ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Titan helps unpuzzle decades-old plutonium perplexities
• Disappearing carbon circuits on graphene could have security, biomedical uses
• Scientists to bypass brain damage by re-encoding memories
• Making batteries with portabella mushrooms
• Rare early Jurassic corals of North America
• Nanomachines: Pirouetting in the spotlight
• Relationship between sympathy, helping others could provide clues to development of altruism
• Large trees -- key climate influencers -- die first in drought
• Breakthrough for photography: Light sensing technology
• Sleep may strengthen long-term memories in the immune system
• Reading the weather from inside a seashell
• Player's performance in video games can steer attitudes about brands
• Physicists map the strain, pixel by pixel, in wonder material graphene
• Primary care-based addiction treatment lowers substance dependence in people with HIV
• Smaller is better for nanotube analysis
• Tools for illuminating brain function make their own light
• Kids allowed to be kids make better parents
• Arctic sea ice still too thick for regular shipping route through Northwest Passage
• Modeling tool identifies genes that control stress response in plants
• Discovery provides insight into life-threatening respiratory distress in newborns
• America has fallen behind on offshore wind power
• Controlling evaporative patterning transitions
• Mobile robots could help the elderly live fuller lives, experts say
• More support needed to make shopping easier for people with intellectual disabilities
• Researchers disguise drugs as platelets to target cancer
• Multicenter study examines safety of medical cannabis in treatment of chronic pain
• New precise particle measurement improves subatomic tool for probing mysteries of universe
• Study sheds light on powerful process that turns food into energy
• Wearable electronic health patches may now be cheaper, easier to make
• How the retina marches to the beat of its own drum
• Cost savings from add-on pricing may result in profit loss
• Scientists simulate Earth's middle crust to understand earthquakes
• Our brain's secrets to success?
• Researchers link spatial neglect after stroke with poor outcomes
• Researchers discover key link in understanding billion-dollar pests in agriculture
• Five genetic regions implicated in cystic fibrosis severity
• Frequently discounting maximizes retailer revenues
• Racial, ethnic differences found in fetal growth
• Climate change negatively affects birth weight, study finds
• Chimpanzee personality linked to anatomy of brain structures
• Wrangling proteins gone wild
• Earth-like planets around small stars likely have protective magnetic fields, aiding chance for life
• A different type of 2D semiconductor
• Low-cost blood test good predictor of increased bleeding risk in pediatric trauma patients
• New methods for collecting forensic DNA to combat sexual violence in conflict
• New research about shopping addiction
• Hopes of improved brain implants
• Alternative therapies to prevent malaria in pregnancy
• Plant pest reprogram the roots
• Disruption of brain-blood barrier might influence progression of Alzheimer’s
• How more women with earlier Caesarean sections can give birth vaginally next time
• Targeted cancer treatment: New dual strategy halts cell division
• Preventing cerebral palsy in preterm infants through dermal monitoring
• Doctors warn hikers, other endurance athletes, and medical personnel about the risks of water intoxication
• Blooming microflowers open new electronic frontiers
• Portable, rapid DNA test can detect Ebola, other pathogens
• Novel tool can identify COPD
• HIV patients should be included in early clinical trials of anti-TB drugs
• Air pollution, traffic linked to deaths, organ rejection in lung transplant patients
• First classification of severe asthma

Titan helps unpuzzle decades-old plutonium perplexities Posted: 29 Sep 2015 03:13 PM PDT Condensed matter theorists used nearly 10 million Titan core hours to calculate the electronic and magnetic structure of plutonium using a combination of density functional theory calculations and the leading-edge dynamical mean field theory technique.

Disappearing carbon circuits on graphene could have security, biomedical uses Posted: 29 Sep 2015 11:28 AM PDT Using carbon atoms deposited on graphene, researchers have demonstrated a technique for creating dynamic patterns on graphene surfaces. The patterns could be used to make reconfigurable electronic circuits, which evolve over a period of hours before ultimately disappearing.

