ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Discovered: How to unlock inaccessible genes
• Attitude to aging can have a direct effect on health, researchers confirm
• First topical treatment for common benign skin lesions
• Good cosmetic outcomes, improved quality of life with full facial feminization surgery
• Climate change prompts makeover of New England's forests, study finds
• This plant sucks! (but how? )
• 'Pop quiz' could help predict sexually transmitted infections in young women
• Fat injection for breast reconstruction doesn't increase risk of recurrent breast cancer
• The Harbingers of aging
• Neurogenesis: Discovery of a new regulatory mechanism
• Finger tracing can lift student performance in math
• Survey shows Aussies' love and concern for Great Barrier Reef
• Laboratory-bred corals reproduce in the wild
• From mother to child, passing on disease
• Ocean acidification impacting population demography, hindering adaptation potential
• Assessing stem cells: New biomarker developed
• Is the neutrino its own antiparticle?
• Virtual reality makes its best users the most queasy
• Users of cherry-flavored e-cigarettes may be exposed to higher levels of respiratory irritant
• Cholesterol levels improve with weight loss, healthy fat-rich diet
• United States has greater link between low birth weight, inequality, study shows
• Obesity, diabetes in mom increases risk of autism in child
• Super-sharp images through thin optical fibers
• Adjusting production processes in real time
• Plasma accelerator research station taking shape
• Graphene and neurons: The best of friends
• Most uninsured Texans say cost of health insurance too high
• Clashes with cops more injurious than civilian-only skirmishes
• Refugee women at higher risk of preterm birth, study finds
• Wildlife win when cash takes edge off 'park vs. people' conservation conflict
• Moon was produced by a head-on collision between Earth and a forming planet
• New therapy halts progression of Lou Gehrig's disease in mice
• Protein combination improves bone regeneration, study shows
• A diet dividend: Reducing food intake in mice diminishes the growth of their polycystic kidneys
• Increasing breastfeeding worldwide could prevent over 800,000 child deaths and 20,000 deaths from breast cancer every year
• Recent summer temperatures in Europe are likely the warmest of the last 2 millennia
• Vital clues to future cancer development in normal breast tissue DNA
• Subtle brain differences seen in men with autism
• Camouflage really does reduce chances of being eaten
• Ancient extinction of giant Australian bird points to humans

Discovered: How to unlock inaccessible genes Posted: 29 Jan 2016 10:44 AM PST The mechanism used by specialized enzymes to remodel the extremely condensed genetic material in the nucleus of cells in order to control which genes can be used has been discovered. The research reveals that some remodeller enzymes promote gene expression, some repress gene expression, and some can do both.

Attitude to aging can have a direct effect on health, researchers confirm Posted: 29 Jan 2016 10:44 AM PST Negative attitudes to aging affect physical and cognitive health in later years, confirm researchers. These latest findings have important implications for media, policymakers, practitioners and society more generally. Societal attitudes towards aging are predominantly negative. Everyone will grow older and if these attitudes persist they will continue to diminish quality of life.

First topical treatment for common benign skin lesions Posted: 29 Jan 2016 10:44 AM PST An investigation into the molecular mechanisms responsible for the most common type of benign skin lesion may lead to the first nonsurgical treatment for the growths called seborrheic keratoses, which in addition to being cosmetically unattractive are often worrisome to patients.

Good cosmetic outcomes, improved quality of life with full facial feminization surgery Posted: 29 Jan 2016 10:43 AM PST For patients with gender dysphoria undergoing male-to-female transformation, a stepwise approach to facial feminization surgery (FFS) leads to good cosmetic outcomes along with psychological, social, and functional benefits, according to a new study.

Climate change prompts makeover of New England's forests, study finds Posted: 29 Jan 2016 10:43 AM PST Forest soils across New England will store fewer nutrients and metals -- some beneficial, some harmful -- as climate change prompts maples and other deciduous trees to replace the region's iconic evergreen conifers, a new study finds.

This plant sucks! (but how? ) Posted: 29 Jan 2016 10:43 AM PST The bladderwort has a trap faster than the blink of an eye. It uses powerful suction to snatch its prey. A recently published review is helping reveal exactly how a plant can suck so much.

'Pop quiz' could help predict sexually transmitted infections in young women Posted: 29 Jan 2016 10:43 AM PST An online 'pop quiz' researchers developed in 2009 shows promising accuracy in predicting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in young women, although not, apparently, in young men.

Fat injection for breast reconstruction doesn't increase risk of recurrent breast cancer Posted: 29 Jan 2016 10:31 AM PST For women undergoing breast cancer surgery, a technique called lipofilling—using the patient's own fat cells to optimize the results of breast reconstruction—does not increase the risk of recurrent breast cancer, reports a new study.

The Harbingers of aging Posted: 29 Jan 2016 10:19 AM PST Researchers have detected age-dependent alterations in metabolism and gene regulation in middle-aged fruitflies, and show that these effects are linked to a reduction in lifespan, suggests a new report.

