ScienceDaily: Top News

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• NASA maps El Niño's shift on US precipitation
• New, simpler law of complex wrinkle patterns
• NASA sees a different kind of El Nino
• Mountaintop mining, crop irrigation can damage water biodiversity
• California blowout led to largest U.S. methane release ever
• Mental abilities are shaped by individual differences in the brain
• Antidepressant may improve cognitive symptoms in people with HIV
• Potential diagnostic for dengue fever outcomes based on metabolomic profiles
• Experimental Ebola antibody protects monkeys
• Bacteria take 'RNA mug shots' of threatening viruses
• Source of cells used to generate new tissue may be important to personalized medicine
• Chagas disease: A wake-up call to accelerate the diagnosis, treatment and research
• Graphene slides smoothly across gold
• Moving around more linked to longer life
• What makes the brain tick so fast?
• Microrobots learn from ciliates
• Genome editing: US could apply UK's approach to evaluate safety, ethics
• Braille maps for blind, visually impaired created with 3-D printer at Rutgers
• Zeroing in on 'super spreaders,' other hidden patterns of epidemics
• Ozone does not necessarily promote decline of natural ecosystems
• New front opens in battle against stroke
• New prediction tool gives warning of rogue waves
• New trigger for self-powered mechanical movement
• 'Team players' are picked earlier in NFL draft, paid more, study shows
• New heat wave formula can help public health agencies prepare for extreme temperatures
• Leaky lymphatics lead to obesity in mice
• 'Cocktail' orangutans leave researchers shaken and stirred
• Heart failure is associated with increased acetylation of metabolic proteins
• Immunotherapy agent can disrupt viral reservoir in SIV-infected monkeys
• Sugar rush shrinks brain cell powerhouse
• Flowers tone down the iridescence of their petals and avoid confusing bees
• How brain oscillations might respond to teleportation
• Researchers work to block harmful behavior of key Alzheimer's enzyme
• Mirror mirror: Snail shells offer clue in unravelling common origins of body asymmetry
• Human gut microbiome evolution: From hunter-gatherers to a western lifestyle
• Stem cell technique makes sperm in a dish
• Parental pressure pushes young athletes to doping
• Understanding the role of human polyomaviruses in cancer
• Innate immune landscape in glioblastoma patient tumors
• Magnetoreception molecule found in the eyes of dogs, primates
• Climate change speeds up gully erosion
• Object located around a black hole 5 billion light-years from Earth has been measured
• Healthier, diabetic-friendly bread created
• Public service workers with high levels of emotional intelligence are extremely motivated to serve the public
• High side effects, high cost, one month gain in 53 percent of elderly metastatic colorectal cancer patients
• First transcatheter implant for diastolic heart failure evaluated
• Sudden recent howler monkey deaths in Nicaragua
• Weather station on two wheels
• Heart damage can be prevented by overexpression of heme oxygenase-1
• Link between ADHD, vision impairment in children
• What keeps passion alive in long-term relationships?
• This is your brain on exercise
• Automatic programming makes swarm robots safer and more reliable
• Study shows teen girls' sexual orientation not always a predictor of sexual behavior
• Physicists promise a copper revolution in nanophotonics
• Genetically modified E. coli pump out morphine precursor
• Protein that triggers juvenile arthritis identified
• Researchers uncover risks of some herbal medicines for cancer patients
• Rap music, adolescent sexual initiation mediated by perceived peer behavior, say researchers
• Mouse model used to study craniofacial disorders

NASA maps El Niño's shift on US precipitation Posted: 25 Feb 2016 03:16 PM PST This winter, areas across the globe experienced a shift in rain patterns due to the natural weather phenomenon known as El Nino. A new NASA visualization of rainfall data shows the various changes in the United States with wetter, wintery conditions in parts of California and across the East Coast.

New, simpler law of complex wrinkle patterns Posted: 25 Feb 2016 03:16 PM PST A physicist points out that the work is crucial for understanding how wrinkle wavelength depends on properties of the sheet and the underlying liquid or solid.

NASA sees a different kind of El Nino Posted: 25 Feb 2016 03:16 PM PST A new NASA visualization shows the 2015 El Nino unfolding in the Pacific Ocean, as sea surface temperatures create different patterns than seen in the 1997-1998 El Nino. Computer models are just one tool that NASA scientists are using to study this large El Nino event, and compare it to other events in the past.

Mountaintop mining, crop irrigation can damage water biodiversity Posted: 25 Feb 2016 03:16 PM PST An international, multi-institutional team of researchers recommends ways that humans can protect freshwater from salts in a new article.