Scientists to bypass brain damage by re-encoding memories Posted: 29 Sep 2015 11:25 AM PDT Researchers are testing a prosthesis that translates short-term memories into longer-term ones, with the potential to bypass damaged portions of the brain.

Making batteries with portabella mushrooms Posted: 29 Sep 2015 11:25 AM PDT Can portabella mushrooms stop cell phone batteries from degrading over time? Researchers think so. They have created a new type of lithium-ion battery anode using portabella mushrooms, which are inexpensive, environmentally friendly and easy to produce.

Rare early Jurassic corals of North America Posted: 29 Sep 2015 11:25 AM PDT Mass extinction events punctuate the evolution of marine environments, and recovery biotas paved the way for major biotic changes. Understanding the responses of marine organisms in the post-extinction recovery phase is paramount to gaining insight into the dynamics of these changes, many of which brought sweeping biotic reorganizations.

Nanomachines: Pirouetting in the spotlight Posted: 29 Sep 2015 11:25 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new class of molecular motors that rotate unidirectionally at speeds of up to 1 kHz when exposed to sunlight at room temperature. This unique combination of features opens up novel applications in nano-engineering.

Relationship between sympathy, helping others could provide clues to development of altruism Posted: 29 Sep 2015 11:22 AM PDT Developmental psychologists long have debated whether individuals volunteer and help others because they are sympathetic or whether they are sympathetic because they are prosocial. Now, new research helps clarify some of the confusion, which could lead to better interventions to promote positive behaviors in adolescents and clues as to what makes some individuals altruistic.

Large trees -- key climate influencers -- die first in drought Posted: 29 Sep 2015 11:22 AM PDT In forests worldwide, drought consistently has had a more detrimental impact on the growth and survival of larger trees, new research shows. In addition, while the death of small trees may affect the dominance of trees in a landscape, the death of large trees has a far worse impact on the ecosystem and climate's health, especially due to the important role that trees play in the carbon cycle.

Breakthrough for photography: Light sensing technology Posted: 29 Sep 2015 11:20 AM PDT A revolutionary breakthrough is underway, an innovation that may usher in the next generation of light sensing technology with potential applications in scientific research and cellphone photography.

Sleep may strengthen long-term memories in the immune system Posted: 29 Sep 2015 11:20 AM PDT More than a century ago, scientists demonstrated that sleep supports the retention of memories of facts and events. Later studies have shown that slow-wave sleep, often referred to as deep sleep, is important for transforming fragile, recently formed memories into stable, long-term memories. Now, in a new article, researchers propose that deep sleep may also strengthen immunological memories of previously encountered pathogens.

Reading the weather from inside a seashell Posted: 29 Sep 2015 09:56 AM PDT Does assembling a mega-continent necessarily lead to a mega-monsoon? Can you tell by looking at seashells?

Player's performance in video games can steer attitudes about brands Posted: 29 Sep 2015 09:55 AM PDT A company's brand may crash and burn if video game players perform poorly when they use branded products as part of the game, according to a team of researchers.

Physicists map the strain, pixel by pixel, in wonder material graphene Posted: 29 Sep 2015 09:55 AM PDT Scientists have mapped the strain in graphene, a 2-D sheet of carbon that is strong, flexible and can expand without breaking. Though the material has found its way into several applications, ranging from tennis rackets to smartphone touch screens, several obstacles are holding up further commercialization of graphene. One of these is the presence of defects that impose strain on graphene's lattice structure and adversely affects its electronic and optical properties.

Primary care-based addiction treatment lowers substance dependence in people with HIV Posted: 29 Sep 2015 09:54 AM PDT A program that integrates addiction treatment into primary care for patients with or at risk for HIV, has been shown to lower patients' substance dependence and encourage their engagement in treatment.

Smaller is better for nanotube analysis Posted: 29 Sep 2015 09:54 AM PDT Variance spectroscopy lets researchers learn more about mixed batches of fluorescent nanotubes by focusing on small areas of samples and comparing their contents.

