ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Rare stem cells hold potential for infertility treatments
• Metallic alloy is tough and ductile at cryogenic temperatures
• Knowing how bacteria take out trash could lead to new antibiotics
• Artificial cells take their first steps
• Discrepancy in Greenland temperatures during end of last ice age resolved
• Decoding the role of water in gold nanocatalysis: Secrets behind gold's unexpected oxidation activity uncovered
• Coffee genome sheds light on the evolution of caffeine
• 3-D film no more effective in evoking emotion than 2-D
• Minimally invasive, high-performance intervention for staging lung cancer
• Important regulators of immune cell response identified
• Clues to trapping carbon dioxide in rock: Calcium carbonate takes multiple, simultaneous roads to different minerals
• Small asteroid to safely pass close to Earth Sunday
• Avian influenza virus isolated in harbor seals poses a threat to humans
• Public trust has dwindled in America with rise in income inequality
• Greener neighborhoods lead to better birth outcomes, new research shows
• Ozone pollution in India kills enough crops to feed 94 million in poverty
• Plant-based research prevents complication of hemophilia treatment in mice
• Archerfish target shoot with 'skillfully thrown' water
• Reacting to personal setbacks: Do you bounce back or give up?
• How the brain finds what it's looking for
• Oxidized LDL might actually be 'good guy'
• Life forms appeared at least 60 million years earlier than previously thought
• Atomically thin material opens door for integrated nanophotonic circuits
• A new model for a cosmological enigma -- dark matter: Solving long-standing and troublesome puzzles
• Messenger molecules identified as part of arthritis puzzle
• Time flies: Breakthrough study identifies genetic link between circadian clock and seasonal timing
• Bats change strategy when food is scarce
• Mantle plumes crack continents
• Finding new approaches for therapeutics against Ebola virus
• New research offers help for spinal cord patients
• Bluefin tuna found hunting for mackerel in East Greenland waters
• Disparities persist in early-stage breast cancer treatment
• Breast conserving therapy shows survival benefit compared to mastectomy in early-stage patients with hormone receptor positive disease
• Breast vs. bottle feeding in rhesus monkeys: Marked difference in intestinal bacteria, immunologic development
• Titania-based material holds promise as new insulator for superconductors
• Dreadnoughtus: Gigantic, exceptionally complete sauropod dinosaur
• Nano-pea pod model widens electronics applications
• How good is the fossil record? New study casts doubt on their usefulness
• To clean air and beyond: Catching greenhouse gases with advanced membranes
• Liver injury caused by herbals, dietary supplements rises in study population
• Intestinal barrier damage in multiple sclerosis
• Visualizing plastic changes to brain from magnetic stimulation: Effects of novel treatment method demonstrated
• Cystic fibrosis: Additional immune dysfunction discovered
• First Neanderthal rock engraving found in Gibraltar: Abstract art older than thought?
• Cannabis prevents negative behavioral, physiological effects of traumatic events, rat study shows
• New clues to determining the solar cycle
• Ancient mammal relatives were active at night 100 million years before origin of mammals
• Global epidemic of diabetes threatens to jeopardize further progress in tuberculosis control
• Blood test for 'nicked' protein predicts prostate cancer treatment response
• Climate change science aided by huge but 'invisible' efforts of amateurs
• How much gravity is enough?
• Innovative algorithm spots interactions lethal to cancer
• Longitudinal study explores white matter damage, cognition after traumatic axonal injury
• Wearable sensors to detect firearm use
• New deep sea mushroom-shaped organisms discovered
• Can sleep loss affect your brain size?
• Galapagos invasion is global warning

Rare stem cells hold potential for infertility treatments Posted: 04 Sep 2014 12:38 PM PDT Rare stem cells in testis that produce a biomarker protein called PAX7 help give rise to new sperm cells -- and may hold a key to restoring fertility, research suggests. Infertility, which the Centers for Disease Control estimates affects as many as 4.7 million men in the United States, is a key complication of cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Metallic alloy is tough and ductile at cryogenic temperatures Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:46 AM PDT A multi-element high-entropy alloy not only tests out as one of the toughest materials on record, but, unlike most materials, the toughness as well as the strength and ductility of this alloy actually improves at cryogenic temperatures.

