ScienceDaily: Top News

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• A songbird's travelogue
• Upper Paleolithic humans may have hunted cave lions for their pelts
• Restoring the sense of touch in amputees using natural signals of nervous system
• Importance of universal sanitation underestimated in efforts to reduce child mortality
• Ultrasound after tibial fracture surgery does not speed up healing or improve function
• Hormone that controls maturation of fat cells discovered
• STAT2: Much more than an antiviral protein
• After blindness, the adult brain can learn to see again
• Dose of dextrose gel lowers risk of low blood sugar in newborns
• Iron supplements in the fight against lead
• College students: Reading the right sexual cues?
• School principals shape students' values via school climate
• Cosmic horseshoe is not the lucky beacon
• Brain surface stimulation provides 'touch' feedback to direct movement
• New immunotherapy technique holds promise for curing food allergies
• Young stellar system caught in act of forming close multiples
• Saving sight in glaucoma: Why the brain may hold the key
• Researchers slow glioblastoma by inhibiting tumor's PPARa receptor
• Neurobiology: Epigenetics and neural cell death
• AIDS: The making of the 'Patient Zero' myth
• Easing labor pain may help reduce postpartum depression in some women
• Bilingual brains activate different networks when reading opaque, transparent languages
• Scientists edit gene mutations in inherited form of anemia
• Precise quantum cloning: Possible pathway to secure communication
• Will pedestrians walk freely in a world of self-driving cars?
• Additional benefit of omega-3 fatty acids for the clearance of metabolites from the brain
• Early supplementation may help offset early-life stress on the adult brain
• Mulberry extract activates brown fat, shows promise as obesity treatment
• Skin patch to treat peanut allergy shows benefit in children
• Finding the clues for better autism treatments
• Antibodies from Ebola survivors neutralize virus, protect against infection in lab
• Entire Himalayan arc can produce large earthquakes
• The buzz about edible bugs: Can they replace beef?
• Finding patterns in corrupted data
• Neuro chip records brain cell activity
• Arctic found to play unexpectedly large role in removing nitrogen
• Common sets of genes disrupted in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression
• Application of comprehensive chromosome screening could improve IVF success
• Researchers invent 'perfect' soap molecule that is better for the environment, cleans in all conditions
• Brain scans of children with Tourette's offer clues to disorder
• Indirect effects of rising carbon dioxide levels on ecosystems more important than previously thought
• Extreme cold winters fuelled by jet stream and climate change
• Using stem cells to boost immunity against Candida albicans infections
• First-time reconstruction of infectious bat influenza viruses
• Telerehabilitation through Internet proved to ameliorate both the health and the quality of life of women suffering breast cancer
• Why does our planet experience an ice age every 100,000 years?
• Vitamin E can modify the risk of pneumonia in some older men depending on their life style
• Unexpected giant glowing halos discovered around distant quasars
• The current state of psychobiotics
• Combining dental, medical procedures may safely limit children’s anesthesia exposure
• Experimental drug shows promise in treating Alzheimer’s disease
• 'Heartbeat stars' unlocked in new study
• Breakthrough drug approved as alternative to chemotherapy for people with advanced lung cancer
• Space travel affects spine of astronauts, NASA study shows
• Improved water splitting advances renewable energy conversion
• Study suggests approach to waking patients after surgery

A songbird's travelogue Posted: 26 Oct 2016 11:43 AM PDT Biologists recently used light-weight geolocation technology to follow a species of songbird on its 10,000-kilometer migration from the Middle East to sub-Saharan Africa.

Upper Paleolithic humans may have hunted cave lions for their pelts Posted: 26 Oct 2016 11:21 AM PDT Upper Paleolithic humans may have hunted cave lions for their pelts, perhaps contributing to their extinction, according to a new study.

Restoring the sense of touch in amputees using natural signals of nervous system Posted: 26 Oct 2016 11:21 AM PDT Scientists have found a way to produce realistic sensations of touch in two human amputees by directly stimulating the nervous system.

Importance of universal sanitation underestimated in efforts to reduce child mortality Posted: 26 Oct 2016 11:19 AM PDT The value of sanitation at reducing child mortality in many low income countries has been substantially underestimated, according to recent research.

