ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Making sense of metallic glass
• A disposable, highly sensitive biosensing system
• New evidence gives women informed choice in the prolapse surgery debate
• Exposure to air pollution 30 years ago associated with increased risk of death
• Why not recycled concrete?
• Five common causes of erectile dysfunction
• Antiretroviral therapy reduces HIV in the female reproductive tract
• Expanding use of vaccines could save up to $44 for every dollar spent, study suggests
• The future of gaming: Create your own character in just four minutes
• Predicting who will develop multiple sclerosis
• Newer pain management strategies can lead to quicker, shorter recovery after total knee replacement
• What's nature worth? Study helps put a price on groundwater and other natural capital
• Social hormone promotes cooperation in risky situations
• Cockroach inspires robot that squeezes through cracks
• Sleep deprivation linked to false confessions
• Asian monsoon season weakens as the Indian Ocean warms
• A new role for vitamin B6 in plants
• Scientists elucidate genetic underpinnings of congenital heart disease
• Fossil discovery: Extraordinary 'big-mouthed' fish from Cretaceous Period
• Cotton candy machines may hold key for making artificial organs
• Using medical marijuana to stop seizures in kids
• Researchers create synthetic biopathway to turn agriculture waste into 'green' products
• New strategies, tools offered for genome editing
• Older and younger adults surf different brain waves
• Nanoparticle therapy that uses LDL and fish oil kills liver cancer cells
• Researchers identify new Borrelia species that causes Lyme disease
• Secondary tropical forests absorb carbon at higher rate than old-growth forests
• Long jumping earthquakes: Double dose of bad earthquake news
• Scientists create laser-activated superconductor
• Nanoscale cavity strongly links quantum particles
• New research identifies drug target for dengue virus
• Persistent ADHD associated with overly critical parents
• A step closer to understanding fertilization
• Experts urge extreme caution on 'rewilding' to save wild places
• Higher cellulolytic activity of a vital microorganism explained
• Brain scars in multiple sclerosis patients reveal possible cause of taste problems
• Veterans Affairs health system faces significant challenges, studies find
• Climate change helps bats to spread their wings
• Research finds no easy answers to use of drug screening for pain patients
• Wholesome wholegrain
• New cause of strong earthquakes discovered
• Earth-like planets have Earth-like interiors
• New device to get people with paralysis back on their feet
• Nature's mirror: The code for chirality
• Search technique helps researchers find DNA sequences in minutes rather than days
• Origin of sighing reflex in the brain pinpointed
• Multicomponent intervention linked to better sun protection for kids
• Scientists propose 'pumpjack' mechanism for splitting, copying DNA
• Chiral magnetic effect generates quantum current
• Turning the volume of gene expression up and down
• Millennials say one thing but do another when choosing chocolate
• Long-term picture offers little solace on climate change
• Traffic-related air pollution linked to facial dark spots
• Old trees reveal Late Antique Little Ice Age (LALIA) around 1,500 years ago
• A deep look into a single molecule
• New target, potential treatment found for unhealthy levels of fat that can occur in type 1 diabetes
• Kitchen skills are highly dependent on level of income and children living at home
• New type 2 diabetes biomarker identified
• Oregano may reduce methane in cow burps
• Artistic space odyssey to broadcast people's messages to the stars

Making sense of metallic glass Posted: 08 Feb 2016 06:38 PM PST Vitrified metals, or metallic glasses, are at the frontier of materials science research. But much about them remains poorly understood. A team is trying to figure out the rules that govern metallic glass's creation. They are doing this by looking at metallic glasses under extreme pressures. High-pressure research can be used to probe structure on an atomic level and understand a material's state of order or disorder.

A disposable, highly sensitive biosensing system Posted: 08 Feb 2016 06:37 PM PST A new biosensing platform has been fabricated for the determination of haptoglobin in human blood.

New evidence gives women informed choice in the prolapse surgery debate Posted: 08 Feb 2016 06:37 PM PST New evidence published today highlights benefits and harms of using artificial mesh when compared with tissue repair in the surgical treatment of vaginal prolapse. Slightly better repair with mesh needs to be weighed carefully against increased risk of harms.

Exposure to air pollution 30 years ago associated with increased risk of death Posted: 08 Feb 2016 06:36 PM PST Exposure to air pollution more than 30 years ago may still affect an individual's mortality risk today, according to new research. Highest risks were seen for respiratory disease, such as bronchitis, emphysema and for pneumonia. Air pollution also affected mortality risk from cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease.

