ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Breakthrough in optical fiber communications
• Gene critical for proper brain development discovered
• Helping parents understand infant sleep patterns
• A 'GPS' for molecules
• A vegetarian carnivorous plant
• Cells identified that enhance tumor growth and suppress anti-cancer immune attack
• Neuroscientists identify brain mechanisms that predict generosity in children
• Parents' BMI decreases with child involved in school-based, community obesity intervention
• Quantum physics just got less complicated: Wave-particle duality and quantum uncertainty are same thing
• OCD patients' brains light up to reveal how compulsive habits develop
• Being humble: Research shows E.B. White was right in Charlotte's Web
• High socioeconomic status increases discrimination, depression risk in black young adults
• A clear, molecular view of how human color vision evolved
• Latest evidence on using hormone replacement therapy for treating menopausal symptoms
• Tooth loss linked to slowing mind, body
• People with blood groups A, B and AB at higher risk of type 2 diabetes than group O
• Don't be tempted to buy your teen a cheap (old) car, parents warned
• Less than half of UK prescriptions for antipsychotics issued for main licensed conditions
• Local enforcement of federal immigration laws affects immigrant Hispanics' healthcare
• Ability to balance on one leg may reflect brain health, stroke risk
• Most commonly prescribed glaucoma drug reduces risk of vision loss by more than 50% over 2 years
• Doctor who survived Ebola received experimental drug treatment
• Older kidney donors with hypertension may have good kidney health following donation
• Signs of Europa plumes remain elusive in search of Cassini data
• NASA's Kepler reborn, makes first exoplanet find of new mission
• Improving rechargeable batteries by focusing on graphene oxide paper
• 'Tipping points' for sea level rise related flooding determined
• Study on world's biggest animal finds more than one population in the southeastern Pacific
• Glimpsing pathway of sunlight to electricity
• Cell-associated HIV mucosal transmission: The neglected pathway
• New, tighter timeline confirms ancient volcanism aligned with dinosaurs' extinction
• Physicists characterize electronic, magnetic structure in transition metal oxides
• Instant-start computers possible with new breakthrough
• Dust devil and the details: Spinning up a storm on Mars
• RNA measurements may yield less insight about gene expression than assumed
• Computational clues into the structure of a promising energy conversion catalyst
• Resistance to anti-viral drug may be more likely in cystic fibrosis patients
• Scientists identify new, beneficial function of endogenous retroviruses in immune response
• Bacterial infections differ based on geography, healthcare spending
• 'Deep learning' finds autism, cancer mutations in unexplored regions of genome
• How llamas' unusual antibodies might help in the fight against HIV/AIDS
• Time management skills keep animals primed for survival
• Mutations need help from evolution to cause cancer
• Enzyme inhibitors suppress herpes simplex virus replication, study finds
• Hot flashes linked to increased risk of hip fracture
• Archaeologists unearth royal entry complex at Herodian Hilltop Palace

Breakthrough in optical fiber communications Posted: 19 Dec 2014 10:05 AM PST Researchers from the University of Southampton have revealed a breakthrough in optical fiber communications. They developed an approach that enables direct modulation of laser currents to be used to generate highly advanced modulation format signals. The research explores a radically new approach to the generation of spectrally-efficient advanced modulation format signals as required in modern optical communication systems.

Gene critical for proper brain development discovered Posted: 19 Dec 2014 07:41 AM PST A genetic pathway has been found that accounts for the extraordinary size of the human brain. The research team has identified a gene, KATNB1, as an essential component in a genetic pathway responsible for central nervous system development in humans and other animals.

Helping parents understand infant sleep patterns Posted: 19 Dec 2014 07:41 AM PST Most parents are not surprised by the irregularity of a newborn infant's sleep patterns, but by six months or so many parents wonder if something is wrong with their baby or their sleeping arrangements if the baby is not sleeping through the night. Health-care providers, specifically nurse practitioners, can help parents understand what 'normal' sleep patterns are for their child, according to researchers.

