ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Man walks again after years of paralysis
• Liquid crystals show potential for detection of neuro-degenerative disease
• Babies time their smiles to make their moms smile in return
• Drug disarms deadly C. difficile bacteria without destroying healthy gut flora
• Team links two human brains for question-and-answer experiment
• 9,000-year-old ritualized decapitation found in Brazil
• New data on risks of labor anesthesia in women with low platelet counts
• Protecting lakes, streams by removing phosphates as well as nitrates
• Human activity affecting microbes in soil
• Researchers try to reduce barotrauma deaths for deep-sea fish and sustain industry
• Decision-making involves a little known brain region in the thalamus
• Many patients prefer online postoperative care to in-person care
• Physiologists uncover a new code at the heart of biology
• Earth's oceans show decline in microscopic plant life
• Potential source of insulin-producing cells found in adult human pancreas
• Ultrafast lasers offer 3-D micropatterning of biocompatible hydrogels
• In terminally ill patients, some types of delirium are a sign of 'imminent death'
• Exergaming improves physical mental fitness in children with autism spectrum disorders
• Most U.S. states don't think ignition interlock is severe enough punishment
• Giant killer lizard fossil shines new light on early Australians
• How the brain encodes time and place
• Viruses join fight against harmful bacteria
• Ringing in the ears and chronic pain enter by the same gate
• Like a foreman, brain region keeps us on task
• Adolescent brain may be especially sensitive to new memories, social stress, and drug use
• The final word on STAP
• The world's nitrogen fixation, explained
• How flu viruses gain the ability to spread
• Twisting neutrons
• Metastatic breast cancer cells turn on stem cell genes
• Enamel evolved in the skin and colonized the teeth much later
• New cancer genes identified, opening door to targeted treatments
• Negative spiritual beliefs associated with more pain and worse physical, mental health
• Newly discovered metabolism certifies evolutionary advantage for yeast
• Antimicrobial film for future implants
• New study highlights valuable tool for studying living and extinct animals
• Almost one-third of families of children with cancer have unmet basic needs during treatment
• Potential benefit of telehealth visits for postoperative care observed
• Early testing can predict stroke patients who will develop upper limb spasticity
• How to find out about the human mind through stone
• Chemists create switchable gold catalyst
• New sports technology provides a GPS alternative
• Novel ecologically-friendly high performance energy storage device developed
• Digital textbook analytics can predict student outcomes, study finds
• Horse owners can manage flies with wasps instead of pesticides
• Emergency department visit provides opportunity to reduce underage drinking
• Highly flexible and wearable tactile sensor for robotics, electronics and healthcare applications
• Spin caloritronics: Physicists find new explanation for key experiment
• New synthesis method imitates the way molecules were formed at the dawn of life on Earth
• Dangerous swelling in babies linked to mutated gene
• If you’re sitting down, don’t sit still, new research suggests
• Tiny carbon-capturing motors may help tackle rising carbon dioxide levels
• Hot, dense material surrounds O-type star with largest magnetic field known
• Frustrated magnets point towards new memory
• Messier 17: A cosmic rose with many names
• Fish 'backpack' advances underwater research
• Human muscle stem cells isolated
• New technique negotiates neuron jungle to target source of Parkinson's disease
• Restricting access at known 'suicide hotspots' reduces the number of suicides by more than 90 percent, study shows
• Not all trans fatty acids are bad for you, new research suggests

Man walks again after years of paralysis Posted: 23 Sep 2015 06:39 PM PDT The ability to walk has been restored following a spinal cord injury, using one's own brain power, according to research. The preliminary proof-of-concept study shows that it is possible to use direct brain control to get a person's legs to walk again.

Liquid crystals show potential for detection of neuro-degenerative disease Posted: 23 Sep 2015 12:14 PM PDT Liquid crystals are familiar to most of us as the somewhat humdrum stuff used to make computer displays and TVs. Even for scientists, it has not been easy to find other ways of using them. Now a group of researchers is putting liquid crystals to work in a completely unexpected realm: as detectors for the protein fibers implicated in the development of neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Babies time their smiles to make their moms smile in return Posted: 23 Sep 2015 12:14 PM PDT Why do babies smile when they interact with their parents? Could their smiles have a purpose? A team of computer scientists, roboticists and developmental psychologists confirm what most parents already suspect: when babies smile, they do so with a purpose -- to make the person they interact with smile in return. To verify their findings, researchers programmed a toddler-like robot to behave like the babies they studied and had the robot interact with undergraduate students.

