ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Discovery of a fast radio burst reveals 'missing matter' in the universe
• Pulsar web could detect low-frequency gravitational waves
• Black holes banish matter into cosmic voids
• What will emerging genetic tools for mitochondrial DNA replacement mean for patients?
• Methane leaks across Los Angeles Basin mapped
• Using thin or obese avatars in motion-controlled gaming can influence physical activity
• Inability to avoid visual distractions linked to poor short-term memory
• Novel cancer treatment developed to inhibit chemo-resistance
• The prolonged death of light from type Ia supernovae
• Want to be seen as a leader? Get some muscle
• Keeping mind active may delay symptoms of Alzheimer's, but not underlying disease
• How does COPD care by physicians compare with nurse practitioners/physician assistants?
• Mathematical advance in describing waves
• Researchers grow cyberforests to predict climate change
• Immune cells don't always ward off carbon nano invaders
• School buildings designed as 'teaching green' can lead to better environmental education
• Bluebird's conundrum: Shack up now or hang out in mom's nest for a while?
• New interactive guide tells the story of forest products in the South
• Ketamine for the difficult-to-sedate ER patient
• Salt marshes will persist despite rising seas, study predicts
• Carbon tax needed to cut fossil fuel consumption
• NCAA athletes need more coaching on academics, career options
• Wastewater treatment plants significant source of microplastics in rivers
• Pancreatic cancer is four diseases, each with new treatment possibilities
• Predicting human evolution: Teeth tell the story
• Genetic counseling helps psychiatric patients, study shows
• Pulling water from thin air
• Financial engineering could make life-saving drugs more available, affordable
• Zika epidemic highlights need for priority vaccine research for pregnant women
• New climate model better predicts changes to ocean-carbon sink
• Unconventional treatment strategy controls -- rather than eradicates -- cancer
• Laser treatment may boost effectiveness of brain tumor drugs
• Study examines heart structure, function of NBA players
• Ocean acidification already slowing coral reef growth
• Nitrogen a neglected threat to biodiversity
• Evidence of early medieval Muslim graves found in France
• Adult male gorillas call more during feeding than females, juveniles
• Short-lived killifish reveals link between gene expression, longevity
• New research challenges Darwin, shows how a gene cheats Mendel's law of segregation
• Can gaming mend damaged brains?
• Cardiologists use 3-D printing to personalize treatment for heart disease
• Researchers fight aplastic anemia using a therapy designed to delay ageing
• Conservatives prefer using nouns, new research finds
• Innovative device traces chemicals affecting human and environmental health
• Computers can tell if you're bored, shows new study
• Simpler technique yields antibodies to a range of infectious agents
• Adapted Trombe wall now used for both building heating, cooling
• The castaway: New monitor lizard fills top-order predator role on remote Pacific island
• Consumers have huge environmental impact
• Omega-3 fatty acids may lower breast cancer risk in postmenopausal obese women
• EU decision process hinders use of genetically modified trees
• Attention bias modification treatment in depressed adolescents
• Freshwater biodiversity has positive impact on global food security
• Research pinpoints devastating impacts of fetal alcohol syndrome
• Counting molecules with an ordinary cell phone
• Could a bacteria-killing protein lead to a new treatment for diabetes?
• Regulation of Parkinson's disease inflammatory responses by a MicroRNA
• New way to reduce plant lignin could lead to cheaper biofuels
• First images of the nanolayer beneath a dancing Leidenfrost droplet
• Sounds can help develop speech, gestures in children with autism

Discovery of a fast radio burst reveals 'missing matter' in the universe Posted: 24 Feb 2016 08:17 PM PST An international research team used a combination of radio and optical telescopes to identify the precise location of a fast radio burst (FRB) in a distant galaxy, allowing them to conduct a unique census of the universe's matter content. Their result confirms current cosmological models of the distribution of matter in the universe.

Pulsar web could detect low-frequency gravitational waves Posted: 24 Feb 2016 08:08 PM PST The recent detection of gravitational waves by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) came from two black holes, each about 30 times the mass of our sun, merging into one. Gravitational waves span a wide range of frequencies that require different technologies to detect. A new study from the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) has shown that low-frequency gravitational waves could soon be detectable by existing radio telescopes.

