ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Sitting for long periods increases risk of disease and early death, regardless of exercise
• Fossil ankles indicate Earth's earliest primates lived in trees
• Geophysicists find the crusty culprits behind sudden tectonic plate movements
• Major cause of blindness linked to calcium deposits in the eye
• Insights into a rare genetic disease
• Self-destructive effects of magnetically-doped ferromagnetic topological insulators
• Predatory sea snails produce weaponized insulin
• Know your enemy: Combating whooping cough requires informed vaccine booster schedules
• Bed nets and vaccines: Some combinations may worsen malaria
• New cellular pathway triggering allergic asthma response identified
• Lung transplant patients who receive organs from heavy drinkers may be at risk for worse outcomes
• Transgenic crops: Multiple toxins not a panacea for pest control
• Researchers discover 'idiosyncratic' brain patterns in autism
• Waiting to be discovered for more than 100 years, new species of bush crickets
• Rare shared genetic mutation for disease in Inuit discovered
• Voyage from Earth's crust to its mantle and back again
• New laser for computer chips: International team of scientists constructs first germanium-tin semiconductor laser for silicon chips
• Hidden cell types revealed
• Couples more likely to get healthy together
• Genetics underpinning antimalarial drug resistance revealed
• Slight increase in ICT sector employment
• Melting glaciers have big carbon impact
• New high-speed 3-D microscope -- SCAPE -- gives deeper view of living things
• How the brain recognizes danger: New discovery
• Study suggests increase in falls among the elderly
• Researchers open 'Pandora’s Box' of potential cancer biomarkers
• Dawn spacecraft delivers new image of dwarf planet Ceres
• Bariatric surgery can benefit some obese children, teens
• How planetary building blocks evolved from porous to hard objects
• New hope for fighting major fungal disease in durum wheat
• To beet or not to beet? Researchers test theories of beet juice benefits
• Early parental program improves long-term childhood outcomes
• Extremely short, sharp flash of radio waves from unknown source in the universe, caught as it was happening
• Geographic clusters of underimmunization identified in Northern California
• How stable are arsenic compounds found in edible algae?
• Preserved fossil represents oldest record of parental care in group of prehistoric reptiles
• New inherited disease identified in calves of the Ayrshire breed
• Optic fiber for recording the temperature in extreme industrial environments
• Cellulose with braille for cells: Cellulose-sheaths for implants make them biocompatible
• Switchable adhesion principle enables damage-free handling of sensitive devices even in vacuum
• New composite protects from corrosion from high mechanical stress
• Live coverage of the immune system at work
• Early knee arthritis symptoms first felt when using stairs
• Citrus scent inhibits liver cancer
• Defining adhesion clusters: visualizing the building blocks of cell-cell adhesion
• Gut microbes trigger autoimmune disease later in life in mice
• Women’s pain: Common, treatable and often overlooked or mismanaged
• How does the brain adapt to the restoration of eyesight?
• M6P deficiency leaves B cells out of sorts
• Mitigation-driven animal translocations are problematic
• Dramatic decline in risk for heart attacks among HIV-positive Kaiser Permanente members in California
• President Lincoln’s cottage 3D laser-scanned by researchers

Sitting for long periods increases risk of disease and early death, regardless of exercise Posted: 19 Jan 2015 02:17 PM PST The amount of time a person sits during the day is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and death, regardless of regular exercise, according to a review study.

Fossil ankles indicate Earth's earliest primates lived in trees Posted: 19 Jan 2015 12:45 PM PST Earth's earliest primates have taken a step up in the world, now that researchers have gotten a good look at their ankles. A new study has found that Purgatorius, a small mammal that lived on a diet of fruit and insects, was a tree dweller. Paleontologists made the discovery by analyzing 65-million-year-old ankle bones collected from sites in northeastern Montana.

Geophysicists find the crusty culprits behind sudden tectonic plate movements Posted: 19 Jan 2015 12:45 PM PST New research may have solved one of the biggest mysteries in geology -- namely, why do tectonic plates beneath the Earth's surface, which normally shift over the course of tens to hundreds of millions of years, sometimes move abruptly?

