ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Immediate aspirin after mini-stroke substantially reduces risk of major stroke
• Biomarker may predict endometrial cancer recurrences
• Your friends have more friends than you do
• Inhaled steroids may increase risk of nontuberculous mycobacteria lung disease
• Avoiding the deadly dangers of distracted driving
• Drug used for pain, anxiety may be linked to birth defects
• New easy-to-use TB test achieves accuracy comparable to IGRAs in phase III trials
• Ocean acidification puts NW Dungeness crab at risk
• Burial sites show how Nubians, Egyptians integrated communities thousands of years ago
• Environmental and public health benefits of solar power tallied
• How depression and antidepressant drugs work
• Fish can adapt some to warmer ocean waters, but not necessarily to extreme heat
• What big eyes you have! Spider adaptation widened dietary net
• Stellar mystery deepens: Large group of stars found dying prematurely
• Rhythm of 'detox' and feeding genes in fruitflies, mice coordinated by neuropeptide
• Research highlights strategies that can help foster children transition into new homes
• Scientists discover the evolutionary link between protein structure and function
• New horned dinosaur species with 'spiked shield'
• Researchers develop new way to decode large amounts of biological data
• Some antibiotics may worsen complications in transplant patients
• Ocelot density in the Brazilian Amazon may be lower than expected
• Hornbills in the Kalahari desert may keep cool by losing heat through their beaks
• Big data, better care for chronic kidney disease patients
• Bright light alters metabolism
• Research suggests new contributor to heart disease
• Researchers develop novel, non-toxic approach to treating variety of cancers
• Panda feces study provides insights into microbiome, reproductive troubles
• No evidence that grit improves performance, analysis finds
• New study finds major earthquake threat from the Riasi fault in the Himalayas
• Stellar cannibalism transforms star into brown dwarf
• Staying a step ahead of cancer
• How antibodies access neurons to fight infection
• Scientists predict extensive ice loss from huge Antarctic glacier
• How viruses infect bacteria: A tale of a tail
• Antimicrobial in common toothpaste doesn't impact gut, oral microbiome
• Nature vs. Nuture? Both are important, anthropologist argues
• New antibiotic to fight MRSA developed
• Photonics advances allow us to be seen across the universe, with major implications for search for extraterrestrial intelligence
• New data on variability of Earth's reflectance over the last 16 years
• How your brain learns to ride the subway, and why AI developers care
• Middle East Respiratory Syndrome linked to higher mortality, more severe illness than serious non-MERS infection
• Early introduction of allergenic foods reduces risk of food sensitization, study suggests
• Novel gene therapy shows potential for lung repair in asthma
• Hydroxyurea improves lung function in children with sickle cell disease
• Technique may improve understanding, detection of kidney disease
• Children with brain tumors undergoing radiation therapy helped by play-based preparation
• How to calm an anxious mind
• Colors of autism spectrum described by researchers
• Pain study links children's fear of needles to parent behavior
• Throwing fastballs may be linked to Tommy John surgery in MLB pitchers
• Conventional radiation therapy may not protect healthy brain cells
• Ensuring artisanal Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is the real deal
• New study evaluates nicotine's relationship to body weight, food intake
• Robots get creative to cut through clutter
• You were right: Rotational motion is relative, too, Mr. Einstein!
• Foreign language teachers facing a confidence conundrum
• How repeated spot microdischarges damage microdevices
• Bending hot molecules
• Gentle strength for robots
• No junk-food diet: Even in cities, bees find flowers and avoid processed sugars

Immediate aspirin after mini-stroke substantially reduces risk of major stroke Posted: 18 May 2016 07:06 PM PDT Using aspirin urgently could substantially reduce the risk of major strokes in patients who have minor 'warning' events. Medical researchers say that immediate self-treatment when patients experience stroke-like symptoms would considerably reduce the risk of major stroke over the next few days.

Biomarker may predict endometrial cancer recurrences Posted: 18 May 2016 02:04 PM PDT The deubiquitinating enzyme USP14 as a promising biomarker for identifying risk of recurrence in endometrial cancer patients, new research suggests.

Your friends have more friends than you do Posted: 18 May 2016 02:04 PM PDT No matter how smart and funny you think you are, those you follow on Twitter really do have a larger following than you. And the same holds true for Facebook. But there is no reason to feel badly about any of this, according to researchers who say that it is all due to the inherently hierarchical nature of social media networks, where, in the social hierarchy of connections, people mostly either follow up or across; they rarely follow down.

