ScienceDaily: Top News

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• New device reduces scarring in damaged blood vessels
• How to estimate the magnetic field of an exoplanet
• Geologists discover ancient buried canyon in South Tibet
• Why some people may be immune to HIV-1: Insight
• It's filamentary: How galaxies evolve in the cosmic web
• Salinity counts when it comes to sea level
• Quantum mechanical calculations reveal the hidden states of enzyme active sites
• Darwin 2.0: New theory on speciation, diversity
• Research finds tooth enamel fast-track in humans
• Pluripotent cells created by nuclear transfer can prompt immune reaction, researchers find
• Derivative of vitamin B3 prevents liver cancer in mice
• Cellular origin of fibrosis found
• Signaling molecule crucial to stem cell reprogramming
• Brain training using sounds can help aging brain ignore distractions
• Reprogramming 'support cells' into neurons could repair injured adult brains
• Nitrogen sensor widespread in the plant kingdom
• Dominant people can be surprisingly social
• Education empowers Canadians, but raises risks of overwork, work-family stress
• Unwinding the mysteries of the cellular clock
• Gene therapy provides safe, long-term relief for patients with severe hemophilia B
• The American athletics track is still a man's world
• New technique allows ultrasound to penetrate bone, metal
• Scientists discover novel metamaterial properties within hexagonal boron nitride
• Versatile bonding for lightweight components
• Riddle of the missing stars: Hubble observations cast further doubt on how globular clusters formed
• Mediterranean meteorological tide has increased by over a millimeter a year since 1989
• Scientists study effects of sunlight to reduce number of nearsighted kids
• Contact lens discomfort linked to changes in lipid layer of tear film
• A path to brighter images and more efficient LCD displays
• Permafrost soil: Possible source of abrupt rise in greenhouse gases at end of last ice age
• Identifying onset of local influenza outbreaks: New Tool
• Weight, eating habits in Parkinson's disease
• Hand dryers can spread bacteria in public toilets, research finds
• Laser from a plane discovers Roman goldmines in Spain
• Key factor discovered in progression of liver cancer
• Flu virus key machine: First complete view of structure revealed
• What's behind our music tastes? Some common perceptions
• Oat oil preparation makes you feel fuller
• Only half of patients take their medications as prescribed: Are there interventions that will help them?
• Unravelling the mystery of gamma-ray bursts with kilometer-scale microphones
• Job authority increases depression symptoms in women, decreases them in men
• Fat a culprit in fibrotic lung damage
• New computer model predicts gut metabolites to better understand gastrointestinal disease
• Out of india: Finding the origins of horses, rhinos
• New approach for treating ALS: Re-evaluation of older drugs?
• Bacterial slime: It's what's for dinner
• Bad marriage, broken heart?
• Terrorist attacks decrease fertility levels, says new research
• Wild weather in the Arctic causes problems for people and wildlife
• Little Ice Age was global: Implications for current global warming
• NASA's Swift mission probes an exotic object: 'Kicked' black hole or mega star?
• Spiraling Light, Nanoparticles and Insights Into Life’s Structure
• From architect to social worker: Complex jobs may protect memory and thinking later in life
• Delivery of stem cells into heart muscle after heart attack may enhance cardiac repair and reverse injury
• Physicists discover new subatomic particles
• Social sensing game detects classroom bullies
• Unique sense of 'touch' gives a prolific bacterium its ability to infect anything
• Environmental bleaching impairs long-term coral reproduction
• New view of mouse genome finds many similarities, striking differences with human genome

New device reduces scarring in damaged blood vessels Posted: 20 Nov 2014 11:18 AM PST A new device contains a form of vitamin A that controls inflammatory responses, preventing scar tissue formation and promoting wound healing. The soft, porous, and thin elastic material contains an acid form of vitamin A, called a retinoid, which is produced by the body to help cells develop and stay healthy. Synthetic retinoids have been formulated and traditionally used to treat acne and some types of cancer.

