ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Boron facilitates stem cell growth, development in corn
• Cancer-fighting drugs might also stop malaria early
• Exposure to toxins makes great granddaughters more susceptible to stress
• New biomarker highly promising for predicting breast cancer outcomes
• Two case reports of rare stiff person syndrome
• Complication risk of deep brain stimulation similar for older, younger Parkinson patients
• Weekend hospitalization linked to longer stay for pediatric leukemia patients
• Aspirin may reduce the risks of reoccurring blood clots
• Ovarian Cancer: Know your body, know your risk
• Finding keys to glioblastoma therapeutic resistance
• High insulin levels tied to obesity pathway
• 25 percent fewer opioid-related deaths in states allowing medical marijuana
• Sleep drunkenness disorder may affect one in seven
• Mindfulness training for memory impaired, their caregivers
• Doctors miss opportunities to offer flu shots
• Tilted acoustic tweezers separate cells gently
• A long childhood feeds the hungry human brain
• Taung Child's brain development not human-like? CT scan casts doubt on similarity to that of modern humans
• Key to universal flu vaccine: Embrace the unfamiliar
• Black carbon: Major climate pollutant linked to cardiovascular health
• Gut bacteria that protect against food allergies identified
• Sweet! Glycocongugates are more than the sum of their sugars
• Zombie ant fungi 'know' brains of their hosts
• Natural methane seepage on U.S. Atlantic ocean margin widespread
• Fortifying condiments, seasonings for use in countries with widespread micronutrient deficiencies
• Increased risk of stroke in people with cognitive impairment
• New gluten-free ingredient may cause allergic reaction, expert warns
• Yellow pigment in eye may aid vision through haze
• Learning by watching, toddlers show intuitive understanding of probability
• Biomimetic photodetector 'sees' in color
• Expectant parents' play with doll predicts later parenting behavior
• Navigation system used by cancer, nerve cells, uncovered by scientists
• Scientists grow an organ in an animal from cells created in lab
• APOB, a gene involved in lipid transport, linked to cases of familial extreme longevity
• World's first ZigBee-based inter-satellite comms system
• Large-scale study focuses on heavy smokers
• Changes in eye can predict changes in brain
• Deploying exosomes to win a battle of the sexes
• New approach to identify 'drivers' of cancer developed
• Physics research removes outcome unpredictability of ultracold atomic reactions
• Train your heart to protect your mind
• 'Robo Brain' will teach robots everything from the Internet
• Early lineage segregation during early mammalian heart development defined by researchers
• Being overweight causes hazardous inflammations
• Lung cancer rarely detected by current X-ray procedures
• Cold snap in the tropics: How tropical glaciers respond to cooling periods
• Core mechanism for root growth identified
• Drug used for DNA repair defects could treat leukemia, other cancers more effectively
• Device implanted for tricuspid valve replacement: First in United States
• 'Just right' plant growth may make river deltas resilient

Boron facilitates stem cell growth, development in corn Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:58 PM PDT The eastern half of the United States is plagued by boron deficient soil and corn and soybean farmers are required to supplement their soil with boron; however, little is known about the ways in which corn plants utilize the essential nutrient. Now, researchers have found that boron plays an integral role in development and reproduction in corn plants. Understanding how corn uses the nutrient can help farmers improve crop yields.

Cancer-fighting drugs might also stop malaria early Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:58 PM PDT Scientists searching for new drugs for malaria have identified a number of compounds -- some of which are in clinical trials to treat cancer -- that could lead to new ways to fight the disease. Researchers identified 31 enzyme-blocking molecules, called protein kinase inhibitors, that curb malaria before symptoms start. By focusing on treatments that act early, the researchers hope to give drug-resistant strains less time to spread.

Exposure to toxins makes great granddaughters more susceptible to stress Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:58 PM PDT Male and female rats are affected differently by ancestral exposure to a common fungicide, vinclozolin, new research shows. Female rats whose great grandparents were exposed to vinclozolin become much more vulnerable to stress, becoming more anxious and preferring the company of novel females to familiar females.

New biomarker highly promising for predicting breast cancer outcomes Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:58 PM PDT A protein named p66ShcA shows promise as a biomarker to identify breast cancers with poor prognoses, according to research. The ability to predict prognosis is critical to management of treatment. A patient with a good prognosis can be spared aggressive treatment, with its oft-unpleasant side effects. But failure to apply aggressive treatment to an aggressive tumor can lead to death.

