ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Robotics and the law: When software can harm you
• Elective surgery is associated with lower risk of death than drugs for ulcerative colitis treatment
• Liquid biopsy identifies mutations in colorectal cancer undetected in tissue biopsy
• One in four UK show dogs competing at Crufts is overweight
• Funeral directors may be at heightened risk of progressive neurodegenerative disease
• When attractive people do or don't choose equally good-looking mates
• Gene fuels age-related obesity and diabetes
• Certain abnormal prenatal testing results and subsequent diagnosis of maternal cancer
• Young adults who survive cancer hospitalized more often than the general population
• Stem cells provide lasting pain relief in mice
• Aerosolized vaccine protects primates against Ebola
• Lung cancer patients who stop smoking live longer
• An elusive molecule, finally revealed
• Chemotherapeutic coatings enhance tumor-frying nanoparticles
• Nanoscale light-emitting device has big profile
• Cancer discovery links experimental vaccine and biological treatment
• Better memory with faster lasers
• Fossils indicate human activities have disturbed ecosystem resilience
• Is upward mobility bad for your health?
• Nutrients turn on key tumor signaling molecule, fueling resistance to cancer therapy
• Fat fish illuminate human obesity
• Lung simulation could improve respiratory treatment
• Drug-resistant bacteria possess natural ability to become vulnerable to antibiotics
• Antioxidants help treat skin-picking disorder in mice
• First-responders' role in end-of-life calls
• New method of identifying sweet corn hybrids for increased yield and profit
• Losing half a night of sleep makes memories less accessible in stressful situations
• Consumers should seek a variety of fiber sources to get the maximum health benefits
• Algae, quinoa, legumes top list of alternative protein choices
• Scientist works on taste, texture and color of lab-produced hamburger
• 3D printers poised to have major implications for food manufacturing
• How opium poppies synthesize morphine
• Cancers caught during screening colonoscopy are more survivable
• Method to untangle, analyze 'controlled chaos' devised
• Wireless data delivery over active TV channels tested
• Baby's first stool can alert doctors to future cognitive issues
• Lithosphere of the Central Iranian Plateau
• Leisure time sitting linked to higher risk of specific cancers
• Online registry improves clinical research study participation
• Learning impacts how the brain processes what we see
• Polymer mold makes perfect silicon nanostructures
• New compounds may treat depression rapidly with few side effects
• Clay sheets stack to form proton conductors
• New drug combo could make cancer more sensitive to chemo
• Eating wild, foraged mushrooms can result in liver failure or death as misidentification is common
• New approach to treating B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia shows promise
• Lynchpin molecule for the spread of cancer found
• Transistor built from a molecule and a few atoms
• Kidney, bladder stones do not increase postmenopausal women's risk of osteoporosis
• 'Biosimilars' for children with IBD need more research
• From sticks to balls: The shape of bacteria is evolving to better adapt to the throat
• Nerve-wracking flyby of Pluto: New Horizons probe begins complicated dance
• New cell division mechanism discovered
• Rainfall drives rapid melt, flow of the Greenland ice sheet
• Stopping or reducing cocaine use associated with lower cardiovascular risk marker levels
• Ocean warming leads to stronger precipitation extremes
• Plump cartoon characters provoke indulgent eating in kids, says study
• Novel disease gene causing neurodegenerative disorders identified
• Treatment of patients with haemophilia
• The quantum physics of artificial light harvesting

Robotics and the law: When software can harm you Posted: 13 Jul 2015 05:57 PM PDT Twenty years in, the law is finally starting to get used to the Internet. Now it is imperative that the law figure out how to deal effectively with the rise of robotics and artificial intelligence, an expert says.

Elective surgery is associated with lower risk of death than drugs for ulcerative colitis treatment Posted: 13 Jul 2015 05:57 PM PDT Patients over 50 with ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic disease of the colon, who undergo surgery to treat their condition live longer than those who are treated with medications, according to a new study.