Ultrasound after tibial fracture surgery does not speed up healing or improve function Posted: 26 Oct 2016 11:16 AM PDT Receiving ultrasound after surgery to repair a fractured tibia (shinbone) does not accelerate healing or improve functional recovery compared with sham treatment, finds a trial.

Hormone that controls maturation of fat cells discovered Posted: 26 Oct 2016 11:15 AM PDT Mature fat cells produce a hormone that regulates the differentiation of nearby stem cells in response to glucocorticoid hormones and high-fat diets, researchers have found.

STAT2: Much more than an antiviral protein Posted: 26 Oct 2016 11:08 AM PDT A protein known for guarding against viral infections leads a double life, new research shows, and can interfere with cell growth and the defense against parasites. In a new paper, researchers describe the duplicitous nature of this essential protein, called STAT2, which they discovered while investigating the mechanisms behind interferon signaling.

After blindness, the adult brain can learn to see again Posted: 26 Oct 2016 11:04 AM PDT More than 40 million people worldwide are blind, and many of them reach this condition after many years of slow and progressive retinal degeneration. The development of sophisticated prostheses or new light-responsive elements, aiming to replace the disrupted retinal function and to feed restored visual signals to the brain, has provided new hope. However, very little is known about whether the brain of blind people retains residual capacity to process restored or artificial visual inputs.

Dose of dextrose gel lowers risk of low blood sugar in newborns Posted: 26 Oct 2016 11:00 AM PDT A single dose of dextrose gel, rubbed inside a newborn's mouth an hour after birth, can lower their risk of developing neonatal hypoglycaemia, according to a randomized study. The study, designed to investigate the optimal dose and timing for dextrose, is novel in testing dextrose as a preventive rather than treatment for low blood glucose.

Iron supplements in the fight against lead Posted: 26 Oct 2016 10:54 AM PDT Lead is a toxic heavy metal that was added to gasoline for use in cars until as recently as 25 years ago. It is particularly harmful to the developing brains of infants, children and teenagers, and the damage it does is irreversible. The situation becomes significantly worse if people are exposed to a high level of lead at the same time as they are suffering from iron deficiency.

College students: Reading the right sexual cues? Posted: 26 Oct 2016 10:51 AM PDT Both college men and women focus primarily on a photographed woman's nonverbal emotional cues when making snap decisions about whether she is expressing sexual interest at a particular moment in time. But their judgments also are based to a large degree on how attractive she is and the provocativeness of her attire. Physical attractiveness plays a much larger role in how college men than women make these quick judgments. Female students in turn tend to pick up more than men on clothing style and the woman's emotional cues.

School principals shape students' values via school climate Posted: 26 Oct 2016 10:49 AM PDT Over time, students' personal values become more similar to those of their school principal, according to new research. The findings indicate that principals' values are linked with aspects of school climate which are, in turn, linked with students' own values.

Cosmic horseshoe is not the lucky beacon Posted: 26 Oct 2016 10:46 AM PDT Although the universe started out with a bang it quickly evolved to a relatively cool, dark place. After a few hundred thousand years the lights came back on and scientists are still trying to figure out why.

Brain surface stimulation provides 'touch' feedback to direct movement Posted: 26 Oct 2016 10:32 AM PDT Grasping a cup or brushing hair or cooking a meal requires feedback that has been lost in amputees and individuals with paralysis -- a sense of touch. Researchers have now used direct stimulation of the human brain surface to provide this basic sensory feedback through artificial electrical signals, enabling a person to control movement while performing a simple task: opening and closing his hand.

New immunotherapy technique holds promise for curing food allergies Posted: 26 Oct 2016 10:32 AM PDT A new immunotherapy technique has been developed that nearly eliminates the allergic response to peanut and egg white proteins in food-allergic mice, reducing the anaphylactic response by up to 90 per cent with only one treatment.

Young stellar system caught in act of forming close multiples Posted: 26 Oct 2016 10:30 AM PDT For the first time, astronomers have seen a dusty disk of material around a young star fragmenting into a multiple-star system. Scientists had suspected such a process, caused by gravitational instability, was at work, but new observations with ALMA and the VLA revealed the process in action.

