ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Decade of rising seas slowed by land soaking up extra water
• Male biology students consistently underestimate female peers, study finds
• Carbon dioxide stored underground can find multiple ways to escape
• Fish larvae are better off in groups, study finds
• A metal that behaves like water
• Mommy and me: Study shows how affectionate mothering can combat the effects of maternal depression
• By switching 'bait,' biologists trick plants' bacterial defense into attacking virus
• First nationwide survey of climate change education
• Herpes outbreak, other marine viruses linked to coral bleaching event
• What 'tainted' engagement rings reveal about consumer expectations
• Potential therapy for most aggressive type of lung cancer in preclinical models
• Testing detects algal toxins in Alaska marine mammals
• Early diet of infants, not maternal obesity, influences development of gut microbiome
• Real-time Ebola fusion system yields clues to stopping infection
• Illness continues to be major effect linked to Gulf War military service, new report finds
• Novel neuroprotective therapy found to enhance memory
• Breaking cell barriers with retractable protein nanoneedles
• Lasers rewired: Scientists find a new way to make nanowire lasers
• Biosensors on demand
• Silicon chip with integrated laser: Light from a nanowire
• The sleeping giant NGC 4889 harbors a dark secret
• Type 2 diabetes drug can exhaust insulin-producing cells
• True love: How transcription factors interact to create a heart
• Common cell transformed to master heart cell
• Memory ensembles: To preserve its memories, the brain must regulate its neural networks
• Why smiles (and frowns) are contagious
• Social animals seek out the company of others because their brains are wired to find it rewarding
• This is what a wasp sees to learn the way home
• A heart-shaped protein
• I want her to want me: Where men, sex and personality meet
• Will you be turning left or right for that Valentine’s Day kiss: It’ll depend on who you’re kissing!
• Bumpy liquid films could simplify fabrication of microlenses
• GPS tracking down to the centimeter
• Could the food we eat affect our genes? Study in yeast suggests this may be the case
• New answers concerning a weight-regulating hormone
• South Africa's Sterkfontein Caves produce two new hominin fossils
• New glass technology discovered: Window doubling as a huge TV?
• Gravitational waves detected 100 years after Einstein's prediction
• Power walk: Footsteps could charge mobile electronics
• Faulty bioelectric signal responsible for facial defects caused by rare genetic disorder
• Remote telemonitoring does not reduce hospital readmissions for heart failure patients
• How your cells build tiny 'train tracks' could shed light on human disease
• It’s easier to learn words that sound like what they mean
• New smart chip makes low-powered, wireless neural implants a possibility
• Expanded understanding of promising blood fat-lowering protein
• Narcissists not necessarily satisfied with themselves
• New treatment option for the acute phase of the rare disease TTP
• Sneezing produces complex fluid cascade, not a simple spray
• The Mindlessly slim
• New approach offered to treating cocaine addiction
• Incidence of dementia may be declining, new study reveals
• New milestone for device that can 'smell' prostate cancer
• Long-term benefits of 'senolytic' drugs on vascular health in mice
• Hold on! The ability to hold a grip predicts who has the willpower finish their schoolwork
• Scrubbing bubbles rescue oxygen-starved hearts

Decade of rising seas slowed by land soaking up extra water Posted: 11 Feb 2016 04:23 PM PST New measurements from a NASA satellite have allowed researchers to identify and quantify, for the first time, how climate-driven increases of liquid water storage on land have affected the rate of sea level rise. A new study shows that while ice sheets and glaciers continue to melt, changes in weather and climate over the past decade have caused Earth's continents to soak up and store an extra 3.2 trillion tons of water in soils, lakes and underground aquifers, temporarily slowing the rate of sea level rise by about 20 percent.

Male biology students consistently underestimate female peers, study finds Posted: 11 Feb 2016 03:59 PM PST New research shows consistent gender bias among male biology undergraduate students, suggesting that they could be undermining the confidence of female students as they embark on studies in STEM disciplines.

Carbon dioxide stored underground can find multiple ways to escape Posted: 11 Feb 2016 03:59 PM PST When carbon dioxide is stored underground in a process known as geological sequestration, it can find multiple escape pathways due to chemical reactions between carbon dioxide, water, rocks and cement from abandoned wells, according to researchers.

