ScienceDaily: Top News

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• New NASA probe will study Earth's forests in 3-D
• Evidence of 'diving' tectonic plates on Jupiter's moon Europa
• Study puts some mussels into Bay restoration
• Planet forming around star about 335 light years from Earth
• Unusual immune cell needed to prevent oral thrush, researchers find
• Researchers part water: 'electric prism' separates water's nuclear spin states
• New compound inhibits enzyme crucial to MERS, SARS viruses -- with a catch
• There could be increased numbers of psychopaths in senior managerial positions, high levels of business, research shows
• Looking deep inside a working lithium-ion battery
• Sun-powered desalination for villages in India
• Bacteria from bees possible alternative to antibiotics
• Food craving is stronger, but controllable, for kids
• New knowledge of cannabis paves way for drug development
• Climate change to increase forest fire danger in Europe
• Light detector to revolutionize night vision technology
• Sleeping on animal fur in infancy found to reduce risk of asthma
• Taking short walking breaks found to reverse negative effects of prolonged sitting
• Father's smoking prior to conception could increase asthma risk for baby
• Breath temperature test could identify lung cancer
• Word 'edges' are important for language acquisition
• New mechanism in gene regulation revealed
• Electronic training collars present welfare risk to pet dogs
• Doped graphene nanoribbons with potential
• Global food trade may not meet all future demand, study indicates
• Seeing below the surface: Ultra-thin, high-speed detector captures unprecedented range of light waves
• Ultraviolet light-induced mutation drives many skin cancers, researchers find
• Targeting protein-making machinery to stop harmful bacteria
• Why age reduces stem cells' ability to repair muscle
• Each day in hospital raises risk of multidrug-resistant infection
• New antifungal as effective as existing drugs with fewer adverse events
• Inexpensive lab test identifies resistant infections in hours
• Researchers discover key to making new muscles
• Platelet-like particles augment natural blood clotting for treating trauma
• Continuing Bragg legacy of structure determination
• Rethinking the basic science of graphene synthesis
• Dynamic duo takes out cellular trash: Research finds how dead cells are removed from body
• Flour identified as main cause of occupational asthma in France
• Electronic nose can detect sub-groups of asthma in children
• New single-dose influenza drug appears safe, effective

New NASA probe will study Earth's forests in 3-D Posted: 08 Sep 2014 09:58 AM PDT A laser-based instrument being developed for the International Space Station will provide a unique 3-D view of Earth's forests, helping to fill in missing information about their role in the carbon cycle.

Evidence of 'diving' tectonic plates on Jupiter's moon Europa Posted: 08 Sep 2014 09:22 AM PDT Scientists have found evidence of plate tectonics on Jupiter's moon Europa. This indicates the first sign of this type of surface-shifting geological activity on a world other than Earth. "Europa may be more Earth-like than we imagined, if it has a global plate tectonic system," said one of the researchers.

Study puts some mussels into Bay restoration Posted: 08 Sep 2014 09:15 AM PDT Research in Chesapeake Bay shows that the mussels that typically colonize a restored oyster reef can more than double the reef's overall filtration capacity. Filtering plankton helps improve water quality because these tiny drifting organisms thrive on the excess nitrogen and other nutrients that humans release into the Bay and its tributaries through farming, wastewater outflow, and the burning of fossil fuels.

Planet forming around star about 335 light years from Earth Posted: 08 Sep 2014 09:15 AM PDT Scientists have discovered what they believe is evidence of a planet forming around a star about 335 light years from Earth. Astronomers set out to study the protoplanetary disk around a star known as HD 100546, and as sometimes happens in scientific inquiry, it was by "chance" that they stumbled upon the formation of the planet orbiting this star.

Unusual immune cell needed to prevent oral thrush, researchers find Posted: 08 Sep 2014 09:15 AM PDT An unusual kind of immune cell in the tongue appears to play a pivotal role in the prevention of thrush, according to the researchers who discovered them. The findings might shed light on why people infected with HIV or who have other immune system impairments are more susceptible to the oral yeast infection.

