ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Child born with HIV still in remission after 18 months off treatment
• Study focused on transitioning cystic fibrosis care
• Child neurologist finds potential route to better treatments for Fragile X, autism
• Team uses forest waste to develop cheaper, greener supercapacitors
• Coral itself may play important role in regulating local climate: Coral chemicals protect against warming oceans
• Lower blood sugars may be good for the brain
• The math says Red Sox have a big edge in the World Series
• Early-life exposure of frogs to herbicide increases mortality from fungal disease
• Ignorance is sometimes bliss
• Vacuums provide solid ground for new definition of kilogram
• Birthing a new breed of materials
• Detailed look at a DNA repair protein in action
• Uncovering the tricks of nature's ice-seeding bacteria
• TopoChip reveals the Braille code of cells
• Induced pluripotent stem cells reveal differences between humans and great apes
• Futuristic copper foam batteries get more bang for the buck
• Plants use sugars to tell the time of day
• Chemists use MRI to peek at temperatures of gases inside catalytic reactors
• Astronomers discover the most distant known galaxy: Galaxy seen as it was just 700 million years after Big Bang
• H5N1 bird flu genes show nature can pick worrisome traits
• A simple test may catch early pancreatic cancer
• Older siblings' cells can be passed from female dogs to their puppies in the womb
• The reins of Casimir: Engineered nanostructures could offer way to control quantum effect
• 'Getting the edge' on photon transport in silicon
• New research illustrates Mississippi River's role in the transport and fate of the oil following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident
• Force to be reckoned with: Laser power measured with portable scale
• Researchers discover potential new treatment for colitis
• First-ever information systems job index shows healthy market for college students majoring in information systems
• Development of novel robots funded to assist people with disabilities, aid doctors
• What Should You Know About E-cigarettes?
• A young Picasso or Beethoven could be the next Edison
• Vinyl flooring linked to potentially harmful substances at schools and daycare centers
• Testosterone therapy may reduce risk of cardiovascular disease
• Stealth nanoparticles lower drug-resistant tumors' defenses
• A step towards early Alzheimer's diagnosis
• Gilding the gum tree: Scientists strike gold in leaves
• Natural compound can be used for 3-D printing of medical implants
• Long-term memory helps chimpanzees in their search for food
• Changes in epigenetic DNA functions links diabetes predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease
• How did supermassive black holes grow so big?
• Advanced light source provides a new look at vanadium dioxide
• How are Open Access publishing and Massive Open Online Courses disrupting the academic community?
• Wood chips to biofuel in hours
• Multiple ssclerosis: Functional change in brain as cause of cognitive disorders
• New radar system inspired by dolphins to detect hidden surveillance and explosive devices
• Super song learners: Mechanism for improving song learning in juvenile zebra finches uncovered
• Mass producing pocket labs
• Novel autism candidate genes identified
• Intercepting asteroids to avoid Armageddon
• Putting together the pieces of the Parkinson's puzzle
• Insights into how TB tricks the immune system could help combat the disease
• People don't put a high value on climate protection
• A trace of memory, explored
• The molecular clock of the common buzzard: Influence of genes on dispersal behavior revealed
• A functional forest ecosystem is more than just trees
• New eye treatment effective in laboratory tests
• Researchers link DDT, obesity
• Delaying gratification, when the reward is under our noses
• Test may improve diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis in HIV-infected individuals

Child born with HIV still in remission after 18 months off treatment Posted: 23 Oct 2013 03:32 PM PDT A three-year-old Mississippi child born with HIV and treated with a combination of antiviral drugs unusually early continues to do well and remains free of active infection 18 months after all treatment ceased, according to an updated case report.

Study focused on transitioning cystic fibrosis care Posted: 23 Oct 2013 01:52 PM PDT A new study on cystic fibrosis care has found that patients had a less rapid decline in pulmonary function and no other significant health-related changes after transitioning from pediatric to adult care.

Child neurologist finds potential route to better treatments for Fragile X, autism Posted: 23 Oct 2013 01:52 PM PDT Researchers describe a major reason why current medications only moderately alleviate Fragile X symptoms. His team discovered that three specific drugs affect three different kinds of neurotransmitter receptors that all seem to play roles in Fragile X. As a result, current Fragile X drugs have limited benefit because most of them only affect one receptor.