Black holes banish matter into cosmic voids Posted: 24 Feb 2016 07:31 PM PST We live in a universe dominated by unseen matter, and on the largest scales, galaxies and everything they contain are concentrated into filaments that stretch around the edge of enormous voids. Thought to be almost empty until now, a group of astronomers now believe these dark holes could contain as much as 20% of the 'normal' matter in the cosmos and that galaxies make up only 1/500th of the volume of the universe.

What will emerging genetic tools for mitochondrial DNA replacement mean for patients? Posted: 24 Feb 2016 07:31 PM PST Sophisticated prenatal techniques, not yet in clinical practice, offer the potential to prevent a cruel multi-system genetic disease passing from mother to child long before birth. But emerging mitochondrial replacement techniques (MRTs) raise ethical and social questions about potential risks and consequences for patients, families and clinicians.

Methane leaks across Los Angeles Basin mapped Posted: 24 Feb 2016 01:49 PM PST Hundreds of methane-emitting hot spots have been identified across the Los Angeles Basin, including a 'clean ports' truck refueling facility near the Port of Long Beach, power plants, water treatment facilities, and cattle in Chino, according to new findings.

Using thin or obese avatars in motion-controlled gaming can influence physical activity Posted: 24 Feb 2016 01:44 PM PST A recent study found that gamers using thin avatars showed increased physical activity compared to those using obese avatars.

Inability to avoid visual distractions linked to poor short-term memory Posted: 24 Feb 2016 01:44 PM PST A new study has found that differences in an individual's working memory capacity correlate with the brain's ability to actively ignore distraction.

Novel cancer treatment developed to inhibit chemo-resistance Posted: 24 Feb 2016 01:43 PM PST Many patients develop resistance to standard therapies and eventually relapse. Now researchers hope to improve treatment outcomes with development of a novel therapeutic strategy, called adaptive therapy, which is based on evolutionary principals and aims to keep resistant cells in check by maintaining a population of chemo-sensitive cells.

The prolonged death of light from type Ia supernovae Posted: 24 Feb 2016 01:43 PM PST Three years after its explosion, a type Ia supernova continues to shine brighter than expected, new research finds. The observations suggest that the powerful explosions produce an abundance of a heavy form of cobalt that gives the heat from nuclear decay an extra energy boost. The work could help pinpoint the parents of type Ia supernovae -- a stellar explosion frequently used to measure distances to faraway galaxies -- and reveal the mechanics behind these explosions.

Want to be seen as a leader? Get some muscle Posted: 24 Feb 2016 01:43 PM PST Forget intelligence or wisdom. A muscular physique might just be a more important attribute when it comes to judging a person's leadership potential, according to a new study.

Keeping mind active may delay symptoms of Alzheimer's, but not underlying disease Posted: 24 Feb 2016 01:43 PM PST People who keep mentally and physically healthy in middle age may help stave off the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, but the activity does not affect the underlying disease changes in the brain for most people, according to a new study.

How does COPD care by physicians compare with nurse practitioners/physician assistants? Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:14 PM PST Researchers investigated differences in care given to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients by medical doctors compared with nurse practitioners and physician assistants, and report their findings in a new article.

Mathematical advance in describing waves Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:14 PM PST Two mathematicians have published a new paper that advances the art -- or shall we say, the math -- of describing a wave. The study explores what happens when a regular wave pattern has small irregularities.

Researchers grow cyberforests to predict climate change Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:14 PM PST The first computer simulation that grows realistic forests down to the branches, leaves and roots of individual trees has been developed by scientists. They are using the simulation to determine how drought, warmer weather, more frequent wildfires and other climate-related changes will affect forests across North America.

Immune cells don't always ward off carbon nano invaders Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:14 PM PST Scientists have found evidence that some carbon nanomaterials can enter into immune cell membranes, seemingly going undetected by the cell's built-in mechanisms for engulfing and disposing of foreign material, and then escape through some unidentified pathway.

School buildings designed as 'teaching green' can lead to better environmental education Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:14 PM PST Students who attend school in buildings specifically designed to be 'green' exhibit higher levels of knowledge about energy efficiency and environmentally friendly building practices, a new study shows.

Bluebird's conundrum: Shack up now or hang out in mom's nest for a while? Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:13 PM PST Young male bluebirds may gain an evolutionary advantage by delaying breeding and helping out their parents' nests instead, according to new research.

New interactive guide tells the story of forest products in the South Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:12 PM PST A new storymap allows users to interactively chart the ebb and flow of forest products across the southern states -- and visually tells the story of the decline of the forest products industry in the South over the last decades.

