ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Long-term opioids may not be best pain management option for all sickle cell patients
• Ten simple rules to use statistics effectively
• Coral reefs facing a hot time and increased bleaching, especially along US coasts
• Researchers link childhood hunger, violence later in life
• RedEye could let your phone see 24-7
• Rediscovering a wasp after 101 years
• Simple reward-based learning suits adolescents best
• Manta rays are local commuters, not long-distance travelers, study finds
• New electron microscope method detects atomic-scale magnetism
• Researchers find Highland East Asian origin for prehistoric Himalayan populations
• How China can ramp up wind power
• Study focuses on use of instructional videos to aid problem solving
• Scientists glimpse why life can't happen without water
• Tumor cells develop predictable characteristics that are not random, say researchers
• Lessons on personalities help teens cope with social stressors, study says
• Silencing of gene affects people's social lives
• E-cigarette use can alter hundreds of genes involved in airway immune defense
• Research aims to make water-cycle modeling data more accessible
• Better way to 'herd' electrons in solar fuel devices
• Disney princesses: Not brave enough, say researchers
• Breast cancer cells use newfound pathway to survive low oxygen levels in tumors
• Tailored DNA shifts electrons into the 'fast lane'
• Brain markers of numeric, verbal and spatial reasoning abilities
• Marketing study shows lenient return policy may increase sales
• A novel therapy for genital herpes engages immune cells to provide significant patient benefits
• Stealth nanocapsules kill Chagas parasites in mouse models
• How early mammals evolved night vision to avoid predators
• Understanding the resistance to treatments against breast cancer
• When suppressing immunity is a good thing
• Scientists discover on/off switch for obesity-associated cancer
• Mystery of powerful lightning at sea not solved completely
• Threats to habitat connectivity as sea waters inundate coastal areas
• Crowdsourcing platform makes public gene expression data more accessible
• Low attention control in early adolescence is a genetic risk factor for anxiety disorders
• Solar cells for greener and safer energies
• Chip makes parallel programs run faster with less code
• 'Space tsunami' causes the third Van Allen Belt
• Breathing space for the Gulf Stream
• Shedding light on an assistant protein
• New brain map could enable novel therapies for autism,Huntington's disease
• 'Holy grail' of breast cancer prevention in high-risk women may be in sight
• 'Aspirin-Guide' app for clinicians helps personalize decisions about aspirin use
• 10,000 windows onto biomolecular information processing
• Scientists engineer tunable DNA for electronics applications
• Has incidence of Parkinson's disease increased over past 30 years?
• Titan shines light on high-temperature superconductor pathway
• Tiny alpaca-derived antibodies point to targets preventing viral infection
• The healing powers of music: Mozart and Strauss for treating hypertension
• Newborn giant planet grazes its star
• Ultra-thin solar cells can easily bend around a pencil
• Apparel causes additional barriers for people living with disabilities
• Molecular map provides clues to zinc-related diseases
• First harvest of ancient southern wheat exceeds expectations
• New technique improves accuracy of computer vision technologies
• Plant kingdom provides two new candidates for the war on antibiotic resistance
• Research team synthesizes new cancer fighter
• Osimertinib in lung cancer: Added benefit not proven
• Sacubitril/valsartan in heart failure: Differing added benefit
• Four new risk genes associated with multiple sclerosis discovered
• Heat sickens corals in global bleaching event

Long-term opioids may not be best pain management option for all sickle cell patients Posted: 20 Jun 2016 04:14 PM PDT In a small study looking at pain assessments in adults with sickle cell disease, researchers say overall, those treated long-term with opioids often fared worse in measures of pain, fatigue and curtailed daily activities than those not on long-term opioids.

Ten simple rules to use statistics effectively Posted: 20 Jun 2016 04:14 PM PDT Under growing pressure to report accurate findings as they interpret increasingly larger amounts of data, researchers are finding it more important than ever to follow sound statistical practices.

Coral reefs facing a hot time and increased bleaching, especially along US coasts Posted: 20 Jun 2016 04:13 PM PDT A new NOAA outlook shows that many coral reefs across around the world will likely be exposed to higher-than-normal sea temperatures for an unprecedented third year in a row, leading to increased bleaching - and with no signs of stopping. While the bleaching event is global, it will hit the US hard.

Researchers link childhood hunger, violence later in life Posted: 20 Jun 2016 01:11 PM PDT Children who often go hungry have a greater risk of developing impulse control problems and engaging in violence, according to new research.

