ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Synesthesia: Why some people hear color, taste sounds
• Scientists create invisible objects in the microwave range without metamaterial cloaking
• Why we have chins: Our chin comes from evolution, not mechanical forces
• Medical marijuana liquid extract may bring hope for children with severe epilepsy
• Violent methane storms on Titan may solve dune direction mystery
• Meteorites key to the story of Earth's layers
• Nanoparticles at specific temperature stimulate antitumor response
• Chimpanzees show ability to plan route in computer mazes
• On the road to spin-orbitronics: New way to manipulate magnetic domain walls
• Dark Energy Survey creates detailed guide to spotting dark matter in the cosmos
• Passenger-focused vehicle air conditioning
• Tango dancing benefits Parkinson's patients
• The placebome: Where genetics and the placebo effect meet
• Competition not concentration matters when forming cloud-influencing aerosols
• Network 'hubs' in brain attract information, much like airport system
• Cell division research expected to lead to containment of cancer cells and regenerative medical treatments
• Novel photolithographic technology enables control of functional shapes of microstructures
• Anti-cancer therapy delivering drug to an entire tumor developed
• Promising developments in tackling resistance to blood cancer drugs
• U.S. schools are still shortchanging gifted kids, experts say
• Study of African birds reveals hotbed of malaria parasite diversity
• Link between arrival of grandchildren, early retirement of women
• Oncogene regulated by nutrients identified
• How a bacterial cell recognizes its own DNA
• Study challenges view that sight-based brain sensory network organization is impaired with blindness
• X-ray ptychography, fluorescence microscopy combo sheds new light on trace elements
• Putting clinicians in charge of computer-based decision support
• Babies exposed to narcotic pain relievers more likely to experience withdrawal
• How deep-brain stimulation reshapes neural circuits in Parkinson's disease
• Some atrial fibrillation patients receive unnecessary blood thinners
• Warming seas pose habitat risk for fishy favorites
• Bone mineral density improved in frail elderly women treated with zoledronic acid
• Emergency departments improve readiness to care for children
• Mars might have salty liquid water
• Family doctors important in advising young women on egg freezing for future fertility
• New strategy can help determine heart attack in patients within one hour
• Shape changing display could spell the end for the 2-D graph
• Melanoma's 'safe haven' targeted for shut-down
• Solution-grown nanowires make the best lasers
• Researchers identify drug target for ATRA, the first precision cancer therapy
• Identifying patients most at risk of developing pancreatic cancer
• Wasp identification made easy
• Mental rehearsal helps ER clinicians best prepare for trauma patients
• New light for old master paintings
• Spinal surgery: Right on target with new software
• Testicular cancer link found for muscle-building supplements
• Graphics in reverse: Probabilistic programming does in 50 lines of code what used to take thousands
• Fragment of continental crust found under south east Iceland
• Gene therapy superior to half-matched transplant for 'bubble boy disease'
• Limber lungs: One type of airway cell can regenerate another lung cell type
• Human immune system can control re-awakened HIV, suggesting cure is possible
• Burying the climate change problem
• Heart cells regenerated in mice
• Attaching the propeller: How the motility structure of unicellular archaea is fixed to their surface
• Morphine test printed on paper
• Tobacco plants may boost biofuel and biorefining industries
• Formulas that drive social networks help illuminate organized cybercrime
• Pain management study reveals patient confusion about opioid addiction
• New evidence for how green tea, apples could protect health
• Hyper-stretchable elastic-composite energy harvester

Synesthesia: Why some people hear color, taste sounds Posted: 13 Apr 2015 06:43 PM PDT Researchers have shed new light on synesthesia -- the effect of hearing colors, seeing sounds and other cross-sensory phenomena.

