السبت، 16 يناير 2016

ScienceDaily: Top News

ScienceDaily: Top News


Fast, accurate DNA sequencing through graphene nanopore

Posted: 15 Jan 2016 11:01 AM PST

A new concept has been developed for rapid, accurate gene sequencing by pulling a DNA molecule through a tiny, chemically activated hole in graphene -- an ultrathin sheet of carbon atoms -- and detecting changes in electrical current.

Researchers study hospital readmissions from post-acute care facilities

Posted: 15 Jan 2016 11:01 AM PST

Better coordination between hospitals and post-acute care facilities could reduce patient readmission to hospitals and mortality rates, according to a new study of risk factors. In a review of more than 3,200 hospitalizations followed by stays in post-acute care facilities, the researchers found specific risk factors that may contribute to the need for readmission to the hospital.

Researchers identify process that causes chronic neonatal lung disease

Posted: 15 Jan 2016 11:01 AM PST

A key component of the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a devastating and sometimes fatal lung disease that affects premature infants, has been uncovered by researchers.

Researchers investigate how light behaves in curved space

Posted: 15 Jan 2016 07:09 AM PST

To investigate the influence of gravity on the propagation of light, researchers usually have to examine astronomical length scales and huge masses. However, physicists have shown that there is another way. In a recent study, they find the answers to astronomical questions in the laboratory, shifting the focus to a previously underappreciated material property -- surface curvature.

Researchers show how mother-of-pearl is formed from nanoparticles

Posted: 15 Jan 2016 07:09 AM PST

Materials scientists have shown for the first time that the mother-of-pearl in clam shells does not form in a crystallization process but is a result of the aggregation of nanoparticles within an organic matrix. This could lead to a better understanding of the structure of biomaterials which may be useful in the development of new high-performance ceramics.

Less physically mature ice hockey players have prolonged concussion symptoms

Posted: 15 Jan 2016 07:08 AM PST

Male student ice hockey players in earlier pubertal stages had a significantly increased risk of prolonged symptoms from concussion compared with advanced pubertal and postpubescent players, new research indicates.

Bone marrow lesions can help predict rapidly progressing joint disease

Posted: 15 Jan 2016 05:53 AM PST

A new study shows lesions, which can best be seen on MRI scans, could help identify individuals who are more likely to suffer from more rapidly progressing osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis in the UK and can cause the joints to become painful and stiff. Almost any joint can be affected, but it most often causes problems in the knees, hips, and small joints of the hands. It can progress at varying speeds.

Patient involvement could improve medicines, research and development

Posted: 15 Jan 2016 05:53 AM PST

A new study has revealed a belief among pharmaceutical industry personnel that greater involvement of patients and the public could improve medicines research and development (R&D).

Signs of second largest black hole in the Milky Way

Posted: 15 Jan 2016 05:52 AM PST

Astronomers using the Nobeyama 45-m Radio Telescope have detected signs of an invisible black hole with a mass of 100 thousand times the mass of the Sun around the center of the Milky Way. The team assumes that this possible 'intermediate mass' black hole is a key to understanding the birth of the supermassive black holes located in the centers of galaxies.

Extreme turbulence roiling 'most luminous galaxy' in the universe

Posted: 15 Jan 2016 05:48 AM PST

The most luminous galaxy in the universe -- a so-called obscured quasar 12.4 billion light-years away -- is so violently turbulent that it may eventually jettison its entire supply of star-forming gas, according to new observations with ALMA.

Link between obesity, increased risk of colorectal cancer revealed

Posted: 15 Jan 2016 05:48 AM PST

The culprit for the link between obesity and colorectal cancer is excess calories, say scientists, but risk can be reversed through lifestyle modification or, potentially, use of an approved drug, a new report suggests.

How bacterial communication 'goes with the flow' in causing infection, blockage

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 06:42 PM PST

The destructive ability of bacteria to organize an infection or block pathways such as intestines, medical stents and wastewater pipes relies on communication with one another, report scientists.

Low blood levels of bicarbonate linked to earlier death in healthy older adults

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 06:40 PM PST

Generally healthy older individuals with normal or high bicarbonate levels in the blood had a similar risk of dying during follow-up, but patients with low bicarbonate had a 24% increased risk compared with these groups, investigators report at the conclusion of a recent study.

New research on preventing fall asthma exacerbations

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 06:24 PM PST

Researchers are studying new approaches to reducing fall asthma exacerbations, with a focus on new approaches to reducing fall asthma exacerbations in pediatric patients.

First all-antiferromagnetic memory device could get digital data storage in a spin

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 01:25 PM PST

If you haven't already heard of antiferromagnetic spintronics it won't be long before you do. This relatively unused class of magnetic materials could be about to transform our digital lives. They have the potential to make our devices smaller, faster, more robust and increase their energy efficiency. New research about to be published in the prestigious academic journal Science which shows how the 'magnetic spins' of these antiferromagnets can be controlled to make a completely different form of digital memory.