Why not recycled concrete? Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:34 PM PST From paper towels to cups to plastic bottles, products made from recycled materials permeate our lives. One notable exception is building materials. Why can't we recycle concrete from our deteriorating infrastructure for use as material in new buildings and bridges? It's a question that a team of researchers is examining.

Five common causes of erectile dysfunction Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:34 PM PST You've seen the late night commercial come across your screen. An older man is on a date with a beautiful woman in a romantic setting. A big smile stretches across his face as he looks in her eyes, but something is secretly bothering him. Cue the voiceover about erectile dysfunction.

Antiretroviral therapy reduces HIV in the female reproductive tract Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:33 PM PST For the first time, investigators have determined how antiretroviral therapy (ART) affects the way HIV disseminates and establishes infection in the female reproductive tract. These observations have significant implications for future HIV prevention, vaccine and cure studies.

Expanding use of vaccines could save up to $44 for every dollar spent, study suggests Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:33 PM PST Vaccinations, long recognized as an excellent investment that saves lives and prevents illness, could have significant economic value that far exceeds their original cost, a new study has found.

The future of gaming: Create your own character in just four minutes Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:33 PM PST Want to see the future of gaming? Look in the mirror.

Predicting who will develop multiple sclerosis Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:30 PM PST A team of investigators has launched a study of individuals at risk for multiple sclerosis (MS) to better understand the sequence of events that leads some people to develop the disease and set the stage for developing and testing interventions with which to block the onset of MS.

Newer pain management strategies can lead to quicker, shorter recovery after total knee replacement Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:30 PM PST According to a new literature review , a team-based care approach (consisting of the patient, family members, the orthopaedic surgeon and other medical practitioners) on total knee replacement (TKR) procedures, in conjunction with newer pain management strategies, is key to maximizing patient outcomes.

What's nature worth? Study helps put a price on groundwater and other natural capital Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:29 PM PST Scientists have adapted traditional asset valuation approaches to measure the value of such natural capital assets, linking economic measurements of ecosystem services with models of natural dynamics and human behavior.

Social hormone promotes cooperation in risky situations Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:29 PM PST A hormone implicated in monogamy and aggression in animals also promotes trust and cooperation in humans in risky situations, researchers say.

Cockroach inspires robot that squeezes through cracks Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:29 PM PST Ever wonder how roaches are able to get into anything, no matter how tight the seams? Biologists have now shown that the American cockroach can flatten its body to one-fifth normal running height to squeeze through cracks as small as two stacked pennies, and can run at high speed when flattened by half. These features were reproduced in a squishy robot that can run even when flattened: ideal for search and rescue.

Sleep deprivation linked to false confessions Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:29 PM PST Sleep-deprived people are much more likely to sign false confessions than rested individuals, according to a groundbreaking study that has important implications for police interrogation practices.

Asian monsoon season weakens as the Indian Ocean warms Posted: 08 Feb 2016 12:15 PM PST The variable nature of the summer monsoon season makes Southern Asia one of the most vulnerable regions to natural disasters associated with climate change, such as droughts and floods. A recent study has revealed that the warming of the Indian Ocean is reducing the intensity of the summer monsoon season and drying up the subcontinent. In a region that is home to a large part of the world's population, dynamic climate modelling represents a major challenge in the prevention of the human and economic consequences of climatic hazards.

A new role for vitamin B6 in plants Posted: 08 Feb 2016 12:15 PM PST Vitamin B6 is essential for all living organisms. Researchers have discovered an unexpected role for this micronutrient, in relation to nitrogen metabolism. The results indicate that one of the vitamers informs the plant of its content in ammonium, a basic nitrogen compound needed for the biosynthesis of various molecules essential for life. In the future, vitamin B6 could be used to ascertain the nitrogen status of plants and eventually prevent the overuse of nitrogen-containing fertilizers, say authors of a new report.

Scientists elucidate genetic underpinnings of congenital heart disease Posted: 08 Feb 2016 11:10 AM PST Mutations in the gene TBX5 have been shown to cause both rare and more prevalent forms of congenital heart disease, yet the underlying mechanisms have remained unclear. A team of researchers has now found evidence pointing to a culprit.