Scientists create invisible objects in the microwave range without metamaterial cloaking Posted: 13 Apr 2015 06:32 PM PDT Physicists have managed to make homogenous cylindrical objects completely invisible in the microwave range. Contrary to the now prevailing notion of invisibility that relies on metamaterial coatings, the scientists achieved the result using a homogenous object without any additional coating layers. The method is based on a new understanding of electromagnetic wave scattering.

Why we have chins: Our chin comes from evolution, not mechanical forces Posted: 13 Apr 2015 03:37 PM PDT Why are modern humans the only species to have chins? Researchers say it's not due to mechanical forces, such as chewing, but may lie in our evolution: As our faces became smaller, it exposed the bony prominence at the lowest part of our heads.

Medical marijuana liquid extract may bring hope for children with severe epilepsy Posted: 13 Apr 2015 03:37 PM PDT A medicinal liquid form of marijuana may show promise as a treatment for children with severe epilepsy that is not responding to other treatments, according to a new study.

Violent methane storms on Titan may solve dune direction mystery Posted: 13 Apr 2015 03:37 PM PDT Titan, Saturn's largest moon, is among the most Earthlike places in the solar system. As the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft examines Titan, its discoveries bring new mysteries. One of these is that the seemingly wind-created sand dunes spotted near the moon's equator point one direction, but the near-surface winds point another direction. Astronomers may have solved this mystery.

Meteorites key to the story of Earth's layers Posted: 13 Apr 2015 01:15 PM PDT A new analysis of the chemical make-up of meteorites has helped scientists work out when the Earth formed its layers.The research by an international team of scientists confirmed the Earth's first crust had formed around 4.5 billion years ago.The team measured the amount of the rare elements hafnium and lutetium in the mineral zircon in a meteorite that originated early in the solar system.

Nanoparticles at specific temperature stimulate antitumor response Posted: 13 Apr 2015 01:13 PM PDT Researchers have identified the precise temperature that results in a distinct body-wide antitumor immune response that resists metastatic disease.

Chimpanzees show ability to plan route in computer mazes Posted: 13 Apr 2015 01:13 PM PDT Chimpanzees are capable of some degree of planning for the future, in a manner similar to human children, while some species of monkeys struggle with this task, according to researchers.

On the road to spin-orbitronics: New way to manipulate magnetic domain walls Posted: 13 Apr 2015 01:13 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a new way of manipulating the magnetic domain walls in ultrathin magnets that could one day revolutionize the electronics industry through a technology called "spin-orbitronics."

Dark Energy Survey creates detailed guide to spotting dark matter in the cosmos Posted: 13 Apr 2015 01:13 PM PDT Scientists on the Dark Energy Survey have released the first in a series of dark matter maps of the cosmos. These maps, created with one of the world's most powerful digital cameras, are the largest contiguous maps created at this level of detail and will improve our understanding of dark matter's role in the formation of galaxies.

Passenger-focused vehicle air conditioning Posted: 13 Apr 2015 11:09 AM PDT How can a pleasant vehicle climate be achieved efficiently? Researchers found that the potential of energy-efficient air conditioning is all but exhausted. And this applies also to gasoline-powered cars. Inefficiency has its advantages, too: In the past, waste heat from combustion engines could be used to heat vehicle passenger compartments directly.

Tango dancing benefits Parkinson's patients Posted: 13 Apr 2015 11:09 AM PDT Dancing the Argentine tango could have potential benefits for people at certain stages in the development of Parkinson's disease, according to findings in a new study that looked at changes in patients' motor abilities following a 12-week tango course, and is also the first study to assess the effect that tango has on non-motor symptoms.

The placebome: Where genetics and the placebo effect meet Posted: 13 Apr 2015 11:09 AM PDT With the advent of genomics, researchers are learning that placebo responses are modified by a person's genetics. A new review article explores the many questions that this raises regarding the role of the placebo in both patient care and in drug development.

