ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Laser makes microscopes way cooler, incredibly sensitive
• Brain imaging shows brain differences in risk-taking teens
• Woodrats' genes help them to win arms race against food
• Bats bolster brain hypothesis, maybe technology, too
• On the edge of graphene: Edges have different conductivity
• Guidelines can predict early menopause in child cancer survivors, giving hope for fertility
• New ways to treat solid tumors using protein
• Human milk fat improves growth in premature infants
• Capturing false hormones
• Wireless sensors and flying robots: A way to monitor deteriorating bridges
• Previous pulmonary disease linked to increased lung cancer risk in large study
• Low vitamin D levels linked to increased risks after noncardiac surgery
• Make your mobile device live up to its true potential: As a data collection tool
• Understanding parallels of human and animal parenting can benefit generations to come
• New tool makes a single picture worth far more than a thousand words
• Single enzyme necessary for development of diabetes
• 9/11 dust cloud may have caused widespread pregnancy issues
• Scientists fold RNA origami from a single strand
• Adults with autism at higher risk of sexual victimization, study shows
• Cystic fibrosis mucus defect present at birth, study shows
• Severity of sleep apnea impacts risk of resistant high blood pressure
• Molecular engineers record an electron's quantum behavior
• Experimental chikungunya vaccine induces robust antibody response
• Strong state alcohol policies reduce likelihood of binge drinking
• Mass layoffs linked to increased teen suicide attempts
• Low education, smoking, high blood pressure may lead to increased stroke risk
• Drugs that flush out HIV may impair killer T cells, possibly hindering HIV eradication
• Parasitic worms sniff out their victims as 'cruisers' or 'ambushers'
• Seven tiny grains captured by Stardust likely visitors from interstellar space
• Plants may use newly discovered molecular language to communicate
• Broader organ sharing won't harm liver transplant recipients; percentage of organs transported by flying versus driving will rise
• Human contribution to glacier mass loss increasing
• A self-organizing thousand-robot swarm
• Chemists uncover powerful new click chemistry reactivity
• Vitamin D deficiency may reduce pregnancy rate in women undergoing IVF
• Reduced testosterone tied to endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure
• Scientists study 'talking' turtles in Brazilian Amazon
• Potential drug therapy for kidney stones identified in mouse study
• New gene editing method shows promising results for correcting Muscular Dystrophy
• Dark bands in starlight: New Milky Way maps help solve stubborn interstellar material mystery
• Memories of errors foster faster learning
• Harnessing the power of bacteria's sophisticated immune system
• Parenting from before conception: Babies' health doesn't 'start from scratch'
• Blood-sucking parasitic eyeworm a culprit to 2010 quail decline, researchers believe
• Food allergies more widespread among inner-city children
• Novel chip-based platform could simplify measurements of single molecules
• Immune cell discovery could help to halt cancer spread
• Protein found to block benefits of vitamin A cancer therapy
• Bypass commands from brain to legs through computer
• Fukushima's legacy: Biological effects of Fukushima radiation on plants, insects, and animals
• Researchers identify a mechanism that stops progression of abnormal cells into cancer
• Computation, collaboration lead to significant advance in malaria

Laser makes microscopes way cooler, incredibly sensitive Posted: 15 Aug 2014 07:23 AM PDT Laser physicists have found a way to make atomic-force microscope probes 20 times more sensitive and capable of detecting forces as small as the weight of an individual virus. The technique hinges on using laser beams to cool a nanowire probe to -265 degrees Celsius. "The level of sensitivity achieved after cooling is accurate enough for us to sense the weight of a large virus that is 100 billion times lighter than a mosquito," said one researcher.

Brain imaging shows brain differences in risk-taking teens Posted: 15 Aug 2014 07:23 AM PDT Brain differences associated with risk-taking teens have been investigated by researchers who found that connections between certain brain regions are amplified in teens more prone to risk. "Our brains have an emotional-regulation network that exists to govern emotions and influence decision-making," explained the study's lead author. "Antisocial or risk-seeking behavior may be associated with an imbalance in this network."