Liquid biopsy identifies mutations in colorectal cancer undetected in tissue biopsy Posted: 13 Jul 2015 05:54 PM PDT The CORRECT study is one of the largest trials to date comparing data provided by liquid versus tissue biopsy in metastatic colorectal cancer patients. According to the study, liquid biopsy (BEAMing technology) could become an essential tool for analyzing tumor genotypes in real time, and identifying significant mutations that occur during the course of disease and are not detected by tissue biopsy.

One in four UK show dogs competing at Crufts is overweight Posted: 13 Jul 2015 05:54 PM PDT One in four dogs competing in the world's largest canine show (Crufts) is overweight, despite the perception that entrants are supposed to represent ideal specimens of their breed, reveals research.

Funeral directors may be at heightened risk of progressive neurodegenerative disease Posted: 13 Jul 2015 05:54 PM PDT Funeral directors, who prepare bodies for burial, may be at heightened risk of the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS for short, as a result of the formaldehyde used in embalming fluid.

When attractive people do or don't choose equally good-looking mates Posted: 13 Jul 2015 05:51 PM PDT Partners who become romantically involved soon after meeting tend to be more similar in physical attractiveness than partners who get together after knowing each other for a while, according to new findings.

Gene fuels age-related obesity and diabetes Posted: 13 Jul 2015 02:22 PM PDT Practically everyone gets fatter as they get older, but some people can blame their genes for the extra padding. Researchers have shown that two different mutations in a gene called ankyrin-B cause cells to suck up glucose faster than normal, fattening them up and eventually leading to the type of diabetes linked to obesity.

Certain abnormal prenatal testing results and subsequent diagnosis of maternal cancer Posted: 13 Jul 2015 02:22 PM PDT In preliminary research, a small number of occult (hidden) malignancies were subsequently diagnosed among pregnant women whose noninvasive prenatal testing results showed chromosomal abnormalities but the fetal karyotype was subsequently shown to be normal, according to a new study.

Young adults who survive cancer hospitalized more often than the general population Posted: 13 Jul 2015 02:22 PM PDT Up to 20 years after people in the 20-44 age group are declared cancer-free, they still have more hospitalizations than the general public, new research has found.

Stem cells provide lasting pain relief in mice Posted: 13 Jul 2015 02:22 PM PDT Researchers have identified a promising stem cell based-therapy to address the chronic pain that affects more than one-third of the US adult population. In mice, bone marrow stromal cells were found to provide lasting relief for chronic pain caused by nerve damage. The findings also may advance cell-based therapies in chronic pain conditions, lower back pain and spinal cord injuries.

Aerosolized vaccine protects primates against Ebola Posted: 13 Jul 2015 02:22 PM PDT Scientists have developed an inhalable vaccine that protects primates against Ebola.

Lung cancer patients who stop smoking live longer Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:15 PM PDT Tobacco cessation provided significant survival benefit for lung cancer patients who quit smoking shortly before or after diagnosis, despite the severity of the disease.

An elusive molecule, finally revealed Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT A long-standing chemistry puzzle has been solved, with potential implications ranging from industrial processes to atmospheric chemistry.

Chemotherapeutic coatings enhance tumor-frying nanoparticles Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT In a move akin to adding chemical weapons to a firebomb, researchers have devised a method to deposit a thin layer of hydrogels on the surface of nanoshells designed to absorb infrared light and generate heat to destroy tumors. When heated by the nanoshells, these special hydrogels lose their water content and any drugs trapped within, creating a formidable one-two punch.

Nanoscale light-emitting device has big profile Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT Engineers have created a nanoscale device that can emit light as powerfully as an object 10,000 times its size. It's an advance that could have huge implications for everything from photography to solar power.

Cancer discovery links experimental vaccine and biological treatment Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT A new study has linked two seemingly unrelated cancer treatments that are both now being tested in clinical trials. One treatment is a vaccine that targets a structure on the outside of cancer cells, while the other is an altered enzyme that breaks apart RNA and causes the cell to commit suicide. The new understanding could help both approaches.

