ScienceDaily: Top News

---

• Scientists uncover potential driver of age- and Alzheimer's-related memory loss
• Cassini beams back first images from new orbit
• High-resolution brain scans could improve concussion detection
• Common insecticides are riskier than thought to predatory insects
• Disruption of the body's internal clock causes disruption of metabolic processes
• Diabetes drug slows experimental Parkinson's disease progression, human trials to begin next year
• Chemical mosquito controls ineffective in Zika fight
• New discovery may lead to the development of super premium gasoline
• 3-D structure of cell's inflammation sensor, its inhibitors revealed
• New approach may open up speech recognition to more languages
• Despite evolutionary inexperience, northern sockeye manage heat stress
• Conservation effort spreads seeds of destruction across the Midwest
• Novel label-free microscopy enables dynamic, high-resolution imaging of cell interactions
• Knowing one's place in a social hierarchy
• Unique visual stimulation may be new treatment for Alzheimer's
• Most of Greenland ice melted to bedrock in recent geologic past, says study
• Greenland on thin ice?
• Saturn's bulging core implies moons younger than thought
• Scientists shed new light on how the brain processes, maintains what we don't see
• Stem cell-based test predicts leukemia patients' response to therapy to help tailor treatment
• Cancer spread is increased by a high fat diet, ground-breaking evidence shows
• Beware: Children can passively 'smoke' marijuana, too
• Substance present in ayahuasca brew stimulates generation of human neural cells
• Partnership at a distance: Deep-frozen helium molecules illuminate quantum-mechanical tunnelling
• New catalyst for capture and conversion of atmospheric carbon dioxide
• Taking a Second Look at Coral Bleaching Culprit
• Enzyme that digests vitamin A also may regulate testosterone levels
• When neurons are 'born' impacts olfactory behavior in mice
• Most UK coastal flooding caused by moderate, not extreme storms
• Blocks of ice demonstrate levitated and directed motion
• 40,000 waves improve sand transport models
• Half of people believe fake facts, 'remember' events that never happened
• Bacterial L-forms: An independent form of life that can multiply indefinitely
• New material could lead to erasable and rewriteable optical chips
• Raising the curtain on cerebral malaria's deadly agents
• Rhythm of breathing affects memory, fear
• How our immune system targets TB
• Radiation that knocks electrons out and down, one after another
• MRI scans detect 'brain rust' in schizophrenia
• Global habitat loss still rampant across much of Earth
• Can bird feeders do more harm than good?
• The secret slimming effect of sweet potato waste
• Migrating birds pile up along Great Lakes' shores
• Baby teethers soothe, but many contain low levels of BPA
• MAO is a possible Alzheimer's disease biomarker
• New moms moving toward pumped milk in a bottle
• Blood-brain barrier on a chip sheds new light on 'silent killer'
• Wild horse overpopulation is causing environmental damage
• Blood products unaffected by drone trips, study shows
• Uncovering the secrets of water and ice as materials
• Iguanas partner with the plants of the Galápagos Islands
• How to overcome end-point bias in the media to make smarter decisions
• Whiplash symptoms are caused by actual changes in the brain
• Plants modified to express fruit fly gene used to detoxify contaminated land
• Working out the genetic risk for ADHD
• Safety in darkness: Team lays bare melanin's DNA guarding mechanism
• Major Urinary Proteins do not allow kin recognition in male mice
• Molecular switches researched in detail
• Porous crystalline materials: Researcher shows method for controlled growth
• Bacterial mechanism converts nitrogen to greenhouse gas

Scientists uncover potential driver of age- and Alzheimer's-related memory loss Posted: 07 Dec 2016 01:00 PM PST Scientists have made an important discovery toward the development of drugs to treat age-related memory loss in diseases like Alzheimer's. They found that reduced levels of a protein called Rheb result in spontaneous symptoms of memory loss in animal models and are linked to increased levels of another protein known to be elevated in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients.

Cassini beams back first images from new orbit Posted: 07 Dec 2016 12:57 PM PST NASA's Cassini spacecraft has sent to Earth its first views of Saturn's atmosphere since beginning the latest phase of its mission. The new images show scenes from high above Saturn's northern hemisphere, including the planet's intriguing hexagon-shaped jet stream.

High-resolution brain scans could improve concussion detection Posted: 07 Dec 2016 12:13 PM PST High-resolution brain scans, coupled with computational analysis, could play a critical role in helping to detect concussions that conventional scans might miss, report investigators.

