ScienceDaily: Top News

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• New record for fusion: Giant leap in pursuit of clean energy
• When quantum scale affects the way atoms emit and absorb particles of light
• How to tune thermal conductivity of 2D materials
• New way to attack gastro bug
• New compound shows promise in treating multiple human cancers
• From ancient fossils to future cars
• New special-purpose computer may someday save us billions
• Study links changes in collagen to worse pancreatic cancer prognosis
• New smart gloves to monitor Parkinson's disease patients
• Discrimination Based on Weight Doubles Health Risks
• Physicists use lasers to capture first snapshots of rapid chemical bonds breaking
• Mortality and cardiovascular disease: you don't have to be an Olympic athlete to reduce the many risk factors
• Lonely 'lefty' snail seeks mate for love, and genetic study
• Oldest known planet-forming disk discovered
• Study suggests farm traffic vehicle accidents could be reduced by more than half
• Sixty percent of Americans with diabetes skip annual sight-saving exams
• Pediatricians update digital media recommendations for kids
• Nanosciences: Genes on the rack
• Researchers solve the problem of the dimensions of space-time in theories relating to the Large Hadron Collider
• Nanoantenna lighting-rod effect produces fast optical switches
• How does friendly fire happen in the pancreas?
• Ultrasensitive sensors ensure optimum sight conditions
• New antireflective coating reduces stray light and reflections
• Paving the road to drug discovery
• Basic structure of ultrasound power supply, communication
• Learning from model experiments
• Windsurfing swans: An overlooked phenomenon
• A moving story of FHL2 and forces
• Scientists show how plants turn a 'light switch' on and off
• 60 year old Septoria mystery solved
• New nanomedicine approach aims to improve HIV drug therapies
• First atomic-level image of the human 'marijuana receptor' unveiled
• Report provides options for organic soybean growers
• TB tricks the body's immune system to allow it to spread
• CDC recommends only two HPV shots for younger adolescents
• Smartphones alone not the smart choice for teen weight control, study finds
• Ancient proteins shown to control plant growth
• New testing method allows more effective diagnosis of genetically based high cholesterol
• New Cretaceous dinosaur from Queensland
• Earliest evidence in fossil record for right-handedness
• Modeling shifting beliefs in a complex social environment
• Temperature, not predatory pressures, drives plankton abundance

New record for fusion: Giant leap in pursuit of clean energy Posted: 21 Oct 2016 10:39 AM PDT Scientists and engineers recently made a leap forward in the pursuit of clean energy. The team set a new world record for plasma pressure in an Alcator C-Mod tokamak nuclear fusion reactor. Plasma pressure is the key ingredient to producing energy from nuclear fusion, and MIT's new result achieves over 2 atmospheres of pressure for the first time.

When quantum scale affects the way atoms emit and absorb particles of light Posted: 21 Oct 2016 09:26 AM PDT In 1937, US physicist Isidor Rabi introduced a simple model to describe how atoms emit and absorb particles of light. Until now, this model had still not been completely explained. In a recent article, physicists have for the first time used an exact numerical technique: the quantum Monte Carlo technique, which was designed to explain the photon absorption and emission phenomenon.

How to tune thermal conductivity of 2D materials Posted: 21 Oct 2016 09:24 AM PDT Researchers have found an unexpected way to control the thermal conductivity of two-dimensional (2-D) materials, which will allow electronics designers to dissipate heat in electronic devices that use these materials.

New way to attack gastro bug Posted: 21 Oct 2016 09:16 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a potential way to create an antimicrobial drug that would stop one of the world's most prevalent foodborne bugs causing gastroenteritis in humans.

New compound shows promise in treating multiple human cancers Posted: 21 Oct 2016 09:15 AM PDT A newly discovered compound has been shown by researchers to block a protein that is essential for the sustained growth of up to a quarter of all cancers.

From ancient fossils to future cars Posted: 21 Oct 2016 09:14 AM PDT Engineers are developing cheap, energy-efficient lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles from silicon in diatomaceous earth. The research could lead to the development of ultra-high capacity lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and portable electronics.

New special-purpose computer may someday save us billions Posted: 21 Oct 2016 09:14 AM PDT The processing power of standard computers is likely to reach its maximum in the next 10 to 25 years. Even at this maximum power, traditional computers won't be able to handle a particular class of problem that involves combining variables to come up with many possible answers, and looking for the best solution. Now, an entirely new type of computer that blends optical and electrical processing could get around this impending processing constraint and solve those problems. If it can be scaled up, this non-traditional computer could save costs by finding more optimal solutions to problems that have an incredibly high number of possible solutions.

Study links changes in collagen to worse pancreatic cancer prognosis Posted: 21 Oct 2016 09:06 AM PDT The first evidence linking a disturbance of the most common protein in the body with a poor outcome in pancreatic cancer has been uncovered by a team of researchers.

New smart gloves to monitor Parkinson's disease patients Posted: 21 Oct 2016 09:06 AM PDT Prescribing a medication plan for a patient with Parkinson's disease is a big challenge for doctors, but now a biomedical engineering professor and his students are making great strides in solving that problem with their groundbreaking research.