Better memory with faster lasers Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT By studying the effect of femtosecond laser pulses on the types of materials used to make DVDs, researchers made a discovery that could one day lead to better information storage in computers.

Fossils indicate human activities have disturbed ecosystem resilience Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT A collection of fossilized owl pellets in Utah suggests that when the Earth went through a period of rapid warming about 13,000 years ago, the small mammal community was stable, even as individual species changed along with the habitat and landscape. By contrast, human-caused changes to the environment since the late 1800s have caused an enormous drop in biomass and 'energy flow' in this same community. The resilience that these lands once had to environmental change is being lost.

Is upward mobility bad for your health? Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT Youth from low-income families who succeed academically and socially may actually pay a price -- with their health -- according to a new study.

Nutrients turn on key tumor signaling molecule, fueling resistance to cancer therapy Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT Tumors can leverage glucose and another nutrient, acetate, to resist targeted therapies directed at specific cellular molecules, according to Ludwig Cancer Research scientists studying glioblastoma, a deadly brain cancer. The findings demonstrate that nutrients can strongly affect the signaling molecules that drive tumors.

Fat fish illuminate human obesity Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT Blind cavefish that have adapted to annual cycles of starvation and binge-eating have mutations in the gene MC4R, the same gene that is mutated in certain obese people with insatiable appetites, according to a new study.

Lung simulation could improve respiratory treatment Posted: 13 Jul 2015 01:14 PM PDT The first computer model that predicts the flow of liquid medication in human lungs is providing new insight into the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Drug-resistant bacteria possess natural ability to become vulnerable to antibiotics Posted: 13 Jul 2015 12:12 PM PDT Infections with one of the most troublesome and least understood antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" are increasing. But now scientists have shown the bacteria, A. baumannii, can naturally relinquish its defenses against antibiotics.

Antioxidants help treat skin-picking disorder in mice Posted: 13 Jul 2015 12:08 PM PDT Two antioxidant supplements are effective in treating skin-picking disorder in mice, according to a new study.

First-responders' role in end-of-life calls Posted: 13 Jul 2015 12:08 PM PDT Paramedics and emergency medical technicians are trained to save lives. But they sometimes enter situations where a dying patient's end-of-life wishes contradict their professional code.

New method of identifying sweet corn hybrids for increased yield and profit Posted: 13 Jul 2015 12:08 PM PDT Corn hybrids with improved tolerance to crowding stress, grown at higher plant populations than their predecessors, have been a driver of rising field corn yields in recent decades. Large differences in crowding stress tolerance (CST) recently reported among popular sweet corn processing hybrids has growers and processors wondering if newly emerging hybrids also offer improved CST. A recent study identifies a more efficient method for comparing and identifying processing sweet corn hybrids for CST.

Losing half a night of sleep makes memories less accessible in stressful situations Posted: 13 Jul 2015 12:08 PM PDT It is known that sleep facilitates the formation of long-term memory in humans. Researchers now show that sleep does not only help form long-term memory but also ensures access to it during times of cognitive stress.

Consumers should seek a variety of fiber sources to get the maximum health benefits Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:41 AM PDT Consumers who get fiber from many sources -- both naturally occurring and added in manufacturing -- may benefit more than people who limit their intake to a single type, according to an expert.

Algae, quinoa, legumes top list of alternative protein choices Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:41 AM PDT Algae is evolving as the next new alternative protein source consumers are anxious to bite into as an ingredient in crackers, snack bars, cereals and breads, according to an expert.

Scientist works on taste, texture and color of lab-produced hamburger Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:41 AM PDT A researcher is confident his recipe for his $300,000 cultured hamburger will not only come down in price but someday make it to market.

3D printers poised to have major implications for food manufacturing Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:41 AM PDT The use of 3D printers has the potential to revolutionize the way food is manufactured within the next 10 to 20 years, impacting everything from how military personnel get food on the battlefield to how long it takes to get a meal from the computer to your table, according to new research.

