ScienceDaily: Top News

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• In-car breathalyzers for DUI offenders curb drunk-driving deaths by 15 percent
• How kappa opioid receptors drive anxiety
• Successful mentoring programs begin with focus, training
• New technique wipes out unwanted data
• Biodiesel from sugarcane more economical than soybean
• Rare form of diabetes may require alternate treatment
• Divided parties rarely win presidential elections, study finds
• Signed, sealed, undelivered: Mechanisms underlying polycystic kidney disease
• Whole-genome map of fruit fly genetic recombination
• Tracking down deadly bloodstream infection
• Common painkillers are more dangerous than we think
• New technique for rapidly killing bacteria using tiny gold disks and light
• New cytoplasmic role for proteins linked to neurological diseases, cancers
• A new glimpse into working memory: Bursts of neural activity found as brain holds information in mind
• Student-built dust counter got few 'hits' on Pluto flyby
• Ancient Denisovan DNA excavated in modern Pacific Islanders
• Drug makes stem cells become 'embryonic' again
• For first time, scientists use CRISPR-Cas9 to target RNA in live cells
• Mom's microbes influence her offspring's immune system, mice study shows
• Portion control: Cells found in mouse brain that signal 'stop eating'
• Calcium controls sleep duration in mice
• Could bread mold build a better rechargeable battery?
• Our gut microbiome is always changing; it's also remarkably stable
• Early Earth may have been ice cold
• Could Ireland’s ecosystems cope if we introduced St. Patrick’s scaly foes?
• Hubble unveils monster stars
• Water flow in Mediterranean rivers to fall by 34 percent by the end of the century, study predicts
• How 'salt' MRI scans could give a clearer picture of disease
• Capturing 'black gold' with light
• 'Disruptive device' brings xenon-NMR to fragile materials
• Scientists track down origin of bats killed by wind turbines using chemical fingerprints
• Communicating vehicles could ease through intersections more efficiently, study finds
• Keep an eye on children's calories, researchers say
• Stem cell therapy reverses age-related osteoporosis in mice
• Astronomers see unprecedented detail of inner portion of protoplanetary disk
• An implant to prevent Alzheimer's
• Research proves it -- the smell of alcohol makes it hard to resist
• A source accelerating Galactic cosmic rays to unprecedented energy discovered at the center of the Milky Way
• A new picture of the last ice age
• Bronze bell recovered from World War II aircraft-carrying submarine off Oahu coast
• Plants' ability to adapt could change conventional wisdom on climate change
• Prenatal exposure to air pollution linked to impulsivity, emotional problems in children
• Hope for veterans with an overlooked form of post-traumatic stress disorder
• Researchers crack 50-year-old nuclear waste problem, make storage safer
• Interventions to minimize high-risk prescribing can cut emergency admissions
• Health effects of sit-stand desks, interventions aimed to reduce sitting at work are still unproven
• Public transport, walking and cycling to work are all associated with reductions in body fat for adults in mid-life
• Vegans may lack essential nutrient intake, study reports
• Genomic profiling helps provide targeted therapy options for hard to treat cancers

In-car breathalyzers for DUI offenders curb drunk-driving deaths by 15 percent Posted: 17 Mar 2016 03:50 PM PDT State laws that require drivers who've been convicted of drunk driving to pass a breathalyzer-type test before starting their cars saved an estimated 915 lives between 2004 and 2013, according to a new study. The findings represent a 15 percent reduction in drunk driving-related deaths compared to states without legislation requiring DUI offenders to use 'mandatory ignition interlock.'

How kappa opioid receptors drive anxiety Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:29 PM PDT A cellular mechanism has been discovered by which kappa opioid receptors (KORs) drive anxiety. These proteins inhibit the release of the neurotransmitter glutamate in a part of the brain that regulates emotion. KORs are targets for the treatment of addiction and anxiety disorders.

Successful mentoring programs begin with focus, training Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:28 PM PDT 'Intentionally brief' middle school mentoring programs yielded better grades, fewer absences, report investigators at the conclusion of their study.

New technique wipes out unwanted data Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:26 PM PDT Machine learning systems are everywhere. They predict the weather, forecast earthquakes, provide recommendations based on the books and movies we like, and even apply the brakes on our cars when we're not paying attention. To do this, software programs in these systems calculate predictive relationships from massive amounts of data. Two researchers have developed a way to do it faster and more effectively than can be done using current methods.

Biodiesel from sugarcane more economical than soybean Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:13 PM PDT America's oil consumption far exceeds that of every other country in the world. What's more, it's unsustainable. Soybeans, an important dietary protein and the current primary source of plant-based oils used for biodiesel production, only yield about one barrel per acre. New research shows that engineered sugarcane can produce up to 17 barrels of oil per acre.