Two case reports of rare stiff person syndrome Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:58 PM PDT Two female patients achieved clinical remission from the rare, debilitating neurological disease called stiff person syndrome (SPS, which can be marked by a 'tin soldier' gait) after an autologous -- from your own body -- stem cell transplant that eventually allowed them to return to work and regain their previous functioning.

Complication risk of deep brain stimulation similar for older, younger Parkinson patients Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:57 PM PDT Older patients with Parkinson disease who undergo deep brain stimulation appear to have a 90-day complication risk similar to younger patients, suggesting that age alone should not be a primary factor for excluding patients as DBS candidates.

Weekend hospitalization linked to longer stay for pediatric leukemia patients Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:57 PM PDT Weekend admission to the hospital for pediatric patients newly diagnosed with leukemia was associated with a longer length of stay, slightly longer wait to start chemotherapy and higher risk for respiratory failure, but weekend admissions were not linked to an increased risk for death.

Aspirin may reduce the risks of reoccurring blood clots Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:55 PM PDT Aspirin may be a promising alternative for those who can't take long-term anticoagulant drugs that prevent clots from reoccurring in the veins, according to new research. According to researchers, without treatment, people who have blood clots in their veins with no obvious cause have on average a 10 percent risk of another clot within the first year and a 5 percent risk per year thereafter.

Ovarian Cancer: Know your body, know your risk Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:53 PM PDT Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of death in American women, with about 22,000 diagnosed and 14,000 dying from the disease each year. September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month and experts are sharing tips on prevention.

Finding keys to glioblastoma therapeutic resistance Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:53 PM PDT One of the keys to why certain glioblastomas – the primary form of a deadly brain cancer – are resistant to drug therapy has been found by researchers. The answer lies not in the DNA sequence of the tumor, but in its epigenetic signature, they report.

High insulin levels tied to obesity pathway Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:53 PM PDT A crucial link between high levels of insulin and pathways that lead to obesity has been discovered by researchers, a finding that may have important implications when treating diabetes. The discovery was made by studying mice engineered to lack receptors for a hormone called glucagon.

25 percent fewer opioid-related deaths in states allowing medical marijuana Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:53 PM PDT On average, states allowing the medical use of marijuana have lower rates of deaths resulting from opioid analgesic overdoses than states without such laws. Opioid analgesics, such as OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin, are prescribed for moderate to severe pain, and work by suppressing a person's perception of pain.

Sleep drunkenness disorder may affect one in seven Posted: 25 Aug 2014 03:53 PM PDT A study is shining new light on a sleep disorder called "sleep drunkenness." The disorder may be as prevalent as affecting one in every seven people. Sleep drunkenness disorder involves confusion or inappropriate behavior, such as answering the phone instead of turning off the alarm, during or following arousals from sleep, either during the first part of the night or in the morning. An episode, often triggered by a forced awakening, may even cause violent behavior during sleep or amnesia of the episode.

Mindfulness training for memory impaired, their caregivers Posted: 25 Aug 2014 12:26 PM PDT Mindfulness training for individuals with early-stage dementia and their caregivers together in the same class was beneficial for both groups, easing depression and improving sleep and quality of life. Just eight sessions of training made a positive difference, resulting in more joy, less worry.

Doctors miss opportunities to offer flu shots Posted: 25 Aug 2014 12:26 PM PDT Doctors should make a point of offering a flu vaccine to their patients, experts say. A simple reminder could considerably reduce the number of racial and ethnic minorities who currently do not vaccinate themselves against this common contagious respiratory illness.

Tilted acoustic tweezers separate cells gently Posted: 25 Aug 2014 12:26 PM PDT Precise, gentle and efficient cell separation from a device the size of a cell phone may be possible thanks to tilt-angle standing surface acoustic waves, according to a team of engineers.

A long childhood feeds the hungry human brain Posted: 25 Aug 2014 12:25 PM PDT The long-standing mystery of why human children grow so slowly compared with our closest animal relatives has been addressed by new research. A study has shown that energy funneled to the brain dominates the human body's metabolism early in life and is likely the reason why humans grow at a pace more typical of a reptile than a mammal during childhood.

