ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Breast milk sugar may protect babies against deadly infection
• Hiding in plain sight: Vast reef found hiding behind Great Barrier Reef
• Insecticide ryanodine: Building a chemical from the ground up
• Volcanic eruption masked acceleration in sea level rise
• Allergy research: Response to house dust mites is age-dependent
• Next steps in understanding brain function
• Electrons at the speed limit
• Banning tobacco sales near schools could reduce socioeconomic disparities, new study shows
• Important advance made with new approach to 'control' cancer, not eliminate it
• Physicist's DNA chip offers big possibilities in cell, cancer studies
• Blending wastewater may help California cope with drought
• Stiff arteries linked with memory problems, mouse study suggests
• Sights set on the next generation of shuttle peptides to target the brain
• Microplastics discovered in the deep, open ocean
• Acute virus infection associated with sensory polyneuropathy, Zika experts say
• Researchers succeed in developing a genome editing technique that does not cleave DNA
• New approach to computing boosts energy efficiency
• Scientists shed new light on the role of calcium in learning, memory
• Discovery of an ape virus in an Indonesian rodent species
• Physician advice to patients on e-cigarettes varies, reveals knowledge gaps, study shows
• Experts say inexpensive drug could slow heart disease for type 1 diabetic patients
• New test needed to assess the quality, safety of sunglasses
• Designing ultrasound tools with Lego-like proteins
• Neuroscientists stand up for basic cell biology research
• Symmetry crucial for building key biomaterial collagen in the lab
• Solving a 48 year old mystery: Scientists grow noroviruses in human intestinal cell cultures
• New diagnostic instrument sees deeper into the ear
• Researchers find roots of modern humane treatment
• New study finds low transfer rates of pediatric burn patients in the United States
• Finding new targets to treat vascular damage
• Vouchers help get health goods to those most in need
• Face shape is in the genes
• Chemistry professor explores outer regions of periodic table
• Targeting low-oxygen patches inside lung cancer tumors could help prevent drug resistance
• Ecological consequences of amphetamine pollution in urban streams
• Factors that might attract children to marijuana edibles
• Electron microscopy reveals how vitamin A enters the cell
• Investigating the relationship between low physical activity and psychotic symptoms
• A nanoscale wireless communication system via plasmonic antennas
• A mammoth undertaking: Can de-extinction be ecologically responsible?
• Newly discovered 'multicomponent' virus can infect animals
• Fracking chemicals exposure may harm fertility in female mice
• Digital forms of dating violence are on the rise: What school nurses need to know
• Altering stem cell perception of tissue stiffness may help treat musculoskeletal disorders
• Extending battery life for mobile devices: 'Braidio' tech lets mobile devices share power
• Virtual peer pressure works just as well as the real thing
• Immune system infighting explains pancreatic cancer's aggression
• Risk of adolescents being overweight impacted by neighborhood education, income levels
• How PSD forms and why defects can cause autism
• Recommended daily treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis underused
• Men perceived as younger, more attractive after hair transplant for baldness
• Study examines financial conflict of interests among NCCN guideline authors
• Oxygen can impair cancer immunotherapy in mice
• Calorie-burning 'good' fat can be protected
• Scientists discover structural clues to calcium regulation in cells
• The brain uses backward instant replays to remember important travel routes
• How Lyme disease bacteria spread through the body
• Opioid receptors outside the brain targeted in rats; new direction for painkillers
• New mouse model of Zika sexual transmission shows spread to fetal brain

Breast milk sugar may protect babies against deadly infection Posted: 26 Aug 2016 07:48 AM PDT A type of sugar found naturally in some women's breast milk may protect newborn babies from infection with a potentially life threatening bacterium called Group B streptococcus, according to a new study. These bacteria are a common cause of meningitis in newborns and the leading cause of infection in the first three months of life globally.

Hiding in plain sight: Vast reef found hiding behind Great Barrier Reef Posted: 26 Aug 2016 07:48 AM PDT Scientists working with laser data have discovered a vast reef behind the familiar Great Barrier Reef. High-resolution seafloor data provided by LiDAR-equipped aircraft have revealed great fields of unusual donut-shaped circular mounds, each 200-300 meters across and up to 10 meters deep at the center.

Insecticide ryanodine: Building a chemical from the ground up Posted: 26 Aug 2016 07:48 AM PDT Chemists have significantly improved upon the synthesis of a molecule related to muscle and neuronal function. A research team has been busy trying to crack the puzzle of the insecticide ryanodine, a complex molecule first isolated from a tropical plant in the 1940s. Ryanodine paralyzes insects by binding to a class of calcium-channel receptors called ryanodine receptors. In humans, these receptors play critical roles in muscle and neuronal function.

