ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• New study finds extreme longevity in white sharks
• Neolithic mural may depict ancient eruption
• Two million years ago, human relative 'Nutcracker Man' lived on tiger nuts
• Mental disorders in mid-life, older adulthood, more prevalent than previously reported
• Fossil pigments reveal the colors of ancient sea monsters
• Two-sizes-too-small 'Grinch' effect hampers heart transplantation success
• Discovery of ancient Egyptian tomb of Khonsuemheb
• Quasars illuminate swiftly swirling clouds around galaxies
• Study identifies risk factors for non-fatal overdoses
• Findings from data management pilot announced
• Engineers make world's fastest organic transistor, herald new generation of see-through electronics
• GPS traffic maps for leatherback turtles show hotspots to prevent accidental fishing deaths
• Bio-inspired glue keeps hearts securely sealed
• Universe measured to one-percent accuracy: Most precise calibration yet of cosmic 'standard ruler'
• Information as important as medication in reducing migraine pain
• Avoiding demographic cliques builds stronger teams
• Organic mega flow battery promises breakthrough for renewable energy
• Cancer genomics hub adds childhood cancer data
• Nociceptin: Nature's balm for the stressed brain
• Blood test to locate gene defects associated with cancer may not be far off
• Coral chemical warfare: Suppressing competitor enhances susceptibility to predator
• Many small exoplanets covered in gas: New measurements of mass expand knowledge of exoplanets' compositions
• Massive exoplanets may be more Earth-like than thought: 'Super-Earths' likely to have oceans, continents
• First shark genome decoded
• Molecular engines star in new model of DNA repair
• Fungi may determine the future of soil carbon
• Symbiotic fungi inhabiting plant roots have major impact on atmospheric carbon, scientists say
• Young children engage in physical activity in short spurts; preschoolers take 11 hours to attain daily exercise levels
• Infants show ability to tell friends from foes
• Elephant shark genome decoded: New insights gained into bone formation and immunity
• Scientists identify possible key to drug resistance in Crohn's disease
• Biologists establish new method for studying RNA's regulatory 'footprint'
• Heart attacks hit poor hardest
• Stopping tumors in their path
• AML score combining genetic, epigenetic changes might help guide therapy
• New method for efficiently transporting antibodies across the blood-brain barrier
• Newly discovered celestial object defies categories: Is it a new kind of planet or a rare kind of failed star?
• Geography has impact on grapevine moth's success in French vineyards
• Older firefighters may be more resilient to working in heat
• Ocean's hidden waves show their power: Origins of giant underwater waves explained
• Scientists find new mechanism underlying depression
• Study shows 'readability' scores largely inaccurate
• Chemical imaging brings cancer tissue analysis into digital age
• COPD: Disease Management Program is largely consistent with guidelines
• Lower fat content for adolescents' diets
• Climate change: How does soil store carbon dioxide?
• Seniors moving to homecare based services face more hospital risk
• The play-by-play of energy conversion: Catching catalysts in action
• An improved, cost-effective catalyst for water-splitting devices
• Soap bubbles for predicting cyclone intensity?
• New research may boost drug efficacy in treating pulmonary arterial hypertension
• Survival protein a potential new target for many cancers
• Neuroscience study uncovers new player in obesity
• Health, wealth connected?
• Epigenetics of breast cancer family history
• Microbe community changes may reduce Amazon's ability to lock up carbon dioxide

New study finds extreme longevity in white sharks Posted: 08 Jan 2014 09:41 PM PST Great white sharks -- top predators throughout the world's ocean -- grow much slower and live significantly longer than previously thought, according to a new study.

Neolithic mural may depict ancient eruption Posted: 08 Jan 2014 09:39 PM PST Volcanic rock dating suggests the painting of a Çatalhöyük mural may have overlapped with an eruption in Turkey.

Two million years ago, human relative 'Nutcracker Man' lived on tiger nuts Posted: 08 Jan 2014 09:39 PM PST A new study concludes that ancient ancestors who lived in East Africa between 2.4 million-1.4 million years ago mostly ate tiger nuts with additional nourishment from fruits and invertebrates, like worms and grasshoppers. The study examines the diet of Paranthropus boisei, nicknamed "Nutcracker Man," through studying modern-day baboons in Kenya to help to explain a puzzle that has vexed archaeologists for 50 years.