Knowing how bacteria take out trash could lead to new antibiotics Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:20 AM PDT A team of scientists has reconstructed how bacteria tightly control their growth and division, the cell cycle, by destroying specific proteins through regulated protein degradation. All organisms use controlled protein degradation to alter cell behavior in response to changing environment. A process as reliable and stable as cell division also has to be flexible, to allow the organism to grow and respond. But little has been known about the molecular mechanics of how this works.

Artificial cells take their first steps Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:19 AM PDT Using only a few ingredients, a biophysicist and his team have successfully implemented a minimalistic model of the cell that can change its shape and move on its own. They describe how they turned this goal into reality in a new article.

Discrepancy in Greenland temperatures during end of last ice age resolved Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:19 AM PDT A new study of three ice cores from Greenland documents the warming of the large ice sheet at the end of the last ice age -- resolving a long-standing paradox over when that warming occurred.

Decoding the role of water in gold nanocatalysis: Secrets behind gold's unexpected oxidation activity uncovered Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:19 AM PDT Researchers have, for the first time, provided direct evidence of a water-mediated reaction mechanism for the catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide. The work used gold nanoparticles and titanium dioxide as a catalyst to speed the process and determined that water serves as a co-catalyst for the reaction that transforms carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide.

Coffee genome sheds light on the evolution of caffeine Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:19 AM PDT An international research team has sequenced the genome of the coffee plant Coffea canephora. By comparing genes in the coffee, tea and chocolate plants, the scientists show that enzymes involved in making caffeine likely evolved independently in these three organisms. More than 8.7 million tons of coffee was produced in 2013; it is the principal agricultural product of many tropical nations.

3-D film no more effective in evoking emotion than 2-D Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:18 AM PDT Researchers have examined whether 3-D film is more effective than 2-D when used as a research method for evoking emotion. Both were effective, and 3-D did not add incremental benefit over 2-D, with implications for emotional research as well as entertainment.

Minimally invasive, high-performance intervention for staging lung cancer Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:18 AM PDT Endoscopic biopsy of lymph nodes between the two lungs (mediastinum) is a sensitive and accurate technique that can replace mediastinal surgery for staging lung cancer in patients with potentially resectable tumors. The new study shows that it is not necessary to perform surgery to confirm negative results obtained through the endoscopic approach during the pre-operative evaluation of patients with this type of cancer. This discovery has many advantages for both the patients and the health-care system.

Important regulators of immune cell response identified Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:18 AM PDT A more effective method to determine how T cells differentiate into specialized cell types has been identified by researchers. The new approach could help accelerate laboratory research and the development of potential therapeutics, including vaccines. The method may also be used to identify the genes that underlie tumor cell development.

Clues to trapping carbon dioxide in rock: Calcium carbonate takes multiple, simultaneous roads to different minerals Posted: 04 Sep 2014 11:18 AM PDT Researchers used a powerful microscope that allows them to see the birth of calcium carbonate crystals in real time, giving them a peek at how different calcium carbonate crystals form.

Small asteroid to safely pass close to Earth Sunday Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:40 AM PDT A small asteroid, designated 2014 RC, will safely pass very close to Earth on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014. At the time of closest approach, based on current calculations to be about 2:18 p.m. EDT (11:18 a.m. PDT / 18:18 UTC), the asteroid will be roughly over New Zealand. From its reflected brightness, astronomers estimate that the asteroid is about 60 feet (20 meters) in size.

Avian influenza virus isolated in harbor seals poses a threat to humans Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT The avian influenza A H3N8 virus that killed harbor seals along the New England coast can spread through respiratory droplets and poses a threat to humans, scientists have found. The findings reinforce the need for continued surveillance of flu viruses circulating in wild and domestic animals to understand the risk the viruses pose to humans, said the study's first author.

