ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Researchers develop custom artificial membranes with programmable surfaces
• Walking or cycling to work could help you lose weight
• Matching physical and virtual atomic friction experiments
• Sleep loss impedes decision making in crisis, research shows
• Hip strengthening might ease pain of clogged leg arteries
• Threats to soil productivity threaten food security
• Ebola virus in patient’s eye fluid 10 weeks after it was undetectable in blood
• New intervention helps mothers address depression
• Ecologist warns of bamboo fueling spread of hantavirus
• 'Fracture' prints, not fingerprints, help solve child abuse cases
• The opioid epidemic and its impact on orthopaedic care
• Little flies in the big city: What you find depends on how you look
• Viagra to prevent transmission of the malaria parasite?
• Researchers hack a teleoperated surgical robot to reveal security flaws
• Scientists resolve debate over how many bacteria fight off invaders
• Strong statin-diabetes link seen in large study
• Fragments of tRNA suggest a novel mechanism for cancer progression
• Electrons corralled using new quantum tool
• Lopsided star explosion holds the key to other supernova mysteries
• Light in sight: A step towards a potential therapy for acquired blindness
• Near-atomic resolution of protein structure by electron microscopy holds promise
• Mercury's magnetic field is almost four billion years old
• Chagas disease vaccine shows long-term protection in mice
• Gene expression is key to understanding differences between individuals and disease susceptibility
• Large landslides lie low: Himalaya-Karakoram ranges
• Biting back: Scientists aim to forecast West Nile outbreaks
• Faster, more durable water filters: Plugging up leaky graphene
• How your brain reacts to emotional information is influenced by your genes
• Cancer drugs approved quickly but not to patient's benefit, researcher says
• Naturally occurring amino acid could improve oral health
• Potential new painkiller provides longer lasting effects
• Can the Ebola outbreak rejuvenate global health security?
• Hubble finds giant halo around the Andromeda galaxy
• Nuclear medicine scan could identify who might benefit from aromatase inhibitor treatment
• Buyers' readiness to take risk is top cause for volatility in US house prices
• Potential cause of schizophrenic symptoms identified
• New care approach to colorectal operations speeds patients' recovery times
• Snoring keeping you up at night?
• Mammary gland 'remembers' prior pregnancy, spurring milk production
• New mechanism of blood pressure regulation by a stress-sensitive gatekeeper
• 3D 'organoids' grown from patient tumors could personalize drug screening
• Researchers connect haywire protein to breast cancer, leukemia
• Locating the brain's SAD center
• As life slips by: Why eye movement doesn't blur the picture
• Metabolic link between bacterial 'biofilms' and colon cancer found
• New player in the occurrence of obesity complications
• Proto super-star cluster discovered: A cosmic 'dinosaur egg' about to hatch
• Children sleep better when they have a nightly bedtime routine
• Scientists use light to probe acoustic tuning in gold nanodisks
• Impact of post-treatment surveillance in head and neck squamous cell cancer
• Fish born in larger groups develop more social skills, different brain structure
• Quantum technologies: Scientists control the flow of heat and light in photonic crystals
• Incredible Bulk or Incredible Hulk? Side effects of steroid use
• Study links post-acute care hospital costs with lower survival rates
• Migraines, hormones, pre-eclampsia, lifespan all feature in increased strokes for women
• Statin drugs can delay prostate cancer progression in patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy, study shows
• I'll have what she's having: How peers influence the adoption of new sales channel
• The hairy past: Tail hair as an indicator of behavior, ecology in horses
• Smarter, cheaper technologies offer improved point-of-care medicine
• Herbal supplement may successfully treat glaucoma

Researchers develop custom artificial membranes with programmable surfaces Posted: 07 May 2015 06:31 PM PDT Researchers have developed artificial membranes with programmable features, enabling studies of cell communication and the molecular basis of disease. The new study demonstrates how researchers can examine the interactions of cell surfaces with other biological molecules, with far ranging applications in medicine, biochemistry and biophysics.

