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Science11 Aug 2015

C-sections could influence babies' ability to focus

Being delivered through a caesarean section influences at least one form of babies' ability to concentrate. It slows their spatial attention, which plays a role in how well they are able to prioritize and focus on a particular area or object that is of interest. These are the findings of Scott Adler and Audrey Wong-Kee-You of York University in Canada, published in Springer's journal Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics. Very early birth factors such as birth weight and a mother's age impact the development of a child. However, very little is known about how the actual ...

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Earth Science11 Aug 2015

Chitin of insects and crustaceans found to be active against pathogenic microorganisms

The study specifically concentrated on chitosan extracted from chitin in the carapaces of insects and crustaceans. The biopolymer was first discovered in 1859 but only recently has it become possible to establish its production within desired parameters, when researchers from the Bioengineering Center of RAS designed narrow-dispersion chitosan. This gave an opportunity to modern scientists to customize the biological properties of certain types of the biopolymer. "We found that some forms of chitosan are toxic. They can disrupt the membranes of pathogenic microorganisms" ...

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Science11 Aug 2015

Researchers develop fast test for invasive carp

A Case Western Reserve University graduate student turned a research paper into a field test that quickly determines whether an Asian carp invading Lake Erie is sterile or can reproduce. If proven successful, the technique could save money and time in the effort to keep the carp out of the Great Lakes, where the fish could grow unchecked and devour food supplies and habitat critical to native species.. Grass carp, the species Ctenopharyngodon idella, have been introduced throughout the Midwest and South to clear ponds choked with weeds. Also called the white amur, fertile ...

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Social Science11 Aug 2015

NYU study examines top high school students' stress and coping mechanisms

Over time selective high schools have oriented themselves to address a context of increasingly competitive college admissions School work, college applications, extracurricular activities, and parental expectations all contribute to teenagers' stress Youth, schools, and experts identified substance use as a common strategy for coping with stress "School, homework, extracurricular activities, sleep, repeat--that's what it can be for some of these students," says Noelle Leonard, PhD, a senior research scientist at the New York University College of Nursing (NYUCN). ...

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Science11 Aug 2015

Research pours cold water on ice bath recovery theory

If the thought of a post workout ice bath is enough to make you shiver, new research from QUT and The University of Queensland (UQ) will warm your heart. The comprehensive study found cold water immersion after strength training hindered muscle adaptation - pouring cold water on the long-held theory that an ice bath helps speed up recovery. Dr Llion Roberts, from UQ's School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, and Dr Jonathan Peake, from QUT's School of Biomedical Sciences, led the research, with colleagues from the Queensland Academy of Sport, Norwegian School ...

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Medicine11 Aug 2015

Common class of 'channel blocking' drugs may find a role in cancer therapy

Drugs called ion channel blockers, which are commonly used to treat cardiac, neurological, and psychiatric disorders, might prove useful in cancer therapy, according to research findings in fruit flies and mice by UC San Francisco scientists that led to unconventional treatment of a case of metastatic brain cancer. Ion channels, proteins that form pores in cell membranes, play central roles in organs in which conduction of electrical signals is vital, such as the brain and heart, but they are found in cells throughout the body. Although about 20 percent of FDA-approved ...

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Medicine11 Aug 2015

Bringing the Tasmanian devil back to mainland Australia would restore ecosystem health

Sydney, Australia -- Reintroducing Tasmanian devils to the mainland could improve biodiversity by limiting the spread of red foxes and feral cats in habitats where dingoes have been culled, a new study suggests. Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) once lived across the Australian continent, but went extinct on the mainland about 3,000 years ago - likely as a consequence of being hunted by dingoes. Today, extensive dingo culls to protect livestock have shifted the ecological balance, paving the way for invasive predators to wreak havoc with native mammals, worsening ...

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Science11 Aug 2015

Statistical model helps police identify crime series; speeds apprehension of perpetrators

SEATTLE, WA, AUGUST 11, 2015 - A statistical model--now an easy-to-use software tool--local police can use to identify a series of related crimes and nab a suspect was unveiled today by Michael D. Porter during a presentation at the 2015 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM 2015) in Seattle. Porter presented a talk titled "A Statistical Approach to Crime Linkage during a session focused on improving analysis of defense systems using statistical methods. He collaborated on the project with Brian J. Reich, associate professor of statistics at North Carolina State University. Crime ...

