ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Twitter principles of social networking increase family success in nesting birds
• Fossil study helps pinpoint extinction risks for ocean animals: When it comes to ocean extinctions, range size matters most
• Release of data from Nobel Prize-winning laboratory for public use
• Hanging in there: Koalas have low genetic diversity
• Gene polymorphisms identified that are responsible for breast density and cancer risk
• Formula unlocks secrets of cauliflower's geometry
• Acupuncture relieves symptoms of a dry mouth caused by radiotherapy for head and neck cancers, study suggests
• Grandmas made humans live longer: Chimp lifespan evolves into human longevity, computer simulation shows
• Opposite behaviors? Arctic sea ice shrinks, Antarctic grows
• Study to identify levels of sucralose in Erie beach waters
• New paper examines shifting gears in the circadian clock of the heart
• Neuroscientists propose revolutionary DNA-based approach to map wiring of whole brain
• Limitations to the 'revolutionary' findings of online studies
• Genetic marker for placebo response identified in IBS patients
• Product regulatory systems in low-and middle-income countries must be strengthened, experts argue
• Lives could be saved by removing age restrictions on rotavirus vaccination, study suggests
• Precisely targeted electrical brain stimulation alters perception of faces, study finds
• New vitamin-based treatment that could reduce muscle degeneration in muscular dystrophy
• Personalized feedback makes healthcare workers twice as likely to clean their hands
• Local wildlife is important in human diets in central Africa, experts say
• Helping North America's marine protected areas adapt to a changing climate
• Leaner Navy looking at future technology, fleet size and sequestration
• Medical recommendations should go beyond race, scholar says
• Math professor calls Detroit Tigers a favorite to win World Series
• Long Island man beats fungal meningitis; Cancer specialist solves a diagnostic puzzle that appeared to be brain cancer
• Researchers map strategy for 'choosing wisely' on low-value health care services
• Mechanical ventilation at lower level among patients without lung injury linked with better outcomes
• Most large treatment effects of medical interventions come from small studies, report finds
• Men with certain cardiovascular risk factors may be at increased risk of peripheral artery disease
• Droplet response to electric voltage in solids exposed
• New finding could pave way to faster, smaller electronics
• Amish children are twice as physically active as non-Amish children are, study finds
• Increased use of colonoscopy screening could explain decrease in colorectal cancer rates
• Automakers can monitor social media to identify quality issues
• Analysis of dinosaur bone cells confirms ancient protein preservation
• NASA's NuSTAR spots flare from Milky Way's black hole
• Genetic patterns of deep-sea coral provide insights into evolution of marine life
• Blood chromosome differences are linked to pancreatic cancer
• Summer babies less likely to be CEOs
• Influence in times of crisis: How do men and women evaluate precarious leadership positions?
• Don't be so fast to judge a cat by its color, new study warns
• Oxygen's ups and downs in early atmosphere and ocean
• Connection between Hawaii's dueling volcanoes explained
• Protein levels could predict if bowel cancer patients will benefit from Avastin
• Promising new biomarker for aggressiveness of prostate cancer
• Biology-friendly robot programming language: Training your robot the PaR-PaR way
• Is declining medical imaging use driving up hospital stays and medical costs?
• Quasar may be embedded in unusually dusty galaxy
• NASA sees active region on the sun emit another flare
• Are schizophrenia and autism close relations?
• Tiny pores in graphene could give rise to membranes
• Low adoption by large hospital ICUs of catheter-associated urinary tract infection precautions
• Lifting weights protects against metabolic syndrome, study suggests
• New technique to grow black truffles
• Making transport a driver for development in Africa
• Perfect pitch: Knowing the note may be in your genes
• Self-powered sensors to monitor nuclear fuel rod status
• Zeroing in on the 'science of sound propagation' in burning buildings
• Whale racket: Sounding out how loud the oceans were from whale vocalizing prior to industrial whaling
• Nineteen species of fern named for Lady Gaga; Researcher says the inspiration was literally written in the DNA sequences

Twitter principles of social networking increase family success in nesting birds Posted: 23 Oct 2012 05:47 PM PDT New research reveals for the first time the importance of social networking in producing a successful family. The study found that, regardless of how big and healthy individual chicks are, what really matters to their chances of surviving and breeding is how siblings in the nest interact with each other, with cooperative families faring best.

Fossil study helps pinpoint extinction risks for ocean animals: When it comes to ocean extinctions, range size matters most Posted: 23 Oct 2012 05:47 PM PDT What makes some ocean animals more prone to extinction? An analysis of roughly 500 million years of fossil data for marine invertebrates reveals that ocean animals with small ranges have been consistently hard hit, whereas population size has little effect. This means that reductions in range size -- such as when a species' habitat is destroyed or degraded -- could mean a big increase in long-term extinction risk, even when remaining populations are large, the authors say.