Team uses forest waste to develop cheaper, greener supercapacitors Posted: 23 Oct 2013 01:52 PM PDT Researchers report that wood-biochar supercapacitors can produce as much power as today's activated-carbon supercapacitors at a fraction of the cost -- and with environmentally friendly byproducts.

Coral itself may play important role in regulating local climate: Coral chemicals protect against warming oceans Posted: 23 Oct 2013 01:52 PM PDT Australian marine scientists have found the first evidence that coral itself may play an important role in regulating local climate. They have discovered that the coral animal -- not just its algal symbiont -- makes an important sulfur-based molecule with properties to assist it in many ways, ranging from cellular protection in times of heat stress to local climate cooling by encouraging clouds to form.

Lower blood sugars may be good for the brain Posted: 23 Oct 2013 01:50 PM PDT Even for people who don't have diabetes or high blood sugar, those with higher blood sugar levels are more likely to have memory problems, according to a new study.

The math says Red Sox have a big edge in the World Series Posted: 23 Oct 2013 11:46 AM PDT Now that the World Series is about to begin, a math professor has announced the probability of each of the contenders winning the best 4 out of 7 game contest. "The Boston Red Sox have a nearly 70 percent chance of winning the series", he says. But he gives the caveat that the St. Louis Cardinals have defeated both the competition and his mathematical model in each of their previous series.

Early-life exposure of frogs to herbicide increases mortality from fungal disease Posted: 23 Oct 2013 11:46 AM PDT A new study shows the herbicide atrazine increased mortality from chytridiomycosis, a disease causing worldwide amphibian declines.

Ignorance is sometimes bliss Posted: 23 Oct 2013 11:11 AM PDT Evolutionary biologist W.D. Hamilton predicted that organisms ought to evolve the ability to discriminate degrees of kinship so as to refine their ability to direct help to individuals with whom they shared the most genes. But two biologists point out that there seem to be many cases where "a veil of ignorance" prevents organisms from gaining this kind of information, forcing them to consider a situation from the perspective of all members of their group.

Vacuums provide solid ground for new definition of kilogram Posted: 23 Oct 2013 11:11 AM PDT The weight of the kilogram may soon rest on the emptiness of a vacuum.

Birthing a new breed of materials Posted: 23 Oct 2013 11:11 AM PDT New research shows scientists' first steps into the unexplored territory of interfacial materials that could someday yield smaller, faster, more energy-efficient devices.

Detailed look at a DNA repair protein in action Posted: 23 Oct 2013 11:11 AM PDT Researchers have invented a new technique for studying the process by which certain errors in the genetic code are detected and repaired. The technique is based on a combination of hybrid nanomaterials and SAXS imaging at the ALS SIBYLS beamline.

Uncovering the tricks of nature's ice-seeding bacteria Posted: 23 Oct 2013 11:11 AM PDT New discoveries could impact applications ranging from artificial snowmaking to global climate models.

TopoChip reveals the Braille code of cells Posted: 23 Oct 2013 11:11 AM PDT A new tool is uncovering the fundamentals of how cells respond to surfaces and could potentially improve the effectiveness of biomedical implants.

Induced pluripotent stem cells reveal differences between humans and great apes Posted: 23 Oct 2013 11:10 AM PDT Researchers have, for the first time, taken chimpanzee and bonobo skin cells and turned them into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), a type of cell that has the ability to form any other cell or tissue in the body.

Futuristic copper foam batteries get more bang for the buck Posted: 23 Oct 2013 10:18 AM PDT Scientists report steps toward safer, cheaper, longer-lasting, and faster-charging solid-state battery.

Plants use sugars to tell the time of day Posted: 23 Oct 2013 10:18 AM PDT Scientists are studying how plants are able to set and maintain this internal clock. They have found that the sugars produced by plants are key to timekeeping.

Chemists use MRI to peek at temperatures of gases inside catalytic reactors Posted: 23 Oct 2013 10:18 AM PDT Chemists report a new "green chemistry" method that may have far-reaching applications. In a significant step toward improving the design of future catalysts and catalytic reactors, the chemists have developed a method to map the temperatures of reacting gases inside a catalytic reactor at the microscale.

Astronomers discover the most distant known galaxy: Galaxy seen as it was just 700 million years after Big Bang Posted: 23 Oct 2013 10:18 AM PDT Astronomers have discovered the most distant galaxy ever found. The galaxy is seen as it was just 700 million years after the Big Bang, when the universe was only about 5 percent of its current age of 13.8 billion years.

