ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Has Syria painted a target on medical teams around the world?
• More than 8 percent of children with cancer have genetic predisposition, new study suggests
• Scientists shed light on how our brains see the world
• Erectile dysfunction drug may benefit patients at risk for diabetes
• Powering the next billion devices with Wi-Fi
• An easy pill to swallow
• Neurogastronomy: How our brains perceive the flavor of food
• Testing new magnetic semiconductor material
• Technology meets society: New app helps seniors live better
• Sex reassignment surgery may be better for transgender women’s health than hormones only
• What salamanders can teach us about baseball
• One very brainy bird
• New project aims to develop advanced tools and research strategies for parasite control in European farmed fish
• Detailing global brain disorders research agenda
• Dark matter dominates in nearby dwarf galaxy
• Gravity, who needs it?
• How to catch a small squid? First records for the Gulf of California and southwest Mexico
• Insulin degludec plus liraglutide: Again no hint of added benefit in type 2 diabetes
• Researchers capture first photo of planet in making
• Sea level rise from Antarctic collapse may be slower than suggested
• Scientists turn tastes on and off by activating and silencing clusters of brain cells
• Low-oxygen 'dead zones' in North Pacific linked to past ocean-warming events
• Our closest wormy cousins: About 70% of our genes trace their ancestry back to the acorn worm
• Weekday sleep changes may raise risk of diabetes, heart disease
• Is testosterone therapy safe?
• Structure of key cancer target enzyme revealed by scientists
• When did the Andes mountains form?
• Ecological extinction explains how turbulence dies
• Babies have logical reasoning before age one
• FDA-approved drug protects mice from Ebola
• Nivolumab in non-small cell lung cancer: Indication of major added benefit for under 75-year-olds
• New discovery may redefine classifications in the animal kingdom
• New urban heat island study shows surprising variation in air temperatures across Twin Cities
• Late effects of treatment study continues sustained academic effort in Hodgkin's lymphoma
• Potential treatment approach for glycogen storage disease
• Intervention improves teacher practices, student engagement in early elementary classrooms
• Technique to more effectively diagnose, treat cancer developed
• Warming ocean worsened Australia's fatal 2010/2011 floods
• Link between air pollution, heart disease confirmed
• College studies may reduce risk of dementia for older adults, research finds
• New guidelines on the prevention/control of multi-drug-resistant gram-negative bacteria
• Smeagol found underground in Brazil: New eyeless and highly modified harvestman species
• Coconut oil can control overgrowth of a fungal pathogen in GI tract, study in mice suggests
• Socioeconomic factors associated with undergoing surgery for early-stage pancreatic cancer
• Research shows benefits, danger of ultraman competition
• Male hormone testosterone cause of sex differences in parkinson's disease risk, study suggests
• Music-making for the deaf
• Strategy based on human reflexes may keep legged robots and prosthetic legs from tripping
• Cereal science: New phenomenon in materials science observed in compaction of puffed rice cereal
• Couples who have sex weekly are happiest
• Experiencing major stress makes some older adults better able to handle daily stress
• How 'deviant' messages flood social media
• Working up a sweat may protect men from lethal prostate cancer
• Rheumatologist suggests number one arthritis drug is underutilized, underdosed
• Why mice have longer sperm than elephants
• New options for treating autism
• Economic significance of cities increases while that of countries falls
• Use your loaf to save British wildlife
• Regenerative nanomaterials to improve dental care
• Weekday of surgery affects oesophageal cancer surgery prognosis

Has Syria painted a target on medical teams around the world? Posted: 18 Nov 2015 03:12 PM PST Even in war, hospitals have a kind of invisible bubble around them. But in Syria, that bubble has burst dozens of times, says a new report. And that may put medical facilities and workers in other conflict zones in danger too, according to a new opinion piece in the New England Journal of Medicine.

More than 8 percent of children with cancer have genetic predisposition, new study suggests Posted: 18 Nov 2015 03:12 PM PST The most detailed analysis yet of the role germline mutations in genes associated with cancer predisposition play in the development of childhood cancer suggests that comprehensive genomic screening may be warranted on all pediatric cancer patients, not just those with a family history of cancer.

Scientists shed light on how our brains see the world Posted: 18 Nov 2015 03:05 PM PST A new study reveals how the brain understands motion and still objects to help us navigate our complex visual world. The findings have a number of potential practical applications, ranging from treatment for motion blindness to improved motion recognition algorithms used in airport and other public security systems.

Erectile dysfunction drug may benefit patients at risk for diabetes Posted: 18 Nov 2015 03:05 PM PST The drug sildenafil, sold as Viagra and other brand names, improves insulin sensitivity in people at risk for diabetes, researchers report.

