ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Pesticide mixtures may increase health risks but are still unregulated by California
• Transgenic sweet corn no more susceptible to Goss's wilt disease
• New study finds promising results for MERS treatment
• DNA studies reveal that shelter workers often mislabel dogs as 'pit bulls'
• The global healthy weight registry
• Feeding a city with better food sources
• Astronomer detected a new source of intense gamma-radiation in the sky
• Stigma regarding weight loss may be overblown, study says
• Connection between anal cancer, HPV
• New study is 'a leap forward' in our understanding of ice sheet behavior
• Oxygen-starved oceans held back life's recovery after the 'Great Dying'
• Marked gender differences found in scholarly productivity
• 500 million-year-old fossils show how extinct organisms attacked their prey
• Autoantibodies may help detect lung cancer earlier
• Novel herpes virus isolated from bat cells
• Protein structure illuminates how viruses take over cells
• Puzzling asteroid observations explained by destruction of asteroids close to Sun
• New research could help improve HIV/AIDS therapies
• Neanderthals mated with modern humans much earlier than previously thought, study finds
• Assessing carbon capture technology
• Diabetes during pregnancy associated with increased risk of low milk supply
• Immune-targeting drug combo shows promise for lung cancer patients
• Pay-per-click advertising lacks controls against fraud, study finds
• New links between heart hormones, obesity, and diabetes
• Can CRISPR help edit out female mosquitoes?
• New molecular alarm clock found in vertebrates
• Cancer study is 'paradigm shift' in cause of tumor formation
• Evolution silences harmful mutations
• Low-dose exposure of environmental contaminants can be harmful to the human brain
• What's love got to do with it? Drinking, smoking and teen romance
• Research sheds new light on whether we are all getting fatter
• Explaining autism: Study identifies novel mechanism that causes abnormal brain development
• Half the world to be short-sighted by 2050
• Fluorescent biosensors light up high-throughput metabolic engineering
• Marijuana smokers 5 times more likely to develop an alcohol problem
• Hidradenitis suppurativa and risk of adverse cardiovascular events, death
• Use of breast conservation surgery for cancer decreases; high-rate of reoperation
• What is risk of mental health, substance use disorders if you use marijuana?
• Socialization alters fruit fly sexuality
• New physics and application of antiferromagnet uncovered
• Fulmars contaminated more by food than microplastics
• Scientists discover bird blood cell which destroys fatal fungal infection
• Children born in winter, or to smoking mothers, have vulnerable lungs
• 'Super-recognizers' could play key role in border control, research finds
• Material deformation at atomic scale resembles avalanches
• Many school children avoid basic foods unnecessarily
• Novel synthesis method opens up new possibilities for utilizing Li-ion batteries
• New ways to construct contactless magnetic gears
• Study uncovers key player contributing to healthy maintenance of bone marrow niche
• 'Stay-at-home' males fueled menopause evolution, say researchers
• DNA evidence shows that salmon hatcheries cause substantial, rapid genetic changes
• Bullied preemies may develop mental illness as adults, study shows
• Signpost for sentinel cells
• New staging for HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer

Pesticide mixtures may increase health risks but are still unregulated by California Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:59 AM PST A new study has found that the state agency responsible for protecting Californians from the dangers of pesticides is failing to assess the health risks likely posed by pesticide mixtures, which are believed to be more harmful than individual pesticides.

Transgenic sweet corn no more susceptible to Goss's wilt disease Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:57 AM PST A study tested whether glyphosate use, transgenic traits, or timing of inoculation with the bacterial vector of Goss's wilt affected disease incidence and yield in sweet corn. Results showed no effect of glyphosate use, transgenic traits, or inoculation timing on Goss's wilt incidence. Use of transgenic traits and glyphosate actually resulted in greater yields than conventional and herbicide-free plants.

New study finds promising results for MERS treatment Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:57 AM PST Researchers have had promising results with a new treatment for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. The study found a new treatment that protected mice from MERS infection.

