ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Substance abuse recovery odds increase in a community setting
• Mascots most effective in boosting conservation by threatening disapproval
• Identifying the 'dimmer switch' of diabetes
• Scientists identify DNA alterations as among earliest to occur in lung cancer development
• Pushing the limits of lensless imaging
• Physicists determine 3-D positions of individual atoms for the first time
• Earliest evidence of ancient North American salmon fishing verified
• Laser pulses for ultrahigh molecular sensitivity
• Pregnancy complications may signal later risk of heart disease death
• New way found to combat brain cancer
• Scientists sequence genome of worm that can regrow body parts, seeking stem cell insights
• Building a biofuel-boosting Swiss Army knife
• Printing lightweight, flexible, and functional materials
• Fatigue-free, stretchable conductor created
• Engineers invent transparent coating that cools solar cells to boost efficiency
• Virus re-engineered to deliver therapies to cells
• Choosing interactive tools for virtual museums mixes art, science
• New, forward-thinking report addresses environmental research, education
• Bordetella parapertussis outbreak in southeastern Minnesota in 2014
• Pairs of supermassive black holes in galaxies may be rarer than previously thought
• New lineage of prehistoric, plankton-eating sharks discovered
• Microalgae increases the survival of juvenile queen conch
• Mind your manners, robot: How social cues influence human-robot interaction
• Species extinction can doom parasites important for ecosystem health
• Study: It's not cheating unless a species gets hurt
• Researchers use neuroimaging to measure early cognitive improvement after mild TBI
• How a frog's molecules 'leaped,' and 'crawled,' to evolve violet vision
• Mice exposed to environmental chemicals may show decreased physical activity in offspring
• Targeting DNA: Protein-based sensor could detect viral infection or kill cancer cells
• One-two punch of rising seas, bigger storms may greatly magnify US East coast floods
• Acoustic imaging with outline detection
• Eye-tracking glasses reveal the learning process
• Millennials, Gen Y need to eat less, work out more to stave off obesity, researchers say
• Obamacare saps enthusiasm for government health-care spending
• El Nino and La Nina will exacerbate coastal hazards across entire Pacific
• Old drug offers new hope to treat Alzheimer's disease
• Pioneer ACO program sees modest reduction in low-value services
• Study examines gun control policies, effect on youth gun carrying
• Public health must be top priority if cannabis is legalized in Canada
• As polar ice melts, seabed life is working against climate change
• Selectively logged Amazon forests play important role in climate
• Digestible batteries needed to power electronic pills
• 'Delayed remembering': Kids can remember tomorrow what they forgot today
• Link between the economy, crime rates has broken down, new research finds
• Becoming cyborgs in the battle against prostate cancer
• Emissions from melting permafrost could cost $43 trillion
• A thermal invisibility cloak actively redirects heat
• Blue crabs more tolerant of low oxygen than previously thought
• Social responsibility promotes conservative risk behavior
• 4-D technology allows self-folding of complex objects
• Childhood kidney stones associated with atherosclerosis, study shows
• Malaria: Multi-drug resistance more alarming than ever
• Greening the electric grid with gas turbines
• Unemployment takes its toll on young people's mental health
• Violence among young black men associated with sense of powerlessness, study finds
• Predicting X-ray diffuse scattering from translation-libration-screw structural ensembles
• Targeting exercise is not the best way to reduce prolonged sitting, study finds
• Benefits of word repetition to infants
• Exercise reduces suicide attempts by 23 percent among bullied teens
• Phase 3 women-only HIV study sheds light on safe and effective antiretroviral treatments

Substance abuse recovery odds increase in a community setting Posted: 21 Sep 2015 03:25 PM PDT Following substance abuse treatment, individuals who live in a collaborative housing setting with community rules and responsibilities have their substance abuse treated more effectively than those not provided supportive housing, according to research.

Mascots most effective in boosting conservation by threatening disapproval Posted: 21 Sep 2015 03:25 PM PDT Smokey Bear has spent decades reminding picnickers "only you can prevent forest fires" and has even been known to cry over the devastation they leave in their wake. Now researchers say the cartoon bear illustrates how mascots can most effectively protect the environment -- by threatening disappointment.