RedEye could let your phone see 24-7 Posted: 20 Jun 2016 01:11 PM PDT Researchers have just the thing for information overload: image-processing technology that sees all and remembers only what it should. RedEye could allow computers to continuously see what their owners see.

Rediscovering a wasp after 101 years Posted: 20 Jun 2016 01:11 PM PDT A species of wasp that is a natural enemy of a wood-boring beetle that kills black locust trees has been rediscovered, more than 100 years after the last wasp of this species was found.

Simple reward-based learning suits adolescents best Posted: 20 Jun 2016 01:10 PM PDT Adolescents focus on rewards and are less able to learn to avoid punishment or consider the consequences of alternative actions, finds a new study. The study compared how adolescents and adults learn to make choices based on the available information.

Manta rays are local commuters, not long-distance travelers, study finds Posted: 20 Jun 2016 01:10 PM PDT Oceanic manta rays -- often thought to take epic migrations -- might actually be homebodies, according to a new study. A research team studied satellite-tracked manta rays to shed light on the lives of these mysterious ocean giants.

New electron microscope method detects atomic-scale magnetism Posted: 20 Jun 2016 01:10 PM PDT Scientists can now detect magnetic behavior at the atomic level with a new electron microscopy technique. The researchers took a counter intuitive approach by taking advantage of optical distortions that they typically try to eliminate.

Researchers find Highland East Asian origin for prehistoric Himalayan populations Posted: 20 Jun 2016 01:10 PM PDT Researchers have conducted the first ancient DNA investigation of the Himalayan arc, generating genomic data for eight individuals ranging in time from the earliest known human settlements to the establishment of the Tibetan Empire. The findings demonstrate that the genetic make-up of high-altitude Himalayan populations has remained remarkably stable despite cultural transitions and exposure to outside populations through trade.

How China can ramp up wind power Posted: 20 Jun 2016 01:10 PM PDT China has an opportunity to massively increase its use of wind power -- if it properly integrates wind into its existing power system, according to a new study. The research forecasts that wind power could provide 26 percent of China's projected electricity demand by 2030, up from 3 percent in 2015.

Study focuses on use of instructional videos to aid problem solving Posted: 20 Jun 2016 01:02 PM PDT New research aims to help educators quantify how the best students perform problem solving with the aid of instructional videos, a step toward learning how to better coach students in difficult engineering curricula.

Scientists glimpse why life can't happen without water Posted: 20 Jun 2016 01:02 PM PDT Scientists are getting closer to directly observing how and why water is essential to life as we know it.

Tumor cells develop predictable characteristics that are not random, say researchers Posted: 20 Jun 2016 01:02 PM PDT Tumors are composed of many subpopulations of cells. Some of these subpopulations of cancer cells can be predicted and do not develop randomly as previously thought, report investigators.

Lessons on personalities help teens cope with social stressors, study says Posted: 20 Jun 2016 01:02 PM PDT Teaching teens that social and personality traits can change helps them cope with social challenges such as bullying, which in turn can help mitigate stress and improve academic performance, according to a study.

Silencing of gene affects people's social lives Posted: 20 Jun 2016 01:01 PM PDT Psychologists have found that the silencing of a specific gene may affect human social behavior, including a person's ability to form healthy relationships or to recognize the emotional states of others.

E-cigarette use can alter hundreds of genes involved in airway immune defense Posted: 20 Jun 2016 11:13 AM PDT Smoking cigarettes alters dozens of genes important for immune defense in epithelial cells in the respiratory tract. These changes likely increase the risk of bacterial infections, viruses, and inflammation. Now, scientists report that e-cigarette use alters hundreds of genes, including the same ones that smoking suppress.

Research aims to make water-cycle modeling data more accessible Posted: 20 Jun 2016 11:13 AM PDT Improved publication strategy for authors who use hydrological modeling software will make model data easier for readers to understand and reuse, according to an international team of researchers.

Better way to 'herd' electrons in solar fuel devices Posted: 20 Jun 2016 11:13 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a new way to optimize electron transfer in semi-conductors used in solar fuel solutions.

Disney princesses: Not brave enough, say researchers Posted: 20 Jun 2016 11:13 AM PDT Gendered behavior can become problematic if girls avoid important learning experiences. A new article looks at how Disney Princesses play a role.

