ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Breakthrough improves chances tissue grafts will survive and thrive
• Mechanics of biofilms: Sacrifice of the few for the benefit of the many
• Researchers discover new type of 'pili' used by bacteria to cling to hosts
• Imagery an effective way to enhance memory, reduce false memories, study finds
• It's not me, it really is you
• Malaria: New route of access to the heart of the parasite
• Brain on LSD revealed: First scans show how the drug affects the brain
• Dysfunctional endosomes are early sign of neurodegeneration
• Buying high in the stock market caused by overconfidence
• New way to smell a rat means end for rodents
• New material that may speed computing discovered
• Clean energy generated using bacteria-powered solar panel
• Omega factor: Novel method measures mortality risk when multiple diseases threaten
• Radiation improves survival in older patients with soft tissue sarcomas
• Social thinking in the infant brain revealed
• More than three percent of men on active surveillance for prostate cancer may have metastases
• Inequality linked to large, growing gap in lifespans
• Maryland's 2011 alcohol sales tax reduced alcohol sales, study suggests
• Building Immunity: Team recreates a T-cell receptor signaling pathway
• Kidney stone patients hospitalized on the weekend may get delayed treatment
• Whites receive more state funding for autism services than other racial/ethnic groups
• Solving a genetic mystery in type 1 diabetes
• Researchers find key to zinc rich plants to combat malnutrition
• Fertilizer's legacy: Taking a toll on land and water
• Macrophages surrounding lymph nodes block the progression of melanoma, other cancers
• Analysis of nearly 600,000 genomes for resilience project
• Novel mechanism of crizotinib resistance in a ROS1+ NSCLC patient
• Common brain cell shapes the nervous system in unexpected ways
• Hepatitis B and C could be eliminated as public health problems in US
• New tool refines exoplanet search
• Blood processing methods affect microparticles and mtDNA linked to transfusion reactions
• New public repository of patient-derived cancer models aims to improve drug testing
• Can more fiber restore microbiome diversity?
• Mapping the routes to drug resistance in cancer
• Astronomers discover mysterious alignment of black holes
• Humanoid robotics and computer avatars could help treat social disorders
• Intelligent transaction tax could help reduce systemic risk in financial networks
• Scientists uncover what makes plants 'clot'
• Islands facing a dry future
• Smokers may have a tougher time finding a job, earn less money
• Three-way battles in the quantum world
• Wealth of unsuspected new microbes expands tree of life
• Antibiotics don't promote swapping of resistance genes
• How two types of immune cells can arise from one
• Microfilter allows non-invasive diagnosis of fetal abnormalities
• Small nerve fibers defy neuropathy conventions
• Handwashing gets skipped a third of the time in outpatient healthcare
• Highly-sensitive detection method makes close monitoring of HDL kinetics possible
• Shark population threatened due to fin harvesting
• Brittle is better for making cement
• New hybrid drug plugs the hole in malaria drug resistance
• Breakthrough may stop multiple sclerosis in its tracks
• Battery components can take the heat
• New method to estimate more accurate distances between planetary nebulae and the Earth
• Paper tape can help prevent foot blisters, study shows
• Topology explains queer electrical current boost in non-magnetic metal
• Hi-tech opens up Earth's secrets
• Studying the help-seeking behaviors of ethnic minority, immigrant victims
• Research brings 'smart hands' closer to reality
• Being married may help prolong survival in cancer patients

Breakthrough improves chances tissue grafts will survive and thrive Posted: 11 Apr 2016 12:54 PM PDT Matching the structure of engineered blood vessels to the structure of the host tissues at the site of implantation greatly improves the chances that grafted tissues will survive and thrive, an international team of researchers has determined.

Mechanics of biofilms: Sacrifice of the few for the benefit of the many Posted: 11 Apr 2016 12:52 PM PDT Suicide allows bacteria found in opportunistic infections to create an antibiotic tolerant biofilm, according to a team of researchers. In new work, the scientists found that a molecule secreted by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes a breakdown in the respiratory chain, killing some of the population and triggering the creation of a biofilm among survivors, and thus conferring increased tolerance to antibiotics.