Woodrats' genes help them to win arms race against food Posted: 15 Aug 2014 07:23 AM PDT A handful of genes arm the woodrat against the toxic chemicals in its foodstuff, the creosote plant, according to research. It's long been a mystery exactly how the woodrat developed the ability to handle the chemicals in the creosote plant, which are toxic to other rodents. The new study identifies the genes switched on in two species of woodrat with resistance to the plant poisons, showing that the genes that they are born with play a central role in whether they feel the effects of its toxic chemicals.

Bats bolster brain hypothesis, maybe technology, too Posted: 15 Aug 2014 07:23 AM PDT Bats demonstrate remarkable skill in tracking targets such as bugs through the trees in the dark of night. Decades of research on how bats use echolocation to keep a focus on their targets not only lends support to a long debated neuroscience hypothesis about vision but also could lead to smarter sonar and radar technologies.

On the edge of graphene: Edges have different conductivity Posted: 15 Aug 2014 07:23 AM PDT The conductivity at the edges of graphene devices is different to that of the central material, researchers have discovered. Local scanning electrical techniques were used to examine the local nanoscale electronic properties of epitaxial graphene, in particular the differences between the edges and central parts of graphene Hall bar devices.

Guidelines can predict early menopause in child cancer survivors, giving hope for fertility Posted: 15 Aug 2014 07:22 AM PDT Girls with cancer who are most likely to become infertile after treatment can be identified using guidelines developed almost 20 years ago, new research shows. The criteria will help to select which girls should be offered the opportunity to freeze some tissue from their ovaries for use in the future.

New ways to treat solid tumors using protein Posted: 15 Aug 2014 07:22 AM PDT An antibody against the protein EphA3, found in the micro-environment of solid cancers, has anti-tumor effects, an international team of scientists has shown. As EphA3 is present in normal organs only during embryonic development but is expressed in blood cancers and in solid tumors, this antibody-based approach may be a suitable candidate treatment for solid tumors.

Human milk fat improves growth in premature infants Posted: 15 Aug 2014 07:22 AM PDT For premature infants, adequate growth while in the neonatal intensive care unit is an indicator of better long-term health and developmental outcomes. Researchers have now successfully incorporated a cream supplement into premature infants' diets that improved their growth outcomes in the NICU.

Capturing false hormones Posted: 15 Aug 2014 07:21 AM PDT They damage our ability to reproduce, and they pollute the natural environment. Yet chemicals known as hormone mimics can be found in consumer goods. These unwanted chemicals make our lives easier, and more comfortable, but they have consequences. Eventually they end up in our water. But we now have a way of capturing them, researchers say, after having created minute particles with some very desirable properties.

Wireless sensors and flying robots: A way to monitor deteriorating bridges Posted: 15 Aug 2014 07:20 AM PDT As a report from the Obama administration warns that one in four bridges in the United States needs significant repair or cannot handle automobile traffic, engineers are employing wireless sensors and flying robots that could have the potential to help authorities monitor the condition of bridges in real time.

Previous pulmonary disease linked to increased lung cancer risk in large study Posted: 15 Aug 2014 07:20 AM PDT Links between a number of common respiratory diseases and an increased risk of developing lung cancer have been found in a large pooled analysis of seven studies involving more than 25,000 individuals. "The variations in the associations between lung cancer and different patterns of previous respiratory diseases that we observed in our study may indicate differences in the underlying etiological mechanisms," said the lead author. "Better understanding of these associations may help guide the type and frequency of clinical surveillance needed for patients with each of these diseases."

