ScienceDaily: Top News

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• 93 percent of advanced leukemia patients in remission after immunotherapy
• Scientists establish first map of the sea lion brain
• Faith-based health promotion program successful with older Latinas
• Protecting diversity on coral reefs: DNA may hold the key
• One-step graphene patterning method created
• Tiny fossil horses put their back into it
• Analysis of dog genome will provide insight into human disease
• Short-term language learning aids mental agility, study suggests
• Early humans may have been food for carnivores 500,000 years ago
• Influenza in the tropics shows variable seasonality
• Experimental drug cancels effect from key intellectual disability gene in mice
• Rare transit of Mercury to take place on 9 May
• Teeth vs. tools: Neandertals and Homo sapiens had different dietary strategies
• Nanoparticles hold promise as double-edged sword against genital herpes
• Coal-tar based sealcoats on driveways, parking lots far more toxic than suspected
• Deep-sea biodiversity impacted by climate change's triple threat
• 'Walk-DMC' aims to improve surgery outcomes for children with cerebral palsy
• Superfast light source made from artificial atom
• 3D printed foam outperforms traditional cellular materials in long-term stress
• Exercise genes? Study suggests certain people with depression may benefit from exercise
• Widespread loss of ocean oxygen to become noticeable in 2030s
• Cellular tree with healthy branches
• First frequency comb of time-bin entangled qubits created
• Polarization may cause climate communication to backfire
• Probiotics stop menopause-like bone loss in mice
• Decoding Zika to fight future outbreaks
• Contamination in North Dakota linked to fracking spills
• Surprising central role of darks in brain visual maps
• Beach buoys deployed to detect beach contamination
• Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy linked to reduced depressive relapse risk
• Coral 'toolkit' allows floating larvae to transform into reef skeletons
• Slow worms react quickly to climate change
• Breast cancer progression: the devil is in the details
• Consumers reveal barriers to brain-training app-iness
• Emotion detector: Facial expression recognition to improve learning, gaming
• Got good fat?
• Even a little air pollution may have long-term health effects on developing fetus
• No time to get fit? Think again
• Millions of native orchids flourish at former mining waste site
• That's amore, water drone identifies grouper mating calls during spawning season
• Scientists teaching machines to make clinical trials more successful
• Vessel damage may precede diabetic retinopathy, researchers find
• Expert panel evaluates role of osteoporosis medications in fracture healing
• Thinking outside the sample
• Cool method for making waveguides
• Synthetic Cannabinoids versus Natural Marijuana: A Comparison of Expectations
• Bored people reach for the chips
• Listening to the radio could impair drivers' concentration
• The social dilemma of dealing with Facebook troublemakers
• A single-celled organism capable of learning
• Scientists pioneer synthetic derivatives of 'game-changing' new antibiotic which could hold key to tackling drug resistant bacteria
• Questioning attitudes to dating across the color line
• 'Grand vision' to regulate allergies in food
• Survival of species suddenly looks better
• Early detection of allergies, especially in children
• Stepless control devices with flexible pressure sensors
• Culture, crowding and social influence all tied to aggressive driving behavior
• Who gets hooked on drugs? Rat study finds genetic markers that influence addiction
• Measuring happiness on social media
• Origins, spread of potentially deadly Valley Fever tracked

93 percent of advanced leukemia patients in remission after immunotherapy Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:12 PM PDT Twenty-seven of 29 patients with an advanced type of leukemia that had proved resistant to multiple other forms of therapy went into remission after their T cells (disease-fighting immune cells) were genetically engineered to fight their cancers. This study is the first CAR T-cell trial to infuse patients with an even mixture of two types of T cells (helper and killer cells, which work together to kill cancer).

Scientists establish first map of the sea lion brain Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:55 PM PDT Despite considerable evidence for the California sea lion's intelligence, very little is known about how their brain is organized. Now, a team of neuroscientists has taken an important step toward uncovering this mystery by conducting the first comprehensive study of the California sea lion's central nervous system, concentrating on the somatosensory system, which is concerned with conscious perception of touch, pressure, pain, temperature, position and vibration.