Discrimination Based on Weight Doubles Health Risks Posted: 21 Oct 2016 09:06 AM PDT How society treats overweight people makes health matters worse, a new study has found. Among the findings, authors note that people who experience weight discrimination often shun social interaction and skip doctor visits.

Physicists use lasers to capture first snapshots of rapid chemical bonds breaking Posted: 21 Oct 2016 09:06 AM PDT An international team has used a molecule's own electrons to scatter the molecule — a process called mid-infrared laser-induced electron diffraction, or LIED — and capture snapshots of acetylene as it is breaking apart.

Mortality and cardiovascular disease: you don't have to be an Olympic athlete to reduce the many risk factors Posted: 21 Oct 2016 09:04 AM PDT A new study shows that even low physical fitness, up to 20% below the average for healthy people, is sufficient to produce a preventive effect on most of the risk factors that affect people with cardiovascular disease.

Lonely 'lefty' snail seeks mate for love, and genetic study Posted: 21 Oct 2016 09:04 AM PDT Scientists are hoping to study the genetics of an ultra-rare garden snail are asking the public for its help in finding the lonely mollusc a mate. The snail's unique qualities make it a one in a million find - but also impossible for it to mate with its more common counterparts. At first glance, the brown garden snail may look like any other but closer inspection of the snail's shell reveals exactly why this creature is so special. While the shells of this common species spiral in a right-handed, clockwise direction – known as dextral – this snail is a sinistral, with a left-handed anti-clockwise spiralling shell. In essence, the 'lefty' snail is a mirror image of its other shell-dwelling friends.

Oldest known planet-forming disk discovered Posted: 21 Oct 2016 08:58 AM PDT A group of citizen scientists and professional astronomers joined forces to discover an unusual hunting ground for exoplanets. They found a star surrounded by the oldest known circumstellar disk -- a primordial ring of gas and dust that orbits around a young star and from which planets can form as the material collides and aggregates.

Study suggests farm traffic vehicle accidents could be reduced by more than half Posted: 21 Oct 2016 06:39 AM PDT Traffic accidents involving farm vehicles in the Midwest would decrease by more than 50 percent if state policies required more lighting and reflection on those vehicles, new research has found.

Sixty percent of Americans with diabetes skip annual sight-saving exams Posted: 21 Oct 2016 06:38 AM PDT People with diabetes are at increased risk of developing serious eye diseases, yet most do not have sight-saving annual eye exams, according to a large study.

Pediatricians update digital media recommendations for kids Posted: 21 Oct 2016 06:38 AM PDT New AAP guidelines say parents not only need to pay attention to the amount of time children spend on digital media -- but also how, when and where they use it.

Nanosciences: Genes on the rack Posted: 21 Oct 2016 05:47 AM PDT A novel nanotool has been developed that provides an easy means of characterizing the mechanical properties of biomolecules.

Researchers solve the problem of the dimensions of space-time in theories relating to the Large Hadron Collider Posted: 21 Oct 2016 05:45 AM PDT Researchers propose an approach to the experimental data generated by the Large Hadron Collider that solves the infinity problem without breaching the four dimensions of space-time.

Nanoantenna lighting-rod effect produces fast optical switches Posted: 21 Oct 2016 05:45 AM PDT A fast nanoscale optical transistor has been created using gold nanoantenna assisted phase transition. The work opens up new directions in antenna-assisted switches and optical memory.

How does friendly fire happen in the pancreas? Posted: 21 Oct 2016 05:45 AM PDT In type 1 diabetes, the body attacks its own insulin-producing cells. Scientists have now reported on a mechanism used by the immune system to prepare for this attack. They were able to inhibit this process through targeted intervention and are now hoping this will lead to new possibilities for treatment.

Ultrasensitive sensors ensure optimum sight conditions Posted: 21 Oct 2016 05:45 AM PDT The automotive industry research is strongly focused on technology that enables automated driving. A new sensor system should help increase passenger safety, say researchers.

New antireflective coating reduces stray light and reflections Posted: 21 Oct 2016 05:45 AM PDT Transparent plastic optical lenses can be manufactured cheaply and in any shape. However, a downside is that they reflect light just as much as glass does. Researchers are exhibiting a new type of antireflective coating that significantly reduces stray light and reflections from plastic lenses. Not only does this improve the performance of cameras and headlights, it's also good news for virtual reality technologies.

Paving the road to drug discovery Posted: 21 Oct 2016 05:45 AM PDT There are many disadvantages to using human cells in the initial stages of creating a new therapy. Scientists often have to test a large number of compounds in order to find one that is effective against a particular target. Human cells are costly to take care of and require a lot of time and specific conditions in order to grow. Now researchers say that fission yeast may be used to find the next cancer cure.

Basic structure of ultrasound power supply, communication Posted: 21 Oct 2016 05:43 AM PDT Unlike drugs, active implants such as electroceuticals act locally, have fewer side effects and function directly through electrical signals, much like the body itself. Now researchers present a new technology platform that can power active implants wirelessly via ultrasound. The experts are targeting widespread diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and Parkinson's.

