ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Printing innovations provide 10-fold improvement in organic electronics
• A step closer to artificial livers: Researchers identify compounds that help liver cells grow outside body
• Effects of interannual climate variability on tropical tree cover: Satellite data reveal how tropical ecosystems may respond to climate extremes
• New method of mass-producing high-quality DNA molecules
• New technology makes breast cancer surgery more precise
• Exposure to general anaesthesia could increase the risk of dementia in elderly by 35 percent
• Acidifying oceans could spell trouble for squid
• Targeted therapy boosts lung cancer outcomes
• Specific changes in brain structure after different forms of child abuse
• North Atlantic hurricane forecast predicts above-average season
• Procedures saving limbs of more peripheral arterial disease patients
• New therapy shown to improve progression-free survival and shrink tumors in rare cancer for the first time
• Mathematical models to better combat HIV
• Microbial changes regulate function of entire ecosystems
• Investigators link poultry contamination on farm and at processing plant
• Oncogene mutation hijacks splicing process to promote growth and survival
• Difference in arterial health seen in highly active college-age people compared to inactive peers
• Mother's level of education has impact on depression in her children
• Sleep deprived men over perceive women's sexual interest and intent
• Puffin count on Isle of May NNR in Scotland gives surprising result
• Urinary tract infections:Getting better without antibiotics
• Smoking leads to five-fold increase in heart disease and stroke in under-50s
• The greatest place to be a Martian: Australia?
• How disease mutations affect the Parkin protein
• Building 3-D fractals on a nano scale
• International negotiations: Playing games with the climate
• Artificial magnetic monopoles discovered
• Dairy's carbon footprint: Flatulence tops the list
• Mapping sea salt from orbit: Building better ocean and climate models
• No benefit of double dose antiviral drug for severe influenza, study suggests

Printing innovations provide 10-fold improvement in organic electronics Posted: 02 Jun 2013 11:46 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new, printing process for organic thin-film electronics that results in films of strikingly higher quality.

A step closer to artificial livers: Researchers identify compounds that help liver cells grow outside body Posted: 02 Jun 2013 11:46 AM PDT The liver can indeed regenerate itself if part of it is removed. However, researchers trying to exploit that ability in hopes of producing artificial liver tissue for transplantation have repeatedly been stymied: Mature liver cells, known as hepatocytes, quickly lose their normal function when removed from the body. Now, researchers have identified a dozen chemical compounds that can help liver cells not only maintain their normal function while grown in a lab dish, but also multiply to produce new tissue.

Effects of interannual climate variability on tropical tree cover: Satellite data reveal how tropical ecosystems may respond to climate extremes Posted: 02 Jun 2013 11:44 AM PDT Tree cover in the tropics will likely change in surprising ways as climate change increases the frequency of extreme rainfall events, according to a new study.

New method of mass-producing high-quality DNA molecules Posted: 02 Jun 2013 11:44 AM PDT A new method of manufacturing short, single-stranded DNA molecules can solve many of the problems associated with current production methods. The new method can be of value to both DNA nanotechnology and the development of drugs consisting of DNA fragments.

New technology makes breast cancer surgery more precise Posted: 01 Jun 2013 10:39 AM PDT Any breast cancer surgeon who regularly performs lumpectomies confronts the question "Did I get it all?" 30 to 60 percent of the time in the US, the answer is "no," requiring the patient to undergo a second surgery to remove the remaining tumor.

Exposure to general anaesthesia could increase the risk of dementia in elderly by 35 percent Posted: 01 Jun 2013 10:39 AM PDT Exposure to general anaesthesia increases the risk of dementia in the elderly by 35 percent, says new research.

Acidifying oceans could spell trouble for squid Posted: 01 Jun 2013 10:39 AM PDT Acidifying oceans could dramatically impact the world's squid species, according to a new study. Because squid are both ecologically and commercially important, that impact may have far-reaching effects on the ocean environment and coastal economies, the researchers report.

Targeted therapy boosts lung cancer outcomes Posted: 01 Jun 2013 10:38 AM PDT Non-small cell lung cancer patients whose tumor cells had an abnormal ALK gene fared better if treated with crizotinib, a targeted therapy, than with traditional chemotherapy. Median progression-free survival was 7.7 months in the crizotinib group and three months in the chemotherapy group. Patients treated with crizotinib also reported a better quality of life than those treated with standard chemotherapy.

Specific changes in brain structure after different forms of child abuse Posted: 01 Jun 2013 10:37 AM PDT Different forms of childhood abuse increase the risk for mental illness as well as sexual dysfunction in adulthood, but little has been known about how that happens. Scientists have now discovered a neural basis for this association. The study shows that sexually abused and emotionally mistreated children exhibit specific and differential changes in the architecture of their brain that reflect the nature of the mistreatment.

North Atlantic hurricane forecast predicts above-average season Posted: 01 Jun 2013 10:36 AM PDT Scientists have developed a unique computer model with a knack for predicting hurricanes with unprecedented accuracy and are forecasting a season of above-average activity for 2013.

Procedures saving limbs of more peripheral arterial disease patients Posted: 01 Jun 2013 10:36 AM PDT Peripheral arterial disease is a common circulation problem in which reduced blood flow can lead to complications that jeopardize the limbs, possibly even requiring amputation. Procedures known as revascularization have reduced the need for amputations 40 percent over two decades.

New therapy shown to improve progression-free survival and shrink tumors in rare cancer for the first time Posted: 01 Jun 2013 10:36 AM PDT The experimental drug selumetinib is the first targeted therapy to demonstrate significant clinical benefit for patients with metastatic uveal melanoma, according to new research.

Mathematical models to better combat HIV Posted: 31 May 2013 12:13 PM PDT Theoretical models of HIV dynamics immediately following exposure to the virus are providing a method to study infection and treatment at these early stages, as well as assist researchers in coming up with preemptive strategies for prevention.