Fossil discovery: Extraordinary 'big-mouthed' fish from Cretaceous Period Posted: 08 Feb 2016 11:07 AM PST Two new plankton-eating fossil fish species of the genus called Rhinconichthys have been discovered from the oceans of the Cretaceous Period, about 92 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the planet.

Cotton candy machines may hold key for making artificial organs Posted: 08 Feb 2016 11:07 AM PST Engineers have modified the cotton candy machine to create complex microfluidic networks that mimic the capillary system in living tissue and have demonstrated that these networks can keep cells alive and functioning in an artificial three-dimensional matrix.

Using medical marijuana to stop seizures in kids Posted: 08 Feb 2016 11:06 AM PST Desperate for relief, parents are taking unusual steps to help children plagued with seizures. The relief, however, comes in a most unlikely form: marijuana.

Researchers create synthetic biopathway to turn agriculture waste into 'green' products Posted: 08 Feb 2016 10:54 AM PST Researchers have engineered a new synthetic biopathway that can more efficiently and cost-effectively turn agricultural waste, like corn stover and orange peels, into a variety of useful products ranging from spandex to chicken feed.

New strategies, tools offered for genome editing Posted: 08 Feb 2016 10:54 AM PST Bioengineers have studied alternative CRISPR-Cas9 systems for precision genome editing, with a focus on improving its accuracy and limiting 'off-target' errors.

Older and younger adults surf different brain waves Posted: 08 Feb 2016 10:54 AM PST Cognitive scientists have found more evidence that aging brains work differently than younger brains when performing the same memory task, pointing to a potentially new direction for age-related cognitive care and exploration.

Nanoparticle therapy that uses LDL and fish oil kills liver cancer cells Posted: 08 Feb 2016 10:54 AM PST An experimental nanoparticle therapy that combines low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and fish oil preferentially kills primary liver cancer cells without harming healthy cells, researchers report.

Researchers identify new Borrelia species that causes Lyme disease Posted: 08 Feb 2016 10:54 AM PST A new bacterial species that causes Lyme disease in people has been identified by researchers. The new species has been provisionally named Borrelia mayonii. Prior to this finding, the only species believed to cause Lyme disease in North America was Borrelia burgdorferi.

Secondary tropical forests absorb carbon at higher rate than old-growth forests Posted: 08 Feb 2016 10:54 AM PST Forests are an important carbon sink. While most attention has focused on old-growth tropical forests, it turns out that secondary forests that re-grow after forest clearance or agricultural abandonment can sequester large amounts of carbon. A large international team of researchers found that carbon uptake in these new-growth tropical forests was surprisingly robust.

Long jumping earthquakes: Double dose of bad earthquake news Posted: 08 Feb 2016 10:54 AM PST A team of researchers has discovered that earthquake ruptures can jump much further than previously thought, a finding that could have severe implications on the Los Angeles area and other regions in the world.

Scientists create laser-activated superconductor Posted: 08 Feb 2016 10:44 AM PST Shining lasers at superconductors can make them work at higher temperatures, suggests new findings from an international team of scientists.

Nanoscale cavity strongly links quantum particles Posted: 08 Feb 2016 10:44 AM PST Scientists have created a crystal structure that boosts the interaction between tiny bursts of light and individual electrons, an advance that could be a significant step toward establishing quantum networks in the future.

New research identifies drug target for dengue virus Posted: 08 Feb 2016 10:44 AM PST No vaccine or drug has yet become available against the Dengue virus. A flavivirus like the newly prominent Zika virus, Dengue has become a leading cause of serious illness and death in some Asian and Latin American countries. Now a team of investigators has data suggesting that a protein in dengue virus that goes by the scientific name, NS4B, would make a promising target for antiviral drug development.

Persistent ADHD associated with overly critical parents Posted: 08 Feb 2016 10:44 AM PST For many children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, symptoms appear to decrease as they age, but for some they do not and one reason may be persistent parental criticism, according to new research.

A step closer to understanding fertilization Posted: 08 Feb 2016 10:44 AM PST Researchers have taken a step closer to understanding the mechanism that leads to the fusion of egg and sperm at fertilization. Using the technique X-ray crystallography, they have determined the 3-D structure of Juno, a mammalian egg protein essential for triggering gamete fusion. Their findings are not only interesting from an evolutionary perspective, but also reveal the shape of a possible target for future non-hormonal contraceptives.

