ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• U.S. scientists don't publish articles about potential role of innate variation in athletic performance
• Mystery of the printed diode solved
• Scientists probe DNA of 'Evolution Canyon' fruit flies, find drivers of change
• Neuroeconomists confirm Warren Buffett's wisdom: Brain research suggests an early warning signal tips off smart traders
• Smart and socially adept increases labor market value
• Summer jobs are good for kids, says study
• Expectant moms turn to internet for pregnancy advice more than they would like
• Building much smaller, greener electronics: Atom-scale, ultra-low-power computing devices to replace transistor circuits
• Of non-marijuana drug users in the ER, nearly all are problem drug users
• Mathematical model illustrates our online 'copycat' behavior
• World's biggest-ever flying bird discovered: Twice as big as the royal albatross
• Neandertal trait in early human skull suggests that modern humans emerged from complex labyrinth of biology and peoples
• The quantum dance of oxygen: Proposal for a new phase of the element, when atoms dance in quartets
• Dodging dots helps explain brain circuitry
• Satellites reveal possible catastrophic flooding months in advance
• Moral beliefs a barrier to HPV vaccine, researchers find
• Infant toenails reveal in utero exposure to low-level arsenic, study finds
• Support team aiding caregivers of cancer patients shows success, researchers report
• Racial/ethnic disparities in HIV medical studies examined by researchers
• Rats use their whiskers in a similar way to how humans use their hands and fingers
• Sitting too much, not just lack of exercise, is detrimental to cardiovascular health
• Mechanism that prevents lethal bacteria from causing invasive disease is revealed
• Non-diet approach to weight management more effective in worksite wellness programs
• Antarctic climate and food web strongly linked
• Climate change: IPCC must consider alternate policy views, researchers say
• Solid-state physics: Consider the 'anticrystal'
• Obesity, large waist size risk factors for COPD
• Why 'whispers' among bees sometimes evolve into 'shouts'
• Less exercise, not more calories, responsible for expanding waistlines
• Rhode Island lead law effective, but often ignored
• Alzheimer's disease: Simplified diagnosis, with more reliable criteria
• Science and cookies: Researchers tap into citizen science to shed light on ant diversity
• Ultra-cold atom transport made simple
• Efficient thermal cooling and heating
• Sleep deprivation leads to symptoms of schizophrenia, research shows
• Supermassive black hole blows molecular gas out of a galaxy at one million kilometers per hour
• Taking a short smartphone break improves employee well-being, research finds
• Teen dating violence cuts both ways: 1 in 6 girls, guys have been aggressors, victims or both
• University students developing robotic gardening technology
• From antibiotics to yeast: Latest student science heads for space
• Low-cost TB test means quicker, more reliable diagnosis for patients
• Platonic solids generate their four-dimensional analogues
• Important piece in brain tumor puzzle found by scientists
• High-quality gene catalog of human gut microbiome created
• New type of soot particle discovered from wildfire emissions
• China's hidden water footprint
• Changing Antarctic winds create new sea level threat
• College athletes with abusive coaches more willing to cheat
• Viruses use 'fake' proteins to hide in our cells
• Water bonus flows from climate change measures
• Babies born to healthy moms worldwide are strikingly similar in size
• Denali duck-billed dino tracks discovered
• Blocking cells' movement to stop spread of cancer
• Small, but plentiful: How the faintest galaxies illuminated the early universe
• How two simple questions could help GPs identify patients with drinking problems
• Athena Observatory helping solve mysteries of the universe
• Sociable weavers show everybody needs good neighbors
• Revolutionary approach to studying intestinal microbiota
• DNA origami nano-tool provides important clue to cancer
• Animal vaccines should guide malaria research, experts say

U.S. scientists don't publish articles about potential role of innate variation in athletic performance Posted: 07 Jul 2014 01:17 PM PDT Compared to scientists working in other countries, US-based scientists are underrepresented as authors of articles on the potential role of innate variation in athletic performance that are published in peer-reviewed science journals.

Mystery of the printed diode solved Posted: 07 Jul 2014 01:16 PM PDT A thirteen-year-long mystery that has involved a long series of researchers has finally been solved. A new article presents a diode in printed electronics that works in the GHz band, which opens up a new opportunity to send signals from a mobile phone to, for example, printed electronic labels. Energy from the radio signal is collected and used to switch the label's display. The diode being printed means that it is both cheap and simple to manufacture. Researchers have long known that the diode works, but not how and why.