Walking or cycling to work could help you lose weight Posted: 07 May 2015 06:31 PM PDT Leaving your car at home could help shed pounds – according to new research. Given that car use is high, the findings strengthen the case for incentivising walking or cycling to boost population health, suggest the researchers.

Matching physical and virtual atomic friction experiments Posted: 07 May 2015 01:54 PM PDT Technological limitations have made studying friction on the atomic scale difficult, but researchers have now made advances in that quest on two fronts. By speeding up a real atomic force microscope and slowing down a simulation of one, the team has conducted the first atomic-scale experiments on friction at overlapping speeds.

Sleep loss impedes decision making in crisis, research shows Posted: 07 May 2015 01:54 PM PDT The difference between life and death in the operating room, on the battlefield or during a police shootout often comes down to the ability to adapt to the unexpected. Sleep deprivation may make it difficult to do so, according to a study that for the first time created a laboratory experiment that simulates how sleep loss affects critical aspects of decision making in high-stakes, real-world situations.

Hip strengthening might ease pain of clogged leg arteries Posted: 07 May 2015 01:54 PM PDT Exercise to strengthen hip flexor muscles may increase how far some patients can walk without calf pain. Gait analysis reveals that people with clogged leg arteries use calf muscles to compensate for weakness of certain hip muscles.

Threats to soil productivity threaten food security Posted: 07 May 2015 01:54 PM PDT A group of leading soil scientists points out the precarious state of the world's soil resources and the possible ramifications for human security.

Ebola virus in patient’s eye fluid 10 weeks after it was undetectable in blood Posted: 07 May 2015 01:54 PM PDT Researchers are reporting a case study in which viable Ebola virus was present in the eye's aqueous humor — the clear fluid in the front of the eye, between the lens and the cornea — 10 weeks after the virus was no longer detectable in the patient's blood.

New intervention helps mothers address depression Posted: 07 May 2015 12:41 PM PDT A new intervention has been developed that identifies potentially depressed mothers and encourages them to seek treatment. The Motivating our Mothers (MOM) program takes a unique approach, relying on pediatricians rather than the mother's doctor for diagnosis.

Ecologist warns of bamboo fueling spread of hantavirus Posted: 07 May 2015 12:41 PM PDT The popularity of bamboo landscaping could increase the spread of hantavirus, researchers say, with the plant's prolific seed production creating a population boom among seed-eating deer mice that carry the disease.

'Fracture' prints, not fingerprints, help solve child abuse cases Posted: 07 May 2015 12:41 PM PDT Much like a finger leaves its own unique print to help identify a person, researchers are now discovering that skull fractures leave certain signatures that can help investigators better determine what caused the injury.

The opioid epidemic and its impact on orthopaedic care Posted: 07 May 2015 12:41 PM PDT The United States makes up less than five percent of the world's population but consumes 80 percent of the global opioid supply and approximately 99 percent of all hydrocodone -- the most commonly prescribed opioid in the world.

Little flies in the big city: What you find depends on how you look Posted: 07 May 2015 12:41 PM PDT A group of researchers from the US and Australia have announced the unexpected discovery of exotic 'vinegar flies' (drosophilids) in urban Los Angeles. How could these species of one of the world's most studied organisms have escaped notice for so long in a place like Los Angeles? It all depends on how you look, the researchers say.

Viagra to prevent transmission of the malaria parasite? Posted: 07 May 2015 12:39 PM PDT By increasing the stiffness of erythrocytes infected by the causal agent of malaria, Viagra favors their elimination from the blood circulation and may therefore reduce transmission of the parasite from humans to mosquitoes. This astonishing discovery could lead to a treatment to reduce the spread of malaria within a population.

Researchers hack a teleoperated surgical robot to reveal security flaws Posted: 07 May 2015 11:53 AM PDT How safe is that robot doing your surgery? Researchers easily hacked a next generation teleoperated surgical robot to test how easily a malicious attack could hijack remotely-controlled operations in the future and to offer security solutions.