Experts urge extreme caution on 'rewilding' to save wild places Posted: 08 Feb 2016 10:44 AM PST Efforts to 'rewild' the landscape have become increasingly popular in some corners, but researchers say that scientific evidence supporting the potential benefits of this form of restoration is limited at best. As history has shown, the introduction of species into new places is often met with unexpected, negative consequences for the environment.

Higher cellulolytic activity of a vital microorganism explained Posted: 08 Feb 2016 09:48 AM PST Researchers say that a better understanding of a bacterium could lead to cheaper production of cellulosic ethanol and other advanced biofuels. Their discovery was made during an investigation into the performance of Clostridium thermocellum. The scientists found the microorganism utilizes the common cellulase degradation mechanisms known today (free enzymes and scaffolded enzyme attached to the cell), and a new category of scaffolded enzymes not attached to the cell.

Brain scars in multiple sclerosis patients reveal possible cause of taste problems Posted: 08 Feb 2016 09:48 AM PST Taste deficits appear to be more prevalent among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients than previously reported and correlate with brain lesions left by the debilitating disease, a new study has found.

Veterans Affairs health system faces significant challenges, studies find Posted: 08 Feb 2016 09:48 AM PST A series of reports prepared as part of a Congressionally mandated review of the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system finds that demands on the VA will continue to increase through the end of the decade. Veterans who rely on the VA for health care are less healthy, with higher rates of chronic conditions and mental illness, than veterans who do not use the VA health system.

Climate change helps bats to spread their wings Posted: 08 Feb 2016 09:42 AM PST Climate change is most likely behind the spread of a type of vesper bat across Europe over the last four decades. Kuhl's pipistrelle has extended its range by nearly 400 percent, according to a new study. It is the first to record a range expansion for bats on such a continental scale.

Research finds no easy answers to use of drug screening for pain patients Posted: 08 Feb 2016 09:42 AM PST Doctors who treat patients suffering from chronic pain face a quandary, according to research. Monitoring patients through urine drug screenings, part of the standard protocol to ensure patient safety, is associated with an increase in the odds that the patients won't return for future treatment.

Wholesome wholegrain Posted: 08 Feb 2016 09:42 AM PST When it is a matter of health, whole grain has the X factor -- or rather the BX factor -- in the form of a certain group of bioactive compounds called benzoxazinoids, or BX. Scientists have documented the uptake of these compounds in humans and their possible beneficial effect on the immune system.

New cause of strong earthquakes discovered Posted: 08 Feb 2016 09:42 AM PST A geologic event known as diking can cause strong earthquakes -- with a magnitude between 6 and 7, according to an international research team.

Earth-like planets have Earth-like interiors Posted: 08 Feb 2016 09:42 AM PST Every school kid learns the basic structure of the Earth: a thin outer crust, a thick mantle, and a Mars-sized core. But is this structure universal? Will rocky exoplanets orbiting other stars have the same three layers? New research suggests that the answer is yes -- they will have interiors very similar to Earth.

New device to get people with paralysis back on their feet Posted: 08 Feb 2016 09:42 AM PST Medical researchers have created a new minimally invasive brain-machine interface, giving people with spinal cord injuries new hope to walk again with the power of thought.

Nature's mirror: The code for chirality Posted: 08 Feb 2016 09:42 AM PST How information is transferred from biological molecules to crystalline surfaces could pave the way for the development of new drugs and other synthetic materials.

Search technique helps researchers find DNA sequences in minutes rather than days Posted: 08 Feb 2016 09:38 AM PST Database searches for DNA sequences that can take biologists and medical researchers days can now be completed in a matter of minutes, thanks to a new search method developed by computer scientists.

Origin of sighing reflex in the brain pinpointed Posted: 08 Feb 2016 09:38 AM PST Two tiny clusters of neurons in the brain stem are responsible for transforming normal breaths into sighs, say researchers. The discovery may one day benefit patients who cannot breathe deeply on their own -- or who suffer from disorders in which frequent sighing becomes debilitating.

Multicomponent intervention linked to better sun protection for kids Posted: 08 Feb 2016 09:38 AM PST A multicomponent intervention including reminder text messages, a swim shirt for children and a read-along book was associated with increased sun-protection behaviors among young children and a smaller change in children's skin pigment, according to a new article.