Faith-based health promotion program successful with older Latinas Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:53 PM PDT Abuelas en Accion, a faith-based program that connects healthy behaviors with lives of Catholic saints, successful at helping older Latinas eat healthier and exercise, say researchers.

Protecting diversity on coral reefs: DNA may hold the key Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:53 PM PDT Scientists have discovered that large areas of intact coral reef with extensive live coral cover, not disturbed by humans or climate change, harbor the greatest amount of genetic diversity. With this work, the researchers uncovered a link between species diversity of an ecosystem and the genetic diversity encoded within the DNA of those species.

One-step graphene patterning method created Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:53 PM PDT Researchers have developed a one-step, facile method to pattern graphene by using stencil mask and oxygen plasma reactive-ion etching, and subsequent polymer-free direct transfer to flexible substrates.

Tiny fossil horses put their back into it Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:53 PM PDT A new study reveals that tiny fossil ancestors of modern horses may have moved quite differently to their living counterparts.

Analysis of dog genome will provide insight into human disease Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:41 PM PDT An important model in studying human disease, the non-coding RNA of the canine genome is an essential starting point for evolutionary and biomedical studies, according to a new study.

Short-term language learning aids mental agility, study suggests Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:41 PM PDT Mental agility can be boosted by even a short period of learning a language, a study suggests. Tests carried out on students of all ages suggest that acquiring a new language improves a person's attention, after only a week of study. Researchers also found that these benefits could be maintained with regular practice.

Early humans may have been food for carnivores 500,000 years ago Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:41 PM PDT Tooth-marks on a 500,000-year-old hominin femur bone found in a Moroccan cave indicate that it was consumed by large carnivores, likely hyenas, according to a new study.

Influenza in the tropics shows variable seasonality Posted: 27 Apr 2016 01:41 PM PDT Whilst countries in the tropics and subtropics exhibit diverse patterns of seasonal flu activity, they can be grouped into eight geographical zones to optimise vaccine formulation and delivery timing, according to a new study.

Experimental drug cancels effect from key intellectual disability gene in mice Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:16 PM PDT A researcher who studies the most common genetic intellectual disability has used an experimental drug to reverse -- in mice -- damage from the mutation that causes the syndrome. The condition, called fragile X, has devastating effects on intellectual abilities.

Rare transit of Mercury to take place on 9 May Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:12 PM PDT On 9 May there will be a rare transit of Mercury, when the smallest planet in our Solar System will pass directly between the Earth and the Sun. The last time this happened was in 2006, and the next two occasions will be in 2019 and 2032. During the transit, which takes place in the afternoon and early evening in the UK, Mercury will appear as a dark silhouetted disk against the bright surface of the Sun.

Teeth vs. tools: Neandertals and Homo sapiens had different dietary strategies Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:12 PM PDT Over hundreds of thousands of years, the Neandertal lineage developed successfully in western Eurasia and survived severe fluctuations between colder and warmer climactic cycles of the Ice Age. The Neandertals disappeared at the high point of the last glacial period around 40 thousand years ago, at approximately the same time that modern humans migrated into Europe.

Nanoparticles hold promise as double-edged sword against genital herpes Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:10 PM PDT An effective vaccine against the virus that causes genital herpes has evaded researchers for decades. But now, researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago working with scientists from Germany have shown that zinc-oxide nanoparticles shaped like jacks can prevent the virus from entering cells, and help natural immunity to develop.

Coal-tar based sealcoats on driveways, parking lots far more toxic than suspected Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:10 PM PDT The pavement sealcoat products used widely around the nation on thousands of asphalt driveways and parking lots are significantly more toxic and mutagenic than previously suspected, according to a new article.

Deep-sea biodiversity impacted by climate change's triple threat Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:10 PM PDT A new study found that vulnerability of deep-sea biodiversity to climate change's triple threat -- rising water temperatures, and decreased oxygen, and pH levels -- is not uniform across the world's oceans.

'Walk-DMC' aims to improve surgery outcomes for children with cerebral palsy Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:10 PM PDT A mechanical engineer has developed a new assessment of motor control in children with cerebral palsy which could help predict which patients are -- or are not -- likely to benefit from invasive surgical interventions.

