| 'Coral on a chip' cracks coral mysteries Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:45 PM PDT The world's corals are dying, with tremendous effects on climate and ocean health – however, much about why coral dies is still unknown. Now, a team of researchers has created a new experimental platform – a "coral on a chip" – that lets them grow coral in the lab to study the structures' complicated lives at microscale resolution. |
| Temporary disconnects shed light on long-term brain dysfunction Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:45 PM PDT Using optogenetics to study long-range communication across the brain, a team of researchers temporarily silenced long-range axons so as to determine their role in the brain's conversation. As mental and neurological diseases are thought to be related to disrupted long-range connectivity, the team's findings could lead to better understanding and treatment of such disorders. |
| 10-minute urine test can measure specific compounds from food consumed Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:45 PM PDT Can we say goodbye to unreliable food diaries and diet recall in exchange for a urine test that will better aid researchers in figuring out what foods might help prevent cancer? Researchers have developed a method that can quickly evaluate specific food compounds in human urine. |
| Within six families, a path to personalized treatment for an immune disorder Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:45 PM PDT The most common immune disorder, common variable immunodeficiency disorder (CVID), is notoriously difficult to diagnose early, before serious complications develop. Genetic analysis of six families from across the U.S. and Europe has revealed that mutations in IKAROS, known for its central role in immune cell development, define a new class of CVID. This study's results open the door to personalized health care tailored to patients with this disorder. |
| Autoimmune attack underlying kidney failure Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:44 PM PDT Interstitial nephritis, a common cause of kidney failure, has a complex and largely unknown pathogenesis. In a new published paper, a team of researchers shows how interstitial nephritis can develop from an autoimmune attack on the kidney's collecting duct. |
| Viruses 'piggyback' on host microbes' success Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:42 PM PDT It has generally been assumed that in a growing population of microbes, viruses also multiply and kill their hosts, keeping the microbial population in check. A recent study of virus-host dynamics near coral reefs suggests that, under certain conditions, viruses can change their infection strategy. As potential host microbes become more numerous, some viruses forego rapid replication and opt instead to reside peaceably inside their host, thereby reducing their the viruses' numbers. |
| Aging is portrayed as mainly negative in popular music lyrics Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:42 PM PDT A recent analysis of popular music reveals that while older age and aging are represented both negatively and positively in music lyrics, negative representations predominate. |
| Biomarkers can help guide immune-suppressing treatment after organ transplantation Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:42 PM PDT Recently discovered biomarkers may provide valuable new approaches to monitoring immunosuppressive drug therapy in organ transplant recipients -- with the potential for individualized therapy to reduce organ rejection and minimize side effects |
| New work-family research shows how team makeup, 'virtuality' affect social loafing Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:42 PM PDT Is virtual teamwork productive? Are managers really getting the most out of their teams when virtuality is involved? A new study argues that productivity and effectiveness of virtual teamwork centers heavily on the makeup of the team and how that affects accountability. |
| Sorghum: Not so ho-hum Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:42 PM PDT Researchers recently released 40 varieties of early-flowering sorghum bred for use in cooler, more temperate areas. These early-flowering varieties of sorghum are critical for the spread of the crop to more new locations. |
| Healthy heart equals healthy brain Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:42 PM PDT Achieving the metrics that define a healthy heart may translate to healthier brain function as people age. More ideal cardiovascular health measures meant less decline in brain processing speed and, to some extent, thinking ability and memory. |