Major cause of blindness linked to calcium deposits in the eye Posted: 19 Jan 2015 12:43 PM PST Microscopic spheres of calcium phosphate have been linked to the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a major cause of blindness. AMD affects 1 in 5 people over 75, causing their vision to slowly deteriorate, but the cause of the most common form of the disease remains a mystery. The ability to spot the disease early and reliably halt its progression would improve the lives of millions, but this is simply not possible with current knowledge and techniques.

Insights into a rare genetic disease Posted: 19 Jan 2015 12:43 PM PST In a big step towards understanding the effects of a rare genetic disease, research by scientists implicates the enzyme ENGase as the factor responsible for deficient protein degradation that occurs in the absence of mouse Ngly1 gene expression.

Self-destructive effects of magnetically-doped ferromagnetic topological insulators Posted: 19 Jan 2015 12:43 PM PST A new atomic-scale study of the surface properties of certain ferromagnetic topological insulators reveals that these materials exhibit extreme, unexpected, and self-destructive electronic disorder.

Predatory sea snails produce weaponized insulin Posted: 19 Jan 2015 12:43 PM PST Some cone snails add insulin to the venom cocktail they use to catch fish, biologists have discovered. Adding the hormone to the mix of venom toxins may have enabled predatory cone snails to disable entire schools of swimming fish with hypoglycemic shock. The snail insulin could prove useful as a tool to probe the systems the human body uses to control blood sugar and energy metabolism.

Know your enemy: Combating whooping cough requires informed vaccine booster schedules Posted: 19 Jan 2015 12:43 PM PST A key to victory in battle is to know your enemy, some say. In the current fight against whooping cough resurgence, perhaps the biggest obstacle is an incomplete understanding of its underlying causes, according to a population ecologist.

Bed nets and vaccines: Some combinations may worsen malaria Posted: 19 Jan 2015 12:43 PM PST Combining insecticide-treated bed nets with vaccines and other control measures may provide the best chance at eliminating malaria, which killed nearly 600,000 people worldwide in 2013, most of them African children.

New cellular pathway triggering allergic asthma response identified Posted: 19 Jan 2015 12:43 PM PST A novel signaling pathway critical to the immune response of cells associated with the initiation of allergic asthma has been identified by researchers. The discovery, they say, could point the way to new therapies that suppress the inflammatory allergic response, offering potential relief to millions of Americans with the chronic lung condition and potentially other allergic diseases.

Lung transplant patients who receive organs from heavy drinkers may be at risk for worse outcomes Posted: 19 Jan 2015 12:43 PM PST Lung transplant patients who receive lungs from heavy drinkers are nearly nine times more likely to experience a life-threatening complication called primary graft dysfunction. The study raises the question whether a history of alcohol abuse should exclude use of donor lungs.

Transgenic crops: Multiple toxins not a panacea for pest control Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:48 AM PST New findings could improve management practices for current biotech crops and promote development of new varieties that are more effective and more durable. Despite extensive planting of transgenic cotton that produces two toxins active against the cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa zea), insecticide sprays against this voracious caterpillar pest have increased in the United States, experts say.

Researchers discover 'idiosyncratic' brain patterns in autism Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:48 AM PST New research suggests that the various reports -- of both over- and under-connectivity -- may, in fact, reflect a deeper principle of brain function. The study shows that the brains of individuals with autism display unique synchronization patterns, something that could impact earlier diagnosis of the disorder and future treatments.

Waiting to be discovered for more than 100 years, new species of bush crickets Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:47 AM PST Museums of Natural History are an important source of evidences of existing variety and diversity of animal species. Many species lie on shelf, waiting for years and years to be discovered. A new study reveals four new genera and four new species of bush crickets discovered in museum collections to prove the value of these institutions.