Scientists resolve debate over how many bacteria fight off invaders Posted: 07 May 2015 11:53 AM PDT Every inch of our body, inside and out, is oozing with bacteria. In fact, the human body carries 10 times the number of bacterial cells as human cells. Many are our friends, helping us digest food and fight off infections, for instance. But much about these abundant organisms, upon which our life depends, remains mysterious. New research finally cracks the code of a fundamental process bacteria use to defend themselves against invaders.

Strong statin-diabetes link seen in large study Posted: 07 May 2015 11:53 AM PDT In a study of nearly 26,000 beneficiaries of Tricare, the military health system, those taking statin drugs to control their cholesterol were 87 percent more likely to develop diabetes. The research confirms past findings on the link between the widely prescribed drugs and diabetes risk. But it is among the first to show the connection in a relatively healthy group of people. The study included only people who at baseline were free of heart disease, diabetes, and other severe chronic disease.

Fragments of tRNA suggest a novel mechanism for cancer progression Posted: 07 May 2015 11:53 AM PDT Researchers discover that particular genetic fragments, of a type of RNA known as transfer RNA, or tRNA, appear to be capable of reducing the growth and spread of breast cancer cells.

Electrons corralled using new quantum tool Posted: 07 May 2015 11:53 AM PDT Researchers have succeeded in creating a new 'whispering gallery' effect for electrons in a sheet of graphene -- making it possible to precisely control a region that reflects electrons within the material. They say the accomplishment could provide a basic building block for new kinds of electronic lenses, as well as quantum-based devices that combine electronics and optics.

Lopsided star explosion holds the key to other supernova mysteries Posted: 07 May 2015 11:53 AM PDT New observations of a recently exploded star are confirming supercomputer model predictions made at Caltech that the deaths of stellar giants are lopsided affairs in which debris and the stars' cores hurtle off in opposite directions.

Light in sight: A step towards a potential therapy for acquired blindness Posted: 07 May 2015 11:52 AM PDT A promising new therapeutic approach for hereditary blindness based on a technology termed 'optogenetics' is to introduce light-sensing proteins into these surviving retinal cells, turning them into 'replacement photoreceptors' and thereby restoring vision. However, several factors limit the feasibility of a clinical optogenetic therapy using traditional light-sensitive proteins, as they require unnaturally high and potentially harmful light intensities and employ a foreign signaling mechanism within the target retinal cells.

Near-atomic resolution of protein structure by electron microscopy holds promise Posted: 07 May 2015 11:52 AM PDT A new study shows that it is possible to use an imaging technique called cryo-electron microscopy to view, in near-atomic detail, the architecture of a metabolic enzyme bound to a drug that blocks its activity. This advance provides a new path for solving molecular structures that may revolutionize drug development, noted the researchers.

Mercury's magnetic field is almost four billion years old Posted: 07 May 2015 11:52 AM PDT New data from MESSENGER, the spacecraft that orbited Mercury for four years before crashing into the planet a week ago, reveals Mercury's magnetic field is almost four billion years old.

Chagas disease vaccine shows long-term protection in mice Posted: 07 May 2015 11:51 AM PDT Chagas disease, caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite and transmitted by insects in Latin America is among the most common tropical diseases, and so far without effective vaccine. A new study now shows that a candidate vaccine can induce long-lasting immunity against the parasite in mice.

Gene expression is key to understanding differences between individuals and disease susceptibility Posted: 07 May 2015 11:51 AM PDT The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project consortia has now published its results from their first pilot study contributing to a better understanding of genomic variation and give us new clues about disease susceptibility.

Large landslides lie low: Himalaya-Karakoram ranges Posted: 07 May 2015 10:59 AM PDT Large landslides are an important process of erosion in the Himalaya-Karakoram ranges. These high-relief landscapes are characterized by steep slopes that are prone to frequent landsliding. By mapping nearly 500 large (greater than 0.1 km2) landslides in the HKR, geologists have found that the vast majority of these mass movements lie in the lower portions of the landscape, whereas glaciers and rock glaciers occupy the higher elevations almost exclusively.