Scientists probe DNA of 'Evolution Canyon' fruit flies, find drivers of change Posted: 07 Jul 2014 01:16 PM PDT Scientists have long puzzled over the genetic differences between fruit flies that live hardly a puddle jump apart in a natural environment known as "Evolution Canyon" in Mount Carmel, Israel. Even with migration, cross-breeding, and near-extinction of whole populations, the environment is the driving force in the fruit-fly gene pool in Evolution Canyon, according to new research.

Neuroeconomists confirm Warren Buffett's wisdom: Brain research suggests an early warning signal tips off smart traders Posted: 07 Jul 2014 12:25 PM PDT Investment magnate Warren Buffett has famously suggested that investors should try to 'be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy only when others are fearful.' That turns out to be excellent advice, according to the results of a new study that looked at the brain activity and behavior of people trading in experimental markets where price bubbles formed.

Smart and socially adept increases labor market value Posted: 07 Jul 2014 12:25 PM PDT Data shows an increase over time in the labor market valuation of individuals who possess cognitive ability as well as social skills. No matter how you cut it, individuals who reach the highest rungs on the corporate ladder are smart and social, new research shows.

Summer jobs are good for kids, says study Posted: 07 Jul 2014 12:25 PM PDT Teenagers who work at summer or evening jobs gain a competitive advantage later in life, a new study shows. Developing early knowledge of the working world and how to manage in it, they are more likely to find good employment and earn more money in the future. The more hours that 15-year-olds work, particularly during the school term when they have to learn to manage their time, the better their career prospects, says one researcher.

Expectant moms turn to internet for pregnancy advice more than they would like Posted: 07 Jul 2014 12:25 PM PDT Pregnant women are using the Internet to seek answers to their medical questions more often than they would like, say researchers.

Building much smaller, greener electronics: Atom-scale, ultra-low-power computing devices to replace transistor circuits Posted: 07 Jul 2014 12:25 PM PDT The digital age has resulted in a succession of smaller, cleaner and less power-hungry technologies since the days the personal computer fit atop a desk, replacing mainframe models that once filled entire rooms. Desktop PCs have since given way to smaller and smaller laptops, smartphones and devices that most of us carry around in our pockets. Scientists are now developing atom-scale, ultra-low-power computing devices to replace transistor circuits.

Of non-marijuana drug users in the ER, nearly all are problem drug users Posted: 07 Jul 2014 12:24 PM PDT Of emergency patients who reported any drug other than marijuana as their primary drug of use, 90.7 percent met the criteria for problematic drug use. Among patients who reported cannabis (marijuana) as their primary drug, almost half met the criteria for having a drug problem, according to a study.

Mathematical model illustrates our online 'copycat' behavior Posted: 07 Jul 2014 12:24 PM PDT Researchers examined how users are influenced in the choice of apps that they install on their Facebook pages by creating a mathematical model to capture the dynamics at play.

World's biggest-ever flying bird discovered: Twice as big as the royal albatross Posted: 07 Jul 2014 12:24 PM PDT Scientists have identified the fossilized remains of an extinct giant bird that could be the biggest flying bird ever found. With an estimated 20- to 24-foot wingspan, the creature surpassed the previous record holder -- an extinct bird named Argentavis magnificens -- and was twice as big as the royal albatross, the largest flying bird today. Computer simulations show that the bird's long slender wings helped it stay aloft despite its enormous size.

Neandertal trait in early human skull suggests that modern humans emerged from complex labyrinth of biology and peoples Posted: 07 Jul 2014 12:24 PM PDT Re-examination of a circa 100,000-year-old archaic early human skull found 35 years ago in Northern China has revealed the surprising presence of an inner-ear formation long thought to occur only in Neandertals.

The quantum dance of oxygen: Proposal for a new phase of the element, when atoms dance in quartets Posted: 07 Jul 2014 12:23 PM PDT Under extremely high pressure conditions oxygen molecules group into quartets and give rise to a "dance of their magnetic moments". This results in magnetic properties never previously observed in these conditions and in theory points to the existence of a new phase of the element, called epsilon 1.

Dodging dots helps explain brain circuitry Posted: 07 Jul 2014 11:17 AM PDT Neuroscientists looked cell by cell at the brain circuitry that tadpoles, and possibly other animals, use to avoid collisions. The study produced a model of how individual inhibitory and excitatory neurons can work together to control a simple behavior. The basic circuitry involved is present in a wide variety of animals, including people, which is no surprise given how fundamental collision avoidance is across animal behavior.