Breast cancer cells use newfound pathway to survive low oxygen levels in tumors Posted: 20 Jun 2016 11:13 AM PDT Oxygen is important for the proper function of all human cells, but cancer cells thrive even when deprived of it. Now, researchers have identified a new signaling pathway that helps cancer cells cope with the lack of oxygen found inside tumors.

Tailored DNA shifts electrons into the 'fast lane' Posted: 20 Jun 2016 11:13 AM PDT DNA molecules don't just code our genetic instructions. They also have the unique ability to conduct electricity and self-assemble into well-defined shapes, making them potential candidates for building low-cost nanoelectronic devices. A study now shows how DNA sequences can be manipulated to turn these ribbon-shaped molecules into electron 'highways,' allowing electricity to flow more easily through the strand.

Brain markers of numeric, verbal and spatial reasoning abilities Posted: 20 Jun 2016 11:09 AM PDT A new study begins to clarify how brain structure and chemistry give rise to specific aspects of 'fluid intelligence,' the ability to adapt to new situations and solve problems one has never encountered before.

Marketing study shows lenient return policy may increase sales Posted: 20 Jun 2016 11:09 AM PDT A meta-analysis of retail return policies may lead businesses to modify their policies to increase sales and reduce returns. The study found that return policies that offer consumers more monetary rewards are likely to increase their consumer purchases.

A novel therapy for genital herpes engages immune cells to provide significant patient benefits Posted: 20 Jun 2016 11:09 AM PDT A phase II clinical trial demonstrated that a new type of treatment for genital herpes, an immunotherapy called GEN-003, may reduce the activity of the virus and the number of days with recurrent herpes. This effect of treatment, given by a series of three injections, appears to last for up to at least one year.

Stealth nanocapsules kill Chagas parasites in mouse models Posted: 20 Jun 2016 11:09 AM PDT Lychnopholide, a substance isolated from a Brazilian plant, and formulated as part of 'nanocapsules' cured more than half of a group of mice that had been infected experimentally with Chagas disease parasites.

How early mammals evolved night vision to avoid predators Posted: 20 Jun 2016 11:09 AM PDT Early mammals evolved in a burst during the Jurassic period, adapting a nocturnal lifestyle when dinosaurs were the dominant daytime predator. How these early mammals evolved night vision to find food and survive has been a mystery, but a new study suggests that rods in the mammalian eye, extremely sensitive to light, developed from color-detecting cone cells during this time to give mammals an edge in low-light conditions.

Understanding the resistance to treatments against breast cancer Posted: 20 Jun 2016 11:09 AM PDT Estrogens are responsible for the survival and proliferation of tumor cells in 70 percent of breast cancer cases. Nearly a third of the patients develop a resistance to anti-estrogen treatments such as tamoxifen after a few years. Biologists now reveal how tumor cells become refractory to the drug. They succeeded in identifying eight factors involved in the process of resistance to the treatment. The researchers also suggest various approaches for developing new therapies.

When suppressing immunity is a good thing Posted: 20 Jun 2016 09:05 AM PDT A receptor, first known for its role in mediating the harmful effects of the environmental pollutant dioxin in our body, is now understood to play other important roles in modulating the innate immune response.

Scientists discover on/off switch for obesity-associated cancer Posted: 20 Jun 2016 09:04 AM PDT Having established that excessive fat tissue can fuel the growth of certain cancers, researchers have turned their attention to the molecular mechanisms involved in the process in the hopes of developing new cancer treatments. Now new research sheds light on the link between obesity and cancer.

Mystery of powerful lightning at sea not solved completely Posted: 20 Jun 2016 09:04 AM PDT The mystery of why most of the most powerful lightning on Earth happens over the oceans isn't solved, but a few of the usual suspects are no longer in custody. It's possible the increased presence of salt in the atmosphere plays a role.

Threats to habitat connectivity as sea waters inundate coastal areas Posted: 20 Jun 2016 09:03 AM PDT By the year 2100, sea levels might rise as much as 2.5 meters above their current levels, which would seriously threaten coastal cities and other low-lying areas. In turn, this would force animals to migrate farther inland in search of higher ground. But accelerated urbanization, such as the rapidly expanding Piedmont area that stretches from Atlanta to eastern North Carolina, could cut off their escape routes and create climate-induced extinctions.

