ScienceDaily: Top News

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• European banks as vulnerable now as before crash
• Children exposed to multiple languages may be better natural communicators
• New report: First compilation of global addictions
• Important step in artificial intelligence: Stylized letters classified by their images
• Vineyard habitats help butterflies return
• New device could greatly improve speech and image recognition
• Tortoise approach works best, even for evolution
• Breaking through the blood-brain barrier
• Men with high estrogen levels could be at greater risk of breast cancer
• Brain protein linked to binge-drinking behavior
• Researchers investigate an enzyme important for nervous system health
• Bioprinting in 3-D: Looks like candy, could regenerate nerve cells
• First cancer-promoting oncogenes discovered in rare brain tumor of children and adults
• Congress approval rating tanking over poor choice of words
• 'Not just a flavoring:' Menthol, nicotine combined desensitize airway receptors
• 80 percent of cervical cancers found to be preventable with latest 9-valent HPV vaccine
• Healing plants inspire new compounds for psychiatric drugs
• Tuning up Rydberg atoms for quantum information applications
• School segregation still impacts African-Americans' minds decades later
• Global health leaders call for global biomedical research and development fund, mechanism
• Ease of weight loss influenced by individual biology
• Personal microbiomes shown to contain unique 'fingerprints'
• Massive southern invasions by northern birds linked to climate shifts
• DNA with self-interest: Transposable element conquers new strain of fly
• Survey finds miscarriage widely misunderstood
• Did ocean acidification from asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs cause extinction of marine molluscs?
• For children with autism, trips to the dentist just got easier
• For the first time, scientists tag a loggerhead sea turtle off US West Coast
• Carbon emissions from peatlands may be less than expected
• Research aims to restore riparian corridors and an iconic tree
• Gene responsible for hypertension, brachydactyly identified
• New, high-volume joining process expands use of aluminum in autos
• Watch invisible gravity waves rumble through the atmosphere
• Solving corrosive ocean mystery reveals future climate
• Computer simulation accurately replicated real-life trauma outcomes
• New cause discovered for arterial stiffness, a contributor to cardiovascular disease
• New research implicates immune system in Rett syndrome
• Narrow misses can propel us toward other rewards, goals
• Losing streak: Competitive high-school sports linked to gambling
• Scientists show 'breaking waves' perturb Earth's magnetic field
• Study links father's age, baby's risk of blood cancer as an adult
• Velociraptor, move over: New dinosaur's keen nose made it a formidable predator
• Toddlers understand sound they make influences others, research shows
• Robot pets to rise in an overpopulated world
• Harmful algal blooms in the Chesapeake Bay are becoming more frequent
• Starved T cells allow hepatitis B to silently infect liver
• First theoretical proof: Measurement of a single nuclear spin in biological samples
• Using CRISPR, biologists find a way to comprehensively identify anti-cancer drug targets
• Repurposed anti-cholesterol drug could improve treatment-resistant anemias
• Study sheds new light on low-light vision, could aid people with retinal deficits
• Study may suggest new strategies for myelodysplastic syndromes treatment
• Noise produces volcanic seismicity, akin to a drumbeat
• Turning point in the physics of blood
• Water fleas genetically adapt to climate change
• 'Top 100' papers in lumbar spine surgery reflect trends in low back pain treatment
• Acute kidney injury linked to pre-existing kidney health, study finds
• Method for determining possible stress marker in blood samples
• Research paper with 2,863 authors expands knowledge of bacteriophages
• Graphene holds key to unlocking creation of wearable electronic devices
• Advanced viral gene therapy eradicates prostate cancer in preclinical experiments

European banks as vulnerable now as before crash Posted: 11 May 2015 06:19 PM PDT European banks are as vulnerable to failing today as they were in the run-up to the 2008 global economic crash and subsequent recession, new research has found. In the first study to compare sources of systemic risk in European banks, economists found banks in southern countries, including France, Spain and Italy, are highly vulnerable to failure. Banks in northern countries appear to be more resilient.