Satellites reveal possible catastrophic flooding months in advance Posted: 07 Jul 2014 11:17 AM PDT Data from NASA satellites can greatly improve predictions of how likely a river basin is to overflow months before it does, according to new findings. The use of such data, which capture a much fuller picture of how water is accumulating, could result in earlier flood warnings, potentially saving lives and property.

Moral beliefs a barrier to HPV vaccine, researchers find Posted: 07 Jul 2014 11:17 AM PDT The biggest barrier to receiving a human papillomavirus vaccine was moral or religious beliefs, a survey of first-year students has indicated. The HPV vaccines are commonly recommended for children ages 11-12 to protect against cervical cancers in women, and genital warts and other cancers in men.

Infant toenails reveal in utero exposure to low-level arsenic, study finds Posted: 07 Jul 2014 11:17 AM PDT Infant toenails are a reliable way to estimate arsenic exposure before birth, a study shows. A growing body of evidence suggests that in utero and early-life exposure to arsenic may have detrimental effects on children, even at the low to moderate levels common in the United States and elsewhere. The fetus starts to develop toenails during the first trimester, making them an accurate measure of exposure to arsenic during the entire gestation.

Support team aiding caregivers of cancer patients shows success, researchers report Posted: 07 Jul 2014 11:17 AM PDT Many caregivers of terminal cancer patients suffer depression and report regret and guilt from feeling they could have done more to eliminate side effects and relieve the pain. So researchers devised and tested an intervention that quickly integrates a cancer support team to guide caregivers and their patients through difficult end-of-life treatment and decisions.

Racial/ethnic disparities in HIV medical studies examined by researchers Posted: 07 Jul 2014 11:17 AM PDT Social/behavioral intervention vastly increased the number of African American and Latino individuals living with HIV/AIDS who enrolled in HIV/AIDS medical studies, a study has found. Nine out of 10 participants who were found eligible for studies decided to enroll, compared to zero participants among a control group.

Rats use their whiskers in a similar way to how humans use their hands and fingers Posted: 07 Jul 2014 11:16 AM PDT The way rats use their whiskers is more similar to how humans use their hands and fingers than previously thought, new research has found. Rats deliberately change how they sense their environment using their facial whiskers depending on whether the environment is novel, if there is a risk of collision and whether or not they can see where they are going.

Sitting too much, not just lack of exercise, is detrimental to cardiovascular health Posted: 07 Jul 2014 11:16 AM PDT Cardiologists have found that sedentary behaviors may lower cardiorespiratory fitness levels. New evidence suggests that two hours of sedentary behavior can be just as harmful as 20 minutes of exercise is beneficial.

Mechanism that prevents lethal bacteria from causing invasive disease is revealed Posted: 07 Jul 2014 10:43 AM PDT An important development in understanding how the bacterium that causes pneumonia, meningitis and septicemia remains harmlessly in the nose and throat has been discovered by scientists. Streptococcus pneumoniae is a 'commensal', which can live harmlessly in the nasopharynx as part of the body's natural bacterial flora. However, in the very young and old it can invade the rest of the body, leading to serious diseases such as pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis, which claim up to a million lives every year worldwide.

Non-diet approach to weight management more effective in worksite wellness programs Posted: 07 Jul 2014 10:43 AM PDT Researchers have found that 'Eat for Life,' a new wellness approach that focuses on mindfulness and intuitive eating as a lifestyle, is more effective than traditional weight-loss programs in improving individuals' views of their bodies and decreasing problematic eating behaviors.

Antarctic climate and food web strongly linked Posted: 07 Jul 2014 10:43 AM PDT A long-term study of the links between climate and marine life along the rapidly warming West Antarctic Peninsula reveals how changes in physical factors such as wind speed and sea-ice cover send ripples up the food chain, with impacts on everything from single-celled algae to penguins.

Climate change: IPCC must consider alternate policy views, researchers say Posted: 07 Jul 2014 10:43 AM PDT The Summary for Policymakers recently produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has triggered a public debate about excessive governmental intrusion in the IPCC process. The IPCC cannot avoid alternative political interpretations of data and must involve policy makers in finding out how to address these implications, according to a team of researchers.