California blowout led to largest U.S. methane release ever Posted: 25 Feb 2016 12:38 PM PST The Aliso Canyon natural gas well blowout, first reported on Oct. 23, 2015, released over 100,000 tons of the powerful greenhouse gas methane before the well was sealed on Feb. 11, according to the first study of the accident published. The results confirm that Aliso Canyon is the largest methane leak in U.S. history.

Mental abilities are shaped by individual differences in the brain Posted: 25 Feb 2016 12:38 PM PST Everyone has a different mixture of personality traits: some are outgoing, some are tough and some are anxious. A new study suggests that brains also have different traits that affect both anatomical and cognitive factors, such as intelligence and memory.

Antidepressant may improve cognitive symptoms in people with HIV Posted: 25 Feb 2016 12:36 PM PST The antidepressant paroxetine modestly improves decision-making and reaction time, and suppresses inflammation in people with HIV-associated cognitive impairment, physicians report at the conclusion of a small, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Potential diagnostic for dengue fever outcomes based on metabolomic profiles Posted: 25 Feb 2016 12:36 PM PST Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease that can develop into the life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome. There are currently no standard biomarkers or algorithms for the prognosis of the progression to hemorrhagic fever or potentially fatal shock syndrome. Scientists are exploring the use of small molecules in patient serum for diagnosis of dengue fever and potentially predicting progression to the severe disease.

Experimental Ebola antibody protects monkeys Posted: 25 Feb 2016 12:34 PM PST Scientists have discovered that a single monoclonal antibody isolated from a human Ebola virus disease survivor protected non-human primates when given as late as five days after lethal Ebola infection. The antibody can now advance to testing in humans as a potential treatment for Ebola virus disease. There are currently no licensed treatments for Ebola infection, which caused more than 11,000 deaths in the 2014-2015 outbreak in West Africa.

Bacteria take 'RNA mug shots' of threatening viruses Posted: 25 Feb 2016 12:34 PM PST Scientists have discovered that bacteria have a system that can recognize and disrupt dangerous viruses using a newly identified mechanism involving RNA. It is similar to the CRISPR/Cas system that captures foreign DNA. The discovery might lead to better ways to thwart viruses that kill agricultural crops and interfere with the production of dairy products such as cheese and yogurt.

Source of cells used to generate new tissue may be important to personalized medicine Posted: 25 Feb 2016 12:34 PM PST New insights suggest that the source of human cells used to generate new tissues and organs may be an important consideration in personalized medicine. Medical researchers released the results of a study highlighting molecular differences in cells that are gaining traction in the field of personalized medicine.

Chagas disease: A wake-up call to accelerate the diagnosis, treatment and research Posted: 25 Feb 2016 12:34 PM PST Without a more efficient treatment, more than 200,000 people living with Chagas disease will die from heart disease in the next five years.

Graphene slides smoothly across gold Posted: 25 Feb 2016 12:34 PM PST Graphene, a modified form of carbon, offers versatile potential for use in coating machine components and in the field of electronic switches. Physicists have been studying the lubricity of this material on the nanometer scale. Since it produces almost no friction at all, it could drastically reduce energy loss in machines when used as a coating, as the researchers report.

Moving around more linked to longer life Posted: 25 Feb 2016 11:04 AM PST Medical researchers found that for adults aged 50 to 79 moving more, even 10 minutes of light activity daily, predicts lower mortality rates.

What makes the brain tick so fast? Posted: 25 Feb 2016 11:02 AM PST Surprisingly complex interactions between neurotransmitter receptors and other key proteins help explain the brain's ability to process information with lightning speed, according to a new study. Scientists combined experimental techniques to examine fast-acting protein macromolecules, known as AMPA receptors, which are a major player in brain signaling.

Microrobots learn from ciliates Posted: 25 Feb 2016 11:02 AM PST Ciliates can do amazing things: Being so tiny, the water in which they live is like thick honey to these microorganisms. In spite of this, however, they are able to self-propel through water by the synchronized movement of thousands of extremely thin filaments on their outer skin, called cilia. Now researchers report that they have created a swimming microrobot formed from liquid-crystal elastomers, which is driven by a light-induced peristaltic motion.

Genome editing: US could apply UK's approach to evaluate safety, ethics Posted: 25 Feb 2016 11:02 AM PST Two potential ways of stamping out serious disease by manipulating the genomes of human embryos are under intense public debate: mitochondrial replacement therapy and germline genome editing. The UK has already approved the former. Its process could guide the US as it considers allowing either or both of the techniques.