Neurogenesis: Discovery of a new regulatory mechanism Posted: 29 Jan 2016 10:19 AM PST A previously unknown mechanism has been discovered that is highly conserved between species and which regulates neurogenesis through precise temporal control of the activity of a family of proteins essential for brain development: the proneural proteins. This mechanism, a simple reversible chemical modification, is critical for the production of a sufficient number of neurons, their differentiation and the development of the nervous system.

Finger tracing can lift student performance in math Posted: 29 Jan 2016 10:17 AM PST Schoolkids who used finger tracing fared better with previously unseen geometry and algebra questions, new research has found. Studies involving 275 Sydney school children aged between nine and 13 found that tracing over elements of maths problems enhanced how they understood and solved problems in geometry and algebra.

Survey shows Aussies' love and concern for Great Barrier Reef Posted: 29 Jan 2016 10:17 AM PST More than three quarters of Australians regard the Great Barrier Reef as part of their national identity and nearly 90 percent believe it is under threat from climate change, a new report shows.

Laboratory-bred corals reproduce in the wild Posted: 29 Jan 2016 10:17 AM PST Researchers have, for the first time, successfully raised laboratory-bred colonies of a threatened Caribbean coral species to sexual maturity. Due to its large size and branching shape, elkhorn corals created vast forests in shallow reef waters that protect shores from incoming storms and provide a critical habitat for a myriad of other reef organisms, including ecologically and economically important fish species. An estimated 80% of all Caribbean corals have disappeared over the last four decades and repopulating degraded reefs has since become a management priority throughout the Caribbean region. The elkhorn coral was one of the species whose decline was so severe that it was one of the first coral species to be listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species act in 2006.

From mother to child, passing on disease Posted: 29 Jan 2016 10:16 AM PST Researchers are reminding US doctors to watch for two vector-borne and potentially life-threatening diseases that can be passed from mother to child. Though Chagas disease and Leishmaniasis are generally found in other parts of the world, global travel and migration have made the US vulnerable.

Ocean acidification impacting population demography, hindering adaptation potential Posted: 29 Jan 2016 10:16 AM PST Ocean acidification may be impacting upon the population dynamics of marine species and hindering their ability to genetically adapt to future climate change. These are the findings of a team of scientists, following an investigation into how the gastropod Hexaplex trunculus has responded to ocean acidification over multiple generations.

Assessing stem cells: New biomarker developed Posted: 29 Jan 2016 10:16 AM PST A research team has found a way to assess the viability of 'manufactured' stem cells known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The team's discovery offers a new way to fast-track screening methods used in stem cell research.

Is the neutrino its own antiparticle? Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:18 AM PST Almost every particle has an antimatter counterpart: a particle with the same mass but opposite charge, among other qualities. But certain characteristics of neutrinos and antineutrinos make scientists wonder: Are they one and the same? Are neutrinos their own antiparticles?

Virtual reality makes its best users the most queasy Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:16 AM PST In a twist of virtual fate, people with the best 3-D vision are also the people most likely to suffer from motion sickness while using virtual reality displays. Researchers demonstrated this irony by playing motion-heavy videos for study participants through the Oculus Rift. Nearly two-thirds of the study subjects quit watching the videos early, overcome by nausea.

Users of cherry-flavored e-cigarettes may be exposed to higher levels of respiratory irritant Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:16 AM PST An analysis of 145 different electronic-cigarette flavoring products reveals that many e-cigarette users may be exposed to a potentially harmful chemical, benzaldehyde. The highest concentrations were detected in vapor from cherry-flavored products.

Cholesterol levels improve with weight loss, healthy fat-rich diet Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:16 AM PST Weight loss programs that provide healthy fats, such as olive oil in the Mediterranean diet, or a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet have similar impacts on pound-shedding, research shows. More specifically, the researchers report that a meal plan rich in walnuts, which are high in polyunsaturated fats, has a significant impact on lipid levels for women, especially those who are insulin-resistant.

United States has greater link between low birth weight, inequality, study shows Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:16 AM PST New research found that while low birth weight was linked to lower income and education levels in four comparable countries, that connection was most persistent in the United States.

Obesity, diabetes in mom increases risk of autism in child Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:16 AM PST Children born to obese women with diabetes are more than four times as likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder than children of healthy weight mothers without diabetes, new research suggests.

Super-sharp images through thin optical fibers Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:15 AM PST Super-sharp images from within the human body made through tiny endoscopes have come a step closer to reality thanks to new research efforts. An advanced wavefront shaping method combined with unique optical fibers make it possible to focus lensless light at an unparalleled resolution.

Adjusting production processes in real time Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:15 AM PST Industry 4.0 requires comprehensive data collection in order to control highly automated process sequences in complex production environments. One example is the cultivation of living cells. But digitalizing and networking biotech production equipment is a huge challenge: relevant standards have yet to be established, and biology has a dynamic all its own. Using fully automated equipment for producing stem cells, researchers have managed to adjust the process control to cell growth – delivering an adaptive system that is suitable for use in a number of sectors.