Drug disarms deadly C. difficile bacteria without destroying healthy gut flora Posted: 23 Sep 2015 12:14 PM PDT Scientists have successfully defeated a dangerous intestinal pathogen, Clostridium difficile, with a drug targeting its toxins rather than its life. C. difficile is responsible for more than 250,000 hospitalizations and 15,000 deaths per year in the United States, costing the country more than $4 billion in health-care expenses, said the study's senior author.

Team links two human brains for question-and-answer experiment Posted: 23 Sep 2015 12:13 PM PDT Researchers used a brain-to-brain interface they developed to allow pairs of participants to play a '20 question' style game by transmitting signals from one brain to another over the Internet. Their experiment is thought to be the first to demonstrate that two brains can be directly linked to allow someone to accurately guess what is on another person's mind.

9,000-year-old ritualized decapitation found in Brazil Posted: 23 Sep 2015 12:13 PM PDT A 9,000-year-old case of human decapitation has been found in the rock shelter of Lapa do Santo in Brazil.

New data on risks of labor anesthesia in women with low platelet counts Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:44 AM PDT Can women with low platelet counts safely undergo epidural/spinal anesthesia during labor? Available evidence suggests a low rate of complications related to abnormal blood clotting for this large group of patients.

Protecting lakes, streams by removing phosphates as well as nitrates Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:44 AM PDT A low-cost method of removing phosphates from tile drainage water has been developed, and may help protect lakes and streams. Using steel byproducts to trap phosphates in simulated tile drainage water, the researchers envision installing a steel-containing cartridge as an add-on to nitrate-capturing bioreactors.

Human activity affecting microbes in soil Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:44 AM PDT Agricultural inputs such as nitrogen and phosphorous alter soil microbial communities, which may have unintended environmental consequences, new research from an ecologist shows.

Researchers try to reduce barotrauma deaths for deep-sea fish and sustain industry Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:44 AM PDT Most recreational anglers who target deep-water reef fish in Florida recognize barotrauma symptoms, and researchers think they can teach the other 30 percent to help save the fish. By doing so, anglers would play a key role in sustaining the state's valuable fisheries.

Decision-making involves a little known brain region in the thalamus Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:42 AM PDT When faced with a change to our environment, we have to make appropriate decisions, which usually involves the orbitofrontal cortex. Yet unexpectedly, scientists have discovered that a brain region located in the thalamus also plays a crucial role in using these evolved skills.

Many patients prefer online postoperative care to in-person care Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:42 AM PDT The majority of patients who undergo routine, uncomplicated operations prefer online postoperative consultations to in-person visits, according to results from a new study.

Physiologists uncover a new code at the heart of biology Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:42 AM PDT Physiologists trying to understand the genetic code have found a previously unknown code that helps explain which protein should be created to form a particular type of cell.

Earth's oceans show decline in microscopic plant life Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:42 AM PDT The world's oceans have seen significant declines in certain types of microscopic plant-life at the base of the marine food chain, according to a new NASA study. The research is the first to look at global, long-term phytoplankton community trends based on a model driven by NASA satellite data.

Potential source of insulin-producing cells found in adult human pancreas Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:42 AM PDT Cells that express neurogenin 3 may one day be harnessed to create a plentiful supply of insulin-producing beta cells for the treatment of diabetes, a study suggests.

Ultrafast lasers offer 3-D micropatterning of biocompatible hydrogels Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:42 AM PDT Low-energy, ultrafast laser technology is able to make high-resolution, 3-D structures in transparent silk protein hydrogels to support cell growth and allow cells to penetrate deep within the material. The work represents a new approach to customized engineering of tissue and biomedical implants. Its efficacy was shown in vivo and in vitro.

In terminally ill patients, some types of delirium are a sign of 'imminent death' Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:41 AM PDT In cancer patients nearing the end of life, certain subtypes of delirium -- specifically, hypoactive and 'mixed' delirium -- are a strong indicator that death will come soon, reports a new study.

Exergaming improves physical mental fitness in children with autism spectrum disorders Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:41 AM PDT Games used for exercising can improve physical and mental fitness in children with autism spectrum disorders, a new study concludes. As a way to combat a lack of physical activity, researchers investigated the use of the Makoto arena, a triangular shaped arena with pillars at each point, each with lights and sounds at various levels of the pillars. Those playing the game must hit the correct spots as they light up on different pillars.