A 'GPS' for molecules Posted: 19 Dec 2014 07:40 AM PST In everyday life, the global positioning system can be employed to reliably determine the momentary location of one en route to the desired destination. Scientists have now developed a molecular 'GPS' with which the whereabouts of metal ions in enzymes can be reliably determined. Such ions play important roles in all corners of metabolism and synthesis for biological products.

A vegetarian carnivorous plant Posted: 19 Dec 2014 07:40 AM PST Carnivorous plants catch and digest tiny animals in order and derive benefits for their nutrition. Interestingly the trend towards vegetarianism seems to overcome carnivorous plants as well. The aquatic carnivorous bladderwort, which can be found in many lakes and ponds worldwide, does not only gain profit from eating little animals but also by consuming algae and pollen grains.

Cells identified that enhance tumor growth and suppress anti-cancer immune attack Posted: 19 Dec 2014 07:39 AM PST A study has identified the population of white blood cells that tumors use to enhance growth and suppress the disease-fighting immune system. The results mark a turning point in cancer immunology and provide the foundation for developing more effective immunotherapies.

Neuroscientists identify brain mechanisms that predict generosity in children Posted: 19 Dec 2014 07:39 AM PST Developmental neuroscientists have found specific brain markers that predict generosity in children. Those neural markers appear to be linked to both social and moral evaluation processes. Although young children are natural helpers, their perspective on sharing resources tends to be selfish.

Parents' BMI decreases with child involved in school-based, community obesity intervention Posted: 19 Dec 2014 07:39 AM PST Parents of children involved in an elementary school-based community intervention to prevent obesity appear to share in its health benefits. A new analysis shows an association between being exposed to the intervention as a parent and a modest decrease in body mass index (BMI) compared to parents in two similar control communities.

Quantum physics just got less complicated: Wave-particle duality and quantum uncertainty are same thing Posted: 19 Dec 2014 05:51 AM PST Here's a nice surprise: quantum physics is less complicated than we thought. An international team of researchers has demonstrated that two peculiar features of the quantum world previously considered distinct are different manifestations of the same thing.

OCD patients' brains light up to reveal how compulsive habits develop Posted: 19 Dec 2014 05:51 AM PST Misfiring of the brain's control system might underpin compulsions in obsessive-compulsive disorder, according to researchers.

Being humble: Research shows E.B. White was right in Charlotte's Web Posted: 18 Dec 2014 06:01 PM PST Psychologists conducted a bottom-up exploration of what it really means to be humble. They found that people see a unique dimension of humility akin to a love of learning.

High socioeconomic status increases discrimination, depression risk in black young adults Posted: 18 Dec 2014 06:01 PM PST An investigation into factors related to disparities of depression in young adults has found that higher parental education -- which has a protective effect for white youth -- can also increase the risk of depression for black youth by increasing the discrimination they experience.

A clear, molecular view of how human color vision evolved Posted: 18 Dec 2014 06:01 PM PST Many genetic mutations in visual pigments, spread over millions of years, were required for humans to evolve from a primitive mammal with a dim, shadowy view of the world into a greater ape able to see all the colors in a rainbow. Now, after more than two decades of painstaking research, scientists have finished a detailed and complete picture of the evolution of human color vision.

Latest evidence on using hormone replacement therapy for treating menopausal symptoms Posted: 18 Dec 2014 06:00 PM PST Hormone replacement therapy is the most effective treatment for menopausal symptoms, in particular for younger women at the onset of the menopause, suggests a new review, which highlights that menopausal symptoms, including hot flushes and night sweats are common, affecting around 70% of women for an average of 5 years but may continue for many years in about 10% of women.

