ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Parasitic tapeworm influences behavior and lifespan of uninfected members of ant colonies
• Exiled exoplanet likely kicked out of star's neighborhood
• Nano-walkers take speedy leap forward with first rolling DNA-based motor
• Herniated disks in children, teens linked to lower spine malformations
• Clinical workstations: An overlooked reservoir for deadly bacteria?
• System boosts resolution of commercial depth sensors 1,000-fold
• Eat a paleo peach: First fossil peaches discovered in southwest China
• Antibody for severe hemophilia a may reduce injections needed to prevent bleeding
• Underage drinkers' brand preferences vary by race, age, study finds
• Decline in cognitive ability leads to fear of upfront costs
• Type 2 diabetes reversed by losing fat from pancreas
• Roboticists learn to teach robots from babies
• New process could be white lightning to electronics industry
• Animal evolution: Sponges really are oldest animal phylum
• Original blood vessels in 80 million-year-old fossil
• Cognitive-behavioral stress management in breast cancer
• Radical signal to the progeny
• Theory of 'smart' plants may explain the evolution of global ecosystems
• HIV/AIDS drugs interfere with brain's 'Insulation'
• Laser mapping Lincoln Cathedral to uncover its architectural secrets
• Study 'opens gate' to understanding depression
• Christmas period may reduce quality of life for many Europeans
• Early progress reported in designing drugs that target 'disordered' proteins
• Why Europe will eventually turn cold
• Unfriending on Facebook more likely from politically active users
• Enhanced treatment for hepatitis C could cut prevalence by 80 percent
• Adults with cerebral palsy more likely to have chronic conditions, researchers find
• Metformin does not improve glycemic control for overweight teens with type 1 diabetes
• Optimal global C-section rate may be as high as 19 percent to save lives of mothers, infants
• Fossil dinosaur tracks give insight into lives of prehistoric giants
• Researchers hope to harness human dna to fight HIV
• First language wires brain for later language-learning
• why and when straight women form close friendships with gay men
• Estimating poverty, wealth from cell phone metadata
• Risk management plan for functional imaging in cancer clinical trials
• Plant hormone may play a vital role in blood sugar control, diabetes management
• Magnesium ions show promise in slowing progression of Alzheimer's disease in mice
• Important step toward preventing, treating some MRSA post-implant infections
• This is why we do not constantly get ill despite viruses, bacteria
• New technique reveals causes of aging in yeast
• Biophysicists develop a model for arterial thrombus formation
• Stopping ovarian cancer in its tracks: Antibody may help patients heal themselves
• Scientists draw evidence-based blueprint for HIV treatment, prevention
• Gaming technology may improve X-ray precision
• New map boosts understanding of complex UN climate regime
• 45 percent increase in mortality from law enforcement from 1999 to 2013, report shows
• Genes for a longer, healthier life found
• Scientists overcome key CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing hurdle
• Cancer cells can poison normal cells
• Taking Truvada 'as needed' can prevent HIV-transmission amongst people at high-risk
• El Niño warming causes significant coral damage in central Pacific
• Irrigation method saves 50 percent of water needed for potato growth
• Childbirth an athletic event? Sports medicine used to diagnose injuries caused by deliveries
• State workers' compensation policies affect costs, disability time
• New diaphragms grown from stem cells offer hope of a cure for common birth defect, possibly future repairs of the heart
• Explosive energy in Saturn's magnetic bubble
• Scientists put final pieces into place for seeing cancer with protons
• Failing phytoplankton, failing oxygen: Global warming disaster could suffocate life on planet Earth
• Growing stem cells faster on seaweed
• Food and Emotions: 90 percent overlook key to weight loss, survey finds

Parasitic tapeworm influences behavior and lifespan of uninfected members of ant colonies Posted: 01 Dec 2015 03:04 PM PST Ants are quite often infected by parasites. For example, tapeworms use ants as intermediate hosts for a part of their development phase before they complete their life cycle in their main host. Researchers have now discovered that such parasites not only change the appearance and behavior of infected ants but also have an effect on the behavior of uninfected members of the colony.