How opium poppies synthesize morphine Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:36 AM PDT After years of leading research on the opium poppy scientists have characterized a novel gene that encodes the gateway enzyme in the formation of morphine -- which is to say, they've begun to understand how poppies synthesize the pain killing enzymes. The discovery opens the door to alternative production systems, aside from the plant itself.

Cancers caught during screening colonoscopy are more survivable Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:36 AM PDT Patients whose colorectal cancer is detected during a screening colonoscopy are likely to survive longer than those who wait until they have symptoms before having the test.

Method to untangle, analyze 'controlled chaos' devised Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:36 AM PDT A researcher has developed a new mathematical framework to more effectively analyze 'controlled chaos.' The new method could potentially be used to improve the resilience of complex critical systems, such as air traffic control networks and power grids, or slow the spread of threats across large networks, such as disease outbreaks.

Wireless data delivery over active TV channels tested Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:36 AM PDT Engineers have demonstrated the first system that allows wireless data transmissions over UHF channels during active TV broadcasts.

Baby's first stool can alert doctors to future cognitive issues Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:36 AM PDT A newborn's first stool can signal the child may struggle with persistent cognitive problems. In particular, high levels of fatty acid ethyl esters found in the meconium (a newborn's first stool) from a mother's alcohol use during pregnancy can alert doctors that a child is at risk for problems with intelligence and reasoning.

Lithosphere of the Central Iranian Plateau Posted: 13 Jul 2015 11:32 AM PDT Geologists describe thinning of the lithosphere that they associate with the formation of a metamorphic core complex in the Central Iranian plateau.

Leisure time sitting linked to higher risk of specific cancers Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:14 AM PDT Spending more leisure time sitting was associated with a higher risk of total cancer risk in women, and specifically with multiple myeloma, breast, and ovarian cancers, according a new study.

Online registry improves clinical research study participation Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:14 AM PDT Research for Her, an online registry that matches women with research studies and clinical trials, enrolled study participants more quickly when compared with traditional paper-based registries, according to new research.

Learning impacts how the brain processes what we see Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:14 AM PDT From the smell of flowers to the taste of wine, our perception is strongly influenced by prior knowledge and expectations, a cognitive process known as top-down control. Neuroscientists and neurobiologists report that in mouse models, the brain significantly changed its visual cortex operation modes by implementing top-down processes during learning.

Polymer mold makes perfect silicon nanostructures Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:14 AM PDT In a breakthrough for nanoscience, polymer engineers have made such a mold for nanostructures that can shape liquid silicon out of an organic polymer material. This paves the way for perfect, 3-D, single crystal nanostructures.

New compounds may treat depression rapidly with few side effects Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:13 AM PDT A new study has identified promising compounds that could successfully treat depression in less than 24 hours with few side effects. The compounds could offer significant advantages over current antidepressant medications.

Clay sheets stack to form proton conductors Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:13 AM PDT A researcher employs a clay typically used for gardening to develop a proton-conducting, bulk nanostructured material.

New drug combo could make cancer more sensitive to chemo Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:13 AM PDT Combining chemotherapy with new drugs that target a protein that helps cancer cells to withstand chemotherapy could drastically improve treatment, according to new research.

Eating wild, foraged mushrooms can result in liver failure or death as misidentification is common Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:13 AM PDT Foraging and eating wild mushrooms can result in liver failure and even death because mistaking toxic mushrooms for edible varieties is common, illustrates a recent case.

New approach to treating B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia shows promise Posted: 13 Jul 2015 10:13 AM PDT A new compound that locks a disease-related protein into an inactive position stifled the growth of an aggressive form of leukemia in laboratory and animal tests, researchers report.

Lynchpin molecule for the spread of cancer found Posted: 13 Jul 2015 09:23 AM PDT A single molecule called DNA-PKcs may drive metastatic processes that turn cancer from a slowly growing relatively benign disease to a killer.