Powering the next billion devices with Wi-Fi Posted: 18 Nov 2015 03:05 PM PST Engineers have developed a novel technology that uses a Wi-Fi router -- a source of ubiquitous but untapped energy in indoor environments -- to power devices without sacrificing network performance.

An easy pill to swallow Posted: 18 Nov 2015 03:05 PM PST An insulin pill being developed by researchers may in the near future give another blood sugar management option to those who suffer from diabetes. The novel drug delivery technology may also apply to a wide spectrum of other therapies.

Neurogastronomy: How our brains perceive the flavor of food Posted: 18 Nov 2015 01:06 PM PST Neuroscientists, food scientists and internationally-renowned chefs convened at the University of Kentucky recently to explore ways to help patients with neurologically-related taste impairments enjoy food again.

Testing new magnetic semiconductor material Posted: 18 Nov 2015 01:05 PM PST A novel magnetic semiconductor material that is an alloy of cobalt, iron, chromium and aluminum in which part of the aluminum was replaced with silicon may help reduce the power needed to store data in the computer memory.

Technology meets society: New app helps seniors live better Posted: 18 Nov 2015 01:01 PM PST A new technological solution developed by researchers is aimed at enhancing the physical health, vitality and brain fitness of seniors residing in independent living communities.

Sex reassignment surgery may be better for transgender women’s health than hormones only Posted: 18 Nov 2015 01:01 PM PST Transgender women may be at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes compared with men and women in the general population. New research finds that transgender women who received only hormone therapy had poorer metabolic health than transgender women who underwent sex reassignment surgery in addition to receiving hormone therapy, suggesting that sex reassignment surgery may be metabolically protective.

What salamanders can teach us about baseball Posted: 18 Nov 2015 01:01 PM PST Researchers have increased our understanding of how people and animals deal with sensorimotor delay in day-to-day interactions by analyzing the hunting skills of salamanders.

One very brainy bird Posted: 18 Nov 2015 01:01 PM PST A new study has found pigeons performed as well as humans in categorizing digitized slides and mammograms of benign and malignant human breast tissue.

New project aims to develop advanced tools and research strategies for parasite control in European farmed fish Posted: 18 Nov 2015 01:00 PM PST A new research project aims to improve our understanding of fish-parasite interactions and develop innovative solutions and tools to prevent, control and mitigate harmful parasites which affect the main fish species farmed in Europe (Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, common carp, turbot, European sea bass, and gilthead sea bream).

Detailing global brain disorders research agenda Posted: 18 Nov 2015 12:55 PM PST The breadth and complexity of brain and nervous system disorders make them some of the most difficult conditions to diagnose and treat, especially in the developing world, where there are few resources. An NIH-led collaboration of more than 40 scientists has studied these complex issues that occur across the lifespan and today published a supplement to the journal Nature that lays out a research strategy to address them.

Dark matter dominates in nearby dwarf galaxy Posted: 18 Nov 2015 12:54 PM PST A researcher has measured what could be the highest concentration of dark matter in any known galaxy.

Gravity, who needs it? Posted: 18 Nov 2015 12:54 PM PST What happens to your body in space? NASA's Human Research Program has been unfolding answers for over a decade. Space is a dangerous, unfriendly place. The risks for a Mars mission are many, but NASA has been working to solve these problems with some of the most brilliant minds in the field. Rest assured, when we take the next giant leap to Mars, we will be ready.

How to catch a small squid? First records for the Gulf of California and southwest Mexico Posted: 18 Nov 2015 12:53 PM PST Often avoiding sampling gear due to their capability to detect movements and swim their way out of the nets fast enough, the small squids living in the open-ocean zone have long gone under-researched. The present study seems to provide first and new distributional records of five such species for the Gulf of California and the southwestern coast of Mexico.

Insulin degludec plus liraglutide: Again no hint of added benefit in type 2 diabetes Posted: 18 Nov 2015 12:53 PM PST Relevant data are missing both for a direct comparison and for an indirect comparison. Drug manufacturer itself also claimed no added benefit.

Researchers capture first photo of planet in making Posted: 18 Nov 2015 12:53 PM PST Capturing sharp images of distant objects is difficult, largely due to atmospheric turbulence, the mixing of hot and cold air. But researchers captured the first photo of a planet in the making, a planet residing in a gap in LkCa15's disk. Of the roughly 2,000 known exoplanets, only about 10 have been imaged -- and long after they had formed, not when they were in the making. Results were published in Nature.