Saving sight in glaucoma: Why the brain may hold the key Posted: 26 Oct 2016 10:30 AM PDT What causes vision loss in glaucoma? There are two common answers that at first may seem disparate: the first is pressure, as in elevated ocular pressure, and the second is damage to the optic nerve, which is the structure that sends visual information to the brain. Both answers are correct.

Researchers slow glioblastoma by inhibiting tumor's PPARa receptor Posted: 26 Oct 2016 10:30 AM PDT One of the most remarkable features of glioblastoma is the metabolic reprogramming of cancerous cells, resulting in uncontrolled cell proliferation, hypoxic conditions and angiogenesis. Metabolic reprogramming enables tumor cells with a faster way to produce energy and form new membranes. For this and other reasons, glioblastoma is presently incurable and the affected patients have a poor outcome.

Neurobiology: Epigenetics and neural cell death Posted: 26 Oct 2016 10:29 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated how deregulation of an epigenetic mechanism that is active only in the early phases of neurogenesis triggers the subsequent death of neural cells.

AIDS: The making of the 'Patient Zero' myth Posted: 26 Oct 2016 10:29 AM PDT A combination of historical and genetic research reveals the error and hype that led to the coining of the term 'Patient Zero' and the blaming of one man for the spread of HIV across North America.

Easing labor pain may help reduce postpartum depression in some women Posted: 26 Oct 2016 08:39 AM PDT Epidural anesthesia may do more than relieve pain during labor; in some women it may decrease the likelihood of postpartum depression, suggests a preliminary study.

Bilingual brains activate different networks when reading opaque, transparent languages Posted: 26 Oct 2016 08:38 AM PDT Bilinguals use different neural networks to read languages that are pronounced as they are written – such as the Basque language – from those in which this correspondence does not exist, like English, researchers have found. The results are valuable for teaching reading to adults and children, they say.

Scientists edit gene mutations in inherited form of anemia Posted: 26 Oct 2016 08:05 AM PDT A new gene editing strategy has been used to correct mutations that cause thalassemia, a form of anemia. Their gene editing technique provided corrections to the mutations and alleviated the disease in mice, the researchers said. The finding could lead to studies of a similar gene therapy to treat people with inherited blood disorders.

Precise quantum cloning: Possible pathway to secure communication Posted: 26 Oct 2016 08:00 AM PDT Physicists have produced near-perfect clones of quantum information using a new method to surpass previous cloning limits.

Will pedestrians walk freely in a world of self-driving cars? Posted: 26 Oct 2016 07:55 AM PDT Imagine an urban neighborhood where most of the cars are self-driving. What would it be like to be a pedestrian? Self-driving cars are programmed to obey the rules of the road, including waiting for pedestrians to cross. Secure in the knowledge that a car will yield, pedestrians merely need to act unpredictably or step into the street to force the risk-averse car to stop.

Additional benefit of omega-3 fatty acids for the clearance of metabolites from the brain Posted: 26 Oct 2016 07:53 AM PDT Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are found in fish oil, could improve the function of the glymphatic system, which facilitates the clearance of waste from the brain, and promote the clearance of metabolites including amyloid-? peptides, a primary culprit in Alzheimer's disease, report scientists.

Early supplementation may help offset early-life stress on the adult brain Posted: 26 Oct 2016 07:52 AM PDT Early-life stress has been shown to impair learning and memory in later life, but new research suggests that improved nutrition may help offset the negative effects of this stress. Specifically, using mice, scientists focused on essential micronutrients, including methionine, vitamins B6 and B12, and folic acid, none of which are made by the body and need to be ingested through diet. They found that early-life stress reduces the levels of these nutrients in mouse pups, but supplementation prevented the reduction of methionine levels and even prevented some of the lasting negative effects of early-life stress on later learning and memory in adult offspring.

Mulberry extract activates brown fat, shows promise as obesity treatment Posted: 26 Oct 2016 07:51 AM PDT Good news for those who want to activate their brown fat (or BAT, brown adipose tissue) without having to be cold: New research suggests that a natural compound in mulberries, called "rutin," can activate the BAT in our bodies to increase metabolism and facilitate weight loss.