Exiled exoplanet likely kicked out of star's neighborhood Posted: 01 Dec 2015 12:23 PM PST The Gemini Planet Imager and the Hubble Space Telescope have revealed details of an unusual exoplanet and its star that suggest the planetary system underwent a violent episode in its early history that ejected the planet to a distance equivalent to 16 times the Earth-Pluto distance and roiled the comet belt closer to the star. This resembles what many people think happened in our solar system's past.

Nano-walkers take speedy leap forward with first rolling DNA-based motor Posted: 01 Dec 2015 12:23 PM PST A rolling DNA-based motor that's 1,000 times faster than any other synthetic DNA motor has been devised by physical chemists, giving it potential for real-world applications, such as disease diagnostics.

Herniated disks in children, teens linked to lower spine malformations Posted: 01 Dec 2015 12:23 PM PST Most children and adolescents with herniated disks in the lower (lumbar) spine have some sort of malformation of the spinal vertebrae, reports a study. Herniated disks in the lumbar spine are common in adults, typically related to repetitive overloading and age-related degeneration. But this type of wear and tear can't explain the uncommon occurrence in children and teens.

Clinical workstations: An overlooked reservoir for deadly bacteria? Posted: 01 Dec 2015 11:13 AM PST Clinical workstations within hospital intensive care units (ICUs) may get overlooked during routine cleanings and could therefore harbor more dangerous bacteria than regularly cleaned objects in patient areas, according to a pilot study.

System boosts resolution of commercial depth sensors 1,000-fold Posted: 01 Dec 2015 11:12 AM PST Researchers have shown that by exploiting the polarization of light -- the physical phenomenon behind polarized sunglasses and most 3-D movie systems -- they can increase the resolution of conventional 3-D imaging devices as much as 1,000 times.

Eat a paleo peach: First fossil peaches discovered in southwest China Posted: 01 Dec 2015 11:12 AM PST The sweet, juicy peaches we love today might have been a popular snack long before modern humans arrived on the scene.

Antibody for severe hemophilia a may reduce injections needed to prevent bleeding Posted: 01 Dec 2015 11:12 AM PST An antibody engineered to prevent excessive bleeding in patients with severe hemophilia A may be safe and effective, and require fewer injections than existing options, according to a first-in-human study of the treatment.

Underage drinkers' brand preferences vary by race, age, study finds Posted: 01 Dec 2015 11:12 AM PST Two beer brands -- Bud Light and Budweiser -- are uniformly popular among underage drinkers, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity, while certain other brands appear to have a unique appeal to African-American youth drinkers, according to a new, American study.

Decline in cognitive ability leads to fear of upfront costs Posted: 01 Dec 2015 11:12 AM PST Older individuals with lower cognitive abilities are susceptible to behavioral biases, such as being adverse to upfront costs, report investigators in a new report.

Type 2 diabetes reversed by losing fat from pancreas Posted: 01 Dec 2015 11:12 AM PST Type 2 diabetes is caused by fat accumulating in the pancreas, researchers show. They add that losing less than one gram of that fat through weight loss reverses the diabetes.

Roboticists learn to teach robots from babies Posted: 01 Dec 2015 10:17 AM PST A collaboration between developmental psychologists and computer scientists has demonstrated that robots can "learn" much like babies - by experiencing the world and eventually imitating humans.

New process could be white lightning to electronics industry Posted: 01 Dec 2015 10:17 AM PST A new era of electronics and even quantum devices could be ushered in with the fabrication of a virtually perfect single layer of "white graphene."

Animal evolution: Sponges really are oldest animal phylum Posted: 01 Dec 2015 10:07 AM PST Who came first – sponges or comb jellies? A new study reaffirms that sponges are the oldest animal phylum – and restores the classical view of early animal evolution, which recent molecular analyses had challenged.

Original blood vessels in 80 million-year-old fossil Posted: 01 Dec 2015 10:04 AM PST Researchers have confirmed that blood vessel-like structures found in an 80 million-year-old hadrosaur fossil are original to the animal, and not biofilm or other contaminants.

Cognitive-behavioral stress management in breast cancer Posted: 01 Dec 2015 10:04 AM PST Women who were provided with skills to manage stress early in their breast cancer treatment show greater length of survival and longer time till disease recurrence over eight to 15 years after their original diagnosis, newly published research from a randomized trial shows.

