ScienceDaily: Top News

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• 30 years after Chernobyl, camera study reveals wildlife abundance in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
• Exfoliating thinner flakes of phosphorene at higher yield
• Trees' internal water pipes predict which species survive drought
• Thanks, actin, for the memories
• Nanoparticle acts like Trojan horse to halt asthma
• Dinosaurs 'already in decline' before asteroid apocalypse
• From lighting screens to lighting homes
• Unexpected discovery leads to a better battery
• Research on media disclaimers' effects on body image
• Investigating plasma levels as biomarker for Alzheimer's disease
• New computer program can help uncover hidden genomic alterations that drive cancers
• 98 percent cure rate for prostate cancer using stereotactic body radiation therapy, research shows
• All ants on deck: Raft-building ants exhibit memory, repeatedly occupy same position when forming rafts
• Do we judge distance based on how a word sounds?
• Reasons for hospital-level variations in bleeding post-angioplasty are unclear
• Turn off Per2, turn on healthy aging
• Vocal signals reveal intent to dominate or submit, study finds
• Scientists discover C4 photosynthesis boosts growth by altering size, structure of plant leaves, roots
• Gun hunting could lead to extinction of threatened primates on African island
• Smartphone users are redefining privacy in public spaces
• New technique to probe 'noise' in quantum computing
• American teacher panel surveys teachers' knowledge, perceptions of state standards
• Asynchronous cell cycle phase key to critical stage of animal embryonic development
• Researchers find method that could resurrect an abandoned pancreatic cancer targeted drug
• Predicting cell behaviour with a mathematical model
• Monitoring sugar metabolism in liver may be a key to cancer diagnosis
• New optogenetic tool moves proteins within cells to study biological changes
• Newly discovered vulnerability in breast tumor cells points to new cancer treatment path
• HAWC Gamma-ray Observatory reveals new look at the very-high-energy sky
• Researchers transmit data through animal tissues at HD video rates via ultrasound
• Bigger brains led to bigger bodies in our ancestors
• Researchers can identify you by your brain waves with 100 percent accuracy
• Bees are born with the ability to collect pollen by buzzing, but practice makes perfect
• Possible treatment found for suppressed immunity from spine injuries
• Mechanics of the cell
• Shining light on brain tumors
• Tuberculosis bacteria build 'edible' havens in immune cells
• A space 'spider' watches over young stars
• Cellular trojan horse yields potential cancer treatment
• Vegetables irrigated with treated wastewater expose consumers to drugs
• Immune study offers treatment hope for arthritis patients
• Reader of epigenetic marks could be 'game changer' for certain cancers
• Technique could help identify patients who would suffer chemo-induced heart damage
• Protein found to play key role in the spread of pancreatic cancer
• Could global warming's top culprit help crops?
• Brain caught 'filing' memories during rest
• Brain scans link physical changes to cognitive risks of widely used class of drugs
• Patients triaged as nonurgent in ED get diagnostics, procedures, admitted
• A new way to get electricity from magnetism
• Mapping a path to improved cassava production
• New tool reveals role of ancestry in soil communities of bacteria
• Urine turned into sustainable power source for electronic devices
• New study examines the effect of ecstasy on the brain
• Common magnetic mineral is reliable witness to Earth's history: Magnetic vortices defy temperature fluctuations
• Glowing nanomaterial to drive new generation of solar cells
• RNA in stop-motion
• Most Americans pray for healing; more than one-fourth have practiced 'laying on of hands'
• Role for oxidized mitochondrial DNA in lupus revealed
• Scientists reveal how osteopontin ablation ameliorates muscular dystrophy
• Neonicotinoid seed treatments produce higher soybean yields in the Southern US

30 years after Chernobyl, camera study reveals wildlife abundance in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone Posted: 18 Apr 2016 01:14 PM PDT While humans are now scarce in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, continued studies--including a just-published camera study--validate findings that wildlife populations are abundant at the site. The camera study is the first remote-camera scent-station survey conducted within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, or CEZ.

Exfoliating thinner flakes of phosphorene at higher yield Posted: 18 Apr 2016 01:13 PM PDT By deoxygenating water, researchers discovered a new way to exfoliate phosphorene into atomically thin flakes. In order for phosphorene to reach its full potential, it needs to be incredibly thin -- preferably at the atomic scale. Until now, researchers have experienced difficulties in exfoliating atomically thin flakes from the bulk material, called black phosphorus, in a quick and efficient manner.