Superfast light source made from artificial atom Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:10 PM PDT Superfast light sources can be used, for example, in laser lights, LED lights and in single-photon light sources for quantum technology. New research results show that light sources can be made much faster by using a principle that was predicted theoretically in 1954.

3D printed foam outperforms traditional cellular materials in long-term stress Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:10 PM PDT 3D printed foam works better than standard cellular materials in terms of durability and long-term mechanical performance, material scientists have found.

Exercise genes? Study suggests certain people with depression may benefit from exercise Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:09 PM PDT Call it personalized medicine for depression -- but the prescription in this case is exercise, which researchers have found helps people with certain genetic traits.

Widespread loss of ocean oxygen to become noticeable in 2030s Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:09 PM PDT A reduction in the amount of oxygen dissolved in the oceans due to climate change is already discernible in some parts of the world and should be evident across large regions of the oceans between 2030 and 2040, according to a new study.

Cellular tree with healthy branches Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:09 PM PDT Biologists have homed in on the genes that tell brain cells to grow the tendrils critical for passing messages throughout the body. In a new study, they report certain genes in nearby neurons need to be exact matches in order for the signaling branches to grow properly.

First frequency comb of time-bin entangled qubits created Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:06 PM PDT An international team of researchers has built a chip that generates multiple frequencies from a robust quantum system that produces time-bin entangled photons. In contrast to other quantum state realizations, entangled photons don't need bulky equipment to keep them in their quantum state, and they can transmit quantum information across long distances. The new device creates entangled photons that span the traditional telecommunications spectrum, making it appealing for multi-channel quantum communication and more powerful quantum computers.

Polarization may cause climate communication to backfire Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:06 PM PDT Political polarization may cause communication about climate change to backfire, a new study finds. Even efforts that frame climate change around seemingly win-win issues such as economic growth or natural security are likely to fail if the communication conflicts with the partisan identity of its audience, exacerbating and hardening their opposition on the issue. The backfire effect doubles or triples in size among people with strong political interests.

Probiotics stop menopause-like bone loss in mice Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:06 PM PDT Probiotic supplements protected female mice from the loss of bone density that occurs after having their ovaries removed, researchers have shown. The findings suggest that probiotic bacteria may have potential as an inexpensive treatment for post-menopausal osteoporosis.

Decoding Zika to fight future outbreaks Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:06 PM PDT Zika virus has been associated to several cases of neurological disorders and has raised worldwide public health alerts. Now due to the urgency, researchers are detailing the characteristics of the virus to find solutions.

Contamination in North Dakota linked to fracking spills Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:06 PM PDT Accidental wastewater spills from unconventional oil production in North Dakota have caused widespread water and soil contamination, a new study finds. Researchers found high levels of contaminants and salt in surface waters polluted by the brine-laden wastewater, which primarily comes from fracked wells. Soil at spill sites was contaminated with radium. At one site, high levels of contaminants were detected in residual waters four years after the spill occurred.

Surprising central role of darks in brain visual maps Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:05 PM PDT Scientists have been studying how visual space is mapped in the cerebral cortex for many decades under the assumption that the map is equal for lights and darks. Surprisingly, recent work demonstrates that visual brain maps are dark-centric and that, just as stars rotate around black holes in the Universe, lights rotate around darks in the brain representation of visual space.

Beach buoys deployed to detect beach contamination Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:05 PM PDT Beachgoers may soon be able to know in a timely manner if the water is clean enough for swimming, thanks to some new technology. Sensors in new buoys gather information, everything from temperature to how clear the water is. Using a cellular modem on board the buoy, the data are uploaded to a land-based server.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy linked to reduced depressive relapse risk Posted: 27 Apr 2016 12:03 PM PDT The largest meta-analysis so far of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for recurrent depression has found that MBCT is an effective treatment option that can help prevent the recurrence of major depression. The study used anonymised individual patient data from nine randomized trials of MBCT.

Coral 'toolkit' allows floating larvae to transform into reef skeletons Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:37 AM PDT Key components of the molecular 'toolkit' that allow corals to build their skeletons (called biomineralization) has been desicribed in that new article that also outlines when -- in the transformation from floating larvae to coral skeleton -- these components are used.