H5N1 bird flu genes show nature can pick worrisome traits Posted: 23 Oct 2013 10:17 AM PDT In the beginning, all flu viruses came from birds. Over time, the virus evolved to adapt to other animals, including humans, as natural selection favored viruses with mutations that allowed them to more readily infect the cells of new host species.

A simple test may catch early pancreatic cancer Posted: 23 Oct 2013 09:56 AM PDT Reporting on a small preliminary study, researchers say a simple blood test based on detection of tiny epigenetic alterations may reveal the earliest signs of pancreatic cancer, a disease that is nearly always fatal because it isn't usually discovered until it has spread to other parts of the body.

Older siblings' cells can be passed from female dogs to their puppies in the womb Posted: 23 Oct 2013 09:56 AM PDT Researchers have found that microchimerism, a condition where some people possess a small number of cells in their bodies that are not genetically their own, can be passed from a female dog to her offspring while they are still in the womb. Microchimerism most often occurs when a mother gives birth to a child. In some cases, cells from that child are left in the mothers' body and continue to live, despite being of a different genetic makeup than surrounding cells. Researchers have identified evidence that those cells can then be passed on to other children the mother may give birth to at a later time.

The reins of Casimir: Engineered nanostructures could offer way to control quantum effect Posted: 23 Oct 2013 09:56 AM PDT You might think that a pair of parallel plates hanging motionless in a vacuum just a fraction of a micrometer away from each other would be like strangers passing in the night -- so close but destined never to meet. Thanks to quantum mechanics, you would be wrong.

'Getting the edge' on photon transport in silicon Posted: 23 Oct 2013 09:56 AM PDT Scientists have a new way to edge around a difficult problem in quantum physics, now they have demonstrated how particles of light flow within a novel device.

New research illustrates Mississippi River's role in the transport and fate of the oil following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident Posted: 23 Oct 2013 09:56 AM PDT A new study has shown that the complex circulation from the Mississippi River plume played a substantial role in the transport and fate of the oil following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident. These findings provide new information on the transport of oil and other pollutants in the Gulf of Mexico.

Force to be reckoned with: Laser power measured with portable scale Posted: 23 Oct 2013 09:56 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated a novel method for measuring laser power by reflecting the light off a mirrored scale, which acts as a force detector.

Researchers discover potential new treatment for colitis Posted: 23 Oct 2013 09:56 AM PDT A drug currently on the market to treat leukemia reversed symptoms of colitis in lab tests.

First-ever information systems job index shows healthy market for college students majoring in information systems Posted: 23 Oct 2013 09:54 AM PDT Despite a 7.2 percent national unemployment rate, the job market is a healthy one for college students majoring in information systems, with nearly three quarters of students receiving at least one job offer, according to the U.S. nationwide IS Job Index.

Development of novel robots funded to assist people with disabilities, aid doctors Posted: 23 Oct 2013 09:54 AM PDT As part of the National Robotics Initiative, NIH has awarded funding for three projects to develop the next generation of robots that work cooperatively with people.

What Should You Know About E-cigarettes? Posted: 23 Oct 2013 09:54 AM PDT E-cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular and widely available as the use of regular cigarettes drops. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that e-cigarette use by children doubled from 2011 and 2012. The health effects of e-cigarettes have not been effectively studied and the ingredients have little or no regulation.

A young Picasso or Beethoven could be the next Edison Posted: 23 Oct 2013 08:27 AM PDT Good news for parents: Those pricey piano lessons or random toy parts littering your floors may one day lead to the next scientific breakthrough. That's according to new research linking childhood participation in arts and crafts activities to patents generated and businesses launched as adults.

Vinyl flooring linked to potentially harmful substances at schools and daycare centers Posted: 23 Oct 2013 08:26 AM PDT Large areas of vinyl flooring in daycares and schools appear to expose children to a group of compounds called phthalates, which have been linked to reproductive and developmental problems, scientists are reporting.

Testosterone therapy may reduce risk of cardiovascular disease Posted: 23 Oct 2013 08:26 AM PDT Research suggests that testosterone treatment in hypogonadal (testosterone deficient) men restores normal lipid profiles and may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Stealth nanoparticles lower drug-resistant tumors' defenses Posted: 23 Oct 2013 08:26 AM PDT Some of the most dangerous cancers are those that can outmaneuver the very drugs designed to defeat them, but researchers are now reporting a new Trojan-horse approach. In a preliminary study focusing on a type of breast cancer that is highly resistant to current therapies, they describe a way to sneak small particles into tumor cells, lower their defenses and attack them with drugs, potentially making the therapy much more effective.