Trees' internal water pipes predict which species survive drought Posted: 18 Apr 2016 01:13 PM PDT Tree species that can withstand stress to the water-transport system that carries water from the roots to the crown are less susceptible to drought and massive die-off. The findings could help forestry experts, especially in the American West, create early-warning systems and take precautionary steps to reduce a forest's vulnerability to drought.

Thanks, actin, for the memories Posted: 18 Apr 2016 01:10 PM PDT New research suggests a complex dance between actin filaments and aggregating proteins is key to the molecular machinery that forms and stores long-term memories.

Nanoparticle acts like Trojan horse to halt asthma Posted: 18 Apr 2016 01:10 PM PDT In a new approach to treating asthma and allergies, a biodegradable nanoparticle acts like a Trojan horse, hiding an allergen in a friendly shell, to convince the immune system not to attack it, according to new research. As a result, the allergic reaction in the airways is shut down long- term and an asthma attack prevented. The technology can be applied to food allergies as well and is currently being tested in a mouse model of peanut allergy, similar to food allergy in humans.

Dinosaurs 'already in decline' before asteroid apocalypse Posted: 18 Apr 2016 01:09 PM PDT Dinosaurs were already in an evolutionary decline tens of millions of years before the meteorite impact that finally finished them off, new research has found.

From lighting screens to lighting homes Posted: 18 Apr 2016 11:57 AM PDT To cut down on the environmental waste and provide storage for rural communities, researchers have proposed a model for recycling unspent lithium ion batteries into energy storage units for solar-powered LED lamps.

Unexpected discovery leads to a better battery Posted: 18 Apr 2016 11:56 AM PDT An unexpected discovery has led to a zinc-manganese oxide rechargeable battery that's as inexpensive as conventional car batteries, but has a much higher energy density.

Research on media disclaimers' effects on body image Posted: 18 Apr 2016 11:55 AM PDT Researchers tested if adding disclaimers or 'subvertisements' to these images counteracts the negative effects of this media. Subvertisements are changes that body image activists make to advertisements to counter or 'subvert' the message of the ads. The researchers exposed women to media images of bikini models, and added either disclaimers or subvertising messages to them.

Investigating plasma levels as biomarker for Alzheimer's disease Posted: 18 Apr 2016 11:55 AM PDT The first detailed study of relationship between plasma levels of two amyloid beta peptides, cognitive function and the measures studying the size of brain, which shrinks with Alzheimer's disease.

New computer program can help uncover hidden genomic alterations that drive cancers Posted: 18 Apr 2016 11:55 AM PDT Cancer is rarely the result of a single mutation in a single gene. Rather, tumors arise from the complex interplay between any number of mutually exclusive abnormal changes in the genome, the combinations of which can be unique to each individual patient. To better characterize the functional context of genomic variations in cancer, researchers have developed a new computer algorithm they call REVEALER.

98 percent cure rate for prostate cancer using stereotactic body radiation therapy, research shows Posted: 18 Apr 2016 11:54 AM PDT A new study -- the first trial to publish five-year results from SBRT treatment for prostate cancer -- found a 98.6 percent cure rate with SBRT, a noninvasive form of radiation treatment that involves high-dose radiation beams entering the body through various angles and intersecting at the desired target.

All ants on deck: Raft-building ants exhibit memory, repeatedly occupy same position when forming rafts Posted: 18 Apr 2016 11:54 AM PDT A species of ant that clusters together to form rafts to survive floods exhibits memory and repeatedly occupies the same position during raft formation, according to a new study.

Do we judge distance based on how a word sounds? Posted: 18 Apr 2016 11:54 AM PDT Marketers and brand managers responsible for naming new products should be interested to learn that people associate certain sounds with nearness and others with distance, say researchers, whose new study adds to the body of knowledge about symbolic sound.

Reasons for hospital-level variations in bleeding post-angioplasty are unclear Posted: 18 Apr 2016 11:54 AM PDT The use of bleeding avoidance strategies has only a modest effect on the variation in bleeding rates post-angioplasty among hospitals performing this procedure, leaving about 70 percent of the causes for this variation unexplained, according to a study.

Turn off Per2, turn on healthy aging Posted: 18 Apr 2016 10:11 AM PDT Due to a loss of functionality in hematopoietic stem cells, immune defects occur during aging. Now, researchers have identified gene Per2, whose deletion leads to a stabilization of the number of immune cells in the blood of aged mice and prolongs their lifespan.

Vocal signals reveal intent to dominate or submit, study finds Posted: 18 Apr 2016 10:06 AM PDT You may not win friends, but a new study finds that you can influence people simply by lowering the pitch of your voice in the first moments of a conversation.