Biting back: Scientists aim to forecast West Nile outbreaks Posted: 07 May 2015 10:59 AM PDT New research has identified correlations between weather conditions and the occurrence of West Nile virus disease in the United States, raising the possibility of being able to better predict outbreaks.

Faster, more durable water filters: Plugging up leaky graphene Posted: 07 May 2015 10:59 AM PDT For faster, longer-lasting water filters, some scientists are looking to graphene --thin, strong sheets of carbon -- to serve as ultrathin membranes, filtering out contaminants to quickly purify high volumes of water. Graphene's unique properties make it a potentially ideal membrane for water filtration or desalination. But there's been one main drawback to its wider use: Making membranes in one-atom-thick layers of graphene is a meticulous process that can tear the thin material -- creating defects through which contaminants can leak. Now engineers have devised a process to repair these leaks.

How your brain reacts to emotional information is influenced by your genes Posted: 07 May 2015 10:59 AM PDT Your genes may influence how sensitive you are to emotional information, according to new research by a neuroscientist. The study found that carriers of a certain genetic variation perceived positive and negative images more vividly, and had heightened activity in certain brain regions.

Cancer drugs approved quickly but not to patient's benefit, researcher says Posted: 07 May 2015 10:59 AM PDT Highly priced cancer drugs get rushed approvals despite poor trial methodology and little effect on the longevity of patients, cautions one expert, who adds that drug reviewers don't look at the long term survival of patients who take them.

Naturally occurring amino acid could improve oral health Posted: 07 May 2015 10:59 AM PDT Arginine, a common amino acid found naturally in foods, breaks down dental plaque, which could help millions of people avoid cavities and gum disease, researchers have discovered.

Potential new painkiller provides longer lasting effects Posted: 07 May 2015 10:59 AM PDT Medications have long been used to treat pain caused by injury or chronic conditions. Unfortunately, most are short-term fixes or cause side effects that limit their use. Researchers have discovered a new compound that offers longer lasting painkilling effects, and shows promise as an alternative to current anesthetics.

Can the Ebola outbreak rejuvenate global health security? Posted: 07 May 2015 10:58 AM PDT The west African Ebola epidemic has rekindled interest in global health security, but it has also highlighted a troubling lack of political commitment to public health, and it is far from clear whether the crisis will be enough to rejuvenate global health security, say leading global health experts.

Hubble finds giant halo around the Andromeda galaxy Posted: 07 May 2015 10:57 AM PDT Scientists using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have discovered that the immense halo of gas enveloping the Andromeda galaxy, our nearest massive galactic neighbor, is about six times larger and 1,000 times more massive than previously measured. What does this mean for our own galaxy? Because we live inside the Milky Way, scientists cannot determine whether or not such an equally massive and extended halo exists around our galaxy. It's a case of not being able to see the forest for the trees. If the Milky Way does possess a similarly huge halo, the two galaxies' halos may be nearly touching already and quiescently merging long before the two massive galaxies collide. Hubble observations indicate that the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies will merge to form a giant elliptical galaxy beginning about 4 billion years from now.

Nuclear medicine scan could identify who might benefit from aromatase inhibitor treatment Posted: 07 May 2015 09:30 AM PDT A new, noninvasive nuclear medicine test can be used to determine whether aromatase inhibitor treatment will be effective for specific cancer patients, according to a recent study reported in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The research shows that a PET scan with the ligand C-11-vorozole reliably detects aromatase in all body organs - demonstrating the value of its future use to pre-determine the effectiveness of the treatment for breast, ovarian, endometrial and lung cancer patients.

Buyers' readiness to take risk is top cause for volatility in US house prices Posted: 07 May 2015 09:30 AM PDT Consumer willingness to take chances with their money in large part triggers fluctuations in housing prices, a study concludes. Researchers used a dynamic factor model to boil down the price-rent ratios of 23 major housing markets into a national factor and independent local factors, then tied these to economic fundamentals of housing markets in the U.S.