DNA studies reveal that shelter workers often mislabel dogs as 'pit bulls' Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:06 AM PST DNA results show that shelter workers are often mistaken when they label a dog as a pit bull, with potentially devastating consequences for the dogs, a new study has found.

The global healthy weight registry Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST If there is one thing to avoid when trying to lose or maintain a healthy weight, it's a restrictive diet. Instead, simple routine behaviors may be key, according to new research findings.

Feeding a city with better food sources Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST Access to clean water hasn't been the only health issue facing Flint, Michigan. Since 2008, a public health expert has been mapping out areas of the city that have had almost no access to healthier food options and evaluating solutions that could help remedy the problem.

Astronomer detected a new source of intense gamma-radiation in the sky Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST Astronomers have discovered a new source that confirmed the fact that binary systems with strong colliding stellar winds comprise a separate new population of high-energy gamma-ray sources.

Stigma regarding weight loss may be overblown, study says Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST Most people who have lost a lot of weight don't perceive themselves as being 'judged' because they used to be overweight or obese -- which contradicts earlier research that people were still stigmatized even after reaching a healthy weight.

Connection between anal cancer, HPV Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST The results of a study demonstrating a connection between anal cancer and human papillomavirus infection has been published by researchers. It builds on research that indicated an increased likelihood that the two diseases would coexist in some women.

New study is 'a leap forward' in our understanding of ice sheet behavior Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST In recent years, climate scientists have grown increasingly concerned that massive rivers of ice flowing into the ocean from Greenland and Antarctica could accelerate as the planet warms, leading to a catastrophic collapse of Earth's ice sheets. But a new article presents an alternative narrative of the manner in which an ice sheet can disappear.

Oxygen-starved oceans held back life's recovery after the 'Great Dying' Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST Analysis of ancient seabed rocks from disparate locations reveal that life did not rebound until anoxia had fully ebbed.

Marked gender differences found in scholarly productivity Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST The differences between men and women seem to infiltrate yet another aspect of medicine with a study indicating that younger female gynecologic oncologists were less productive scholastically and, therefore, poorly represented in the higher academic ranks, than their male contemporaries.

500 million-year-old fossils show how extinct organisms attacked their prey Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:03 AM PST Most fossils preserve the physical remains of organisms and their structure; however, geologists and paleobiologists recently found fossils that show the behaviors of predators preserved as traces in ancient sediments. Thus, fossils from southeast Missouri are helping scientists unlock clues about the behaviors of these predators and their interactions with their prey. Evidence shows that these ancient organisms were behaviorally sophisticated, tailoring their attacks for effectiveness.

Autoantibodies may help detect lung cancer earlier Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:03 AM PST Preliminary research has identified autoantibodies, immune proteins found in the blood specific for one's own proteins, that can potentially detect lung cancer early by distinguishing between smokers with or without lung cancer and also discriminate between lung cancer and low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) detected non-cancerous lung lesions.

Novel herpes virus isolated from bat cells Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:03 AM PST Researchers have identified a novel herpes virus in cells taken from a bat. The work could lead to better understanding of the biology of these viruses and why bats serve as hosts for a number of viruses that can potentially transfer to humans.

Protein structure illuminates how viruses take over cells Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:03 AM PST Using cutting-edge imaging technology, researchers have determined the structure of a protein complex that lets viruses similar to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) establish permanent infections within their hosts.

Puzzling asteroid observations explained by destruction of asteroids close to Sun Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:03 AM PST For two decades it was thought that most near-Earth objects (NEOs) -- asteroids and comets that may pose a hazard to life on Earth -- end their existence in a dramatic final plunge into the Sun. A new study finds instead that most of those objects are destroyed much farther from the Sun than previously thought. This surprising new discovery explains several puzzling observations that have been reported in recent years.

New research could help improve HIV/AIDS therapies Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:03 AM PST An experimental procedure that involves beaming X-rays at immobilized molecules resulted in a major step forward in exploring new therapies to combat HIV/AIDS and retrovirus-based cancers, report scientists.