Mental disorders in mid-life, older adulthood, more prevalent than previously reported Posted: 08 Jan 2014 02:09 PM PST Common methods of assessing mental or physical disorders may consistently underestimate the prevalence of mental disorders among middle-aged and older adults, a new study has found. The analysis reveals substantial discrepancies among mid-life and late-life adults in reporting past mental health disorders, including depression, compared with physical disorders such as arthritis and hypertension.

Fossil pigments reveal the colors of ancient sea monsters Posted: 08 Jan 2014 02:07 PM PST During the Age of the dinosaurs, huge reptiles, such as mosasaurs and ichthyosaurs, ruled the seas. Previously, scientists could only guess what colors these spectacular animals had; however, pigment preserved in fossilized skin has now been analyzed. The unique soft tissue remains were obtained from a 55 million-year-old leatherback turtle, an 85 million-year-old mosasaur and a 196–190 million-year-old ichthyosaur. This is the first time that the color scheme of any extinct marine animal has been revealed.

Two-sizes-too-small 'Grinch' effect hampers heart transplantation success Posted: 08 Jan 2014 02:05 PM PST Current protocols for matching donor hearts to recipients foster sex mismatching and heart size disparities, according to a first-of-its kind analysis by physicians. Matching by donor heart size may provide better outcomes for recipients.

Discovery of ancient Egyptian tomb of Khonsuemheb Posted: 08 Jan 2014 02:05 PM PST Researchers have discovered a new private tomb in the el-Khokha area of Egypt's Theban necropolis, across the Nile from Luxor. The owner of the tomb was Khonsuemheb, who was called Chief of the Workshop for Mut and Chief Brewer of the Temple of Mut.

Quasars illuminate swiftly swirling clouds around galaxies Posted: 08 Jan 2014 12:45 PM PST A new study of light from quasars has provided astronomers with illuminating insights into the swirling clouds of gas that form stars and galaxies, proving that the clouds can shift and change much more quickly than previously thought.

Study identifies risk factors for non-fatal overdoses Posted: 08 Jan 2014 12:45 PM PST Researchers have identified that injection frequency and taking anti-retroviral therapy for HIV are risk factors for nonfatal drug overdoses among Russians who are HIV positive and inject drugs.

Findings from data management pilot announced Posted: 08 Jan 2014 12:45 PM PST After 11 months of review, the findings of a collaborative project to explore the capabilities of an open source application that assists with publishing, referencing, extracting and analyzing research data have been announced.

Engineers make world's fastest organic transistor, herald new generation of see-through electronics Posted: 08 Jan 2014 12:45 PM PST Researchers have produced the world's fastest thin-film organic transistors, proving that this experimental technology could achieve the performance needed for high-resolution television screens and similar electronic devices. For years engineers have been trying to use inexpensive, carbon-rich molecules and plastics to create organic semiconductors that can approximate the performance of costlier technologies based on silicon.

GPS traffic maps for leatherback turtles show hotspots to prevent accidental fishing deaths Posted: 08 Jan 2014 12:45 PM PST Pacific leatherback turtles, among the most endangered animal populations in the world, often die hooked or tangled in industrial longlines that set thousands of hooks in the ocean to catch fish. In a new study, researchers show the use-intensity distributions for 135 satellite-tracked adult turtles and distributions of longline fishing effort in the Pacific Ocean. The overlap of these distributions in space and time allows prediction of bycatch risk.

Bio-inspired glue keeps hearts securely sealed Posted: 08 Jan 2014 12:44 PM PST In the preclinical study, researchers developed a bio-inspired adhesive that could rapidly attach biodegradable patches inside a beating heart -- in the exact place where congenital holes in the heart occur, such as with ventricular heart defects.

Universe measured to one-percent accuracy: Most precise calibration yet of cosmic 'standard ruler' Posted: 08 Jan 2014 12:44 PM PST The Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) is the largest component of the third Sloan Digital Sky Survey. BOSS has measured the clustering of nearly 1.3 million galaxies spectroscopically, determining the "standard ruler" of the universe's large-scale structure to within one percent. This is the most precise such measurement ever made and likely to be the standard for years to come.

Information as important as medication in reducing migraine pain Posted: 08 Jan 2014 12:44 PM PST The information that doctors provide when prescribing drug therapies has long been thought to play a role in the way that patients respond to drug therapies. Now an innovative study of migraine headache confirms that a patient's expectations influence the effects of both medication and placebo pills.