Potential cause of schizophrenic symptoms identified Posted: 07 May 2015 09:30 AM PDT Researchers believe they have discovered an abnormality in the schizophrenic brain that could be responsible for many of the disease's symptoms and could provide a drug target for therapeutic treatments. Schizophrenia affects millions of people worldwide but the cause of its wide-ranging symptoms remains largely unknown.

New care approach to colorectal operations speeds patients' recovery times Posted: 07 May 2015 09:29 AM PDT Patients undergoing colorectal operations who participated in an enhanced recovery program left the hospital sooner and had significantly lower hospital costs than patients who had the traditional approach to their care, according to a new study, which also found further postoperative improvements after adding an infection prevention protocol.

Snoring keeping you up at night? Posted: 07 May 2015 09:29 AM PDT In patients with primary snoring or mild OSA, oropharyngeal, or mouth and tongue, exercises significantly reduced the frequency of snoring by 36 percent and total power of snoring by 59 percent, a study concludes.

Mammary gland 'remembers' prior pregnancy, spurring milk production Posted: 07 May 2015 09:28 AM PDT Anecdotal reports of nursing mothers have long suggested that giving milk is a lot easier in second and subsequent pregnancies, compared with a first pregnancy. Now, researchers can explain why. Their work shows the mammary gland forms a long-term memory of pregnancy that primes it to respond to the hormonal changes that announce succeeding pregnancies.

New mechanism of blood pressure regulation by a stress-sensitive gatekeeper Posted: 07 May 2015 09:28 AM PDT A new mechanism for the regulation of blood pressure has been discovered by scientists. The study shows that blood pressure can drop dramatically if the protein ERAP1 is released from cells and enters the blood stream.

3D 'organoids' grown from patient tumors could personalize drug screening Posted: 07 May 2015 09:28 AM PDT Three-dimensional cultures (or 'organoids') derived from the tumors of cancer patients closely replicate key properties of the original tumors, reveals a study. These 'organoid' cultures are amenable to large-scale drug screens for the detection of genetic changes associated with drug sensitivity and pave the way for personalized treatment approaches that could optimize clinical outcomes in cancer patients.

Researchers connect haywire protein to breast cancer, leukemia Posted: 07 May 2015 09:27 AM PDT The cause of some cancers, including breast cancer and leukemia, is better understood, thanks to recent research. In the new study, the researchers found that too much of a key protein, called cyclin E, slows down DNA replication and introduces potentially harmful cancer-linked mutations when cells divide.

Locating the brain's SAD center Posted: 07 May 2015 09:26 AM PDT Biologists have known that variations in the amount of sunlight a person receives and her or his circadian clock play a role in the disorder. They have also proposed that the neurotransmitters serotonin and melatonin may be involved. However, they have not yet identified the underlying neurobiological mechanisms responsible. Biologists have now localized the seasonal light cycle effects that drive seasonal affective disorder to a small region of the brain called the dorsal raphe nucleus.

As life slips by: Why eye movement doesn't blur the picture Posted: 07 May 2015 09:26 AM PDT Researchers have identified the molecular "glue" that builds the brain connections that keep visual images clear and still, even as objects or your eyes move. Using mouse models, the researchers demonstrate that image stabilization depends upon two proteins, Contactin-4 and amyloid precursor protein, binding during embryonic development.

Metabolic link between bacterial 'biofilms' and colon cancer found Posted: 07 May 2015 09:26 AM PDT A team of scientists has uncovered a big clue to how bacteria may promote some colon cancers. The study used novel metabolomic technologies to reveal molecular evidence suggesting a vicious circle in which cancerous changes in colon cells promote the growth of bacterial conglomerations called biofilms, and biofilms in turn promote cancer development.

New player in the occurrence of obesity complications Posted: 07 May 2015 08:43 AM PDT Metabolic complications of obesity and overweight, such as type 2 diabetes, are an important challenge to public health. Teams of researchers have succeeded in elucidating part of the mechanisms involved in the development of these metabolic complications associated with obesity.

