| Moving beyond race-based drugs Posted: 26 May 2016 04:02 PM PDT Prescribing certain medications on the basis of a patient's race has long come under fire from those uneasy with using race as a surrogate for biology when treating disease. But there are multiple challenges to overcome before we can move beyond race-based treatment decisions, writes a geneticist and a bioethicist in a new perspective piece. |
| New study uncovers mechanisms underlying how diabetes damages the heart Posted: 26 May 2016 04:02 PM PDT Cardiac complications are the number one cause of death among diabetics. Now a team of scientists has uncovered a molecular mechanism involved in a common form of heart damage found in people with diabetes. |
| Engineers discover a new gatekeeper for light Posted: 26 May 2016 03:54 PM PDT Imagine a device that is selectively transparent to various wavelengths of light at one moment, and opaque to them the next, following a minute adjustment. Researchers report a discovery that brings us one step closer to this imagined future. |
| Beating the limits of the light microscope, one photon at a time Posted: 26 May 2016 03:54 PM PDT The world's most advanced light microscopes allow us to see single molecules, proteins, viruses and other very small biological structures -- but even the best microscopes have their limits. Now scientists are pushing the limits of a technique called super-resolution microscopy, opening potential new pathways to illuminating, for example, individual cell processes in living tissue at unprecedented resolutions. |
| Coping with active surveillance anxiety in prostate cancer Posted: 26 May 2016 03:54 PM PDT Men with prostate cancer who are under medical surveillance reported significantly greater resilience and less anxiety after receiving an intervention of mindfulness meditation, a study found. The anxiety and uncertainty that men who choose active surveillance experience when diagnosed with prostate cancer causes one in four to receive definitive therapies within one to three years, even when there is no sign of tumor progression. |
| Why everyone wants to help the sick, but not the unemployed Posted: 26 May 2016 03:54 PM PDT New research explains why health-care costs are running out of control, while costs to unemployment protection are kept in line. The answer is found deep in our psychology, where powerful intuitions lead us to view illness as the result of bad luck and worthy of help. |
| How the brain makes, and breaks, a habit Posted: 26 May 2016 03:54 PM PDT Not all habits are bad. Some are even necessary. But inability to switch from acting habitually to acting in a deliberate way can underlie addiction and obsessive compulsive disorders. Working with a mouse model, an international team of researchers demonstrates what happens in the brain for habits to control behavior. |
| How do you kill a malaria parasite? Clog it with cholesterol Posted: 26 May 2016 12:22 PM PDT Drexel scientists have discovered an unusual mechanism for how two antimalarial drugs kill Plasmodium parasites. Amidst growing concerns about drug resistance, these findings could help to develop more effective drugs against the disease. |
| Early-life stress causes digestive problems and anxiety in rats Posted: 26 May 2016 12:22 PM PDT Traumatic events early in life can increase levels of norepinephrine -- the primary hormone responsible for preparing the body to react to stressful situations -- in the gut, increasing the risk of developing chronic indigestion and anxiety during adulthood, a new study reports. |
| First discovery in United States of colistin resistance in a human E. coli infection Posted: 26 May 2016 12:20 PM PDT The Multidrug Resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research characterized a transferrable gene for colistin resistance in the United States that may herald the emergence of truly pan-drug resistant bacteria. |
| Doubling down on Schrödinger's cat Posted: 26 May 2016 12:20 PM PDT Physicists have given Schrödinger's famous cat a second box to play in, and the result may help further the quest for reliable quantum computing. |
| Fasting-like diet reduces multiple sclerosis symptoms Posted: 26 May 2016 12:19 PM PDT A mouse study, followed by a human study, indicates that the fasting-mimicking diet holds promise as a treatment for autoimmune diseases. A fasting-like diet switches on a process in which body kills bad cells, begins to generate new healthy ones, report scientists. |
| Targeting metals to fight pathogenic bacteria Posted: 26 May 2016 12:19 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a unique system of acquisition of essential metals in the pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. This research represents a new potential target for the design of antibiotics. |