Ketamine for the difficult-to-sedate ER patient Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:10 PM PST For the small segment of the emergency population whose acute behavioral disturbance does not respond to traditional sedation, ketamine appears to be effective and safe, according to a new study.

Salt marshes will persist despite rising seas, study predicts Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:10 PM PST Traditional assessment methods overestimate salt-marsh vulnerability because they don't fully account for processes that allow for vertical and landward migration as water levels increase, a new analysis suggests.

Carbon tax needed to cut fossil fuel consumption Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:10 PM PST Technology-driven cost reductions in fossil fuels will lead us to continue using all the oil, gas, and coal we can, unless governments pass new taxes on carbon emissions, says one expert.

NCAA athletes need more coaching on academics, career options Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:09 PM PST NCAA athletes need more coaching on the long odds of playing professionally and the importance of academics to their future success, according to a new study.

Wastewater treatment plants significant source of microplastics in rivers Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:09 PM PST Millions of tiny pieces of plastic are escaping wastewater treatment plant filters and winding up in rivers where they could potentially contaminate drinking water supplies and enter the food system, according to new research.

Pancreatic cancer is four diseases, each with new treatment possibilities Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:08 PM PST A study on the genetics of pancreatic cancer reveals that it is actually four separate diseases, with different genetic triggers and survival rates, paving the way for more accurate diagnoses and treatments.

Predicting human evolution: Teeth tell the story Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:08 PM PST The evolution of human teeth is much simpler than previously thought, research shows, suggesting that we can predict the sizes of teeth missing from human and hominin fossils. The findings will be useful in interpreting new hominin fossil finds, and looking at the drivers of human evolution. As well as shedding new light on our evolutionary past, the findings will provide clues about how we may evolve into the future.

Genetic counseling helps psychiatric patients, study shows Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:08 PM PST Genetic counseling helps patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and similar conditions understand and cope with their illness, a new study concludes. The study is among the first to show the value of genetic counseling for psychiatric illnesses, and researchers say that the service should be made more available to people suffering from mental illness.

Pulling water from thin air Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:07 PM PST As the planet grows drier, researchers are looking to nature for more effective ways to pull water from air. Now, scientists have drawn inspiration from three organisms to develop a better way to promote and transport condensed water droplets.

Financial engineering could make life-saving drugs more available, affordable Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:07 PM PST Stratospheric costs for therapies not yet covered by insurance put some drugs out of reach for many patients. This study shows how securitized consumer health-care loans could spread the cost of therapies over many years, giving more patients access to drugs while generating returns to investors.

Zika epidemic highlights need for priority vaccine research for pregnant women Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:07 PM PST The recent outbreak of Zika virus disease and its link to fetal development highlights the need for pregnant women and those of reproductive age to be a priority group for developing and evaluating new vaccines and vaccine guidelines for Zika and other emerging infectious diseases.

New climate model better predicts changes to ocean-carbon sink Posted: 24 Feb 2016 12:07 PM PST The relationship between our future carbon dioxide emissions and future climate change depends strongly on the capacity of the ocean-carbon sink. That is a question climate scientists have so far been unable to answer. In a new paper, a research team describes the best modeling approach to date for arriving at an answer to this and other crucial climate questions.

Unconventional treatment strategy controls -- rather than eradicates -- cancer Posted: 24 Feb 2016 11:56 AM PST Can we learn to live with--rather than kill--cancer? A new study suggests that frequent, low-dose chemotherapy that keeps tumor growth under control may be more effective than standard high-dose chemotherapy that seeks to eradicate cancer cells completely.

Laser treatment may boost effectiveness of brain tumor drugs Posted: 24 Feb 2016 11:56 AM PST The human brain has a remarkable defense system that filters bacteria and chemicals. For brain tumor patients, the barrier works almost too well by blocking most chemotherapy drugs.

Study examines heart structure, function of NBA players Posted: 24 Feb 2016 11:56 AM PST An analysis of the cardiac structure and function of more than 500 National Basketball Association (NBA) players provides information that can be incorporated into clinical assessments for the prevention of cardiac emergencies in basketball players and the athletic community at large, according to a study.