Inhaled steroids may increase risk of nontuberculous mycobacteria lung disease Posted: 18 May 2016 02:01 PM PDT Patients with obstructive lung disease who take inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) may be at greater risk for nontuberculous mycobacteria pulmonary disease (NTM PD), according to new research.

Avoiding the deadly dangers of distracted driving Posted: 18 May 2016 02:01 PM PDT More than 3,100 people were killed in 2014 as a result of distracted driving, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Although distractions come in many forms, texting is the most dangerous because it takes eyes, hands and minds away from the task at hand.

Drug used for pain, anxiety may be linked to birth defects Posted: 18 May 2016 02:00 PM PDT A drug commonly used to treat pain, epilepsy, anxiety and other brain health disorders may be associated with an increased risk of major birth defects, according to a new study.

New easy-to-use TB test achieves accuracy comparable to IGRAs in phase III trials Posted: 18 May 2016 02:00 PM PDT A new skin test for tuberculosis infection has proven safe, easy to administer and accurate in two Phase III clinical trials.

Ocean acidification puts NW Dungeness crab at risk Posted: 18 May 2016 01:53 PM PDT Ocean acidification expected to accompany climate change may slow development and reduce survival of the larval stages of Dungeness crab, a key component of the Northwest marine ecosystem and the largest fishery by revenue on the West Coast, a new study has found.

Burial sites show how Nubians, Egyptians integrated communities thousands of years ago Posted: 18 May 2016 01:53 PM PDT New bioarchaeological evidence shows that Nubians and Egyptians integrated into a community, and even married, in ancient Sudan, according to new research from an anthropologist.

Environmental and public health benefits of solar power tallied Posted: 18 May 2016 01:52 PM PDT Solar power could deliver $400 billion in environmental and public health benefits throughout the United States by 2050, according to a new study.

How depression and antidepressant drugs work Posted: 18 May 2016 01:52 PM PDT New research demonstrates the effectiveness of ketamine to treat depression in a mouse model of the disease. The brings together two hypotheses: 1) that depression results from deficits in GABA signaling and 2) that depression results from deficits in glutamate signaling. It shows that the depression-like behavior in the research mice results from the reduction of both GABA and glutamate, and importantly, that both can be restored with a single dose of ketamine.

Fish can adapt some to warmer ocean waters, but not necessarily to extreme heat Posted: 18 May 2016 01:52 PM PDT A three-decade-old open air laboratory, where warm water from a nuclear power station is pumped into an enclosed basin in the Baltic Sea off the Swedish coast, gives researchers an unparalleled chance to study how warmer waters and higher temperature extremes affect fish. While fish were able to adjust their metabolic rates to cope with the heat, they had less of a cushion with respect to extreme temperatures.

What big eyes you have! Spider adaptation widened dietary net Posted: 18 May 2016 01:52 PM PDT The net-casting spider -- which throws a silk net over its prey -- evolved two massive secondary eyes to help it catch prey that walks, a biologist has concluded.

Stellar mystery deepens: Large group of stars found dying prematurely Posted: 18 May 2016 01:52 PM PDT Astronomers have made an unexpected discovery that a large group of stars are dying prematurely, challenging our accepted view of stellar evolution.

Rhythm of 'detox' and feeding genes in fruitflies, mice coordinated by neuropeptide Posted: 18 May 2016 12:29 PM PDT A 24-hour rhythm of cellular detoxification in flies and mammals is coordinated by a neuropeptide that also drives feeding in both organisms. Many detoxification genes are expressed with a circadian rhythm in the mouse liver and in the fruitfly equivalent called the fat body. This work could eventually have implications for chronotherapy -- the study of the timing of when best to take medications.

Research highlights strategies that can help foster children transition into new homes Posted: 18 May 2016 12:29 PM PDT Language is a powerful tool that can ease the transition into a new home for foster children and enhances the possibility that it will be a successful placement, according to new research from the University at Buffalo.

Scientists discover the evolutionary link between protein structure and function Posted: 18 May 2016 12:29 PM PDT A new study demonstrates the evolution of protein structure and function over 3.8 billion years. Snippets of genetic code, consistent across organisms and time, direct proteins to create 'loops,' or active sites that give proteins their function. The link between structure and function in proteins can be thought of as a network. Demonstrating evolution in this small-scale network may help others understand how other networks, such as the internet, change over time.