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Science11 Aug 2015

Loss of altruism (and a body plan) without a loss of genes

An international team of researchers found that the evolutionary loss of the "altruistic" worker caste in ants is not accompanied by a loss of genes. Social insects, such as ants, are typically characterized by two distinct female castes: workers and queens. Previous research has found that workers and queens each express different sets of genes leading scientists to speculate that there are worker specific or "altruistic" genes that promote sociality. Testing this "novel gene" hypothesis is difficult given that all ants are social. However, not all ants make workers. ...

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Environment11 Aug 2015

Controlling feral animals & plants will save unique species & $billions

Controlling feral pigs is the most cost-effective strategy to help save 148 endangered plant and animal species in the Lake Eyre Basin, and is just one of the significant findings of a three-year study led by QUT applied ecologist Associate Professor Jennifer Firn. Professor Firn, from QUT's Institute for Future Environments, worked with Dr Josie Carwardine and CSIRO's Conservation Decisions team and a research team from the University of Queensland including Dr Ramona Maggini, to identify and prioritise 23 strategies to protect endemic species in the world's largest ...

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Medicine11 Aug 2015

Polyglutamine repeats play key role in functional development of cells

Until now only known for role in polyglutamine diseases, such as Huntington's. Scientists at VIB and KU Leuven have revealed that variable polyglutamine repeats in the DNA tune the function of the protein in which they reside. To date, these repeats were known only to cause severe neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's. These findings now show that polyglutamine repeats may be more than just harmful elements. The study was published in the leading molecular biology journal Molecular Cell and opens the door to further studies exploring new therapies for human ...

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Science11 Aug 2015

Mass extinction survival is more than just a numbers game

Widespread species are at just as high risk of being wiped out as rare ones after global mass extinction events, says new research by UK scientists. There have been five mass extinction events in the Earth's history, including climate change caused by volcanoes and an asteroid hit that wiped out the dinosaurs. In general, geographically widespread animals are less likely to become extinct than animals with smaller geographic ranges, offering insurance against regional environmental catastrophes. However, a study published in Nature Communications has found this insurance ...

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Medicine11 Aug 2015

New breath test shows possible biomarker for early-stage liver disease diagnosis

A natural compound called limonene, which is found in oranges and lemons, could be indicative in early-stage diagnosis of liver disease, according to research published in the journal EBioMedicine by researchers in the Molecular Physics Group at the University of Birmingham. Limonene occurs in the greatest abundance in citrus fruits, but it is also found in a large variety of other fruit and vegetables. It can be ingested or inhaled as it is a common additive in commercial food and drinks, is used to give the fruit flavour to some sweets and is used in cosmetics, ...

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Science11 Aug 2015

Prevention methods for dog bites too simplistic, researchers find

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have shown that educating pet owners about canine body language may not be the answer to preventing dog bites as originally thought. Experts have argued that dog bites are preventable if owners are properly educated on how to read canine behaviour and identify high risk situations. Until now, however, the effectiveness of this theory has not been evaluated in any great depth. At a time when data suggests dog bite incidents are increasing, the team at Liverpool interviewed victims of dog attacks to gain further understanding ...

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Environment11 Aug 2015

Researchers explain why the Greenwich prime meridian moved

In 1884, a delegation of international representatives convened in Washington, D.C. to recommend that Earth's prime meridian (the north-south line marking zero degrees longitude) should pass through the Airy Transit Circle at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England. (A transit circle is an instrument for measuring star positions, and could be used for determining local time; this one was named for its designer, British Astronomer Royal George Airy.) But modern navigators, mapmakers, surveyors and London tourists now find that zero longitude runs 334 feet east of ...

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Medicine11 Aug 2015

The brain is not as cramped as we thought

Using an innovative method, EPFL scientists show that the brain is not as compact as we have thought all along. To study the fine structure of the brain, including its connections between neurons, the synapses, scientists must use electron microscopes. However, the tissue must first be fixed to prepare it for this high magnification imaging method. This process causes the brain to shrink; as a result, microscope images can be distorted, e.g. showing neurons to be much closer than they actually are. EPFL scientists have now solved the problem by using a technique that ...

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Medicine11 Aug 2015

More precise colon cancer screening?