Researchers part water: 'electric prism' separates water's nuclear spin states Posted: 08 Sep 2014 09:10 AM PDT Using an 'electric prism,' scientists have found a new way of separating water molecules that differ only in their nuclear spin states and, under normal conditions, do not part ways. Since water is such a fundamental molecule in the universe, the recent study may impact a multitude of research areas ranging from biology to astrophysics.

New compound inhibits enzyme crucial to MERS, SARS viruses -- with a catch Posted: 08 Sep 2014 09:09 AM PDT A compound that effectively inhibits an enzyme crucial to the viruses that cause Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome has been identified by researchers. The compound appears to have a different method of inhibition in each virus due to slight differences in each virus' enzyme which means finding other compounds that inhibit both may be difficult.

There could be increased numbers of psychopaths in senior managerial positions, high levels of business, research shows Posted: 08 Sep 2014 09:07 AM PDT For the first time, it has been demonstrated that people with psychopathic tendencies who have high IQs can mask their symptoms by manipulating tests designed to reveal their personalities. It raises the possibility that large numbers of ruthless risk-takers are able to conceal their level of psychopathy as they rise to key managerial posts.

Looking deep inside a working lithium-ion battery Posted: 08 Sep 2014 09:00 AM PDT In an unprecedented view inside a working lithium-ion battery, researchers used a neutron beam to "see" the flow of lithium in real time, as the battery charged and discharged. What they saw could one day help explain why rechargeable batteries lose capacity over time, and why they even sometimes catch fire.

Sun-powered desalination for villages in India Posted: 08 Sep 2014 06:37 AM PDT Around the world, there is more salty groundwater than fresh, drinkable groundwater. For example, 60 percent of India is underlain by salty water -- and much of that area is not served by an electric grid that could run conventional reverse-osmosis desalination plants. Sun-powered desalination could deliver clean water for off-grid villages.

Bacteria from bees possible alternative to antibiotics Posted: 08 Sep 2014 06:37 AM PDT Thirteen lactic acid bacteria found in the honey stomach of bees have shown promising results in a series of studies. The group of bacteria counteracted antibiotic-resistant MRSA in lab experiments. The bacteria, mixed into honey, has healed horses with persistent wounds. The formula has previously been shown to protect against bee colony collapse.

Food craving is stronger, but controllable, for kids Posted: 08 Sep 2014 06:37 AM PDT Children show stronger food craving than adolescents and adults, but they are also able to use a cognitive strategy that reduces craving, according to new research. "These findings are important because they suggest that we may have another tool in our toolbox to combat childhood obesity," says psychological scientist and the study's lead researcher.

New knowledge of cannabis paves way for drug development Posted: 08 Sep 2014 06:37 AM PDT Revolutionary nanotechnology method could help improve the development of new medicine and reduce costs. Researchers have developed a new screening method that makes it possible to study cell membrane proteins that bind drugs, such as cannabis and adrenaline, while reducing the consumption of precious samples by a billion times.

Climate change to increase forest fire danger in Europe Posted: 08 Sep 2014 06:36 AM PDT Climate change is expected to contribute to a dramatic increase in forest fire damage in Europe, but better forest management could mitigate the problem, according to new research.

Light detector to revolutionize night vision technology Posted: 08 Sep 2014 06:36 AM PDT A light detector that could revolutionize chemical sensing and night vision technology has been developed by researchers. Based on graphene, the detector is capable of detecting light over an unusually broad range of wavelengths, included in this are terahertz waves -- between infrared and microwave radiation, where sensitive light detection is most difficult.

Sleeping on animal fur in infancy found to reduce risk of asthma Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:37 AM PDT Sleeping on animal fur in the first three months of life might reduce the risk of asthma in later childhood a new study has found. The chance of having asthma at the age of 6 years was 79% lower in children who had slept on animal skin after birth compared with those who were not exposed to animal skin. The risk decreased to 41% by the age of 10.