| Women may keep verbal memory skills longer than men in the early stages of Alzheimer's Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:42 PM PDT Women may have a better memory for words than men despite evidence of similar levels of shrinkage in areas of the brain that show the earliest signs of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. |
| Re-energizing the aging brain Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:42 PM PDT Supplementation with the molecule pyruvate increases the energy reserves in the brain of aging mice, and makes them more energetic and keener to explore their surroundings. |
| New strategy helps quantum bits stay on task Posted: 16 Mar 2016 12:16 PM PDT Scientists have demonstrated a way to improve the performance of the powerful building blocks of quantum computers by reducing interference from the environment. |
| Forests reveal lingering effects of native cultures Posted: 16 Mar 2016 12:15 PM PDT New research suggests that Gleditsia triacanthos (honey locust) distribution in the Southern Appalachian region is more strongly patterned by Native American settlements dating back centuries than by niche requirements or alternative methods of seed dispersal. |
| Alternative fuels need more than hype to drive transportation market Posted: 16 Mar 2016 12:15 PM PDT Hype followed by disappointment: That's been the general pattern over the past few decades when an alternative fuel is presented to the public. It's a fuel du jour phenomenon, from methanol to hydrogen, where government leaders and the media hype a new fuel, only to abandon it when lofty expectations are not met. |
| New explosion gas-signature models can help inspectors locate and identify underground nuclear tests Posted: 16 Mar 2016 12:14 PM PDT Through experiments and computer models of gas releases, scientists have simulated signatures of gases from underground nuclear explosions (UNEs) that may be carried by winds far from the detonation. |
| Experimental evolution of a hermaphroditic nematode demonstrates deterministic maternal effects can give offspring a head start in life Posted: 16 Mar 2016 12:14 PM PDT Experimental evolution of c. elegans proves deterministic maternal effects can give offspring a head start in life. |
| Scientists discover a link between psoriasis and general bone loss Posted: 16 Mar 2016 12:13 PM PDT For the first time, researchers have linked psoriasis to the risk of widespread bone loss and describe how the protein IL-17 acts as a 'messenger' between the skin and the bones. IL-17 inhibitors, some of which already on the market, could simultaneously address skin inflammation and associated bone loss. These results recommend monitoring the bone mass of patients with psoriasis to select the most appropriate treatment. The study has potential implications in other autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease. |
| New soft material could reduce complications for women suffering from urinary incontinence Posted: 16 Mar 2016 12:13 PM PDT Researchers have developed a novel implantable material which could reduce the number of debilitating side-effects that occur as a result of using a material that is too rigid for surgical treatment of incontinence. |
| Solving the mystery of the Tully Monster Posted: 16 Mar 2016 12:13 PM PDT The Tully Monster, an oddly configured sea creature with teeth at the end of a narrow, trunk-like extension of its head and eyes that perch on either side of a long, rigid bar, has finally been identified. A team of paleontologists has determined that the 300-million-year-old animal -- which grew to only a foot long -- was a vertebrate, with gills and a stiffened rod (or notochord) that supported its body. |
| Mitochondrial metabolism linked to acute kidney injury Posted: 16 Mar 2016 12:13 PM PDT Researchers help explain the origins of acute kidney injury and suggest that manipulation of the NAD aging molecule might help prevent loss of kidney function and subsequent complications. |
| Starvation signals control intestinal inflammation in mice Posted: 16 Mar 2016 12:13 PM PDT Intestinal inflammation in mice can be dampened by subjecting them briefly to a diet restricted in amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, researchers have found. |
| Counterattack of the hepatitis B virus Posted: 16 Mar 2016 12:11 PM PDT The hepatitis B virus (HBV) infects liver cells. Drugs are available to treat HBV, but they rarely cure the infection, and so the virus typically returns after the treatment ends. Scientists have now discovered how our cells defend themselves against HBV infection, but also how the virus fights back. This work represents an important advance in our understanding of HBV and suggests new avenues for the development of innovative therapeutic agents. |