Skin patch to treat peanut allergy shows benefit in children Posted: 26 Oct 2016 07:50 AM PDT A wearable patch that delivers small amounts of peanut protein through the skin shows promise for treating children and young adults with peanut allergy, with greater benefits for younger children, according to one-year results from an ongoing clinical trial. The treatment, called epicutaneous immunotherapy or EPIT, was safe and well-tolerated, and nearly all participants used the skin patch daily as directed.

Finding the clues for better autism treatments Posted: 26 Oct 2016 07:49 AM PDT New research sheds light on what might be going wrong in the regulation of genes that govern the brain's connectivity. The study's intention is to identify new clues to improve treatments for autism.

Antibodies from Ebola survivors neutralize virus, protect against infection in lab Posted: 26 Oct 2016 07:49 AM PDT Antibodies generated from the blood of survivors of Ebola virus disease can strongly neutralize the Ebola virus in the laboratory and protect mice from a lethal viral challenge, report investigators.

Entire Himalayan arc can produce large earthquakes Posted: 26 Oct 2016 07:48 AM PDT The main fault at the foot of the Himalayan mountains can likely generate destructive, major earthquakes along its entire 2,400-kilometer (1,500-mile) length, a new study finds. Combining historical documents with new geologic data, the study shows the previously unstudied portion of the fault in the country Bhutan is capable of producing a large earthquake and did so in 1714.

The buzz about edible bugs: Can they replace beef? Posted: 26 Oct 2016 07:48 AM PDT The idea of eating bugs has created a buzz lately in both foodie and international development circles as a more sustainable alternative to consuming meat and fish. Now a report examines how the nutrients -- particularly iron -- provided by grasshoppers, crickets and other insects really measures up to beef. It finds that insects could indeed fill that dietary need.

Finding patterns in corrupted data Posted: 26 Oct 2016 07:47 AM PDT A new model-fitting technique is efficient even for data sets with hundreds of variables, say researchers.

Neuro chip records brain cell activity Posted: 26 Oct 2016 07:46 AM PDT Brain functions are controlled by millions of brain cells. However, in order to understand how the brain controls functions, such as simple reflexes or learning and memory, we must be able to record the activity of large networks and groups of neurons. Conventional methods have allowed scientists to record the activity of neurons for minutes, but a new technology, known as a bionic hybrid neuro chip, is able to record activity in animal brain cells for weeks at a much higher resolution.

Arctic found to play unexpectedly large role in removing nitrogen Posted: 26 Oct 2016 07:45 AM PDT Areas of the Arctic play a larger role than previously thought in the global nitrogen cycle—the process responsible for keeping a critical element necessary for life flowing between the atmosphere, the land and oceans.

Common sets of genes disrupted in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression Posted: 26 Oct 2016 07:31 AM PDT Studying brain tissue from deceased donors, scientists have found common groups of genes disrupted among people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression. The commonly affected genes sets, identified with RNA sequencing methods, engage in making proteins, controlling brain cell communications and mounting an immune system response, the researchers say.

Application of comprehensive chromosome screening could improve IVF success Posted: 26 Oct 2016 07:26 AM PDT An increase in the frequency of polymorphic variants among infertile patients compared with fertile donors suggest they have an impact on fertility, report scientists.

Researchers invent 'perfect' soap molecule that is better for the environment, cleans in all conditions Posted: 26 Oct 2016 06:18 AM PDT A new soap molecule has been invented by scientists. The molecule is made from renewable sources that could dramatically reduce the number of chemicals in cleaning products and their impact on the environment.

Brain scans of children with Tourette's offer clues to disorder Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:18 AM PDT Researchers have identified areas in the brains of children with Tourette's syndrome that appear markedly different from the same areas in the brains of children who don't have the neuropsychiatric disorder.

Indirect effects of rising carbon dioxide levels on ecosystems more important than previously thought Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:16 AM PDT The indirect effects of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, such as changes in soil moisture and plant structure, can have a bigger impact on ecosystems than previously thought Understanding the importance of these indirect effects, in comparison to the direct effects, will improve our understanding of how ecosystems respond to climate change.

Extreme cold winters fuelled by jet stream and climate change Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:15 AM PDT Scientists agree for first time that climate change may be intensifying the effects of the jet stream, causing extreme cold weather in the UK and US. Their study could improve long-term forecasting of winter weather in most populous parts of the world, offering more accurate forecasting to help communities, businesses and economies prepare for severe weather and make life and cost-saving decisions.