Braille maps for blind, visually impaired created with 3-D printer at Rutgers Posted: 25 Feb 2016 11:02 AM PST Using a high-tech 3-D printer, a student and his professor created sophisticated braille maps to help blind and visually impaired people navigate a local training center. The new maps -- made with state-of-the-art 3-D printers -- are a little larger than a small computer tablet. They're in a binder so people can easily carry them for reference. They also have a legend, or guide, in braille, a feature missing from previous maps.

Zeroing in on 'super spreaders,' other hidden patterns of epidemics Posted: 25 Feb 2016 11:02 AM PST The complex properties driving today's disease transmission -- and the speed at which an epidemic can travel -- call for new methods of surveillance. Researchers propose a novel way of developing mathematical models of infectious diseases to uncover hidden patterns of transmission.

Ozone does not necessarily promote decline of natural ecosystems Posted: 25 Feb 2016 11:00 AM PST Species-diverse unmanaged forests may be less susceptible to the damaging effects of ground-level ozone -- toxic to many species of vegetation and to humans -- than previously understood.

New front opens in battle against stroke Posted: 25 Feb 2016 11:00 AM PST Medical scientists have vetted a potentially powerful new tool for helping prevent stroke and heart attack. In a study, researchers show that pioglitazone, a member of the insulin-sensitizing class of medications called thiazolidinediones, reduced the risk of stroke or heart attack by almost a quarter in patients who had previously suffered a stroke or mini-stroke.

New prediction tool gives warning of rogue waves Posted: 25 Feb 2016 11:00 AM PST A new prediction tool may give sailors a 2-3 minute warning of an incoming rogue wave, providing them with enough time to shut down essential operations on a ship or offshore platform. The tool, in the form of an algorithm, sifts through data from surrounding waves to spot clusters of waves that may develop into a rogue wave.

New trigger for self-powered mechanical movement Posted: 25 Feb 2016 11:00 AM PST A new way to use the chemical reactions of certain enzymes to trigger self-powered mechanical movement has been developed by a team of researchers. The pumps provide precise control over flow rate without the aid of an external power source and are capable of turning on in response to specific chemicals.

'Team players' are picked earlier in NFL draft, paid more, study shows Posted: 25 Feb 2016 10:59 AM PST College football players who helped teammates and put in extra effort were picked earlier in the NFL draft, and paid as much as $143,000 more in their first-year contracts, a new study shows. With employers increasingly organizing workers into teams, the study has implications for corporate hiring managers.

New heat wave formula can help public health agencies prepare for extreme temperatures Posted: 25 Feb 2016 10:59 AM PST Extreme heat can pose several health risks, especially during sustained periods of high temperatures. However, a uniform definition of a heat wave doesn't exist. As a result, public health agencies may be unsure of when to activate heat alerts, cooling centers and other protective measures. A researcher has developed a uniform definition of a heat wave that may help public health agencies prepare for extreme temperatures.

Leaky lymphatics lead to obesity in mice Posted: 25 Feb 2016 10:58 AM PST Scientists report definitive evidence linking obesity to lymphatic dysfunction in the Prox1+/- mouse model.

'Cocktail' orangutans leave researchers shaken and stirred Posted: 25 Feb 2016 10:57 AM PST Reintroduction of a genetically distinct subspecies has led to hybridization in an endangered wild orangutan population, report scientists. Inter-breeding animals from two genetically distinct populations can sometimes lead to 'hybrid vigor', in which offspring reap the benefits of their parents' individual qualities, they say.

Heart failure is associated with increased acetylation of metabolic proteins Posted: 25 Feb 2016 10:57 AM PST Scientists sought to explore how post-translational modification of mitochondrial proteins involved in energy metabolism contributes to the development of heart failure.

Immunotherapy agent can disrupt viral reservoir in SIV-infected monkeys Posted: 25 Feb 2016 10:57 AM PST An immune-enhancing treatment can push SIV out of its hideouts in infected monkeys that have the virus controlled with drugs, scientists report. Implications for the 'shock and kill' anti-HIV strategy.

Sugar rush shrinks brain cell powerhouse Posted: 25 Feb 2016 10:57 AM PST The spike in blood sugar levels that can come after a meal is controlled by the brain's neuronal mitochondria, which are considered the 'powerhouse of cells,' researchers found in a new study. The findings could provide a better understanding of how type 2 diabetes develops.

Flowers tone down the iridescence of their petals and avoid confusing bees Posted: 25 Feb 2016 10:57 AM PST Latest research shows that flowers' iridescent petals, which may look plain to human eyes, are perfectly tailored to a bee's-eye view.