Fish larvae are better off in groups, study finds Posted: 11 Feb 2016 03:59 PM PST A recent study provides new evidence that larvae swim faster, straighter and more consistently in a common direction when together in a group. The research is the first to observe group orientation behaviors of larval fish.

A metal that behaves like water Posted: 11 Feb 2016 03:59 PM PST Researchers have made a breakthrough in our understanding of graphene's basic properties, observing for the first time electrons in a metal behaving like a fluid. This research could lead to novel thermoelectric devices as well as provide a model system to explore exotic phenomena like black holes and high-energy plasmas.

Mommy and me: Study shows how affectionate mothering can combat the effects of maternal depression Posted: 11 Feb 2016 03:50 PM PST Certain parenting strategies can combat the negative impacts of maternal depression on an infant, suggests the first study of its kind. The work sought to investigate how a depressed mother's neuroendocrine response to stress can program the infant's hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a set of signals and relationships between the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland and the adrenals. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is responsible for creating cortisol, a hormone released in response to stress.

By switching 'bait,' biologists trick plants' bacterial defense into attacking virus Posted: 11 Feb 2016 03:40 PM PST Scientists have modified a plant gene that normally fights bacterial infection to confer resistance to a virus. The method is the first time a plant's innate defense system has been altered to deliver resistance to a new disease.

First nationwide survey of climate change education Posted: 11 Feb 2016 03:39 PM PST How is climate change being taught in American schools? Is it being taught at all? And how are teachers addressing climate change denial in their classrooms, schools, and school districts? Until today's release of NCSE's comprehensive nationwide survey, no one knew.

Herpes outbreak, other marine viruses linked to coral bleaching event Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:27 AM PST Significant outbreaks of viruses may be associated with coral bleaching events, especially as a result of multiple environmental stresses, a study has concluded. One such event was documented even as it happened in a three-day period. It showed how an explosion of three viral groups, including a herpes-like virus, occurred just as corals were bleaching in one part of the Great Barrier Reef off the east coast of Australia.

What 'tainted' engagement rings reveal about consumer expectations Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:27 AM PST We're told diamonds -- and their value -- are forever. But new research into the re-sale of diamond engagement rings shows a diamond's value is affected by the story people attach to it and whether it fits with their ideas about what a good ring needs to be.

Potential therapy for most aggressive type of lung cancer in preclinical models Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:22 AM PST The specific combination of the drugs dasatinib and demcizumab impairs the growth of KRAS-driven lung tumors, the most aggressive sub-type and with the lowest survival rates. The research was conducted on mouse models and samples of human tumors. The experts are confident they can soon start clinical trials which will make it possible to transfer the discoveries to cancer patients.

Testing detects algal toxins in Alaska marine mammals Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:22 AM PST Toxins from harmful algae are present in Alaskan marine food webs in high enough concentrations to be detected in marine mammals such as whales, walruses, sea lions, seals, porpoises and sea otters, according to new research.

Early diet of infants, not maternal obesity, influences development of gut microbiome Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:22 AM PST After the age of nine months, the development of the infant gut microbiota is driven by the transition to family foods, not maternal obesity, according to results from a new study. The gut microbiota is a complex community of microorganisms that live in the digestive tract. Children are essentially born without microbes in their gut, and they are immediately colonized upon birth. The next several years are critical in establishing a person's endogenous gut microbiota.

Real-time Ebola fusion system yields clues to stopping infection Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:22 AM PST The first real-time system has been developed to watch directly through the microscope as Ebola-like virus particles fuse with human cells to infect them. Their findings reveal key host cell and viral proteins that direct fusion and Ebola infection. Such knowledge is crucial for designing future drugs or vaccines to prevent this deadly disease.

Illness continues to be major effect linked to Gulf War military service, new report finds Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:20 AM PST Although more than $500 million in federally funded research on Persian Gulf War veterans between 1994 and 2014 has produced many findings, there has been little substantial progress in the overall understanding of the health effects, particularly Gulf War illness, resulting from military service in the war, says a new report.

Novel neuroprotective therapy found to enhance memory Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:20 AM PST New research highlights the neuroprotective potential of a peptide developed at the university, and the marked difference in nerve cell communication in male and female mice. If researchers come to understand how the protein acts differently in each sex, drugs for potential therapeutics can be optimized to treat both autism and Alzheimer's disease.

