ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Typically disregarded brain lesions may warn of heightened stroke risk
• Two biomarkers linked to severe heart disease found
• Heart attack treatment hypothesis 'busted'
• How dengue virus adapts as it travels, increasing chances for outbreaks
• New blood pressure guidelines may lead to under treatment of older adults
• Reducing stroke damage may be next for optical coherence tomography technology widely used in vision healthcare
• Killer sea snail a target for new drugs
• New insights into the genetics of drug-resistant fungal infections
• Perennial biofuel crops' water consumption similar to corn
• Restraint, confinement still an everyday practice in mental health settings
• Blacklegged tick populations have expanded via migration, biologists show
• Stress-fighting proteins could be key to new treatments for asthma
• Link found between autoimmune diseases, medications, dangerous heartbeat condition
• Protein implicated in osteosarcoma's spread acts as air traffic controller
• How to rule a gene 'galaxy': A lesson from developing neurons
• Uncovering the mechanism of our oldest anesthetic
• Therapeutic nitric oxide generated from air with an electric spark
• Ion channel mechanics yield insights into optogenetics experiments
• Crowd computing to improve water filtration
• Researchers develop world's most sensitive test to detect infectious disease, superbugs
• Surfing a wake of light
• Fundamental beliefs about atherosclerosis overturned
• Older patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries less likely to get surgery
• Full sky map: Rings and loops in the stars
• Faster detection of hidden objects by terahertz sensor
• Research breakthrough to treat girls-only epilepsy
• Fundamental observation of spin-controlled electrical conduction in metals
• People over 65 with traumatic brain injuries hospitalized four times as often as younger people
• Potential treatment option for children with Ewing's sarcoma
• Producing biodegradable plastic just got cheaper, greener
• New study again shows: More strokes with intracranial stents
• Pazopanib improves progression-free survival without impairing quality of life
• Grey squirrels are quick learners, study shows
• Tundra study uncovers impact of climate warming in the Arctic
• Transition from three to two dimensions increases conduction
• tRNAs are segmented into fragments in a manner that depends on race, gender and population
• Age-related cognitive decline tied to immune-system molecule
• Midlife changes in Alzheimer's biomarkers may predict dementia
• Protein suggests a new strategy to thwart infection
• Autonomous taxis would deliver significant environmental and economic benefits
• Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia with psychiatric, medical conditions
• Increased risk of complications, death during delivery for women with epilepsy
• Many physicians, clinicians work sick despite risk to patients, survey finds
• Detecting more small cancers in screening mammography suggests overdiagnosis
• Risk of interbreeding due to climate change lower than expected
• Extra DNA acts as a 'spare tire' for our genomes
• Significant reduction in serious crimes after juvenile offenders given emotional awareness training
• Good quantum states and bad quantum states
• Nanomedicine in the fight against thrombotic diseases
• Fingolimod in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis: Indication of added benefit in certain patients
• Aluminum clusters shut down molecular fuel factory
• Rope-chewing technique an easy way to screen monkeys for disease
• Visualizing RNAi at work
• Mechanism of biological multi-fuel engine
• Geology: Slow episodic slip probably occurs in the plate boundary
• Drug inhibits infection that causes watery diarrhea
• Transcriptional mechanisms governing cartilage formation
• New genomic aberrations of gastric cancer could pave the way for precision medicine
• Schools start mapping cosmic rays and solar wind
• How cancer cells avoid shutdown

Typically disregarded brain lesions may warn of heightened stroke risk Posted: 06 Jul 2015 03:32 PM PDT Scientists have found that very small brain lesions noted on brain imaging that would typically be disregarded by clinicians are associated with a heightened risk of stroke and death. The discovery about these tiny lesions -- areas of the brain where tissue may have been damaged by injury or disease -- may help physicians identify people at risk of stroke and death as early as middle age.

Two biomarkers linked to severe heart disease found Posted: 06 Jul 2015 01:38 PM PDT A first-of-its-kind animal model to pinpoint two biomarkers that are elevated in the most severe form of coronary disease has been developed by scientists.

Heart attack treatment hypothesis 'busted' Posted: 06 Jul 2015 01:38 PM PDT Researchers have long had reason to hope that blocking the flow of calcium into the mitochondria of heart and brain cells could be one way to prevent damage caused by heart attacks and strokes. But in a study of mice engineered to lack a key calcium channel in their heart cells, scientists appear to have cast a shadow of doubt on that theory.