Release of data from Nobel Prize-winning laboratory for public use Posted: 23 Oct 2012 05:46 PM PDT LabArchives, a provider of online lab notebook software, and BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Research Notes has published Mutagenetix, an online open access repository of ENU-generated data. The data is linked permanently to a 'Data Note', describing results from the ENU mutagenesis program, operated by the Beutler laboratory at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA  and which won them the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2011.

Hanging in there: Koalas have low genetic diversity Posted: 23 Oct 2012 05:46 PM PDT A species relies on genetic diversity to survive and low diversity usually indicates that there has been inbreeding due to a decrease in population size.  By looking at historic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from museum samples, new research has found that koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) have had low genetic diversity for over 120 years.

Gene polymorphisms identified that are responsible for breast density and cancer risk Posted: 23 Oct 2012 05:46 PM PDT It has long been known that breast density, or mammographic density, is a strong risk factor for breast cancer, and that estrogen and progestin hormone therapy increases dense breast tissue. Now, a study has identified several gene variants in hormone metabolism and growth factor pathways that may be associated with breast density and, hence, breast cancer risk.

Formula unlocks secrets of cauliflower's geometry Posted: 23 Oct 2012 05:46 PM PDT The laws that govern how intricate surface patterns, such as those found in the cauliflower, develop over time have been described, for the first time. Researchers have now provided a mathematical formula to describe the processes that dictate how cauliflower-like patterns – a type of fractal pattern – form and develop.

Acupuncture relieves symptoms of a dry mouth caused by radiotherapy for head and neck cancers, study suggests Posted: 23 Oct 2012 05:46 PM PDT Patients who have received radiotherapy for head and neck cancer often suffer from the unpleasant and distressing side-effect of a dry mouth, caused by damage to their salivary glands from the radiation.

Grandmas made humans live longer: Chimp lifespan evolves into human longevity, computer simulation shows Posted: 23 Oct 2012 05:41 PM PDT Computer simulations provide new mathematical support for the "grandmother hypothesis" -- a famous theory that humans evolved longer adult lifespans than apes because grandmothers helped feed their grandchildren.

Opposite behaviors? Arctic sea ice shrinks, Antarctic grows Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:22 PM PDT The steady and dramatic decline in the sea ice cover of the Arctic Ocean over the last three decades has become a focus of media and public attention. At the opposite end of Earth, however, something more complex is happening.

Study to identify levels of sucralose in Erie beach waters Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:22 PM PDT Researchers continue to investigate the presence of potentially harmful chemicals in the beach waters of Presque Isle State Park and have added a new one to their list: sucralose.

New paper examines shifting gears in the circadian clock of the heart Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:22 PM PDT A new study focuses on the circadian clock of the heart, and used cultured heart tissue. The results of the new study have implications for cardiovascular health, including daily changes in responses to stress and the effect of long-term rotational shift work.

Neuroscientists propose revolutionary DNA-based approach to map wiring of whole brain Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:22 PM PDT A team of neuroscientists has proposed a new and potentially revolutionary way of obtaining a neuronal connectivity map (the "connectome") of the whole brain of the mouse.

Limitations to the 'revolutionary' findings of online studies Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:21 PM PDT 'Direct to consumer' research, using data obtained through increasingly popular online communities, has methodological limitations that are known to epidemiological studies, including selection bias, information bias, and confounding. These limitations mean that the results and conclusions of research using these methods need to be interpreted with caution, according to a new study.

Genetic marker for placebo response identified in IBS patients Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:21 PM PDT Researchers have identified the first genetic differences to explain why placebos help some patients -- and not others.

Product regulatory systems in low-and middle-income countries must be strengthened, experts argue Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:21 PM PDT When regulatory systems for medical products in low-and middle-income countries work, people live but when such systems fail, people die, according to experts.

Lives could be saved by removing age restrictions on rotavirus vaccination, study suggests Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:21 PM PDT A new study, which suggests that the additional children's lives saved by removing the age restrictions for rotavirus vaccination in low- and middle-income countries would be much greater than any extra deaths from vaccine-associated complications (namely, intussusception-a form of bowel obstruction), has informed policy regarding the age restrictions for this vaccine.

Precisely targeted electrical brain stimulation alters perception of faces, study finds Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:21 PM PDT Scientists have shown that mild electrical stimulation of two nerve clusters spaced a half-inch apart in a brain structure called the fusiform gyrus caused the subject's perception of faces to instantly become distorted while leaving his perception of other body parts and inanimate objects unchanged.

