| Astrophysicists find triple star system with 'hot Jupiter' Posted: 07 Apr 2016 07:17 PM PDT Crisp, clear images of a "hot Jupiter" system captured by a physicist were vital in determining that a newly found planet inhabits a three-star system, a phenomenon documented only a few times before. |
| Physicists build ultra-powerful accelerator magnet Posted: 07 Apr 2016 07:17 PM PDT The next generation of cutting-edge accelerator magnets is no longer just an idea. Recent tests revealed that the United States and CERN have successfully co-created a prototype superconducting accelerator magnet that is much more powerful than those currently inside the Large Hadron Collider. |
| Neutron 'splashes' reveal signature of exotic particles Posted: 07 Apr 2016 07:15 PM PDT Researchers used neutrons to uncover novel behavior in materials that holds promise for quantum computing. The findings provide evidence for long-sought phenomena in a two-dimensional magnet. |
| Climate models underestimate global warming by exaggerating cloud brightening Posted: 07 Apr 2016 07:14 PM PDT Researchers have found that climate models are aggressively making clouds 'brighter' as the planet warms. This may be causing models to underestimate how much global warming will occur due to increasing carbon dioxide. |
| Origin of life: An artificial comet holds the missing piece Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:56 PM PDT Researchers have for the first time shown that ribose, a sugar that is one of the building blocks of genetic material in living organisms, may have formed in cometary ices. They propose the first realistic scenario for the formation of this key compound, which had never been detected in meteorites or cometary ices until now. Their findings shed new light on the emergence of life on Earth. |
| Scientists invent robotic 'artist' that spray paints giant murals Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:56 PM PDT Robots do many things formerly done only by humans - from bartending and farming to driving cars -- but a researchers have now invented a 'smart' paint spray can that robotically reproduces photographs as large-scale murals. |
| Spending that fits personality can boost well-being Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:55 PM PDT Money could buy happiness if your purchases fit your personality, according to a new study that examines nearly 77,000 actual UK bank spending transactions. The study revealed that people who spent more money on purchases that aligned with their personality traits reported greater life satisfaction. Spending-personality fit was more strongly associated with life satisfaction than were either total income or total spending. |
| How manufacturers win by not playing the field Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:10 PM PDT Doing business with a limited number of major customers allows manufacturers to hold fewer inventories for a shorter time, according to new research. |
| Rare meets common: Reacting protactinium with ubiquitous water explains an elemental oddity Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:10 PM PDT Scientists demonstrated that a positively charged protactinium dioxide ion may not exist in aqueous solution like other highly charged actinides, such as uranium and plutonium. |
| Oil and gas wastewater disposal may harm West Virginia waterways Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:08 PM PDT Unconventional oil and gas operations combine directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking,' to release natural gas and oil from underground rock. Studies have centered on potential water pollution from this process that may increase endocrine disrupting chemicals in surface and ground water. Now, researchers report high levels of EDC activity in the surface water near a hydraulic fracturing wastewater disposal facility in West Virginia. |
| New survey on American attitudes toward Zika virus finds limited awareness or concern Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:07 PM PDT A surve finds that three-quarters of Americans who have heard at least a little about the Zika virus are aware that the virus is linked to birth defects in babies born to infected mothers. However, the survey found that most Americans are unclear about the availability of tests to diagnose Zika and whether or not preventative vaccines and effective medicines exist to treat it. |
| Methods used to create textiles also could help manufacture human tissues Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:07 PM PDT Tissue engineering is a process that uses novel biomaterials seeded with stem cells to grow and replace missing tissues. When certain types of materials are used, the 'scaffold' that are created to hold stem cells eventually degrade, leaving natural tissue in its place. Scientists have recently tested new methods to make the process of tissue engineering more cost effective and producible in larger quantities. |
| Primate evolution in the fast lane Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:07 PM PDT The pace of evolution is typically measured in millions of years, as random, individual mutations accumulate over generations, but researchers have uncovered a new mechanism for mutation in primates that is rapid, coordinated, and aggressive. The discovery raises questions about the accuracy of using the more typical mutation process as an estimate to date when two species diverged, as well as the extent to which this and related enzymes played a role in primate evolution. |
| Catalyst could make production of key chemical more eco-friendly Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:07 PM PDT A new catalyst combining copper nanoparticles with a special type of graphene could lead to a greener way of producing ethylene, a key commodity chemical. |