Using stem cells to boost immunity against Candida albicans infections Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:15 AM PDT A biological mechanism has been revealed by researchers that generates cells that are better equipped to fight off serious infections caused by the Candida albicans fungus.

First-time reconstruction of infectious bat influenza viruses Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:15 AM PDT All known Influenza A viruses originate from aquatic birds that serve as virus reservoirs in nature. Avian viruses can cause severe disease and may lead to devastating pandemics when introduced into the human population. Therefore, a world-wide surveillance program has been set up to monitor influenza virus activity in birds. Surprisingly, bats were recently identified as a potential new source of influenza viruses.

Telerehabilitation through Internet proved to ameliorate both the health and the quality of life of women suffering breast cancer Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:15 AM PDT Telerehabilitation (rehabilitation with the help of the Internet, using the application Skype as a control platform) may help to alleviate the side effects associated with breast cancer and its treatment, like pain, fatigue, strength loss, deterioration of the quality of life, etc., new research suggests.

Why does our planet experience an ice age every 100,000 years? Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:15 AM PDT Experts have offered up an explanation as to why our planet began to move in and out of ice ages every 100,000 years.

Vitamin E can modify the risk of pneumonia in some older men depending on their life style Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:11 AM PDT The effect of vitamin E on health outcomes may depend on various characteristics of people and their lifestyles. Therefore, a single universal estimate of the vitamin E effect might be substantially misleading for some population groups, say investigators.

Unexpected giant glowing halos discovered around distant quasars Posted: 26 Oct 2016 05:11 AM PDT Astronomers have discovered glowing gas clouds surrounding distant quasars. This new survey indicates that halos around quasars are far more common than expected. The properties of the halos in this surprising find are also in striking disagreement with currently accepted theories of galaxy formation in the early Universe.

The current state of psychobiotics Posted: 25 Oct 2016 07:09 PM PDT Now that we know that gut bacteria can speak to the brain in ways that affect our mood, our appetite, and even our circadian rhythms. The next challenge for scientists is to control this communication. The science of psychobiotics explores emerging strategies for planting brain-altering bacteria in the gut to provide mental benefits and the challenges ahead in understanding how such products could work for humans.

Combining dental, medical procedures may safely limit children’s anesthesia exposure Posted: 25 Oct 2016 06:48 PM PDT Children who require both dental and non-dental medical procedures should have them completed under one general anesthesia session whenever possible, which is ideal for both the patient and family, suggests new research.

Experimental drug shows promise in treating Alzheimer’s disease Posted: 25 Oct 2016 05:17 PM PDT An experimental drug shows promise in treating Alzheimer's disease by preventing inflammation and removing abnormal protein clumps in the brain that are associated with the disease, suggests a new study in mice.

'Heartbeat stars' unlocked in new study Posted: 25 Oct 2016 02:40 PM PDT Matters of the heart can be puzzling and mysterious -- so too with unusual astronomical objects called heartbeat stars.

Breakthrough drug approved as alternative to chemotherapy for people with advanced lung cancer Posted: 25 Oct 2016 10:59 AM PDT Pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug has been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration as first-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The first-line designation means that some patients will have access to the drug without first having to receive other treatments such as chemotherapy.

Space travel affects spine of astronauts, NASA study shows Posted: 25 Oct 2016 10:59 AM PDT How does space travel affect the spine? Astronauts on long missions in space have atrophy of the muscles supporting the spine—which don't return to normal even several weeks after their return to Earth, reports a study.

Improved water splitting advances renewable energy conversion Posted: 25 Oct 2016 09:57 AM PDT A way to more efficiently create hydrogen from water has been discovered by scientists, representing an important step in making renewable energy production and storage viable.

Study suggests approach to waking patients after surgery Posted: 25 Oct 2016 09:56 AM PDT The use of general anesthesia for surgery has not changed fundamentally since it was first introduced 170 years ago. Patients are still left to come around in their own time following withdrawal of the drug. However, some patients can take a considerable amount of time to wake up, creating a line up of problems. Now researchers have moved a step closer to a treatment to rapidly awaken patients after administration of a general anesthetic, following a study of the mechanism that allows people to regain consciousness.

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