Avoiding demographic cliques builds stronger teams Posted: 08 Jan 2014 12:42 PM PST Cliques make team player less altruistic. That is the finding from a study of teams in business and not-for-profit organizations. The study has implications for management of teams when measures of diversity including gender, ethnic origin and other demographic factors are considered.

Organic mega flow battery promises breakthrough for renewable energy Posted: 08 Jan 2014 12:42 PM PST Scientists and engineers have demonstrated a new type of battery that could fundamentally transform the way electricity is stored on the grid, making power from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar far more economical and reliable.

Cancer genomics hub adds childhood cancer data Posted: 08 Jan 2014 12:40 PM PST Researchers studying the genetics of childhood cancers now have access to a large and growing set of genomic data through the Cancer Genomics Hub (CGHub).

Nociceptin: Nature's balm for the stressed brain Posted: 08 Jan 2014 12:40 PM PST Scientists have made new findings on a system in the brain that naturally moderates the effects of stress.

Blood test to locate gene defects associated with cancer may not be far off Posted: 08 Jan 2014 12:40 PM PST A simple blood test that can locate gene defects associated with cancer? New research suggests the technology may not be too far off.

Coral chemical warfare: Suppressing competitor enhances susceptibility to predator Posted: 08 Jan 2014 10:33 AM PST Competition may have a high cost for at least one species of tropical seaweed. Researchers examining the chemical warfare taking place on Fijian coral reefs have found that one species of seaweed increases its production of noxious anti-coral compounds when placed into contact with reef-building corals, but at the same time becomes more attractive to herbivorous fish.

Many small exoplanets covered in gas: New measurements of mass expand knowledge of exoplanets' compositions Posted: 08 Jan 2014 10:33 AM PST NASA's Kepler space telescope discovered thousands of "planetary candidates," but what are the planets made of? To know this, each planet's mass first must be determined. An astronomer reports having measured the masses of approximately 60 exoplanets larger than Earth and smaller than Neptune. The measurements greatly expand scientists' knowledge of sub-Neptune exoplanets because once the mass and size of a planet are known, the density can be determined and the composition of the planet inferred.

Massive exoplanets may be more Earth-like than thought: 'Super-Earths' likely to have oceans, continents Posted: 08 Jan 2014 10:33 AM PST Massive terrestrial planets, called "super-Earths," are known to be common in our Milky Way galaxy. Now scientists report the odds of these planets having an Earth-like climate are much greater than previously thought. They conclude that most tectonically active super-Earths -- regardless of mass -- store most of their water in the mantle and will have both oceans and exposed continents, enabling a stable climate such as Earth's.

First shark genome decoded Posted: 08 Jan 2014 10:33 AM PST The genome of the elephant shark provides new insights into immunity and bone formation.

Molecular engines star in new model of DNA repair Posted: 08 Jan 2014 10:33 AM PST In a new study, researchers reveal how an enzyme called RNA polymerase patrols the genome for DNA damage and helps recruit partners to repair it. The result: fewer mutations and consequently less cancer and other kinds of disease.

Fungi may determine the future of soil carbon Posted: 08 Jan 2014 10:33 AM PST Soil contains more carbon than air and plants combined. This means that even a minor change in soil carbon could have major implications for the Earth's atmosphere and climate. New research points to an unexpected driver of soil carbon content: fungi.

Symbiotic fungi inhabiting plant roots have major impact on atmospheric carbon, scientists say Posted: 08 Jan 2014 10:32 AM PST Microscopic fungi that live in plants' roots play a major role in the storage and release of carbon from the soil into the atmosphere, according to new research. The role of these fungi is currently unaccounted for in global climate models.

Young children engage in physical activity in short spurts; preschoolers take 11 hours to attain daily exercise levels Posted: 08 Jan 2014 10:31 AM PST Preschool-aged children require the majority of their waking day, approximately 11 hours, to achieve their recommended daily physical activity, a study has found.

Infants show ability to tell friends from foes Posted: 08 Jan 2014 10:31 AM PST Even before babies have language skills or much information about social structures, they can infer whether other people are likely to be friends by observing their likes and dislikes, a new study on infant cognition has found.

Elephant shark genome decoded: New insights gained into bone formation and immunity Posted: 08 Jan 2014 10:31 AM PST An international team of researchers has sequenced the genome of the elephant shark, a curious-looking fish with a snout that resembles the end of an elephant's trunk.

Scientists identify possible key to drug resistance in Crohn's disease Posted: 08 Jan 2014 09:37 AM PST Scientists have identified a normally small subset of immune cells that may play a major role in the development of Crohn's disease generally and in disease-associated steroid resistance specifically.