How dengue virus adapts as it travels, increasing chances for outbreaks Posted: 06 Jul 2015 01:37 PM PDT A research group is the first to explain the mechanisms that the Dengue virus has developed to optimize its ability to cause outbreaks as it travels across the globe to new places and revisits old ones.

New blood pressure guidelines may lead to under treatment of older adults Posted: 06 Jul 2015 01:37 PM PDT In 2014, the Joint National Committee released the eighth update to the blood pressure guidelines (JNC8P). These guidelines included a controversial decision to change the blood pressure goal that may lead to under treatment of adults 60 years of age or older. The JNC8P guidelines set a less stringent goal blood pressure of < 150/90 mmHg for individuals 60 years of age or older compared to the previous <140/90 mmHg goal.

Reducing stroke damage may be next for optical coherence tomography technology widely used in vision healthcare Posted: 06 Jul 2015 01:16 PM PDT A new article reports on use of optical coherence tomography to obtain high-resolution images showing blood-flow dynamics in the brain before, during, and after stroke-like states. The information may ultimately enable clinicians to reduce stroke damage.

Killer sea snail a target for new drugs Posted: 06 Jul 2015 01:16 PM PDT Pain treatment researchers have discovered thousands of new peptide toxins hidden deep within the venom of just one type of Queensland cone snail. Researchers hope the new molecules will be promising leads for new drugs to treat pain and cancer.

New insights into the genetics of drug-resistant fungal infections Posted: 06 Jul 2015 12:49 PM PDT A study offers new insights into how virulent fungi adapt through genetic modifications to fight back against the effects of medication designed to block their spread, and how that battle leaves them temporarily weakened. These insights may provide clues to new ways to treat notoriously difficult-to-cure fungal infections like thrush and vaginitis.

Perennial biofuel crops' water consumption similar to corn Posted: 06 Jul 2015 12:49 PM PDT Converting large tracts of the Midwest's marginal farming land to perennial biofuel crops carries with it some key unknowns, including how it could affect the balance of water between rainfall, evaporation and movement of soil water to groundwater.

Restraint, confinement still an everyday practice in mental health settings Posted: 06 Jul 2015 11:32 AM PDT Providers of mental-health services still rely on intervention techniques such as physical restraint and confinement to control some psychiatric hospital patients, a practice that can cause harm to both patients and care facilities, according to a new study.

Blacklegged tick populations have expanded via migration, biologists show Posted: 06 Jul 2015 11:32 AM PDT In a new study, biologists used genetic and phylogeographic analyses to determine the origin and recent migratory history of newly discovered tick populations in the Northeastern United States. Their findings indicate that the ticks moved into new areas from established populations, mainly through short-distance, local moves.

Stress-fighting proteins could be key to new treatments for asthma Posted: 06 Jul 2015 11:32 AM PDT Investigators have discovered the precise molecular steps that enable immune cells implicated in certain forms of asthma and allergy to develop and survive in the body. The findings reveal a new pathway that scientists could use to develop more effective treatments and therapies for the chronic lung disorder.

Link found between autoimmune diseases, medications, dangerous heartbeat condition Posted: 06 Jul 2015 11:32 AM PDT New research focuses on identifying the mechanism by which patients with various autoimmune and connective tissue disorders may be at risk for life-threatening cardiac events if they take certain anti-histamine or anti-depressant medications.

Protein implicated in osteosarcoma's spread acts as air traffic controller Posted: 06 Jul 2015 10:57 AM PDT The investigation of a simple protein has uncovered its uniquely complicated role in the spread of the childhood cancer, osteosarcoma. It turns out the protein, called ezrin, acts like an air traffic controller, coordinating multiple functions within a cancer cell and allowing it to endure stress conditions encountered during metastasis.

How to rule a gene 'galaxy': A lesson from developing neurons Posted: 06 Jul 2015 10:57 AM PDT A new study has found that many RNA messengers encoding neuronal proteins contain specialized sequences that can promote their destabilization in the presence of an RNA-binding protein called tristetraprolin, or TTP.

Uncovering the mechanism of our oldest anesthetic Posted: 06 Jul 2015 09:37 AM PDT Researchers have now revealed brainwave changes in patients receiving nitrous oxide, or "laughing gas." Nitrous oxide, commonly known as "laughing gas," has been used in anesthesiology practice since the 1800s, but the way it works to create altered states is has not been well understood.