Tooth loss linked to slowing mind, body Posted: 18 Dec 2014 06:00 PM PST The memory and walking speeds of adults who have lost all of their teeth decline more rapidly than in those who still have some of their own teeth, finds new research. The association between total tooth loss and memory was explained after the results of a study were fully adjusted for a wide range of factors, such as sociodemographic characteristics, existing health problems, physical health, health behaviors, such as smoking and drinking, depression, relevant biomarkers, and particularly socioeconomic status. However, after adjusting for all possible factors, people without teeth still walked slightly slower than those with teeth.

People with blood groups A, B and AB at higher risk of type 2 diabetes than group O Posted: 18 Dec 2014 06:00 PM PST A study of more than 80,000 women has uncovered different risks of developing type 2 diabetes associated with different blood groups, with the biggest difference a 35 percent increased risk of type 2 diabetes found in those with group B, Rhesus factor positive blood compared with the universal donor group O, Rhesus factor negative.

Don't be tempted to buy your teen a cheap (old) car, parents warned Posted: 18 Dec 2014 06:00 PM PST Almost half of teen drivers killed on US roads in the past few years were driving vehicles that were 11 or more years old, and often lacking key safety features, reveals research. Parents, who are usually the ones stumping up for a car, could be putting their children's lives at risk by focusing on cost, warn the researchers.

Less than half of UK prescriptions for antipsychotics issued for main licensed conditions Posted: 18 Dec 2014 06:00 PM PST Less than half of UK prescriptions for antipsychotic drugs are being issued to treat the serious mental illnesses for which they are mainly licensed, reveals research. Instead, they may often be prescribed 'off label' to older people with other conditions, such as anxiety and dementia, despite the greater risk of potentially serious side effects in this age group, the findings indicate.

Local enforcement of federal immigration laws affects immigrant Hispanics' healthcare Posted: 18 Dec 2014 06:00 PM PST State and local enforcement of federal immigration laws can have an adverse impact on the use of health care services by immigrant Hispanics, according to a new study, which analyzed both birth records and information collected in focus groups and individual interviews.

Ability to balance on one leg may reflect brain health, stroke risk Posted: 18 Dec 2014 06:00 PM PST Struggling to stand on one leg for less than 20 seconds was linked to an increased risk for stroke, small blood vessel damage in the brain, and reduced cognitive function in otherwise healthy people, a study has shown. One-legged standing time may be a simple test used to measure early signs of abnormalities in the brain associated with cognitive decline, cerebral small vessel disease and stroke.

Most commonly prescribed glaucoma drug reduces risk of vision loss by more than 50% over 2 years Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:58 PM PST "Medication to lower raised eye pressure has been used for decades as the main treatment for OAG to delay progressive vision loss. But, until now, the extent to which the most frequently prescribed class of pressure-lowering drugs (prostaglandin analogues) have a protective effect on vision was not known," explains the lead author of a new study. "Our findings offer solid proof to patients and practitioners that the visual deterioration caused by glaucoma can be reduced using this treatment."

Doctor who survived Ebola received experimental drug treatment Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:58 PM PST On 28 September, 2014, the 38-year old doctor, who was in charge of an Ebola virus treatment unit in Lakka, Sierra Leone, developed a fever and diarrhea. He tested positive for the virus on the same day. The doctor was airlifted to Frankfurt University Hospital on the 5th day of his illness and admitted to a specialized isolation unit. Within 72 hours of admission he developed signs of vascular leakage and severe multi-organ failure, including the lungs, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract. He was placed on a ventilator and on kidney dialysis, and was given antibiotics together with a 3-day course of an experimental drug called FX06—a fibrin-derived peptide that has been shown to reduce vascular leakage and its complications in mice with Dengue hemorrhagic shock.

Older kidney donors with hypertension may have good kidney health following donation Posted: 18 Dec 2014 05:57 PM PST Kidney donors with hypertension had slightly fewer nephrons (the kidney's filtering units) at the time of donation than similarly aged donors with normal blood pressure; however, 6 months following their surgery, hypertensive and non-hypertensive donors both maintained excellent blood pressure control and had similarly robust compensatory kidney responses.