Breaking cell barriers with retractable protein nanoneedles Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:20 AM PST Researchers have adapted a retractable protein polymer -- found naturally in certain bacteria -- to mechanically rupture cell membranes, which could lead to new drug delivery methods and other applications in biotechnology and medicine.

Lasers rewired: Scientists find a new way to make nanowire lasers Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:20 AM PST Scientists have found a simple new way to produce nanoscale wires that can serve as bright, stable and tunable lasers -- an advance toward using light to transmit data.

Biosensors on demand Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:20 AM PST New research leverages a combination of computational protein design, in vitro synthesis and in vivo testing to establish a first-of-its-kind strategy for identifying custom-tailored biosensors.

Silicon chip with integrated laser: Light from a nanowire Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:17 AM PST Physicists have developed a nanolaser, a thousand times thinner than a human hair. Thanks to an ingenious process, the nanowire lasers grow right on a silicon chip, making it possible to produce high-performance photonic components cost-effectively. This will pave the way for fast and efficient data processing with light in the future.

The sleeping giant NGC 4889 harbors a dark secret Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:13 AM PST The placid appearance of NGC 4889 can fool the unsuspecting observer. But the elliptical galaxy, seen in a new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, harbors a dark secret. At its heart lurks one of the most massive black holes ever discovered.

Type 2 diabetes drug can exhaust insulin-producing cells Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST Long-term use of liraglutide, a substance that helps to lower blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes, can have a deteriorating effect on insulin-producing beta cells, leading to an increase in blood sugar levels, an international team of researchers warns.

True love: How transcription factors interact to create a heart Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST Three transcription factors -- proteins that direct gene expression -- interact with each other and the genome to influence how a heart forms in an embryo, scientists have discovered. Without these protein interactions, severe congenital heart defects can occur. By understanding how the transcription factors work together during heart development, researchers may discover new ways to treat heart disease.

Common cell transformed to master heart cell Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST By genetically reprogramming the most common type of cell in mammalian connective tissue, researchers have generated master heart cells -- primitive progenitors that form the developing heart. The feat could one day fuel drug discovery, powerful new models for heart disease and the raw material for treating diseased hearts.

Memory ensembles: To preserve its memories, the brain must regulate its neural networks Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST For over forty years, neuro-scientists have been interested in the biological mechanisms underlying the storage of the information that our brain records every day. Today, a team of researchers demonstrates how the brain regulates the size of the neuronal ensembles that reflect the memory trace to optimize performance. By targeting neurons in the hippocampus, the scientists show that it is possible to inhibit -- or on the contrary to resurface -- a memory.

Why smiles (and frowns) are contagious Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST Smile! It makes everyone in the room feel better because they, consciously or unconsciously, are smiling with you. Growing evidence shows that an instinct for facial mimicry allows us to empathize with and even experience other people's feelings. If we can't mirror another person's face, it limits our ability to read and properly react to their expressions.

Social animals seek out the company of others because their brains are wired to find it rewarding Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST Social animals are strongly motivated to seek out the company of others, especially after periods of isolation, because their brains are wired to find it rewarding. A study now reveals a neural circuit that mediates social seeking behavior driven instead by a loneliness-like state. By shedding light on the neuroscience of isolation, the findings could help our understanding of social anxiety and autism spectrum disorders.

This is what a wasp sees to learn the way home Posted: 11 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST When ground-nesting wasps leave their nests each day, they turn back toward home before flying along a series of ever-increasing arcs. While the insects gain height and distance, their attention remains focused on the nest. By reconstructing what wasps see during these learning flights, researchers say that they have new insight into how the insects find their way home.

A heart-shaped protein Posted: 11 Feb 2016 10:39 AM PST From cookies and candies to balloons and cards, heart-shaped items abound this time of year. They're even in our blood. It turns out that the most abundant protein molecule in blood plasma--serum albumin (SA)--is shaped very much like a heart.

I want her to want me: Where men, sex and personality meet Posted: 11 Feb 2016 10:38 AM PST A man's attachment style - a personality trait reflecting his romantic relationship tendencies - may actually influence his perceptions of whether a woman is interested in him sexually, new research suggests.