Volcanic eruption masked acceleration in sea level rise Posted: 26 Aug 2016 07:15 AM PDT The cataclysmic 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines masked the full impact of greenhouse gases on accelerating sea level rise, according to a new study.

Allergy research: Response to house dust mites is age-dependent Posted: 26 Aug 2016 07:15 AM PDT In adults with a house dust mite allergy, a cascade of inflammatory signals on the surface of the airways leads to airway remodeling. This process cannot be influenced by standard cortisone therapy.

Next steps in understanding brain function Posted: 26 Aug 2016 07:15 AM PDT As scientists around the globe join efforts to understand brain function, we enter the era of Big Data and stir up debate on how science is done and how it can affect us all.

Electrons at the speed limit Posted: 26 Aug 2016 07:15 AM PDT Electronic components have become faster and faster over the years, thus making powerful computers and other technologies possible. Researchers have now investigated how fast electrons can ultimately be controlled with electric fields. Their insights are of importance for the petahertz electronics of the future.

Banning tobacco sales near schools could reduce socioeconomic disparities, new study shows Posted: 26 Aug 2016 07:15 AM PDT Banning tobacco sales within 1,000 feet of schools could reduce socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in tobacco density across neighborhoods, according to a study.

Important advance made with new approach to 'control' cancer, not eliminate it Posted: 26 Aug 2016 06:27 AM PDT Researchers have created a new drug delivery system that could improve the effectiveness of an emerging concept in cancer treatment -- to dramatically slow and control tumors on a long-term, sustained basis, not necessarily aiming for their complete elimination.

Physicist's DNA chip offers big possibilities in cell, cancer studies Posted: 26 Aug 2016 05:43 AM PDT A physicist has developed a novel technology that not only sheds light on basic cell biology, but also may aid in the development of more effective cancer treatments or early diagnosis of disease.

Blending wastewater may help California cope with drought Posted: 26 Aug 2016 05:43 AM PDT Researchers have developed an economic model that demonstrates how flexible wastewater treatment processes which blend varying levels of treated effluent can create a water supply that benefits crops and is affordable.

Stiff arteries linked with memory problems, mouse study suggests Posted: 26 Aug 2016 05:43 AM PDT Using a new mouse model, researchers have found that stiffer arteries can also negatively affect memory and other critical brain processes. The findings may eventually reveal how arterial stiffness leads to Alzheimer's and other diseases involving dementia.

Sights set on the next generation of shuttle peptides to target the brain Posted: 26 Aug 2016 05:40 AM PDT There is a new and emerging field of drug transporters that have the capacity to reach the brain more efficiently, say researchers, bringing together chemistry, pharmacy and biomedicine.

Microplastics discovered in the deep, open ocean Posted: 26 Aug 2016 05:40 AM PDT A unique study will provide valuable new insights into the concentrations of microplastics in the open ocean from surface to the sea bed, say scientists.

Acute virus infection associated with sensory polyneuropathy, Zika experts say Posted: 26 Aug 2016 05:39 AM PDT A group of researchers has described the first case of sensory polyneuropathy associated with acute Zika virus infection. A large percentage of people suffering from Zika virus infections are asymptomatic or show only mild symptoms. But potential neurological complications can be dramatic.

Researchers succeed in developing a genome editing technique that does not cleave DNA Posted: 26 Aug 2016 05:39 AM PDT A research team has succeeded in developing 'Target-AID', a genome editing technique that does not cleave the DNA. The technique offers, through high-level editing operation, a method to address the existing issues of genome editing. It is expected that the technique will be applied to gene therapy in the future in addition to providing a powerful tool for breeding useful organisms and conducting disease and drug-discovery research.

New approach to computing boosts energy efficiency Posted: 26 Aug 2016 05:39 AM PDT A research project has launched a set of tools that will make computer systems more energy efficient – a critical issue for modern computing. Using the framework of the project programmers has been able to provide large data streaming aggregations 54 times more energy efficient than with standard implementations.

Scientists shed new light on the role of calcium in learning, memory Posted: 26 Aug 2016 05:39 AM PDT While calcium's importance for our bones and teeth is well known, its role in neurons—in particular, its effects on processes such as learning and memory—has been less well defined. A new study offers insights into how calcium in mitochondria -- the powerhouse of all cells -- can impact the development of the brain and adult cognition.