Tools for illuminating brain function make their own light Posted: 29 Sep 2015 09:54 AM PDT Researchers have developed tools that could allow neuroscientists to put aside the fiber optic cable, and use a glowing protein from coral as the light source instead. A variant on the optogenetics technique gives neuroscientists the choice of activating neurons with light or an externally supplied chemical.

Kids allowed to be kids make better parents Posted: 29 Sep 2015 09:54 AM PDT Mothers who took on burdensome caregiving roles as children -- and weren't allowed to just 'be kids' -- tend to be less sensitive to their own children's needs, finds new research.

Arctic sea ice still too thick for regular shipping route through Northwest Passage Posted: 29 Sep 2015 09:54 AM PDT Despite climate change, sea ice in the Northwest Passage (NWP) remains too thick and treacherous for it to be a regular commercial Arctic shipping route for many decades, according to new research. Prior to this research, there was little information about the thickness of sea ice in the NWP. Next to ice coverage and type, sea ice thickness plays the most important role in assessing shipping hazards and predicting ice break-up.

Modeling tool identifies genes that control stress response in plants Posted: 29 Sep 2015 09:54 AM PDT An interdisciplinary team of researchers has developed a modeling algorithm that is able to identify genes associated with specific biological functions in plants. The modeling tool will help plant biologists target individual genes that control how plants respond to drought, high temperatures or other environmental stressors.

Discovery provides insight into life-threatening respiratory distress in newborns Posted: 29 Sep 2015 08:32 AM PDT St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists advance understanding of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, a liver disorder that leaves infants born to affected mothers at risk for severe respiratory distress

America has fallen behind on offshore wind power Posted: 29 Sep 2015 08:30 AM PDT The United States has fallen behind on offshore wind power, experts say. Their findings show that while offshore wind turbines have been successfully deployed in Europe since 1991, the U.S. is further from commercial-scale offshore wind deployment today than it was in 2005.

Controlling evaporative patterning transitions Posted: 29 Sep 2015 08:23 AM PDT The primary mechanism behind evaporative patterning has long been known: water evaporates faster at the edges of drops, which gives rise to a fluid flow carrying dissolved substances all the way to the edges. There, aggregates form, leading to residual patterns. But how does the transition between different patterning occur? Can we control patterning by altering the dynamics?

Mobile robots could help the elderly live fuller lives, experts say Posted: 29 Sep 2015 08:21 AM PDT Mobile service robots developed by computer scientists could soon be helping elderly people stay independent and active for longer. The project, which includes artificial intelligence and robotics experts, will include a large-scale evaluation where robots will be deployed within the extra-care homes of LACE Housing Association in the UK, to care homes in Greece and to elderly people's own homes in Poland, for one year.

More support needed to make shopping easier for people with intellectual disabilities Posted: 29 Sep 2015 08:21 AM PDT Better support can greatly improve the supermarket shopping experience for people with intellectual (learning) disabilities, a study by an independent self-advocacy group reveals.

Researchers disguise drugs as platelets to target cancer Posted: 29 Sep 2015 08:20 AM PDT Researchers have for the first time developed a technique that coats anticancer drugs in membranes made from a patient's own platelets, allowing the drugs to last longer in the body and attack both primary cancer tumors and the circulating tumor cells that can cause a cancer to metastasize. The work was tested successfully in an animal model.

Multicenter study examines safety of medical cannabis in treatment of chronic pain Posted: 29 Sep 2015 08:20 AM PDT A Canadian research team has completed a national multicenter study looking at the safety of medical cannabis use among patients suffering from chronic pain. They found that patients with chronic pain who used cannabis daily for one year, when carefully monitored, did not have an increase in serious adverse events compared to pain patients who did not use cannabis.