| Electrical brain stimulation could support stroke recovery Posted: 16 Mar 2016 12:11 PM PDT Medical researchers have studied the use of transcranial direct current stimulation to support rehabilitation training for stroke patients and found that those who had tCDS had better outcomes. |
| Experimental dengue vaccine protects all recipients in virus challenge study Posted: 16 Mar 2016 12:11 PM PDT A clinical trial in which volunteers were infected with dengue virus six months after receiving either an experimental dengue vaccine or a placebo injection yielded starkly contrasting results. All 21 volunteers who received the vaccine, TV003, were protected from infection, while all 20 placebo recipients developed infection. The study underscores the importance of human challenge studies, in which volunteers are exposed to disease-causing pathogens under carefully controlled conditions. |
| Selfish bumblebees are not prepared to share expertise Posted: 16 Mar 2016 12:11 PM PDT Well qualified bumblebees are not prepared to share their pollinating knowledge with less experienced bees, according to new research. |
| Scientists generate a new type of human stem cell that has half a genome Posted: 16 Mar 2016 11:04 AM PDT Scientists have succeeded in generating a new type of embryonic stem cell that carries a single copy of the human genome, instead of the two copies typically found in normal stem cells. These are the first human cells that are known to be capable of cell division with just one copy of the parent cell's genome. Since the stem cells were a genetic match to the egg cell donor, they could also be used to develop cell-based therapies for diseases such as blindness, diabetes, or other conditions in which genetically identical cells offer a therapeutic advantage. Because their genetic content is equivalent to germ cells, they might also be useful for reproductive purposes. |
| Flipping a light switch recovers memories lost to Alzheimer's disease mice Posted: 16 Mar 2016 11:04 AM PDT Light stimulation of brain cells can recover memories in mice with Alzheimer's disease-like memory loss, according to new research. The rescue of memories, which changed both the structure of neurons as well as the behavior of mice, was achieved using optogenetics, a method for manipulating genetically tagged cells with precise bursts of light. This finding suggests that impaired retrieval of memories, rather than poor storage or encoding, may underlie this prominent symptom of early Alzheimer's disease and points to the synaptic connectivity between memory cells as being crucial for retrieval. |
| Computer simulations may help golfers tame the sport's 'scariest 155 yards' Posted: 16 Mar 2016 11:03 AM PDT Engineers have devised a computer model to unravel the wicked wind conditions that plague the world's greatest golfers at the course that hosts one of the sport's most storied tournaments, The Masters, in Augusta, Georgia. |
| Wetland enhancement in Midwest could help reduce catastrophic floods of the future Posted: 16 Mar 2016 11:03 AM PDT Restoration of wetlands in the Midwest could significantly reduce peak river flows during floods -- not only now, but also in the future if heavy rains continue to increase in intensity, as climate models predict. New financial models and flood management policies may be needed to actually accomplish this. |
| New fuel materials could make nuclear reactors safer Posted: 16 Mar 2016 10:13 AM PDT Nuclear power is an important energy source and is essential as a clean energy to reduce current carbon emissions from fossil fuels. However, many people feel the risk of nuclear accidents does not outweigh the benefits associated with nuclear energy. |
| Details behind stock market 'flash crash' Posted: 16 Mar 2016 10:11 AM PDT Conclusions: Indicted trader not to blame; systemic issues of high-frequency trading more likely responsible for 1,000-point drop. |
| Spasticity: two potential therapeutic avenues Posted: 16 Mar 2016 10:10 AM PDT Following spinal cord injury, most patients experience an exaggeration of muscle tone called spasticity, which frequently leads to physical disability. A team has just identified one of the molecular mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon. It has also proposed two therapeutic solutions that have proved conclusive in animals, one of which will be tested during phase II clinical trials as early as this year. |
| Trained technicians using CV software improved the accuracy and quality of LDCT scans Posted: 16 Mar 2016 10:10 AM PDT Trained technician screeners with assisted computer-aided nodule detection or computer vision screening workstations can efficiently and accurately review and triage abnormal low-dose computed topography scans for radiologist review, a study suggests. |