How to estimate the magnetic field of an exoplanet Posted: 20 Nov 2014 11:18 AM PST Scientists developed a new method which allows to estimate the magnetic field of a distant exoplanet, i.e., a planet, which is located outside the Solar system and orbits a different star. Moreover, they managed to estimate the value of the magnetic moment of the planet HD 209458b.

Geologists discover ancient buried canyon in South Tibet Posted: 20 Nov 2014 11:17 AM PST Scientists have discovered an ancient, deep canyon buried along the Yarlung Tsangpo River in south Tibet, north of the eastern end of the Himalayas. The geologists say that the ancient canyon -- thousands of feet deep in places -- effectively rules out a popular model used to explain how the massive and picturesque gorges of the Himalayas became so steep, so fast.

Why some people may be immune to HIV-1: Insight Posted: 20 Nov 2014 11:17 AM PST Doctors have long been mystified as to why HIV-1 rapidly sickens some individuals, while in others the virus has difficulties gaining a foothold. Now, a study of genetic variation in HIV-1 and in the cells it infects has uncovered a chink in HIV-1's armor that may, at least in part, explain the puzzling difference -- and potentially open the door to new treatments.

It's filamentary: How galaxies evolve in the cosmic web Posted: 20 Nov 2014 10:34 AM PST How do galaxies like our Milky Way form, and just how do they evolve? Are galaxies affected by their surrounding environment? Astronomers now proposes some answers. The researchers highlight the role of the 'cosmic web' -- a large-scale web-like structure comprised of galaxies -- on the evolution of galaxies that took place in the distant universe, a few billion years after the Big Bang.

Salinity counts when it comes to sea level Posted: 20 Nov 2014 10:34 AM PST Using ocean observations and a large suite of climate models, scientists have found that long-term salinity changes have a stronger influence on regional sea level changes than previously thought.

Quantum mechanical calculations reveal the hidden states of enzyme active sites Posted: 20 Nov 2014 10:34 AM PST Enzymes carry out fundamental biological processes such as photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation and respiration, with the help of clusters of metal atoms as 'active' sites. But scientists lack basic information about their function because the states thought to be critical to their chemical abilities cannot be experimentally observed. Now, researchers have reported the first direct observation of the electronic states of iron-sulfur clusters, common to many enzyme active sites.

Darwin 2.0: New theory on speciation, diversity Posted: 20 Nov 2014 09:32 AM PST It has long been thought that dramatic changes in a landscape like the formation of the Andes Mountain range or the Amazon River is the main driver that initiates species to diverge. However, a recent study shows that speciation occurred much later than these dramatic geographical changes. Researchers have found that time and a species' ability to move play greater parts in the process of speciation.

Research finds tooth enamel fast-track in humans Posted: 20 Nov 2014 09:32 AM PST Researchers have discovered a link between prenatal enamel growth rates in teeth and weaning in human babies. The research found that incisor teeth grow quickly in the early stages of the second trimester of a baby's development, while molars grow at a slower rate in the third trimester. This is so incisors are ready to erupt after birth, at approximately six months of age, when a baby makes the transition from breast-feeding to weaning.

Pluripotent cells created by nuclear transfer can prompt immune reaction, researchers find Posted: 20 Nov 2014 09:32 AM PST Mouse cells and tissues created through nuclear transfer can be rejected by the body because of a previously unknown immune response to the cell's mitochondria, according to a study in mice.

Derivative of vitamin B3 prevents liver cancer in mice Posted: 20 Nov 2014 09:32 AM PST The first mouse model that faithfully reproduces the steps of human HCC development has been developed by researchers. The results of the study indicate that diets rich in nicotinamide riboside, a derivative of vitamin B3, protect these mice from developing HCC in its most initial stage, when genotoxic stress is damaging cellular DNA. They also show a curative effect of the diet in those mice that had previously developed the disease.

Cellular origin of fibrosis found Posted: 20 Nov 2014 09:31 AM PST The cellular origin of the tissue scarring caused by organ damage associated with diabetes, lung disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, and other conditions has been found by researchers. The buildup of scar tissue is known as fibrosis.