Learning from model experiments Posted: 21 Oct 2016 05:43 AM PDT What students in school learn from a model experiment depends on how similar the model substances look to the originals, a new study has found.

Windsurfing swans: An overlooked phenomenon Posted: 21 Oct 2016 05:43 AM PDT It is well-known that birds can fly, swim and walk, but now there is scientific evidence that birds also can windsurf. Researchers report that the Mute swan occasionally uses the wings as sails when moving quickly on water surfaces.

A moving story of FHL2 and forces Posted: 21 Oct 2016 05:43 AM PDT Researchers have revealed the molecular events leading to the regulation of cell growth and proliferation in response to stiffness of the extracellular matrix that surrounds them.

Scientists show how plants turn a 'light switch' on and off Posted: 21 Oct 2016 05:43 AM PDT Scientists have uncovered the mechanisms through which cryptochrome 2 -- a key photoreceptor that allows plants to respond to blue light -- is switched on and off, allowing plants to remain responsive to light.

60 year old Septoria mystery solved Posted: 21 Oct 2016 05:43 AM PDT A new paper explains why plant breeders have found it difficult to produce wheat varieties which combine high yield and good resistance to Septoria, a disease in wheat which can cut yield losses by up to 50%. It traces the problem back to decisions made nearly sixty years ago.

New nanomedicine approach aims to improve HIV drug therapies Posted: 21 Oct 2016 05:43 AM PDT New research aims to improve the administration and availability of drug therapies to HIV patients through the use of nanotechnology.

First atomic-level image of the human 'marijuana receptor' unveiled Posted: 20 Oct 2016 07:39 PM PDT In a discovery that advances the understanding of how marijuana works in the human body, an international group of scientists has, for the first time, created a three-dimensional atomic-level image of the molecular structure activated by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active chemical in marijuana.

Report provides options for organic soybean growers Posted: 20 Oct 2016 07:38 PM PDT Although soybeans are one of the most widely grown crops in the U.S., few soybean farmers are using organic practices. A new report details organic products and practices to combat pathogens and insect pests. New growers may be motivated by a strong profit margin for organically produced soybeans.

TB tricks the body's immune system to allow it to spread Posted: 20 Oct 2016 07:38 PM PDT Tuberculosis (TB) tricks the immune system into attacking the body's lung tissue so the bacteria are allowed to spread to other people, new research. The concept proposes that current ideas about how tuberculosis develops in patients may be incomplete and that, in fact, infection causes autoimmunity, where the immune system reacts incorrectly to its own tissue.

CDC recommends only two HPV shots for younger adolescents Posted: 20 Oct 2016 02:05 PM PDT The U.S. CDC is recommending that 11- to 12-year-olds receive two doses of HPV vaccine at least six months apart rather than the previously recommended three doses to protect against cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infections.

Smartphones alone not the smart choice for teen weight control, study finds Posted: 20 Oct 2016 01:54 PM PDT Teens use smartphones successfully to do almost anything: learn new skills, communicate with friends, do research and catch Pokémon. But a new study finds smartphones aren't as useful for helping teens maintain weight loss.

Ancient proteins shown to control plant growth Posted: 20 Oct 2016 01:53 PM PDT An international team of life scientists reports the discovery of mechanisms regulating plant growth that could provide new insights into how the mammalian biological clock affects human health.

New testing method allows more effective diagnosis of genetically based high cholesterol Posted: 20 Oct 2016 01:52 PM PDT A new genetic testing method called LipidSeq can identify a genetic basis for high-cholesterol in almost 70 per cent of a targeted patient population. Using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, researchers were able to pinpoint specific areas of a person's DNA to more effectively diagnose genetic forms of high-cholesterol, which markedly increase risk for heart attack and stroke.

New Cretaceous dinosaur from Queensland Posted: 20 Oct 2016 01:48 PM PDT Researchers have announced the naming of Savannasaurus elliottorum, a new genus and species of dinosaur from western Queensland, Australia. The bones come from the Winton Formation, a geological deposit approximately 95 million years old. Savannasaurus was a medium-sized titanosaur, approximately half the length of a basketball court, with a long neck and a relatively short tail.

Earliest evidence in fossil record for right-handedness Posted: 20 Oct 2016 01:37 PM PDT Perhaps the bias against left-handers dates back much further than we thought. By examining striations on teeth of a Homo habilis fossil, researchers have found the earliest evidence for right-handedness in the fossil record dating back 1.8 million years.

Modeling shifting beliefs in a complex social environment Posted: 20 Oct 2016 11:22 AM PDT A new model is allowing scientists to explore how changing an individual's certainty in the belief on the truth of one statement leads to changes in their beliefs on the truth of others. This tool could help to answer questions about individuals' likelihoods of being persuaded to a new belief. People rarely form opinions by merely accepting or rejecting the social consensus of others, studies have shown.

Temperature, not predatory pressures, drives plankton abundance Posted: 20 Oct 2016 11:22 AM PDT Plankton blooms in spring are largely driven by temperature-induced increases in cell division, a new study reveals.

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