New horned dinosaur species with 'spiked shield' Posted: 18 May 2016 12:29 PM PDT A chance fossil discovery in Montana a decade ago has led to the identification of an audacious new species of horned dinosaur. What sets Spiclypeus shipporum apart from other horned dinosaurs such as the well-known Triceratops is the orientation of the horns over the eyes, which stick out sideways from the skull. There is also a unique arrangement to the bony 'spikes' that emanate from the margin of the frill -- some of the spikes curl forward while others project outward.

Researchers develop new way to decode large amounts of biological data Posted: 18 May 2016 12:28 PM PDT In recent years, the amount of genomic data available to scientists has exploded. This trove of genetic information has created a problem: how can scientists quickly analyze all of this data. Now, researchers have developed an innovative computing technique that is both faster and more accurate than current methods.

Some antibiotics may worsen complications in transplant patients Posted: 18 May 2016 12:28 PM PDT Some broad-spectrum antibiotics that disrupt the gut microbiome may raise the risk of complications from stem cell transplantation, according to a new study evaluating data from more than 850 transplant patients, as well as from mice.

Ocelot density in the Brazilian Amazon may be lower than expected Posted: 18 May 2016 12:28 PM PDT The population density of ocelots in the Brazilian Amazon may be stable but lower than expected, according to a new study.

Hornbills in the Kalahari desert may keep cool by losing heat through their beaks Posted: 18 May 2016 12:28 PM PDT When temperatures are scorching, southern yellow-billed hornbills in the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa dilate blood vessels in their beaks to thermoregulate and cool off, according to a new study.

Big data, better care for chronic kidney disease patients Posted: 18 May 2016 11:14 AM PDT A team of physicians and computer scientists is using merged electronic health records to improve care and clinical outcomes for patients with chronic kidney disease, which affects some 26 million American adults.

Bright light alters metabolism Posted: 18 May 2016 11:14 AM PDT Exposure to bright light alters your metabolism, reports a new study. Scientists found bright light exposure increased insulin resistance compared to dim light exposure in both the morning and the evening. In the evening, bright light also caused higher peak glucose (blood sugar) levels. Over time, excess blood glucose can result in increased body fat, weight gain and a higher risk for diabetes.

Research suggests new contributor to heart disease Posted: 18 May 2016 11:12 AM PDT Medical professionals have long known that the buildup of plaque in arteries can cause them to narrow and harden, potentially leading to a whole host of health problems -- including heart attack, heart disease and stroke. While high blood pressure and artery stiffness are often associated with plaque buildup, new research shows they are not the direct causes. Their findings suggest a new culprit: elastic fibers in the arterial wall.

Researchers develop novel, non-toxic approach to treating variety of cancers Posted: 18 May 2016 11:12 AM PDT A novel, non-toxic approach to treating a wide variety of cancers has been identified by a team of researchers. The treatment approach is based on a combination therapy of the sugar 2-Deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) and fenofibrate, a well-studied cholesterol medication.

Panda feces study provides insights into microbiome, reproductive troubles Posted: 18 May 2016 11:12 AM PDT A stomachache can put a real damper on your love life -- especially if you're a giant panda. One minute it's breeding season and you're happily dining on fresh bamboo leaves, the next you're left clutching your stomach while your gastrointestinal lining passes through your system. This is exactly what seems to happen to captive giant pandas, and the researchers behind a new study are beginning to suspect it may play a role in their struggles to reproduce.

No evidence that grit improves performance, analysis finds Posted: 18 May 2016 10:42 AM PDT The significance of grit in improving performance has been greatly overstated, says a psychologist who conducted a meta-analysis of all prior research on grit and found no evidence that grit is a good predictor of success.

New study finds major earthquake threat from the Riasi fault in the Himalayas Posted: 18 May 2016 10:38 AM PDT New geologic mapping in the Himalayan mountains of Kashmir between Pakistan and India suggests that the region is ripe for a major earthquake that could endanger the lives of as many as a million people.

Stellar cannibalism transforms star into brown dwarf Posted: 18 May 2016 10:38 AM PDT Astronomers have detected a sub-stellar object that used to be a star, after being consumed by its white dwarf companion.

Staying a step ahead of cancer Posted: 18 May 2016 10:38 AM PDT Scientists have designed a potential cancer therapy that uses a unique strategy to block mTOR, a molecule that helps drive the growth of many tumors. In animal experiments, the drug reduces the size of tumors that are resistant to earlier-generation mTOR inhibitors.

How antibodies access neurons to fight infection Posted: 18 May 2016 10:38 AM PDT Scientists have solved a puzzle of the immune system -- how antibodies enter the nervous system to control viral infections. Their finding may have implications for the prevention and treatment of a range of conditions, including herpes and Guillain-Barre syndrome, which has been linked to the Zika virus.