Identifying the 'dimmer switch' of diabetes Posted: 21 Sep 2015 03:21 PM PDT In a landmark study, researchers examined pancreatic islet cells from 99 human organ donors and identified a new molecular pathway that manages the amount of insulin produced by the pancreatic cells -- essentially a 'dimmer' switch that adjusts how much or how little insulin is secreted when blood sugar increases. According to the researchers, the dimmer appears to be lost in type 2 diabetes but can be restored and 'turned back on.'

Scientists identify DNA alterations as among earliest to occur in lung cancer development Posted: 21 Sep 2015 03:21 PM PDT Working with tissue, blood and DNA from six people with precancerous and cancerous lung lesions, a team of scientists has identified what it believes are among the very earliest 'premalignant' genetic changes that mark the potential onset of the most common and deadliest form of disease.

Pushing the limits of lensless imaging Posted: 21 Sep 2015 03:21 PM PDT Using ultrafast beams of extreme ultraviolet light streaming at a 100,000 times a second, researchers from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany, have pushed the boundaries of a well-established imaging technique. The new approach could be used to study everything from semiconductor chips to cancer cells.

Physicists determine 3-D positions of individual atoms for the first time Posted: 21 Sep 2015 03:21 PM PDT Atoms are the building blocks of all matter on Earth, and the patterns in which they are arranged dictate how strong, conductive or flexible a material will be. Now, scientists have used a powerful microscope to image the 3-dimensional positions of individual atoms to a precision of 19 trillionths of a meter, which is several times smaller than a hydrogen atom.

Earliest evidence of ancient North American salmon fishing verified Posted: 21 Sep 2015 03:21 PM PDT Researchers in Alaska have found the earliest known evidence that Ice Age humans in North America used salmon as a food source, according to a new paper.

Laser pulses for ultrahigh molecular sensitivity Posted: 21 Sep 2015 03:21 PM PDT Scientists have developed a new light source with unprecedented sensitivity to molecular finger prints of cancer cells.

Pregnancy complications may signal later risk of heart disease death Posted: 21 Sep 2015 03:21 PM PDT Women who experience pregnancy complications, especially those with multiple complications, are at greater risk of dying from heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases later in life. Researchers suggest women who experience complicated pregnancies should be targeted for early, aggressive preventive cardiovascular disease intervention.

New way found to combat brain cancer Posted: 21 Sep 2015 12:35 PM PDT Scientists have discovered an innovative way that may stop the spread of the most lethal and aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). In laboratory studies, scientists demonstrated that activating a specific family of proteins halted cancer cell migration into healthy tissue.

Scientists sequence genome of worm that can regrow body parts, seeking stem cell insights Posted: 21 Sep 2015 12:34 PM PDT Tourists spending a recuperative holiday on the Italian coast may be envious of the regenerative abilities of locally found flatworm M. lignano. Named for an Italian beach town, the tiny worm can regenerate almost its whole body following injury. Researchers have now sequenced its genome.

Building a biofuel-boosting Swiss Army knife Posted: 21 Sep 2015 12:34 PM PDT A molecular Swiss Army knife has been built by researchers that streamlines the molecular machinery of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, making biofuels and other green chemical production from these organisms more viable.

Printing lightweight, flexible, and functional materials Posted: 21 Sep 2015 12:34 PM PDT Researchers have designed new multimaterial printheads that mix and print concentrated viscoelastic inks that allow for the simultaneous control of composition and geometry during printing. Using active mixing and fast-switching nozzles, these novel printheads change material composition on the fly and could pave the way for entirely 3-D printed wearable devices, soft robots, and electronics.

Fatigue-free, stretchable conductor created Posted: 21 Sep 2015 12:34 PM PDT Researchers have discovered a new stretchable, transparent conductor that can be folded or stretched and released, resulting in a large curvature or a significant strain, at least 10,000 times without showing signs of fatigue. This is a crucial step in creating a new generation of foldable electronics -- think a flat-screen television that can be rolled up for easy portability -- and implantable medical devices.

Engineers invent transparent coating that cools solar cells to boost efficiency Posted: 21 Sep 2015 12:34 PM PDT The hotter solar cells become, the less efficient they are at converting sunlight to electricity, a problem that has long vexed the solar industry. Now engineers have developed a transparent overlay that increases efficiency by cooling the cells even in full sunlight.

Virus re-engineered to deliver therapies to cells Posted: 21 Sep 2015 12:34 PM PDT Researchers stripped a virus of its infectious machinery and turned its benign core into a delivery vehicle that can target sick cells while leaving healthy tissue alone.

