ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Waging a more effective war against viral outbreaks
• Does good-tasting food cause weight gain?
• Astronomers discover dark past of planet-eating 'Death Star'
• Supercomputer simulations confirm observations of 2015 India/Pakistan heat waves
• Number of known black holes expected to double in two years with new detection method
• Researchers combat antimicrobial resistance using smartphones
• Bad people are disgusting, bad actions are angering
• Key benefits of large-scale use of universal over conventional flu vaccines
• Blocking hormone activity in mosquitoes could help reduce malaria spread
• Two major groups of rabies virus display distinct evolutionary trends
• Cellular reprogramming slows aging in mice
• Underwater volcano's eruption captured in exquisite detail by seafloor observatory
• New research paper challenges dogma of cell cycle control
• New US law poised to improve marine conservation worldwide
• Timing may be key to understanding cognitive problems in Parkinson's disease
• Autism breakthrough: One protein's sweeping influence on development of autism revealed
• 'Junk RNA' molecule found to play key role in cellular response to stress
• Immunotherapy for cancer: New method identifies target antigens by mass spectrometry
• Lower cost of LEDs reduce profitability for manufacturing landscape
• There's a science to gift giving: experiences are better than material items
• Microlensing study suggests most common outer planets likely Neptune-mass
• Groundbreaking discovery has potential to improve therapies for cancer and other diseases
• Large, rare diamonds offer window into inner workings of Earth's mantle
• Ceres: Water ice in eternal polar night
• Technique shrinks data sets for easier analysis
• Researchers build liquid biopsy chip that detects metastatic cancer cells in blood
• New report calls for forward-looking analysis and a review of restoration goals for the Everglades
• Warming could slow upslope migration of trees
• New gene fusions, mutations linked to gastrointestinal stromal tumors
• Bad bosses come in two forms: Dark or dysfunctional
• STEM Enrichment activities have no impact on exam results
• Understanding X-chromosome silencing in humans
• Fast track control accelerates switching of quantum bits
• Herpes virus linked to most common type of childhood cancer
• New report finds health wearable devices pose new consumer and privacy risks
• Re­search­ers cor­rect Par­kin­son's mo­tor symp­toms in mice
• Specific ways in the body: New host for steroids
• Macromolecules: Light to design precision polymers
• Impact of aging on brain connections mapped in major scan study
• Report provides guidance for evolving electric power sector
• A super flash from a star and a supermassive black hole
• A good nose in service of science: When fish smells 'fishy'
• Microseeding: A new way to overcome hemihedral twinning?
• Capturing the energy of slow motion
• Couch potatoes take note: If you want to stick to an exercise plan, try high-intensity workouts
• Decreased rates of pressure injuries linked to better preventive care
• Patient prostate tissue used to create unique model of prostate cancer biology
• Nanocubes simplify printing and imaging in color and infrared
• Teens benefit from later high school start times
• Tsunami risk for Florida and Cuba modeled
• Scientists studying dolphins find Bay of Bengal a realm of evolutionary change
• Researcher studies increased predation of sagebrush songbirds in natural gas fields
• Tectonic shift? Study of olivine provides new data for measuring Earth's surface
• Your left hand knows what your right hand is doing
• People's energy in the workplace is key to staff retention
• Researcher explores the barriers stopping men seeking information on sexually transmitted infections
• New findings about stem cells in the brain of patients with epilepsy
• Breast cancer study predicts better response to chemotherapy
• Biodegradable polymer coating for implants
• First experimental evidence of 3D aromaticity in stacked antiaromatic compounds

Waging a more effective war against viral outbreaks Posted: 15 Dec 2016 02:53 PM PST As societies grow more complex and interconnected, a mathematical biologist calls for a similar evolution in models to combat communicable disease.

Does good-tasting food cause weight gain? Posted: 15 Dec 2016 12:21 PM PST Does eating good-tasting food make you gain weight? Despite the common perception that good-tasting food is unhealthy and causes obesity, new research using a mouse model suggests that desirable taste in and of itself does not lead to weight gain.

Astronomers discover dark past of planet-eating 'Death Star' Posted: 15 Dec 2016 12:21 PM PST Scientists have made the rare discovery of a planetary system with a host star similar to Earth's sun. Especially intriguing is the star's unusual composition, which indicates it ingested some of its planets.

Supercomputer simulations confirm observations of 2015 India/Pakistan heat waves Posted: 15 Dec 2016 12:21 PM PST New evidence of human influence on extreme weather events. After examining observational and simulated temperature and heat indexes, the research team concluded that two separate deadly heat waves that occurred in India and Pakistan in the summer of 2015 'were exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change.'

