ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Living happily in a material world: Material purchases can bring happiness
• Evergreens in Southwest U.S. at risk
• Neutrons offer guide to getting more out of solid-state lithium-ion batteries
• Container-grown conifers benefit from irrigation based on daily water use
• How LED lighting treatments affect greenhouse tomato quality
• Twisted magnetic fields give new insights on star formation
• Religion and politics led to social tension and conflict, then and now
• Scientists study single 'transformer' proteins with role in cancer
• New flow battery offers lower-cost energy storage
• Wasp larvae jump to the dark side
• Team identified brain circuit involved in party drug's antidepressant effect
• Immune suppressor cells identified for advanced prostate cancer
• New device uses carbon nanotubes to snag molecules
• Epigenetic discovery suggests DNA modifications more diverse than previously thought
• Mutations causing butterfly-shaped eye pigment dystrophy identified
• Genetic convergence between cognition, neurodevelopmental disorders discovered
• Eyes turn into skin: How inflammation can change the fate of cells
• Timing of end-of-life discussions for patients with blood cancers
• X-ray vision? Laser-derived X-ray method finds hidden nuclear materials
• Overeating and depressed? There's a connection, and maybe a solution
• Hypertension-related visits to emergency rooms on rise in US
• Protecting a few students from negative stereotypes benefits entire classroom
• Child-pedestrian behaviors that lead to auto accidents
• Battling obesity epidemic: New look at 'fat tax'
• How graphic photos on cigarette packs help smokers consider quitting
• A multitool for cells: Understanding the sense of smell in cells
• NanoOK: Quality Control for portable, rapid, low-cost DNA sequencing
• Rail line disruption set for dramatic increase as sea levels continue to rise
• New research shows decline in population and breeding success of Antarctic seabird
• Physics sheds light on stem cell-derived organoid growth, brain development
• Email between patients, physicians improves health, survey shows
• Bones of obese children may be in trouble
• Love in the time of Ebola: Study reveals factors bolstering altruism in face of risk
• Brain differences in premature babies who later develop autism
• Coral symbionts take to the open ocean
• Einstein's Cross under the gravitational microlens
• Tumors hijack export pathway in cells to resist chemotherapy and fuel disease progression
• Large proportion of IBS sufferers are vitamin D deficient
• Women experiencing delay in labor willing to forsake their own birth plans
• Reduction of contrast medium volume and radiation dose in CTA scans
• 'Metal' drugs to fight cancer
• Targeted alpha therapy's potential to eliminate HIV-infected cells
• Pelvic pain is associated with poorer mental health outcomes in women with endometriosis
• Protein that boosts memory identified
• New interactions uncovered affecting TGF-beta pathway in humans
• Two-phonon quantum interference observed for the first time
• Teaching machines to see
• Obesity more dangerous than lack of fitness, new study claims
• Scientists discover rare sea snakes, previously thought extinct, off Western Australia
• Periodontal disease associated with increased breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women
• Nature's unique way of controlling color explains why birds never go gray
• New laptop program can identify drug resistance from bacterial genomes
• Biochemical clues may predict who develops Alzheimer's disease -- and who doesn't
• Study finds that more than one-third of patients with metastatic cancer continue to work
• Auroral mystery solved: Sudden bursts caused by swirling charged particles

Living happily in a material world: Material purchases can bring happiness Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:41 PM PST Researchers have shown that material purchases, from sweaters to skateboards, provide more frequent happiness over time, whereas experiential purchases, like a trip to the zoo, provide more intense happiness on individual occasions.

Evergreens in Southwest U.S. at risk Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:41 PM PST In a broad analysis of climate change scenarios, researchers see a grim future for evergreen forests in the Southwest region of the United States. Using field reports, validated regional predictions and computer models, they project a 72 percent loss of needleleaf evergreens by 2050, almost 100 percent by 2100.

Neutrons offer guide to getting more out of solid-state lithium-ion batteries Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:41 PM PST A new study has revealed promising results that could drastically boost the performance of solid-state electrolytes, and could potentially lead to a safer, even more efficient battery. Researchers used neutron diffraction (the VULCAN instrument, SNS beam line 7) to conduct an in-depth study probing the entire structure evolution of doped garnet-type electrolytes during the synthesis process to unravel the mechanism that boosts the lithium-ionic conductivity.

Container-grown conifers benefit from irrigation based on daily water use Posted: 21 Dec 2015 10:39 AM PST Scientists quantified irrigation volume, runoff volume and nutrient content, and plant growth of container-grown conifers irrigated based on plant daily water use (DWU) vs. a standard irrigation rate. Averaged over two years, irrigation applications were reduced. Plant growth for the DWU-based treatments was the same or greater than the control.