Therapeutic nitric oxide generated from air with an electric spark Posted: 06 Jul 2015 09:37 AM PDT Treatment with inhaled nitric oxide can be life saving for newborns, children and adults with several dangerous conditions, but the availability of the treatment has been limited by the size, weight and complexity of equipment needed to administer the gas and the therapy's high price. Now a research team has developed a lightweight, portable system that produces nitric oxide from the air by means of an electrical spark.

Ion channel mechanics yield insights into optogenetics experiments Posted: 06 Jul 2015 09:37 AM PDT Optogenetics techniques, which allow scientists to map and control nerve cells using light stimulation, are being used to study neural circuits in the brain with unprecedented precision. This revolutionary technology relies on light-sensitive proteins such as channelrhodopsins, and researchers have now determined the molecular mechanism involved in the light-induced activation of one of these proteins.

Crowd computing to improve water filtration Posted: 06 Jul 2015 09:37 AM PDT Scientists propose a novel nanotechnology-based strategy to improve water filtration. The project was an experiment in crowdsourced computing -- carried out by over 150,000 volunteers who contributed their own computing power to the research.

Researchers develop world's most sensitive test to detect infectious disease, superbugs Posted: 06 Jul 2015 09:37 AM PDT Infectious diseases such as hepatitis C and some of the world's deadliest superbugs -- C. difficile and MRSA among them -- could soon be detected much earlier by a unique diagnostic test, designed to easily and quickly identify dangerous pathogens, experts report after developing the world's most sensitive detection test.

Surfing a wake of light Posted: 06 Jul 2015 09:37 AM PDT For the first time, Harvard researchers have created wakes of light-like waves moving on a metallic surface, called surface plasmons, and demonstrated that they can be controlled and steered. The creation and control of surface plasmon wakes could lead to new types of plasmonic couplers and lenses that could create two-dimensional holograms or focus light at the nanoscale.

Fundamental beliefs about atherosclerosis overturned Posted: 06 Jul 2015 09:37 AM PDT Doctors' efforts to battle the dangerous atherosclerotic plaques that build up in our arteries and cause heart attacks and strokes are built on several false beliefs about the fundamental composition and formation of the plaques, new research shows. These new discoveries will force researchers to reassess their approaches to developing treatments and discard some of their basic assumptions about atherosclerosis, commonly known as hardening of the arteries.

Older patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries less likely to get surgery Posted: 06 Jul 2015 09:37 AM PDT Older patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries are less likely to receive surgery compared with younger patients and they experience a significant lag between injury and surgery, according to new research.

Full sky map: Rings and loops in the stars Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:44 AM PDT A ring of dust 200 light years across and a loop covering a third of the sky: two of the results in a new map from the Planck satellite.

Faster detection of hidden objects by terahertz sensor Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:44 AM PDT A new type of sensor, that is much faster than competing technologies used to detect and identify hidden objects, has been developed by scientists.

Research breakthrough to treat girls-only epilepsy Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:44 AM PDT A breakthrough discovery is expected to help thousands of young girls worldwide who are suffering from a rare yet debilitating form of epilepsy, an international team led by a genetics expert reports.

Fundamental observation of spin-controlled electrical conduction in metals Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:44 AM PDT Ultrafast terahertz spectroscopy allows direct insight into the building block of modern magnetic memories.

People over 65 with traumatic brain injuries hospitalized four times as often as younger people Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:43 AM PDT A disproportionate number of people hospitalized in Canada with traumatic brain injuries are 65 years or older, a new study has found. While that age group represents only 14 per cent of the Canadian population, it accounted for 38 per cent of hospitalizations for TBI between 2006-07 and 2010-11.

Potential treatment option for children with Ewing's sarcoma Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:43 AM PDT A new therapeutic alternative for children who suffer from a malignant pediatric tumor bone and soft tissue called Ewing's sarcoma has been discovered by a research consortium. Ewing's sarcoma is the second most common bone cancer and affects children and youth. Currently, if diagnosed early and there is no metastasis it can be cured in 80% of cases but between 25% and 30% of cases are diagnosed when it has metastasized and survival drops to 20%.

Producing biodegradable plastic just got cheaper, greener Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:42 AM PDT Biodegradable drinking cups or vegetable wrapping foil: the bioplastic known as polylactic acid (PLA) is already a part of our everyday lives. And yet, PLA is not yet considered a full alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics, as it is costly to produce. Researchers now present a way to make the PLA production process more simple and waste-free.

New study again shows: More strokes with intracranial stents Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:42 AM PDT A new study confirms that iff, after a stroke, patients also have stents inserted into blood vessels of the brain, new strokes occur considerably more often.