Slow worms react quickly to climate change Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:36 AM PDT Evolution can react surprisingly quickly to climate change -- at least for an important species of earthworms. For seven years, scientists have exposed the natural habitat of Enchytraeidae to a warmer (+0.5 degrees C) and drier climate by ingenious use of curtains. Twelve percent of the genetic changes found in the worms could be directly attributed to the small changes in the soil temperature and moisture.

Breast cancer progression: the devil is in the details Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:36 AM PDT Researchers describe how breast cancer cells challenged with a small-molecule inhibitor targeting specific invasive properties switch to an alternative mode-of-action, rendering them even more aggressive. The results may impair future therapeutic approaches in the TGF-beta pathway.

Consumers reveal barriers to brain-training app-iness Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:36 AM PDT The preconceptions and concerns of young US consumers about brain-training smartphone apps are examined in a new scientific study. The work investigated why consumers decide to download these apps, how they use them and what they think their benefits may be.

Emotion detector: Facial expression recognition to improve learning, gaming Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:36 AM PDT A computer algorithm that can tell whether you are happy or sad, angry or expressing almost any other emotion would be a boon to the games industry. New research describes such a system that is almost 99 percent accurate.

Got good fat? Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:36 AM PDT Brown fat cells can burn fat to generate heat. Researchers have discovered a new method to measure the activity of brown fat cells in humans and mice. The researchers showed that microRNA-92a can be used as an indirect measure for the activity of energy consuming brown fat cells. They showed that a small blood sample was sufficient.

Even a little air pollution may have long-term health effects on developing fetus Posted: 27 Apr 2016 06:52 AM PDT Even small amounts of air pollution appear to raise the risk of a condition in pregnant women linked to premature births and lifelong neurological and respiratory disorders in their children, new research suggests.

No time to get fit? Think again Posted: 27 Apr 2016 06:52 AM PDT A single minute of very intense exercise produces health benefits similar to longer, traditional endurance training, new research indicates. The findings put to rest the common excuse for not getting in shape: there is not enough time.

Millions of native orchids flourish at former mining waste site Posted: 27 Apr 2016 06:51 AM PDT Millions of native orchids are flourishing on the site of a former iron mine in New York's Adirondacks, suggesting that former industrial sites – typically regarded as blighted landscapes — have untapped value in ecological restoration efforts.

That's amore, water drone identifies grouper mating calls during spawning season Posted: 27 Apr 2016 06:50 AM PDT Just as the sun begins to set, hundreds to thousands of groupers gather at their favorite hangouts to spawn, and luckily they're pretty vocal about it, providing vital data on their reproductive behaviors as well as their favorite mating spots.

Scientists teaching machines to make clinical trials more successful Posted: 27 Apr 2016 06:50 AM PDT Scientists are teaching computers to figure out why people accept or decline invitations to participate in clinical trials. Recruiting sufficient numbers of participants is a current challenge in medical research that can compromise results or stop some studies altogether. Researchers are using so-called "machine learning" technologies to predict whether patients will participate.

Vessel damage may precede diabetic retinopathy, researchers find Posted: 27 Apr 2016 06:47 AM PDT For many years, scientists believed patients developed retinopathy and, as a result of the damage to the blood vessels, later developed neuropathy. In a new study, however, researchers discovered that the sequence of events occurring in the retina due to diabetes is just the opposite of these long-held beliefs.

Expert panel evaluates role of osteoporosis medications in fracture healing Posted: 27 Apr 2016 06:47 AM PDT Using a structured expert-opinion process, an expert panel has written a consensus report on the use of osteoporosis medications in patients with recent fracture and the potential role of these medications in promoting fracture healing. The report will help set the scene for both improved patient care and good clinical study design for future research.

Thinking outside the sample Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:23 AM PDT Scientists are helping computers learn to tackle big-data problems outside their comfort zones. The framework can be used for numerous applications, they say, including image segmentation, motion segmentation, data clustering, hybrid system identification and image representation.

Cool method for making waveguides Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:23 AM PDT Silicon-based films that are useful for waveguides have been made at temperatures low enough to be compatible with standard manufacturing processes, report scientists.

Synthetic Cannabinoids versus Natural Marijuana: A Comparison of Expectations Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:18 AM PDT A new study evaluated the expected outcomes of both synthetic and natural marijuana.