Public trust has dwindled in America with rise in income inequality Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT Trust in others and confidence in societal institutions are at their lowest point in over three decades, analyses of national survey data reveal. "With the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, people trust each other less," says one researcher. "There's a growing perception that other people are cheating or taking advantage to get ahead, as evidenced, for example, by the ideas around 'the 1%' in the Occupy protests."

Greener neighborhoods lead to better birth outcomes, new research shows Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT Mothers who live in neighborhoods with plenty of grass, trees or other green vegetation are more likely to deliver at full term and their babies are born at higher weights, compared to mothers who live in urban areas that aren't as green, a new study shows.

Ozone pollution in India kills enough crops to feed 94 million in poverty Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT In one year, India's ozone pollution damaged millions of tons of the country's major crops, causing losses of more than a billion dollars and destroying enough food to feed tens of millions of people living below the poverty line.

Plant-based research prevents complication of hemophilia treatment in mice Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:16 AM PDT A strategy to prevent one of the most serious complications of hemophilia treatment is underway at an American university. The approach, which uses plant cells to teach the immune system to tolerate rather than attack the clotting factor protein, offers hope for preventing one of the most serious complications of hemophilia treatment.

Archerfish target shoot with 'skillfully thrown' water Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:15 AM PDT Archerfish hunt by shooting jets of water at unsuspecting prey on leaves or twigs above, knocking them into the water below before gobbling them up. Now, a study finds that those fish are much more adaptable and skillful target-shooters than anyone had given them credit for. The fish really do use water as a tool making them the first known tool-using animal to adaptively change the hydrodynamic properties of a free jet of water.

Reacting to personal setbacks: Do you bounce back or give up? Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:11 AM PDT Sometimes when people get upsetting news – such as a failing exam grade or a negative job review – they decide instantly to do better the next time. In other situations that are equally disappointing, the same people may feel inclined to just give up. How can similar setbacks produce such different reactions? It may come down to how much control we feel we have over what happened, according to new research.

How the brain finds what it's looking for Posted: 04 Sep 2014 10:11 AM PDT A brain region that appears central to perceiving the combination of color and motion has been identified by researchers. These neurons shift in sensitivity toward different colors and directions depending on what is being attended. The study sheds light on a key neurological process.

Oxidized LDL might actually be 'good guy' Posted: 04 Sep 2014 09:12 AM PDT A team of investigators has made a thought-provoking discovery about a type of cholesterol previously believed to be a 'bad guy' in the development of heart disease and other conditions. "Based on our analysis, we were surprised to find that, instead of increasing the amount of cholesterol uptake and accumulation in the macrophage foam cells, mildly oxidized LDL almost completely prevents increases in cholesterol," a researcher said.

Life forms appeared at least 60 million years earlier than previously thought Posted: 04 Sep 2014 09:12 AM PDT Life forms appeared at least 60 million years earlier than previously thought. They added oxygen to our atmosphere, which led to the evolution of complex life.

Atomically thin material opens door for integrated nanophotonic circuits Posted: 04 Sep 2014 09:12 AM PDT Researchers have described a new combination of materials that could be a step towards building computer chips capable of transporting digital information at the speed of light.

A new model for a cosmological enigma -- dark matter: Solving long-standing and troublesome puzzles Posted: 04 Sep 2014 09:12 AM PDT Astrophysicists believe that about 80 percent of the substance of our universe is made up of mysterious "dark matter" that can't be perceived by human senses or scientific instruments.

Messenger molecules identified as part of arthritis puzzle Posted: 04 Sep 2014 09:12 AM PDT The way in which some cells alter their behavior at the onset of osteoarthritis has been identified for the first time by researchers. "We've not discovered the cause of arthritis, but this does shed light on the process of how the disease manifests itself. To develop new drugs to treat one of the leading causes of disability requires the fullest possible understanding of the condition and this discovery is part of that overall picture," one researcher concluded.