Low vitamin D levels linked to increased risks after noncardiac surgery Posted: 15 Aug 2014 07:20 AM PDT Patients with low blood levels of vitamin D are at increased risk of death and serious complications after noncardiac surgery, suggests a study. The researchers analyzed the relationship between vitamin D level and surgical outcomes in approximately 3,500 patients who underwent operations other than heart surgery between 2005 and 2011. Only patients who had available data on vitamin D levels around the time of surgery -- from three months before to one month afterward -- were included in the study.

Make your mobile device live up to its true potential: As a data collection tool Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:24 PM PDT Easy Leaf Area is a new, free program that calculates leaf surface area from digital images. Leaf measurements are often critical in plant physiological and ecological studies, but traditional methods have been time consuming and sometimes destructive to plant samples. Easy Leaf Area allows users to accurately measure leaf area from digital images in seconds.

Understanding parallels of human and animal parenting can benefit generations to come Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:23 PM PDT Strong evidence now shows that human and animal parenting share many nervous system mechanisms. Better understanding this biology could lead to improved social development, benefiting generations of humans and animals to come.

New tool makes a single picture worth far more than a thousand words Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:23 PM PDT A photo is worth a thousand words, but what if the image could also represent thousands of other images? New software seeks to tame the sea of visual data in the world by generating a single photo that can represent massive clusters of images.

Single enzyme necessary for development of diabetes Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:23 PM PDT An enzyme called 12-LO promotes the obesity-induced oxidative stress in the pancreatic cells that leads to pre-diabetes, and diabetes. 12-LO's enzymatic action is the last step in the production of certain small molecules that harm the cell, according to researchers. The findings will enable the development of drugs that can interfere with this enzyme, preventing or even reversing diabetes.

9/11 dust cloud may have caused widespread pregnancy issues Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:23 PM PDT Pregnant women living near the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks experienced negative birth outcomes, according to a new paper. These mothers were more likely to give birth prematurely and deliver babies with low birth weights. Their babies -- especially baby boys -- were also more likely to be admitted to neonatal intensive care units after birth.

Scientists fold RNA origami from a single strand Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:23 PM PDT RNA origami is a new method for organizing molecules on the nanoscale, making it possible to fabricate complicated shapes from a single strand of RNA. Unlike existing methods for folding DNA molecules, RNA origamis are produced by enzymes and simultaneously fold into pre-designed shapes. This may allow designer RNA structures to be grown within living cells and used to organize cellular enzymes into biochemical factories.

Adults with autism at higher risk of sexual victimization, study shows Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:22 PM PDT Adults with autism are at a higher risk of sexual victimization than adults without, due to lack of sex education, but with improved interventions that focus on sexual knowledge and skill building, the risk could be reduced, according to a study. 'Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder gain more of their sexual knowledge from external sources such as the internet and the television whereas social sources would include parents, teachers and peers,' says one author.

Cystic fibrosis mucus defect present at birth, study shows Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:22 PM PDT Mucus is key to keeping our lungs clean and clear of bacteria, viruses, and other foreign particles that can cause infection and inflammation. When we inhale microbes and dust, they are trapped in the mucus and then swept up and out of the lungs via a process called mucociliary transport. New research shows that cystic fibrosis causes a specific defect in this process, reducing the ability to clear particles and germs out of the airway.

Severity of sleep apnea impacts risk of resistant high blood pressure Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:22 PM PDT A strong association between severe, untreated obstructive sleep apnea and the risk of elevated blood pressure despite the use of high blood pressure medications has been made by researchers. "High blood pressure that is resistant to treatment with medications is a strong warning sign for the presence of obstructive sleep apnea, a chronic disease that increases the risk for heart disease and stroke," said one expert.

Molecular engineers record an electron's quantum behavior Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:21 PM PDT Scientists have developed a technique to record the quantum mechanical behavior of an individual electron contained within a nanoscale defect in diamond. Their technique uses ultrafast pulses of laser light both to control the defect's entire quantum state and observe how that single electron state changes over time.