Discovery of an ape virus in an Indonesian rodent species Posted: 26 Aug 2016 05:39 AM PDT The gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV) is a medically important tool in cancer therapies. GALV is a retrovirus pathogenic to its host species, the southeast Asian lar gibbon (Hylobates lar) and thought to have originated from a cross-species transmission and may not originally be a primate virus at all. An international research team screened a wide range of rodents from southeast Asia for GALV-like sequences. The discovery of a new GALV in the grassland melomys (Melomys burtoni) from Indonesian New Guinea supports the hypothesis that this host species, and potentially related rodent lineages in Australia and Papua New Guinea, may have played a key role in the spread of GALV-like viruses.

Physician advice to patients on e-cigarettes varies, reveals knowledge gaps, study shows Posted: 26 Aug 2016 05:38 AM PDT Researchers analyzed an online medical forum to better understand what patients want to know about e-cigarettes and how doctors respond to those questions.

Experts say inexpensive drug could slow heart disease for type 1 diabetic patients Posted: 25 Aug 2016 06:43 PM PDT Scientists believe a drug commonly prescribed for type 2 diabetes could be routinely taken by type 1 diabetic patients to slow the development or delay heart disease.

New test needed to assess the quality, safety of sunglasses Posted: 25 Aug 2016 06:43 PM PDT Exposure to the sun may deteriorate your sunglasses over time and the lenses may become lighter and so alter the category under which they are classified. It may also diminish the impact resistance of lenses (how 'shatterproof' the lens is). Revision of standards is needed to test sunglasses quality and establish safe limits for the lenses' UV filters, according to new research.

Designing ultrasound tools with Lego-like proteins Posted: 25 Aug 2016 02:23 PM PDT Ultrasound imaging is used around the world to help visualize developing babies and diagnose diseases. Sound waves bounce off the tissues, revealing their different densities and shapes. The next step in ultrasound technology is to image not just anatomy, but specific cells and molecules deeper in the body, such as those associated with tumors or bacteria in our gut. Now scientists say that [rotein engineering techniques might one day lead to colorful ultrasound images of cells deep within our bodies.

Neuroscientists stand up for basic cell biology research Posted: 25 Aug 2016 02:23 PM PDT Clinical trials and translational medicine have certainly given people hope and rapid pathways to cures for some of humankind's most troublesome diseases, but now is not the time to overlook the power of basic research, says a neuroscientist.

Symmetry crucial for building key biomaterial collagen in the lab Posted: 25 Aug 2016 02:23 PM PDT Functional human collagen has been impossible to create in the lab. Now, a team of researchers describes what may be the key to growing functional, natural collagen fibers outside of the body: symmetry.

Solving a 48 year old mystery: Scientists grow noroviruses in human intestinal cell cultures Posted: 25 Aug 2016 02:22 PM PDT For the first time, scientists have grown human noroviruses, the leading viral cause of acute diarrhea worldwide, in human intestinal cell cultures in the lab.

New diagnostic instrument sees deeper into the ear Posted: 25 Aug 2016 01:20 PM PDT A new device could greatly improve ear infection diagnoses and drastically reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, a major cause of antibiotic resistance.

Researchers find roots of modern humane treatment Posted: 25 Aug 2016 01:20 PM PDT Researchers have traced the roots of humane medical practices to a pioneering French physician who treated people with deformities as humans instead of 'monsters,' as they were commonly called.

New study finds low transfer rates of pediatric burn patients in the United States Posted: 25 Aug 2016 12:19 PM PDT Nearly 127,000 kids in the U.S had burn injuries in 2012, research shows. Over half or 69,000 of these children had burns that are considered significant injuries by the American Burn Association.

Finding new targets to treat vascular damage Posted: 25 Aug 2016 12:17 PM PDT There are no established drugs to improve angiogenesis in diabetes. However, researchers now have identified a gene called CITED2 in a molecular pathway that may offer targets for drugs that treat these conditions by strengthening angiogenesis.

Vouchers help get health goods to those most in need Posted: 25 Aug 2016 12:16 PM PDT Distributing health products through a simple voucher system is effective for screening out people who would otherwise accept but not use the free product, a study conducted in Kenya reports.

Face shape is in the genes Posted: 25 Aug 2016 12:16 PM PDT Many of the characteristics that make up a person's face, such as nose size and face width, stem from specific genetic variations, reports a team of scientists.

Chemistry professor explores outer regions of periodic table Posted: 25 Aug 2016 12:15 PM PDT Scientists have captured the fundamental chemistry of the element berkelium, or Bk on the periodic table.