Scientists propose 'pumpjack' mechanism for splitting, copying DNA Posted: 08 Feb 2016 09:38 AM PST New close-up images of the proteins that copy DNA inside the nucleus of a cell have led a team of scientists to propose a brand new mechanism for how this molecular machinery works. The scientists studied proteins from yeast cells, which share many features with the cells of complex organisms such as humans, and could offer new insight into ways that DNA replication can go awry.

Chiral magnetic effect generates quantum current Posted: 08 Feb 2016 09:38 AM PST A new way to generate very low-resistance electric current in a new class of materials has been discovered by scientists. The discovery, which relies on the separation of right- and left-"handed" particles, points to a range of potential applications in energy, quantum computing, and medical imaging, and possibly even a new mechanism for inducing superconductivity-the ability of some materials to carry current with no energy loss.

Turning the volume of gene expression up and down Posted: 08 Feb 2016 09:38 AM PST Gene expression in a fruit fly embryo can be accurately and predictably tuned, new research shows. This study has important implications in cellular and developmental biology, with potential applications in stem cell reprogramming and regenerative medicine.

Millennials say one thing but do another when choosing chocolate Posted: 08 Feb 2016 08:30 AM PST Despite strong preferences for ethical chocolate in focus groups, only 14 percent of millennials in individual choice studies selected candy with ethical or social factors labeling, according to a study. In addition, a majority of millennials also prefer chocolate with clean labeling.

Long-term picture offers little solace on climate change Posted: 08 Feb 2016 08:30 AM PST Climate change projections that look ahead one or two centuries show a rapid rise in temperature and sea level, but say little about the longer picture. A new looks at the next 10,000 years, and finds that the catastrophic impact of another three centuries of carbon pollution will persist millennia after the carbon dioxide releases cease.

Traffic-related air pollution linked to facial dark spots Posted: 08 Feb 2016 08:29 AM PST A large scale study that included women from Germany and China has demonstrated a link between levels of traffic-related air pollution and air pollution-associated gases with the formation of dark spots on the skin, known as lentigenes. The most pronounced changes were observed on the cheeks of Asian women over the age of 50.

Old trees reveal Late Antique Little Ice Age (LALIA) around 1,500 years ago Posted: 08 Feb 2016 08:29 AM PST A dendroclimatologist and his fellow researchers were able for the first time to precisely reconstruct the summer temperatures in central Asia for the past 2,000 years. This was made possible by new tree-ring measurements from the Altai mountains in Russia. The results complement the climatological history of the European Alps, stretching back 2,500 years, that the research team has published in the past.

A deep look into a single molecule Posted: 08 Feb 2016 08:29 AM PST The interaction of thermal energy from the environment with motional degrees of freedom is well known and often referred to as Brownian motion (also thermal motion). But in the case of polar molecules, the internal degrees of freedom -- in particular the rotational quantum state -- are also influenced by the thermal radiation. So far, the detection of the rotational state was only possible by destroying the molecule. Now, report scientists, the quantum state of a molecular ion has been measured live and in a non-destructive fashion for the first time.

New target, potential treatment found for unhealthy levels of fat that can occur in type 1 diabetes Posted: 08 Feb 2016 08:27 AM PST Researchers have new insight into the complex interchange that can raise blood levels of unhealthy lipids, or fat, in type 1 diabetes, and early evidence that a drug under study to block cancer cell growth can restore healthier levels.

Kitchen skills are highly dependent on level of income and children living at home Posted: 08 Feb 2016 08:26 AM PST Our knowledge of food and our kitchen skills are highly dependent on our level of income and on whether we have children living at home, say investigators at the conclusion of their study in Denmark.

New type 2 diabetes biomarker identified Posted: 08 Feb 2016 08:26 AM PST Type 2 diabetes accounts for around 90 percent of diabetes cases as well as being one of the major cardiovascular risk factors. Researchers have found an epigenetic mechanism implicated in the regulation of blood sugar. The results of this work could help identify patients at risk of developing diabetes, control treatment response, and generate possible future therapies for this disease.

Oregano may reduce methane in cow burps Posted: 08 Feb 2016 08:25 AM PST A new research project aims to reduce methane emissions from dairy cows by up to 25 per cent. This benefits not only the environment, but also arable farmers and milk producers, and it uses one key ingredient: oregano.

Artistic space odyssey to broadcast people's messages to the stars Posted: 08 Feb 2016 08:25 AM PST Messages from around the world are to be beamed into space at the speed of light as part of a cultural project to create a celestial time capsule.

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