Solid-state physics: Consider the 'anticrystal' Posted: 07 Jul 2014 10:43 AM PDT For the last century, the concept of crystals has been a mainstay of solid-state physics. Crystals are paragons of order; crystalline materials are defined by the repeating patterns their constituent atoms and molecules make. Physicists now have evidence that a new concept should undergird our understanding of most materials: the anticrystal, a theoretical solid that is completely disordered.

Obesity, large waist size risk factors for COPD Posted: 07 Jul 2014 10:43 AM PDT Obesity, especially excessive belly fat, is a risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a new article. Excessive belly fat and low physical activity are linked to progression of the disease in people with COPD, but it is not known whether these modifiable factors are linked to new cases.

Why 'whispers' among bees sometimes evolve into 'shouts' Posted: 07 Jul 2014 10:43 AM PDT Let's say you're a bee and you've spotted a new and particularly lucrative source of nectar and pollen. What's the best way to communicate the location of this prize cache of food to the rest of your nestmates without revealing it to competitors, or 'eavesdropping' spies, outside of the colony? One risky way is to "shout" to warn would-be competitors that their prime source of food will be fiercely defended if they show up to the site.

Less exercise, not more calories, responsible for expanding waistlines Posted: 07 Jul 2014 10:42 AM PDT Sedentary lifestyle and not caloric intake may be to blame for increased obesity in the US, according to a new analysis. A study reveals that in the past 20 years there has been a sharp decrease in physical exercise and an increase in average body mass index (BMI), while caloric intake has remained steady. Investigators theorized that a nationwide drop in leisure-time physical activity, especially among young women, may be responsible for the upward trend in obesity rates.

Rhode Island lead law effective, but often ignored Posted: 07 Jul 2014 09:15 AM PDT Only one in five properties in Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence, and Woonsocket that are covered by Rhode Island's lead hazard mitigation law were in compliance with the statute more than four years after it took effect, according to a study by a local team of academic, government, and nonprofit researchers. Many exempt dwellings also seem likely to harbor hazards. But where landlords have complied, the data show that children have benefited.

Alzheimer's disease: Simplified diagnosis, with more reliable criteria Posted: 07 Jul 2014 09:15 AM PDT How many patients receive an incorrect diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease? The answer is a surprisingly high number: over a third, researchers report. To reduce the number of errors, researchers have developed a simplified diagnosis based on the most specific criteria of the disease. A challenge primarily for research, but also for clinical practice.

Science and cookies: Researchers tap into citizen science to shed light on ant diversity Posted: 07 Jul 2014 09:15 AM PDT Scientists have combined cookies, citizen science and robust research methods to track the diversity of ant species across the United States, and are now collaborating with international partners to get a global perspective on how ants are moving and surviving in the modern world. The School of Ants project was developed to help researchers get a handle on the diversity of ant species across the United States.

Ultra-cold atom transport made simple Posted: 07 Jul 2014 09:15 AM PDT Techniques for controlling ultra-cold atoms traveling in ring traps currently represent an important research area in physics. A new study gives a proof of principle, confirmed by numerical simulations, of the applicability to ultra-cold atoms of a very efficient and robust transport technique called spatial adiabatic passage.

Efficient thermal cooling and heating Posted: 07 Jul 2014 09:14 AM PDT Thermal systems use heat to produce cold, and vice versa. To do so, a material is needed that can dissipate water vapor particularly well and quickly. A new method simply applies this property as a layer onto the components.

Sleep deprivation leads to symptoms of schizophrenia, research shows Posted: 07 Jul 2014 09:14 AM PDT Twenty-four hours of sleep deprivation can lead to conditions in healthy persons similar to the symptoms of schizophrenia. This discovery was made by an international team of researchers, who point out that this effect should be investigated more closely in persons who have to work at night. In addition, sleep deprivation may serve as a model system for the development of drugs to treat psychosis.

Supermassive black hole blows molecular gas out of a galaxy at one million kilometers per hour Posted: 07 Jul 2014 09:14 AM PDT New research has solved a long-standing mystery surrounding the evolution of galaxies, deepening our understanding of the future of the Milky Way. The supermassive black holes in the cores of some galaxies drive massive outflows of molecular hydrogen gas. As a result, most of the cold gas is expelled from the galaxies. Since cold gas is required to form new stars, this directly affects the galaxies' evolution.

Taking a short smartphone break improves employee well-being, research finds Posted: 07 Jul 2014 09:13 AM PDT Short smartphone breaks throughout the workday can improve workplace productivity, make employees happier and benefit businesses, a researcher reports. "By interacting with friends or family members through a smartphone or by playing a short game, we found that employees can recover from some of their stress to refresh their minds and take a break," the researcher said.

