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Science5 Aug 2014

Diamond defect interior design

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 5, 2014 – By carefully controlling the position of an atomic-scale diamond defect within a volume smaller than what some viruses would fill, researchers have cleared a path toward better quantum computers and nanoscale sensors. They describe their technique in a paper published in the journal Applied Physics Letters, from AIP Publishing. David Awschalom, a physicist at the Institute for Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, and his colleagues study a technologically useful diamond defect called a nitrogen vacancy (NV) center. NV ...

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Environment5 Aug 2014

University of Minnesota researcher finds cooling effect in warming Arctic lakes

Scientists have known for a while that warming global temperatures are causing Arctic lakes to release methane, a potent greenhouse gas that leads to even more warming. In a new study published in the journal Nature, a team of researchers including U of M researcher Jacques Finlay, found that Siberian lakes have actually pulled more greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere than they have released into it since the last Ice Age, causing an overall slight cooling effect. Permafrost, especially that in the Siberian Arctic, contains significant amounts of all organic carbon ...

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Medicine5 Aug 2014

UH Case Medical Center study validates new approach to high blood pressure

CLEVELAND – It truly could be mind over matter after all. University Hospitals Case Medical Center's Richard Josephson, MD, recently released trial results in a study published in Psychosomatic Medicine that discusses mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for hypertension. Nearly 60 million adults in the United States have high blood pressure in the pre-hypertensive range. Current treatment guidelines recommend lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise and overall weight loss. According to the new study, these changes can be dramatically augmented by MBSR as the ...

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Environment5 Aug 2014

The interaction of climate change, fire, and forests in the US

A special section of the September issue of Forest Ecology and Management, available online now, assesses the interactions among fire, climate change, and forests for five major regions of the United States. The editors of the section—Drs. Chelcy Miniat from the U.S. Forest Service, Monique Rocca from Colorado State University, and Robert Mitchell (now deceased) from the Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center—started the project by organizing teams of scientists from the Forest Service and universities to provide scientific input into the third National Climate ...

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Space5 Aug 2014

NASA satellite sees a somewhat lopsided Typhoon Halong

Infrared satellite imagery from NASA shows bands of powerful thunderstorms around Typhoon Halong's center, southern and eastern quadrants, while the northern quadrant is lacking in them. Typhoon Halong appears somewhat lopsided on satellite imagery because thunderstorm development in the northern side of the storm is being inhibited. When NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Typhoon Halong on Aug. 4 at 12:47 a.m. EDT, the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument aboard provided infrared data on the cloud top temperatures of Typhoon Halong. AIRS data showed powerful ...

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Science5 Aug 2014

Butterflies could hold key to probes that repair genes

CLEMSON, S.C. — New discoveries about how butterflies feed could help engineers develop tiny probes that siphon liquid out of single cells for a wide range of medical tests and treatments, according to Clemson University researchers. The National Science Foundation recently awarded the project $696,514. It was the foundation's third grant to the project, bringing the total since 2009 to more than $3 million. butterflyThe research has brought together Clemson's materials scientists and biologists who have been focusing on the proboscis, the mouthpart that many insects ...

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Medicine5 Aug 2014

PET/CT using FDG-labeled leucocytes may detect infection in acute pancreatitis patients

Reston, Va. (August 5, 2014) – A new study diagnosing infection in patients with pancreatic fluid collections may swiftly and accurately rule out active infection in the body. As reported in the August issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, this treatment may assist in bringing nuclear medicine to the forefront of clinical management. Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas. It can have severe complications and high mortality despite treatment. While mild cases of AP are often successfully treated with conservative measures, such as nil per ...

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Medicine5 Aug 2014

Kaiser Permanente study finds shingles vaccine remains effective after chemotherapy

PASADENA, Calif., August 5, 2014 — The herpes zoster vaccine continues to be effective in protecting older adults against shingles, even after they undergo chemotherapy, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published today in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. Researchers examined the electronic health records of more than 21,000 Kaiser Permanente patients in Southern California who were 60 years of age and older and received chemotherapy between January 2007 and December 2012. Researchers found that those patients who were previously vaccinated with zoster ...