Neanderthals mated with modern humans much earlier than previously thought, study finds Posted: 17 Feb 2016 11:03 AM PST Researchers report strong evidence of an interbreeding event between Neanderthals and modern humans occurring around 100,000 years ago, much earlier than any previously documented. The evidence suggests early modern humans left Africa and mixed with now-extinct members of the human family, before the migration 'out of Africa' around 65,000 years ago. It is also evidence of breeding in the 'opposite' direction from that already known, that is, modern human DNA in a Neanderthal genome.

Assessing carbon capture technology Posted: 17 Feb 2016 10:09 AM PST Carbon capture and storage could be used to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and thus ameliorate their impact on climate change. The focus of this technology is on the large-scale reduction of carbon emissions from fossil-fuelled power plants. Research investigates the pros and cons, assesses the risks associated with carbon capture and provides a new framework for assessing the necessary technology.

Diabetes during pregnancy associated with increased risk of low milk supply Posted: 17 Feb 2016 10:07 AM PST Women with diabetes during pregnancy face a significantly higher risk of having a low milk supply. This study is believed to be the first to examine maternal diabetes as a risk factor for low milk supply.

Immune-targeting drug combo shows promise for lung cancer patients Posted: 17 Feb 2016 10:07 AM PST Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States resulting in more than 158,000 deaths each year. Investigators initiated a multicenter phase 1b clinical trial to determine the safety and efficacy of a new drug combination for non-small cell lung cancer that stimulates a patient's immune system to target and kill cancer cells.

Pay-per-click advertising lacks controls against fraud, study finds Posted: 17 Feb 2016 10:06 AM PST Researchers examined the process of identifying click fraud. In their study, they proposed a way to support technological improvements.

New links between heart hormones, obesity, and diabetes Posted: 17 Feb 2016 09:55 AM PST A new approach to treating metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes has been suggested by researchers: targeting the pathway that controls the concentration of certain heart hormones in the blood.

Can CRISPR help edit out female mosquitoes? Posted: 17 Feb 2016 09:55 AM PST The recent discovery of the first male-determining factor in mosquitoes, combined with the gene-editing capabilities of the CRISPR-Cas9 system, could be used to bias mosquito populations from deadly, blood-sucking females toward harmless, nectar-feeding males, thus helping to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.

New molecular alarm clock found in vertebrates Posted: 17 Feb 2016 09:55 AM PST Dozens of chemical interactions in the vertebrate brain go into maintaining a natural sleep schedule, and scientists have recently found one more player on the field: a neurochemical called neuromedin U, or Nmu. The protein, which was analyzed in zebrafish but is also found in humans, acts to stimulate wakefulness, particularly in the morning.

Cancer study is 'paradigm shift' in cause of tumor formation Posted: 17 Feb 2016 08:36 AM PST A gene that may provide a new source of potential drug targets for tumors that arise in pulmonary tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) has been found by a pair of investigators. The discovery may change what is known about tumor formation and help to slow or halt tumor growth, therefore having broader implications in cancer research.

Evolution silences harmful mutations Posted: 17 Feb 2016 08:35 AM PST Sometimes so-called synonymous mutations occur in DNA. These do not lead to a change in the protein sequence but which may still have major negative effects on the ability of bacteria to survive. New research has now shown that an organism can efficiently compensate for the negative effects.

Low-dose exposure of environmental contaminants can be harmful to the human brain Posted: 17 Feb 2016 08:35 AM PST Individuals subjected to chronic low-dose exposure to organochlorine pesticides show and increased risk to obtain a future diagnosis of cognitive impairment.

What's love got to do with it? Drinking, smoking and teen romance Posted: 17 Feb 2016 08:35 AM PST New research has examined whether the desire for romance leads to increased substance alcohol or tobacco use in adolescents. Investigators studied over 1,100 Grade 10 pupils in Los Angeles, USA examining whether an association could be drawn between romantic ambition and the interaction with tobacco and alcohol. The research adds to the ongoing inquiries around how romantic relationships can affect adolescents in social development, academia, health and general well-being.