Signaling molecule crucial to stem cell reprogramming Posted: 20 Nov 2014 09:31 AM PST While investigating a rare genetic disorder, researchers have discovered that a ubiquitous signaling molecule is crucial to cellular reprogramming, a finding with significant implications for stem cell-based regenerative medicine, wound repair therapies and potential cancer treatments.

Brain training using sounds can help aging brain ignore distractions Posted: 20 Nov 2014 09:31 AM PST As we age, we have an increasingly harder time ignoring distractions. But new research reveals that by learning to make discriminations of a sound amidst progressively more disruptive distractions, we can diminish our distractibility. A similar strategy might also help children with attention deficits or individuals with other mental challenges.

Reprogramming 'support cells' into neurons could repair injured adult brains Posted: 20 Nov 2014 09:31 AM PST The cerebral cortex lacks the ability to replace neurons that die as a result of Alzheimer's, stroke, and other devastating diseases. A new study shows that a Sox2 protein, alone or in combination with another protein, Ascl1, can cause nonneuronal cells, called NG2 glia, to turn into neurons in the injured cerebral cortex of adult mice. The findings reveal that NG2 glia represent a promising target for neuronal cell replacement strategies to treat brain injury.

Nitrogen sensor widespread in the plant kingdom Posted: 20 Nov 2014 09:30 AM PST Quantitatively, nitrogen is one of the most important nutrients for the growth of plant organisms – from simple green algae to highly developed flowering plants. Nitrogen supply is essential for the development of all cell components, and as a good supply results in faster plant growth, it is commonly used as a fertiliser in agriculture.

Dominant people can be surprisingly social Posted: 20 Nov 2014 09:30 AM PST In contrast to the lay stereotype, dominant people prove to be avid social learners, just like dominant individuals in the animal kingdom. Neuroscientists show this with a complex decision-making task. They offer a more subtle perspective on the lay view wherein dominant individuals ignore others' views and advice.

Education empowers Canadians, but raises risks of overwork, work-family stress Posted: 20 Nov 2014 09:30 AM PST The higher your level of education, the greater your earnings and your sense of "personal mastery" or being in control of your fate, researchers say. But wait: there's a downside. A new study confirms that well-educated people are also more likely to encounter overwork, job pressure, and work-to-family conflict. And, in turn, each of these stressors actually undermines mastery.

Unwinding the mysteries of the cellular clock Posted: 20 Nov 2014 09:30 AM PST Underlying circadian rhythms is a clock built of transcription factors that control the oscillation of genes, serving as the wheels and springs of the clock. But, how does a single clock keep time in multiple phases at once? A genome-wide survey found that circadian genes and regulatory elements called enhancers oscillate daily in phase with nearby genes – both the enhancer and gene activity peak at the same time each day.

Gene therapy provides safe, long-term relief for patients with severe hemophilia B Posted: 20 Nov 2014 08:35 AM PST Gene therapy has transformed life for men with a severe form of hemophilia B by providing a safe, reliable source of the blood clotting protein Factor IX that has allowed some to adopt a more active lifestyle, researchers report.

The American athletics track is still a man's world Posted: 20 Nov 2014 08:34 AM PST The limited coverage that American female athletes get in the media is one of many subtle forms of gender biases they have to cope with. The little exposure they do get often focuses more on their attire, or how attractive, sexy or ladylike they are than on their actual athletic prowess. In the long run, this influences their performance in sports. So say the authors of a new review.

New technique allows ultrasound to penetrate bone, metal Posted: 20 Nov 2014 08:34 AM PST Researchers have developed a technique that allows ultrasound to penetrate bone or metal, using customized structures that offset the distortion usually caused by these so-called 'aberrating layers.'

Scientists discover novel metamaterial properties within hexagonal boron nitride Posted: 20 Nov 2014 08:32 AM PST Researchers have demonstrated that confined surface phonon polaritons within hexagonal boron nitride exhibit unique metamaterial properties that enable novel nanoscale optical devices.