| Evidence of ice age at Martian north pole Posted: 26 May 2016 12:19 PM PDT Using radar data scientists found evidence of an ice age recorded in the polar deposits of Mars. Ice ages on Mars are driven by processes similar to those responsible for ice ages on Earth, that is, long-term cyclical changes in the planet's orbit and tilt, which affect the amount of solar radiation it receives at each latitude. |
| Surrogate endpoints poor proxy for survival in cancer drug approval process Posted: 26 May 2016 11:17 AM PDT Surrogate endpoints used to support the majority of new cancer drugs approved in the US often lack formal study, according to the authors of a new report. This analysis questions whether the US Food and Drug Administration is adhering to standards that demand that surrogates be 'reasonably likely to predict' or 'established' to be used to grant approvals. |
| Scientists illuminate hidden regulator in gene transcription Posted: 26 May 2016 11:17 AM PDT Gene transcription is the process by which DNA is copied and synthesized as messenger RNA (mRNA) -- which delivers its genetic blueprints to the cell's protein-making machinery. Now researchers have identified a hidden, ephemeral phenomenon in cells that may play a major role in jump-starting mRNA production and regulating gene transcription. |
| Finding a new formula for concrete Posted: 26 May 2016 11:17 AM PDT Researchers are seeking to redesign concrete -- the most widely used human-made material in the world -- by following nature's blueprints. In a new paper, the team contrasts cement paste -- concrete's binding ingredient -- with the structure and properties of natural materials such as bones, shells, and deep-sea sponges. |
| Another reason to stay active as we age Posted: 26 May 2016 09:52 AM PDT Researchers found that individuals who maintain an active jogging habit into their senior years are spending nearly the same amount of metabolic energy as a 20-year-old. |
| Brain picks up the beat of music automatically Posted: 26 May 2016 09:50 AM PDT A sense of rhythm is a uniquely human characteristic. Music cognition scientists discovered that the sense of rhythm – also known as the beat – is so fundamental to humans that we recognize patterns in music even without paying any attention or receiving any training. |
| Difficult decisions involving perception increase activity in brain's insular cortex, study finds Posted: 26 May 2016 09:50 AM PDT As the difficulty of making a decision based on sensory evidence increases, activity in the brain's insular cortex also increases, according to researchers. |
| Global warming: Spring snow a no-go? Posted: 26 May 2016 09:49 AM PDT Spring snowpack, relied on by ski resorts and water managers throughout the Western United States, may be more vulnerable to a warming climate in coming decades, according to a new study. |
| New discovery from the molecular machinery for depression and addiction Posted: 26 May 2016 09:49 AM PDT Researchers have described how a group of the brain's transport proteins with important roles in depression and dependence overcome the step which limits their effectiveness. The discovery makes it possible to describe the full function of the transport protein and can provide better opportunities for counteracting the effect of amphetamine and ecstasy on the brain. |
| Astronomers find giant planet around very young star Posted: 26 May 2016 09:49 AM PDT In contradiction to the long-standing idea that larger planets take longer to form, astronomers have announced the discovery of a giant planet in close orbit around a star so young that it still retains a disk of circumstellar gas and dust. |
| Powering up the circadian rhythm Posted: 26 May 2016 09:49 AM PDT An American research team is the first to discover a protein that controls the strength of body's circadian rhythms. In new work, the team analyzed levels and molecular characteristics of REV-ERB? in the livers of mice throughout the day. They found that after its levels peaked during the day, two proteins, CDK1 and FBXW7, interacted with REV-ERB? to help reduce its levels to a low point by the middle of the night. |
| Study identifies risk factors associated with eye abnormalities in infants with presumed Zika virus Posted: 26 May 2016 09:49 AM PDT Researchers have assessed and identified possible risk factors for ophthalmoscopic (an instrument used to visualize the back of the eye) findings in infants born with microcephaly (a birth defect characterized by an abnormally small head) and a presumed clinical diagnosis of Zika virus intrauterine infection. |
| Slime mold reveals clues to immune cells' directional abilities Posted: 26 May 2016 09:49 AM PDT How white blood cells in our immune systems home in on and engulf bacterial invaders -- like humans following the scent of oven-fresh pizza -- has long been a mystery to scientists. But biologists have now uncovered important clues about this mechanism. |