Most U.S. states don't think ignition interlock is severe enough punishment Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:41 AM PDT American researchers in a new study found that rather being treated as an effective public safety tool that can prevent deaths, ignition interlock laws are typically viewed like normal regulatory policies or seen as too lenient a form of criminal punishment.

Giant killer lizard fossil shines new light on early Australians Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:41 AM PDT As if life wasn't hard enough during the last Ice Age, a new study has found Australia's first human inhabitants had to contend with giant killer lizards. Researchers working in Central Queensland were amazed when they unearthed the first evidence that Australia's early human inhabitants and giant apex predator lizards had overlapped.

How the brain encodes time and place Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:41 AM PDT Neuroscientists have now identified a brain circuit that processes the 'when' and 'where' components of memory. Previous models of memory had suggested that the hippocampus, a brain structure critical for memory formation, separates timing and context information. However, the new study shows that this information is split even before it reaches the hippocampus.

Viruses join fight against harmful bacteria Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:41 AM PDT Biological engineers have devised a new mix-and-match system to genetically engineer viruses that target specific bacteria. The approach could generate new weapons against bacteria for which there are no effective antibiotics.

Ringing in the ears and chronic pain enter by the same gate Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:41 AM PDT Tinnitus and chronic pain have more in common than their ability to afflict millions with the very real experience of 'phantom' sensations. Homing in on their structural and functional bases in the brain, researchers have identified a central gatekeeping system implicated in both disorders.

Like a foreman, brain region keeps us on task Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:35 AM PDT Evidence from experiments reported in a new study show that a specific region of the brain appears essential for resolving the uncertainty that can build up as we progress through an everyday sequence of tasks. It's a key node in a network responsible for keeping us on track.

Adolescent brain may be especially sensitive to new memories, social stress, and drug use Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:35 AM PDT Adolescence, like infancy, has been said to include distinct sensitive periods during which brain plasticity is heightened; but in a review of the neuroscience literature saw little evidence for this claim. However, a small number of studies do support that memory formation, social stress, and drug use are processed differently in the adolescent brain compared to other periods of life.

The final word on STAP Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:35 AM PDT Tremendous controversy erupted in early 2014 when two papers published in Nature described how a technique called 'stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency,' or STAP, could quickly and efficiently turn ordinary cells into pluripotent stem cells, that is, stem cells capable of developing into all the tissues in the body. The simplicity of the approach -- subjecting the cells to particular stresses like mild acid exposure -- seemed too good to be true. And it was.

The world's nitrogen fixation, explained Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:35 AM PDT Scientists may have cracked a part of the chemical code for one of the most basic, yet mysterious, processes in the natural world -- nature's ability to transform nitrogen from the air into usable nitrogen compounds.

How flu viruses gain the ability to spread Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:35 AM PDT A new study reveals the soft palate is a key site for evolution of airborne transmissibility. Scientists made the surprising finding while examining the H1N1 flu strain, which caused a 2009 pandemic that killed more than 250,000 people.

Twisting neutrons Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:35 AM PDT Neutrons, normally thought of as particles, can also be utilized as waves. These waves should, like many other quantum objects, possess a commodity called orbital angular momentum. A new experiment is able, for the first time, to deliberately alter this quantum variable for neutrons.

Metastatic breast cancer cells turn on stem cell genes Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:35 AM PDT Scientists describe capturing and studying individual metastatic cells from human breast cancer tumors implanted into mice as the cells escaped into the blood stream and began to form tumors elsewhere in the body.

Enamel evolved in the skin and colonized the teeth much later Posted: 23 Sep 2015 10:34 AM PDT When did the enamel that covers our teeth evolve? And where in the body did this tissue first appear? In a new study, researchers combined data from two very different research fields -- paleontology and genomics -- to arrive at a clear but unexpected answer to this question: enamel originated in the skin and colonized the teeth much later.

New cancer genes identified, opening door to targeted treatments Posted: 23 Sep 2015 09:53 AM PDT Researchers have identified two new cancer-causing gene mutations – mutations that may be particularly susceptible to cancer-fighting drugs already approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration. One of the gene mutations also may play a key role in early menopause.

Negative spiritual beliefs associated with more pain and worse physical, mental health Posted: 23 Sep 2015 09:53 AM PDT Individuals who blame karma for their poor health have more pain and worse physical and mental health, according to a new study. Targeted interventions to counteract negative spiritual beliefs could help some individuals decrease pain and improve their overall health, the researchers said.