| This necklace hears what you eat Posted: 16 Mar 2016 10:09 AM PDT Researchers are developing a necklace that tracks what we eat via microphone and a mobile app. |
| Advanced energy storage material gets unprecedented nanoscale analysis Posted: 16 Mar 2016 10:09 AM PDT Researchers have combined advanced in-situ microscopy and theoretical calculations to uncover important clues to the properties of a promising next-generation energy storage material for supercapacitors and batteries. |
| Bacterial resistance to copper in the making for thousands of years Posted: 16 Mar 2016 10:09 AM PDT Human use of copper dating back to the Bronze Age has shaped the evolution of bacteria, leading to bugs that are highly resistant to the metal's antibacterial properties. |
| New technique tracks 'heartbeat' of hundreds of wetlands Posted: 16 Mar 2016 10:09 AM PDT A new method to track how wetlands in Eastern Washington behave seasonally has been developed by scientists, which will also help monitor how they change as the climate warms. |
| Lasers help speed up detection of bacterial growth in packaged food Posted: 16 Mar 2016 10:09 AM PDT It's important to know how microorganisms -- particularly pathogenic microbes -- grow under various conditions. Certain bacteria can cause food poisoning when eaten and bacterial growth in medical blood supplies, while rare, might necessitate discarding the blood. Now a group of researchers report a fast, accurate, and noninvasive technique for monitoring bacterial growth. |
| Surface-going cave crickets actually more isolated than cave-dwelling cousins Posted: 16 Mar 2016 08:33 AM PDT Although other studies on cave-dwelling creatures have found that animals that spend all of their lives in the dark of caves are more likely to be genetically isolated, a recent study on two groups of crickets found the opposite. |
| Climate warming accelerating carbon loss from thawing Arctic soils Posted: 16 Mar 2016 08:32 AM PDT Warmer, wetter conditions in the Arctic are accelerating the loss of carbon stored in tundra and permafrost soils, creating a potential positive feedback that further boosts global temperatures, a new study finds. |
| Young sun-like star shows a magnetic field was critical for life on the early Earth Posted: 16 Mar 2016 08:32 AM PDT Nearly four billion years ago, life arose on Earth. Life appeared because our planet had a rocky surface, liquid water, and a blanketing atmosphere. But life thrived thanks to another necessary ingredient: the presence of a protective magnetic field. A new study of the young, Sun-like star Kappa Ceti shows that a magnetic field plays a key role in making a planet conducive to life. |
| Risk score may help identify patients at risk for sudden cardiac death after acute coronary syndrome Posted: 16 Mar 2016 08:32 AM PDT Researchers assessed the cumulative incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) during long-term follow-up after non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome, and developed a risk model and risk score for SCD after NSTE ACS. |
| Many AFib patients at highest risk of stroke not receiving recommended oral anticoagulant therapy Posted: 16 Mar 2016 08:32 AM PDT The extent to which prescription of an oral anticoagulant in US cardiology practices increases as the number of stroke risk factors increases for patients with atrial fibrillation has been the focus of recent study. |
| Regenerating forests create important carbon sinks in the Philippines Posted: 16 Mar 2016 07:57 AM PDT A new study is among the first in the world to systematically assess the amount of carbon stored in tropical forests recovering after controversial land-clearing practices in the Philippines. |
| Why are some people more attached to their phones than others? Posted: 16 Mar 2016 07:57 AM PDT Some people frequently check and re-check their mobile phones. Once this impulse is triggered, it may be more a question of not being able to leave the device alone than actually hoping to gain some reward from it. |
| Smaller, cheaper microbial fuel cells turn urine into electricity Posted: 16 Mar 2016 07:55 AM PDT A new kind of fuel cell that can turn urine into electricity could revolutionize the way we produce bioenergy, particularly in developing countries. The research describes a new design of microbial fuel cell that's smaller, cheaper and more powerful than traditional ones. |
| Potential Zika virus risk estimated for 50 US cities Posted: 16 Mar 2016 07:51 AM PDT Key factors that can combine to produce a Zika virus outbreak are expected to be present in a number of US cities during peak summer months, new research shows. |