Scientists discover C4 photosynthesis boosts growth by altering size, structure of plant leaves, roots Posted: 18 Apr 2016 10:06 AM PDT Plants using C4 photosynthesis grow 20-100 percent quicker than more common C3 plants by altering the shape, size and structure of their leaves and roots, according to a new study.

Gun hunting could lead to extinction of threatened primates on African island Posted: 18 Apr 2016 10:06 AM PDT Gun hunting on Bioko Island correlates significantly with lower numbers of the majority of the island's primate species, a new study concludes.

Smartphone users are redefining privacy in public spaces Posted: 18 Apr 2016 10:06 AM PDT A combination of public smartphone use and technological surveillance has led to diminished personal privacy, a new study argues. The study argues that "dynamic visibility," in which technological surveillance is combined with personal information volunteered by individuals online, has led to diminished overall privacy.

New technique to probe 'noise' in quantum computing Posted: 18 Apr 2016 10:06 AM PDT Quantum computing may revolutionize information processing by providing a means to solve problems too complex for traditional computers, with applications in code breaking, materials science and physics, but figuring out how to engineer such a machine remains elusive. Now researchers have devised a new way to 'sense' and control external noise in quantum computing.

American teacher panel surveys teachers' knowledge, perceptions of state standards Posted: 18 Apr 2016 10:06 AM PDT In June and October of 2015, investigators surveyed teachers on their understanding of state standards and what instructional materials are used in the classroom to teach the standards, as well as how their teaching practices are aligned with the state standards.

Asynchronous cell cycle phase key to critical stage of animal embryonic development Posted: 18 Apr 2016 10:06 AM PDT The synchronous mitosis of early embryonic development switches to a patterned form at the 11th cell division following removal of a cell cycle compensatory mechanism, new research shows. An asynchronous S-phase length is masked by a compensatory asynchronous G2-phase length up to the 11th mitosis, after which the transition to spatial patterning occurs. These findings help in understanding the link between mitotic timing and embryonic development.

Researchers find method that could resurrect an abandoned pancreatic cancer targeted drug Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:27 AM PDT Pancreatic cancer is on track to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths by 2020. These statistics are due, in part, to pancreatic cancer's resistance to most targeted cancer therapies. Working with pancreatic cancer cells, researchers have now found a mechanism that could be responsible for the cancer's resistance to at least one targeted approach. If the results hold true in animal models and eventually clinical trials, the approach could help researchers develop more effective combination therapies and breathe new life into forgotten and failed cancer drugs.

Predicting cell behaviour with a mathematical model Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:11 AM PDT Physicists have developed new software for the life sciences. The software supports the evaluation of microscope-based observations of cell behaviour on micropatterned substrates.

Monitoring sugar metabolism in liver may be a key to cancer diagnosis Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:07 AM PDT Scientists may have discovered a significant new diagnostic marker for liver cancer, according to a new study.

New optogenetic tool moves proteins within cells to study biological changes Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:07 AM PDT Using a new optogenetic technique, scientists forced proteins out of the cell nucleus and into the cytoplasm, where they could no longer do their jobs. The researchers then watched in real time as the cell responded to its personnel shortfall; the team discovered that the resulting cellular processes were more dynamic than previously expected.

Newly discovered vulnerability in breast tumor cells points to new cancer treatment path Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:07 AM PDT Cancer cells often devise ways to survive even in the presence of toxic chemotherapy. Now, a research team has found a way to attack a process that tumor cells use to escape the effects of standard cancer drugs.

HAWC Gamma-ray Observatory reveals new look at the very-high-energy sky Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:07 AM PDT Today, scientists operating the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Gamma-ray Observatory released a new survey of the sky made from the highest energy gamma rays ever observed. The new sky map, which uses data collected since the observatory began running at full capacity last March, offers a deeper understanding of high-energy processes taking place in our galaxy and beyond.

Researchers transmit data through animal tissues at HD video rates via ultrasound Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:07 AM PDT Using animal tissue samples, researchers have demonstrated the possibility of real-time video-rate data transmission through tissue for in-body ultrasonic communications with implanted medical devices.

Bigger brains led to bigger bodies in our ancestors Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:07 AM PDT New research suggests that humans became the large-brained, large-bodied animals we are today because of natural selection to increase brain size. The work contradicts previous models that treat brain size and body size as independent traits. Instead, the study shows that brain size and body size are genetically linked and that selection to increase brain size will 'pull along' body size.