Microbial changes regulate function of entire ecosystems Posted: 31 May 2013 12:13 PM PDT A major question in ecology has centered on the role of microbes in regulating ecosystem function. Now scientists show how changes in the populations of methanotrophic bacteria can have consequences for methane mitigation at ecosystem levels.

Investigators link poultry contamination on farm and at processing plant Posted: 31 May 2013 12:13 PM PDT Researchers have identified a strong link between the prevalence and load of certain food-borne pathogens on poultry farms, and later downstream at the processing plant.

Oncogene mutation hijacks splicing process to promote growth and survival Posted: 31 May 2013 12:12 PM PDT Scientists have found that a singular gene mutation helps brain cancer cells to not just survive, but grow tumors rapidly by altering the splicing of genes that control cellular metabolism.

Difference in arterial health seen in highly active college-age people compared to inactive peers Posted: 31 May 2013 10:27 AM PDT Researchers found that people in their 20s already began to demonstrate arterial stiffening -- when arteries become less compliant as blood pumps through the body -- but their highly active peers did not. A reduction in compliance of the body's arteries is considered a risk factor, predictive of future cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure and stroke. This new study is the first to examine arterial stiffening in a young, healthy population.

Mother's level of education has impact on depression in her children Posted: 31 May 2013 08:46 AM PDT Children of women who did not finish high school were twice as likely to experience a major episode of depression in early adulthood as children whose mothers obtained a high school diploma.

Sleep deprived men over perceive women's sexual interest and intent Posted: 31 May 2013 07:55 AM PDT A new study suggests that one night of sleep deprivation leads to an increase in men's perceptions of both women's interest in and intent to have sex.

Puffin count on Isle of May NNR in Scotland gives surprising result Posted: 31 May 2013 07:53 AM PDT Atlantic Puffin numbers on the Isle of May National Nature Reserve (NNR) off Scotland's east coast are at similar levels to 2009 despite this spring's severe weather. Severe weather resulted in the deaths of thousands of seabirds along the coasts of eastern Scotland and north-east England. Examination of the bodies of some of the 3500 dead puffins and ringing recoveries suggested that many of the birds involved were breeding adults from local colonies.

Urinary tract infections:Getting better without antibiotics Posted: 31 May 2013 07:53 AM PDT Given the option, many women with symptoms of urinary tract infections are choosing to avoid antibiotics and give their bodies a chance to heal naturally, finds new research. The research shows that 70% of women with symptoms of uncomplicated urinary tract infections who did not use antibiotics for a week were cured or showed improvement.

Smoking leads to five-fold increase in heart disease and stroke in under-50s Posted: 31 May 2013 07:53 AM PDT Smoking increases the risk of heart disease and stroke by five-fold in people under the age of 50 and doubles risk in the over-60s. The protection of children and adolescents from taking up smoking is essential to future health.

The greatest place to be a Martian: Australia? Posted: 31 May 2013 07:52 AM PDT Would Martians feel at home in Australia? Recent research has proven that if Martians took a holiday to Australia they might feel more at home than you'd think. Researchers have recently exposed a unique set of attributes suggesting that the Australian red center could be a close analogue for the surface of the red planet – and how this unusual weathering has led to the formation of Australia's opals.

How disease mutations affect the Parkin protein Posted: 31 May 2013 07:52 AM PDT Researchers have determined the crystal structure of Parkin, a protein found in cells that when mutated can lead to a hereditary form of Parkinson's disease. The results define the position of many of the mutations linked to hereditary Parkinson's disease and explain how these alterations may affect the stability and function of the protein. The findings may in time reveal how the activity of Parkin is affected in patients with this rare but debilitating type of Parkinson's disease.

Building 3-D fractals on a nano scale Posted: 31 May 2013 07:39 AM PDT It starts with one 3-D structure with eight planes, an octahedron. This repeats itself to smaller octahedra: 625 after just four steps. At every corner of a new octahedron, a successive octahedron is formed. A truly fascinating 3D fractal 'building' is formed on the micro and nano scale.

International negotiations: Playing games with the climate Posted: 31 May 2013 07:39 AM PDT Researchers have applied game theory to the problem of climate change to help analyze the relationships between international players on the world stage, occurrence and effects, attitude towards carbon emissions, the power struggles taking place and the negotiations that are under way between nations, energy companies and the public.

Artificial magnetic monopoles discovered Posted: 31 May 2013 07:39 AM PDT Scientists have managed to create artificial magnetic monopoles. To do this, they merged tiny magnetic whirls, so-called skyrmions. At the point of merging, the physicists were able to create a monopole, which has similar characteristics to a fundamental particle postulated by Paul Dirac in 1931. In addition to fundamental research, the monopoles may also have application potential.

Dairy's carbon footprint: Flatulence tops the list Posted: 31 May 2013 07:17 AM PDT Researchers have conducted a life-cycle analysis of fluid milk that will provide guidance for producers, processors and others throughout the dairy supply chain. The largest contributors were feed production, enteric methane -- gas emitted by the animal itself -- and manure management.

Mapping sea salt from orbit: Building better ocean and climate models Posted: 31 May 2013 07:17 AM PDT Climate is greatly influenced by the flow of heat energy carried by ocean currents. But precisely quantifying the mixing between the ocean and the atmosphere is hampered by a lack of detail in models of the ocean and of the water cycle. And in both models, knowing the salt content of the water is essential.

No benefit of double dose antiviral drug for severe influenza, study suggests Posted: 30 May 2013 04:24 PM PDT There are no virological or clinical benefits of giving double doses of the antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu) to patients admitted to hospital with severe influenza, finds a large study from South East Asia.

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