Competition not concentration matters when forming cloud-influencing aerosols Posted: 13 Apr 2015 11:08 AM PDT The amount of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) produced from isoprene released by trees as well as the SOA volatility are more accurately tied to interactions with electron-rich, carbon-based chemicals, known as organic peroxy radicals, that compete with nitrogen oxides in reactions.

Network 'hubs' in brain attract information, much like airport system Posted: 13 Apr 2015 11:08 AM PDT "Hubs" in the brain -- highly connected regions that like hubs of the airport system -- act as critical destinations where information is received and integrated, scientists report. "Understanding how information transfer occurs in the brain is critical, especially if network hubs are taken off line by anesthesia, tumor or stroke," says the senior study author.

Cell division research expected to lead to containment of cancer cells and regenerative medical treatments Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:59 AM PDT All organisms grow and develop through the regenerative ability of cell division. An indispensable ability for all living beings, it can be said that life is defined by this process. Now, for the first time in the world, researchers have replicated the contractile ring's structure by isolating a refined protein and placing it within a cell-imitation capsule.

Novel photolithographic technology enables control of functional shapes of microstructures Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:58 AM PDT Researchers in South Korea have developed a novel photolithographic technology enabling control over the functional shapes of micropatterns using oxygen diffusion.

Anti-cancer therapy delivering drug to an entire tumor developed Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:58 AM PDT To treat inoperable tumors, anti-cancer medicine is commonly used. However, efficient drug delivery to tumor cells is often difficult, treating an entire tumor with drugs even more so. A new highly efficacious anti-cancer nanotechnology has been developed by researchers that delivers anti-cancer drugs uniformly to an entire tumor.

Promising developments in tackling resistance to blood cancer drugs Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:09 AM PDT A drug with the potential to reverse resistance to immunotherapy has been developed by scientists, showing great promise in pre-clinical models. Researchers say that it will be available to patients with certain leukemias and non-Hodgkin lymphomas in clinical trials later this year. Targeted drugs made from engineered immune proteins -- called monoclonal antibodies -- have revolutionized treatment for several types of cancer in recent years.

U.S. schools are still shortchanging gifted kids, experts say Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:09 AM PDT Far too many high-ability children are still languishing in American classrooms, bored and unchallenged. A new report calls for academic acceleration for America's brightest students.

Study of African birds reveals hotbed of malaria parasite diversity Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:09 AM PDT Among hundreds of birds sampled during two months of field work in the southeastern African nation of Malawi, an astonishing proportion of the birds -- 79 percent -- were infected with haemosporidian parasites. Even more surprising, 81 percent of the parasites were previously undocumented lineages. Studying birds and their parasites provides insight into how lifestyle characteristics of birds can influence their association with different parasite genera.

Link between arrival of grandchildren, early retirement of women Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:09 AM PDT A new study reveals retirement-age women who have new grandchildren are 9 percent more likely to retire early than other women. Investigators say that this research provides an important angle for policymakers to consider as they begin to tackle the challenges of the aging baby-boomer population. Specifically, policies aimed at extending the years spent working may have limited effect if retirement decisions are primarily driven by family considerations such as the arrival of a new grandchild.

Oncogene regulated by nutrients identified Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:08 AM PDT In response to nutrient excess, the MCRS1 protein acts as a 'switch' for mTOR, a protein that is altered in cancer, diabetes and disorders associated with aging. These results correlate with increased MCRS1 protein levels in samples taken from patients with colorectal cancer. Blocking this protein may prove to be an effective treatment for cancer or other diseases associated with mTOR alterations, researchers say.

How a bacterial cell recognizes its own DNA Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:08 AM PDT It may come as a bit of a surprise to learn that bacteria have an immune system -- in their case to fight off invasive viruses called phages. And like any immune system -- from single-celled to human -- the first challenge of the bacterial immune system is to detect the difference between 'foreign' and 'self.'