Choosing interactive tools for virtual museums mixes art, science Posted: 21 Sep 2015 12:14 PM PDT Museum curators planning to develop virtual exhibits online should choose communication and navigation technologies that match the experience they want to offer their visitors, according to a team of researchers.

New, forward-thinking report addresses environmental research, education Posted: 21 Sep 2015 12:14 PM PDT The United States is at an environmental crossroads, states a new report. Climate change in the Arctic, urban growth in Phoenix, West Coast fisheries affected by El Niño, land-use change in New England, nutrients in watersheds in the Midwest--the report finds society is facing a wide array of environmental challenges.

Bordetella parapertussis outbreak in southeastern Minnesota in 2014 Posted: 21 Sep 2015 12:14 PM PDT A new study reports that an outbreak of Bordetella parapertussis occurred in 2014 in Southeastern Minnesota, in the months of October through December.

Pairs of supermassive black holes in galaxies may be rarer than previously thought Posted: 21 Sep 2015 11:14 AM PDT Astronomers analyzing new images of 'X-shaped galaxies' conclude that their peculiar shape is less-commonly caused by mergers than was thought. This result could lower the level of gravitational waves coming from such galaxies.

New lineage of prehistoric, plankton-eating sharks discovered Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:41 AM PDT A new lineage of extinct plankton-feeding sharks, Pseudomegachasma, has been discovered by an international team of scientists. The sharks lived in warm oceans during the age of the dinosaurs nearly 100 million years ago. The fossil sharks had tiny teeth very similar to a modern-day, plankton-eating megamouth shark.

Microalgae increases the survival of juvenile queen conch Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:39 AM PDT In the Mexican Caribbean, inhabit several species of snails. Historically the most abundant was Strombus gigas, commonly called pink snail. For years this type has had great fishing demand for its shells and meat, because of this now the mollusc is threatened and its capture prohibited until 2018.

Mind your manners, robot: How social cues influence human-robot interaction Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:39 AM PDT New research examines the importance of social cues when evaluating the role of trust in human-robot interaction.

Species extinction can doom parasites important for ecosystem health Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:39 AM PDT The effects of an animal population's extinction may echo beyond the original species, new research finds. Loss of a population could ultimately result in the extinction of parasites -- which are critical for a healthy ecosystem. Researchers focused this particular study on a Brazilian fish community and their associated parasites.

Study: It's not cheating unless a species gets hurt Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:39 AM PDT A review of dozens of key ecological studies has found very little evidence to support one of the field's commonly held beliefs: Cheating is widespread among 'mutualists,' species that cooperate with one another for mutual benefit.

Researchers use neuroimaging to measure early cognitive improvement after mild TBI Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:39 AM PDT A neuroimaging study details working memory deficits and cognitive recovery during initial week after concussion. The fMRI studies, conducted at <72 hours after injury and one week later, provide neuroimaging evidence for working memory deficits during the week following injury.

How a frog's molecules 'leaped,' and 'crawled,' to evolve violet vision Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:39 AM PDT The African clawed frog's process for adaptive color vision is full of mysterious twists and turns, an evolutionary biologist explains in a new article about the frog's shift from ultraviolet to violet vision.

Mice exposed to environmental chemicals may show decreased physical activity in offspring Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:38 AM PDT Endocrine disruptors interfere with endocrine or hormone systems and can cause tumors, birth defects and developmental disorders in mammals. Now, a study suggests that female mice exposed to environmental chemicals may cause decreases in their daughter's metabolism and the amount of exercise in which they engage in later in life. These disruptors when introduced in developmental stages, are essentially creating 'couch potatoes' among female mice and could predict future metabolic complications.

Targeting DNA: Protein-based sensor could detect viral infection or kill cancer cells Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:38 AM PDT Biological engineers have developed a modular system of proteins that can detect a particular DNA sequence in a cell and then trigger a specific response, such as cell death.

One-two punch of rising seas, bigger storms may greatly magnify US East coast floods Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:38 AM PDT Many studies predict that future sea-level rise along the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts will increase flooding. Others suggest that the human-caused warming driving this rise will also boost the intensity and frequency of big coastal storms. Now, a new study quantifies how they could interact to produce alarming spikes in the combined height and duration of flooding. It projects that coastal flooding could possibly shoot up several hundredfold by 2100, from the Northeast to Texas.

Acoustic imaging with outline detection Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:38 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new method to differentiate very weak and short sound waves from longer ones. When used in acoustic imaging, their technology makes it possible to detect only the outline of objects.