Time flies: Breakthrough study identifies genetic link between circadian clock and seasonal timing Posted: 04 Sep 2014 09:11 AM PDT New insights into day-length measurement in flies have been uncovered by researchers. The study has corroborated previous observations that flies developed under short days become significantly more cold-resistant compared with flies raised in long-days, suggesting that this response can be used to study seasonal photoperiodic timing. Photoperiodism is the physiological reaction of organisms to the length of day or night, occurring in both plants and animals.

Bats change strategy when food is scarce Posted: 04 Sep 2014 08:12 AM PDT Bats could be more flexible in their echolocation behavior than previously thought, according to a new study into the foraging techniques of the desert long-eared bat. Gleaning bats usually have long ears for the detection of faint sound cues and low wing loading to allow them to carry heavy loads -- features that increase drag and are linked to slower flight. So why would bats adapted to one foraging mode (gleaning), adopt another (hawking)?

Mantle plumes crack continents Posted: 04 Sep 2014 07:38 AM PDT Using a simulation with an unprecedentedly high resolution, Earth scientists have shown that magma columns in the Earth's interior can cause continental breakup -- but only if the Earth's skin is already taut.

Finding new approaches for therapeutics against Ebola virus Posted: 04 Sep 2014 07:38 AM PDT New ways to identify drugs that could be used to treat Ebola virus infection are the focus of recent study. Researchers have looked at what proteins inside a cell are critical for the functions of Ebola virus and are hijacked by the virus to help with infection. One of the proteins they have targeted is known as VP24. This protein disrupts signalling in infected human cells and disrupts the body's immune system and the fight against the virus.

New research offers help for spinal cord patients Posted: 04 Sep 2014 07:38 AM PDT The cause of the involuntary muscle contractions which patients with severe spinal cord injuries frequently suffer has been discovered through a study on rats. The findings, in the long run, can pave the way for new treatment methods.

Bluefin tuna found hunting for mackerel in East Greenland waters Posted: 04 Sep 2014 07:34 AM PDT On a warm summer day in August 2012, Greenlandic fishermen and biologists caught an unusual catch while conducting an exploratory fishery for mackerel. Three large bluefin tuna were among the several tonnes of mackerel that were caught that summer. The presence of bluefin tuna in waters near Greenland is a very rare event, and there are no other scientific reports of its presence so far north as the Denmark Strait.

Disparities persist in early-stage breast cancer treatment Posted: 04 Sep 2014 07:33 AM PDT Despite its acceptance as standard of care for early stage breast cancer almost 25 years ago, barriers still exist that preclude patients from receiving breast conserving therapy (BCT), with some still opting for a mastectomy, according to research.

Breast conserving therapy shows survival benefit compared to mastectomy in early-stage patients with hormone receptor positive disease Posted: 04 Sep 2014 07:33 AM PDT When factoring in what is now known about breast cancer biology and heterogeneity, breast conserving therapy (BCT) may offer a greater survival benefit over mastectomy to women with early stage, hormone-receptor positive disease, according to research.

Breast vs. bottle feeding in rhesus monkeys: Marked difference in intestinal bacteria, immunologic development Posted: 04 Sep 2014 06:30 AM PDT Infant rhesus monkeys receiving different diets early in life develop distinct immune systems that persist months after weaning, a study has shown. While the researchers expected different diets would promote different intestinal bacteria (microbiota), they were surprised at how dramatically these microbes shaped immunologic development. Specifically, breast-fed macaques had more "memory" T cells and T helper 17 (TH17) cells, which are known to fight Salmonella and other pathogens.

Titania-based material holds promise as new insulator for superconductors Posted: 04 Sep 2014 06:30 AM PDT Researchers show that a type of modified titania, or titanium dioxide, holds promise as an electrical insulator for superconducting magnets, allowing heat to dissipate while preserving the electrical paths along which current flows.