Common insecticides are riskier than thought to predatory insects Posted: 07 Dec 2016 12:12 PM PST Neonicotinoids -- the most widely used class of insecticides -- significantly reduce populations of predatory insects when used as seed coatings, according to researchers. The team's research challenges the previously held belief that neonicotinoid seed coatings have little to no effect on predatory insect populations. In fact, the work suggests that neonicotinoids reduce populations of insect predators as much as broadcast applications of commonly used pyrethroid insecticides.

Disruption of the body's internal clock causes disruption of metabolic processes Posted: 07 Dec 2016 12:12 PM PST Chronobiologists have shown that the body's carbon monoxide metabolism is closely linked to the body's circadian (internal) clock. An article discussing the close reciprocal relationship between these two regulatory mechanisms has just been published.

Diabetes drug slows experimental Parkinson's disease progression, human trials to begin next year Posted: 07 Dec 2016 11:32 AM PST A new investigational drug originally developed for type 2 diabetes is being readied for human clinical trials in search of the world's first treatment to impede the progression of Parkinson's disease following publication of new research.

Chemical mosquito controls ineffective in Zika fight Posted: 07 Dec 2016 11:27 AM PST Some existing methods for controlling Zika-carrying mosquitoes are not effective and may even be counter-productive, according to research.

New discovery may lead to the development of super premium gasoline Posted: 07 Dec 2016 11:07 AM PST In contradicting a theory that's been the standard for over eighty years, researchers have made a discovery holding major promise for the petroleum industry. The research has revealed that in the foreseeable future products such as crude oil and gasoline could be transported across country 30 times faster, and the several minutes it takes to fill a tank of gas could be reduced to mere seconds.

3-D structure of cell's inflammation sensor, its inhibitors revealed Posted: 07 Dec 2016 11:07 AM PST Researchers have now determined the 3-D structure of CCR2 simultaneously bound to two inhibitors. Understanding how these molecules fit together may better enable pharmaceutical companies to develop anti-inflammatory drugs that bind and inhibit CCR2 in a similar manner.

New approach may open up speech recognition to more languages Posted: 07 Dec 2016 11:07 AM PST Researchers have developed a new approach to training speech-recognition systems that doesn't depend on transcription. Instead, their system analyzes correspondences between images and spoken descriptions of those images, as captured in a large collection of audio recordings. The system then learns which acoustic features of the recordings correlate with which image characteristics.

Despite evolutionary inexperience, northern sockeye manage heat stress Posted: 07 Dec 2016 11:07 AM PST Sockeye salmon that evolved in the generally colder waters of the far north still know how to cool off if necessary, an important factor in the species' potential for dealing with global climate change.

Conservation effort spreads seeds of destruction across the Midwest Posted: 07 Dec 2016 10:36 AM PST Weed scientists in at least two Midwestern states have been reporting for years that a conservation program meant to provide habitat for pollinating insects is sowing bad seeds -- including seeds of the potentially devastating agricultural weed Palmer amaranth -- along with the good. Now, researchers have traced the weed seeds to at least one source: pollinator habitat seed sold by a company in the Midwest.

Novel label-free microscopy enables dynamic, high-resolution imaging of cell interactions Posted: 07 Dec 2016 10:36 AM PST Researchers have invented a novel live-cell imaging method that could someday help biologists better understand how stem cells transform into specialized cells and how diseases like cancer spread. The Photonic Crystal Enhanced Microscope (PCEM) is capable of monitoring and quantitatively measuring cell adhesion, a critical process involved cell migration, cell differentiation, cell division, and cell death.

Knowing one's place in a social hierarchy Posted: 07 Dec 2016 10:35 AM PST When you start a new job, it's normal to spend the first day working out who's who in the pecking order, information that will come in handy for making connections in the future. In an fMRI study, researchers now provide insights into how we acquire knowledge about social hierarchies, and reveal the specific mechanisms at play when that hierarchy is our own (as compared to that of another person).

Unique visual stimulation may be new treatment for Alzheimer's Posted: 07 Dec 2016 10:35 AM PST Using LED lights flickering at a specific frequency, researchers have shown that they can significantly reduce the beta amyloid plaques seen in Alzheimer's disease in the visual cortex of mice. This treatment appears to work by stimulating brain waves known as gamma oscillations, which the researchers discovered help the brain suppress beta amyloid production and invigorate cells responsible for destroying the plaques.