Taking short walking breaks found to reverse negative effects of prolonged sitting Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:37 AM PDT Three easy -- one could even say slow -- 5-minute walks can reverse harm caused to leg arteries during three hours of prolonged sitting, researchers report. Sitting for long periods of time is associated with risk factors such as higher cholesterol levels and greater waist circumference that can lead to cardiovascular and metabolic disease. When people sit, slack muscles do not contract to effectively pump blood to the heart. Blood can pool in the legs and affect the endothelial function of arteries, or the ability of blood vessels to expand from increased blood flow.

Father's smoking prior to conception could increase asthma risk for baby Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:37 AM PDT A baby has a greater risk of asthma if his or her father smoked prior to conception, research shows. The study is the first in humans to analyze the link between a father's smoking habits before conception and a child's asthma. The findings add to growing evidence from animal studies which suggest that the father's exposures before parenthood can harm his child.

Breath temperature test could identify lung cancer Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:37 AM PDT The temperature of exhaled breath could be used to diagnose lung cancer, according to a new study. Results of a study demonstrated that the patients with lung cancer had a higher breath temperature than those without. The temperature also increased with the number of years a person had smoked and the stage at which their lung cancer had developed.

Word 'edges' are important for language acquisition Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:33 AM PDT Word "edges" are important for language acquisition. Children start to learn the sound of words by remembering the first and last syllables. A new study sheds light on the information the infant brain uses during language acquisition and the format in which it stores words in its memory.

New mechanism in gene regulation revealed Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:33 AM PDT The information encoded in our genes is translated into proteins, which ultimately mediate biological functions in an organism. Messenger RNA (mRNA) plays an important role, as it is the molecular template used for translation. Scientist have now unraveled a molecular mechanism of mRNA recognition, which is essential for understanding differential gene regulation in male and female organisms.

Electronic training collars present welfare risk to pet dogs Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:33 AM PDT The results of a recent study have revealed that the immediate effects of training pet dogs with an electronic collar cause behavioural signs of distress, particularly when used at high settings.

Doped graphene nanoribbons with potential Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:33 AM PDT Graphene possesses many outstanding properties: it conducts heat and electricity, it is transparent, harder than diamond and extremely strong. But in order to use it to construct electronic switches, a material must not only be an outstanding conductor, it should also be switchable between "on" and "off" states. This requires the presence of a so-called bandgap, which enables semiconductors to be in an insulating state. The problem, however, is that the bandgap in graphene is extremely small. Empa researchers from the "nanotech@surfaces" laboratory thus developed a method some time ago to synthesize a form of graphene with larger bandgaps by allowing ultra-narrow graphene nanoribbons to "grow" via molecular self-assembly.

Global food trade may not meet all future demand, study indicates Posted: 08 Sep 2014 05:32 AM PDT Global food security and the patterns of food trade that – until this analysis – have been minimally studied, are the focus of new research. As the world population continues to grow, by about 1 billion people every 12 to 14 years since the 1960s, the global food supply may not meet escalating demand -- particularly for agriculturally poor countries in arid to semi-arid regions, such as Africa's Sahel, that already depend on imports for much of their food supply, researchers say.

Seeing below the surface: Ultra-thin, high-speed detector captures unprecedented range of light waves Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:17 PM PDT Research could lead to light detectors that can see below the surface of bodies, walls, and other objects, with applications in emerging terahertz fields such as mobile communications, medical imaging, chemical sensing, night vision, and security.

Ultraviolet light-induced mutation drives many skin cancers, researchers find Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:17 PM PDT A genetic mutation caused by ultraviolet light is likely the driving force behind millions of human skin cancers, according to researchers. The mutation occurs in a gene called KNSTRN, which is involved in helping cells divide their DNA equally during cell division.

