ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Why vultures matter, and what we lose if they're gone
• T cells use 'handshakes' to sort friends from foes
• Exploiting male killing bacteria to control insects
• Bee model could be breakthrough for robot development
• Sex difference in sports interest: What does evolution say?
• No longer lost in translation: Biochemists watch gene expression in real time
• Sea star juveniles abundant, but recovery is anything but guaranteed
• Drug combination could help reduce risk of death in type 2 diabetes
• Six new fossil species form 'snapshot' of primates stressed by ancient climate change
• Tsunami risk: World's shallowest slow-motion earthquakes detected offshore of New Zealand
• Men also at risk for osteoporosis
• Smartphone app for monitoring heart palpitations is comparable to 14-day event monitor
• Come to think of it or not: Study shows how memories can be intentionally forgotten
• We are bad judges of friendship, new study shows
• Gene replacement therapy offers viable treatment option for fatal disease
• Algorithm can improve guidance of crash victims to most appropriate place for care
• Two-minute warnings make kids' 'screen time' tantrums worse
• Molybdenum disulfide holds promise for light absorption
• Measuring a black hole 660 million times as massive as our sun
• Staging system to explain complexity, manage expectations in revision rhinoplasty
• Meat consumption raises mortality rates, analysis of more than 1. 5 million people finds
• Research findings reveal potential to reverse cancer-related nerve pain
• Study points to therapeutic target for common, aggressive ovarian cancer
• Signaling network linked to heart valve defects
• Understanding lock for cellular trap door may lead to better disease treatment
• Tension-sensitive molecule helps cells divide chromosomes accurately
• Intestinal worms boost immune system in a surprising way
• Testing non-breast cancer genes in high-risk women leaves more questions than answers
• New technique can provide better cell transplants against Parkinson's disease
• Superbug infections tracked across Europe
• Role of poly(A) tails in mitosis
• Antibody appears to attack cancer cells, leaving other cells unscathed
• Research suggests diabetes drug acts differently from previous theories
• Lung tumors hijack metabolic processes in the liver, study finds
• Sepsis: Sneak attack or false alarm?
• Team boosts lithium-ion battery performance
• Pond scum and the gene pool: One critical gene in green algae responsible for multicellular evolution, understanding of cancer origin
• First gene linked to temperature sex switch identified
• Prostate cancer screening guidelines called into question
• Study finds link between handedness, mathematical skills
• Thinking differently could affect power of traumatic memories
• Can believing you are a food addict affect your eating behavior?
• Advances in medical care have led to type 1 diabetes boom
• Starving cancer the key to new treatments, say scientists
• Clinical study suggests the origin of glioblastoma subtypes
• How to talk about climate change so people will act
• Atrial fibrillation patients treated with warfarin have higher rates of dementia, new study finds
• Study contradicts belief that cancer protects against Alzheimer's
• Floods, coastal erosion may expose contents of UK landfills, study finds
• Physicists explore superconductivity at the two-dimensional limit
• Cells check DNA segregation at the end of their division
• Scientists to use microbes, methane to create sustainable Omega 3
• Heavy body shape across lifespan associated with highest mortality
• Extreme ICU: 5 percent of patients account for 33 percent of intensive care, need special focus
• Detailed digital human models could hold key to future clinical research
• Timed-release glaucoma drug insert shows promise as alternative to daily drops
• Driving under the influence sounds like a better idea while high on marijuana
• Bipolar disorder has genetic links to autism, study shows

Why vultures matter, and what we lose if they're gone Posted: 05 May 2016 11:50 AM PDT The primary threat to vultures is the presence of toxins in the carrion they consume. Losses of vultures can allow other scavengers to flourish, and proliferation of such scavengers could bring bacteria and viruses from carcasses into human cities, say investigators.

T cells use 'handshakes' to sort friends from foes Posted: 05 May 2016 11:50 AM PDT Chemists provide the first direct evidence that a T cell gives precise mechanical tugs to other cells, and demonstrate that these tugs are central to a T cell's process of deciding whether to mount an immune response.

Exploiting male killing bacteria to control insects Posted: 05 May 2016 11:50 AM PDT A team of scientists has discovered a key mechanism that drives a bacteria that kills male insects, a development that could potentially be exploited to control insect pest species in the future.

Bee model could be breakthrough for robot development Posted: 05 May 2016 11:49 AM PDT Scientists at the University of Sheffield have created a computer model of how bees avoid hitting walls -- which could be a breakthrough in the development of autonomous robots.

