ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Grade-school students teach a robot to help themselves learn geometry
• Air pollution linked to increased rates of kidney disease
• Artificial pancreas likely to be available by 2018
• Tracking brain atrophy in MS could become routine, thanks to new software
• Telomere length is indicator of blood count recovery in treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia
• A bewildering form of sand dune discovered on Mars
• Risk of blindness from spine surgery down significantly
• New technology could improve use of small-scale hydropower in developing nations
• First signs of healing in the Antarctic ozone layer
• Microbes, nitrogen and plant responses to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide
• Treating autoimmune disease without harming normal immunity
• Harnessing an innate repair mechanism enhances success of retinal transplantation
• Resistant starch may benefit people with metabolic syndrome
• Scientists develop computer models to unravel the complexities of TB infection
• A little spark for sharper sight
• New experimental system sheds light on how memory loss may occur
• Fast fluency: Can we identify quick language learners?
• The energy spectrum of particles will help make out black holes
• Does discrimination increase drinking?
• New insight into the most common genetic cause of ALS, FTD
• Zebrafish reveal the ups and downs of vision
• Researchers identify calorie-burning pathway in fat cells
• Pea plants demonstrate ability to 'gamble' -- a first in plants
• Study finds potential treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• MRI technique induces strong, enduring visual association
• Likelihood of widespread Zika outbreak in United States low
• Weight-loss technologies train the brain to resist temptation
• How will genomics enter day-to-day medicine?
• New study compares transportation energy efficiency of local and conventional food
• Need skills? Corporate volunteering programs not always best place to acquire them
• New effort uses implementation science to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission
• Researchers develop effective strategy for disrupting bacterial biofilms
• Falls in months before surgery are common in adults of all ages
• Incidence of cancer in patients with large colorectal polyps lower than previously thought
• Hubble captures vivid auroras in Jupiter’s atmosphere
• Role played by solvents at extreme pressure
• Electron scavenging to mimic radiation damage
• Wireless, wearable toxic-gas detector
• In times of great famine, microalgae digest themselves
• New research may help to develop effective pain killers
• Media not the scapegoat when it comes to teen sex
• Bioinformatics software developed to predict effect of cancer-associated mutations
• Thinking 'I can do better' really can improve performance, study finds
• New method tells growers more about citrus decay
• Study pinpoints behavior type linked to binge drinking in young adults
• Chaotic orbit of Comet Halley explained
• Radiography of drought periods in Spain from the last 318 years
• Benefit of art therapy in reducing psychological problems in Syrian refugee children
• Chemoradiotherapy after surgery for gastric cancer shows similar outcomes to post-operative chemotherapy
• Potential flaws in test for Lyme Disease
• The RNA that snips and stitches RNA
• Brilliant hard drive quality with magnetic field sensors made of diamond
• Mimicking the development of the whole eye with human iPS cells
• Expedition to test new technologies for deep sea deposit exploration
• Antidiabetic effects discovered in the appetite hormone CART
• The irony of awkward: Study shows the effects of problematic media on social withdrawal for young millennials
• Thousands on one chip: New method to study proteins
• Erasing unpleasant memories with a genetic switch
• Shape-changing 'smart' material: Heat, light stimulate self-assembly
• Smartphone apps not so smart at helping users avoid or achieve pregnancy

Grade-school students teach a robot to help themselves learn geometry Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:45 PM PDT Researchers create rTAG, a tangible learning environment that utilizes teachable agent framing, together with a physical robotic agent to get students away from the traditional computer monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

Air pollution linked to increased rates of kidney disease Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:45 PM PDT While air pollution is known to cause respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, a new study indicates that it also likely causes damage to the kidneys.

Artificial pancreas likely to be available by 2018 Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:45 PM PDT The artificial pancreas -- a device which monitors blood glucose in patients with type 1 diabetes and then automatically adjusts levels of insulin entering the body -- is likely to be available by 2018, conclude authors of a new paper.

Tracking brain atrophy in MS could become routine, thanks to new software Posted: 30 Jun 2016 01:37 PM PDT The loss of brain tissue, called brain atrophy, is a normal part of aging, but multiple sclerosis (MS) accelerates the process. Such atrophy is a critical indicator of physical and cognitive decline in MS, yet because measuring brain atrophy is expensive and complicated, it's done primarily in research settings. That may be changing, say scientists.