Sea level rise from Antarctic collapse may be slower than suggested Posted: 18 Nov 2015 12:51 PM PST A new study by scientists in the UK and France has found that Antarctic ice sheet collapse will have serious consequences for sea level rise over the next two hundred years, though not as much as some have suggested.

Scientists turn tastes on and off by activating and silencing clusters of brain cells Posted: 18 Nov 2015 12:51 PM PST Most people probably think that we perceive the five basic tastes -- sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami (savory)--with our tongue, which then sends signals to our brain 'telling' us what we've tasted. However, scientists have turned this idea on its head, demonstrating in mice the ability to change the way something tastes by manipulating groups of cells in the brain.

Low-oxygen 'dead zones' in North Pacific linked to past ocean-warming events Posted: 18 Nov 2015 12:51 PM PST A new study has found a link between abrupt ocean warming at the end of the last ice age and the sudden onset of low-oxygen, or hypoxic conditions that led to vast marine dead zones.

Our closest wormy cousins: About 70% of our genes trace their ancestry back to the acorn worm Posted: 18 Nov 2015 12:51 PM PST Scientists have analyzed the genomes of two acorn worm species and found that approximately two-thirds of human genes have counterparts in the ancestors of these marine animals. These ancient genes, and their organization within the genome, were already in place in the common ancestor of humans and acorn worms that lived over half a billion years ago.

Weekday sleep changes may raise risk of diabetes, heart disease Posted: 18 Nov 2015 12:51 PM PST Monday mornings could be harmful to your health. Even routine sleep changes such as waking up early for work during the week may raise the risk of developing metabolic problems such as diabetes and heart disease, according to a new study.

Is testosterone therapy safe? Posted: 18 Nov 2015 10:20 AM PST The increasing use of testosterone replacement therapy to treat reduced testosterone level in older men has been accompanied by growing concerns over its long-term safety. The findings of two studies examining the health risks of receiving testosterone are presented by scientists.

Structure of key cancer target enzyme revealed by scientists Posted: 18 Nov 2015 10:18 AM PST Tthe 3-D structure of human heparanase, a sugar-degrading enzyme which has received significant attention as a key target in anti-cancer treatments, has been revealed by scientists. Though naturally regulated in a healthy organism, heparanase is an enzyme which is produced in excessive quantities in a cancer situation.

When did the Andes mountains form? Posted: 18 Nov 2015 10:18 AM PST The Andes were formed by tectonic activity whereby Earth is uplifted as one plate (oceanic crust) subducts under another plate (continental crust). To get such a high mountain chain in a subduction zone setting is unusual, which adds to the importance of trying to figure out when and how it happened. However, the timing of when the Andean mountain chain uplift occurred has been a topic of some controversy over the past ten years. Now, new research shows that the Andes have been a mountain chain for much longer than previously thought.

Ecological extinction explains how turbulence dies Posted: 18 Nov 2015 10:18 AM PST Physicists have developed a theoretical understanding of laminar-turbulent transition that explains the lifetime of turbulent flows and an unexpected analogy with the behavior of an ecosystem on the edge of extinction. This could lead to an improved understanding of how the onset of turbulence can be controlled, potentially reducing energy costs in oil pipelines. It may also have implications for cardiovascular medicine, perhaps reducing the risk of aneurysms.

Babies have logical reasoning before age one Posted: 18 Nov 2015 10:18 AM PST Within the first year of life, children can make transitive inferences about a social hierarchy of dominance.

FDA-approved drug protects mice from Ebola Posted: 18 Nov 2015 10:17 AM PST A new study suggests that gamma interferon, which is an FDA-approved drug, may have potential as an antiviral therapy to prevent Ebola infection when given either before or after exposure to the virus. The study found that gamma interferon, given up to 24 hours after exposure, can inhibit Ebola infection in mice and completely protect the animals from death.

Nivolumab in non-small cell lung cancer: Indication of major added benefit for under 75-year-olds Posted: 18 Nov 2015 10:17 AM PST Younger patients with non-small cell lung cancer in good general condition survive notably longer with the new drug than with the comparator therapy. The added benefit is non-quantifiable in older patients, say reviewers.

New discovery may redefine classifications in the animal kingdom Posted: 18 Nov 2015 10:17 AM PST A close cousin of the jellyfish has evolved over time into a microscopic parasite, new research shows. The finding represents the first case of extreme evolutionary degeneration of an animal body.

New urban heat island study shows surprising variation in air temperatures across Twin Cities Posted: 18 Nov 2015 10:17 AM PST Some parts of the Twin Cities can spike temperatures up to 9°F higher than surrounding communities thanks to the 'urban heat island' effect, according to a new study.