Rare shared genetic mutation for disease in Inuit discovered Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:47 AM PST A team of Canadian and Japanese researchers has identified the genetic mutation responsible for glycogen storage disease type IIIa in Inuit in northern Quebec, Canada. Their paper identifies a mutation in the gene encoding the glycogen debranching enzyme, which had previously been undetected in a decade of investigation by the same authors.

Voyage from Earth's crust to its mantle and back again Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:45 AM PST Uranium isotopes leave a distinct 'fingerprint' in the sources of volcanic rocks, making it possible to gauge their age and origin. Geologists have gained a new understanding of how Earth's crust is recycled back into its interior based on these uranium isotopes.

New laser for computer chips: International team of scientists constructs first germanium-tin semiconductor laser for silicon chips Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:45 AM PST The first semiconductor consisting solely of elements of main group IV has been revealed by researchers. The germanium-tin (GeSn) laser can be applied directly onto a silicon chip and thus creates a new basis for transmitting data on computer chips via light: this transfer is faster than is possible with copper wires and requires only a fraction of the energy.

Hidden cell types revealed Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:45 AM PST A new method improves single-cell genomics analyses, researchers report. The method clarifies the true differences and similarities between cells by modelling relatedness and removing confounding variables. They can can use known molecular pathways to better understand cancer cells, differentiation processes and the pathogenesis of diseases.

Couples more likely to get healthy together Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:45 AM PST People are more successful in taking up healthy habits if their partner makes positive changes too, according to research. Investigators found that people were more successful in swapping bad habits for good ones if their partner made a change as well.

Genetics underpinning antimalarial drug resistance revealed Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:45 AM PST Researchers have identified a series of mutations that could help to improve early detection of resistance to our most effective antimalarial drug. The largest genome-wide association study to date of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum unveils a complex genetic architecture that enables the parasite to develop resistance to our most effective antimalarial drug, artemisinin. The results could help to improve early detection of emerging artemisinin resistance.

Slight increase in ICT sector employment Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:45 AM PST Researchers have analysed the ICT sector and its R&D investments -- both private and public -- in the European Union and beyond. The 2014 Predict report, based on the latest official data (2006-2011), found that the EU ICT sector has declined in terms of value added (value of output minus the value of intermediate consumption) but increased in terms of employment.

Melting glaciers have big carbon impact Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:45 AM PST As Earth warms, scientists have been focused on how glaciers melting will affect sea level rise. But, another lurking impact is the amount of carbon that will be released when glaciers melt. This is the first attempt to calculate how much carbon will be released.

New high-speed 3-D microscope -- SCAPE -- gives deeper view of living things Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:45 AM PST SCAPE, a new microscope that images living things in 3-D at very high speeds, has been developed by engineers. The microscope uses a simple, single-objective imaging geometry that requires no sample mounting or translation, making it possible to image freely moving living samples. Its ability to perform real-time 3-D imaging at cellular resolution in behaving organisms could be transformative for biomedical and neuroscience research, experts say.

How the brain recognizes danger: New discovery Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:45 AM PST Our existence depends on a bit of evolutionary genius aptly nicknamed "fight or flight." But where in our brain does the alarm first go off, and what other parts of the brain are mobilized to express fear and remember to avoid danger in the future? New research sheds some light on this question.

Study suggests increase in falls among the elderly Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:45 AM PST Over a 12-year period, the prevalence of falls among older adults appeared to be on the rise, a new American nationally representative study says.

Researchers open 'Pandora’s Box' of potential cancer biomarkers Posted: 19 Jan 2015 09:45 AM PST The global landscape of a portion of the genome that has not been previously well-explored has been the focus of recent study. This new analysis opens the door to discovery of thousands of potential new cancer biomarkers, the researchers say.

Dawn spacecraft delivers new image of dwarf planet Ceres Posted: 19 Jan 2015 08:31 AM PST As NASA's Dawn spacecraft closes in on Ceres, new images show the dwarf planet at 27 pixels across, about three times better than the calibration images taken in early December. These are the first in a series of images that will be taken for navigation purposes during the approach to Ceres.