A step towards early Alzheimer's diagnosis Posted: 23 Oct 2013 08:26 AM PDT If Alzheimer's disease is to be treated in the future, it requires an early diagnosis, which is not yet possible. Now researchers at higher education institutions have identified six proteins in spinal fluid that can be used as markers for the illness.

Gilding the gum tree: Scientists strike gold in leaves Posted: 23 Oct 2013 07:13 AM PDT Eucalyptus trees -- or gum trees as they are known -- are drawing up gold particles from the earth via their root system and depositing it their leaves and branches.

Natural compound can be used for 3-D printing of medical implants Posted: 23 Oct 2013 07:13 AM PDT Biomedical engineering researchers have discovered that a naturally-occurring compound can be incorporated into three-dimensional printing processes to create medical implants out of non-toxic polymers. The compound is riboflavin, which is better known as vitamin B2.

Long-term memory helps chimpanzees in their search for food Posted: 23 Oct 2013 07:10 AM PDT Searching for bountiful fruit crops in the rain forest, chimpanzees remember past feeding experiences.

Changes in epigenetic DNA functions links diabetes predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease Posted: 23 Oct 2013 07:09 AM PDT Diabetes and dementia are rising dramatically in the United States and worldwide. In the last few years, epidemiological data has accrued showing that older people with diabetes are significantly more likely to develop cognitive deterioration and increased susceptibility to onset of dementia related to Alzheimer's disease.

How did supermassive black holes grow so big? Posted: 23 Oct 2013 06:09 AM PDT Galaxies may look pretty and delicate, with their swirls of stars of many colors -- but don't be fooled. At the heart of every galaxy, including our own Milky Way, lies a supermassive black hole.

Advanced light source provides a new look at vanadium dioxide Posted: 23 Oct 2013 06:09 AM PDT Researchers have taken a new look at vanadium dioxide, a correlated material that could be used to make energy-efficient ultrafast electronic switches.

How are Open Access publishing and Massive Open Online Courses disrupting the academic community? Posted: 23 Oct 2013 06:09 AM PDT Supporters of open academic content have long touted its ability to widen the impact and productivity of scholarship while relieving cost pressures in academia. While the development of open-access (OA) publishing and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have been labeled a disruption to publishing and the academic community, a new study finds that OA has a more tempered impact on scholarship while the impact of MOOCs on teaching is more severe.

Wood chips to biofuel in hours Posted: 23 Oct 2013 06:08 AM PDT Until now, it has taken weeks to make biofuel from trees. This slow pace has been a bottleneck for the industry. Researchers have now shortened the process to a few hours.

Multiple ssclerosis: Functional change in brain as cause of cognitive disorders Posted: 23 Oct 2013 06:08 AM PDT Over the course of the disease, multiple sclerosis is very often combined with a deteriorating memory and attention deficits. Researchers have now demonstrated by means of a meta-analysis of functional image data that increased activations in the involuntary attention system in the brain are responsible for these disorders in MS patients.

New radar system inspired by dolphins to detect hidden surveillance and explosive devices Posted: 23 Oct 2013 06:08 AM PDT Inspired by the way dolphins hunt using bubble nets, scientists have developed a new kind of radar that can detect hidden surveillance equipment and explosives. The twin inverted pulse radar (TWIPR) is able to distinguish true 'targets', such as certain types of electronic circuits that may be used in explosive or espionage devices, from 'clutter' (other metallic items like pipes, drinks cans, nails for example) that may be mistaken for a genuine target by traditional radar and metal detectors.

Super song learners: Mechanism for improving song learning in juvenile zebra finches uncovered Posted: 23 Oct 2013 06:07 AM PDT Most songbirds learn their songs from an adult model, mostly from the father. However, there are relatively large differences in the accuracy how these songs are copied. Researchers have now found in juvenile zebra finches a possible mechanism that is responsible for the differences in the intensity of song learning. They provided the nerve growth factor "BDNF" to the song control system in the brain. With this treatment the learning ability in juvenile males could be enhanced in such a way that they were able to copy the songs of the father as good as it had been observed in the best learners in a zebra finch nest.

Mass producing pocket labs Posted: 23 Oct 2013 06:07 AM PDT There is certainly no shortage of lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices, but in most cases manufacturers have not yet found a cost-effective way to mass produce them. Scientists are now developing a platform for series production of these pocket laboratories.