Researchers can identify you by your brain waves with 100 percent accuracy Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:06 AM PDT A team of researchers has recorded the brain activity of 50 people wearing an electroencephalogram headset while they looked at a series of 500 images designed specifically to elicit unique responses from person to person, for instance, a slice of pizza, a boat, Anne Hathaway, the word 'conundrum.' They found that participants' brains reacted differently to each image, enough that a computer system was able to identify each volunteer's 'brainprint' with 100 percent accuracy.

Bees are born with the ability to collect pollen by buzzing, but practice makes perfect Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:06 AM PDT Wild bumblebees are born with the ability to remove pollen from nectarless flowers using high-frequency vibrations, researchers have found. This study is the first to show that the ability to vibrate flowers to extract pollen is an innate behavior in bumblebees and one that is refined over time.

Possible treatment found for suppressed immunity from spine injuries Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:06 AM PDT An underlying cause of dangerous immune suppression in people with high level spinal cord injuries has been identified by researchers who now propose a possible treatment. They report that spinal cord injuries higher than thoracic level 5 (T5) cause nervous system circuitry to become highly adaptable and develop abnormal connections that suppress immune response.

Mechanics of the cell Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:06 AM PDT Living cells must alter their external form actively, otherwise functions like cell division would not be possible. Now researchers have developed a synthetic cell model to investigate the fundamental principles of the underlying cellular mechanics.

Shining light on brain tumors Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:05 AM PDT When operating on cancer, surgeons want to remove tumors and not healthy tissue. This is especially important and challenging when dealing with brain tumors, which are often spread out and mixed in with the healthy tissue. Researchers have shown that a well-established optics technique can reveal exactly where brain tumors are, producing images in less than a minute -- unlike conventional methods that can take a whole day.

Tuberculosis bacteria build 'edible' havens in immune cells Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:05 AM PDT Bacteria that cause tuberculosis trick immune cells meant to destroy them into hiding and feeding them instead, report scientists. The study results revolve around the ancient battle between the human immune system and bacterial invaders, where immune cells strive to recognize bacteria as the microbes work to evade them. Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains the leading bacterial cause of death globally because, like other successful pathogens (e.g. HIV), it goes beyond evasion to take over functions of immune cells.

A space 'spider' watches over young stars Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:05 AM PDT A nebula known as "the Spider" glows fluorescent green in an infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS). The Spider, officially named IC 417, lies near a much smaller object called NGC 1931, not pictured in the image. Together, the two are called "The Spider and the Fly" nebulae. Nebulae are clouds of interstellar gas and dust where stars can form.

Cellular trojan horse yields potential cancer treatment Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT A collaborative study has found proof-of-concept evidence for a potential cancer treatment that leverages microparticles and mesenchymal stem cells.

Vegetables irrigated with treated wastewater expose consumers to drugs Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT A new study shows that eating vegetables and fruits grown in soils irrigated with reclaimed wastewater exposes consumers to minute quantities of carbamazepine, an anti-epileptic drug commonly detected in wastewater effluents.

Immune study offers treatment hope for arthritis patients Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT Arthritis and other inflammatory conditions could be helped by new insights into how the immune response is switched off. Scientists have discovered how compounds produced by the body's immune system help to dampen inflammation and prevent damage to healthy tissues.

Reader of epigenetic marks could be 'game changer' for certain cancers Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT A new article outlines the essential role of YEATS domain proteins in reading epigenetic marks that regulate gene expression, DNA damage response, and other vital DNA-dependent cellular processes.

Technique could help identify patients who would suffer chemo-induced heart damage Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT Doxorubicin is a chemotherapy drug used to treat many cancers, but it causes serious heart damage in some patients. Heart muscle cells made from the skin cells of breast cancer patients can be used to study this phenomenon.

Protein found to play key role in the spread of pancreatic cancer Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT An explanation for how pancreatic cancer spreads to the liver has been revealed by researchers. These findings potentially hold the key to stopping this disease from spreading.

Could global warming's top culprit help crops? Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:03 AM PDT A new study tries to disentangle the complex question of whether rising amounts of carbon dioxide in the air might in some cases help crops. It suggests that while greater warmth will reduce yields of some, higher carbon dioxide could help mitigate the effects in some regions, unless other complications of global warming interfere.

Brain caught 'filing' memories during rest Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:01 AM PDT Memories formed in one part of the brain are replayed and transferred to a different area of the brain during rest, according to a new study in rats.The finding suggests that replay of previous experiences during rest is important for memory consolidation, a process whereby the brain stabilizes and preserves memories for quick recall in the future. Understanding the physiological mechanism of this is essential for tackling amnesiac conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, where memory consolidation is affected.

