, which in turn results in strikingly different cellular behaviors. Researchers have captured some of this variability to identify several behavior sub-types in a bacterial population.

Math model predicts effects of diet, physical activity on childhood weight

Researchers have created and confirmed the accuracy of a mathematical model that predicts how weight and body fat in children respond to adjustments in diet and physical activity.

Decision aids reduce men's conflict about PSA screening, but don't change their decisions

Men who decide to be screened for prostate cancer and those who forgo PSA screening stick with their decisions after receiving materials explaining the risks and benefits of the test. The decision aids greatly increased their knowledge about screening and reduced their conflict about what to do, but did not have an impact on their screening decision when measured a year later.

Breastfeeding duration appears associated with intelligence later in life

Breastfeeding longer is associated with better receptive language at 3 years of age and verbal and nonverbal intelligence at age 7 years, according to a new study.

Two 6000-year-old 'halls of the dead' unearthed

The remains of two large 6000-year-old halls, each buried within a prehistoric burial mound, have been discovered by archaeologists. The sensational finds on Dorstone Hill, near Peterchurch in Herefordshire, were thought to be constructed between 4000 and 3600 BC.

Ice-free Arctic winters could explain amplified warming during Pliocene

Year-round ice-free conditions across the surface of the Arctic Ocean could explain why the Earth was substantially warmer during the Pliocene Epoch than it is today, despite similar concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, according to new research.

Worsening trends in back pain management

Patient care could be enhanced and the health care system could see significant cost savings if health care professionals followed published clinical guidelines to manage and treat back pain.

Essential clue to Huntington's disease solution found

Researchers have discovered a solution to a long-standing medical mystery in Huntington's disease (HD).

Antibiotic reduction campaigns do not necessarily reduce resistance

Antibiotic use -- and misuse -- is the main driver for selection of antibiotic resistant bacteria. This has led many countries to implement interventions designed to reduce overall antibiotic consumption. Now, using methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus as an example, scientists warn that simply reducing antibiotics consumption does not necessarily reduce resistance.

Global warming endangers South American water supply

Chile and Argentina may face critical water storage issues due to rain-bearing westerly winds over South America's Patagonian Ice-Field to moving south as a result of global warming.

Therapeutic fecal transplant: Hope for cure of childhood diarrhea comes straight from the gut

Call it therapeutic poop, if you will, but the best hope yet for an effective treatment of childhood infections with the drug-resistant bacterium C. difficile may come straight from the gut, according to recent research. This is why pediatric gastroenterologists are launching a fecal transplantation program for patients with recurrent diarrhea caused by what they say is a wily pathogen that is increasingly impervious to drugs and a rapidly growing problem among children and adults.

Station astronauts remotely control planetary rover from space

On June 17 and July 26, NASA tested the Surface Telerobotics exploration concept, in which an astronaut in an orbiting spacecraft remotely operates a robot on a planetary surface.

Making a change: Status quo bias in health decision making

People tend to follow the status quo when making health-related decisions -- even when the status quo is objectively worse, according to a new study.

Stress early in life leads to adulthood anxiety and preference for 'comfort foods'

New research finds that adult rats reared in a stressful neonatal environment demonstrate more anxiety and stress, and they prefer to eat more foods rich in fat and sugar.

A maternal junk food diet alters development of opioid pathway in the offspring

New animal research suggests that maternal diet during pregnancy can alter the development of a signalling pathway associated with reward processing in the offspring.

Fetal 'programming' of sweet taste's elicited pleasure

New research finds that adversities during gestation may influence the newborn's pleasure in response to sweet.

Offspring of mothers stressed during pregnancy with a passive stress coping style more prone to obesity

New animal research suggests greater risk for obesity and associated Type 2 diabetes in individuals that respond to stress in a passive manner and were born to mothers that were stressed during their pregnancy.

Beam me up, Scotty! Would teleporting humans into space be possible?

In the science fiction show, Star Trek, teleportation is a regular and significant feature. But how much time and power is required to send the data needed to teleport a human being?

Requiring some patients to get mental health treatment saves money

Mandating outpatient treatment for certain people with severe mental illness, while controversial, results in substantial cost savings by cutting hospitalizations and increasing outpatient care, according to a financial analysis.

Second known case of patient developing synesthesia after brain injury

A Toronto man is only the second known person to have acquired synesthesia as a result of a brain injury, in this case a stroke. About nine months after suffering a stroke, the patient noticed that words written in a certain shade of blue evoked a strong feeling of disgust. Yellow was only slightly better. Raspberries, which he never used to eat very often, now tasted like blue -- and blue tasted like raspberries.

How to learn successfully even under stress

Whenever we have to acquire new knowledge under stress, the brain deploys unconscious rather than conscious learning processes. Neuroscientists have discovered that this switch from conscious to unconscious learning systems is triggered by the intact function of mineralocorticoid receptors. These receptors are activated by hormones released in response to stress by the adrenal cortex.

Lifelike cooling for sunbaked windows: Adaptable microfluidic circulatory system could cut air-conditioning costs

Sun-drenched rooms make for happy residents, but large glass windows also bring higher air-conditioning bills. Now a bioinspired microfluidic circulatory system for windows could save energy and cut cooling costs dramatically -- while letting in just as much sunlight.

