ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Novel polymeric materials from palm oil derivatives
• Artificial leaf? Successful synthesis of ammonia using visible light, water, and atmospheric nitrogen
• The 'I's' in Team
• Extreme universe recreated in the lab
• Too much 'noise' can affect brain development
• 'Odd couple' monolayer semiconductors align to advance optoelectronics
• New snakebite treatment under development
• New method to reduce accumulation of damaging Huntington's disease protein
• Researchers identify enzyme link between excessive heart muscle growth, cancer growth
• Mothers' milk and the infant gut microbiota: An ancient symbiosis
• Long-term benefits to the kidney in simultaneous liver-kidney transplant
• In these microbes, iron works like oxygen
• First-ever videos show how heat moves through materials at the nanoscale and speed of sound
• New debugger finds security flaws in popular web apps
• Fish-eyed lens cuts through the dark
• New scientific evidence of sexual transmission of the Zika virus
• Clear-cutting destabilizes carbon in forest soils, study finds
• Graduate student creates program that helps stabilize fusion plasma
• Toward a better nutritional facts panel
• Laser source for biosensors: First time organic lasers integrated into a silicon photonic chip
• Self-understanding helps criminal substance abusers
• Fossil fuels could be phased out worldwide in a decade, says new study
• The genetic evolution of Zika virus
• Royal Navy uses pilotless aircraft to navigate through ice
• A 'pause button' for cells
• Americans live longer but with disabilities or health issues, study shows
• Artificial moth eyes enhance silicon solar cells
• Combination therapy may offer better outcomes for patients with retinoblastoma
• Poor patient warfarin knowledge may increase risk of deadly side effects
• Researchers develop new model to predict outlook for US economy
• A new combination of materials allows state-of-the-art operating controls with elastic circuits
• Inkjet process to print flexible touchscreens cost-efficiently
• Physicists build engine consisting of one atom
• Three new primate species discovered in Madagascar
• Cancer causing genetic condition risk lower than previously thought
• Immune cells help the brain to self-heal after a stroke
• Structure of nuclear pore's inner ring revealed
• Multiple paternity may offer fewer advantages than previously thought
• 'Wrong' scale used to evaluate results of brain surgery
• New guidance on preventing sudden cardiac death in athletes published
• 'Weirdest martensite': Century-old smectic riddle finally solved
• WiFi capacity doubled at less than half the size
• Patients with EGFR expressing NSCLC benefit most from necitumumab added to chemotherapy
• Why education doesn't bring women equal pay
• Generation of tailored magnetic materials
• Plasma genotyping to predict treatment benefit in patients with NSCLC
• Treatment for chronic hepatitis B linked to increased rates of colorectal and cervical cancer
• Antiviral therapy prolongs survival in immune tolerant hepatitis B patients
• Additional benefits of type 2 diabetes treatment found for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients
• Study demonstrates benefits of existing treatment for hepatitis D patients
• Scientists uncover a potential approach to combat obesity in those prone to weight gain
• New treatment algorithm can predict benefit of treatment in end-stage liver disease
• Shorter treatment course potentially on the horizon for hep C patients
• Studies demonstrate improved safety results achieved with investigational drug for hep B
• Commonly used reflux, ulcer medication may cause serious kidney damage
• How the brain consolidates memory during deep sleep
• Heavy cannabis use associated with reduced dopamine release in brain
• Greek dancing improves jumping ability of elderly heart failure patients

Novel polymeric materials from palm oil derivatives Posted: 15 Apr 2016 11:45 AM PDT Palm oil is not a polymer; but through chemical reactions it can be converted to intermediates with different functional groups that could interact with other monomers, either through condensation reactions or free radical additions or a combination of both mechanisms to form novel materials with interesting properties and applications.

Artificial leaf? Successful synthesis of ammonia using visible light, water, and atmospheric nitrogen Posted: 15 Apr 2016 11:45 AM PDT By using a photoelectrode in which gold nanoparticles are loaded on an oxide semiconductor substrate, a research has worked to develop a method of artificial photosynthesis that may prove to be an excellent light energy conversion system.

The 'I's' in Team Posted: 15 Apr 2016 11:39 AM PDT A new study examines teams in sports and business and looks at how adding star players or employees to preexisting staffs can negatively impact other individuals.