Will you be turning left or right for that Valentine’s Day kiss: It’ll depend on who you’re kissing! Posted: 11 Feb 2016 10:36 AM PST As Valentine's Day approaches, love is in the air. One sure-fire way to express love towards someone, be it a partner or even a child, is with a kiss. A recent study in Laterality demonstrates how the direction turned during a kiss differs depending on whether the kiss is shared between romantic partners or between a parent and child.

Bumpy liquid films could simplify fabrication of microlenses Posted: 11 Feb 2016 10:36 AM PST Have you ever noticed that when heated a film of oil in a pan doesn't remain completely flat? Instead, it forms a wavy pattern that resembles the exterior of an orange. These sorts of deformations inspired a group of researchers to explore whether they could be used to improve and streamline microfabrication processes.

GPS tracking down to the centimeter Posted: 11 Feb 2016 08:15 AM PST A new, more computationally efficient way to process data from the Global Positioning System (GPS) has been developed to enhance location accuracy from the meter-level down to a few centimeters.

Could the food we eat affect our genes? Study in yeast suggests this may be the case Posted: 11 Feb 2016 08:15 AM PST Almost all of our genes may be influenced by the food we eat, suggests new research. The study, carried out in yeast -- which can be used to model some of the body's fundamental processes -- shows that while the activity of our genes influences our metabolism, the opposite is also true and the nutrients available to cells influence our genes.

New answers concerning a weight-regulating hormone Posted: 11 Feb 2016 07:48 AM PST For years, scientists have failed to locate the DNA variants that control the weight-regulating hormone, leptin. However, new research has enabled the identification of four genes associated with leptin levels, which is particularly relevant within an obesity context. The study focuses on the powerful hormone leptin, which regulates humans' long-term energy balance by informing the brain about the amount of stored body fat.

South Africa's Sterkfontein Caves produce two new hominin fossils Posted: 11 Feb 2016 07:47 AM PST Two new hominin specimens, a finger bone and a molar, that were found in South Africa's Sterkfontein Caves seem to be from early hominins that can be associated with early stone tool-bearing sediments that entered the cave more than two million years ago.

New glass technology discovered: Window doubling as a huge TV? Posted: 11 Feb 2016 07:47 AM PST Imagine if the picture window in your living room could double as a giant thermostat or big screen TV. A discovery has brought us one step closer to this becoming a reality.

Gravitational waves detected 100 years after Einstein's prediction Posted: 11 Feb 2016 07:39 AM PST For the first time, scientists have observed ripples in the fabric of spacetime called gravitational waves, arriving at Earth from a cataclysmic event in the distant universe. This confirms a major prediction of Albert Einstein's 1915 general theory of relativity and opens an unprecedented new window onto the cosmos.

Power walk: Footsteps could charge mobile electronics Posted: 11 Feb 2016 06:02 AM PST When you're on the go and your smartphone battery is low, in the not-so-distant future you could charge it simply by plugging it into your shoe. An innovative energy harvesting and storage technology developed by mechanical engineers could reduce our reliance on the batteries in our mobile devices, ensuring we have power for our devices no matter where we are.

Faulty bioelectric signal responsible for facial defects caused by rare genetic disorder Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:55 AM PST Faulty bioelectric signaling has been found to be responsible for the skull and facial abnormalities that characterize the rare genetic disorder Andersen-Tawil Syndrome (ATS). It may therefore be possible to alter bioelectrical signaling to correct effects of fetal alcohol syndrome and other developmental defects or genetic mutations.

Remote telemonitoring does not reduce hospital readmissions for heart failure patients Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:55 AM PST Combined health coaching and remote monitoring did not reduce all-cause 180-day hospital readmissions among heart failure patients, and did not have significant effects on 30-day hospital readmissions, 30-day mortality, or 180-day mortality, reports a new article. But patients reported significantly improved quality of life.

How your cells build tiny 'train tracks' could shed light on human disease Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:52 AM PST Researchers have discovered how cells in the human body build their own 'railway networks', throwing light on how diseases such as bowel cancer work. The microtubule tracks are vital for functions such as cell division and are a key target for key cancer drugs. Now researchers are studying how these microtubule tracks are assembled.

