ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Putting bedbugs to bed forever
• High-fat diet, obesity during pregnancy harms stem cells in developing fetus
• Christmas colors disguise gliding lizards in the rainforest
• Ants show left bias when exploring new spaces
• European fire ant impacts forest ecosystems by helping alien plants spread
• The ants that conquered the world
• Scrapie could breach the species barrier
• To remove the gallbladder or not: That is the question
• Identifying brain variations to predict patient response to surgery for OCD
• Trends in indoor tanning among U.S. high school students
• The heat is on: Causes of hospitalization due to heat waves identified
• Popular diabetes drug may be safe for patients with kidney disease
• Maternal supplementation with multiple micronutrients compared with iron-folic acid
• Researchers map paths to cancer drug resistance
• Alternate drug therapy lowers antibodies, researchers find
• Activating hair growth by modifying immune cells
• Taking the grunt work out of web development
• Whole-genome sequencing can successfully identify cancer-related mutations
• How 'microbial dark matter' might cause disease
• What 'fecal prints' of microbes can tell us about Earth's evolution
• Could playing Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker' and other music improve kids' brains?
• 'July effect' does not impact stroke outcomes, according to new study
• Echolocation acts as substitute sense for blind people
• Genetic study sheds light on how mosquitoes transmit malaria
• Dirty pool: Soil's large carbon stores could be freed by increased CO2, plant growth
• How electrons split: New evidence of exotic behaviors
• Greater risk of premature deaths in neighborhoods with high concentrations of check-cashing places
• New-generation 'thinking' biomimetic robots developed as ocean engineering solutions
• This Endoscope Zaps Tumors
• Drought causes birds to nest later, reducing nesting success
• Muddy forests, shorter winters present challenges for loggers
• Hands on: Crafting ultrathin color coatings
• Physical violence linked to stress hormone in women
• Shedding new light on diet of extinct animals
• Blocking notch pathway leads to new route to hair cell regeneration to restore hearing

Putting bedbugs to bed forever Posted: 24 Dec 2014 07:31 AM PST A team of scientists has found a way to conquer the global bedbug epidemic. By lending their own arms for thousands of bed bug bites, they have finally found the solution -- a set of chemical attractants, or pheromones, that lure the bedbugs into traps, and keep them there.

High-fat diet, obesity during pregnancy harms stem cells in developing fetus Posted: 24 Dec 2014 07:31 AM PST Physician-scientists reveal a high-fat diet and obesity during pregnancy compromise the blood-forming, or hematopoietic, stem cell system in the fetal liver responsible for creating and sustaining lifelong blood and immune system function.

Christmas colors disguise gliding lizards in the rainforest Posted: 24 Dec 2014 07:31 AM PST By mimicking the red and green colors of falling leaves, Bornean lizards avoid falling prey to birds whilst gliding, new research has found.

Ants show left bias when exploring new spaces Posted: 24 Dec 2014 07:31 AM PST Unlike Derek Zoolander, ants don't have any difficulty turning left. New research has found that the majority of rock ants instinctively go left when entering unknown spaces. Around ten percent of people are left-handed and brain lateralization is widespread in other vertebrates.

European fire ant impacts forest ecosystems by helping alien plants spread Posted: 24 Dec 2014 07:31 AM PST An invasive ant species that has become increasingly abundant in eastern North America not only takes over yards and delivers a nasty sting, it's helping the spread of an invasive plant species. The ants are very effective dispersers of invasive plant seeds and new research suggests that together they could wreak havoc on native ecosystems.

The ants that conquered the world Posted: 24 Dec 2014 07:31 AM PST About one tenth of the world's ants are close relatives; they all belong to just one genus out of 323, called Pheidole. New research suggests that Pheidole evolved the same way twice, once to take over the New World, and then again to take over the Old World.

Scrapie could breach the species barrier Posted: 24 Dec 2014 07:30 AM PST The pathogens responsible for scrapie in small ruminants (prions) have the potential to convert the human prion protein from a healthy state to a pathological state, researchers have discovered for the first time. In mice models reproducing the human species barrier, this prion induces a disease similar to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. These primary results stress the necessity to reassess the transmission of this disease to humans.

To remove the gallbladder or not: That is the question Posted: 23 Dec 2014 04:17 PM PST Gallbladder removal is one of the most common operations performed in older adults. Yet, research suggests that many patients who would benefit most from the surgery don't get it.

Identifying brain variations to predict patient response to surgery for OCD Posted: 23 Dec 2014 04:17 PM PST Identifying brain variations may help physicians predict which patients will respond to a neurosurgical procedure to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder that does not respond to medication or cognitive-behavioral therapies, according to a report.