| Using a model to estimate breast cancer risk in effort to improve prevention Posted: 26 May 2016 09:49 AM PDT A model developed to estimate the absolute risk of breast cancer suggests that a 30-year-old white woman in the United States has an 11.3 percent risk, on average, of developing invasive breast cancer by the age of 80, according to a new study. |
| Study visualizes proteins involved in cancer cell metabolism Posted: 26 May 2016 09:49 AM PDT Scientists using cryo-EM have broken through a technological barrier in visualizing proteins with an approach that may have an impact on drug discovery and development. The scientists have also reported achieving another major milestone, by showing that the shapes of cancer target proteins too small to be considered within the reach of current cryo-EM capabilities can now be determined at high resolution. |
| Researchers show experience plays strong role in early stages of brain circuit development Posted: 26 May 2016 09:45 AM PDT A new study suggests that external stimulation guides certain neurons' early development so that inhibitory neurons split into two different types of neurons, each with a different job, adding another level of complexity and regulation to the brain's circuitry. |
| Why malnutrition is an immune disorder Posted: 26 May 2016 09:45 AM PDT Malnourished children are most likely to die from common infections, not starvation. New experimental evidence indicates that even with a healthy diet, defects in immune system function from birth could contribute to a malnourished state throughout life. Researchers speculate that targeting immune pathways could be a new approach to reduce the poor health and mortality caused by under- and overnutrition. |
| Cuing environmental responses in fungi Posted: 26 May 2016 09:45 AM PDT Sensory perception lies at the heart of adaptation to changing conditions, and helps fungi to improve growth and recycle organic waste, and to know when and how to infect a plant or animal host. New results based on characterizing and then conducting a comparative analysis of two genome sequences shed new light on the evolution of sensory perception in fungi. |
| Harbour porpoises are skilled hunters and eat almost constantly Posted: 26 May 2016 09:45 AM PDT Harbour porpoises have sometimes been described as 'living in the fast lane.' Being smaller than other cetaceans and living in cold northern waters means that the porpoises require a lot of energy to survive, making them prone to starvation. Now researchers have monitored harbour porpoises in the wild with tiny computers attached to them by suction cups show that the animals hunt and eat almost constantly. |
| Scientists discover mechanism that turns mutant cells into aggressive cancers Posted: 26 May 2016 09:43 AM PDT Scientists have caught a cancer-causing mutation in the act. A new study shows how a gene mutation found in several human cancers, including leukemia, gliomas and melanoma, promotes the growth of aggressive tumors. |
| How researchers make a battery in seven easy steps Posted: 26 May 2016 09:03 AM PDT Learn how researchers assemble experimental batteries. |
| Exploring the rise and fall of alcohol-related mortality in Scotland: Affordability Posted: 26 May 2016 08:58 AM PDT The rise and fall of alcohol-related mortality in Scotland is partly due to changes in affordability, according to recent reports. |
| Researchers identify critical factors that determine drought vulnerability of wheat, maize Posted: 26 May 2016 08:56 AM PDT Researchers have identified critical information about the environmental variables and agronomic factors that determine the vulnerability of maize and wheat production to drought. |
| Party on(line): The link between social media, alcohol use Posted: 26 May 2016 08:56 AM PDT One of the undeniable powers of social media is its ability to influence people and their behaviors. This is especially true, a study finds, when it comes to alcohol use. Researchers found that when participants in a study were exposed to ads touting beer, as opposed to those selling bottled water, they were more inclined to consider drinking alcohol. |
| Mothers' parenting stress impacts both parents' sexual satisfaction Posted: 26 May 2016 08:56 AM PDT First-time parents are only somewhat satisfied with their sex lives according to health researchers who checked in with parents regularly after their baby was born. And one factor that appears to be reducing their sexual satisfaction is mothers' stress as a new parent. |