Ocean acidification already slowing coral reef growth Posted: 24 Feb 2016 11:55 AM PST A team of scientists performed the first-ever experiment that manipulated seawater chemistry in a natural coral reef community in order to determine the effect that excess carbon dioxide released by human activity is having on coral reefs. Their results provide evidence that ocean acidification is already slowing coral reef growth.

Nitrogen a neglected threat to biodiversity Posted: 24 Feb 2016 11:55 AM PST Nitrogen pollution is a recognized threat to sensitive species and ecosystems. However, the means and severity of the damage are elusive, hampering efforts to manage this worldwide contaminant.

Evidence of early medieval Muslim graves found in France Posted: 24 Feb 2016 11:55 AM PST Archaeological and genetic analysis may indicate that three skeletons buried in medieval graves in France may have been Muslim, according to a new study.

Adult male gorillas call more during feeding than females, juveniles Posted: 24 Feb 2016 11:55 AM PST Gorillas in the wild frequently 'sing' and 'hum' during feeding and adult males call more than their younger or female counterparts, according to a new study.

Short-lived killifish reveals link between gene expression, longevity Posted: 24 Feb 2016 11:55 AM PST It's well known that genetic differences among individuals influence lifespan, but a new study suggests that differences in patterns of gene expression in youth may also predict longevity. Researchers of the shortest-lived vertebrate -- the African turquoise killifish -- found that when genes involved in a cell's energy production are less active at a young age, the animals tend to live longer.

New research challenges Darwin, shows how a gene cheats Mendel's law of segregation Posted: 24 Feb 2016 10:37 AM PST Copies of the mouse gene R2d2 can spread quickly through lab and wild mouse populations, despite the fact that the genes cause females to have fewer offspring. This is the first time scientists have used mice to show that a selfish gene responsible for infertility can become fixed in a population.

Can gaming mend damaged brains? Posted: 24 Feb 2016 10:35 AM PST First person shooter computer games, such as Medal of Honor, can help rehabilitate patients with Traumatic Brain Injuries, suggests new research.

Cardiologists use 3-D printing to personalize treatment for heart disease Posted: 24 Feb 2016 10:34 AM PST Supercomputers are being used by clinicians to create 3-D models from patients with heart disease, with photos from a camera thinner than a human hair.

Researchers fight aplastic anemia using a therapy designed to delay ageing Posted: 24 Feb 2016 10:34 AM PST A new treatment for aplastic anemia is based on the transport of the telomerase gene to the bone marrow cells using gene therapy, a completely new strategy in the treatment of aplastic anemia.

Conservatives prefer using nouns, new research finds Posted: 24 Feb 2016 10:34 AM PST Conservatives prefer using nouns, new transatlantic research suggests. The research also established that conservatives generally, to a greater degree than liberals, tend to refer to things by their names, rather than describing them in terms of their features. An example would be saying someone 'is an optimist', rather than 'is optimistic'.

Innovative device traces chemicals affecting human and environmental health Posted: 24 Feb 2016 10:34 AM PST In a new study, a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional team of researchers tracks the course of a family of widely used pesticides known as fiproles. These halogenated chemicals have been identified as an emerging contaminant, recently linked to the worldwide die-off of pollinating insects, particularly honeybees.

Computers can tell if you're bored, shows new study Posted: 24 Feb 2016 10:34 AM PST Computers are able to read a person's body language to tell whether they are bored or interested in what they see on the screen. The research shows that by measuring a person's movements as they use a computer, it is possible to judge their level of interest by monitoring whether they display the tiny movements that people usually constantly exhibit, known as non-instrumental movements.

Simpler technique yields antibodies to a range of infectious agents Posted: 24 Feb 2016 10:29 AM PST An innovative means of investigating membrane proteins produced by a pair of highly pathogenic organisms has been the focus of recent study. The research team showed that DNA-based genetic immunization, using a device known as a gene gun, could successfully express membrane proteins in mice and induce the animals to produce a range of critical antibodies to bacterial and viral targets.

Adapted Trombe wall now used for both building heating, cooling Posted: 24 Feb 2016 10:29 AM PST A new study demonstrates a way to adapt the so-called Trombe wall -- a passive solar building design from the 19th century -- to not only heat but also cool buildings, while drastically reduce associated carbon emissions. The new design is now being tested by locals in Saint Catherine, Egypt.