Late effects of treatment study continues sustained academic effort in Hodgkin's lymphoma Posted: 18 Nov 2015 10:17 AM PST Early diagnosis, targeted therapeutics, and more personalized multimodal treatments have boosted survival rates of patients with cancer and have led to a large and rapidly increasing number of cancer survivors. This is particularly true for patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma, where successive trials have registered continuous progress in the development of treatment strategies for this disease.

Potential treatment approach for glycogen storage disease Posted: 18 Nov 2015 10:17 AM PST A potential treatment strategy for an often-fatal inherited glycogen storage disease has been identified by researchers. Patients with the disorder lack the enzyme that enables their livers to convert a glucose precursor to glucose during fasting conditions. Without release of glucose from the liver into the bloodstream, patients develop an extremely low blood sugar level that can lead to seizures, coma and death.

Intervention improves teacher practices, student engagement in early elementary classrooms Posted: 18 Nov 2015 10:17 AM PST A classroom program that helps teachers adapt their interactions with students based on individuals' temperaments may lead to more student engagement in kindergarten, more teacher emotional support to kindergarten and first grade students, and better classroom organization and less off-task behavior in first-grade classes, according to research.

Technique to more effectively diagnose, treat cancer developed Posted: 18 Nov 2015 10:10 AM PST A method to better trace changes in cancers and treatment of the prostate and lung without the limitations associated with radiation has been developed by researchers.

Warming ocean worsened Australia's fatal 2010/2011 floods Posted: 18 Nov 2015 10:10 AM PST Long-term warming of the Indian and Pacific oceans played an important role in increasing the severity of the devastating floods that struck Australia in 2010/2011, a study shows. The researchers found that, during a strong La Niña, warmer sea surface temperatures make Australia three times as likely to experience rainfall levels akin to the 2010/2011 event.

Link between air pollution, heart disease confirmed Posted: 18 Nov 2015 10:10 AM PST A link between higher levels of a specific kind of air pollution in major urban areas and an increase in cardiovascular-related hospitalizations such as for heart attacks in people 65 and older has been uncovered by scientists.

College studies may reduce risk of dementia for older adults, research finds Posted: 18 Nov 2015 10:10 AM PST Older adults who take college courses may increase their cognitive capacity and possibly reduce their risk for developing Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, according to new research.

New guidelines on the prevention/control of multi-drug-resistant gram-negative bacteria Posted: 18 Nov 2015 10:10 AM PST Gram-negative bacteria include common types such as E. coli that all of us carry in our bowels. When these bacteria get into other parts of the body they can cause infections, including common infections such as cystitis or urinary tract infections. The bacteria can also be readily spread from person to person. Multi-drug-resistant strains are resistant to most, or all, of the common antibiotics that we use to treat infections. New accredited guidelines on the prevention and control of multi-drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria have now been released.

Smeagol found underground in Brazil: New eyeless and highly modified harvestman species Posted: 18 Nov 2015 09:53 AM PST Called after Tolkien's character from the 'Lord of the Rings' series, a new eyeless harvestman species was found to crawl in a humid cave in southeastern Brazil. Never getting out of its subterranean hiding, the new daddy longlegs species is the most highly modified representative among its close relatives and only the second one with no eyes living in Brazil.

Coconut oil can control overgrowth of a fungal pathogen in GI tract, study in mice suggests Posted: 18 Nov 2015 09:53 AM PST Coconut oil controlled the overgrowth of a fungal pathogen called Candida albicans (C. albicans) in mice, new research shows. In humans, high levels of C. albicans in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to bloodstream infections, including invasive candidiasis. The research suggests that it might be possible to use dietary approaches as an alternative to antifungal drugs in order to decrease the risk of infections caused by C. albicans.

Socioeconomic factors associated with undergoing surgery for early-stage pancreatic cancer Posted: 18 Nov 2015 09:53 AM PST While socioeconomic factors such as race, ethnicity, marital status, insurance status, and geographic location are associated with whether patients with localized pancreatic cancer undergo resection (surgical removal of the tumor), only geographic location is associated with survival in these patients, according to a study.

Research shows benefits, danger of ultraman competition Posted: 18 Nov 2015 07:19 AM PST The endurance competition called the Ultraman can lead to large reductions in body fat, but also causes temporary muscle damage and potentially insulin resistance, new research confirms.

Male hormone testosterone cause of sex differences in parkinson's disease risk, study suggests Posted: 18 Nov 2015 07:19 AM PST Men are twice as likely as women to develop Parkinson's disease. New research suggests that testosterone enhances the susceptibility of brain cells that control movement to damage from chemical imbalances, explaining the sex differences in the occurrence of Parkinson's.