Rare form of diabetes may require alternate treatment Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:13 PM PDT Patients with a rare, genetic form of diabetes often are misdiagnosed as having type 2 diabetes because the two share symptoms. But new research suggests that treating such patients with therapies designed for type 2 diabetes is potentially harmful and that treatment guidelines need to change.

Divided parties rarely win presidential elections, study finds Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:12 PM PDT New research shows that a divided party could mean a difference of 4 to 5 percent of the vote in the general election -- enough to have a significant impact on the outcome.

Signed, sealed, undelivered: Mechanisms underlying polycystic kidney disease Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:12 PM PDT Zebrafish help investigators shed light on the mechanisms underlying cilia dysfunction in polycystic kidney disease and other ciliopathies. Cilia, the finger-like protrusions on most epithelial cells, were not so long ago thought to be as irrelevant to cell biology as the appendix is to physiology, a vestigial remnant of a long ago evolutionary past. Today, they are recognized as essential chemo-mechanical sensors that monitor and regulate what crosses into and out of a cell.

Whole-genome map of fruit fly genetic recombination Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:12 PM PDT For the first time, researchers have mapped where recombination occurs across the whole genome of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster after a single round of meiosis.

Tracking down deadly bloodstream infection Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:11 PM PDT The source of a potential deadly blood infection in more than 50 South American cancer patients has now been identified by researchers. All of the patients infected with S. Kiliense received ondansetron from the same source, a pharmaceutical company in Columbia.

Common painkillers are more dangerous than we think Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:11 PM PDT New research shows that common painkillers (NSAIDs) have more side effects than we think, and that they should be used with great care in patients with heart disease. NSAIDs are among the most sold medicines in the world.

New technique for rapidly killing bacteria using tiny gold disks and light Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:11 PM PDT A new technique for killing bacteria in seconds using highly porous gold nanodisks and light has been developed by researchers. The method could one day help hospitals treat some common infections without using antibiotics, which could help reduce the risk of spreading antibiotics resistance.

New cytoplasmic role for proteins linked to neurological diseases, cancers Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:11 PM PDT A second role for a class of RNA-binding proteins has been discovered by researchers, revealing new insights about neurological diseases and conditions associated with this protein such as autism, epilepsy, and certain types of cancer.

A new glimpse into working memory: Bursts of neural activity found as brain holds information in mind Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:11 PM PDT When you hold in mind a sentence you have just read or a phone number you're about to dial, you're engaging a critical brain system known as working memory.

Student-built dust counter got few 'hits' on Pluto flyby Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:08 PM PDT A student-built instrument riding on NASA's New Horizons spacecraft found only a handful of dust grains, the building blocks of planets, when it whipped by Pluto at 31,000 miles per hour last July.

Ancient Denisovan DNA excavated in modern Pacific Islanders Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:08 PM PDT Archaic Denisovan and Neanderthal DNA that persists in modern Pacific islanders of Melanesia, far from the Siberian cave where Denisovan fossils have been found, is a source of information about early human history. Equally informative are genome regions where DNA from extinct, human-like species has vanished and been replaced with sequences unique to people. These large regions have genes for brain development, language and brain cell signalling. Retained archaic DNA in human genomes may confer infection-fighting advantages.

Drug makes stem cells become 'embryonic' again Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:00 PM PDT If you want to harness the full power of stem cells, all you might need is an eraser -- in the form of a drug that can erase the tiny labels that tell cells where to start reading their DNA. In a surprising new finding, scientists have shown that mouse stem cells treated with the drug reverted to an 'embryonic' state.

For first time, scientists use CRISPR-Cas9 to target RNA in live cells Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:00 PM PDT Scientists have long sought an efficient method for targeting RNA -- intermediary genetic material that carries the genetic code from the cell's nucleus to protein-making machinery -- in living cells. Researchers have now achieved this by applying the popular DNA-editing technique CRISPR-Cas9 to RNA.

Mom's microbes influence her offspring's immune system, mice study shows Posted: 17 Mar 2016 12:00 PM PDT During gestation, a mother's microbiome shapes the immune system of her offspring, a new study in mice suggests. While it's known that a newborn's gut microbiota can affect its own immune system, the impact of a mother's microbiota on her offspring has largely been unexplored.

Portion control: Cells found in mouse brain that signal 'stop eating' Posted: 17 Mar 2016 11:59 AM PDT While researching the brain's learning and memory system, scientists at Johns Hopkins say they stumbled upon a new type of nerve cell that seems to control feeding behaviors in mice. The finding, they report, adds significant detail to the way brains tell animals when to stop eating and, if confirmed in humans, could lead to new tools for fighting obesity.

