| Building a better mouse trap, from the atoms up Posted: 04 Mar 2016 01:49 PM PST Machine learning makes materials design into a science. |
| Woodpecker drumming signals wimp or warrior Posted: 04 Mar 2016 01:36 PM PST Instead of a distinctive song, woodpeckers bang on trees with their bills to create a sound called drumming. In a new study, researchers tested how woodpecker pairs perceived drumming to see how it influenced territorial interaction and coordination of defensive behavior. |
| Building a better mouse trap, from the atoms up Posted: 04 Mar 2016 01:34 PM PST For most of human history, the discovery of new materials has been a crapshoot. But now, researchers have systematized the search with machine learning that can scan millions of theoretical compounds for qualities that would make better solar cells, fibers, and computer chips. The search for new materials may never be the same. |
| Likely biological link found between Zika virus, microcephaly Posted: 04 Mar 2016 01:34 PM PST Working with lab-grown human stem cells, a team of researchers suspect they have discovered how the Zika virus probably causes microcephaly in fetuses. The virus selectively infects cells that form the brain's cortex, or outer layer, making them more likely to die and less likely to divide normally and make new brain cells. |
| Marine protected areas intensify both cooperation and competition Posted: 04 Mar 2016 01:04 PM PST Marine protected areas generate both extreme cooperation and extreme competition among commercial fishers. When these behaviors remain in balance, they can lead to better conservation of marine resources, a new study finds. However, if competition among fishers increases while cooperation declines, it could threaten the long-term survival of marine protected areas, their biodiversity and the communities that depend on them. |
| More Sumatran orangutans than previously thought Posted: 04 Mar 2016 01:03 PM PST Sumatran orangutans, one of the two existing species of orangutans, live exclusively in the North of the Indonesian island Sumatra and are critically endangered. An international team of researchers has now conducted an extensive series of surveys to estimate the number of Sumatran orangutans. |
| Bee brains as never seen before Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:34 AM PST Detailed exploration of tiny insect brains has become much easier using new methods for imaging and 3D image reconstruction. The researchers used this X-ray imaging to produce hundreds of image slices that can be re-constructed by a standard laptop computer into a high resolution 3D model. |
| Technological breakthrough for cheaper lighting, flexible solar cells Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:31 AM PST In more than three years of work, European scientists have finally made future lighting technology ready to market. They developed flexible lighting foils that can be produced roll-to-roll – much like newspapers are printed. These devices pave the path towards cheaper solar cells and LED lighting panels. |
| New vulnerability revealed in blood cancer development Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:29 AM PST A protein that is key to the development of blood cancers caused by a common genetic error has been identified by researchers. The discovery is a missing piece in the puzzle of understanding how high levels of a protein called MYC drive cancer development, and may to lead to future strategies for early treatment or possibly even prevention of these cancers. |
| Dementia care at home: Raising knowledge, confidence to improve quality, decrease costs Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:29 AM PST The Dementia Symptom Management at Home (DSM-H) program was developed to help home healthcare agencies to improve the quality of care they provide to patients living with dementia (PLWD) and reduce caregiver stress and burnout. |
| Researchers target specific protein associated with poor survival, treatment Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:29 AM PST Glioblastoma multiformeis a highly aggressive brain tumor with low survival rates, with newly diagnosed patients surviving a median of 14 months and recurrent patients surviving a median of only 3 to 9 months. New therapeutic targets and biomarkers for prognosis are urgently needed. Researchers recently reported that expression of the protein BIRC3 is associated with poor survival and recurrent disease in GBM patients; and therefore may be a good therapeutic target. |
| Exercise may protect nerve cells in Spinal Muscular Atrophy patients Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:29 AM PST Long-term exercise appears to be beneficial for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) like mice, suggesting a potential of active physiotherapy for patient care, scientists report. |
| Rare respiratory disease gene carriers actually have increased lung function Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:29 AM PST New research has revealed the healthy carriers of a gene that causes a rare respiratory disease are taller and larger than average, with greater respiratory capacity. The disease, alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency can result in severely reduced lung capacity due to emphysema. It is found in about 1 in 2,000 people, and occurs when an individual inherits a defective gene copy from both parents. |