Biologists establish new method for studying RNA's regulatory 'footprint' Posted: 08 Jan 2014 09:37 AM PST Biologists offer a new method to efficiently obtain an entire "footprint" of interactions between RNA and the proteins that bind to RNA molecules.

Heart attacks hit poor hardest Posted: 08 Jan 2014 09:37 AM PST "Frailty syndrome" is emerging in the field of public health as a powerful predictor of healthcare use and death. Now researchers have found that poor people are more than twice as likely as the wealthy to become frail after a heart attack. The findings could help doctors and policymakers improve post-heart-attack care for the poor.

Stopping tumors in their path Posted: 08 Jan 2014 09:37 AM PST Glioblastoma is the most common and deadly form of primary malignant brain cancer, occurring mostly in adults between the ages of 45 and 70. The recurrence of GBM is usually fatal, resulting in an average patient survival time of less than two years. A new study identifies two specific key players in the growth of GBM.

AML score combining genetic, epigenetic changes might help guide therapy Posted: 08 Jan 2014 09:37 AM PST Currently, doctors use chromosome markers and gene mutations to determine the best treatment for patients with acute myeloid leukemia. But a new study suggests that a score based on seven mutated genes and the epigenetic changes that the researchers discovered were also present might help guide treatment by identifying novel subsets of patients. Patients with a low score had the best outcomes, and those with high scores had the poorest outcomes.

New method for efficiently transporting antibodies across the blood-brain barrier Posted: 08 Jan 2014 09:35 AM PST Researchers have published results on the Roche-designed Brain Shuttle technology that efficiently transfers investigational antibodies from the blood through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) into the brain in preclinical models. Scientists found that such enhanced transfer of antibodies through the BBB was associated with a marked improvement in amyloid reduction in the brain of a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Newly discovered celestial object defies categories: Is it a new kind of planet or a rare kind of failed star? Posted: 08 Jan 2014 08:27 AM PST An object discovered by astrophysicists nearly 500 light years away from the Sun may challenge traditional understandings about how planets and stars form. The object is located near and likely orbiting a very young star about 440 light years away from the Sun, and is leading astrophysicists to believe that there is not an easy-to-define line between what is and is not a planet.

Geography has impact on grapevine moth's success in French vineyards Posted: 08 Jan 2014 08:27 AM PST 'Location, location, location' is an adage also true for the European grapevine moth, it seems. Research has shown that these pests are better adapted and more successful in certain French wine-growing regions than in others, because of the variety of grape on which they occur and the abundance of their natural enemies around them.

Older firefighters may be more resilient to working in heat Posted: 08 Jan 2014 08:26 AM PST A new study finds that older firefighters may show signs of long-term heat adaptation due to repeated occupational heat stress exposure.

Ocean's hidden waves show their power: Origins of giant underwater waves explained Posted: 08 Jan 2014 07:24 AM PST Large-scale tests in the lab and the South China Sea reveal the origins of underwater waves that can tower hundreds of feet.

Scientists find new mechanism underlying depression Posted: 08 Jan 2014 07:24 AM PST Researchers have shown that changes in a type of brain cells called microglia underlie the depressive symptoms brought on by exposure to chronic stress. In animal experiments, the researchers were able to demonstrate that microglia-stimulating drugs served as effective and fast-acting antidepressants, producing complete recovery of the depressive-like behavioral symptoms and increasing neurogenesis to normal levels within days. This suggests new avenues for drug research, using microglia stimulators as antidepressants.

Study shows 'readability' scores largely inaccurate Posted: 08 Jan 2014 07:24 AM PST Teachers, parents and textbook companies use technical "readability" formulas to determine how difficult reading materials are and to set reading levels by age group. But new research shows that the readability formulas are usually inaccurate and offer little insight into which age groups will be able to read and understand a text.

Chemical imaging brings cancer tissue analysis into digital age Posted: 08 Jan 2014 07:24 AM PST A new method for analyzing biological samples based on their chemical makeup is set to transform the way medical scientists examine diseased tissue.

COPD: Disease Management Program is largely consistent with guidelines Posted: 08 Jan 2014 07:24 AM PST Few discrepancies exist between the disease management program "Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease" and current clinical practice guidelines.