Calcium controls sleep duration in mice Posted: 17 Mar 2016 11:59 AM PDT Researchers have identified seven genes responsible for causing mice to stay awake or fall asleep based on a theoretical model of sleep and on experiments using 21 different genetically modified mice, some of which showed different sleep durations. Researchers hope that their research will contribute to the understanding and treatment of sleep disorders and associated neurodegenerative diseases.

Could bread mold build a better rechargeable battery? Posted: 17 Mar 2016 11:58 AM PDT You probably don't think much of fungi, and especially those that turn bread moldy, but researchers have evidence that might just change your mind. Their findings suggest that a red bread mold could be the key to producing more sustainable electrochemical materials for use in rechargeable batteries.

Our gut microbiome is always changing; it's also remarkably stable Posted: 17 Mar 2016 11:58 AM PDT Turnover is to be expected in the gut -- as soon as one bacterium leaves, another is ready to divide and take its place. The question is how our gut remains healthy under this constantly enacted succession plan. A growing body of research indicates that different species of microbes fulfill the same functions in the gut, ensuring stability in the face of constant disturbance.

Early Earth may have been ice cold Posted: 17 Mar 2016 11:46 AM PDT When Earth's first organisms were formed, it may have been in an ice cold ocean. New research indicates that both land and ocean were much colder than previously believed.

Could Ireland’s ecosystems cope if we introduced St. Patrick’s scaly foes? Posted: 17 Mar 2016 09:06 AM PDT The legend of St. Patrick banishing snakes from the emerald isle some 1,500 years ago is indelibly etched in folklore -- even if science suggests snakes were unlikely to have colonized the country following the last ice age. But what would happen if St. Patrick's scaly foes were introduced now? Experts believe snakes could certainly slither into Ireland's ecosystems if introduced but would likely cause trouble for native ecosystems.

Hubble unveils monster stars Posted: 17 Mar 2016 08:45 AM PDT Astronomers using the unique ultraviolet capabilities of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have identified nine monster stars with masses over 100 times the mass of the Sun in the star cluster R136. This makes it the largest sample of very massive stars identified to date. The results raise many new questions about the formation of massive stars.

Water flow in Mediterranean rivers to fall by 34 percent by the end of the century, study predicts Posted: 17 Mar 2016 08:01 AM PDT The rising global average temperature induced by climate change will cause regions such as the Mediterranean Basin to become drier and more arid, in turn directly affecting the availability of water, according to a new study. The research has revealed that river flows in this zone will decrease in headwaters, on average, by as much as 34 percent by the year 2100 -- a figure that will reach 50 percent during the autumn months.

How 'salt' MRI scans could give a clearer picture of disease Posted: 17 Mar 2016 08:01 AM PDT MRI experts are adapting scanning techniques to pick up sodium in the body. The research could lead to much more detailed MRI scans in the future with significant improvements to the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases.

Capturing 'black gold' with light Posted: 17 Mar 2016 07:57 AM PDT New research has found a simple and effective way of capturing graphenes and the toxins and contaminants they attract from water by using light. The findings could have significant implications for large-scale water purification.

'Disruptive device' brings xenon-NMR to fragile materials Posted: 17 Mar 2016 07:57 AM PDT Scientists have developed a device that enables NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy, coupled with a powerful molecular sensor, to analyze molecular interactions in viscous solutions and fragile materials such as liquid crystals. In a first, their method allows the sensor, hyperpolarized xenon gas, to be dissolved into minute samples of substances without disrupting their molecular order.

Scientists track down origin of bats killed by wind turbines using chemical fingerprints Posted: 17 Mar 2016 07:57 AM PDT A new study tracks down the origin of bats killed by wind turbines in the Appalachian region using stable isotope and genetic analysis in hopes of better understanding the risks to affected populations.

Communicating vehicles could ease through intersections more efficiently, study finds Posted: 17 Mar 2016 07:57 AM PDT Imagine a scenario where sensor-laden vehicles pass through intersections by communicating with each other, rather than grinding to a halt at traffic lights. A newly published study claims this kind of traffic-light-free transportation design, if it ever arrives, could allow twice as much traffic to use the roads.

Keep an eye on children's calories, researchers say Posted: 17 Mar 2016 07:57 AM PDT Most children overeat significantly when served large portions of calorie-dense popular foods, according to a new study. The results suggest that manipulating calorie content and portion size can substantially reduce children's overall caloric consumption.

Stem cell therapy reverses age-related osteoporosis in mice Posted: 17 Mar 2016 07:56 AM PDT Imagine telling a patient suffering from age-related (type-II) osteoporosis that a single injection of stem cells could restore their normal bone structure. New research suggests that this scenario may not be too far away.