Children exposed to multiple languages may be better natural communicators Posted: 11 May 2015 06:17 PM PDT Young children who hear more than one language spoken at home become better communicators, a new study finds.

New report: First compilation of global addictions Posted: 11 May 2015 06:17 PM PDT The world's first comprehensive report on global addictions has revealed that Australians smoke less tobacco and drink less alcohol than the British, but Aussies take more illicit drugs.

Important step in artificial intelligence: Stylized letters classified by their images Posted: 11 May 2015 02:28 PM PDT A circuit implementing the rudimentary artificial neural network successfully classified three letters by their images.

Vineyard habitats help butterflies return Posted: 11 May 2015 02:28 PM PDT Wine grape vineyards experimenting with sustainable pest management systems are seeing an unexpected benefit: an increase in butterflies. Over the years, loss in natural habitat has seen the decline in numbers of around 50 species of butterflies in eastern Washington.

New device could greatly improve speech and image recognition Posted: 11 May 2015 02:27 PM PDT Researchers have successfully demonstrated pattern recognition using a magnonic holographic memory device, a development that could greatly improve speech and image recognition hardware.

Tortoise approach works best, even for evolution Posted: 11 May 2015 02:27 PM PDT When it comes to winning evolutionary fitness races, the tortoise once again prevails over the hare. Scientists have found that limiting migrations among populations of bacteria produced better adaptations.

Breaking through the blood-brain barrier Posted: 11 May 2015 02:27 PM PDT The bacteria that sneak past the brain's defenses to cause deadly bacterial meningitis are clever adversaries. New research investigates the molecular tricks bacteria use to convince their host that they are harmless and cause disease.

Men with high estrogen levels could be at greater risk of breast cancer Posted: 11 May 2015 02:27 PM PDT Men with naturally high levels of the female hormone estrogen may have a greater risk of developing breast cancer, according to research by an international collaboration. This is the first time a link between estrogen levels in the blood and male breast cancer has been identified, despite its connection to breast, womb and ovarian cancers in women.

Brain protein linked to binge-drinking behavior Posted: 11 May 2015 02:25 PM PDT Scientists have discovered that a brain protein has a key role in controlling binge drinking in animal models. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, binge drinking -- defined as drinking to the point of intoxication -- puts people at greater risk for health problems such as cardiovascular disease, liver disease and neurological damage.

Researchers investigate an enzyme important for nervous system health Posted: 11 May 2015 02:25 PM PDT Scientists have mapped out the structure of an important protein involved in cellular function and nervous system development. The new structure provides crucial information for understanding how the protein binds to cellular components. It's also the first structure determined of any ligase in the tubulin tyrosine ligase-like (TTLL) family.

Bioprinting in 3-D: Looks like candy, could regenerate nerve cells Posted: 11 May 2015 02:25 PM PDT Researchers are working on 3-D bioprinting synthetic tissue that could help regenerate nerve cells in patients with spinal cord injuries.

First cancer-promoting oncogenes discovered in rare brain tumor of children and adults Posted: 11 May 2015 01:30 PM PDT Researchers have identified three genes that play a pivotal role in the brain tumor choroid plexus carcinoma, a discovery that lays the groundwork for more effective treatment of this rare, often fatal cancer.

Congress approval rating tanking over poor choice of words Posted: 11 May 2015 01:30 PM PDT US Congress approval ratings are at record lows. Now a new study suggests that this may be partly due to a decline in the use of warm, agreeable language in the House.

'Not just a flavoring:' Menthol, nicotine combined desensitize airway receptors Posted: 11 May 2015 01:30 PM PDT Menthol acts in combination with nicotine to desensitize the type of nicotinic receptors found in lungs and airways that are responsible for nicotine's irritation, say researchers. They say their findings suggests menthol is not just a flavoring, but has an important pharmacologic effect.