Telomere length is indicator of blood count recovery in treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Posted: 30 Jun 2016 12:53 PM PDT The chemotherapy treatments necessary to treat Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in children can be grueling on the body, and can cause health-related complications during therapy, as well as long down the road after remission. Children receiving chemotherapy for AML receive 4 to 5 intensive chemotherapy courses, and while some children recover quickly from each course, others may take several months or more, which increases their risk for life-threatening infections.

A bewildering form of sand dune discovered on Mars Posted: 30 Jun 2016 12:02 PM PDT Some of the wind-sculpted sand ripples on Mars are a type not seen on Earth, and their relationship to the thin Martian atmosphere provides new clues about the atmosphere's history.

Risk of blindness from spine surgery down significantly Posted: 30 Jun 2016 11:56 AM PDT The risk of blindness caused by spinal fusion, one of the most common surgeries performed in the U.S., has dropped almost three-fold since the late 1990s, according to the largest study of the topic to date.

New technology could improve use of small-scale hydropower in developing nations Posted: 30 Jun 2016 11:50 AM PDT Engineers have created a new computer modeling package that people anywhere in the world could use to assess the potential of a stream for small-scale, 'run of river' hydropower, an option to produce electricity that's of special importance in the developing world.

First signs of healing in the Antarctic ozone layer Posted: 30 Jun 2016 11:50 AM PDT Scientists have found the first 'fingerprints of healing' for the Antarctic ozone hole. The September ozone hole has shrunk by more than 4 million square kilometers since 2000, when ozone depletion was at its peak.

Microbes, nitrogen and plant responses to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide Posted: 30 Jun 2016 11:45 AM PDT Plants can grow faster as atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations increase, but only if they have enough nitrogen or partner with fungi that help them get it, according to new research.

Treating autoimmune disease without harming normal immunity Posted: 30 Jun 2016 11:44 AM PDT With potentially major implications for the future treatment of autoimmunity and related conditions, scientists have found a way to remove the subset of antibody-making cells that cause an autoimmune disease, without harming the rest of the immune system. They studied an autoimmune disease called pemphigus vulgaris, a condition in which a patient's own immune cells attack a protein called desmoglein-3 that normally adheres skin cells.

Harnessing an innate repair mechanism enhances success of retinal transplantation Posted: 30 Jun 2016 11:44 AM PDT Cell replacement therapies hold promise for many age-related diseases, but efforts to bring treatments to patients have not been very successful -- in large part because the newly derived cells can't integrate efficiently into tissues affected by the ravages of aging. This is poised to change. Researchers have harnessed a naturally occurring anti-inflammatory mechanism that repaired the eye and significantly enhanced the success of retinal regenerative therapies in mice. The results could be particularly significant for macular degeneration.

Resistant starch may benefit people with metabolic syndrome Posted: 30 Jun 2016 11:09 AM PDT The secret ingredient is in the flour, but its impact lies within the gut. Adding resistant starch to the diets of people with metabolic syndrome can improve bacteria in the gut, according to research. These changes help lower bad cholesterol and decrease inflammation associated with obesity.

Scientists develop computer models to unravel the complexities of TB infection Posted: 30 Jun 2016 11:09 AM PDT Scientists used computers to model the formation of tuberculosis granulomas in the lung -- the non-active (latent) form of infection found in 2 billion individuals worldwide (11 million in the U.S.) that can activate to become a life-threatening infection. Employing a computer model aims to speed analysis of TB's complex life-cycle and to identify potential new antibiotics, antibiotic targets, and biomarkers that can predict transition to active infection.

A little spark for sharper sight Posted: 30 Jun 2016 11:09 AM PDT Stimulating the brain with a mild electrical current can temporarily sharpen vision without glasses or contacts, researchers have found.

New experimental system sheds light on how memory loss may occur Posted: 30 Jun 2016 11:05 AM PDT Spatial memory decays when the entorhinal cortex is not functioning properly, a new mouse model shows. The study, say the authors, provides new information about how dysfunction of this circuit may contribute to memory loss in Alzheimer's disease.

Fast fluency: Can we identify quick language learners? Posted: 30 Jun 2016 11:05 AM PDT Ever wonder why some people seem to learn new languages faster? The secret might lie in the brain activity they generate while relaxing.