Researchers discover new type of 'pili' used by bacteria to cling to hosts Posted: 11 Apr 2016 12:52 PM PDT Many bacteria interact with their environment through hair-like structures known as pili, which attach to and help mediate infection of host organisms, among other things. Now a research team has discovered that certain bacteria prevalent in the human gut and mouth assemble their pili in a previously unknown way – information that could potentially open up new ways of fighting infection.

Imagery an effective way to enhance memory, reduce false memories, study finds Posted: 11 Apr 2016 12:52 PM PDT Using imagery is an effective way to improve memory and decrease certain types of false memories, according to researchers.

It's not me, it really is you Posted: 11 Apr 2016 12:52 PM PDT Attractive and smart but unlucky in love? New research suggests you might not have luck to blame but rather your own negative traits.

Malaria: New route of access to the heart of the parasite Posted: 11 Apr 2016 12:30 PM PDT Scientists have just identified an Achilles heel in the parasite that causes malaria, by showing that its optimum development is dependent on its ability to expropriate RNA molecules in infected cells – a host-pathogen interaction that had never previously been observed. Although the precise function of this deviation remains mysterious, these findings open new perspectives for the targeted delivery of therapeutic agents within the parasite.

Brain on LSD revealed: First scans show how the drug affects the brain Posted: 11 Apr 2016 12:30 PM PDT For the first time, researchers have visualized the effects of LSD on the human brain. In a series of experiments, scientists have gained a glimpse into how the psychedelic compound affects brain activity. The team administered LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide) to 20 healthy volunteers in a specialist research centre and used various leading-edge and complementary brain scanning techniques to visualize how LSD alters the way the brain works.

Dysfunctional endosomes are early sign of neurodegeneration Posted: 11 Apr 2016 12:28 PM PDT Abnormalities in a protein that helps transport and sort materials inside cells are linked to axonal dysfunction and degeneration of neurons in Alzheimer's disease and Down syndrome, report investigators.

Buying high in the stock market caused by overconfidence Posted: 11 Apr 2016 12:28 PM PDT Little is known about what causes people to make the investment mistake of buying stocks at a high price. A personal financial planning professor has found that overconfidence in the stock market can lead to buying high.

New way to smell a rat means end for rodents Posted: 11 Apr 2016 12:28 PM PDT Scientists have developed a new way to exterminate rats by identifying and synthetically replicating the male brown rat's sex pheromone. The chemical is a powerful attractant for luring female brown rats into traps.

New material that may speed computing discovered Posted: 11 Apr 2016 12:26 PM PDT Physicists have discovered a topological metal, PtSn4 (platinum and tin), with a unique electronic structure that may someday lead to energy efficient computers with increased processor speeds and data storage.

Clean energy generated using bacteria-powered solar panel Posted: 11 Apr 2016 12:26 PM PDT For the first time ever, researchers have connected nine biological-solar (bio-solar) cells into a bio-solar panel. Then they continuously produced electricity from the panel and generated the most wattage of any existing small-scale bio-solar cells - 5.59 microwatts.

Omega factor: Novel method measures mortality risk when multiple diseases threaten Posted: 11 Apr 2016 12:26 PM PDT A novel method has been developed for assessing mortality risk in elderly patients with cancer who also suffer from other serious diseases or conditions. The prognostic model, they say, is more precise and provides a more useful tool for determining the best treatments when more than one disease is involved.

Radiation improves survival in older patients with soft tissue sarcomas Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:48 AM PDT Radiation therapy following surgery benefits older patients more than their younger counterparts, researchers report, a surprising finding that could change the way some patients are treated for soft tissue sarcomas (STS).

Social thinking in the infant brain revealed Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:48 AM PDT An innovative collaboration between neuroscientists and developmental psychologists that investigated how infants' brains process other people's action provides the first evidence that directly links neural responses from the motor system to overt social behavior in infants.

More than three percent of men on active surveillance for prostate cancer may have metastases Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:46 AM PDT Radical treatment such as surgery and radiation for localized prostate cancer may cause significant side effects. Active surveillance is increasingly accepted as an option for treating patients with clinically insignificant disease to maintain their quality of life. Despite close monitoring, however, metastatic disease develops in a small number of men on active surveillance. About three percent of patients on surveillance had metastasis by a median of seven years after diagnosis.