| Nanoparticles show promise for treating intestinal inflammation, study finds Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:07 PM PDT Nanoparticles designed to block a cell-surface molecule that plays a key role in inflammation could be a safe treatment for inflammatory bowel disease, according to researchers. |
| No more broken hearts Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:07 PM PDT The genetic mechanisms underlying the development of the coronary atherosclerosis has been investigated. Results show potential value for estimating the risk of the myocardial infarction, say researchers. |
| Function of mysterious RNAs may often lie in their genes Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:07 PM PDT Scientists have determined that one prominent long non-coding RNA may be a 'red herring,' with no evident biological role to play -- whereas the DNA from which it originates does perform an important function, as an 'enhancer' that stimulates the expression of an important protein-coding gene nearby. |
| Report shows how to say goodbye to harmful algal blooms Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:06 PM PDT Harmful algal blooms dangerous to human health and the Lake Erie ecosystem--such as the one that shut down Toledo's water supply for two days in 2014--could become a problem of the past. Scientists have reported on approaches to reduce harmful algal blooms on Lake Erie. |
| New predictive tool for assessing breast cancer risk Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:06 PM PDT Women were five times as likely to develop cancer if they had a higher percentage of Ki67, a molecular marker that identifies proliferating cells, in the cells that line the mammary ducts and milk-producing lobules, researchers have shown. These cells, called the mammary epithelium, undergo drastic changes throughout a woman's life, and the majority of breast cancers originate in these tissues. |
| Safer stem cell-derived therapy for brain radiation recovery Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:06 PM PDT While stem cells have shown promise for treating brain regions damaged by cancer radiation treatments, researchers have found that microscopic vesicles isolated from these cells provide similar benefits without some of the risks associated with stem cells. |
| Light and sound waves used to control electron states Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:06 PM PDT Physicists have combined light and sound to control electron states in an atom-like system, providing a new tool in efforts to move toward quantum-computing systems. |
| Six to 10 million years ago: Ice-free summers at the North Pole Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:06 PM PDT A new window has been opened into the climate history of the Arctic Ocean. Using unique sediment samples from the Lomonosov Ridge, the researchers found that six to 10 million years ago the central Arctic was completely ice-free during summer and sea-surface temperature reached values of 4 to 9 degrees Celsius. |
| From IT to black holes: Nano-control of light pioneers new paths Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:06 PM PDT A research team has achieved unparalleled levels of control over the angular momentum (AM) of light in an integrated nanophotonic chip. The work leads the way for compact on-chip AM applications like ultra-high definition display, ultra-high capacity optical communication and ultra-secure optical encryption, and could also be used to help scientists better understand the evolution and nature of black holes. |
| First transistors made entirely of nanocrystal 'inks' Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:06 PM PDT Engineers have shown a new approach for making transistors and other electrical devices: sequentially depositing their components in the form of liquid nanocrystal 'inks.' |
| Quantum simulation 2.0: Atoms chat long distance Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:03 PM PDT In an international first, a research team of experimental physicists has measured long-range magnetic interactions between ultracold particles confined in an optical lattice. Their work introduces a new control knob to quantum simulation. |
| Canvassing conversations reduce transphobia Posted: 07 Apr 2016 12:03 PM PDT Researchers report that volunteer canvassers -- both transgender and not -- reduced voters' prejudice against transgender people. Last year the researchers triggered fierce debate about the need for transparency in social science research when they raised doubts about a now-retracted study of the Los Angeles LGBT Center's door-to-door canvassing on gay marriage by other researchers that appeared in Science. They discovered irregularities in that study's data while conducting this follow-up study. |
| What social media data could tell us about the future Posted: 07 Apr 2016 10:26 AM PDT Can a flow of information across Twitter signal when a momentous event is about to occur? Scientists developed a method to find out. Their findings represent an initial step in constructing models to detect trouble before it's too late. |
| Top soccer players may be under-performing because of gambling, research suggests Posted: 07 Apr 2016 10:25 AM PDT Some top soccer players are under-performing because of worries about gambling losses, according to new research. |
| Can corals keep up with ocean acidification? Posted: 07 Apr 2016 10:25 AM PDT An interdisciplinary team of researchers has successfully measured both pH and carbonate ion concentration directly inside the calcifying fluid found in coral, an important development in the study of how ocean acidification will affect marine calcifying organisms such as corals and shellfish. |
| Daily deal websites can capitalize by displaying sales numbers Posted: 07 Apr 2016 10:23 AM PDT Researchers developed a theoretical model that considers the strategic interaction between a daily deal website, a merchant and consumers. They found that by providing sales information, daily deal websites gained advantages over traditional coupon mailers, while also allowing merchants to attract new customers. |