Targeting low-oxygen patches inside lung cancer tumors could help prevent drug resistance Posted: 25 Aug 2016 12:15 PM PDT With the right treatment schedule, medications known as hypoxia-activated prodrugs (HAPs) could help prevent drug resistance in a subtype of lung cancer, according to a study.

Ecological consequences of amphetamine pollution in urban streams Posted: 25 Aug 2016 12:15 PM PDT Pharmaceutical and illicit drugs are present in streams in Baltimore, Maryland. At some sites, amphetamine concentrations are high enough to alter the base of the aquatic food web. So reports a new study which is one of the first to explore the ecological consequences of stimulant pollution in urban streams.

Factors that might attract children to marijuana edibles Posted: 25 Aug 2016 11:19 AM PDT A new report identifies factors that make food attractive to children. Commissioned by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board, the report studied research on what makes food appeal to children and the role that marketing and branding play.

Electron microscopy reveals how vitamin A enters the cell Posted: 25 Aug 2016 11:19 AM PDT Using a new, lightning-fast camera paired with an electron microscope, scientists have captured images of one of the smallest proteins in our cells to be "seen" with a microscope.

Investigating the relationship between low physical activity and psychotic symptoms Posted: 25 Aug 2016 11:17 AM PDT Physical activity can help reduce cardiovascular disease and premature mortality in people with psychological problems. However, there is limited data on exercise in people with serious mental disorders, especially from low- and middle-income countries. This study explored whether complying with the World Health Organization recommendations of 150 minutes of moderate-vigorous exercise per week is related to psychotic symptoms or the diagnosis of a psychosis.

A nanoscale wireless communication system via plasmonic antennas Posted: 25 Aug 2016 11:17 AM PDT A nanoscale wireless communication system uses plasmonic antennas to produce greater control and increased efficiency to an approach eyed for next-generation 'on-chip' communications technologies.

A mammoth undertaking: Can de-extinction be ecologically responsible? Posted: 25 Aug 2016 11:17 AM PDT Can the woolly mammoth be brought back from the dead? Scientists say it's only a matter of time. A conservation ecologist and colleagues have examined ecologically responsible de-extinction, and what it means for science.

Newly discovered 'multicomponent' virus can infect animals Posted: 25 Aug 2016 11:17 AM PDT Scientists have identified a new 'multicomponent' virus --one containing different segments of genetic material in separate particles -- that can infect animals. This new pathogen was isolated from several species of mosquitoes in Central and South America. GCXV does not appear to infect mammals; however, the team also isolated a related virus, Jingmen tick virus, from a nonhuman primate.

Fracking chemicals exposure may harm fertility in female mice Posted: 25 Aug 2016 11:17 AM PDT Prenatal exposure to chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, may threaten fertility in female mice, according to a new study.

Digital forms of dating violence are on the rise: What school nurses need to know Posted: 25 Aug 2016 10:10 AM PDT Many teens experience physical or sexual abuse within their romantic relationships and now dating violence can also be perpetrated digitally by harassing, stalking or controlling a romantic partner via technology and social media. School nurses are often some of the first to identify such problems and play an active role in preventing them from happening in the first place. Information on how school nurses can help these teens experiencing cyber abuse is described in a recent article.

Altering stem cell perception of tissue stiffness may help treat musculoskeletal disorders Posted: 25 Aug 2016 10:09 AM PDT A new biomaterial can be used to study how and when stem cells sense the mechanics of their surrounding environment. With further development, this biomaterial could be used to control when immature stem cells differentiate into more specialized cells for regenerative and tissue-engineering-based therapies.

Extending battery life for mobile devices: 'Braidio' tech lets mobile devices share power Posted: 25 Aug 2016 10:09 AM PDT Computer science researchers have introduced a new radio technology that allows small mobile devices to take advantage of battery power in larger devices nearby for communication.

Virtual peer pressure works just as well as the real thing Posted: 25 Aug 2016 10:09 AM PDT Peer pressure is a proven social motivator. Researchers probed this decidedly human attribute and found that not only is virtual pressure from a computer-simulated peer just as motivating as the real thing, but that 'fake' competition is effective as well. Researchers formulated a mathematical model of human behavior that successfully predicted group responses across conditions -- one they hope researchers will use to overcome the difficult task of encouraging participation in scientific projects.