| Allowing women to extend labor reduces rate of Cesarean delivery Posted: 16 Mar 2016 06:43 AM PDT The study suggests that C-section rates could be reduced by over 50 percent by increasing the time allowed in the final phase of labor before a C-section is initiated. Researchers say labor guidelines that date to the 1800s need to be updated. |
| Students map Milky Way with dwarf stars Posted: 16 Mar 2016 06:40 AM PDT Two astronomy students have mapped the entire Milky Way Galaxy in dwarf stars for the first time. They show that there are a total of 58 billion dwarf stars, of which seven per cent reside in the outer regions of our Galaxy. This result is the most comprehensive model ever for the distribution of these stars. |
| Scientists suggest a 100 times faster type of memory cell based on superconductors Posted: 16 Mar 2016 06:39 AM PDT Russian scientists have developed a fundamentally new type of memory cell based on superconductors -- this type of memory will be able to work hundreds of times faster than the types of memory devices commonly used today. The principle of these new cells is based on quantum effects in 'sandwiches' of a superconductor-dielectric-superconductor -- so-called 'Josephson junctions.' |
| Statins cut tuberculosis treatment time in mice Posted: 16 Mar 2016 05:54 AM PDT In a study using mice, infectious disease experts have added to evidence that statin drugs — known primarily for their cholesterol-lowering effects — can significantly reduce the time it takes to clear tuberculosis infection. |
| Silent oceans: Acidification stops shrimp chorus Posted: 16 Mar 2016 05:54 AM PDT Snapping shrimps, the loudest invertebrate in the ocean, may be silenced under increasing ocean acidification, a new study has found. |
| Scaling mental resilience more effectively Posted: 16 Mar 2016 05:51 AM PDT Many people get on with their lives after traumatic experiences without any psychological suffering. This is because, in spite of all the trauma, they manage to pigeonhole what they have experienced. Although this sense of coherence was first described in the 1970s, measuring it has remained problematic to this day. Psychologists have now developed a questionnaire that renders the sense of coherence in overcoming trauma tangible in a more appropriate way. |
| Arsenic water purification with waste materials Posted: 16 Mar 2016 05:51 AM PDT Sand, coral and even waste building materials can become extremely efficient sorbents for water purification from arsenic, if they are treated for this purpose. Scientists have revealed a new technology during experiments. In practice, they succeeded to purify at least 3.6 m3 of water with the help of 200 grams of sorbent from the available raw materials, the cost of which will be a little more than $1 to end consumers. |
| Hormone cortisol linked to increased aggression in 10-year-old boys Posted: 16 Mar 2016 05:50 AM PDT Spanish researchers have studied the relationship between hormones and aggressive behaviour in girls and boys between the ages of eight and ten. The results confirm that the subjects who experienced the greatest increase in levels of aggression by ten years of age were those whose cortisol levels had also increased during those two years. |
| Labs and academic departments: Don’t expect to boost performance with just a new hire Posted: 16 Mar 2016 05:50 AM PDT Hiring new, more productive scientists is considered an effective way to raise a research-based organization's performance via a direct effect (the new hire's contribution) and a stimulus to incumbent scientists' productivity. New research by Andrea Fosfuri (Bocconi University) with Kremena Slavova (Middlesex University Business School) and Julio De Castro (IE Business School) highlights that the positive effect on incumbents is rather small and subject to conditions. |
| Low dose radiation and health Posted: 16 Mar 2016 05:50 AM PDT Researchers in Europe have reviewed cancer rates among people in parts of the world where natural background radiation is higher than average and found that incidence is not as high as one might guess. The findings suggests that science ought to take a second look at studies that correlate low levels of radiation exposure with detrimental health effects. |
| Treatment lessens cerebral damage following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest Posted: 16 Mar 2016 05:50 AM PDT Among comatose survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, treatment with inhaled xenon gas combined with hypothermia, compared with hypothermia alone, results in less white matter damage. This was the primary outcome in a randomized clinical trial. In the secondary outcome, there was no significant difference in neurological outcomes or death at six months. |