Number of known black holes expected to double in two years with new detection method Posted: 15 Dec 2016 12:21 PM PST A method that will detect roughly 10 black holes per year has now been developed, doubling the number currently known within two years, say scientists. They add that it will likely unlock the history of black holes in a little more than a decade.

Researchers combat antimicrobial resistance using smartphones Posted: 15 Dec 2016 12:21 PM PST An automated diagnostic test reader for antimicrobial resistance using a smartphone has now been developed by researchers. The technology could lead to routine testing for antimicrobial susceptibility in areas with limited resources.

Bad people are disgusting, bad actions are angering Posted: 15 Dec 2016 12:21 PM PST A person's character, more so than their actions, determines whether we find immoral acts to be 'disgusting,' according to new research.

Key benefits of large-scale use of universal over conventional flu vaccines Posted: 15 Dec 2016 11:35 AM PST Universal vaccines that protect against multiple strains of influenza virus at once could offer key population-level benefits over conventional seasonal vaccines, according to a new study.

Blocking hormone activity in mosquitoes could help reduce malaria spread Posted: 15 Dec 2016 11:35 AM PST Disruption of hormone signaling in mosquitoes may reduce their ability to transmit the parasite that causes malaria, according to a new study. The findings suggest a potential new approach to combat spread of the disease.

Two major groups of rabies virus display distinct evolutionary trends Posted: 15 Dec 2016 11:35 AM PST Using hundreds of viral genome sequences, scientists have shown that two major groups of rabies virus have unique evolutionary tendencies.

Cellular reprogramming slows aging in mice Posted: 15 Dec 2016 11:35 AM PST Scientists have rolled back time for live mice through systemic cellular reprogramming, according to a new study. In mice carrying a mutation leading to premature aging, reprogramming of chemical marks in the genome, known as epigenetic marks, reduced many signs of aging in the mice and extended their lifespan on average from 18 weeks to 24.

Underwater volcano's eruption captured in exquisite detail by seafloor observatory Posted: 15 Dec 2016 11:35 AM PST Seismic data from the 2015 eruption of Axial Volcano, an underwater volcano about 300 miles off the Oregon coast, has provided the clearest look at the inner workings of a volcano where two ocean plates are moving apart.

New research paper challenges dogma of cell cycle control Posted: 15 Dec 2016 11:35 AM PST All textbooks describe the cyclin-dependent kinase complex as the one and only/exclusive regulator of the eukaryotic cell cycle. But now scientists have found evidence that a metabolic oscillator acts as the 'conductor' of cell division.

New US law poised to improve marine conservation worldwide Posted: 15 Dec 2016 11:34 AM PST New restrictions on US seafood imports, which will require seafood to be harvested in accordance with the US Marine Mammal Protection Act, will likely offer significant marine conservation benefits on a global scale.

Timing may be key to understanding cognitive problems in Parkinson's disease Posted: 15 Dec 2016 11:34 AM PST People with Parkinson's disease (PD) and mice that lack dopamine both are missing a critical brain wave needed for timing actions -- a cognitive process that's consistently impaired in patients with PD, new research shows. Brain stimulation at the same frequency as the missing brain wave restores timing ability in mice lacking dopamine, suggesting that it might be possible to use brain stimulation to improve cognitive problems in PD.

Autism breakthrough: One protein's sweeping influence on development of autism revealed Posted: 15 Dec 2016 11:34 AM PST A drop in one protein is enough to cause autism, according to the results of a new study. Scientists were able to trigger autistic-like behavior in mice that were engineered to have lower levels of the nSR100 protein, which had previously been found to be reduced in the brains of patients with ASD.

'Junk RNA' molecule found to play key role in cellular response to stress Posted: 15 Dec 2016 11:33 AM PST A new study has found a surprising role for what had been considered a nonfunctional 'junk' RNA molecule: controlling the cellular response to stress.

Immunotherapy for cancer: New method identifies target antigens by mass spectrometry Posted: 15 Dec 2016 11:33 AM PST New cancer therapies harness the immune system to fight tumors. One of the main principles behind these therapies is to find out precisely which molecules on cancer cells trigger an immune response. A team of researchers has, for the first time, identified suitable protein structures directly from patients' tumor cells. The procedure therefore opens up new possibilities for individualized targeted cancer treatments.