Extreme universe recreated in the lab Posted: 15 Apr 2016 11:39 AM PDT Conditions in the vast universe can be quite extreme: Violent collisions scar the surfaces of planets. Nuclear reactions in bright stars generate tremendous amounts of energy. Gigantic explosions catapult matter far out into space. But how exactly do processes like these unfold? What do they tell us about the universe? To find out, researchers have performed sophisticated experiments and computer simulations that recreate violent cosmic conditions on a small scale in the lab.

Too much 'noise' can affect brain development Posted: 15 Apr 2016 11:39 AM PDT Using cutting-edge imaging technology, biologists have determined that uncontrolled fluctuations (known at "noise) in the concentration of the vitamin A derivative Retinoic acid (RA) can lead to disruptions in brain organization during development.

'Odd couple' monolayer semiconductors align to advance optoelectronics Posted: 15 Apr 2016 11:37 AM PDT Scientists synthesized a stack of atomically thin monolayers of two lattice-mismatched semiconductors and created an atomically thin solar cell.

New snakebite treatment under development Posted: 15 Apr 2016 11:37 AM PDT Thousands are bitten by rattlers and other venomous snakes each year, and a new treatment may serve as a "bridge" to buy time until medical care is available.

New method to reduce accumulation of damaging Huntington's disease protein Posted: 15 Apr 2016 11:36 AM PDT There may be a new way to change the damaging course of Huntington disease, researchers report. They have shown that reducing the aberrant accumulation of a particular form of the mutant Huntingtin protein corresponds to improvement in symptoms and neuroinflammation in HD mice.

Researchers identify enzyme link between excessive heart muscle growth, cancer growth Posted: 15 Apr 2016 11:36 AM PDT Cardiology researchers have identified molecular ties between the growth of cancer cells and heart cells that suggest existing cancer drugs may be able to help those with enlarged heart cells -- a condition that can lead to heart attacks and stroke.

Mothers' milk and the infant gut microbiota: An ancient symbiosis Posted: 15 Apr 2016 11:36 AM PDT Mothers' milk guides the development of neonates' gut microbiota, nourishing a very specific bacterial population that protects the child. Now a team of researchers has identified the compound in the milk that supplies this nourishment, and has shown that it can be obtained from cow's milk, which could result in using cow's milk as a prebiotic for infants.

Long-term benefits to the kidney in simultaneous liver-kidney transplant Posted: 15 Apr 2016 10:02 AM PDT There may be long-term benefits to simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation versus kidney transplantation alone, new research suggests.

In these microbes, iron works like oxygen Posted: 15 Apr 2016 09:59 AM PDT New light has been shed on a curious group of bacteria that use iron in much the same way that animals use oxygen: to soak up electrons during biochemical reactions. When organisms -- whether bacteria or animal -- oxidize carbohydrates, electrons must go somewhere.

First-ever videos show how heat moves through materials at the nanoscale and speed of sound Posted: 15 Apr 2016 09:59 AM PDT Using a state-of-the-art ultrafast electron microscope, researchers have recorded the first-ever videos showing how heat moves through materials at the nanoscale traveling at the speed of sound.

New debugger finds security flaws in popular web apps Posted: 15 Apr 2016 09:59 AM PDT By exploiting some peculiarities of the popular Web programming framework Ruby on Rails, researchers have developed a system that can quickly comb through tens of thousands of lines of application code to find security flaws. In tests on 50 popular Web applications written using Ruby on Rails, the system found 23 previously undiagnosed security flaws, and it took no more than 64 seconds to analyze any given program.

Fish-eyed lens cuts through the dark Posted: 15 Apr 2016 09:59 AM PDT Combining the best features of a lobster and an African fish, engineers have created an artificial eye that can see in the dark. And their fishy false eyes could help search-and-rescue robots or surgical scopes make dim surroundings seem bright as day.

New scientific evidence of sexual transmission of the Zika virus Posted: 15 Apr 2016 09:59 AM PDT The ZIKA virus can be transmitted sexually, a new study has confirmed. The ZIKA virus, a member of the Flavivirus family, is almost exclusively transmitted to humans by Aedes mosquitoes. Although Zika infection usually causes mild symptoms, it can be responsible for severe neurological complications, particularly in the infant of a woman infected while pregnant.