The energy spectrum of particles will help make out black holes Posted: 30 Jun 2016 11:05 AM PDT Scientists have devised a method of distinguishing black holes from compact massive objects that are externally indistinguishable from one another. The method involves studying the energy spectrum of particles moving in the vicinity - in one case it will be continuous and in the other it will be discrete.

Does discrimination increase drinking? Posted: 30 Jun 2016 11:04 AM PDT Another negative health outcome linked to discrimination has been uncovered by research: alcohol abuse.

New insight into the most common genetic cause of ALS, FTD Posted: 30 Jun 2016 10:59 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a novel function of the C9orf72 protein which is linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) -- giving a new insight into the most common genetic cause of the degenerative diseases.

Zebrafish reveal the ups and downs of vision Posted: 30 Jun 2016 10:59 AM PDT Researchers have shed light on how we perceive and recognize specific visual stimuli.

Researchers identify calorie-burning pathway in fat cells Posted: 30 Jun 2016 10:59 AM PDT Investigators have identified a natural molecular pathway that enables cells to burn off calories as heat rather than store them as fat. This raises the possibility of a new approach to treating and preventing obesity, diabetes, and other obesity-linked metabolic disorders including cancer.

Pea plants demonstrate ability to 'gamble' -- a first in plants Posted: 30 Jun 2016 10:58 AM PDT Pea plants can demonstrate sensitivity to risk -- namely, that they can make adaptive choices that take into account environmental variance, an ability previously unknown outside the animal kingdom. In the study, pea plants were grown with their roots split between two pots, thus facing the decision of which pot to prioritize.

Study finds potential treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease Posted: 30 Jun 2016 10:58 AM PDT Researchers report on a targeted molecular therapy that dramatically reduces the initial development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in laboratory mouse models of the disease. The study found increased levels of an enzyme called cdk4 in patients with NAFLD and in mouse models. Using two drugs that inhibit cdk4 in mouse models reduced development of hepatic steatosis -- the first stage of the disease.

MRI technique induces strong, enduring visual association Posted: 30 Jun 2016 10:58 AM PDT Volunteers in a brain science experiment learned associations between patterns and color such that when shown the patterns later, they were still biased to perceive the color even if it wasn't really there.

Likelihood of widespread Zika outbreak in United States low Posted: 30 Jun 2016 08:55 AM PDT High mosquito and human population densities, combined with mosquito breeding conditions, are the central cause for Zika virus.

Weight-loss technologies train the brain to resist temptation Posted: 30 Jun 2016 08:54 AM PDT Can a computer game train your brain to resist sweets? The game is designed to improve a person's "inhibitory control," the part of the brain that stops you from giving into unhealthy cravings -- even when the smell of French fries is practically begging you to step inside a fast food restaurant. Researchers are testing whether a new smartphone app and computer game can change behaviors.

How will genomics enter day-to-day medicine? Posted: 30 Jun 2016 08:54 AM PDT A quiet transformation has been brewing in medicine, as large-scale DNA results become increasingly available to patients and healthcare providers. Amid a cascade of data, physicians, counselors and families are sorting out how to better understand and use this information in making health care decisions.

New study compares transportation energy efficiency of local and conventional food Posted: 30 Jun 2016 08:53 AM PDT A marketing specialist has compared the transportation efficiencies of the conventional and local fruit and vegetable transportation networks in the Knoxville-area surrounding the University's flagship campus.

Need skills? Corporate volunteering programs not always best place to acquire them Posted: 30 Jun 2016 08:53 AM PDT Corporate volunteering programs are widely credited by business leaders and volunteers for giving participants valuable work-related skills. A new study suggests there is some truth to these claims, but that skill development is linked to personal characteristics and the nature of the volunteering experience that must include meaningful work that takes volunteers outside their comfort zone

New effort uses implementation science to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission Posted: 30 Jun 2016 08:53 AM PDT An emerging field, known as implementation science, may help reduce the nearly 150,000 instances of mother-to-child HIV transmissions that occur annually around the world, mostly in developing countries. A team of scientists and program managers has been studying a variety of implementation science approaches to prevent mother-to-child transmission.

Researchers develop effective strategy for disrupting bacterial biofilms Posted: 30 Jun 2016 08:53 AM PDT A new discovery provides strong evidence that an innovative therapeutic approach may be effective in the resolution of bacterial biofilm diseases.