Eye-tracking glasses reveal the learning process Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:38 AM PDT Using eye-tracking glasses, a professor has developed a new method to determine how novice medical students learn compared to more experienced medical professionals.

Millennials, Gen Y need to eat less, work out more to stave off obesity, researchers say Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:36 AM PDT If you are struggling with weight gain, you might be surprised to know that your parents had it easier - they could eat more and exercise less, and still avoid obesity, according to a recent study.

Obamacare saps enthusiasm for government health-care spending Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:36 AM PDT The Affordable Care Act has eroded support for federal health care spending not just from Republicans, but also from Democrats and independents, a study has found.

El Nino and La Nina will exacerbate coastal hazards across entire Pacific Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:36 AM PDT The projected upsurge of severe El Nino and La Nina events will cause an increase in storm events leading to extreme coastal flooding and erosion in populated regions across the Pacific Ocean.

Old drug offers new hope to treat Alzheimer's disease Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:36 AM PDT Salsalate, a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, effectively reversed tau-related dysfunction in an animal model of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), scientists have discovered. Salsalate prevented the accumulation of tau in the brain and protected against cognitive impairments resembling impairments seen in Alzheimer's disease and FTD.

Pioneer ACO program sees modest reduction in low-value services Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:36 AM PDT The Medicare Pioneer ACO (accountable care organization) program in its first year was associated with modest reductions in low-value services that provide minimal clinical benefit to patients, according to an article.

Study examines gun control policies, effect on youth gun carrying Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:36 AM PDT A more restrictive gun law environment was associated with a reduced likelihood of youth carrying guns, according to an article. An average of 15,000 teenagers 12 to 19 years old died annually in the United States from 1999 to 2013. The three leading causes of death among teenagers were unintentional injuries, homicide and suicide. Among these fatal youth injuries, most homicides were gun-related (83 percent) and about half of suicides involved a gun (45 percent).

Public health must be top priority if cannabis is legalized in Canada Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:34 AM PDT If Canada's new government decides to legalize cannabis, public health must be the top priority to prevent commercialization and promotion by 'Big Cannabis' and subsequent possible harms, argues an analysis.

As polar ice melts, seabed life is working against climate change Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:34 AM PDT When it comes to climate change, it's rare to get any good news. But a researcher who's reported evidence, after more than two decades of study, has some: the loss of sea ice over Antarctic waters in some areas has led to the increased growth of creatures living on the seafloor. Those underwater assemblages are acting as an important and unexpected carbon sink.

Selectively logged Amazon forests play important role in climate Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:34 AM PDT With careful management, selectively logged tropical Amazonian forests can recover their carbon stocks within a cutting cycle of 20 to 30 years, according to researchers. The findings show that sustainably logged tropical forests continue to play a key role in global carbon sequestration, with important implications for global climate.

Digestible batteries needed to power electronic pills Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:34 AM PDT Imagine a 'smart pill' that can sense problems in your intestines and actively release the appropriate drugs. We have the biological understanding to create such a device, but we're still searching for electronic materials (like batteries and circuits) that pose no risk if they get stuck in our bodies. Now researchers present a vision for creating safe, consumable electronics, such as those powered by the charged ions within our digestive tracts.

'Delayed remembering': Kids can remember tomorrow what they forgot today Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:29 AM PDT For adults, memories tend to fade with time. But a new study has shown that there are circumstances under which the opposite is true for small children: they can remember a piece of information better days later than they can on the day they first learned it.

Link between the economy, crime rates has broken down, new research finds Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:27 AM PDT The assumption that rising unemployment, leads to rising crime in the UK, is being challenged by new research. The study has found that the relationship between the economy and crime rates has varied over time. Specifically, researchers discovered that the association between unemployment and property crime - which was strong in the 1970s and 1980s - weakened after 1995 and became non-existent by 2005. These findings help to shed light on why the recorded crime rate did not rise following the 2007-2008 financial crisis.

Becoming cyborgs in the battle against prostate cancer Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:27 AM PDT Men are surprisingly positive and open to the concept of having cancer-detecting biosensors implanted within their bodies – effectively making them cyborgs -- new research suggests.

Emissions from melting permafrost could cost $43 trillion Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:27 AM PDT New analysis of the effects of melting permafrost in the Arctic points to $43 trillion in extra economic damage by the end of the next century, on top of the more than the $300 trillion economic damage already predicted.