Most of Greenland ice melted to bedrock in recent geologic past, says study Posted: 07 Dec 2016 10:34 AM PST Scientists have found evidence in a chunk of bedrock drilled from nearly two miles below the summit of the Greenland ice sheet that the sheet nearly disappeared for an extended time in the last million years or so. The finding casts doubt on assumptions that Greenland has been relatively stable during the recent geological past, and implies that global warming could tip it into decline more precipitously than previously thought.

Greenland on thin ice? Posted: 07 Dec 2016 10:34 AM PST First-of-their-kind studies provide new insight into the deep history of the Greenland Ice Sheet, looking back millions of years farther than previous techniques allowed. However, the two studies present some strongly contrasting evidence about how Greenland's ice sheet may have responded to past climate change.

Saturn's bulging core implies moons younger than thought Posted: 07 Dec 2016 10:23 AM PST Freshly harvested data from NASA's Cassini mission reveals that the ringed planet's moons may be younger than previously thought.

Scientists shed new light on how the brain processes, maintains what we don't see Posted: 07 Dec 2016 10:23 AM PST A team of scientists has mapped out how our brains process visuals we don't even know we've seen, indicating that the neuronal encoding and maintenance of subliminal images is more substantial than previously thought.

Stem cell-based test predicts leukemia patients' response to therapy to help tailor treatment Posted: 07 Dec 2016 10:23 AM PST Leukemia researchers have developed a 17-gene signature derived from leukemia stem cells that can predict at diagnosis if patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) will respond to standard treatment.

Cancer spread is increased by a high fat diet, ground-breaking evidence shows Posted: 07 Dec 2016 10:21 AM PST New research shows that the metastatic process (cancer spread) is enhanced by fat intake. Mice given a high fat diet, including palmitic acid (a major component of palm oil which is found in lots of household products) developed the most aggressive cancer spread. The study identifies for the first time a protein called CD36 which has an essential role in cancer spreading.

Beware: Children can passively 'smoke' marijuana, too Posted: 07 Dec 2016 09:41 AM PST Relaxing with a joint around children is not very wise. Not only do youngsters inhale harmful secondary smoke in the process, but the psychoactive chemicals in the drug are taken up by their bodies as well.

Substance present in ayahuasca brew stimulates generation of human neural cells Posted: 07 Dec 2016 09:41 AM PST Human neural progenitors exposed to harmine, an alkaloid presented at the psychotropic plant decoction ayahuasca, led to a 70 percent increase in proliferation of these cells. The effect of generating new human neural cells involves the inhibition of DYRK1A, a gene that is over activated in patients with Down syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease. Thus harmine could have a potential neurogenesis role and possibly a therapeutic one over cognitive deficits.

Partnership at a distance: Deep-frozen helium molecules illuminate quantum-mechanical tunnelling Posted: 07 Dec 2016 09:41 AM PST As atomic physicists have now been able to confirm, over 75 percent of the time helium atoms are so far apart that their bond can be explained only by the quantum-mechanical tunnel effect.

New catalyst for capture and conversion of atmospheric carbon dioxide Posted: 07 Dec 2016 09:41 AM PST New research has focused on developing a new catalyst that would lead to large-scale implementation of capture and conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Taking a Second Look at Coral Bleaching Culprit Posted: 07 Dec 2016 09:41 AM PST When it comes to coral health, superoxide -- a natural toxin all oxygen-breathing organisms produce -- gets a bad rap.

Enzyme that digests vitamin A also may regulate testosterone levels Posted: 07 Dec 2016 09:40 AM PST Bco1, an enzyme that metabolizes beta carotene, may play a vital role in testosterone metabolism as well, according to a new study.

When neurons are 'born' impacts olfactory behavior in mice Posted: 07 Dec 2016 09:15 AM PST Neurons generated at different life stages in mice can impact aspects of their olfactory sense and behavior, report scientists.

Most UK coastal flooding caused by moderate, not extreme storms Posted: 07 Dec 2016 09:02 AM PST Scientists have found that the majority of instances of coastal flooding around the United Kingdom in the last 100 years have been due to moderate storm events combined with high spring tides, rather than extreme storms.

Blocks of ice demonstrate levitated and directed motion Posted: 07 Dec 2016 07:14 AM PST Resembling the Leidenfrost effect seen in rapidly boiling water droplets, a disk of ice becomes highly mobile due to a levitating layer of water between it and the smooth surface on which it rests and melts. The otherwise random rotation and translation (sliding) of the ice block can be directed by controlling the flow dynamics of the melted ice-turned-water close to the disk surface.