Pazopanib improves progression-free survival without impairing quality of life Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:42 AM PDT In patients with soft tissue sarcoma, whose disease had progressed during or after prior chemotherapy, pazopanib improved progression-free survival but did not change health-related quality of life, research shows. This observed improvement in progression-free survival without impairment of health-related quality of life was considered a meaningful result.

Grey squirrels are quick learners, study shows Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:42 AM PDT They may be viewed by some as an invasive species or a commonplace pest of public parks, but a new study has shown that grey squirrels are actually quick learners capable of adapting tactics to improve efficiency and reap the best rewards.

Tundra study uncovers impact of climate warming in the Arctic Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:42 AM PDT Significant changes in one of Earth's most important ecosystems are not only a symptom of climate change, but may fuel further warming, research suggests. One of the biggest studies to date of key vegetation in the Arctic tundra provides strong evidence that dramatic changes in the region are being driven by climate warming.

Transition from three to two dimensions increases conduction Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:42 AM PDT Scientists have for the first time described the behavior of electrons in a previously unstudied analogue of graphene, two-dimensional niobium telluride, and, in the process, uncovered the nature of two-dimensionality effects on conducting properties.

tRNAs are segmented into fragments in a manner that depends on race, gender and population Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:42 AM PDT The study reports on a newly discovered category of tRNA fragments as well as shows that all tRNAs are rich sources of very diverse short molecules whose characteristics depend on a person's gender, population, and race and differ according to tissue and disease type.

Age-related cognitive decline tied to immune-system molecule Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:42 AM PDT A blood-borne molecule that increases in abundance as we age blocks regeneration of brain cells and promotes cognitive decline, new research shows. The molecule in question, known as beta-2 microglobulin, or B2M, is a component of a larger molecule called MHC I, which plays a major role in the adaptive immune system. A growing body of research indicates that the B2M-MHC I complex, which is present in all cells in the body except red blood cells and plasma cells, can act in the brain in ways not obviously related to immunity--guiding brain development, shaping nerve cell communication, and even affecting behavior.

Midlife changes in Alzheimer's biomarkers may predict dementia Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:41 AM PDT Studying brain scans and cerebrospinal fluid of healthy adults, scientists have shown that changes in key biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease during midlife may help identify those who will develop dementia years later, according to new research.

Protein suggests a new strategy to thwart infection Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:41 AM PDT The newfound ability of a protein of the intestines and lungs to distinguish between human cells and the cells of bacterial invaders could underpin new strategies to fight infections. A new article describes the knack of a human protein known as intelectin to distinguish between our cells and those of the disease-causing microbes that invade our bodies.

Autonomous taxis would deliver significant environmental and economic benefits Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:41 AM PDT Imagine a fleet of driverless taxis roaming your city, ready to pick you up and take you to your destination at a moment's notice. While this may seem fantastical, it may be only a matter of time before it becomes reality. And according to a new study such a system would both be cost-effective and greatly reduce per-mile emissions of greenhouse gases.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia with psychiatric, medical conditions Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:41 AM PDT Cognitive behavioral therapy is a widely used nonpharmacologic treatment for insomnia disorders and an analysis of the medical literature suggests it also can work for patients whose insomnia is coupled with psychiatric and medical conditions, according to an article.

Increased risk of complications, death during delivery for women with epilepsy Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:41 AM PDT A small fraction of pregnancies occur in women with epilepsy but a new study suggests those women may be at higher risk for complications and death during delivery, in a new article.

Many physicians, clinicians work sick despite risk to patients, survey finds Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:41 AM PDT Many physicians and advanced practice clinicians, including registered nurse practitioners, midwives and physician assistants, reported to work while being sick despite recognizing this could put patients at risk, according to the results of a small survey.

Detecting more small cancers in screening mammography suggests overdiagnosis Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:41 AM PDT Screening mammography was associated with increased diagnosis of small cancers in a study across U.S. counties but not with significant changes in breast cancer deaths or a decreased incidence of larger breast cancers, which researchers suggest may be the result of overdiagnosis, according to an article.

Risk of interbreeding due to climate change lower than expected Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:41 AM PDT A surprising study of North and South American mammals, birds and amphibians finds that only about 6 percent of closely related species whose ranges do not currently overlap are likely to come into contact by the end of this century.

Extra DNA acts as a 'spare tire' for our genomes Posted: 06 Jul 2015 08:41 AM PDT Carrying around a spare tire is a good thing -- you never know when you'll get a flat. Turns out we're all carrying around 'spare tires' in our genomes, too. Today researchers report that an extra set of guanines (or 'G's) in our DNA may function just like a 'spare' to help prevent many cancers from developing.