Lower cost of LEDs reduce profitability for manufacturing landscape Posted: 15 Dec 2016 11:33 AM PST Although residential and commercial industries are widely adopting energy-efficient light emitting diodes (LEDs), the drop in LED prices is driving away manufacturers because of decreased profitability, dramatically dislocating and restructuring the solid-state lighting marketplace, says a new American report.

There's a science to gift giving: experiences are better than material items Posted: 15 Dec 2016 11:33 AM PST This holiday season, consider giving an experience. New research shows it can foster stronger relationships than material items , say authors of a new report.

Microlensing study suggests most common outer planets likely Neptune-mass Posted: 15 Dec 2016 11:32 AM PST A new statistical study of planets found by a technique called gravitational microlensing suggests that Neptune-mass worlds are likely the most common type of planet to form in the icy outer realms of planetary systems.

Groundbreaking discovery has potential to improve therapies for cancer and other diseases Posted: 15 Dec 2016 11:32 AM PST The Retinoblastoma protein (pRB) has long been studied for its role in cell growth and the prevention of cancer. Scientists have now discovered that pRB plays another, larger role with the potential to enhance therapies for cancer and other diseases such as HIV.

Large, rare diamonds offer window into inner workings of Earth's mantle Posted: 15 Dec 2016 11:31 AM PST Breakthrough research examines diamonds of exceptional size and quality to uncover clues about Earth's geology. The researchers studied the unique properties of diamonds with similar characteristics to famous stones such as the Cullinan, Constellation and Koh-i-Noor to advance our understanding of Earth's deep mantle, hidden beneath tectonic plates and largely inaccessible for scientific observation.

Ceres: Water ice in eternal polar night Posted: 15 Dec 2016 11:18 AM PST The cameras of the Dawn space probe discover water ice in Ceres' polar region. It can survive for aeons in the extreme cold traps, even though there is no atmosphere.

Technique shrinks data sets for easier analysis Posted: 15 Dec 2016 09:59 AM PST A new coreset-generation technique has been presented by researchers that's tailored to a whole family of data analysis tools with applications in natural-language processing, computer vision, signal processing, recommendation systems, weather prediction, finance, and neuroscience, among many others.

Researchers build liquid biopsy chip that detects metastatic cancer cells in blood Posted: 15 Dec 2016 09:59 AM PST A 'liquid biopsy' chip can trap and identify metastatic cancer cells in a small amount of blood drawn from a cancer patient. The breakthrough technology uses a simple mechanical method that has been shown to be more effective in trapping cancer cells than the microfluidic approach employed in many existing devices. The device captures cancer cells with antibodies attached to carbon nanotubes.

New report calls for forward-looking analysis and a review of restoration goals for the Everglades Posted: 15 Dec 2016 09:59 AM PST To ensure the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is responsive to changing environmental conditions like climate change and sea-level rise, as well as to changes in water management, a new report calls for a re-examination of the program's original restoration goals and recommends a forward-looking, systemwide analysis of Everglades restoration outcomes across a range of scenarios.

Warming could slow upslope migration of trees Posted: 15 Dec 2016 09:49 AM PST Scientists expect trees will advance upslope as global temperatures increase, shifting the tree line—the mountain zone where trees become smaller and eventually stop growing—to higher elevations. Subalpine forests will follow their climate up the mountain, in other words. But new research suggests this may not hold true for two subalpine tree species of western North America.

New gene fusions, mutations linked to gastrointestinal stromal tumors Posted: 15 Dec 2016 09:49 AM PST In recent years, researchers have identified specific gene mutations linked to gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), which primarily occur in the stomach or small intestine, but 10 to 15 percent of adult GIST cases and most pediatric cases lack the tell-tale mutations, making identification and treatment difficult. Researchers have identified new gene fusions and mutations associated with this subset of GIST patients.

Bad bosses come in two forms: Dark or dysfunctional Posted: 15 Dec 2016 09:49 AM PST Bad bosses generally come in two forms. There are the dysfunctional ones, like Michael Scott from the TV series The Office; then there are the dark ones, like Gordon Gekko from the film Wall Street. Researchers are building a framework to better understand the behaviors of bad bosses and to reduce workplace stress.

STEM Enrichment activities have no impact on exam results Posted: 15 Dec 2016 09:47 AM PST Enrichment activities to encourage pupils to study science and technology subjects have made no difference to their performance in mathematics exams, new research shows.

Understanding X-chromosome silencing in humans Posted: 15 Dec 2016 09:45 AM PST Researchers have discovered new insights into how one of the two X-chromosomes is silenced during the development of female human embryos and also in lab-grown stem cells. X-chromosome silencing is essential for proper development and these findings are important for understanding how the activity of the X-chromosome is regulated to ensure the healthy development of human embryos.