Plasma accelerator research station taking shape Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:14 AM PST Particle accelerators find many applications in fundamental research, as well as in health, energy and security applications. They range from relatively compact, sometimes even table top devices to km-size particle colliders to unravel the secrets of the universe. In order to reduce the size, costs and complexity of these facilities, particle-driven plasma wakefield acceleration is a very promising alternative to commonly used radiofrequency accelerators. High quality electron beams can act as ideal driver for a plasma that is then used to produce a very high accelerating gradient of the order of GV/m – that is a potential difference of 1 Billion Volt over one meter – to accelerate another electron beam to high energy. The high repetition rate of such scheme is another advantage that shows high promise for a number of application.

Graphene and neurons: The best of friends Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:14 AM PST In exciting new research, a team of researchers has demonstrated how it is possible to interface graphene with neuron cells whilst maintaining the integrity of these vital cells. This work was an interdisciplinary collaboration between nanotechnologists, chemists, biophysicists and neurobiologists all playing an important role.

Most uninsured Texans say cost of health insurance too high Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:05 AM PST Almost 70 percent of uninsured Texans said the high cost of health insurance is the reason they remain uninsured, according to a new report. The report found less than 20 percent of uninsured Texans said they simply don't want health insurance.

Clashes with cops more injurious than civilian-only skirmishes Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:05 AM PST People hospitalized due to an encounter with a law enforcement officer are more likely to have a mental illness, have longer hospitalizations, more injuries to the back and spine, and greater need for extended care than those hospitalized due to altercations with other civilians, a new report shows.

Refugee women at higher risk of preterm birth, study finds Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:04 AM PST Refugee women who come to Canada have greater risk of giving birth prematurely than non-refugee immigrants, a Canadian study shows. Preterm or premature birth describes infants who are born before 37 weeks of gestation. Risk factors for preterm birth include infections, malnutrition and stress -- all very common among women living in refugee situations.

Wildlife win when cash takes edge off 'park vs. people' conservation conflict Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:04 AM PST Conserving wildlife habitat sounds noble, but when it comes down to work or sacrifice, cold hard cash -- a decent amount of it -- goes a long way.

Moon was produced by a head-on collision between Earth and a forming planet Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:04 AM PST The moon was formed from a violent, head-on collision between the early Earth and a 'planetary embryo' called Theia approximately 100 million years after the Earth formed, almost 4.5 billion years ago.

New therapy halts progression of Lou Gehrig's disease in mice Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:04 AM PST Researchers announced that they have essentially stopped the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, for nearly two years in one type of mouse model used to study the disease -- allowing the mice to approach their normal lifespan. The findings are compelling and promising, scientists say.

Protein combination improves bone regeneration, study shows Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:04 AM PST A combination of proteins that could improve clinical bone restoration, and could lead towards the development of therapeutic treatments for skeletal defects, bone loss and osteoporosis, report researchers. They found that the combination of two proteins, NELL-1 and BMP2, increased bone formation while inhibiting the formation of fat cells. By contrast, NELL-1 encourages stem cells to form bone cells instead of fat cells. Used together, the proteins stimulate bone production more than either does alone.

A diet dividend: Reducing food intake in mice diminishes the growth of their polycystic kidneys Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:04 AM PST What if polycystic kidney disease (PKD) could be combatted with a strategy as simple as dieting? Such a finding would surely be welcome news to the 12 million people worldwide with the genetic disease. Now researchers say that reducing food intake in mice diminishes the growth of their polycystic kidneys.

Increasing breastfeeding worldwide could prevent over 800,000 child deaths and 20,000 deaths from breast cancer every year Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:01 AM PST Just 1 in 5 children in high-income countries are breastfed to 12 months, whilst only 1 in 3 children in low and middle-income countries are exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months. As a result, millions of children are failing to receive the full benefits provided by breastfeeding. The findings come from the largest and most detailed analysis to quantify levels, trends, and benefits of breastfeeding around the world.

Recent summer temperatures in Europe are likely the warmest of the last 2 millennia Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:01 AM PST Most of Europe has experienced strong summer warming over the course of the past several decades, accompanied by severe heat waves in 2003, 2010 and 2015. New research now puts the current warmth in a 2,100-year historical context using tree-ring information and historical documentary evidence to derive a new European summer temperature reconstruction.

Vital clues to future cancer development in normal breast tissue DNA Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:01 AM PST Detecting molecular alterations in early breast cancer development is key in the development of more effective cancer prevention and early detection strategies. New research shows clear evidence that DNA changes are already present in the healthy tissue from women with breast cancer.

Subtle brain differences seen in men with autism Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:01 AM PST Research has revealed subtle brain differences in adult males with autism spectrum disorder, which may go some way towards explaining why symptoms persist into adulthood in some people with the disorder.

Camouflage really does reduce chances of being eaten Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:01 AM PST Scientists investigated the camouflage of ground-nesting birds in Zambia, using sophisticated digital imaging to demonstrate how they would appear from the perspective of a predator.

Ancient extinction of giant Australian bird points to humans Posted: 29 Jan 2016 06:00 AM PST The first direct evidence that humans played a substantial role in the extinction of the huge, wondrous beasts inhabiting Australia some 50,000 years ago -- in this case a 500-pound bird -- has been discovered research team.

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