Clear-cutting destabilizes carbon in forest soils, study finds Posted: 15 Apr 2016 09:59 AM PDT Clear-cutting loosens up carbon stored in forest soils, increasing the chances it will return to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and contribute to climate change, a new study shows.

Graduate student creates program that helps stabilize fusion plasma Posted: 15 Apr 2016 09:59 AM PDT The description of a new method for controlling plasma rotation has been described in a new article. The new method uses feedback from sensors for real-time control of the rotation of plasma that swirls within a tokamak and fuels fusion reactions.

Toward a better nutritional facts panel Posted: 15 Apr 2016 09:59 AM PDT The ubiquitous nutrition facts panel has graced food packages for many years. But can it be improved? Results from a study indicates that the answer is, 'Yes.'

Laser source for biosensors: First time organic lasers integrated into a silicon photonic chip Posted: 15 Apr 2016 09:56 AM PDT In the area of nano photonics, scientists for the first time succeeded in integrating a laser with an organic gain medium on a silicon photonic chip. This approach is of enormous potential for low-cost biosensors that might be used for near-patient diagnosis once and without any sterilization expenditure similar to today's strips for measuring blood sugar.

Self-understanding helps criminal substance abusers Posted: 15 Apr 2016 09:56 AM PDT Researchers have developed the treatment program called Impulsive Lifestyle Counselling, which helps substance abusers who also suffer from impulsive and criminal behavior.

Fossil fuels could be phased out worldwide in a decade, says new study Posted: 15 Apr 2016 09:56 AM PDT The worldwide reliance on burning fossil fuels to create energy could be phased out in a decade, according to an article published by a major energy think tank.

The genetic evolution of Zika virus Posted: 15 Apr 2016 09:56 AM PDT An analysis comparing the individual differences between over 40 strains of Zika virus has identified significant changes in both amino acid and nucleotide sequences during the past half-century. The data support a strong divergence between the Asian and African lineages as well as human and mosquito isolates of the virus, and will likely be helpful as researchers flush out how a relatively unknown pathogen led to the current outbreak.

Royal Navy uses pilotless aircraft to navigate through ice Posted: 15 Apr 2016 07:37 AM PDT A tiny pilotless aircraft has launched from the Royal Navy's ice patrol ship HMS Protector for the first time to assist with navigating through the Antarctic. The 3D-printed aircraft, along with a quadcopter, scouted the way for the survey ship so she could find her way through the thick ice of frozen seas.

A 'pause button' for cells Posted: 15 Apr 2016 07:35 AM PDT Throughout our cells, materials are continuously transported via tiny packets called vesicles. This process is called intracellular trafficking and it is crucial for the normal functioning of cells. An optogenetic system inhibits intracellular membrane vesicle trafficking, scientists report.

Americans live longer but with disabilities or health issues, study shows Posted: 15 Apr 2016 07:35 AM PDT Americans are living longer but in poorer health, according to a new study. The study examined life expectancy trends and disability rates in a 40-year period, from 1970 to 2010. The analysis of US vital statistics found that the average total lifespan increased for men and women in those 40 years, but so did the proportion of time spent living with a disability.

Artificial moth eyes enhance silicon solar cells Posted: 15 Apr 2016 06:25 AM PDT Mimicking the texture found on the surfaces of the eyes of moths, scientists have produced nanotextured designs across silicon-based solar cells. The texturing significantly enhanced the light-harvesting and, hence, overall performance of the solar cells.

Combination therapy may offer better outcomes for patients with retinoblastoma Posted: 15 Apr 2016 06:24 AM PDT Targeting survivin -- a protein that inhibits apoptosis or cell death -- enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy in cells and mouse models of retinoblastoma (Rb), the most common malignant tumor of the eye in children, researchers report.

Poor patient warfarin knowledge may increase risk of deadly side effects Posted: 15 Apr 2016 06:24 AM PDT Patients have poor knowledge of warfarin which may increase their risk of serious side effects, according to research. Warfarin is given to patients at increased risk of blood clots from conditions such as atrial fibrillation or a mechanical heart valve. It 'thins the blood' by slowing down the anticoagulation effect of vitamin K, thereby increasing the time it takes blood to clot and reducing the risk of stroke. Taking too much warfain raises the risk of bleeding.