| Can social support be a bad thing for older adults? Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:16 AM PST Social support from family and friends does not have an entirely positive effect on mental health but is instead a 'mixed blessing,' say researchers. This is the first study that demonstrates the simultaneous negative and positive effects of social support among Singaporean older adults and has implications for policy makers. |
| Electricity can flow through graphene at high frequencies without energy loss Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:16 AM PST Electrical signals transmitted at high frequencies lose none of their energy when passed through the 'wonder material' graphene, a study has shown. Discovered in 2004, graphene -- which measures just an atom in thickness and is around 100 times stronger than steel -- has been identified as having a range of potential uses across the engineering and health sectors. |
| Nanoscale rotor, gripper push DNA origami to new limits Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:16 AM PST Two new nanoscale machines have been developed with moving parts, using DNA as a programmable, self-assembling construction material. In a new article, they describe a rotor mechanism formed from interlocking 3-D DNA components. Another recent paper reported a hinged molecular manipulator, also made from DNA. These are just the latest steps in a campaign to transform so-called 'DNA origami' into an industrially useful, commercially viable technology. |
| Study sheds new light on post-operative bleeding in newborns Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:16 AM PST A new study finds significant differences between the blood clot structure in adults and newborns, helping researchers better understand the challenges in addressing post-operative bleeding in neonatal patients. The researchers also found that the current standard of care for treating post-operative bleeding may pose an increased risk of thrombosis in newborns compared to adults, which researchers hadn't suspected. |
| Scientists develop very early stage human embryonic stem cell lines for first time Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:08 AM PST Scientists have, for the first time, shown that it is possible to derive from a human embryo so-called 'naïve' pluripotent stem cells -- one of the most flexible types of stem cell, which can develop into all human tissue other than the placenta. |
| First comprehensive study of New Hampshire oyster farming Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:08 AM PST Scientists have conducted the first study of oyster farming-nitrogen dynamics in New Hampshire, providing the first solid research on the state's oyster farming industry and the role oyster farms play with nitrogen removal. The research contributes to a growing body of research on how oysters affect the nitrogen content of estuaries such as Great Bay. |
| In vitro fertilization, often cited for high twin birth rate, could reduce it Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:08 AM PST The US has reached a record-high rate of twin births, and the use of in vitro fertilization is part of the reason. But in a new commentary, an expert argues that implemented differently, IVF could instead reduce the rate toward natural levels. |
| Aussie crayfish alpine hideout under threat Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:08 AM PST Australian river crayfish numbers plunged 90 per cent in an alpine region after their habitat was lost. Researchers have now captured great footage as they study crayfish in Australia's alpine rivers |
| Hostile young adults may experience thinking, memory problems in middle age Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:08 AM PST Young adults with hostile attitudes or those who don't cope well with stress may be at increased risk for experiencing memory and thinking problems decades later, according to a study. |
| Understanding differences within species is critical to conservation efforts Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:08 AM PST Differences within a species across geographically distinct ranges should be taken into account during conservation planning as the climate changes, warn experts. |
| New insights reported about the Angelina Jolie gene Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:08 AM PST New research reveals another function of the breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA1. This could lead to improved diagnostics and treatment tools for this form of breast cancer. |
| Biomarker tests for molecularly targeted therapies need better evidence, oversight Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:08 AM PST Potentially useful biomarker tests for molecularly targeted therapies are not being adopted appropriately into clinical practice because of a lack of common evidentiary standards necessary for regulatory, reimbursement, and treatment decisions, says a new report. |