Crowdsourcing platform makes public gene expression data more accessible Posted: 20 Jun 2016 09:03 AM PDT Scientists have developed a free online platform that uses a crowdsourcing approach to make public gene expression data more accessible to biomedical researchers without computational expertise.

Low attention control in early adolescence is a genetic risk factor for anxiety disorders Posted: 20 Jun 2016 09:03 AM PDT Low attention control in early adolescence is related to a genetic risk factor for four different anxiety disorders, researchers have found. Young teens who suffer from anxiety are also more vulnerable to additional problems like depression, drug dependence, suicidal behavior and educational underachievement.

Solar cells for greener and safer energies Posted: 20 Jun 2016 09:03 AM PDT Researchers report on low-temperature, solution-processed, environmentally friendly inorganic solar cells made with Earth-abundant materials capable of operating with a power conversion of 6.3 percent.

Chip makes parallel programs run faster with less code Posted: 20 Jun 2016 09:03 AM PDT Researchers present a new chip design they call Swarm, which should make parallel programs not only much more efficient but easier to write, too.

'Space tsunami' causes the third Van Allen Belt Posted: 20 Jun 2016 09:03 AM PDT Earth's magnetosphere, the region of space dominated by Earth's magnetic field, protects our planet from the harsh battering of the solar wind. Like a protective shield, the magnetosphere absorbs and deflects plasma from the solar wind which originates from the Sun. Extreme space weather storms can create intense radiation in the Van Allen belts and drive electrical currents which can damage terrestrial electrical power grids. Earth could then be at risk for up to trillions of dollars of damage.

Breathing space for the Gulf Stream Posted: 20 Jun 2016 09:02 AM PDT The salinity of the waters around Greenland plays an important role in driving the Gulf Stream. There are concerns that a freshening by the increasing ice losses from the Greenland ice sheet could weaken the current system. New model calculations conducted by an international research team suggest, however, that a large fraction of this meltwater is removed from the most sensitive areas by boundary currents, delaying the influence on the Gulf Stream.

Shedding light on an assistant protein Posted: 20 Jun 2016 09:02 AM PDT Scientists can now observe in-protein motions with high spatial and temporal resolution. This is made possible by a new technology, giving new insight into the functional mechanisms of very special proteins.

New brain map could enable novel therapies for autism,Huntington's disease Posted: 20 Jun 2016 09:02 AM PDT Scientists have mapped an uncharted portion of the mouse brain to explain which circuit disruptions might occur in disorders such as Huntington's disease and autism. They looked at the connections of a part of the brain responsible for motor learning, the dorsal striatum. Researchers said they are the first to create the most comprehensive map of connections between the dorsal striatum and the cerebral cortex that is available for any mammal.

'Holy grail' of breast cancer prevention in high-risk women may be in sight Posted: 20 Jun 2016 09:02 AM PDT An existing medication could have promise in preventing breast cancer in women carrying a faulty BRCA1 gene, researchers have discovered.

'Aspirin-Guide' app for clinicians helps personalize decisions about aspirin use Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:59 AM PDT To help clinicians and patients make informed decisions about aspirin use, researchers have developed a new, free, mobile app, 'Aspirin-Guide' that calculates both the CVD risk score and the bleeding risk score for the individual patient, and helps clinicians decide which patients are appropriate candidates for the use of low-dose aspirin.

10,000 windows onto biomolecular information processing Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:59 AM PDT A new 'brute force' technique has been developed to test thousands of biochemical reactions at once and quickly home in on the range of conditions where they work best. Until now, optimizing such biomolecular systems, which can be applied for example to diagnostics, would have required months or years of trial and error experiments, but with this new technique that could be shortened to days.

Scientists engineer tunable DNA for electronics applications Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:59 AM PDT A team has been able to understand and manipulate DNA to more finely tune the flow of electricity through it. The key findings, which can make DNA behave in different ways -- cajoling electrons to smoothly flow like electricity through a metal wire, or hopping electrons about like the semiconductors materials that power our computers and cell phones, paves the way for an exciting new avenue of research advancements.

Has incidence of Parkinson's disease increased over past 30 years? Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:59 AM PDT A study of patients in a Minnesota county suggests the incidence (new cases) of parkinsonism and Parkinson's disease may have increased over the past 30 years but that trend may not be genuine and must be confirmed in other populations.