Researchers develop new model to predict outlook for US economy Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:18 AM PDT A new way to more accurately assess the outlook for the world's biggest economy has been created by investigators. The new model highlights the interdependence of household, business and government expenditure and international trade in the United States and is rooted in a new approach to economics teaching.

A new combination of materials allows state-of-the-art operating controls with elastic circuits Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:18 AM PDT Research scientists have succeeded in manufacturing circuit paths on thin, elastic foil made of silicone. Since these are relatively insensitive to compression and elongation strain, the electrical circuits can adapt to the curvature of appliances.

Inkjet process to print flexible touchscreens cost-efficiently Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:18 AM PDT Scientists have created flexible touch screens, which are printed on thin plastic foils with recently developed nanoparticle inks, using transparent, conductive oxides (TCOs).

Physicists build engine consisting of one atom Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:18 AM PDT An innovative form of heat engine operates using only one single atom.

Three new primate species discovered in Madagascar Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:18 AM PDT Scientists have described three new species of mouse lemurs. They live in the South and East of Madagascar and increase the number of known mouse lemur species to 24. As little as 20 years ago, only two species of these small, nocturnal primates were known. New genetic methods and expeditions to remote areas have made the new descriptions possible.

Cancer causing genetic condition risk lower than previously thought Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:17 AM PDT The expected odds of children having a genetic condition which causes learning difficulties and tumors have been dramatically cut, thanks to a recent genetic analysis.

Immune cells help the brain to self-heal after a stroke Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:17 AM PDT After a stroke, there is inflammation in the damaged part of the brain. Until now, the inflammation has been seen as a negative consequence that needs to be abolished as soon as possible. But, as it turns out, there are also some positive sides to the inflammation, and it can actually help the brain to self-repair.

Structure of nuclear pore's inner ring revealed Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:16 AM PDT New light has been shed on the structure of nuclear pore complex, which plays a crucial role in controlling molecular traffic to a cell's nucleus. A typical cell has hundreds of these pores, playing a crucial role in controlling the hundred of thousands of molecules that enter and exit this compartment every minute.

Multiple paternity may offer fewer advantages than previously thought Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:16 AM PDT Females can enhance the survival chances of their offspring by mating with multiple males. When it comes to immunological benefits, however, female promiscuity may not provide the young the advantages long suspected, as a research team has confirmed. The researchers also provided the first evidence that females are much more susceptible to Salmonella infection than males.

'Wrong' scale used to evaluate results of brain surgery Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:16 AM PDT The most common scale used to evaluate outcome of neurosurgical procedures, the modified rankin scale (mRS), does not measure what is commonly assumed, concludes a study. The researchers state that previous treatment results must now be reevaluated.

New guidance on preventing sudden cardiac death in athletes published Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:16 AM PDT A new consensus statement establishes guidance for conducting pre-participation screenings of college athletes and encourages emergency action plans for quickly responding to sudden cardiac arrest.

'Weirdest martensite': Century-old smectic riddle finally solved Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:15 AM PDT A new paper has been published on the unusual microstructure of smectics -- liquid crystals whose molecules are arranged in layers and form ellipses and hyperbolas -- and their similarity to martensites, a crystalline structure of steel.

WiFi capacity doubled at less than half the size Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:15 AM PDT An engineer has integrated a non-reciprocal circulator and a full-duplex radio on a nanoscale silicon chip for the first time. This breakthrough technology needs only one antenna, thus enabling an even smaller overall system than one he developed last yea. It could, he says, revolutionize the field of telecommunications.

Patients with EGFR expressing NSCLC benefit most from necitumumab added to chemotherapy Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:15 AM PDT Patients with epidermal growth factor receptor expressing advanced squamous non-small-cell lung cancer benefit most from necitumumab added to gemcitabine and cisplatin chemotherapy, according to a subgroup analysis from the SQUIRE trial.

Why education doesn't bring women equal pay Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:15 AM PDT Women are closing the education gap with men, but a global study of gender equality using two decades of data form more than 150 countries shows these advances are failing to bring equal access to quality jobs and government representation.