80 percent of cervical cancers found to be preventable with latest 9-valent HPV vaccine Posted: 11 May 2015 01:30 PM PDT The new 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine, can potentially prevent 80 percent of cervical cancers in the United States, if given to all 11- or 12-year-old children before they are exposed to the virus. The study also found the 9-Valent vaccine, under the trademark of Gardasil-9, has the potential to protect against an additional 8 percent of oropharyngeal cancers, which include the base of the tongue and tonsils. This disease is the second-most-common HPV-associated cancer.

Healing plants inspire new compounds for psychiatric drugs Posted: 11 May 2015 01:30 PM PDT Treatments used by traditional healers in Nigeria have inspired scientists to synthesize four new chemical compounds that could one day lead to better therapies for people with psychiatric disorders.

Tuning up Rydberg atoms for quantum information applications Posted: 11 May 2015 01:30 PM PDT Rydberg atoms, atoms whose outermost electrons are highly excited but not ionized, might be just the thing for processing quantum information. These outsized atoms can be sustained for a long time in a quantum superposition condition -- a good thing for creating qubits -- and they can interact strongly with other such atoms, making them useful for devising the kind of logic gates needed to process information.

School segregation still impacts African-Americans' minds decades later Posted: 11 May 2015 01:30 PM PDT As the United States observes the May 17 anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that ended racial segregation in public schools, a new study has found that desegregated schooling is tied to better performance for certain cognitive abilities in older African-American adults.

Global health leaders call for global biomedical research and development fund, mechanism Posted: 11 May 2015 01:29 PM PDT World leaders should consider the establishment of a global biomedical research and development fund and a mechanism to address the dearth in innovation for today's most pressing global health challenges, according global health leaders.

Ease of weight loss influenced by individual biology Posted: 11 May 2015 01:29 PM PDT For the first time in a lab, researchers have found evidence supporting the commonly held belief that people with certain physiologies lose less weight than others when limiting calories. At this time, researchers do not know whether the biological differences are innate or develop over time.

Personal microbiomes shown to contain unique 'fingerprints' Posted: 11 May 2015 01:29 PM PDT A new study shows that the microbial communities we carry in and on our bodies known as the human microbiome have the potential to uniquely identify individuals, much like a fingerprint. Scientists demonstrated that personal microbiomes contain enough distinguishing features to identify an individual over time from among a research study population of hundreds of people. The study is the first to show that identifying people from microbiome data is feasible.

Massive southern invasions by northern birds linked to climate shifts Posted: 11 May 2015 01:29 PM PDT Scientists have pinpointed the climate pattern that likely sets the stage for boreal bird irruptions in which vast numbers of northern birds migrate far south of their usual winter range. The discovery could make it possible to predict the events more than a year in advance.

DNA with self-interest: Transposable element conquers new strain of fly Posted: 11 May 2015 01:28 PM PDT Transposable elements are DNA sequences that are capable of changing their genome position by cut and paste or copy and paste through the enzyme transposase. This ability can be harmful for hosts if transposable elements destroy functioning genes, but it can also bring advantages. From an evolutionary point of view, transposable elements diversify the genome and open up chances for adaptation.

Survey finds miscarriage widely misunderstood Posted: 11 May 2015 12:49 PM PDT Misperceptions about miscarriage and its causes are widespread, a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults has found. Results of the survey show that feelings of guilt and shame are common after a miscarriage and that most people erroneously believe that miscarriages are rare.

Did ocean acidification from asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs cause extinction of marine molluscs? Posted: 11 May 2015 12:49 PM PDT New research has questioned the role played by ocean acidification, produced by the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs, in the extinction of ammonites and other planktonic calcifiers 66 million years ago.