Brain scans link physical changes to cognitive risks of widely used class of drugs Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:01 AM PDT Older adults might want to avoid a using class of drugs commonly used in over-the-counter products such as nighttime cold medicines due to their links to cognitive impairment, a research team has recommended.

Patients triaged as nonurgent in ED get diagnostics, procedures, admitted Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:00 AM PDT Some patients triaged as nonurgent in emergency departments still received diagnostic services, had procedures performed and were admitted, including to critical care units, all of which could signal overuse, a lack of primary care physicians or a degree of uncertainty by patients and physicians, according to a new study.

A new way to get electricity from magnetism Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:00 AM PDT By showing that a phenomenon dubbed the 'inverse spin Hall effect' works in several organic semiconductors -- including carbon-60 buckyballs -- physicists changed magnetic 'spin current' into electric current. The efficiency of this new power conversion method isn't yet known, but it might find use in future electronic devices including batteries, solar cells and computers.

Mapping a path to improved cassava production Posted: 18 Apr 2016 09:00 AM PDT Though cassava is easy to cultivate, it is particularly vulnerable to plant pathogens, which can significantly reduce crop yields. To help improve breeding strategies for this root crop, a team of researchers has described cassava's genetic diversity in a new article. With the help of genomics, researchers hope to apply advanced breeding strategies that can improve cassava's resistance to diseases and improve crop yields.

New tool reveals role of ancestry in soil communities of bacteria Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:59 AM PDT Researchers have weighed in on the hotly debated relationship between lineage and behavior in microorganisms by using a new tool -- quantitative stable isotope probing -- producing results that have implications for how much may be lost when strains of bacteria are lost from a soil community.

Urine turned into sustainable power source for electronic devices Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:59 AM PDT Researchers have developed an innovative miniature fuel cell that can generate electricity from urine, creating an affordable, renewable and carbon-neutral way of generating power.

New study examines the effect of ecstasy on the brain Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:59 AM PDT The effect ecstasy has on different parts of the brain has been the focus of recent study. Researchers found that ecstasy users showed significant reductions in the way serotonin is transported in the brain. This can have a particular impact on regulating appropriate emotional reactions to situations.

Common magnetic mineral is reliable witness to Earth's history: Magnetic vortices defy temperature fluctuations Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:59 AM PDT Magnetic nanovortices in magnetite minerals are reliable witnesses of the Earth's history, as revealed by the first high-resolution studies of these structures undertaken by scientists from Germany and the United Kingdom. The magnetic structures are built during the cooling of molten rock and reflect the earth's magnetic field at the time of their formation.

Glowing nanomaterial to drive new generation of solar cells Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:59 AM PDT Physicists have discovered radical new properties in a nanomaterial which opens new possibilities for highly efficient thermophotovoltaic cells, which could one day harvest heat in the dark and turn it into electricity. The research team has demonstrated a new artificial material, or metamaterial, that glows in an unusual way when heated.

RNA in stop-motion Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:59 AM PDT Using an original technique based on experimental data, scientists have created short animations predicting the transition of RNA strands from one conformation to another.

Most Americans pray for healing; more than one-fourth have practiced 'laying on of hands' Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:51 AM PDT Nearly nine of 10 Americans have relied upon healing prayer at some point, praying for others even more than for themselves, according to a study.

Role for oxidized mitochondrial DNA in lupus revealed Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:51 AM PDT The neutrophils of systemic lupus erythematosus patients release oxidized DNA from their mitochondria that can stimulate an unwanted immune response, researchers have discovered. The study suggests that targeting the pathways that lead to the accumulation of this DNA and/or facilitate its removal could be new ways to treat this chronic autoimmune disease.

Scientists reveal how osteopontin ablation ameliorates muscular dystrophy Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:51 AM PDT Removing an immunomodulatory protein called osteopontin improves the symptoms of mice with muscular dystrophy by changing the type of macrophages acting on damaged muscle tissue, according to a new paper. The study adds support to the idea that osteopontin inhibitors could be used to treat patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Neonicotinoid seed treatments produce higher soybean yields in the Southern US Posted: 18 Apr 2016 06:51 AM PDT Treating soybean seeds with neonicotinoid pesticides (imidacloprid or thiamethoxam) provides higher yields in southern US states, scientists have found. The results of their study contrast with a 2014 report from the US Environmnental Protection Agency, which stated that neonicotinoid seed treatments offered no economic benefits.

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