ScienceDaily: Top News

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• IV administration of endothelin B receptor drug reduces memory loss, oxidative stress in Alzheimer's disease
• Vitamin C: The exercise replacement?
• Peering back in time to just after the Big Bang: Farthest galaxy ever detected
• Common antidepressant may change brain differently in depressed and non-depressed people
• Polar bears may survive ice melt, with or without seals
• Highly effective seasickness treatment on the horizon
• Does having a bias actually sell newspapers?
• European citizens measure air pollution with their smartphones
• New findings move flexible lighting technology toward commercial feasibility
• Solar water-splitting technology developed
• Plants also suffer from stress
• The million year old monkey: New evidence confirms the antiquity of fossil primate
• Researchers show effectiveness of non-surgical treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis
• Vestibular organ: Signal replicas make a flexible sensor
• Supervised tooth brushing and floride varnish schemes benefit kids and the health economy
• Scientists unlock secrets of a heat-loving microbe
• Fourth wheat gene is key to flowering, climate adaptation
• Community ecology can advance the fight against infectious diseases
• Bring on the night, say National Park visitors in new study
• Adolescents more likely not to smoke when cigarette ads feature older adults
• Real competitors enhance thrill of auctions
• Computer graphics: Less computing time for sand
• Current school start times damaging learning and health of students
• Magnetic and ferroelectric metal: The two faces of tomorrow’s materials
• Inexpensive drug saves blood and money, study shows
• Rapid testing for TB aims to reduce drug resistance, lower mortality rate
• 'Spin current' seen in motion for the first time
• Earth observations show how nitrogen may be detected on exoplanets, aiding search for life
• Surgery achieves better long-term control of type 2 diabetes than standard therapy
• Girls, boys with autism differ in behavior, brain structure
• 'Unethical' targets in India's private hospitals
• Extra hour of screen time per day associated with poorer GCSE grades
• The science of stereotyping: Challenging the validity of 'gaydar'
• Increased odds for type 2 diabetes after prenatal exposure to Ukraine famine of 1932-33
• Beyond species counts: Using evolutionary history to inform conservation
• Long-sought chiral anomaly detected in crystalline material
• Making the easiest judgments first, when viewing new environments
• Drug-resistant bacteria in the gut overcome with fecal transplant
• New strategy to lower blood sugar may help in diabetes treatment?

IV administration of endothelin B receptor drug reduces memory loss, oxidative stress in Alzheimer's disease Posted: 04 Sep 2015 11:46 AM PDT An estimated 5.3 million people in the U.S. suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD). The five current FDA-approved AD medications only help mask the disease symptoms instead of treating the underlying disease. In a new study, researchers used IRL-1620, a chemical that binds to endothelin B receptors, to treat AD in rats.

Vitamin C: The exercise replacement? Posted: 04 Sep 2015 11:46 AM PDT Exercise improves health in overweight and obese adults but can be hard to incorporate into a daily routine. New findings show that taking vitamin C supplements daily instead can have similar cardiovascular benefits as regular exercise in these adults.

Peering back in time to just after the Big Bang: Farthest galaxy ever detected Posted: 04 Sep 2015 11:45 AM PDT Researchers have reported the detection of the farthest object yet, galaxy EGS8p7. At more than 13.2 billion years old, it provides a fascinating glimpse of the very early universe, just 600,000 years after the Big Bang.

Common antidepressant may change brain differently in depressed and non-depressed people Posted: 04 Sep 2015 11:44 AM PDT A commonly prescribed antidepressant may alter brain structures in depressed and non-depressed individuals in very different ways.

Polar bears may survive ice melt, with or without seals Posted: 04 Sep 2015 11:44 AM PDT As climate change accelerates ice melt in the Arctic, polar bears may find caribou and snow geese replacing seals as an important food source, shows a recent study. The research is based on new computations incorporating caloric energy from terrestrial food sources and indicates that the bears' extended stays on land may not be as grim as previously suggested.