Taung Child's brain development not human-like? CT scan casts doubt on similarity to that of modern humans Posted: 25 Aug 2014 12:25 PM PDT By subjecting the skull of the famous Taung Child to the latest CT scan technology, researchers are now casting doubt on theories that Australopithecus africanus shows the same cranial adaptations found in modern human infants and toddlers.

Key to universal flu vaccine: Embrace the unfamiliar Posted: 25 Aug 2014 12:25 PM PDT Human volunteers immunized against the avian flu virus H5N1 readily developed antibodies against the stem region of the viral hemagglutinin protein. In contrast, those immunized with standard seasonal trivalent vaccines did not, instead developing most of their antibodies against the more variable head region.

Black carbon: Major climate pollutant linked to cardiovascular health Posted: 25 Aug 2014 12:20 PM PDT Black carbon pollutants from wood smoke are known to trap heat near the earth's surface and warm the climate. A new study suggests that black carbon may also increase women's risk of cardiovascular disease.

Gut bacteria that protect against food allergies identified Posted: 25 Aug 2014 12:20 PM PDT The presence of Clostridia, a common class of gut bacteria, protects against food allergies, a new study in mice finds. The discovery points toward probiotic therapies for this so-far untreatable condition. Food allergies affect 15 million Americans, including one in 13 children, who live with this potentially life-threatening disease that currently has no cure, researchers note.

Sweet! Glycocongugates are more than the sum of their sugars Posted: 25 Aug 2014 11:21 AM PDT Conventional wisdom says that the scaffold in an important class of biological molecules called 'glycoconjugates' is essentially inert. Work by a chemist suggests otherwise. The discovery opens up new avenues for research, in particular the development of more and better pharmaceuticals. Glycoconjugates are found naturally in the body, but they are also an important class of drugs that includes anything from cancer treatments to vaccines.

Zombie ant fungi 'know' brains of their hosts Posted: 25 Aug 2014 11:21 AM PDT A parasitic fungus that reproduces by manipulating the behavior of ants emits a cocktail of behavior-controlling chemicals when encountering the brain of its natural target host, but not when infecting other ant species, a new study shows. The findings, which suggest that the fungus "knows" its preferred host, provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, according to researchers.

Natural methane seepage on U.S. Atlantic ocean margin widespread Posted: 25 Aug 2014 11:14 AM PDT Natural methane leakage from the seafloor is far more widespread on the U.S. Atlantic margin than previously thought, according to a study by researchers from Mississippi State University, the U.S. Geological Survey, and other institutions.

Fortifying condiments, seasonings for use in countries with widespread micronutrient deficiencies Posted: 25 Aug 2014 10:01 AM PDT Researchers are working to fortify condiments and seasonings for use in countries with widespread micronutrient deficiencies. Micronutrient deficiencies affect the health and cognitive development of at least one-third of the world's population, representing 7.3 percent of all global disease. The World Bank has called micronutrient fortification the most cost-effective of all health interventions.

Increased risk of stroke in people with cognitive impairment Posted: 25 Aug 2014 10:01 AM PDT People with cognitive impairment are significantly more likely to have a stroke, with a 39 percent increased risk, than people with normal cognitive function, according to a new study. Cognitive impairment and stroke are major contributors to disability, and stroke is the second leading cause of death world-wide. Although stroke is linked to the development and worsening of cognitive impairment, it is not known whether the reverse is true.

New gluten-free ingredient may cause allergic reaction, expert warns Posted: 25 Aug 2014 09:35 AM PDT A popular legume used in other countries is showing up in more U.S. gluten-free products. A food safety specialist explains why people with peanut and soybean allergies need to be cautious: "Lupin is a yellow-colored bean that's very popular in Europe, Mediterranean countries, Australia and New Zealand. However, it is new to the United States and because of that, many consumers have never heard of it and may not realize that lupin has the same protein that causes allergic reactions to peanuts and soybeans."

Yellow pigment in eye may aid vision through haze Posted: 25 Aug 2014 09:33 AM PDT Individuals with greater amounts of yellow pigment in the eye may be better able to see distant objects in hazy conditions, suggests a study. Increased macular pigment (MP) may help in filtering out "blue haze," thus making distant objects more visible, researchers say.