New precise particle measurement improves subatomic tool for probing mysteries of universe Posted: 29 Sep 2015 08:20 AM PDT In a post-Big Bang world, nature's top quark -- a key component of matter -- is a highly sensitive probe that physicists use to evaluate competing theories about quantum interactions. Now a new precise measurement of the top quark's mass by physicists improves that subatomic tool to help unravel deep mysteries of our universe. The new value confirms recent measurements by other physicists -- but adds growing uncertainty to physics' Standard Model.

Study sheds light on powerful process that turns food into energy Posted: 29 Sep 2015 08:20 AM PDT The way in which our cells convert food into fuel is shared by almost all living things -- now scientists have discovered a likely reason why this is so widespread. Cells that have more energy can grow and renew faster, giving them -- and the organism to which they belong -- an evolutionary advantage.

Wearable electronic health patches may now be cheaper, easier to make Posted: 29 Sep 2015 08:20 AM PDT A team of researchers has invented a method for producing inexpensive and high-performing wearable patches that can continuously monitor the body's vital signs for human health and performance tracking. The researchers believe their new method is compatible with roll-to-roll manufacturing.

How the retina marches to the beat of its own drum Posted: 29 Sep 2015 08:20 AM PDT New research sheds light on how the retina sets its own biological rhythm using a novel light-sensitive pigment, called neuropsin, found in nerve cells at the back of the eye.

Cost savings from add-on pricing may result in profit loss Posted: 29 Sep 2015 08:20 AM PDT Researchers conducted a study examining the increasingly popular add-on pricing model of hotels, airlines and banks. They built a new model to see if cost savings can trigger more intense competition among firms.

Scientists simulate Earth's middle crust to understand earthquakes Posted: 29 Sep 2015 06:28 AM PDT Researchers have for the first time been able to measure a material's resistance to fracturing from various types of tectonic motions in Earth's middle crust, a discovery that may lead to better understanding of how large earthquakes and slower moving events interact.

Our brain's secrets to success? Posted: 29 Sep 2015 06:28 AM PDT We owe our success -- both as a species and as individuals -- to features of our brain that are just now beginning to be understood. One new study suggests how our primate brain's outer mantle, or cortex, was able to expand as much as 1,000-fold through evolution. Another links personal success -- such as high education and income levels and life satisfaction -- to increased chatter between key brain areas when we're not doing anything in particular.

Researchers link spatial neglect after stroke with poor outcomes Posted: 29 Sep 2015 06:27 AM PDT Spatial neglect among inpatients with stroke is common, researchers say. At the conclusion of a recent study, the investigators said that affected patients had a higher risk for falls, longer lengths of stay and lesser likelihood of returning home after discharge.

Researchers discover key link in understanding billion-dollar pests in agriculture Posted: 29 Sep 2015 06:27 AM PDT Invisible to the naked eye, plant-parasitic nematodes are a huge threat to agriculture, causing billions in crop losses every year. Researchers have now found the first genetic evidence linking one method these animals use to attack plants; they proved that nematodes use a specialized hormone to help them feed. This research could allow plant scientists to develop plants with enhanced resistance to these devastating agricultural pests.

Five genetic regions implicated in cystic fibrosis severity Posted: 29 Sep 2015 06:27 AM PDT If you have two faulty copies of the CFTR gene, you will have cystic fibrosis. But the severity of your disease will depend partly on many other genes. Now, researchers report that five regions of the human genome are home to the genetic variations that play major roles in disease severity.

Frequently discounting maximizes retailer revenues Posted: 29 Sep 2015 06:27 AM PDT The 'discount-frequently' pricing strategy allows retailers to charge high prices when demand is high and is flexible unlike an 'every day low price' strategy or 'static pricing,' new research shows.

Racial, ethnic differences found in fetal growth Posted: 29 Sep 2015 06:27 AM PDT Current standards for ultrasound evaluation of fetal growth may lead to misclassification of up to 15 percent of fetuses of minority mothers as being too small, according to a study.