New vitamin-based treatment that could reduce muscle degeneration in muscular dystrophy Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:21 PM PDT Boosting the activity of a vitamin-sensitive cell adhesion pathway has the potential to counteract the muscle degeneration and reduced mobility caused by muscular dystrophies, according to a research team.

Personalized feedback makes healthcare workers twice as likely to clean their hands Posted: 23 Oct 2012 02:18 PM PDT A major three-year trial has shown that giving one-to-one feedback to healthcare workers makes them twice as likely to clean their hands or use soap.

Local wildlife is important in human diets in central Africa, experts say Posted: 23 Oct 2012 01:12 PM PDT Animals like antelope, frogs and rodents may be tricky to catch, but they provide protein in places where traditional livestock are scarce. According to the authors of a new paper, meat from wild animals is increasingly important in central Africa.

Helping North America's marine protected areas adapt to a changing climate Posted: 23 Oct 2012 01:12 PM PDT The Commission for Environmental Cooperation has published Scientific Guidelines for Designing Resilient Marine Protected Area Networks in a Changing Climate in collaboration with the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and based on the work of thirty-three of North America's top experts.

Leaner Navy looking at future technology, fleet size and sequestration Posted: 23 Oct 2012 01:12 PM PDT Adm. Mark Ferguson, vice chief of naval operations, headlined the opening of the ONR (Office of Naval Research) Naval S&T (science and technology) Partnership Conference and ASNE Expo Oct. 22, 2012, and highlighted the importance of innovative S&T programs being developed by the Navy. He also offered a revealing look at the potential future for the Navy if sequestration, or automatic defense cuts, goes into effect in January.

Medical recommendations should go beyond race, scholar says Posted: 23 Oct 2012 01:12 PM PDT Medical organizations that make race-based recommendations are misleading some patients about health risks while reinforcing harmful notions about race, a professor argues in a new paper.

Math professor calls Detroit Tigers a favorite to win World Series Posted: 23 Oct 2012 01:12 PM PDT Since the Major League Baseball Division Series and League Championship Series have determined which teams will compete in the World Series, mathematics professor Bruce Bukiet has again analyzed the probability of each team taking the title.

Long Island man beats fungal meningitis; Cancer specialist solves a diagnostic puzzle that appeared to be brain cancer Posted: 23 Oct 2012 01:11 PM PDT Thinking he had only months to live, Frank Tarantino, 67, of Amityville, N.Y., a retired electrician, father of four and grandfather of seven, was getting his affairs in order in the winter of 2011. Doctors believed he had a lethal brain tumor. Tarantino, a prostate cancer survivor, had just finished treatment for breast cancer in late 2010. One consulting physician, Shenhong Wu, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, and an oncologist at the Stony Brook University Cancer Center, could not conclude Tarantino had cancer. The question remained in Dr. Wu's mind: If not cancer, what could this be?

Researchers map strategy for 'choosing wisely' on low-value health care services Posted: 23 Oct 2012 01:11 PM PDT Cutting the expenses associated with "low-value" medical tests and treatments -- such as unnecessary imaging tests and antibiotics for viral infections that won't benefit from them -- will require a multi-pronged plan targeting insurance companies, patients, and physicians, according to a new article. These efforts transcend economic impact, however, and may also be essential for improving health care quality and patient safety.

Mechanical ventilation at lower level among patients without lung injury linked with better outcomes Posted: 23 Oct 2012 01:11 PM PDT Among patients without acute respiratory distress syndrome, protective mechanical ventilation with use of lower tidal volumes (the volume of air inhaled and exhaled during each breath) was associated with better outcomes including less lung injury, lower mortality, fewer pulmonary infections and a shorter hospital length of stay.

Most large treatment effects of medical interventions come from small studies, report finds Posted: 23 Oct 2012 01:11 PM PDT In an examination of the characteristics of studies that yield large treatment effects from medical interventions, these studies were more likely to be smaller in size, often with limited evidence, and when additional trials were performed.

Men with certain cardiovascular risk factors may be at increased risk of peripheral artery disease Posted: 23 Oct 2012 01:11 PM PDT Among nearly 45,000 men who were followed up for more than two decades, those with the risk factors of smoking, hypertension, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes had an associated greater risk of developing PAD.

Droplet response to electric voltage in solids exposed Posted: 23 Oct 2012 12:23 PM PDT For the first time, scientists have observed how droplets within solids deform and burst under high electric voltages. The finding is important because it explains a major reason why such materials as insulation for electrical power lines eventually fail and cause blackouts. This observation not only helps scientists develop better insulation materials, but could also lead to such positive developments as "tunable" lenses for eyes.

