|  New approach to identify possible ecological effects of releasing genetically engineered insects  | Researchers have developed a new approach for identifying potential environmental effects of deliberate releases of genetically engineered insects. | Read More » Low-fat fish oil changes cancer tissue in prostate cancer, study shows  | Men with prostate cancer who ate a low-fat diet and took fish oil supplements had lower levels of pro-inflammatory substances in their blood and a lower cell cycle progression score, a measure used to predict cancer recurrence, than men who ate a typical Western diet, researchers found. | Read More » Refined materials provide booster shot for solar energy conversion  | Researchers have set their sights on improving the materials that make solar energy conversion/photocatalysis possible. Together, they have developed a new form of high-performance solar photocatalyst based on the combination of the titanium dioxide and other "metallic" oxides that greatly enhance the visible light absorption and promote more efficient utilization of the solar spectrum for energy applications. | Read More » New 5-D method to understand big data  | Scientists have developed a new method to display large amounts of data in a color-coded, easy-to-read graph. Neuroscientists originally designed the method to interpret enormous amounts of data derived from their research on the human brain. The method, called a five dimensional (5D) colorimetric technique, is able to graph spatiotemporal data (data that includes both space and time), which has not previously been achieved. Until now, spatiotemporal problems were analyzed either from a spatial perspective or from a time-based approach. | Read More » A superconductor-surrogate earns its stripes  | Understanding superconductivity -- whereby certain materials can conduct electricity without any loss of energy -- has proved to be one of the most persistent problems in modern physics. Now scientists have teased out another important tangle from this giant ball of string, bringing us a significant step closer to understanding how high-temperature superconductors work their magic. | Read More » Optimizing electronic correlations for superconductivity  | Researchers find that electrons teetering on the edge of free motion or stuck in place yield optimal superconductivity. Their work explains common characteristics between two different superconducting iron compounds and may help in the search for better "high-temperature" superconductors. | Read More » Pressure cooking to improve electric car batteries  | Researchers have redesigned the component materials of the battery in an environmentally friendly way to solve some of the problems associated with electric car batteries. By creating nanoparticles with a controlled shape, they believe smaller, more powerful and energy efficient batteries can be built. | Read More » The big male nose: Why men's noses are bigger than women's  | Why are men's noses bigger than women's? The answer, according to a new study lies in our physiology. Men's noses are about 10 percent larger than female noses, on average, because males have more lean muscle mass, which requires more oxygen for muscle tissue growth and maintenance. It also explains why we have smaller noses than our ancestors. | Read More » Researchers use simple scaling theory to better predict gas production in barnett shale wells  | Researchers have developed a simple scaling theory to estimate gas production from hydraulically fractured wells in the Barnett Shale. The method is intended to help the energy industry accurately identify low- and high-producing horizontal wells, as well as accurately predict how long it will take for gas reserves to deplete in the wells. | Read More » Bacteria recycle broken DNA: Modern bacteria can add DNA from creatures long-dead to its own  | From a bacteria's perspective the environment is one big DNA waste yard. Researchers have now shown that bacteria can take up small as well as large pieces of old DNA from this scrapheap and include it in their own genome. This discovery may have major consequences – both in connection with resistance to antibiotics in hospitals and in our perception of the evolution of life itself. | Read More » Promiscuous mouse moms bear sexier sons  | Biologists found that when mother mice compete socially for mates in a promiscuous environment, their sons play hard and die young. They attract more females by making more urinary pheromones, but smelling sexier shortens their lives. | Read More » Texting heart medication reminders improved patient adherence  | Getting reminder texts helped patients take their heart medicines (anti-platelet and cholesterol-lowering drugs) more regularly, according to research. | Read More » Being an elite male athlete protects against type 2 diabetes in later life  | A study of almost 400 former elite male athletes shows that former status as an elite athlete reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in later life by 28 percent. | Read More » In pandemic, parents who get reminders more likely to get kids vaccinated  | A new study found that the state immunization registry -- the public health database that tracks vaccinations -- can be an effective tool to encourage influenza vaccinations during a pandemic. | Read More » Depression in pregnancy: New study shows preferences for therapy over medication  | Women with depression in the perinatal period experience a high degree of conflict in