Versatile bonding for lightweight components Posted: 20 Nov 2014 08:32 AM PST New materials are making cars, planes and all sorts of other things lighter. The catch is that many of these materials can't be welded. Now there's an alternative joining method available -- gradient adhesives provide an extremely good way of ensuring joined parts stay joined for their entire service life and hold up well in the event of a crash.

Riddle of the missing stars: Hubble observations cast further doubt on how globular clusters formed Posted: 20 Nov 2014 08:32 AM PST Thanks to the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, some of the most mysterious cosmic residents have just become even more puzzling. New observations of globular clusters in a small galaxy show they are very similar to those found in the Milky Way, and so must have formed in a similar way.

Mediterranean meteorological tide has increased by over a millimeter a year since 1989 Posted: 20 Nov 2014 08:26 AM PST A new database provides data on sea level variation due to atmospheric changes in the south of Europe between 1948 and 2009. Over the last two decades sea levels have increased in the Mediterranean basin.

Scientists study effects of sunlight to reduce number of nearsighted kids Posted: 20 Nov 2014 08:23 AM PST Kids who spend more time outside are less likely to need glasses for nearsightedness – but scientists don't know why. Researchers are now looking more closely at physical changes in the eye influenced by outdoor light exposure in the hopes of reducing cases of myopia, which affects one-third of the American population.

Contact lens discomfort linked to changes in lipid layer of tear film Posted: 20 Nov 2014 08:22 AM PST Changes in the lipid layer of the eyes' natural tear film may contribute to the common problem of contact lens discomfort.

A path to brighter images and more efficient LCD displays Posted: 20 Nov 2014 06:16 AM PST Engineers have developed a polarizing filter that allows in more light, leading the way for mobile device displays that last much longer on a single battery charge and cameras that can shoot in dim light.

Permafrost soil: Possible source of abrupt rise in greenhouse gases at end of last ice age Posted: 20 Nov 2014 05:23 AM PST Scientists have identified a possible source of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that were abruptly released to the atmosphere in large quantities around 14,600 years ago.

Identifying onset of local influenza outbreaks: New Tool Posted: 20 Nov 2014 05:23 AM PST Hospital epidemiologists and others responsible for public health decisions do not declare the start of flu season lightly. All the extra precautions cost time and money, so they do not want to declare flu season too early. For hospitals, there is a strong incentive to define a really clear period as flu season. Now, just in time for flu season, researchers have devised a simple yet accurate method for hospitals and public health departments to determine the onset of elevated influenza activity at the community level.

Weight, eating habits in Parkinson's disease Posted: 20 Nov 2014 05:21 AM PST A review of the scientific literature on Parkinson's disease shows that even the non-motor symptoms associated with the disease can contribute to the changes in body weight seen in patients (including those subjected to deep brain stimulation). Among the factors affecting eating habits and body weight there could be, for example, an impaired ability to derive pleasure from food and changes in motivation. These are important findings which can help to understand how to reduce these effects of Parkinson's that exacerbate an already negative clinical situation.

Hand dryers can spread bacteria in public toilets, research finds Posted: 20 Nov 2014 05:21 AM PST Modern hand dryers are much worse than paper towels when it comes to spreading germs, according to new research. Airborne germ counts were 27 times higher around jet air dryers in comparison with the air around paper towel dispensers.

Laser from a plane discovers Roman goldmines in Spain Posted: 20 Nov 2014 05:21 AM PST Hidden under the vegetation and crops of the Eria Valley, in León (Spain), there is a gold mining network created by the Romans two thousand years ago, as well as complex hydraulic works, such as river diversions, to divert water to the mines of the precious metal. Researchers made the discovery from the air with an airborne laser teledetection system.

Key factor discovered in progression of liver cancer Posted: 20 Nov 2014 05:21 AM PST One of the most aggressive and common forms of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma. A team of researchers has now identified the crucial key factor involved in the development and progression of this malignant type of tumour: the AXL receptor supports cancer-promoting processes and slows down cancer-inhibiting factors. This finding could make a targeted therapeutic approach possible in future.

