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Wednesday, January 1, 2014

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

ScienceDaily: Latest Science News


Vitamin E may delay decline in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease

Posted: 31 Dec 2013 01:37 PM PST

Vitamin E has just been shown to slow functional decline of Alzheimer's patients and reduce burdens on caregivers.

New studies give strong boost to binary-star formation theory

Posted: 31 Dec 2013 09:21 AM PST

Recent studies add strong, new evidence to the theory that binary stars form when the disk of gas and dust orbiting one young star gravitationally fragments, forming a second young star.

Researchers use Hubble Telescope to reveal cloudy weather on alien world

Posted: 31 Dec 2013 06:44 AM PST

Scientists have definitively characterized the atmosphere of a super-Earth class planet orbiting another star for the first time.

Cloud mystery solved: Global temperatures to rise at least 4°C by 2100

Posted: 31 Dec 2013 06:44 AM PST

Global average temperatures will rise at least 4°C by 2100 and potentially more than 8°C by 2200 if carbon dioxide emissions are not reduced according to new research that shows our climate is more sensitive to carbon dioxide than most previous estimates.

How emotions are mapped in the body

Posted: 31 Dec 2013 06:43 AM PST

Researchers found that the most common emotions trigger strong bodily sensations, and the bodily maps of these sensations were topographically different for different emotions. The sensation patterns were, however, consistent across different West European and East Asian cultures, highlighting that emotions and their corresponding bodily sensation patterns have a biological basis.

Major reductions in seafloor marine life from climate change by 2100

Posted: 31 Dec 2013 06:43 AM PST

A new study quantifies for the first time future losses in deep-sea marine life, using advanced climate models. Results show that even the most remote deep-sea ecosystems are not safe from the impacts of climate change.

Most clinical studies on vitamins flawed by poor methodology

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 10:51 AM PST

Most large, clinical trials of vitamin supplements, including some that have concluded they are of no value or even harmful, have a flawed methodology that renders them largely useless in determining the real value of these micronutrients, a new analysis suggests. These flawed findings will persist until the approach to studying micronutrients is changed.

Toward molecular explanation for schizophrenia

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 10:50 AM PST

Schizophrenia was only recognized as a medical condition in the past few decades, and its exact causes remain unclear. Now a researcher has discovered that an important cell-maintenance process called autophagy is reduced in the brains of schizophrenic patients. The findings advance the understanding of schizophrenia and could enable the development of new diagnostic tests and drug treatments for the disease.

DNA barcoding to monitor marine mammal genetic diversity

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 10:50 AM PST

Marine mammals are flagship and charismatic species. Attractive for the general public, nowadays, they are also considered as highly relevant sentinel of the marine realm as indicator for environmental change. A recent article suggests that the use of DNA barcoding in conjunction with a stranding network will clearly increase the accuracy of the monitoring of marine mammal biodiversity.

DNA barcodes made of 147 bird species from The Netherlands

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 10:50 AM PST

An Iranian ornithologist used a "ready for use" museum collection to DNA barcode 147 bird species from The Netherlands. While fast and accurate identifications could be confirmed for most species, gulls and skuas showed fuzzy boundaries and, in contrast, Lesser Whitethroats diversified in more than one species.

The value of museum collections for development of DNA barcode libraries

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 10:50 AM PST

The ability to sequence the DNA of plants and animals has revolutionized many areas of biology, but the unstable character of DNA poses difficulties for sequencing specimens in museum collection over time. In an attempt to answer these issues, a recent study of 31 target spider species discovers that both time and body size are significant factors in determining which specimens can produce DNA sequences.

Tell me your barcode, and I will tell you what palm you are

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 10:50 AM PST

A short fragment of chloroplastic DNA as a "barcode" for species identification within a group of palm species, including the economically important date palm Phoenix dactylifera, has been proposed by researchers from IRD, France, and CRA-FSO, Italy. Species and hybrids recognition is important for the protection of endemic or rare species, as well as for preserving the genetic integrity of varieties. The study was published in a special issue of the open access journal ZooKeys.

Testosterone in male songbirds may enhance desire to sing, but not song quality

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 10:49 AM PST

Introducing testosterone in select areas of a male canary's brain can affect its ability to successfully attract and mate with a female through birdsong. These findings could shed light on how testosterone acts in the human brain to regulate speech or help explain how anabolic steroids affect human behaviors.

Potential new strategy to improve corneal transplant acceptance

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 10:49 AM PST

For the estimated 10 percent of patients whose bodies reject a corneal transplant, the odds of a second transplant succeeding are poor. All that could change, however, based on a study that has found a way to boost the corneal transplant acceptance rate.

Meloidogyne mali: A new invasive plant parasitic nematode in Europe

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 07:15 AM PST

A recent study shows that a root-knot nematode species previously considered indigenous to Europe was actually introduced from Asia, and that its host range is wider than previously thought.

Secret to fewer doctor office visits after 70: Play high school sports

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 07:15 AM PST

Seventy year olds who don't frequently visit the doctor have something unexpected in common -- most played high school sports. They were active on a team over 50 years ago and are more likely to be active into their late 70s.

Earth's crust was unstable in Archean eon; Dripped down into mantle

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 07:14 AM PST

Earth's mantle temperatures during the Archean eon, which commenced some 4 billion years ago, were significantly higher than they are today. According to recent model calculations, the Archean crust that formed under these conditions was so dense that large portions of it were recycled back into the mantle.

Rheumatoid arthritis research shows potential of large-scale genetic studies for drug discovery

Posted: 26 Dec 2013 08:52 AM PST

The results of the largest international study to date into the genetic basis of rheumatoid arthritis have shed light on the biology of the disease and provide evidence that large-scale genetic studies can assist in the identification of new drugs for complex disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Rock and rho: Proteins that help cancer cells groove

Posted: 26 Dec 2013 08:52 AM PST

Biologists have discovered that low oxygen conditions, which often persist inside tumors, are sufficient to initiate a molecular chain of events that transforms breast cancer cells from being rigid and stationery to mobile and invasive. Their evidence underlines the importance of hypoxia-inducible factors in promoting breast cancer metastasis.

Mongooses synchronize births to escape despotic females

Posted: 23 Dec 2013 03:14 PM PST

Some mammals may have evolved to synchronize births as a way of evading the threat of infanticide, according to a study.

Changes in gene explain more of inherited risk for rare disease

Posted: 23 Dec 2013 07:06 AM PST

Mutations in a key gene predispose people to develop a rare tumor-causing disorder.

Intuition, analytical skills matter most in crisis

Posted: 23 Dec 2013 05:38 AM PST

People who prefer to combine quick, intuitive decisions with analysis, make the best decisions in a crisis situation, a new study shows. 

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