Trends in indoor tanning among U.S. high school students Posted: 23 Dec 2014 04:17 PM PST While indoor tanning has decreased among high school students, about 20 percent of females engaged in indoor tanning at least once during 2013 and about 10 percent of girls frequently engaged in the practice by using an indoor tanning device 10 or more times during the year, according to a research.

The heat is on: Causes of hospitalization due to heat waves identified Posted: 23 Dec 2014 04:17 PM PST In the largest and most comprehensive study of heat-related illness to date, researchers have identified a handful of potentially serious disorders that put older Americans at significantly increased risk of winding up in the hospital during periods of extreme heat.

Popular diabetes drug may be safe for patients with kidney disease Posted: 23 Dec 2014 04:17 PM PST The most popular treatment for type 2 diabetes, metformin, may be safer for patients with mild to moderate kidney disease than guidelines suggest, according to a new, systematic review of the literature. For 20 years, metformin has been used in the U.S. to lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. Most experts consider it the best first agent to treat blood sugar increases in this disease. Despite its strong safety profile, the FDA has long recommended that metformin not be prescribed to patients with mild to moderate kidney disease due to the risk of lactic acidosis, a potentially serious condition. But those decades-old guidelines have recently been called into question.

Maternal supplementation with multiple micronutrients compared with iron-folic acid Posted: 23 Dec 2014 01:12 PM PST In Bangladesh, daily maternal supplementation of multiple micronutrients compared to iron-folic acid before and after childbirth did not reduce all-cause infant mortality to age 6 months, but did result in significant reductions in preterm birth and low birth weight, according to a study.

Researchers map paths to cancer drug resistance Posted: 23 Dec 2014 01:11 PM PST Key events that prompt certain cancer cells to develop resistance to otherwise lethal therapies have been identified by researchers. By mapping the specific steps that cells of melanoma, breast cancer and a blood cancer called myelofibrosis use to become resistant to drugs, the researchers now have much better targets for blocking those pathways and keeping current therapies effective.

Alternate drug therapy lowers antibodies, researchers find Posted: 23 Dec 2014 01:11 PM PST A novel pre-operative drug therapy reduces antibodies in kidney patients with greater success than with traditional methods, with the potential to increase the patients' candidacy for kidney transplantation and decrease the likelihood of organ rejection. These are the findings of a three-year clinical trial.

Activating hair growth by modifying immune cells Posted: 23 Dec 2014 01:11 PM PST How to restore hair loss is a task not undertaken exclusively by beauty practitioners. The discover reveals a novel angle to spur hair follicle growth. This also adds new knowledge to a broader problem: how to regenerate tissues in an adult organism, especially the skin.

Taking the grunt work out of web development Posted: 23 Dec 2014 11:16 AM PST A new programming language automatically coordinates interactions between Web page components. The language is called Ur/Web, and it lets developers write Web applications as self-contained programs. The language's compiler -- the program that turns high-level instructions into machine-executable code -- then automatically generates the corresponding XML code and style-sheet specifications and embeds the JavaScript and database code in the right places.

Whole-genome sequencing can successfully identify cancer-related mutations Posted: 23 Dec 2014 11:16 AM PST Whole-genome sequencing can be used to identify patients' risk for hereditary cancer, researchers have demonstrated. This is the first study that has used whole-genome sequencing to evaluate a series of 258 cancer patients' genomes to improve the ability to diagnose cancer-predisposing mutations, researchers say.

How 'microbial dark matter' might cause disease Posted: 23 Dec 2014 11:16 AM PST For decades, the bacteria group Candidate Phylum TM7, thought to cause inflammatory mucosal diseases, has posed a particular challenge for researchers. A landmark discovery has revealed insights into TM7's resistance to scientific study and to its role in the progression of periodontitis and other diseases. These findings shed new light on the biological, ecological and medical importance of TM7, and could lead to better understanding of other elusive bacteria.

What 'fecal prints' of microbes can tell us about Earth's evolution Posted: 23 Dec 2014 10:28 AM PST The distinctive "fecal prints" of microbes potentially provide a record of how Earth and life have co-evolved over the past 3.5 billion years as the planet's temperature, oxygen levels, and greenhouse gases have changed. But, despite more than 60 years of study, it has proved difficult, until now, to "read" much of the information contained in this record.

Could playing Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker' and other music improve kids' brains? Posted: 23 Dec 2014 10:25 AM PST In a study called 'the largest investigation of the association between playing a musical instrument and brain development,' a child psychiatry team has found that musical training might also help kids focus their attention, control their emotions and diminish their anxiety.

'July effect' does not impact stroke outcomes, according to new study Posted: 23 Dec 2014 10:25 AM PST Patients with strokes caused by blood clots -known as acute ischemic strokes- who were admitted in July had similar outcomes compared to patients admitted any other month, according to a new study. The findings challenge concerns about the possibility of lower quality of care and the potential risk of poorer outcomes in teaching hospitals when new medical residents start each July - sometimes called the 'July effect.'