Immune system infighting explains pancreatic cancer's aggression Posted: 25 Aug 2016 10:06 AM PDT Conflict between cell types explains why the immune system struggles to recognize and attack pancreatic cancer, report researchers. Curbing this infighting has the potential to make treatment more effective, according to a study.

Risk of adolescents being overweight impacted by neighborhood education, income levels Posted: 25 Aug 2016 10:06 AM PDT A new study found an increased risk for becoming overweight or obese among normal-weight 18-year-olds who lived in neighborhoods with lower education or income levels. The study found that over a four-year period, 25 percent of these young adults became overweight or obese.

How PSD forms and why defects can cause autism Posted: 25 Aug 2016 10:04 AM PDT Scientists have discovered that SynGAP and PSD-95, two abundance proteins in PSD that are known to cause autism when mutated, can form an autonomously assembled network structure both in test-tube and in living cells. The SynGAP/PSD-95 assembly can form stable 'oil-like' droplets in the midst of aqueous cytoplasm of living cells via phase-transition. This finding provides a possible answer for PSD formation in the field of brain science.

Recommended daily treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis underused Posted: 25 Aug 2016 10:04 AM PDT Topical intranasal steroid therapy continues to be underused for patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) despite practice guidelines that recommend daily use, according to a study.

Men perceived as younger, more attractive after hair transplant for baldness Posted: 25 Aug 2016 10:04 AM PDT Does how much hair a man has matter in how he is perceived? The answer is yes, according to a new article, and this reality can play a role in workplace and social success, say the authors of a new report.

Study examines financial conflict of interests among NCCN guideline authors Posted: 25 Aug 2016 10:04 AM PDT A new study quantifies industry financial conflicts of interest (FCOIs) among authors of National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, work that influences practice and defines drugs reimbursable by Medicare.

Oxygen can impair cancer immunotherapy in mice Posted: 25 Aug 2016 10:04 AM PDT Researchers have identified a mechanism in mice by which anticancer immune responses are inhibited within the lungs, a common site of metastasis for many cancers.

Calorie-burning 'good' fat can be protected Posted: 25 Aug 2016 10:00 AM PDT Preventing cells of beige fat -- a calorie-burning tissue that can help to ward off obesity and diabetes -- from digesting their own mitochondria traps them in a beneficial, energy-burning state. In mice, this successfully protected against obesity and pre-diabetic symptoms, raising hopes for future applications in human patients.

Scientists discover structural clues to calcium regulation in cells Posted: 25 Aug 2016 10:00 AM PDT The process of energy generation by mitochondria is closely tied to intracellular calcium regulation by a membrane gateway inside mitochondria known as the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter (MCU). How MCU regulates calcium uptake has been unclear, but the recent structural discovery of a key MCU domain points toward the involvement of two ions -- calcium and magnesium -- opening new paths to the development of MCU-modulating agents for the treatment of diseases involving mitochondrial dysfunction.

The brain uses backward instant replays to remember important travel routes Posted: 25 Aug 2016 10:00 AM PDT Neuroscientists believe they have figured out how some rats solve certain navigational problems. If there's a 'reward' at the end of the trip, like the chocolatey drink used in this study, specialized neurons in the hippocampus of the brain 'replay' the route taken to get it, but backward. And the greater the reward, the more often the rats' brains replay it.

How Lyme disease bacteria spread through the body Posted: 25 Aug 2016 10:00 AM PDT Researchers have developed a live-cell-imaging-based system that provides insights into how Lyme disease bacteria latch onto and move along the inside surface of blood vessels to reach key destinations in the body where they may be able to persist longer and avoid treatment. Ironically, the same strategies that these bacteria use to spread through the body are also used by immune cells to protect against infectious disease.

Opioid receptors outside the brain targeted in rats; new direction for painkillers Posted: 25 Aug 2016 10:00 AM PDT Opioid abuse is a growing public health crisis, affecting up to 36 million people worldwide. Many of these individuals first get hooked on prescription painkillers that target mu opioid receptors in the brain. A study in rats suggests that a different approach that targets delta opioid receptors on sensory neurons in peripheral tissues might avoid the side effects and high abuse potential of currently available pain relievers.

New mouse model of Zika sexual transmission shows spread to fetal brain Posted: 25 Aug 2016 10:00 AM PDT The Zika virus, commonly transmitted through a bite from an infected mosquito, is also capable of leaping from person to person through sexual transmission. However, the mechanisms Zika uses to invade the body from the genitals, and the havoc it may wreak from there, are unclear. To better understand the process, a group of researchers has developed the first mouse model of a vaginal Zika infection.

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