The castaway: New monitor lizard fills top-order predator role on remote Pacific island Posted: 24 Feb 2016 10:29 AM PST Separated by several hundred kilometers from its next of kin, a new blue-tailed monitor lizard unique to the remote Mussau Island has been described. Given a Latin name meaning 'isolated,' it is the only large-sized land-living predator and scavenger on the small Pacific island.

Consumers have huge environmental impact Posted: 24 Feb 2016 10:29 AM PST You won't make big cuts in your environmental impact by taking shorter showers or turning out the lights. The real environmental problem, a new analysis has shown, is embodied in the things you buy.

Omega-3 fatty acids may lower breast cancer risk in postmenopausal obese women Posted: 24 Feb 2016 07:10 AM PST Omega-3 fatty acids may lower the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal obese women, according to researchers. The protection likely comes from the fatty acids' anti-inflammatory effects, say authors.

EU decision process hinders use of genetically modified trees Posted: 24 Feb 2016 07:05 AM PST Just like other crops, trees can also be genetically modified in order to introduce new, useful characteristics. Although such trees offer many socio-economic and environmental benefits, complex and unpredictable EU procedures are hindering their introduction to the market. This is the conclusion reached by researchers in a joint text drawn up as part of a European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) project about genetically modified trees. The researchers state that Europe is lagging behind in worldwide GM developments and call for a more scientifically substantiated decision process.

Attention bias modification treatment in depressed adolescents Posted: 24 Feb 2016 07:05 AM PST A new study reports that adolescents with major depression who performed a computer-based task designed to shift attention from sad to neutral to positive word associations showed reductions in negative attention biases and clinician-rated depressive symptoms. 11% of American adolescents suffer from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Facing a broad range of psychosocial and health problems, these youths are five times more at risk to attempt suicide than peers without psychiatric illness.

Freshwater biodiversity has positive impact on global food security Posted: 24 Feb 2016 07:05 AM PST Inland freshwaters with a greater variety of fish species (biodiversity) have higher-yielding and less variable fisheries according to a new study. At least two billion people depend directly on inland freshwaters, such as lakes, rivers and wetlands, for the provision of food. However, despite thousands of freshwater species contributing to food security, the relationship between biodiversity and yield remains poorly understood.

Research pinpoints devastating impacts of fetal alcohol syndrome Posted: 24 Feb 2016 07:03 AM PST Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are affected by a range of problems, including anxiety, depression, aggression, delinquency and diminished learning capacity a new review of evidence reveals.

Counting molecules with an ordinary cell phone Posted: 24 Feb 2016 07:03 AM PST A new visual readout method to count individual nucleic acid molecules within a sample can be performed by any cell-phone camera, report scientists.

Could a bacteria-killing protein lead to a new treatment for diabetes? Posted: 24 Feb 2016 07:03 AM PST Why would a bacteria-killing protein be present in an area of the body that is not normally exposed to bacteria, like the pancreas? Researchers have puzzled over this question for some time, until they eventually discovered that the protein in question was doing something entirely unexpected -- it was actually helping the pancreas regenerate and produce insulin. This ground-breaking discovery could lead to new treatments for diabetes.

Regulation of Parkinson's disease inflammatory responses by a MicroRNA Posted: 24 Feb 2016 04:08 AM PST A small regulatory RNA called microRNA-155 appears to play a key role in the brain inflammation that helps foster Parkinson's disease. This finding, using a mouse model, implicates microRNA-155 as both a potential therapeutic target and biomarker for this progressive neurodegenerative disorder.

New way to reduce plant lignin could lead to cheaper biofuels Posted: 24 Feb 2016 04:08 AM PST For the first time that an enzyme can be tweaked to reduce lignin in plants. Their technique could help lower the cost of converting biomass into carbon-neutral fuels to power your car and other sustainably developed bio-products.

First images of the nanolayer beneath a dancing Leidenfrost droplet Posted: 24 Feb 2016 04:06 AM PST Water droplets on a very hot plate don't evaporate but levitate and move around: this is known as the Leidenfrost effect and it always guarantees beautiful images. For the first time, researchers have made images of the tiny layer beneath the droplet, when it impacts on the surface. Thanks to this images, a more detailed explanation of the phenomenon is possible.

Sounds can help develop speech, gestures in children with autism Posted: 24 Feb 2016 04:06 AM PST Children with autism and other similar conditions often have difficulties in several areas of communication. A new doctoral thesis in linguistics shows that these children can develop speech, gestures and a sense of rhythm and melody by listening to various speech sounds.

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