How LED lighting treatments affect greenhouse tomato quality Posted: 21 Dec 2015 10:39 AM PST Researchers collected physicochemical and sensory data in studies investigating the effect of supplemental light quantity and quality on greenhouse-grown tomatoes. Supplemental intracanopy LED lighting at the intensities and wavelengths used in the study did not negatively affect greenhouse tomato fruit quality or consumer ratings, and thus could be a potential alternative for overhead high-pressure sodium supplementation.

Twisted magnetic fields give new insights on star formation Posted: 21 Dec 2015 10:38 AM PST Highly detailed images from the Very Large Array show that magnetic field lines are twisted into new alignments as they are dragged inward toward forming stars.

Religion and politics led to social tension and conflict, then and now Posted: 21 Dec 2015 10:38 AM PST Humans haven't learned much in more than 2,000 years when it comes to religion and politics. Religion has led to social tension and conflict, not just in today's society, but dating back to 700 B.C. according to a new study.

Scientists study single 'transformer' proteins with role in cancer Posted: 21 Dec 2015 10:38 AM PST A new study shows how a protein involved in cancer twists and morphs into different structures. This protein has many functions and, when mutated, has been shown to interfere with cells' normal tumor suppressing ability.

New flow battery offers lower-cost energy storage Posted: 21 Dec 2015 10:38 AM PST Renewable energy can be stored for less with a new organic aqueous flow battery, which uses inexpensive and readily available materials. The new battery is expected to cost about 60 percent less than today's standard flow batteries.

Wasp larvae jump to the dark side Posted: 21 Dec 2015 10:38 AM PST Jumping is not about fun and games for insect larvae. They must do it to survive. This maneuver is all about finding a shady spot to develop in, according to researchers who looked into the jumping behavior of a minute parasitic wasp.

Team identified brain circuit involved in party drug's antidepressant effect Posted: 21 Dec 2015 10:38 AM PST A fast-acting medication without side effects is needed for depression, and a new research finding may be one step toward such a novel medication.

Immune suppressor cells identified for advanced prostate cancer Posted: 21 Dec 2015 10:38 AM PST Immune suppressor cells called MDSCs (myeloid-derived suppressor cells) may be important in developing treatments for advanced prostate cancer, according to a new study.

New device uses carbon nanotubes to snag molecules Posted: 21 Dec 2015 10:38 AM PST A new technique for trapping hard-to-detect molecules has been devised, using forests of carbon nanotubes. The team modified a simple microfluidic channel with an array of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes -- rolled lattices of carbon atoms that resemble tiny tubes of chicken wire. The researchers had previously devised a method for standing carbon nanotubes on their ends, like trees in a forest. With this method, they created a three-dimensional array of permeable carbon nanotubes within a microfluidic device, through which fluid can flow.

Epigenetic discovery suggests DNA modifications more diverse than previously thought Posted: 21 Dec 2015 10:37 AM PST The world of epigenetics -- where molecular 'switches' attached to DNA turn genes on and off -- has just got bigger with a new discovery that suggests that many more DNA modifications than previously thought may exist in human, mouse and other vertebrates.

Mutations causing butterfly-shaped eye pigment dystrophy identified Posted: 21 Dec 2015 10:37 AM PST A butterfly-shaped pigment accumulation in the macula of the eye, which can lead to severe vision loss in some patients, is due to mutations in the alpha-catenin 1 gene (CTNNA1), an international research consortium reports.

Genetic convergence between cognition, neurodevelopmental disorders discovered Posted: 21 Dec 2015 10:37 AM PST For the first time, a study has demonstrated a genetic convergence between cognition and neurodevelopmental disorders in the human brain. These findings provide an alternate starting point for scientists to develop therapies for such disorders.

Eyes turn into skin: How inflammation can change the fate of cells Posted: 21 Dec 2015 10:36 AM PST Chronic inflammation can cause regenerating cells to grow into new, aberrant types; this is called metaplasia, and is a disorder linked to prolonged inflammation. A new study highlights a new concept of chronic inflammation and could lead to better treatments.

Timing of end-of-life discussions for patients with blood cancers Posted: 21 Dec 2015 10:36 AM PST A majority of hematologic oncologists report that end-of-life discussions happen with patients with blood cancers too late, according to an article.

X-ray vision? Laser-derived X-ray method finds hidden nuclear materials Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:14 AM PST In proof-of-principle experiments, scientists used a laser-driven X-ray source to produce an image of a uranium disk no bigger than a stack of three nickels, hidden between 3-inch steel panels.

Overeating and depressed? There's a connection, and maybe a solution Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:13 AM PST Chronic overeating and stress are tied to an increased risk of depression and anxiety, and in a new study, researchers explain why that happens and suggest a possible solution. The researchers report that the anesthetic ketamine reverses depression-like symptoms in rats fed a high-fat diet in a similar way it combats depression and synaptic damage of chronic stress in people.