Study challenges view that sight-based brain sensory network organization is impaired with blindness Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:08 AM PDT New research shows the way the brain organizes its visual sense remains intact even in people blind from birth, and the pattern of functional connectivity between the visual area and the topographical representation of space (up/down etc.) can develop on its own without any visual experience. The findings dispel the long-held belief that the visual cortex completely fails to develop properly in people who are blind at birth, which might might not be completely correct.

X-ray ptychography, fluorescence microscopy combo sheds new light on trace elements Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:08 AM PDT A new approach that combines ptychographic X-ray imaging and fluorescence microscopy has been developed by scientists to study the important role trace elements play in biological functions on hydrated cells.

Putting clinicians in charge of computer-based decision support Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:08 AM PDT Rule Authoring and Validation Environment, a powerful new distributed approach to clinician decision support rule authoring 'personalized' to patient population, location and time, has been developed by clinician-researchers and tested at Eskenazi Health, one of the nation's largest safety net hospital systems.

Babies exposed to narcotic pain relievers more likely to experience withdrawal Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:08 AM PDT Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a drug withdrawal syndrome in infants following birth, has historically been associated with illicit drug use among pregnant women. But a study shows that pregnant women are commonly being prescribed opioids -- narcotic pain relievers such as hydrocodone -- which results in an increased likelihood of NAS. In addition, the study found that opioid type and duration of exposure combined with tobacco use or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor use (for treating depression and anxiety) augmented risks for NAS.

How deep-brain stimulation reshapes neural circuits in Parkinson's disease Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:08 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a possible mechanism for how deep-brain stimulation, a widely used treatment for movement disorders, exerts its therapeutic effects. Few medical treatments show results as rapid and dramatic as those seen with DBS, in which surgically implanted devices deliver electrical pulses to inner brain structures involved in movement. In most Parkinson's disease (PD) patients who receive the treatment, symptoms of slow movement, tremor, and rigidity sharply diminish soon after the stimulation device is activated, and quickly return if the device is turned off.

Some atrial fibrillation patients receive unnecessary blood thinners Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:06 AM PDT About a quarter of all atrial fibrillation patients at the lowest risk for stroke receive unnecessary blood thinners from cardiology specialists, according to researchers, and these providers must be made aware of the resulting potential health risks.

Warming seas pose habitat risk for fishy favorites Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:06 AM PDT Popular North Sea fish such as haddock, plaice and lemon sole could become less common on our menus because they will be constrained to preferred habitat as seas warm, according to a study. Fish distributions are limited by water temperature and some species can only thrive in certain habitats and depths. In the last 40 years the North Sea has warmed four times faster than the global average and further warming is predicted over the coming century, leading fisheries scientists to study how this will impact on commercial species.

Bone mineral density improved in frail elderly women treated with zoledronic acid Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:06 AM PDT A single intravenous dose of the osteoporosis drug zoledronic acid improved bone mineral density in a group of frail elderly women living in nursing homes and long-term-care facilities.

Emergency departments improve readiness to care for children Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:06 AM PDT Pediatric emergency care coordinators in the nation's emergency departments are strongly linked with improved readiness to care for children, according to a new study. Nearly 50 percent of the nation's emergency departments have a physician or nurse dedicated to address staff training, equipment availability and policies for the care of children -- a three-fold increase since 2003.

Mars might have salty liquid water Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:06 AM PDT Researchers have long known that there is water in the form of ice on Mars. Now, new research shows that it is possible that there is liquid water close to the surface of Mars. The explanation is that the substance perchlorate has been found in the soil, which lowers the freezing point so the water does not freeze into ice, but is liquid and present in very salty water -- a brine.

Family doctors important in advising young women on egg freezing for future fertility Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:06 AM PDT Family physicians have an important role in advising women about the benefits and risks of egg freezing, argues a new article.

New strategy can help determine heart attack in patients within one hour Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:06 AM PDT A new strategy to rule-out and rule-in heart attacks in emergency departments will help physicians treat patients faster, found a clinical trial. Acute myocardial infarction (MI) is a common cause of death and disability around the world. Early diagnosis is critical for treatment and survival.