New finding could pave way to faster, smaller electronics Posted: 23 Oct 2012 12:23 PM PDT Researchers for the first time have looked inside gallium manganese arsenide, a type of material known as a "dilute magnetic semiconductor" that could open up an entirely new class of faster, smaller devices based on an emerging field known as "spintronics."

Amish children are twice as physically active as non-Amish children are, study finds Posted: 23 Oct 2012 12:23 PM PDT Old Order Amish children are much more physically active and three times less likely to be overweight than non-Amish children, which may provide them with some long-term protection against developing Type 2 diabetes, researchers report.

Increased use of colonoscopy screening could explain decrease in colorectal cancer rates Posted: 23 Oct 2012 12:23 PM PDT Use of colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening could explain a significant decrease in the cancer's incidence over the past decade, according to a new study.

Automakers can monitor social media to identify quality issues Posted: 23 Oct 2012 12:13 PM PDT Researchers are evaluating a new process and decision support system to identify and prioritize automotive defects using social media.

Analysis of dinosaur bone cells confirms ancient protein preservation Posted: 23 Oct 2012 12:13 PM PDT A team of researchers has found more evidence for the preservation of ancient dinosaur proteins, including reactivity to antibodies that target specific proteins normally found in bone cells of vertebrates. These results further rule out sample contamination, and help solidify the case for preservation of cells -- and possibly DNA -- in ancient remains.

NASA's NuSTAR spots flare from Milky Way's black hole Posted: 23 Oct 2012 11:52 AM PDT NASA's newest set of X-ray eyes in the sky, the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), has caught its first look at the giant black hole parked at the center of our galaxy. The observations show the typically mild-mannered black hole during the middle of a flare-up.

Genetic patterns of deep-sea coral provide insights into evolution of marine life Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT The ability of deep-sea corals to harbor a broad array of marine life, including commercially important fish species, make these habitat-forming organisms of immediate interest to conservationists, managers, and scientists. Understanding and protecting corals requires knowledge of the historical processes that have shaped their biodiversity and biogeography.

Blood chromosome differences are linked to pancreatic cancer Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT A new study shows that a blood marker is linked to pancreatic cancer. Researchers say the new study is the first time pancreatic cancer risk has been linked to differences in telomeres' length in blood cells.

Summer babies less likely to be CEOs Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT A person's date of birth can affect their climb up the corporate ladder, new research suggests.

Influence in times of crisis: How do men and women evaluate precarious leadership positions? Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT We've all heard of the "glass ceiling" but the recent economic crisis has illuminated another workplace phenomenon: the "glass cliff." Women seem to be overrepresented in precarious leadership positions at organizations going through crisis. But is it that women are passively selected into these jobs or do they actively seek them out? New research suggests it's not the precarious positions per se that attract women leaders, but perhaps the social resources that come with them.

Don't be so fast to judge a cat by its color, new study warns Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT Just like humans, domestic cats are often judged by their color, and the media and folklore help perpetuate these stereotypes. Take the snobbish, aloof, white kitty who promotes "Fancy Feast," and spooky images of black cats, which can be associated with bad luck and witches, especially around Halloween. A new study warns that typecasting cats according to their color can negatively impact adoption rates at shelters.

Oxygen's ups and downs in early atmosphere and ocean Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT Geochemists challenge the simple notion of an up-only trend for early oxygen on Earth, and provides the first compelling direct evidence for a major drop in oxygen after the gas's first rise. This drop, they say, may have ushered in more than a billion years that were marked by a return to low-oxygen concentrations at Earth's surface, including the likelihood of an oxygen-free deep ocean.

Connection between Hawaii's dueling volcanoes explained Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT A new study finds that a deep connection about 50 miles underground can explain the enigmatic behavior of two of Earth's most notable volcanoes, Hawaii's Mauna Loa and Kilauea.

Protein levels could predict if bowel cancer patients will benefit from Avastin Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:48 AM PDT Comparing levels of specific proteins that the drug Avastin targets could identify patients with advanced bowel cancer who will benefit from the treatment, according to new research.

Promising new biomarker for aggressiveness of prostate cancer Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:37 AM PDT Researchers have found increased levels of serum glutamate in both primary and metastatic prostate tumors, corresponding to increasing Gleason score.

Biology-friendly robot programming language: Training your robot the PaR-PaR way Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:45 AM PDT PaR-PaR, a simple high-level, biology-friendly, robot-programming language uses an object-oriented approach to make it easier to integrate robotic equipment into biological laboratories. Effective robots can increase research productivity, lower costs and provide more reliable and reproducible experimental data.