Scientists predict extensive ice loss from huge Antarctic glacier Posted: 18 May 2016 10:38 AM PDT Current rates of climate change could trigger instability in a major Antarctic glacier, ultimately leading to more than 2m of sea-level rise.

How viruses infect bacteria: A tale of a tail Posted: 18 May 2016 10:38 AM PDT Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. Using state-of-the-art tools, scientists have described a million-atom 'tail' that bacteriophages use to breach bacterial surfaces. The breakthrough has major implications for science and medicine, as bacteriophages are widely used in research.

Antimicrobial in common toothpaste doesn't impact gut, oral microbiome Posted: 18 May 2016 10:38 AM PDT Personal hygiene products such as soaps and toothpastes that contain the antibiotic triclosan do not have a major influence on microbial communities or endocrine function, according to a small, randomized trial, say researchers.

Nature vs. Nuture? Both are important, anthropologist argues Posted: 18 May 2016 10:00 AM PDT Some anthropologists try to understand how societies and histories construct our identities, and others ask about how genes and the environment do the same thing. Which is the better approach? Both are needed, argues a biological anthropologist.

New antibiotic to fight MRSA developed Posted: 18 May 2016 09:55 AM PDT A team of chemists has developed a new antibiotic formulation to fight the sometimes deadly staph infection caused by methicillin-resistant S. aureus or MRSA and other antibiotic-resistant infectious bacteria. The new drug to treat MRSA combines traditional Food and Drug Administration-approved antibiotics, such as methicillin, with the polymer BPEI.

Photonics advances allow us to be seen across the universe, with major implications for search for extraterrestrial intelligence Posted: 18 May 2016 09:55 AM PDT Looking up at the night sky -- expansive and seemingly endless, stars and constellations blinking and glimmering like jewels just out of reach -- it's impossible not to wonder: Are we alone? For many of us, the notion of intelligent life on other planets is as captivating as ideas come. Maybe in some other star system, maybe a billion light years away, there's a civilization like ours asking the exact same question. Imagine if we sent up a visible signal that could eventually be seen across the entire universe. Imagine if another civilization did the same.

New data on variability of Earth's reflectance over the last 16 years Posted: 18 May 2016 09:55 AM PDT The Earth's albedo is a fundamental atmospheric parameter having deep implications for temperature and climate change. Experiments have been performed to monitor it over the past two decades to reveal how it evolves. One of these has brought up to date the observations made since 2007 and gives a new systematic record of the Earth's albedo covering the period between 1998-2014.

How your brain learns to ride the subway, and why AI developers care Posted: 18 May 2016 09:55 AM PDT In machine learning, a programmer might develop an AI that can calculate all possible consequences of a single action. Humans, however, don't have the same raw computational power; we have to efficiently create and execute a plan. We mentally invent different 'layers' to organize our actions and then think about the higher levels rather than individual steps, according to a new study.

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome linked to higher mortality, more severe illness than serious non-MERS infection Posted: 18 May 2016 09:55 AM PDT Patients with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) develop more severe critical illness and have higher mortality than patients with non-MERS severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), according to investigators involved with the largest study of critically ill patients with MERS.

Early introduction of allergenic foods reduces risk of food sensitization, study suggests Posted: 18 May 2016 09:55 AM PDT Children who had a diet that included cow's milk products, egg and peanut before age one were less likely to develop sensitization to the corresponding foods, according to new research. Early introduction of eggs appeared to be especially beneficial, as it decreased the risk of sensitization to any of the three tested foods.

Novel gene therapy shows potential for lung repair in asthma Posted: 18 May 2016 09:55 AM PDT A new study has demonstrated a way to deliver a nanoparticle-based gene therapy, in order to repair lungs damaged by chronic allergic asthma and to reduce inflammation that causes asthma attacks. The potential therapy, tested in mice, may hold promise for asthma patients whose disease is not controlled by the most commonly used treatments.

Hydroxyurea improves lung function in children with sickle cell disease Posted: 18 May 2016 09:55 AM PDT For the first time, researchers were able to demonstrate that children diagnosed with sickle cell disease showed improvement in lung function after treatment with hydroxyurea, a treatment that is underused despite its demonstrated benefits.

Technique may improve understanding, detection of kidney disease Posted: 18 May 2016 09:06 AM PDT Scientists are developing an innovative research technique that could help urologists better understand the early stages of kidney disease.