Lower fat content for adolescents' diets Posted: 08 Jan 2014 07:24 AM PST The prevalence of excess weight and obesity among adolescents and, as a result, the concomitant problems, has increased considerably in recent years. A study has confirmed that, irrespective of the total calories consumed and the physical activity done, an excessive proportion of fat in the diet leads to a greater accumulation of fat in the abdomen of adolescents.

Climate change: How does soil store carbon dioxide? Posted: 08 Jan 2014 07:24 AM PST Global carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise -- in 2012 alone, 35.7 billion tons of this greenhouse gas entered the atmosphere. Some of it is absorbed by the oceans, plants and soil. They provide a significant reservoir of carbon. Scientists have now discovered how organic carbon is stored in soil: The carbon only binds to certain soil structures. This means that soil's capacity to absorb CO2 needs to be re-assessed and incorporated into today's climate models.

Seniors moving to homecare based services face more hospital risk Posted: 08 Jan 2014 07:24 AM PST Community and home-based care services are popular and cost Medicaid less money than nursing home care, but a new study finds that seniors who left the nursing home for such services were 40 percent more likely to become hospitalized for a potentially preventable reason than those who stayed in the nursing home.

The play-by-play of energy conversion: Catching catalysts in action Posted: 08 Jan 2014 06:30 AM PST Before catalysis unfolds in a laboratory, scientists painstakingly assemble the materials and spark a reaction. But many experimental techniques only capture the static details before and after the reaction. Now researchers have demonstrated an unprecedented ability to peer into the dynamic, real-time reactions blazing along at scales spanning just billionths of a meter, producing a sort of play-by-play view of the chemistry in action.

An improved, cost-effective catalyst for water-splitting devices Posted: 08 Jan 2014 05:12 AM PST Scientists have created a simple and scalable technique for greatly improving water splitting as a source of clean energy.

Soap bubbles for predicting cyclone intensity? Posted: 08 Jan 2014 05:10 AM PST Could soap bubbles be used to predict the strength of hurricanes and typhoons? However unexpected it may sound, this question prompted physicists to perform a highly novel experiment: they used soap bubbles to model atmospheric flow. A detailed study of the rotation rates of the bubble vortices enabled the scientists to obtain a relationship that accurately describes the evolution of their intensity, and propose a simple model to predict that of tropical cyclones.

New research may boost drug efficacy in treating pulmonary arterial hypertension Posted: 07 Jan 2014 06:53 PM PST The development of new, more effective vasodilators to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension has been hampered because of their systemic toxicity and adverse side effects. An international team of investigators seeking to surmount these problems and increase drug efficacy have determined that a vascular homing peptide can selectively target hypertensive pulmonary arteries to boost the pulmonary but not systemic effects of vasodilators. Importantly for potential clinical use, this peptide retains its activity when given sublingually.

Survival protein a potential new target for many cancers Posted: 07 Jan 2014 06:53 PM PST Researchers have discovered a promising strategy for treating cancers that are caused by one of the most common cancer-causing changes in cells. The discovery offers hope for treating many types of cancer that are driven to grow and spread through the actions of a cancer-causing protein called MYC. Up to 70 percent of human cancers, including many leukaemias and lymphomas, have unusually high levels of MYC.

Neuroscience study uncovers new player in obesity Posted: 07 Jan 2014 06:51 PM PST A new neuroscience study sheds light on the biological underpinnings of obesity. The study reveals how a protein in the brain helps regulate food intake and body weight. The findings create a potential new avenue for the treatment of obesity and may help explain why medications that interfere with this protein, such as gabapentin and pregabalin, can cause weight gain.

Health, wealth connected? Posted: 07 Jan 2014 02:20 PM PST We ring in the new year with hopes of being healthy, wealthy, and wise. A new study suggests that from a public health standpoint, health and wealth may be connected. Researchers examined Google search patterns during the recent recession, and discovered that people searched for keywords related to health symptoms much more frequently than they would have if the recession hadn't taken place.

Epigenetics of breast cancer family history Posted: 07 Jan 2014 02:20 PM PST Researchers have examined whether a specific epigenetic modification (more specifically, methylation of the DNA) can be associated to breast cancer family history in unaffected women from high-risk breast cancer families.

Microbe community changes may reduce Amazon's ability to lock up carbon dioxide Posted: 07 Jan 2014 02:09 PM PST A new paper looks for the first time at the reaction of free-living nitrogen-fixing microorganisms called diazotrophs to the conversion of rainforests to pastureland in the Amazon. Researchers found big changes to the diazotroph communities that they say may reduce the region's ability to act as a reservoir for greenhouse gas.

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