40,000 waves improve sand transport models Posted: 07 Dec 2016 07:14 AM PST Over the past few years, Joep van der Zanden has created perfectly identical waves – 40,000 times – in a large 'wave flume' (channel). Using advanced measurements, he investigated the effect of these waves on the sand at the bottom of the flume. The results of his work included a detailed description of the effect of breaking waves on the movement of water and on the shifting sands of the seabed. The knowledge obtained in this way is essential if we are to improve existing models and, ultimately, make beach nourishment operations more efficient.

Half of people believe fake facts, 'remember' events that never happened Posted: 07 Dec 2016 07:14 AM PST Many people are prone to 'remembering' events that never happened, according to new research.

Bacterial L-forms: An independent form of life that can multiply indefinitely Posted: 07 Dec 2016 07:13 AM PST Bacteria able to shed their cell wall assume new, mostly spherical shapes. Researchers have shown that these cells, known as L-forms, are not only viable but that their reproductive mechanisms may even correspond to those of early life forms.

New material could lead to erasable and rewriteable optical chips Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:30 AM PST Engineers have developed a nanomaterial that could lead to optical chips and circuits. The researchers believe they are the first to rewrite a waveguide, which is a crucial photonic component and a building block for integrated circuits, using an all-optical technique.

Raising the curtain on cerebral malaria's deadly agents Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:30 AM PST Using state-of-the-art brain imaging technology, scientists filmed what happens in the brains of mice that developed cerebral malaria (CM). The results reveal the processes that lead to fatal outcomes of the disease and suggest an antibody therapy that may treat it.

Rhythm of breathing affects memory, fear Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:30 AM PST The rhythm of breathing creates electrical activity in the human brain that enhances emotional judgments and memory recall, scientists have discovered for the first time. These effects on behavior depend critically on whether you inhale or exhale and whether you breathe through the nose or mouth.

How our immune system targets TB Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:30 AM PST Researchers have seen, for the very first time, how the human immune system recognizes tuberculosis (TB). These findings are the crucial step in developing better diagnostics and perhaps even vaccines for this deadly infection.

Radiation that knocks electrons out and down, one after another Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:29 AM PST Researchers are investigating novel ways by which electrons are knocked out of matter. Their research could have implications for radiation therapy.

MRI scans detect 'brain rust' in schizophrenia Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:29 AM PST A damaging chemical imbalance in the brain may contribute to schizophrenia, according to research.

Global habitat loss still rampant across much of Earth Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:29 AM PST Habitat destruction still far outstrips habitat protection across many parts of the planet, reports an international team of researchers. The new study reveals more than half the planet could now be classified as completely converted to human-dominated land use.

Can bird feeders do more harm than good? Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:29 AM PST Many bird lovers put out feeders full of seed for their feathered friends -- but those feeders may also attract predators that eat eggs and nestlings. The researchers behind a new study tried to untangle these relationships through a four-year study of songbird nests, bird feeders, and predators in urban central Ohio.

The secret slimming effect of sweet potato waste Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:29 AM PST The sweet potato pie you eat during the holidays might not be good for your waistline, but according to a new study, the starchy water left over from cooking the sweet potato could have slimming effects -- at least in mice.

Migrating birds pile up along Great Lakes' shores Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:29 AM PST Birds prefer to migrate at night -- so much so that if day breaks while they're over water, they'll turn back toward the nearest shore rather than pressing on, concludes a new study that used weather radar to examine the behavior of birds crossing the Great Lakes.

Baby teethers soothe, but many contain low levels of BPA Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:29 AM PST Bisphenol-A (BPA), parabens and antimicrobials are widely used in personal care products and plastics. The US and other governments have banned or restricted some of these compounds' use in certain products for babies and kids. But the compounds' presence in and leaching from teethers hasn't been thoroughly investigated. Now a study reports that all tested plastic teethers contained BPA and other endocrine-disruptors that leached at low levels.

MAO is a possible Alzheimer's disease biomarker Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:29 AM PST Alzheimer's disease affects more than 35 million people, a number that is expected to increase in the coming years. Currently, Alzheimer's diagnoses rely on clinical neuropathologic assessment of amyloid-beta peptide aggregates (plaques) and neurofibrillary tangles. But now researchers reveal that an enzyme already implicated in a host of neural disorders could someday serve as a biomarker.

New moms moving toward pumped milk in a bottle Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:28 AM PST New moms are increasingly using expressed breast milk (either pumped or expressed by hand) instead of directly breastfeeding their babies, according to a Canadian study.

