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Science News Archive June 2013 - Page 17


Page 17 of 30

Researchers identify a new mechanism of TB drug resistance

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have identified a new mechanism of PZA drug resistance, which could lead to the development of new antibiotic therapies. The study found that mutations in the panD gene may also be involved in PZA resistance, providing new insight into how this mysterious drug works.

SourceJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health·JournalEmerging Microbes & Infections·DateJun 12, 2013

Data highways for quantum information

Researchers at Vienna University of Technology have demonstrated experimentally that ultra-thin glass fibers can store quantum information long enough to be used for entangling atoms hundreds of kilometers apart. This is a fundamental building block for a global fiber-based quantum communication network.

SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateJun 12, 2013

Fraternal singing in zebra finches

Young zebra finches can learn their fathers' songs via their brothers, and this learning process is similar to human speech acquisition. The study found that juvenile siblings with no father exposure learned the same song as those exposed to a brother's song for a short period.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalBiology Letters·DateJun 12, 2013

More A&E visits where access to GPs is worse

Researchers at Imperial College London found that patients with timely access to GP appointments made fewer A&E visits. The study analyzed data from a national survey of patients' experiences of GP practices in 2010-11, revealing a 10.2% lower rate of A&E visits for the best-accessed practices compared to those with the worst access.

SourceImperial College London·JournalPLOS ONE·DateJun 12, 2013

Preparing for the next megathrust

A new study analyzes geologic records to predict megathrust earthquakes along Canada's west coast. The research identified 22 earthquake shaking events over the past 11,000 years, with a recurrence interval of about 500 years. This study helps Canadian coastal communities improve hazard assessments and emergency preparedness plans.

SourceCanadian Science Publishing·JournalCanadian Journal of Earth Sciences·DateJun 12, 2013

Cultural products have evolutionary roots

According to Concordia University professor Gad Saad, the drive to consume is rooted in a shared biological heritage. He found that four key Darwinian factors - survival, reproduction, kin selection, and reciprocal altruism - shape narratives in consumer products like movies and song lyrics.

SourceConcordia University·JournalJournal of Consumer Psychology·DateJun 12, 2013

Obstructive sleep apnea raises risk of sudden cardiac death, Mayo Clinic finds

A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that obstructive sleep apnea is associated with a significantly higher risk of sudden cardiac death. The study, which followed over 10,700 participants for an average of 5.3 years, revealed that people with sleep apnea were almost twice as likely to exp...

SourceMayo Clinic·JournalJournal of the American College of Cardiology·DateJun 12, 2013

Alzheimer's brain change measured in humans

Researchers found that people with inherited Alzheimer's disease produce 20% more of a specific form of amyloid beta, known as amyloid beta 42. Additionally, the protein drops out of cerebrospinal fluid more quickly in mutation carriers, suggesting a link to brain amyloid plaques.

SourceWashU Medicine·JournalScience Translational Medicine·DateJun 12, 2013

Water is no lubricant

Researchers used the Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer to examine the role of water in single olivine crystals at the near-atomic scale. The study found that water has a much lower effect on the mechanical weakening of olivine, challenging earlier concepts about its lubricating properties.

SourceHelmholtz Association·JournalNature·DateJun 12, 2013

Filmmaking magic with polymers

A team of researchers led by Gupreet Singh has devised a method to assemble self-assembled copolymer block films with nanostructures, enabling multiple functions and flexibility on a macroscale level. The films can be embedded with nanoparticles for various applications, including data storage and water purification.

SourceUniversity of Akron·JournalACS Nano·DateJun 12, 2013

Life underground

Researchers at University of Delaware and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution found evidence of active bacteria, fungi and other microscopic organisms at depths deeper than a skyscraper is high. The microbes are reproducing, digesting food and moving around despite extreme conditions.

SourceUniversity of Delaware·JournalNature·DateJun 12, 2013