Sex difference in sports interest: What does evolution say? Posted: 05 May 2016 11:48 AM PDT Sports are enormously popular, and one striking pattern is that boys and men are typically much more involved than are girls and women. This sex difference has policy implications, and it raises fundamental questions about the nature of sex differences. Although scholars from many disciplines have explored sex differences in sport involvement, few have addressed the issue from a broad, evolutionary perspective. A recent review article synthesizes the relevant theoretical and empirical work.

No longer lost in translation: Biochemists watch gene expression in real time Posted: 05 May 2016 11:48 AM PDT Biochemists have made a live-cell movie of RNA translation, the fundamental cellular process by which a ribosome decodes a protein. Sixty years after Francis Crick first described it, these scientists have illuminated, in a single living cell, this final step of gene expression. Their tools: some clever protein engineering, and a custom-built microscope that can show single-RNA translation with nanoscale precision.

Sea star juveniles abundant, but recovery is anything but guaranteed Posted: 05 May 2016 11:48 AM PDT An unprecedented number of juvenile sea stars have been observed off the Oregon coast over the past several months -- just two years after one of the most severe marine ecosystem epidemics in recorded history nearly wiped the population out.

Drug combination could help reduce risk of death in type 2 diabetes Posted: 05 May 2016 11:47 AM PDT People with type 2 diabetes treated with insulin plus metformin had a reduced risk of death and major cardiac events compared with people treated with insulin alone, a new study shows.

Six new fossil species form 'snapshot' of primates stressed by ancient climate change Posted: 05 May 2016 11:47 AM PDT Researchers have unearthed a "mother lode" of a half-dozen fossil primate species in southern China.These primates eked out an existence just after the Eocene-Oligocene transition, when drastic cooling slashed their populations, rendering discoveries of such fossils especially rare.

Tsunami risk: World's shallowest slow-motion earthquakes detected offshore of New Zealand Posted: 05 May 2016 11:47 AM PDT New research indicates that slow-motion earthquakes or 'slow-slip events' can rupture the shallow portion of a fault that also moves in large, tsunami-generating earthquakes. The finding has important implications for assessing tsunami hazards. The discovery was made by conducting the first-ever detailed investigation of centimeter-level seafloor movement at an offshore subduction zone.

Men also at risk for osteoporosis Posted: 05 May 2016 11:22 AM PDT Screening women for osteoporosis is now routine, however, when it comes to men, most are never screened and therefore suffer the consequences of the disease. In the U.S., nearly 1.5 million men over 65 have osteoporosis, and another 3.5 million men are at risk for developing the disease.

Smartphone app for monitoring heart palpitations is comparable to 14-day event monitor Posted: 05 May 2016 11:09 AM PDT A smartphone app that tracks palpitations in heart patients provides comparable performance to the 14-day event monitors that are the current standard of care, according to a new study.

Come to think of it or not: Study shows how memories can be intentionally forgotten Posted: 05 May 2016 11:09 AM PDT Context plays a big role in our memories, both good and bad. Bruce Springsteen's 'Born to Run' on the car radio, for example, may remind you of your first love -- or your first speeding ticket. But a new brain scanning study shows that people can intentionally forget past experiences by changing how they think about the context of those memories.

We are bad judges of friendship, new study shows Posted: 05 May 2016 11:09 AM PDT Only half of your friends would consider you their friend, a new study suggests. People have a very poor perception of friendship ties, and this limits their ability to influence their "friends," according to the research.

Gene replacement therapy offers viable treatment option for fatal disease Posted: 05 May 2016 11:09 AM PDT Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a disease that causes progressive degeneration in the nerve cells that control muscles, thereby causing muscle weakness and eventually death. SMA affects approximately 200,000 people in the US, often children. Now, researchers are studying a subtype of SMA, spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type 1 (SMARD1), and have developed a gene replacement therapy that can be used to treat and control the disease in the future.

Algorithm can improve guidance of crash victims to most appropriate place for care Posted: 05 May 2016 11:09 AM PDT A new computer algorithm can provide important information on a motor vehicle crash to help ambulance personnel and hospital staff better direct crash victims to the most appropriate care.

Two-minute warnings make kids' 'screen time' tantrums worse Posted: 05 May 2016 11:07 AM PDT Giving young children a two-minute warning that 'screen time' is about to end makes transitions away from tablets, phones, televisions and other technological devices more painful, a new study has found.