| Researchers help explain why we favor a black and white approach to morality Posted: 07 Apr 2016 10:23 AM PDT People gauge others' trustworthiness based on their moral judgments, new research shows. People who are seen as holding to moral absolutes are more trusted and more valued as social partners, the study indicates. |
| New understanding on how fundamental DNA sequences govern gene activity Posted: 07 Apr 2016 10:23 AM PDT Researchers have shed new light on how the structure of regulatory sequences in DNA is packaged in a cell. This work has implications for better understanding the role that gene sequences called enhancers play within our DNA for governing gene activity. |
| Fresh insights into early human embryo development Posted: 07 Apr 2016 10:23 AM PDT A detailed molecular analysis of the embryo's first week of development has been conducted by scientists. Their results show that there are considerable differences in embryonic development between humans and mice, which is the most common organism of study in this field. |
| Fruit flies live longer on lithium Posted: 07 Apr 2016 10:23 AM PDT Fruit flies live 16 percent longer than average when given low doses of the mood stabilizer lithium, according to a study. How lithium stabilizes mood is poorly understood but when the scientists investigated how it prolongs the lives of flies, they discovered a new drug target that could slow aging -- a molecule called glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3). |
| Modern men lack Y chromosome genes from Neanderthals Posted: 07 Apr 2016 10:23 AM PDT The Neanderthal counterpart of the human Y chromosome, or male sex chromosome, appears to have died out. Why this happened is up for debate. |
| Trap-jaw spiders strike prey with lightning speed Posted: 07 Apr 2016 10:23 AM PDT Biologists have discovered that trap-jaw spiders have a surprising ability to strike their prey at lightning speed and with super-spider power. |
| HIV can develop resistance to CRISPR/Cas9 Posted: 07 Apr 2016 10:23 AM PDT The CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing platform may need more tweaking before it can be used as an effective antiviral, reports a new study. Researchers who used CRISPR/Cas9 to mutate HIV-1 within cellular DNA found that while single mutations can inhibit viral replication, some also led to unexpected resistance. The researchers believe targeting multiple viral DNA regions may be necessary for the potential antiviral aspect of CRISPR/Cas9 to be effective. |
| Run for your life: Exercise protects against cancer Posted: 07 Apr 2016 09:14 AM PDT When you're pounding along an icy pavement or sweating through a gym workout, you try to remind yourself of the many health benefits of exercise. Between gasps, you can say that a healthy, fit lifestyle helps prevents obesity, a worldwide problem of increasing magnitude that has been linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. But here's one more—exercise may decrease cancer incidence and slow the growth rate of tumors. |
| Scientists store digital images in DNA, and retrieves them perfectly Posted: 07 Apr 2016 09:14 AM PDT Researchers have developed one of the first complete systems to store digital data in DNA -- allowing companies to store data that today would fill a big box store supercenter in a space the size of a sugar cube. |
| Open operations for gallbladder removal drop 90 percent at 1 institution over 30 years Posted: 07 Apr 2016 09:00 AM PDT While minimally invasive surgical techniques have made operations easier and recovery time faster, there is a downside: surgical residents today aren't acquiring certain operative skills, according to a new study. |
| Mobility and motivation: Job switching stokes competitive behavior Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:59 AM PDT Moving to a rival firm leads to a conflict of identities -- and causes movers to focus their competitive impulses on their former employer, a new study shows. |
| Gray matter abnormality predicts neurodevelopmental problems in smaller premature babies Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:59 AM PDT A new study has explored a more objective system for scoring MRIs -- and in the process found that an often unreported abnormality of the brain's gray matter can indicate future impairment. |
| Ensuring the integrity of our genetic material during reproduction Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:59 AM PDT The genetic information we receive from our parents in the form of chromosomes are mosaics assembled from the two copies of chromosomes each parent has. How such cuts -- or breaks -- in our genetic material are repaired is the research interest of a team of researchers whose findings give important insights into the processes that ensure the integrity of our genetic material, preventing genetic disease and cancer development. |
| Study suggests epiregulin as target in lung cancer Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:59 AM PDT A new potential biomarker and target has been identified in lung cancer, namely epiregulin, an under-studied EGF-like growth factor. This discovery led researchers to question whether this upregulation was happenstance, correlative, or in fact causative in the disease. |
| Drop in body temperature linked to aging aggravates manifestations of Alzheimer's disease Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:59 AM PDT The drop in body temperature associated with aging could aggravate the main manifestations of Alzheimer's, suggests a study. Although the phenomenon was demonstrated using transgenic mice, researchers believe that the findings are convincing enough to warrant further investigation in humans. |