It’s easier to learn words that sound like what they mean Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:30 AM PST What makes some words easier to learn than others? Researchers found that ideophones — words that sound like what they mean — are easier to learn than regular words. This suggests that some of our associations between sound and meaning may be universal. Often, the sound of a word doesn't say much about its meaning: none of the individual sounds in dog mean anything about having four legs or enjoying being scratched behind the ears. This is why a domesticated canine can be referred to as dog in English, hond in Dutch, and inu in Japanese — and why it takes hard work to learn any language. But not all words are like that. Many languages have words which use the sounds of language in a vivid way to show what the word means: ideophones like kibikibi 'energetic' or bukubuku 'fat'.

New smart chip makes low-powered, wireless neural implants a possibility Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:30 AM PST A versatile chip offers multiple applications in various electronic devices, report researchers, suggested that there is now hope that a low-powered, wireless neural implant may soon be a reality. Neural implants when embedded in the brain can alleviate the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson's disease or give paraplegic people the ability to move their prosthetic limbs.

Expanded understanding of promising blood fat-lowering protein Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:27 AM PST New research on the blood lipid-lowering protein FGF21 shows how it redistributes fatty acids by two distinct mechanisms. The discovery could lead to improved pharmaceutical treatment for type 2 diabetes and other obesity-related diseases, say researchers.

Narcissists not necessarily satisfied with themselves Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:27 AM PST Narcissists feel superior to others but aren't necessarily satisfied with themselves. After reviewing the research literature, researchers conclude that narcissism and self-esteem are much more distinct than conventional wisdom has led us to believe.

New treatment option for the acute phase of the rare disease TTP Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:27 AM PST Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) is a rare disorder caused by an enzyme deficiency. This can be heriditary or can be acquired as an autoimmune condition. Due to the associated excessive activity of a certain protein, blood clots enriched with blood platelets form and block the smallest blood vessels. The disorder is life-threatening and very difficult to treat, particularly in the acute phase. Researchers have developed a treatment strategy to prevent this clotting in the blood vessels.

Sneezing produces complex fluid cascade, not a simple spray Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:25 AM PST New high-speed videos captured researchers show that as a person sneezes, they launch a sheet of fluid that balloons, then breaks apart in long filaments that destabilize, and finally disperses as a spray of droplets, similar to paint that is flung through the air.

The Mindlessly slim Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:25 AM PST You know that one friend that never worries about weight and seems to stay effortlessly slim? That friend, and others like them might unknowingly possess secrets to helping those who struggle with their weight.

New approach offered to treating cocaine addiction Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:25 AM PST An FDA-approved drug used for diabetes and obesity may also reduce cocaine dependence, new research indicates. The drug, trade name Byetta, derives from a naturally occurring hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1, which regulates feeding behavior. Knowing what they did about GLP-1, the research team turned to it as a possible treatment for cocaine addicts.

Incidence of dementia may be declining, new study reveals Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:23 AM PST Despite the concern of an explosion of dementia cases in an aging population over the next few decades, a new study suggests that the rate of new cases of dementia actually may be decreasing.

New milestone for device that can 'smell' prostate cancer Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:22 AM PST An important milestone has been reached towards creating a urine diagnostic test for prostate cancer that could mean that invasive diagnostic procedures that men currently undergo eventually become a thing of the past.

Long-term benefits of 'senolytic' drugs on vascular health in mice Posted: 11 Feb 2016 05:22 AM PST Building on previous studies, researchers have demonstrated significant health improvements in the vascular system of mice following repeated treatments to remove senescent cells. They say this is the first study to show that regular and continual clearance of senescent cells improves age-related vascular conditions -- and that the method may be a viable approach to reduce cardiovascular disease and death.

Hold on! The ability to hold a grip predicts who has the willpower finish their schoolwork Posted: 10 Feb 2016 02:10 PM PST A connection between a person's ability to maintain a firm grip and having the self-control to finish their schoolwork has been made by a team of researchers.

Scrubbing bubbles rescue oxygen-starved hearts Posted: 10 Feb 2016 02:10 PM PST Researchers used ultrasound-activated microbubbles to improve preservation of heart muscle and function in a pig heart attack model. The method is now in phase I human clinical trials. The promising treatment could be administered to heart attack patients arriving at the emergency room (or even while in the ambulance), and could preserve heart muscle before patients receive invasive interventions to open blocked arteries.

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