For children with autism, trips to the dentist just got easier Posted: 11 May 2015 10:49 AM PDT Adjusting the environment of a dentist's office can make routine cleanings less stressful for children with autism, research shows. Children with autism spectrum disorders -- as well as some typically developing children -- often show heightened responses to sensory input and find these sensations uncomfortable. As such, the dental office, with its bright lights, loud sounds from the dental equipment, and touch of children in and around the mouth, present particular challenges for such children.

For the first time, scientists tag a loggerhead sea turtle off US West Coast Posted: 11 May 2015 10:49 AM PDT Fifty miles out to sea from San Diego, in the middle of April, under a perfectly clear blue sky, fisheries scientists leaned over the side of a rubber inflatable boat and lowered a juvenile loggerhead sea turtle into the water. That turtle was a trailblazer -- the first of its kind ever released off the West Coast of the United States with a satellite transmitter attached.

Carbon emissions from peatlands may be less than expected Posted: 11 May 2015 10:49 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a dual mechanism that slows peat decay and may help reduce carbon dioxide emissions from peatlands during times of drought. The discovery might be used to reduce the risk that increased drought and global warming will change Earth's peatlands from carbon sinks into carbon sources, as many scientists have feared.

Research aims to restore riparian corridors and an iconic tree Posted: 11 May 2015 10:49 AM PDT Beginning on May 11, Forest Service scientists will plant different combinations of tree and shrub species in four riparian areas on the Finger Lakes National Forest in New York and monitor the success of these different treatments for improving carbon and nitrogen ratios in the soil as well as plant, insect and wildlife biodiversity. Another purpose of the research is to evaluate whether degraded stream corridors are suitable habitats for reintroduction of a forest icon, the American elm.

Gene responsible for hypertension, brachydactyly identified Posted: 11 May 2015 10:49 AM PDT Individuals with a newly discovered altered gene have hereditary hypertension and a skeletal malformation, brachydactyly type E, which is characterized by unusually short fingers and toes, scientists report. The effect on blood pressure is so serious that -- if left untreated -- it most often leads to death before age fifty.

New, high-volume joining process expands use of aluminum in autos Posted: 11 May 2015 10:48 AM PDT A new joining process enables the production of all-aluminum auto parts without rivets and fasteners that increase cost and weight.

Watch invisible gravity waves rumble through the atmosphere Posted: 11 May 2015 10:19 AM PDT Just as waves ripple across a pond when a tossed stone disturbs the water's surface, gravity waves ripple toward space from disturbances in the lower atmosphere.

Solving corrosive ocean mystery reveals future climate Posted: 11 May 2015 09:54 AM PDT Around 55 million years ago, an abrupt global warming event triggered a highly corrosive deep-water current through the North Atlantic Ocean. The current's origin puzzled scientists for a decade, but an international team of researchers has now discovered how it formed and the findings may have implications for the carbon dioxide emission sensitivity of today's climate.

Computer simulation accurately replicated real-life trauma outcomes Posted: 11 May 2015 09:54 AM PDT A computer simulation, or 'in silico' model, of the body's inflammatory response to traumatic injury accurately replicated known individual outcomes and predicted population results counter to expectations, according to a study.

New cause discovered for arterial stiffness, a contributor to cardiovascular disease Posted: 11 May 2015 09:53 AM PDT Previous studies of aortic stiffness have focused on changes in structural proteins that alter the properties of vascular walls causing them to become rigid. Now, researchers have determined that smooth muscle cells, which line the interior of vascular walls, are a major contributing factor to vascular stiffness, one of the major causes of hypertension. Researchers believe that results from their study could help provide new possibilities for drug treatments for the disease.

New research implicates immune system in Rett syndrome Posted: 11 May 2015 09:53 AM PDT The immune system plays an unsuspected and surprising role in the progression of Rett syndrome, a severe neurological disorder affecting children, new research suggests. Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is caused primarily by mutations in the gene encoding for MeCP2, an important epigenetic regulator. Children with the disorder appear to develop normally but begin to lose acquired cognitive and motor skills at 6 to 18 months of age as symptoms start to show. As they age, patients are unable to acquire verbal skills and suffer from lack of motor control.