Children with brain tumors undergoing radiation therapy helped by play-based preparation Posted: 18 May 2016 09:05 AM PDT Support interventions by child life specialists decrease sedation use and costs associated with cranial radiation therapy, new research shows.

How to calm an anxious mind Posted: 18 May 2016 09:05 AM PDT Anxiety disorders and related problems such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are among the most common mental health conditions. While effective therapies for these often-debilitating disorders exist, many sufferers find them very difficult to engage with or complete. This prompted researchers to look for ways to make treatment easier to handle for those who need it most.

Colors of autism spectrum described by researchers Posted: 18 May 2016 09:05 AM PDT Children with autism have a wide range of ability to talk with other people, but it has been difficult to group children by their specific skills. Now researchers have developed an autism classification system that defines levels of social communications ability among those with autism spectrum disorder.

Pain study links children's fear of needles to parent behavior Posted: 18 May 2016 09:05 AM PDT For some children, the fear of needles and vaccinations before getting the shot is so severe that they experience more pain-related distress right after the needle and also learn to avoid future medical procedures and appointments.

Throwing fastballs may be linked to Tommy John surgery in MLB pitchers Posted: 18 May 2016 09:04 AM PDT Contrary to conventional wisdom, Major League Baseball pitchers who throw a high percentage of fastballs may be at increased risk for Tommy John surgery, according to research. Researchers suggest that throwing fastballs nearly half of the time puts pitchers at risk of injury to their elbow. MLB pitchers who have undergone Tommy John surgery threw on average 7 percent more fastballs than pitchers who had no surgery.

Conventional radiation therapy may not protect healthy brain cells Posted: 18 May 2016 09:04 AM PDT Repeated radiation therapy used to target tumors in the brain may not be as safe to healthy brain cells as previously assumed. The findings of a new study show that the treatment also kills important support cells in the brain and may cause as much, if not more damage, than single dose radiation therapy.

Ensuring artisanal Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is the real deal Posted: 18 May 2016 09:04 AM PDT A parmesan scandal reported earlier this year highlighted how easy it is to doctor the cheese when it's grated. For producers and consumers of some of the most expensive kinds, this is a big problem. Generic versions abound, but the traditional variety comes from only a handful of Italian provinces and commands twice the price. Now scientists a way to catch adulteration of the regional products.

New study evaluates nicotine's relationship to body weight, food intake Posted: 18 May 2016 09:04 AM PDT A carefully controlled series of studies demonstrates that the self-administration of nicotine by rats suppresses body weight gain independent of food intake.

Robots get creative to cut through clutter Posted: 18 May 2016 09:04 AM PDT Clutter is a special challenge for robots, but new software is helping robots cope, whether they're beating a path across the Moon or grabbing a milk jug from the back of the refrigerator. The software not only helped a robot deal efficiently with clutter, it surprisingly revealed the robot's creativity in solving problems.

You were right: Rotational motion is relative, too, Mr. Einstein! Posted: 18 May 2016 09:02 AM PDT It has been one hundred100 years since the publication of Einstein's general theory of relativity in May 1916. Physicists have now demonstrated that the rotational motion in the universe is also subject to the theory of relativity.

Foreign language teachers facing a confidence conundrum Posted: 18 May 2016 09:02 AM PDT Foreign language teachers play a pivotal role in creating global citizens, but some teachers lack confidence in their ability to speak in their nonnative tongue, which could undermine the quality of language instruction, researchers argue.

How repeated spot microdischarges damage microdevices Posted: 18 May 2016 09:02 AM PDT In microelectronics, devices made up of two electrodes separated by an insulating barrier are subject to multiple of microdischarges -- referred to as microfilaments -- at the same spot. Now have elucidated the mechanism of microdischarge reoccurrence, by attributing it to the temperature increase in a single microdischarge.

Bending hot molecules Posted: 18 May 2016 09:02 AM PDT Hot molecules are found in extreme environments such as the edges of fusion reactors. For simulations that e.g. help to understand the physics of planetary atmospheres, it is crucial to know how these molecules react. In a new study researchers reveal a method for controlling the likelihood that reactions between electrons and hot molecules occur, by altering the degree of bending the linear molecules.

Gentle strength for robots Posted: 18 May 2016 09:02 AM PDT A soft actuator using electrically controllable membranes could pave the way for machines that are no danger to humans.

No junk-food diet: Even in cities, bees find flowers and avoid processed sugars Posted: 18 May 2016 09:01 AM PDT Bees in urban areas stick to a flower-nectar diet, steering clear of processed sugars found in soda and other junk food, new research indicates.

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