Experimental chikungunya vaccine induces robust antibody response Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:21 PM PDT An experimental vaccine to prevent the mosquito-borne viral illness chikungunya elicited neutralizing antibodies in all 25 adult volunteers who participated in a recent early-stage clinical trial. The most distinctive symptom of chikungunya infection is severe joint pain accompanied by headache and fever. There are currently no vaccines or specific drug treatments for chikungunya.

Strong state alcohol policies reduce likelihood of binge drinking Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:21 PM PDT People living in states with stronger alcohol policy environments have a substantially lower likelihood of any binge drinking, frequent binge drinking, and high-intensity binge drinking, according to a new study. In determining the results, researchers accounted for a variety of factors associated with alcohol consumption, such as age, sex, race, religion, income, geographic region, urban-rural differences and levels of police and alcohol enforcement personnel.

Mass layoffs linked to increased teen suicide attempts Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:19 PM PDT Mass layoffs trigger increased suicide attempts and other suicide-related behaviors among some teenagers, especially black teens, says new research. When 1 percent of a state's working population lost jobs, suicide-related behaviors increased by 2 to 3 percent among girls and black adolescents in the following year. Among girls, thoughts of suicide and suicide plans rose. Among black teens, thoughts of suicide, suicide plans and suicide attempts all increased.

Low education, smoking, high blood pressure may lead to increased stroke risk Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:19 PM PDT Poorly educated adults who smoke face a higher risk of stroke than smokers with a higher education. The combination of smoking and high blood pressure increased stroke risk the most, confirming earlier findings in numerous studies. "Universal interventions such as legislation or taxation could also have a strong effect on stroke in the most disadvantaged," the lead author said. "We need to challenge disparities in unhealthy behaviors, particularly smoking."

Drugs that flush out HIV may impair killer T cells, possibly hindering HIV eradication Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:19 PM PDT Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have shown promise in 'flushing out' HIV from latently infected cells, potentially exposing the reservoirs available for elimination by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), also called killer T cells. However, findings now suggest that treatment with HDAC inhibitors might suppress CTL activity and therefore compromise the 'kill' part of a two-pronged 'flush-and-kill' HIV eradication strategy.

Parasitic worms sniff out their victims as 'cruisers' or 'ambushers' Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:19 PM PDT It has been speculated that soil-dwelling parasitic worms use their sense of smell to find suitable hosts for infection. New research comparing odor-driven behaviors in different roundworm species reveals that olfactory preferences reflect host specificity rather than species relatedness, suggesting that olfaction indeed plays an important role in host location.

Seven tiny grains captured by Stardust likely visitors from interstellar space Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:19 PM PDT The 1999 Stardust mission flew by comet Wild-2 in 2004, capturing cometary and interstellar dust, and delivered its dust-loaded collectors to Earth in 2006. Scientists now report preliminary results of their eight-year analysis of the interstellar particles: seven dust motes that likely originated in another solar system less than 100 million years ago. The particles are more diverse than expected, and fluffier, like a tossed salad.

Plants may use newly discovered molecular language to communicate Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:19 PM PDT A scientist has discovered a potentially new form of plant communication, one that allows them to share an extraordinary amount of genetic information with one another. The finding throws open the door to a new arena of science that explores how plants communicate with each other on a molecular level. It also gives scientists new insight into ways to fight parasitic weeds that wreak havoc on food crops in some of the poorest parts of the world.

Broader organ sharing won't harm liver transplant recipients; percentage of organs transported by flying versus driving will rise Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:18 PM PDT Broader sharing of deceased donor livers will not significantly increase cold ischemia time -— the time the liver is in a cooled state outside the donor suggesting that this is not a barrier to broader sharing of organs. However, findings do indicate that broader sharing of organs will significantly increase the percentage of donor organs that are transported by flying rather than driving.

Human contribution to glacier mass loss increasing Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:18 PM PDT By combining climate and glacier models, scientists have found unambiguous evidence for anthropogenic glacier mass loss in recent decades. The researchers report that about one quarter of the global glacier mass loss during the period of 1851 to 2010 is attributable to anthropogenic causes. The fraction of human contribution increased steadily and accelerated to almost two thirds between 1991 and 2010.