| Researchers link gene expression patterns of normal tissue to breast cancer prognosis Posted: 26 May 2016 07:56 AM PDT Researchers have identified a particular gene expression pattern in normal-appearing breast tissue around tumors that was linked to lower 10-year survival rates for women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. |
| Unmet surgical needs high for world's 60 million refugees Posted: 26 May 2016 07:56 AM PDT The world's estimated 60 million refugees, displaced from their homes due to conflict, persecution or human rights violations, may need at least 2.78 million surgeries a year, something thought to be very difficult to arrange in the midst of their upheaval. |
| Practice less and play like a pro, say researchers Posted: 26 May 2016 07:54 AM PDT Visually guided videos could revolutionize coaching, say researchers. Watching videos that point to crucial details such as how golfers line up the ball, position their feet and twist their hips, significantly cuts the time it takes to master the skill, their report says. |
| Bright lights, healthy choices Posted: 26 May 2016 07:53 AM PDT Dining in dimly lit restaurants has been linked to eating slowly and ultimately eating less than in brighter restaurants, but does lighting also impact how healthfully we order? A new research study suggests that it does. |
| Migration back to Africa took place during the Palaeolithic Posted: 26 May 2016 07:53 AM PDT A research group has managed to retrieve the mitochondrial genome of a fossil 35,000 years old found in the Pestera Muierii cave in Romania. That woman was part of the first population of our species that inhabited Europe following the Eurasian expansion of Homo sapiens from Africa, and the lineage she belongs to reinforces the hypothesis of a back-migration to Africa during the Upper Palaeolithic, say investigators. |
| Prepackaged portion-controlled meals can lead to greater weight loss than self-selected portions, research says Posted: 26 May 2016 07:12 AM PDT Increased portion sizes in Americans' diets is widely recognized as a contributor to the obesity epidemic, and now new research examines the effect of prepackaged, portion-controlled meals on weight loss. The researchers found that when combined with behavioral counseling as part of a complete weight-loss intervention, a meal plan incorporating portion-controlled, prepackaged, frozen lunch and dinner entrées can promote greater weight loss than a self-selected diet. |
| Study could help cities improve tree planting Posted: 26 May 2016 07:11 AM PDT Through their research, scientists developed thresholds of impervious surface around planting sites. In other words, they defined points at which the amount of pavement around a tree reduces its condition. Using these established levels of impervious surface, landscape architects and other landscape professionals can plant trees in a way that reduces pest damage and economic loss. |
| A look beyond the horizon of events Posted: 26 May 2016 06:56 AM PDT Black holes are still very mysterious celestial bodies which, according to the majority of physicists, do not, however, escape the laws of thermodynamics. As a result, these physical systems possess an entropy though no real agreement has been reached about the microscopic origin of this propriety and how it should be calculated. Scientists have now achieved important results in this calculation by applying a new formalism (Group Field Theory) of Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG), a very popular approach in the area of quantum gravity. |
| New insight into bacterial cell division could aid in fight against harmful bacteria Posted: 26 May 2016 06:55 AM PDT Escherichia coli are bacteria that live all around and inside of us. Most E. coli are harmless, but some strains can cause illness, and can even, in extreme cases, be deadly. With recent outbreaks of E. coli around the world, there is a fear of acquiring an infection from these bacteria. An important component of fighting these kinds of bad bacteria is a better understanding of how bacteria divide and multiply. |
| Differences in metabolism between androgen-dependent, castration resistant prostate cancer may lead to new therapies Posted: 26 May 2016 06:55 AM PDT Integration of gene expression and metabolomics data identified key metabolic pathways that are altered in prostate cancer, report scientists at conclusion of their study. |
| Scientists uncover potential trigger to kill cancer Posted: 26 May 2016 06:55 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a new way of triggering cell death, in a finding that could lead to drugs to treat cancer and autoimmune disease. The method directly activates Bak to trigger cell death, explain the authors. |