Learning by watching, toddlers show intuitive understanding of probability Posted: 25 Aug 2014 09:33 AM PDT Most people know children learn many skills simply by watching people around them. Without explicit instructions youngsters know to do things like press a button to operate the television and twist a knob to open a door. Now researchers have taken this further, finding that children as young as age 2 intuitively use mathematical concepts such as probability to help make sense of the world around them.

Biomimetic photodetector 'sees' in color Posted: 25 Aug 2014 08:50 AM PDT A CMOS-compatible, biomimetic color photodetector has been developed that directly responds to red, green and blue light in much the same way the human eye does. It uses an aluminum grating that can be added to silicon photodetectors with the silicon microchip industry's mainstay technology, "complementary metal-oxide semiconductor," or CMOS.

Expectant parents' play with doll predicts later parenting behavior Posted: 25 Aug 2014 08:50 AM PDT Having expectant parents role-play interacting with an infant using a doll can help predict which couples may be headed for co-parenting conflicts when their baby arrives. Results showed that couples acted similarly toward each other with the real baby as they did with the doll -- in both positive and negative ways.

Navigation system used by cancer, nerve cells, uncovered by scientists Posted: 25 Aug 2014 07:01 AM PDT A study in C. elegans worms identifies a 'roving detection system' on the surface of worm cells that may point to new ways of treating diseases like cancer, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The study sheds light on the molecular mechanisms that enable both normal and cancerous cells to break through normal tissue boundaries and burrow into other tissues and organs.

Scientists grow an organ in an animal from cells created in lab Posted: 25 Aug 2014 07:00 AM PDT Scientists have grown a fully functional organ from transplanted laboratory-created cells in a living animal for the first time. The researchers have created a thymus -- an organ next to the heart that produces immune cells known as T cells that are vital for guarding against disease.

APOB, a gene involved in lipid transport, linked to cases of familial extreme longevity Posted: 25 Aug 2014 07:00 AM PDT Scientists have identified rare variants in the APOB gene in several families where exceptional longevity (more than 100 years of age) appears to cluster.

World's first ZigBee-based inter-satellite comms system Posted: 25 Aug 2014 07:00 AM PDT Engineers have successfully piloted the world's first ZigBee-based inter-satellite communication system. Designed to evaluate the performance of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in space, the experiment marks a breakthrough in aeronautical engineering.

Large-scale study focuses on heavy smokers Posted: 25 Aug 2014 07:00 AM PDT A study based on blood samples from more than 55,000 Danes shows a direct correlation between smoking and mortality. A special gene variant increases the risk of heavy smoking, researchers report. "There is a lot to suggest that you can be genetically predisposed to heavy smoking. Smokers carrying a special genetic mutation have a higher tobacco consumption, which is, of course, very harmful for their health -- and they have a 14 percent higher risk of dying before other smokers," one researcher.

Changes in eye can predict changes in brain Posted: 25 Aug 2014 07:00 AM PDT A loss of cells in the retina is one of the earliest signs of frontotemporal dementia in people with a genetic risk for the disorder -- even before any changes appear in their behavior -- scientists have found. Although it is located in the eye, the retina is made up of neurons with direct connections to the brain. This means that studying the retina is one of the easiest and most accessible ways to examine and track changes in neurons.

Deploying exosomes to win a battle of the sexes Posted: 25 Aug 2014 06:58 AM PDT A study provides further detail into how male fruit flies deploy exosomes to alter the mating behavior of females. The findings also identify a signaling pathway that might play a role in human cancers of tissues that secrete exosomes, such as the prostate and breast.

New approach to identify 'drivers' of cancer developed Posted: 25 Aug 2014 06:58 AM PDT A new integrated approach to pinpoint the genetic "drivers" of cancer has been developed by scientists, uncovering eight genes that could be viable for targeted breast cancer therapy. While the study focused on identifying genetic drivers for breast cancer, the approach could easily be applied to other tumors types as well, authors note.

Physics research removes outcome unpredictability of ultracold atomic reactions Posted: 25 Aug 2014 06:58 AM PDT A physics model helps scientists accurately predict the likely outcome of a chemical reaction as well as sheds new light on mysterious quantum states, including the Efimov effect.