1. Clinical scoring system suggests possibility of more precise colon cancer screening Free abstract: http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/M14-1720 Editorial: http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/M15-1677 URLs go live when embargo lifts A clinical scoring system for colon cancer risk could help physicians identify which average-risk patients could potentially skip a colonoscopy and instead be screened with a less-invasive method. The researchers suggest that this approach could increase the uptake and efficiency of colorectal cancer (CRC) ...

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Medicine11 Aug 2015

Study finds steroid therapy benefits patients with pneumonia

Hamilton, ON (Aug. 10, 2015) -McMaster University research, published online today by the Annals of Internal Medicine, has demonstrated the benefits of corticosteroid therapy for one of the most common serious medical conditions. "Our study should lead to an important change in treatment for pneumonia," said lead author, Dr. Reed Siemieniuk, a physician and a graduate student at McMaster University. "Corticosteroids are inexpensive and readily available around the world. Millions of patients will benefit from this new evidence." Lower respiratory infections are the ...

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Medicine10 Aug 2015

Southern diet could raise your risk of heart attack

DALLAS, Aug. 10, 2015 -- If your dinner plate often includes fried chicken, gravy-smothered liver, buttered rolls and sweet tea -- your heart may not find it so tasty. Eating a Southern-style diet is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, according to research published in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal. In a large-scale study that explored the relationship between dietary patterns and heart disease risk, researchers found that people who regularly ate traditional Southern fare -- which they characterized as fried foods, fatty foods, eggs, ...

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Medicine10 Aug 2015

Depressed teens at risk of heart disease, early monitoring urged

DALLAS, Aug. 10, 2015 -- For the first time, experts urge early monitoring for heart and blood vessel disease among teens with major depression or bipolar disorder, according to an American Heart Association scientific statement. "Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder Predispose Youth to Accelerated Atherosclerosis and Early Cardiovascular Disease" is published in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association. This statement makes recommendations to consider these mood disorders as independent, moderate risk factors for cardiovascular diseases ...

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Space10 Aug 2015

Scientists measure slow death of the Universe

An international team of astronomers studying 200,000 galaxies has measured the energy generated within a large portion of space more precisely than ever before, discovering that it's only half what it was 2 billion years ago and fading - the Universe is slowly dying. Researchers from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) in Western Australia used seven of the world's most powerful telescopes to observe galaxies at 21 different wavelengths from the far ultraviolet to the far infrared. Initial observations were conducted using the Anglo-Australian ...

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Space10 Aug 2015

Charting the slow death of the Universe

An international team of astronomers studying more than 200 000 galaxies has measured the energy generated within a large portion of space more precisely than ever before. This represents the most comprehensive assessment of the energy output of the nearby Universe. They confirm that the energy produced in a section of the Universe today is only about half what it was two billion years ago and find that this fading is occurring across all wavelengths from the ultraviolet to the far infrared. The Universe is slowly dying. The study involves many of the world's most powerful ...

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Medicine10 Aug 2015

Scientists identify a mechanism of epidemic bacterial disease

Through identification of increased toxin production by epidemic forms of group A streptococcus (the "flesh-eating" bacterium), for the first time scientists are able to pinpoint the molecular events that contribute to large intercontinental epidemics of disease. The study was based on sequencing almost 5,000 group A streptococcus genomes collected over decades. Researchers from Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, institutions in Finland and Iceland, and the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases report their discoveries ...

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Medicine10 Aug 2015

Survey reveals best practices that lead to high patient ratings of hospital care

Fast Facts: Study reveals simple things hospitals can do to improve a patient's experience, including ongoing rounds by nurses and hospital leadership. Study findings outline the following core practices that high-ranking hospitals employ: a devotion to consistency, personal and focused interactions with patients, and a culture that demands involvement of all levels of caregivers and services. Based on responses to questionnaires and letters sent to CEOs and medical personnel from a nationwide sample of 53 hospitals, Johns Hopkins investigators have identified ...

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Environment10 Aug 2015

Non-native marine species' spread, impact explained by time since introduction

Athens, Ga. - The time since the introduction of a non-native marine species best explains its global range, according to new research by an international team of scientists led by University of Georgia ecologist James E. Byers. The study, published in the open access journal Nature Scientific Reports, also contains a warning: The vast majority of marine invaders have not yet finished spreading. Invasion by non-native species is a worldwide problem that causes billions of dollars of damage annually--more than $120 billion in the U.S. alone, according to a 2005 study ...

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