| Small offshore oil spills put seabirds at risk Posted: 26 May 2016 06:54 AM PDT Seabirds exposed to even a dime-sized amount of oil can die of hypothermia in cold-water regions, but despite repeated requests by Environment Canada, offshore oil operators are failing when it comes to self-monitoring of small oil spills, says new research. Chronic pollution from many small oil spills may have greater population-level impacts on seabirds than a single large spill, suggest researchers. |
| Present-day measurements yield insights into clouds of the past Posted: 26 May 2016 06:35 AM PDT Researchers have shown how fine particles are formed from natural substances in the atmosphere. These findings will improve our knowledge about clouds in the pre-industrial era and thus will contribute to a more accurate understanding of both the past and future evolution of our climate, say researchers, adding that a prerequisite for understanding how climate has changed over the last centuries is the ability to reconstruct as reliably as possible pre-industrial climatic conditions. |
| Higher wages for UK's lowest paid improve productivity Posted: 26 May 2016 06:35 AM PDT Employees work harder and more cohesively if they feel they and their colleagues are paid a wage which reflects their skill and effort, new research has found. Data from more than 360,000 UK firms following the introduction of the National Minimum Wage showed 'statistically significant' increase in productivity in Britain's low-paying employment sectors. |
| Psychology of strategic deception revealed by online poker Posted: 26 May 2016 06:35 AM PDT Online poker offers new insights into the mind-set of scheming Machiavellians, researchers have found. The card betting game can be used as a novel way to better understand the psychology of strategic deception, say the researchers. Before now, the trait has rarely been studied in natural settings outside laboratories. |
| Helping stroke survivors get back on their feet Posted: 26 May 2016 06:35 AM PDT Small sensory devices could help to improve walking recovery during stroke rehabilitation in a bid to reduce social isolation, say investigators. |
| Could sing-a-long science be the key to straight A’s? Posted: 26 May 2016 06:27 AM PDT Does "edutainment" such as content-rich music videos have any place in the rapidly changing landscape of science education? A new study indicates that students can indeed learn serious science content from such videos. |
| New treatment room design model for future hospitals Posted: 26 May 2016 06:27 AM PDT A new design model for future intensive and intermediate care facilities has been developed by experts. The results of research on evidence-based design (EBD) and user-orientation were applied to the design work. The project will be realized when Finland's first single-patient intensive and intermediate care and cardiac unit designed in accordance with the model becomes operational in 2018. |
| Engineering team develops novel technology to 'print' customized tablets for personalized medicine Posted: 26 May 2016 06:27 AM PDT A team of researchers has found a way to make personalized medicine cheaper and easier. Imagine if you could combine the myriad of pills you need to take for your ailment in just one tablet, or if you need only to take the medication once a day and the drug will be slowly released throughout the day at different rates to treat your illness, or if doctors could easily make tablets on the spot that are tailored to each patient's needs. |
| 'Phage' fishing yields new weapon against antibiotic resistance Posted: 26 May 2016 06:19 AM PDT Researchers were fishing for a new weapon against antibiotic resistance and found one floating in a Connecticut pond. A virus called a bacteriophage, found in Dodge Pond in East Lyme, attacks a common multi-drug resistant bacterial pathogen called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can lethally infect people with compromised immune systems. |
| Antarctic fossils reveal creatures weren't safer in the south during dinosaur extinction Posted: 26 May 2016 06:19 AM PDT A study of more than 6,000 marine fossils from the Antarctic shows that the mass extinction event that killed the dinosaurs was sudden and just as deadly to life in the polar regions. Previously, scientists had thought that creatures living in the southernmost regions of the planet would have been in a less perilous position during the mass extinction event than those elsewhere on Earth. |
| Study dispels myth about millionaire migration in the US Posted: 26 May 2016 06:19 AM PDT The view that the rich are highly mobile has gained much political traction in recent years and has become a central argument in debates about whether there should be 'millionaire taxes' on top-income earners. But a new study dispels the common myth about the propensity of millionaires in the United States to move from high to low tax states. |