E-cigarettes, as used, aren't helping smokers quit, study shows

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 01:25 PM PST

Electronic cigarettes are widely promoted and used to help smokers quit traditional cigarettes, but a new analysis found that adult smokers who use e-cigarettes are actually 28 percent less likely to stop smoking cigarettes.

Breast cancer study suggests new potential drug targets and combinations

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 01:25 PM PST

The largest analysis of breast cancer cell function to date suggests dozens of new uses for existing drugs, new targets for drug discovery, and new drug combinations.

How birds learn through imitation

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 01:25 PM PST

Changes in brain circuitry occur as young zebra finches go from listening to their fathers' songs to knowing the songs themselves, according to a new study.

Preventing violent extremism requires new police programs, report finds

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 01:25 PM PST

The U.S. strategy to prevent homegrown violent extremism through community policing holds promise, but faces significant challenges and needs reforms, according to a new report. Community policing efforts should be expanded and should be entirely separate from police counterterrorism intelligence collection and criminal investigations, the report recommends.

New blood test may expand scope of liquid biopsies

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 01:20 PM PST

A new approach to liquid biopsies may overcome limitations of current blood tests to diagnose and monitor cancers, birth defects, organ transplants and autoimmune disorders. The method relies on analyzing fragmentation patterns in the cell-free DNA in an individual, and comparing them to what might be expected for cell death associated with various medical or physiological conditions. For some types of cancers, researchers could identify the anatomical source of the tumor, which could aid in diagnosing metastatic cancers whose origin is unknown.

Drug 'cocktail' could restore vision in optic nerve injury

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 01:20 PM PST

Research suggests the possibility of restoring at least some visual function in people blinded by optic nerve damage from glaucoma, estimated to affect more than 4 million Americans, or from trauma.

Brain waves could help predict how we respond to general anesthetics

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 01:20 PM PST

The complex pattern of 'chatter' between different areas of an individual's brain while they are awake could help doctors better track and even predict their response to general anesthesia -- and better identify the amount of anesthetic necessary -- according to new research.

How the cell's power station survives attacks

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 12:23 PM PST

Mitochondria, the power generators in our cells, are essential for life. When they are under attack -- from poisons, environmental stress or genetic mutations -- cells wrench these power stations apart, strip out the damaged pieces and reassemble them into usable mitochondria. Now, scientists have uncovered an unexpected way in which cells trigger this critical response to threats, offering insight into disorders such as mitochondrial disease, cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative disease.

First evidence for independent 'working memory' systems in animals

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 12:23 PM PST

A new study is the first to confirm that animals possess multiple 'working memory' systems, or the ability to remember more information across two categories versus a single category. The paper is the first to confirm that a key aspect of human memory impaired in memory disorders exists in the type of pre-clinical animal models that influence major decisions about drug development.

Trio of autism-linked molecules orchestrate neuron connections

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 12:23 PM PST

Researchers have revealed how three proteins work in concert to wire up a specific area of the developing brain that is responsible for processing visual information. The findings may also lend insight into brain disorders including autism, depression and addiction.

Studying 'inflamm-aging': Monocytes, cytokines, and susceptibility to pneumonia

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 12:23 PM PST

The chronic state of low-level inflammation seen in many elderly individuals (sometimes called 'inflamm-aging'), is associated with diseases such as cardiovascular disease and dementia, as well as susceptibility to infections, especially pneumonia. A new study reveals a crucial role of monocytes in the immune system changes that occur with age, and may help explain why older people are more susceptible to pneumonia.

Remembering to the future: Researchers shed new light on how our memories guide attention

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 12:23 PM PST

A team of researchers has discovered that differences in the types of memories we have influence the nature of our future encounters. Their findings show how distinct parts of the brain, underlying different kinds of memories, also influence our attention in new situations.

Chimp friendships are based on trust

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 12:22 PM PST

It almost goes without saying that trust is a defining element of genuine human friendship. Now, a new report suggests that the same holds true among chimpanzee pals. The findings suggest that friendship based on trust goes way, way back, the researchers say.

Understanding Alzheimer's disease

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 08:41 AM PST

An aging specialist discusses 10 main signs of Alzheimer's disease and the importance of obtaining an early diagnosis. More than 5 million people in the United States have Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Not only is Alzheimer's disease the sixth leading cause of death in the country, but it also currently cannot be prevented, cured or slowed.

New lab to give nation's researchers remote access to robots

Posted: 14 Jan 2016 08:41 AM PST

A new lab will allow roboticists from around the country to conduct experiments remotely, American scientists report. Researchers from universities, as well as middle and high school students, will schedule experiments, upload their own programming code, watch the robots in real-time via streamed video feeds and receive scientific data demonstrating the results.

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