Inequality linked to large, growing gap in lifespans Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:45 AM PDT Poverty in the United States is often associated with deprivation, in areas including housing, employment, and education. Now a study has shown, in unprecedented geographic detail, another stark reality: Poor people live shorter lives, too.

Maryland's 2011 alcohol sales tax reduced alcohol sales, study suggests Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:45 AM PDT Maryland's 2011 increase in the alcohol sales tax appears to have led to fewer purchases of beer, wine and liquor in the state, suggesting reduced alcohol use, new research indicates.

Building Immunity: Team recreates a T-cell receptor signaling pathway Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:45 AM PDT By successfully re-creating a T-cell receptor signaling pathway independent of the cell itself, scientists have gained novel insights into how protein signaling works in a complex cellular process.

Kidney stone patients hospitalized on the weekend may get delayed treatment Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:45 AM PDT Patients with severe cases of kidney stones are 26 percent less likely to receive timely treatment when they're admitted to the hospital on the weekend, according to a new report. The study is the first to show that a risk factor called the 'weekend effect' affects kidney stone treatment and outcomes.

Whites receive more state funding for autism services than other racial/ethnic groups Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:43 AM PDT Whites with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in California receive more state funding than Hispanics, African Americans, Asians and others, new research has found.

Solving a genetic mystery in type 1 diabetes Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:43 AM PDT In type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks the body's own insulin-producing cells. Scientists understand reasonably well how this autoimmune attack progresses, but they don't understand what triggers the attack or how to stop it. New research may provide a clue.

Researchers find key to zinc rich plants to combat malnutrition Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:43 AM PDT The diet in many developing countries is lacking zinc, but researchers have just solved the riddle of how to get more zinc into crop seeds. However, don't expect the zinc rich grain and rice to be on your supermarket isle right away, say researchers. There is still a long way from the lab to the field, they warn.

Fertilizer's legacy: Taking a toll on land and water Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:43 AM PDT For the first time, scientists have come up with a way to estimate on a large scale how phosphorus flows through an environment over many decades. By doing so, researchers are gaining a better understanding of how and where phosphorus accumulates.

Macrophages surrounding lymph nodes block the progression of melanoma, other cancers Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:43 AM PDT A type of immune cell that appears to block the progress of melanoma and other cancers in animal models has been identified by researchers.

Analysis of nearly 600,000 genomes for resilience project Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:43 AM PDT Custom-built targeted sequencing panel proves essential in hunt for people naturally resistant to severe disease.

Novel mechanism of crizotinib resistance in a ROS1+ NSCLC patient Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:43 AM PDT Molecular analysis of a tumor biopsy from a proto-oncogene 1 receptor tyrosine kinase positive (ROS1+) patient with acquired crizotinib resistance revealed a novel mutation in the v-kit Hardy Zuckerman 4 feline sarcoma viral oncogene homolog receptor tyrosine kinase (KIT) that can potentially be targeted by KIT inhibitors.

Common brain cell shapes the nervous system in unexpected ways Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:40 AM PDT Glial cells nourish, protect, and support neurons, but their role is far from passive. A new study shows how they can change the shape of nerve endings and distinguish between the different types of neurons they encase.

Hepatitis B and C could be eliminated as public health problems in US Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:40 AM PDT It is possible to end the transmission of hepatitis B and C and prevent further sickness and deaths from the diseases, but time, considerable resources, and attention to various barriers will be required, says a new report.

New tool refines exoplanet search Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:40 AM PDT Planet-hunting is an ongoing process that's resulting in the discovery of more and more planets orbiting distant stars. But as the hunters learn more about the variety among the tremendous number of predicted planets out there, it's important to refine their techniques. New work reports on a technological upgrade for one method of finding planets or confirming other planetary detections.

Blood processing methods affect microparticles and mtDNA linked to transfusion reactions Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:39 AM PDT Specific red blood cell manufacturing methods may be less damaging to cells than others, scientists report for the first time. This finding could help reduce adverse reactions in transfusion recipients and may impact the future of how blood is collected in North America and around the world.