Flu virus key machine: First complete view of structure revealed Posted: 20 Nov 2014 05:21 AM PST Scientists looking to understand – and potentially thwart – the influenza virus now have a much more encompassing view, thanks to the first complete structure of one of the flu virus' key machines. Knowing the structure allows researchers to finally understand how the machine works as a whole, and could prove instrumental in designing new drugs to treat serious flu infections and combat flu pandemics.

What's behind our music tastes? Some common perceptions Posted: 20 Nov 2014 05:19 AM PST Metal heads, jazz purists and folkies may have more in common musically than you imagined. A new study sheds light on the shared ways in which humans perceive music.

Oat oil preparation makes you feel fuller Posted: 20 Nov 2014 05:19 AM PST Oats contain more fat than other cereals, and oat oil has a unique composition. Researchers have now outlined why oat oil supplement makes you feel fuller.

Only half of patients take their medications as prescribed: Are there interventions that will help them? Posted: 20 Nov 2014 05:19 AM PST The cost of patients not taking their medications as prescribed can be substantial in terms of their health. Although a large amount of research evidence has tried to address this problem, there are no well-established approaches to help them.

Unravelling the mystery of gamma-ray bursts with kilometer-scale microphones Posted: 20 Nov 2014 05:19 AM PST A team of scientists hopes to trace the origins of gamma-ray bursts with the aid of giant space 'microphones'. It's hoped the kilometer-scale microphones will detect gravitational waves created by black holes, and shed light on the origins of the Universe.

Job authority increases depression symptoms in women, decreases them in men Posted: 20 Nov 2014 05:17 AM PST Having job authority increases symptoms of depression among women, but decreases them among men, a new study has found.

Fat a culprit in fibrotic lung damage Posted: 20 Nov 2014 05:17 AM PST Researchers debate whether the lung tissue in pulmonary fibrosis is directly damaged, or whether immune cells initiate the scarring process – an important distinction when trying to find new ways to battle the disease. Now research shows that both processes may be important, and suggest a new direction for developing novel therapies.

New computer model predicts gut metabolites to better understand gastrointestinal disease Posted: 20 Nov 2014 05:17 AM PST The first research to use computational modeling to predict and identify the metabolic products of gastrointestinal (GI) tract microorganisms has been published by researchers. Understanding these metabolic products, or metabolites, could influence how clinicians diagnose and treat GI diseases, as well as many other metabolic and neurological diseases increasingly associated with compromised GI function.

Out of india: Finding the origins of horses, rhinos Posted: 20 Nov 2014 05:17 AM PST Working at the edge of a coal mine in India, a team of researchers has filled in a major gap in science's understanding of the evolution of a group of animals that includes horses and rhinos. That group likely originated on the subcontinent when it was still an island headed swiftly for collision with Asia, the researchers report.

New approach for treating ALS: Re-evaluation of older drugs? Posted: 20 Nov 2014 05:17 AM PST Blocking molecules involved in ALS-drug resistance may improve how well ALS therapeutics work, suggesting that re-evaluation of drugs that appeared to have failed might be appropriate.

Bacterial slime: It's what's for dinner Posted: 20 Nov 2014 05:17 AM PST If natural or humanmade disaster strikes, causing global crop failures, the world won't starve -- providing they are willing to eat bacterial slime and bugs. "People have been doing catastrophic risk research for a while. But most of what's been done is dark, apocalyptic and dismal. It hasn't provided any real solutions," says the author of a new book that provides a more optimistic outlook.

Bad marriage, broken heart? Posted: 19 Nov 2014 05:48 PM PST Older couples in a bad marriage -- particularly female spouses -- have a higher risk for heart disease than those in a good marriage, finds the first nationally representative study of its kind.

Terrorist attacks decrease fertility levels, says new research Posted: 19 Nov 2014 05:48 PM PST On average, terrorist attacks decrease fertility, reducing both the expected number of children a woman has over her lifetime and the number of live births occurring during each year, a new study has found.