Climate change negatively affects birth weight, study finds Posted: 29 Sep 2015 06:27 AM PDT From melting glaciers to increasing wildfires, the consequences of climate change and strategies to mitigate such consequences are often a hotly debated topic. A new study adds to the ever-growing list of negative impacts climate change can have on humans--low birth weight.

Chimpanzee personality linked to anatomy of brain structures Posted: 29 Sep 2015 06:27 AM PDT Chimpanzees' personality traits are linked to the anatomy of specific brain structures, according to researchers. The researchers studied 107 chimpanzees' brains using magnetic resonance image (MRI) scans and also assessed each chimpanzee's personality by using a 41-item personality questionnaire. They found chimpanzees who were rated as higher for the personality traits of openness and extraversion had greater gray-matter volumes in the anterior cingulate cortex in both hemispheres of the brain.

Wrangling proteins gone wild Posted: 29 Sep 2015 06:27 AM PDT A suite of computer programs designed to scan the misfolded proteins that are responsible for diseases such as Alzheimer's and diabetes looking for weak spots has been developed by researchers. They believe their program should speed up the process of drug discovery for diseases of this kind.

Earth-like planets around small stars likely have protective magnetic fields, aiding chance for life Posted: 29 Sep 2015 04:07 AM PDT Earth-like planets orbiting close to small stars probably have magnetic fields that protect them from stellar radiation and help maintain surface conditions that could be conducive to life, according to research from astronomers.

A different type of 2D semiconductor Posted: 29 Sep 2015 04:07 AM PDT The first atomically thin 2D sheets of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have been developed by researchers. These ionic materials exhibit optical properties not found in 2D covalent semiconductors such as graphene, making them promising alternatives to silicon for future electronic devices.

Low-cost blood test good predictor of increased bleeding risk in pediatric trauma patients Posted: 29 Sep 2015 04:06 AM PDT A team of researchers concludes that an admission hematocrit provides a reliable screening test for identifying pediatric patients who are at an increased risk of bleeding after injury.

New methods for collecting forensic DNA to combat sexual violence in conflict Posted: 29 Sep 2015 04:04 AM PDT A new project aims to empower victims and support prosecutions in cases of sexual violence in conflict zones. The project will explore new methods for collecting forensic DNA evidence in cases of sexual violence for use in regions where victims do not have access to medical facilities in order to provide victims with access to justice that may otherwise be unavailable.

New research about shopping addiction Posted: 29 Sep 2015 04:04 AM PDT Addicted to shopping? A group of researchers has developed a new and unique method to measure shopping addiction: The Bergen Shopping Addiction Scale.

Hopes of improved brain implants Posted: 29 Sep 2015 04:04 AM PDT Neurons thrive and grow in a new type of nanowire material developed by researchers. In time, the results might improve both neural and retinal implants, and reduce the risk of them losing their effectiveness over time, which is currently a problem.

Alternative therapies to prevent malaria in pregnancy Posted: 29 Sep 2015 04:04 AM PDT A new drug may be more effective at preventing malaria in pregnant woman, especially where there is resistance to the current treatments, scientists report. Malaria infection during pregnancy is a significant health problem to both the mother and the unborn child. It has been associated with chronic anemia in the mother, and with loss of the pregnancy due to miscarriages or stillbirths and with low birth weight in pregnancies that result in livebirths, which in turn results in an increased risk of infant death.

Plant pest reprogram the roots Posted: 29 Sep 2015 04:04 AM PDT Microscopic roundworms (nematodes) live like maggots in bacon: They penetrate into the roots of beets, potatoes or soybeans and feed on plant cells, which are full of energy. But how they do it precisely was previously unknown. Scientists have now discovered that nematodes produce a plant hormone to stimulate the growth of specific feeding cells in the roots. These cells provide the parasite with all that it needs.