Molybdenum disulfide holds promise for light absorption Posted: 05 May 2016 11:07 AM PDT Using a layer of molybdenum disulfide less than 1 nanometer thick, researchers have designed a system that can absorb more than 35 percent of incident light in the 400- to 700-nanometer wavelength range.

Measuring a black hole 660 million times as massive as our sun Posted: 05 May 2016 11:03 AM PDT It's about 660 million times as massive as our sun, and a cloud of gas circles it at about 1.1 million mph. This supermassive black hole sits at the center of a galaxy dubbed NGC 1332, which is 73 million light years from Earth. And an international team of scientists has measured its mass with unprecedented accuracy.

Staging system to explain complexity, manage expectations in revision rhinoplasty Posted: 05 May 2016 11:03 AM PDT Can a staging system -- much like one used to classify cancerous tumors -- help facial plastic surgery patients understand the complexity of their revision rhinoplasty and help to manage their expectations? A new article looks into the issue.

Meat consumption raises mortality rates, analysis of more than 1. 5 million people finds Posted: 05 May 2016 11:00 AM PDT All-cause mortality is higher for those who eat meat, particularly red or processed meat, on a daily basis, a review of large-scale studies involving more than 1.5 million people has found.

Research findings reveal potential to reverse cancer-related nerve pain Posted: 05 May 2016 11:00 AM PDT A study providing new information about neuropathic pain afflicting some 90 percent of cancer patients who have had nerve damage caused by tumors, surgery, chemotherapy or radiation indicates gene therapy as a possible treatment.

Study points to therapeutic target for common, aggressive ovarian cancer Posted: 05 May 2016 11:00 AM PDT Small, non-coding molecules called microRNAs are known to play an important role in cancer development. Researchers now have shown their significance is greater than previously thought, a finding that could lead to new therapeutic approaches for the most common and deadly form of ovarian cancer.

Signaling network linked to heart valve defects Posted: 05 May 2016 11:00 AM PDT A cell-to-cell signaling network in mice that serves as a developmental timer that could provide a framework for better understanding the mechanisms underlying human heart valve disease, say scientists.

Understanding lock for cellular trap door may lead to better disease treatment Posted: 05 May 2016 10:50 AM PDT A team of researchers, who two years ago announced a 'Trojan horse' method of entering a cell without harming it, have now found, in effect, the lock to the cellular 'trap door.'

Tension-sensitive molecule helps cells divide chromosomes accurately Posted: 05 May 2016 10:50 AM PDT A tension-sensitive 'fail safe' protein helps make sure that when our cells divide the two resulting cells inherit the normal number of chromosomes. Chromosome separation errors, leading to too few or too many chromosomes, is the most common genetic abnormality in cancer cells. This latest finding in cell division biology may guide the development of new chemotherapeutic drugs that target the machinery of cell division.

Intestinal worms boost immune system in a surprising way Posted: 05 May 2016 10:50 AM PDT While studying worm infections, scientists have discovered a surprising ability of the immune system. The strange discovery has significant implications for our understanding of how the immune system responds to infections.

Testing non-breast cancer genes in high-risk women leaves more questions than answers Posted: 05 May 2016 10:50 AM PDT Running large, multi-gene sequencing panels to assess cancer risk is a growing trend in medicine as the price of the technology declines and more precise approaches to cancer care gain steam. The tests are particularly common among breast and ovarian cancer patients. However, questions remain about the growing list of mutations and their suspected, but unproven association with breast and ovarian cancer risk.

New technique can provide better cell transplants against Parkinson's disease Posted: 05 May 2016 10:50 AM PDT Researchers have used a completely new preclinical technique and analysis of tissue from patients to show exactly what happens when certain patients with Parkinson's disease are restored as a result of nerve cell transplants. They have also identified what makes many of the transplant patients develop serious side effects in the form of involuntary movements.

Superbug infections tracked across Europe Posted: 05 May 2016 10:50 AM PDT For the first time, scientists have shown that MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and other antibiotic-resistant 'superbug' infections can be tracked across Europe by combining whole-genome sequencing with a web-based system. In a new article, researchers have worked with a European network representing doctors in 450 hospitals in 25 countries to successfully interpret and visualize the spread of drug-resistant MRSA.

Role of poly(A) tails in mitosis Posted: 05 May 2016 10:50 AM PDT Translation efficiency and poly (A) tail length are not linearly correlated and only coupled in limited range, report scientists. This research is, 'helping to build the foundation for further work which could be applied towards cancer research,' they say.