Bariatric surgery can benefit some obese children, teens Posted: 19 Jan 2015 07:08 AM PST Bariatric surgery--as a last resort when conservative interventions have failed--can improve liver disease and other obesity-related health problems in severely obese children and adolescents, according to a new position paper.

How planetary building blocks evolved from porous to hard objects Posted: 19 Jan 2015 06:09 AM PST Thinking small has enabled an international team of scientists to gain new insight into the evolution of planetary building blocks in the early solar system. Planetary scientists study chondritic meteorites to reconstruct planet formation. These meteorites are made of a mixture of solid chondrules, millimeter-sized beads (the approximate width of a penny) that became embedded in a fluffy matrix.

New hope for fighting major fungal disease in durum wheat Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:33 AM PST A variety of wheat that is resistant to a destructive fungal disease has been found to have specialized and protective cell walls, according to research. These insights could help to produce stronger, disease-resistant varieties of durum wheat for improved pasta production.

To beet or not to beet? Researchers test theories of beet juice benefits Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:33 AM PST Athletes who down beet juice before exercising to increase blood flow and improve performance may be surprised at the results of a recent study. While beetroot juice rich in nitrates did not enhance muscle blood flow or vascular dilation during exercise, researchers found that it did 'de-stiffen' blood vessels under resting conditions, potentially easing the workload of the heart.

Early parental program improves long-term childhood outcomes Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:32 AM PST Children whose parents participated in a prenatal program aimed at enhancing couples' co-parenting relationship were better adjusted at age seven than children whose parents were assigned to a control group, according to researchers.

Extremely short, sharp flash of radio waves from unknown source in the universe, caught as it was happening Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:32 AM PST A strange phenomenon has been observed by astronomers right as it was happening -- a 'fast radio burst'. The eruption is described as an extremely short, sharp flash of radio waves from an unknown source in the universe.

Geographic clusters of underimmunization identified in Northern California Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:32 AM PST Researchers used spatial analysis software and electronic medical records to identify clusters of underimmunization and vaccine refusal among Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California, according to a study.

How stable are arsenic compounds found in edible algae? Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:30 AM PST The stability of diverse arsenic species found in edible marine algae have been studied by researchers who have established the best conditions for their storage and preservation.

Preserved fossil represents oldest record of parental care in group of prehistoric reptiles Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:30 AM PST New research details how a preserved fossil found in China could be the oldest record of post-natal parental care from the Middle Jurassic. The specimen, found by a farmer in China, is of an apparent family group with an adult, surrounded by six juveniles of the same species. Given that the smaller individuals are of similar sizes, the group interpreted this as indicating an adult with its offspring, apparently from the same clutch.

New inherited disease identified in calves of the Ayrshire breed Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:30 AM PST A new inherited disease that causes ptosis, retarded growth, intellectual disability and mortality in Ayrshire calves has been discovered by researchers. The disease proved to be associated with a mutation in UBE3B gene.

Optic fiber for recording the temperature in extreme industrial environments Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:30 AM PST Optic fiber is normally used in the field of telecommunications to transmit information using light, but a group of researchers developed a technique that makes it possible to use optic fiber as a thermometer in extreme industrial environments.

Cellulose with braille for cells: Cellulose-sheaths for implants make them biocompatible Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:30 AM PST Artificial implants such as pacemakers often cause complications because the body identifies them as foreign objects. Researchers have now demonstrated a simple method to fabricate cellulose-sheaths for implants, whose micro-structured surface makes them especially biocompatible.

Switchable adhesion principle enables damage-free handling of sensitive devices even in vacuum Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:30 AM PST Researchers enhanced the Gecko adhesion principle such that adhesion can be switched on and off in vacuum.

New composite protects from corrosion from high mechanical stress Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:30 AM PST A new composite material prevents metal corrosion in an environmentally friendly way, even under extreme conditions. It can be used wherever metals are exposed to severe weather conditions, aggressive gases, salt, heavy wear or high pressures.