Teen dating violence cuts both ways: 1 in 6 girls, guys have been aggressors, victims or both Posted: 07 Jul 2014 09:13 AM PDT Dating during the teen years takes a violent turn for nearly 1 in 6 young people, a new study finds, with both genders reporting acts like punching and throwing things. The data, drawn from a survey of over 4,000 patients ages 14 to 20, indicate that dating violence is common & affects both genders.

University students developing robotic gardening technology Posted: 07 Jul 2014 08:35 AM PDT For more than a half-century, NASA has made the stuff of science fiction into reality. Researchers are continuing that tradition by designing robots to work in a deep-space habitat, tending gardens and growing food for astronaut explorers. It sounds like a concept from Star Wars, but a team of graduate students from the University of Colorado Boulder is now developing the innovative technology to make it possible.

From antibiotics to yeast: Latest student science heads for space Posted: 07 Jul 2014 08:32 AM PDT Astronauts on future missions may nibble on lettuce and grow their own antibiotics, depending on the results of research that student scientists plan to conduct on the International Space Station. Mission 5 of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) is scheduled to launch to the space station on July 11. A total of 1,344 proposals yielded 15 selected investigations for the flight. These investigations represent a diversity of subject matter from bacteria to tadpole shrimp and locations from Massachusetts to Arizona.

Low-cost TB test means quicker, more reliable diagnosis for patients Posted: 07 Jul 2014 07:37 AM PDT A new test for tuberculosis could dramatically improve the speed and accuracy of diagnosis for one of the world's deadliest diseases, enabling health care providers to report results to patients within minutes, according to a study. Although preventable, TB claims three lives every minute, making it the second leading cause of mortality from an infectious disease in the world.

Platonic solids generate their four-dimensional analogues Posted: 07 Jul 2014 07:36 AM PDT Platonic solids are regular bodies in three dimensions, such as the cube and icosahedron, and have been known for millennia. They feature prominently in the natural world wherever geometry and symmetry are important, for instance in lattices and quasi-crystals, as well as fullerenes and viruses. Platonic solids have counterparts in four dimensions, and mathematicians have now shown that there are six of them, five of which have very strange symmetries.

Important piece in brain tumor puzzle found by scientists Posted: 07 Jul 2014 07:36 AM PDT A member of the protein family known as SUMO -- small ubiquitin-like modifier -- is a key to why tumor cells multiply uncontrollably, especially in the case of glioblastoma, scientists have discovered. Glioblastoma is the most common and lethal brain cancer. Current standard treatments include surgical resection, adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Despite the treatments, patients survive about a year and half. The cancer continues growing in part due to the presence of the cancer stem cells.

High-quality gene catalog of human gut microbiome created Posted: 07 Jul 2014 07:36 AM PDT A high-quality gene catalog of human gut microbiome has been developed by researchers, a key to understanding human health and diseases. While the roughly 20,000 genes in the human genome have been available for over a decade, the gene catalog of the microbiome, our much larger "other genome," has to date been much more poorly understood and characterized.

New type of soot particle discovered from wildfire emissions Posted: 07 Jul 2014 07:36 AM PDT A team of scientists reports the observation of a previously unrecognized form of soot particle, identified as 'superaggregates,' from wildfire emissions. These particles were detected in smoke plumes from wildfires in Northern California, New Mexico, Mexico City, and India. These particles contribute up to 90-percent more warming than spherical sub-micrometer soot particles, which current climate models use.

China's hidden water footprint Posted: 07 Jul 2014 07:36 AM PDT China's richest provinces have an outsized environmental impact on the country's water-scarce regions, according to new research. Many developed regions in China are not only drawing from their own water resources but also contributing to water depletion in other water-scarce regions of the country through imports of food and other water-intensive goods, researchers report.

Changing Antarctic winds create new sea level threat Posted: 07 Jul 2014 07:36 AM PDT New research shows projected changes in the winds circling the Antarctic may accelerate global sea level rise significantly more than previously estimated. Changes to Antarctic winds have already been linked to southern Australia's drying climate but now it appears they may also have a profound impact on warming ocean temperatures under the ice shelves along the coastline of West and East Antarctic.