Titan shines light on high-temperature superconductor pathway Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:28 AM PDT Scientists have used the Titan supercomputer at ORNL to simulate cuprates on the path to superconductivity. The team focused on a pivotal juncture on the cuprates' path called the pseudogap phase, an in-between phase before superconductivity in which cuprates exhibit both insulating and conducting properties.

Tiny alpaca-derived antibodies point to targets preventing viral infection Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:28 AM PDT Using tiny, alpaca-derived, single-domain antibody fragments, scientists have developed a method to perturb cellular processes in mammalian cells, allowing them to tease apart the roles that individual proteins play in these pathways. With improved knowledge of protein activity, scientists can better understand not only basic biology but also how disease corrupts cellular function and identify potential therapeutics to rectify these aberrations.

The healing powers of music: Mozart and Strauss for treating hypertension Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:25 AM PDT The music of Mozart and Strauss is able to lower blood lipid concentrations and the heart rate. This is the result of a study of the effect of different musical genres on the cardiovascular system.

Newborn giant planet grazes its star Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:25 AM PDT For the past 20 years, exoplanets known as 'hot Jupiters' have puzzled astronomers. These giant planets orbit 100 times closer to their host stars than Jupiter does to the Sun, which increases their surface temperatures. But how and when in their history did they migrate so close to their star? Now, an international team of astronomers has announced the discovery of a very young hot Jupiter orbiting in the immediate vicinity of a star that is barely two million years old -- the stellar equivalent of a week-old infant. This first-ever evidence that hot Jupiters can appear at such an early stage represents a major step forward in our understanding of how planetary systems form and evolve.

Ultra-thin solar cells can easily bend around a pencil Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:25 AM PDT New flexible photovoltaics could power wearable electronics.

Apparel causes additional barriers for people living with disabilities Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:23 AM PDT The US clothing industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, but for the millions of Americans with disabilities and their families, a lack of options in the apparel industry presents daily challenges. One researcher has found that the lack of adequate, accessible apparel created barriers for people with disabilities from engaging in their communities. She identified the need for innovation in design, production, distribution and sale of adaptive clothing.

Molecular map provides clues to zinc-related diseases Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:22 AM PDT Mapping the molecular structure where medicine goes to work is a crucial step toward drug discovery against deadly diseases. Researchers have taken that critical first step by providing a crystal structure of the extracellular domain, or ECD, of ZIP4 -- the exclusive protein responsible for the uptake of zinc from food. The ZIP family consists of thousands of zinc/iron transporter proteins, and this work represents the first-ever structural information of the ZIP family at the atomic level.

First harvest of ancient southern wheat exceeds expectations Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:22 AM PDT Last month, a scientist harvested about 145 pounds of Purple Straw seed, which was grown from less than half a pound. Purple Straw is the only heirloom wheat to have been cultivated continually in the South from the Colonial Period into the last quarter of the 20th century.

New technique improves accuracy of computer vision technologies Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:22 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new technique that improves the ability of computer vision technologies to better identify and separate objects in an image, a process called segmentation.

Plant kingdom provides two new candidates for the war on antibiotic resistance Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:22 AM PDT New research has discovered peptides from two crop species that have antimicrobial effects on bacteria implicated in food spoilage and food poisoning. They are similar in structure to a human peptide used to guard against beer-spoiling bacteria.

Research team synthesizes new cancer fighter Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:20 AM PDT Scientists have synthesized a novel anti-cancer agent, Thailanstatin A, which was originally isolated from a bacterial species collected in Thailand.

Osimertinib in lung cancer: Added benefit not proven Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:20 AM PDT Due to a lack of studies of direct comparisons the manufacturer subsequently submitted historical comparisons, but the visible effects were not large enough for conclusions on added benefit.

Sacubitril/valsartan in heart failure: Differing added benefit Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:20 AM PDT Due to a subgroup effect, reviewers have found that there is an indication of a minor added benefit for patients with diabetes, and an indication of a considerable added benefit for patients without diabetes, when using Sacubitril/valsartan in heart failure.

Four new risk genes associated with multiple sclerosis discovered Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:20 AM PDT Scientists have identified four new risk genes that are altered in patients with multiple sclerosis. The results point to a possible involvement of cellular mechanisms in the development of the disease, through which environmental influences affect gene regulation.

Heat sickens corals in global bleaching event Posted: 20 Jun 2016 08:20 AM PDT Australian scientists report that many surviving corals affected by mass bleaching from high sea temperatures on the northern Great Barrier Reef are the sickest they have ever seen.

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