Novel autism candidate genes identified Posted: 23 Oct 2013 06:07 AM PDT A scientific study identifies new genes involved in autism, a polygenic disorder that is difficult to diagnose and treat. Autism spectrum disorders represent a group of neurodevelopmental disorders which affect one out of 80-100 children. Autism's aetiology remains mainly unknown but there is strong evidence that genetic factors play a major role. International research has identified candidate genes that explain the origin and development of the disease.

Intercepting asteroids to avoid Armageddon Posted: 23 Oct 2013 06:07 AM PDT Potential asteroid impact on Earth can have disastrous consequences. In order to prevent such collisions, earthbound space objects must be deflected. This could be accomplished using a space probe to impact the asteroid.

Putting together the pieces of the Parkinson's puzzle Posted: 23 Oct 2013 06:07 AM PDT Parkinson's disease continues to puzzle physicians and biologists alike - even though it is well-established that symptoms like muscle tremors, rigidity, and immobility can all be traced back to the death of a certain type of brain cell called a dopaminergic neuron. The underlying cause of this cellular death is a complex web of interrelated genetic molecular processes as well as external factors. Now for the first time ever, researchers have published an interactive picture containing the current knowledge about the underlying genetic and molecular causes of Parkinson's disease.

Insights into how TB tricks the immune system could help combat the disease Posted: 23 Oct 2013 06:07 AM PDT Researchers have identified a potential way to manipulate the immune system to improve its ability to fight off tuberculosis (TB). TB is a major problem for both humans and cattle and the new findings could help scientists to create better drugs to combat the disease in both.

People don't put a high value on climate protection Posted: 23 Oct 2013 06:07 AM PDT People are bad at getting a grip on collective risks. Climate change is a good example of this: the annual climate summits have so far not led to specific measures. The reason for this is that people attach greater value to an immediate material reward than to investing in future quality of life. Therefore, cooperative behavior in climate protection must be more strongly associated with short-term incentives such as rewards or being held in high esteem.

A trace of memory, explored Posted: 23 Oct 2013 06:05 AM PDT Most of our behavior – and thus our personality – is shaped by previous experience. To store the memory of these experiences and to be able to retrieve the information at will is therefore considered one of the most basic and important functions of the brain. The current model in neuroscience poses that memory is stored as long-lasting anatomical changes in synapses, the specialized structures by which nerve cells connect and signal to each other.

The molecular clock of the common buzzard: Influence of genes on dispersal behavior revealed Posted: 23 Oct 2013 06:05 AM PDT Be it hibernation or the routes of migratory birds: all animal behavior that is subject to annual rhythms is controlled by a molecular clock. Although this has been known for a long time, in many cases it is still unclear how far genes are involved in setting this internal clock. Up to now, this also applied to the common buzzard and its migration from parental breeding grounds.

A functional forest ecosystem is more than just trees Posted: 23 Oct 2013 06:05 AM PDT In 2011, the University of Jyväskylä held an academic conference on the ecological restoration of forests. The conference was visited by 53 researchers from 10 European countries. Now the researchers' ideas and discussions have been published in the appreciated Biological Conservation publication series.

New eye treatment effective in laboratory tests Posted: 23 Oct 2013 06:05 AM PDT A promising technique for treating human eye disease has proven effective in preclinical studies and may lead to new treatments to prevent blindness.

Researchers link DDT, obesity Posted: 22 Oct 2013 05:51 PM PDT Researchers say ancestral exposures to environmental compounds like the insecticide DDT may be a factor in high rates of obesity. The finding comes as DDT is getting a second look as a tool against malaria.

Delaying gratification, when the reward is under our noses Posted: 22 Oct 2013 03:32 PM PDT How can some people resist the attraction of immediate pleasures and pursue long-term goals, while others easily succumb and compromise their ultimate expectations? A recent study has found that the brain's memory systems help in resisting temptations. One factor which might explain the difference in people's ability to resist temptation might lie in the activity of a deep brain structure: the hippocampus.

Test may improve diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis in HIV-infected individuals Posted: 22 Oct 2013 03:32 PM PDT Tuberculous meningitis is a serious and often fatal illness that is difficult to diagnose particularly in resource-poor areas, and is especially common in individuals infected with HIV. Now, a new DNA test is available that can be used in resource-poor settings and is generally used to detect TB in sputum, to detect TB DNA in cerebrospinal fluid.

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