Significant reduction in serious crimes after juvenile offenders given emotional awareness training Posted: 06 Jul 2015 07:38 AM PDT Scientists believe that a simple two-hour emotional awareness course aimed at making young offenders less aggressive could hold the key to significantly reducing the seriousness of their future crimes.

Good quantum states and bad quantum states Posted: 06 Jul 2015 07:38 AM PDT It is impossible to obtain all information about a large quantum system consisting of hundreds or thousands of particles. A new technique allows to describe such systems in terms of 'continuous matrix product states.' With this approximation, the relevant information about a quantum system can be obtained by only a few measurements.

Nanomedicine in the fight against thrombotic diseases Posted: 06 Jul 2015 07:38 AM PDT Ischemic heart disease and stroke caused by thrombus formation are responsible for more than 17 million deaths per year worldwide. Now researchers announce new research that has been covering the use of nanocarriers and microbubbles in drug delivery for thrombotic disease.

Fingolimod in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis: Indication of added benefit in certain patients Posted: 06 Jul 2015 07:38 AM PDT Based on new analyses conducted by the drug manufacturer, an advantage can be determined in two instead of only one patient group for the use of Fingolimod in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. There are now indications instead of a hint.

Aluminum clusters shut down molecular fuel factory Posted: 06 Jul 2015 06:24 AM PDT When aluminum atoms bunch up, porous materials called zeolites lose their ability to convert oil to gasoline. An international team of scientists created the first 3-D atomic map of a zeolite in order to find out how to improve catalysts used to produce fuel, biofuel and other chemicals.

Rope-chewing technique an easy way to screen monkeys for disease Posted: 06 Jul 2015 06:24 AM PDT What a piece of rope and strawberry jam have to do with preventing the spread of zoonotic disease.

Visualizing RNAi at work Posted: 06 Jul 2015 06:14 AM PDT Researchers have revealed the molecular mechanism of RNA interference (RNAi), the phenomenon by which the synthesis of a specific protein is inhibited, by real time observation of target RNA cleavage at the single-molecule level.

Mechanism of biological multi-fuel engine Posted: 06 Jul 2015 06:13 AM PDT Researchers have constructed the atomic model structure of the protein complex that corresponds to the stator (stationary part of a motor that surrounds the rotating part of a motor) of the E. coli flagellar motor for the first time by molecular simulation based on previously published experimental data, and elucidated the mechanism by which ions, including hydrogen ions (protons), are transferred through the stator.

Geology: Slow episodic slip probably occurs in the plate boundary Posted: 06 Jul 2015 06:13 AM PDT Scientists have discovered slow-moving low-frequency tremors which occur at the shallow subduction plate boundary in Hyuga-nada, off east Kyushu. This indicates the possibility that the plate boundary in the vicinity of the Nankai Trough is slipping episodically and slowly (over days or weeks) without inducing a strong seismic wave.

Drug inhibits infection that causes watery diarrhea Posted: 06 Jul 2015 06:13 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated that heparin, a type of sulfated polysaccharide, inhibits infection with Cryptosporidium parvum, a protozoan that causes diarrhea in humans and other mammals. This will facilitate the development of anti-cryptosporidial agents.

Transcriptional mechanisms governing cartilage formation Posted: 06 Jul 2015 06:13 AM PDT Researchers have identified modes of Sox9 action during cartilage formation by analyzing big data on Sox9 location, chromatin state, and gene expression over the whole mouse genome. This finding will contribute to the understanding of cartilage diseases caused by genomic mutation and genome-based drug discovery for disease therapies.

New genomic aberrations of gastric cancer could pave the way for precision medicine Posted: 06 Jul 2015 06:13 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a relationship between Asian gastric cancers and the fusion of two genes.

Schools start mapping cosmic rays and solar wind Posted: 06 Jul 2015 06:12 AM PDT A satellite experiment to study cosmic rays and the solar wind that was devised by school students is now successfully collecting data in space. LUCID, the Langton Ultimate Cosmic ray Intensity Detector, uses particle detectors from CERN to study the radiation environment in low Earth orbit.

How cancer cells avoid shutdown Posted: 06 Jul 2015 06:00 AM PDT Researchers unravel mechanisms by which a protein that promotes tumor growth is produced during stress. The specific protein concerned in the team's study is the protease cathepsin L, a certain enzyme. It is long known that high levels of this protease in breast cancers are associated with high metastasis rates and poor survival of the patients.

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