Blood-brain barrier on a chip sheds new light on 'silent killer' Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:18 AM PST The blood-brain barrier is a network of specialized cells that surrounds the arteries and veins within the brain. It forms a unique gateway that both provides brain cells with the nutrients they require and protects them from potentially harmful compounds.

Wild horse overpopulation is causing environmental damage Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:18 AM PST Most Americans envision healthy mustangs galloping free on the range when they think about the country's wild horse population. But one expert sees another image.

Blood products unaffected by drone trips, study shows Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:17 AM PST In what is believed to be the first proof-of-concept study of its kind, researchers have determined that large bags of blood products, such as those transfused into patients every day, can maintain temperature and cellular integrity while transported by drones.

Uncovering the secrets of water and ice as materials Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:15 AM PST Water is vital to life on Earth and its importance simply can't be overstated -- it's also deeply rooted within our conscience that there's something extremely special about it. Yet, from a scientific point of view, much remains unknown about water and its many solid phases, which display a plethora of unusual properties and so-called anomalies that, while central to water's chemical and biological importance, are often viewed as controversial.

Iguanas partner with the plants of the Galápagos Islands Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:15 AM PST The isolation of ocean islands like the Galápagos prevents the arrival of large mammals, which disperse the seeds of many plants by ingesting them. In the absence of mammals, this function is filled by birds, tortoises, lizards and iguanas. To date, no investigation had been carried out into the role iguanas play with at least ten species of plants.

How to overcome end-point bias in the media to make smarter decisions Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:15 AM PST "End-point bias" is a well-known psychological tendency to interpret a recent short-term fluctuation as a reversal of a long-term trend. A study has concluded that end-point bias can be overcome by use of the LIVA – Leveraging-Involving-Visualizing-Analogizing – method, which has the potential to improve decisions made by the public and policy makers.

Whiplash symptoms are caused by actual changes in the brain Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:13 AM PST Study reveals changes in the regions of the brain connected to pain and posture processing. Whiplash symptoms that last years after a car accident but cannot be seen in tests could be down to previously unseen functional changes in the pain and posture processing parts of the brain, according to new research. The results of the study suggest close interaction between the neck and brain, resulting in changes in blood flow.

Plants modified to express fruit fly gene used to detoxify contaminated land Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:13 AM PST Scientists have discovered that a gene found in the common fruit fly can be successfully expressed in a plant and used to detoxify land contaminated with TNT.

Working out the genetic risk for ADHD Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:13 AM PST Genetics play a strong part in the development of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but the path from a gene to risk for the disorder has remained a black box to researchers.. A new study suggests how the risk gene ADGRL3 (LPHN3) might work. ADGRL3 encodes the protein latrophilin 3, which regulates communication between brain cells. According to the study, a common variation of the gene associated with ADHD disrupts its ability to regulate gene transcription - the formation of mRNA from DNA that leads to expression of the gene.

Safety in darkness: Team lays bare melanin's DNA guarding mechanism Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:13 AM PST With a little help from chickens and video cameras, scientists have captured live the moment when skin gets darker. In a new study, a team has filmed and demystified the process by which melanin -- molecules that give skin its color -- are carried to the epidermis.

Major Urinary Proteins do not allow kin recognition in male mice Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:11 AM PST The urine of house mice, unlike humans, contains large amounts of proteins, which are mainly major urinary proteins or MUPs. These proteins function to stabilize the release of volatile pheromones from urinary scent marks. MUP genes occur in a large cluster in mice, and there are 21 different MUP genes, whereas humans have only one MUP gene, which is no longer functional.

Molecular switches researched in detail Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:11 AM PST Seeing, smelling, tasting, regulation of blood pressure – molecular switches are involved in all of these processes. The mechanism with which these proteins are switched off has been analysed by a research team. With the aid of infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and computer simulations, they described the process at the subatomic level.

Porous crystalline materials: Researcher shows method for controlled growth Posted: 07 Dec 2016 06:11 AM PST Porous crystals called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) consist of metallic intersections with organic molecules as connecting elements. Thanks to their high porosity, MOFs have an extremely large surface area. A teaspoonful of MOFs has the same surface area as a football pitch. These countless pores situated in an extremely small space offer room for "guests" and can, for example, be used for gas storage or as "molecular gate" for separation of chemicals, explain scientists.

Bacterial mechanism converts nitrogen to greenhouse gas Posted: 06 Dec 2016 12:56 PM PST A biological mechanism has been discovered that helps convert nitrogen-based fertilizer into nitrous oxide, an ozone-depleting greenhouse gas.

You are subscribed to email updates from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States