Falls in months before surgery are common in adults of all ages Posted: 30 Jun 2016 08:53 AM PDT Falling up to six months before an elective surgery was common and caused injuries among adults of all ages, according to researchers. Surprisingly, the frequency of falls among middle-aged patients was higher than those who were elderly. The study suggests that falling may be an important indicator of baseline health.

Incidence of cancer in patients with large colorectal polyps lower than previously thought Posted: 30 Jun 2016 08:53 AM PDT For the majority of patients with large or difficult to remove colorectal polyps (growths in the colon), the incidence of cancer is actually lower than previously thought, and using more advanced endoscopic techniques that spare the colon may be a better, safer alternative to a traditional operation in certain cases, according to study results.

Hubble captures vivid auroras in Jupiter’s atmosphere Posted: 30 Jun 2016 07:23 AM PDT Astronomers are using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to study auroras -- stunning light shows in a planet's atmosphere -- on the poles of the largest planet in the Solar System, Jupiter.

Role played by solvents at extreme pressure Posted: 30 Jun 2016 07:22 AM PDT Researchers investigated the behavior of the small molecule TMAO in water from normal conditions up to ten kilobars. Experiment and simulation showed that some bands in the infrared spectrum shift to higher frequencies at high pressure and also change their shape due to a change in the hydrogen bond network. Such findings open up the prospect of helping to understand how organisms have adapted at the molecular level to life under extreme pressures.

Electron scavenging to mimic radiation damage Posted: 30 Jun 2016 07:22 AM PDT High energy radiation affects biological tissues, leading to short-term reactions. These generate, as a secondary product, electrons with low energy, referred to as LEEs, which are ultimately involved in radiation damage. In a new study, scientists study the effect of LEEs on a material called trifluoroacetamide.

Wireless, wearable toxic-gas detector Posted: 30 Jun 2016 07:22 AM PDT Wearable, wireless sensors have now been developed by researchers, based on carbon nanotubes, that can detect toxic gases and can be worn by soldiers to detect hazardous chemical agents.

In times of great famine, microalgae digest themselves Posted: 30 Jun 2016 07:22 AM PDT The molecular mechanisms which microalgae apply in order to switch from rapid cell division to growth-arrest during times of acute nutrient deficiency, researchers have determined.

New research may help to develop effective pain killers Posted: 30 Jun 2016 07:22 AM PDT If you have ever chopped chilies and then accidentally touched your eyes you will be familiar with the burning sensation that this causes. However, the substance responsible for this sensation can also have beneficial effects. Unfortunately, it often causes side effects such as a strong burning sensation. Researchers have now identified another substance that could be just as effective at combating severe pain but is much more easily tolerated.

Media not the scapegoat when it comes to teen sex Posted: 30 Jun 2016 07:22 AM PDT Parents and society shouldn't shift the blame for young people's sexual behavior on what teens supposedly see and read in the media about intimate encounters. So says a researcher who led a thorough systematic analysis of 22 relevant studies on the topic.

Bioinformatics software developed to predict effect of cancer-associated mutations Posted: 30 Jun 2016 07:20 AM PDT A new piece of software has been developed that analyses mutations in proteins. These mutations are potential inducers of diseases, such as cancer. The development is free, easy, versatile and, above all, fast bioinformatics application that is capable of analyzing and combining the information from 40,000 proteins within the space of one minute.

Thinking 'I can do better' really can improve performance, study finds Posted: 30 Jun 2016 07:20 AM PDT Telling yourself 'I can do better,' can make you do better at a given task, a study has found. Over 44,000 people took part in an experiment to discover what motivational techniques really worked. The researchers tested which physiological skills would help people improve their scores in an online game.

New method tells growers more about citrus decay Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:40 AM PDT With citrus growers trying to save their groves in the wake of the deadly greening disease, a researcher has found a new technique that could help growers answer a vexing question – why so much fruit is dropping to the ground prematurely.

Study pinpoints behavior type linked to binge drinking in young adults Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:40 AM PDT Binge drinking — almost a rite of passage — peaks during the college years. So this begs the question, "Are there specific characteristics associated with high-level binge drinking habits in college students?"

Chaotic orbit of Comet Halley explained Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:32 AM PDT Astronomers have found an explanation for the chaotic behavior of the orbit of Halley's Comet.