Radical signal to the progeny Posted: 01 Dec 2015 10:04 AM PST A globin protein has been discovered in the roundworm model Caenorhabditis elegans that is able to generate free radical signals. It is very likely that more unexpected globin discoveries will be made in this 1-mm worm as its genome encodes a staggering 33 globins, the majority of which the function is still enigmatic.

Theory of 'smart' plants may explain the evolution of global ecosystems Posted: 01 Dec 2015 10:00 AM PST In a new global theory of land-biome evolution, researchers suggest that plants are not passive features of their environments, but may instead actively behave in ways that determine the productivity and composition of their ecosystems.

HIV/AIDS drugs interfere with brain's 'Insulation' Posted: 01 Dec 2015 10:00 AM PST Commonly used antiretroviral medications disrupted the function of oligodendrocytes, research shows, crucial brain cells that manufacture myelin, the fatty material that serves to insulate neurons, helping them transmit signals in the brain fast and efficiently.

Laser mapping Lincoln Cathedral to uncover its architectural secrets Posted: 01 Dec 2015 10:00 AM PST A powerful laser scanner has been used by experts to capture a detailed, virtual record of the interior of Lincoln Cathedral and reveal clues to its architectural past. Existing floor plans for the historic monument are in excess of a century-old and do not accurately represent the building as it stands today.

Study 'opens gate' to understanding depression Posted: 01 Dec 2015 10:00 AM PST A new scientific model that incorporates the myriad drivers of depression could lead to more precise treatment for an illness that affects 350 million worldwide, report investigators.

Christmas period may reduce quality of life for many Europeans Posted: 01 Dec 2015 10:00 AM PST Many Europeans do not experience the run-up to Christmas as a particularly jolly time, and often feel despondent and stressed, reports a new study. However, the study suggests Christians, particularly those who are very religious, are the exception to this pattern.

Early progress reported in designing drugs that target 'disordered' proteins Posted: 01 Dec 2015 10:00 AM PST Scientists capitalize on technological advances to lay the groundwork for drug development against 'disordered' proteins that play key roles in human health and disease. A small, drug-like molecule that inhibits the function of a "disordered" protein in research that may advance a novel approach to hearing restoration, they say.

Why Europe will eventually turn cold Posted: 01 Dec 2015 10:00 AM PST While the politicians are taking part in global climate talks in Paris, a group of scientists traced solar activity over the past thousand years and made the forecast to the year 3200.

Unfriending on Facebook more likely from politically active users Posted: 01 Dec 2015 10:00 AM PST When large politically important conflicts play out in real time over the internet, comments and grand gestures seem to be the norm. But do these really play a part in people stopping their online friendships? A recent study found that during the Israel-Gaza conflict in 2014, 16 percent of those in the study unfriended a Facebook friend based on political comments.

Enhanced treatment for hepatitis C could cut prevalence by 80 percent Posted: 01 Dec 2015 09:58 AM PST Novel antiviral therapies for hepatitis C could reduce the prevalence of the blood-borne infection by more than 80 percent, according to a new analysis. The finding raises the possibility of greatly reducing, and even eliminating, hepatitis C in the United States if enhanced screening and treatment efforts target high-risk populations.

Adults with cerebral palsy more likely to have chronic conditions, researchers find Posted: 01 Dec 2015 09:58 AM PST Adults with cerebral palsy are more likely to have secondary chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, than adults without cerebral palsy, suggests a new report.

Metformin does not improve glycemic control for overweight teens with type 1 diabetes Posted: 01 Dec 2015 09:58 AM PST In a randomized trial that included overweight and obese adolescents with type 1 diabetes, the addition of metformin to insulin did not improve glycemic control after six months, report researchers.

Optimal global C-section rate may be as high as 19 percent to save lives of mothers, infants Posted: 01 Dec 2015 09:58 AM PST New research examining the relationship between C-section rates and maternal and neonatal mortality in 194 countries concludes that as the country-level C-section rate increases up to 19 percent, maternal and neonatal mortality rates decline.

Fossil dinosaur tracks give insight into lives of prehistoric giants Posted: 01 Dec 2015 09:57 AM PST A newly discovered collection of rare dinosaur tracks is helping scientists shed light on some of the biggest animals ever to live on land.

Researchers hope to harness human dna to fight HIV Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:54 AM PST Researchers are learning more about how an ancient "error correction" system in the human genome helps protect the body against HIV, in hopes that their latest discovery may help in the fight against the infection.