Newly discovered metabolism certifies evolutionary advantage for yeast Posted: 23 Sep 2015 09:52 AM PDT Duplicate copies of genes safeguard survival of the biotech yeast Pichia pastoris in environments where only methanol is present as feed. A recently elucidated metabolism is similar to that used by plants for the utilization of carbon dioxide, scientists report.

Antimicrobial film for future implants Posted: 23 Sep 2015 08:52 AM PDT The implantation of medical devices is not without risks. Bacterial or fungal infections can occur and the body's strong immune response may lead to the rejection of the implant. Researchers have succeeded in creating a biofilm with antimicrobial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties.

New study highlights valuable tool for studying living and extinct animals Posted: 23 Sep 2015 08:52 AM PDT Findings of a new study could support a number of fields from animal poaching to paleoecology. Researchers report on a mathematical analytical tool that was designed to predict a common elemental signal in surface water -- resulting in significant savings compared with traditional field surveys. It is also, they say, effective at predicting values for a wide range of materials, and is in fact most successful when applied to the bones and teeth of mammals.

Almost one-third of families of children with cancer have unmet basic needs during treatment Posted: 23 Sep 2015 08:52 AM PDT Almost one-third of families whose children were being treated for cancer faced food, housing or energy insecurity and one-quarter lost more than 40 percent of household income, according to a new American study. The study follows emerging research in pediatric oncology finding that low-income status predicts poor adherence to oral chemotherapy and decreased overall survival.

Potential benefit of telehealth visits for postoperative care observed Posted: 23 Sep 2015 08:52 AM PDT Most veterans undergoing general surgical operations of low complexity preferred telehealth (video or telephone) follow-up than visiting a clinic, and data suggested that telehealth visits may help identify veterans requiring in-person assessment or further care, according to a study.

Early testing can predict stroke patients who will develop upper limb spasticity Posted: 23 Sep 2015 07:34 AM PDT Many stroke patients suffer from spasticity of the arm that cause pain and impaired sensorimotor function. But there are ways of identifying such patients ahead of time so that they can obtain the earliest possible treatment, scientists say.

How to find out about the human mind through stone Posted: 23 Sep 2015 07:34 AM PDT Researchers are looking at flint flakes to study laterality in Palaeolithic humans, in other words, which hand they used to fashion their artefacts. Laterality is the preference of human beings for one side of our bodies; being left-handed or right-handed, for example, or having a preference for using one eye or ear or the other.

Chemists create switchable gold catalyst Posted: 23 Sep 2015 07:33 AM PDT A gold catalyst whose behavior can be controlled by the addition of acid or metal ion cofactors has been designed by chemists. They have developed a catalyst with significantly enhanced properties based on a rotaxane, in which a gold catalyst is embedded in the cavity formed by threading a ring shaped molecule around a dumbell shaped axle. On its own , the rotaxane gold catalyst is unreactive but the addition of ions that bind into a pocket in the catalyst framework leads to rapid reactions.

New sports technology provides a GPS alternative Posted: 23 Sep 2015 07:33 AM PDT When it comes to recording accurate performance data for elite athletes, GPS technology can't keep up, a researcher claims. Instead researchers have developed SABEL Sense, an alternative to GPS for tracking running speeds and distances and which is set to be a game changer in the sports performance and wearable technology industries.

Novel ecologically-friendly high performance energy storage device developed Posted: 23 Sep 2015 07:33 AM PDT Asimple approach to synthesize novel environmentally friendly manganese dioxide ink by using glucose has been developed by a group of scientists.

Digital textbook analytics can predict student outcomes, study finds Posted: 23 Sep 2015 07:32 AM PDT College professors and instructors can learn a lot from the chapters of a digital textbook that they assign students to read. According to a study, digital books provide real-time analytics to help faculty assess how students are doing in the class.

Horse owners can manage flies with wasps instead of pesticides Posted: 23 Sep 2015 07:32 AM PDT A new article offers horse owners advice on how to manage stable flies and house flies, including how to use parasitoid wasps as an alternative to pesticides.

Emergency department visit provides opportunity to reduce underage drinking Posted: 23 Sep 2015 05:39 AM PDT Giving youth in the emergency department a short intervention during their visit decreased their alcohol consumption and problems related to drinking over the following year, the results of a five-year trial indicate.

Highly flexible and wearable tactile sensor for robotics, electronics and healthcare applications Posted: 23 Sep 2015 05:35 AM PDT Scientists have developed a wearable liquid-based microfluidic tactile sensor that is small, thin, highly flexible and durable. Simple and cost-effective to produce, this novel device is very suitable for applications such as soft robotics, wearable consumer electronics, smart medical prosthetic devices, as well as real-time healthcare monitoring.