Hypertension-related visits to emergency rooms on rise in US Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:13 AM PST The number and percentage of patients treated at emergency departments for hypertension are on the rise across the United States, according to a new study.

Protecting a few students from negative stereotypes benefits entire classroom Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:13 AM PST Interventions targeted at individual students can improve the classroom environment and trigger a second wave of benefits for all classmates, new research shows. The findings indicate that sharing a classroom with greater numbers of students who participate in a brief intervention can boost all students' grades over and above the initial benefits of the intervention.

Child-pedestrian behaviors that lead to auto accidents Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:13 AM PST 'These results can serve as a tool to construct a hazard perception training intervention for youngsters,' Meir says. 'Moreover, the differences that emerged between the various children age groups reinforce that child pedestrians cannot be trained as a group, but rather the training needs to be adjusted to the level of experience the child has gained.'

Battling obesity epidemic: New look at 'fat tax' Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:13 AM PST Small price differences at the point of purchase can be highly effective in shifting consumer demand from high calorie to healthier low calorie alternatives, according to a new study.

How graphic photos on cigarette packs help smokers consider quitting Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:13 AM PST A new study is the first to provide real-world evidence of the effectiveness of smoking warning labels that include graphic photos of the damage caused by regular tobacco use.

A multitool for cells: Understanding the sense of smell in cells Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:13 AM PST Cells have an infallible sense of smell that tells them which direction to grow in to move closer to the source of a scent. Now, researchers have now learned how this sense of smell works.

NanoOK: Quality Control for portable, rapid, low-cost DNA sequencing Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:13 AM PST Scientists have been putting Oxford Nanopore's MinION sequencer through its paces with an open-source, sequence alignment-based genome analysis tool called 'NanoOK.'

Rail line disruption set for dramatic increase as sea levels continue to rise Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:12 AM PST Rail services to and from the South West of England could be disrupted for more than 10 percent of each year by 2040 and almost one-third by 2100, a new study suggests.

New research shows decline in population and breeding success of Antarctic seabird Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:12 AM PST A fifty year study of the charismatic seabird, the southern giant petrel, on the Antarctic island of Signy shows its population has halved and its breeding success has declined in the last 10-20 years.

Physics sheds light on stem cell-derived organoid growth, brain development Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:12 AM PST New mathematical models shed light on the complex interactions of stem cell function and molecular diffusion in neural tissue, which may help explain many phenomena from stem cell differentiation to the formation of the cortex of the brain.

Email between patients, physicians improves health, survey shows Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:12 AM PST A third of patients with chronic conditions who exchanged secure emails with their doctors said that these communications improved their overall health, according to a new study.

Bones of obese children may be in trouble Posted: 21 Dec 2015 06:56 AM PST Obese children tend to have more muscle, but recent research on the muscle and bone relationship shows that excess body fat may compromise other functions in their bodies, such as bone growth, new research shows.

Love in the time of Ebola: Study reveals factors bolstering altruism in face of risk Posted: 21 Dec 2015 06:56 AM PST Why do some people react altruistically to news about an Ebola outbreak while others do not? A new study throws important light on how altruistic behavioral intentions related to the Ebola outbreak were deeply rooted in cultural values and worldviews and emotions, yet also were influenced by the ways in which people dealt with factual risk information related to the outbreak.

Brain differences in premature babies who later develop autism Posted: 21 Dec 2015 06:55 AM PST Extremely premature babies run a much higher risk of developing autism in later childhood, and even during the neonate period differences are seen in the brains of those who do, research concludes. The findings suggest that environmental factors can lead to autism.

Coral symbionts take to the open ocean Posted: 21 Dec 2015 06:55 AM PST Symbiodinium is a unicellular alga that plays a major role in coral reefs by forming symbiotic partnerships with invertebrates, providing them with the ability to photosynthesize. For the first time, it has now been discovered in the open ocean, in various oceanic regions far from coral reefs.

Einstein's Cross under the gravitational microlens Posted: 21 Dec 2015 06:55 AM PST Spanish astrophysicists obtain precise measurements for an object orbiting a black hole five billion light-years away. This is like detecting the ridges of a one euro coin located 100,000 kilometers away.

Tumors hijack export pathway in cells to resist chemotherapy and fuel disease progression Posted: 21 Dec 2015 06:54 AM PST A novel strategy that aggressive sarcomas use to promote drug resistance and cancer's spread has been uncovered by researchers. They've also discovered evidence of how to reverse the process.

Large proportion of IBS sufferers are vitamin D deficient Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:19 AM PST A large proportion of people living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are vitamin D deficient, a new study has found. The British study, which is the first of its kind, found that out of 51 IBS patients tested 82 per cent exhibited insufficient vitamin D levels.

Women experiencing delay in labor willing to forsake their own birth plans Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:18 AM PST A new study of women's experiences of delay in labor has revealed that many moms-to-be are prepared to abandon their prenatal plans for how they wanted their labors and births to be.