| Middle-aged adults with hearing loss have substantially higher health care costs Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:59 AM PDT The costs of health care have been compared for a matched group of privately insured individuals with and without a diagnosis of hearing loss. Study results indicate that those with hearing loss have much higher health care costs overall. |
| Study shows effectiveness of earplugs in preventing temporary hearing loss after loud music Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:59 AM PDT The effectiveness of earplugs in preventing temporary hearing loss immediately following music exposure has been assessed by a team that reports that yes, in fact, the use of earplugs can be of benefit. |
| 'Liquid biopsy' blood test detects genetic mutations in common form of lung cancer Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:59 AM PDT A simple blood test can rapidly and accurately detect mutations in two key genes in non-small cell lung tumors, researchers report in a new study, demonstrating the test's potential as a clinical tool for identifying patients who can benefit from drugs targeting those mutations. |
| Looking inside plutonium Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:19 AM PDT Scientists have recently conducted plutonium experiments using a pulsed power Z Machine that have reached regions of pressure, temperature and density in plutonium never before explored in the laboratory. |
| Wine yeast genomes lack diversity Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:19 AM PDT Sequencing the genomes of hundreds of strains of the wine yeast S. cerevisiae has revealed little genetic diversity and high levels of inbreeding. In many cases, yeast strains sold by different companies were almost genetically identical. These results suggest that winemakers attempting to develop improved wine yeasts will need to look to creating hybrids with more exotic strains. |
| Treating sugar addiction like drug abuse Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:18 AM PDT Millions of people globally are overweight or obese and sugar is considered a major factor. Now a world-first game-changing study suggests drugs used to treat tobacco addiction could work for sugar addiction too. |
| Moss is useful bioindicator of cadmium air pollution, new study finds Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:18 AM PDT Moss growing on urban trees is a useful bio-indicator of cadmium air pollution in Portland, Oregon, a study has found. The work is the first to use moss to generate a rigorous and detailed map of air pollution in a US city. |
| Key advance: Neuroscientists get a new look into how we read Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:18 AM PDT Neuroscientists have come up with a way to observe brain activity during natural reading. It's the first time researchers have been able to study the brain while reading actual texts, instead of individual words, and it's already helping settle some ideas about just how we read. |
| Crumpling approach enhances photodetectors' light responsivity Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:18 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated a new approach to modifying the light absorption and stretchability of atomically thin two-dimensional (2-D) materials by surface topographic engineering using only mechanical strain. The highly flexible system has future potential for wearable technology and integrated biomedical optical sensing technology when combined with flexible light-emitting diodes. |
| Radiation therapy chemotherapy combination improves survival in adults with low-grade brain cancer Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:18 AM PDT Patients with a low-grade type of brain tumor called glioma who received radiation therapy plus a chemotherapy regimen, including procarbazine, lomustine and vincristine (PCV), experienced a longer progression-free survival and overall survival than patients who received radiation therapy alone, according to the results of the clinical trial. |
| Researchers combine drugs to develop a new treatment for human parainfluenza virus Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:18 AM PDT A promising discovery has been made in the treatment and prevention of human parainfluenza virus. Scientists have shown that two existing drugs readily available on the market can work together to more effectively treat the virus. |
| Report recommends ways to break cycle of domestic violence Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:18 AM PDT Victims of domestic violence are hindered from leaving their abusers by internal and external factors, including the response of the criminal justice system, fear, perceived control, and self-esteem, according to a new report. |
| Protein SIRT5 linked to healthy heart function Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:18 AM PDT A strong connection between a protein, SIRT5, and healthy heart function has been identified by researchers. SIRT5 has the ability to remove a harmful protein modification known as lysine succinylation, which robs the heart of its ability to burn fatty acids efficiently to generate the energy needed for pumping. |
| Protein may be responsible for damage in eosinophilic esophagitis, study finds Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:17 AM PDT Scientists have identified a protein that may be the cause of tissue damage in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). EoE is a food allergy-related disease in which white blood cells called eosinophils accumulate in the esophagus, often causing difficult or painful swallowing, nausea, vomiting and poor growth in children and adults. Further understanding of the role of this protein, calpain 14, may lead to potential therapies for EoE. |
| When will a neutron star collapse to a black hole? Posted: 07 Apr 2016 08:15 AM PDT Astrophysicists have found a simple formula for the maximum mass of a rotating neutron star and hence answered a question that had been open for decades. |