Highly effective seasickness treatment on the horizon Posted: 04 Sep 2015 11:44 AM PDT The misery of motion sickness could be ended within five to 10 years thanks to a new treatment being developed by scientists.

Does having a bias actually sell newspapers? Posted: 04 Sep 2015 09:16 AM PDT In recent years, there's been plenty of discussion about bias in the media. Yet some of the most seemingly biased media and news organizations also have the largest viewership and readership. Can it be that people might complain about media bias, but actually enjoy receiving their news from a source that actually agrees with their own views? This was the question that authors asked in a recent study.

European citizens measure air pollution with their smartphones Posted: 04 Sep 2015 09:16 AM PDT The successful Dutch iSPEX-project that enlisted the general public to contribute to the understanding of air pollution is being scaled up and running its first Europe-wide citizen campaign: iSPEX-EU. From 1 September to 15 October 2015, thousands of citizens in major European cities take to their streets, squares and parks to measure air pollution with their smartphone. Participating cities include: Athens, Barcelona, Belgrade, Berlin, Copenhagen, London, Manchester, Milan, and Rome.

New findings move flexible lighting technology toward commercial feasibility Posted: 04 Sep 2015 09:13 AM PDT Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology holds promise for developing residential and commercial lighting options with greatly enhanced levels of flexibility as well as environmental, health, and cost benefits -- but challenges remain. A new article identifies next steps toward solving those challenges and reaching commercial feasibility.

Solar water-splitting technology developed Posted: 04 Sep 2015 09:13 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated an efficient new way to capture the energy from sunlight and convert it into clean, renewable energy by splitting water molecules. The technology uses sunlight-harvesting gold nanoparticles.

Plants also suffer from stress Posted: 04 Sep 2015 09:13 AM PDT High salt in soil dramatically stresses plant biology and reduces the growth and yield of crops. Now researchers have found specific proteins that allow plants to grow better under salt stress, and may help breed future generations of more salt-tolerant crop plants.

The million year old monkey: New evidence confirms the antiquity of fossil primate Posted: 04 Sep 2015 09:13 AM PDT An international team of scientists have dated a species of fossil monkey found across the Caribbean to just over one million years old. The lead researcher of this study said that the dating of the limestone surrounding the fossils, said the question of the age of primate fossils from this region has puzzled scientists since the days of Darwin and Wallace.

Researchers show effectiveness of non-surgical treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis Posted: 04 Sep 2015 09:13 AM PDT Patients with spinal stenosis experienced good short term benefit, lasting from weeks to months, after receiving epidural steroid injections. These findings contradict a previously published study that found epidural steroid injections were not helpful in spinal stenosis cases.

Vestibular organ: Signal replicas make a flexible sensor Posted: 04 Sep 2015 07:53 AM PDT Researchers have shown how signals from the spinal cord adjust the sensitivity of hair cells in the inner ear to accommodate shifts in head position associated with active locomotion -- thus ensuring that balance is maintained.

Supervised tooth brushing and floride varnish schemes benefit kids and the health economy Posted: 04 Sep 2015 07:53 AM PDT Action to prevent tooth decay in children, such as supervised tooth brushing and fluoride varnish schemes, are not just beneficial to children's oral health but could also result in cost savings for public health systems.

Scientists unlock secrets of a heat-loving microbe Posted: 04 Sep 2015 07:53 AM PDT Scientists studying how a heat-loving microbe transfers its DNA from one generation to the next say it could further our understanding of an extraordinary superbug. Sulfolobus is part of the Archaea kingdom -- a single-cell organism similar to bacteria -- which was isolated in hot springs on the island of Hokkaido, Japan.

Fourth wheat gene is key to flowering, climate adaptation Posted: 04 Sep 2015 07:53 AM PDT A fourth wheat gene governing vernalization -- the biological process requiring cold temperatures to trigger flower formation -- has been identified, giving plant breeders one more tool for developing improved varieties of wheat that are adaptable to climate change.