First language wires brain for later language-learning Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:52 AM PST You may believe that you have forgotten the Chinese you spoke as a child, but your brain hasn't. Moreover, that "forgotten" first language may well influence what goes on in your brain when you speak English or French today.

why and when straight women form close friendships with gay men Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:51 AM PST Psychology researchers examine the dynamics behind gay-straight friendships in one of the first empirical studies of its kind. The research affirmed that women place more trust in dating advice from a gay male friend than from heterosexual men because gay men have fewer ulterior mating motives.

Estimating poverty, wealth from cell phone metadata Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:51 AM PST Researchers have devised a way to estimate the distribution of wealth and poverty in an area by studying metadata from calls and texts made on cell phones. Such metadata contains information about the time, location and nature of the 'mobile phone events' but not their content.

Risk management plan for functional imaging in cancer clinical trials Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:51 AM PST In cancer clinical trials, scientists are always trying to strike the right balance between maximizing data quality and minimizing cost. Here, risk management can be an extremely helpful tool, because it can help to prioritize, reduce costs, and decrease attrition rates. In a new study, researchers used a quality risk management approach to help us outline a consensus framework for imaging biomarker driven trials.

Plant hormone may play a vital role in blood sugar control, diabetes management Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:50 AM PST A treatment for managing blood sugar levels might be as close as the local health food store, suggests a new research report. Specifically scientists have found that when the plant and mammal hormone, abscisic acid, is taken in low doses, glycemia in both rats and humans is reduced.

Magnesium ions show promise in slowing progression of Alzheimer's disease in mice Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:50 AM PST In mouse models Alzheimer's disease, oral administration of magnesium-L-threonate (MgT) alleviated cognitive decline, scientists report in a new article.

Important step toward preventing, treating some MRSA post-implant infections Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:50 AM PST New research helps explain why Staphylococcus aureus infections take hold after prosthetic surgery that are resistant to both the body's natural defenses as well as antibiotic treatments.

This is why we do not constantly get ill despite viruses, bacteria Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:48 AM PST New research breaks with existing knowledge about how our immune system works. The new experiments have shown how the body mobilizes a hitherto unknown defense against viruses and bacteria. This also explains why we do not constantly get ill despite the viruses around us.

New technique reveals causes of aging in yeast Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:48 AM PST A unique experiment to study aging in yeast cells has been designed by researchers. By following molecular processes inside aging yeast, they discovered that an overproduction of the proteins needed to make new proteins could be the root cause of the cellular processes that eventually kill the cells.

Biophysicists develop a model for arterial thrombus formation Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:47 AM PST A group of biophysicists have developed a mathematical model of arterial thrombus formation, which is the main cause of heart attacks and strokes. The scientists described the process of platelet aggregation as being similar to the popular video game Tetris and derived equations that allowed them to reproduce the wave process of platelet aggregate formation in a blood vessel.

Stopping ovarian cancer in its tracks: Antibody may help patients heal themselves Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:47 AM PST In a first, researchers show the potential a PD-1 antibody, nivolumab, has in fighting the disease. Nivolumab, an inhibitory antibody for PD-1, has shown efficacy in several types of malignancies including melanoma, kidney cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer.

Scientists draw evidence-based blueprint for HIV treatment, prevention Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:47 AM PST For many years, clinicians debated the best time to start antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection, with some worrying that the risks of treatment in terms of drug toxicities could outweigh the benefits of controlling the virus. In a new commentary, scientists argue that the results of three large clinical trials definitively prove that the benefits of starting ART early in infection outweigh any theoretical risk.

Gaming technology may improve X-ray precision Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:47 AM PST With the aim of producing high-quality X-rays with minimal radiation exposure, particularly in children, researchers have developed a new approach to imaging patients based on the Xbox gaming system. Using proprietary software developed for the Microsoft Kinect system, researchers have adapted hands-free technology used for the popular Xbox system to aid radiographers when taking X-rays.

New map boosts understanding of complex UN climate regime Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:39 AM PST Researchers have helped create a comprehensive and interactive map of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

45 percent increase in mortality from law enforcement from 1999 to 2013, report shows Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:39 AM PST Between 1999 and 2013, there were 5,511 deaths by law enforcement, mostly among non-whites, a new study shows. During this 15-year period, there was a 45 percent net increase in deaths from legal intervention, and 96 percent of these deaths occurred among men, of which 78 percent occurred between ages 15 and 44 years.