Signs of Europa plumes remain elusive in search of Cassini data Posted: 18 Dec 2014 04:47 PM PST A fresh look at data collected by NASA's Cassini spacecraft during its 2001 flyby of Jupiter shows that Europa's tenuous atmosphere is even thinner than previously thought and also suggests that the thin, hot gas around the moon does not show evidence of plume activity occurring at the time of the flyby. The new research provides a snapshot of Europa's state of activity at that time, and suggests that if there is plume activity, it is likely intermittent.

NASA's Kepler reborn, makes first exoplanet find of new mission Posted: 18 Dec 2014 04:44 PM PST NASA's planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft makes a comeback with the discovery of the first exoplanet found using its new mission -- K2. The discovery was made when astronomers and engineers devised an ingenious way to repurpose Kepler for the K2 mission and continue its search of the cosmos for other worlds.

Improving rechargeable batteries by focusing on graphene oxide paper Posted: 18 Dec 2014 12:45 PM PST An engineering team has discovered some of graphene oxide's important properties that can improve sodium- and lithium-ion flexible batteries.

'Tipping points' for sea level rise related flooding determined Posted: 18 Dec 2014 12:45 PM PST By 2050, a majority of US coastal areas are likely to be threatened by 30 or more days of flooding each year due to dramatically accelerating impacts from sea level rise, according to a new study.

Study on world's biggest animal finds more than one population in the southeastern Pacific Posted: 18 Dec 2014 12:45 PM PST Scientists are examining molecular clues to answer a big question: how many types of blue whales exist in the waters of the southeastern Pacific?

Glimpsing pathway of sunlight to electricity Posted: 18 Dec 2014 12:45 PM PST Four pulses of laser light on nanoparticle photocells in a spectroscopy experiment has opened a window on how captured sunlight can be converted into electricity. The work, which potentially could inspire devices with improved efficiency in solar energy conversion, was performed on photocells that used lead-sulfide quantum dots as photoactive semiconductor material.

Cell-associated HIV mucosal transmission: The neglected pathway Posted: 18 Dec 2014 12:45 PM PST Scientists are challenging dogma about the transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Most research has focused on infection by free viral particles, while this group of researchers proposes that HIV is also transmitted by infected cells.

New, tighter timeline confirms ancient volcanism aligned with dinosaurs' extinction Posted: 18 Dec 2014 12:45 PM PST A definitive geological timeline shows that a series of massive volcanic explosions 66 million years ago played a role in the extinction event that claimed Earth's non-avian dinosaurs, and challenges the dominant theory that a meteorite impact was the sole cause of the extinction.

Physicists characterize electronic, magnetic structure in transition metal oxides Posted: 18 Dec 2014 12:45 PM PST Scientists have characterized the electronic and magnetic structure in artificially synthesized materials called transition metal oxides.

Instant-start computers possible with new breakthrough Posted: 18 Dec 2014 12:45 PM PST If data could be encoded without current, it would require much less energy and make things like low-power, instant-on computing a ubiquitous reality. Scientists have made a breakthrough in that direction with a room-temperature magnetoelectric memory device. Equivalent to one computer bit, it exhibits the holy grail of next-generation nonvolatile memory: magnetic switchability, in two steps, with nothing but an electric field.

Dust devil and the details: Spinning up a storm on Mars Posted: 18 Dec 2014 12:44 PM PST Spinning up a dust devil in the thin air of Mars requires a stronger updraft than is needed to create a similar vortex on Earth, researchers show. "To start a dust devil on Mars you need convection, a strong updraft," said Bryce Williams, an atmospheric science graduate student at UAH. "We looked at the ratio between convection and surface turbulence to find the sweet spot where there is enough updraft to overcome the low level wind and turbulence. And on Mars, where we think the process that creates a vortex is more easily disrupted by frictional dissipation – turbulence and wind at the surface – you need twice as much convective updraft as you do on Earth."