Community ecology can advance the fight against infectious diseases Posted: 04 Sep 2015 07:53 AM PDT The ecological complexity of many emerging disease threats -- interactions among multiple hosts, multiple vectors and even multiple parasites -- often complicates efforts aimed at controlling disease. Now, a new paper is advancing a multidisciplinary framework that could provide a better mechanistic understanding of emerging outbreaks.

Bring on the night, say National Park visitors in new study Posted: 04 Sep 2015 07:53 AM PDT Nearly 90 percent of visitors to a major national park highly valued the night sky and wanted the National Park Service to take steps to reduce light pollution. The study also established a threshold below which visitors found light pollution of the night skies unacceptable, a standard park staff can manage toward using a variety of strategies in and out of the park.

Adolescents more likely not to smoke when cigarette ads feature older adults Posted: 04 Sep 2015 05:25 AM PDT For decades, the tobacco and alcohol industries have been accused of advertising their products to kids. Tremendous public pressure has prompted the implementation of strict guidelines. Today, tobacco and alcohol advertising are among the most highly regulated forms of marketing in existence. But, are all of the rules having any effect on the adolescents we seek to protect?

Real competitors enhance thrill of auctions Posted: 04 Sep 2015 05:25 AM PDT The thrill is part of the game – whoever waits for his bid to be accepted on online auction platforms, feels the excitement in the bidding war for the object of desire. The heart beats faster, palms start to sweat. Physiological measurement methods now reveal the influence of emotions on the behavior of users of electronic markets.

Computer graphics: Less computing time for sand Posted: 04 Sep 2015 05:25 AM PDT Computer graphics today can produce amazingly photorealistic images. Many motives, however, require very long computation times. Researchers have now developed a process, by means of which granular objects made of e.g. sand, snow or sugar can be computed more quickly.

Current school start times damaging learning and health of students Posted: 04 Sep 2015 05:25 AM PDT Scientists have found that current school and university start times are damaging the learning and health of students. Drawing on the latest sleep research, the authors conclude students start times should be 8:30 or later at age 10; 10:00 or later at 16; and 11:00 or later at 18. Implementing these start times should protect students from short sleep duration and chronic sleep deprivation, which are linked to poor learning and health problems.

Magnetic and ferroelectric metal: The two faces of tomorrow’s materials Posted: 04 Sep 2015 05:25 AM PDT Two properties are particularly sought after in materials for technology (for a variety of devices from sensors to computer memory, etc.): magnetism and ferroelectricity. Obtaining materials with both qualities is highly desirable. At the present time, these properties have shown to be almost entirely mutually exclusive, but a new study introduces an innovative method which may soon become reality.

Inexpensive drug saves blood and money, study shows Posted: 04 Sep 2015 05:23 AM PDT Using an inexpensive drug for every hip or knee replacement has helped one hospital reduce its number of red blood cell transfusions performed during these surgeries by more than 40 percent without negatively affecting patients, according to new research.

Rapid testing for TB aims to reduce drug resistance, lower mortality rate Posted: 03 Sep 2015 07:43 PM PDT Researchers have documented the accuracies of three new tests for more rapidly diagnosing drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis (TB), which are much harder and more expensive to treat and which, experts say, represent a major threat to global public health.

'Spin current' seen in motion for the first time Posted: 03 Sep 2015 07:43 PM PDT Researchers have for the first time seen a spin current -- an inherent magnetic property common to all electrons -- as it travels across materials. The result, which revealed a surprising loss of current along the way, is an important step toward realizing a next-generation breed of electronics known as "spintronics."

Earth observations show how nitrogen may be detected on exoplanets, aiding search for life Posted: 03 Sep 2015 07:43 PM PDT Observations of nitrogen in Earth's atmosphere by a NASA spacecraft 17 million miles away are giving astronomers fresh clues to how that gas might reveal itself on faraway planets, thus aiding in the search for life.