Astronomers see unprecedented detail of inner portion of protoplanetary disk Posted: 17 Mar 2016 07:56 AM PDT Astronomers have discovered details of the inner, thickest portion of a dusty disk surrounding a young star and provided new insight on the earliest stages of planet formation.

An implant to prevent Alzheimer's Posted: 17 Mar 2016 07:54 AM PDT In a cutting-edge treatment for Alzheimer's disease, scientists have developed an implantable capsule that can turn the patient's immune system against the disease.

Research proves it -- the smell of alcohol makes it hard to resist Posted: 17 Mar 2016 07:54 AM PDT The smell of alcohol may make it harder for people to control their behavior according to new research.

A source accelerating Galactic cosmic rays to unprecedented energy discovered at the center of the Milky Way Posted: 17 Mar 2016 06:50 AM PDT For more than ten years the H.E.S.S. observatory in Namibia, run by an international collaboration of 42 institutions in 12 countries, has been mapping the center of our galaxy in very-high-energy gamma rays. These gamma rays are produced by cosmic rays from the innermost region of the Galaxy. A detailed analysis of the latest H.E.S.S. data reveals for the first time a source of this cosmic radiation at energies never observed before in the Milky Way: the supermassive black hole at the center of the Galaxy, likely to accelerate cosmic rays to energies 100 times larger than those achieved at the largest terrestrial particle accelerator

A new picture of the last ice age Posted: 17 Mar 2016 06:50 AM PDT At the peak of the last ice age, a vast ice sheet covered northern Europe, spanning from the British Isles, across Scandinavia and into Russia in the east and the Barents Sea in the north. A new reconstruction of this ice sheet shows the interaction between climate and glaciers - how the ice sheet grows and retreats.

Bronze bell recovered from World War II aircraft-carrying submarine off Oahu coast Posted: 17 Mar 2016 06:47 AM PDT Scuba divers recovered the bronze bell from the I-400 -- a World War II-era Imperial Japanese Navy mega-submarine, lost since 1946 when it was intentionally sunk by US forces after its capture.

Plants' ability to adapt could change conventional wisdom on climate change Posted: 17 Mar 2016 06:47 AM PDT Plants speed up their respiratory metabolism as temperatures rise, leading to a long-held concern that as climate warms the elevated carbon release from a ramped-up metabolism could flip global forests from a long-term carbon sink to a carbon source, further accelerating climate change.

Prenatal exposure to air pollution linked to impulsivity, emotional problems in children Posted: 17 Mar 2016 06:45 AM PDT Exposure to common air pollutants during pregnancy may predispose children to problems regulating their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors later on, according to a new study.

Hope for veterans with an overlooked form of post-traumatic stress disorder Posted: 17 Mar 2016 05:45 AM PDT Veterans with subclinical PTSD not only respond to evidence-based therapy but respond better than those with full PTSD, a new study concludes. Just like patients with full PTSD, those with subclinical PTSD have experienced a traumatic event and are regularly re-experiencing it, often in nightmares or flashbacks.

Researchers crack 50-year-old nuclear waste problem, make storage safer Posted: 16 Mar 2016 06:51 PM PDT Researchers have adapted a technology developed for solar energy in order to selectively remove one of the trickiest and most-difficult-to-remove elements in nuclear waste pools across the country, making the storage of nuclear waste safer and nontoxic - and solving a decades-old problem.

Interventions to minimize high-risk prescribing can cut emergency admissions Posted: 16 Mar 2016 06:51 PM PDT High-risk prescribing and preventable drug-related complications in primary care are major concerns for health care systems internationally, responsible for up to 4 percent of emergency hospital admissions, a study has shown.

Health effects of sit-stand desks, interventions aimed to reduce sitting at work are still unproven Posted: 16 Mar 2016 06:51 PM PDT A new review says that the benefits of a variety of interventions intended to reduce sitting at work are very uncertain.

Public transport, walking and cycling to work are all associated with reductions in body fat for adults in mid-life Posted: 16 Mar 2016 06:51 PM PDT Adults who commute to work via cycling or walking have lower body fat percentage and body mass index measures in mid-life compared to adults who commute via car, according to a new study.

Vegans may lack essential nutrient intake, study reports Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:45 PM PDT The health benefits of a plant-based diet is well-known, but the question remains: Could vegans be at risk for deficiency of essential nutrients? A retrospective review indicated that vegans should ensure adequate intake of a few nutrients.

Genomic profiling helps provide targeted therapy options for hard to treat cancers Posted: 16 Mar 2016 04:45 PM PDT Research examining difficult to treat tumors through genomic profiling shows that tumors with alterations in a signaling pathway responsible for cell regulation may respond to targeted therapy regardless of where the tumor originated in the body.

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