deciding whether and how to treat their depression, but strongly prefer treatments other than antidepressant medications, reports a study. | Read More » Renal stenting does not improve outcomes for renal artery stenosis patients  | According to the findings from an American national research trial, people who suffer from a narrowing of the arteries that lead to the kidneys, or renal artery stenosis, do not experience better outcomes when renal stenting is used. Instead, a comprehensive regimen of drug and medical therapies works just as well. | Read More » Statin use not linked to a decline in cognitive function  | Based on the largest comprehensive systematic review to date, researchers concluded that available evidence does not support an association between statins and memory loss or dementia. | Read More » Canadians' foreign policy priority: Climate change  | Canadians do not share the federal government's opinion when it comes to the fight against climate change. Canada should work more closely with other countries to address this issue, according to 63% of the participants in a new survey. | Read More » Study reveals potential breakthrough in hearing technology  | Computer engineers and hearing scientists have made a potential breakthrough in solving a 50-year-old problem in hearing technology: how to help the hearing-impaired understand speech in the midst of background noise. | Read More » Global carbon emissions set to reach record 36 billion tons in 2013  | Global emissions of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels are set to rise again in 2013, reaching a record high of 36 billion tons - according to new figures from the Global Carbon Project. The biggest contributors to fossil fuel emissions in 2012 were China (27 per cent), the United States (14 per cent), the European Union (10 per cent), and India (6 per cent). The projected rise for 2013 comes after a similar rise of 2.2 per cent in 2012. | Read More » Biologists find an evolutionary Facebook for monkeys and apes  | Why do the faces of primates contain so many different colors, including black, blue, red, orange and white, mixed in all kinds of combinations, and often striking patterns? Biologists report on the faces of 139 African and Asian primate species that have been diversifying over some 25 million years. | Read More » Genome scale view of great white shark uncovers unexpected and distinctive features  | A new study undertakes the first large-scale exploration of the great white shark's genetic repertoire, and comes up with unexpected findings. | Read More » Liberals aren't like the rest, or so they think  | Liberals tend to underestimate the amount of actual agreement among those who share their ideology, while conservatives tend to overestimate intra-group agreement, according to new research. | Read More » A fresh step towards quantum computing  | Scientists have developed a method to manipulate magnetism in atoms. This research makes it possible to drive forward the exploration of new methods of information storage and computation on an atomic scale. | Read More » New study helps predict life expectancy using complete blood count risk score  | For years, doctors have been divided on how effective annual testing and screenings are for apparently healthy individuals. New research, however, shows that a simple blood test may predict who is at highest risk to develop heart problems – and how long these people may have to live. | Read More » 'Magic numbers' disappear and expand area of nuclear deformation  | Scientists have demonstrated that the magic numbers 20 and 28 disappear from all neutron-rich magnesium isotopes, thereby establishing a new, larger area of nuclear deformation in the nuclear chart. | Read More » Chaotic physics in ferroelectrics hints at brain-like computing  | Unexpected behavior in ferroelectric materials supports a new approach to information storage and processing. After studying patterns of domain formation under varying conditions, the researchers realized the complex behavior could be explained through chaos theory. | Read More » High cost of cardiac surgery healthcare associated infections  | After cardiac surgery, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are common complications associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and use of resources. New study findings reveal the substantial economic impact of HAIs following cardiac surgery and the importance of preventing these infections leading to re-hospitalizations. | Read More » Novel study charts aggressive prostate cancer  | Many patients diagnosed with prostate cancer have indolent, slow-growing forms of the disease that are not life-threatening. However, more than 30,000 American men will die from aggressive prostate cancer this year. This sharp contrast between low-risk and aggressive disease presents a challenge for many researchers and physicians. Investigators have made extensive progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms of disease progression. | Read More » Effects of LEDs on leaf lettuce: Mixture of blue and red lights recommended to enhance lettuce quality, yield  | Scientists determined the effects of blue and red LED ratios on leaf shape, plant growth, and the accumulation of antioxidant phenolic compounds of a red leaf lettuce and a green leaf lettuce cultivar. They determined that red LED light promoted growth and that blue LED light was good for phenolics accumulation rather than growth, thus concluding that a