RNA measurements may yield less insight about gene expression than assumed Posted: 18 Dec 2014 12:44 PM PST The majority of RNA expression differences between individuals have no connection to the abundance of a corresponding protein, report scientists. The results point to a yet-unidentified gene regulatory mechanism.

Computational clues into the structure of a promising energy conversion catalyst Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:11 AM PST Researchers at Princeton University have reported new insights into the structure of an active component of the nickel oxide catalyst, a promising catalyst for water splitting to produce hydrogen fuel.

Resistance to anti-viral drug may be more likely in cystic fibrosis patients Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:10 AM PST Following lung transplantation, resistance to the anti-viral drug ganciclovir may be more likely in cystic fibrosis patients, scientists report. Ganciclovir is given to lung transplant patients to protect against a life-threatening virus that is common after transplantation, and reduces mortality due to the virus from 34 percent to between 3 and 6 percent. But between 5 percent and 10 percent of patients infected with the virus have strains that are resistant to the drug.

Scientists identify new, beneficial function of endogenous retroviruses in immune response Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:10 AM PST Endogenous retroviruses play a critical role in the body's immune defense against common bacterial and viral pathogens, researchers have found. Retroviruses are best known for causing contagious scourges such as AIDS, or more sporadically, cancer.

Bacterial infections differ based on geography, healthcare spending Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:10 AM PST Bacterial infections differ based on distance from the equator and spending on health care, researchers have discovered. In their study, 23 health centers on six continents participated in study of bloodstream infections.

'Deep learning' finds autism, cancer mutations in unexplored regions of genome Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:10 AM PST Scientists have built a computer model that has uncovered disease-causing mutations in large regions of the genome that previously could not be explored. Their method seeks out mutations that cause changes in 'gene splicing,' and has revealed unexpected genetic determinants of autism, colon cancer and spinal muscular atrophy.

How llamas' unusual antibodies might help in the fight against HIV/AIDS Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:10 AM PST Most vaccines work by inducing an immune response characterized by neutralizing antibodies against the respective pathogen. An effective HIV vaccine has remained elusive so far, but researchers have continued to make progress, often employing innovative methods. A new study reports that a combination of antibodies from llamas can neutralize a wide range of circulating HIV viruses.

Time management skills keep animals primed for survival Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:10 AM PST Many animals may have a previously under-appreciated ability to make up for lost time with more effort, according to new research.

Mutations need help from evolution to cause cancer Posted: 18 Dec 2014 11:08 AM PST In addition to DNA damage, cancer depends on the slow degradation of tissue that allows cancer cells to out-compete healthy cells, a new study shows. "We show that mutations, although necessary, cannot promote blood cancer development without an age-altered tissue microenvironment," the researchers write.

Enzyme inhibitors suppress herpes simplex virus replication, study finds Posted: 18 Dec 2014 10:19 AM PST A family of molecules known as NTS enzyme inhibitors are promising candidates for new herpes virus treatments, a new study shows. The findings could lead to new treatment options for herpes that patients can use in conjunction with or instead of currently approved anti-viral medications like Acyclovir. Researchers likened a combination of treatments for herpes to a cocktail of medications HIV patients take.

Hot flashes linked to increased risk of hip fracture Posted: 18 Dec 2014 10:12 AM PST Women who experience moderate to severe hot flashes and night sweats during menopause tend to have lower bone mineral density and higher rates of hip fracture than peers who do not have menopausal symptoms, according to a new study.

Archaeologists unearth royal entry complex at Herodian Hilltop Palace Posted: 18 Dec 2014 09:07 AM PST Archaeologists have unearthed a unique royal entryway to the Herodian Hilltop Palace. The main feature is a 20-meter-high corridor with a complex system of arches, allowing the King and his entourage direct passage into the palace courtyard.  During the excavations, the original palace vestibule, decorated with painted frescoes, was also exposed.

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