Live coverage of the immune system at work Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:30 AM PST Researchers have developed a new technique to safely mark T-cells for non-invasive in vivo imaging to better understand what happens during immune reactions in the body. The immune system's T-cells are a key starting point for researchers developing immunotherapies against cancer and autoimmune diseases. T-cells are constantly on the move throughout the body, checking for invading pathogens and diseased cells. If any of these structures which fit the T-cells' specific receptors like a key fits the right lock -- then the T-cell will proliferate and set off a series of signals, starting the process of eradicating the diseased cell.

Early knee arthritis symptoms first felt when using stairs Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:30 AM PST People who suffer from knee pain when using the stairs may be experiencing the early symptoms of osteoarthritis, according to a new study. "Knowing this will help us intervene earlier, perhaps leading to more effective ways of treating this very painful condition," one author notes.

Citrus scent inhibits liver cancer Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:29 AM PST As main component of essential oils, terpenes can inhibit the growth of different cancer cells. Researchers have analyzed this process in liver cancer cells in detail. Their shed light upon the molecular mechanisms that resulted in cancer cells stop growing, following the application of (-)-citronellal, and they proved that the olfactory receptor OR1A2 is the crucial molecule for that purpose. In future, the olfactory receptor could serve as target for liver cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Defining adhesion clusters: visualizing the building blocks of cell-cell adhesion Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:29 AM PST The molecular mechanisms responsible for the formation of the adherens junction at the nanoscale level have been revealed by researchers in a new article. Although the cells that make up our body are functional units by themselves, they need to interact with each other and their environment to fulfill all their functions. Cells stick to one another through physical contacts called cell adhesions. Apart from serving as physical connections that enable cells to form tissues, cell adhesions also allow the cells to sense, signal, and respond to physical or chemical changes in the environment, as well as interact with neighboring cells.

Gut microbes trigger autoimmune disease later in life in mice Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:29 AM PST The colonization of the gut of young mice by certain types of bacteria can lead to immune responses later in life that are linked to disease, researchers report. Increases in the levels of segmented filamentous bacteria can trigger changes in the lymphoid tissue of the mouse gut that result in the production of antibodies that attack components of the cell nucleus. This type of damage is a hallmark of autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis where organs throughout the body are damaged by wayward immune responses.

Women’s pain: Common, treatable and often overlooked or mismanaged Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:27 AM PST Despite the variety of effective treatments, and physicians who specialize in treating pain, women often suffer unnecessarily from conditions ranging from backaches to pain after cancer surgery, and also treat their pain with medications that may be ineffective and possibly harmful, according to a review of research.

How does the brain adapt to the restoration of eyesight? Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:27 AM PST Recent scientific advances have meant that eyesight can be partially restored to those who previously would have been blind for life. However, scientists have discovered that the rewiring of the senses that occurs in the brains of the long-term blind means that visual restoration may never be complete.

M6P deficiency leaves B cells out of sorts Posted: 19 Jan 2015 05:27 AM PST A group of white blood cells known as B cells, which play a key role in the human immune response, need a protein-targeting signal called M6P in order to proliferate, differentiate, and present immune cell--activating antigens, scientists report.

Mitigation-driven animal translocations are problematic Posted: 16 Jan 2015 01:15 PM PST The use of animal translocations as a means to mitigate construction projects and other human developments is a widespread animal-management tool. A paper published today, produced through collaboration of conservationists, reviews the success rates associated with these moves from a species-conservation standpoint.

Dramatic decline in risk for heart attacks among HIV-positive Kaiser Permanente members in California Posted: 16 Jan 2015 01:15 PM PST Previously reported increased risk of heart attacks among HIV-positive individuals has been largely reversed in recent years for Kaiser Permanente's California patients, according to a new study.

President Lincoln’s cottage 3D laser-scanned by researchers Posted: 16 Jan 2015 01:14 PM PST A team of undergraduate students traveled to Washington to document President Lincoln's Cottage -- the only designated national monument in the District of Columbia -- using 3D laser scanning technology. Images collected from the scanning will support preservation research, potentially impacting historical interpretation and public outreach at the site, which was used by Lincoln and his family to escape the summer heat of downtown Washington.

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