A self-organizing thousand-robot swarm Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:18 PM PDT The first thousand-robot flash mob has assembled at Harvard University. Just as trillions of individual cells can assemble into an intelligent organism, or a thousand starlings can form a great flowing murmuration across the sky, the Kilobots demonstrate how complexity can arise from very simple behaviors performed en masse. To computer scientists, they also represent a significant milestone in the development of collective artificial intelligence.

Chemists uncover powerful new click chemistry reactivity Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:16 PM PDT Chemists have used click chemistry to uncover unprecedented, powerful reactivity for making new drugs, diagnostics, plastics, smart materials and many other products.

Vitamin D deficiency may reduce pregnancy rate in women undergoing IVF Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:15 PM PDT Women with a vitamin D deficiency were nearly half as likely to conceive through in vitro fertilization (IVF) as women who had sufficient levels of the vitamin, according to a new study. Long known for its role in bone health, vitamin D is a steroid hormone that is emerging as a factor in fertility.

Reduced testosterone tied to endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:15 PM PDT Men, women and children exposed to high levels of phthalates -- endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in plastics and some personal care products -– tended to have reduced levels of testosterone in their blood compared to those with lower chemical exposure, according to a new study.

Scientists study 'talking' turtles in Brazilian Amazon Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:15 PM PDT Turtles are well known for their longevity and protective shells, but it turns out these reptiles use sound to stick together and care for young. Scientists working in the Brazilian Amazon have found that Giant South American river turtles actually use several different kinds of vocal communication to coordinate their social behaviors, including one used by female turtles to call to their newly hatched offspring in what is the first instance of recorded parental care in turtles.

Potential drug therapy for kidney stones identified in mouse study Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:15 PM PDT Anyone who has suffered from kidney stones is keenly aware of the lack of drugs to treat the condition, which often causes excruciating pain. New research in mice suggests that a class of drugs approved to treat leukemia and epilepsy also may be effective against kidney stones. Most kidney stones form when the urine becomes too concentrated, allowing calcium and magnesium to crystallize and stick together. Intense pain develops when stones get stuck in the urinary tract and block the flow of urine.

New gene editing method shows promising results for correcting Muscular Dystrophy Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:13 PM PDT A new gene editing method to correct a mutation that leads to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has been successful in a mouse model of the condition. Researchers used a technique called CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing, which can precisely remove a mutation in DNA, allowing the body's DNA repair mechanisms to replace it with a normal copy of the gene. The benefit of this approach over other gene therapy techniques is that the new method can permanently correct the 'defect' in a gene rather than just transiently adding a 'functional' one.

Dark bands in starlight: New Milky Way maps help solve stubborn interstellar material mystery Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:13 PM PDT An international team of sky scholars has produced new maps of the material located between the stars in the Milky Way. The results should move astronomers closer to cracking a stardust puzzle that has vexed them for nearly a century.

Memories of errors foster faster learning Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:13 PM PDT Using a deceptively simple set of experiments, researchers have learned why people learn an identical or similar task faster the second, third and subsequent time around. The reason: They are aided not only by memories of how to perform the task, but also by memories of the errors made the first time.

Harnessing the power of bacteria's sophisticated immune system Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:13 PM PDT Bacteria's ability to destroy viruses has long puzzled scientists, but researchers say they now have a clear picture of the bacterial immune system and say its unique shape is likely why bacteria can so quickly recognize and destroy their assailants. The findings provide clues about the spread of antibiotic resistance, which occurs when bacteria adapt to the point where antibiotics no longer work in people who need them to treat infections.

Parenting from before conception: Babies' health doesn't 'start from scratch' Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:13 PM PDT There's now overwhelming evidence that a child's future health is influenced by more than just their parents' genetic material, and that children born of unhealthy parents will already be pre-programmed for greater risk of poor health, according to researchers. "The reality is, the child doesn't quite start from scratch -- they already carry over a legacy of factors from their parents' experiences that can shape development in the fetus and after birth. Depending on the situation, we can give our children a burden before they've even started life," experts say.