A thermal invisibility cloak actively redirects heat Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:27 AM PDT Light, sound, and now, heat -- just as optical invisibility cloaks can bend and diffract light to shield an object from sight, and specially fabricated acoustic metamaterials can hide an object from sound waves, a recently developed thermal cloak can render an object thermally invisible by actively redirecting incident heat.

Blue crabs more tolerant of low oxygen than previously thought Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:26 AM PDT Findings of low-oxygen tolerance among blue crabs contradict earlier studies, thus helping to explain what had been somewhat of an ecological mystery. The researchers undertook the study in light of concerns about decreasing levels of oxygen in coastal waters worldwide, and how the growing prevalence of low-oxygen "dead zones" might affect populations and management of blue crabs and other coastal marine life.

Social responsibility promotes conservative risk behavior Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:26 AM PDT Individuals make more conservative choices when the decisions they make affect other people, according to a new study. The study also found that conformism, or changing one's behavior to match the responses of others, also had an effect on risk taking. Observing the choice of another leads both individual and social decisions toward whatever the other person's expressed risk preference is.

4-D technology allows self-folding of complex objects Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:26 AM PDT Using components made from smart shape-memory materials with slightly different responses to heat, researchers have demonstrated a four-dimensional printing technology that allowed creation of complex self-folding structures.

Childhood kidney stones associated with atherosclerosis, study shows Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:25 AM PDT A recent study is the first to examine and identify a link between kidney stones in children and thickened or hardened arteries -- precursors to a wide variety of cardiovascular diseases. Understanding the connection between kidney stones and cardiovascular risk factors in children may help physicians and parents implement prevention measures to reduce future risk of stroke, heart attack or other forms of vascular disease for affected children.

Malaria: Multi-drug resistance more alarming than ever Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:25 AM PDT The efforts of the international community for the past ten years in the fight against malaria have reduced the number of disease-related deaths. The in vitro examination of a strain of parasites solely exposed to artemisinin (the base compound for standard therapy) demonstrates the development of a widespread resistance to most other anti-malarial drugs.

Greening the electric grid with gas turbines Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:25 AM PDT Much of the nation's energy policy is premised on the assumption that clean renewable sources like wind and solar will require huge quantities of storage before they can make a significant dent in the greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation. A new study pokes holes in that conventional wisdom. The analysis finds that the supply of wind and solar power could be increased tenfold without additional storage.

Unemployment takes its toll on young people's mental health Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:25 AM PDT Young people who are not in education, employment or training are committed to working but vulnerable to experiencing mental health problems, according to a new study.

Violence among young black men associated with sense of powerlessness, study finds Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:25 AM PDT New research finds that young black men and teens who are most likely to be victims or perpetrators of violence are also those who feel that they have the least power to effect social change -- highlighting the importance of ensuring that young black men do not feel alienated by society and social programs.

Predicting X-ray diffuse scattering from translation-libration-screw structural ensembles Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:25 AM PDT Protein flexibility is essential for enzymatic turnover, signalling regulation and protein-protein interactions. Multiple crystal structures are routinely compared to identify these motions and to derive hypotheses about the role of correlated motions in executing protein function. However, if only a single crystal form is available, evidence of concerted motion must be extracted from the spread in the electron density. Diffuse X-ray scattering can help by reporting on correlated atomic displacements.

Targeting exercise is not the best way to reduce prolonged sitting, study finds Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:25 AM PDT Targeting sitting time, rather than physical activity, is the most effective way to reduce prolonged sitting, according to the first comprehensive review of strategies designed to reduce sitting time.

Benefits of word repetition to infants Posted: 21 Sep 2015 07:35 AM PDT  New research suggests that young infants benefit from hearing words repeated by their parents. With this knowledge, parents may make conscious communication choices that could pay off in their babies' toddler years and beyond.

Exercise reduces suicide attempts by 23 percent among bullied teens Posted: 21 Sep 2015 06:54 AM PDT As high schools across the country continue to reduce physical education, recess, and athletic programs, a new study shows that regular exercise significantly reduces both suicidal thoughts and attempts among students who are bullied.

Phase 3 women-only HIV study sheds light on safe and effective antiretroviral treatments Posted: 21 Sep 2015 06:53 AM PDT Results from the first phase 3 HIV study to enroll only women show improved safety and efficacy of the drug Stribild over multi-pill antiretroviral drug regimens.

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