Narrow misses can propel us toward other rewards, goals Posted: 11 May 2015 09:53 AM PDT Whether it's being outbid at the last second in an online auction or missing the winning lottery number by one digit, we often come so close to something we can 'almost taste it' only to lose out in the end. These 'near wins' may actually boost our motivation to achieve other wins, leading us to pursue totally unrelated rewards, according to new research.

Losing streak: Competitive high-school sports linked to gambling Posted: 11 May 2015 09:53 AM PDT High-schoolers involved in competitive sports are at an elevated risk of addictive gambling, a new study concludes. According to the research, the participation of male high-school students in competitive sports is associated with problem gambling and gambling frequency, and female students who participate in competitive sports are at a higher risk of gambling frequency.

Scientists show 'breaking waves' perturb Earth's magnetic field Posted: 11 May 2015 09:53 AM PDT The underlying physical process that creates striking 'breaking wave' cloud patterns in our atmosphere also frequently opens the gates to high-energy solar wind plasma that perturbs Earth's magnetic field, or magnetosphere, which protects us from cosmic radiation. The discovery was made by space physicists.

Study links father's age, baby's risk of blood cancer as an adult Posted: 11 May 2015 09:53 AM PDT The proportion of parents who delay having children until age 35 or older continues to increase, but the long-term health consequences for these children are still emerging. A father's age at his infant's birth is linked to the risk that his child will develop blood and immune system cancers as an adult, particularly for only children, a new study concludes.

Velociraptor, move over: New dinosaur's keen nose made it a formidable predator Posted: 11 May 2015 09:53 AM PDT Scientists have identified a species of dinosaur closely related to Velociraptor, the group of creatures made infamous by the movie 'Jurassic Park.' The newly named species likely possessed a keen sense of smell that would have made it a formidable predator.

Toddlers understand sound they make influences others, research shows Posted: 11 May 2015 09:52 AM PDT Confirming what many parents already know, researchers have discovered that toddlers, especially those with siblings, understand how the sounds they make affect people around them.

Robot pets to rise in an overpopulated world Posted: 11 May 2015 09:52 AM PDT Robotic dogs are likely to replace the real thing in households worldwide in as little as a decade, as our infatuation with technology grows and more people migrate to high-density city living.

Harmful algal blooms in the Chesapeake Bay are becoming more frequent Posted: 11 May 2015 09:52 AM PDT A recent study of harmful algal blooms in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries shows an increase in ecosystem-disrupting events in the past 20 years being fed by excess nitrogen runoff from the watershed. While blooms have long been a concern, this study is the first to document their increased frequency in the Bay. Similar events are happening around the world.

Starved T cells allow hepatitis B to silently infect liver Posted: 11 May 2015 09:52 AM PDT Hepatitis B stimulates processes that deprive the body's immune cells of key nutrients that they need to function, finds new research. The work helps to explain why the immune system cannot control hepatitis B virus infection once it becomes established in the liver, and offers a target for potential curative treatments down the line.

First theoretical proof: Measurement of a single nuclear spin in biological samples Posted: 11 May 2015 09:52 AM PDT Physicists were able to show that the nuclear spins of single molecules can be detected with the help of magnetic particles at room temperature. The researchers describe a novel experimental setup with which the tiny magnetic fields of the nuclear spins of single biomolecules -- undetectable so far -- could be registered for the first time. The proposed concept would improve medical diagnostics in a decisive step forward.

Using CRISPR, biologists find a way to comprehensively identify anti-cancer drug targets Posted: 11 May 2015 09:48 AM PDT Imagine having a complete catalog of the best drug targets to hit in a deadly form of cancer. Imagine having a master catalog of such targets for all major cancers. Scientists have now published a method of doing precisely this, using the revolutionary gene-editing technology called CRISPR.