Surgery achieves better long-term control of type 2 diabetes than standard therapy Posted: 03 Sep 2015 07:32 PM PDT Metabolic or bariatric surgery may be more effective than standard medical treatments for the long-term control of type 2 diabetes in obese patients, according to a new study. The study is the first to provide data on five-year outcomes of surgery from a randomized clinical trial specifically designed to compare this new approach against standard medical therapy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Girls, boys with autism differ in behavior, brain structure Posted: 03 Sep 2015 07:32 PM PDT A study of about 800 children with autism found gender differences in a core feature of the disorder, as well as in the youngsters' brain structures. Girls with autism display less repetitive and restricted behavior than boys do, according to the study.

'Unethical' targets in India's private hospitals Posted: 03 Sep 2015 07:32 PM PDT Many doctors working in India's private hospitals are under pressure to carry out unnecessary tests and procedures to meet revenue targets, according to a new article.

Extra hour of screen time per day associated with poorer GCSE grades Posted: 03 Sep 2015 07:32 PM PDT An extra hour per day spent watching TV, using the internet or playing computer games during Year 10 is associated with poorer grades at GCSE at age 16 -- the equivalent of the difference between two grades, according to research. Researchers also found that pupils doing an extra hour of daily homework and reading performed significantly better than their peers.

The science of stereotyping: Challenging the validity of 'gaydar' Posted: 03 Sep 2015 01:05 PM PDT 'Gaydar' -- the purported ability to infer whether people are gay or straight based on their appearance -- seemed to get a scientific boost from a 2008 study that concluded people could accurately guess someone's sexual orientation based on photographs of their faces. In a new paper, researchers challenge what they call 'the gaydar myth.'

Increased odds for type 2 diabetes after prenatal exposure to Ukraine famine of 1932-33 Posted: 03 Sep 2015 01:05 PM PDT Men and women exposed in early gestation to the human-made Ukrainian Famine of 1932-33 in regions with extreme food shortages were 1.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in adulthood. There was no diabetes increase among individuals born in regions with no famine. This is the first large-scale study of the relationship between famine severity during different stages of prenatal development and Type 2 diabetes risk.

Beyond species counts: Using evolutionary history to inform conservation Posted: 03 Sep 2015 01:05 PM PDT With limited funding available, a common strategy for conservation planners is to identify areas of high species richness and endemicity, but this approach ignores evolutionary history and so may overlook important regions for conservation. A recent study argues for the importance of incorporating phylogenetic diversity metrics in conservation planning. The study tests a dozen commonly used metrics so users can determine which metrics should be used in which situations.

Long-sought chiral anomaly detected in crystalline material Posted: 03 Sep 2015 11:46 AM PDT Evidence for a long-sought phenomenon -- first theorized in the 1960s and predicted to be found in crystals in 1983 -- called the 'chiral anomaly' in a metallic compound of sodium and bismuth has been presented by scientists. The researchers also found an increase in conductivity in the material that may suggest ways to improve electrical conductance and minimize energy consumption in future electronic devices.

Making the easiest judgments first, when viewing new environments Posted: 03 Sep 2015 11:46 AM PDT Evidence from a new study suggests that when we analyze scenery we simply make the easiest judgments first, rather than following a priority order of categories.

Drug-resistant bacteria in the gut overcome with fecal transplant Posted: 03 Sep 2015 11:44 AM PDT The gut is an important reservoir for drug-resistant bacteria responsible for life-threatening hospital-acquired infections. A study in mice reports that two of the most common antibiotic-resistant bacterial species circulating in hospitals occupy and effectively share the same location in the gut, and that they can be eliminated by fecal transplantation of a healthy gut microbiome.

New strategy to lower blood sugar may help in diabetes treatment? Posted: 03 Sep 2015 11:20 AM PDT Working in mice, researchers showed they could reduce glucose production in the liver and lower blood sugar levels. They did so by shutting down a liver protein involved in making glucose, an approach that may help treat type 2 diabetes.

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