Spin caloritronics: Physicists find new explanation for key experiment Posted: 23 Sep 2015 05:34 AM PDT An experiment in 2008 laid the foundations for research on 'spin caloritronics' -- a field that aims to develop more effective and energy-saving data processing in information technology. Since then, many new spincaloric effects have been studied, but the key experiment in Japan could not be replicated. Researchers have now found an explanation for this. By applying a new measurement method available at major research facilities, they have also extended the experimental repertoire in spin caloritronics.

New synthesis method imitates the way molecules were formed at the dawn of life on Earth Posted: 23 Sep 2015 05:34 AM PDT Researchers have developed a method for synthesizing organic molecules very selectively, by assembling simple molecules and using an enzyme from E. coli (FSA: D-fructose-6-phosphate aldolase), which acts as a biocatalyst. This is a significant step forward since it replicates the formation of carbohydrates in conditions resembling those that presumably initiated life on the Earth (prebiotic conditions) and because it allows relatively large organic molecules to be obtained very selectively and efficiently. Furthermore, it is a process with few steps, that does not use organic solvents and generates no waste, and it has great potential in chemistry, especially for obtaining molecules and active ingredients of interest (drugs, supplements, etc.).

Dangerous swelling in babies linked to mutated gene Posted: 23 Sep 2015 05:34 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a new gene mutation that causes potentially fatal swelling in unborn and newborn babies. Identifying the gene is the first step toward a future diagnostic test and targeted treatment for this condition.

If you’re sitting down, don’t sit still, new research suggests Posted: 23 Sep 2015 05:34 AM PDT New research suggests that the movements involved in fidgeting may counteract the adverse health impacts of sitting for long periods.

Tiny carbon-capturing motors may help tackle rising carbon dioxide levels Posted: 23 Sep 2015 05:26 AM PDT Machines that are much smaller than the width of a human hair could one day help clean up carbon dioxide pollution in the oceans. Nanoengineers have designed enzyme-functionalized micromotors that rapidly zoom around in water, remove carbon dioxide and convert it into a usable solid form.

Hot, dense material surrounds O-type star with largest magnetic field known Posted: 23 Sep 2015 05:26 AM PDT Observations revealed that the unusually large magnetosphere around an O-type star called NGC 1624-2 contains a raging storm of extreme stellar winds and dense plasma that gobbles up X-rays before they can escape into space.

Frustrated magnets point towards new memory Posted: 23 Sep 2015 05:26 AM PDT Theoretical physicists have discovered that so-called 'frustrated magnets' can produce skyrmions, tiny magnetic vortices that may be used in memory storage. This discovery opens up a new class of materials for scientists working on 'skyrmionics,' which aims to build memory and logic devices based on skyrmions.

Messier 17: A cosmic rose with many names Posted: 23 Sep 2015 05:25 AM PDT This new image of the rose-colored star forming region Messier 17 was captured by the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile. It is one of the sharpest images showing the entire nebula and not only reveals its full size but also retains fine detail throughout the cosmic landscape of gas clouds, dust and newborn stars.

Fish 'backpack' advances underwater research Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:14 PM PDT A new underwater stimulation system has been designed to study electrical activity in certain aquatic animals. Though common in studies of land animals and insects, the form of electrical manipulation that this device allows is unprecedented in underwater research, due to environmental limitations like equipment corrosion and accessibility.

Human muscle stem cells isolated Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:14 PM PDT Researchers have successfully isolated human muscle stem cells and shown that the cells could robustly replicate and repair damaged muscles when grafted onto an injured site.

New technique negotiates neuron jungle to target source of Parkinson's disease Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:12 PM PDT Researchers believe they have found a potential new way to target cells of the brain affected by Parkinson's disease. The new technique is relatively non-invasive and has worked to improve symptoms of the disease in rats.

Restricting access at known 'suicide hotspots' reduces the number of suicides by more than 90 percent, study shows Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:12 PM PDT Blocking the means of suicide (e.g., installing barriers and safety nets) at suicide hotspots like high bridges and cliffs can reduce the number of deaths at these sites by more than 90 percent, new research has found.

Not all trans fatty acids are bad for you, new research suggests Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:12 PM PDT New evidence suggests that low levels of trans fatty acids may not be as harmful to human health as previously thought, even if industrially produced, and may even be beneficial if they occur naturally in foods such as dairy and meat products, according to a study.

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