Research sheds new light on whether we are all getting fatter Posted: 17 Feb 2016 08:33 AM PST A study of trends in Body Mass Index since 1992 for England has found that while BMI is rising across both sexes and within all social groups, there have been larger increases in those who already have the highest BMIs.

Explaining autism: Study identifies novel mechanism that causes abnormal brain development Posted: 17 Feb 2016 08:33 AM PST Recognizing a need to better understand the biology that produces Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) symptoms, scientists have identified a novel mechanism that potentially links abnormal brain development to the cause of ASDs. This new knowledge will help to improve the diagnosis and development of therapeutic interventions for ASDs.

Half the world to be short-sighted by 2050 Posted: 17 Feb 2016 08:33 AM PST Half the world's population (nearly 5 billion) will be short-sighted (myopic) by 2050, with up to one-fifth of them (1 billion) at a significantly increased risk of blindness if current trends continue, says a new study.

Fluorescent biosensors light up high-throughput metabolic engineering Posted: 17 Feb 2016 08:28 AM PST Synthetic biologists are learning to turn microbes and unicellular organisms into highly productive factories by re-engineering their metabolism to produce valued commodities such as fine chemicals, therapeutics and biofuels. To speed up identification of the most efficient producers, researchers describe new approaches to this process and demonstrate how genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors can enable the generation and testing of billions of individual variants of a metabolic pathway in record time.

Marijuana smokers 5 times more likely to develop an alcohol problem Posted: 17 Feb 2016 08:28 AM PST Adults who use marijuana are five times more likely to develop an alcohol use disorder (AUD) -- alcohol abuse or dependence -- compared with adults who do not use the drug. And adults who already have an alcohol use disorder and use marijuana are more likely to see the problem persist.

Hidradenitis suppurativa and risk of adverse cardiovascular events, death Posted: 17 Feb 2016 08:28 AM PST Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease marked by painful abscesses that develop in areas where there are large numbers of sweat glands. The disease has been associated with cardiovascular risk factors, such as smoking and obesity, but the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with HS is unknown.

Use of breast conservation surgery for cancer decreases; high-rate of reoperation Posted: 17 Feb 2016 08:28 AM PST The use of breast conservation surgery (BCS) in New York State has been studied by researchers who determined rates of reoperation, procedure choice, and the effect of surgeon experience on the odds of a reoperation 90 days after BCS.

What is risk of mental health, substance use disorders if you use marijuana? Posted: 17 Feb 2016 08:28 AM PST With more states legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use, there are renewed clinical and policy concerns about the mental health effects of the drug.

Socialization alters fruit fly sexuality Posted: 17 Feb 2016 06:14 AM PST A genetic study on the courtship behavior of mutant fruit flies may illuminate human sexual orientation.

New physics and application of antiferromagnet uncovered Posted: 17 Feb 2016 06:13 AM PST Researchers have studied the control of magnetization using a current applied to heterostructures comprising an antiferromagnet. They found that the current gives rise to a flow of electron spin in the antiferromagnet, which induces magnetization switching in a neighboring ferromagnet.

Fulmars contaminated more by food than microplastics Posted: 17 Feb 2016 06:13 AM PST Contrary to previous belief, new research has shown that microplastics are not a significant source of environmental pollutants in fulmars. Seabirds ingest most of these pollutants through food, the researchers concluded.

Scientists discover bird blood cell which destroys fatal fungal infection Posted: 17 Feb 2016 06:13 AM PST Scientists reveal how birds can carry potentially fatal infections to humans but not get ill. They say that the white blood cell in birds blocks growth of fatal infection, adding that this discovery could help in preventing humans from contracting diseases including bird flu.

Children born in winter, or to smoking mothers, have vulnerable lungs Posted: 17 Feb 2016 06:13 AM PST Smoking mothers, respiratory infections and the date you were born contribute to determine how fast your lungs are aging, shows research. People who have been exposed to the aforementioned factors have a faster decline in lung function, which practically means a faster aging process. Still, this only becomes apparent if they themselves start smoking or if other risk factors have been a part of their early life.