Targeting protein-making machinery to stop harmful bacteria Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:12 PM PDT In an effort to kill harmful bacteria -- including so-called super-bugs -- many scientists have been focusing on the ribosomes, which manufacture a cell's proteins. But a biologist now is trying to stop those ribosomes from forming in the first place, and has, for the first time, isolated the middle steps in the process that forms the ribosomes.

Why age reduces stem cells' ability to repair muscle Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:12 PM PDT As we age, stem cells throughout our bodies gradually lose their capacity to repair damage, even from normal wear and tear. Researchers from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and University of Ottawa have discovered the reason why this decline occurs in our skeletal muscle. Their findings were published online today in the influential journal Nature Medicine.

Each day in hospital raises risk of multidrug-resistant infection Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:11 PM PDT If a patient contracts an infection while in the hospital, each day of hospitalization increases by 1 percent the likelihood that the infection will be multidrug-resistant, according to research.

New antifungal as effective as existing drugs with fewer adverse events Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:11 PM PDT A newly developed antifungal, isavuconazole, is as effective as an existing drug, voriconazole, against invasive mold disease in cancer patients with less adverse effects, according to phase 3 clinical data.

Inexpensive lab test identifies resistant infections in hours Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:11 PM PDT The protocol for a relatively new test for a dangerous form of antibiotic resistance has been changed by scientists, increasing its specificity to 100 percent. This research confirms the reliability of a test that can provide results in hours and is simple and inexpensive enough to be conducted in practically any clinical laboratory.

Researchers discover key to making new muscles Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:06 PM PDT Cyclic bursts of a STAT3 inhibitor can replenish muscle stem cells and promote their differentiation into muscle fibers, scientists report. The findings are an important step toward developing and maintaining new muscle to treat muscle diseases.

Platelet-like particles augment natural blood clotting for treating trauma Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:06 PM PDT A new class of synthetic platelet-like particles could augment natural blood clotting for the emergency treatment of traumatic injuries -- and potentially offer doctors a new option for curbing surgical bleeding and addressing certain blood clotting disorders without the need for transfusions of natural platelets.

Continuing Bragg legacy of structure determination Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:06 PM PDT Over 100 years since the Nobel Prize-winning father and son team Sir William and Sir Lawrence Bragg pioneered the use of X-rays to determine crystal structure, researchers have made significant new advances in the field.

Rethinking the basic science of graphene synthesis Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:06 PM PDT A new route to making graphene could make the 21st century's wonder material easier to ramp up to industrial scale. Graphene -- a tightly bound single layer of carbon atoms with super strength and the ability to conduct heat and electricity better than any other known material -- has potential industrial uses that include flexible electronic displays, high-speed computing, stronger wind turbine blades, and more efficient solar cells, to name just a few under development.

Dynamic duo takes out cellular trash: Research finds how dead cells are removed from body Posted: 07 Sep 2014 03:06 PM PDT Scientists have identified how immune cells use two critical receptors to clear dead cells from the body, pointing the way to new autoimmune and cancer therapies. "This basic research focus allowed us to discover a completely new aspect of immune regulation that no one -— including any immunologist—had known about before," said one researcher.

Flour identified as main cause of occupational asthma in France Posted: 07 Sep 2014 05:49 AM PDT Flour has been identified as the main cause of occupational asthma in France, closely followed by cleaning products. The research, which is the largest of its kind to be undertaken in France, aimed to understand who was most affected by the condition and what the main causes were.

Electronic nose can detect sub-groups of asthma in children Posted: 07 Sep 2014 05:49 AM PDT An electronic nose can be used to successfully detect different sub-groups of asthmatic children, according to a new study. The new study analysed the profile of exhaled breath in samples from 106 children with asthma or wheeze. This involved looking at particles in the breath known as exhaled volatile compounds, which are then analysed by so-called electronic noses.

New single-dose influenza drug appears safe, effective Posted: 06 Sep 2014 02:32 PM PDT An analysis of phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials shows that a single injected dose of the neuraminidase inhibitor peramivir is safe and effective at alleviating influenza symptoms, including fever and viral shedding, when administered within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.

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