combination of red and blue light is essential for cultivation of leafy vegetables like lettuce. | Read More » Preterm birth risk increases for pregnant women exposed to phthalates  | The odds of preterm delivery appear to increase for pregnant women exposed to phthalates, chemicals people are exposed to through contaminated food and water and in a variety of products including lotions, perfumes and deodorants, according to a study. | Read More » Drinking more milk as a teenager does not lower risk of hip fracture later  | Drinking more milk as a teenager apparently does not lower the risk of hip fracture as an older adult and instead appears to increase that risk for men, according to a study. | Read More » Two studies on the use of breast MRI  | The overall use of breast magnetic resonance imaging has increased, with the procedure most commonly used for diagnostic evaluations and screenings, according to a study. | Read More » Medication adherence after hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome  | Patients better adhered to their medication regimens in the year following hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome when they were part of a program that included personalized attention from a pharmacist compared with usual care, according to a study. | Read More » New technique controls dimensions of gold nanorods while manufacturing on a large scale  | Researchers have developed a technique for efficiently producing nanoscale gold rods in large quantities while simultaneously controlling the dimensions of the nanorods and their optical properties. The optical properties of gold nanorods make them desirable for use in biomedical applications ranging from imaging technologies to cancer treatment. | Read More » Recreating the history of life through the genome  | One of the most important processes in the life of cells is genome replication. In most organisms genome replication follows a set plan, in which certain regions of the genome replicate before others; alterations in the late replication phases had previously been related to cancer and aging. Now, scientists have, for the first time related this process to evolution of life. | Read More » For anxious children and teens, context counts  | Researchers have shown that teenagers with anxiety disorders show increased activity in a specific part of the brain, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), when they are interpreting a neutral situation negatively. Ultimately, the mPFC may serve as a biomarker for illness. | Read More » Protein regulates burning of body fat  | Body fat contains a small number of brown adipose cells -- special fat cells that generate heat without muscle activity. They do this using a protein known as UCP1 that enables babies or hibernating animals to keep warm without shivering. A research team has found that a specific chemical compound can activate UCP1 under certain conditions, and that could also trigger fat burning. | Read More » Innovative vaccine trains immune system to fight melanoma  | Melanoma patients are now being enrolled in the first clinical trial in the Midwest of an experimental vaccine that trains a patient's immune system to fight the deadly cancer. | Read More » Rural, southern regions lack annual training in CPR  | Annual rates of CPR training in the United States are low and vary widely across the country, but the communities most in need of training are the least likely to be trained, according to a new study. | Read More » Study finds similar outcomes for repair or replacement of damaged heart valves  | New research has found no difference in outcomes at one-year between two recommended surgical options for treating ischemic mitral regurgitation -- repair of the leaky valve or its replacement with an artificial valve. | Read More » Staying on medication may not translate to avoiding readmission  | A targeted effort to help high-risk heart failure patients stay on their medications did improve adherence to drug regimens, but had surprisingly little effect lowering hospital readmission rates, according to a study. | Read More » Texting your way to weight loss  | Tracking information on diet and exercise habits through text messages could save time and improve the likelihood of people sticking with their get-healthy routine, say researchers. | Read More » Control malaria by segmenting sleeping arrangements  | Better malaria control might come from segregating household sleeping arrangements, according to a new study. The researchers found malaria eradication related more to household size than to a country's wealth or temperature. They found that when average household size drops below four persons, malaria extermination is much more likely. "When we controlled for all the variables, the factor that had the most explanatory power on malaria control was household size," said Prof. Ross McKitrick. | Read More » New genetic risk factor discovered for severe psychiatric illness  | Investigators have discovered a new genetic risk factor for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder called NDST3. | Read More » Technique developed to convert thermoelectric material into high performance electricity  | Physicists have developed a novel technique of tailoring thermoelectric properties of n-type bismuth telluride for high thermoelectric performance. | Read More » Fruit bat population covering central Africa carries two deadly viruses  | A population of fruit bats which is found across much of continental