Antibody appears to attack cancer cells, leaving other cells unscathed Posted: 05 May 2016 10:39 AM PDT An antibody has been developed from the body's own immune system that preferentially attacks cancer cells. The antibody works by targeting a natural defense mechanism that cancer tumors exploit. Cells in the body essentially use a home security system that relies on certain proteins to protect the cell surface and keep it safe. These proteins help the cell avoid injury and even death from unwanted activation of the immune system.

Research suggests diabetes drug acts differently from previous theories Posted: 05 May 2016 10:39 AM PDT Laboratory findings do not tell the whole story of how the diabetes drug metformin works to limit the level of glucose in the blood, say scientists. The researchers found that metformin does not limit the action of the hormone glucagon, specifically glucagon-stimulated glucose production from the liver.

Lung tumors hijack metabolic processes in the liver, study finds Posted: 05 May 2016 10:39 AM PDT Scientists who study how circadian rhythms -- our own body clocks -- control liver function have discovered that cancerous lung tumors can hijack this process and profoundly alter metabolism. Their research is the first showing that lung adenocarcinoma can affect the body clock's sway over lipid metabolism and sensitivity to insulin and glucose.

Sepsis: Sneak attack or false alarm? Posted: 05 May 2016 10:38 AM PDT Severe bacterial infections can push the human body into sepsis, a life-threatening cascade of inflammation and cell death that can be difficult to cure. Scientists and doctors have long puzzled over this; why does the body mount such a dangerous, self-damaging response? Researchers propose an explanation: the cells aren't really being invaded. They just think they are.

Team boosts lithium-ion battery performance Posted: 05 May 2016 07:52 AM PDT Researchers are working to solve the problem of short-life of lithium-ion batteries like those used in laptops and cellphones, making them reliable and longer-lasting using a thin-film coating technique called atomic layer deposition (ALD).

Pond scum and the gene pool: One critical gene in green algae responsible for multicellular evolution, understanding of cancer origin Posted: 05 May 2016 07:50 AM PDT A single gene is responsible for the evolution of multicellular organisms, new research indicates. Scientists were looking for what caused single-celled organisms to evolve into multicellular organisms when they discovered the importance of a single gene, retinoblastoma, or RB. RB, known for being defective in cancer patients, is a critical gene necessary for multicellular life; previous theories have indicated that multiple genes might be responsible for multicellularity.

First gene linked to temperature sex switch identified Posted: 05 May 2016 07:50 AM PDT The sex of many reptile species is set by temperature. New research identifies the first gene associated with temperature-dependent sex determination in any reptile. Variation at this gene in snapping turtles contributes to geographic differences in the way sex ratio is influenced by temperature. Understanding the genetics of sex determination could help predict how reptiles will evolve in response to climate change.

Prostate cancer screening guidelines called into question Posted: 05 May 2016 07:48 AM PDT Researchers discuss their findings related to PSA screening, and urge reconsideration of prostate cancer screening after finding critical flaw in landmark study.

Study finds link between handedness, mathematical skills Posted: 05 May 2016 07:48 AM PDT The relationship between handedness and mathematical abilities is controversial. Now researchers say that a link between handedness and mathematical skills exists, but is more complex than is thought.

Thinking differently could affect power of traumatic memories Posted: 05 May 2016 07:48 AM PDT Using a thinking technique called 'concrete processing' could reduce the number of intrusive memories experienced after a traumatic event, say scientists. These intrusive memories are one of the core symptoms of PTSD.

Can believing you are a food addict affect your eating behavior? Posted: 05 May 2016 07:48 AM PDT Obesity is often attributed to an addiction to food and many people believe themselves to be "food addicts." However, until now no studies have looked at whether believing oneself to be a food addict influences how much we eat. Researchers have published a paper regarding their work on how beliefs about food addiction can affect eating behavior.

Advances in medical care have led to type 1 diabetes boom Posted: 05 May 2016 07:47 AM PDT The global increase in cases of type 1 diabetes is directly linked to advances in medical care, researchers say, with the underlying genetics of the disease more likely to be passed from one generation to the next.

Starving cancer the key to new treatments, say scientists Posted: 05 May 2016 07:47 AM PDT Researchers have identified a vital supply route that cancer cells use to obtain their nutrients, in a discovery that could lead to new treatments to stop the growth of tumors. The research team blocked gateways through which the cancer cell was obtaining the amino acid glutamine and found the cells almost completely stopped growing.