Genes for a longer, healthier life found Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:39 AM PST Out of a 'haystack' of 40,000 genes from three different organisms, scientists have found genes that are involved in physical aging. If you influence only one of these genes, the healthy lifespan of laboratory animals is extended -- and possibly that of humans, too.

Scientists overcome key CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing hurdle Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:39 AM PST Researchers have engineered changes to the revolutionary CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system that significantly cut down on 'off-target' editing errors. The refined technique addresses one of the major technical issues in the use of genome editing.

Cancer cells can poison normal cells Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:39 AM PST A fundamental finding that cancer cells can induce neighboring normal cells to become cancerous has been released by scientists. The researchers used a three-dimensional co-culture system where they grew normal cells and cancer cells together, mimicking the situation inside the body, to reach their conclusion.

Taking Truvada 'as needed' can prevent HIV-transmission amongst people at high-risk Posted: 01 Dec 2015 08:39 AM PST In a study into the prevention of HIV transmission, people who took the antiretroviral drug Truvada were 86 percent less likely to contract the disease than those who took a placebo, report the researchers who led the study.

El Niño warming causes significant coral damage in central Pacific Posted: 01 Dec 2015 07:15 AM PST Current El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean have created high water temperatures that are seriously damaging coral reefs, including those on Christmas Island, which may be the epicenter for what could become a global coral bleaching event, report scientists.

Irrigation method saves 50 percent of water needed for potato growth Posted: 01 Dec 2015 07:13 AM PST An irrigation method uses 50 percent less water than traditional systems to grow potatoes – an important finding for the $131 million-a-year Florida crop.

Childbirth an athletic event? Sports medicine used to diagnose injuries caused by deliveries Posted: 01 Dec 2015 07:13 AM PST Childbirth is arguably the most traumatic event the human body can undergo, and new imaging techniques show that up to 15 percent of women sustain pelvic injuries that don't heal.

State workers' compensation policies affect costs, disability time Posted: 01 Dec 2015 07:13 AM PST Certain workers' compensation (WC) policies explain much of the state-level variation in costs and outcomes of claims for low back pain (LBP), reports an American study.

New diaphragms grown from stem cells offer hope of a cure for common birth defect, possibly future repairs of the heart Posted: 01 Dec 2015 06:42 AM PST New diaphragm tissue in rats has been successfully created in the lab using a mixture of stem cells and a 3D scaffold. When transplanted, it has regrown with the same complex mechanical properties of diaphragm muscle. The study offers hope of a cure for a common birth defect and possible future heart muscle repairs.

Explosive energy in Saturn's magnetic bubble Posted: 01 Dec 2015 06:42 AM PST Scientists have found the first direct evidence for explosive releases of energy in Saturn's magnetic bubble using data from the Cassini spacecraft.

Scientists put final pieces into place for seeing cancer with protons Posted: 01 Dec 2015 06:41 AM PST Scientists are currently in South Africa putting together a unique medical imaging platform which could improve treatment for millions of cancer sufferers by making proton therapy a viable option.

Failing phytoplankton, failing oxygen: Global warming disaster could suffocate life on planet Earth Posted: 01 Dec 2015 06:41 AM PST Falling oxygen levels caused by global warming could be a greater threat to the survival of life on planet Earth than flooding, according to new research.

Growing stem cells faster on seaweed Posted: 01 Dec 2015 06:41 AM PST Alginate forms a kind of supporting skeleton in the cell walls of certain kinds of algae. Scientists use the gel-like mass from Chilean seaweed as the substrate for stem cells. They can flexibly adjust the pore size and elasticity of the alginate, and it transports active ingredients and has better optical characteristics than plastic materials.

Food and Emotions: 90 percent overlook key to weight loss, survey finds Posted: 01 Dec 2015 06:36 AM PST The results of a national survey about weight loss barriers finds 90 percent of respondents discounted one of the most important factors -- your mind. A neuropsychologist says the most crucial factor is your psychological relationship with food and exercise, yet the majority (60 percent) listed diet and exercise to be the biggest barriers of weight loss, and only 10 percent of people thought psychological well being was the biggest barrier to weight loss.

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