Recognizing people by the way they walk

Recognizing people by the way they walk can have numerous applications in the fields of security, leisure or medicine. A new technique offers significant advantages as recognition can be done remotely and does not require the cooperation of the subject. Detecting suspicious behavior (video surveillance), access control to buildings or to restricted areas and demographic analysis of a population in terms of gender and age range are just some of the possible applications of this technology.

Psychotherapy via internet as good as if not better than face-to-face consultations

Does psychotherapy via the Internet work? Clinical researchers have studied whether online psychotherapy and conventional face-to-face therapy are equally effective in experiments. Based on earlier studies, researchers assumed that the two forms of therapy were on a par. Not only was their theory confirmed, the results for online therapy even exceeded their expectations.

Improving dogs' ability to detect explosives

Training of dogs to recognise explosives could be quicker and more effective following research by animal behaviour experts.

Suburban sprawl to power cities of the future

A city's suburbs could hold the solution to dwindling fuel supplies by producing enough energy to power residents' cars and even top up power resources, pioneering new research has found.

Severe low blood sugar occurs often in patients with Type 2 diabetes

Patients with diabetes who take certain types of medications to lower their blood sugar sometimes experience severe low blood sugar levels, whether or not their diabetes is poorly or well controlled, according to a new study. The finding challenges the conventional wisdom that hypoglycemia is primarily a problem among diabetic patients with well-controlled diabetes (who have low average blood sugar levels).

How superbug spreads among regional hospitals: A domino effect

A moderate increase in vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) at one hospital can lead to a nearly 3 percent increase in VRE in every other hospital in that county, according to a new study.

Inhalable gene therapy may help pulmonary arterial hypertension patients

The deadly condition known as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), which afflicts up to 150,000 Americans each year, may be reversible by using an inhalable gene therapy, report medical researchers.

Potent compound kills prostate cancer cells

SMIP004 holds promise as a novel, much-needed treatment for advanced prostate cancer.

Most ward nurses say time pressures force them to 'ration' care

Most ward nurses say they are forced to ration care, and not do or complete certain aspects of it -- including adequate monitoring of patients -- because they don't have enough time.

Glucose intolerance, diabetes or insulin resistance not linked with pathological features of Alzheimer's disease

Glucose intolerance or insulin resistance do not appear to be associated with pathological features of Alzheimer disease (AD) or detection of the accumulation of the brain protein β-amyloid (Αβ), according to a new report.

New guidelines for exercise in children

New guidelines highlight the amount of exercise under tens should take to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) later in life. Sixty to 85 minutes of physical activity is recommended per day, including 20 minutes of vigorous activity, experts report.

Radio waves carry news of climate change: Surprising tool to measure our changing climate

Radio waves reflecting back to Earth from the ionosphere can offer valuable news about the extent of climate change. His simple, cost-effective measurement can be a valuable contribution to the ongoing effort to track climate change, adding to current measurements for a more holistic picture.

Protein surfaces defects act as drug targets

New research shows a physical characterization of the interface of the body's proteins with water. Identifying the locations where it is easiest to remove water from the interface of target proteins could constitute a novel drug design strategy. The candidate drugs would need to be engineered to bind at the site of the protein where interfacial water is most easily dislodged.

Taxing sugary beverages not a clear cut strategy to reduce obesity

Taxing sugary beverages may help reduce calories from these beverages in the United States, according to a joint study by researchersTaxing sugary beverages may help reduce calories from these beverages in the United States, but the health benefits may be partially offset as consumers substitute with other unhealthy foods, at RTI International, Duke University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Accurately testing exact hardness of a material, in depth

Scientists have now built a machine that sets a new standard of accuracy for testing a material's hardness, which is a measure of its resistance to bumps and scratches.

Exercise may be the best medicine for Alzheimer's disease

Regular, moderate exercise could improve memory and cognitive function in those at risk for Alzheimer's disease in a way no drug can. Scientists studied the effects of exercise on a group of older adults with mild cognitive impairment and found that brain activity associated with memory, measured by neuroimaging, improved after 12 weeks of a moderate exercise program.

Water clears path for nanoribbon development

A tiny meniscus of water makes it practical to form long graphene nanoribbons less than 10 nanometers wide.

Novel technology for producing 'electronic ink' may lead to inexpensive, durable electronics and solar cells

Electronic touch pads that cost just a few dollars and solar cells that cost the same as roof shingles are one step closer to reality today.

Full body illusion is associated with a drop in skin temperature

Researchers used virtual reality technology with a specialized robotic system to test what happens when the mind is tricked into identifying with another body.

New approach to treating venomous snakebites could reduce global fatalities

Medical researchers have pioneered a novel approach to treating venomous snakebites -- administering antiparalytics topically via a nasal spray. This needle-free treatment may dramatically reduce the number of global snakebite fatalities.

Plasmonic black metals: Breakthrough in solar energy research?

The use of plasmonic black metals could someday provide a pathway to more efficient photovoltaics -- the use of solar panels containing photovoltaic solar cells -- to improve solar energy harvesting, according to researchers.

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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

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