Repurposed anti-cholesterol drug could improve treatment-resistant anemias Posted: 11 May 2015 09:48 AM PDT Diamond Blackfan anemia (DBA), a rare inherited bone marrow failure syndrome, is usually diagnosed during childhood and is typically treated with glucocorticoids that cause a host of unwanted, often dangerous side effects. Using a mouse model, a research team has now determined that combining the cholesterol-lowering drug fenofibrate with glucocorticoids could allow for dramatically lower steroid doses in the treatment of DBA and other erythropoietin-resistant anemias. These promising results are the foundation for a clinical trial that will begin soon.

Study sheds new light on low-light vision, could aid people with retinal deficits Posted: 11 May 2015 09:46 AM PDT Driving down a dimly lit road at midnight can tax even those with 20/20 vision, but according to a recent study, the brain processes the experience no differently than if it were noon. The same study also reveals how quickly the brain adapts to vision loss, contradicting earlier research and opening the door to novel treatments.

Study may suggest new strategies for myelodysplastic syndromes treatment Posted: 11 May 2015 09:46 AM PDT A study revealing fresh insight about chromosome "tails" called telomeres may provide scientists with a new way to look at developing treatments or even preventing a group of blood cell disorders known as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

Noise produces volcanic seismicity, akin to a drumbeat Posted: 11 May 2015 08:51 AM PDT Volcanoes are chaotic systems. They are difficult to model because the geophysical and chemical parameters in volcanic eruptions exhibit high levels of uncertainty. Scientists have further extended an eruption model to the friction force at work between the volcanic plug and volcanic conduit surface. The results provide evidence that volcanic activity can be induced by external noises that would not otherwise have been predicted by the model.

Turning point in the physics of blood Posted: 11 May 2015 08:51 AM PDT Researchers lay out an equation that yields simple predictions as to how quickly blood cells will migrate away from blood-vessel walls, how they will behave when they collide with each other and accordingly how they will segregate during flow.

Water fleas genetically adapt to climate change Posted: 11 May 2015 08:44 AM PDT The water flea has genetically adapted to climate change. Biologists compared 'resurrected' water fleas -- hatched from 40-year-old eggs -- with more recent specimens to reach this conclusion.

'Top 100' papers in lumbar spine surgery reflect trends in low back pain treatment Posted: 11 May 2015 08:44 AM PDT What are the most influential studies on surgery of the lower (lumbar) spine?

Acute kidney injury linked to pre-existing kidney health, study finds Posted: 11 May 2015 08:44 AM PDT Physicians treating hospitalized patients for conditions unrelated to the kidneys should pay close attention to common blood and urine tests for kidney function in order to prevent incidental injury to the organs that help cleanse the body of toxins, new research suggests.

Method for determining possible stress marker in blood samples Posted: 11 May 2015 08:44 AM PDT A research collaboration has resulted in the development of a new method with diagnostic potential. The new method that combines phase extraction with an enzymatic reaction may eventually be used for an improved and faster screening analysis of isatin as a potential indicator of stress and neurological disorders.

Research paper with 2,863 authors expands knowledge of bacteriophages Posted: 11 May 2015 08:44 AM PDT An American undergraduate science program delves deeply into the bacteriophage genome, and publishes a paper with the second-highest number of authors in history, most of them students.

Graphene holds key to unlocking creation of wearable electronic devices Posted: 11 May 2015 08:44 AM PDT Groundbreaking research has successfully created the world's first truly electronic textile, using the wonder material, graphene.

Advanced viral gene therapy eradicates prostate cancer in preclinical experiments Posted: 11 May 2015 08:32 AM PDT Even with the best available treatments, the median survival of patients with metastatic, hormone-refractory prostate cancer is only two to three years. Driven by the need for more effective therapies for these patients, researchers have developed a unique approach that uses microscopic gas bubbles to deliver directly to the cancer a viral gene therapy in combination with an experimental drug that targets a specific gene driving the cancer's growth.

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