Fast track control accelerates switching of quantum bits Posted: 15 Dec 2016 09:45 AM PST From laptops to cellphones, today's technology advances through the ever-increasing speed at which electric charges are directed through circuits. Similarly, speeding up control over quantum states in atomic and nanoscale systems could lead to leaps for the emerging field of quantum technology.

Herpes virus linked to most common type of childhood cancer Posted: 15 Dec 2016 07:59 AM PST Newborns with congenital cytomegalovirus -- a common virus in the herpes family -- may have an increased risk of developing acute lymphocytic leukemia, according to new research. The study suggests the risk is even greater in Hispanic children.

New report finds health wearable devices pose new consumer and privacy risks Posted: 15 Dec 2016 07:59 AM PST New research weighs in on the debate over the lack of safeguards built into the health-care system for fitness trackers.

Re­search­ers cor­rect Par­kin­son's mo­tor symp­toms in mice Posted: 15 Dec 2016 07:59 AM PST A research group has succeeded in correcting the motor symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease in mice. These results are promising in terms of treatment, since Parkinson's disease is practically always diagnosed only after motor symptoms appear.

Specific ways in the body: New host for steroids Posted: 15 Dec 2016 07:59 AM PST Synthetic hosts are to transport medical substances into the body and to release them at specific points. They enclose the active substances in a cavity. In case of steroids, this task has been accomplished mainly by ring-shaped glucose molecules so far. Now, scientists have discovered a new class of host molecules, namely, barrel-shaped cucurbiturils. They can make hardly soluble steroids, such as cortisone or estradiol, act more gently and more efficiently.

Macromolecules: Light to design precision polymers Posted: 15 Dec 2016 07:59 AM PST Chemists have succeeded in specifically controlling the setup of precision polymers by light-induced chemical reactions. The new method allows for the precise, planned arrangement of the chain links, i.e. monomers, along polymer chains of standard length. The precisely structured macromolecules develop defined properties and may possibly be suited for use as storage systems of information or synthetic biomolecules.

Impact of aging on brain connections mapped in major scan study Posted: 15 Dec 2016 07:59 AM PST Brain connections that play a key role in complex thinking skills show the poorest health with advancing age, new research suggests.

Report provides guidance for evolving electric power sector Posted: 15 Dec 2016 07:59 AM PST A new report recommends proactive regulatory, policy, and market reforms that can help guide the evolution of electric power systems in the US, Europe, and other parts of the world. Distributed energy resources like wind, solar, and energy storage should be integrated with centralized resources, which can be achieved by creating a level playing field in terms of pricing and regulated charges, and removal of inefficient barriers that impede competition.

A super flash from a star and a supermassive black hole Posted: 15 Dec 2016 07:58 AM PST The brightest flash of light in the cosmos could be a rare event involving a star and a supermassive black hole.

A good nose in service of science: When fish smells 'fishy' Posted: 15 Dec 2016 07:58 AM PST A researcher is studying why fish sometimes smells 'fishy' and why customers often smell other aromas when they buy fish. He hopes to discover how to reduce unpleasant musty notes in the taste of fish.

Microseeding: A new way to overcome hemihedral twinning? Posted: 15 Dec 2016 07:58 AM PST Twinning, which is a known problem in protein crystallography, usually hampers high-quality crystal structure determination unless it is detected and either avoided or corrected.

Capturing the energy of slow motion Posted: 15 Dec 2016 07:55 AM PST A team of materials scientists and electrical engineers has designed a mechanical energy transducer that points toward a new direction in scalable energy harvesting of unused mechanical energy, including wind, ocean waves and human motion.

Couch potatoes take note: If you want to stick to an exercise plan, try high-intensity workouts Posted: 15 Dec 2016 07:54 AM PST High-intensity interval training (HIT) is more enjoyable than moderate exercise, a team of kinesiologists has found. It's the first study to examine changes in enjoyment for HIT workouts versus moderate continuous training, over the first six weeks of an exercise program.

Decreased rates of pressure injuries linked to better preventive care Posted: 15 Dec 2016 07:54 AM PST Rates of new pressure injuries in U.S. hospitals and other acute care settings have decreased by about half over the past decade, according to national survey data.

Patient prostate tissue used to create unique model of prostate cancer biology Posted: 15 Dec 2016 07:54 AM PST For the first time, researchers have been able to grow, in a lab, both normal and primary cancerous prostate cells from a patient, and then implant a million of the cancer cells into a mouse to track how the tumor progresses. The achievement, say researchers who led the research, represents a critical advance in the effort to understand the origin and drivers of this puzzling cancer — the most common in men.