Echolocation acts as substitute sense for blind people Posted: 23 Dec 2014 10:25 AM PST Human echolocation operates as a viable 'sense,' working in tandem with other senses to deliver information to people with visual impairment, according to new research. Ironically, the proof for the vision-like qualities of echolocation came from blind echolocators wrongly judging how heavy objects of different sizes felt.

Genetic study sheds light on how mosquitoes transmit malaria Posted: 23 Dec 2014 10:25 AM PST The genetic sequencing of 16 mosquitoes (Anopheles genus) -- the sole carriers of human malaria -- has been determined by an international team of researchers, providing new insight into how they adapt to humans as primary hosts of the disease.

Dirty pool: Soil's large carbon stores could be freed by increased CO2, plant growth Posted: 23 Dec 2014 08:42 AM PST An increase in human-made carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could initiate a chain reaction between plants and microorganisms that would unsettle one of the largest carbon reservoirs on the planet -- soil. Researchers developed the first computer model to show at a global scale the complex interaction between carbon, plants and soil.

How electrons split: New evidence of exotic behaviors Posted: 23 Dec 2014 08:42 AM PST Electrons split into electrical charge and magnetic moment in a two-dimensional model, a study has shown for the first time. The discovery marks a new understanding in the discovery of exotic materials such as high-temperature superconductors.

Greater risk of premature deaths in neighborhoods with high concentrations of check-cashing places Posted: 23 Dec 2014 08:42 AM PST A new research paper suggests a relation between the density of both check-cashing places and alcohol outlets in a given neighborhood and the risk of premature death in people ages 20-59 years. The findings suggest that the strategic placement of check-cashing places and alcohol outlets in certain areas may provide local residents with ready access to quick cash and-or the purchase of alcohol.

New-generation 'thinking' biomimetic robots developed as ocean engineering solutions Posted: 23 Dec 2014 05:41 AM PST Researchers are closer to creating underwater robotic creatures with a brain of their own -- besides behaving like the real thing. In the near future, it would not be too tall an order for the team to produce a swarm of autonomous tiny robotic sea turtles and fishes for example, to perform hazardous missions such as detecting nuclear wastes underwater or other tasks too dangerous for humans.

This Endoscope Zaps Tumors Posted: 22 Dec 2014 02:03 PM PST To examine internal organs, doctors often use a tube with light and a tiny camera attached to it. The device, called an endoscope, helps detect cancer and other illnesses. It may soon serve another purpose: zapping tumors. The biomedical advancement, which is under development, could make chemotherapy more efficient, reduce its side effects and improve how doctors treat some of the most deadly forms of cancer.

Drought causes birds to nest later, reducing nesting success Posted: 22 Dec 2014 01:55 PM PST Drought conditions are delaying nesting by two weeks or more for some Sonoran Desert bird species, such as Black-tailed Gnatcatchers and Verdins, new research has found. Despite recent rainfall, drought conditions persist in much of the Southwestern US drought negatively impacts, many wildlife species, making it harder to maintain their numbers, even when adapted to a dry environment.

Muddy forests, shorter winters present challenges for loggers Posted: 22 Dec 2014 01:55 PM PST The period of frozen ground has declined by an average of two or three weeks since 1948, research shows. During that time, wood harvests have shifted in years with more variability in freezing and thawing to red pine and jack pine -- species that grow in sandy, well-drained soil that can support trucks and heavy equipment when not frozen.

Hands on: Crafting ultrathin color coatings Posted: 22 Dec 2014 01:55 PM PST An ultra-thin layer of a metal and a semiconductor could be applied to essentially any rough or flexible material to produce a vividly colored coating, researchers report. The technique, which exploits optical interference effects, could potentially be used on wearable fabrics or stretchable electronics.

Physical violence linked to stress hormone in women Posted: 22 Dec 2014 01:55 PM PST A new study links physical violence against women by male partners to a disruption of a key steroid hormone that opens the door potentially to a variety of negative health effects.

Shedding new light on diet of extinct animals Posted: 22 Dec 2014 01:54 PM PST A study of tooth enamel in mammals living today in the equatorial forest of Gabon could ultimately shed light on the diet of long extinct animals, according to new research. The researchers found that magnesium isotopes are particularly well suited to deciphering the diet of living mammals and, when used in conjunction with other methods such as carbon isotopes, they could open up new perspectives on the study of fossilized animals.

Blocking notch pathway leads to new route to hair cell regeneration to restore hearing Posted: 22 Dec 2014 01:54 PM PST Blocking the Notch pathway, known to control the elaborate hair cell distribution in the inner ear, plays an essential role that determines cochlear progenitor cell proliferation capacity, researchers report. The finding could lead to hearing restoration.

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