Clinical study suggests the origin of glioblastoma subtypes Posted: 05 May 2016 05:57 AM PDT Researchers have demonstrated that distinct types of glioblastoma, the most common form of brain cancer in adults, tend to develop in different regions of the brain. This finding provides an explanation for how the same cancer-causing mutation can give rise to different types of brain malignancies.

How to talk about climate change so people will act Posted: 05 May 2016 05:57 AM PDT Framing the issue of climate change collectively is more effective than emphasis on personal responsibility, finds a new study. People are willing to donate up to 50 percent more cash to the cause when thinking in collective terms. Thinking about climate change from a personal perspective produced little to no change in behavior.

Atrial fibrillation patients treated with warfarin have higher rates of dementia, new study finds Posted: 05 May 2016 05:57 AM PDT Study of more than 10,000 patients treated long term with the blood thinner, warfarin, reveals higher rates of dementia for patients with atrial fibrillation versus non-AF patients.

Study contradicts belief that cancer protects against Alzheimer's Posted: 05 May 2016 05:57 AM PDT Despite studies that claim people with cancer are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease--raising the possibility that what triggers cancer also prevents the neurodegenerative disorder--a new investigation finds a more somber explanation. Many cancer patients don't live long enough to get Alzheimer's.

Floods, coastal erosion may expose contents of UK landfills, study finds Posted: 05 May 2016 05:55 AM PDT The contents of historic coastal landfill sites could pose a significant environmental threat if they erode, according to a new study. There are 1264 historic coastal landfill sites in England and Wales, all of which are sealed and no longer receive waste, but fall wholly or partially within the Environment Agency's Tidal Flood Zone 3.

Physicists explore superconductivity at the two-dimensional limit Posted: 05 May 2016 05:55 AM PDT Researchers show that the superconducting state can be maintained even when the material in question is reduced from three to two dimensions, making the efficiency gains needed for technologies like those underlying the frictionless train possible.

Cells check DNA segregation at the end of their division Posted: 05 May 2016 05:54 AM PDT Researchers are shedding new light on the cell division process, key in embryonic development, and the growth and proliferation of tumors. The study identifies the agents that prevent cells from separating when DNA division is defective.

Scientists to use microbes, methane to create sustainable Omega 3 Posted: 05 May 2016 05:54 AM PDT Scientists are trying to find a new way to produce the nutritional fatty acids called Omega 3 that are currently sourced from fish oil from the world's declining natural fish stocks.

Heavy body shape across lifespan associated with highest mortality Posted: 05 May 2016 05:53 AM PDT People who are lean for life have the lowest mortality, while those with a heavy body shape from childhood up to middle age have the highest mortality, reveal findings of a large study.

Extreme ICU: 5 percent of patients account for 33 percent of intensive care, need special focus Posted: 05 May 2016 05:53 AM PDT Every hospital's ICU has treated them -- the critically ill patients who spend weeks going from crisis to crisis, never quite getting better enough to get out of the ICU, but never quite dying. Now, research shows they really are a different kind of patient -- and that despite their tiny numbers, they're using a vast chunk of healthcare resources. Just 5 percent of ICU patients account for 33 percent of all days ICU beds get used, report investigators.

Detailed digital human models could hold key to future clinical research Posted: 05 May 2016 05:53 AM PDT Computer simulations of disease processes and detailed digital models of our organs could provide more accurate monitoring and outcome measurements for clinical trials, according to research.

Timed-release glaucoma drug insert shows promise as alternative to daily drops Posted: 05 May 2016 05:53 AM PDT A medicated silicone ring that rests on the surface of the eye and slowly releases medication reduced eye pressure in glaucoma patients by about 20 percent over six months. These clinical trial results are the first published research on this type of continuous glaucoma drug delivery technology, which could benefit nearly 3 million people with glaucoma in the United States.

Driving under the influence sounds like a better idea while high on marijuana Posted: 04 May 2016 02:53 PM PDT A new study found that marijuana users who were high at the time they took the survey had substantially higher odds of believing it was safe to drive while under the influence.

Bipolar disorder has genetic links to autism, study shows Posted: 04 May 2016 02:49 PM PDT There may be an overlap between rare genetic variations linked to bipolar disorder and those implicated in schizophrenia and autism, new research suggests.

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