How brain oscillations might respond to teleportation Posted: 25 Feb 2016 10:57 AM PST Technology may not have caught up to the teleportation devices of science fiction, but now we have some idea of how the brain handles 'beaming up' from one location to another, thanks to research by neuroscientists involving some specially wired volunteers.

Researchers work to block harmful behavior of key Alzheimer's enzyme Posted: 25 Feb 2016 10:52 AM PST Enzymes rarely have one job. So, attempts to shut down the enzyme that causes the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease often mean side effects, because these therapies prevent the enzyme from carrying out many other functions. A study now presents a new therapeutic strategy: blocking the most harmful behavior enzyme while allowing it to work normally otherwise. This potential approach now needs to be further developed and tested in pre-clinical trials.

Mirror mirror: Snail shells offer clue in unravelling common origins of body asymmetry Posted: 25 Feb 2016 10:52 AM PST A gene in snails that determines whether their shells twist clockwise or anti-clockwise has been discovered by a team of international researchers. It could offer clues to how the same gene affects body asymmetry in other animals including humans, they report.

Human gut microbiome evolution: From hunter-gatherers to a western lifestyle Posted: 25 Feb 2016 10:52 AM PST Westerners have a less-diverse gut microbiome compared to hunter-gatherers, but how and why these microbe collections diverged has largely remained a mystery. Now, researchers describe an intermediate gut microbiome from the Central African Republic's Bantu community, a traditional population that incorporates some westernized lifestyle practices. The discovery offers insight into what factors may drive our microbiome differences, which are thought to be linked to metabolic disorders in western populations.

Stem cell technique makes sperm in a dish Posted: 25 Feb 2016 10:52 AM PST Scientists have finally succeeded in creating functioning sperm from mice in the laboratory. To accomplish this feat, the researchers coaxed mouse embryonic stem cells to turn into functional sperm-like cells, which were then injected into egg cells to produce fertile mouse offspring. The work provides a platform for generating sperm cells that could one day be used to treat male infertility in humans.

Parental pressure pushes young athletes to doping Posted: 25 Feb 2016 10:50 AM PST Pressure to be perfect from parents makes young male athletes positive about doping, research from England shows. The research indicates that parental pressure makes junior athletes more likely to use banned substances to enhance sporting performance. Because of the risks identified in the findings, authors suggest anti-doping programs should target junior athletes early in their sporting careers, and that parents should be made of the potential consequences of such pressure.

Understanding the role of human polyomaviruses in cancer Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:52 AM PST A new method to screen tumor samples for the presence of any human polyomavirus has been created by a team of researchers. Their study found no evidence for the involvement of human polyomaviruses in the development of these cancers and helps to resolve questions in the field about whether viruses related to Merkel cell polyomavirus contribute to cancer.

Innate immune landscape in glioblastoma patient tumors Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:52 AM PST A comprehensive analysis has been published of myeloid lineage immune cells in the circulation and in tumors of glioblastoma patients. Glioblastoma is an extremely aggressive brain tumor with limited treatment options.

Magnetoreception molecule found in the eyes of dogs, primates Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:52 AM PST The magnetic sense in migratory birds has been studied in considerable detail: unlike a boy scout's compass, which shows the compass direction, a bird's compass recognizes the inclination of the magnetic field lines relative to Earth's surface. Now scientists report that dog-like carnivores and some primate species may have a magnetic compass similar to that of birds.

Climate change speeds up gully erosion Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:52 AM PST The erosion of large natural channels by flowing water -- gully erosion -- can wreak havoc on fields, roads, and buildings. In some cases, the sudden expansion of gullies even claims human lives. Geographers are the first to show a worldwide link between heavy rainfall and the speed at which gullies expand. With predicted climate change, gullies may erode up to three times faster.

Object located around a black hole 5 billion light-years from Earth has been measured Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:52 AM PST Researchers have succeeded in measuring the inner edge of the disk of matter that orbits around a supermassive black hole in a quasar (an object the size of our solar system that emits as much energy as a whole galaxy).

Healthier, diabetic-friendly bread created Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:16 AM PST A team of food scientists has successfully formulated a recipe for making healthier bread by adding a natural plant pigment, called anthocyanin, extracted from black rice. This new bread option gets digested at a slower rate – hence improving blood glucose control – and is high in antioxidants, among other health benefits.

Public service workers with high levels of emotional intelligence are extremely motivated to serve the public Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:16 AM PST Public servants with high levels of emotional intelligence are better equipped to meet the expectations of their role, a new study concludes.