Wild weather in the Arctic causes problems for people and wildlife Posted: 19 Nov 2014 05:45 PM PST The residents of Longyearbyen, the largest town on the Norwegian arctic island archipelago of Svalbard, remember it as the week that the weather gods caused trouble.  Temperatures were ridiculously warm – and reached a maximum of nearly +8 degrees C in one location at a time when mean temperatures are normally -15 degrees C. It rained in record amounts.

Little Ice Age was global: Implications for current global warming Posted: 19 Nov 2014 05:45 PM PST Researchers have shed new light on the climate of the Little Ice Age, and rekindled debate over the role of the sun in climate change. The new study, which involved detailed scientific examination of a peat bog in southern South America, indicates that the most extreme climate episodes of the Little Ice Age were felt not just in Europe and North America, which is well known, but apparently globally. The research has implications for current concerns over 'Global Warming'.

NASA's Swift mission probes an exotic object: 'Kicked' black hole or mega star? Posted: 19 Nov 2014 02:50 PM PST Astronomers have discovered an unusual source of light in a galaxy some 90 million light-years away. The dwarf galaxy Markarian 177 (center) and its unusual source SDSS1133 (blue) lie 90 million light-years away. The galaxies are located in the bowl of the Big Dipper, a well-known star pattern in the constellation Ursa Major.

Spiraling Light, Nanoparticles and Insights Into Life’s Structure Posted: 19 Nov 2014 02:48 PM PST As hands come in left and right versions that are mirror images of each other, so do the amino acids and sugars within us. But unlike hands, only the left-oriented amino acids and the right-oriented sugars ever make into life as we know it.

From architect to social worker: Complex jobs may protect memory and thinking later in life Posted: 19 Nov 2014 02:47 PM PST People whose jobs require more complex work with other people, such as social workers and lawyers, or with data, like architects or graphic designers, may end up having longer-lasting memory and thinking abilities compared to people who do less complex work, according to new research.

Delivery of stem cells into heart muscle after heart attack may enhance cardiac repair and reverse injury Posted: 19 Nov 2014 02:47 PM PST Delivering stem cell factor directly into damaged heart muscle after a heart attack may help repair and regenerate injured tissue. A novel SCF gene transfer delivery system induced the recruitment and expansion of adult c-Kit positive (cKit+) cardiac stem cells to injury sites that reversed heart attack damage in a pre-clinical model. In addition, the gene therapy improved cardiac function, decreased heart muscle cell death, increased regeneration of heart tissue blood vessels, and reduced the formation of heart tissue scarring.

Physicists discover new subatomic particles Posted: 19 Nov 2014 01:09 PM PST Physicists have discovered two never-before-seen baryonic particles. The finding is expected to have a major impact on the study of quark dynamics.

Social sensing game detects classroom bullies Posted: 19 Nov 2014 12:17 PM PST Researchers have developed a computer game that can detect classroom bullies, victims and bystanders. The game's behavior analyses effectively identify classroom bullies, even revealing peer aggression that goes undetected by traditional research methods, the researchers say.

Unique sense of 'touch' gives a prolific bacterium its ability to infect anything Posted: 19 Nov 2014 12:17 PM PST One of the world's most prolific bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, manages to afflict humans, animals and even plants by way of a mechanism not before seen in any infectious microorganism -- a sense of touch.

Environmental bleaching impairs long-term coral reproduction Posted: 19 Nov 2014 12:15 PM PST Bleaching -- a process where high water temperatures or UV light stresses the coral to the point where it loses its symbiotic algal partner that provides the coral with color -- is also affecting the long-term fertility of the coral.

New view of mouse genome finds many similarities, striking differences with human genome Posted: 19 Nov 2014 10:27 AM PST Looking across the genomes of humans and mice, scientists have found that, in general, the systems that are used to control gene activity in both species have many similarities, along with crucial differences. The results may offer insights into gene regulation and other systems important to mammalian biology, and provide new information to determine when the mouse is an appropriate model to study human biology and disease. They may also help explain its limitations.

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