Generation of tailored magnetic materials Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:14 AM PDT Physicists are interested in a generation of artificial materials, the properties of which can be controlled. Researchers have now succeed in manipulating the properties of oxides which make up the artificial material, more exactly they managed to modify the magnetic properties which can be either ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic; that is, with or without net magnetic moment. The scientists have demonstrated, that they are able now to control the magnetism in this type of materials.

Plasma genotyping to predict treatment benefit in patients with NSCLC Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:14 AM PDT The benefit of plasma genotyping to predict treatment benefit in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is confirmed in three studies.

Treatment for chronic hepatitis B linked to increased rates of colorectal and cervical cancer Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:14 AM PDT A new study demonstrates a potential link between treatment of long-term oral nucleos(t)ide analogues and an increased risk of colorectal (p=0.029) and cervical (p=0.049) cancer in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV).

Antiviral therapy prolongs survival in immune tolerant hepatitis B patients Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:14 AM PDT A new study demonstrates that the use of antiviral therapy for patients in the immune tolerant phase of hepatitis B (HBV) prolongs overall survival and reduces the risk of the most common form of liver cancer (Hepatocellular Carcinoma, HCC) and scarring of the liver (cirrhosis).

Additional benefits of type 2 diabetes treatment found for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:14 AM PDT A type 2 diabetes treatment has been found to also have 'off-label' benefits for glucose control in the liver and in fatty cells known as adipose. The study shows that exenatide, a treatment that targets the pancreas to improve glucose absorption, enhances glucose uptake and reduces insulin resistance in the liver and in adipose tissue.

Study demonstrates benefits of existing treatment for hepatitis D patients Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:14 AM PDT New research shows that interferon alpha based therapies are effective in suppressing disease progression in a severe form of chronic viral hepatitis, hepatitis delta.

Scientists uncover a potential approach to combat obesity in those prone to weight gain Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:14 AM PDT For the first time scientists have kick-started the natural process by which genetically predisposed obese mice gain weight, opening new potential approaches to fight off obesity. The study suggests that impaired brown adipose tissue, otherwise known as 'brown fat,' drives obesity, and by stimulating heat production in this fatty tissue, weight-management and glucose tolerance can be improved.

New treatment algorithm can predict benefit of treatment in end-stage liver disease Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:14 AM PDT A new algorithm designed to help physician decision-making in End-Stage Liver Disease (ESLD), was able to accurately predict death in 96 percent of patients with ESLD.

Shorter treatment course potentially on the horizon for hep C patients Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:14 AM PDT Data from a Phase 2 clinical trial show that an investigational injectable treatment known as RG-101 in combination with a four week course of oral direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment was well tolerated and resulted in high virologic response rates post-treatment among hepatitis C (HCV) infected patients with genotypes 1 and 4, who had not been treated previously.

Studies demonstrate improved safety results achieved with investigational drug for hep B Posted: 15 Apr 2016 05:13 AM PDT Studies demonstrate that tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) improves patient safety while maintaining efficacy in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection compared to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (Viread, TDF).

Commonly used reflux, ulcer medication may cause serious kidney damage Posted: 14 Apr 2016 06:48 PM PDT Patients who took proton pump inhibitors for heartburn, acid reflux, or ulcers had an increased risk of kidney function decline, chronic kidney disease, and kidney failure. The longer patients took the drugs, the greater their risk, a new study shows.

How the brain consolidates memory during deep sleep Posted: 14 Apr 2016 06:48 PM PDT How long-term memory is formed is not well understood, and remains a central question of inquiry in neuroscience. Now researchers report they may have an answer to this question.

Heavy cannabis use associated with reduced dopamine release in brain Posted: 14 Apr 2016 06:48 PM PDT Evidence of a compromised dopamine system has been found in heavy users of marijuana. Lower dopamine release was found in the striatum -- a region of the brain that is involved in working memory, impulsive behavior, and attention. Previous studies have shown that addiction to other drugs of abuse, such as cocaine and heroin, have similar effects on dopamine release, but such evidence for cannabis was missing until now.

Greek dancing improves jumping ability of elderly heart failure patients Posted: 14 Apr 2016 06:48 PM PDT Greek dancing improves the jumping ability of elderly patients with heart failure, according to new research.

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