Nanocubes simplify printing and imaging in color and infrared Posted: 15 Dec 2016 05:59 AM PST Engineers reveal a manufacturing technique that promises to bring a simplified form of printing and imaging in color and infrared into daily use. Because the process uses existing materials and machines that are relatively inexpensive and easily scalable, it could revolutionize any industry where multispectral imaging or printing is used.

Teens benefit from later high school start times Posted: 15 Dec 2016 05:59 AM PST Later high school start times are associated with positive outcomes among teens, including longer weekday sleep durations and reduced vehicular accident rates, research suggests.

Tsunami risk for Florida and Cuba modeled Posted: 15 Dec 2016 05:59 AM PST While the Caribbean is not thought to be at risk for tsunamis, a new study indicates that large submarine landslides on the slopes of the Great Bahama Bank have generated tsunamis in the past and could potentially again in the future.

Scientists studying dolphins find Bay of Bengal a realm of evolutionary change Posted: 15 Dec 2016 05:59 AM PST Marine scientists have discovered that two species of dolphin in the waters off Bangladesh are genetically distinct from those in other regions of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans, a finding that supports a growing body of evidence that the Bay of Bengal harbors conditions that drive the evolution of new life forms, according to a new study.

Researcher studies increased predation of sagebrush songbirds in natural gas fields Posted: 15 Dec 2016 05:59 AM PST While such development has encroached on and hindered nesting habitat for three types of sagebrush-obligate birds, predation of these birds has increased because rodent populations in the vicinity of oil and gas wells have increased.

Tectonic shift? Study of olivine provides new data for measuring Earth's surface Posted: 15 Dec 2016 05:59 AM PST A recent study provides a new data set that scientists can use to better understand plate tectonics -- the movement of the earth's outer layer. Specifically, it contributes to understanding how plates are defined and measured, which is critical for developing computer models and predicting earthquake and volcano activity.

Your left hand knows what your right hand is doing Posted: 15 Dec 2016 05:58 AM PST The saying goes that ''your left hand doesn't know what your right hand is doing,' but actually, your left hand is paying more attention than you'd think. Researchers found that when people practiced finger movements with their right hand while watching their left hand on 3-D virtual reality headsets, they could use their left hand more efficiently after the exercise.

People's energy in the workplace is key to staff retention Posted: 15 Dec 2016 05:11 AM PST People who energize their work colleagues are less likely to voluntarily leave an organization – unless they are high performers, suggests new research. The work suggests that being fired is not necessarily down to poor performance or not being a good fit; it may be because an individual dampens the energy of those around them. These findings could help companies to reduce their staff turnover, which represents a huge cost both in terms of replacing people and organizational performance.

Researcher explores the barriers stopping men seeking information on sexually transmitted infections Posted: 15 Dec 2016 05:11 AM PST A researcher in England is undertaking research into the social and cognitive barriers hindering men who have sex with other men (MSM) from finding out more information about sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

New findings about stem cells in the brain of patients with epilepsy Posted: 15 Dec 2016 05:10 AM PST Neural stem cells have been found in epileptic brain tissue—outside the regions of the brain where they normally reside. In a group of patients who underwent surgery for epilepsy, over half had stem cells where healthy individuals do not have them, according to a study.

Breast cancer study predicts better response to chemotherapy Posted: 15 Dec 2016 05:10 AM PST It is known from previous research that the ER-beta estrogen receptor often has a protective effect. A new study has found that this effect is more pronounced in patients that undergo chemotherapy.

Biodegradable polymer coating for implants Posted: 15 Dec 2016 05:10 AM PST Medical implants often carry surface substrates that release active substances or to which biomolecules or cells can adhere better. However, degradable gas-phase coatings for degradable implants, such as surgical suture materials or scaffolds for tissue culturing, have been lacking so far. In a new article, researchers now present a polymer coating that is degraded in the body together with its carrier.

First experimental evidence of 3D aromaticity in stacked antiaromatic compounds Posted: 15 Dec 2016 05:10 AM PST Researchers found that antiaromatic planar norcorrole molecules can form close face-to-face interactions to give structures with increased aromaticity. This behavior is quite different from that of typical aromatic materials, which adopt offset interactions to minimize electron repulsion. The results agree with previous theoretical studies proposing that the aromaticity of antiaromatic materials can be increased through suitable interactions to produce materials with interesting electronic structures.

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