Disruption of brain-blood barrier might influence progression of Alzheimer’s Posted: 29 Sep 2015 04:02 AM PDT More and more data from preclinical and clinical studies strengthen the hypothesis that immune system-mediated actions contribute to and drive pathogenesis in Alzheimer's disease. New insights suggest that A? indeed induces a strong inflammatory response, thereby destroying an important but often neglected brain barrier, called the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier. Disruption of this blood-CSF barrier disturbs brain homeostasis and might negatively affect disease progression. Strikingly, these effects could be blocked in the presence of a matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitor.

How more women with earlier Caesarean sections can give birth vaginally next time Posted: 29 Sep 2015 04:02 AM PDT In many countries, caesarean section is routinely used if the woman previously gave birth by caesarean section. Doctors and midwives in countries with a high rate of vaginal births after caesarean sections have for the first time been asked in a study to give their views on how to increase the percentage of vaginal births.

Targeted cancer treatment: New dual strategy halts cell division Posted: 29 Sep 2015 04:02 AM PDT A team of researchers has confirmed in a recent study its new concept for the targeted treatment of ovarian cancer. The concept is intended to better control the development of resistance and improve treatment outcomes. The strategy focuses on halting tumor growth by inhibiting two signal networks instead of just one. The results are extremely promising; the next stage involves the verification of the concept in in vivo studies.

Preventing cerebral palsy in preterm infants through dermal monitoring Posted: 29 Sep 2015 04:02 AM PDT A potential method of screening for jaundice (hyperbilirubinemia), a cause of cerebral palsy and loss of hearing in preterm infants with kyperbilirubinemia, has been proposed using painless dermal monitoring. The research group also determined the correct area of skin to monitor for accurate results. This study has expanded the possibilities for accurate methods of monitoring jaundice, and it is hoped that this will lead to a decrease in cerebral palsy and hearing loss in preterm infants due to kyperbilirubinemia.

Doctors warn hikers, other endurance athletes, and medical personnel about the risks of water intoxication Posted: 29 Sep 2015 04:02 AM PDT Knowing the warning signs and responding with the right treatment to of water intoxication can save lives, according to a new report. Exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH), also known as water intoxication, results in an extreme, and potentially fatal, sodium imbalance. As outdoor endurance recreation grows in popularity, so does the risk of EAH.

Blooming microflowers open new electronic frontiers Posted: 29 Sep 2015 04:02 AM PDT Artificial microflowers have been developed that self-assemble in water and mimic the natural blooming process, an important step for advances in frontier-edge electronics.

Portable, rapid DNA test can detect Ebola, other pathogens Posted: 29 Sep 2015 04:01 AM PDT Scientists completed a proof-of-principle study on a real-time blood test based on DNA sequencing that can be used to rapidly diagnose Ebola and other acute infections.

Novel tool can identify COPD Posted: 29 Sep 2015 04:00 AM PDT A novel approach for the identification of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been developed by a team of researchers. COPD is underdiagnosed, and previous screening tools have relied on smoking history and patient report of cough and sputum. COPD is often uncovered during exacerbations and after significant loss of lung function.

HIV patients should be included in early clinical trials of anti-TB drugs Posted: 29 Sep 2015 03:59 AM PDT Tuberculosis is the number one cause of death in HIV-infected patients in Africa and a leading cause of death in this population worldwide, yet the majority of these patients are excluded from the early stages in the development of new, anti-tuberculosis drugs, according to research.

Air pollution, traffic linked to deaths, organ rejection in lung transplant patients Posted: 29 Sep 2015 03:59 AM PDT For the first time, research shows that lung transplant patients in Europe who live on or near busy roads with high levels of air pollution are more likely to die or to experience chronic organ rejection, than those living in less polluted areas.

First classification of severe asthma Posted: 29 Sep 2015 03:59 AM PDT Severe asthma can have a devastating effect on sufferers, affecting their ability to work or go to school and to lead normal lives. It is difficult to treat because it is not a single disease entity. Now, for the first time, a group of researchers has succeeded in defining three distinct types of severe asthma by analyzing sputum samples from a group of patients.

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