'Super-recognizers' could play key role in border control, research finds Posted: 17 Feb 2016 06:13 AM PST Super-recognizers – people with exceptional face-processing and matching abilities – could play an important role in policing and security settings such as border control, research has found.

Material deformation at atomic scale resembles avalanches Posted: 17 Feb 2016 06:13 AM PST The rearrangement of particles in materials during deformation, such as when a spoon is bent, doesn't occur independently, but rather resembles highly collective avalanches that span the entire material. The finding offers a new universal theory of deformation.

Many school children avoid basic foods unnecessarily Posted: 17 Feb 2016 06:10 AM PST A study on hypersensitivity to the basic foods milk, egg, fish and wheat among young school children showed that reported food hypersensitivity was eight times more common than allergies confirmed by allergy tests.

Novel synthesis method opens up new possibilities for utilizing Li-ion batteries Posted: 17 Feb 2016 06:09 AM PST Lithium-ion batteries are a rapidly growing energy storage method due to their high energy density, especially in mobile applications such as personal electronics and electric cars. However, the materials currently used in Li-ion batteries are expensive, many of them, like lithium cobalt oxide (belonging to the EU Critical Raw Materials, CRMs), are difficult to handle and dispose of. Additionally, batteries using these materials have relatively short lifetimes. Researchers say that new novel materials are being developed for next generation Li-ion batteries.

New ways to construct contactless magnetic gears Posted: 17 Feb 2016 06:09 AM PST The new milk frother you are using to prepare your cappuccino is likely using magnetic gears. Magnetic gears transmit rotary motion like mechanical gears but instead of teeth they use magnetic attraction and repulsion between rotating magnets. Researchers have published a theory that extends the possibilities and applications for smooth magnetic couplings, which can produce an even motion without any counterforce. This research has several potential applications in nanotechnology, microfluidics and robotics.

Study uncovers key player contributing to healthy maintenance of bone marrow niche Posted: 17 Feb 2016 06:09 AM PST A new study has uncovered a key player contributing to the maintenance of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), blood cell precursors which have the ability to become any type of blood cell in the body. Research findings could contribute towards better understanding of the underlying causes of blood diseases, say the scientists.

'Stay-at-home' males fueled menopause evolution, say researchers Posted: 17 Feb 2016 06:08 AM PST The evolution of the menopause was 'kick-started' by a fluke of nature, but then boosted by the tendency for sons and grandsons to remain living close to home, a new study suggests.

DNA evidence shows that salmon hatcheries cause substantial, rapid genetic changes Posted: 17 Feb 2016 06:08 AM PST A new study on steelhead trout in Oregon offers genetic evidence that wild and hatchery fish are different at the DNA level, and that they can become different with surprising speed. The research found that after one generation of hatchery culture, the offspring of wild fish and first-generation hatchery fish differed in the activity of more than 700 genes.

Bullied preemies may develop mental illness as adults, study shows Posted: 17 Feb 2016 06:08 AM PST A new study on adult mental health included extremely low birth weight babies who were 2.2 pounds or less at their birth between 1977 and 1982 in Ontario. These adults were interviewed at age 8, 22 to 26 and 29 to 36. Their mental health was compared to normal birth weight babies of 5.5 pounds or more who were born in the same time span and interviewed at the same intervals.

Signpost for sentinel cells Posted: 16 Feb 2016 03:17 PM PST Sentinel cells of the immune system can enter the finest lymphatic capillary vessels present in tissues. Researchers have now discovered the molecular signpost that guides these cells in the direction of the nearest lymph node.

New staging for HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer Posted: 16 Feb 2016 03:17 PM PST Human papillomavirus (HPV) status is a strong predictor of prognosis for patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC), but the current staging system does not adequately account for biological and clinical differences between HPV-positive OPC and HPV-negative OPC, commonly caused by alcohol and tobacco use, say researchers.

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