Transistor built from a molecule and a few atoms Posted: 13 Jul 2015 09:22 AM PDT Physicists have used a scanning tunneling microscope to create a minute transistor consisting of a single molecule and a small number of atoms. The observed transistor action is markedly different from the conventionally expected behavior and could be important for future device technologies as well as for fundamental studies of electron transport in molecular nanostructures.

Kidney, bladder stones do not increase postmenopausal women's risk of osteoporosis Posted: 13 Jul 2015 09:20 AM PDT Postmenopausal women with kidney or bladder stones are not at increased risk for osteoporosis, but they do have about a 15 percent increased risk of another painful stone, physician-scientists report.

'Biosimilars' for children with IBD need more research Posted: 13 Jul 2015 09:20 AM PDT Children with inflammatory bowel disease who are doing well on specific biological medications should not be switched to recently approved 'biosimilar' products, concludes an expert consensus statement of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.

From sticks to balls: The shape of bacteria is evolving to better adapt to the throat Posted: 13 Jul 2015 09:20 AM PDT It's no coincidence that the earthworm's slender shape makes it perfect for weaving through narrow tunnels. Evolution molds the shapes of living creatures according to the benefits they offer. At the microscopic level, do the various shapes of bacteria also contribute to their survival? Does a spherical bacterium (coccus) have a better chance of infecting its host than its stick-shaped neighbor (bacillus)?

Nerve-wracking flyby of Pluto: New Horizons probe begins complicated dance Posted: 13 Jul 2015 08:36 AM PDT The moment is finally here: after a decade of travel, the New Horizons probe is about to encounter Pluto. Flying faster than a speeding bullet -- literally -- the probe has to perform complex maneuvers, and go completely silent before scientists on Earth will hear anything, an astronomer says.

New cell division mechanism discovered Posted: 13 Jul 2015 08:34 AM PDT Chromosomes play an active role in animal cell division, reports an international team of researchers. This occurs at a precise stage – cytokinesis – when the cell splits into two new daughter cells, say the scientists.

Rainfall drives rapid melt, flow of the Greenland ice sheet Posted: 13 Jul 2015 08:34 AM PDT The Greenland ice sheet has been shown to accelerate in response to surface rainfall and melt associated with late-summer and autumnal cyclonic weather events, new research shows.

Stopping or reducing cocaine use associated with lower cardiovascular risk marker levels Posted: 13 Jul 2015 08:33 AM PDT For people who use cocaine, stopping or reducing cocaine use is associated with decreased levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1) -- a protein that plays a key role in the development of coronary artery disease.

Ocean warming leads to stronger precipitation extremes Posted: 13 Jul 2015 08:33 AM PDT Due to climate change, not only atmospheric, but also oceanic, temperatures are rising. A new study shows that increases in sea surface temperature can contribute to the development of stronger precipitation events.

Plump cartoon characters provoke indulgent eating in kids, says study Posted: 13 Jul 2015 08:33 AM PDT Children consume more low-nutrition, high-calorie food such as cookies and candy after observing seemingly overweight cartoon characters, according to a first-of-its-kind study.

Novel disease gene causing neurodegenerative disorders identified Posted: 13 Jul 2015 08:33 AM PDT Researchers have discovered and characterized a previously unknown disease gene linked to the degeneration of optic and peripheral nerve fibers.

Treatment of patients with haemophilia Posted: 13 Jul 2015 08:33 AM PDT For patients with severe haemophilia A, studies provide both hints and an indication of an added benefit of prophylactic versus on-demand treatment with factor concentrates.

The quantum physics of artificial light harvesting Posted: 13 Jul 2015 08:33 AM PDT Plants and bacteria make use of sunlight with remarkably high efficiency: nine out of ten absorbed light particles are being put to use in an ordinary bacterium. For years, it has been a pressing question of modern research whether or not effects from quantum physics are responsible for this outstanding performance of natural light harvesters. Scientists have now examined these quantum effects in an artificial model system.

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