Proto super-star cluster discovered: A cosmic 'dinosaur egg' about to hatch Posted: 07 May 2015 08:43 AM PDT Astronomers have discovered what may be the first known example of a globular cluster about to be born: an incredibly massive, extremely dense, yet star-free cloud of molecular gas.

Children sleep better when they have a nightly bedtime routine Posted: 07 May 2015 08:43 AM PDT Having a regular bedtime routine is associated with better sleep in young children up to six years of age, and the positive impact on sleep increases with the consistency of the nightly routine, a multinational study suggests.

Scientists use light to probe acoustic tuning in gold nanodisks Posted: 07 May 2015 08:43 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a new method to tune the light-induced vibrations of nanoparticles through slight alterations to the surface to which they are attached. The research could open doors for new applications of photonics ranging from molecular sensing to wireless communications.

Impact of post-treatment surveillance in head and neck squamous cell cancer Posted: 07 May 2015 08:42 AM PDT Compliance with post-treatment surveillance, income level and the travel distance for follow-up care had effects on survival in patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer, according to a report.

Fish born in larger groups develop more social skills, different brain structure Posted: 07 May 2015 08:40 AM PDT A new study shows that cichlid fish reared in larger social groups from birth display a greater and more extensive range of social interactions, which continues into the later life of the fish. Researchers say this indicates the fish develop more attuned social behaviour as a result of early environments.

Quantum technologies: Scientists control the flow of heat and light in photonic crystals Posted: 07 May 2015 08:40 AM PDT Scientists have found a way to control heat propagation in photonic nano-sized devices, which will be used for high speed communications and quantum information technologies.

Incredible Bulk or Incredible Hulk? Side effects of steroid use Posted: 07 May 2015 08:40 AM PDT A lot of hard work, practice and dedication can help you sculpt a well-muscled body, but anabolic steroids will get you there a lot faster. What will it cost you, though? The short side of the long story of this research-based conclusion is: Don't use steroids.

Study links post-acute care hospital costs with lower survival rates Posted: 07 May 2015 08:40 AM PDT Spending on post-acute care in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) provides a key signal of inefficiency in the health care system, leading to higher spending and lower patient survival, experts say in a new report.

Migraines, hormones, pre-eclampsia, lifespan all feature in increased strokes for women Posted: 07 May 2015 08:40 AM PDT Each year, around 55,000 more women than men will have a stroke. Longer lifespans, pregnancies and hormones all contribute to the disparity, as do illnesses that tend to strike women more frequently. Crunch the numbers and the math adds up to more strokes for women, making it important for women monitor their risk.

Statin drugs can delay prostate cancer progression in patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy, study shows Posted: 07 May 2015 08:40 AM PDT Men who went on cholesterol-lowering statin drugs when they began androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer had a longer time in which their disease was under control than did men who didn't take statins, a clinical trial shows.

I'll have what she's having: How peers influence the adoption of new sales channel Posted: 07 May 2015 07:13 AM PDT Marketing campaigns focused on social media and socioeconomic groupings are likely to give the greatest boost to disruptive new channels, but help propel new brick-and-mortar venues as well, a study concludes.

The hairy past: Tail hair as an indicator of behavior, ecology in horses Posted: 07 May 2015 07:12 AM PDT Life style leaves chemical traces in hair. In horses, the analysis of tail hair is especially suited as the length of the hair can provide information over a long period of time. Determining the exact period of time that corresponds to a segment of hair is not trivial. Hair does not grow at the same rate in all horses. Researchers have now solved this problem. They developed a method to correctly assign individual hair growth to seasons and thus to a specific time frame.

Smarter, cheaper technologies offer improved point-of-care medicine Posted: 07 May 2015 07:12 AM PDT New paper and flexible polymer substrates were combined with special sensing devices for rapid and accurate detection of HIV and other pathogens for point-of-care medicine in remote areas, where there is minimal diagnostic infrastructure and a lack of trained medical technicians.

Herbal supplement may successfully treat glaucoma Posted: 07 May 2015 06:35 AM PDT Scientists have found that baicalein significantly lowers eye pressure and may act as an all-natural treatment for glaucoma.

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