Music-making for the deaf Posted: 18 Nov 2015 07:18 AM PST A researcher is exploring new ways to enhance the experience of deaf musicians with new visual and touch techniques. Alongside vibrations, visual indictors will appear on a digital display that collectively form a 'sonic fingerprint' when an instrument is played, highlighting different components that make up the sound.

Strategy based on human reflexes may keep legged robots and prosthetic legs from tripping Posted: 18 Nov 2015 07:17 AM PST Trips and stumbles too often lead to falls for amputees using leg prosthetics, but a robotic leg prosthesis under development promises to help users recover their balance by using techniques based on the way human legs are controlled.

Cereal science: New phenomenon in materials science observed in compaction of puffed rice cereal Posted: 18 Nov 2015 07:17 AM PST There's more to the snap, crackle and pop of Rice Krispies than meets the ear. A recent study used the breakfast cereal to discover a new phenomenon in materials science: highly porous, brittle materials can deform in different ways depending on compaction velocity ... the discovery could have implications for manufacturing or even assessing the safety of snow after an avalanche.

Couples who have sex weekly are happiest Posted: 18 Nov 2015 07:17 AM PST Although more frequent sex is associated with greater happiness, this link was no longer significant at a frequency of more than once a week, report researchers in a new report.

Experiencing major stress makes some older adults better able to handle daily stress Posted: 18 Nov 2015 07:17 AM PST Dealing with a major stressful event appears to make some older adults better able to cope with the ups and downs of day-to-day stress.

How 'deviant' messages flood social media Posted: 18 Nov 2015 06:43 AM PST From terrorist propaganda distributed by organizations such as ISIS, to political activism, diverse voices now use social media as their major public platform. Organizations deploy bots — virtual, automated posters — as well as enormous paid "armies" of human posters or trolls, and hacking schemes to overwhelmingly infiltrate the public platform with their message. A professor of information science has been awarded a grant to continue his research that will provide an in-depth understanding of the major propagators of viral, insidious content and the methods that make them successful.

Working up a sweat may protect men from lethal prostate cancer Posted: 18 Nov 2015 06:43 AM PST A study that tracked tens of thousands of midlife and older men for more than 20 years has found that vigorous exercise and other healthy lifestyle habits may cut their chances of developing a lethal type of prostate cancer by up to 68 percent.

Rheumatologist suggests number one arthritis drug is underutilized, underdosed Posted: 18 Nov 2015 06:43 AM PST Physicians are underutilizing methotrexate, the leading drug for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), or not keeping patients on the drug long enough before switching them to more expensive biologic drug options, one expert suggests.

Why mice have longer sperm than elephants Posted: 18 Nov 2015 04:14 AM PST In the animal world, if several males mate with the same female, their sperm compete to fertilize her limited supply of eggs. Longer sperm often seem to have a competitive advantage. However, a study now reveals that the size of the animals also matters. The larger the animal, the more important the number of sperm is relative to sperm length. That's why elephants have smaller sperm than mice.

New options for treating autism Posted: 18 Nov 2015 04:13 AM PST The operating mechanism of oxytocin, the molecule involved in social behavior, has been researched by a team of European scientists. The results obtained in the research suggest that one of the mechanisms by which oxytocin causes interpersonal relations to be perceived as pleasant could be through the release of anandamide.

Economic significance of cities increases while that of countries falls Posted: 18 Nov 2015 04:13 AM PST According to a European study, the most competitive cities are those with greater economic and political leadership and innovative activity.

Use your loaf to save British wildlife Posted: 18 Nov 2015 04:13 AM PST Farmers can maintain high yields and boost nature by signing up to a wildlife-friendly scheme, new research suggests. The research suggests that some government schemes designed to encourage farmers to help wildlife have had limited effectiveness. The results support the need for more targeted government schemes and for consumers to support farmers and brands that are wildlife-friendly.

Regenerative nanomaterials to improve dental care Posted: 18 Nov 2015 04:13 AM PST New nanomaterials for dental treatments boast impressive antibacterial, decay-resistant and biomimetic properties. In combination with stem cells, they are even capable of regenerating dental tissues, researchers report.

Weekday of surgery affects oesophageal cancer surgery prognosis Posted: 18 Nov 2015 04:13 AM PST Patients who undergo surgery for esophageal cancer early in the week – on a Monday or Tuesday – have a higher chance of long-term survival than those who have surgery at the end of the working week, researchers report.

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