Dreadnoughtus: Gigantic, exceptionally complete sauropod dinosaur Posted: 04 Sep 2014 06:30 AM PDT The new 65-ton (59,300 kg) dinosaur species Dreadnoughtus schrani is the largest land animal for which body mass can be accurately calculated. Its skeleton is the most complete ever found of its type, with over 70 percent of the bones, excluding the head, represented. Because all previously discovered supermassive dinosaurs are known from relatively fragmentary remains, Dreadnoughtus offers an unprecedented window into the anatomy and biomechanics of the largest animals to ever walk the Earth.

Nano-pea pod model widens electronics applications Posted: 04 Sep 2014 06:27 AM PDT A new theoretical model explains how a nanostructure, such as the nano-pea pod, can exhibit localized electrons. Periodic chain-like nanostructures are widely used in nanoelectronics. Typically, chain elements include the likes of quantum rings, quantum dots, or quantum graphs. Such a structure enables electrons to move along the chain, in theory, indefinitely. The trouble is that some applications require localized electrons —- these are no longer in a continuous energy spectrum but in a discrete energy spectrum, instead.

How good is the fossil record? New study casts doubt on their usefulness Posted: 04 Sep 2014 05:46 AM PDT Do all the millions of fossils in museums around the world give a balanced view of the history of life, or is the record too incomplete to be sure? This question was first recognized by Charles Darwin and has worried scientists ever since.

To clean air and beyond: Catching greenhouse gases with advanced membranes Posted: 04 Sep 2014 05:46 AM PDT An advanced membrane has been developed for the purpose of cleaning up greenhouse gases. The membranes are cheaper, long-lasting, selective and highly permeable compared to commercially available ones.

Liver injury caused by herbals, dietary supplements rises in study population Posted: 04 Sep 2014 05:46 AM PDT Liver injury caused by herbals and dietary supplements increased from 7% to 20% in a U.S. study group over a ten-year period, research shows. According to the study, liver injury caused by non-bodybuilding supplements is most severe, occurring more often in middle-aged women and more frequently resulting in death or the need for transplantation than liver injury from bodybuilding supplements or conventional medications.

Intestinal barrier damage in multiple sclerosis Posted: 04 Sep 2014 05:46 AM PDT A new study investigates whether the function of the intestines is also attacked in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The results, obtained from a disease model of MS in mice, shows inflammation and changes in the barrier function of the intestines early in the course of the disease.

Visualizing plastic changes to brain from magnetic stimulation: Effects of novel treatment method demonstrated Posted: 04 Sep 2014 05:45 AM PDT Tinnitus, migraine, epilepsy, depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's: all these are examples of diseases with neurological causes, the treatment and study of which is more and more frequently being carried out by means of magnetic stimulation of the brain. However, the method's precise mechanisms of action have not, as yet, been fully understood.

Cystic fibrosis: Additional immune dysfunction discovered Posted: 04 Sep 2014 05:45 AM PDT Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a frequent genetic disease affecting the lung and the gastrointestinal tract. Scientists have now shown that many of the adult patients with CF in addition lack a cell surface molecule, which is important for immune defense.

First Neanderthal rock engraving found in Gibraltar: Abstract art older than thought? Posted: 04 Sep 2014 05:45 AM PDT The first example of a rock engraving attributed to Neanderthals has been discovered in Gorham's Cave, Gibraltar. Dated at over 39,000 years old, it consists of a deeply impressed cross-hatching carved into rock. Its analysis calls into question the view that the production of representational and abstract depictions on cave walls was a cultural innovation introduced into Europe by modern humans. On the contrary, the findings support the hypothesis that Neanderthals had a symbolic material culture.

Cannabis prevents negative behavioral, physiological effects of traumatic events, rat study shows Posted: 04 Sep 2014 05:42 AM PDT Administering synthetic marijuana (cannabinoids) soon after a traumatic event can prevent PTSD-like (post-traumatic stress disorder) symptoms in rats, caused by the trauma and by trauma reminders, scientists report.

New clues to determining the solar cycle Posted: 03 Sep 2014 05:41 PM PDT Approximately every 11 years, the sun undergoes a complete personality change from quiet and calm to violently active. The height of the sun's activity, known as solar maximum, is a time of numerous sunspots, punctuated with profound eruptions that send radiation and solar particles out into the far reaches of space. However, the timing of the solar cycle is far from precise.