New public repository of patient-derived cancer models aims to improve drug testing Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:39 AM PDT Testing experimental cancer drugs in mouse models with patient-derived tumors could reduce the high failure rate of drugs in early clinical trials, according to a new report.

Can more fiber restore microbiome diversity? Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:39 AM PDT Scientists are pushing to restore human health in Western countries by changing our diet to restore the microbial species lost over the evolution of Western diet. Researchers advocate for strategically increasing dietary fiber intake as one path forward in regaining microbial biodiversity.

Mapping the routes to drug resistance in cancer Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:39 AM PDT When a targeted therapy blocks a pathway that enables tumors to grow, the cells usually manage to get around that obstacle. The result is drug resistance. Researchers have now found a way to map those alternate routes by studying individual cancer cells, suggesting approaches for developing more effective combination therapies.

Astronomers discover mysterious alignment of black holes Posted: 11 Apr 2016 10:00 AM PDT Deep radio imaging has revealed that supermassive black holes in a region of the distant universe are all spinning out radio jets in the same direction -- most likely a result of primordial mass fluctuations in the early universe.

Humanoid robotics and computer avatars could help treat social disorders Posted: 11 Apr 2016 09:52 AM PDT A collaborative research team has found humanoid robotics and computer avatars could help rehabilitate people suffering from social disorders such as schizophrenia or social phobia. It is thanks to the theory of similarity, which suggests that it is easier to interact socially with someone who looks, behaves or moves like us.

Intelligent transaction tax could help reduce systemic risk in financial networks Posted: 11 Apr 2016 09:52 AM PDT A new study proposes a solution for mitigating the increasingly risky nature of financial markets, based on an analysis of systemic risk in financial networks.

Scientists uncover what makes plants 'clot' Posted: 11 Apr 2016 09:47 AM PDT Just like humans, when plants are cut they clot at the site of the wound. Just how they do it is has been a botanical mystery until now. Two researchers have uncovered the enzymes that produce this response.

Islands facing a dry future Posted: 11 Apr 2016 09:47 AM PDT A new way of modeling the effects of climate change on islands shows that previous analyses underestimated the number of islands that would become substantially more arid by mid century -- 73 percent, up from an estimate of 50 percent.

Smokers may have a tougher time finding a job, earn less money Posted: 11 Apr 2016 09:47 AM PDT Smoking may cost more than the money smokers spend on cigarettes. A new study suggests unemployed smokers were less likely to get new jobs and when they did they earned an average of $5 less an hour.

Three-way battles in the quantum world Posted: 11 Apr 2016 09:47 AM PDT In phase transitions, for instance between water and water vapor, the motional energy competes with the attractive energy between neighboring molecules. Physicists have now studied quantum phase transitions in which distant particles also influence one another.

Wealth of unsuspected new microbes expands tree of life Posted: 11 Apr 2016 09:47 AM PDT Scientists have dramatically expanded the tree of life, which depicts the variety and evolution of life on Earth, to account for thousands of new microscopic life forms discovered over the past 15 years. The expanded view finally gives bacteria and Archaea their due, showing that about two-thirds of all diversity on Earth is bacterial -- half bacteria that cannot be isolated and grown in the lab -- while nearly one-third is Archaeal.

Antibiotics don't promote swapping of resistance genes Posted: 11 Apr 2016 09:47 AM PDT Outside of a few specific examples, antibiotics do not promote the spread of bacterial antibiotic resistance through genetic swapping, as previously assumed. Researchers report that while the overuse of antibiotics is undeniably at the heart of the growing global crisis, this research suggests population dynamics is to blame, rather than increased DNA sharing. The results have implications for designing antibiotic protocols to avoid the spread of antibacterial resistance.

How two types of immune cells can arise from one Posted: 11 Apr 2016 09:47 AM PDT A newly identified mechanism may offer ways to enhance the immune response to fight cancer or strengthen long-term protection provided by vaccines.

Microfilter allows non-invasive diagnosis of fetal abnormalities Posted: 11 Apr 2016 08:26 AM PDT A new method could allow physicians to diagnose fetal genetic abnormalities during pregnancy without the risks involved in current techniques.