Is declining medical imaging use driving up hospital stays and medical costs? Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:45 AM PDT A new report shows that the length of the average hospital stay in the United States has increased at the same time as use of medical imaging scans has declined. It is unclear if the trends are related, but potentially important, as hospital admissions are among the largest, and fastest growing, health care costs.

Quasar may be embedded in unusually dusty galaxy Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:45 AM PDT Hubble astronomers have looked at one of the most distant and brightest quasars in the universe and are surprised by what they did not see: the underlying host galaxy of stars feeding the quasar. The best explanation is that the galaxy is shrouded in so much dust that the stars are completely hidden everywhere. Astronomers believe that the James Webb Space Telescope will reveal the galaxy.

NASA sees active region on the sun emit another flare Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:45 AM PDT The sun emitted a significant solar flare on Oct. 22, 2012, peaking at 11:17 pm EDT. The flare came from an active region on the left side of the sun that has been numbered AR 1598, which has already been the source of a number of weaker flares. This flare was classified as an X1.8-class flare.

Are schizophrenia and autism close relations? Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:45 AM PDT Medical researchers studied extensive genetic databases to discover that autism and schizophrenia had a genetic link, representing a heightened risk within families. People who have a schizophrenic sibling were 12 times more likely to have autism than those with no schizophrenia in the family.

Tiny pores in graphene could give rise to membranes Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:45 AM PDT Pristine graphene -- a microscopic sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb pattern -- is among the most impermeable materials ever discovered, making the substance ideal as a barrier film. But the material may not be as impenetrable as scientists have thought. Researchers have found that the material bears intrinsic defects, or holes in its atom-sized armor. The results point to the possibility of promising applications, such as membranes that filter microscopic contaminants from water, or that separate specific types of molecules from biological samples.

Low adoption by large hospital ICUs of catheter-associated urinary tract infection precautions Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:45 AM PDT A new study found that large hospitals -- those with more than 500 beds -- had a 1.5 higher average rate of CAUTI than hospitals with 500 beds or less. Since larger hospitals, particularly teaching hospitals treat patients who are often sicker, the finding that their ICUs have higher incidences of CAUTI, while still a cause of concern, was not unanticipated.

Lifting weights protects against metabolic syndrome, study suggests Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:44 AM PDT People who lift weights are less likely to have metabolic syndrome -- a cluster of risk factors linked to heart disease and diabetes, reports a new study.

New technique to grow black truffles Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:41 AM PDT Researchers have found beneficial effects of the Pseudomonas fluorescens bacterium for the colonization of the black truffles on the pine roots. These results can be promising to enhance the cultivation of truffles.

Making transport a driver for development in Africa Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:41 AM PDT A new report highlights policies to improve air quality road safety and congestion, supporting African development.

Perfect pitch: Knowing the note may be in your genes Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:40 AM PDT People with perfect pitch seem to possess their own inner pitch pipe, allowing them to sing a specific note without first hearing a reference tone. This skill has long been associated with early and extensive musical training, but new research suggests that perfect pitch may have as much to do with genetics as it does with learning an instrument or studying voice.

Self-powered sensors to monitor nuclear fuel rod status Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:39 AM PDT Japan's Fukushima Dai'ichi nuclear disaster that occurred in 2011 -- a result of the strongest earthquake on record in the country and the powerful tsunami waves it triggered -- underscored the need for a method to monitor the status of nuclear fuel rods that doesn't rely on electrical power.

Zeroing in on the 'science of sound propagation' in burning buildings Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:39 AM PDT An acoustic navigation system being developed by a team of researchers studying the science of sound propagation inside burning buildings may one day become a life-saving addition to firefighters' arsenal of tools.

Whale racket: Sounding out how loud the oceans were from whale vocalizing prior to industrial whaling Posted: 23 Oct 2012 09:39 AM PDT Concern is growing that human-generated noise in the ocean disrupts marine animals that rely on sound for communication and navigation. In the modern ocean, the background noise can be ten times louder than it was just 50 years ago. But new modeling based on recently published data suggests that 200 years ago -- prior to the industrial whaling era -- the ocean was even louder than today due to the various sounds whales make.

Nineteen species of fern named for Lady Gaga; Researcher says the inspiration was literally written in the DNA sequences Posted: 23 Oct 2012 08:25 AM PDT Pop music megastar Lady Gaga is being honored with the name of a new genus of ferns found in Central and South America, Mexico, Arizona and Texas. A genus is a group of closely related species; in this case, 19 species of ferns will carry the name Gaga.

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