Shape changing display could spell the end for the 2-D graph Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:05 AM PDT Imagine your computer screen could change shape. Imagine if that screen could spring to life at the touch of a fingertip, translating numbers and trends into shapes and gradients you can reach out and touch.

Melanoma's 'safe haven' targeted for shut-down Posted: 13 Apr 2015 10:05 AM PDT Melanoma cells become drug resistant by using surrounding healthy cells to provide a 'safe haven' from treatment, according to new research. So even if some cancer cells are destroyed, the protected cancer cells may survive -- and the disease can recur in a form that is untreatable. Now scientists are focusing on these 'safe havens' for future melanoma treatment.

Solution-grown nanowires make the best lasers Posted: 13 Apr 2015 09:56 AM PDT Take a material that is a focus of interest in the quest for advanced solar cells. Discover a "freshman chemistry level" technique for growing that material into high-efficiency, ultra-small lasers. The result is a shortcut to lasers that are extremely efficient and able to create many colors of light.

Researchers identify drug target for ATRA, the first precision cancer therapy Posted: 13 Apr 2015 09:56 AM PDT Cancerous tumors have the ability to evade targeted therapies by activating alternative pathways. Tumors also contain cancer stem cells, believed responsible for metastasis and drug resistance. Now scientists have identified a drug target that addresses both of these challenges.

Identifying patients most at risk of developing pancreatic cancer Posted: 13 Apr 2015 09:56 AM PDT When people learn they have a lesion in their pancreas that could become pancreatic cancer, they often request frequent CT scans and biopsies, or surgery. Often the lesion is nothing to worry about. A team of international physicians has developed a profile of the patient most at risk of developing lesions that are most likely to develop into cancer.

Wasp identification made easy Posted: 13 Apr 2015 08:07 AM PDT The first contribution to a complete identification resource for wasps, bees and ants of Africa and Madagascar has been published. User-friendly identification keys to the families and genera of an agriculturally and economically important group of parasitoid wasps, including online interactive identification keys, are now freely available to a range of end-users such as ecologists and conservationists and the applied forestry and agricultural sectors.

Mental rehearsal helps ER clinicians best prepare for trauma patients Posted: 13 Apr 2015 08:06 AM PDT Trauma resuscitation teams should map out mental blueprints and communicate their strategy to all team members involved in caring for patients, a new study suggests.

New light for old master paintings Posted: 13 Apr 2015 08:06 AM PDT Researchers have developed an instrument capable of non-invasively capturing subsurface details from artwork at a high resolution. Their setup will allow conservators and conservation scientists to more effectively peek beneath the surface of paintings and artifacts to learn not only how the artist built up the original composition, but also what coatings have been applied to it over the years.

Spinal surgery: Right on target with new software Posted: 13 Apr 2015 08:06 AM PDT Because the spine is made up of repeating elements that look alike, surgeons can mistakenly operate on the wrong vertebra. To avoid this, researchers have developed a software program that works seamlessly with currently available procedures to assist a surgeon's determination of which vertebra is which. Results from its first clinical evaluation show that the LevelCheck software achieves 100 percent accuracy in just 26 seconds.

Testicular cancer link found for muscle-building supplements Posted: 13 Apr 2015 08:06 AM PDT A new study associates taking muscle-building supplements with an increased risk of testicular cancer. Men who used such pills and powders were more likely to have developed testicular cancer than those who did not, especially if they started before age 25, took more than one supplement, or used the supplements for three or more years.

Graphics in reverse: Probabilistic programming does in 50 lines of code what used to take thousands Posted: 13 Apr 2015 08:06 AM PDT Researchers can demonstrate that on some standard computer-vision tasks, short programs -- less than 50 lines long -- written in a probabilistic programming language are competitive with conventional systems with thousands of lines of code.