Small nerve fibers defy neuropathy conventions Posted: 11 Apr 2016 08:25 AM PDT Results of a small study of people with tingling pain in their hands and feet have added to evidence that so-called prediabetes is more damaging to motor nerves than once believed, report scientists.

Handwashing gets skipped a third of the time in outpatient healthcare Posted: 11 Apr 2016 08:24 AM PDT Despite having policies in place to prevent infections, staff at outpatient care facilities fail to follow recommendations for hand hygiene 37 percent of the time, and for safe injection practices 33 percent of the time, according to a new study.

Highly-sensitive detection method makes close monitoring of HDL kinetics possible Posted: 11 Apr 2016 08:24 AM PDT A mass spectromeric approach allows researchers to identify HDL subfractions of various sizes and distribution. The new technique for monitoring HDL kinetics has helped reveal new lipid biology and may help pharmaceutical companies better design and test lipid modulators in the future, report investigators.

Shark population threatened due to fin harvesting Posted: 11 Apr 2016 08:23 AM PDT A recent study shows that effective shark conservation in Indonesia only works when shark protection through no-fishing zones is combined with efforts to involve local communities in the management of their own fisheries and by providing alternatives to sustain their livelihoods.

Brittle is better for making cement Posted: 11 Apr 2016 08:22 AM PDT Researchers model defects found in raw silicates used to make cement and affect the amount of energy used to manufacture concrete. Concrete manufacture is a major contributor of carbon dioxide emissions that impact climate change.

New hybrid drug plugs the hole in malaria drug resistance Posted: 11 Apr 2016 08:22 AM PDT The World Health Organization recommends treating malaria with artemisinin combination therapy (ACT), consisting of artemisinin and another drug. However, malaria resistance to ACT has already started emerging in Southeast Asia. Scientists have now developed a novel hybrid drug that combines a killing factor with an agent that reverses drug resistance. The hybrid drug is very effective against chloroquine- and artemisinin-resistant malaria, presenting a new avenue for treating resistant malaria.

Breakthrough may stop multiple sclerosis in its tracks Posted: 11 Apr 2016 08:22 AM PDT A new plant-derived drug can block the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS), an international research team has demonstrated. MS is a chronic incurable condition marked by attacks that bring gradual deterioration in the patient's health. About 2.5 million people are affected worldwide.

Battery components can take the heat Posted: 11 Apr 2016 08:22 AM PDT Materials scientists have produced an electrolyte/separator for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that withstands very high temperatures over many charge cycles. The key component is hexagonal boron nitride.

New method to estimate more accurate distances between planetary nebulae and the Earth Posted: 11 Apr 2016 08:22 AM PDT A way of estimating more accurate distances to the thousands of so-called 'planetary nebulae' dispersed across our Galaxy has just been announced by a team of three astronomers.

Paper tape can help prevent foot blisters, study shows Posted: 11 Apr 2016 08:22 AM PDT Researchers followed ultra-marathon runners around the world to test whether low-cost paper tape could reduce debilitating and painful blisters. Turns out they can, the researchers report.

Topology explains queer electrical current boost in non-magnetic metal Posted: 11 Apr 2016 07:11 AM PDT Applying a magnetic field to PdCo2, a non-magnetic metal, made it conduct 70% more electricity, even though basic physics principles would have predicted the opposite.

Hi-tech opens up Earth's secrets Posted: 11 Apr 2016 07:11 AM PDT A scientist has developed a hi-tech animation of millions of years of tectonic plate movements that could lead to new mineral discoveries and help predict volcanic eruptions.

Studying the help-seeking behaviors of ethnic minority, immigrant victims Posted: 11 Apr 2016 07:11 AM PDT A comparative, empirical study into the help-seeking behaviors of ethnic minority women in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong has been released by researchers.

Research brings 'smart hands' closer to reality Posted: 11 Apr 2016 07:11 AM PDT Using your skin as a touchscreen has been brought a step closer after scientists successfully created tactile sensations on the palm using ultrasound sent through the hand.

Being married may help prolong survival in cancer patients Posted: 11 Apr 2016 07:11 AM PDT New research has uncovered a link between being married and living longer among cancer patients, with the beneficial effect of marriage differing by race/ethnicity and place of birth.

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