Train your heart to protect your mind Posted: 25 Aug 2014 05:49 AM PDT Exercising to improve our cardiovascular strength may protect us from cognitive impairment as we age, according to a new study. "Our body's arteries stiffen with age, and the vessel hardening is believed to begin in the aorta, the main vessel coming out of the heart, before reaching the brain. Indeed, the hardening may contribute to cognitive changes that occur during a similar time frame," explained the first author of the study.

'Robo Brain' will teach robots everything from the Internet Posted: 25 Aug 2014 05:49 AM PDT Robo Brain -- a large-scale computational system that learns from publicly available Internet resources -- is currently downloading and processing about 1 billion images, 120,000 YouTube videos, and 100 million how-to documents and appliance manuals. The information is being translated and stored in a robot-friendly format that robots will be able to draw on when they need it.

Early lineage segregation during early mammalian heart development defined by researchers Posted: 25 Aug 2014 05:48 AM PDT During embryonic development, the cells that will form the heart need to be specified at the correct time, migrate at the correct place, proliferate to ensure the harmonious morphogenesis and growth of the heart. Any defects during this critical stage of development will lead to congenital heart diseases. While different progenitors that contribute to the development of the heart have been identified, it remains unclear whether these cells arise from common progenitors or derive from distinct progenitors that are specified at different time during development.

Being overweight causes hazardous inflammations Posted: 25 Aug 2014 05:48 AM PDT A possible molecular explanation for why overweight is harmful has been discovered by researchers. They suggest that overeating increases the immune response. This increased immune response causes the body to generate excessive inflammation, which may lead to a number of chronic diseases. This new knowledge may provide new drugs for heart attack, stroke, cancer and chronic intestinal inflammation.

Lung cancer rarely detected by current X-ray procedures Posted: 25 Aug 2014 05:48 AM PDT Current X-ray examinations capture only 20 percent of cases of lung cancer, researcher say. With modern ultralow-dose CT, the radiologists hit the bull's eye 90 per cent of the time.

Cold snap in the tropics: How tropical glaciers respond to cooling periods Posted: 25 Aug 2014 05:48 AM PDT Tropical glaciers have responded to episodes of cooling in Greenland and the Antarctic over the past 20,000 years, according to a study that covers 21 Andean glaciers. As elsewhere on the planet, tropical glaciers (located on either side of the equator between 23°N and 23°S) have been retreating since the Last Glacial Maximum around 20,000 years ago. This retreat has been interrupted by stillstands and re-advances, although a detailed chronology of these events in tropical regions remained unclear until now.

Core mechanism for root growth identified Posted: 25 Aug 2014 05:46 AM PDT During plant growth, dividing cells in meristems must coordinate transitions from division to expansion and differentiation. Three distinct developmental zones are generated, while at the same time, plants can rapidly adjust their direction of growth to adapt to environmental conditions. Now researchers have found out, with the help of experimentation and mathematical modelling, how many factors together regulate root growth.

Drug used for DNA repair defects could treat leukemia, other cancers more effectively Posted: 25 Aug 2014 05:44 AM PDT A drug originally designed for killing a limited type of cancer cells with DNA repair defects could potentially be used to treat leukemia and other cancers, scientists have found. In this study, the research team also showed the link between the RUNX family genes and the pathway of a rare human congenital disease called Fanconi anemia for the first time.

Device implanted for tricuspid valve replacement: First in United States Posted: 25 Aug 2014 05:44 AM PDT America's first transcather tricuspid heart valve replacement has been performed, providing an alternative to open heart surgery, clinical scientists report. Percutaneous interventions use hollow tubes called catheters to reach chambers of the heart rather than opening a patient's chest, and are increasingly used to fix heart valves.

'Just right' plant growth may make river deltas resilient Posted: 24 Aug 2014 12:23 PM PDT Geologists suggest that an intermediate amount of vegetation -- not too little and not too much -- is most effective at stabilizing freshwater river deltas. Vegetation on marsh surfaces in river deltas can slow the flow of water and cause more sediment to be deposited, helping prevent sea-level rise from drowning sensitive marshlands. But the study finds that, if the vegetation is too tall or dense, it diverts water into the river channel, resulting in less sediment being deposited on the marsh.

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