Reduction of contrast medium volume and radiation dose in CTA scans Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:17 AM PST Researchers have shown that a CTA scan (a scan of the arteries) can be performed with a contrast medium volume reduction of up to 75% and up to 50% reduction in radiation dose. CT scans using contrast medium are the third most common cause of acute renal failure and renal insufficiency as a result of hospital treatments.

'Metal' drugs to fight cancer Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:16 AM PST A new study improves our understanding of chemotherapy agents. The mechanism of action of metal-based chemotherapy drugs (the most widely used for treating common cancers like testicular or ovarian cancer) was the focus of the research.

Targeted alpha therapy's potential to eliminate HIV-infected cells Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:16 AM PST Targeted alpha therapy has the potential to selectively eliminate HIV infected cells from the central nervous system, according to a recent study. The study shows that a specific human antibody labelled with the alpha emitter bismuth-213 can penetrate the blood brain barrier and selectively target and destroy HIV-infected cells while sparing non-infected healthy cells. These findings may open new options for the treatment of HIV associated neurocognitive disorders.

Pelvic pain is associated with poorer mental health outcomes in women with endometriosis Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:16 AM PST Women who suffer from pelvic pain caused by endometriosis may need psychological intervention in order to help improve their mental health and quality of life, new research indicates. The study also found that women with asymptomatic endometriosis (no pain) are less likely to experience anxiety and depression than those who have pelvic pain.

Protein that boosts memory identified Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:16 AM PST Research findings of a group of neurobiologists could lead to new treatment approaches for anxiety disorders, a new report says. Mouse experiments showed that the Dnmt3a2 protein can boost memory performance in the animals.

New interactions uncovered affecting TGF-beta pathway in humans Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:16 AM PST The USP15 protein has been identified as novel target for therapy against cancer progression, investigators report. In certain settings, the TGF-beta pathway can act as an oncogene, enhancing cancer progression in humans.

Two-phonon quantum interference observed for the first time Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:16 AM PST A research group in Japan has succeeded in observing at the intended timing two-phonon quantum interference by using two cold calcium ions in ion traps, which spatially confine charged particles. A phonon is a unit of vibrational energy that arises from oscillating particles within crystals. Two-particle quantum interference experiments using two photons or atoms have been previously reported, but this group's achievement is the world's first observation using two phonons.

Teaching machines to see Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:15 AM PST Two technologies which use deep learning techniques to help machines to see and recognise their location and surroundings could be used for the development of driverless cars and autonomous robotics -- and can be used on a regular camera or smartphone.

Obesity more dangerous than lack of fitness, new study claims Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:15 AM PST A new study has dismissed the concept of 'fat but fit.' In contrast, the results from the new study suggest that the protective effects of high fitness against early death are reduced in obese people.

Scientists discover rare sea snakes, previously thought extinct, off Western Australia Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:15 AM PST Scientists have discovered two critically endangered species of sea snakes, previously thought to be extinct, off the coast of Western Australia.It's the first time the snakes have been spotted alive and healthy since disappearing from their only known habitat on Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea more than fifteen years ago.

Periodontal disease associated with increased breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:15 AM PST Postmenopausal women with periodontal disease were more likely to develop breast cancer than women who did not have the chronic inflammatory disease. A history of smoking significantly affected the women's risk, researchers report.

Nature's unique way of controlling color explains why birds never go gray Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:15 AM PST Birds use sophisticated changes to the structure of their feathers to create multi-colored plumage, using a process that could pave the way for the creation of paints and clothing colors that won't fade over time.

New laptop program can identify drug resistance from bacterial genomes Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:15 AM PST A new software runs on a standard laptop or tablet without the need for any specialist expertise, explains an investigator describing a program that can analyze the entire genetic code of a bacterium in under 3 minutes, once a bacterial sample has been cultured and its DNA sequenced.

Biochemical clues may predict who develops Alzheimer's disease -- and who doesn't Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:14 AM PST Investigators have wondered why the brains of some cognitively-intact elderly individuals have abundant pathology on autopsy or significant amyloid deposition on neuroimaging that are characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers haveinvestigated biochemical factors and identified differences in proteins from parietal cortex synapses between patients with and those without manifestation of dementia.

Study finds that more than one-third of patients with metastatic cancer continue to work Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:14 AM PST A new analysis indicates that many patients continue working after being diagnosed with metastatic cancer, but a heavy burden of symptoms may prevent them from doing so. The study illustrates the need to treat difficult symptoms so that patients can maintain their employment.

Auroral mystery solved: Sudden bursts caused by swirling charged particles Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:14 AM PST A supercomputer model revealed that the rotation of plasma creates electrical currents in the near-Earth space, ultimately triggering auroral breakups. This overthrows existing theories about how auroral breakups occur.

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