Fragment of continental crust found under south east Iceland Posted: 13 Apr 2015 08:06 AM PDT Scientists have shown that south east Iceland is underlain by continental crust.

Gene therapy superior to half-matched transplant for 'bubble boy disease' Posted: 13 Apr 2015 08:06 AM PDT Children with 'bubble boy disease' who undergo gene therapy have fewer infections and hospitalizations than those receiving stem cells from a partially matched donor, new research suggests. Children with SCID-X1 are born with a genetic defect that prevents them from developing a normal immune system. Because they are prone to life-threatening infections, infants with SCID-X1 must be kept in a sterile, protective bubble and require extensive treatment for survival beyond infancy.

Limber lungs: One type of airway cell can regenerate another lung cell type Posted: 13 Apr 2015 08:05 AM PDT A new collaborative study describes a way that lung tissue can regenerate after injury. The team found that lung tissue has more dexterity in repairing tissue than once thought.

Human immune system can control re-awakened HIV, suggesting cure is possible Posted: 13 Apr 2015 07:26 AM PDT The human immune system can handle large bursts of HIV activity and so it should be possible to cure HIV with a 'kick and kill' strategy, finds new research.

Burying the climate change problem Posted: 13 Apr 2015 07:26 AM PDT Burying the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, a byproduct of burning fossil fuels, has been mooted as one geoengineering approach to ameliorating climate change. Now, a team of researchers has reviewed the risk assessments for this technology and suggests a lack of knowledge means we should be cautious of turning to this method rather than finding sustainable ways to reduce emissions at their source.

Heart cells regenerated in mice Posted: 13 Apr 2015 07:26 AM PDT Scientists get mouse heart cells to take a step backwards so they can be renewed.

Attaching the propeller: How the motility structure of unicellular archaea is fixed to their surface Posted: 13 Apr 2015 07:25 AM PDT Researchers demonstrate how the motility structure of the unicellular archaea is fixed to the cell wall of archaea – a type of unicellular life form. In addition, the researchers demonstrated that this protein is essential for the structure and functioning of the organ.

Morphine test printed on paper Posted: 13 Apr 2015 07:25 AM PDT Scientists used antibodies - produced by methods of molecular biology - as morphine sensing molecules when creating a printing technology-based morphine test. Using printing technology to manufacture rapid tests enables high production volumes and low production costs. A paper-based test enables a rapid analysis of whether a compound - in this case, morphine - is present in a given sample.

Tobacco plants may boost biofuel and biorefining industries Posted: 13 Apr 2015 07:25 AM PDT Researchers will genetically modify tobacco plants to produce enzymes that can break down biomass from forest raw materials. This may lead to a more effective, economic and sustainable production of biofuels, they say.

Formulas that drive social networks help illuminate organized cybercrime Posted: 13 Apr 2015 07:23 AM PDT Researchers are using social network analysis tools to better understand the activity of cybercrime forums. Their findings could guide the next generation of "Untouchables."

Pain management study reveals patient confusion about opioid addiction Posted: 13 Apr 2015 07:23 AM PDT Emergency department patients have misperceptions about opioid dependence and want more information about their pain management options, according to a new study. The study found that patients seen in the emergency department for acute pain expressed a desire for better communication from physicians about their pain management options, along with discussion of the risks of opioid dependence.

New evidence for how green tea, apples could protect health Posted: 13 Apr 2015 06:52 AM PDT A new study that adds more to the growing body of evidence that certain compounds found naturally in foods have specific effects that help prevent chronic diseases. Researchers have uncovered a mechanism by which polyphenols in green tea and apples affect a key signalling molecule, which could explain other studies that have shown how polyphenol-rich foods reduce risks of chronic diseases.

Hyper-stretchable elastic-composite energy harvester Posted: 13 Apr 2015 06:52 AM PDT Scientists have developed a hyper-stretchable elastic-composite energy harvesting device called a nanogenerator.

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