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Physics5 Aug 2014

Electronic cigarettes: many questions, limited research

August 5, 2014 – Electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) are booming in popularity—but there's still only limited evidence on their potential health risks, or their advertised benefits in helping people to quit smoking, according to a research review in the July/August Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health. Based on their review, Alison B. Breland, PhD, of Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, and colleagues, write, "[V]ery ...

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Medicine5 Aug 2014

Genetic testing of tumor is recommended for colorectal cancer patients

Bethesda, MD (Aug. 5, 2014) — Of the 143,000 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer annually in the U.S., up to 25 percent have a familial risk of colorectal cancer. A new guideline from the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer recommends genetic testing of tumors for all newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients. The task force makes specific surveillance and management recommendations for those affected by a genetic condition called Lynch syndrome, the most common cause of inherited colorectal cancer, accounting for approximately 3 percent, or more than ...

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Environment5 Aug 2014

NASA sees heavy rain in Hurricane Iselle as it heads toward Hawaii

NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite known as TRMM flew directly over the eye of powerful Hurricane Iselle and found extremely heavy rainfall rates occurring there. On August 4, 2014 at 1037 UTC (6:37 a.m. EDT) when TRMM passed over the storm, Iselle had winds of about 120 knots (about 138 mph) at that time making it a dangerous category four hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. Rainfall from TRMM's Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) instruments was overlaid on an enhanced infrared image from NOAA's GOES-West satellite ...

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Medicine5 Aug 2014

A new 'whey' to control diabetes

Blood sugar surges — after-meal glucose "spikes" — can be life threatening for the 29 million Americans with diabetes. Diabetic blood sugar spikes have been linked to cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, kidney failure, and retinal damage. Now a new Tel Aviv University study, published in Diabetologia, suggests a novel way to suppress these deadly post-meal glucose surges: the consumption of whey protein concentrate, found in the watery portion of milk separated from cheese curds, before breakfast. According to TAU's Prof. Daniela Jakubowicz and Dr. Julio ...

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Science5 Aug 2014

Pump up the music -- especially the bass -- to make you feel powerful

August 5, 2014 - It's the day of the big game – before heading out to the field, you put on your headphones and blast some music to pump you up. The music seemingly empowers you to do great things. This effect is not all in your head – according to new research, music truly does make us feel powerful. But not all songs have the same effect, researchers found, and the levels of bass are a key factor in their effectiveness. "When watching major sports events, my coauthors and I frequently noticed athletes with their earphones on while entering the stadium and in the locker ...

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Medicine5 Aug 2014

Cancer fighter can help battle pneumonia

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The tip of an immune molecule known for its skill at fighting cancer may also help patients survive pneumonia, scientists report. A synthesized version of the tip of tumor necrosis factor appears to work like a doorstop to keep sodium channels open inside the air sacs of the lungs so excess fluid can be cleared, according to a study published in the American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine. This TIP peptide is attracted to the sugar coating at the mouth of the sodium channel. Once the two connect, they move inside the small but essential ...

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Space5 Aug 2014

Planet-like object may have spent its youth as hot as a star

Washington, D.C.—Astronomers have discovered an extremely cool object that could have a particularly diverse history—although it is now as cool as a planet, it may have spent much of its youth as hot as a star. The current temperature of the object is 200 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (100 to 150 degrees Celsius), which is intermediate between that of the Earth and of Venus. However, the object shows evidence of a possible ancient origin, implying that a large change in temperature has taken place. In the past this object would have been as hot as a star for many millions ...

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Technology5 Aug 2014

What drives cybersex addiction among female internet pornography users?

New Rochelle, NY, August 5, 2014 -- Women who visit Internet pornography sites are at risk of developing cybersex addiction. A comparison of the tendency toward cybersex addiction among heterosexual women who do or do not use Internet pornography and factors predictive of developing cybersex addiction are described in a study published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking website. In "Cybersex Addiction ...

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Science5 Aug 2014

Marital tension between mom and dad can harm each parent's bond with child, study finds

Children suffer consequences, too, when mom and dad argue or have tension in their relationship, experts warn. Dads, in particular, let the negative emotions and tension from their marriage spill over and harm the bond they have with their child, says a new study's lead author, psychologist Chrystyna D. Kouros, Southern Methodist University, Dallas. The findings drive home the conclusion that the quality of a marriage is closely tied to each parent's bond with their child, Kouros said. The findings are based on data provided by 203 families, where family members completed ...