Africa is widely infected with two deadly viruses that could spread to humans, new research reveals. | Read More » Asteroids' close encounters with Mars: Mars, not Earth, shakes up some near-Earth asteroids  | For nearly as long as astronomers have been able to observe asteroids, a question has gone unanswered: Why do the surfaces of most asteroids appear redder than meteorites -- the remnants of asteroids that have crashed to Earth? | Read More » Origin of species: Protein imbalances doom hybrids  | Why do crosses between closely related species fail to produce fertile hybrids? A new study shows that differences in the levels - not necessarily the sequences - of certain key proteins are crucial in mediating reproductive isolation. Two individuals are defined as belonging to the same biological species, if matings between them give rise to viable and fertile offspring. Crosses between closely related, but already distinct, species produce hybrid offspring that are either inviable or sterile, and thus cannot give rise to a self-propagating hybrid lineage. | Read More » Obesity a major risk factor in developing basal-like breast cancer  | Women who are obese face an increased risk of developing an aggressive sub-type of breast cancer known as 'basal-like', according to research. | Read More » Preschoolers can learn lasting heart-healthy lessons from Sesame Street  | Preschoolers can learn about healthy eating and exercise through Sesame Street. In a study, preschoolers in Bogotá, Colombia participating in a structured curriculum that used Sesame Street's Healthy Habits for Life materials improved their knowledge, attitudes and habits related to a heart-healthy lifestyle. Also, the percentage of children at a healthy weight improved by 13 percent. | Read More » Bacteria use lethal cytotoxins to evade antibiotic treatment  | Bacteria that cause infectious diseases produce a number of cytotoxins, and an international research team has now found the mechanism behind one of these toxins. The new results could make it possible in future to develop new treatment methods to impair the cytotoxic activity and thereby reduce the severity of infectious diseases. | Read More » Scientists fingerprint single cancer cells to map cancer's family tree  | Scientists have used a DNA sequencing technique to identify mutations present across thousands of cancer cells in three patients with leukemia. The technique can identify the founding mutations from which a tumor evolved, and uses computer software to map the cancer's family tree. The findings could be used to identify the key mutations that occur early in a tumor's development, allowing doctors to use targeted treatments more effectively. | Read More » Non-specialist health workers play important role in improving mental health in developing countries  | Non-specialist health workers are beneficial in providing treatment for people with mental, neurological and substance-abuse problems in developing countries -- where there is often a lack of mental health professionals. | Read More » Teens who drink alone more likely to develop alcohol problems as young adults  | Most teenagers who drink alcohol do so with their friends in social settings, but a new study reveals that a significant number of adolescents consume alcohol while they are alone. Furthermore, solitary teenage drinkers are more likely to develop alcohol use disorders in early adulthood. | Read More » Boredom research has now become more interesting  | Being bored has just become a little more nuanced, with the addition of a fifth type of boredom by which to describe this emotion. Researchers provide insight into how boredom is experienced in everyday life. The study is among the first to quantifiably investigate different types of boredom. | Read More » Multilevel study finds no link between minimum wage, crime rates  | A new study is a unique examination into whether public policy on the minimum wage can affect the crime rate in the US. | Read More » Manipulation of protein could help stop spread of cancer cells  | Understanding how and why cancer cells move away from their original location is important to find ways to stop the spread of the disease. New findings reveal how a protein, called "PRH," is normally able to prevent cells from unnecessary migration. It is likely that this protein is less effective in cancer cells allowing the cells to venture away. | Read More » More than skin deep: New layer to the body's fight against infection  | The layers of skin that form the first line of defense in the body's fight against infection have revealed a unanticipated secret. The single cell type that was thought to be behind the skin's immune defense has been found to have a doppelganger, with researchers showing the cells, despite appearing identical, are actually two different types. | Read More » Monkeys can point to objects they do not report seeing  | Are monkeys, like humans, able to ascertain where objects are located without much more than a sideways glance? Quite likely, says the lead author of a new study. The study finds that monkeys are able to localize stimuli they do not perceive. | Read More » People with highly superior powers of recall also vulnerable to false memories  | People who can accurately remember details of their daily lives going back decades are as susceptible as everyone else to forming fake memories, psychologists and neurobiologists have found. | Read More » | |
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