Ancient mammal relatives were active at night 100 million years before origin of mammals Posted: 03 Sep 2014 05:41 PM PDT New study reveals that nocturnality has older origin than previously thought. Synapsids, living about 300 million years ago, were probably active at night.

Global epidemic of diabetes threatens to jeopardize further progress in tuberculosis control Posted: 03 Sep 2014 05:38 PM PDT 15% of adult TB cases worldwide are already attributable to diabetes, studies show. These diabetes-associated cases correspond to over 1 million cases a year, with more than 40% occurring in India and China alone. If diabetes rates continue to rise out of control, the present downward trajectory in global TB cases could be offset by 8% (ie, 8% less reduction) or more by 2035, warn the authors of a new article.

Blood test for 'nicked' protein predicts prostate cancer treatment response Posted: 03 Sep 2014 05:37 PM PDT Prostate cancer patients whose tumors contain a shortened protein called AR-V7, which can be detected in the blood, are less likely to respond to two widely used drugs for metastatic prostate cancer, according to results of a study. If large-scale studies validate the findings, the investigators say men with detectable blood levels of AR-V7 should avoid these two drugs and instead take other medicines to treat their prostate cancer.

Climate change science aided by huge but 'invisible' efforts of amateurs Posted: 03 Sep 2014 01:36 PM PDT Hundreds of thousands of volunteer data collectors are due for some thanks from scientists, according to a new paper that reveals the role of citizen science in studies of birds and climate change.

How much gravity is enough? Posted: 03 Sep 2014 01:35 PM PDT Keeping upright in a low-gravity environment is not easy, and NASA documents abound with examples of astronauts falling on the lunar surface. Now, a new study suggests that the reason for all these moon mishaps might be because its gravity isn't sufficient to provide astronauts with unambiguous information on which way is 'up'.

Innovative algorithm spots interactions lethal to cancer Posted: 03 Sep 2014 01:35 PM PDT An ideal anti-cancer treatment -- one that's immediately lethal to cancer cells, harmless to healthy cells, and resistant to cancer's relapse -- is still a dream. New research takes a step closer to the realization of that dream with an innovative computer algorithm that spots cancer-busting 'genetic partners' whose interactions are lethal to cancer cells.

Longitudinal study explores white matter damage, cognition after traumatic axonal injury Posted: 03 Sep 2014 01:26 PM PDT Traumatic Axonal Injury is a form of traumatic brain injury that can have detrimental effects on the integrity of the brain's white matter and lead to cognitive impairments. A new study investigated white matter damage in the acute and chronic stages of a traumatic axonal injury in an effort to better understand what long-term damage may result.

Wearable sensors to detect firearm use Posted: 03 Sep 2014 01:26 PM PDT A new study demonstrates that wearable sensors could one day transform the correctional system by tracking gun use by community-based offenders, who account for a disproportionate share of fatal and non-fatal shootings.

New deep sea mushroom-shaped organisms discovered Posted: 03 Sep 2014 01:26 PM PDT Scientists have discovered two new species of sea-dwelling, mushroom-shaped organisms. The new organisms are multicellular and mostly non-symmetrical, with a dense layer of gelatinous material between the outer skin cell and inner stomach cell layers.

Can sleep loss affect your brain size? Posted: 03 Sep 2014 01:16 PM PDT Sleep difficulties may be linked to faster rates of decline in brain volume, according to a study. "It is not yet known whether poor sleep quality is a cause or consequence of changes in brain structure," said a study author. "There are effective treatments for sleep problems, so future research needs to test whether improving people's quality of sleep could slow the rate of brain volume loss. If that is the case, improving people's sleep habits could be an important way to improve brain health."

Galapagos invasion is global warning Posted: 03 Sep 2014 10:33 AM PDT Parts of the iconic Galapagos Islands have been overrun by invasive plants from other parts of the world.

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