High side effects, high cost, one month gain in 53 percent of elderly metastatic colorectal cancer patients Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:16 AM PST More than half of elderly metastatic colorectal cancer patients are receiving three or more treatments, increasing cost and side effects with only one-month gain in median survival, new research concludes.

First transcatheter implant for diastolic heart failure evaluated Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:16 AM PST For the first time in the U.S., a clinical trial is underway that's evaluating a device designed to treat diastolic heart failure, with the first patient enrolled in the randomized, blinded study.

Sudden recent howler monkey deaths in Nicaragua Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:16 AM PST Scientists are aiming to explain the recent deaths of at least 75 howler monkeys living in the tropical forests of southwestern Nicaragua.

Weather station on two wheels Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:16 AM PST An eye-catching bicycle-based weather station will help urban planners and policy makers develop neighborhood-level programs that can mitigate the impact of climate change on cities and their residents.

Heart damage can be prevented by overexpression of heme oxygenase-1 Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:15 AM PST The protective effect of heme oxygenase-1 and its mechanism are described in a new article. Overexpression of this enzyme could protect the heart from life-threatening damage after cancer chemotherapy, and it also may be a way to increase the therapeutic window of such drugs.

Link between ADHD, vision impairment in children Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:15 AM PST A new study sheds light on a link between noncorrectable vision problems and ADHD in children. Results from a large survey of 75,000 children suggest an increased risk of ADHD among children with vision problems that are not correctable with glasses or contacts, such as color blindness or lazy eye, relative to other children. This finding suggests that children with vision impairment should be monitored for signs and symptoms of ADHD so that this dual impairment of vision and attention can best be addressed.

What keeps passion alive in long-term relationships? Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:12 AM PST Psychologists have just published a study examining the sexual satisfaction -- or dissatisfaction -- of heterosexual couples in long-term relationships, and what contributes to keeping sexual passion alive.

This is your brain on exercise Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:12 AM PST People who exercise have better mental fitness, and a new imaging study now shows why. The finding offers new insights into brain metabolism and why exercise could become an important part of treating depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders linked with deficiencies in neurotransmitters, which drive communications between the brain cells that regulate physical and emotional health.

Automatic programming makes swarm robots safer and more reliable Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:12 AM PST Researchers have applied a novel method of automatically programming and controlling a swarm of up to 600 robots to complete a specified set of tasks simultaneously.

Study shows teen girls' sexual orientation not always a predictor of sexual behavior Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:11 AM PST About one in five lesbian and four in five bisexual teen girls who are sexually active had a recent male sex partner, according to a new US study of close to 3,000 adolescent girls that appears in the March issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Physicists promise a copper revolution in nanophotonics Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:11 AM PST For the first time, researchers have experimentally demonstrated that copper nanophotonic components can operate successfully in photonic devices -- it was previously believed that only gold and silver components have the required properties for this.

Genetically modified E. coli pump out morphine precursor Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:11 AM PST Bioengineers have tweaked Escherichia coli genes so that they pump out thebaine, a morphine precursor that can be modified to make painkillers. The genetically modified E. coli produces 300 times more thebaine with minimal risk of unregulated use compared to a recently developed method involving yeast.

Protein that triggers juvenile arthritis identified Posted: 25 Feb 2016 07:11 AM PST Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, or JIA, is the most common form of childhood arthritis. It appears to be an autoimmune disease, caused by antibodies attacking certain proteins in a person's own tissue. But no 'autoantigens'-- the proteins triggering an immune attack -- have been linked to JIA to date. Now, a new study offers evidence that a human protein called transthyretin (TTR) causes an autoimmune reaction in the joints of JIA patients.

Researchers uncover risks of some herbal medicines for cancer patients Posted: 25 Feb 2016 06:01 AM PST Nearly two-thirds of the herbal medicines used by cancer patients in the Middle East have potential negative effects, a new study indicates. Among the remedies found to pose risks are gingko biloba, green tea, turmeric and black cumin.

Rap music, adolescent sexual initiation mediated by perceived peer behavior, say researchers Posted: 25 Feb 2016 06:01 AM PST When middle school youth listen to rap music for three or more hours each day, they are more likely to believe that their peers are having sex and subsequently more likely to initiate sex by ninth grade, according to a study.

Mouse model used to study craniofacial disorders Posted: 25 Feb 2016 06:01 AM PST An effective and reliable technique for studying high-arched palate has been developed using a mouse model. The methodology could expand research into the genetic aspects of this craniofacial abnormality.

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