Radiography of drought periods in Spain from the last 318 years Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:32 AM PDT The Mediterranean Basin has been witness to increased droughts for at least five decades, but has this always been the case? A research team has been successful in reconstructing, for the first time, the droughts from 1694 to 2012 based on the precipitation index and the study of tree growth rings. According to the study, the twelve months leading up to July 2012 were the driest.

Benefit of art therapy in reducing psychological problems in Syrian refugee children Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:30 AM PDT Group art therapy shows promise in reducing a wide range of psychological symptoms commonly experienced by refugee children, according to a pilot study of Syrian refugee children living in Turkey.

Chemoradiotherapy after surgery for gastric cancer shows similar outcomes to post-operative chemotherapy Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:26 AM PDT A phase III trial finds no significant difference in overall survival of having chemoradiotherapy after surgery for gastric cancer compared to post-operative chemotherapy.

Potential flaws in test for Lyme Disease Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:26 AM PDT A new microscopy technique (LM-method) developed to detect Lyme disease is unable to distinguish infected patients from healthy controls, yielding false-positive results that could lead doctors to over-diagnose a patient, according to new research.

The RNA that snips and stitches RNA Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:26 AM PDT RNA is a fundamental molecule that codes for protein and controls gene expression, playing a part in regulating many cell responses and vital processes. The genetic information contained in premature messenger RNA (mRNA), before being converted to proteins, needs to be processed and cleared of its non-coding sections, known as introns. In several simpler organisms, this key process is carried out by group II introns, enzymes entirely made up of RNA (different from the true protein enzymes) called ribozymes that are able to self-cleave by removing themselves from the mRNA filament and thereby promoting RNA maturation, report scientists.

Brilliant hard drive quality with magnetic field sensors made of diamond Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:26 AM PDT Quantum mechanics is not only of high interest in fundamental research. The current progress in quantum technologies promises numerous innovations of industrial relevance, which will be transferred into the economy within the next five to ten years. Researchers are now developing highly sensitive diamond probes as a basis for novel quantum sensors. These are able to characterize smallest magnetic fields with a spatial resolution in the nanometer range.

Mimicking the development of the whole eye with human iPS cells Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:26 AM PDT Scientists have developed a 2D culture system which mimics the development of the whole eye by promoting cell-autonomous differentiation of human iPS cells.

Expedition to test new technologies for deep sea deposit exploration Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:26 AM PDT A research cruise this summer will address the massive technical challenges in exploring for sea-floor mineral deposits. This expedition will take place on board the RRS James Cook, marking a decade of service that has seen this ship travel 218,972 miles in pursuit of science -- the equivalent of circumnavigating the globe ten times.

Antidiabetic effects discovered in the appetite hormone CART Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:26 AM PDT The appetite hormone CART is regulated by glucose and is found in greater quantity in people with type 2 diabetes, researchers have discovered.

The irony of awkward: Study shows the effects of problematic media on social withdrawal for young millennials Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:21 AM PDT Not all withdrawn individuals are the same, but for emerging adults who do everything they can to avoid social interaction, combining that with things like violent video games or pornography can cause big problems.

Thousands on one chip: New method to study proteins Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:21 AM PDT Since the completion of the human genome an important goal has been to elucidate the function of the now known proteins: a new molecular method enables the investigation of the function for thousands of proteins in parallel. Applying this new method, an international team of researchers was able to identify hundreds of previously unknown interactions among proteins.

Erasing unpleasant memories with a genetic switch Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:20 AM PDT Dementia, accidents, or traumatic events can make us lose the memories formed before the injury or the onset of the disease. Researchers have now shown that some memories can also be erased when one particular gene is switched off.

Shape-changing 'smart' material: Heat, light stimulate self-assembly Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:20 AM PDT Researchers have developed a unique, multifunctional smart material that can change shape from heat or light and assemble and disassemble itself. This is the first time researchers have been able to combine several smart abilities, including shape memory behavior, light-activated movement and self-healing behavior, into one material.

Smartphone apps not so smart at helping users avoid or achieve pregnancy Posted: 30 Jun 2016 06:20 AM PDT You might not want to depend on your smartphone app alone to help you avoid or achieve pregnancy, say the authors of a new study. A review of nearly 100 fertility awareness apps finds that most don't employ evidence-based methodology.

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