College athletes with abusive coaches more willing to cheat Posted: 07 Jul 2014 07:34 AM PDT College athletes who have abusive coaches are more willing to cheat in order to win than players with more ethical coaches, according to new research based on surveys from almost 20,000 student athletes at more than 600 colleges across the country. Men's teams were much more willing to cheat than women's teams, according to the study, and men's football, basketball and baseball teams reported the highest willingness to cheat at large universities where players are often under intense pressure to win.

Viruses use 'fake' proteins to hide in our cells Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:27 AM PDT Some viruses can hide in our bodies for decades and make 'fake' human proteins that trick our immune cells into believing nothing is wrong. Now researchers have determined the basic structure of one of the two known families of these deceptive proteins.

Water bonus flows from climate change measures Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:27 AM PDT The equivalent of one-third of Melbourne's water use could be saved each year through the implementation of efficiency measures that deal with climate change, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed the water-saving potential of 74 options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions identified in ClimateWorks Australia's award-winning Low Carbon Growth Plan for Australia.

Babies born to healthy moms worldwide are strikingly similar in size Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:27 AM PDT Babies' growth in the womb and their size at birth, especially their length, are strikingly similar the world over -- when babies are born to healthy, well-educated and well-nourished mothers. That is the finding of a large study that involved almost 60,000 pregnancies in eight defined urban areas in Brazil, China, India, Italy, Kenya, Oman, the UK and USA.

Denali duck-billed dino tracks discovered Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:26 AM PDT A trio of paleontologists has discovered a remarkable new tracksite in Alaska's Denali National Park filled with duck-billed dinosaur footprints -- technically referred to as hadrosaurs -- that demonstrates they not only lived in multi-generational herds but thrived in the ancient high-latitude, polar ecosystem. The article provides new insight into the herd structure and paleobiology of northern polar dinosaurs in an arctic greenhouse world.

Blocking cells' movement to stop spread of cancer Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:26 AM PDT Insights into how cells move through the body could lead to innovative techniques to stop cancer cells from spreading and causing secondary tumors, finds new research. Scientists discovered that cells can change into an invasive, liquid-like state to readily navigate the narrow channels in our body. This transformation is triggered by chemical signals, which could be blocked in order to stop cancer cells from spreading.

Small, but plentiful: How the faintest galaxies illuminated the early universe Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:24 AM PDT Astronomers investigating the behavior of the universe shortly after the Big Bang have made a surprising discovery: the properties of the early universe are determined by the smallest galaxies.

How two simple questions could help GPs identify patients with drinking problems Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:24 AM PDT Alcohol problems are often undetected in primary care but by asking two simple questions, GPs could quickly uncover which patients have drinking problems -- including patients who would otherwise remain undetected -- according to new research.

Athena Observatory helping solve mysteries of the universe Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:24 AM PDT The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected the Athena X-ray Observatory as its second 'Large-class' science mission in the 21st Century, which will help answer vital questions about the universe.

Sociable weavers show everybody needs good neighbors Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:24 AM PDT Sociable weavers, a highly social and co-operative breeding bird from the savannahs of southern Africa, build the largest nests of any bird, housing colonies of up to several hundred birds that can often weigh tonnes and last for decades. The massive nests consist of individual nest chambers which are used throughout the year for breeding and roosting and are embedded within a communal thatch. Now research on these birds provides insight into one of the biggest questions in science -- why some animals, including humans, work together to maintain a common good.

Revolutionary approach to studying intestinal microbiota Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:24 AM PDT Analyzing the global genome, or the metagenome of the intestinal microbiota, has taken a turn, thanks to a new approach to study developed by an international research team. This method markedly simplifies microbiome analysis and renders it more powerful. The scientists have thus been able to sequence and assemble the complete genome of 238 intestinal bacteria, 75% of which were previously unknown.

DNA origami nano-tool provides important clue to cancer Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:24 AM PDT Researchers have headed a study that provides new knowledge about the EphA2 receptor, which is significant in several forms of cancer. This is important knowledge in itself – but just as important is how this study was conducted. The researchers used the method of DNA origami, in which a DNA molecule is shaped into a nanostructure, and used these structures to test theories about cell signalling.

Animal vaccines should guide malaria research, experts say Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:23 AM PDT Research into vaccines for malaria in humans should be guided by the success shown in producing effective vaccines for malaria-like diseases in animals, according to a research study. A veterinarian and disease researcher says there are many effective vaccines for diseases in animals caused by close relatives of the parasites that cause malaria (called protozoans). "In contrast, there are no vaccines available for malaria or any other protozoal disease of humans - despite great need and considerable effort," he says.

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