Blood-sucking parasitic eyeworm a culprit to 2010 quail decline, researchers believe Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:13 PM PDT In the summer of 2010, the Rolling Plains of West Texas expected a bumper crop of quail. By October, they nearly had vanished. The find out why, researchers necropsied hundreds of birds throughout a 19-million-acre area of land and discovered large numbers of parasitic eyeworms in many of the birds they sampled.

Food allergies more widespread among inner-city children Posted: 14 Aug 2014 04:12 PM PDT Already known for their higher-than-usual risk of asthma and environmental allergies, young inner-city children appear to suffer disproportionately from food allergies as well, according to results of a study. "Our findings are a wake-up call, signaling an urgent need to unravel the causes, contributors and mechanisms that drive the high prevalence of food allergies among an already vulnerable group known for its high risk of asthma and environmental allergies," says the senior investigator.

Novel chip-based platform could simplify measurements of single molecules Posted: 14 Aug 2014 09:47 AM PDT A new approach for studying single molecules and nanoparticles has been developed by reserachers. It combines electrical and optical measurements on an integrated chip-based platform. Researchers reported using the device to distinguish viruses from similarly sized nanoparticles with 100 percent fidelity.

Immune cell discovery could help to halt cancer spread Posted: 14 Aug 2014 09:45 AM PDT The critical importance of highly specialized immune cells, called natural killer cells, in killing melanoma cells that have spread to the lungs has been highlighted by new research. These natural killer cells could be harnessed to hunt down and kill cancers that have spread in the body, scientists report. The team also found natural killer cells were critical to the body's rejection of donor bone marrow transplants and in the runaway immune response during toxic shock syndrome.

Protein found to block benefits of vitamin A cancer therapy Posted: 14 Aug 2014 09:45 AM PDT Retinoic acid is a form of vitamin A that is used to treat and help prevent the recurrence of a variety of cancers, but for some patients the drug is not effective. The reason for this resistance was unclear until now, as researchers have demonstrated that a protein known as AEG-1 blocks the effects of retinoic acid in leukemia and liver cancer.

Bypass commands from brain to legs through computer Posted: 14 Aug 2014 09:45 AM PDT Gait disturbance in individuals with spinal cord injury is attributed to the interruption of neural pathways from brain to the spinal locomotor center, whereas neural circuits locate below and above the lesion maintain most of their functions. An artificial connection that bridges the lost pathway and connects brain to spinal circuits has potential to ameliorate the functional loss. A research team has successfully made an artificial connection from the brain to the locomotion center in the spinal cord by bypassing with a computer and exercised control over walking.

Fukushima's legacy: Biological effects of Fukushima radiation on plants, insects, and animals Posted: 14 Aug 2014 09:45 AM PDT Scientists began gathering biological information only a few months after the disastrous 2011 meltdown of the Fukushima power plant in Japan. Results of these studies are now beginning to reveal serious biological effects of the Fukushima radiation on non-human organisms ranging from plants to butterflies to birds.

Researchers identify a mechanism that stops progression of abnormal cells into cancer Posted: 14 Aug 2014 09:44 AM PDT A tumor suppressor pathway, called the Hippo pathway, is responsible for sensing abnormal chromosome numbers in cells and triggering cell cycle arrest, thus preventing progression into cancer, researchers have discovered.

Computation, collaboration lead to significant advance in malaria Posted: 14 Aug 2014 09:43 AM PDT A new computational method has been developed to study the function of disease-causing genes, starting with an important new discovery about a gene associated with malaria -- one of the biggest global health burdens. The researchers came up with a computational method that allows biological information to literally flow from gene to gene across a massive network across many genomes, known as the "supergenomic" network.

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