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Environment5 Aug 2014

NASA's Aqua satellite puts two eyes on Hurricane Bertha

Two instruments or "eyes" from NASA's Aqua satellite were peering at Hurricane Bertha in the North Atlantic Ocean shortly after it became the season's second hurricane. Bertha's hurricane status didn't last long as it weakened to a tropical storm today, August 5. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument aboard Aqua provides infrared data, while the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument provides visible data. Together, these instruments give scientists and forecasters a good look inside and outside of the storm to help determine what's ...

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Science5 Aug 2014

Training schemes help jobless men feel better about themselves

Do the UK government's welfare-to-work training schemes improve the happiness and well-being of its unemployed citizens? Yes, and especially that of jobless men, says Daniel Sage of the University of Stirling in the UK in an article in Springer's Journal of Happiness Studies. His detailed analysis of data from the UK's Annual Population Survey shows that such active labor market programs that mimic the routines of the workplace work best. Being unemployed can have a long-term scarring effect on a person's subjective sense of well-being and levels of life worth, happiness, ...

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Science5 Aug 2014

Does your training routine really need to be that complicated?

This news release is available in French. Ottawa, ON -- A new study just published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism investigated the value of the Pre-Exhaustion (PreEx) training method and found that that the various arrangements of different exercise protocols is of less relevance than simply performing resistance training exercises with a high intensity of effort within any protocol. As resistance training is becoming a major intervention for health and disease prevention, improved understanding in this area is increasingly important. PreEx ...

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Medicine5 Aug 2014

Surprise discovery could see graphene used to improve health

A chance discovery about the 'wonder material' graphene – already exciting scientists because of its potential uses in electronics, energy storage and energy generation – takes it a step closer to being used in medicine and human health. Researchers from Monash University have discovered that graphene oxide sheets can change structure to become liquid crystal droplets spontaneously and without any specialist equipment. With graphene droplets now easy to produce, researchers say this opens up possibilities for its use in drug delivery and disease detection. The findings, ...

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Science5 Aug 2014

Warning to parents on high acidity drinks

Dental researchers at the University of Adelaide are warning parents of the dangers of soft drinks, fruit juice, sports drinks and other drinks high in acidity, which form part of a "triple-threat" of permanent damage to young people's teeth. For the first time, researchers have been able to demonstrate that lifelong damage is caused by acidity to the teeth within the first 30 seconds of acid attack. The researchers say drinks high in acidity combined with night-time tooth grinding and reflux can cause major, irreversible damage to young people's teeth. "Dental erosion ...

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Science5 Aug 2014

Pheromones regulate aggression of non-mother female mice toward pups in wild-derived mice

Laboratory mice are one of the most common animal models used in biological and medical research. Thousands of laboratory mouse strains are produced by artificial selection – the process by which humans breed animals over dozens of generations for particular traits. This has led to the domestication of mice: strengthening specific qualities that make them well-adapted for research under laboratory conditions, such as rapid reproduction, while eliminating characteristics that are not conducive to research, for example, aggression, the desire and ability to escape from danger, ...

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Medicine5 Aug 2014

Eating more dietary pulses can increase fullness, may help manage weight

TORONTO, Aug. 5, 2014 – Eating about one serving a day of beans, peas, chickpeas or lentils can increase fullness, which may lead to better weight management and weight loss, a new study has found. A systematic review and meta-analysis of all available clinical trials found that people felt 31 per cent fuller after eating on average 160 grams of dietary pulses compared with a control diet, according to senior author Dr. John Sievenpiper of St. Michael's Hospital's Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre. His group's findings were published in the August ...

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Social Science5 Aug 2014

Social networking is key to helping bugs spread, study shows

Fresh discoveries about how bacteria co-operate with each other when causing infection could help scientists identify animal diseases that might transmit to people. Bugs that can co-operate best with each other are most likely to be able to jump to new species, including humans, a new study shows. Bacteria interact by releasing molecules to help them adapt to their environment – for example, when killing competing infections in their victim. They co-ordinate these actions by releasing tiny amounts of chemicals as signals. Bacteria that can co-operate to create an ...

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