| Evolving insights into cystic fibrosis lung infections Posted: 04 Mar 2016 09:07 AM PST Recent research progress into how bacteria adapt and evolve during chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients could lead to better treatment strategies being developed, according to a new study. |
| When it comes to predicting depression, race may matter more than was thought, study suggests Posted: 04 Mar 2016 06:34 AM PST Depression can strike anyone, taking a toll on mental and physical health, friendships, work and studies. But figuring out who's at risk for it is still a murky task. A new study suggests that standard ways of looking for depression risk may not work as well among blacks as they do among whites. But listening to how blacks describe their own mental health could help. |
| By cloning mouse neurons, scientists find brain cells with 100+ unique mutations Posted: 04 Mar 2016 06:32 AM PST For the first time, scientists have sequenced the complete genomes of individual neurons and to produce live mice carrying neuronal genomes in all of their cells. |
| Four ways inheritance is more complex than Mendel knew Posted: 04 Mar 2016 06:32 AM PST This year marks the 150th anniversary of Gregor Mendel's publication that--after sitting ignored for a few decades--helped launch the field of modern genetics. Today, we know that inheritance is far more complex than what Mendel saw in his pea plants. Now scientists who track progress in genetics research share some of the things researchers have learned about how traits are passed from one generation to the next. |
| First code of conduct for the use of virtual reality established Posted: 04 Mar 2016 06:27 AM PST Researchers summarize problems and offer recommendations for the future of virtual reality. The technological capacity for generating virtual worlds from home computers will soon be widely available to the general public, as special head-mounted displays are brought to market that create the illusion of being immersed in virtual three-dimensional worlds. |
| Dysfunction of cellular powerplant shakes B-vitamin metabolism, causes genetic damage Posted: 04 Mar 2016 06:27 AM PST A mechanism underlying a severe progressive children's brain disease and adult's muscle disease has been clarified by a new study. The results indicate for the first time that the energy-metabolic defect in a cell can shake its B-vitamin balance and lead to genetic changes. |
| Big and small numbers are processed in different sides of the brain Posted: 04 Mar 2016 06:27 AM PST Small numbers are processed in the right side of the brain, while large numbers are processed in the left side of the brain, new research suggests. |
| Female heart reacts more sensitively to stress Posted: 04 Mar 2016 06:22 AM PST While the number of men dying from a heart attack has been constantly decreasing during the past twenty years, the fatal risk particularly in young women has increased significantly. Gender medicine has already demonstrated that women exhibit different symptoms. A new insight shows that stress in the daily routine has particularly adverse effects on the hearts of women. |
| Women need more of the HIV drug Truvada than men to prevent infection Posted: 04 Mar 2016 06:20 AM PST Women need daily doses of the antiviral medication Truvada to prevent HIV infection while men only need two doses per week due to the way the drug accumulates in different body tissues, according to a new study from pharmacy researchers. |
| Clean energy could stress global water resources Posted: 04 Mar 2016 06:20 AM PST Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector could lead to greater pressure on water resources, increasing water use and thermal water pollution. Dedicated adaptation measures will be needed in order to avoid potential trade-offs between the water and climate change impacts of the energy system. |
| What influences 11-year-olds to drink? Posted: 04 Mar 2016 06:19 AM PST Around one in seven 11-year-olds in the UK have had at least one drink of alcohol, according to a new study, which analyzed data from 10,498 children aged 11. |
| Dietary glycemic index linked to lung cancer risk in select populations Posted: 04 Mar 2016 06:19 AM PST Consuming a diet with a high glycemic index, a classification of how rapidly carbohydrates elevate blood sugar levels, was independently associated with an increased risk of developing lung cancer in non-Hispanic whites, according to a new epidemiologic study. |
| Study offers clearest picture yet of how HIV defeats a cellular defender Posted: 04 Mar 2016 06:18 AM PST The first atomic-scale view of an interaction between the HIV capsid -- the protein coat that shepherds HIV into the nucleus of human cells -- and a host protein known as cyclophilin A has been illuminated by a recent study. This interaction is key to HIV infection, researchers say. |
| CPAP may improve glycemic control in sleep apnea patients Posted: 03 Mar 2016 05:42 PM PST Continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, appears to improve glycemic control in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and type 2 diabetes that is not well controlled, according to research. The research has advanced understanding of the biological relationship between two major public health problems, which epidemiological studies have indicated are related. |