Bored people reach for the chips Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:17 AM PDT People crave fatty and sugary foods when they are bored.

Listening to the radio could impair drivers' concentration Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:17 AM PDT Listening to traffic reports on the radio could be bad for your driving – you could even miss an elephant standing by the side of the road.

The social dilemma of dealing with Facebook troublemakers Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:17 AM PDT Online troublemakers tend to be socially well connected. Some Facebook users therefore, remain friends online with troublemakers because they are worried about the repercussions if they 'unfriend' them.

A single-celled organism capable of learning Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:15 AM PDT For the first time, scientists have demonstrated that an organism devoid of a nervous system is capable of learning. Biologists have succeeded in showing that a single-celled organism, the protist, is capable of a type of learning called habituation. This discovery throws light on the origins of learning ability during evolution, even before the appearance of a nervous system and brain. It may also raise questions as to the learning capacities of other extremely simple organisms such as viruses and bacteria.

Scientists pioneer synthetic derivatives of 'game-changing' new antibiotic which could hold key to tackling drug resistant bacteria Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:15 AM PDT Scientists have successfully produced two synthetic derivatives of Teixobactin – the world's first known antibiotic capable of destroying 'drug resistant' bacteria.

Questioning attitudes to dating across the color line Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:15 AM PDT A new study examines for the first time how both biracial and monoracial daters really feel about dating someone with a different background to theirs. The research suggests that, in the US at least, a person's race still plays a big role in who might ask them out for dinner.

'Grand vision' to regulate allergies in food Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:13 AM PDT A new review of allergen analysis aims to improve the situation for those living with food allergies -- preventing food fraud and protecting consumers. Food allergies are a rapidly growing problem in the developed world, affecting up to 10% of children and 2-3% of adults, yet allergens remain challenging to analyze accurately, making it difficult to legislate and manage risk.

Survival of species suddenly looks better Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:13 AM PDT Findings on Norway spruce show how plants and animals can adapt better to climate change than previously envisaged. The spruce remembers what the temperature conditions were like when it was a seed, the researchers report. This memory helps it adapt to climate change.

Early detection of allergies, especially in children Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:13 AM PDT People can become allergically sensitized straight from birth. The importance of early screening is therefore important to detect allergies early for the purposes of preventing serious illness. Therefore, true to the slogan for this 2016 action week, "Close the Immunization Gap" the aim is essentially to close gaps in the provision of immunization. However, a prerequisite for providing protective immunization against allergies is to have an accurate allergy diagnosis in the first place.

Stepless control devices with flexible pressure sensors Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:13 AM PDT Silicone is so soft and flexible that it is easily deformed by the pressure of a finger. Researchers have recently created sensors made from this flexible material, making it easier to steplessly control devices. Researchers now present a glove that can measure pressure and a steering wheel that lets the driver control music, light and ventilation at the touch of a finger.

Culture, crowding and social influence all tied to aggressive driving behavior Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:09 AM PDT A study of angry, competitive and aggressive driving suggests that these dangerous behaviors are becoming a worldwide phenomenon of almost epidemic proportions, and are a reflection of a person's surrounding culture, both on the road and on a broader social level.

Who gets hooked on drugs? Rat study finds genetic markers that influence addiction Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:09 AM PDT Why does addiction vulnerability differ from individual to individual? For the first time, scientists have shown in selectively bred animals that the propensity for addiction is linked to differences in expression of genes for specific molecules in a specific brain region. It's also the first demonstration that a DNA tag called an epigenetic marker can predispose an individual to addiction and relapse.

Measuring happiness on social media Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:09 AM PDT Happiness. It's something we all strive for, but how do we measure it--as a country? A global community? Computer scientists used two years of Twitter data to measure users' life satisfaction, a component of happiness.

Origins, spread of potentially deadly Valley Fever tracked Posted: 27 Apr 2016 05:07 AM PDT Scientists have tracked the likely origins and dispersal of the fungus that causes Valley Fever. In a story that spans 2 million years and includes the effects of glaciation and the pre-historic movements of animal hosts, the study sets the stage for tracking future outbreaks of this potentially deadly dust-bound disease as it spreads across arid regions of North and South America.

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